"I can't believe it..."

Hlung shook his head in disbelief, but a smile was hanging from his lips. Clung was, in a similar way, bewildered but content with the result of the human's expedition. Now it was only appropriate to keep calling him lord, since from fear and respect there was no goblin who looked down on him, and even the orcs revered him like a god walking amongst them.

The matter of the orcs was impressive. Subjugating a warrior race that survived from plunder and murder, the total domination of the land with their sheer strength, was already a tale worthy of being worshipped. There was no doubt that such a man was deserving of a legend. But, further than that, the real astonishment and rendition from every goblin inside the forest came from another more important fact than the domination of the orcs.

Thom Arburson had granted a name to all the goblins in the horde, young and elderly. The old ones had become young as new and their bodies had being transported to their former, younger glory, with strength and mental sanity to boot. From that day in which the man covered the land with his aura and wrapped the soul of every goblin around it, the horde came to be comprised of four-thousand young, ingenuous hobgoblins.

Although their physical strength would probably not surpass the humans' by much, thanks to the fact that they could now understand orders and follow them, act rationally, hone their skills and learn complicated crafts, the former barbaric tribe had become an actually functional army.

The help of the orcs was also crucial since they were good at mining and the creation of advanced weaponry. Although they still lived in a separate settlement, the transportation of goods from both places was not an issue. Even, the orcs had begun to borrow some workforce from the hobgoblin horde, instructed by their lord Thom, to keep obtaining iron from the rivers and the mountains.

Now, the hobgoblins at the top of each section had started to look at Clung with other eyes. In him they saw a capable leader, one that could make the right choice regardless of prejudice.

"I would have never guessed that such a man would choose to subjugate by peaceful means." Clung whispered to himself, brandishing his teeth in the shape of a smile. "This is great, however. I'd say we're much closer now to our goal than before. But... Maybe we're still lacking. Wouldn't it be good if..."

With a sudden ray of illumination, Clung thought of a new plan. Closing his eyes, he imagined every possibility.

Another month quickly passed by and the dark winter sky covered the hills and the forest. Although snow never touched the southern sides of Goldblack, the temperature had decreased quite quickly. The hides and furs stored in the caves had been taken out and the hobgoblins had quickly cloaked themselves, although the orcs with their huge bodies produced enough heat by themselves to survive. In reality, they looked much more comfortable in winter than in the heat of summer.

They carried on their shoulders logs and rocks, stepping on the fallen leaves that covered the grayed-out land. From the top of the trees, the hobgoblins observed them and supervised, seeking to help if they were needed.

Atop the branches also stood that black-haired man, smiling at the new plantation that the orcs had developed, a hoe placed on his shoulder and his bare feet resting on the bark of the tree. The smell of an actual lunch came from the inside of the treehouse, mutton cooked above fire, resting inside an iron pot and seasoned with something different from noire herbs.

The integration of the orcs into the horde was a good choice, Thom was sure about it. Not only he had obtained an important amount of muscle, but it had cost him practically nothing. For the peaceful air that was breathed inside the community that was no longer a fistful of savages, a tenth of his aura was nothing.

Now, the only thing in his mind was the direction to take from the spot in which he stood, where to go after becoming lord of a community as strange. He thought, for once, that he had reached a high enough place, and he was pretty content with what had been given to him.

Now... He closed his eyes and felt the cold breeze against his skin. Now I only need to climb higher... And see what else there is to conquer. A word so big and arrogant as "conquer" brushed past his brain.

He was aware that he could still not be called a ruler. If he were to demand he was called such, surely Runa would laugh about it. The word leader was more accurate, but he still did not have any power in the decisions of the horde or the administration of the same. He was a figurehead of power, but right now that was all that he could see. If he was to climb higher and see further, that would be a debate for later. For now, Thom Arburson was content with being revered by the people he had peacefully brought together, and his peak was found in such satisfaction.

A head poked through the window, and Thom turned to look. Suu was smiling at him from the side, enjoying the view as much as he did.

"How's it?" She raised her eyebrows. "Aren't you getting too relaxed?"

The girl asked him with a playful tone, but there was an honest critique under that smile. Thom could only shrug. He knew how lackluster his actions had been as of late, but that wasn't exactly bad on its own. He had only harvested and planted over and over, faster than the plants could die due to the cold. Still, this made him happy enough to continue. He didn't want to wrap his head around the village, since that wasn't his problem to begin with.

He had been saved and he was staying at their place. In exchange, Thom was helping. For the last three months, that had been the case. However, he was not a saint, and his mind still remained rooted to regret.

"I've been thinking about the whole "conquering Pontya" thing." He said.

"Oh? You think?"

"Indeed, and hard. You see, I got to the conclusion that I simply don't want it to happen. But I'm still not sure about how to convince the hobs, and now the orcs have become obsessed with the idea too."

"What is it exactly that you want to do?"

"Does a peace offering to Miel seem too far-fetched?"

"I didn't know you were that forgiving..."

"You know that I'm not." He smirked. "I would kill him if I could, I would torture him with passion. But I figured that my violent fit was what put me in a disadvantage against him in the first place. So, this time, I'm gonna solve this with a handshake and a smile. Don't laugh. I'm trynna be a new me, Suu."

"Pffffft!"

The girl broke into laughter while Thom simply observed her with a warm smile. He was happy that the girl knew that, if the conditions were different, he wouldn't do something like that. The man was fully aware of his more impulsive tendencies, but his airs of superiority pushed the sail in another direction. He was searching for something dearer than blood this time, and that was the ability to make blood remain unspilled.

If I don't seek peace with him, then I won't be able to keep climbing. At the same time, I cannot disappoint the horde. That's right. What I need to do is make both happy— I need to make Miel allow the hobs into Pontya, and stop his pursue against me!

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With the last leaf of common sense dancing towards the winter ground, Thom's eyes were lit with uncharacteristic determination.

It was his mad desire for power that drove him. He was feeling invincible. In contrast to three months ago, he was revitalized and ready, filled with a brittle illusion of superiority painted in the oil that was the subservience of the monsters. If by any chance he lost their vital support, a canyon would not be enough to describe how far low he would sink.

Still, he was enjoying this moment of his life, and there was nothing that could break that vision of pleasure that clouded his eyes.

"What are you gonna do now?" Placing her chin on her hand, Suu asked the young man on the branches.

"Well, I cannot be too optimistic." He smiled. "We also need a plan in case that Miel won't accept a peaceful cease to arms."

"Are you making things up, Thom? Miel hasn't sent any soldier or taken any action against us in three months. What he did back then was out of spite, but a General is usually busy with more important things than a single deserted soldier, y'know?" Suu sighed to the sound of the howling wind.

"Miel also hates outsiders with a passion. I've told you, but hadn't he found out that you weren't Kuulkiam, he wouldn't have punished you so badly." Erina commented from the back.

"Oh yeah?" Thom closed his eyes and directed his voice inside the house. "And who told him about that, hmm?"

"Ughu..." The girl flinched and showed a bitter smile, checking the contents of the cooking pot.

A knock suddenly came from the door. Suu walked towards it as Thom jumped back inside the house. After opening the door, Clung greeted them lightly and entered with a bag of things they had asked for. He left them on the table at a side of the room, and breathed the tender smell of the meat cooking above a slow fire. His eyes trailed towards Thom leaning against the window sill.

"Harvest is going well."

"We'll have to stop soon." Thom said. "Crop rotation is good. But it won't work if we keep abusing the land."

"I know. We plan on expanding our farms even more soon, don't worry. The overused hectares will rest for the rest of winter."

Thom nodded lightly at Clung's words. He was pleased that they were doing what he had instructed, even if only regarding cultivation.

"The army is stronger now." Clung said. "I think we're ready."

"You..." Thom squinted his eyes slightly. He was surprised by Clung's sudden declaration. It felt like an opportunity to speak, but the words choked on his tongue.

"I think otherwise." Seeing his hesitation, Erina interrupted, licking some sauce off her fingers. "Forging is slow, weapons are sparse. Training people to use their weapons is hard and even harder when they have never even used their hands correctly. We have the orcs now, I understand that you feel powerful, but we cannot overpower Miel with only this."

The girl directed a glance towards Thom. She was implying that he should use the opportunity to say what he wanted to, and he gladly stepped in.

"I've been thinking, Clung. I think we should give up the idea of the attack."

"What?"

The hobgoblin's usual smile quickly faded. Thom flinched slightly at that response, followed by the girls. Their hands were ready to defend if necessary.

"Why so surprised?" Thom sighed, trying to maintain his cool. "You're a smart man. I thought you would have known from the beginning. You know, the fact that it is extremely stupid to attack a city belonging to a country?"

"But we had only discussed that we were lacking numbers." Clung frowned slightly. "And we have the orcs. In short we'll have weapons, and we have magic from Hlung's section. What else do we need?"

"A plan?" Erina scoffed with a smile. "A strategy, to be precise. We're also lacking siege weapons, a military hierarchy, provisions, escape routes, cover, backups, and the list goes on."

"This girl knows about war, ask her." Thom shrugged.

"But this is... It's not what we had discussed. You were supposed to help us with this." Clung nervously took a step forward with an awkward smile. "We let you stay and take decisions for the sake of winning over the king of Pontya. If you weren't planning on following through with this plan, why even take the orcs in the first place?"

"Because it was better than killing them, Clung." Thom frowned. "Look, I'm saying this for your own good. If you fight Miel, you're dead. The guy's good, and he has a nation backing him up. It would be stupid to think we can win in this scenario. We'll just relax, kick it back, keep developing our community and maintain everyone alive. I don't want to see four thousand people get massacred over a stupid dream like this."

"But we swore our lives on this!"

Clung stepped forward with an angered voice, but he was promptly stopped by Suu's hand in front of his chest. The distance between him and Thom needed to remain. He closed his eyes and sighed, as if noticing that his emotions had slipped. One step back, and he crossed his arms.

"We're willing to sacrifice our lives for this cause. The orcs will help us. We may call you lord now, but in the end you do not take the decision to move the horde or keep it still. We will attack. So if you truly care about the people you have gathered together and the ones that praise you, there better be an effort from your side to keep the death toll as low as possible."

"What a prick." Thom clicked his tongue. "I thought you were sensible. But it seems like you are following an invisible god just like the rest. I thought explaining it to you would be easier, but now that I've done it, I regret it."

"You should." The hobgoblin replied. "Compromise yourself this time. If you help us get through this, they might still call you Lord when we're done."

An arrow struck Thom's soul. He twisted his lip after hearing Clung's words, knowing exactly what he was attempting to do. Trying to keep him tied to the horde by promising him lordship was a cheap trick, but one that Thom was not able to ignore.

He looked at Erina and Suu. The former was practically begging him with her eyes to not take the bait, while the latter had eyes that were simply waiting for a response. Although following Erina's advice, who had combat and military experience, was the wisest thing to do, Thom had a sudden thought incited by his impulsive delusion.

Didn't he just have to prove the horde that he was more worthy of being followed than their former master?

If he did something like that, then surely they would listen to what he had to say. No, they would obey, they would stay quiet and remain in the forest where their lives were not endangered by the constant threat of war, and Thom would reign over them like a merciful lord. Yes, that was what he desired, and he quickly focused his intentions towards that desire.

"Very well." He said with a smile. "You can do whatever you want. But I still don't trust our power."

As his words dropped, Erina's face went pale. Suu simply sighed with a smile.

"If you want me to comply, it'll be when we have enough strength. Now, is there any other tribe that can join our army? Any other that I can convince?"

"Hm."

The black hobgoblin took his eyes away for a short second, but he quickly smiled as if he had found a proper idea. Perhaps a little too fast to have been thought of on the spot. He showed a malevolent smile, and opening his palm, he explained:

"There is a humanoid made out of crystal that stands in a hill not so far from this place. It baths in the sun all day long, ever still, giving off the sensation of being a statue. However, such a being is not meek or fragile in the slightest. Last time it was called to our attention, the crystal being was fighting one similar to itself. For two weeks straight, their powerful magic shone in the night sky and kept us anxious about what it might have been. Their fights were truly terrible... Trees breaking with singular hits, their bodies repeatedly shattering into pieces and forming back— it was a sight to behold."

"That is one dangerous demand." Suu said before Thom could agree.

"Of course." Clung nodded. "But I'm sure that the crystal one will not attack you, haha. We sent scouts months ago, and they were not attacked. It seems like it's only enemies are the ones made out of crystal, like itself, not flesh ones like us."

"Can it talk?"

"We heard nothing close to a voice coming from its mouth."

"And what if we bring it to our side?" Thom lifted an eyebrow.

"I don't know." Clung smiled. "But it seems interesting. It's probably a very strong ally. Consider it, won't you? It's either that or the slime cave."

"Alright. You can go now."

The hobgoblin bowed down before leaving and closing the door on his back. Erina served the plates with a face full of distress, constantly complaining about Thom's acceptance of such a dangerous and stupid thing.

When she was done serving, and everyone was sitting down, Thom smiled and looked at her. The girl felt a chill run down her spine, but before she could cover her ears, Thom spoke.

"You're coming with me to the talk with the crystal thing, by the way."

"Ugh...!"

She bent back and her face turned red. A sudden memory of their visit to the orc village came back, and her anxiety increased even more. The girl knew, from a single trip with him, that accompanying Thom probably meant being used as a tool at some point in the trip. The evil smile on his face didn't say otherwise, either.

"S-Suu, darling...! Tell this blockhead how stupid his idea is, please! Convince him to stay put for once, dammit!"

"Hmm? Oh! This tastes really good, hm-hm~!" Suu smiled with her cheeks full of meat.

"Hey! Don't ignore me! This guy's going to get me killed!"