The Monster King's Legacy-Chapter 76: The Beastkin Alliance

[A/N: The beastkin are more animal-like than human]

...

Through the connection with Aelyndra, Lance had planned to form some kind of partnership with the other races nearby, with hopes that they wouldn’t object. With that in mind, he explained to Aelyndra his wish to build relationships with the other races nearby, and luckily, the dragon, Aelyndra, wasn’t against it.

Following that plan, the day had come as Lance and his delegation approached the edge of the beastkin settlement. The goblins accompanying him were Rynne, Zarra, and Lia, alongside two other elders.

Before this trip, Lance asked Zarra to make contact with the beastkin in person, and the interaction went well. Just like he thought, the dragon’s presence played a key role in making the process easier than it would have been. This happened after the beastkin merchants passed by and Lance used that opportunity to ask Zarra and some of her scouts to tag along.

Lance could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him; the success of this mission could significantly change his tribe’s future.

As they made their way through the dense forests, they soon appeared before a marveling sight. Two wooden pillars stood imposingly along a very short valley entry, flanked by beastkin warriors armed with long spears and fierce expressions. The beastkin were an imposing sight, their animalistic features; ears, tails, and fur-covered limbs, blurring the line between human and predator… and beast.

One of the guards stepped forward, his amber eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Lance. "A human, leading goblins, so its true" the guard said, his voice mellowing towards the end. "State your business before we decide you’re not worth the trouble."

Lance stepped forward, his eyes steady. "We come in peace," he said calmly. "I’m Lance, chief of the goblin tribe, nearby. I wish to speak with your leaders, of an alliance." He said.

"An alliance?" The guard said, pausing for a while. The guard’s gaze flicked to the goblins behind him, his ears twitching. After a tense moment, he turned and signaled to his partner.

"Follow me," he said curtly.

’Very procedural…’ Lance thought to himself.

The beastkin brought them a long way from the gate entrance, emerging into a fascinating society of beastkin, filled with houses and road systems. The place was bigger than Lance thought, it was like a small city compared to his large village, it was refreshing. After having to build new houses in the new location, Lance made sure there was some semblance of road systems within the village sized settlement, but seeing something above his here was nice.

The beastkin settlement was a sprawling network of wooden structures, interwoven with nature in a way that spoke of their respect for the land. Lance’s eyes took in every detail as they walked through the settlement—the children playing near streams and on the grassy parts, the warriors walking around with weapons, and the different beastkin who appeared normal, like casual citizens, everywhere.

He could feel the eyes of the beastkin on him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"They don’t trust us," Zarra whispered, her sharp green eyes scanning the crowd.

"Of course, we’d be their enemy any other day. Trust is earned, after all." Lance replied quietly.

At the heart of the settlement, a circle of beastkin elders awaited them. Each represented a different clan—wolves, lions, foxes, and others—wearing distinct clothing and markings. The largest among them, a wolf beastkin with silver fur and piercing blue eyes, stood as their leader. Because of their animalistic look, he looked like a huge wolf standing on two legs with functioning human-like arms.

"You are the human who leads goblins," the wolf beastkin said, his voice deep and commanding.

Lance took a step forward, meeting the leader’s gaze with calm determination. "I am. My name is Lance. I’ve come to propose an alliance," he said.

The beast before him offered an accepting nod, "I am called Ruzak. Come in, let us discuss."

With no reason to continue the actual talk there, Lance and his elders were invited inside to further discussions. They went inside the house where two cushions had been set for Lance and the wolf beastkin to sit, while the elders sat behind them.

"Your tribe has also taken under the dragon’s wing, I hear." Ruzak said.

"It has."

"Please then…"

Without more hesitation, Lance went on. "The world is changing. The threats we face, like the recent demon attacks, corrupt kingdoms, rival tribes… they don’t care about our differences. If we want to survive, we need to stand together. At least, I hope you see it the same way."

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Following Lance’s words, some of the seated ones nodded their heads lightly, while other remained neutral.

The leader crossed his arms, his expression skeptical. "You may be under the dragon now, but why should we ally with goblins? Your kind has caused more trouble than peace…"

’Even that sounds off… he isn’t even a goblin.’ He thought to himself.

Lance nodded, acknowledging the point. "You’re right. Goblins have a reputation for chaos, and I won’t deny it. But my tribe is different. We’ve built something different, something stronger. We don’t steal, pillage, or kill without cause. We grow crops, train warriors, and protect our people, much like any other tribe will. Not to mention, for a goblin tribe, our numbers are beyond 300, that isn’t something easily achieved." Lance said.

He then gestured toward Rynne, Zarra, Lia and the other elders. "These are my elders, as you can see. They’re proof of what goblins can achieve. And with your help, we can achieve even more." He said, proposing a rather good piece.

A fox beastkin elder leaned forward, her golden eyes narrowing. "You speak well, human. But words are easy. Why should we trust you?"

Lance smiled faintly. "Because I’m not asking for blind trust. I’m asking for a chance at partnership. Share knowledge, trade goods, and strengthen our defenses together. Start small, if you need to, but let us show you what we can offer also."

The wolf leader’s gaze softened slightly, though his tone remained guarded. "You make an intriguing argument, but alliances require more than words. What do you offer us in return for our trust?" Even though Lance had mentioned somethings just now, it would be stupid to form an alliance based off such vague terms.

Lance took a deep breath, his voice steady. "Information. Information on the demons and their activity."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "But more than that, I offer unity. The world sees us—goblins, beastkin, and others—as lesser races, meant to be crushed underfoot by kingdoms and empires. Alone, they’ll pick us off one by one. But together? Together, we’re unstoppable."

Ruzak studied him for a long moment, his piercing gaze searching for any hint of deception. Finally, he spoke.

"You are bold, Lance. And boldness can be dangerous."

"Sometimes," Lance replied with a faint smile. "But it can also change the world."

"Who cares if it changes the world? One must always be bold and fierce." Ruzak said, growling at the end of his sentence. Lance could see that most of the beastkin elders present agreed with his words.

After a long deliberation, Ruzak nodded. "We will give you your chance, Lance of the goblins. A tentative alliance—trade and mutual protection. If it proves fruitful, we will strengthen our ties."

The other elders murmured their agreement.

Lance lightly inclined his head respectfully. "Thank you."

"Now, for the information, please, don’t keep us waiting any longer." Ruzak said.

"Of course."

Lance went ahead to explain everything about their encounter with the demon a few weeks back and everything that transpired amongst them, the battles, exchanged words, altars, everything. He then went ahead to show them the circular metal plate inscribed with strange symbols while also letting them know of the possibility of the appearance of the demon lord.

The news was more than shocking, it was a major revelation. They were more than grateful for the information shared. They did wonder if that was why the dragon had appeared now of all times, when even their ancestors had not seen a dragon before, but then again, perhaps, their alliance was a calculated wish of the dragon… they thought.

As the meeting concluded, Ruzak stepped closer, his expression serious. "I hope your vision is as strong as your words, human. For all our sakes."

"It will be," Lance promised.

…

As Lance and his companions left the settlement, Zarra smirked. "You really do have a way with words."

"It’s not just words," Rynne said, her tone thoughtful. "He believes in what he’s saying. That’s why they listened, and more than anything, it was strength."

Lia asked confused a little. "Strength?"

"Most of them did size me up rather aggressively, I almost thought they’d ask for a duel, but everything ended in discussion. Which is good." Lance said, a small smile on his lips.

Lance glanced back at the settlement one last time, determination clear in his eyes. The alliance was only the first step, but it was a step worth taking.

’More than anything, we need mounts…’ Lance said to himself. When he thought about it, he couldn’t help but equate themselves to a certain show about a people hidden within leaves that travelled like this on foot when they could have used several beasts and monsters to accomplish the task.