kscans

Chapter 5 - New Adventurers

The armaments of the goblin army were far too feeble.

Their weapons were wooden spears, swords, and clubs made by carving forest branches. As for armor, they had shields made by sewing together tree bark, and armor and helmets woven from leaves and vines. Their equipment looked so much like children's make believe that it made me worry if they could truly fight.

"Are we... really going to fight the hero with this?"

As a Hobgoblin, I, the former human Mamoru Kikuchi, was once again facing reality. The dungeon had been prepared, and the troops were starting to develop. But our weapons and armor were too weak.

There was no iron. No fire, no forge, no blacksmith. At this rate, no matter how much we trained, we would be charging in with wooden equipment. There was no way we could win a battle like that.

"Somehow, we need to get proper equipment..."

Human society has blacksmiths and weapon merchants. But monsters and humans are enemies. There was no hope of trading with them now.

One day, as I was at a dead end, some unexpected information came my way.

"The Elf tribe...?"

The Orc chieftain, Dolgo, said the name.

"Indeed. The Elf tribe lives far beyond the sea. They are of mixed human and monster blood. They take a neutral stance and have relations with neither humans nor monsters."

The Lizardman chieftain, Salua, nodded.

"The Elf tribe can use both metal and magic. If we can communicate with them, there might be a chance."

The Troll chieftain, Mog, also said,

"Elves, smart. Me, not understand well. But, they, strong and can make things."

Upon hearing that information, I made an immediate decision.

"Alright, I'm going to meet the Elf tribe."

Not just to hear their story. To negotiate, and if possible, to open a path for trade. For that, I needed trustworthy companions. I selected elites from each tribe and formed a new party.

Party Member Introductions.

Orc Tribe Representative: Defray (Male). An Orc with the qualities of a clergyman, despite his plump physique. He has a reputation for his healing magic and food management. If you anger him, a club will come flying.

"Even Orcs can be delicate, Mamoru. Cooking requires heart, you know, heart!"

Lizardman Tribe Representative: Amy (Female). A tactician who specializes in water magic. Calm and composed, she excels at analyzing situations. She's a bit sarcastic but is deeply trusted.

"You're the commander? ...Well, your looks are what they are, but I have high expectations for you. Mr. Former Human."

Troll Clan Representative: Koni-chan (Gender Ambiguous?). A character with a gap between their giant body and cute way of speaking. A bombardment unit capable of handling high output fire magic. Often gets scolded by those around for burning things too much.

"Koni will do her best! I'll go boom boom a lot!"

"A new party of mixed monster races..."

I, who was fated to be instantly defeated as the boss of the first dungeon in an RPG, was now leading a select group of monsters to negotiate with other monsters around the world.

This was the beginning of a new adventure.

How much stronger can we become by the day the hero arrives? Gripping hope in our hands, we took a step toward a new future beyond the forest.