'Why is it like this…'
Was this some kind of karma that parents had to bear? If the parents are good, the children will be good, and if the parents are bad, the children will also be bad.
Ah, Raviel. It would probably be best if we didn't have children. I wasn't sure if I could endure it. Imagining a child that looked like Raviel coming up to me and saying, 'Daddy, shibal!'.
Huh?
'Now that I think about it, isn't that kind of cute?'
–Crazy bastard… I really want to know if something is wrong with this bastard's brain…
'Race Status open.'
While imagining a happy future, I checked on the status of the newly evolved goblins.
+
[Goblin Race]
Extinction Grade: C (Slight Risk)
Proverb: 'We are fire.'
Political System: Republican
Description: What the hell is going on? The Goblin Race suddenly experienced an astonishing evolution. The Goblin Race has developed a very interesting civilisation. It is the [Aura Civilisation].
For the Goblins, an adult is defined as none other than [A person who is capable of using Aura]. Politicians, artists, warriors. Regardless of their occupation, their success is determined on whether they can use aura or not.
As soon as a Goblin masters Aura, they join the council on the day of the next full moon. The Fire River Council is made up of every adult in the Goblin Race, and they are the ones who decide what actions the race takes. In the Goblin Race, everyone uses aura, even ordinary [civilians] and [doctors].
The ranking of the council is dependent on how skilled they are at using aura. The person who ranks number 1 in the council, or the most proficient aura user in the Goblin Race, is elected as Council Chairman.
'Shibal Gor.' (TL: Romanising it because the goblins wouldn't know the korean meaning)
Or in other words, the strongest member of the Goblin Race.
On the nights when the surroundings are quiet and the moon is full, the Goblins gather together. The meeting time of the Goblins is at night when their ugly appearances can be hidden by the darkness. Intoxicated by the cool night air, the Goblins solemnly discuss the fate of their race.
'Chairman. I don't believe that solution will work no matter what.'
'Shall we fight then?"
'Let's fight.'
'Bring it on.'
'Here I come.'
Despite all the citizens gathering together to decide, the Fire River Council boasts amazing efficiency. This might be possible because the Chairman was the strongest warrior in the entire race.
I can't believe there is such an ignorant and battle hungry race.
If this race was created by someone, then I think they need to take some time to reflect!
Traits: [Republican Tradition], [Bad Friend Doctrine], [Method to pass on the Shibal Aura Training Method], [Fire Painting], [Legacy of Records], [Reverence towards Victory]
Evolutions: Unknown. There is one chance for evolution left.
Aliases: Hobgoblin, etc.
+
Um.
Umm.
Right.
I smiled inwardly.
'Hey. The goblins evolved into hobgoblins! That's great!'
–Zombie. Is that really something you should be happy about right now?
'Shit, how did this happen…?!'
I held my head in my hands.
'I just wanted to help them so that they wouldn't lose [Fire Painting] and point [Greed] in a positive direction!'
-I guess the positive direction for them was idolising your bullying.
'Th-, that's not it. My teaching method was not wrong. Now that I think about it, hundreds of goblins have become aura users, haven't they? It's possible that there are even thousands. That's amazing, isn't it? It's awesome. It's a mistake, but it's a happy mistake. As expected of me.'
-A parent who failed to raise his children properly is still looking for self justification… crazy bastard…
I looked at the goblins' traits. 600 years was a long time. In that time, they had acquired a few traits that I'd never seen before.
For example [Republican Tradition].
+
[Republican Tradition]
Category: Politics
Origin: [Fire Painting]
Description: The Goblin Race created a republic. This republican system originated from the unique [funeral] of the Goblin Race.
In the past, when a clan member died, the Goblins gathered in an underground cavern and held a meeting. The underground cavern was very dark, which made it impossible to tell one Goblin from the other. Although the Goblins only held funerals in this way to avoid the surveillance and oppression of the Snail Race, they unintentionally created a [veil of anonymity].
In the dark.
The Goblins could discuss freely.
'How did this person die?'
History.
'Did this person live correctly?'
Judgment.
'How should we respond to this death?'
Morality.
'Is Kekerkker a lion bastard or a dog bastard?'
Philosophy.
As time went by, the Goblins began to discuss not just the dead, but also the living. After escaping the underground cave, the meetings were held every evening. Naturally, the issues agreed upon at these meetings were regarded as the consensus of the entire Goblin Race, and they were later referred to as the council.
Unlike other councils, eloquence wasn't so important here.
'Ugor. Regretfully, it seems that there is a significant difference of opinion between us.'
'If one of us beats up the other, that difference will certainly disappear.'
'That's an excellent solution.'
Respecting the strong!
In a sense, the council was still the place to hold funerals!
※However, this trait can change depending on how history progresses.
+
"..."
It got mixed up.
I was pretty sure that something, somewhere… had gotten mixed up.
'They respect the strong, but it's not a dictatorship. They have a council, but the rankings are determined by strength instead of eloquence. What the hell? Something, something's not right with that….'
-Isn't this the result of your teaching?
Bae Hu-ryeong clicked his tongue.
–Their foreign policy also seems to be the same. [We will use our fists instead of talking]. Or [We'll talk, but we'll use our fists anyway]. This is perfect. They are exactly like Kim Zombie.
'This… is what I'm truly like…?'
-It's said that parents learn who they truly are while raising children.
Shock.
It seems that I might be more muscle headed than I thought.
"Hmm. The Death King's race is really good at fighting."
The Sword Saint looked out at the plains.
"It's already been the third round, but the goblins have yet to change their fighter. Although the gap in their martial arts ability isn't that large, they seem to be quite proficient at using aura."
As the Sword Saint said, the duels continued. The allied army and the goblin army both sent out fighters in turn. But until now, it was the goblins, who had yet to change fighters, that were victorious.
The Black Dragon Master muttered.
"You're right. I thought that even if they looked different, they were just goblins. But their use of aura is quite sophisticated."
"Huhu."
"…Death King, why are you suddenly doing a shoulder dance? I don't want to see that, so please stop. As the person in charge of your image, it's quite disappointing to see that."
"The children are doing so well, so my shoulders moved on their own. More than that, Black Dragon Master. Speaking of my look, why do I have to wear this black leather outfit? How should I say this… It makes me look like I have 8th Grader Syndrome. When I searched on the internet, I found a lot of people criticizing my outfit…"
"It's fine. You look good in leather."
"Are you sure it's not just because you like it?"
"No way."
The Black Dragon Master spoke in a calm manner as if she had no idea what I was talking about.
"I objectively picked out an outfit that I think suits you. There were absolutely no ulterior motives."
My suspicions deepened together with the day.
-These damned mold bastards!
The leaders of the allied armies grit their teeth. They were filled with shame. They had fought for an entire night but the results weren't good.
-For every 4 allied soldiers that die, only 1 goblin dies.
A vampire lamented.
-Since they're the vanguard, I'm sure they picked elite soldiers… but the ratio is severely lopsided
The leaders of the multi race alliance army were furious.
-The situation is the same on the snails' side. Shit. They basically placed a wall in the middle of the battlefield….
-Are we going to keep putting up with those molds' tricks?! We are on our way to the Holy Land! We are supported by the wills of the gods! Let's ignore those molds and drive the entire army forward for an all out attack!
-So you want us to declare an all out war on the goblins? That's stupid.
-What? How is it stupid?
-If we were to give in to our emotions and rush forward, the snails would be the only ones who benefit. Didn't the molds say it already? They are just the vanguard. The Chairman of the Council, the King of the goblins, is the one leading the main army. According to tradition, the Great Goblin King is a monster capable of blocking a river and catching fire with his bare hands. If we are attacked by them we will have no chance.
The vampire commander grumbled bitterly.
-The snails at the front, and the goblins behind… We would be wiped out. Fortunately, the snails are probably facing the same dilemma. So it's a deadlock.
-Hmph. Then what should we do?!
The sprite commander grit his teeth as he said that. The sprites were the ones who had been enslaved by the snails the longest. So the hatred they had was much more than the others.
-We pushed all the way to Rimepolis and gave up just before capturing it? Don't you all know how much this expedition cost? Should we just return to our countries and say that we couldn't do it? Ridiculous. What would you say to our soldiers who willingly gave their lives and served the people? Are you guys still generals?!
-...
The other commanders remained silent.
The next day was the same. And the day after that too. There were times when goblin soldiers died, but there were usually three allied soldiers or snails to accompany them in death.
In the end, the goblins achieved their goal of [Blocking the battle between the Allied Army and the Snails].
Finally, on the fourth day.
-Ugor.
Hundreds of goblins sniffed at the same time.
-The wind smells like mud.
In the four days that they'd been there, about one hundred goblin soldiers died. This group of warriors, which was a bit smaller than before, all turned their heads to look at the horizon.
-I missed that earthy smell.
-It's a smell that makes you want to roll your body in it and taste it with your mouth.
-The smell of Guru.
Their sense of smell was right.
After a while, an army slowly crested the horizon.
There were about three thousand soldiers, all riding on lions. Strange tattoos were engraved not only on the bodies of the warriors, but also on the lions beneath them. Maybe it was because of that, but from a distance, the markings seemed to be moved across their skin like tentacles.
-Buuuuu.
A warrior at the front of the army blew a trumpet. Only then did the allied army and the snail troops garrisoned in Rimepolis notice the army on the horizon.
An army that was marching towards them with their backs to the sun.
-Buuuuuu.
The trumpet sounds continued in a strange manner. First, there were the trumpets made with the shells of snails. Then there were trumpets made from the horn of a sprite. There were trumpets decorated with the skulls of humans, and even trumpets covered with vampire teeth.
These were all trophies from the enemies they had defeated in the past.
At the head of this large army, atop an enormous white lion, was the leader of the goblin race
"Wow."
The Venomous Snake muttered.
"That's not a Great King, that's more like a Demon King. Hey, Death King. You somehow managed to create a Demon King. Congrats."
The leader of the goblin race.
The Chairman of the Fire River Council.
Had led his warriors to war.
3.
-Hello everyone!
Thud!
In the middle of the battlefield, a battle axe with a haft the size of a pillar was embedded into the ground. The Chairman of the council then put his foot on the beard of the battle axe's blade. The Chairman's voice, which was strengthened by aura, shook the heavens and the earth.
-Living beings that shine like stars in this world! I am the 212th Chairman of the Fire River Council, Uburka!
His presence overflowed with pride. His body was covered in muscle. On his face, there was a long scar, as if to show that he'd experienced his fair share of battles. The Chairman spread his arms wide, which showed off his bulging chest muscles.
-Today, I have a lot of shibal to say!
But there wasn't a lot of dignity in his words.
-Not everyone can enjoy the blessings of life, but can't we all enjoy shibal? Although our seven races look different, we are comrades who shared the same shibal!
The hunters behind me muttered.
"What does shibal mean to the goblins? Since he's using shibal so much in his sentences?"
"I don't know. I'm guessing it's just a saying. It can mean anything, or it can mean nothing."
"Death King… your teaching is…"
I really wanted to see that child that looked like Raviel.
No, I just missed Raviel. Children don't matter. We don't need them…
As I did my best to escape reality, the Chairman continued his speech with increased momentum.
-That's right! We are comrades! The spirit of my goblin race is embedded in my left pectoral, and my love for my comrades is embedded in the right! Look! My chest muscles burn with spirit and love!
That analogy was a bit dubious.
It was too much.
I couldn't help but feel a bit nauseous as I looked at the bulging green muscles. What the hell was this? It wasn't just his body, even his head was muscular. If an orc was to casually pass by, it would probably look at him and call out, 'Big brother'.
"His word choices are a bit…"
"The more I look at him, the more similarities I see to Death King…."
"I'm really not that bad!"
The allied army and the snail defenders quietly stared at the Chairman from both sides of the battlefield. Despite being enemies, the soldiers from both sides had the same expressions. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.
-Nevertheless! I am! Very sad!
The crazy guy made an expression of anguish.
-Even if the snail race committed unpardonable sins 600 years ago, completely annihilating their races is too great a revenge! It's not right. It's not good. It's not beautiful! You're even fighting here for Rimepolis, which you call the Holy Land. But it's not even holy! We have decided that this is a truly ridiculous situation, and hereby declare that we are participating in this war!
After the Chairman finished speaking, the goblin warriors raised their weapons in the air.
-Shibal! Shibal! Shibal!
-Listen up, beings of the seven races!
The leader of the madmen spoke up again.
-The fact that we were oppressed by the snails is not bad! What can we do to resolve the hatred of our ancestors? The snails aren't bad either! They have no choice but to fight back since they don't want to be destroyed.
An eruption arose from the two armies. Shouts of 'What the hell is this guy saying?' and 'Is there really mold in those mold bastards' heads?' could be heard as all of them stared at the Chairman with strange gazes
-That's right! They're not bad!
The words that he said next, caused the two armies to go silent.
-The thing that is bad is the Holy Land!
All of the soldiers' faces seemed to be saying 'Huh?'.
-There are no gods in this world. So there shouldn't be any Holy Lands either. Nevertheless, everyone seems to have placed their lingering feelings and beliefs into this Holy Land. You're just pouring your precious, sparkling life into a bottomless pit! Therefore, the Fire River Council has decided as follows!
-What the hell is he talking about…
The leaders of the two armies were confused. Not caring about this, the Chairman crossed his arms over his chest and continued.
-We will destroy the Holy Land!
The plains became silent.
-We can't share the Holy Land. It just divides us and forces us to fight each other! So join us. Let's destroy the Holy Land together!
-...
-If you can't forgive others for having something, then no one should have it. This is common sense. Therefore, we will thoroughly demolish Rimepolis so that no one can occupy it and no one can live in it. Now! My comrades! Let us destroy the Holy Land and build a happy world together!
Like descendants who followed in the footsteps of their ancestors.
I had created a race of nutjobs.