It was raining today, so we decided to relax and work in the cave.
Clonk-clonk sounds reverberated as I repeatedly struck a mysterious obsidian-like ore that I found yesterday by the riverside using a large rock. I'm trying to craft a makeshift knife for dismantling.
Well, I wished to have fur clothes soon. I wanted to graduate from the worn-out rag, but the horn was not suitable for cutting.
Partly because of the noise I was making, and because they were interested, the goblins from my age approached. However, after ignoring them and continuing to work, they got bored and scattered. Good riddance.
The elderly goblins for some reason were observing me while smiling, I don't know why though.
Oh well, since I was able to make three makeshift knives a little past noon, this should be enough for today. Since both my hands were starting to hurt slightly, I decided to end it at that.
Because after finishing the crafting of the makeshift knives I didn't have anything to do, I looked at the two people, Gobumi-chan and Gobukichi-kun who were staring at my work without getting bored - no, next time I will count not by person, but by goblin - and called for a strategy meeting concerning our formation when hunting next time.
Various opinions were noisily being voiced - although it is a field where I am mostly unchallenged, Gobumi-chan who is smarter than Gobukichi-kun did offer her opinion once in a while. Gobukichi-kun was only constantly nodding, since he's an idiot - .
During the meeting, a remarkably wrinkled old goblin approached us.
This goblin is Gobujii. This « Goblin Community »'s oldest goblin, he possessed a social position akin to an advisor, and above all, my name Goburou was given to me by this old goblin.
I stopped the strategy meeting to listen to various stories from Gobujii. Well, Gobujii lived a uselessly long life for a goblin, but he has a very extensive knowledge as a result, so I do not want to miss this opportunity.
Well, because it would only take about twenty years or so to be called an elderly, this body will not be able to have a long life...Hahaha.
I pulled myself together.
Gobujii told me many things about the laws of this world such as Levels and [ EvolutionRank Up ] - apparently such things exists -, why in this cave except for us, the newly born goblins, there were only elderly goblins around, among other things.
Let's leave this world's Levels, [ EvolutionRank Up ] and other laws for later. Let's first talk about the goblins who live in this cave.
Apparently the adult goblins - maybe our parents' generation - are working away from home outside the forest. I understand, in short, it's pillaging right?
Eh, weren't goblins so weak that they would get easily killed by Horn rabbits you say? No no, those are only newborn goblins. Goblins are certainly weak as a race, however, this is the same reason why they have a very fast growth rate that allows them to move only a few days after birth.
With this fast growth rate, they can quickly learn how to kill using wooden sticks and stones, cunning tactics and the skills needed to survive, risking their lives in order to support themselves.
The weak die while the strong survive. I understand this very simple yet harsh law.
Really, so merciless I want to cry.
Well, because this time there were many individuals who imitated us - who started killing Horn rabbits from the fourth day since our birth - , by pairing up and carrying wooden sticks around, the number of the surviving goblins is greater than ever.
While I was nodding and saying "I see, I see", I saw that for some reason Gobujii's loincloth began to change shape. Apparently his long life didn't weaken his desire to spawn progeny, or perhaps he sensed that his death was close.
Ugh, after suppressing my nausea, I tried to stop our talk as soon as possible and averted my gaze from his crotch. There's no way I can gaze at that thing for a long time.
After our talk ended, Gobujii's face turned into an expression filled with lust and he went to the inner parts of the cave. A short while later, I heard some feeble screams.
I put my hands together and prayed "Namu" for the sake of the captured human women for the second time. I'll say it again, but doing anything more than this at the moment is impossible for me, nevertheless, someday I want to grant those women peace.
Under those conditions, just continuing to live is a hell.
Even I have at least this much sympathy.