<h4>Volume 2, Chapter 142: A Challenge to Economy</h4>


    “How can we make goblins understand the concept of economy?”


    When I asked that question, the smartest of those under my banner scratched their head.


    From the elves, representing Shure, were Fei and Felbi.


    From the goblins were the old goblin; the battle demon, Gi Jii; and the knight ss, Gi Ga Rax.


    From the demihumans, the mud-shelled tribe (tarpidae), Fanfan; and the man-bull tribe (minotaur), Kerodotos.


    From the humans, Shumea.


    “Goblin King, I think it would be better to give it up,” Fanfan said.


    “I would prefer if you tried thinking about it first though,” I said.


    Felbi scratched his head. “I think it’ll be difficult. I mean, to begin with, they don’t even understand the concept of bartering, right?”


    “Well, yes,” I agreed.


    “Your Majesty, what is this ‘economy’ you speak of?” Gi Jii asked, causing the other goblins to turn to me as well.


    Stop looking at me with those resigned eyes.


    “How do we go about this?” Fei started politely exining. “Alright, for example, Gi Jii, let’s say there was a spear you wanted. To obtain it, you asked a koro dwarf to make it for you. But that koro dwarf can’t make it without food… Do you follow?”


    Gi Jii, Gi Ga, and the old goblin looked at each other and then nodded.


    “More or less,” Gi Jii said.


    Fei heaved a sigh of relief.


    “So, in other words, we should prepare some food?” Gi Ga asked.


    “Yes, but if the koro dwarf wants something else, you must provide that instead,” Fei said.


    “…Mu, mumu? Why?” Gi Ga asked.


    Fei turned to me with pleading eyes.


    “In other words, you say what you want~ and I say what I want~ and we exchange!” The minotaur, Kerodotos, said in that ever slow fashion of his.


    “What if we don’t have what the other party wants?” The old goblin asked.


    Kerodotos answered. “Then there’s no deaaaaaal~”


    “Then what if our respective offers don’t match? For example, one side wants a double-head while the other wants a bundle of herbs?” Gi Jii asked.


    “That certainly doesn’t add up!” Gi Ga angrily nodded.


    “Then you should rejeeeeect~” Kedorotos said.


    “In other words, if we don’t like the deal, we refuse?” Gi Jii asked, and Kedorotos nodded.


    The three goblins were bewildered, but they somehow managed to grasp the concept of trade.


    “My king, what is the point of discussing this?” Gi Ga Rax asked.


    “It is something you need to understand before we can continue,” I said.


    Among the different races, the humans can be said to have developed their economy the furthest. In fact, ording to Shumea, most of humanity has already adopted currency. It was such that bartering could rarely be seen - if ever- even in mid-sized cities.


    Small viges still bartered, but there was no doubting how advance humanity’s economy was.


    Goblins need to understand currency if they are to rule over the humans.


    They need to understand humans.


    I won’t ask them to be painters or artists, but at the very least, they need to understand the reason humans fight, the secret behind their strength, and the areas where they are ahead.


    By knowing one’s enemy, there is a chance that one might just find a weakness.


    It is not good to be ignorant… Though the pursuit of knowledge is never easy. Especially, in our case, it seems.


    “From now on, I want you to gradually teach the goblins starting with the rare ss about economy,” I said.


    “As the kingmands,” Gi Ga Rax said as he bowed with the others.


    Hopefully, they’ll be able to understand currency as well.


    ◆◆◇


    We took the koro dwarves from the defeated viges of Jirad, Sinfall, Symphoria, and Sheng to our headquarters because of various reasons.


    One reason was because I was hoping to emte some of the elves’ technologies at our headquarters. The koro dwarves knew which ores to pick and how to process them. Compared to them, the goblins don’t even know which ore can be processed into iron.


    If the goblins could at least learn to distinguish the ores, we would be able to increase the mining rate of these resources, allowing us to produce more equipment.


    The second reason is to allow them to exchange pointers on technology with Ganra. Perhaps even the demihumans could join them. By doing so, I hope to encourage the goblins and the demihumans in their endeavors.


    Sharper swords, multi-purpose spears, and light yet strong armor.


    We need to better our equipment to increase the survival rate of our warriors. To that end, I need to borrow the strength of the koro dwarves.


    The elves may be safe within their territory inside the forest, but of the three races in our alliance, the goblins are the furthest and closest to the humans.


    We can’t allow the humans to reach our headquarters.


    ◆◆◇


    I spread the map I received from Shure.


    It’s a map we got from the elves, so the goblin headquarters was dotted on it a little too far to the east.


    To the north were the continuous mountain ranges, at the center were the forests, and to the right were endless ins dotted with forests. Down to the south were the deserts, then the sea, beyond which were a group of inds. Finally, to the west could be seen ins, beyond which was the distant continent.


    The mountain ranges of the snow god to the north, home to the humans who live with the snow. They have almost never encroached into the forest, so they aren’t enemies, but they aren’t allies either.


    I thought back to my conversation with Shure as I traced the map.


    The southern deserts, the great desert of Ashunasan, the god of the desert. Inhabiting thesends are a paltry group of humans and those who live in the desert. These people have never invaded ournds either.


    Though not as vast as the east, the western ins are quite extensive themselves. Beyond the western ins is a sea, at the end of which is the distant continent.


    There are forests dotting the ins. There might be other sylphs living there.


    The smanders live in a corner of the volcanic region to the west, while the undine live in the water capital to the east.


    The gnomes live in the mountain ranges to the north. They seem to live in between our home and the human territory.


    The greatest threat, the human kingdom of Germion, lies directly east of the Fortress of the Abyss. From there, going north leads to the mountain ranges of the snow god, going south leads near the boundary of the desert, going west leads to the Forest of Darkness, and going east leads to the Holy Shushunu Kingdom.


    ording to Gi Ji Arsil, the humans have built a stone wall at the border of the forest. I wonder how big it is.


    Regardless, I have a good idea what they’re aiming for.


    They probably intend to create a base from which they could attack. I know because I’ve thought of the same n. Create an offensive base, supply it with men and resources, and use that as a point to stage attacks. Unfortunately, I’m not very fond of being on the receiving end of my idea.


    Still, this… Let’s call it a fortress city. I wonder just how big it is. I doubt they could possibly be so big as to epass the entire border of the forest.


    The main idea should be to surround the capital and attack from there, but… As I thought, I need to find out just how big it is.


    “Gi Ji Arsil, I appoint you on a special mission. Work with the orcs and find out how big the fortress city of the humans is. I want to know the scope of the walls and their height, but you are only allowed to look at them from afar. You must absolutely not try to infiltrate it.”


    “As you will.”


    Gi Jii called out to the goblins under him and headed East.


    There’s no actual reason to recklessly attack this fortress city. Though it also depends on what kind of country the humans have, if it’s an organization that’s capable of creating something asplex as that fortress city, then it should be enough to get rid of the head. The fortress can be ignored so long as I’m able to take the head of the western feudal lord.


    Having all powers gathered onto a single person allows an organization to move efficiently, but it also means that if that person were to vanish, everything woulde crumbling down.


    I’m only guessing, but on top of the western feudal lord, their kingdom has probably given outnds to various feudal lords to manage and defend much in the same way as the goblins operate.


    Though it depends on how close the feudal lord is with the king, the feudal lords must have some degree of independence. We’ll aim for that.


    That leaves the next question: How much of a threat do you the humans see the goblins as?


    If they see us as a threat on the national level, they will hit hard the moment we leave the forest. That would be troublesome.


    There’s far too much information that needs to be gathered before the war.


    Not to mention, I have yet to get word of the goblins I’d sent out before too. Gi Gu Verbena to the south, Gi Gi Orudo to the north, and Gi Zu Ruo to the southwest.


    They could have at least sent a messenger in this past six months.


    ◆◆◇


    “Orc King, we’ll be in your care for a while.”


    This blue goblin bowing before… If I recall correctly, this is Mr. Gi Jii.


    Behind him were nearly 100 goblins gathered.


    “Wow…”


    I think that was Gui’s voiceing from somewhere. There’s a hint of resignation mixed in, but I understand his feelings. After all, I feel the same way too. Still… he could be more discreet.


    I know, I know.


    I don’t have to turn around to know the orcs are all looking at me, asking what we’re going to do.


    “Wee,” I said. “How long will you be staying?”


    “The king ordered us to grasp the scale of the human fortress. We will be returning as soon as we finish our mission,” Gi Jii said.


    “Is that so? Well, I don’t think you’ll be staying long then,” I said.


    “Most likely,” Gi Jii replied.


    I’m relieved to know they won’t be staying long, but do we have to prepare food for all of them? I’d prefer it if they left sooner. There are things I don’t want them to see…


    The goblins will be going once nightfalles, so they slept as soon as they ate.


    It sure feels weird seeing goblins sleep next to orcs though.


    While the small green goblins slept, Mr. Gi Jii spoke with me.


    “Orc King, how are your ns to make those small viges going? Are they proceeding well?” Gi Jii asked.


    Come to think of it, Mr. Gi Jii was around when I started the first vige. He seems to be asking purely out of interest, but I should consider this the same as informing that scary goblin.


    How should I answer?


    “Everything is going well. The orcs have increased in number, and the enemies from outside are also being kept at bay,” I said


    “That’s good to hear,” Gi Jii nodded.


    He wasn’t probing for information; he was simply and honestly d at our sess.


    “But of course, it’s not without a hitch. The defense around the new branches are weakerpared to here, and there’s also the issue with the water…”


    The other viges are too far, so Doralia’s blessing can’t reach them. The other nts’ influence were still too strong, so I took some of her seedlings and nted them, but they’re going to take a while to grow.


    “What’s wrong with the water?” Gi Jii asked.


    “It’s hard to find drinkable water…”


    Hmm… Gi Jii scratched his head.


    “Bui! Big problem!”


    It was then that Gui came running, panicked.


    “The paddock has been attacked!”


    The two meanings behind that sentence almost made me faint.


    —209 days until the war with the humans.