"Someone’s screaming?" Shire heard a sound from outside the heavy wooden door.
’There aren’t any Brain-Eating Monsters out there, are there? Could Red Eyes and his crew be behind this?’ He glanced suspiciously at the underling standing quietly by the stone pillar. ’No, probably not. Those guys are so protective of their few Brain-Eating Monsters, they’d never let them out.’
’Don’t tell me that idiot Philip got scared.’ He covered half his face with his hand. ’I can’t have that fool running off. He’s far too useful to me.’
Shire was planning to make good use of Philip. The man was, after all, the sole heir of the Valentine Clan. Through him, Shire could mobilize the entire military force of the Count’s Mansion.
If he put Philip on display at the Bee Spider Restaurant, it would certainly pique the customers’ interest. Elder Count Valentine would then be sure to come "make a delivery," and Shire could even check on the order status—"Your package is on its way"—through Mary and the others.
’Giant Spiders and Giant Bees are too dangerous. Relying on Adventurers alone won’t solve the problem.’ Shire had previously considered having Little John report to the association and luring that bunch of Adventurers into dealing with the two species. ’But on second thought, Adventurers are a cowardly lot who bully the weak and fear the strong. They won’t fight the Giant Spiders and Giant Bees to the death; they’ll just choose the easier targets—the ants and the goblins.’
To deal with the two giant predators, he had to rely on the Count’s Mansion’s Knight Order, but he had no way to command them. Philip’s arrival, however, was a godsend.
’As long as I solve the survival problem for the ant Race, I’ll have these all-terrain forest vehicles for the long haul.’
Shire had seen with his own eyes how quickly the ants could dig tunnels—fast and sturdy. What’s more, the first prototype of the new Ant Vehicle cargo bed had already been delivered. He was confident that after a few adjustments, it could be mass-produced. Then, the only bottleneck for the Drink Undying Alchemy Workshop’s production would be Little Claw.
’This is our star product for foreign trade right now. It can generate a ton of revenue for the tribe.’ He glanced at Lame Leg, who was sitting nearby. ’If need be, maybe he and Nine-finger could also try their hand at brewing potions?’
’Better not,’ Shire thought, rubbing his temples. ’I need those two for developing the Tree-man area. We need to dig out a large space there to stockpile Tree-man Fruits, dispatch some goblins to gather herbs, and post a squad of goblin guards. Without the Worker Ants’ help, we’re really short on hands.’
CREAK... The heavy wooden door made a faint noise as someone pushed it open just a crack.
’Here they come.’ A wicked grin spread across Shire’s face.
...
Philip glared angrily at the scurrying rat. His earlier scream had made everyone turn to look at him; the Deputy Captain of the Guard had even drawn his sword and rushed to his side.
Being stared at by everyone made him feel deeply embarrassed. The feeling intensified when he remembered his noble status, and it only made him loathe the goblins hiding in the Relic even more.
"Ahem." He coughed, then ordered with a stern face, "I was mistaken. Keep moving."
The guards said nothing, but Philip couldn’t shake the feeling that their eyes held a trace of mockery. He knew his men would never dare show such a look, but he felt it all the same.
"My lord, this place is excellent," the Deputy Captain of the Guard reported, moving closer. "The structures are solid and the space is vast. It’s completely usable."
"And you mean?" Philip looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"We could station a small Knight Order here; all we’d need is to build a stone road," the Deputy Captain of the Guard said, looking up at the surrounding walls. "His Lordship, the Count, has mentioned developing the Nightmare Forest before. You know our domain currently profits only from iron ore and agricultural products, while the Nightmare Forest is full of resources. However, because of the three-day time limit for humans and the lack of a stable base within the forest, the Count has never been able to act on this idea."
"So, you’re suggesting we use this Relic as an outpost and expand from here to gather resources?" Philip grasped the man’s suggestion. He thought for a moment; it seemed feasible.
"If we control personnel movement, build a simple road, and use mules and horses for transport, we could ship out all the herbs, timber, and fruit from the forest," the Deputy Captain of the Guard continued.
"That’s an excellent suggestion. I’ll speak to my father about it as soon as I return. I must say, it’s a brilliant idea for development." Philip smiled, patting the Deputy Captain’s shoulder. "So, first step: we clear out these goblins."
The Deputy Captain of the Guard snapped to attention with a military salute, then quietly ordered the guards to pick up the pace.
Turning into a new passage, they saw the Blue Fluorescent Mushrooms on the ceiling. They knew this was where the Shape-shifting Monster had been stored, but now there was nothing here besides the mushrooms overhead.
"These circular-patterned floor tiles are rather interesting." Philip looked down, studying the white bricks. "Are there strange carvings on them too?"
"My lord, we’re about to reach the engagement area Ricardo mentioned," the Deputy Captain of the Guard reminded Philip in a low voice. "Please stay behind us. Only come out after we’ve killed all the enemies."
"I know," Philip nodded.
"Open the door. Quietly," the Deputy Captain of the Guard ordered the shield-bearing guard at the front. "Try not to alert the goblins."
The door was pushed open a crack. A guard peered inside. "Doesn’t seem to be anyone here?"
"No one?" The Deputy Captain of the Guard frowned. He knew goblins were a noisy Race; they were never quiet. If there was no sound, there were only two possibilities: either they weren’t here, or they were all asleep.
"Move in slowly. No noise," he ordered in a low voice. A successful sneak attack would be ideal, of course.
The guards slowly pushed the wooden door all the way open and immediately flooded into the stone chamber, only to find their path blocked by a cheval de frise.
"Try to move it."
A few guards stepped forward and shoved the cheval de frise. "It’s heavy! And it’s bound with iron chains."
"Just as the report said. These goblins have some combat experience." The Deputy Captain of the Guard gestured, signaling his men to try and crawl silently under the barrier.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! The Deputy Captain of the Guard looked up as dozens of black objects came flying toward his men.
"Defense!" he roared.
BOOM! A series of explosions erupted. A volley of Hand Grenade Fruits detonated at the doorway, spraying shrapnel against the walls and Armor. When the smoke cleared, the Count’s guards saw that the opposite side of the room, behind stone pillars and walls, was filled with goblins.
"Status report!" the Deputy Captain of the Guard shouted from behind his Shield.
"I’m okay! A little dizzy!"
"A few scrapes!"
"I’m dizzy too, and it’s hard to breathe, but it’s not serious!"
The guards shouted their reports. The Hand Grenade Fruits had a limited effect; their huge Shields blocked most of the blasts, and the remaining shrapnel did little damage against their Armor.
"Shields forward! Axemen, cut the chains!" The Deputy Captain of the Guard immediately gave the order. The goblins had spotted them, but it seemed they were powerless against the heavily armored guards.
Their superior equipment and physical conditioning had nullified the goblin’s attack. All they had to do now was break through and kill them.
"Philip Valentine, so you dare to come to my Fortress." A voice called out from the other side—in Common Speech, no less.
"It’s the Mage behind the goblins," the Deputy Captain of the Guard frowned. "Don’t be afraid! We all have Magic Resistance. Their Magic Effect won’t be a concern."
At his command, two burly Full Armor Warriors holding Two-handed Axes moved forward to cut the chains on the barrier.
"Philip, you incompetent fool! You actually thought you could lead a crusade against me yourself?" the voice taunted again.
Philip had been puzzled when the voice first called him by name, but now it was calling him a fool. Remembering how he had shrieked at the sight of a rat, he once again felt his guards’ gazes turn strange.
"You few, stay back and protect the young lord," the Deputy Captain of the Guard said immediately. He knew his lord’s temper; he wouldn’t take such taunts lying down.
"All units, prepare to charge in and kill them!"
Just as the guards were about to break through the barrier, the "Mage" on the other side shouted again, "Philip, have you gotten over that bedwetting problem you had as a teenager?"
"Pfft!" From her perch, Yun Xiya burst out laughing. She’d been looking at Philip with contempt ever since he’d made a fool of himself over the rat, and now she couldn’t hold back.
The laugh was the last straw for Philip. Furious, he shoved his way to the front, screaming for his guards to kill them all.
WHOOSH! Another black orb flew through the air. The Deputy Captain of the Guard immediately ordered everyone to be on their guard.
SPLAT! The black orb hit a guard’s Shield and burst, splattering black liquid everywhere. Some of it even splashed onto Philip’s face.
In an instant, a powerful stench filled the air. The surrounding guards smelled it and doubled over, gagging in agony.
Two more of the stinking black orbs exploded in the crowd. "BLEGH!" One guard couldn’t take it anymore and collapsed, vomiting on the floor. The others clutched their mouths and noses, scrambling to get away from the area.
"This isn’t a Magic Attack! Everyone, fall back!" The Deputy Captain’s eyes were bloodshot from the overwhelming stench as he ordered his men back into the passageway.
"What is this? Ugh, it reeks!" Philip cried, his magnificent Armor now splattered with the black liquid. He completely forgot his noble bearing, wanting nothing more than to rip the Armor off his body.
The Deputy Captain of the Guard fought back the suffocating stench. He ordered some men to protect the young lord in the center of their formation while commanding the others to stay clear of the entrance, which was now flooded with the black liquid.
"I can’t take it anymore!" Philip yelled. For the first time, he regretted coming here himself.
BANG! A few more explosions echoed from the other end of the passage. Someone had thrown several pellets of Blazing Fire Glue, and raging flames now blocked the guards’ retreat.
"What’s that up there?" Philip, crushed between his men, looked up at the ceiling. He was surprised to see a blue mass hidden among the Blue Fluorescent Mushrooms.