City Of Sin

31-40

Reputation

Unlike Joven which had been plundered twice, Osfa had turned out to be much more fortunate. This tiny town that was closest to the mountains and the invaders’ base hadn’t been visited at all.

Joven’s luck had been terrible both times, and in varying ways. However, Richard had gotten most of his gains from Kojo’s estate and the training camp, with the tax he collected from the town itself being minimal. On the other hand, all of the money the baron’s army collected had come from the town. At this point, it was difficult to tell who the town hated more.

It was Richard’s intention to bypass Osfa. He pondered over things deeply, simulating the situation on the map countless times over before he decided to let off the closest, most probable supply point. He’d instead decided to lay his hands on the heart of Kojo’s territory at Joven, and as expected they’d won in a single battle and achieved many of their fundamental goals.

From another point of view, not touching Osfa gave his enemies the misconception that they’d long since left their base, choosing another one instead. If they hadn’t there would be no reason to avoid removing the thorn in front of their eyes.

Richard’s army took advantage of the night, heading towards the mountains. They would reach the foot of the range by dawn, and with only a single village along their route it would be easy to hide their tracks. Of course, the ones leading the way were the defected troops who were familiar with the terrain.

By the time dawn broke, the group was already thirty kilometres from Joven, having travelled through a small forest to arrive at a lake at the foot of a mountain. They would reorganise themselves here, setting up camp. Richard’s next plans were vague and incomplete for now, and would have to wait until he got news from Marvin.

The lake wasn’t very large, but the water was clear. Its serene surface made it reflective, like one side of a polished sapphire. A few streams flowed into the lake from a short distance away, and at the banks it was like a patch of grassland. The warhorses had been loosened up, with the experienced soldiers bringing them to drink water and eat the grass.

Two carriages were parked by the lake. This was the furthest they could travel, for further ahead was the precarious mountain path that even horses would have trouble moving through. When the women and children who had suffered through the night alighted from the carriages, they all looked pale and unsteady, unable to remain on their feet. A few of the young, pretty ladies looked ready to faint any time, but when they realised that the ones who’d come to support them were two terrifying trolls they immediately shrieked, growing more alert and alive than anyone else.

Trolls were a powerful, intelligent race that also existed on this plane. They were famous for eating humans, be they male, female, young, or old. The captives had erupted into chaotic screaming, and were gathered up and forced to sit as they waited for the defected troops to build the camp.

Medium Rare was off helping these new soldiers cut trees, while Tiramisu set up a huge wok in preparation to cook his best meat stew. Richard found a shady spot and spread out his map on the grass, continuing to analyse their current situation and environment.

However, a message suddenly radiated in his mind, the broodmother’s voice ringing out, “Master, I’ve discovered a camp of goblins. There are about two hundred of them, and I am preparing to clear it out.”

“Alright,” Richard answered, “Be safe.”

Goblins were weak individually, about equal to a level 1 or 2 human on average. Even their most powerful were level 5 at best, but their strength lay in their fast breeding and adaptability to many environments. They were present on a lot of planes, but their existence here only meant this plane was even more similar to Norland. A camp of two hundred was considered small for the race, and these creatures were by nature the kind to disperse when they met a powerful opponent, unable to form an effective counterattack. Thus, Richard wasn’t really worried about the broodmother’s safety. It was a new day, and it already had three more enhanced raptors at its side ensuring its chances of victory were even higher.