Chapter 58: A Person Who Understands (Please keep reading)

“Mr. Gawain, you are truly amazing. To train them to this level in such a short time... so many goblins, yet they couldn't even withstand a single charge of theirs.” Anna was equally eager; the battlefield below made the young priestess's blood boil, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Before Gawain could respond, Artoria, perched on his shoulder, let out a cold snort. “What is there to boast about, defeating a mob of rabble? That was nothing more than the simplest charge tactic. Aside from their formations being somewhat orderly, they are far from adequate. They are still a long way from becoming a true army; they must be subjected to even stricter training and requirements.”

The young priestess defended them indignantly, “How long have we even been in the Rocklands? Ten days ago, these kobolds had just put down their pickaxes and picked up spears; they couldn't even march in a straight line. Now, to maintain their formation during a charge and slaughter, it is already quite remarkable. I think Miss Artoria’s standards are simply too high.”

“If one wishes to build an iron-blooded legion, one must uphold the highest standards, employ the most rigorous training, and endure the bloodiest combat. I, Artoria, do not lead nameless soldiers.” Artoria held her small head high, her golden ahoge standing straight up, radiating a profound aura of kingship.

“We look forward to the results of your upcoming training,” Gawain interrupted the argument with a compliment. Ever since their first meeting, the two of them had never quite gotten along; their views on many matters were diametrically opposed, leading to inexplicable disputes.

*Hmph!*

The one large and the one small—the two young women let out identical snorts, clearly unconvinced by each other's arguments.

“Come, it is time for us to make our appearance. Anna, take your people to treat the wounded. You must also save those goblins; let the kobold medics get some practice in,” Gawain said as he began walking down.

“Understood.” With a wave of the priestess's hand, the squad of kobolds behind her, carrying stretchers and small medicine boxes, scurried after her.

She was now not only the sole priestess of the Black Well Tribe but also their only healer, and had now been promoted to Healer Mentor. The young priestess was already considering whether to establish a Church of Ilmater within the Black Well Tribe to preach the faith.

“My Lord, why have you appeared here?” When the goblin leader, Andy, first saw Gawain, he felt apprehension rather than joy. He instinctively shielded the carts behind him, seemingly afraid that Gawain and his group had come to rob his grain.

However, looking at the well-trained kobold soldiers pursuing the goblins in the distance, he felt a flicker of trepidation. Although his tribesmen outnumbered the enemy, his chances of winning a head-on confrontation seemed slim.

“I am here to fulfill my promise. I said that as long as you deliver the tribute on time, I will guarantee your safety, including the safety of your grain,” Gawain said with an inscrutable expression. “The amount of grain you are exchanging this time is quite large; it might attract the attention of other tribes, so I came to check on things.”

Gawain would never tell him that he was using them as bait to lure out those greedy bastards, providing his kobold soldiers with live combat practice.

While Artoria’s viewpoint was somewhat extreme, she wasn't wrong about one thing: if one wants a functional army, bloodshed is indispensable.

This was especially true for kobolds—creatures born timid and living at the very bottom of the social hierarchy. They needed enough blood to build their self-confidence. He didn't need his kobold legion to be able to take on ten enemies at once or defeat the strong with the weak; at the very least, they couldn't have their legs turn to jelly and break formation the moment they saw a superior force.

The goblins scattered all over the place were the perfect training subjects.

However, he had to have a legitimate reason. He couldn't simply launch a massive military campaign to crusade against the surrounding goblin tribes. Doing so would easily incite public outrage and cause the goblin tribes to unite against him.

Before possessing sufficient strength, the way of kings was to defeat them one by one. This goblin tribe occupying the Spirit Crystal mine was the target Gawain had pushed forward.

Upon hearing that Gawain wasn't there to steal his grain, Andy immediately perked up, offering unreserved praise. “My Lord... I did not expect you to be so benevolent... to keep your word to such an extent. We truly do not know how to thank you... We will certainly deliver the tribute on schedule every ten days.”

“Mhm.” Gawain nodded with satisfaction. “Do you want those goblins?”

Gawain was, of course, referring to those who hadn't escaped—the ones kneeling and begging for mercy, captured by the kobold soldiers. There were also some wounded but not dead, currently being treated by the priestess and the kobold medics; once healed, they would also become prisoners.

“My Lord, do you wish to give them to our tribe?” Andy asked with a look of pleasant surprise.

“Heh...” Gawain let out a cold laugh. Did such a good thing exist in this world? Why hadn't he encountered it?

“My Lord, we are already deeply grateful that you brought troops to bail us out. How could we take your prisoners for free!” Andy immediately corrected himself. “If my Lord is willing to sell them, I am willing to buy them.”

Gawain gave him a look that suggested he wasn't *that* stupid, then nodded slowly. “This isn't a sale; it is a mutual gift. As for me, I have hated the slave trade my entire life. Once they reach your tribe, do not treat them as slaves, but as tribesmen. Do you understand?”

“Understand! Understand! Understand!” Andy nodded repeatedly. As for whether he truly understood or was just pretending, that was none of Gawain's business.

Andy rubbed his hands together, flashing a fawning smile. “There is one more thing I must discuss with you, My Lord. The ore we mined previously has already been exchanged for grain. These slaves... these tribesmen... could you let me take them back first? I guarantee that when we deliver the next tribute, we will bring the full amount of ore, along with this price.”

“I won't bother calculating the exact numbers with you. For the next ten-day cycle, the tribute will be doubled. Does that work for you?” Gawain didn't care about the meager price the goblins would get for themselves; after all, once they reached the Spirit Crystal mine, they would essentially be mining for him in a different form.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Andy nodded joyfully. This was like a pie falling from the sky.

“Do you know the goblin tribe that was just trying to rob you?” Gawain shifted the topic, beginning to fan the flames.

“I know them! Of course I know them! Their nest is just on the other side of this hillside,” Andy said through gritted teeth. “I will settle this grudge sooner or later.”

“If you want revenge, it is quite simple. Organize your tribesmen now and pursue them from behind. I guarantee that by tonight, you will be eating inside their nest.” Gawain finally showed his hand. He intended to wipe out a goblin nest first, but he didn't want his kobold soldiers to charge directly into the fray.

The scattered traps within a goblin nest were troublesome; a single mistake could lead to heavy casualties. He was training troops; losing even one kobold would be considered a failure.

“No, I still have grain to transport, and our supplies aren't very abundant. We didn't prepare for war...” Andy felt a moment of temptation, but shook his head repeatedly in the next second.

“Pile your grain in a heap. I will stay here and watch over it for you. See? All those scattered pieces of equipment belong to you. My Azure Fang Warband will also follow behind to support you. After the victory, the goblins are yours, and the spoils in the nest are mine.” With a few words, Gawain had neatly arranged all of Andy's concerns.

“But...”

“No buts.” Gawain waved his hand heavily. “If the grain is lost, it's on me. You can just pull the same amount from Black Well later.”

Now Andy finally understood. Whether or not he wanted to attack the goblin tribe that had raided them didn't matter; what mattered was that the man in front of him wanted to. If he dared to say "no" again, well, his tribe might just find themselves with a new leader.

Thinking of this, Andy's entire goblin being became enlightened. He growled fiercely, “Fight! We must fight! Whoever dares to rob our grain, we will tear down their nest! Tribesmen, follow me! Charge! We are going to overturn that bunch of bastards' nest...”

Andy's shouting and yelling, however, yielded mediocre results. The dim-witted goblins were clutching the grain on their small carts, unwilling to let go, fearing that if they left their sight, the food would no longer be theirs.

“Roar!” Gawain decided to give them a helping hand.

“ROAR!” The half-ogre slammed his multi-lump giant club heavily against the ground and let out a thunderous roar, “All of you, chase them! Or I'll eat you!”