Krone, leader of Decorum, bowed before the Goblin King, concealing his true intentions. He was angered by the very thought of being submissive, but he kept his cool.
"Soon, I'll be the one on the throne," he thought as he spoke to the king.
"My liege, I bring plans for Opal's invasion," Krone announced.
The Goblin King examined his nails, uninterested. There were different types of their species. The lowest ones being the normal goblins. These short, ugly variations could conjure small fire, but that was all they could do. They lacked any advanced cognitive ability and were looked down upon by those higher up the hierarchy, and thus took to performing illegalities to get by. It was due to this that goblins in general were despised, and why the other goblins hated them in the first place. Next were the hobgoblins; they were, in human terms, the average citizens in the goblin community. They had average intelligence and knew how to control their flame abilities to some degree. They were the workers who held up Gwaltch, their nation. Above them were the Ogres; they had evolved and would be known in human society as the high-ranking nobles, with high intelligence and exceptional control over fire. It is said that they possessed enough firepower to level a city on their own. They were the ruling class and the generals. They would have been the supreme rulers of their kind, but there was still one class that exceeded even them.
Krone looked up at the king and grit his teeth.
The king of goblins, or Mongel.
The Mongel was the most powerful goblin with near limitless potential, a class of his own. Unlike the other goblins who were either too small or too large, he appeared human with pointed ears adorned with jewels. He resembled a young boy, probably 15 years old. He sat bare-chested with red lines painted on his body that ran across his chest, arms, legs, and going under his left eye, with a horn above that eye, neck-length blonde hair, and a surprisingly handsome face.
Krone saw himself as the strongest one there was and could back up his words. Ever since his birth, he craved strength. Even though he was a lowly goblin who'd been looked down upon by those higher up, he'd trained relentlessly, cultivating his skills and honing his abilities until he was acknowledged enough to become a general. He'd been able to hold his own even among the Ogres who were above him in the hierarchy. He thought he'd reached the pinnacle, yet there was still a being who was above him. He knew that even if he showed the slightest killing intent, he'd be dead before he'd realized it. That's why he, who was direct and not into plans and strategies, had plotted and formed alliances with the Dark Apostles in order to realize his dream of being the strongest. He saw everyone as a pawn and fodder to be used to elevate himself.
"Invade Opal? Why bother?" The King replied.
Krone's anger simmered. "With Opal under our control, we'll gain leverage against Archadia."
The Goblin King waved his hand dismissively. "There are a large number of beasts there. Not only will we be contending with the Kingdom and any allies they may have, but we will have to deal with the abnormal amount of beasts in the area," the king said, taking a grape from a bowl beside him and putting it in his mouth.
"But my liege, the region boasts a large quantity of Mystium, which we could use," Krone persisted.
"Not necessary. I desire entertainment, not petty conquests."
Krone's face twisted in frustration. "Entertainment?"
"Something to alleviate boredom," the Goblin King clarified. "War is dull. And we don't need any shining rocks. Leave and don't come back till you can provide me with something more... intriguing."
Krone bit back his retort, maintaining composure.
"As you wish, my liege."
The Goblin King's gaze narrowed, the atmosphere suddenly becoming heavy. "Remember, Krone, do not act against the kingdom without my consent."
Krone bowed. "Understood."
As he departed, Krone's thoughts seethed with rebellion.
Oslon's voice interrupted his contemplation.
"Yo, you still alive, Krone?"
"What do you want, doctor?" Krone asked in a tone that showed he was not in the mood.
"Oh, I just wanted to find out if you were still alive. I mean, the way you and your cronies rushed to get back, even though you'd promised to help in the operation," Oslon's voice rang.
"You weren't even there," Krone said.
"True, but I heard from Rigarde that you people bolted before you could do anything. And at a bad time, too. We almost succeeded. Almost because you weren't there."
Krone had equally heard that the mercenaries they partnered with tried to run out on them and that the plan was foiled by the champion Kojo. Hmm, Kojo, huh? He's the one who apparently defeated Sasha the Carnage Queen, who'd been undefeated for how long now. Krone wondered how much stronger he'd get if he fought him. He had the bad habit of being overconfident and underestimating his opponents.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Why did you contact me?" Krone asked.
"Glamour shipments are ready," Oslon reported, his voice dripping with excitement.
"I tried a new formula by reversing the—"
"Please spare me the details," Krone said, cutting him off.
"No one ever lets me finish my story," Oslon's voice sounded sad.
Krone smiled, the first time he'd done so that day. He'd had to deal with his 'official' duties and unofficial ones as well as manage the bloodthirsty hounds at his base. Then there was the whole issue with the King. He was frustrated, but this was a welcome piece of news.
"How will I get it?" Krone asked.
"I'll send it via the usual route, through our mutual friend."
This friend, the Spike of, was a well-known merchant who traveled all around the world for trade as a cover, but in reality, he ran a large cartel that was heavily involved with trafficking illegal items, people, and sensitive information, with branches almost everywhere. He was scheduled to come to Ekron. Krone smiled. He would meet him then.
Things were going really smoothly, and soon he'd have dealt with blockades in his path to being the strongest. He laughed loudly.