"You."
The one the Demon King pointed at was seated at the end of the table.
All eyes of the legion commanders simultaneously turned toward that end.
And sitting there was
"..."
The Goblin God-King.
Kali-Alexander.
"Huh?"
"What..."
"What is this"
A murmur of confusion spread among the Nightmare Legion commanders.
In truth, anyone present could have been selected and it would have been understandable.
Each of them was formidable enough to bring about the worlds enda veritable catastrophe from humanitys perspective.
However, that Goblin was an exception.
Even if he was a mutant born among Goblins, the strongest of his race, he was still just a Goblin.
A frail being that any of the other commanders could turn into a re puddle of blood in an instant if they so wished.
"...Im not sure what kind of cruel joke this is, Your Supre Majesty," said the fourth-ranking Plague Lord Raven from behind his crow mask.
"First of all, I agree with Your Royal Majestys decision. If were going to use that pitiful Goblin and his legion, we might as well send them out as soon as possible. Before Ash and his subordinates get any stronger. While those Goblins are still of so use."
"..."
Despite being openly humiliated, Kali-Alexander sat silently. Raven continued.
"But Your Supre Majesty, will you then retract your earlier statent?"
The corners of the Demon Kings mouth curved upward, as if amused.
"What earlier statent? What part of what I said should I retract?"
"Didnt you say you would select soone reliable enough to entrust with the destruction of humanity? And then you choose that vermin, ignoring all of us monstrous figures gathered here."
Raven stood up, swept a hand over the other commanders around him, then placed his hand on his chest and bowed respectfully.
"From our perspective, its disappointing and feels like an insult."
Nods of agreent surged like a wave among the other Nightmare Legion commanders.
The Demon King covered his mouth, stifling a chuckle.
"So, to sum it up, I said Id choose the most reliable among you, but then chose the weakest, the Goblin, making you all feel slighted?"
Raven didnt bother to reply verbally, only nodding his head.
The Demon King cleared his throat and composed his laughter.
"There are several reasons why Ive chosen the Goblin Legion for this grand raid."
He slowly raised his hand and scanned the subordinates sitting at the table.
"Firstly, all of you, except the Goblin Legion, are too strong."
"...?"
A look of puzzlent flashed across the faces of the Nightmare Legion commanders.
How could being too strong be a problem?
"For this grand raid, I did not use the blessing that I usually bestow upon my legions during dark eventsraids against humanity."
"...?"
"If accumulated, its power amplifies. However, all of you are too strong to use this blessing."
If the difficulty of the stage reaches its maximum, [Dark Event] cannot be used.
Thats why the Demon King hadnt been able to use [Dark Event] for each boss stage up till now.
The Vampire Legion in Stage 5 and the Werewolf Legion in Stage 10 were too powerful, reaching the maximum difficulty level long ago.
However, the Goblin Legion was strong enough to be deployed as a boss stage but wasnt quite at maximum difficulty.
That ant they could apply the [Dark Event] in this Stage 15.
To accomplish this, the Demon King refrained from using [Dark Event] from stages 11 to 14, opting for a monthly amplification instead.
"...What does that even an?"
But the legion commanders hearing this for the first ti looked visibly confused, unable to comprehend the explanation.
"Its a rule of this ga. You dont need to understand it. Just know that it exists."
The Demon King waved his hand dismissively, as if further explanation was a hassle.
"Anyway, the only legion that currently ets these conditions among you is the Goblin Legion. Thats why Ive chosen him. Most importantly."
The Demon King grinned as he looked intently at Kali-Alexander.
"I dont think the Goblin Legion is weak by any ans."
"..."
"Judging by the individual strength of legion commanders, you, Alexander, are indeed the weakest among them."
The Demon King called him by only the latter part of his na Alexander, omitting the Kali- prefix.
Until now, the Goblin King had always maintained an inscrutable deanor behind his mask, but at that mont, his eyes twitched.
Yet, he gave nothing away externally.
"Also, the individual mbers of your race are probably the weakest among all the nightmares in this Lake Kingdom."
"..."
"However,"
The Demon King softly grinned.
"Your legion, ford by the unity of your race, is by no ans weak. Isnt that so?"
"...King of Kings."
For the first ti, Kali-Alexander spoke.
The Goblin King slowly rose and respectfully bowed.
"If given the chance, I will prove what youve said to be true."
From within his helt, a fusion of a mask and a crown, the Goblin King intoned in a voice thick with emotion.
"I will show the world why my legion deserves to be here."
"Youll have your chance."
The Demon King extended his hand and commanded.
"Invade the realm. Kill everything and burn it all down. Show your tactical genius without any reservations."
"..."
"Then prove it."
The Demon King spat out the next words as if challenging, or rather, taunting the other legion commanders.
"Prove that you are not inferior to any other legion commanders here. And that your legion, when compared with any other nightmares, is aiming for nothing less than being the strongest."
Chak!
Kali-Alexander bowed once more. The other nightmare legion commanders watched the goblin, unable to hide their distaste.
Slowly straightening his back, Kali-Alexander asked,
"King of Kings, may I inquire about just one thing?"
"Of course."
"You ntioned a blessing for our race... may I know what it entails?"
With a subtle grin creeping across his shadow-covered face, the Demon King revealed the blessing the content of the next [Dark Event].
"Its Breeding."
"...!"
"Look forward to it, Alexander."
The Demon King burst into a hearty laugh.
"After all, youre about to command an army the likes of which youve never seen before!"
Listening to the Demon Kings uproarious laughter and feeling the hostile gazes of the other legion commanders, Kali-Alexander slowly bowed his head.
Inside the mask, the Goblin Kings expression was complex.
Yes, in the end.
The only option was to kill and burn.
To prove that a goblin is a goblin, and furthermore, a useful goblin.
There was no other way.
***
"Happy New Year~!"
"Happy New Year!"
Waking up in the morning and shuffling into the dining room in my pajamas while scratching my belly, I was unexpectedly greeted this way.
It was Evangeline and Damien. The youngest mbers of our party were happily scattering winter petals before .
Lucas and Junior could also be seen in the dining hall.
The two of them, busy setting the table, waved at when our eyes t. Whats going on?
"...Huh? New Year?"
Rubbing my swollen eyes with the back of my hand, I asked in a groggy voice. Whats this about New Year?
"Goodness, it seems like you really live without checking the calendar. Look!"
Evangeline pointed at the calendar hanging on the wall.
It was a handmade tear-off calendar, and sure enough, it had been changed to a brand new, thick one. Boldly marked was the number January 1st.
Taking off my sleep cap, I scratched my disheveled hair and let out an exhausted voice.
"Ive been sick these past few days...like I had the mind to look at a calendar..."
It had been several days since that incident. I had been moaning in bed the whole ti.
Still, I felt a bit better today and managed to crawl my way to the dining hall, only to find my party mbers unexpectedly preparing a Happy New Years event.
"We actually planned to surprise you after we finished setting everything up, but you beat us to it, so were doing it here instead..."
"Do you really have to surprise ?"
"We even burned last years calendar at the stroke of midnight yesterday! You missed it because you were asleep!"
"I was sick, co on... cut so slack."
Forget that, why were they playing with fire in the middle of the night? One could easily cause a disaster. Be careful.
After enduring Evangelines devilish scolding, angelic Damien granted a blessing of health.
"Happy New Year, Your Highness! May you have a healthy year without any sickness!"
It wasnt just lip service; I could feel a trace of divine power mixed in with the petals he was scattering. I felt a bit rejuvenated.
"Sniff, sniff, Damien, youre the only one for ...!"
Unconsciously moved, I hugged Damien, feigning tears. Damien struggled to free himself, asking why I was acting like this.
"While I cant bless you with divine power, I can give you health in another way."
Evangeline declared proudly from the side.
I wiped my nose on Damiens shoulder and frowned. What are you up to now?
"Now that youre almost fully recovered... ti for daily morning exercises!"
"Nooooo-!"
Without realizing it, I blurted out a vehent protest. What a horrifying proposition! I hate mornings and I hate exercising!
"Are you a demon?"
"Im your junior, but seriously, you need to exercise."
Evangeline and Damien led to the dining table. Lucas and Junior had finished setting the table and were waiting for us.
"Good New Years morning, my lord."
"Happy New Year, Your Majesty!"
"Thanks, everyone. Many blessings to you."
I should probably give them New Years money later... Wait a minute. Shouldnt I receive bows from them first?
I took my seat at the head of the table, and the party mbers sat at their respective places.
"Sorry for the wait!"
Just then, Aider appeared, pulling a tray with a large pot on it.
Wearing oven mitts on both hands, Aider cheerfully moved the pot onto the dining table.
"For New Years, nothing beats a hot at and dumpling stew!"
Upon lifting the lid, a steamy stew appeared, filled with floating chunks of at, dumplings, and vegetables in its red broth.
Aider ladled the stew into bowls for us. The stew was so hot that it ward the bowls almost instantly.
"Mmm~! Nothing says youve started the New Year like eating this on January 1st, right?"
Inhaling the aroma of the stew, Evangelines shoulders shuddered. What is this? Is it like rice cake soup or sothing?
"Do you have to eat this to age another year?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? I eat five bowls of this every year, does that an Im older than you?"
Evangeline, who didnt understand the rice cake soup culture of Earth-Korea, widened her eyes in surprise.
Dont take the joke so seriously...
"...You eat five bowls?"
"My record is eight bowls. Hehe!"
Why is she so proud of that?
Then, Lucas, who had been silently listening, softly spat out,
"Ten bowls."
"What? What did you say, sir?"
"This body. Highest record. Ten bowls."
Lucas grinned triumphantly, chuckling as if to show off. Evangelines fangs beca more prominent as her mouth twitched irritably.
"Im growing every year, you know. As I get taller, my stomach will get bigger too! Then Ill easily surpass your asly record!"
"But for now, youre tiny, and so is your stomach. Eight bowls is your limit."
"Yikes! Fine, lets see who can eat more! Bring it on!"
"Keep up if you can, runt...!"
The two knights began competitively blowing on their hot stew to cool it down.
Evangeline even ladled stew into a second bowl, perhaps to cool it down in advance.
Unable to hold back any longer, I yelled out,
"Can you eat a reasonable amount from the get-go on New Years morning? You little piggies!"
If you guys hog it all, whats left for the rest of us, huh? Ugh!
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