Chapter 77: Internal Affairs
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 77: Internal Affairs
I led Ragia to Black Spear’s settlement, where we were warmly welcomed. It felt like we were staying for quite a while, but Black Spear himself had asked me not to leave, so I decided to spend a little more time there. A good deal of time had passed as we lived in his settlement, strengthening our foundation.
“You’ve improved. Much better.”
Naturally, it had been a long time since I started learning Black Spear’s spear-throwing techniques. With the boost to my proficiency, I was able to achieve quite satisfactory results, and seeing them manifest was undeniably enjoyable. Unlike Black Spear, I would be throwing weapons other than spears, but having this unexpected ace up my sleeve would surely be to my advantage.
“Thanks to you, Black Spear.”
“It suits you better than I expected. Given your characteristic of fighting with many weapons, it seems quite effective.”
“But I don’t think I’ll ever be able to match the power of your throws.”
“We’ll have to see about that. There might be things you can do with your unique ability that go beyond sheer power.”
“Hmm…”
“By the way, it’s been some time since the new tribe members joined, hasn’t it? How are they? Are they adjusting well?”
I gave a slight nod at Black Spear’s question. It had been about a year since Ragia joined. In that time, the Blood Dagger Clan had undergone many changes. We had focused on consolidating our internal affairs, suppressing our desire for battle as much as possible.
The clan’s unspoken hierarchy had become much more clearly defined.
First, to further solidify Mev’s authority, I officially announced her as the matron of the clan and appointed her as a sub-chieftain. Of course, she was also in charge of the clan’s archers, so it was no exaggeration to say that Mev was the busiest person in our clan right now. After seeing Ragia evolve, she had been running around, claiming she could evolve too, but unfortunately, Mev’s body had yet to grow. It made her so anxious that she would sometimes come to me for counseling.
‘Chief. What if I don’t get bigger?’
‘That’s impossible.’
‘B-But…’
‘Even if that happens, you are still the matron of this clan.’
‘Right?’
The source of her anxiety was, of course, Ragia. After initially being cautious when she first arrived, Ragia had at some point started to revert to her old self, subtly seducing me with a gentle smile and a cute tail. Being quick-witted, she seemed to know just how far she could go without getting on my nerves, but her actions were more than enough to get on Mev’s.
It was funny, but the meaningless rivalry between Mev and Ragia was surprisingly entertaining to watch, so I decided to let it be for a while. To be honest, if it weren’t for Mev, I would have considered sleeping with her. She seemed to have a rough idea of what I was thinking, which was probably why she acted that way. In truth, I had already received another kind of service from her, but that was a secret I couldn't tell Mev.
To put it simply, a snake’s tongue was incredible. A natural-born seductress. There was no way I could dislike it.
‘I have prepared this liquor for the Chieftain. Please, accept a cup. How about… tonight as well?’
Just recalling that voice was enough to make my hips tremble slightly. Nothing more needed to be said.
In any case, Ragia was put in charge of ‘intelligence’ and ‘assassination’ for the clan. After she evolved into a Lamia, her potential skyrocketed, to the point where I honestly thought I’d made the right call in bringing her in. In particular, the existence of ‘poison,’ something we’d lacked until now, was incredibly welcome news for the Blood Dagger Clan. It was another weapon in our arsenal, so of course we welcomed it. We had benefited greatly from Ragia’s skills in our most recent battle; she had now become an indispensable part of the clan’s strength.
One of the women who didn’t look too kindly upon Ragia was, of course, Jung Hayeon. Unlike Mev, who worried about her position as matron being threatened, Jung Hayeon’s concern was purely about her time with me being taken away.
If Ragia was like a jealous concubine, Jung Hayeon was more like a first wife who had been there through thick and thin. In truth, the ‘first wife’ position within the clan was held by Mev, but it didn’t suit her appearance. She gave off more of a cute little sister vibe.
‘You should get some rest. I made something new.’
In contrast, Jung Hayeon never hesitated to give me advice from a more human perspective. Of course, our nightly affairs were also exclusively Jung Hayeon’s domain. For the sake of Mev’s authority, I would spend a few nights a week in the same tent as her, but contrary to Mev’s great expectations, I had only ever been with Jung Hayeon.
As the clan’s only magician, she held no other official title. I would probably put her in charge of the magicians if more were to join the clan.
Gark and Hark were in charge of the clan’s warriors and swordsmen. These two, who anyone could see were military commanders, served as the team’s vanguards, its special assault force, and were assigned various other tasks. It was no exaggeration to say that the swordsmen unit, which included myself, was the clan’s greatest strength. Fighting swiftly, efficiently, and at times with raw ferocity, they were growing stronger by the day.
In fact, a few months ago, I had a sparring match of sorts with Gark and Hark, and I remember being genuinely surprised by how strong they’d become. Even though it was two against one—or more accurately, three against one—their attacks were truly fierce.
I eventually won, succeeding in earning their respect, but to be honest, my pride was nearly wounded.
‘Blood Dagger is strong, as expected!’
‘We will follow only Blood Dagger for life!’
And then there was Hakajin. Unquestionably the second-smartest in the clan, Hakajin was naturally put in charge of military strategy and administrative affairs. It was no exaggeration to say that every tedious matter, big or small, passed through Hakajin’s hands. While ‘administrative affairs’ wasn’t as grand as it sounded, he was nonetheless performing perfectly.
In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that Hakajin was the most trustworthy of them all. I had even made a new unit, centered around the Goblin Three Sisters, Hakajin’s personal squad, and it had proven quite effective. At first, the Goblin Three Sisters weren’t happy about it, but they eventually came to acknowledge Hakajin.
‘Not as smart as the Chief, but he is a smart Green Skin! Kkirik!’
‘The Chief’s judgment was not wrong. Hakajin is wise!’
‘He can fly!’
However, among all my people, the one showing the most remarkable growth was none other than Baek Ahyeon.
[New believers have joined us, my Savior….]
[G-Good work.]
[Yes. Thank you. There will be a great service today.]
I can’t describe how flustered I was when I first heard about it. She had founded some unknown religion centered around the city’s slums. It was ridiculous, but she said the power of a Pagan grew as the number of believers increased, so I had no reason to stop her. They worshiped me, but they didn’t know my identity or my name, so as long as Baek Ahyeon was fine with it, I didn’t really care. A year later, their numbers were around thirty.
It wasn’t a small number, nor was it large, but I couldn’t help but be amazed at Baek Ahyeon’s results. I hadn’t heard exactly what she told them, but if what she said was true, these were followers who would die if she ordered them to. I began to wonder just how she had managed to win them over.
[I only told them the truth. The one and only messiah for people like us. My ultimate goal is to soon spread the Savior’s greatness to all the foolish humans of this land. S-So… a re-reward… W-What am I saying? I apologize.]
It wasn’t just the Pagans; Baek Ahyeon herself had gotten a bit stranger. In any case, Baek Ahyeon, who fed me various pieces of information about the human cities, was quite a useful asset. Lately, it seemed she was gaining recognition within her guild as well. As she grew, the power she wielded would grow too, so I decided to put off reaping the seeds for later.
After roughly organizing my thoughts on everyone, I turned to Black Spear.
“Everyone is doing well. A life stained by battle is good, but I’ve learned that having the leisure to catch one’s breath like this is definitely important.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I was skeptical at first, but your judgment was correct after all. To think you could assimilate the flagless groups in such a short time. You are truly a wise chieftain.”
“The same goes for you, Black Spear.”
Black Spear had also recently completed the Warrior’s Exam and had grown once more. He must have decided that a Troll’s body was more advantageous for throwing spears than an Ogre’s, as he chose to remain a Troll. His racial stats hadn’t increased, but Black Spear was a level stronger than before.
Just as we were making small talk, I saw Mev running toward us.
“Chief! Chief!!”
“What is it?”
“It’s here! It’s here! The settlement’s first child.”
I smiled faintly. It had been a year since the talented goblin who drew our flags and tattoos had finally paired up with one of Hakajin’s group. The first child had finally been born. There were many other pairs besides them, but we were still waiting for news. It was the chieftain’s role to bestow a blessing upon a newborn child. With a pleasant expression, I started on my way.
“Let’s go quickly. Black Spear, will you join us?”
“No, Blood Dagger. Even if we are brother clans, having me participate in an internal clan event might make your other members uncomfortable. It would be best if you bestow the blessing alone.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
Black Spear politely declined my offer, smiling at me like a warm-hearted uncle. Soon, I arrived where the clan members were gathered. Even before I got close, I could hear a loud commotion coming from the tent.
“The tribe’s first child!”
“The first child! Kkirik! Kkirik!”
The ones running wild with excitement announced my arrival.
“It’s the Chieftain! Blood Dagger has come to bless the new child!”
The crowd began to part, making a path for me. As I slowly walked through them, I could see a goblin with a distinctly tiny face and hands.
“Kkirik… Kkirik! Kkirik…”
I thought it would be grotesque, but it was surprisingly cute, and a smile appeared on my face before I knew it.
“Is it a boy or a girl?”
The wife of the goblin artist looked at me with an expression of overwhelming gratitude and spoke.
“It’s a girl. Please, a name…”
I had heard about this, but it seemed I really did have to name her. I slowly began to lift the child high into the air.
“Kkirik! Kkirik!”
The goblin began to cry vigorously.
“This is the first glorious child of the Blood Dagger Clan. This child, too, will become an honorable warrior. I will name this child ‘Nicole.’ May the blessing of the god of the battlefield always be with this first child, wherever she may go.”
“Uwooooooooh!!”
“For the prosperity of the tribe!”
“For Blood Dagger!”
The familiar voices spread through the crowd. Amidst this rather peaceful daily life, I thought to myself that I was happy here.