An earpiercing clangor echoed inside my consciousness as I drift around the dark and endless void. I gasped awake, shocked by the sound of two metal hitting each other.

"Ah, It's that time again." I muttered as I took a worn out blanket that was covering my body.

Goblins do that every 8 hours or so. After hearing the sound, a group of goblin would form in the middle of the town square and head out. After a few hours, they would come back with some vegetables, herbs and sometimes fish. I guess they do that for their livelihood as Gobone tried hard explain it to me via sign language. though I didn't get it at first, I started to understand what he meant after quite some time.

I've been here for quite a while now. Judging by the times that I've slept, I guess it's less than week. Although some started to growl with hostility at first, they calmed down after seeing Gobone. I've been thinking for quite a while now that What If we humans are wrong? we subjugate them and treated goblins as pests. although they treat clerics like one too, it's not to the point that they will recruit adventurers to annihilate the whole race. 

As far as I've seen, they showed hostility towards me because we, humans, started to attack them first. But as soon as they see that I didn't plan on doing anything, along with Gobone, their anger faded. I guess they only fight for survival. Goblins are simple creatures. I thought as a spark of Idea came up. They can definitely live and coex- I trashed the idea right away before I could finish it. Nothing can coexist with humans, even other races like elves and beastmen hated us because of our stupidity and greed. let alone goblins who we even subjugate till we reach the brink of their extinction. luckily, goblins breed pretty easily.

With trash ideas popping one after another inside my head, I decided to go out and look for Gobone.

Walking the streets full of goblin, I remembered the time I arrived on this town.

 -

a few days ago...

Gobow 1&2 left us as soon as we arrived the town, I don't know why but I didn't care anyway since Gobone was infront of me and seem to be making a sign language as If it wanted to show me around the town in which they now reside in. 

looking around, there are goblins everywhere. small ones, thin ones, fat ones and some were even really old with wrinkles all over. they even have genders too, I only realized that after being told by Gobone that "it" was a "he". the male are usually thin and the female are the chubby type. Gobone is one of the thin type. As Gobone introduced me to the goblins as we passed along the streets, I notice the houses were made beautifuly, although some of them used to be shops, they were all shining like the stars as the bluish light from the magic crystal shine down. I knew the houses were also made sturdy, although looking a bit run-down, they still stand after a couple of hundred years later.

Finishing the tour, Gobone led to a place nearby the fountain. I took a glimpse of the fountain as we walk along the road, although I don't really care about it, I was amazed that it still worked after so many years. when we reached the place, I saw different sizes of mats laid on the floor circling a bonfire. there were goblins sitting at those mats while they all look at the huge pot that was being place atop of the bonfire. I guess this is where they eat. I thought as Gobone pulled the hem of my shirt as if he wanted me to sit.

Gobone left after he saw me sit. I realized the other goblin stared at me with their beady red eyes, though I didn't get scared since they didn't show any hostility, I guess they're just curious and thought of something like "why is there a human sitting us?"

I averted the awkward feeling brewing at the atmosphere upon seeing Gobone come back. He was carrying something like a rat, a raw fish and some herbs. he stood infront of me and offered me the rat and some herbs. weakened from hunger and without freedome to choose, I took what he was offering. he took a seat as I eat the herbs. He sliced the fish in half and ate it raw. seeing him devour half of the fish, I almost puked. after collecting myself, I look at the rat he gave me. Seeing I couldn't eat it raw, I went near the bonfire and decided to cook it.

After cooking the rat well-done, I gnawed a chunkful of rat meat to taste at the same time satisfy my hunger. although the rat meat seemed fine, I tasted a strong gamey flavor. unbeknownst to my body, It threw up the rat meat I ate just a while ago in instinct. 

Upon seeing me throw up, Gabone, cooked his remaining fish meat from the bonfire and gave it to me.

If I'm forced to live with this goblin for the rest of my life, I guess I wouldn't mind. I thought as I feeled satisfied after not eating for bitch-knows-how long.

After eating and having a rest , Gobone took pulled my hand again trying to lead me to another place. Reaching the place where he wanted me to follow, Gobone stopped infront of a old shack and entered as I waited outside. soon, he came out with a worn out cloth that seemed to be a blanket and gave it to me. He also gave me a small wood with a leaf carved on it that seemed to be hand-made. Since I don't know what it is, I kept it inside my pocket. He pointed the wounds I got from the struggle I went through with his index finger and keep on shaking his head from left to right as if he was talking about my wounds. Although I already used heal on myself on our way here, I guess he meant something else. Ah I finally get it.

"You wanted me to rest?"

Gobone nodded.

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 -

Present.

And so after fully recovering, I decided to leave this town since I'm probably disturbing their livelihood just by staying here. Without anything to give to Gobone and the other two to say thanks, I could only say my farewell; not to be rude to my benefactors.

I asked the other goblins one by one to point the way where Gobone went by using the wood that Gobone gave me and all of them Led me to the walls at end of the town.

It was vast and desolate. The walls that spread over a hundred meters wide had so many magic crystals scattered everywhere. they radiated different colors and shades of light as If you're looking at a rainbow. And at the center of the walls, there's a huge carving of a leaf that that looked the same as the one Gobone gave me.

I went near the walls and saw something below the leaf carving, it seemed to be an entrance that lead to somewhere. As soon as I stood at the entrance, I called for Gabone by spouting random words.

"Hello!? Hey! Anybody there!?"

Seeing that nobody was answering back, I took a peek and had a glimpse of whats inside. the space inside was like a tunnel that stretched only for 6-7 meters away from the entrance. the place was dim and the only light that existed was the one at the end of the tunnel. It gave of a red-orange light that was akin to a flame of an ember. It was so majestic and beautiful that It dragged me from the entrance.

dazed and attracted to the beautiful ember-like light, I arrived at the dead-end of the tunnel without noticing. I took a hold of myself and noticed that there were hieroglyphs written at the wall beneath the magic cystal that was emitting light. I looked for a couple of seconds and became confused. the pictures seemed to represent one of each kind of what we call "Monsters" or enemies of humanity.

Ogre, goblin, Naga... I even found a wyvern here!. I thought as I keep on looking at the pictograph.

Immersed with the looking at the hieroglyphs, I didn't realize that someone was already behind me until it spoke in deep and ancient voice.

"So you're the cleric that the young one picked up while going home." 

"Huh? human language?" I spouted as a reaction from being startled.

curious with what I heard, I turned my head to look where the voice came from only to get myself scared.

It was taller than me by 3 heads and had it's large spiky teeth sticking out of its mouth. it's skin was blue and wrinkled. though it looks very old, I can tell that he's a male one with his ripped muscles

a Hobgoblin.

I look at his yellow eyes that was gleaming and intimidating at the same time.

Is he gonna do something horrible to me for tresspassing? I thought. But I guess I was wrong when I saw the hobgoblin ignored me. He stood beside me and stared at the Hieroglyph. 

"the young one said he knew you were a cleric the moment you struggled because you have no ability to fight." He said.

Young one? Is he talking about Gobone? then I remembered goblins don't have names.

 I guess even goblins view clerics as good-for-nothing too huh? I guess I really am pitiable. I thought as I could only keep my mouth shut not to anger it.

"I remember when our ancestors always keep on mentioning about a ruthless hero that shouldn't be messed with." He said.

"It's the 4 heroes agai-"  

But before I could say the rest, he ignored me and continued with his story.

"Long ago, a human cleric who was insanely strong suddenly appeared out of nowhere. he was scary as fire and cold as ice. Hating his own race, he roamed the continent meeting every race and taught them how to live; us, the goblins, included."

Huh? it's different? 

"Soon, races flourished one by one. but there was one race who didn't. the Human race."

"Humans, clouded with greed and envy, tried to summon a God. they wanted to wipe every race except for their own kind. little did they know that what they were summoning, was a mad God"

"knowing the intention of the mad God to wipe everything, the hero tried to stop the summoning but it was too late. The mad God was summoned and took one of the humans as it's vessel. although the vessel tried to stop the mad God, the best it could do was seal the God to weaken it"

"the hero tried his best to stop the vessel. although everyone knew that he was powerful enough to stop it, nobody knew why he couldn't."

"and so, every race who were grateful to the hero decided to help. but by the time they arrive, the mad God fully took control of the vessel and started a massacre."

"without any other options to stop the mad God, the cleric offered his life and saved every race at the brink of extinction."

He stopped talking after that.

"A cleric? for all I know clerics are the weakest of all." I said to mock his story.

"believe it or not, our ancestors once battled with the hero along with the other races but all they could do was kneel on the ground. but that was before when they met the hero." he said as he cast a gaze at a picture that seemed like a human surrounded by other monsters.

"We, goblins, hated humans. but we couldn't hate them entirely because we're greatly indebt to that cleric. He taught us on how to live. flourished, either. I guess that's reason why the young one picked you up. he also indebt to the cleric who we all look up to."

A cleric? really? I would almost believe if it was a swordsman or something. I thought.

The hobgoblin looked at me.

"Come, lets have a walk. Ah, I forgot to tell you. my name is Yaruk. the name was given to me by my ancestors a long time ago." Yaruk said as he went outside. 

after we had a conversation about my life as a cleric at the city, He let out a sound that seemed like he was laughing.

"hmm, I remember we still have the book the cleric had before he left. since we don't need it, maybe It could help you somehow." the hobgoblin said and let out a shrill sound.

 *Grruyeeeeeek*

we turned our backs around as a light-paced footsteps could be heard approaching.

*tip* *tip* *tip* *tip* *tip* *tip* 

the footsteps sounded like it was running.

within 10 seconds after the howl was made, Gobone appeared infront of us. He was carrying a purple colored booklet that seemed more like a diary than a book and gave it to me.

"Huh?"

I spouted a random sound as soon as I recieve the book. the book was worn out and the cover was chipped at the corners. looking closely, It had something was written on it's cover.

"Ren's cleric?" 

Is this really the hero they look up to? the diary itself looked like it came from a girl. I thought as I became curious and wanted to see the name of the one who made it.

As soon as I opened the diary, a sudden gust of air went pass by and the pages turned. a piece of paper was taken away by the gust and it drifted through the wind. not caring about the drifting paper, I continued to look at the first page , while smiling, to see the maker of the diary since I wanted to know the name of the cleric they all look up to. 

My smiling face turned into gape.

"Redrick." I muttered.

It was a name no one have ever used for several hundreds of years. Any name that started with "Red" was a taboo to all humanity. Using it would be seeking death and be labeled as a traitor by the empire. because it was the name of the supreme being who made every human tremble in fear.

"the cleric was..." I muttered.

The demon lord.