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The small goblin was moving very cautiously. Each few steps forward, he’d crouch and then look both ways carefully. His ears seemed to be always open and he was taking great care to avoid running into any monsters. At the moment, he wasn’t part of a group. Goblins only seemed to be able to exhibit strength in number, so a single goblin could be said to be particularly weak. However, this goblin seemed to be on a mission. He was checking some rudimentary traps that might have caught rabbits or something. He was smart for his kind, and always cautious.
So, imagine his surprise when he looked out behind a tree to see me standing there. I had equipped all of my titles, maximizing my charm. As soon as he met my eyes, I activated my Seduction. I wasn’t kind or innocent about it in the slightest. I attacked this goblin with my innate magic as decisively as any adventurer would with their sword. It wasn’t so much influencing his mind as completely destroying it and substituting it with myself. Once I was done, there would be nothing this goblin would think about other than me.
“Hello, little one, come to me…” I purred, using my skill to identify the goblin’s status in the process. “Oh, my little Narg, you’re just a young one, only three months old, huh?”
The goblin paused, hearing its name sounded out. However, as I continued to gesture towards it, it shook its head and continued to walk towards me, loosing most of its previous caution.
“I won’t hurt you…” I spoke, causing the goblin to further lower its guard.
My skills worked all of the time now. That included Lover’s Trust, which meant that anyone I spoke to would trust the words I said more. I was only starting to realize what all of these skills meant. The truth was they meant that I wasn’t the same person I used to be. He came within arm’s reach and I affectionately stroked his cheek. As I made soothing noises and gestures, he seemed to grow less skittish, and more enamored. I pulled him into my grasp completely.
“Would Narg like to start my army?” I asked innocently.
The goblin smiled, an ugly yellow grin which included a bit of drool falling down his lip. He probably didn’t understand a word I was saying. All he knew is that my words were smooth and sensual. I didn’t care either way. This was the first of what would be many. It was the world that had forced me into this situation. There were the demons on one side, and humans on the other. What else could I do but find my own sanctuary?
“Take us to our home…” I spoke gently, gesturing for him to lead me.
Narg nodded, grinning dumbly. He started heading off into the woods, working just as cautiously as he was before. I joined him, keeping my head down, trusting in his judgment to maneuver these woods. Even with some sword experience, I still wasn’t confident I could handle a major threat in this forested area. At the very least, I had purchased a musky hunter’s cologne that covered up my scent. I didn’t smell pretty, but I wouldn’t attract dozens of horny monsters who would push me down and mount me either.
The beguiled Narg continued on his way, occasionally looking back and giving me a smile. The affectionate smile of a monster didn’t unnerve me like it once had. I was growing more confident in my abilities. I knew that at this level of seduction, the monster’s feelings for me went well beyond sexual desire. I had realized some time ago that there were various thresholds in love. When loyalty and devotion reached a certain point, sex seemed to cease to be an issue. They would happily follow any command I offered without resistance or want of anything in return. That was a level I had reached with this goblin in only a few moments.
Then again, this goblin was a first-class monster. This type was the first monster I had ever encountered in this world. In a way, it was fitting that this would be the first monster I’d start to build this army of mine. However, its level was low, ridiculously low. Any adventuring group in these parts would have been able to wipe out a group of ten to fifteen goblins with ease, including even Jerard’s group.
Adventuring groups had various rankings assigned to them. The group that had saved me when I first came to this world was like a C level group. Jerard likely sat closer to a high B. Any group that Bryson joined would likely be an A group. Suffice it to say, as someone who defeated Bryson, nowadays, I could have wiped out that first goblin group that had raped me when I arrived in this world if I encountered them today. Although, I say that without too much confidence, as I have no experience in battles with more than one opponent. The idea of fifteen goblins coming at me at once with steel drawn was still a terrifying thought.
“A farmhouse?”
I raised my eyes and let out this question as I realized the direction Narg was taking me. This was some kind of abandoned farmhouse. It had been left to the elements, and it looked like a group of goblins had taken up residence here. I noticed one in the ragged window curtains move as a watch saw Narg and I approaching. By my quick guess, it seemed like this goblin nest had about five goblins. However, I was not hear to fight them, so I did not feel any of the fear I should have. Quite the opposite, I had been out here for hours since I had banged that Baldy and the Scarface, and the thought of goblin cock gave me a strangely nostalgic feel. I wasn’t planning to have sex with one of them, but you never know how things will turn out.
There was a call that seemed like it might have been a goblin pretending to be a bird. There was more ruffling, and several goblins finally leaped out of their hiding spots with weapons drawn, quickly surrounding us. Narg shot them all angry glares, putting his body between me and the newcomers. He gave several screeches that had to be the goblin language. He didn’t really need to say anything though, because as soon as their eyes fell on a clear view of me, all the goblin’s loosened their grips on their weapons. The chattering instantly died down into stunned silence.
I held out my hands. “Hello… I’ve come hoping you will all join my family.”
I didn’t really know how else to word it. Telling them I hoped that they would become my meatshields felt a little more awkward, whether they understood me or not. There chattering finally returned, and several goblins ran off as if to go fetch something. Still more ran around, doing various things as if they were in a hurry. It only took me about thirty minutes before I realized what they were doing. The goblins had brought out several carcasses. Some of them were rotting, but they seemed to be trying to grab the ones in the best conditions. Others were piling up a bunch of sticks and trying to start a fire. In short, these goblins were trying to throw a feast. It appeared like I was the guest of honor.
I sat down next to Narg on a wobbly chair fetched from the farmhouse. Being directly targeted by my seduction spells, Narg seemed to be the most loyal of the goblins. The rest only seemed to take me as some kind of goddess or fairy they were required to dote on. Only Narg had accepted me as his master. Well, it’d do for now. However, I was realizing the language barrier would create some difficulty. I wished that one of my spells included some kind of babel tongue. My next level would likely go into updating my special skills unless the skill options that came up were some important like that.
The food had barely started cooking when there was a howl in the distance. The goblins started shrieking at each other, and I didn’t need to understand goblin to get the gist of it. In the goblin’s excitement of my arrival, they had brought out their best food and started cooking it. Most of the time, they left food raw. Fires and cooking were restricted and often done in special circumstances. This was because cooked food attracted other monsters.
This group of goblins was very small. Compared to the goblin group I had run into when I first entered this world, they were about 1/5th of the size. Likely, a large reason for that was because of exactly how dangerous these woods were. Goblins commonly became food. I noticed none of them were significantly old in age. They likely barely managed to breed just enough to offset their deaths.
Now, they had led a pack of monstrous wolves straight to the camp. Well, the goblins began to panic and run for their weapons, I smiled and casually stood up. Of course, I didn’t have the brain of a goblin. I knew the fire and the food would certainly attract more company. In fact, I was counting on it! I wasn’t confident bringing down larger monsters on my own, but with a couple of meatshields and a location with some barriers, they could buy me the time I needed to get a grip on anything that came. If things went bad, I’d let them sacrifice their lives for me.
Looking up at the sun, I could see it was starting to get later in the day. I still had time to do this. With a determined nod, I found a safe hiding spot. Narg grabbed a rusty looking piece of farm equipment and stood over me like he was my personal guard. He had even put a pot on his head, which looked a bit silly, but charming in a certain way. I sat and waited, listening to the wolves get closer and closer.
In this dense forest, they weren’t far away in the first place. They were likely a small pack who were just hungry and attracted to the food. This wasn’t the first group of monster wolves I had encountered in this world. In fact, you could say I’d grown quite used to this sort of thing. Thus, when I saw their massive frames break from the brush, I barely flinched looking at these massive grey creatures the size of small ponies.
The goblins made shouts, practically shaking in their boots. In a normal situation, they would have already fled. It seemed to be my own presence that had bolstered their courage. None of the goblins wanted to be the one who ran away in front of the goddess. Thus, they stood their ground, even as they shot each other looks like they were approaching their own deaths. As for me, as soon as my eyes locked on the wolves, I didn’t hesitate to strike.
Seduction, Eye of the Beholder, Monster Tamer… I tossed them out while standing up casually. These were high-level first-class monsters compared to the goblin’s low levels. Thus, they managed to resist for a moment longer. It was only a moment. I concentrated on the alpha in the lead first. After I used seduction on him, the alpha shot me a glare like I was a bug stinging him. However, by the time I launched a second seduction, he was now facing me entirely. The goblins could only watch in disbelief as the five giant silver wolves raced towards them at full speed only to suddenly slow down. About fifty yards from the goblin’s line of broken carts and various pieces of discarded furniture, they had slowed to a trot with their tongues sticking out in a show of nonviolence.
The alpha wolf kept forward passed the barrier while the other stood a few yards away from the goblins and waited. The goblins were too flustered to attack. Narg tried to block the alpha as he approached me, but the wolf held a prideful look in his eyes and just pushed back the small goblin, shooting him a disdainful look as he reached my feet. The wolf fell down, prostrating himself in front of me. While he had seemed terrifying as he stormed in, his teeth bared and bloodlust coming off him in waves, my extreme charm had tamed him in the span of a minute. He now lied at my feet, as innocent as a dog.
I stroked his long ears and the rest of the pack took this as permission to approach. They pushed through the goblin barrier and then lied down around the fire. The goblins looked around in disbelief as the wolves took up residence in their farm as if they had owned the place all along. Slowly, as they realized they wouldn’t die today, the goblins returned to cooking the meat. They gave the more rotted meat to the wolves, who ate it excitedly anyway. With my presence as glue, the two monsters that never should have gotten along were suddenly forming a dependent relationship, eating together at the same campfire, sharing food and warmth.
As the goblins threw meat to the wolves, the wolves in exchange allowed the goblins to touch them. The two enemies who would have killed each other for food not an hour before, now started to see an advantage in each other. This kind of cooperation would not have occurred if I wasn’t there, and I couldn’t predict the ramifications once I left.
This would be the start of the goblin riders, a fearful symbiosis of two monsters that left many adventurers quaking in their boots for years to come. Even if I left, the changes had already begun. However, I wasn’t finished yet. I watched with narrowed, thoughtful eyes as the goblins and wolves slowly started to work together. I needed a lot more than a pack of wolves and goblins.
The humans had an army. The demons had an army. Why couldn’t I have one as well? I had lived with monsters for months. They were no less capable of compassion, love, and companionship than anyone else. My eyes began to spark. It was time to change the status quo.