120. The Army of the God, the Army of the King.

“Lord! Are you awake?”

The first thing he heard was Doran’s voice. His view was still blurry. Ko Byeong-gap’s eyes frowned and focused from three to one.

He saw the Goblins, and they wrapped themselves around him.

“Ugh…”

said. Ko Byeong-gap decided to follow his words. Lying on the fluffy bed, he asked in a hoarse voice.

“Where are we?”

“It’s a hospital bed.”

“How long have I been out?”

“About two hours.”

“Damn it.”

Ko Byeong-gap raised his upper body. Doran, who was nearby, stuck to him and helped him. His physical condition improved a bit, but his head was still dizzy. He took a deep breath for a while to control his mind and body.

“Lord, what happened to you?”

Dorma asked in a very worried voice. Ko Byeong-gap stared at him and blurted his words.

“There was a battle…”

said it could’ve been dangerous. Lord, if you were in such a predicament, why didn’t you summon us?”

“That’s right! Why does Lord always fight alone and get hurt? I feel like my heart is going to burst when I heard that Lord was in a critical condition!”

Ko Byeong-gap made a bitter expression and asked suddenly.

“Did you let everyone know I was hurt? To my mom?”

“Don’t worry.”

immediately.

“Only a few executives know. I didn’t inform the Queen. I’m sure she’s sleeping right now.”

“Whoo… Good job.”

“Lord, don’t change the subject and answer me. What did you do this time? Why did you get hurt?”

Ko Byeong-gap took a few seconds to answer.

“There was a battle. I fought with the Holy Army.”

“The Holy Army?!”

“Are you talking about Madmut’s soldiers?”

Currently, the Goblins didn’t go crazy even when they heard stories about God.

He found out after the battle with Landriol that the Goblins had their memories of the God sealed to keep them from being engulfed by their fear. However, the ban had been lifted now.

“Did you fight alone? That’s why you got hurt?”

The Goblins were almost resentful. Knowing that those feelings were rooted in worry, Ko Byeong-gap became sympathetic.

“No, I was with humans. So I was afraid to call you all, and they were too strong…”

He was about to say, ‘I was worried that you might get hurt because the Holy Army is too strong,’ but he stopped talking. At that moment, Landriol’s words stirred in his mind.

– What do you think a king is? What do you think of his subjects?

Ko Byeong-gap made his mouth pop like a carp and washed his face dry. When he closed his eyes, a private encounter with Landriol glimmered in the dark.

“Lord, so what happened? Did you defeat the Holy Army?”

“Dorma…”

Ko Byeong-gap shook his head.

“No, we were trampled mercilessly.”

“You mean you lost?”

“Yes. All my colleagues were caught, and I was the only one who ran away. I’ve fainted for two hours, so they might be dead already. Damn it!”

He punched the bed, and the mattress creaked. Suddenly, Turka shouted, taking one step forward.

“Lord’s colleagues are noble to us, too. I want you to take our soldiers and save them now!”

“No, no, no… It’s such an easy decision to make…”

Ko Byeong-gap swallowed his words again. He turned his head slowly and looked around at the Goblins. He could feel their feelings clearly.

Ko Byeong-gap laughed in despair and said, “What the hell is a king?”

He didn’t intend it, but his eyes were on Doran. Thanks to it, Doran understood that Lord had asked her a question.

“What? The king? That’s you, Lord.”

“No, that’s not what I asked. Dorma.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“What is a king?”

Dorma’s expression became quite serious. He closed his eyes and arranged his words. Naturally, silence fell in the hall, and everyone waited for Dorma to open his mouth.

After a while, Dorma opened his mouth.

“The king is the one who stands at the front of the road. So the king is a lighthouse and a constellation. The lighthouse tells the boatman the way in the dark. Constellations provide directions for passers-by wandering through the night forest. Lighthouses and constellations always stand in the same place and lead people king. The king is always at the forefront and guides those who follow him for them to not wander off the rails. Also, the Lord is a great king.”

Ko Byeong-gap grinned and looked at Kiriyan this time. Kiriyan spoke as if he had waited.

“The king is the most gracious, and he is always something to look up to. Therefore, you can be happy just by looking at him, and you can follow him without a doubt in any situation.”

Following Kiriyan, each person expressed their opinion. After going in a circle, it was Turka’s turn.

“I’m not sure what Lord’s question means because I’m not smart, but a king is something I must protect at the cost of my life!”

“… I see.”

“Lord! Lord! I’ll try it again!”

“Tell me.”

“Hmm!”

Doran coughed, cleared her throat, and spoke loudly as if she was in a speech contest.

“Lord is the light that illuminates us. I can’t imagine tomorrow without the sun rising in the eastern sky. Likewise, I can’t imagine the Lord losing his light. No, I hate to imagine it.”

Ko Byeong-gap felt heat in the corner of his heart. He was, to say the least, getting emotional.

“You guys… Even if you get sick, hurt, and even die because of me, will you blame me?”

“Lord, we know that the Lord cares about us. Knowing that, if I get sick and hurt on behalf of the Lord, I will heal a thousand times and refuse to suffer death.”

“The same goes for me!”

“I’m waiting for the day I die for the Lord.”

“If something hurts or threatens me, I’ll take care of it before it comes! I, no, we will live happily with the Lord forever!”

Ko Byeong-gap raised his head in order not to shed tears. A smile spread across his lips, and he spoke.

“Thank you, everyone. I’ll be gone for a while. Don’t make a fuss.”

He closed his eyes and fell into the world of his mind. As thick darkness enveloped the space, Landriol appeared as if he had been waiting.

“From the look of your face, you seem to have settled your mind.”

“Yeah.”

“If so, I will ask you again. Do you intend to be a nanny or a king?”

“I will be the king who will raise Ashvilam. I have to be the greatest being on Earth for the little ones who stand behind me.”

“The greatest being on Earth… Does that mean, say, you plan to be a god on Earth, for example?”

“I’ll be God if I have to.”

“Hahaha! That’s great. That’s a great mindset!”

Landriol laughed out loud. He approached and faced Ko Byeong-gap.

“But you’ll have to keep that in mind. God can’t be a self-proclaimed man.”

“It’s the words of a man who was once called a God, so I’ll listen carefully.”

“What a mouthful.”

Ko Byeong-gap rummaged through his inside pocket. There was a cigarette this time, so he brought one to his mouth.

“As a latecomer, I’d like some advice from my senior. So what do we do to defeat the hordes of the Holy Army?”

“I told you before. A pawn is a pawn, and a trap is a trap. No matter how strong an individual is, he can’t win against a legion by himself.”

“However, objectively speaking, we’re lagging in combat power. The current Goblins can’t beat the Holy Army. It’s like hitting a rock with an egg.”

“What do you mean, we’re just an egg?”

“What?”

Landriol saw a distant mountain. It was a dark space, but he was really looking at a distant mountain.

“Ashvilam has produced great generals from generation to generation. In particular, the 12 generals, who lived at the same time as me, were praised as heroes. They went through numerous battlefields with me and wrote stories of unbeatable wars. It’s too much of an insult if you call them eggs.”

Landriol turned his eyes again.

“It was Hashumbland who knocked down Al-Sharon. I miss him.”

“… I think I know what to do.”

Ko Byeong-gap tried to turn around. Landriol grabbed him in a hurry.

“Ha, did you listen to me? It is not for you to use.”

“Do you even know how to read minds?”

“Isn’t this the world of your mind? I can see what you’re thinking.”

Ko Byeong-gap was wondering what kind of reaction he would show, so he just nodded. Before he left, Landriol added one last word.

“Keep in mind. Even if it is just an egg, it can become a rotten egg or a piece that penetrates the heart of the enemy, depending on who holds it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ko Byeong-gap opened his eyes again.

***

The silent night of Valtadren.

About 500 Goblins gathered in the square. It was a carefully selected and carefully elite military force, which was quite a crowd, but they didn’t break the silence of the night.

In front of them stood Ko Byeong-gap, and five Goblins, Doran, Dorma, Kiriyan, Turka, and Varmond, were next to him.

Five luminous objects floated around Ko Byeong-gap. Like a lamp, they radiated a dazzling light.

“Dorma.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll take responsibility and lead you.”

“What would I be afraid of when the Lord is around? I’ll just follow your orders.”

“Yeah.”

Ko Byeong-gap brought the luminous object into Dorma’s heart. Soon, Dorma’s body shook.

He shivered for some time, and then his arms drooped. The next moment, he looked around like a madman.

Suddenly, Ko Byung-gap spoke.

“Go down.”

“… You are?”

“This is no longer your place. So go down and rest in peace, Hashumbland.”

Dorma… No, Hashumbland made a blank face and spoke to Ko Byeong-gap’s chest.

“The king is in there. My lord, can you hear me?”

Hashumbland shook his head, and then, Ko Byeong-gap’s mouth moved voluntarily.

“Hashumbland, my sorcerer. A reunion like this isn’t bad.”

“I am relieved to see that you are at peace.”

“Yes, it feels pretty good.”

“The new king commands me to go down. Do I follow in your footsteps?”

“Do it. Let’s get some rest now.”

“I see.”

Hashumbland looked at Ko Byeong-gap once and bowed. Shortly after, Dorma came back to the surface.

“Gasp! Gasp, gasp…”

“Are you Dorma?”

“Yes… I am. Is he the one I saw from the depths?”

“That’s right. He was a strange one, but how about you? Do you feel anything different?”

Dorma looked down at his own hands and was lost in thought. After a while, he replied.

“I can’t believe it. This power, this knowledge. It feels like I was born again.”

“Good.”

Ko Byeong-gap then injected the souls into others.

To Doran, the soul of the Sword God, Arhi.

To Kiriyan, the soul of the Thunder Emperor, Guyanne.

For Turka, the heart of the Corps, the soul of Trovatin.

Wing of the Legion, Mikhail.

‘I didn’t expect Landriol to help me. I’ll have to say thank you later.’

Thanks to Landriol’s cooperation, it was easy to persuade the spirit owners. They obeyed Landriol’s every word and descended below consciousness.

After all the work was done, Ko Byeong-gap quietly spoke to the Goblins.

“The five heroes of Ashvilam were born today.”

The Goblins quietly burned their fighting spirit and shouted silent cries. Soon after, Ko Byeong-gap opened a large door that led to the other side. Once again, he shouted, “Follow me! Today, we’re going to hunt the Holy Army!”

The king’s army marched out.