My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 957 - 958: My Wha

"What you want?" the goblin leader inquired using a rough, crude form of the common tongue.

Damon prepared to respond when a different goblin abruptly advanced and seized his head in annoyance.

"Dad, please. I've mentioned this to you already. Always begin with a greeting when encountering others."

The words originated from yet another redcap goblin clad in leather armor. His face showed clear irritation.

What truly stunned Damon was the manner of his speech.

Smooth.

Utterly smooth.

No gruffness, no fractured sentences. The language came out effortlessly, just as it would from any well-taught individual using the common tongue.

Damon felt sure that if he shut his eyes and just heard that voice, he wouldn't imagine it coming from a goblin.

He wasn't alone in his astonishment.

Renata even blinked a bit.

Wendy, though, detected no oddity in it. She lacked familiarity with goblins, and the biases common among the Goddess Races hadn't shaped her views.

Matia showed zero response.

She appeared utterly detached.

It had been ages since she last saw goblins of this sort. The previous encounter with redcaps involved them pursuing her and her companions through the Duhu Mountains.

Those beings had been horrifying at the time.

But now?

They seemed feeble.

Lana, conversely, gaped with eyes as round as plates.

She knew goblins could talk. That was basic knowledge.

Yet not in this way.

Not with such polish.

Indeed, goblins held some smarts and even basic tribal structures. However, all her knightly training had drilled into her the idea that they were barely more than beasts.

Damon maintained a steady face.

Sure, surprise hit him.

But nothing extreme.

He recalled reading about certain races relocating to demon lands in system logs. For instance, troll groups had allied with the nation of Mugu since demons didn't demean or harass them.

"Ah... hello," Damon replied steadily, flashing a warm and approachable grin.

"Where might you fine folks be journeying, if I may inquire?"

He ensured his tone stayed courteous.

Yet not excessively so.

Overly formal words could spark doubts.

And should suspicion arise...

Well.

He could dispatch them in one swift action.

The speaking goblin had crimson skin and resembled a human youth, save for his faintly pointed ears.

"Oh, it's fine," he replied. "We're making our way to the city of Trace."

Damon rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly.

"I see. Pardon my lack of knowledge. We're bound for the same place, actually. It's only that... I've never ventured beyond my village, so the wider world is new to me."

The youthful goblin brushed it off with a wave and a small bow.

"Oh, no need to fret. You must be responding to the summons for battle. Plenty of demon races are flocking to Trace these days."

Damon held his composure.

So that's the situation.

A call to arms.

What a perfect chance.

Should it pan out, he could slip right into the demon forces.

The young goblin pressed a hand to his heart.

"I’m Gabo," he introduced. "And this is my father. He leads our tribe. Apologies for his grasp of the common tongue. He's far better with our own dialect."

Damon inclined his head before facing the elder goblin.

"Hello. Delighted to make your acquaintance."

Gabo suddenly halted.

His eyes bulged in disbelief.

The cause was straightforward.

Damon had just addressed them in flawless goblin language.

The remaining goblins exchanged puzzled looks as their leader gradually offered his own greeting.

Damon grinned and kept conversing in their mother tongue.

He had picked up a key insight through the years.

Addressing others in their native speech right away relaxed them. It conveyed empathy. It signaled respect for their kind and traditions.

And with that belief in place, trust came much more readily.

Following a short exchange, Damon beamed and reached out his hand.

The motion evidently startled the goblin leader.

After all, Damon was demonkin.

His status alone placed him well above them socially.

The goblin leader emitted an odd "jeejeje" noise before grasping Damon's hand at last.

Their grip was solid.

’I believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship.’

Naturally, Damon nearly felt a twinge of remorse.

Journeying alongside him posed risks.

His ability, Deathless, oddly drew ever more perilous events.

Thus, these goblins were likely in for something truly awful soon.

He almost wished to express regret beforehand.

Once greetings wrapped up, the goblins moved back and murmured among themselves. Damon observed from nearby, intrigued.

’They’re far more refined than I anticipated,’ he mused.

Shortly after, they approached again.

Gabo advanced once more, serving as their voice.

"Sir, you and your wives are welcome to join our travels. We of the Horn Tribe are an independent goblin group—"

Damon cleared his throat right away.

"Erhm... my what? My wives?"

Gabo hesitated, puzzled. His gaze shifted beyond Damon to the four women positioned behind him.

Every one was a stunning demonkin beauty. Renata exuding poised assurance, Wendy displaying laid-back unconcern, Matia radiating subtle deadliness, and Lana frozen like a tense figure.

Then there was Damon.

A towering demonkin male boasting grand horns and mighty wings.

To Gabo, the assumption was clear.

A striking demonkin man journeying solo with four lovely women?

Obviously, they were his spouses.

Damon parted his lips to set things straight.

"They aren—"

"My, is it that obvious?" Renata interjected smoothly.

She stepped up, intertwined her fingers with Damon's, and rested her chin on his shoulder while sporting a subtle smirk.

"Yes. We are his wives."

Wendy gave a nonchalant shrug.

"I only wanted to have children with him," she remarked offhandedly. "But whatever."

Matia stayed silent.

Her face kept its neutral cast, which the goblins interpreted as quiet agreement.

Lana, meanwhile, had flushed crimson from top to bottom.

"Ah—my lord—I—I mean it’s not unusual for nobles to take their dames but I—I’m not mentally prepared for this!"

Damon’s features turned utterly expressionless.