VOLUME 3: CHAPTER 204 – RETREATING BATTLE 4 (1/3)

Under the black of the night that veiled even the brilliance of the twin sister red moons was a fleeing army. It was just like a wounded beast. But wounded and battered as that army may be, it kept pushing on, not breaking, all because of the presence of the Goblin King.

When there was a battle, the Goblin King would rush to the vanguard. When they were to retreat, he would rush to the rearguard. The goblins followed such a king, and it was at his back that they threw their very lives. But though their king was such a king, he had yet to get used to the great number of deaths brought about by war.

The Blue Knights were persistent in their pursuit. They stuck to the trails of the goblins and attacked whenever they let their guard down, even if only for a moment. As Allen came to know when to strike and when to endure, his qualities as a general gradually blossomed.

If the goblins took too much time to shake off the pursuit of the Blue Knights, the mixed army that was far behind would eventually catch up.

Which is why even though the goblin’s still had some leeway fighting against the Blue Knights, they acted as if they were at a disadvantage. Unfortunately, despite all their efforts, the Blue Knights still managed to keep up with them.

Opportunities are a thing in battle. They are what one might refer to as the cross-roads or the turning points.

The Blue Knights continued their pursuit of the goblins, but as the goblins changed their routes intermittently, they gradually managed to run northward.

The goblins advanced in an almost zigzag-like pattern, while the Blue Knights followed them around to try and impede their advance.

The turning point in this battle came when the mixed army of Pena caught up.

“Have they caught up!?” Allen asked.

They had pursued the goblins day and night without rest. As a result, Allen had ended up growing a stubble and was quite exhausted. But when he heard that the mixed army had caught up, his eyes shone a sharp glint like that of a predator.

“10,000 soldiers from the mixed army has arrived!”

When Allen received that report, he felt as if he could already see the conclusion of the battle, and he laughed ferociously.

“We will attack the goblins tomorrow morning. Take turns resting!”

The world beneath the wings of the Goddess of Darkness and under the dark reign of the Night God belonged to the monsters. Though they may have had horses that boasted of great mobility, this relentless pursuit that the Blue Knights have been keeping up has still taken a toll on them. Allen brought the mixed army that had just arrived to the front, then he told the Blue Knights to rest.

Allen continued to manage the army as he sensed the conclusion of this battle drawing near.

Meanwhile, perhaps merely due to coincidence or perhaps due to the guidance of the dead warriors’ chagrin, the Goblin King found himself drawn to a certain place. It was none other than the battlefield where Gi Ba Hagar perished in battle.

“This is…”

Before the eyes of the goblins that cared not for the dark of the night were the corpses of the borderland people that they could not protect and the corpses of their brethren that were cruelly killed.

“Gi Ba…”

The Goblin King knelt beside the warrior’s corpse that was half-eaten, probably by a passing monster.

“My lord, the corpses are too few. It seems likely that the people of the borderlands were able to escape to the western reg—” Gi Jii Yubu reported, only to stop midway as he noticed Gi Ba’s corpse.

There was a long sword sticking out of the ground before Gi Ba’s corpse. It was as if it was meant to serve as a grave marker.

“How many of our brethren were killed?” The Goblin King asked as he knelt beside Gi Ba’s corpse and gazed at it.

Gi Jii blanked for a moment before answering. “200 normal goblins, my lord. There were no elves or Ganra goblins among the corpses.”

“…I see.”

The king fell silent once more as he offered a silent prayer to a faithful retainer who fulfilled his duty.

“We shall meet again one day… In the realm of the dead,” the Goblin King said.

As the Goblin King stood up energetically, he no longer looked back.

Normally, they would have taken their time to bury Gi Ba and mourn for him, but they didn’t have the time to spare.

“Gi Jii, we’re going. Don’t stop!”

“—HA!”

Gi Jii bowed his head and gathered his subordinates to retreat.

“…You will pay greatly for this, humans.”

The Goblin King did not bother to stop the grating sound from his teeth as he led his forces north.

Within the Goblin King’s heart burned the resolve to fight once more as he glared at the south.

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