God Agent: All Hail The Great Kobold

Ka’z pulled gently on the reins and the wild boar immediately began moving forward, though not in the smooth and obedient manner he had imagined. The moment the animal felt the weight of a rider on its back, it lowered its head and began trotting toward the open path ahead with an awkward, uneven gait.

Ka’z instinctively tightened his grip on the reins and shifted his weight to compensate, but the movement only made the boar more confused.

Its ears twitched, its hooves scraped against the packed earth, and its body swayed beneath him with every step.

"Easy... Easy..." Ka’z muttered, trying to remember everything he knew about riding from his previous life.

Unfortunately, knowing how something worked in theory and actually doing it were two very different things. The goblins watched from behind the pen with wide eyes as their creator of the saddle struggled to control the very animal their invention was supposed to turn into a reliable mount.

Ka’z pulled the reins slightly to the left, expecting the boar to follow the direction of the pressure. Instead, the animal jerked its head sideways and nearly threw him off balance.

Ka’z quickly leaned in the opposite direction, tightening his legs around its body while trying to stabilize himself. The boar corrected its path and continued forward, but Ka’z could already feel sweat forming along his forehead.

"This is harder than it looks," he muttered.

Tor and the other goblins followed several steps behind, trying desperately not to laugh. They had spent three days constructing the saddle, but none of them had considered the possibility that Ka’z himself might not know how to properly ride the creature.

The boar eventually reached the first intersection and Ka’z pulled on the reins again. This time, the animal responded somewhat better. It slowed down before turning and began moving along another street.

Ka’z’s confidence immediately returned. He adjusted his posture and loosened his grip slightly, allowing the boar to move more naturally. A few kobolds standing outside their homes noticed him and stared in confusion. Some whispered to one another while others simply froze, unable to understand what they were seeing.

Ka’z paid them no attention. He was far too focused on keeping his balance. After another intersection, the boar began picking up speed, forcing Ka’z to lean forward and grip the reins more tightly.

"Slow down!" Ka’z shouted, but the boar clearly had no intention of listening.

It trotted faster through the street, its hooves striking the ground in a steady rhythm. Ka’z pulled back on the reins, but his timing was slightly off. The boar suddenly turned toward the side of the street, and Ka’z’s entire body shifted violently.

"Wait, wait, wait!" he shouted as his balance disappeared. His grip slipped from the reins and he was thrown sideways from the animal’s back.

Several kobolds gasped as Ka’z fell toward the ground, but before his body could strike the packed earth, his scales rapidly spread across his skin. He twisted his body in midair and landed heavily on his shoulder and back.

The impact still hurt, but the hardened scales absorbed most of the force and prevented any serious injury.

"Fucking hell!"

Ka’z remained on the ground for a moment, staring at the sky with a blank expression. The boar stopped a few meters away and looked back at him as though it had no idea what it had done.

Ka’z slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "You son of a..."

He stopped himself before finishing the sentence and looked toward the goblins who were now rushing toward him. Tor looked deeply concerned, while the others were fighting desperately to suppress their laughter.

Ka’z noticed immediately. "Don’t you dare laugh."

The goblins straightened their faces at once.

Tor nodded repeatedly. "Of course not, Brother Ka’z."

Ka’z narrowed his eyes at them before pushing himself to his feet. He looked toward the boar, then toward the saddle, and finally back at the goblins.

"Apparently I need to learn how to use this thing before I start putting other people on it."

He walked toward the boar and carefully approached its side. The animal remained surprisingly calm, allowing Ka’z to place a hand against its body. He checked the saddle and reins before placing one foot into the stirrup again.

This time, he mounted more carefully and adjusted his position before touching the reins. The boar shifted beneath him, but Ka’z remained balanced. He took a slow breath and gently pulled the reins.

"Come on."

The animal began moving again. Ka’z leaned with its movements instead of fighting against them, gradually finding a rhythm. His first attempt had been terrible, but after another few minutes of practice, his control began improving.

He rode through another intersection, then another, gradually becoming more comfortable with the animal beneath him.

The villagers he passed continued staring, but Ka’z barely noticed anymore. The strange sensation of riding through the streets of Vaal’kor was beginning to become enjoyable. He could feel the wind moving across his face, and the elevated position gave him a completely different view of the village. The saddle remained secure beneath him, and the boar was slowly responding to his commands.

Every successful turn gave him a little more confidence. By the time he completed another lap, Ka’z was no longer gripping the reins as though his life depended on them.

"See? You’re getting it!" Tor shouted from behind.

Ka’z glanced back and laughed. "I know!"

The sound of his own laughter surprised him. He had spent the entire morning burdened by politics, responsibility and the decision to leave Vaal’kor again, but now all of that seemed distant. For the first time since the elders had announced their resignation, he was simply enjoying himself.

He pulled the reins slightly and guided the boar toward another street, beginning another lap through the village.

By the time he reached the final lap, the residents who had gathered around the village square after the leadership announcement were beginning to return toward the residential areas. Many of them were still discussing the sudden change in leadership when they heard the sound of hooves approaching. Conversations gradually died down as heads turned toward the street.

Ka’z came riding into view.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

The sight was so unexpected that the kobolds simply stood there staring. Ka’z was sitting atop a massive wild boar, one hand holding the reins while the other rested casually against his side. The saddle was clearly visible beneath him, its leather straps secured around the animal’s body.

The goblins followed behind him, looking incredibly proud of their creation. What stunned the villagers most, however, was Ka’z himself. The same kobold who had walked away from the leadership announcement with a dark expression was now riding through the village laughing loudly.

"What the hell is that?" one kobold whispered.

"He’s riding a boar!"

The whispers spread rapidly through the street, but Ka’z did not care. He was laughing as the boar trotted beneath him, his earlier frustration completely forgotten. The sight was so absurd that even some of the older kobolds could not help staring with amusement.

Others began following him with their eyes as he passed through the streets, their expressions slowly changing from confusion to fascination.

Ka’z eventually guided the boar toward the Chieftain’s residence. He had no particular reason for going there, but the route naturally brought him past the building.

As he approached the entrance, Lan’ka, O’nil and Tong’a stepped outside together after their discussion inside the residence. The three older kobolds were still speaking quietly when the sound of approaching hooves caught their attention.

Lan’ka looked up first and his eyes widened. O’nil froze beside him and Tong’a’s mouth slowly fell open.

Ka’z rode directly toward them.

For a brief moment, the four kobolds simply stared at one another. Ka’z’s expression changed when he noticed them, but instead of stopping, he pulled the reins slightly and guided the boar around them. As he passed, he burst into another loud laugh, clearly enjoying himself now that he had finally gotten the hang of riding.

The three elders remained standing in stunned silence as Ka’z disappeared farther down the street.

Then O’nil slowly turned toward the others.

"He actually did it," he muttered.

Tong’a stared at the saddle disappearing down the road before a bitter smile appeared on his face. "That is what the goblins were working on when Logi was trying to disrupt them?"

Lan’ka’s expression tightened as the realization settled over him. Yesterday, they had watched Ka’z kill one of their own and had initially focused on the blood that had been spilled.

They had been angry because they saw only a young kobold killing a clansman. But now, watching the saddle in action, the larger picture became impossible to ignore. Logi had not merely interrupted some minor workshop project. He had attempted to interfere with the foundation of the military force Ka’z had been trying to create. The very thing they had all watched Ka’z build was now moving through the village before their eyes.

O’nil let out a quiet, bitter laugh. Tong’a followed, shaking his head as the absurdity of the situation finally reached him. Even Lan’ka eventually laughed, though there was no joy in the sound. It was the bitter laughter of someone realizing just how badly he had misunderstood the person standing in front of him.

They watched Ka’z disappear around another intersection, the sound of his laughter gradually fading into the distance.

Lan’ka lowered his gaze, his expression filled with regret.

"I have done him so much injustice. I don’t think he will ever forgive me."