The village was a flickering flame by the time Gi Ga Rax returned.
“Did something happen?”
There were fewer goblins than usual, and the water mage, Gi Zo, who would always greet him was nowhere to be seen.
“Lord Gi Ga!”
It was the spear-wielding goblin, Gi Da, who greeted Gi Ga upon his return. The puzzled Gi Ga asked what all the commotion was about, and when he found out what happened, he got off his mount to think.
“Lord Alashd, forgive me, but it seems we’ll have to put off our farewell party for later.”
“So it seems.”
Alashd only nodded as he took his spear when Gi Ga said that. He seemed completely unperturbed.
“We have a custom in our tribe where we knock our spears to promise that we will one day meet again. Brave warrior, Gi Ga Rax, I believe you are qualified to make such an oath. Would you do me the honor?”
Gi Ga was taken aback. He knew very well how proud the goblins of Paradua were, so he understood the significance of Alashd’s words.
“…The honor is mine,” Gi Ga said as he brought up his spear, and lightly knocked against Alashd’s.
“May we both live to meet another day, Lord Gi Ga. Onwards!”
Alashd took off on his mount, riding faster than the wind for Paradua village.
He could’ve defended the village with Gi Ga, but there was a restlessness within that he could not ease. It was not as if he had ever met a human, but from the report he’d heard, the humans were both powerful and cruel. If so, then reinforcements would be necessary. Though somewhere in his heart, he hoped that it wouldn’t.
“Please make it in time!”
To Aluhaliha, and to the king… They must be informed of this threat. And so, the goblin of Paradua, though pained, rode like the wind on black-tiger-back to reach the village if only a moment sooner.
◇◆◇
Gi Zo was dead.
The moment that report reached his ears, Gi Ga decided to abandon the village. And he gathered the humans to the village square to inform them of that decision.
“We will go through the lake to take refuge at the fortress where the king resides.”
Everyone was surprised at his decision. Reshia, the humans, and even Gi Da and the rest of the goblins.
“We don’t know how strong the enemy is, but more than anything else, we can’t risk putting the king’s treasure in danger.”
“Then what’s going to happen to this village!?”
The one who raised his voice was a male human. It was one of the newer men, but Gi Ga couldn’t recall his name.
“We abandon it,” Gi Ga firmly replied.
“No!” The man screamed.
“Is the enemy that strong?” It was Lili who asked that.
Reshia seemed to be brooding over something, as her head was hung down.
“Gi De and Gi Zo are both dead,” Gi Ga replied. “The other 20 normals have also been done in.”
The staggering number of casualties greatly shocked the humans who weren’t used to fighting. Moreover, that 20 was the cream of the crop amongst the goblins of this village. The strength of the enemy was not something that could be matched even with Gi Ga.
“If you can’t agree with this decision, then it’s fine. It doesn’t matter. But the king’s treasure, Lady Reshia, you must come with us.”
The male humans looked at each other. How were they to protect their young and women?
“But…” One of the men tried to say, but Gi Ga shot him down.
“The decision is final,” he curtly replied. “Lady Reshia, please begin your preparations.”
Reshia was brought to the king’s house at Gi Ga’s urging, and then Lili not long after. The men who were still at the square all looked at each other, wondering what they would do.
In the end, the humans split. Some would go with Reshia, while some would stay behind in the village. But regardless of their decision, the goblins all left the village.
◇◆◇
Gulland, Gi Zo’s killer, spent the night in that same area to reach out to the others and meet up. The White Hand of Life was already with them, so the only one missing was the Wand of Destruction, Bellan. It wasn’t until a day later that they rendezvoused with him, and then the adventurers all talked about what happened in their quests, as well as what they plan to do next. Not one man was missing, so all the adventurer groups reported their success.
“At most, we stumbled onto an orc or two, but that’s about it, there’s no big catch or anything,” Gulland said, to which Wyatt nodded.
“That leaves the goblin faction then,” he said.
“I find the goblins to be a greater threat than the orcs,” the adventurer, Vitz, interjected as he looked toward the White Hand of Life.
“Right, there were a lot of them,” said Wyatt before becoming thoughtful. “But it sure is rare for them to fight more than the orcs. Were they isolated? Or is it because they have a powerful leader?”
“I also believe the goblins are a greater threat,” the Wand of Destruction, Bellan, who rarely spoke said. Normally, he would leave the talking to Wyatt. Was there something he had in mind?
“A rare sight,” Wyatt said.
When he noticed people staring at him, Bellan explained. “There was a rare-class among the goblins, but he wasn’t their leader. He was a small fry. There’s probably a big one behind the goblins.”
“Are you implying there’s a noble class?” Wyatt asked.
Bellan shaking his head made the adventurers look at each other.
“A duke then? But in a place like this?” Wyatt said, pondering.
Then with a ferocious grin on his face, Gulland loudly spoke.
“It’s decided! We’re going after the goblins!”
“Wait, what about the saint!” Asked the mage killer, Mill Dora, earning her the sharp glare of the hero adventurer, Gulland.
“If the saint is yet alive,” the White Hand of Life interjected. “Then she’s probably with the strongest monsters of the area. If so, then she’s probably at the village of the goblins.”
Gulland sneered as he watched Mill reluctantly step down. After he announced their departure first thing in the morning, the adventurers all dispersed.
“Mill, can I speak to you for a moment?”
It was Wyatt who said that.
“What?” Mill impatiently replied.
Wyatt smiled an elderly and gentle smile in return. “Is there something troubling you? You seem to have a hard time with Gulland.”
She was a woman known to quietly do her job. It was rare to see her that talkative.
“I took this job because he said he would rescue the saint. But that guy is…”
Wyatt couldn’t help but laugh when he saw her act like a sulking kid.
“It’s not like Gulland said he has no intentions of saving the saint.”
“Then he should work harder!”
“Mill…”
With a gentle pat on her head, the old man acted more like a father admonishing his child than a coworker. “It’s not that I don’t see where you’re coming from. I mean the saint is – to some extent, no matter how small – somewhat related to you, right?”
Pitying the girl lightly nodding her head, Wyatt added. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s alive. After we defeat the goblins and save her, you should stand by her side and protect her.”
After seeing her nod her head again, Wyatt let go of her head with a wry smile.
“Sleep well, ok?”
“You too, Wyatt.”
“Cheeky kid.”
Mixed Soul
—Elf and humans will shun you. (LOW)
—Physical abilities increased. (LOW)
Fire God’s Blessing
—You have the blessing of the god of fire. Resistance to fire increased. (MEDIUM) Regeneration increased. (MEDIUM)
An Elf’s Tail
—You can control freely control your presence in the forest.
One who shuns magic
—Magic casted by enemies with a lower class than yours will have no effect. (MEDIUM)
Silent Moon
—Hides your presence.
—Preemptive strike for the first blow. If the attack fails, damage received will be doubled.
Jack of all trades
—Mastery to all weapons is raised to C-.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
Author’s Note:
A quarter is a quarter, but when it comes to the blood of other races mixing, like in the case of an elf’s and a human’s, a quarter is considered half. So Mill would be called a half elf. But that’s only in name, and in the end, unless atavism occurs or something, the ability she can muster would be only at the level of a quarter-blood.
In the case of goblins mating with humans, the resulting offspring is almost always a goblin. So, the male seed is dominant. Which is why they can kidnap the female of other races, and do this and that.
In Mill Dora’s case, her grandpa is human (deceased) and her grandma is an elf (whereabouts unknown). Her parents are both humans (both deceased), so her case is already that of atavism, as she’s able to use the abilities that came from her grandmother. It’s because of those abilities that she was able to become an adventurer with a second name.
To sum it up: Goblin x Human = Goblin. Human x Elf = Human or Elf.
