Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Hobgoblin Bastards #1
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This is fucking dangerous for real.
Stone axes and leather clothes? Whatever those bastards are, it's clear they've got a Neolithic-level civilization going on.
"Grak! Grik!"
And... at the command of the one in front, an entire squad was moving in perfect unison.
They're being commanded.
That means they're trained.
One squad leader and six squad members. A total of seven trained soldiers. Did Earth have armies like that back in the Neolithic era? No idea. Either way, this is a race that knows command, control, and training.
And they can craft primitive tools, too.
"...Orcs?"
Orcs?
The classic fantasy race?
Nah, calling them orcs might not fit. They're just a bit bigger than goblins.
And their skin's red.
Orks are supposed to be green-skinned behemoths, right?
"Hobgoblins."
Let's just go with that for now.
"Grak! Grik!"
"Grak! Grik!"
Anyway, the hobgoblin bastards were marching off somewhere in perfect formation. What the hell were they doing, drilling like that?
Training? Hunting?
Or... war?
"..."
Is there some race out there worth going to war with, given their level of armament and training? Something to think about. Sure, they could be fighting among their own kind.
I kept a close eye on the hobgoblin squad while those thoughts ran through my head.
Primitive clothes made from monster hides. No design or anything—just holes punched in leather to wear them. There were signs of basic stitching, though. The stone axes they carried were securely bound to their handles, after all.
Let's see... That means they can make polished stone tools, stitch, and tan hides.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them a human tribe living out in the boonies. Seems like a smart species.
And from what I could tell, they were armed but hadn't packed any supplies. For hunting or war, you'd need provisions no matter what.
But they were just marching out with weapons. So maybe it's a simple patrol or basic drill. Could even be a ritual or festival. Either way, their main base must be pretty close by.
"...Grik!"
Soon enough, they were out of sight.
Slither slither.
I belly-crawled back to Sharan. She poked her head out from behind the tree where she'd been hiding.
"Sharan. Those guys dangerous?"
I asked seriously.
"Shaa sha."
Sharan nodded.
"Shaa. Shaa shaa. Shaa shaaa."
Whoosh!
Slash!
Suddenly, Sharan mimed clawing at the air, then pretended to charge and flee.
"They fight... but run away?"
Something like that, anyway.
Yeah, definitely.
Sharan's power claw is insanely strong. It can rip through goblin bone and flesh. But she tires out after a few uses. If those army-like bastards came charging with their weapons, she might take down a few, but that'd be it.
Once her stamina drops, she'd get bludgeoned to death. Obviously, one person can't beat an army. Even a forest fairy like a dryad has to avoid hobgoblin troops.
"Our neighbors include war-mongering fuckers like that? Crazy shitheads. Don't they know about pacifism? Pacifism."
This is a seriously dangerous situation.
A trained army armed with stone axes. Right now, just two squads showing up would wipe us out. My build might be superior to theirs, but their weapons make that irrelevant.
Even fighting my ass off, two-on-one might be my limit. Three-on-one? No chance. And even if I won, I'd be a total wreck. Being a wreck out here in the sticks means death.
If they came at us, we could run, but a few kids would die, and they'd snatch our dungeon for sure.
"We need to prepare."
Coexisting with bastards who have an army is gonna be tough.
Armies are meant to crush any enemies they spot, after all.
And if our habitats overlap... conflict is inevitable eventually.
"Shaa."
"Sharan. Let's tail those bastards a bit."
Thinking about protecting my dungeon and minions sharpened my mind. Risky, sure, but if we don't scout now, it'll be harder later. Intel is key to survival.
I took off after the hobgoblin squad with Sharan right away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Grararak! Grak grak!"
"Kyusaak! Kyusaak!"
A hobgoblin squad versus a kobold pack.
Thud!
Thud!
The fight was one-sided. The kobolds, with just teeth and claws, couldn't stand up to the hobgoblins' stone axe barrage.
"Kyusaak!"
"Grarang!"
One kobold that charged did sink its teeth deep into a hobgoblin's forearm, but that was it. The hobgoblins fighting with their comrades backed each other up lightning-fast.
Thud!
"Kyuruk...?!"
The kobold chomping on the arm got its skull smashed. The hobgoblin who'd saved his buddy reached down to help him up.
"Grak grak."
"Grook."
They even exchanged greetings before collapsing.
"Holy shit."
This was the real deal. These guys weren't some ragtag mob playacting at soldiers. They knew how to fight.
"..."
Let me break down what happened.
We'd barely been tailing the marching hobgoblin squad when they spotted a kobold burrow and attacked immediately. Textbook precision.
"Grak grak."
"Grak."
The hobgoblins who'd finished looting dragged out the small kobold corpses.
Insanely fast division of labor.
"Grak grak. Grak."
The squad leader barked orders, and the hobgoblins moved. It was mind-blowing. These fuckers were a seasoned army.
But why hadn't we run into them before? If they're raiding like this, we should've crossed paths already.
No way.
New arrivals from outside?
Moved into the area recently. Pushed out of their territory? Or maybe a strong monster that used to be here vanished? No clue, but it's bad news.
That's when it happened.
"Shaa."
Sharan grabbed my shoulder.
And pointed straight ahead.
Pop pop pop.
A fairy appeared out of nowhere.
"G-Gрак?!"
The hobgoblin that spotted it freaked out. Makes sense. Even an army like them fears fairies all the same.
"Grak! Grak grak!"
"Grararak!"
The working hobgoblins dropped everything in an instant and paired off, scattering. Skirmish formation?
And then—
Whistle!
They started hurling stones at the fairy like mad!
"Grak! Grararak!"
"Graaaang!"
"Grakrak!"
These bastards were attacking the fairy!
"Eek!"
The fairy squealed in trouble as the stones flew and dodged frantically.
Pop pop pop!
Then it bolted for good.
"Grarak!"
"Grik!"
The hobgoblins cheered in victory.
"...!"
I could only shudder at the sight.
They'd calmly driven off that terrifying fairy. Watching their flawless moves, this wasn't their first rodeo. They'd repelled fairies multiple times before.
No doubt about it.
Pairing up quick, spreading out for concentrated fire.
They'd drilled fairy countermeasures long ago—to protect buddies and dodge mass hypnosis...!
Clamp.
I covered my mouth in awe.
These fuckers are incredible.
They fear fairies, sure, but they follow training to the letter. Once I'd confirmed that much, Sharan and I fell back.
"Shaa."
Sharan looked worried.
Guarding against them, probably.
"Whew... Sharan. You know about fairies?"
Flap flap.
I spread my palms wide and flapped, mimicking a fairy. Sharan growled at it.
"Shaa...!"
Alert eyes.
Doesn't like fairies much, huh.
"Shaa. Shaa shaa."
Soon Sharan grabbed my wrist and tugged.
"Shaa shaa."
Worried face.
Let's go home?
Fair enough. She's a wild girl not long ago. Better to avoid than stalk and observe enemies, she thinks.
"Shaa shaa. Shaa."
Kept insisting we head back... so I took her wrist instead. Can't go now. For our safety and future, we need max intel on them.
"Got it. But hold on. We'll just see where they go and bounce. Okay?"
"Shaa..."
Did she get it?
Droop.
Sharan's leaf ears drooped.
"Aww, Sharan. Sorry. But it's important if we wanna live. Just that, then we go."
Perk.
I apologized and stroked her head; the limp ears perked back up. After petting for a good while,
We resumed tailing the hobgoblin squad.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ And that's how we reached their main base.
"..."
Huts.
Primitive huts cobbled together dotted the area. And that wasn't all. Hobgoblin villagers were milling about the hut village.
At least platoon-sized numbers.
"Grararak!"
"Grak! Grak!"
"Grarak!"
The villagers welcomed the returning army dragging kobold corpses.