Divine Protection of Many Gods

Chapter 86

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Welburg, The Lord’s Mansion
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The Tribe Chief arrived at our place two days later. Considering the travelling time, I bet he had decided to come immediately after he received the message from Pino.

“Thank you very much for troubling yourself to come here on this occasion.” (Hibiki)

Pino’s father was flustered when I bowed and greeted him politely.

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Zaza・Gerb 42 years old
Gerb Tribe・Chief Lv.28

Skill
【Aquatic Adaptation】
Able to live underwater.

【Law of the Gerb Tribe】
Increased influence within the tribe.
Able to set the traditions for the Gerb Tribe.

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His job was the Chief, and one of his skills had to do with the leadership of the Gerb Tribe.
If I remembered correctly, Giren’s job was the “Lord”, but I don’t think he had any skills for that. I’ll check it now.

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Giren・Brooks 45 years old
Lord Lv.11 Status: 【Contract of Blood】

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As expected he had no skills. Or rather, why was your level so low, Giren?

“Calm down, father”. (Pino)

“I-I am calm. “Annihilation”-dono, what is the meaning of this?” (Zaza)

Pino’s father, Gerb Tribe’s Chief, Zaza, was flustered, and there was a reason for it.
It was because our conversation was being held in the mansion of Welburg’s Lord, and said Lord of Welburg was present in the room with us.

“I am an acquaintance of Welburg’s Lord, and borrowed a room for our meeting. Besides, I didn’t want to put unnecessary pressure by doing the meeting in my village.” (Hibiki)

But of course, I had something else in mind.
I had Giren attend the meeting as an official to sweep away the Chief’s distrust and to make the agreement turn in our favour.
It was Giren’s wish to be present in this room.
A friendly relationship with the Gerb Tribe will lead to the prosperity of Welburg.
Was what he said and then he asked to participate in the meeting.

“I had heard that you were blackmailed by “Annihilation”-dono, was that true Lord-dono?” (Zaza)

I had expected that he had heard the rumors about that matter, but I hadn’t expected that he would ask so directly about them.

“We blackmailed the Lord? What could be gained from such a thing? Admittedly we were favoured in various ways, but it was within the range of common sense.” (Hibiki)

I could hear Giren’s suppressed laughter behind me. I didn’t know what part of my speech just now triggered his laugh.

“That’s correct, he requested something like a face-to-face meeting once in awhile. The rest was usually an official job request from me”. (Giren)

He didn’t say any lies. Those were just being performed according to the contract.

“As far as I’m concerned, I want to build a friendly relationship with the Gerb Tribe.” (Giren)

Giren answered as he smiled at Zaza.

“What is your demand?” (Zaza)

“I want to borrow a wide space near Gerb Lake. Of course we will cover the construction fee, and we promise we will do our best so it won’t affect your daily life”. (Giren)

They won’t need to go to Welburg to purchase their needs if we built a shop there. And he then explained the merits for the Gerb Tribe to Zaza.

“We could buy our needs near the lake then?” (Zaza)

“That’s right”. (Giren)

I bet he felt like those boonies when a convenience store was built near their home, Zaza and the young male lizardmen guards that he brought along reacted with an “OOooh”.

“In addition, I shall handle the matter of friendly relations with Hibiki-kun that you were worried about.” (Giren)

Thanks, now Zaza won’t met his eyes with mine.
In contrast my gaze had met with Pino’s often. Every time our eyes met she would open her long mouth and make a faint “Ssha~” sound.
At first I thought it was a threatening gesture, but now I know it was a smile.
Yattelco who was near, in a small voice…

“What a lovely smile, Pino Ojou-sama.” (Yattelco)

Was what he had whispered.
The negotiation was steered by Giren.
I listened to Giren’s proposal while I thought of how it would be so much easier for us.
In the first place it was Zaza who had sent his daughter to marry me.
We didn’t have any demands actually. If I had to say, we just wanted a little bit of herbs that grew around Gerb Lake.
More samples of pool grass was always welcomed.
If this negotiation was approved, we could get it without any problems.

Everyone in this room was enthusiastic for this negotiation. Except for Zaza the Chief.

“But I saw Hibiki-dono was doing a weird ritual. He was able to summon a few ogres as a result.” (Zaza)

“That was a coincidence. Besides, it wasn’t a ritual or anything like that.” (Hibiki)

“That’s right father. That was a kind of sport called baseboll.” (Pino)

While waiting for the arrival of the tribe’s Chief, I had Pino and Yattelco experience baseball within those two days.
It seemed Yattelco liked the exhilarating feeling he had when he hit the ball, he would ask the goblins to do batting training whenever there was free time.
I had Pino try it too, she tried every role and showed potential in every one of them. As expected from a demi-human’s physical ability.

“Baseball is a sport where one uses his muscles and brain at the same time.” (Pino)

“That’s right. Keep this off-record please, but the secret of our goblins’ high combat ability was because it was trained through baseball.” (Hibiki)

Pino nodded in understanding at my half joking statement.
After he let his guard down a little because of his daughter’s persuasion, I asked if he wanted to try experiencing baseball.
Yattelco and Pino immediately agreed, thus the first match between the goblins and lizardmen begun.

However, the lizardmen were amateurs at it, it was like playing baseball with an old man who was holding a beer in his other hand on the grass field.
Thus I banned the use of magic to make breaking balls and even normal breaking balls, so it ended up with the result of a pure strength match.

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Goblin Village, Baseball Ground
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“Hit it!! Yattelco!! If you don’t hit it, I won’t get a turn in the batting order!!”. (Zaza)

It seems Zaza was enraptured by the charm of batting like Yattelco.
The match had reached the point of abandoning score keeping, just like the ones in an elementary grade schooler’s “never-ending baseball”.

Well, surpassing the barrier of species and getting heated up together, this might be a kind of ritual like Zaza had said.
It looked like the goblins and vampires in the audience seats had opened up to the lizardmen.
Because there was no point counting, the atmosphere didn’t get tense between them.
In the corner of the ground I saw some goblins teaching batting technique to the lizardmen.
Their preference on batting might be related to their race.
In the end, they played the “never-ending baseball” until sunset.

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Goblin Village
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“Yesterday, I’m sorry for getting over excited despite my age”. (Zaza)

Said Zaza while he bowed embarrassingly.

“Don’t worry about it. The misunderstanding was cleared up, and it seemed you liked baseball too.” (Hibiki)

“Y-yes, I hope we can make it popular at our home town too. We will ask your guidance for various things in the future.” (Zaza)

“Of course, gladly.” (Hibiki)

In the form of cultural exchange, we let 10 lizardmen live in our goblin village, and sent 10 of our goblins to the their settlement.
I bet they decided on that number because of baseball’s influence.

“Then, I will stay here too.” (Pino)

Said Pino who wanted to stay.

“Yea, that would be fine.” (Zaza)

I thought Zaza would stop her, but in contrast he agreed to her proposal.

“I originally came here to be a bride after all.” (Pino)

“Didn’t I decline that already? From the start, you hated it right?” (Hibiki)

“At that time I didn’t know anything about you, Hibiki-san. But, it’s all right now.” (Pino)

She said then she hissed and smiled at me.
Abruptly Ayla, Amy, and Zir came close to me.

“I beg your pardon, but we have enough hands in taking care of Master”. (Amy)

The other 2 nodded in agreement as Amy said that.

“But with our marriage it will bring merit for Hibiki-san you know?” (Pino)

“The friendly relationship with the Gerb Tribe is already set in stone. There’s no need in a political marriage anymore.” (Amy)

Before we realized, it became Amy’s and Pino’s one-on-one debate.
Ayla and Zir locked onto both of my arms so I couldn’t move an inch.
And then I sighed, I guess we would have to wait for them to stop on their own.