Chapter 169: Venting To Kong’gong

Thud!

Ka’z stepped into the underground chamber and immediately noticed the familiar silence surrounding the old kobold. Kong’gong was seated in his usual place, his back resting against the stone wall as though he had been waiting for someone. The moment Ka’z entered, the old kobold’s ears twitched, and a faint smile appeared across his face.

"I smell something good," Kong’gong laughed.

"Of course, I brought us some wine. Apparently, Ru’k is really good at making this."

Kong’gong’s face lit up with something almost childlike as Ka’z approached. The old kobold straightened slightly when Ka’z placed the small wooden barrel between them and opened the lid. The sweet, fermented scent immediately spread through the chamber.

Ka’z scooped a full cup from the barrel and handed it over.

Kong’gong accepted the cup with both hands, his smile stretching wider. Despite being blind, the old kobold always made Ka’z feel as though he could see him perfectly. He never hesitated when reaching for things, never stumbled when moving around the cave and rarely needed anyone to guide him. His perception had become so refined over the years that Ka’z sometimes wondered whether sight had ever truly been necessary for him.

Ka’z poured himself a cup and settled down opposite his teacher. He lifted it slightly before taking a sip, but Kong’gong suddenly asked, "I’m sure Za’r hates it when people drink wine. Will she be okay with you drinking?"

Kong’gong took a sip before Ka’z could answer, and his expression immediately brightened. Ka’z shrugged indifferently. "Emotions were high last night, and she took a few cups with all of us. I think she’s okay with it now, as long as you don’t abuse it."

"Ooh?" Kong’gong slowly opened his eyes, his expression becoming more interested. "Do you want to talk about what happened last night?"

Ka’z stopped with the cup only several centimeters from his lips. He slowly lowered it and stared at the old kobold suspiciously. There was something about the way Kong’gong asked the question that made him suspicious. Ka’z could swear on his life that the old kobold already knew exactly what had happened.

There was very little that happened around Vaal’kor without him noticing. Yet he had a habit of asking questions as though he knew absolutely nothing.

Ka’z let out a defeated sigh and finally took a long drink. Half the contents of the cup disappeared down his throat, and the alcohol immediately produced a warm buzz throughout his body. His cheeks began turning red, and the tension in his face gradually loosened until a small smile replaced his earlier frown.

"During the ceremony at the village square, not only was I passed over as the next Chieftain after building the entire village, they even had the guts to try and kill my prisoners without my permission. Tu’ka and I lost it!" Ka’z gave him the summarized version, leaving out the smaller details.

"I see..." Kong’gong slowly nodded with a thoughtful expression. "So basically, they ignored your efforts when deciding who the next Chieftain should be and still went ahead to let everyone decide what happens to the artisans you brought all the way from the east?"

"Exactly!" Ka’z answered fiercely.

He immediately poured the rest of his wine into his mouth. Some of it spilled down the corners of his lips, and he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand. By then, his entire face had turned red, though the angry expression remained.

Kong’gong quietly watched him for a moment before asking, "So tell me, do you want to be Chieftain?"

"Hell no." Ka’z shook his head almost immediately. "I’m not fit to be Chieftain. If I had my way, Ru’k would be Chieftain. My problem is that this affects everything I built and still plan to build. I keep the artisans alive because I have bigger plans than this, but no one seems to care. Let’s just kill all of them so that people will stop getting angry."

Ka’z suddenly stood, frustration causing his movements to become more animated. The alcohol wasn’t enough to cloud his thoughts, but it had lowered the restraint he normally kept over his emotions.

Kong’gong didn’t move. He simply took another slow sip from his cup before turning his attention toward Ka’z. "So who are you angry at particularly?"

Ka’z’s expression changed slightly.

"I’m angry at O’nil, Tong’a and the others for not deeming me worthy of a heads up before making a decision on something that affects me the most. But I can overlook that and call it a simple mistake." He paused, his hands slowly curling into fists. "However, what I cannot forgive are the people. They have tried to kill the goblin artisans so many times, and time and time again, I calmly explained why I need them. Yet despite this, and everything I have done for them, they don’t care and just push for the death of the artisans."

His voice was much calmer now. That was precisely what made it more unsettling.

Kong’gong’s brow furrowed as he felt the subtle change in Ka’z’s presence. There was no shouting anymore, no obvious anger, but beneath that calm voice was a cold killing intent that even the old kobold could not mistake.

"I was told you threatened to kill anyone who tries to harm them," Kong’gong said.

Ka’z slowly shook his head.

"It’s not a threat, Teacher Kong’gong. It’s a promise." His voice remained frighteningly calm. "Whoever tries to hinder my plans for the future and safety of Vaal’kor simply because of their emotions will die for the sake of Vaal’kor."

Kong’gong sucked in a cold breath and slowly nodded. He had known Ka’z for long enough to recognize the difference between an angry statement and a decision that had already been made. This was the latter.

Ka’z finally sat down again, and for a while neither of them spoke. The only sounds in the chamber were their breathing and the occasional quiet movement of the wooden cups.

After a few moments, Kong’gong glanced toward Ka’z’s untouched cup and asked, "You are not drinking anymore?"

Ka’z shook his head. "I’m a lightweight. One cup is my limit. If I get more drunk than this, Za’r would get mad at me."

The response was surprisingly calm for someone who had been visibly intoxicated only moments earlier.

Kong’gong nodded without ceremony. He emptied his own cup in one gulp, reached toward the barrel and poured himself another before placing the cup beside him on the stone floor.

"Is there something else you are not telling us?" he asked. "At least we should know why you want to keep the goblins alive."

Ka’z remained silent for several seconds before finally nodding.

"I would have told the others because I only found out recently after I finished reading the Red Scripture, but I don’t plan to do that anymore. The same way they can move on with their plans without me, I’ll carry out my plans without them. But for you, I’ll tell you."

Ka’z then explained everything.

He told Kong’gong about the Red Scripture and its true owner, Luthor D’ Lanthor. He explained what he had learned about the Kingdom of Lanthor and how the prince had entered the Evergreen Forest as part of a scouting expedition. He explained the guardian that attacked the expedition, the deaths of most of the humans and the possibility that the surviving members had eventually encountered the Ashmork clan.

He explained how the Red Scripture had most likely ended up in Ashmork’s possession and why he believed the kingdom would eventually come looking for its lost prince and everything hidden within the forest.

He explained that humans were already aware of the resources within the Evergreen Forest and that the death of a prince would give Lanthor a reason far greater than simple exploration to send an army into the region.

By the time Ka’z finished, Kong’gong’s face had twisted into an ugly expression. The old kobold remained silent, staring into the darkness despite having no physical sight. The implications were too significant to dismiss. He had spent decades beyond the walls of Vaal’kor. He knew what human kingdoms were capable of when they became interested in something, and more importantly, he knew how dangerous it was for an isolated tribe to stand alone against a powerful civilization.

"That’s why I believe a kingdom of all beasts in the Evergreen Forest is the only way we can survive this calamity." Ka’z clenched his fists. "So what those ignorant kobolds want and feel doesn’t matter at all. If killing them will save the lives of their children, then I’ll do it without hesitation."

Kong’gong slowly nodded. He finally understood what had been driving Ka’z.

The boy wasn’t simply trying to build a larger village because he was ambitious. He wasn’t protecting the goblins because he had suddenly grown sympathetic toward them. He had seen something that had convinced him their current way of life would eventually lead to extinction.

"Honestly, now I know everything, I can’t help but agree with your plan, but you will have two major problems," Kong’gong admitted as he raised two fingers.

Ka’z’s attention immediately sharpened. This was exactly why he had come to Kong’gong.

He needed the perspective of someone who had seen the world beyond the walls of the colony. Ka’z could make plans, but he had spent most of his previous life on Earth and only a few years in Athedal. Kong’gong, on the other hand, had traveled, fought, explored and lived among people outside the Evergreen Forest. If there was anyone capable of pointing out flaws in his grand plan, it was him.

"Let’s assume you tame our people and they go along with your plans," Kong’gong began. "Recruiting the Ashmork clan will not be easy. They already lost too many to you. Joining you would be like spitting on the faces of everyone you killed."

Ka’z nodded in acknowledgment.

"That’s why I’m kind to the artisans. It’s through them I plan to lure in the goblins. Even if I can’t get all of them, as long as I can get enough of them."

Kong’gong slowly nodded. "A good amount, probably. But most? I doubt it. Just don’t expect too much."

Ka’z nodded in understanding. There was no point crying over spilled milk. Ashmork had been destroyed, and there was nothing he could do to undo what had already happened.

"So what is the second problem?" Ka’z asked.

Kong’gong’s expression suddenly changed.

"The Halflings in the north."

His eyes became cold and Ka’z’s face turned ugly as well.

Even without explaining it, both understood exactly what the existence of the Halflings meant for Ka’z’s dream of uniting the Evergreen Forest.