Volume 6 Chapter 10 Intelligence Of The Barbarians
Lord Radyard and Al were checking the expected route of the goblin attack and setting up lights using the 'Light' spell where needed when his son Sigmund returned.
"Father, His Excellency Baron Oliver can't check the area around our camp right now. They said to keep investigating the group of Barbarians for a while longer."
"Did you tell them there might be higher-ranked enemies?"
Lord Radyard asked with a slightly irritated tone.
"Yeah, of course. But they said the safety of the camp is the priority right now. They think we can check the Barbarian village tomorrow morning. I probably shouldn't have mentioned that we're using magic to scout, right? Also, well, it depends on how strong that Goblin Slaughter is. If you, me, and Sir Naresh take on two of them, it shouldn't be impossible, right? Can't we just leave the Goblin Mage to Al?"
Lord Radyard made a sour face at Sigmund's cheerful words.
"I've never fought a Goblin Slaughter before. I have no idea how strong it is or if it has any weaknesses. It's a higher-ranked type than a Hobgoblin. Even though it's still a goblin, it might be tougher than a Kilolizardman."
Al had never fought a Goblin Slaughter, let alone a Hobgoblin or a Kilolizardman. According to what Orson told him, Hobgoblins could still be defeated with a regular sword, but the Kilolizardman had very hard scales, and you couldn't even scratch it without using a special technique called "Fighting Skills." It was probably something like the huge Big-Mouthed Lizard he had fought before. Just how terrifying would a Goblin Slaughter, which might be even stronger, be?
"We're lacking in strength; it might be safer to focus on defense. For now, Al, check with magic to see what the goblin group is doing. We'll prepare to intercept based on that. The enemy might think we're exhausted and careless. At the very least, I want to use that to our advantage."
Sigmund nodded deeply at Lord Radyard's words. Al also nodded slightly and moved to a tree that seemed less likely to be targeted for sniping, then began to chant his spell.
"The 'Floating Eye' spell takes time to find the target, so please wait."
"Got it. For now, let's get ready with the other knights."
* * *
Using the 'Floating Eye' spell, Al first looked around the hill where they were. The terrain was gentle, and there weren't too many trees, so visibility was good. To the east of the hill, he could see the Holden River flowing about 300 meters (≈ 984 feet) away. The barbarian settlement they had seen earlier should be about 1.5 kilometers (≈ 0.93 miles) upstream along that river. There were no signs of the Barbarians in Al's line of sight.
From the high campsite, you could see a large area around. It looked like a good place to build a fence and a watchtower to stay safe. Groups of adventurers were resting on the high ground. Near Naresh's tent, there were about ten other tents. One of those tents seemed to be where Wald and the other magicians were keeping watch.
"Sensory Boost'──Enhanced Touch
He crouched down, took off his left leather glove, and placed his hand on the ground. It was hard to know where he was because there were many paths and a large area, but Al could sense several enemies nearby. He closed his eyes and focused on the vibrations in the ground.
...?
He felt a vibration that suggested a group was moving. But he couldn’t tell where it was coming from, as if it was echoing. Al tilted his head and pressed his cheek against the ground.
"What's wrong?"
Sigmund, who was nearby, looked at Al with a puzzled expression.
"There might be multiple groups of Barbarians. Just wait a moment."
Al took off the other glove and placed that hand on the ground too. He concentrated to sharpen his senses.
There were two groups of Barbarians: one to the south and another to the east of the hill. AI believed the goblins he was looking for were to the south, around 2 kilometers (≈ 1.24 miles) away, probably near a Barbarian settlement. The new group to the east was near the Holden River, only about 500 meters (≈ 0.31 miles or 1640 feet) away, but they likely couldn't be seen from the hill.
Wald and the others should be using the 'Floating Eye' spell to scout the area, but why haven't they noticed this group? If they had, they wouldn't be so relaxed. Al regretted not actively searching for threats himself and leaving it to the knights.
It seems Lord Radyard's concerns were right. Now that he think about it, swimming across the river is something the lizardmen are good at. For the past 3 days, they have been using that mobility to stay close to Al and the knights along the river, repeatedly attacking in small groups to wear them down, almost like a nuisance.
Al quickly informed his team about the two groups he discovered. He then used the 'Floating Eye' spell again to gather more details about the group to the east, which was not far away. As he expected, this group was entirely made up of lizardmen──about 300 in total, with half of them in the river. On the riverbank, two larger lizardmen stood out, likely of the Kilolizardmen class. Among them, there was also a red-skinned goblin floating above the river, probably a goblin mage using the 'Fly' spell.
A group of about 100 goblins, including the upper-class ones, and a group of about 300 lizardmen. Including the porters, there should be around 170 of them. They were on the hill, but there were still no protective barriers. If they were attacked at the same time, could they defend against it?
When Al shared this information, Lord Radyard's expression changed. Sigmund, who was standing next to him, looked tense for a moment and seemed to turn pale, but then suddenly opened his eyes wide and started to laugh.
"Hey, Father, this is a great chance to score some points. We can surprise that nearby group of lizardmen and charge in. This is the way to go, right?"
"No, but first, we need to report this to His Excellency Baron Oliver."
"How are we supposed to do that? Are we going to tell him we got this info using magic from Al but kept it a secret? And if he asks why, are we going to say it's because Emerson was being annoying? I don't think so. If we do that, we'll miss our chance. Have you gotten rusty, Father?"
Lord Radyard stared intently at his son Sigmund's face.
"Heh, I guess I have grown old. You're right. Let's leave the report to Craig. If the two of us charge in together, we can take out at least half of the lizardmen."
The two exchanged glances and smiled widely.
"Wait, wait a minute. Are you two seriously planning to charge in without telling Sir Naresh, just because there are too many enemies, and try to take out as many as you can before you die?"
Al asked in a panic. Naturally, Lord Radyard and Sigmund nodded. Seeing this, Al waved his hands as if to deny it.
"No, no, no, you're deciding too easily!"
To this, Lord Radyard smiled brightly.
"Did you not hear Sigmund's earlier talk? Given the enemy's placement and numbers, we should see that we've been lured here. We have spent years preparing for this expedition, but we haven't hidden our movements much. The Barbarians must have expected us to set up camp here. This shows that we underestimated the Barbarians' intelligence."
But even so, why are these two rushing in as if they plan to die easily? Al thinks hard, wondering what his father would do in this situation.
"Isn't there a way to surrender... or just retreat?"
Lord Radyard shakes his head, still smiling.
"We can't surrender to the Barbarians. They would just kill us. You know that. And our soldiers are too tired to retreat; they would catch us. Luckily, we have good information now. If we use this moment, we might escape this danger and survive their attack. This is our best chance to stay alive."
Sigmund nodded at Lord Radyard's words. So, they have no choice but to fight... Al thinks that if it were just him, he could use the 'Conceal' spell to escape, but he really doesn't want to do that.
Al wonders what he should do if they have to fight.
"If we are going to fight, I can use the 'Magic Tornado' spell. I'm good at running around, so is there something I can do?"
The spell 'Magic Tornado' creates a spinning white ball of energy that can seriously hurt anyone who touches it. It comes out from one spot and can hit any living creature nearby. This spell was popular magic which Al received it as a reward for saving Ruella from the leader of the Levy merchant guild. 'Magic Tornado' is stronger than 'Magic Missile' and can instantly kill goblins, as well as seriously harm lizardmen. Al can effectively use it within a range of about 10 meters (≈ 32.8 feet). If aimed at a group of enemies, it can take down many of them. If they are surprised, Al might be able to use it 2 or 3 times in a row. If they can defeat a kilo lizardman, they might be able to escape safely.
After hearing Al's story, Lord Radyard's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why didn't you say you could use it?"
"Well, it's because of Sir Emerson..."
Al almost said it was because it was useless but quickly stopped himself. However, it seemed that Lord Radyard and Sigmund understood him anyway. They both started laughing loudly.
"I see. That changes everything. I will consult with Sir Naresh right away."
Lord Radyard began to head back to the tent where Naresh was supposed to be preparing. Al and Sigmund followed behind him.
"Sir Naresh, the situation has changed!"
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