Chapter 143

\n

The paddock.

That is something we orcs came up with to ensure our continued sustenance.

We demarcate an area and build a fence around it, then we fill that area with relatively weak herbivores, giving them free rein to graze and multiply. Once they multiply, we eat the excess, giving ourselves a delicious treat while ensuring that we never ran out of food. But that’s not all. From time to time, other beasts would attack them, which we would of course have to deal with. In this way, we are able to eat not just the delicious meat of our captured beasts but also the meat of the foolish predators.

Doralia herself is quite fond of the beasts as they would eventually become nutrients for her.

Lately, I’ve been crushing the bones of the beasts before burying them by her roots. She was happiest that way, as it made it easier to absorb the nutrients.

The paddock is something I thought up with Doralia, then created in northern area of the village, away from the goblins’ eyes and ears.

And yet! What is with this timing!?

I tried pulling the wool over Mr. Gi Jii, but he seemed deep in thought.

Maybe he’ll keep quiet if I coax him. I have to do something or else my dream will remain but a dream! Oh, how cruel the goddess of wisdom is!

“Bui, what are we going to do!?” Gui asked.

“Gather the soldiers!” I said. “Who attacked!?”

“Wanderers! Those wanderers coming from the north!” Gui said.

Before I knew it, I had my head in my hands. As far as I knew, orcs rarely gathered in large numbers. There also shouldn’t have been any big groups nearby.

There’s a lot of reasons why we orcs don’t gather in large numbers, like food problems or territorial problems, but regardless what the reasons were, it was indeed a rarity for orcs to gather together in a large group. The one exception being when a strong leader like Master Gol Gol was present.

Lately, a change has been happening to the northern area. For some reason I can’t comprehend – maybe they were attacked by beasts and chased out of their land or something – but regardless, some orc groups have been appearing at our territory for awhile now.

“Their numbers?” I asked.

“15 orcs!” Gui said.

“Beat them! But don’t kill them!” I said.

“Of course!” Gui said.

Then I turned to Mr. Gi Jii. “Mr. Gi Jii, you’ll have to excuse me. In the meanwhile, please have a good rest.”

“No, let me help,” he said.

Oh no no no no no! You can’t! You’ll find out about the paddock! The northern orcs don’t know anything about the fearsomeness of the goblins here, so they won’t surrender easily!

“I-It’s fine! Look, it’s just 15 orcs! Even we can handle that much!”

“You took care of me before. Let me use this opportunity to show you my gratitude,” Gi Jii said.\nWhat a heavy good will.

I don’t need such good will! I mean, I’m happy, but show it some other time! For example, when I find myself in a pinch with that black goblin!

At this moment, the goddess of wisdom’s smiling face flashed through my mind.

“Besides, didn’t the king give you an important job? It wouldn’t do your king well if you dallied around while doing his very important mission, right?”

A troubled expression appeared on Mr. Gi Jii’s face.

“Mu… You have a point. I have to do my best for the king.”

T-Thank goodness I somehow managed to convince him.

“But…” Gi Jii began to say, but I cut him before he could say a word more.

“We’re really alright! Now, if you’ll excuse me!”

I left Mr. Gi Jii in an almost fleeing fashion and made my way to the paddock.

By the time I arrived, the foreign orcs have already been surrounded and were being jeered at by Gui and the others.

“Whose lands do you think these are, you bastards!?”

“I’ll send you lot to hell, I will!”

“You’ll pay for every thing you’ve eaten!”

Yep, they’re scary alright.

The 15 foreign orcs had already taken out their weapons. I wonder whether I should actually call out to them at times like these, but… There are goblins at the village, so I think it would be best to settle this as soon as possible.

“Gui!” I called out.

“Ah, Bui, you came,” Gui said, causing the orcs to all turn to me.

“General! General!” The orcs cried.

“Show them who’s boss, General!” Another said.

The normal orcs stomped their feet on the ground and cheered, causing the foreign orcs within their encirclement to falter. Looking closer, they could be seen sitting on their knees in seiza.

“Beat them up!” A goblin cried.

“Master Bui, embrace me!” Another said.

I feel like I heard something weird just now, but ignoring it, I approached the 15 foreign orcs.

You can do this, Bui. Don’t get nervous.

“I would like to apologize for this incident,” the leader of the foreign orcs said as he apologized.

Well, yeah, there’s not much else you can do when surrounded by a horde three times your size.

They have also been insulted for a while now, so it was only natural that they appeared weakened. In fact, they looked like they were about to cry anytime.

Personally, I’d prefer to just forgive them and forget, but that wouldn’t do. The orcs are far too impulsive. If you let them off lightly, it won’t be long before they do it again.

To avoid that, one needs to be hard and stern. If this whole thing could become a traumatic experience for them, even better. Otherwise, they’ll never listen. Especially, these warrior-type wanderers.

As I kept quiet, the surrounding orcs became even rowdier.

“How are you going to make up for this!? Are you going to feed us with your flesh!? Hah!?”

For the record, we don’t engage in cannibalism.

“But, the beasts in the north were going crazy—” The orc leader complained.

“Like we care! Pay us back for the food you stole!” The other orcs from my side demanded.

At that, the foreign orc leader’s presence became smaller and smaller until he seemed barely visible.

Just as I was thinking it was about time to wrap things up, suddenly, a shadow appeared behind the orcs sitting in seiza.

T-That’s…

“Orcs, meat,” the shadow said.

It was Hasu and his men, a fierce flame gleaming from their eyes. There were about over 70 of them all-in-all.

“K-Kobolds!?” The foreign orcs cried.

“Ahh, those… those are our general’s pets, scary pets that eat bad orcs—” The orcs from my side said.

“Let’s hear your reply,” I interjected, cutting off the previous orc.

This is bad! Mr. Hasu looks so hungry he seems about ready to pounce at any moment. I’ll be fine, but they might mistake the baby orcs for food.

To quickly wrap things, I said, “I give you two choices: One, you work in this village, or two…”

I pointed to the kobolds.

The foreign orc leader immediately replied with tearful eyes. “Master Bui, please let us serve you!”\nSeeing that, I signaled Gui with my eyes.

Give meat to the kobolds!

Gui nodded in response, then he took the foreign orcs and instructed them to rebuild the broken paddock.

We have to catch the animals that escaped too.

As my head started to ache at all the problems, I headed back to the village where Mr. Gi Jii was waiting.

◆◆◇

When Gi Jii Arsil came back with his men, he reported his findings. I listened with folded arms.

Stone walls greater than my height that stretched endlessly around the forest; and it didn’t even take Gi Jii a half-day’s worth of walking to reach it. That distance is a problem. It would probably be best to assume these walls to be the real deal too.

The lack of a system of measurement is a problem. I should’ve decided on one beforehand.

Can I still make it if I start teaching the goblins now?

Even I can only eyeball distances myself. How should I even explain what 1 meter is to them? What about numbers?

Goblins starting from rare class can count. From 1 to 10, then there’s 100. Above that there’s 1,000, and then there’s 10,000. I should teach distance in a similar fashion.

Gi Jii managed to count up to 100 before, but he couldn’t count any further.

If I use footsteps as a base, I should be able to teach the goblins about distance.

After teaching Gi Jii, I sent him out to scout again. I could go myself, but if I’m always the one doing things, I might end up hindering the goblins’ growth.

Because of the upcoming war with the humans, the quality of the goblins has become an urgent issue. Because of that it would be better for me to use the goblins or even the demihumans to carry out tasks with little to no danger to them to train them.

Just physical strength and ether alone won’t be enough to win a war.

Those walls the humans came up with has already gone beyond my expectations. We’ve taken our first steps in this war against them, but they’re still far ahead of us.

To grab them by the shoulder, turn them around, and beat them black and blue… is still a long way away.

Still…

“A paddock, huh.”

Apparently, Gi Jii caught wind of the orcs building one when he dropped by. It’s a good idea, I think.

Catch the relatively tame herbivores and raise them up to be – perhaps – even better than their wild counterparts, that might be aiming too high. In any case, just raising them up for food isn’t a bad idea.

I should consult the beast tamers, Luther of the papirsag (shell tribe), andGi Gi Orudo the ancient beast tamer, when they come back. For the meantime, I should send the most knowledgeable of them, Luther, to look for beasts we could put in our paddock.

◆◆◇

“The castle walls have finally taken shape,” a calm voice said, causing the head of the carpenters to turn around.

When he did, an elderly gentleman with silver hair and combed down silver mustache filled his vision.

As soon as he saw him, the head carpenter said, “My lord!”

The fat man was about to begin buttering up to the old veteran, but a glance and a wave was all it took Gowen to stop him.

“Enough,” he said. “How is the construction proceeding?”

“Y-Yes, we’ve mostly completed the outer walls. The walls are 4m thick and the people can pass above the walls with no problem. As you’ve requested, we’ve installed paths throughout the facility and stocked up on spears and bows…”

Gowen looked around the castle walls as he listened to the man.

Last time they lost to the goblins. With the darkness and the forest at their side, the goblins were able to thoroughly destroy half of his army.

Gowen had spent a long time in the army, but even for him, suffering so much in the hands of the goblins was a first.

But that was precisely why he couldn’t let down his guard.

The goblins they were facing were not normal. A goblin humanity has never seen before was with them. If that was truly a king class, then it was truly regrettable that he could not subjugate it that day. How strong would the goblins be in a few years? Gowen couldn’t tell.

“Can’t let my guard down,” Gowen muttered.

“Yes…?” The head carpenter asked.

Gowen implored him to continue, then he looked up at the castle walls again and pondered.

These walls were quickly finished thanks to the magicians the king asked, and it was between these walls that the war would be held.

But if these walls were to fall… What then?

Gowen shook the impossible thought from his mind. If such a thing was indeed possible, he would have to think up a plan to counter it.

Beyond the walls were the fields, then beyond that were the very innards of this colonial city. There were gates on the western and eastern walls, leading to the western capital by road. From there, it would take about 2 days on horse.

If this place were to fall, the enemy would surely come to the western capital through those roads.

In the windy empty plains, there was no way to stop an invasion coming from the west.

Should he try fortifying the two roads? But he had no men to spare aside from those fresh recruits. There was strength in number, but enlisting too many civilians would negatively affect the tax. That would displease King Ashtal, making it an unwise plan.

What about the adventurers? It was unfortunate, but he had to restrict them for now. As much as possible, Gowen did not wish to stir the hornet’s nest until he was sure he was ready.

But the outer walls were ready, weren’t they? If so, then shouldn’t it be fine now? Uncertain factors should certainly be kept away from the equation, but…

In that case, he should take the cowardly soldiers and attack the monsters through the plains.

A map appeared within Gowen’s mind as he thought back to all the battles until now. He considered making a protective wall between the different districts of the city. He figured he should also prepare to call reinforcements from the western capital should the goblins manage to break through.

“Umm… Is there any problem, my lord?” The head carpenter fearfully asked.

“No, it’s nothing. I will take a look around the walls. You may return to your post.”

“Y-yes, my lord!’

As the head carpenter withdrew, Gowen walked up the walls and looked at the passages the soldiers would be passing through in case of a war.

Winds blew from the mountain ranges of the snow god, fluttering Gowen’s clothes. As memories of the distant battlefield drew a smile on the old veteran’s face, he muttered to himself, “I’ll teach you goblins what it means to fight a war.”

The western feudal lord glared at the forest, then turned heel and never looked back.

—199 days until the war with the humans.