Chapter 22: Chapter 21

Two months had passed and much had changed in Galmora since Arlan became the lord. The most obvious change was how the village was now a town with nine hundred residents and about eighty buildings. Stone roads replaced the old dirt roads. The introduction of heatwave plates allowed construction to continue easily through even the two coldest months of winter.

The reason for the boom in population was due to the opportunities advertised across Midland’s Northern-Eastern realm. Arlan offered three meals a day, housing, basic education, a wage, and fair treatment for anyone who worked for him in Galmora. There were always at least two to five new people arriving each day. Sometimes they came in flocks of large numbers.

In turn, Wren and his craftsmen were hard at work constantly expanding the town with more houses and buildings. Wren originally only brought twenty craftsmen for building and six blacksmiths for metallurgy, he knew it wasn’t enough. With Arlan’s approval, Wren was able to hire fifteen more craftsmen in the second month and six more blacksmiths.

The cost for town development doubled from the wages and building materials. Jovann was doing his best to send caravans of building materials from Auron City but it was too slow due to the winter.

So in turn, a lumber mill was established for wood needs and a stone quarry was constructed. They wouldn’t supply enough materials right away but it did help alleviate the building cost for aggressive expansion.

The Banner of the Claw’s barracks was built in the first week of Arlan’s arrival but additional space and buildings were being allocated as Arlan trained another platoon of infantrymen. This put his banner’s strength at a hundred and twenty strong. Arlan’s Banner would train day in and day out while maintaining security in and around the town.

A large building was erected across from the Lord’s Manor. It served as the Galmora Ministry. It would deal with any social matters regarding immigration, financial support, available jobs, and housing. Marie tutored Reina in how to read, write, and other social formalities. Reina was appointed as the administrator of the Galmora Ministry shortly after.

The cave that was cleared of horned boars was turned into a mineshaft shortly after the battle. This produced the highest amount of jobs while also providing a stable income for Galmora. Iron and copper were Galmora’s primary export and it helped recuperate Arlan’s treasury. The demand for iron and copper was always high in Galdo City. Arlan kept half the yield and sold the other half to the Galdo Merchant Union. This earned about three hundred gold coins a month. Allowing Arlan to recuperate his losses in two months’ time.

After a month, Galmora finally had its own garrison of fifty guards. They were trained to deal with guarding and patrolling the town. Knight Jocko kept a close eye on them since a guard captain hadn’t been found yet. This freed the Banner of the Claw from having to patrol the town and instead focused their efforts on military action on the frontier.

An Adventurer’s Guildhall had finally been built after a month and the Guild sent a branch manager out to Galmora to oversee adventurers. This encouraged adventurers to come all the way out to Galmora to accept bounties in the frontiers. While adventurers did come, it wasn’t many due to the winter months limiting travel.

Once a week, fifty or so goblins would appear on the eastern edge of the forest and a platoon would be sent to intercept the goblins before they could reach Galmora. They would skirmish until half of the goblins were killed and the goblins would retreat. Then the following week another group of fifty goblins would appear and repeat the same battle. Since the goblins were weak, the Banner of the Claw only suffered minor injuries.

 

It was the first morning of the third month. Arlan and Knight Jocko were at the west end of town going over the inventory manifest of the latest ingot shipment. There were six wagons of iron and copper ingots headed for Galdo City. The young lion was doing his due diligence by double-checking the counts. Once he was satisfied, he handed the sales writ to the lead wagon driver. “Thank you, Milord.” said the driver as the caravan set off.

Since it was much warmer now, travel was far less dangerous. Arlan had already outlined his priorities for the third month. First was to dispatch his banner deep into the frontiers to find the source of the goblin attacks. The second was to start cultivating farmland since it was now possible. The third was to construct a stone road all the way to Galdo City as a joint effort with Galdera village.

Knight Jocko reminded Arlan that it was time to brief the Banner of the Claw. So the pair left for the barracks toward the north end of town. On their way, many different residents greeted them with smiles. It was a sign that Galmora had made significant improvements in only two months. But this wasn’t enough for Arlan.

Shortly after, Arlan and Knight Jocko entered the barracks. They made their way past the courtyard, which was filled with soldiers in training. The pair entered the briefing hall. Inside the hall were forty seats facing a small stage.

Trent, Dimitri, Erin, and Noah were seated at the front with the new fourth platoon leader, Lem. Arlan recognized Lem’s ability to take initiative during a battle with the goblins. Upon the fourth platoon’s inception, Lem was promoted to fourth platoon leader. He was originally a squad leader under Erin’s second platoon.

Aside from Knight Jocko, Lem was the oldest at nineteen. Behind each platoon leader were their three squad leaders. It was important for the leadership to attend briefings. Knight Jocko entered first and announced Arlan’s arrival, “The Captain is here.”

Everyone stood up at attention as Arlan entered the stage. The military tradition was important for maintaining respect and uniform behavior. The young lion turned to his soldiers and ordered them to ‘at ease.’

A large wooden map of the northeast frontier was on the stage behind Arlan. The map marked six different battle locations where the Banner of the Claw had engaged the goblins.

“Gentlemen,” announced Arlan, “The warm winter month is here which means it’s time for the expedition that we've been talking about the last two weeks. I will be outlining the route we’ll be taking and how long we’ll be out there.”

Arlan briefed his soldiers on the routes, the primary objective, platoon responsibilities, mission duration, and many other details. This gave the leaders among the platoons the ability to operate without Arlan if the occasion arose.

“Captain, question,” stated Erin.

“Yes, Erin?”

“When are we departing?”

“Tomorrow morning at sunrise, so make your preparations today. You’re all dismissed.”

 

Arlan returned to his office and a few letters were delivered by a courier while he was out. The young lion saw a letter from Count Emile. It was likely regarding Herschel Umbridge being transferred over to Galdo City. But the other two letters didn’t have a name on them.

The young lion realized who it was from after seeing the Hawkwell seal. It was the two letters Iris had written. Arlan opened and read through both letters slowly as his heart fumbled all over. He was making the moment last just a bit longer. Arlan was sure Iris would get in trouble if Baron Arlan Reeve was writing love letters to the already betrothed Iris Hawkwell.

Arlan returned to his duties after his escapade. He went over the finances and they had a surplus of twelve-hundred gold and a healthy influx of resources all over. The young lion pondered a few different ideas on what Galmora would benefit from. Many different ideas got tossed around but Arlan decided it was best to return to this thought after the expedition.

The young lion left the Lord’s Manor and made his way around. The town was more alive than ever. The Galmora market two months ago only had two stalls that were rarely open. Now the Galmora market was filled with thirty different vendors in the third month of winter with the help of the heatwave plates.

A few merchants noticed Arlan and offered him gifts but Arlan always refused unless it was food he could eat on the spot. Arlan decided to purchase an entire roasted chicken from a peculiar food stall.

Past the Galmora markets were the forges and workshops. Arlan was recognized as soon as he rounded the corner. Every blacksmith and craftsmen in the area greeted the Lord of Galmora.

Arlan found Wren who was directing a few warehouse workers to move iron ingots inside. After a short exchange, Arlan and Wren sat for the lunch that Arlan had brought. The pair discussed small details regarding more houses and the construction of a school.

“Say, Wren,” uttered Arlan, “How long would a wall around Galmora take?”

Wren paused for a moment and answered, “At least an entire year to surround Galmora and the areas we were planning to expand to.”

“That’s what I figured. Anything new around here?” asked Arlan.

“The usual banter between the different arrogant blacksmiths but nothing new. Oh, there is this one… particular person.” Wren noted.

“What is it?” Arlan inquired.

“I’m meeting Renia tonight at the new Tavern that just opened.”

“Ever since the festival on the second night, I’ve seen you two together often. Do you like her?”

“Do I have to answer this?”

“As the Lord of Galmora, yes.”

Wren let out a laugh and answered, “Yes, I do. I think she’s taken a liking to me as well.”

“Isn’t it refreshing that you can see a girl and not risk moving to a new city?”

“You’re quite the funny guy, master lord baron king sir Arban Weeve.”

The two shared a laugh after poking fun at each other. It reminded Arlan of the times they spent at the orphanage. They finished the roasted chicken and after Arlan left, Wren returned to his work at the forges.

The young lion returned to the Lord’s Manor at the town square. His maids already prepared his blacksteel armor, the overcoat, and red cape for tomorrow’s expedition. Arlan laid down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Sometimes, I wish I could just go wherever I want, like the weekends in Auron City.

Before Arlan realized it, he had fallen asleep. His fatigue caught up to him the moment he laid back down. An afternoon nap like this was uncommon for him. The teenager's body was taking its toll in the last eight months. Arlan fell deep asleep.

Faint sounds of familiar gunfire went off in Arlan’s mind. He could only see pitch black but the gunshots grew louder and louder. The young lion was reactively trying to wake up but old memories flashed through his mind. He saw the mass killings of civilians, seeing his own soldiers mangled into recognizable pieces, the destruction of cities, and the dead bodies of children.

Arlan opened his eyes and while he couldn’t see the nightmare anymore, the images were burned into his mind. It was already the next morning.

 

In the town square, all a hundred and twenty of Arlan’s bannermen had gathered. All four platoons were in a formation. They were still equipped with winter overcoats but wore their red capes with the lion’s sigil. Each soldier felt a great sense of duty and honor to be in the service of Arlan Reeve. 

The Banner of the Claw’s reputation spread throughout Midland’s Northeastern region. Morale was always high among the soldiers with this reputation. Despite being all young soldiers, the Banner of the Claw was so formidable that they’d be considered elite infantry for any banner under any lord. It was due to Arlan’s intense and unorthodox training regime.

Many residents had gathered to see off the Banner of the Claw, especially since the fourth platoon consisted of Galmora’s sons and brothers. The residents now felt pride over their relation to the Banner of the Claw.

Each platoon had its platoon leaders at the front of its formation. Arlan appeared at the front-facing of his loyal soldiers. He started by addressing them, “Banner of the Claw, the time is upon us to venture into the unknown in search of the goblin threat. Out there, we will have no one but each other to depend on. For the safety of our beloved town and the honor of your duty, we will now embark on our expedition into the frontiers. My brothers, live forever.”

A loud battle cry was heard as a response to Arlan’s final words of ‘live forever.’ The words echoed in their hearts, fueling their sense of duty to their commander, their town, and their duties.

Arlan turned to Knight Jocko, Marie, Wren, Renia, and Chrysta to bid his farewells. Arlan left Knight Jocko as the Lord’s Adjutant in his place to oversee everything. Arlan even outlined everything he wanted to be done by the time he returned. The Banner of the Claw’s expedition was expected to last no longer than five days.

The young lion turned back and issued his orders, “Banner of the Claw, move out!”

Arlan and his banner departed Galmora’s east gate with many residents still cheering them on. Each platoon had a wagon of food rations, tents, spare weapons, and other miscellaneous supplies. The wagons were pulled by horses with a driver from each platoon.

Although the wagons reduced their ability to maneuver through tough terrain, the supplies gave them the ability to operate for two weeks if it came down to it. This would expand their operational capacity.

After twenty minutes of marching, they arrived at the Galmora Mineshaft that they had once fought the great horned boars at. Many miners stopped their work to cheer on the Banner of the Claw. The miners knew that their livelihood wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the achievements of the soldiers before them. The soldiers returned their waves as they marched onward toward the unknown.

Throughout the recent months, scouts have ventured further and mapped out another five kilometers but none have gone past that. With Arlan leading at the front, many soldiers felt a sense of confidence. They knew of Arlan’s strength and competence.

Their commander cared for their lives and they understood that he wouldn’t give them questionable orders. The love and loyalty were sent both ways. Each Banner of the Claw soldier was ready to lay down their lives if Arlan ordered it. They knew that a day like that may come, especially with the inevitable rebellion Arlan was preparing them for.

This bond is necessary for any unit or group to operate effectively. It doesn’t have to be a military unit for the members to connect on a deeper level. Any group will perform better when bonded to a deeper level of understanding and care. This was a proven method Arlan had used back on Terra when he was rising through the ranks.

The company of soldiers made their way through the dirt path that the scouts and adventurers have taken before them. The winter was still present in the surrounding area with pockets of snow here and there. But it was warm enough that snow was beginning to melt.

The forest around them was left untouched by human civilization and different breeds of animals were still hibernating or hiding before the soldiers. Monsters kept their distance from the band as they could feel Arlan’s killing intent flourish through. This allowed them to travel through the frontier with no encounters.

The Banner of the Claw finally arrived at the end of the path. This marked that from there on, it was uncharted territory. A massive meadow lay before them with hills and groups of trees that spread around. The wagons would traverse easily along this meadow but if they had to cross through a thicker forest, Arlan would easily smash it down.

While they followed the planned route, the unknown terrain could easily change their path. Thick vegetation wasn’t much of an issue but impassable cliffs or tall mountains could easily hinder the route. But based on the battle locations of where the goblins had been tracked from, Arlan predicted potential areas for goblin camps.

It may be only one massive goblin camp or many smaller camps. It could also be a combination of both. The lack of information was a risky venture to act on but Arlan had to do something and was willing to take the risk that the goblins wouldn’t be much of a match for Arlan and his soldiers. Most of the soldiers were third-tier red cores while the new fourth platoon was still second-tier orange cores.

With their commander at the front, the Banner of the Claw began their trek across the frontier. They traveled the entire day and only took twenty-minute breaks every three hours. When they departed Galmora, it was still eight in the morning and when they stopped to break camp, it was already seven in the evening. Arlan decided a location near a large lake would serve as their campsite. It allowed them to put their backs to the water.

Each platoon was given six tents and in only twenty minutes, the Banner of the Claw’s war camp had been deployed. Fires were lit up and heatwave plates were placed. This allowed the soldiers to stay warm and start cooking rations. Arlan, Noah, and the two soldiers assigned to Noah as assistants shared an extra tent brought in one of the wagons.

Arlan took off his blacksteel helmet but kept his armor on. All the soldiers were ordered to sleep in their armor in case of an enemy or monster attack. Each platoon was in charge of setting a watch for a certain sector and direction. Of course, within each platoon, the squads traded shifts so everyone could get some rest.

The war camp was lively, soldiers talking amongst their fellow squadmates while they ate their rations. Soldiers from the second platoon began an arm-wrestling competition with soldiers from the third platoon. This caused a bit more of a ruckus but it was light-hearted fun.

The fourth platoon soldiers got to fight against recent goblin incursions alongside the others but they were still fresh. They looked up to the other three platoons, especially the first platoon. Their admiration for the first platoon’s achievements helps set the bar and expectations for the new soldiers from the fourth platoon.

 Squad leaders and platoon leaders were called into Arlan’s tent though. They weren’t afforded rest just yet. All twelve squad leaders and the four platoon leaders assembled quickly inside the tent while Arlan and Noah were already present in the tent discussing matters regarding supply.

Noah noticed the leaders entering their large tent and said, “Captain, I’ll send you a report about this later.”

“Thank you, Noah, you’re doing a great job. Let’s start this debrief,” answered Arlan as he walked over to a table with a map.

“Yes, Captain.” replied Noah as he turned to the rest of the leadership in the tent.

Trent was the acting second-in-command since JD was still at the Knight’s Academy. So Trent put himself front and center before Arlan and stated, “Sir, all the squad leaders, and platoon leaders are present for debrief.”

“Good,” replied Arlan, “At ease, soldiers. I’ll make this quick so you all can get some food and rest. First, the war camp was set up in a timely manner like the way we did in training but make sure to triple check security shifts and measures. The last thing I want is any surprise attacks.”

“Aye, Captain!” answered everyone but Noah in the room.

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“Second,” continued Arlan as he leaned over the table, “The routes planned may change but we should arrive at the first of four waypoints anyway. So we may see combat tomorrow. Lastly, Sergeant Noah is tracking our supplies, so each platoon will send him a report of their consumption. The supplies are estimated to last two weeks but any changes need to be tracked so we can return to Galmora sooner if so.”

Arlan nodded at Dimitri as he raised his hand and asked, “Captain, are we to continue our formation for tomorrow?”

“No, we’ll be moving out at a three-column formation to respond to potential threats faster,” answered Arlan as he noticed Erin raise his hand as well.

“Captain, at the rate we’re going, when do you think we’ll find the enemy?” asked Erin.

“By the fourth day, we’ll at least engage either a scouting party or the main enemy contingent. But I don’t think we’ll find the enemy camp so easily,” answered Arlan as he looked intently at the map and pondered for a moment. “Any questions?” asked Arlan.

“No, Captain.” answered everyone else in the tent.

“You’re all dismissed. Remember we depart at eight in the morning,” ordered Arlan to his subordinates. Everyone except Noah and his two assistants left the tent. The young lion laid down on a small blanket and closed his eyes as Noah accepted report after report. Arlan bid Noah goodnight as the supply sergeant continued a little more through the night with the supply numbers.

After the reports, Noah was able to finish his inventory of supplies and they were on track for two weeks out in the frontiers. Noah knew they’d planned for five days and he hoped that was a correct estimate. Being out of supplies in the middle of uncharted territory would be dangerous.

Noah laid down on his blanket opposite Arlan and looked admiring at his leader. Noah thought to himself, “Arlan, I’d follow you to hell and back.”

 

The morning after showed that the night was uneventful. The entire Banner of the Claw had awakened and they efficiently packed the war camp after a quick breakfast. It only took thirty minutes due to the efficient training that they did.

Arlan led at the front with the first platoon and the fourth platoon was in the middle with the third and second platoon in the rear. They marched on for two hours through more meadows and forest.

Several different beasts would try to challenge the band of soldiers but they were swiftly killed by the effective responses. The beasts weren’t weak but due to the sheer number of soldiers they faced, they weren’t a threat. What troubled Arlan was these beasts ignored his killing intent and would attack anyway. They were unaffected by his aura.

It was barely eleven in the morning when they arrived within sight range of their first waypoint. That’s when they saw it. A large wooden fortress occupied by at least three hundred goblins. The fort resided on a wide plain with nearly five hundred meters of open ground.

Squadrons of goblins entered and exited the front double gate which stood at a resounding twelve meters tall and seven meters wide. The squadrons consisted of about twenty goblins and they would leave to patrol the area around them.

On all four corners of the small citadel were watchtowers with goblin archers inside. There was an endless forest further east of the fort that the patrols would enter and exit from.

Arlan and the Banner of the Claw were about a kilometer away but they emerged from a hill with a tree line. This masked their appearance from the goblins but it was only a matter of time before a patrol would find them.

Arlan told Trent, “Send for the other platoon leaders.”

After a minute, Dimitri, Erin, and Lem joined Trent and Arlan at the front of the formation. They knew what was going to come after seeing the goblin-infested fort. Lem asked, “Captain, when are we attacking?”

“We’ll commence the attack in fifteen minutes. The longer we wait, the sooner we’ll be discovered and they’ll fortify more goblins inside,” answered Arlan with confidence.

“Captain, what are you thinking?” inquired Trent.

“Hobgoblins are likely in command.” Arlan commented, “So I expect some form of tactics from them. They’ll probably send forth a hundred strong contingent to meet us outside the walls while archers rain arrows on us. We need to cover as much distance as we can to reduce the chances of casualties. After we reach the gate, we need to flood in as fast as possible and clear out the garrison before more patrols return. Speed is the key here, especially since they don’t know we’re here yet.”

“Acknowledged, Captain.” replied all four platoon leaders.

Arlan ordered, “Form up into two columns with the first platoon on the left and second platoon on the right. Have the fourth platoon position behind the left and the third platoon behind the right. We’ll charge across as fast as we can, once we reach the gate. I’ll smash it down. The first platoon and fourth platoon will clear out the garrison. Form up now at the base of the hill. Leave the wagons to Noah and his supply unit.”

“By your command.” answered the four platoon leaders as they returned to their troops. Every platoon was briefed by their respective platoon leader. They were informed of their role for the upcoming battle. Arlan drew his mithril longsword and prepared himself mentally as he walked down the slope to the base of the hill.

Shortly after, the rest of the Banner of the Claw filed into their positions behind their commander. Each soldier that formed up felt the presence of Arlan. His aura was enough to reinforce their resolve.

The young lion turned to his troops and rallied them with his words, “My brothers! The goblin attacks have been originating from this bastion here. This could be the only fort or the first of many. Either way, you will cross this field swiftly and kill all the goblins before you! Your duty to Midland beckons. Answer it! Answer it with all you have! For you will live forever, my brothers!”

“Hell yeah!” cried his soldiers as they charged with their commander. Arlan knew he could reach the gate twice as fast as anyone behind him but he held back his speed in order to stay with his soldiers. The young lion positioned himself in the center between the first platoon and the second platoon.

A horn sounded off from the south west watchtower which was in front of Arlan on the right. The goblins had spotted the Banner of the Claw charging across and it would take another ninety seconds for them to cross five hundred meters. With essence enhancing their speed, they could easily cover the distance in a minute but the weapons and armor held them back to ninety seconds.

As the Banner of the Claw reached halfway, the gates opened before them and out spewed a horde of goblins. Just as Arlan predicted, it was about a hundred goblins. They were armored and geared better than what they were used to. Although the ferocity the goblins displayed was on another level. Arlan’s [Battle Trance] detected mostly second-tier red cores.

This is going to be an issue.

Arlan turned his head to his side and yelled, “Everyone! Don’t take them lightly, they’re way stronger than regular goblins!” Once the Banner of the Claw reached a hundred meters from the fort, several goblins on the battlements started firing arrows into their attackers.

The Banner of the Claw saw the arrows overhead and raised their shields in response as they continued on. The arrows never struck anyone as the shields soaked them. The goblins on the ground before them held a mixed set of weapons indicating no form of specialization. Arlan knew they would win in the melee due to their power difference and superior organization.

Arlan and the first row of soldiers were about to meet with the horde of goblins at the base of the fort. The moment before, everyone’s adrenaline was at its climax due to the promise of violence before them. The Banner of the Claw knew what they had to do, and they trained rigorously for it. Right in that moment before the battle, they all flipped a switch from loving and caring soldiers to remorseless killers. They were ready to murder anything not on their side.

Metallic thunders echoed through the plains. Signaling that both sides had finally met. The Banner of the Claw’s charge had a devastating effect on the goblins on the ground. They easily tore half the goblins and turned them into flying goblin parts.

Arlan started the clash by using [Titan Strike] on the goblins between him and the gate. The first two rows of goblins were turned into blood mist. The opening allowed Arlan to push deep into their lines and used [Automatic Parry] to deflect any random strikes.

Arlan was surrounded on all sides but his back. Behind him was an opening that no goblins dared to close. The goblins were too scared to close the gap in fear of being struck by the countless swords and spears following behind Arlan.

The young lion struck down goblin after goblin with his mithril sword. His mind calculated the right move at every millisecond. His legs accelerated him forward, while his right arm swung his weapon of death, and his left arm channeled fireball after fireball toward every goblin he could. Within fifteen seconds of the clash, Arlan had already killed twenty goblins and cleared a path to the wooden gate.

Only six meters behind the young lion was the first platoon on his left and second platoon on his right. Both platoons in the front saw great success from the initial collision. Like a hot knife on butter, they massacred the goblin infantry.

The third and fourth platoons weren’t engaged in melee but were being showered by goblin archers on the battlements. The third and fourth platoons hadn't passed the minimum range yet. Despite the throng of arrows, not a single arrow struck true due to the raised steel square shields. The arrows would either bounce off or barely pierce the shield. Some soldiers had at least ten arrows in their shields.

No Banner of the Claw soldier had yet to be seriously injured. Minor cuts and bruises were found here and there. This was due to the momentum from the initial engagement, the goblins had no idea of the power difference and were ill prepared. They lacked the same discipline and efficient battle prowess displayed against them.

In response to Arlan reaching the wooden gate, the goblins blew a series of different horns. Arlan figured it was the fort recalling their patrols, there were at least four squadrons outside the walls only a few minutes away. This meant a quick reaction force of at least eighty strong would strike them from behind if they stayed the course.

Arlan turned to his second-in-command, Trent, who was still cutting down the last row of goblins with his platoon. The young lion yelled, “Trent! Tell the third and fourth to engage the QRF’s that will come!”

Trent acknowledged by shouting back, “By your command, Captain!”

Trent quickly passed the message to a runner in the rear. The formation shifted shortly after. This speedy reaction was key to winning battles. Fast rotations were important in the placement of numbers.

Now, the first and second platoons were about to storm the fort with Arlan while the third and fourth platoons would actively engage any squadrons that got close enough outside. The third and fourth platoons held a defensive line around the rear and would send out individual squads to engage the goblin squadrons of twenty.

The outcome of the aggressive tactics was that the goblin squadrons never got to regroup with each other. The third and fourth platoon made sure of that. Arlan knew he had to keep the enemy in a confused, and indecisive state to keep the banner’s momentum up. He also deduced that if they maintained the upper hand, it would limit the casualties on their side. The goblin’s excelled at zerging or overrunning their opponent. The young lion didn’t allow them the privilege.

As the final remnants of the goblin infantry outside were being killed, Arlan was backed by the first and second platoon. Purple blood covered them all over from the clash earlier. Smiles were gone, the cheery soldiers weren’t there. Killers with thousand yard stares replaced them. In battle, a switch was flipped. In their minds, they were to follow orders and kill the enemy before them.

The young lion channeled a high burst of essence and mana into his weapon. Arlan was about to use a maximized [Titan Strike] on the gate. Since it was merely a wooden gate, it would easily knock down. The goblin archers above were still frantically trying to fire arrows at whoever they could, only to have their arrow get stuck in a shield or flop to the ground.

Arlan swung overhead with his glowing sword. The Mar-Tech erupted in front of the young lion causing the wooden gate to shatter back into the fort. Pieces of wooden shrapnel peppered the inside of the fort.

With the gate gone, the interior courtyard revealed itself. Inside were shabby tents, empty cages, a few scattered wooden cabins, and another a hundred and twenty goblins that formed another throng. A pocket of twenty hobgoblins lined their rear. Another fifty goblin archers were on the battlements with arrows drawn.

Ten goblins had already been killed from the pieces of the shrapnel that sprayed into the fort. The dust started to settle from Arlan’s attack and the defenders inside all worried about who it was that was attacking them. What they thought they saw as a devil of sorts, a reaper coming to claim what was his.

Arlan’s immense killing intent flourished into the fort like a tsunami. The young lion walked through the gate and stood before the throng of goblins. The goblin archers were confused until they saw the first and second platoon flood through the breached gate. The goblin archers snapped back to reality so they let their arrows fly toward Arlan and his soldiers.

The first and second platoon had already formed six testudos of shields. Arlan merely enhanced a barrier and arrows had no effect on him. His essence capacity was still quite high. Before another volley of arrows could be fired, Arlan dove straight into the enemy infantry before him. The courtyard massacre had started. The first platoon followed their commander without question while the second platoon charged up the ramparts to kill the goblin archers.

As the melee in the courtyard had just started, the fourth platoon raced through the gate and joined the melee inside. They decided to assist the battle inside after defeating most of the goblin squadrons outside. The third platoon remained in reserve outside defending the rear in case of any anomalies that might’ve appeared.

The goblin infantry inside the courtyard had shifted to face the first platoon earlier. So when the fourth platoon arrived, they were able to flank the throng of goblin infantry inside. The attack on the side gave the fourth platoon a huge burst of momentum.

Arlan’s [Battle Trance] picked up an enemy fourth-tier red core combatant pushing toward the fourth platoon. The young lion cut through swaths of hobgoblins as they were the only ones willing to fight Arlan to the death. The regular goblin runts would cower and give up when the young lion was in melee range.

The only powerful enemy combatant turned out to be a massive goblin with a tall golden helm. He was just as tall as a Hobgoblin but was green and brawn. Hobgoblins were brown skin with massive bellies. The massive special goblin held a gargantuan ax in each hand. He wore golden armor that only protected his chest and shoulders.

Lem identified the coming threat and knew it would be bad news if this continued. So Lem ordered the left half of his platoon back and the other half to the right toward the first platoon. This created more distance for the special goblin to cover before he would reach their line.

Arlan enhanced his strength with the essence in order to leap over the goblins before him. The young lion landed before the special goblin and caught its attention. The young lion realized it was a goblin lord. A special type of goblin who ascended to a higher position over hundreds of goblins.

The goblin lord was desperate to keep his clan alive but had already accepted that they would all die here. He wanted to take down as many humans with him as he could but a small human stood before him, clad in blacksteel armor. The goblin lord felt Arlan’s killing intent, the moment the young lion entered the fort.

Arlan readied himself as no one dared to interfere with the inevitable duel. The goblin lord enhanced himself with essence and lunged at the small human. The young lion easily parried and deflected every attack. With the abundance of essence still available to Arlan, his [Automatic Parry] wasn’t going down any time soon.

Sparks detonated from when the steel axes met with the mithril sword. The battle raged on behind the dueling pair and at this point, it wasn’t a battle anymore. It was genocide. Some of the goblins even surrendered by throwing down their weapons but the Banner of the Claw showed no mercy and kept murdering every goblin before them, armed or not.

This ruthlessness was warranted. Goblins were sly, murderous, and deviant creatures. If the goblins were captured, they served as a risk. If any got out, they’d easily slit the throats of their captors. If they were allowed to run, they’d simply join another band of goblins and would commit the same atrocities. No one had ever seen a goblin integrate peacefully with the society among the different races.

The Banner of the Claw was well informed of this matter. Arlan gave the order to kill any goblin, regardless of their combative state. No goblin prisoners were allowed. The soldiers followed this order without remorse or question. They would indiscriminately hack away at the enemies before them with ease.

After a minute into their duel, the goblin lord continued exchanging blows with Arlan. But the skirmish around them had ended. The first, second, and fourth platoons had already killed every other goblin and they surrounded the last one, the goblin lord.

Arlan quickly glanced at Trent and nodded as if giving him permission. The first platoon surrounded the goblin lord with spears and shields at the ready. Anytime the goblin lord tried to turn toward any of the soldiers, Arlan simply zoned him back with a few thrusts from his mithril longsword.

The encirclement of spears gradually tightened smaller and smaller. There was almost no room left for the goblin lord to maneuver now, except to his front. But Arlan kept a barrage of attacks on his opponent which wasn’t any better.

Finally, one of Arlan’s attacks made it through to the goblin lord, and he was knocked back two meters. Three spears took the opportunity to pierce the goblin lord’s back. The rest of the encirclement collapsed into the goblin lord before he could react. A fury of impalements struck true and now there were twenty spears lanced through the last standing enemy. Somehow, the goblin lord was still alive but already dropped his axes and couldn’t move.

The young lion waltzed up to his opponent before him. The eyes of his entire banner were fixed on them. They were curious about what their commander would do. The goblin lord coughed up blood and struggled to utter words, “Hu…man… coward! You… not… fight… like… warrior!”

 Arlan stood silent as the once-great goblin lord who led hundreds was reduced to a husk of his former self. The purple blood croaked out onto Arlan’s blacksteel breastplate. The goblin lord wheezed as the spears had also penetrated his lungs. Excruciating pain stopped the goblin lord from breathing properly.

At last, the young lion coldly replied, “There is no honor in this battle. Die nameless.”

Before the goblin lord could say his next word, a steel dagger perforated his throat. Arlan didn’t allow his enemy the mannerism. The goblin lord could only drown in his own blood and died painfully.

The young lion raised his hand and the spears lowered the goblin lord’s limp body to the ground. With no contrition, Arlan immediately gave out orders, “First and second platoon, gather all the bodies inside the fort. Lem, have the fourth platoon, search for intel. Trent, send a runner out to the third platoon, and tell them to escort the wagons and the supply unit in.”

“By your command!” responded Trent as he left to find a runner.

The battle was over and the Banner of the Claw massacred about four hundred goblins with no casualties. This was mainly due to Arlan playing every possible card in his favor. They maximized efficiency and minimized their losses to near zero.

As everyone carried out their orders, a fourth platoon soldier found a map inside one of the tents. Lem handed the findings to his commander. Arlan read the map and it revealed three more forts to the east. The last fort was marked bigger than the others. It was the main camp and whoever was in command was likely there. Each fort was about a half day's march from one another.

It was strange to Arlan that the forts themselves didn’t appear to be built by goblins or at least Arlan doubted that they did. But that was unimportant at this time.

After an hour, all the bodies were stacked inside the fort. The Banner of the Claw took thirty minutes to rest before their commander gave the order to move out. Arlan figured that it would only take them eight days to raze the other three forts and return home. As they marched east, a colossal fire engulfed the fort behind them. Not a single soldier looked back at the destruction they had left in their wake.

This is what Arlan wanted from his men. To give no quarter to the enemy, to operate without remorse, and to kill their enemy efficiently. But he also taught them to hold in their hearts the reasons for why they fought. Those very reasons allowed them to remember their sense of duty, purpose, and devotion to their cause.

For a soldier to destroy evil, he must become worse than evil without losing one’s humanity. A difficult path all soldiers must endure in the pursuit of peace.

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