The wyverns living in Wyvern Valley fled from the invaders.
The humans thought of them as a subspecies to the dragons, but in truth, they were a completely different species. Wyverns were a kind of monster beast. Though they had the character for dragon in their name, they were not under the rule of Grimoa the Dragon King.
However, that did not mean that they were completely free of the influence of the Dragon King Grimoa. After all, there was a fierce battle unfolding between Dragon King Grimoa’s dragons from the northern mountains and Gawain, servant of the underworld goddess, from the west.
A single dragon was enough to wipe out all of Wyvern Valley, and there were 500 of them living just up north. Yet despite that, the wyverns still chose to live in Wyvern Valley because of the prey available in the area and the lack of competitors.
The large herbivores that the wyverns fed on were rarely found in the eastern continent, and the southern regions of the continent were too hot for the wyverns, while there were too many competitors in the western region for them to prosper.
That’s why it wouldn’t be wrong to say that they had no choice but to live in Wyvern Valley.
But the wyverns were monster beasts, and they were sensitive to danger. Presently, those survival instincts of theirs were blaring within them at full power.
The culprit was that thing that had taken the form of a human, a species that was usually nothing but prey to them.
It would easily jump over the fleeing wyverns and fasten a rope around their necks. That was an improved version of the human magic tool, the Collar of Obedience, and it worked even with monster beasts.
Once collared, the wyverns would lose the ability to fly, and be forced to sit down on the ground despite their cries. After catching dozens of wyverns, the hero was finally satisfied, and left the valley with the captured wyverns in tow.
But this was not the only time the wyverns would suffer.
From this point forward, humans riding wyverns would periodically come to catch them, and in the end, the numbers of the wyverns living in the valley would greatly decline. Thanks to that, however, the Wyvern Knights of the Sacred Kingdom of Altigand that could soar the skies was completed.
Yet even before completion, the influence of the Wyvern Knights and the hero has already reached many places, and a great wave of refugees came from the minor nations that fell to the Goblin King’s Kingdom of the Black Sun(Alrodena Kingdom).
The hero that succeeded in weaponizing the wyverns dispatched the Wyvern Knights to various countries as scouts. It was a display of Altigand’s might, and at the same time, an attempt to lure skilled people to his side. It started with the subjugation of monster beasts, then repelling bandits, suppressing rebelling slaves, and dispatching skilled subordinates as aids to the nations that suffered heavy military losses during the War of the Saint.
All of the minor nations feared the goblins approaching from the west. And when the merchants escaped, everything came tumbling down, and the affluent people and the fearful poor fled to Altigand.
Meanwhile, the hero used the technology from the recently conquered Oceanic Kingdom Yarma to import food from distant nations.
—We’ll be saved if we go to Altigand.
The information disseminated by the wyvern knights and the merchants gave rise to a great wave of refugees, which the hero took advantage of, turning them into either soldiers, engineers or laborers…
Before long, there was a servant girl with black hair that snuggled closely to the hero. But that was not all, agricultural scientists that made it possible to support an explosive increase in population, powerful warriors, and crafty merchants began gathering as well.
The one thing they all shared in common was that every one of them was a young woman with jaw-dropping beauty. Their numbers contributed to the rapid militarization of Altigand.
As though these people had been long prepared, skilled people appeared beside the hero one after another.
From the unending waves of refugees or the fallen Oceanic Kingdom of Yarma or the nobles of the Holy Kingdom of Alsas, or perhaps, the citizens, came people, beautiful and skilled, to serve the hero.
Meanwhile, the hero suddenly made his way for the unexplored lands to the north.
The lands ruled by Grimoa the Golden Dragon King were not just unexplored lands, but also holy lands untouched by any kingdom no matter how great.
◇◆◇
It was about two months after hostilities opened, when the three-country alliance were suffering from Gi Gu Verbena’s fierce attacks, that the Goblin King’s appointed commander-in-chief, Shumea, arrived. The north of the country alliance, where the Axe and Sword Army(Felduk) have been wreaking havoc, was turned into ash just as Gi Gu declared.
“Well, this certainly is quite the display.”
Shumea stood before that and scratched her head as she frowned.
These reinforcements that utilized a mix of humans and goblins had to consider the feelings of the humans too. Shumea had gotten word of how fierce Gi Gu attacked, but she never thought it would be to this extent.
“But then again, spilled milk is spilled, so let’s just worry about what to do from here on out.”
Shumea was a brave woman with the guts to boldly push her opinion even in the face of a goblin. The first thing she did was to chase after the still attacking Felduk and held a meeting with Gi Gu.
“…I don’t like this.”
“I know, but this is the boss’s order, so it can’t be helped. I hope you can at least understand that much.”
Shumea explained her situation and her new position, as well as how she intended to change the way they fought in the coming days, but Gi Gu folded his arms and glared daggers at her.
“Or are you telling me that you’re going to ignore this?”
“I can’t read. But I can recognize the king’s crest when I see it. I also know that you’re a human that doesn’t know how to lie.”
“It’s kind of embarrassing that you think so highly of me.”
Apparently, Gi Gu thought highly of Shumea. Shumea was one of the first to leave the human world to follow the Goblin King, and the achievements she accomplished under his banner did not lose out by any means to the goblins.
Even a goblin supremacist like Gi Gu could only acknowledge her accomplishments. But that was that and this was this. The thought of having to entrust his battle to her was not something he could welcome so warmly.