“Tch, so stupid.”
Gulland unhappily sat on the fine sofa and drank the liquor served to him in an agitated manner.
“…Excuse me.”
The gloomy girl that had poured him his drinks before had immediately been sent to him.
He frowned.
They were treating her like a sacrifice offered to a wild beast.
“Hmph, treating me like a monster, huh.”
He muttered that quietly, so the girl couldn’t hear and looked up at him.
“It’s nothing. Do you have parents?”
Gulland was already intoxicated by this time, so he forcibly changed the topic.
“…Yes. They left for the west to find work.”
Even in the dimly lit room, it was plain as day that her green hair had no luster. She was living poorly as usual. But Gulland didn’t feel like doing anything about that.
One had to climb up with their own strength.
Though it had only been for a moment, Gulland did achieve success at one point, and that was his sentiment then.
“I see.”
The goblins took over the country while her parents were out working. There were no systems in place regarding working abroad, so her parents were either merchants or adventurers. If cheap labor was all that was needed, it would have merely been sourced from Alsas - the Alsas before becoming Altigand.
Alsas is an old country that prioritizes tradition and social rules above all else, so her parents were likely to be adventurers rather than new merchants.
“Adventurers?”
His conjectures were confirmed when her eyes opened wide. She looked in his direction and nodded.
“Belthazar… My dad’s name is Belthazar.”
“…Liza,” Gulland muttered.
The girl’s eyes opened wide once again.
That was the day that the former hero (Gulland) met his sin.
◆◆◇
The fastest way to stop the Wyvern Knights was to reduce their mobility and send them crashing to the ground.
“You’re entrusting that role to me?” Gi Za said.
“Can you do it?” Pale asked.
“Who do you think you’re talking to? Of course, I can!”
“Good then.”
Satisfied with Gi Za’s answer, Pale nodded with a sagacious expression.
“I want to focus on the battle on the ground, so I’ll leave the skies to you.”
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
“Yes. I’m counting on you.”
As Pale saw Gi Za off, she considered their next move. When Fort Bandigam falls they will move their forces to either Yerkshire or Berkel.
If they were to advance to Berkel and suppress the grain-producing region, they will be able to immediately point a blade at the enemy’s throat. She had a advised the Goblin King to allow all the solders and civilians to go if the fortress fell.
The Goblin King did not enjoy slaughters despite being a monster, so he would surely heed her advice. When that happens, where will those people flee? People who’ve lost their homes and have been driven away by monsters with nowhere to turn to will surely turn to their fellow countrymen for help, and Altigand would never abandon such people.
There was no reason to abandon them, not only from an emotional standpoint, but also from a military and political standpoint.
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But at the same time, the people seeking help on foot are slow.
“Should we allow them to take their belongings too?”
The first place they were bound to turn to was either Berkel, since they had food, or the port city of Yerkshire.
If they had someone they could count on in the imperial capital, then they would choose to flee to Yerkshire. Yerkshire was open to the northbound ships headed to the imperial capital of Altigand or the former Oceanic Kingdom Yarma.
The Goblin King’s fear of the enemy using ships was not needless worry by any means. If they wished to transport a large number of soldiers one time quickly, going by ship was not a bad choice.
But Pale’s information claimed Altigand to be marching on land. They might have chosen that option instead because a ship route would necessitate that they arrive at the port city.
“Refugees chased by monsters, huh.”
Any decent general would surely want to save such people.
But that was exactly what would give them an opening.
“Wyverns, cavalry, footmen, mages… Let us destroy them all.”
The soldiers that carry Altigand - all of them - must be cut down by the Goblin King. Only then will the Kingdom of Alrodena bear fruit there. For whether it was the goblins, the humans, the demihumans, or even the elves… At the center of any people was always the king.
“Now, as for the finishing touches…”
A thin smile surfaced on Pale.
◆◇◆
Douhet the Flame Ryuu, an apostle of the Ruler of the Heavens, the Wingless Sky Snake (Gawain). It was with him that Gi Za Zakuend negotiated.
“You want to ride me and fight the enemy?”
“Exactly. In order to shave away at their aerial forces, we need to have our own aerial force as well.”
“Makes sense, but why do I have to go that far?”
The goblins fought for their king, the humans fought to survive, and the elves, the demihumans, all of the people related to the Goblin King had their own reasons for fighting, but Douhet was different.
His life just happened to be saved by Reshia Fel Zeal, so he became a guest to repay his gratitude. But he didn’t have an ounce of duty nor gratitude, much less loyalty for the Goblin King.
“If we lose, then Reshia Fel Zeal will be sad again. That’s why you’re here, right?”
“That might be the case, but that is reason for the adherent to command me, not for you little one to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong!”
Gi Za’s discussion with Douhet continued to run parallel after that with no end in sight, so Gi Za had to ask Reshia for help.
“You want to ride Douhet-san?”
“Yeah. We need his strength to defeat the wyverns.”
“And you’re asking me for help?”
“Yes, by all means, please.”
“But I don’t like fighting.”
“I know.”
“Even then?”
“It’s for his majesty.”
“It’s cowardly to put it that way.”
“Call it cowardly if you wish. I will bow my head as many times as I have to for the king. Please.”
Reshia heaved a deep sigh, and then approached Douhet with Gi Za.
“Douhet-san, Douhet-san, please help.”
“You don’t sound like you really want me to, though.”
“…That’s not really true. I’m just sulking a bit.”
“Humans sure are strange.”
Douhet’s fangs that could easily tear through steel could be seen as he laughed loudly.
“Now then, small one. How shall we fight?”