Chapter 34
Chapter 34
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Goblin's Beginning
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The scenery unfolding before his eyes.
How should he define this?
'Before the throne?'
That term came to mind first.
But with the rowdy bunch throwing a feast on the playfield around him,
and the figures sprawled out drunk on booze.
Could he really call this the space before the king?
'Still.'
Sin Bihyeong turned his head, gazing straight ahead once more.
A massive jade throne.
The armrests were engraved with golden dragons, and behind it, the backrest featured a carving of a goblin with its mouth gaping wide.
Anyone would look at it and think, 'Yeah, some ridiculously badass figure sits there.'
'The Goblin King, right?'
The being who reigned supreme over countless goblins, their kingly sovereign.
Of course, the reputation of goblins that Sin Bihyeong had heard about so far wasn't exactly stellar,
so he hadn't held high hopes for their king either.
'Like a goblin lord in fantasy terms?'
Even the drunks passed out right in front of the king's throne were enough to crush his expectations.
At that moment.
"His Highness arrives—!!"
With a booming voice, the palace gates—or what resembled them—swung open.
The scattered figures around rose to their feet, resuming their percussion performance.
Boom, clap.
Boom, clap-clap!
As if the feast until now had just been the prelude, lively rhythms teased his ears.
Amid the raucous celebration, a single figure strode forward and took a seat on the jade throne.
"So. You're the kin who seeks to inherit my bloodline... Hm?"
Sin Bihyeong's eyes met the Goblin King's.
Whoosh!
As Sin Bihyeong summoned his Goblin Cap, his presence instantly filled the goblin palace.
An overwhelmingly dominant aura.
The pinnacle of potential attainable by a goblin.
The half-demon's presence crushed the throne room.
"Uh, hm..."
The Goblin King instinctively sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.
"Well... how about we switch seats first?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Seated on the jade throne, looking down to see the Goblin King kneeling with his head bowed.
Hey, hey. That gonryongpo robe's gonna get all dusty.
"...Why did you suggest switching seats?"
Ever since meeting Eoduk,
and then the entity known as Already Lake,
Sin Bihyeong had used casual speech with yokai of lower rank than himself.
He had to.
The pride etched into his blood demanded it, and he believed that speaking formally as someone of higher rank would harm the other party.
Yet he couldn't bring himself to speak casually to the one before him.
From chin to jowls, thick with beard, a square-jawed face.
And the wrinkles of age visible on it—how could he spit out informal words?
This situation felt deeply uncomfortable.
'I showed my presence to wrap things up quickly, but it seems I've only complicated matters?'
The Goblin King was frozen, constantly watching his expression.
No progress was being made.
"Haa..."
As Sin Bihyeong sighed, every goblin gathered in the throne room flinched.
No. Precisely, only the Goblin King trembled.
"Are those guys down there like clones you created?"
"Ah, yes... To be exact, it's not a high-level technique like clones. More like just a bit of the power inherent to goblins?"
"Speak comfortably."
"I-I'm more comfortable this way."
"No... Haa. Yes. Do as you please."
Sin Bihyeong gave up and decided to just say what he needed to.
"That bloodstone down there. They said your club is in it, so why am I here?"
Sin Bihyeong looked around.
Thanks to wearing the cap, he could see it.
This place wasn't the material world—it was the Spirit Realm.
'In other words, an illusion that doesn't truly exist. Or perhaps a snapshot of memory.'
The Goblin King before him looked alive, but in truth, he wasn't.
He was merely a remnant of ancient history, long dead.
"Well... I intended to test your worthiness first, then pass on my club and the seat of Goblin King. That's why I brought you here..."
"Then did I pass the test?"
"Pardon? Ah, no, how could you say that!? Pass? How dare I test a being like you?"
"But to inherit your club and seat, don't I need to meet your standards?"
The Goblin King's lingering will tilted its head at Sin Bihyeong's words.
"...Why do you want my club? A supreme being like you must already possess something far superior."
Hoo.
Where to even begin explaining.
'Feels like every yokai I meet needs an explanation about being a half-demon.'
He wouldn't have to explain it to exorcists too, would he?
'...Please, no.'
Sin Bihyeong shoved aside the rising unease and explained his situation.
I did this, I'm a half-demon that.
Conclusion. Can't wield the club.
After a tedious, pedantic stretch of time, the Goblin King's lingering will gaped in shock, jaw nearly dropping.
"Y-You possess such a presence... and you're a half-demon?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"N-No... I was just surprised. Just surprised..."
Goblins weren't a renowned race.
No ties to myths, nor had they ever dominated as objects of profound terror among yokai.
Just middling, nothing more.
"That's goblins for you. A race undefined in every way, forever incomplete."
At those words, Sin Bihyeong's gaze drifted to the Goblin King's form.
'...Come to think of it, the Goblin King has no horns.'
The three goblins who were Dubuaksini's subordinates had horns on their heads.
'Eoduk doesn't either, now that I think about it.'
He'd assumed it was because he was a lesser goblin.
But according to Eoduk, the guy's rank was slightly higher than those subordinates.
'If appearances differ even in that state, that's odd.'
Sin Bihyeong absentmindedly touched his forehead.
The half-horn on his brow was just from wearing the cap inverted.
It hardly counted as a physical trait.
The Goblin King's lingering will looked at him and gave a wry smile.
"Something seems to have occurred to you."
"Yes. About the differences in goblins' appearances."
"What differences?"
"It means they're an incomplete race."
Undefined in every aspect, their forms and racial traits vary by generation and circumstance.
"Some goblins have horns. They're a form mixed with legends of oni left by those island pirates."
Others have but a single eye, or disgustingly many at times.
"That's the goblin race."
With the Goblin King's lingering will's bitter smile came a self-deprecating voice echoing in Sin Bihyeong's ears, as if to prove it.
"That's why you mustn't take my club."
"...Why does the conversation turn that way?"
"My club can't keep pace with your rank. It might even impose a limit."
"Limit" was a word often used, but only to denote an ultimate ceiling.
"Yes, such a ceiling exists. But if you, using my club, decide 'Ah, so this is the feel of a goblin club!' and set that as the limit—what then?"
It meant self-imposing a cap, even if reality allowed further growth.
"Supreme goblin. Our race is inherently undefined, half-formed in every way."
Thus, even inherited bloodlines often manifest differently.
"Among such goblins, you were born at the pinnacle of potential. The 'definition' of goblin you create will become precedent, shaping how goblins are defined henceforth."
For such a being, his club could be of use.
He was overjoyed at that.
But.
"I don't want to tarnish your potential with my crude club."
Sin Bihyeong couldn't help but feel perplexed.
"Thing is, I need that club right now."
"Pardon? Why..."
Sin Bihyeong launched into yet another tedious, pedantic explanation about Dubuaksini.
The Goblin King's expression soured slightly.
"You mean to save that vile demon, Dubuaksini?"
The yokai who ruled and subjugated goblins.
It made sense that the Goblin King, representative of goblins, disliked Dubuaksini.
But.
'From our chat, he didn't seem that bad.'
Thinking of his subordinates, or standing resolute despite beatings.
Dubuaksini had left a decent impression on Sin Bihyeong.
"Yes. Figured I'd give saving him a shot."
Save him first, and if he's no good, deal with it then.
'Bind him with the Library Chairman's barrier, pour on firepower in the gap... Shouldn't be impossible.'
And he had an ace up his sleeve.
Before reviving the guy, he'd use his wager to impose restrictions first.
'If I take his greatest asset, he'll probably stay obedient until he gets it back.'
If not, just slice him down.
"So I'll be taking your club."
At Sin Bihyeong's declaration, the Goblin King's lingering will pondered deeply before proposing a solution.
"Then, why not use this chance to awaken your true club?"
With those words, the Derived Story's content shifted.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You possess an aura far too supreme to succeed the king. Therefore, the existing Derived Story 'Inheritance' is deleted. A new Derived Story, 'The Goblin's Beginning', germinates. The Goblin King's lingering will smiled radiantly.
"Not some club like mine, but your own—the Goblin's Beginning, to be passed down through legends."
Sin Bihyeong's heart pounded fiercely.