Chapter 162
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Assault of the Kobold Captains
There were three kobold captains near Levi Village.
One of them had recently met his end in a goblin village.
So now, there were only two kobold captains left.
And they were the two who got along the worst with each other.
"Those damned goblins."
Kobold captain Beko gnashed his teeth in fury.
He had just heard that his prized cavalry kobold battalion had been utterly decimated.
"I'll kill them all right now!"
He showed his intent to lead his forces and massacre the goblins.
But another kobold captain shook his head, contrary to that resolve.
"Aren't the goblins starting to band together? This is clear proof that someone is leading them."
The other kobold captain, Maltiron.
He lagged behind in the kobolds' innate physical advantages.
But he excelled greatly in tactics and intellect.
He had managed to rise to captain.
Yet kobold intelligence fell short when it came to commanding fellow captains.
"Just kill whoever's leading them!"
Maltiron clicked his tongue at Beko's shout.
Beko simply wasn't one to reason with.
'So this is the limit of kobolds.'
No matter how smart ones were born among them.
For kobolds, innate strength was everything.
Even kobolds who mocked goblins were only one rank apart in the racial hierarchy.
It was a result of that slim difference.
"I'm going to wipe out that goblin village."
"Beko, we need to be more cautious. If we lose any more forces, we'll be the ones in danger!"
"You coward! Are you scared of mere goblins?!"
Beko was the finest warrior in the kobold village.
Naturally, his pride matched it, and he was even older than Maltiron.
As a result, Maltiron's sound advice was always ignored.
Why even make him a captain then?
"Beko, just think about it a little more."
Maltiron protested to the end, feeling a hollow frustration.
"We'll crush the goblins."
But Beko's mind was unchanged.
He thought only of crushing the goblins.
"Fine."
Maltiron decided not to argue with Beko anymore.
He had realized it was pointless.
"Then I'm out."
"What? You coward Maltiron!"
"Yeah, I'm a coward. The most precious thing in this world is my life."
A pure instinct for survival could save one's life at times.
So Maltiron declared his withdrawal without a shred of hesitation.
"I'll take the kobolds following me. Invade the goblin village on your own."
"That's desertion! You'll never return to the village!"
"We'll see about that."
Who wouldn't return was the question.
Maltiron left Beko behind just like that.
Watching his retreating figure, Beko ground his teeth.
Maltiron was always like this.
Folding at crucial moments out of needless fear.
"That fool."
Beko cursed Maltiron as he led his own forces away, then rallied his troops.
"Follow me, all of you! We'll punish the goblin village!"
"Woof! Woof!"
The kobolds barked as they followed Beko.
Soon, the goblin village came into view.
It had indeed erected barricades, just as the reports said.
"Prepare the catapults."
But the kobolds hadn't come unprepared either.
If they had barricades, just smash them down.
Mighty kobolds loaded the boulders they had hauled onto the catapults.
Catapults specially procured from the human race, ranked 8th.
Their power was guaranteed.
"Fire."
At Beko's command, the catapults launched.
The flying boulders hurtled straight toward the barricade.
Just before impact, a goblin leaped from atop the barricade.
A goblin with entirely red skin.
Not one from around these parts.
The problem was the goblin's size.
This goblin was enormous.
Bigger even than burly kobolds, reminiscent of an orc.
"That's a goblin?"
Beko stared in disbelief.
But the red goblin's antics didn't end there.
It flew straight at the boulder.
No matter its size, it was tiny compared to the boulder.
Beko thought it was committing suicide.
Thud!
Soon, the goblin collided with the rock.
Beko figured it would be crushed beneath.
"Wh-what is that?"
But an unexpected sight unfolded.
The boulder should have flattened the red goblin and smashed the barricade.
Yet the boulder stood tall before the barricade.
And beneath it, the red goblin was holding it up.
Crack!
Then the boulder suddenly began to split.
Boom!
Finally, it shattered into pieces.
All the kobolds watched in horror.
The red goblin pounded his broad chest.
"Kobolds weak! Aren stronger!"
The red goblin, Aren.
A goblin trained by Havel.
"So it was that one."
Beko realized why the other kobold captain had fallen in the goblin village.
Probably to that monster.
"Shoot arrows to bring it down. Prepare the next boulder for the catapult."
Beko issued quick orders.
Orders befitting a captain.
Twang!
Soon, the kobolds began firing arrows.
The arrows flew toward Aren but failed to pierce his thick hide.
"Hm, tickles."
From afar, it looked like the arrows were working.
The kobolds fired wildly.
Meanwhile, the catapult was reloaded.
This time, to definitely smash the barricade.
The boulder was even larger than before.
"Fire."
The moment Beko gave the order.
Snap!
Something snapped.
Bang!
"Gyaack!"
"Kreee!"
Screams erupted from behind.
Startled, Beko turned around.
There, kobolds lay crushed under a fallen boulder.
And atop the catapult's rope.
A black goblin stood, eyes closed, long sword dangling.
The black goblin, Vibl.
He exuded an ominous aura.
How had he gotten there?
Beko drew his massive two-handed axe, ignoring his shock.
"You!"
He swung it at the goblin immediately.
Whoosh!
But Vibl was far nimbler than the heavy axe.
He dodged effortlessly and vanished in an instant.
Beko felt like he'd seen a ghost.
The problem was the catapult.
It was disabled.
It had been fine moments ago.
No clue when it had been sabotaged.
"F-fix the catapult!"
Beko urgently ordered repairs.
But the kobolds hesitated, unable to fix it.
Catapults were human inventions.
They had only borrowed them.
"You useless lot!"
Beko's face flushed with rage.
He charged forward, axe raised high.
"Get out of my way, you idiots! I'll smash the barricade myself!"
The moment he roared and rushed the barricade.
Flash!
A streak of light flashed over Beko's head.
Boom!
A massive explosion followed, and Beko froze in a awkward stance.
As the blinding light faded from behind, he slowly turned his head.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
"Keeek, kiii."
"Mercy, mercy."
"Aaaagh! My leg!"
It was a scene from hell.
All the kobolds were smashed or dead.
Beko's eyes wavered at the horror.
That flash moments ago.
Definitely magic.
He'd never heard of goblins using magic.
And with this power.
No ordinary mage.
He raised his creaking head.
Atop the barricade stood a pure white goblin holding a staff.
The white goblin, Joah.
One personally taught magic by Elashiya.
Beko's eyes shook violently.
What the hell was this goblin village?
Far too different from normal ones.
'Was Maltiron right?'
Maltiron, who had left with his forces due to a bad feeling.
His hunch might have been spot on, Beko thought.
Rumble!
Then, the seemingly impenetrable barricade opened.
Beko slowly turned to see a lone goblin standing before it.
Unlike the others, nothing special about him.
A common goblin from around here.
Standing alone, no one nearby.
"How dare these scum ignore me, Beko."
Seeing him, Beko suppressed his unease and vented his anger.
Even if the other kobolds fell to magic, he was still here.
He'd kill these three goblins and burn the village.
With that resolve, he swung his two-handed axe.
"First, one down!"
With his shout, crimson aura rippled along Beko's axe as it struck.
The plain goblin saw the axe and swiftly drew his sword.
Pulled cleanly from his waist, the blade met the axe in an instant.
Beko was certain his axe would shatter the sword and cleave the goblin.
He had claimed the kobold throne with that axe alone.
It was his greatest pride.
Clang!
The moment axe met sword.
"Guh!?"
He felt a numbing shock from his hands.
Like striking rock.
Beko hurriedly checked the goblin's sword.
But it was perfectly intact.
Soon, he sensed the goblin's sword drawing dangerously close.
Too late, he realized it was a thrust.
Splat!
His head was already pierced.
Thud!
His grip loosened, axe falling as his body shuddered.
He collapsed dead.
The goblin who cleanly finished Beko.
It was Mob.
The four goblins raised by Havel.
Those four monsters were growing in this goblin village.