Chapter 73: Hakajin
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: Hakajin
I grinned at the hobgoblin. The goblins who had been standing over him looked down at the bowing Hakajin, their expressions baffled, but eventually, they began to raise their weapons one by one. They had heard Hakajin's voice and seemed to have grasped the situation.
The first to shout was, as expected, Hark, who had been waiting for a chance to cry out my name.
“Victory! For victory alone!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
At his lead, the new members of the Blood Dagger Clan also roared.
“For Blood Dagger!”
Hakajin, standing before me, did the same. He, too, struggled to hide the emotion in his voice as he shouted louder than anyone.
They were nearly perfect as new clan members. I couldn't help but feel good. What was best of all was that I had won their hearts. I hadn't just brought them into the clan; I had gained followers who would serve me with true loyalty. I placed a hand on my chest toward Hakajin, and another cheer erupted.
Thanks to that, we were able to return to the settlement in high spirits. Since its location was now known to the humans, we decided to completely abandon Hakajin's settlement. As they were a poor group, they had few belongings, so we were able to head straight for Black Spear's settlement.
Black Spear, who despised those who had abandoned their honor, welcomed Hakajin with a short, “Welcome,” when I brought him over. And just like that, the family in Black Spear's settlement grew a little larger.
Naturally, we didn't skip the welcoming party for his clan's arrival.
It was a humble affair with no formalities or rules, but the welcoming ceremony began, with everyone sitting on the ground, drinking, and tearing at meat.
“For our new brothers!”
“For Hakajin!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
Boisterous chatter could be heard from all around. Hark, who had overseen the test with me, began to describe what he had seen to the loyal Five Siblings and the other clan members. Hakajin, who had been worried about how his ‘methods’ would be received, soon began to smile.
“Hakajin is a smart Green Skin!”
“Saving one's clan members is important for any leader. He's a man fit for the Blood Dagger Clan!”
I don't know how his methods might have been judged before, but at least within this clan, they weren't ostracized.
Mev and the Goblin Three Sisters also seemed to be quite fond of the new female Green Skins. It was a completely different reaction from how they treated Ragia.
It seemed they liked the women from Hakajin's group, who were acting a bit more deferential.
The group of women, centered around Mev, Jung Hayeon, and the Goblin Three Sisters, were talking amongst themselves. They seemed to be explaining the Blood Dagger Clan's own set of rules to the newcomers. Apparently, there were rules just for the women. I wanted to listen in, but for some reason, I felt ignorance would be bliss, so I turned my attention elsewhere.
The small gathering began to grow as Black Spear's clan joined in, and everyone lit a large bonfire, circling it and cheering late into the night.
“For Black Spear!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
I was enjoying myself as well. While Hakajin could be said to lack martial strength, I planned to raise him as an executive—the clan's sole shaman or strategist—so I sat him beside me and raised my cup. We talked about many things, and eventually, the conversation turned to the topic of the ‘test.’
I hadn't originally planned on telling him, but that fool Gark blabbed, and Hakajin found out the whole thing had been a ‘test.’
“Congratulations on passing Blood Dagger's test!”
He said it with such confidence, but when the reaction around him was chilly, he glanced at me. I still remember the look on his face. Fortunately, Hakajin didn't seem too upset. In fact, he seemed quite pleased to have passed the test.
“So it was all a test...”
“It was. I apologize if you're offended.”
“Not at all. On the contrary, I'm honored to have set foot in this clan in such a way.”
He bowed his head. For some reason, I felt I should say something, so I spoke.
“As I said before, you are qualified and honorable enough. Anyone can throw away their life, but not everyone can throw away their honor for themselves and their tribe. Hakajin, you certainly fled from the honorable Great Tribe Leader's exam. But I do not believe you abandoned the pride of a Green Skin.”
“That is too much praise. I am just a cowardly Green Skin.”
“It's fine to be a cowardly Green Skin. You just need to do your best in the way you know how. Don't worry about my honor, and don't hold back your counsel. Surviving and winning are what come first.”
“It is an honor, honorable warrior Blood Dagger.”
He started to get teary-eyed again. I already knew he was a cowardly Green Skin, but I never imagined he'd be so quick to cry.
He may be lacking now, but I'm certain he will become a great asset to me. I casually patted his shoulder. Since I'd gone to the trouble of recruiting him, I decided to ask if he knew anything about the other groups nearby. I started by asking him a question.
“Besides you, there is one other group undergoing the test.”
“I... I thought as much.”
“Originally, I planned to accept only one of the two groups, but seeing you has changed my mind a little. Do you happen to know of a woman named Ragia?”
I figured he would know something. Clans like ours that have a banner don't pay much attention to Green Skins without one, but I thought there was a high probability that those groups kept track of each other.
As expected, he began to speak after hearing my question. His voice was a little serious.
“Yes. I know of her. It was a long time ago... but I have met her.”
“I see... Could you tell me why you met?”
“Of course.”
I asked for an answer, but I could already guess what it was. If they had made direct contact, the answer was obvious. Before Hakajin could speak, I spoke first.
“Was it... a recruitment offer?”
“Yes. It was.”
A group without even a banner making recruitment offers... she seemed quite ambitious, wanting to expand her numbers. Naturally, I became curious as to why Hakajin had refused their offer. I looked at him with great interest and asked.
“Why did you refuse?”
“Because they cannot be called a group. They are merely gathered and living together.”
“Hmm...”
“I don't know the full details, but they are split into two factions.”
I could guess what he meant. The Green Skins who had changed to have human-like appearances, and those who hadn't. There were certainly many Green Skins with human-like features, but a significant number did not.
“The side that hunts humans, and the side that cannot.”
“I see.”
I thought so. Ragia and a few of the other women certainly had appearances similar to humans. Having a human appearance would be more advantageous for hunting than looking like an obvious monster. They most likely targeted male summoners. They hadn't just evolved for the sake of it; they had evolved out of necessity.
The reason Ragia didn't explain her hunting methods to me was likely because she thought the act was dishonorable. No, it was more likely she thought I would dislike it. If she knew how our clan grew during the Tutorial, she would never think such a thing, but what did it matter? Hearing his words made me covet Ragia even more.
I already thought she was a smart woman, but the fact that she even used her gender as a weapon was quite impressive.
Naturally, I spoke again.
“Hakajin, assuming they pass the test, if you were the chieftain, would you accept them or not?”
“Fifty-fifty.”
“Ragia would undoubtedly be helpful in developing the Blood Dagger Clan. She is wise, clever, and knows very well how to survive. However...”
“However?”
“She is greedy. She values external appearances and is focused on expanding her numbers rather than strengthening her core. It was the same when she met our group. She wants to have everything.”
She certainly did seem greedy. Judging by how she made that insolent remark to Mev and subtly tried to seduce me, it seemed she wasn't just thinking about joining the clan, but also about carving out a position for herself after she joined. For Mev, who had acted as the clan's matriarch, this was naturally unwelcome. If her personality was as Hakajin described, there was a high probability she would try to act as the matriarch after joining our clan.
“I see...”
In conclusion, I would have to weigh the benefits she would bring against the problems she would cause. But all these worries were for after she passed the test. Of course, if she chose to abandon us first, my connection with Ragia would end here. I started to look forward to the coming test.
All the preparations were already complete. Baek Ahyeon couldn't participate in the attack on Ragia's settlement, but information about it would be spreading among the humans. Nameless adventurers would probably start flocking there only after the guilds investigated what happened at Hakajin's settlement, but Hakajin's group was already gone. Or perhaps some impatient fools would form a raid or a party and head there immediately. Now that the rumors of Hakajin's settlement had been confirmed, there would surely be those who were confident in the existence of Ragia's settlement as well.
The test might come sooner than I thought. I smiled at the thought. Whether he knew what I was thinking or not, Hakajin, sitting beside me, began to speak.
“The decision is for you to make, Blood Dagger.”
“Thank you. I'm glad I brought you in.”
An admirable fellow. Ragia had certainly said the exact same thing before—that the decision was mine to make. But I couldn't understand why her words and his sounded so completely different.
I raised my cup for no particular reason. When I drank with the Great Tribe Leader, we never made toasts, but perhaps it was a habit from my time as a human; I wanted to share this joyous feeling with my men.
“Today, we have gained brothers who will be with us for life. This cup is for our new brothers.”
“A drink for our brothers!”
“Blood Dagger drinks for his brothers!”
I glanced not only at Hakajin but also at Black Spear as I raised my cup. Understanding my gesture, he gave a faint smile, and though they had never been taught, everyone raised their cups high. Even the Giant Wolf, Ibar, seemed to be in a good mood, stretching out his neck and howling for the new brothers. At the sound of Ibar's howl, the others began to shout loudly.
“For our new brothers!”
“For our brothers! For Blood Dagger!”
And so, the pleasant night passed.