Goblin Kingdom

VOLUME 2: CHAPTER 115 – PARENT AND CHILD

“Are you really going, Your Highness?” Gi Za Zakuend asked.

I nodded.

“Not to speak ill of a fellow descendant of the crystal, but Lord Mido is also infamously known as the Tyrant. He is an agile warrior and is by no means weak. At the very least, you should take some of your subordinates with you,” Nikea said.

Apparently, even she thought I was being reckless.

“My subordinates need to welcome the goblins headed here. Gi Za also has his duties here as the leader of those goblins. Because of that I have to go alone,” I said.

Everyone looked troubled.

If they make that sort of face, I’ll be troubled too.

“The king has spoken, I will obey,” Gi Za said, at which, everyone else conceded.

I prepared for the trip to the north, but… even if I say ‘prepare’ there’s not really much to prepare.

“I’ll be going then,” I said.

Like that I left for the place Mido chose. It was a day’s distance from here and probably their home.

◇◆◇

“Did you wait long?” I asked.

“Not at all,” Mido said as he glared at me.

The people behind him seemed to be the bigwigs of their village. Their fangs were bare, and they looked about ready to attack at any time. They were all men, every one of them strong. Their muscles bulged and their eyes shot sharply. They stood just far enough from each other so as to not hinder their movements. Not a single one of them appeared weak.

“Come,” Mido said.

I could feel hate and anger from his glare. Did something happen? Or was this his aim from the start?

But it’s strange. If he intends to kill me, why would he show his hate so openly? If anything he should be hiding his intentions.

When we first met during the meeting, he seemed hostile, but he wasn’t angry or hateful by any means. So why? Why is he so angry now?

Whatever the reason it seems the sword by my waist has become necessary.

How unfortunate. It would have been great if we could take them in as allies.

Gripping my sword once to ascertain it was there by my waist, I followed Mido.

“What a spectacular welcome you’ve prepared,” I said.

If he does intend to fight, then I might as well rile him up as much as I can to get the upper hand.

“Hmph,” Mido said.

“Who would’ve thought the proud werewolves would pick on one goblin. How ridiculous.”

Mido grit his teeth.

Ever since we first met during the meeting, I could tell he’s the impulsive type. Since we’re going to fight anyway, I might as well get as much advantage I can.

I am the king. Defeat is unacceptable.

My defeat would mean the defeat of the entire goblin race.

My lips curved as I thought that.

I guess I was being too naive. I should have asked for an escort after all.

Inwardly, I sneered at having refused Gi Za’s and Nikea’s advice.

I continued following Mido and egging him on, but he was a lot more patient than expected.

No matter how many times I taunted him, he never attacked.

Was his hate so great that he could keep his emotions in check? But I didn’t do anything, did I?

Being attacked without knowing why is really unpleasant.

“We’re here, Monster,” Mido said.

Before us were flat plains with no trees in sight, an oddity considering we passed by so many trees. I looked around to the thickets in the area, which promptly shook. In the next moment, something came out of the thickets.

—Gray wolf!?

“From your reaction, it seems you have met them,” Mido said.

The image of two gray wolves and a death match flashed through my mind. It was a battle that occurred when I was still just a duke.

This are not the same wolves back then.

I shook off the image of those gray wolves in my mind.

—It can’t be them!

The thickets shook again, and gray wolf after gray wolf of various sizes came out.

“They are our friends. This’ll be nothing more than an execution, I believe, but I’ll watch over as referee anyway,” Mido said before laughing loudly.

Naive, too naive.

I didn’t even think of the possibility of being betrayed. My trust in the demihumans grew greatly after meeting Nikea, but it seems I was too soft. Different races act differently. These werewolves apparently hate me so much that they are willing to lure me into a trap to kill me. And the reason behind their hate is none other than the gray wolves.

—In that case…

I will accept their challenge.

I swore the day I defeated that gray wolf. If any wishes to challenge me, I shall gladly accept as king.

“GURURUuuuu,” a one-eyed gray wolf left the pack and charged toward me. Two others followed after it. They were all bigger than the rest of the pack. These must be the chiefs of their pack. In that case, I will cut them down and open a path to survival.

The pressure bearing down grew stronger as the gray wolves’ encirclement tightened.

But then…

“WooOOOof!”

A small shadow came out of the encirclement.

It stood between me and the chiefs.

“Cynthia,” I muttered.

I’ve been worrying these past few days since I haven’t seen her in a while, but it seems she’s safe.

But seeing her here isn’t all good.

Can I break through this encirclement with her?

But just as I was thinking of a plan, I noticed the pressure bearing down from the encirclement grow weaker.

“Young master!?” Mido cried.

Young master? Who’s he talking about? Cynthia? What’s going on?

But while I had no idea what was going on, Cynthia stepped forward and growled.

Should I stop her?

◇◆◇

What are you doing, young fang?

I thought it through during the night. I thought really, really hard, and… As I thought, I still want to be dad’s daughter!

You spent the night thinking, did you? But regardless, if we don’t avenge our fallen chief now, when will we ever have our vengeance?

The onlookers watched Cynthia and the ferocious fang’s exchange carefully. Cynthia’s voice was so small, but for some reason, it resounded so clearly.

The sound of her voice urged me to bow my head.

I never met the wise and big fang personally, but I’m sure… this must be the power of his blood, the blood of the strongest gray wolf.

What a powerful and yet wise voice.

Then stop us if you can. I can no longer stop myself from avenging our fallen chief!

The ferocious fang stepped onward.

If you touch even a single finger of father’s, I won’t forgive you! I absolutely won’t forgive you! I am the daughter of the goblin king and Mommy Reshia, I won’t lose!

Pathetic! Even though you know full well a goblin can’t be your father!

The ferocious fang and Cynthia both used Gale Strike, an attack that turned one’s own body into the wind and rammed it into one’s foe. The two gray wolves slammed into each other, causing the lighter of the two to fly.

Cynthia was sent high up into the air, but she skillfully manipulated her body, allowing her to land on the ground, then she use Gale Strike again.

It’s useless!

Fang took Cynthia’s charge head on, and when Cynthia fell back down, he raised up his front legs and swung them down. Being one of the bigger gray wolves of the pack, his attack caused the land to shake. That attack landed beside Cynthia’s face.

The difference in strength is clear. Give up. I don’t want to hurt you

The ferocious fang’s words were filled with parental love, but Cynthia snarled back at him.

No! I’m going to protect Dad!

Cynthia bit at ferocious fang’s legs, but he lifted them up and slammed her into the ground.

Cynthia cried each time she was slammed into the ground, but she held on. Gradually, however, the hold of her fangs loosened, and in the end, she let go. Holding on was the most her young body could do. Cynthia no longer showed any signs of moving.

Goblin, because of you I had to stain my paws with the blood of a relative.

Filled with rage, ferocious fang turned his back on Cynthia, but the moment he turned to the goblin king, he felt something on his tail.

Stay away from Dad!

Cynthia should have long realized the gap in their strength, but the moment ferocious fang let his guard down, Cynthia took him by the tail, lifted him up, and threw him.

Rage filled the ferocious fang.

It seems kindness will do nothing more than spoil you!!

Swift as the wind, the ferocious fang slammed into Cynthia and sunk his strong fangs into her body. Cynthia faltered, but the ferocious fang pursued.

Gradually, wounds started to cover Cynthia’s body. The bleeding sapped her of her strength, and being young as she was, she would soon reach her limits.

She tried to run away from the ferocious fangs’ bite, but she couldn’t dodge everything, and in the end, her front legs were wounded. But still, she jumped back, and with her front legs she suppressed the ferocious fang’s fangs.

“Cynthia!” The goblin king cried.

It seems the goblin king has finally reached his limits. He unsheathed the sword by his waist as his eyes kept watch on the two gray wolves fighting.

Don’t come! I’m fine!

There’s no way the goblin king understood her words, but somehow, he understood what she wanted to say.

The goblin king buried his sword into the ground.

“Mark my words, if something bad happens to Cynthia, I will hunt every single one of you mutts down!!” The goblin king’s words resounded so loudly it seemed the heavens and the earth would be devoured.

Mido and the surrounding wolves couldn’t help but falter at his words, but the two gray wolves fighting did not even notice him. They were that focused on their battle.

It no longer mattered that his opponent was a pup. The ferocious fang could no longer afford to go easy on her. As they bit each other, Cynthia’s attacks gradually became sharper. The great blood of the wise and big fang was surely flowing in her veins. The sight unfolding before our eyes now is the very proof of that.

Suddenly, the figure of my cousin, whose back I once followed, appeared!

I felt heat pass by my cheeks. Cynthia’s fangs just passed by me, but they seemed to have grazed me.

To think her fangs were so sharp they could actually tear off the fur of a gray wolf. She’s so young and full of wounds, and yet… It feels like if I let my guard down, I could actually lose to her.

It’s almost as if the gray wolf fighting in front of me wasn’t her but my cousin.

Impossible, impossible!

The ferocious fang used all of his strength and bit at the neck of the illusion.

In the next instant, something hit him at the bottom of his chin, causing him to stagger.

When he turned around, the gallant figure of that great fang overlapped with the small gray wolf.

At that, the ferocious fang put down his fang, and Cynthia walked over to the goblin king, who welcomed her kneeling on one leg.

Just before she reached the king, Cynthia stood up on two legs and walked totteringly toward the king.

Dad, you know, I!

When she was about to fall, the king held her up with his hands.

“You don’t have to do that, silly. Did you think I would abandon you if you weren’t like me?”

The goblin king took her into arms and lovingly caressed her wounds.

The gentle look on his face looked nothing like that of a goblin’s but more that of a loving father.

Finally at ease, Cynthia lost the last of her strength and fell asleep. She probably didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.

As Cynthia peacefully slept in the arms of the goblin king, a lone gray wolf stepped out from the pack.

◇◆◇

A one-eyed wolf stepped out from the pack and growled.

Is this one next? They sure did Cynthia in. I’ll have to pay them back for that.

But just as I was about to take out my sword, I heard Mido speak.

“Hey, goblin. The elder wants to talk with you. I’m going to interpret for him, so listen well.”

There was no longer any lust in Mido’s words. It seems the fang tribe has come to a conclusion with the gray wolves.

“Goblin King, I hear you came from the east. Could you have happened across one of ours?” Mido said, interpreting the gray wolf’s growls.

“This happened a long time ago, but I once came across a pair of gray wolves.” I said.

“May I know what happened to them?” The gray wolf said through Mido.

“One of them died under my hands, while the other one died after giving birth.”

Mido’s voice began to shake. Is that because of the gray wolf? Or is that because of his own emotions?

“I see,” the gray wolf said through Mido. “I suppose that makes you my son’s murderer and my grandchild’s benefactor.”

Vengeance, huh. Never did I think the gray wolves were capable of such emotions. Here I thought they were just beasts, but it seems they value their comrades a lot.

“…Do you have something, a memento of some sort, that belongs to my son?”

Quietly, I took out the pelt of the gray wolf stuffed into the openings of my armor. It’s all torn up because I’ve been fighting with it for so long, but if there’s any proof worth showing, it’s this.

The gray wolf sniffed the pelt.

“…Thank you. My son fought well, it seems.”

“AwoooooOOOooo!”

The gray wolf howled sorrowfully, almost as if it was crying its heart out.

The surrounding gray wolves followed suit, and they all howled.

It almost seemed as if they were trying to reach some place up above in the heavens where their brethren lived on.

◆◆◇◇◆◆◇◇

Cynthia’s level has risen.

45 => 1

Raging Gale Strike

—You can greatly accelerate if you howl at the same time.

Charge

—Ram your body into the foe and send it flying.

Great Blood

—Growth rate increased.

—Charm effect toward those of the same race.

Howl of the Beast King

—Enemies weaker than you will be suppressed.

—Your strength will be temporarily raised.

King of the Plains

—HP Regen increased while fighting on the plains. (LOW)

—It is possible to lead lower class wolves or other dog-type races.

Wise Girl

—Can be understood better by those of the same race.

—Can be understood slightly better by those of other races.

◆◆◇◇◆◆◇◇