After seeing the Gaidga goblins, I ordered my subordinates to pursue.
“Gi Za, take half of the goblins, and pursue the remaining enemy!”
“Gi Jii, Gi Zu, Gi Do, you all go as well.”
The wind magician, Gi Do. The wide-eyed, Gi Ji, the mad dog, GI Zu. These goblins along with the normal goblins pursued the enemy.
The interior of the cavern was wide, but it wasn’t complicated. Inside were a number of caves used to store food as well as weapon and armors.
After we succeeded in taking control of the most of the cavern, the Gaidga Goblins ran away through the back, and I ordered my men to pursue them.
The two noble goblins, Gi Gu Verbena and Gi Go Amatsuki, stayed behind to destroy the remnants of the cave.
Some Gaidga goblins suddenly appeared, so I mowed them down with my great steel swordIron Second.
“Next.”
After I finished sweeping the Gaidga Goblins in the armory, I headed for the next cave.
“GUuAaU!”
I killed the enemy that came out in one hit, then I went in to take a look.
“Hmm…”
Inside were the goblin larvae and females of the Gaidga Goblins.
“If you don’t resist, I won’t kill you,” I told them.
Female goblins are precious regardless of which tribe they come from. Besides, once the Gaidga become my subordinates, if their ability to reproduce is affected, then it’ll take longer for them to become a part of my force.
While it’s true that goblins are able to reproduce quickly, it still takes time for larvae to become adult, and even more time until one can be called a warrior.
Moreover, the time it takes for one of the four tribe’s goblin to reach adulthood is unknown.
So there’s no reason to kill the female goblins, and even killing the larvae is highly questionable.
Besides, killing the weak and trembling Gaidga Goblins would leave a bad aftertaste.
“King.” Gi Go who was searching the other rooms walked over to me as he swung around his blood-smeared curved blade. “We’ve completely taken control of the cavern. This room here is the last one.”
“I see,” I replied. “Then in that case, I order you, Gi Go Amatsuki.”
I looked down on the kneeling goblin as I signaled toward a cave.
“In this room are the larvae and females of the Gaidga. In the name of the king, I order you to ensure their safety. Protect these weak and frail goblins.”
“By your will.”
I left the kneeling Gi Go, and went out of the cavern.
Then leading the goblins gradually catching up, we left the Gaidga’s home.
“Gilmi!”
We had sieged the cavern with Gilmi’s archers in order to keep the battle from heading toward the cave, so Gilmi was outside the cave.
I called out to him, the First ArcherGadieta.
“We’re chasing after the retreating Gaidga Goblins, follow me!”
“As you command.”
“Gi Gu Verbena, run ahead, and open a path! Gi Gi, Gi Jii watch the flanks. Go!”
The noble-class goblin who specialized in cooperating, Gi Gu, served as the vanguard. To the right was the beast warrior Gi Gi, who was riding on a double head. To the left was the stealthy Gi Ji. Like this we pursued the direction we thought the Gaidga Goblins would run to.
“King, the Gaidga Goblins most likely ran to the south.”
“The south, huh?”
“They might’ve run to the Paradua Tribe’s village.”
It was Gilmi who suggested where to go. The village of Paradua was probably already reflected on the eyes of that small archer. That gaze of his looking straight ahead was firm and resolute.
Gradually, the trees grew less and less.
“Good, let’s go to the south then.”
Gi Gu Verbena seemed to have heard my command as he slightly changed his direction.
◇◇◆
Having received the king’s command, Gi Za led the horde to pursue the Gaidga Goblins. With the Gaidga Goblins’ tall stature, Gi Za had little difficulty in following them. It was also easy to hit their large bodies.
As they pursued the Gaidga Goblins, Gi Za relentlessly shot his magic while Gi Do aimed for their legs with his wind magic. The fallen Gaidga Goblins were struck by the wide eyed Gi Jii and Gi Zu with their swords and spears respectively.
They hunted the Gaidga Goblins as if they were a flock of sheep.
However, their numbers were nothing to scoff at. There were simply just too many of them, so it wasn’t possible to completely annihilate the retreating goblins.
“Aim for the bigger clump.”
As they continued to pursue, the Gaidga Goblins clumped up. Gi Za ordered his men, and they killed the enemy goblins without so much as a glance.
It was only when Gi Za’s ether had grown low that he finally thought to finish things. Although he had been numbed to fatigue by the intoxication of killing the enemy, he and his men have still been pursuing for half a day already.
His exhaustion was no mystery.
“Stop pursuing,” Gi Za ordered. And the entire horde stopped. Within the horde could be seen goblins with ragged breath.
“So this is as far as we go,” Gi Za muttered.
Around that time, a different smell from the Gaidga Goblins wafted to his nose.
“Hmm…?”
But the only thing that could be heard was the eerie sound of wind rustling the trees.
Gi Za felt that something was amiss. Immediately, he tried to order the goblins back, but before he could, a giant figure jumped out from the thickets.
“Tch… Paradua!?”
It was a black tiger, giant and striped, upon which rode Paradua’s Aluhaliha, wielding a long spear.
“Die, brat!”
Without stopping a beat, he kept his momentum, and struck out with his spear.
“Grr…”
Gi Za jumped back, but Aluhaliha wasn’t about to let him go.
“Naïve!”
The moment Gi Za landed, Aluhaliha struck out his spear again.
“My vessel is clad in the windAccel!”
His posture broken, by all means, that attack should’ve hit him. But Gi Za used Accel, and with that, he was able to dodge.
Riding on the wind, he ordered the goblins to retreat. “Fall back! We’re retreating!”
“You’re not going anywhere! Hal, Alashd, take their flanks! Jirouou, run!”
Aluhaliha chased after the now retreating Gi Za.
“As you command!”
The two goblins, Hal and Alashd, were like the wings of a bird spreading its wings as they tried to surround Gi Za and his men.
As Aluhaliha called out the name of his beast, the black tiger set its sights on Gi Za and it bellowed out a powerful cry.
The combined attacks of goblins and beast left even the dexterous druids at a lost. The most they could do was dodge.
“Tear apart the enemy to the right! Come!”
At the wide-eyed Gi Jii’s voice, the wind magician, Gi Do, used his magic, toppling over a rider to the right. But the beast-riders continued to ride unbridled as they tried to surround the goblins.
“You’re annoying!” Gi Jii turned to his back, and received the attacks of the weak goblins. He fought in the same way they did when hunting large preys.
“I’ll go!” Gi Zu’s spear resounded as he spun it and pierced the enemy.
“GURUuuAaAAU!” He bellowed out a cry like that of beasts, activating [Skill] <<Mad Dog>>. Gi Zu had removed the constraints of reason to open a path to survival. It was because Gi Jii understood that that he didn’t try to stop that reckless action.
“Run! Run! Keep running!” Gi Za shouted words of encouragement to uplift the morale of the entire horde as they retreated deep into the forest.
Bending his body in between the shorter trees, he ran away desperately from the tigers’ pursuit.
Fortunately, goblins were small, so the Paradua Goblins who were riding on the beasts couldn’t attack the places they couldn’t fit into.
“Retreat, Gi Zu!”
As Gi Za dodged Aluhaliha’s spear and Jirouou’s fang, he repeatedly called out to Gi Zu, But Gi Zu had already lost his reason, and Gi Za’s voice couldn’t reach him.
“Don’t look away during a fight!”
While Gi Za was distracted, Aluhaliha’s spear came for him.
“Gu!?”
He twisted his body to dodge it, but it still pierced his shoulder.
“Hmph–––” Aluhlaiha was about to scorn Gi Za, but before he could say anything, Gi Za chanted, “My heart rides on the windWindea!”
The air shook, and four tornadoes suddenly appeared around Gi Za.
Gi Za fired those four tornadoes toward Aluhaliha.
“Like that’ll hit! …Nu!?”
Jirouou jumped, and Aluhaliha was able to get away scot-free. But one of the tornadoes hit the ground, whirling up a cloud of dust, blocking Aluhaliha’s sight.
“Tch… Looks like this is as far as we go, Jirouou.”
Although the black tiger could still move nimbly within the forest and attack with its fangs, its nose was too weak. Once its vision was cut, its ability to attack would also greatly fall.
“Well, whatever. At least we were able to do them some damage. We’re going back!”
As Aluhaliha said that to himself, he ordered his subordinates to retreat.
“Should we decapitate the survivors?” Haru asked.
Aluhaliha shook his head. “There’s something I want to check. If there’s any who’re still alive, take them with us. But don’t bother being courteous.”
“As you will.”
Led by Aluhaliha, Paradua quietly left the battlefield to rendezvous with the Gaidga.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
Protagonist has levelled up.
Level 8 -> Level 10
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
Author’s Note:
Looks like Gi Za had the carpet pulled under him.
Hal’s and Alashd’s beasts are named Mio and Shio.
When naming Aluhaliha’s rider-beast, I was torn between Kokuougou (King Gou?) and Raou (Ra King?). But those two names both sounded too heroic, so I changed my mind.
