79. Sarahon
“Sarahon?” Ko Byeong-gap repeated.
‘Is Sarahon the real name of the Goblins?’
He wasn’t an idiot, so he figured it out. He already knew that ‘Goblin’ wasn’t their real name.
“I was going to ask, but I forgot. Is that your real name? Not Goblin?”
“A Goblin!” Marilyn shouted as if she were about to make a sudden leap forward.
“Goblin… is an insulting nickname. It’s a name that dirty minions call us to mock! For example, human beings…”
She blurted her words and looked into Ko Byeong-gap’s eyes.
“You… No, I didn’t mean you, Lord.”
“That’s enough. What do you mean, minions?”
“This is an extension of the war history I told you earlier. All the children on earth turned their backs on us when we, the Sarahon, fought a war against the Holy Warrior. They were originally taken care of by us, but they didn’t even show gratitude, and they dared to point their weapons at us!”
Marilyn gritted her teeth. Her eyes seemed to burn with anger.
‘Come to think of it, I read something similar on the lithograph.’
Those words were written on the stone tablets of the temple.
– All the races with whom we were once with have turned their backs.
Judging from it, he inferred that there lived many races on this continent in the distant past. They would’ve had a friendly relationship with the Sarahon.
With the grace she spoke of, the Sarahon might’ve helped the other species in many things.
However, after the war with the ‘Holy Warriors,’ the other races seemed to have turned a blind eye to the Sarahons. Simply put, they stuck with the stronger side.
It wasn’t weird. That was how the logic of power works.
‘We’ll have to talk about the war separately.’
“Well, that’s enough about your story. I’ll let you hear what you want to hear. Dorma.”
“Yes, Lord.”
“Tell her what happened.”
“I see.”
Dorma, who had been silent for a while, cleared his throat. Marilyn glanced at him with a suspicious look on her face.
“I don’t know the exact time, but Ashvilam was on the verge of extinction.”
Dorma continued his story for a while. Ko Byeong-gap already heard it once. Ashvilam was destroyed, and the Goblins, who lost their women, borrowed the power of sorcery to escape extinction.
Somehow, the magic only maintained their life, but as generations went by, the Goblins became worse. Also, their numbers began to decrease. It had been a long time since then. Dorma used the expression ‘hundreds of years.’
The Goblins lost their old self and turned into the ugly form they were now in no time. They completely lost their center of operations and were scattered throughout the continent. By the time the story got there, Marilyn did her best to deny the reality.
“Right… We, the Sarahon, who rose above all other races on earth as their zeitgeist, have become like you? That’s ridiculous. I don’t believe it!”
“So what if you don’t believe me? I, and a lot of my own people out there, are evidence of the times.”
“Ah…” Marilyn touched her forehead. Her eyes trembled as if there was an earthquake in her eyes.
“I’ve never heard of the name Sarahon before. We forgot the truth and called ourselves Goblin. I’m more familiar with the name Goblin than Sarahon.”
“I just can’t accept it.”
“I understand. You lived in the past, and I live in the present.”
The story continued. The Goblins led their lives in ways that were far different from other beasts. Around that time, the world was devastated, and the Goblins were chased by something scary.
“What do you mean by ‘something scary’? What the hell was it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember correctly either, but… it was a nightmare itself.”
Dorma took a short pause before he continued.
“There’s a Spirit woman here. She said the devil invaded the earth and took over the heavens. I don’t understand it, but if that’s true, I think it might be the devil that chased us back then.”
“Devil?”
Marilyn frowned.
“What kind of skill does a creature that lives in the underground have to be able to invade earth?”
“That’s why I said I don’t understand.”
“Who is that Spirit? Call her to this place!”
“It’s no use telling me. Ask for the Lord’s permission.”
Marilyn shuddered and turned her head to look at Ko Byeong-gap.
“Who is the Spirit woman? Please call her. I have to ask the whole story!”
“You saw her earlier, too.”
“I saw her?”
“Yes, the Spirit was the one who stopped me when I threw you down. Her name is Ea.”
Marilyn glanced around a few times and soon thought of Ea. She murmured incredibly.
“That… That was a Spirit? What the hell is going on in the world?”
“I can’t call her now. Let’s ask when the sun comes up tomorrow.”
Ko Byeong-gap said so and got up. He looked at the watch on his wrist and saw it was past two in the morning. They had shared enough information and could do it later if they were missing something. That day wasn’t the only day.
“It’s late at night. Let’s make room for it another day. Doran…”
“Yes, Lord.”
“Get off duty today and take Marilyn to sleep with you.”
“You want me to sleep with her?”
Doran asked back in embarrassment. However, when Ko Byeong-gap stared at her intently, she couldn’t help but nod.
“… Okay, I’ll do that.”
“Get out of here, everyone.”
“Okay. Rest well, Lord.”
“Good night… You come with me.”
“Oh, yes, let’s go.”
The three Goblins stood up. They turned their evening greetings and withdrew. Ko Byeong-gap called Marilyn before she left the door.
“Marilyn.”
“Oh… Yes, go ahead.”
“I know it’s very disturbing, but take a good rest for a few days and try to calm yourself down. Let me know whenever you feel uncomfortable. I’ll make it as convenient as possible.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Yes, go and rest.”
“Rest well.”
The three Goblins disappeared. Ko Byeong-gap bit a cigarette in his mouth as if he had been waiting.
‘This is hard.’
The more he held their hands, the heavier his shoulders became. He felt the fact in his skin again. He tried to look aloof, but he was still a young man.
Still, he could never fall apart. If he were to collapse, they would collapse as well. Ko Byeong-gap tempered himself again that day.
On the other hand, Doran, Dorma, and Marilyn left and returned to their respective places. Marilyn looked around Valtadren, where darkness had fallen, with astonished eyes. She admired it inwardly since it was better than she thought.
She looked away and looked at Doran walking ahead. Doran didn’t glance at her. She wanted to talk to her, but for some reason, she couldn’t speak.
“Hey… Did you say you were Dorma?”
So she called Dorma that stood next to her. Dorma reacted calmly.
“That’s right.”
“Is that guy a man to be trusted?”
“What do you mean, that guy? Are you referring to the Lord?”
“That’s right.”
Dorma’s eyes twitched.
“That’s a strange way to call him. In the future, please refer to him correctly.”
“Do you really believe him? A human man?”
“Why can’t you believe it? And didn’t you see it with your own eyes? He’s our Lord.”
Marilyn let out a big sigh and answered.
“I don’t believe in other races. In particular, humans are sly and mean compared to others. In other words, they were the first ones to turn their backs on Sarahon when our prestige decreased. It was a human being who took the role of the enemy’s vanguard during the war!”
“…”
“I don’t know what kind of trick he used to succeed the king’s spirit, but this is wrong. It’s completely wrong. As long as he’s human, one day we’ll–”
“Stop.”
Dorma came to a halt. It was at that moment…
‘What?!?’
Marilyn felt a tremendous amount of power. It was so dense that she felt like it pierced her skin. She had faced numerous enemies as the deputy commander of the Mandara Knights, but she had never seen such dark energy.
The one that exuded it was Dorma. He glared at Marilyn with red, bloodshot eyes, and she unconsciously stepped back. Doran was startled and went back to stop them.
“Hey! Hey! Don’t! If we fight among ourselves, Lord will be mad!”
“Let me give you a warning. Don’t ever look down on him in front of me again. Don’t get caught by me because I’m not as nice as the person I serve.”
“Ugh…”
“Hey, you idiot! Stop it!”
Only then did Dorma calm down when Doran shouted, but his mouth kept moving.
“I don’t know what’s so complicated in your head, but he’s the only one for us. The Lord was the one who gathered all our people who lived like animals, so they could lie warmly on their backs, live with a full stomach, and be free from the danger of death. Not the king you’re talking about!”
Marilyn wanted to refute but couldn’t say anything, so she just bit her lips. As she did so, Dorma turned away.
“I’m going this way, so I’ll go now. Good night, Doran.”
“… Uhuh. Good luck.”
Dorma disappeared into the darkness. The two women looked in that direction for a while.
“I’ve never seen him so angry. He doesn’t usually talk…”
Doran murmured sullenly. She then glared at Marilyn and said loudly.
“But he’s right. Don’t look down on our Lord!”
“Oh, no, Doran. I’m just…”
“Shut up! Follow me!”
She galloped ahead. Marilyn quickly chased her away and made excuses.
“I was just worried. The life and death of our race are at stake. It isn’t right to leave the fate of the Sarahons in the hands of other races, even humans. The king probably didn’t foresee such a situation.”
“Oh! I don’t know about your king or anything like that. Also, what’s wrong with the Lord being different from us? The Lord is the Lord!”
“But…”
“Our Lord is great. That’s why everyone follows the Lord. Of course, the little idiots might not have many thoughts. Anyway, everyone loves the Lord!”
“Everyone likes him?”
“It’s not ‘him.’ It’s Lord.”
Marilyn chewed her lips with a troubled face. For her, the only Lord was Lord Landreal. She had never imagined serving someone else as the Lord. However, it wasn’t wise to be stubborn recklessly. After all, he had the spirit of the king.
She licked her lips a few times before she nodded her head as if she had given up.
“So, do the Sarahons like the Lord now?”
“Of course!”
Doran pointed to the houses neatly lined up on both sides.
“The Lord built all of these for us.”
“Eh, you mean all this?”
“Yeah! Do you know what else he does? The Lord brings us meat every day to feed us. If a monster appears outside the walls, it’s the Lord who takes the lead in the battle.”
Doran talked about the Grugle raid a few days ago. More than 1,000 monster times came, but Ko Byeong-gap’s performance allowed them to win completely without a single death.
Marilyn’s expression as she listened to the story gradually darkened. Dorma’s story a while ago was the same as Doran’s story. There was no doubt that the man named Ko Byeong-gap devoted himself to the Sarahon.
Eventually, Marilyn admitted him.
“… I see. He’s a saint.”
“Right, you’ll like Lord soon, too.”
“But Doran…”
“Why?”
Marilyn sighed a little.
“You used to call me Godmother and behaved very politely, but your current attitude is a bit unfamiliar… Can’t you do the same for me?”
“Huh?”
Doran blinked for a few seconds and grimaced.
“What did I say? Just follow me!”
In the end, Marilyn was unable to hear her respects.
***
The next day dawned. There was no rooster’s cry to announce the sunrise, but the Goblins diligently rose and prepared for the day.
“Have your meal! Please eat!”
Instead, Ea’s cheerful voice announced the morning. The Goblins gathered in the restaurant and had their breakfast.
“Oh! Lord’s here. Lord, eat.”
“Lord, do you have a seat? Let’s eat together.”
The Goblins greeted when they saw Ko Byeong-gap. He shook his hand as if to excuse himself.
“That’s enough. You guys eat a lot. I don’t eat things like that.”
Although he was currently living with the Goblins, there were only two walls that had yet to be broken down. Being naked around the Goblins and sharing their meals. He needed more time, he believed.
Ko Byeong-gap entered the kitchen with large bags.
“You said you ran out of sugar, didn’t you? Where should I put this?”
“Oh! This way! Why are you bringing it yourself?”
“Hey… For what reason? Why not?”
“…”
Marilyn leaned against one wall and watched him. This time, she glanced around the restaurant. The Sarahons sat together, laughed, and chatted while they ate.
Their dishes and food were clean, as were their bodies and clothes. There was a lot of thought on her face. After a while, Ko Byeong-gap came back from the kitchen, and Marilyn immediately strode toward him.
“Oh, you’re there too. Did you sleep well? Did you feel any discomfort?”
“…”
“Where’s Doran? Anyway, sit down and eat.”
“…”
Ko Byeong-gap found Marilyn and gave her a greeting, but he didn’t hear an answer. Marilyn only shut her mouth and made eye contact with Ko Byeong-gap.
“What’s wrong with you this morning?’
Anxiety sprang up in his mind, but then, Marilyn suddenly knelt on one knee and bowed her head. The attention in the restaurant was naturally drawn to them.
“What are you doing?”
“Please forgive my past rudeness.”
“What?”
“To be honest, I didn’t trust you at first. I thought it was incredulous, but that was my wrong judgment.”
She raised her head. He could feel the determination in her expression.
“I, Marilyn, swear to devote the rest of my life to you. Please accept me as your servant, Lord.”
“You have a talent for embarrassing people.”
Ko Byeong-gap tried to get her up with a sour smile. However, she didn’t get up and endured.
“That’s enough. That’s enough. Hurry up and get up.”
“I haven’t heard an answer yet.”
“Huh?”
Ko Byeong-gap looked down at Marilyn with a curious look. Marilyn was as firm as a stone, so he gave up and sighed.
“Whew, I don’t care if you dedicate the rest of your life to me or not. Welcome to the family, Marilyn.”
“Are you accepting me?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you! I’ll do my best to support you!”
Only then did Marilyn get up. Ko Byeong-gap quickly left the restaurant and thought about how he gained another fanatic. On the other side, Dorma smiled pleasantly.
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