The enemy's change was so evident and hot that it seemed like smoke was going out of their bodies.
This change made Womo fluster, and when he heard Dawn's orders for the attack, he immediately raised his voice.
"Wait! I'm here to..."
"Uwaaa!"
Despite that, the enemy doesn't show any leniency and interrupts Womo. Their tension has reached the climax, transforming it into a courageous shout.
Their focused eyes serve to threaten their enemies, and their stillness puts even greater pressure on the enemy.
Then, a normal goblin by the side of Dawn raised his hand, and as if it were like magic, something strange happened.
Gud. Gud.
The normal goblins that didn't show any reaction before have now started to spread out like wildfire.
Even if Womo has the advantage of numbers and the position, it isn't so large that it will decide the battle.
If Dawn decided to pinpoint an area and forced a breakthrough in that particular point, the encirclement would mean nothing.
In fact, at this point, the encirclement was more of a disadvantage for Womo. It thinned out his numbers while Dawn has the bulk of his forces with him.
"Kuh!"
The sound of teeth gnashing could be heard through the closed mouth of Womo. After all, he didn't expect that things would turn out this way.
'I haven't planned for this at all!'
While Womo was in a panic state, he still didn't forget to take the basic measures and steps to prepare for battle.
'If it comes to this...'
He clenched his fists and steeled his resolve. If things weren't going his way, he'd have to make it so.
"Wos! Gather the others! Mos, take the back! Yamu, with me!"
He gathered his subordinates and gave orders while meticulously watching the enemy goblins' movements.
The one called Yamu stuck with him as Womo made his way to the front. Womo wanted at least to achieve what he came here for, and if he couldn't, he'll just go to war.
Things were getting busy in both camps, and the leaders of such camps were eying each other.
Dawn was just standing there, staring at Womo make his way to the front.
'Something's off about that goblin...' Dawn thought.
His senses as a goblin were much better now, and for some reason, those senses were telling him that not to take rash actions.
Dawn was trying hard to discern what that means, and that was the reason why he wasn't taking any action despite ordering his subordinates.
And because of that, he didn't even give any orders and relied solely on Karkas for giving orders to his subordinates.
Thankfully, due to their recent hunt and their lifestyle centered on hunting by groups of ten, five, and their respective units, the goblins could quickly take action to prepare.
"Hig, go take your unit and go position yourselves at the back!"
"Didi, take 20 goblins and go to the front! Your remaining men will be temporarily joining Hig at the back!"
Leading such preparations, Karkas' voice resounded out in the dead silence, and the movements of the said goblins could be seen with the naked eye.
Karkas didn't bother hiding their movements as he continued to pour orders out of his mouth.
After all, they were already surrounded. Any secret plans will soon be unveiled.
Although the atmosphere was tense, no goblin was taking the initiative to start the action.
A war between two villages wasn't simple enough to be started with a simple 'Annihilate them!'
Of course, Karkas knew this, and the other side also knew this. In such cases where the village chiefs were in the presence of each other, talks were needed.
Goblin chiefs prioritize gaining other goblins for their villages or tribes to secure their safety and to gain a competent goblin that could potentially inherit their knowledge.
And that's why before a war, talks about how the surviving goblins will belong to the winner will always happen. If these talks weren't observed, both sides will only take a loss and won't be able to survive in the forest.
Even a selfish and tyrant goblin chief would have to do these kinds of talks. After all, if the remnants of a battle run away, that goblin chief would have no subjects to rule over.
That's why even though the prey in front of them is delicious and juicy, some parts should not be eaten. Although Dawn didn't know any of that, Karkas' job was to let Dawn know exactly that.
That's why after finishing the formation of the goblins, Karkas turned his head towards Dawn, bowed down, and spoke quietly.
"King. I have something to suggest."
"..."
When Dawn wasn't answering, Karkas raised his head to take a look whether if Dawn was listening to him or not.
And when he finally took a look, he saw Dawn staring straight at him.
"Ah."
A small exclamation escaped out of Karkas' mouth. Dawn's eyes were focused on him, and a strong will could be seen in his eyes.
Karkas, more than anyone, knew what that kind of look means.
"A-are you sure?"
"Yeah. I trust you, Karkas."
"Y-yes, my king!"
Shouting so loud that all the other goblins could hear, Karkas then turned around and began walking.
His green face was beet red from being unused to the passionate feeling that Dawn expressed to him.
No, he already experienced this many times before; he just didn't want to admit it.
He didn't want the king to make some unnecessary expectations for him. Karkas knows what his limits are and does not want to fail the king when it comes down to it, but now, he can't reject it. He didn't want to reject it.
After all, the words that came out of Dawn's mouth, 'I trust you.' were enough to make him want to surpass those limits.
Karkas walked forward, step by step, carrying with him the trust and expectations of the king.
When he reached the end of his destination, Womo could be seen standing across from him.
With his determination and resolve, Karkas stepped forward and named himself.
"I am Karkas, the delegate of the king!"
His voice echoed out in the forest where only the sound of wind blowing could be heard.
"Good! I am the village chief, Womo!"
"Village Chief Womo! I will make this simple! Are you here for war?!"
"Fuuu..."
At that moment, before answering, Womo took a deep breath in and shouted with all his might.
"I surrender!"
"V-village chief?! W-what are you saying?"
Wos spoke in a fluster. It seems he didn't expect that the great village chief will easily surrender just like that.
"Chief, I believe we can win this war..."
Yamu, the goblin who is staying beside him, also gave his word.
"Surrender? What do you mean by that! When you were disrespecting the king earlier, do you really think we will accept that?!"
Of course, the one who couldn't believe something like a sudden surrender is Karkas' side.
They were the ones who had their chief ridiculed, and Mos' overbearing attitude was enough to spill blood.
"That, I will apologize. I came here for the first place to ask for an alliance!"
"An alliance...?"
Karkas was confused about this sudden mention of an alliance. He didn't have any experience with something like joining hands with others; he only knew how to lead or serve.
'King, what should I...!'
Karkas was about to look for Dawn, but he managed to reel his head back in.
'N-no. The king has placed great trust in me. I must see to it!' Karkas thought with burning intensity in his heart.
"What do you say, Karkas!"
Womo's voice was filled with nervousness and haste. It seems he really wants to settle the issue right here, right now.
After all, if he really did come here for an alliance, he wouldn't want to damage his possible partner's village or his own village.
"Chief! I thought we were here for war?!"
"Shut up! I call the shots here!"
Boom!
Womo slammed his sword down, making a destructive mess in where the sword landed. His muscles that have been tempered by the blessings were strong enough to make a sharp weapon work like a blunt weapon.
"I am the village chief!"
"...Yes."
His subordinates all lowered their heads. After all, it is a fact that he is the village chief.
Karkas was overlooking these matters as he was thinking. When he finished, a chuckle naturally came out of his mouth. Then he spoke in a calm tone with an expressionless face.
"Womo, is it? You say you ask for alliance?"
"That's right!"
"Then, I want your and Mos' heads!"
What do you mean by that? Is what Womo's face seems to be asking. His ears allowed him to hear perfectly just fine, but he couldn't help but doubt the contents of the message.
Karkas' face hardened, his fists clenched as some sort of aura was leaking out of him. This aura pressured not only enemies but also his allies.
And this pressure made a certain goblin, Hig, remember something.
His throat gulped down some saliva as he thought.
'Isn't this the Elder's...?!'
At that moment, before Hig could finish, Karkas shouted with all his might. His presence on the battlefield was much stronger and could be said to be comparable to Dawn's.
"The king bows to no one!!"
He then raised his right hand to point at Womo.
"Attack!"
"Uwaaaah!!"
This marks the start of the war between Dawn's village and the Four Big Villages which Womo represents.