Chapter 248.1

Volume 3: Chapter 248 – Battle of Gilgimel Plains I (1/4)

At the start of summer, in the middle parts of the month of Rabito, the Goblin King led his forces and advanced like ragin billows from the western and southern borders. The Tiger and Spear Army (Aransain), which was led by Gi Ga Rax and included the angry demihumans, was especially fast. They fully displayed their strength as they moved faster than any of the goblins.

This army that ran so quickly they cut the wind, advanced through the meadows fiercely and quickly as if they were riding tigers. The billowing clouds of smoke formed a line and created a wedge shape upon the land, and any beast that caught wind of their great march fled in fear.

The newly reformed twin-headed beast and axe army (Zeilduk) that was led by Gi Gi Orudo also did not lose out.

They were behind Aransain a few hours, but their monster beasts cried loudly as they shook the earth. Humans may not be able to hear their howls from afar, but the beasts could; hence, the small monster beasts and animals also fled from them.

After being thoroughly defeated by the War Princess in the last war, Gi Gi decided on the roles of the monster beasts according to their special traits. Until now, they have merely been trampling over their enemies, but now they would be using the monster beasts strategically.

Gi Ji Arsil, who was accompanying him, also swore to fight against the War Princess once more.

Their role was to approach the imperial capital of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom as quickly as they could and take it from them. If they could take the heads of the royal family, then they would be able to corner the War Princess strategically and tactically.

One of the three great nobles, the Kushunora House, had given them a favorable response, so the goblins were in high spirits. They advanced onward as if there could be no better opportunity to attack the Holy Shushunu Kingdom than now.

According to Pale’s plan, the War Princess was likely to go for the Goblin King and Gi Gu Verbena’s Axe and Sword Army (Felduk).

She may be the War Princess, but even she couldn’t be in two places at the same time.

There was nothing she could do in places she couldn’t reach.

Hence, this was the perfect opportunity to take back the initiative that has been kept from them all this time.

What stood in the way of Aransain and Zailduk, who advanced in speeds unknown to human armies, was a human army.

From a distance, it could be seen that they had 1,000 footmen and 500 horsemen in their ranks.

To Gi Ga Rax’s eyes, they seemed greatly troubled and did not have any of that sharp spirit. As he eyed the enemy, he took the reins into his mouth, drew his spear with one arm, and cut down a dragonfly.

When Hal of Paradua, Mido of the Fang, and Tianos of the Centaurs saw that, they shifted their formation to become an even shaper wedge shape with Gi Ga as the arrow head.

Gi Ga released the reins from his mouth, and then as he supported his body up with only his legs, raised up his spear and charged into the enemy army.

“To battle!”

Hal cried out to the rare-class goblins following behind. At that, howls bellowed out in response one after another, and the entire army followed after the quiet Gi Ga.

The speed of the goblin’s fastest, Aransain, must have been unexpected for them. They hurriedly tried to change their formation, but Gi Ga already led Aransain’s fangs into their flanks, and in the blink of an eye, they were torn through, the formation of the foot soldiers in tatters.

As Gi Ga broke past the footmen’s formation, he swung off the 4 or 5 soldiers skewered by his spear and led his army toward the course of the enemy horsemen. The horsemen shook in fear like prey eyed by a powerful predator, and before they knew it, the enemy was already upon them.

Overwhelmed, they tried to scatter and flee, but most of them misjudged the speed of Aransain and found themselves hunted.

Despite that, the reason why a third of them still lived was because Gi Ga did not want to slow their pace by wasting their time pursuing them, so he quickly stopped the pursuit and brought his army back together.

“Our duty is to reach the Holy Shushunu Kingdom.”

After bringing Aransain back together, he spoke to the unsatisfied soldiers of Aransain.

“Our speed will lead us to victory!　If you have time to waste chasing after enemy soldiers as if they were stones by the wayside, use that instead to claim the head of the enemy’s leader even a moment sooner.”

Before the cries of this Baron Class goblin, these fierce soldiers obediently bowed their heads.

“Onwards!　The steps we take shall open the path to victory!　Our unparalleled speed will lead us to the glory our king desires!”

Encouraged by Gi Ga, Aransain once again rode for the Imperial Capital.

Meanwhile, Gi Gi Orudo’s monster army reacted to the blood left behind by the soldiers slain by Gi Ga’s Aransain.

“At this rate, our speed will slow down.”

Gi Gi knitted his brows atop his Large-Horned Ostrich (Triple Head), and then gave the order to do away with the smell confusing the monster beasts.

“Bring out the Fast-Footed Bandits (Geotorat).”

They released the thorn dogs sensitive to the smell of the blood to chase after the source.

“Good, now bring out the Slow-Footed Bandits (Goratorat).”

After judging that the fast-footed ones were far enough, he ordered the other group of salivating thorn dogs to give chase too. This two-tiered pursuit unit was one of the ways they thought of to make use of the special traits of the monster beasts. The thorn dogs had a habit of gathering together when they’ve smelled the blood of a kill or the blood of another thorn dog.

Gi Gi prepared these two-tiered pursuit units to make use of that special trait.

In fact these Torat squads, which were devised to chase after fleeing soldiers, were so effective that Zailduk came to be infamously known as an army that didn’t even leave corpses in their trails.

To the slow-footed infantry, the Torat squads were truly an arrow from the God of Death.

After doing away with the smell of blood and the monsters beasts having calmed down, Gi Gi headed north and followed after Aransain.