The headquarters of the Kushain believers, Cultidian. It was the hometown of the patriarch, Benem Nemush, as well as the beginning of the Kushain believers’ holy war. It was currently being regarded as a holy land, and after being enriched by the wealth and human resources coming from the region they ruled, it has already become the leading city among the northern Kushain believers.
It was to such a place that a slave was currently headed. This slave was tasked by Yoshu to bring a letter to the patriarch himself. He was currently being escorted by the Leon Heart Clan through the surrounding territories, and they were already on their 10th day of travel.
“Umm… Master Zaurosh.”
The young slave was someone Yoshu held in regard.
“Hmm? What’s up?”
The adventurers escorting him weren’t just some small fries, but the best the clan had to offer.
“Master Zaurosh, you’re powerful, right?”
“Well, yeah, somewhat.”
“…Is it really ok for you to be escorting me?”
Usually, beginner adventurers were the ones to take on messenger escort jobs such as this. Save for extremely perilous territories or unexplored lands, this wasn’t really the sort of job an expert adventurer would waste his time on.
“That’s just how important this job is.”
“I see. Excuse me.”
It was rare for a boy to be this frank to an adult adventurer, especially one who was a slave.
“Let’s finish this quickly.” Zaurosh said.
The slave boy nodded.
They needed to deliver a letter to Benem Nemush. Normally, that would be an onerous undertaking. After all, the person they were dealing with was a man who stood at the peak of a giant organization. Just how long would it take to pass a letter to a man like that? Zaurosh himself knew it would take a long time, as he was a person in a similar position.
But no matter what there was always a back door.
That day Benem Nemush had his morning walk – a daily routine of his- in the garden of their religious organization. It was a garden indeed, but it was surrounded by giant residences the likes of which only the royalty and the titled nobility could possess, and greens of all sorts grew abound on the garden despite being in the middle of a desert. There was even a water fountain. The garden was so vast that it would take some time were one to try and go around it once.
“Patriarch.”
After finishing his exercise, the patriarch emptied a glass of water and walked back toward his church when someone called out to him.
“A letter from our master.”
The man who called out to him and handed that letter was a hooded man whose face could not be seen. From the sound of his voice, it would probably be more apt to refer to him as a boy.
“Hmm.”
Benem Nemush was a religious fanatic. He didn’t believe that there was even the slightest chance that he could be hurt. He truly believed from the bottom of his heart that he was protected by god.
That attitude of his left him defenseless, but it was also because of that that he was able to convince the people to believe in the teachings of his faith.
Which is why Benem Nemush generously took the letter and unhesitatingly opened it.
“…Ho.”
When he read the contents, a complacent smile appeared on his face.
5 days later, under the behest of the patriarch, the Kushain believer army left Cultidian and headed west.
◆◇◆
The goblin army gathered in the western city and prepared for their descent to the south under the command of the Goblin King.
“Gi Ga, I have no one else to leave my back but to you. I’m counting on you.”
“As the king commands, so do I obey.”
Gi Ga Rax knelt on his prosthetic leg and bowed to the king. He was a knight class goblin and his most trusted retainer. Behind him was the noble class goblin, Gi Ba Hagar, a powerful goblin who possessed the Man-Eating Snake skill. He will surely be a key player in defending the east.
“Gi Ba, I leave the public peace of the eastern kingdom on your shoulders. Work with Gi Ga in my absence.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Gi Be, Gi Ah, Gi Ii, make sure to help Gi Ga and Ga Ba.”
“As you command,” the one-armed Gi Be said in place of the goblin rares. Gi Bu the beast tamer, Gi Ah the divine invader, Gi Ii the explorer, every one of these goblins would help Gi Ga in the king’s absence.
Gi Bu had returned from his expedition and would be staying in the western region to keep its monsters in check, while Gi Ah and Gi Ii would maintain the peace in the area between the western region and the Fortress of the Abyss. They will also ensure that the reserve soldiers are always present.
“Nikea. These are the plains you’ve yearned for so long. Work with Gi Ga and protect it.”
“Naturally. For the sake of those who have died, we will win,” the ever serious araneae chief said.
The Goblin King smiled. “Don’t do anything reckless, though. I know it sounds contradictory, but we can take back territories anytime. Remember, you can only be my strength while you are alive.”
“Those words make me happy. I will do my best.”
“Yustia. The village isn’t done yet, but I thank you for your cooperation.”
“Repaying, benefactor, only natural.”
The young woman chieftain of the savage tribe of the sword wore a demon mask on her face. Her curved sword, which was as big as she was tall, was pierced onto the ground.
After the Goblin King left a word for everyone, he turned, satisfied, to the people who would be accompanying him in his quest.
They waited their with abated breath, their hearts filled with expectation. Already three noble goblins had been dispatched ahead of them.
“Gi Jii Yubu!”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Felbi!”
“Yes!”
“Gi Za Zakuend!”
“With you.”
“Tribes!”
The First Archer of Ganra, the Gadieta, Gilmi Fishiga quietly bowed his head; the chief of Paradua raised his spear and knelt; the chief of the fierce Gaidga, Rashka, crossed his arms and smiled ferociously; the leader of the Gordob’s medical platoon, Kuzan, stretched her small body as tall as she could and looked up at the Goblin King.
With every word spoken, the gathered goblins stirred.
The king’s gaze rolled over the normals and the tribal goblins behind, and even those with no names raised up their weapons and shouted praise to the king.
“King! King! Our great king!” the goblins cried.
And the Goblin King answered back.
“The time for war has come! Let smite the hammer upon the proud and haughty humans!”
The Goblin King raised his fist up high.
“The enemy is in the south! Draw thus the blade that shall claim their lives!”
“Draw the blade! Draw the blade!” the goblins cried.
“Turn us into a shield that shall protect our friends!”
“A shield! A shield! A shield!”
“The army has gathered, now follow me!”
“King! Our great king! Our king!”
“To war!”
When the goblins’ zeal reached its peak, the army moved out. Like that 2,000 fanatic goblins followed after the king as he led them down to the south.
At the head of the army stood the Goblin King whose chest always faced the enemy and whose back always faced his allies.
It has been 5 months since the war of the western region, and now, the curtains on another great war has been drawn, a war that would later be known as the Southern Sovereign War.
