When the goblins' goal and their destination was set by the king, they soon made their preparations.
No, they were already done with that, and that was why it didn't take long for the goblins to start marching once more.
All the goblins that were tasked with guarding were called back, and all the goblins that were hunting were also called back.
It didn't take them long as the goblins already knew what it was about.
Of course, Karkas was the one who did that, and he was also the one who arranged the goblins' formation and position.
After all, Dawn couldn't be bothered with that.
They were also able to finish that quickly, and that was why, with the tightest formation possible with their numbers, the goblins were marching.
However, their march wasn't the slow and steady one!
It was the fast one which one would think all of them were hunting right now!
Of course, Dawn was passing trees after trees as he kept running.
And beside him was Karkas, who was having a worried look on his face.
After all, Dawn just woke up. And now, he is running as if there is no tomorrow.
"K-king...maybe you should take a rest?" Karkas said with a nervous tone.
However, it seems that Dawn had other thoughts as he answered Karkas with a question.
"I don't feel the Elder. Where is he?"
And when Karkas heard what Dawn said, his eyes immediately became wide.
The look on his face could only be described as full of terror.
After all, even though he knew that this time would come, Karkas didn't know how to break it to Dawn.
The Elder was one of the goblins that the king had as his subordinate.
If one had to describe it with a term, the Elder was the first generation.
And now, he died protecting the king.
Even Karkas, who had Dawn's trust, didn't know how to express it to him.
And Dawn could see that just from how Karkas looked and how indecisive he was.
After all, Karkas was always right on point and in time. He was decisive when it came to the king.
And since Karkas was acting weird, Dawn was able to come to a conclusion.
"I see. He died, huh."
"Y-yes...unfortunately. He sacrificed himself when those bastards were trying to catch up to you, that's what Didi said."
"Didi, Ika, Una, Dal, and the Elder. Those were the goblins who were there when they saw you got...beaten up."
"Una and Dal too almost died, but they were saved in time thanks to that Five Great Clans member I told you about."
Karkas said as he knew that he couldn't hide it anyway.
After all, Dawn would know in time as long as he asked any other goblin.
Besides, it's not like Karkas could not obey Dawn's orders.
He was faithful to him, in dark and light times.
And that was why he was even more worried now for Dawn.
After all, he knew how Dawn treasures his goblins.
However, it seems that he didn't have to worry for Dawn about that as Dawn spoke.
"Hmm. It's part of a goblin's life."
Indeed, death is part of the goblin's life, and it was just a part of it.
Almost all of the goblins didn't mind dying as long as it was for a reasonable and honorable cause.
They would die for the king any time, any day, and in any situation.
After all, what matters to the goblin is how they lived their lives and how they died.
And dying for the king is something that could be considered the most important achievement a goblin could achieve in his death.
"What do you think those guys would want as their reward?" Dawn asked Karkas as he passed another tree.
Of course, Dawn knew that he had to reward the goblins who risked their lives to save them.
The living ones, Dal, Una, Ika, Didi...Dawn would and wants to reward them for saving his life.
After all, Dawn appreciated what they did, and he wasn't ashamed of being saved by his subordinates.
He wasn't that hollow.
"If I must say...I think ordering them would make them happy, king."
"There's no goblin who wouldn't be happy if you were the one to order them."
Karkas said as he truly believed that. After all, it was the truth.
And it seems Dawn was also on the same page with him as he spoke.
"Hmm. I guess I'll do that."
"Is there someone else who died besides the Elder?"
Dawn asked Karkas.
After all, there's no way Dawn would be able to pinpoint every single goblin who died just from how he could feel them.
Almost half of their goblins died, and that was just too many, even for Dawn's crazy senses.
"Yes. The goblin named Yamu died as well. He is a goblin from Womo's village, if you remember that goblin."
"Hmm. How many blessed goblins did we lose in total?"
"We lost many blessed goblins, I still don't know the exact number. However, the named blessed goblins that died is just one."
"And that would be Yamu."
When Karkas finished saying that, Dawn quickly had thought inside his mind.
---Hmm. We didn't lose that much, huh.
After all, from what Karkas said, the blessed goblins that died weren't that much.
Although there were many no-name blessed goblins who died, they aren't part of Dawn's core goblins.
After all, they would be named if they were strong.
Besides, the normal goblins that they lost in this journey could be regained back in time.
The goblins reproduce quicker and a lot faster than any other monsters living.
And that is why Dawn wasn't really that concerned about their numbers.
And it looks like Dawn didn't really have a problem with their quality as well.
"Hmm. That's good." Dawn said as he whipped his head back in front.
And what his blackish eyes could see was his village that he left.
"It feels like I've been away for a long time."