<h4>Volume 3, Chapter 217 - Negotiations for an Alliance 2 (2/2)</h4>
When the Goblin King saw Mira’s shoulders shake with a jolt, he sighed deeply.
“Eek!?”
Suddenly, Mira was lifted up by the arm she was clinging to and then sat atop the table.
The Goblin King looked her in the eye.
“Listen well, Mira Vi Burnen. This misunderstanding will help neither of us. What I seek is not pleasure for the sake of an individual, but for us to be able to work together so that we may prosper our respective people.”
For a moment, Mira had no idea what the goblin was telling her, but gradually, the meaning of the his words sunk in.
“Then… Are you goblins really nning to work with us?”
“Naturally.”
“…And if we can’t cooperate or agree to the conditions?”
“That’s why we are talking. At the very least, it’s precisely because we believe that the Kushain Believers have value that we formed an alliance with you and saved you from Germion Kingdom.”
After being told that directly, Mira could only open her eyes wide.
This goblin was really trying to negotiate with them as equals. After being remonstrated that much, Mira naturally had to respond. The confused girl from before vanished as Mira left the Goblin King’s
arms, fixed herself, and then donned a face that could only belong to a statesman before facing the Goblin King once more.
“…Please excuse my earlier behavior, king of a neighboring country. If I may be so frank, what exactly is it that you seek from us? We do not exactly have an army that could help you.”
“Acknowledge my people and our right to ournds. Do this, and I promise you that we will not bare our fangs against you. We’ll start from there. As for the finer details, we’ll work them out gradually.”
Mira continued to look at the Goblin King as she considered the cons and pros of acknowledging them. Germion Kingdom and the Holy Shushunu Kingdom probably won’t be happy. Economically speaking, some people might flee from their country. Others might even criticize them and call them traitors.
But should they refuse the Goblin King, who would save them? Germion Kingdom was a potential enemy. And although they’ve been trading with the Holy Shushunu Kingdom, after having caused a war, it is doubtful that they still see them in a favorable light.
“We will acknowledge you. First, we’ll inform the people of Cultidian of the renewal of our alliance, and then we’ll make a deration to the neighboring countries.”
After deciding on several conditions, the two decided to take a break, but the Goblin King was looking suspiciously at Mira.
“Why won’t you move from there?”
“…I can’t stand.”
Mira was beet red when she said that. Hearing that, the Goblin King decided to help her, so he took her into his arms and lifted her like a puppy.
“My… apologies,” Mira said with much embarrassment.
“Don’t worry. It happens a lot,” the Goblin King said.
“Princess, it’s almost time…” Vn said as he suddenly opened the door.
More time had to be spent to clear up the misunderstandings of those who suddenly entered the room, but regardless, both parties left the meeting with good results.
The Kushain Believers acknowledged the founding of a country of monsters and demihumans, leading to the surrounding countries doubting the sanity of the Kushain Believers as they proimed that they would cut off all rtions with them.
Despite that Mira only told Vn that she resolutely spurned theirints with her tongue sticking out and with words not all fitting of a princess.
“Have maggots infested their brains? How could it be any concern of ours if enemies cut off all rtions with us.”
Mira ignored Vn’s rebukes as she smiled.
“Still, there sure are some strange things in this world. Who would’ve thought that the day woulde when I would speak with a goblin as an equal.”
Within Mira’s eyes shed a twinkle that Vn knew all too well in their youth. That was the look of a little girl brimming with curiosity.
◇◆◆
After signing a non-aggression treaty with the Kushain Believers, the Goblin King vigorously advanced through the yet chaotic southern
region with his soldiers. The four generals that were appointed earlier were sent out throughout thend.
The first target was Elrain Kingdom. It was already weakened by the civil wars, which allowed the Red King to take over it. And with the desertion of its famed generals, its army couldn’t be any weaker.
With the city states left with just enough soldiers to maintain public order, the 4 generals were free to go and conquer them.
The goblins fought under the pretense that the Kushain Believers had previously dered war.
The goblins wanted to make it clear that this was not a battle between monsters and humans but that between countries. AS such, they did not forget to be generous to those who surrendered. In the blink of an eye, the goblins overtook 14 cities, and in less than a month, they were already approaching the capital of Elrain Kingdom.
Although Elrain Kingdom ignored the goblins’ demand to surrender, before the might of the four generals, they were utterly defeated.
Gi Gi let loose the monster beasts to crush the enemy formation, while Gi Gu Verbena mercilessly attacked from the nks. On top of that, the soldiers under the king’s directmand, the forces led by Gi Go, worked together with Gi Jii to support them andpletely crush the enemy resistance.
Ra Gilmi Fishiga slipped into the dark of the night and shot arrows at the enemy city, while Gi Ga Rax led the cavalry and stopped the enemy soldiers nning to escape.
The four generals that worked together were like four fiendish arms that acted ording to the king’s will.
While all this was happening the king himself was watching from a ce where he could see the entire capital.
“I’ll be honest. There is no need for you to fight here.”
After Pale reminded him that, even Gi Za, Gi Jii, and the rest of the goblins stopped him from departing for battle, leaving him helpless and slightly unhappy as he watched the battlefield, a mere spectator.
“But you know…” The Goblin King tried to argue.
“You told me that I would be the one to decide where and when you fight. I became your tactician because you promised me that. Are you nning on going back on your word so quickly?” Pale asked.
“Ugh… Fine.”
“We’re still technically at the frontlines, you know? It just so happens that it’s safe enough here that all you really need to worry about is a stray arrow hitting you…”
The king was speechless.
The king didn’t really feel like winning an argument against Pale, so he decided to just keep quiet and behave.
“Besides, lording over your soldiers from here isn’t useless either. Your soldiers and generals are doing their best to show off their power. It’s your duty to acknowledge their strength and choose the worthy among them.”
“I know. I won’t join the battle this time.”
Seeing the Goblin King watching over the battlefield from atop Sui with folded arms was the greatest encouragement to the goblins.
“Onwards! His Highness is watching us! Don’t let even a single scratch fall on your backs!”
Gi Jii yelled as he led his pikemen to prate the enemy formation and destroy it.
“These weaklings are not worthy of His Highness’ sword! Destroy them!”
Under the might of Gi Za Zakuend’s druids, the enemy was cleaned up.
“Drop your weapons and surrender! The king will be lenient to the defeated!”
Gi Ga Rax ran around the battlefield and demanded the enemy soldiers to surrender.
Like that Elrain Kingdom, which was said to be the heart of the Southern Free Cities, fell easily before the might of the goblin army. When Elrain Kingdom epted the goblins’ demand to surrender, the royal family appeared and gave their seal of approval. Like this Elrain Kingdom was annexed by the goblins.
After this the goblin armies split to four directions, each general likened to the four giant snakes of old, as they devoured the city states of the south. There were few city states that could stand before the might of the goblins. Moreover, because the rule of the goblins was far more lenient than they expected, the dominion of the goblins grew in the blink of an eye.
The four generals knew that they could not fight in the same way they did when they fought with the king. To fight with the king was for the goblins to muster all of their strength. But alone, they had no one else to rely on but themselves. The reality that they did not have enough pawns quickly became apparent.
As such, the four generals took it upon themselves topensate for that in their own ways. When Elrain Kingdom fell, the goblins that were appointed as generals were also granted the honor of carrying their own gs.
The king’s g was colored red, and on it was a ck sun. Gi Ga Rax’s g used a ck tiger and a spear as its motif. Gi Gu Verbena used an axe and a sword. Gi Gi Orudo, a monster beast and a shield. And Ra Gilmi Fishiga, a bow and an arrow. The reason they used their specialties as their coat of arms was because they wished to disy their achievements in battle to the king.
Of course, the goblins couldn’t have possibly crafted such detailed objects. These things were prepared by the Kushain Believers and the people of the western capital.
The goblins had no sense for such subtleties, so it was up to the craftsmen to express the goblin generals’ traits with their sense of aesthetics.
The spear and ck tiger g, Gi Ga’s forces, went to the Labyrinth City.
The axe and sword g, Gi Gu’s forces, went to Pena.
The twin-headed monster and axe g, Gi Gi’s forces, went to Fatina.
The bow and arrow g, Ra Gilmi Fishiga, went to the north and returned to the west.
As each goblin went to their appointed region, the humans shook. After losing anyone who could have served as their n leaders, the humans could no longer resist the goblins on arge scale, leaving the goblins free to expand their dominion. Before the tactics of the goblins, the humans could only stand defeated and lose their cities.