Chapter 244

The kingdom of the Greenskins soon developed into a major issue.

With marauding around the surroundings and indiscriminate hunting, the goblin armies were devastating their territories.

A ravenous horde that devoured everything edible in sight.

If such fiends were allowed to rampage unchecked, then the land’s king would surely not deserve the title.

And the Knight-King was certainly a monarch worthy of his name.

“Hmm…the goblin hordes are getting out of hand?”

Thanks perhaps to the immortal crown upon his head, despite being in his twilight years, the Knight-King maintained a youthful appearance as he questioned the servant who brought the information.

“Yes, Your Majesty. According to the reconnaissance from our cavalry, their numbers are absurdly large.”

“Are they not just goblins? Why all the fuss?”

“There are countless goblins and hobgoblins, and it seems a significant number of those creatures called orcs have gathered as well. And…there were monsters we could only observe from a great distance.”

“A monster?”

“Yes. According to the cavalry, it’s a monstrous beast with a size akin to a giant, powerful enough to repel even a drake.”

“A drake?”

The Knight-King’s face hardened. What is a drake? Isn’t it simply a dragon without wings?

Though certainly not possessing the overwhelming power of a true dragon, its physical strength and impenetrable scales are undeniable.

For such a creature to be capable of repelling a drake meant this was no ordinary tale.

“It appears several villages have already vanished, and the city ruled by the local lord in the nearby region has been reduced to ruins without any survivors, which is why proper information hasn’t reached us until now.”

At this news, the Knight-King sighed deeply and covered his face with his hand. It was truly too terrible to hear.

“What area has been affected?”

“The Semer region of the southern plains.”

“Semer? If I’m not mistaken, isn’t that an important area affecting trade with Procyon and the lizardmen?”

“Yes, it’s a wealthy region due to its substantial tax revenue.”

After a moment of thought, the Knight-King spoke.

“If my memory serves me right, wasn’t that the place that built up a formidable army thanks to its wealth and constantly clashed with neighboring lords? If such a place fell silently…this is no ordinary matter.”

“Shall we mobilize the army?”

“Indeed. Mobilize them. As many troops as possible. And request aid from other races as well.”

“Other races? Isn’t that excessive?”

Shaking his head at the servant’s words, the Knight-King replied.

“In this case, it’s best to take more drastic measures. The incident in Semer will serve as a good warning to those who underestimate goblins.”

“A warning?”

“Exactly.”

The Knight-King continued with a stern expression.

“To be honest, until I heard your report, I considered goblins to be nothing more than monsters with the strength of children. I wondered why the Church of Life kept cautioning against them.

But after hearing your news…I believe I understand why the Church of Life has been continuously issuing warnings.”

While individually goblins weren’t particularly strong, when their numbers grew and they evolved, they could become monsters capable of battling drakes—a game-changer indeed.

“But we ignored the Church of Life’s warnings. If the result is these powerful monsters, then we must etch this warning into history with our own blood.”

“Your Majesty…”

“And this is not merely our concern.”

The Knight-King spoke in a low voice.

“Other races must also remember this warning.”

“If their armies come, that’s excellent, but even if they don’t, if just one person comes to deliver the message, it will still be beneficial.”

The servant nodded in agreement, understanding the King’s intention to ensure the warning about goblins endures for a long time.

“Contact the elves, dwarves, Vistia, Rattkinia, the lizardmen, and Procyon. The problems caused by neglecting the green-skinned beasts must be communicated to everyone.”

“Understood. However, since the trade routes to Procyon and the lizardmen pass through the Semer region, there’s a possibility the message won’t reach them properly.”

“Seek cooperation from the Church of Life. They’ve consistently warned about goblins, so they’ll undoubtedly help without hesitation. Also, the pilgrims of the Church know alternate routes through the southern plains that bypass Semer. Their priests can offer much-needed assistance to the wounded in the upcoming war with the goblins.”

“Yes, I’ll contact the Church of Life as well.”

Thus, the alarming news of the increasingly powerful goblins spread rapidly.

—

“What on earth is going on?”

“Hmm. Quite the spectacle.”

Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha marveled at the vast army stretched across the plains.

The grand Roman army. And leading it, the Knight-King Lucius Altirius Caesar.

Loyal knights followed him, along with elite soldiers prepared to risk their lives in battle.

Just counting those wielding weapons, there were over 9,000. Including support personnel, the total exceeded 12,000.

But they weren’t all.

There were 200 priests from the Church of Life, healers with unwavering faith.

100 mages from Procyon, who could summon flames with their magical power, participating in exchange for goblin and orc mana stones.

And 2,000 members of the multi-racial alliance from Vistia.

5,000 shield warriors from Rattkinia.

100 elven hunters and 200 dwarf experimental weapon testers.

“Experimental weapon testers?”

“Equipped with mobile smithies and research labs, they’re experts testing new inventions. They’ll be reliable.”

Sagarmatha smiled approvingly.

“And their numbers are impressive—more than the elves.”

“Ugh…I thought 100 would be sufficient…”

Oddly competing, Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha. Though it’s the children who are rivals, not them, right?

Or maybe the children’s rivalry has rubbed off on the adults?

Anyway, following the dwarves’ support forces…

“The Creator Dragon God said!!! Among those monsters, there are warriors as strong as our lizardmen!”

“OOOHHH!!!”

“The Creator Dragon God commanded!! Burn those fungus-like creatures to ashes!!! Show them what true strength is!!!”

“WAAAAAAAH!!!!!”

The excited lizardmen, numbering 100.

“Mom. Did you say that?”

“No…I merely mentioned that while the orcs aren’t as strong as lizardmen, they’re quite formidable…and that greenskins are weak to fire…”

“Yeah. Overinterpretation.”

At Sagarmatha’s comment, I could only sigh.

The lizardmen…they’re wonderful followers, but sometimes they’re almost too enthusiastic.

“The numbers make it a battle we cannot lose.”

“Yeah. War is about quantity.”

The sight of the gathered soldiers on the expansive plain was truly magnificent, unmatched by any previous wars.

However, the biggest problem still remained.

“That massive creature is an ogre, right? Definitely not an ordinary one.”

An ogre sitting arrogantly on a makeshift throne of stacked rocks.

That ogre would likely be the decisive factor in the war’s outcome.

But…

“We’ve made adequate preparations for that monster, so don’t worry.”

I held up the small glass orb in my hand.

Inside the marble-sized sphere was the knight of black rock.

“How did that enormous Talos fit inside something so small? What exactly did you create?”

“Just a little experiment.”

I wanted to make it red and white like a ball, but that felt like crossing a line!

Besides, no one would understand that anyway.

“Still, it’s impressive that Talos agreed to this during his vacation.”

“I offered him more vacation time, so…”

Who among golems—or anyone—would refuse extra leave for a little effort?

“As soon as the ogre moves, I’ll send Talos immediately to keep the others from getting caught up in the fight.”

“Shouldn’t we be more concerned about the humans?”

“I’ve already informed the human side through the priests of the Church of Life.”

Seeing the ogre’s strength firsthand will be the best way to warn them.

Especially when the opponent is the legendary giant of black rock from ancient myths.