Chapter 18: Gabiru and the news of War
Inside Kaijin's smithy, the air hummed with the rhythmic clang of hammer on metal and the low murmur of fervent discussion.
Kaijin, his brow furrowed in concentration, meticulously measured the temperature of a blade. Kurobe, ever the picture of relaxed confidence, merely observed, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Really? You just decide the best heat level for tempering by instinct?" Kaijin exclaimed, astonishment lacing his voice. He paused, rubbing his grizzled beard, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and grudging admiration.
"I always measure it…"
Kurobe chuckled, a soft, warm sound that seemed to blend seamlessly with the workshop's ambiance.
"Sure do. I can tell from the color of the flame." He gestured vaguely towards the roaring forge, as if the secret lay hidden within its fiery heart. "I measure it the second time around, too."
"Right, if the outside's cold, it won't be pliable," Kaijin acknowledged, nodding thoughtfully. His earlier skepticism was slowly giving way to genuine curiosity. "Do you measure the amount of dirt you use when tempering, too?" Kurobe inquired, a mischievous glint in his eye.
The two master smiths, despite their vastly different approaches, had struck an immediate accord. For two hours, their conversation had flowed effortlessly, a torrent of technical jargon and shared passion for their craft.
I, Arceus Velgriath, King of the monsters, had remained a silent, albeit amused, observer. I had initially come to check on their progress, but their engrossing dialogue had made it impossible to find a polite moment to excuse myself. So there I sat, listening intently to the nuanced art of blacksmithing.
A voice from the entrance broke the spell. "Is Great Arceus here?" Elder Rigurd's resonant tones filled the workshop as he stepped inside.
"What is it?" I asked, a gentle smile gracing my lips as I turned towards him.
"Great Arceus, an envoy of the Lizardmen has arrived," Elder Rigurd replied, his expression somber.
As I rose to follow him out, Benimaru appeared, his typically stern features softened by a hint of curiosity. "Great Arceus. Would you mind if we accompanied you? We want to know what the Lizardmen are up to."
"Of course. Shall we?" I replied, my smile unwavering. Benimaru, Elder Hakurou, and Shion fell in behind me, their footsteps echoing mine as we made our way to the village entrance.
In front of our burgeoning village, a peculiar spectacle awaited us. A contingent of Lizardmen, their scales shimmering in the midday sun, stood arranged in a formation. As we approached, they began to rhythmically strike their spears against the ground, creating a percussive fanfare. In the midst of this display, a figure on an armored raptor emerged: Gabiru, the self-proclaimed envoy.
Gabiru raised a hand, silencing his escorts, before leaping gracefully from his mount. He landed with a theatrical flourish, striking a pose that clearly, in his mind, exuded authority. "I am Gabiru, the Lizardman. You will serve under me. Consider this a great honor!" he declared, his voice booming with unearned confidence. The Lizardmen behind him clapped dutifully, and several of them manipulated their spears to reflect the sun's light onto Gabiru, creating a rather blinding, if somewhat comical, visual effect.
I remained unfazed, my expression betraying not a hint of the incredulity bubbling within me. Me bowing down to a Lizardman? Consider that a great honor? That's the most impossible thing I would ever do, I muttered to myself, though quietly enough that only I could hear.
Elder Rigurd, ever the diplomat, cleared his throat. "Forgive me... You called yourself Gabiru, correct? This request to serve you is rather sudden…" he began, his tone respectful, though a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes.
Gabiru scoffed. "Good grief, must I spell it out for you? You've heard the news, have you not?"
"What news?" Elder Rigurd asked, a touch of genuine nervousness entering his voice.
"The news that those Orc pigs are invading the Great Forest of Jura," Gabiru stated, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, as if imparting a profound secret. He then puffed out his chest. "Which is why it would best suit you to become my men. I, Gabiru, will protect you from the threat of the Orcs!" he declared, raising his head proudly.
His gaze swept over our assembled group, his bravado slowly deflating with each passing moment. "Weaklings! Weaklings... Weaklings?" His voice, once booming, now became a hesitant whisper as he finally registered Benimaru's imposing presence, Elder Hakurou's calm wisdom, Elder Rigurd's quiet strength, Shion's formidable aura, and finally, my own serene yet undeniable power. His eyes widened, his jaw slackening.
"Wow," Gabiru muttered, his gaze momentarily fixed on Shion's cleavage. He then quickly composed himself, sitting down with the other three Lizardmen and whispering urgently.
"I don't see any Goblins."
"What?" the green Lizardman uttered, leaning closer.
"This was supposed to be a Goblin village," the cyan Lizardman added, his voice barely audible.
"In fact, I don't see anyone weak around here…" the light-green Lizardman chimed in, a tremor of unease in his voice.
"Ahem!" Gabiru suddenly stood up, turning to face us once more, his earlier swagger somewhat diminished. "I've heard that there are those among you who have tamed Dire wolves." He paused, scanning our faces. "I will make those of you who have officers in my army. Bring them to me," he stated, a hint of his original haughtiness returning.
I can feel Shion getting pissed behind me… I thought to myself, a faint, angry aura emanating from her.
"Can I kill him?" Benimaru asked, an innocent smile on his face, though his knuckles cracked ominously.
"Sure." I replied with a gentle smile, my mind momentarily elsewhere, not quite registering the full implication of his question. He began to walk towards Gabiru, his intent clear.
"Wait, I mean no! No!" I cried out, stopping Benimaru at the last second, a jolt of alarm running through me.
"We didn't exactly tame the Direwolves," I stated, facing Gabiru directly. "We made them our allies, and I'm the one who did that," I added, my gentle smile returning.
Gabiru scoffed, a sneer twisting his features. "A human did that? Please don't make such jokes." He laughed, a harsh, grating sound.
"Ranga. This Lizardman came for you, hear his wish out," I called. From my shadow, a massive form began to materialize, growing larger and larger until Ranga, in his true, imposing form, stood before Gabiru, towering over the bewildered Lizardman.
"Eh. Was he always that big?" Benimaru asked, his eyes wide.
"That's his true size," I replied, a touch of pride in my voice.
"My Master has ordered me to hear what you have to say. So speak. I'm listening," Ranga barked, his voice a low growl that vibrated through the very ground.
Gabiru, despite his earlier bravado, seemed to shrink under Ranga's gaze. "Are you the leader of the Direwolves?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm. He then adopted a more conciliatory tone. "Your beautiful fur, your keen eyes… You truly have a majestic presence."
Ranga's ears twitched, a subtle acknowledgment of the praise.
"However…" Gabiru continued, his arrogance returning, "It is a bit disappointing that your master is a human!"
"What?" I said coldly, my gentle demeanor vanishing in an instant. Ranga narrowed his eyes at Gabiru, a dangerous glint appearing in their depths.
"It seems you've been deceived," Gabiru stated, entirely missing the shift in atmosphere. "Very well. What this human has done to you is unforgivable… So I shall defeat him for you!" Gabiru declared, pointing a dramatic finger at me. The Lizardmen behind him, sensing a shift in their leader's confidence, began to chant his name.
"A mere Lizard dares insult my master…" Ranga quietly growled, a terrifying red-dark aura beginning to emanate from his body.
Just then, Gobta, oblivious to the charged atmosphere, came joyfully leaping into the scene. "Hey, what're you guys doing?" he asked, his usual cheerful demeanor intact.
"You're still alive?" I asked, assessing him with my magical eyes. He developed poison resistance… Shion's cooking really is extraordinarily dangerous, I thought to myself, a mental note made to commend Gobta for his resilience.
"Good timing," Ranga said, a predatory grin spreading across his lupine face. He swiftly lifted Gobta off the ground with his mouth, surprisingly gently, before placing him in front of Gabiru, a spear materializing in Gobta's hand.
"What the heck is going on!?" Gobta exclaimed, still utterly oblivious.
"Lizard, if you defeat this one, I'll consider your offer," Ranga stated, his voice resonating with power.
I smiled, amused at Ranga's creative solution.
"Fine by me. Having one of your subordinates fight saves you the shame of losing," Gabiru confidently said, a smug look returning to his face. "Wouldn't you agree, human?" he looked at me haughtily.
My smile vanished. "Gobta, you better win this. Or else you'll get another bowl of Shion's soup," I threatened, my voice cold, a raging dark aura swirling around me.
"Anything but that!" Gobta yelped, suddenly galvanized by the sheer horror of the proposed punishment.
"Great Arceus. I feel unhappy about this conversation," Shion said, a touch of irritation in her voice, clearly taking offense at my implied criticism of her culinary skills.
"Then begin!" Ranga howled, his voice a booming command. The Lizardmen, sensing the impending conflict, continued their raucous cheering in the background.
"We Lizardmen, descendants of the Great Dragons, could never be defeated by Hobgoblins…" Gabiru said haughtily, his confidence soaring once more.
Gobta, surprisingly agile, charged his hand and threw his spear at Gabiru with unexpected speed.
"How dare you!?" Gabiru dodged, startled by the immediate attack. But as Gabiru swung his own spear in retaliation, he noticed Gobta had vanished from in front of him. "Impossible. He dissa—"
Before Gabiru could finish his thought, Gobta appeared behind him, emerging from Gabiru's own shadow, and landed a perfectly aimed roundhouse kick to the Lizardman's head.
"Ah…!" Gabiru shouted, his eyes rolling back before he fell flat to the ground, knocked out cold.
"Yes!" Benimaru uttered with a triumphant smile.
"Well done!" Elder Rigurd exclaimed, beaming with pride.
"All right!" Shion cheered, a wide grin replacing her earlier irritation.
"Bravo! Bravo!" Elder Rigurd praised, and with Ranga's enthusiastic help, they launched a bewildered Gobta into the air joyously.
"Nice work, Gobta. I knew I saw promise in you," Ranga praised, his tail wagging.
"Well done showing them what a Hobgoblin can do!" Elder Rigurd added, clapping Gobta on the back as he landed.
"Well done, Gobta. As promised, I'll give you a reward. I'll ask Kurobe to make you your special weapon," I said, a genuine, gentle smile returning to my face.
I then turned to face the stunned Lizardmen, Gabiru still unconscious on the ground. "I will consider supporting the Lizardmen, but make no mistake, we, and I mean my monsters, will not bow down to your race," I said coldly, my previous warmth completely gone. "Take Gabiru and leave this town," I demanded, my voice leaving no room for argument.
The Lizardmen, now thoroughly chastened, lifted Gabiru off the ground.
"W-We'll be back!" the green Lizardman nervously declared.
"Indeed! This is not over!" the cyan Lizardman stated, though his voice lacked conviction.
"We'll remember this!" the light-green Lizardman said as they ran away in hasty retreat.
We watched them disappear, a collective sigh of relief passing through our ranks. "Well then… It's time to plan where we will go from here," I declared, my mind already shifting to the more pressing matters at hand.
Meanwhile, as the night fell, somewhere deep within the Great Forest of Jura, hundreds of thousands of Orcs continued their relentless march, their guttural roars echoing through the ancient trees.
Inside our meeting room, within the comfortable confines of my home, a grave discussion was underway.
"I saw 200,000 Orcs. The main army is moving north along the river," Souei reported, his voice devoid of emotion, yet the weight of his words hung heavy in the air. "Based on the movements of this army and a detached force, I expect they will regroup in the marshlands east of here."
"In the Lizardman territory, you mean?" Elder Rigurd interjected, his brow furrowed.
Souei nodded in response.
"200,000 huh… That's such a large number that could easily overwhelm our forces' numbers," I muttered, contemplating the sheer scale of the threat. "Just what are Orcs' goal?" I asked, my tone serious, a chill of unease beginning to settle in my gut.
"Orcs are not very intelligent monsters. If there's something behind this invasion other than just instinct, we should suspect there's someone backing them up," Kaijin replied, his voice uncertain.
"Someone backing them?" Kurobe asked, equally unsure.
"Like a Demon Lord, perhaps?" I replied with a cold and calm tone. "If that man Gelmud, who came to your village, is involved in this… Well, there's no proof to base on that right now."
"I don't know if a Demon Lord is involved, but… I think this makes it much more likely that an Orc Lord has appeared," Benimaru said, his expression grim.
"You mean that unique monster that appears only once every few centuries?" I asked, my eyes widening slightly.
"Yes. I can't imagine an ordinary Orc leading an army of 200,000," Benimaru replied, his logic sound.
"I believe caution would be wiser than optimism in this case," the hobgoblin with glasses recommended, his voice calm and logical, seated beside Rigur across the table.
"I agree," I replied, acknowledging the wisdom of his words.
Suddenly, Souei's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise passing over his usually stoic face. "What is it?" I asked, sensing an immediate urgency.
"One of the body doubles I had scouting the area made an encounter," Souei replied, his gaze fixed on me. "They request an audience with you. How shall I respond?"
"Tell me first their identities," I stated, a sense of foreboding beginning to creep in.
"This is… An highly unusual encounter. It's a Dryad," Souei replied, and a collective gasp rippled through the meeting room. Even the usually unflappable Kaijin and Kurobe looked astonished.
"A Dryad?" I asked coldly, my expression calm and composed.
"Hasn't it been several decades since the last time a Dryad showed itself?" Elder Rigurd stated, his voice hushed with awe.
"Allow her," I stated, my decision made.
Soon after, a green light appeared on the top of the table, shimmering and swirling until a delicate bud formed. As the bud slowly opened, a figure emerged: a beautiful woman with cascading green hair that seemed to be woven from leaves and vines.
As the Dryad appeared, Benimaru, Souei, Shuna, and Shion instinctively moved closer to me, their expressions a mixture of awe and caution as they watched the ethereal being.
"Ruler of monsters, and all those who are loyal to him, forgive me for this unannounced visit," she stated, her voice a melodic whisper, like the rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze.
"I am Treyni, a Dryad. It is a pleasure to meet you," Treyni introduced, her eyes, the color of emeralds, meeting mine.
I looked at Treyni coldly before standing up, asserting my presence. "I am Arceus Velgriath. The King of the monsters. May I ask for the reason of this visit."
"I have come to request a favor," Treyni replied, her voice retaining its gentle quality. "Arceus Velgriath, ruler of monsters, I would like you to defeat the Orc Lord." She stated, a gentle smile gracing her lips, despite the gravity of her request.