TL Note: Sorry for the delays, here’s the chapter for last week. There’ll be another chapter for this week. I’ll probably be posting it on Sunday.
Chapter 17: Beast Subordinate
[Race] Goblin
[Level] 11
[Class] Duke; Horde Chief
[Possessed Skills] <<Horde Commander>> <<Insurgent Will>> <<Overpowering Howl>> <<Swordsmanship B->> <<Insatiable Desire>> <<Distant Soul>> <<A Ruler’s Wisdom I>> <<Eyes of the Blue Snake>> <<Dance at Death’s Border>> <<The Red Snake’s Eye>> <<Magic Manipulation>> <<Soul of a Crazed Warrior>>
[Divine Protection] Goddess of the Underworld, Altesia
[Attributes] Darkness, Death
[Skill] <<Soul of a Crazed Warrior>> invocated.
Your sight will be dyed in red.
I dodge the approaching spear without any effort. With a step, I close in on the orc. And with a thrust from the enchanted Iron Second, the orc’s stomach was pierced.
“GURUuAAAA!” screamed the orc.
With Iron Second still stuck, pierced into the orc’s body, I swung it up.
As that great steel sword rose, blood and guts scattered about in the air, and a literal rain of blood descended.
The falling rain of blood coupled with my resounding laughter, painted a dreadful, gruesome scene.
––– Why!? Why am I so excited!?
The cowering visage of the orcs filled me with jubilance. And my face twisted into a wicked smile of sadism.
––– KUHAHAHAHA! Die! Die! Dieeee!
I chased after the orc. It showed me its back. I swung my sword down, and its screams resounded. With its backs gouged out, its fell to the ground. And mercilessly, I crushed its head under the weight of my foot.
Turning my head, I went off for the last orc.
When I got close enough, I cut off its leg. Then I decapitated its shoulder, sending that piece flying with a fountain of blood in its trail.
As I crushed its head with my grip, a raging roar bellowed out from the pits of my guts.
Led by the voice within me, I had slaughtered a massacre, leaving the land dyed in red blood.
–––– No! What am I doing!?
[Skill] <<Insurgent Will>> invocated.
The effect on your mind from the [Skill] <<Soul of a Crazed Warrior>> will be mitigated.
◆◇◇
With my senses back, I looked around me.
The surrounding area was a mess. No matter what you say, that exhibition was too unsightly.
To think that this is what happens when I get a little bit of power…
“How disgraceful,” I thought as I clicked my tongue.
Using my heightened hearing, I searched for a waterside.
Leaving the corpses here is fine, right? As for the meat of the orc, I’ll just get what I need.
Besides, there’s something I want to see.
Even something small would have been fine as long as I’m able to fit in, so when I saw a waterfall, I immediately entered it. Inside the water lake, I cooled my seething head, and I washed off the blood from my body.
When the stench of the orc’s flesh mostly left my body, I went back to the place where I had previously slaughtered the orcs.
Looking at it now, I can’t help but sigh. I’m well aware that the one responsible for this is me, but this is really just too much. Still though, since I’ve already done it, I should at least make the most out of it.
So with that, I gathered the corpses to fish for scavengers while I hid somewhere nearby. Then a few hours passed, and I began to worry as to whether it was a waste of time hiding behind the thickets, fishing for scavengers, or not. But fortunately, at that moment, it came.
Its back was hunched, its face was that of a beast, and in its hand was a beast’s fang. It walked like a man, and behind it swayed a tail. Its stature was slightly smaller than that of a goblin. And its fur was colored brown.
I wondered to myself whether I’ve seen it before from somewhere… but when I looked at my own skin, I shook my head, and concluded that it must’ve just been my imagination.
There are five of them.
These things are called Kobolds, and they are supposedly weaker than goblins. They do possess some intelligence however.
Dashing out form the thickets, I caught one of the kobolds. When the other kobolds saw that, they immediately dispersed.
“Can you talk?” I asked.
With the scruff of its neck caught under the grip of my hands, I even went as far to bring it right before my face, but it just bared its fangs against me.
Maybe it’s not smart after all.
I cut off a portion of the orc corpse’s flesh and inserted it into the kobold’s mouth. As useless as it was it just chewed on the flesh.
Thinking I had just wasted my time, I tossed the Kobold to the ground, and went off to search again.
After walking for a bit, I looked behind me. There I saw that the Kobold was still following me.
“Uu~u” begged the kobold as it made a face that seemingly looked like it really wanted something.
Despite supposedly being a dog that had just snarled at me moments ago, drool dribbled out of the corners of its mouth as if saying, “I’m hungry.” It looked back on the corpse, and then it looked back up at me again. That questioning gaze seemed to be half-filled with the anticipation of being fed.
“Uu~u” begged the kobold again.
For the record, the one who begged a while ago was the kobold and not me, ok? You know… just in case.
I could have just chased it away, but being troubled, I threw it a slice of orc meat instead.
Like a trained dog, the kobold ran after the slice of orc meat, and as soon as it got it, it went back to my side.
And? What are you planning to do by coming back to me?
It looked like trouble, so I tried to shoo it away with my hand.
Somehow, it apparently misunderstood the sign, and instead it nodded at me, then it stuffed its cheeks full with the meat I’d just thrown it. It’d be troublesome if it continued to follow me around like this, so I went ahead and continued my search.
But in order to lure out the kobolds, I continued to wait somewhere near the orcs’ corpses until the clock struck nighttime.
Thinking that it’s almost time to head back home. I began to make way for the village. But then I heard footstep aside from mine echoing throughout the forest.
When I turned to look behind me, I saw the kobold looking up to me. Seeing me turn my head, it became curious, and it also turned its head to look behind it.
No, it’s you, it’s you.
“Why are you following me?” I asked.
The kobold tilted its head in response.
Why are you making a strange face?
“Strong,” replied the kobold as it pointed its finger at me.
“Bring me,” it continued, this time pointing to itself.
With my mind already exhausted, I didn’t feel like dealing with it anymore, and I just quietly continued to walk to the village like that.
The goblins and people of the village sent me curious gazes as they watched the kobold follow me with its unsteady steps. Fortunately, they didn’t ask anything.
“Oh, you’ve brought back something interesting with you,” commented Reshia when she saw the Kobold.
No one but Reshia anyway. Although for some reason her gaze looked unsatisfied as she looked at the Kobold swaying its tail as it sat there under my feet.
“Whatever,” I nonchalantly reply.
It’s a pain to explain.
“I want a pet too,” said Reshia.
Exactly what does Reshia think of this displeasing face of mine?
“Where do you place the kobolds amongst your people,” I asked.
At that, the usual discussion began.
Although Reshia considers me and other monsters to be in one group, she differentiates between us and the monsters who captured her and the other humans. That is to say that she recognizes us. With that as the topic of conversation, we passed the time talking for nearly an hour.
During that time, the kobold stretched itself on my feet as it made itself at home.
Seeing that, I quietly thought to myself, “bastard, you actually plan on staying!?”
◇◆◆◇◇◆◆◇
Kobold has been subordinated.
Youre level has risen.
11 => 12
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Author’s note:
It seems that there’s a legend that says that kobolds and goblins are the same thing. I’m purposely writing them as two different monsters however.
I suppose it could be considered as a therapeutic sort of monster.
If you could see it in real life, you might just get charmed.