Chapter 85

Langwang pulled the goblin who stood trembling before me. Upon closer inspection, this goblin looked a little different from the usual ones—not just stronger in build but with a smaller nose and softer eyes compared to the typical savage gaze of goblins.

The goblin’s eyes sparkled brightly, brimming with admiration that made me feel quite burdened.

“You guys…! Y-you’re so strong…”

Suddenly, the mutant goblin scanned the surroundings like an excited puppy, his gaze flickering over the corpse of the fallen hero Claire, the elf archer, the human mage, the great warrior, and the young priestess—all their dead bodies causing the goblin’s eyes to hesitate momentarily.

“Even those mighty humans… are all dead…”

He seemed somewhat shocked. From the goblin’s perspective, humans must have felt untouchably monstrous, so seeing them as cold corpses was indeed startling.

“Hey, Goblin buddy.”

“Y-yes!”

“Why are you suddenly using honorifics? You were doing fine with casual speech earlier.”

“B-because…! I-I realize now that you’re someone truly remarkable…”

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you use honorifics. In fact, it suits you, reminding me of ancient goblins.”

Here’s something most people don’t know: originally, goblins weren’t the lowly monsters they are now. They were mischievous but playful forest sprites created by the Supreme God.

Back then, goblins were friends of humans, helping out with chores and errands around their homes—more loyal than dogs, even.

But one day, one goblin played too harsh a prank, angering the Supreme God and reducing them to the inferior race we see today. That’s not my concern though; if the Supreme God decided it, then I’ll mess with it.

“Earlier…”

The goblin parted his green lips slightly, and I reacted enthusiastically.

“Hmm?”

“Didn’t you say you’d help me transcend my species?”

“Clever guy, good memory.”

“How exactly do you plan to do that? How can you possibly evolve such an inferior and ugly race?”

Despite doubting my promise, his green eyes were filled with hope—an opportunity he wouldn’t have had if our party hadn’t defeated the hero team.

“Don’t worry about that. As long as you have the will to transcend and are prepared to follow my every word unconditionally, you will definitely transcend.”

“Hmm…”

“And remember, it’s like gambling. If you don’t trust me, what can you do alone? Do a thousand sit-ups if you want, but will that let you surpass your natural limits?”

“Eh…! N-no! I’ll follow! I trust you! I want to transcend!”

A sharp remark brought the mutant goblin to his knees before me, and I smirked.

“That’s more like it. So from now on, you follow my orders completely. Let’s start by deciding how to address each other. What’s your name, goblin buddy?”

“Chirp? Name… sir?”

“Hmm? Oh, do goblins not have names?”

“W-well, since we can barely speak properly… we usually call each other ‘this one’ or ‘that one’… chirp.”

“I see. Then I should give you a cool one. And by the way, try not to make that ‘chirp’ sound anymore.”

“Why? Why shouldn’t I…”

I twirled my finger, drawing a purple circle in the air for demonstration.

“That ‘chirp’ sound, or your greed for food… these are all part of the essence of being a goblin. To transcend your kind, you need to distance yourself from everything that makes goblins inferior.”

“Aah… so that’s why…”

“Think of this circle as the species ‘goblin’. You’re just a small dot inside it. Right now, you’re merely one point forming the circle, but to transcend your species, you need to step outside this circle. Understand?”

“Yes! I perfectly understand!”

The goblin nodded repeatedly, and I blew the circle away with a puff of breath.

“Alright then… what should we call you? Any ideas?”

“N-not really… I’ve never thought about names before.”

“Then I’ll decide. Benjamin? Harold?”

“What do they mean?”

“Benjamin means lucky one. Meeting me makes you the luckiest. Harold means victor—you’re going to triumph over fate and the Supreme God…”

“Hmm…”

“Not liking it, huh? How about this?”

After a brief pause, I spoke. Truthfully, I wanted to give him this name from the start.

“Metatron. The Transcendent One. Or we could shorten it to ‘Meta.'”

“…! M-Metatron…! That will be my new name…!”

Metatron.

Another Lord.

Though Metatron rivals the Supreme God, the church does not shun him because he has a contract with the Supreme God. Some even call him an ‘angel’ due to the wings on his back.

However, while regular angels have two wings and archangels like Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel have six, Metatron boasts a staggering thirty-six wings.

Metatron’s power is nearly absolute, even formidable superiors cannot defy his will. Some suspect him of being the demon Belphagor due to his immense strength, but that’s incorrect—I know.

Originally human, Metatron ascended after discovering the ‘secret’ of creation and being chosen by the Supreme God. This is why his wings differ from ordinary angels’. More than a servant, he’s considered a ‘companion’ to the Supreme God.

That’s why I named the mutant goblin Metatron. Just as Metatron transcended humanity to become equal to the Supreme God, this goblin will also transcend his kind to become divine.

“What about others? Meta, okay?”

“Grrr? Too stiff! The name is too stiff!”

“That’s because your name is Aru, which is why your opinion isn’t needed when the master is in trouble.”

“K-k-k? Krrr! I’m going! I’ll help!”

“Oh, thanks for coming so quickly. Thanks to you, I’m injured like this.”

At the same time, I lifted my shirt to reveal my scarred chest and abdomen. Though healed, the scars remained. Seeing this, Aru shrunk back.

“Kiing… Who would’ve thought there’d be a fight…”

“You should’ve come when I told you to! Now look what happened.”

“E-Excuses, I had valid reasons…”

“Ah, talking back? Can’t you see the leader is hurt?”

“Kiing… Sorry… Grr.”

Haha, properly tamed. This will keep Aru down for at least 200 years.

“What about Sir Beatrix and Yohan? Meta, shortened from Metatron, sounds alright?”

“I think it’s fine. It’s a cool name.”

“Grr? Big humans like everything, why ask them?”

“Then why ask a poop dog? Poop dog, shut up.”

“Grrr…! I’m not a poop dog!”

“Who called you a poop dog? No one pointed at you specifically, so why are you getting defensive? I was just addressing all poop dogs in general. Oh, unless you admit to being one?”

“A-Are you kidding? I’m not a dog! Grrr!”

Using Sir Langwang’s reprimand as an excuse, I teased Aru again. There’s nothing easier to pick on than Aru.

“Metatron… I recall reading about it in the scriptures. Someone comparable to the Supreme God. Is that correct?”

“Yes, some accuse him of being an impious demon. But this is about the heavenly Metatron. We’re naming a goblin here. What do you think, Sir?”

“As long as it’s the Lord’s will, anything is fine. A god… as long as it’s the Lord’s wish, I am ready to accept anything.”

“…?”

“Don’t be shy! I am simply… prepared for anything. Even if it’s inconvenient, as long as it’s the Lord’s command, I’ll gladly take it on.”

Thus speaking formally, Beatrix covered her reddened face. She seemed embarrassed by her own words. What’s with her?

“Uh… I was just asking if the name fits. You’re making it sound too grand. Anyway, understood. Then, unanimous approval!”

“Wait! Leader, why didn’t you ask me?”

Just as I was happily finalizing the goblin’s name as Metatron, Uriel interrupted. Frowning deeply, I glared at her for cutting me off.

“Why?”

“Why ‘approved’? You haven’t heard my opinion yet!”

“Vermin and beasts don’t get voting rights.”

“T-that…”

“Just kidding, but do you have any complaints? Want to oppose? Won’t change anything anyway.”

Relaxing the tension in my glare, Uriel sighed, seemingly intimidated.

“Not opposing. Just… Metatron seems a bit…”

“Ah, right, you’re an archangel, so you might know Metatron personally? Does it bother you that someone else is using that name?”

“…”

“In that case, we’ll just call him ‘Meta.’ Is that okay?”

“It’s not that… sigh, let’s discuss this separately later.”

Like Beatrix, Uriel seems to have some doubts. Damn, things got complicated. I’ll have to clear this up soon.

Anyway, from now on, the mutant goblin’s name is ‘Meta.’ It rolls off the tongue nicely; I think I did a good job naming him.

“Alright, Meta. Your name is now Meta. Okay?”

“Yes! I like it! MetaMetaMeta… having a name like a human, I’m so happy!”

“Good. Now, it’s time to remove the biggest obstacle to having Meta join our group.”

I pulled out the Magic Staff from my suit pocket and transformed it into a dagger, handing it to Meta.

“Cut it.”

“W-what? Cut what?”

“I said castrate yourself. It’s your biggest obstacle right now.”

“C-castrate…?”

Meta alternated between looking at me and the dagger in disbelief. However, I didn’t shout “It’s a joke!” and pull the dagger back.

“Meta, think about it. To transcend your species, you must abandon all characteristics of being a goblin. Got it?”

“…”

“In other words, you must suppress lustful thoughts. Not only avoid relationships but also maintain a respectful mindset toward females. Can you do that? You might manage for now, but as you age and mature, sexual desires will likely dominate your mind. Without removing the source, you won’t be able to progress.”

“Ugh…”

“Choose. Do you want to live as a goblin forever? Or transcend and leave your mark somewhere greater? By the way, I don’t make empty promises. Whether you trust me or not is your choice.”

If he lacks the resolve for castration, I’ll reluctantly abandon Meta. I’ve already wasted enough time on hopeless cases in my past life.

“Uwaa…”

It’s tough for him to decide. No being takes their sexuality lightly.

However, he must endure this. If he can’t even let go of this, or if he can’t trust me…

He won’t be able to endure the next 180 years polishing himself to become a deity.

“Is it absolutely necessary?”

“I’m not forcing you. But if you can’t count on me, I won’t help you either.”

“…”

A brief silence hung in the air. Aru, oblivious to the heavy atmosphere, rubbed his forehead against my knee. Sir Beatrix and Langwang, understanding the implications of castration, watched silently with bated breath. Uriel fidgeted, clearly wanting to say something to me.

The silence stretched on. I tossed the dagger to Meta and turned away coldly.

“Don’t want to? What a pity, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m leaving, see ya! See you next time!”

As Aru, Beatrix, Langwang, and Uriel followed my lead, turning their backs, I took exactly seven steps.

“…Wait!”

Snick—

“…! Khhh…! Please take me with you! There’s no hope for me except you!”

I turned around with a bright smile. The future deity goblin, Meta, knelt on the ground clutching his bleeding pants awkwardly.

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