The Monster King's Legacy-Chapter 81: A Sudden Threat

It had been a while now since anyone had seen or heard from the dragon, Aelyndra. Some even began to think that the dragon had abandoned them, but Lance’s guess was that it might have fallen into a deep slumber… though, given the fact that it had just appeared out of nowhere, it would be sensible to guess that it had only woken up from sleep not long ago. Perhaps, it was a lazy dragon altogether.

That aside, the coalition, or perhaps, the alliance of monsters in these wild lands enjoyed their partnership well. Lance had even seen a few coins which made up this world’s currency for himself, but he didn’t need it, neither did his people. At least, that was the case for the time being. Since they only traded with the orcs and beastkin, it mostly happened in form of barter, so there was barely a need for money just yet.

All parties involved developed progressively, but of course, it was only a matter of time before the train of positive reached the height of what it could climb before the tracks turned uneven again.

The elven emissaries arrived unannounced, their elegant figures casting long shadows over the goblin settlement as they approached, even though only figuratively. Draped in flowing robes adorned with intricate embroidery, their presence alone radiated superiority and disdain.

It didn’t take long before Lance got the news, in fact, the news reached him before the Elves arrived. The scouts had noticed the elves, but they would have been at a disadvantage to engage them even in a simple discussion in case things were to escalate, so they fell back closer to home.

"Chief… These elves are different, they are not the ones we know, and they don’t look friendly." The scout reported, standing outside Lance’s quarters.

Lance stepped out of his quarters, a suitable home for the chief of a goblin tribe, though not nearly as big as wat a king would deserve, it was still the best around.

"Go on, lets go." Lance said as soon as he emerged. He didn’t bother calling the rest, as the protocol set was that in such a situation, everyone would be notified, so they would end up meeting on the way there.

Flanked by Rynne, Zarra, and Lia Lance arrived towards the northern side of their village where the elves were. It didn’t take ten seconds before the elves appeared, stopping some distance off. :Lance noted the sharp gazes of the elves and the way they subtly wrinkled their noses, as if the goblin settlement was beneath them… or maybe perhaps, suggesting that the place stunk.

Lance who had put in good effort to make sure that the goblins in his tribe maintained a certain level of hygiene even though they didn’t need it naturally, was a little offended by the gesture. Then again, it could have also being that he had lived with them for long that even he couldn’t perceive the smell. That was not impossible.

At the elven forefront an elf stood, tall and poised, with piercing emerald eyes that gleamed with veiled condescension. "So," the elf spoke, his voice smooth as silk, "this is the famed goblin camp… How quaint."

Lance wanted to offer a polite smile, but his face just won’t budge and he remained expressionless, ignoring the barbed comment. "Welcome to our little settlement. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

The elf’s continued. "We have come out of concern. News travels fast, and the idea of goblins forging alliances with beastkin and orcs… well, it’s unsettling to say the least."

’How did they know?’ Lance thought to himself, his mind quickly drifting towards their meetings with the elves they knew. Perhaps, they had been ratted out. He couldn’t quite figure it out.

"Unsettling for whom?" Lance asked, keeping his tone calm.

"For the balance of the region," the elf replied, spreading his hands. "Goblins, as you know, have a long history of… instability. It’s in their nature. And now, with a human leading them, there is much to question about their true intentions."

Rynne bristled, her golden eyes narrowing. "Say that again," she growled, her hand tightening around her spear.

Lance turned his head ever so slightly towards her, calming her, his expression unchanged. "What region do you speak of? You’re suggesting that our alliances are a threat to the region. Why? Because goblins aren’t ’worthy’ in your eyes?"

The elf tilted his head, his smile sharpening. "I’m suggesting that the goblins’ sudden rise may disrupt the delicate peace we elves have worked so hard to maintain."

Lance’s eyes hardened. ’What peace?’

He could see through the elf’s polished words. This wasn’t about peace, it was about control. The elves feared a shift in the balance of power, one that would weaken their influence over the region.

"And what is it you propose?" Lance asked, out of formality than not.

The elf clasped his hands together, his tone light but firm. "Disband these reckless alliances. Return to your… simpler ways. Goblins, after all, are far better suited to serving under wiser, more established powers. Or, waste around fulfilling their mundane roles."

Rynne surged forward, her spear gleaming in the sunlight. "Say that again, and you’ll find out how ’unstable’ goblins can be!"

"Rynne," Lance said softly, his calm voice halting her in her tracks.

The elf chuckled, though his gaze lingered warily on Rynne. "You see? Instability."

Lance turned his attention fully to the elf. "You haven’t come here to maintain any peace. You came here to undermine us because you see us as a threat. You’re afraid that goblins might become more than just an afterthought in this region, and let me guess, you’ve probably been spreading rumors to the humans and dwarves, too. Stirring the pot, hoping to turn everyone against us before we even have a chance. Or perhaps, we’re not worth the trouble… are we?"

"I don’t like your tone, human." The elf said, his gaze hardening as the smile disappeared from his lips.

The tension remained for a while as both sides remained quiet, before the the elf spoke, "so, what is your answer?"

Lance didn’t hesitate much with his response. "I and my people are not the only ones making the alliance, are we? We’ll have to discuss first, with the other tribes."

The quiet marinated for a while as both sides stared at each other.

"Well, for now, you have been warned, next time we visit, it won’t just be a warning, it will be your blood feeding the soil rich." The elf said, turning to leave, their bodies disappearing soon as the rest followed behind.

Afte the elves left, Rynne almost couldn’t curtail her anger, but against her own, she held back. "Is that it? Is that all they came here for?"

Lance thought about it too. ’The elven territory is supposed to be quite far away, unless they used the same or similar teleportation magic as the other elven group we’re familiar with… no, even then, why would they come all the way? Just to give a warning, to a small goblin tribe no less…’ Lance pondered on the matter, but to no avail, he couldn’t figure it out.

Lance sent word to the other tribes and races immediately. They needed to have the meeting and discuss their standings and way forward. This was a clear fork in the journey.

…

The very next morning following the delivering of the news of the elves’ threat, the Beastkin and Orc leaders arrived in the goblin settlement.

"We set out as soon as we heard the news… This is a big deal, elves are not easy enemies at all." Ruzak said, his voice heavy with worry it sounded like.

"Why would a real warrior back down from such a challenge. They came to us just to spit on our faces, the only way forward is to fight back." The War chief of the orcs said as he emerged next.

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A very serious meeting followed right after, and after a lot of deliberation, they agreed on one thing.

"This," the orc war chief rumbled, his voice as heavy as his massive war hammer, "is the beginning of something truly dangerous."

"Dangerous to our enemies," the wolf leader, Ruzak replied. "If we do this right, we’ll stand a chance."

Lance nodded, his eyes alight with determination. "A united force to protect all of us. That’s the only way forward."

Their plan was simple and straight forward, but it worked. It was to form a united army. Simple, but the most effective.

Each race would bring their best warriors and promising young talents, with the plan to form a diverse and eager unit.

The orcs brought raw power and resilience, their towering frames and natural strength making them ideal front-line fighters. The beastkin, with their agility and keen senses, excelled in roles requiring speed and precision. They were also the most diverse race, as they could perform on all fronts involving every specialty, from speed and strength, to magic. The goblins were ideal for reconnaissance and unconventional tactics, alongside their warriors, they could perform well in the attack with the heavy hitters.