<h4>Volume 1, Chapter 38: The Night Before the War</h4>


    [Race] Goblin [Level] 61


    [ss] Duke; Horde Chief


    [Possessed Skills] > > > > > > > > > > > > >


    [Divine Protection] Goddess of the Underworld (Altesia) [Attributes] Darkness; Death


    [Subordinate Beasts] High Kobold (Lv1) Gastra (Lv1) Cynthia (Lv1) [Abnormal Status] >


    4 days had passed by the time Gi Gu’s scouting party returned


    When I went out to meet them, I was shocked.


    Gi Gu’s appearance had changed. Blue skin and a lone coiled horn. A stature that was a size biggerpared to Gi Go.


    I took a peek at his status with the and there was no doubt about it. He was now a noble ss.


    [Race] Goblin [Level] 2


    [ss] Noble; Subleader


    [Possessed Skills] > > > > > > >


    [Divine Protection] None [Attributes] None


    > When fighting under the orders of the horde’s leader, fighting spirit UP, physical strength 10%, agility 10% UP.


    >Attacking together is possible with goblins of the same or lower rank.


    > Can use any melee weapon, and receive assistance up to Rank C+ regardless of type.


    > Chance of sess when scouting increases. Chance of sessfully tracking the enemy also increases.


    Gi Gu is a former horde chief. The strength shown in his status is proof of that. The > skill is quite useful for ordering squads. As for this > I wonder if it’ll work even when we’re separated by distance. Lastly, this > skill, I wonder if he learned this because I’ve always been using him to scout.


    I’ll have to rify the points I don’t understandter.


    “I have returned,” said Gi Za as he kneeled. The wounds on his body showed proof of the mission’s harshness.


    “Tell me what you found.”


    I left the training of the goblins to Gi Ga for the time being, then I went ahead and asked the results of his scouting.


    At the same time, I gave them fresh meat to eat. The goblins quietly bowed to me.


    “I’ll begin with the results. We have confirmed the orcs’ numbers. Currently, there are over 80 orcs in their horde. As of now, they are en-route toward this fortress.”


    80!?


    So this is where that bad feeling has beening from.


    Sheet!


    My heart wavered, but I meticulously paid attention not to let it show as I continued to inquire.


    “How long before they arrive?” “Two days at most.”


    As I nodded to Gi Gu, I folded my arms.


    ----Sheet! It’s too early! So you’re telling me they won’t even give me time to prepare?


    But that doesn’t mean I’m the kind of idiot that would just sit and wait here doing nothing.


    “Their course?”


    “They are marching directly west of us.”


    80, huh?


    I fell into a deep thought as I looked over the horizon to the west.


    Confining ourselves to the vige was a bad idea from the start. Once the vige is surrounded, I won’t be able to see everything from the front.


    So that means confining ourselves to the vige is ast resort.


    Besides the traps aren’t evenplete. They are at most only 50% done. Even if the orcs charged from in front, it wouldn’t be strange for them to just trample over the traps.


    “I understand the situation now. Good work.”


    I locked my feelings deep inside me, not letting even the slightest emotion show as I closed my eyes.


    After I allowed the goblins that had just returned to rest, I went over to helpplete the traps.


    From the start, goblins specialized at making holes. Holes that orcs could fit into that are filled with sharp bamboos and wooden spears. The holes themselves are also deeper than the orcs’ stature. I also want to fill the holes with water, but unfortunately we really don’t have the time for that.


    We’ll just have to make it vertical enough that the orcs won’t be able to climb up.


    I’ll also order the humans to concentrate their fences toward the west side of the vige. I don’t know how much they can repair in the next two days, but hopefully we can at least have some fences ready from the west to the northwest.


    The orcs number too many. We can’t fight them directly. A head-on confrontation like that will only lead to our immediate defeat.


    There’s no other way… We’ll have to hit them first.


    We needed to get resources for the vige constructions, so the trees in the surrounding were cut. Thanks to that we have a better view of the area now.


    Too bad we don’t have bows though. A weapon that would allow us to defeat the orcs from a distance would have been great. Not that there’s any point in talking about things that aren’t around.


    In any case, if we are to intercept the orcs, then the best ce to attack is the forest. If they’re nning to charge here directly, then we should be able to dy them by attacking from their nks. And then by using the druids’ magic and the goblins with the throwing


    skill, it should be possible to minimize the casualties. After that, we could take the remaining orcs in a melee. And after wiping them, we could then take the orc king’s head.


    When I finished thinking up the strategy, I ran over it again to check for any holes.


    I need to carefully choose who to send in the intercepting squad as well as the location. I’ll also have to prepare an escape route in the worst case scenario.


    It’s not just because we’re heading west that I’m doing this. There’s also the fact that we can’t leave this area.


    Ignoring the welling impatience from within, my mouth twisted into a wry smile as I headed over to Gi Ga to check on his progress.


    The training needs to be halted for the time being. It’s imperative that we have the holes dug as soon as possible.


    ◆◇◆


    A day had passed since I received Gi Gu’s report. Right now, I’m having Gi Gu lead me to confirm the orcs’ trail. Following us were Gi Ga and Gi Go.


    In the meantime, the excavation of the holes and the ditches have been left to Gi Za. While I had the beast warrior, Gi Gi, and the stealthy Gi Ji see just how close the orcs have gotten to our vige.


    It’s not that I’m doubting Gi Gu’s information, it’s just that I want to ensure that nothing unexpected happens.


    Of course, I made sure to make it clear to Gi Gi and Gi Ji that they were to return without fighting. It should be possible as long as they made use of Gi Gi’s beast’s sniffing abilities.


    We tried following the trail Gi Gu led us to follow, but the only thing that entered our sights were the t woonds that had nothing of note.


    Now I wonder where we should wait for the orcs. Being this rattled over something on this level… It seems I haven’t been blessed with insight by the Goddess of Wisdom, Hera.


    The number of orcs that we can deal with using the three-man-cells is 30. So we’ll need to somehow reduce that 80 orcs into 30 using traps.


    If the orcs reach my vige, that’ll be the end. Even if we’re not annihted, my dream of building a kingdom will end right then and there.


    At that thought, the image of Reshia and the other humans being trampled by the orc horde shed through my mind.


    But even then, it’s still better for them to head straight for the vige. If the orc king has been blessed with wisdom, and instead leads his people through a different path, then the vige will surely fall.


    The humans only built the fences to cover from the vige’s west to its northwest.


    Normally, it would have been better if I’d thought of an escape route, but we don’t have enough information about the orcs’ madness. If they just up and left and headed east after forcing us out of the vige that would be great. But if they still pursue us, we’ll be nothing but helpless prey before them since we don’t have a ce to run to.


    So there’s only one option for us to make. That is to ambush them, lead them to the vige, and annihte them.


    We can only hope that the orcs will trip themselves here. Honestly, something like this can’t even be called a n. At most it’s just wishful thinking. That fact doesn’t sit right with me, but it can’t be helped.


    “Alright, we’ll put up the traps around this area. And then we’ll get a scout to“


    “King!”


    Just as I was about to order Gi Gu and the others to put up the traps and scout, a voice called out from behind.


    It was Gi Gi, who was riding on a double head, rushing toward us with a desperate expression on his face.


    “The orcs have changed route!” He eximed. “They areing from the north!”


    Fuck! The worst case really happened!


    Come to think of it, the west is full of trees, woonds with not much room to step on. While the northwest that the gray wolves favored have patches of unobstructed ins. Damnit! I should have seen thising a mile away, and yet!


    “Return to the vige! Now!”


    At my order, we made haste for the vige.


    The traps in the vige were concentrated toward the west. Do we have enough time to set up traps for the north?


    Do we have enough time to set up the necessary traps to deal with 80 orcs in a day!?


    Impossible. Of course, it’s impossible.


    If it was just the fight against the orcs, then I’m confident I could beat them with my skill and strength. But in this fight I have to protect the vige while annihting 80 orcs!


    Damnit, why the north!?


    But not only did they change route, they even chose a route with plenty of space. They’re definitely being led by the orc king. And apparently, the king isn’t an idiot. With that the chances for the traps to seed have dropped significantly.


    There’s still a chance that they might just head east afterwards, but those bastards need to eat. So, no… There’s no way they would let delicious preys such as ourselves run.


    The orcs are headed here from the north, but exactly from which direction will theye from? Will it be directly north or north west? No, thinking about it a little, it would probably be directly north.


    As for why it’s directly north, it’s because the path toward theke to the north has been widened.


    The route we widened to make hunting convenient has unexpectedly backfired on us!


    Think! There has to be something!


    Something that could stop them!


    By the time we got to the vige, I still hadn’t thought of anything. For the meantime, I decided to focus on making traps to the north.


    But even while I was digging holes, the only thing that was in my head was thinking of a way to beat the orcs.


    But what can I do?


    In the end, the day passed with me being unable to think of anything but to make traps.


    As for the humans I had them repair the fences as fast as they could. And then for the goblins, I had them dig holes that the orcs could get stuck in. But that’s all.


    Can we win with just this?


    My heart grew impatient as my thoughts continued to race. In the end, I could do nothing butment my powerlessness.


    Who would’ve thought that the responsibility of having so many lives on your shoulders would be this heavy?


    And the image that keeps shing through my mind, showing the orcs trampling all over us is honestly scary!


    Sheet!


    I can’t lose. I can’t possibly lose.


    I know that. It’s precisely because I know that that it’s so heavy.


    But despite all my efforts, in the end, the night came with no good news.


    ◆◇◆


    As the twin moonlight lit the evening sky, I looked up. I have been loitering around the vige all this time by myself, pondering to myself when suddenly, a voice came.


    “Can’t sleep?” asked the voice.


    The moonlight fell on her visage, revealing her unparalleled beauty. Bathed in moonlight, it was as if she was the Moonlight Goddess, Veedena, herself.


    It was dark, but my eyes could see as if it were day, and I saw her expression. It was as unfeeling and expressionless as always. But somehow, it carried with it a tinge of gentleness.


    “Yeah,” I looked toward the evening sky again.


    “A strange sight,” Reshia said as she walked over, stealing a nce at the expression on my face.


    “I suppose,” I quietly replied.


    Perhaps I am scared. That might be it. The war will be upon us tomorrow, yet the path to victory remains a blur.


    But even then… I have to win. Even if it means throwing this body away.


    If I lose, I lose everything.


    “I see…” muttered Reshia, seemingly deep in thought. Then after a while, as if she had thought of something, she looked up toward me again.


    “Mind if I take a seat?” she asked as she sat beside me who was sitting cross-legged. “Can we talk for a bit?”


    “Do what you want,” I curtly replied.


    Like that we began to talk. Her voice was smooth, velvety in its flow like those of a minstrel’s. Each of her words resounded within my shaking chest.


    “…In the past, there was a beast known as Moonbeast,” she said.


    I wonder if she has a script at the back of her eyelids. I’ve never heard her stutter over her words. Each word of hers were clear and fluent.


    “That beast was hated by the humans, but even then it lived beside them,” she said.


    The tale she spoke of was that of a beast that possessed a human’s heart.


    But though it possessed a human’s heart, its pelt was sharp like needles, hurting allies and foe alike.


    The closer the beast tried to be, the more pain it inflicted on its friend. And the further the beast went, the colder the beast became. It was that sort of story.


    “But then one day, a lone girl showed favor to that beast,” Reshia said.


    The oue is a tragedy. That’s a given.


    There’s a simr story in my country as well.


    “But of course, the Moonbeast hurt the girl, and it was greatly saddened.”


    At this point, I suddenly felt like asking her what she wants to tell me.


    “It was then that the girl thought of something.”


    What?


    “Then how about we pluck off all the needles, she said.”


    Oi!?


    Surprised, I couldn’t help but move my gaze away from the moons back to Reshia.


    “And so the girl and the Moonbeast no longer had to fight. And they were able to live happily ever after. The end,” Reshia said as she


    concluded her story.


    “… A rather original story,” Imented.


    This girl, she changed the ending, didn’t she?


    “And? What’s the moral of the story?” I asked. “Who knows?” She grinned.


    Hey, is that really alright? Aren’t you someone from the church?


    Having received a response like that, I couldn’t help but look at this sweetly smiling girl with a suspicious gaze.


    “Well it can’t be helped. I did just make up the ending after all,” she confessed.


    As expected.


    “But… I prefer this ending. A short and tragic story is fine too, but in the end, I’d rather everyone be happy. It’s not wrong to wish that sort of wish, right?”


    Is that the dream of a girl that doesn’t know reality? Or is it because you dream such dreams that you are called a saint?


    “Perhaps,” I replied.


    “If you can understand that much, then I think it’s more than enough for a moral lesson,” Reshia said as she excused herself to a night’s rest.


    “Ahh…”


    Wryly smiling, I looked up toward the moons.


    Apparently, she was trying to cheer me up.


    I suppose what she was trying to say is: If the result is obvious, then why don’t you try to change it forcefully? Or something… I guess.


    “Did my worries show on my face?”


    I caressed my face, trying to check if it did, but in the end, I couldn’t figure it out.


    But… my heart has gotten lighter.


    It’s not so bad… the lessons from an adherent.


    At that moment, a me was lit in that now peaceful heart.


    A me called resolve, the resolve to fight. I had forgotten it just a while ago, but now I remember it well.


    As I looked up to the moons floating in the evening sky, I thanked Reshia.


    And then it hit me. “…Forcefully, huh?”


    I see… Maybe just maybe, there might be a chance for victory.


    It took a long time, but finally, the Goddess of Wisdom’s, Hera’s, blessing hase.


    There, I stood up, and I went to wake Gi Gi and Gi Za.