Volume 6 Chapter 9 Formation
Three days after leaving Roland Village, as the sun began to set, the Viscount Lester's knight group finally arrived at the hill they were aiming for and set up camp.
They planned to build a new settlement near the Barbarians' settlement. The goal was to arrive at night and quickly set up a simple fence with the supplies they brought. However, repeated attacks from Lizardmen halted their progress. As a result, the knights had to camp in an unexpected place, where they faced more attacks from magical beasts, leaving them very tired.
"Tonight, we will focus on recovering our strength and plan to attack the village at dawn tomorrow."
After finishing the military meeting called on the hill, Naresh returned to the tent with Lord Radyard and told Al and Craig, who looked worried.
"Really... It's strange that the Barbarians are attacking us so much. Do you know why?"
"His Excellency Oliver also felt uneasy about that. But we can't just cancel the operation because of our worries. Many opinions were shared, but in the end, we decided to proceed carefully with the attack tomorrow. For now, we have the advantage of being on high ground. We'll leave the security to the adventurers guarding us and rest tonight to prepare for tomorrow."
The operation for the expedition includes over 200 people, such as knights, squires, and porters. Additionally, preparations are being made for villagers and guards to enter the area after the monster hunt is finished. It would be hard to cancel everything without a good reason. Also, it's confusing why just ten barbarians would attack such a large group.
"If there's a possibility, it might be that they were being chased by some terrifying magic beast."
Lord Radyard muttered, wiping his sweaty face with a cloth Craig handed him, looking tired. Al nodded, agreeing with that idea.
"Then we need to thoroughly investigate the area."
"Yes. But don't overdo it. You need to be ready for tomorrow too. Lord Wald and Lord Emerson are likely handling the investigation of the village and nearby areas."
Al lightly nodded. He didn't plan to stay up all night, but he wanted to create a map of the targeted settlement. Lord Radyard agreed with that. Al thought it would be great if magicians could cooperate on such investigations, but from what they discussed before, that seemed unlikely.
He let Craig take care of Naresh's meals and set up a table outside his tent to spread out some papers. Using a spell called 'Floating Eye,' he created a magical eye and sent it flying toward the village. He also used a spell called 'Sensory Boost' to see better in the dark.
The barbarian village was along the Holden River, stretching 200 meters (≈656 feet) and containing about 100 small huts made of wood, cloth, and mud. Goblins and lizardmen were spotted around the huts, though they didn't seem very many. Where the river twisted and slowed, the water was still, and there were many things that looked like lizardman eggs and small lizard-like larvae.
"What's the ground like around here? Can the horses get through?"
"Well, the puddles with a lot of larvae and eggs seem pretty muddy. Unless it's really bad, they might get stuck."
Al kept drawing the map on the parchment, repeating what he saw and the questions he asked. His tone became casual, but Craig, who was next to him, seemed to recognize the emergency and stayed silent.
"Are there any higher species around?"
"Not so far..."
Even though Al had 'Night Sight' and could see far, the area was large. It was hard to find the targets, but after a while, he finally discovered a gathering of goblins in a square set up closest to them within the village.
"There they are. About 100 goblins are gathered. Among them, there are 2 big goblins. I've never seen one this big before. Is this what a hobgoblin looks like? Next to it, there's one with red skin. Its body isn't big, but... could that be a goblin mage?"
Hobgoblins are bigger than regular goblins, standing about 1.7 meters tall (≈5.6 feet), similar to a human child. They are close in size to regular humans. But then, they saw something much larger──a goblin over 2 meters tall (≈6.6 feet). A goblin mage is a goblin that can use magic, and like hobgoblins, they are stronger and more advanced.
Naresh and Lord Radyard exchanged worried looks. They faced two huge hobgoblins and one goblin mage, which made for a tough challenge.
"What are they doing over there? Also, you mentioned earlier that there are few barbarians in their settlement..."
"Yeah, it looks like that group is preparing for a large hunt or war. There were a lot of lizardman larvae and eggs by the river in the settlement, but there aren't many adult lizardmen or goblins. I heard there are about 100 lizardmen and 300 goblins in the settlement."
Lizardmen lay eggs that hatch into larvae, resembling small lizards about 30 cm (≈ 12 inches) long. These larvae grow quickly and can reach 1 meter (≈ 3.3 feet) tall in about two weeks. Once they are grown, they live like adult lizardmen. They are known to be dangerous and can reproduce easily if there is enough food. A long time ago, in the border city of Lester, many dead lizardmen were thrown into the river after being defeated. This caused a rapid increase in their numbers, almost leading to the city's collapse.
"Are the goblins planning to attack us? No, that can't be..."
Naresh shook his head, as if he still couldn't believe it. While it might be possible for legendary top-tier species like the Orc General or the Ogre King among the Barbarians, goblins shouldn't have the intelligence to form an army and attack people.
"I've heard that goblin can evolve from Hobgoblin into a higher species called Goblin Slaughter. If it's a Goblin Slaughter, there might be a chance they could lead an army."
At Lord Radyard's words, Al couldn't help but repeat "Goblin Slaughter." It was a name he had never heard before. However, Lord Radyard was an experienced knight. It couldn't be a complete lie. Besides, there were indeed goblin species that exceeded 2 meters in height.
"For now, talking like this won't get us anywhere. Sigmund, you should go to His Excellency Baron Oliver's tent and tell him that our attendant's uncertain scouting results suggest that the Barbarians might be gathering in the nearest square to us. Add that I believe this is information that should be confirmed with Sir Wald."
At Lord Radyard's command, Sigmund glanced at Naresh. Seeing Naresh nod, he quickly ran off.
According to Al's map, the enemy will attack us in about an hour. Everyone is exhausted from not sleeping well for the last three days. If they strike now, it will be very hard for us. Al, you need to use your magic more. Even Lord Emerson might understand this situation. It’s hard to believe it has come to this. It feels like someone is trying to tire out the knights on purpose...
Lord Radyard stared silently ahead, deep in thought.
"Could it be... that their strategy includes ambushes along the way?"
At this, Naresh shook his head lightly, looking incredulous.
"Is there really such a strategy? The total number of lizardmen that attacked us has exceeded 200. And most of them have been defeated by our knights. To sacrifice that many of their own..."
However, Lord Radyard bit his lower lip and looked down for a moment. Then, he took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on Naresh.
"Sir Naresh, you’re being too trusting. Barbarians don’t feel like humans do, and that’s why they’re dangerous. We can’t ignore the chance of an attack. I wonder if they could really plan something like this. Luckily, Al helped us find out about them before anything happened. If we had been surprised, it could have been risky, but we have 20 knights here, so we can still handle the situation."
Naresh nodded strongly at Lord Radyard's words.
"Anyway, I'll go talk to the knights I know. Sir Naresh, please have a meal and get ready for the next battle. Craig, assist Sir Naresh. Al, come with me. There are places I want you to light up with the 'Light' spell."
Lord Radyard said this and hurried out of the tent, clearly in a rush. Al quickly followed after him.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)