Goblins

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

A single column of smoke rose, signaling that the kingdom's army had begun its attack.

Two columns of smoke rose, signaling that the attack was progressing smoothly. The northwest fleet only needed to block any pirates trying to escape by sea.

Three columns of smoke rose, signaling that the kingdom's army was facing resistance and the northwest fleet needed to launch a strong assault on the port to distract the pirates in the city.

These were the agreed-upon signals between the two forces. Ideally, the kingdom's army hoped to defeat the pirates on its own, and the northwest fleet was equally reluctant to recklessly attack a heavily fortified port.

Twelve warships were lined up in formation, floating on the sea. On the deck of the flagship Unicorn, Fleet Commander Tirpitz anxiously waited for the next signal.

On the distant land, a thick plume of smoke stood high in the sky. The kingdom's army had been attacking for a while, but there was still no update on the next step.

...

Before initiating the attack, Harrison conducted as thorough a reconnaissance as possible on the pirates occupying Westport. He estimated that there were around 1,500 to 2,000 pirates remaining in the city.

Are these really pirates? Even some small countries' navies in the Horn Bay didn't have this many forces! It had to be the work of that rebellious Duke Greedy Wolf from the south.

Apart from wanting to avoid failure in his first battle, there were three main reasons for his delay in attacking. First, his initial force was only 4,000 men, and as the attacking side, such numbers were barely enough to defeat an entrenched enemy. Second, aside from a few elite soldiers, most of his troops were hastily recruited, conscripted temporarily, and needed to return home after the battle, so their morale and combat skills were questionable. Third, he had received intelligence that this group of pirates might be receiving assistance from "mysterious powers"—the assassination of the naval high command was still unexplained, and a released government official even claimed to have witnessed a legendary wizard.

During this time, Harrison strengthened his troops' training and recruited more soldiers, until the arrival of the northwest fleet brought him captured intelligence. The pirates had already evacuated much of their forces to transport supplies, leaving only about 1,000 behind.

After witnessing the powerful weapon on the northwest fleet's ships—called "cannons"—Harrison gained confidence. To him, this was also a kind of "mysterious power" with immense destructive power. Unfortunately, the fleet was very stingy and refused to lend the cannons.

The plan to retake Westport was quickly drawn up: a joint assault by the kingdom's army and the northwest fleet by land and sea, crushing the pirates together.

Unexpectedly, after the attack was launched, the city walls were breached quickly. Upon interrogation, they learned that most of the defenders on the walls were residents forced into service by the pirates, with only a few real pirates among them—truly despicable scoundrels.

Harrison ordered his troops to advance deeper into the city but warned them to be wary of ambushes. Since the pirates had already abandoned their strongest defense—the city walls—being outnumbered, their best option was likely to flee by sea, which would then give the northwest fleet its moment to shine.

Just as he was cautiously optimistic about the battle, a group of retreating soldiers came running back, crying out in terror.

"Monsters! There are monsters in the city!"

Harrison was shocked and immediately led his men to the front lines. There, he saw with his own eyes the so-called "monsters" the soldiers spoke of—goblins.

Goblins are humanoid creatures that live in the southern jungles. They are small in size, about half the height of an adult human, with green or brown skin, and from a distance, they resemble children. They possess limited intelligence, with some individuals able to learn a few words and communicate with humans.

However, their nature is notoriously evil, and cruelty seems to be an inherent trait of their race. They attack settlements of intelligent species, abduct women and children, and torment their captives to death in their nests.

This only applies to those weaker than them. Goblins are also terrified of beings stronger than themselves. When faced with overwhelming force, they will temporarily "submit"—but note, this is only submission to violence. If their opponent has strength but does not use violence, goblins will see them as weak and begin to bully them step by step. With creatures like this, patience and retreat are futile. And even if you use violence to make goblins submit for a time, betrayal is just a matter of when, not if—when you let your guard down, a blade will be at your back.

Goblins also have a notorious habit—they enjoy eating humans, or rather, any intelligent species. According to scholars, the terrifying folktales about cannibals in the depths of the jungle can all be traced back to goblins. While there are many conflicts and even deep hatred between the intelligent species of the continent, none of them take pleasure in eating another intelligent being—except goblins. This is why goblins are not considered a fully intelligent species, maybe also due to their pitiful intelligence.

Though their intelligence is low, it's sufficient for them to craft simple tools. The things they make tend to be vicious—poisoned darts, well-hidden traps, and so on. They also forge metal blades, but the quality is abysmal.

Individually, goblins are very weak. Though agile, they're so fragile that even a strong child could take down an adult goblin in confined space. The real headache for intelligent species is their extraordinary reproductive ability. Goblins can mate year-round, with a gestation period of just a month. A female goblin can give birth to six to eight litters a year, each litter producing five to ten offspring. Their population expansion rivals that of rats, and the females give birth as easily as a hen lays eggs, without the pain human or humanoid species experience during childbirth.

Some say goblins are a remnant of the ancient demon-human war, a curse left by the demons. Civilized species on the continent are vigilant about these creatures. As soon as they appear within their borders, armies are immediately dispatched to eradicate them, preventing these "remnants of demons" from spreading across the land.

After recognizing the "monsters" as goblins, Harrison shouted, "These are just goblins trained by the pirates—cowardly, vile, and weak creatures. There's nothing to fear. Warriors of the kingdom, grip your weapons tightly and kill them all!"

His soldiers came from rural areas deep in the kingdom, and most had never left their hometowns before being conscripted, so it was natural they didn't recognize goblins.

The commander's words spread through the army, and the kingdom's troops regained their morale. Though many still didn't know what goblins were, they had heard enough to know that while cruel, goblins were weak, restoring their courage. The retreating soldiers waved their weapons and charged back into battle.

However, things did not go as Harrison expected—where he thought the soldiers would kill the goblins easily once they overcame their fear, the goblins acted in ways beyond his understanding—they were no longer afraid to die.

(End of the Chapter)

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