By the Grace of the Gods

Today, two chapters are posted simultaneously.

This is the first chapter.

Perhaps noticing that I was paying attention to the Goblins, Mr. Seaver asked me.

“Ryoma, I’m curious about the armor those Hobgoblins are wearing. Are those prototypes as well?”

In the direction of Mr. Seaver’s gaze were the Hobgoblins, scattered around the Goblins who were preparing. These Hobgoblins mainly consist of the more aggressive individuals within the group, serving as guards for the mostly non-combatant Goblins during outdoor activities. Even now, they remain vigilant, occasionally swinging their weapons.

Their armor is homemade, assembled from parts created through alchemy with reference to the armor of the Greatsword Brothers we defeated before. I think it turned out quite well.

“That is a prototype, but since it wasn’t made by a craftsman, it’s more for deterrence towards others.”

“Ah, the Hobgoblins you mentioned before that prevent trouble. They have quite a solid build and heavy armor, and since they can move fine even with greatswords on their backs, they certainly look strong.”

“The material used is an alloy called ‘duralumin,’ which is lighter in weight compared to regular iron, so despite its strength, it’s light and easy to move in. The downside is that it rusts easily, so we apply a sticky slime’s adhesive liquid mixed with charcoal to prevent rust. We also suppress the shine to give it a heavy, solid look.

Besides that, they’ve been given at least minimal combat training, so they perform fairly well even on subjugation requests. I might be biased, but they’re not just for show.”

We roughly divide the smaller Goblins for ranged attacks and the well-built, stronger Hobgoblins for close combat. The basic tactic is to unleash a volley of arrows or magic from afar, then have the melee squad meet any enemies who get through.

If we ask the limule bird, it can scout from the sky. With the slime’s help, we can set traps or establish positions in a short time. And if I use spatial magic, we can move quickly and discreetly. Combining these elements with the number of Goblins lets us gain the initiative and fight more advantageously.

It’s a very basic strategy, but creating a favorable situation means more safety for us. In the past few months, there have been many bandit groups and packs of magical beasts that collapsed just from the Goblins’ coordinated volleys.

“You’re running them as a proper ‘unit’ more than I expected... So, Ryoma, you’re both general and strategist?”

“Well, I’m not sure if I’m really a strategist, but there’s someone who seems to fit that role. A genius chicken named Amber.”

Amber is the leader of the clever chickens I bought for their eggs—more like the complaints handler. Raised carefully as livestock and somewhat pampered in a greenhouse environment, Amber is still less than a year old but manages to lead the flock.

Seeing him with so much on his mind, I thought it might be a good distraction to make him a chessboard... Amber immediately learned the rules, and soon I couldn’t win against him.

Later, when Amber taught chess to the flock, complaints from the obsessed individuals decreased and they started resolving disputes through chess, which unexpectedly reduced the burden on me. I was very grateful but also a bit conflicted since it was totally unexpected.

“But since it’s informative, I sometimes hear about it.”

“How is that? Were clever chickens really such magical beasts?”

“First of all, I never thought to teach livestock chess... Clever chickens are said to be smart and understand human language, but I hadn’t heard of them playing chess. However, if they can do it, it might be possible with the right teaching method.”

Lord Reinbach, asked for his opinion, answered hesitantly. He added that these chickens might become a popular spectacle among the wealthy.

“A novelty, perhaps?”

“Yes, but for nobles, mind games are part of culture. It’s not unusual for nobles to hold tournaments, hire strong players, or temporarily bring in coaches. Wealthy people invest heavily in what they’re passionate about.