Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Hobgoblin Bastards #4
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"Keruk! Keruk!"
"Kerrrruk!"
Just like a primitive tribe that had won a war.
"Kyaek! Kyaaaaek!"
"Kyaaaaek!"
They dragged the bound prisoners along behind them.
The method for restraining them was inspired by that old movie Apocalypto.
Tie ropes to a long branch, then loop those ropes around the goblins' necks. In other words, tether six dog collars to a single long stick.
That way, they couldn't run off.
I'd freed their legs since they had to walk. Binding just their necks and arms like this meant there wasn't much to worry about anyway.
"Kyaaaaaek!"
If one tried to veer off anywhere else, it choked all the others.
"Kyaek! Kyaaaaek!"
"Kyaaaaaek!"
The goblins wailed in pain and had no choice but to shuffle in the direction we pulled them.
"Buril. The kids are getting a bit noisy."
"Keruk!"
—Plack!
Buril saluted me and smashed his fist into the head of one of the bound goblins.
—Pwaak!
"Kek!"
"Keruk keruk!"
"Heh heh heh, as expected from my Buril. You keep the discipline perfectly. I love it. I'm really so happy. I am."
With Buril around, everything was all good.
"Shaa shaa."
Sharan circled around the line of bound goblins curiously, as if they were some fascinating new discovery.
Anyway, we led the prisoners back to our dungeon like that.
"Whew, we're really gonna need to build a jail or something."
Capturing prisoners like this was one thing, but storing them was another problem entirely. Having a prison would make things so much easier. Dungeon expansion projects like that could wait until after we'd dealt with the hobgoblin issue, though.
"Kyaaaaaek!"
"Kyaek!"
For now, I just shoved the howling goblin prisoners into the empty food storage room. There wasn't a scrap of food inside anyway, so it could serve as a temporary jail.
"Hey. Hey. Quiet down a bit. Let's see... You, come with me."
"Kyaaaaaek!"
I untied one of them and yanked on his leash, and he crawled after me like he was having a fit.
"I'm gonna hit you with a nice, feel-good brainwashing beam right now."
There was a reason I'd bothered capturing them all as prisoners. Trying to use Domination right there on the spot would've failed 100% for sure. I was certain of it.
With all their comrades around and still able to move freely, it just wouldn't stick in that situation. So instead, we'd kidnapped them all at once like this, then pulled them out one by one for a private chat.
Once separated from the group and left alone, their mental defenses would weaken.
"Grurrrruk!"
"Gyusa! Gyusasat!"
"Keruk!"
As I dragged the prisoner out, my minions started drooling and cheering like I'd brought them dinner.
No.
This wasn't for eating.
"Ke... kyaek...!"
The terrified prisoner looked like he was about to burst into tears.
"Hold on, guys. We're not eating this one. We grabbed that dead guy earlier, right? Let's roast him."
"Keruk! Kerrrruk!"
Buril immediately got to work preparing the meal.
"Kruk."
"Gyusat."
The others looked a little disappointed, though.
"Heh heh heh, so you prefer live food, huh? You adorable little shits. Hold off for today. Eating prisoners violates the Geneva Convention."
"Shaa?"
"Come on, Sharan. Repeat after me: Je-ne-va Con-ven-tion."
"Sha sha sha sha sha."
"So cute."
—Stroke stroke.
I patted her head right away.
"Monster Domination—deploy!"
I injected the Domination skill into the prisoner goblin!
—Squeeze!
"Kek...!"
The goblin convulsed!
Fail or success?!
If it failed, we'd eat this bastard!
And then...
"Ke... keruk...?"
Success!
"Yes!"
Let's dominate every last one of these prisoner punks like this!
"Alright, Sahogi! Party time! Imsoong! Fire it up! Let's roast that bastard we killed earlier!"
"Grrrrrrrong!"
Imsoong bounced around like he'd won the lottery, laughing as he lit the bonfire. Alright, time to chow down on the one Buril had skewered earlier!
"Keruk!"
Was it because he'd heard we'd be eating? Even Sahogi, our newest recruit, looked thrilled.
Brainwashing beams are seriously fucking scary.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next day.
"Nngh..."
I woke up with my face buried in the cleavage between Sharan's breasts, just like always. Man, ever since Sharan joined us, my mornings felt so refreshing.
"Sharan. Time to get up."
"Shaa...? Shaasha sha."
I shook her shoulder, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. Then, as usual, she flapped her ears and pressed her head to my chest, begging for that.
"Here you go. Mana injection."
I condensed my magic and injected it into Sharan's body.
"Shaat...!"
She reacted immediately.
"Shaa!"
After savoring the afterglow for a moment, Sharan grinned brightly and hugged me tight. Yeah. This was our morning routine.
"Shaa? Shaasha sha."
"Make a shield today, Sharan."
"Shaa!"
Injecting mana in the morning made it easier for Sharan to craft her gear. She headed out of the dungeon to make the shield, while I woke the other minions sleeping deeper inside.
"Get up, you lot!"
Then I stepped outside myself.
"Whew! Fresh air!"
Every morning like this, I could feel my demonic power growing. Was it because my power was getting stronger? I even felt like my body was shaping up a bit nicer.
"Have the horns grown any?"
I grabbed my horns and checked, but I couldn't really tell. My whiskers were still stiff and bristly.
Anyway.
"Keruk. Keruk keruk."
As expected, Buril was the first one out.
"Heh heh heh, first place again today, huh?"
"Keruk!"
I stroked him, and he wagged with delight. My minions loved getting praised by me. It was too damn cute.
"Anyway, Buril. Round up all your subordinates and drag one prisoner out here. You've got three under you now. You can handle it, right?"
"Kerrrrng!"
Buril bolted back into the dungeon depths. Imsoong came out next, then Gwi-il and the rest. The ones who'd emerged started doing stretches.
These cute little rice-munching freeloaders.
They wouldn't need training for a while. I could just have them making ropes instead—simple work like gathering tough plant stems and ripping them lengthwise. While the soldiers trained, the rest handled production like this. Maybe form a hunting party later too.
Anyway.
Then...
"Kerrrruk!"
Buril and his merry band of buddies dragged out a prisoner with brutal glee. At the same time...
"Shaa."
Sharan returned with the vine shield.
"Ooh! Nice! Sharan made another pretty one just like herself!"
"Shaasha."
"Sharan really is our master blacksmith. Blacksmith!"
"Shaa!"
I showered her with praise, and she beamed happily. Anyway, we needed to get moving fast. I cast Domination on the prisoner right away.
—Pop.
"Kek...!"
Did it take?
"Keruk?"
It did.
"Heh heh heh, dominating a single goblin is child's play now."
That made five in total.
"Keruk...?"
"Buril. Snap this newbie into shape."
"Keruk!"
Punches worked wonders on the dazed ones. Buril quickly whipped the new recruit into line.
"Good! From now on, your name is Ohogi! Memorize it! Alright... Unit! Line up!"
"Keruk?"
"I said line up, idiots. You three under Samogi—front row, single file."
—Swish.
I waved my arm to direct them, and Samogi and the two below him formed a line. Let's see. Gear we had on hand: three vine shields and a bunch of wooden spears.
Distribute equipment first.
"Shield bestowal ceremony commencing."
"Keruk?"
I handed out the vine shields I'd prepared to the ones in the front row, one by one.
"Take these. They're your precious shields."
"Kerrruk?"
Samogi and the two below him took the shields and poked at them curiously. They hadn't had proper training yet.
They probably had no idea what shields even were.
"Spear bestowal ceremony next. Buril, newbie—take these wooden spears."
"Keruk."
"You two already know how to use them, right?"
"Keruk keruk."
Buril nodded.
"Anyway, back to your positions once you've got 'em."
"Keruk."
Once we'd distributed all the gear...
"Ooh!"
Amazing!
"Perfect!"
The word just burst out of me!
Three goblins in the front row with vine shields! Buril and the newbie with wooden spears in the back row!
"Now we've finally got a proper phalanx formation!"
Front line holds shields and tanks hits while the rear thrusts spears! It was starting to look like the real deal!
Of course, I'd be in the rear too. With me there, our combat power would be insane.
If we kept building the unit like this... we could wipe out every last hobgoblin bastard!
"Keruk...?"
"Kerrrrng."
The goblins still didn't fully grasp the phalanx yet. Time to start their real training today.
"Attention."
—Clap clap.
I clapped to get their focus.
"Keruk."
The goblins immediately looked my way. Wow, this brought back memories. Back when I was a squad leader, I'd relay orders just like this.
"Starting today, you'll all be training in the phalanx formation."
I'd given work orders before, but I'd never trained a group like this.
Still, I could do it!
We could do anything!
"Front row—you guys are shield bearers. You tank the hits while the spear-bearers behind you attack."
We still only had three front-line shield guys. That wasn't enough to fully block a dungeon passage. We'd need four or five side-by-side for that.
But with only three shields, no helping it. We'd have to wait a couple days. Sharan could only make one tool per day.
"Keruk...?"
"Keruk."
The newbies didn't quite get my words.
Time for Buril to step up.
"Buril!"
"Keruk!"
"Starting today, you're Goblin Squad Leader!"
"Keruk...?"
Buril tilted his head.
"From now on, you're in charge of leading the goblin unit with some responsibility! Because you're this bro's trusted right-hand man! You can do it!"
"Keruk...!"
—Plack!
Buril struck a solemn spear stance.
"Here's your reward!"
I went right up and injected him with demonic power!
"Keruk...?!"
I didn't know the details, but demonic power from a demon like me was like premium medicine for monsters. Regular injections would make them healthier, at least.
And if they got healthier...
"They get stronger."
"Keruuuuuuuuuk!"
Buril let out a massive roar.
"Phalanx training starts for real now! Everyone to positions!"
"Keruuuk!"