Chapter 9: Harvest

"Steady, steady, don't fire at will. Let them get a little closer."

"Don't panic, we have the wagons blocking the front! Those little things can't jump over them."

"Even if they do jump over, don't you go running around. With your Uncle here, I’ll take these little things down one sword-stroke at a time. No joke—I’ve slaughtered more goblins in my life than I have cows and sheep. These little bullies are all bark and no bite; as long as you’re fiercer than them, even if three come at you at once, they’ll turn tail and run the moment they see you."

Although there had only been half a night to prepare, Zaranda’s arrangements were even more meticulous than Gavin’s plan.

Aside from the twelve regular cavalrymen and twenty heavy-armored militiamen kept by her side, she had dispersed the remaining thirty-two medium-armored militiamen, scattering them among the civilian archers and crossbowmen.

There were three benefits to this.

First, as temporary squad leaders, they could relay orders from above in a timely manner.

Second, they could steady the morale of the troops, using their rich combat experience to dampen the tension of the civilians during their first battle.

Third, they served as a protective layer; even if a few fish slipped through the net and charged into the civilian ranks, they would be quickly dealt with.

Although Zaranda had never read military treatises, her methods aligned with them in every respect.

"Fire at will!"

The archers and crossbowmen behind the Notte wall stood up, and in one volley, nearly two hundred arrows and bolts were released. Twenty or thirty goblins, who had been charging with wild shrieks outside the wall, fell instantly.

The people of Faerûn were not as laid-back or scattered as people from Earth. In their harsh environment, the number of monsters far exceeded that of humans, and everyone received militia training to some degree—even women and children were no exception.

Drawing a bow and firing an arrow was second nature to them; it was merely a matter of accuracy.

"Spears, thrust!"

"Spears, withdraw!"

Behind the semi-circular wagon wall, orderly commands rang out. Countless spears thrust out from behind the wagons, then were withdrawn in an orderly fashion.

In that single thrust and withdrawal, a dozen goblins who hadn't been paying attention were harvested.

The goblins crowding behind them hadn't even reacted before countless spears thrust out again, reaping another round.

Most of the goblins didn't even see the shadow of their enemies before they died.

"Humans are treacherous! It's a trap! Retreat... retreat..."

A burst of gibberish in the goblin tongue erupted from the green-skinned runts who had charged into the gate tunnel.

Even those who didn't understand the goblin language could roughly guess what they were saying.

Another well-known trait of goblins was their cowardice. When they didn't have the numerical advantage, they would turn and run without a shred of psychological burden.

Honor! Responsibility!

Such concepts simply didn't exist in their minds.

Survival was always the number one priority in their philosophy of life.

The problem was, while the goblins who had charged inside knew what was happening, the goblins outside were limited by their line of sight and distance. They couldn't hear what was being said inside, so they kept shrieking and charging desperately into the gate tunnel.

Zaranda’s regular cavalry and the twenty heavy-armored militiamen had not yet moved.

The goblins themselves had created a chaotic bottleneck in the Notte gate tunnel.

The goblins inside couldn't charge out, and the goblins outside couldn't force their way in for the time being.

Seeing this, Zaranda was even less inclined to send the heavy-armored militiamen to clear out the goblins who had entered. She simply ordered the spearmen behind the wagon wall to thrust rhythmically, dealing lethal blows only to those goblins who dared to get too close, while ignoring the rest for the moment.

Arrows and bolts from the ramparts continued to rain down on the goblins outside. By the time the hobgoblins outside reacted, at least three or four hundred goblin corpses had been left outside Notte.

The charging goblin ranks had thinned out significantly.

At this point, even the dim-witted goblins realized something was wrong.

Those who kept charging forward were the truly stupid ones.

Those who hesitated in place were only partially stupid.

Those who were sneakily trying to retreat were the clever ones.

"All forces, attack!" Zaranda waved her hand heavily and charged out, taking the lead.

The spear in Zaranda’s hand seemed to come alive, dancing flexibly. In the blink of an eye, the three goblins blocking her path were tossed aside, each strike hitting a vital point in the chest; they were dead before they even hit the ground.

"Kill!" The first to respond to Zaranda was not the twelve regular cavalrymen behind her, but Gavin, who had only recently managed to secure a warhorse from her. He was still wearing his piecemeal armor and wielding a spear, his proficiency in using it no less than Zaranda’s.

In less than three passes, the two of them had tossed aside all the goblins blocking the way, meeting in the middle of the small Notte square.

"Stay close to me!" Zaranda didn't waste words, offering only that single instruction before turning to charge toward the gate tunnel.

Even if Zaranda hadn't instructed him, Gavin would have done so anyway. He stayed a horse's length behind her, guarding her flank like a true knight.

At this moment, the twelve regular cavalrymen of Notte Castle also charged out in a wedge formation.

These twelve regular cavalrymen were professional soldiers of Notte, having followed Zaranda for many years. All of them possessed professional levels, with the lowest being a level two warrior.

Zaranda and these twelve regular cavalrymen could be viewed as a single great spear.

Zaranda was the spearhead thrusting outward, and the twelve cavalrymen were the vibrating shaft, frantically expanding the area of lethality. Wherever they passed, the goblins were swept away.

Because of Gavin’s addition, there were now two spearheads, but his extraordinary spear and riding skills did not disrupt the formation; instead, he became an excellent escort, helping Zaranda reduce the resistance of the charge, allowing her to move faster and more easily, which in turn allowed the shaft behind them to follow even faster and more easily.

Following them, the twenty heavy-armored militiamen followed with steady steps. They were the thorough cleaners; they didn't even spare the goblins lying on the ground playing dead. As long as they saw one that was still intact, they would slash it with a sword just to be sure.

Then, led by the thirty-two medium-armored militiamen, over a hundred spearmen civilians followed slowly in a neat formation.

Compared to dealing damage, their role was more about bolstering the momentum. They were also the reserve force Zaranda had prepared; later, half would remain inside the city to guard the gate, and half would go outside to provide support.

If the sortie failed, Zaranda could still lead the team to retreat and defend Notte Castle once more.

The bloody battle that had been expected at the gate was made much easier by Gavin’s participation.

They continuously tossed aside seven or eight goblins, chilling the hearts of the foolish goblins still surging forward. The goblins being driven outward naturally joined forces to break through the encirclement, running back frantically while screaming at the top of their lungs, spreading fear to their companions.

Zaranda and Gavin ignored these goblins who had fallen into a state of panic, focusing their slaughter only on the dim-witted ones who were still foolishly charging forward.

Within a few rounds, a strange scene emerged.

Zaranda and Gavin, two riders, moved against the current. The goblins wherever they passed all turned around, running toward their own companions. Some even brandished their weapons at the companions blocking their path, as if the two of them were leading a group of goblins to attack other goblins.

This was the second step of the counter-attack tactic—driving the sheep.