Chapter 4: Zaranda's Plan

“A proposal? What proposal?” Luo Ang couldn’t keep up with Zaranda’s train of thought for a moment. His temper, rather than being suppressed, flared up even higher.

He looked at Gavin, who was following behind Zaranda with his head bowed and looking submissive, and felt his anger grow. He was convinced that everything was just an act put on by this brat.

“Withdraw from Fort Knott. I’ve already stated the reasons. Last year, the descent of the gods caused the Weave to tremble, leading to abnormal weather. The autumn harvest failed, and the winter was long and cold—it was almost comparable to the Northlands. Most of Tethyr is suffering from a food shortage. For the monster tribes in the Marching Mountains to have held out until now is already their limit.

Right now, those besieging Fort Knott are just small surrounding tribes. Once the large tribes from deep in the mountains pour out and assemble into an army, we won’t be able to withdraw even if we want to!” Zaranda detailed her thoughts once more.

“Where would we run to? How would we run?” This time, Luo Ang did not reject her as harshly as he had yesterday.

This was thanks to the tunnel the goblins had just broken through. If a small tribe led by hobgoblins could make Fort Knott look this pathetic, then once a massive swarm of monsters poured out, the small city and low walls of Fort Knott would be overwhelmed in minutes.

Zaranda was clearly prepared. She pulled out a simple map of Tethyr and pointed to a spot: “Darromar. That is our best option.”

“Darromar? That far? Why not go to Hansenburg? It’s at least half the distance of Darromar.” Luo Ang’s brow furrowed into a knot.

“I just gave you the reason. This year’s monster unrest is different from previous years. In the past, small-scale raids would bypass hard targets, giving local lords the chance to defeat them individually. But once they assemble into an army, their courage will grow, and they will likely start conquering territory. Hansenburg claims it can withstand a siege of a thousand hobgoblins, but what if that number becomes three thousand, or five thousand? Only the walls of Darromar can withstand a monster army.” Zaranda explained patiently.

Oust whispered behind Luo Ang: “Captain Zaranda makes a lot of sense. Darromar has large, high walls and a large garrison. Although it’s further away, it’s safe. As long as we select a cavalry unit, with two horses per person, swapping horses but not riders, we could arrive in less than three days.”

Before Zaranda could speak, Gavin chimed in with a sarcastic tone: “Select a cavalry unit? Two horses per person? Judging by the Captain of the Guard’s meaning, you only care about your own escape and don’t care whether the commoners of Fort Knott live or die?”

Luo Ang’s eyes widened, and he asked in disbelief: “Isn’t that obvious? Or are you saying Captain Zaranda intends to take all the commoners with her to Darromar?”

“Isn’t that the plan?” Zaranda replied to Luo Ang with a question of her own.

Luo Ang and Oust stared at each other, their expressions turning incredibly ugly.

It would take three days to reach Darromar with two horses per person; if they were dragging families along, it would take at least ten days.

The longer they were exposed in the wild, the more dangerous it would be for them.

Abandoning their own people to save themselves was a matter that sounded terrible. Even if Luo Ang were shameless, he couldn’t argue his way out of this.

Zaranda was not surprised by the low moral standards these two had revealed. She laid out her entire plan: “When we sortied earlier, I scouted and estimated the strength of the besieging monsters.

They look imposing, but in reality, the main force is still goblins. There are fewer than two hundred hobgoblins acting as the core. As long as we find a way to rout these hobgoblins, the remaining goblins will scatter, which will buy us two to three days of time to retreat.

After leaving Fort Knott, we won’t head straight for Darromar. Instead, we’ll head east toward the Myre Forest. In two days at most, we can reach Kami Village, and then divert to Darromar.

Doing this might seem like a detour, but the elves in the Myre Forest will help us block the monster tribes from the eastern Marching Mountains. We won’t have to worry about being caught in a pincer attack; we only need to focus on the monsters behind us.

The most dangerous part is the two-day journey from Fort Knott to Kami Village.”

After hearing Zaranda’s plan, the expressions of Luo Ang and Oust improved significantly. At the very least, they saw the plan as highly feasible.

Oust quickly raised a new objection: “Captain Zaranda just said that the premise for all of this is routing the goblin army outside Fort Knott. How does Captain Zaranda intend to achieve that?

With just the cavalry unit you have and fifty militiamen? It’s not that I look down on those militiamen, but if they are relying on the city walls to deal with goblin cannon fodder, they are competent enough. If you send them out to fight a field battle against an enemy several times their size, I fear they won’t be of much use.”

Zaranda nodded repeatedly: “The Captain of the Guard’s analysis is very correct. Relying solely on the equipment the militiamen have, a field battle is indeed asking too much. Even if we achieved a final victory, we would be wiped out. However, if we combine this with the equipment in Fort Knott’s treasury, the situation would change drastically. After all, these goblins just poured out of the Marching Mountains; even the hobgoblins don’t have many decent weapons. The inferior weapons of those goblins can’t even pierce medium armor.”

“No, absolutely not.” Luo Ang’s voice went up an octave as he shouted, “The equipment in the treasury was accumulated by the Knott family over three generations! How can we use it so casually? Especially for a bunch of militiamen!”

This time, even Oust couldn’t help Luo Ang. They were already preparing to retreat from Fort Knott, yet Luo Ang was still guarding his treasury, unwilling to use it. Was he planning to move it all with him? Or leave it for the monster army that was about to occupy the place, letting them equip themselves to hunt them down?

“On this matter, I support my brother. After all, a portion of this belongs to me as well.” Gavin, who had been listening on the sidelines, jumped in: “But, dear brother Luo Ang, have you considered how to transport this equipment out?

The equipment inside is no small amount, especially the heavy armor. A single carriage can’t hold many pieces. We can’t leave it for the monsters, and destroying it would be even more disrespectful to our ancestors.

Sister Zaranda didn’t say she was giving it away; it’s at most a loan. Once we reach Darromar, it will be returned in full. By then, it will have protected our safety while also getting as much equipment as possible to Darromar. Whether we sell it or hoard it, the decision will still be ours. Compared to these benefits, what is a little bit of wear and tear during this period?”

Zaranda could tell that Gavin was ostensibly speaking for Luo Ang but was actually helping her. She quickly nodded in agreement: “It is indeed just a loan. As long as we escort all the commoners to Darromar, all weapons and armor will be returned in full. By then, all the commoners will remember the Baron’s kindness. One day, when the monsters are driven back into the mountains, I believe many commoners will be grateful for this kindness and follow the Baron back to Fort Knott to continue serving him.”

Luo Ang’s initial reaction had been the instinct of a miser, but he wasn’t truly stupid. He took the opportunity to step down: “Since you’ve all said so, if I still refuse, it would be heartless. But I have one requirement.”

“What requirement? Please speak, Baron.” A flash of joy that she couldn’t hide crossed Zaranda’s face. The sooner she finished working on Luo Ang, the sooner they could act, and the more confident she would be—confident in safely retreating with the commoners of Fort Knott.

Thank you to all my new and old friends for your support. I didn’t expect that after being absent for so long, you would still be so kind. Thank you very much. I hope this story will be a better companion for you all. Please feel free to offer any suggestions.

(End of chapter)