"So, Lord Landen already needs us now?" Moa asked, as always hiding inside a hooded robe, his somewhat eerie voice drifting out.
"There's no helping it. You've already seen how strong my subordinates are. In this territory, there isn't an opponent they can handle." Landen spread his hands, looking utterly pitiful.
Landen could now approach the Mind Flayers at will. The contracts recorded on those scrolls were no joke. Their magic could inflict tremendous damage not only on these few Mind Flayers, but even on powerful opponents at the Silver or Gold level. With that guarantee, the contracts carried more than enough weight.
"Then, my lord, who is your target?" Moa asked.
Landen smiled. "I said I wouldn't make you take part in overly difficult battles. Besides, this is our first battle together, so let's pick a simpler target. How about we use that group of Great Goblins for practice first?"
"Hmph." Moa snorted. "The individual combat strength of those Great Goblins is indeed very weak, but there are more than just a few of them. Besides, they never leave their nest except to hunt. In such a complicated environment, they're the true kings. Are you sure such a tribe is the weakest, Lord Landen?"
Landen shrugged. "They're strong in their nest, so we'll just force them out of it. As for their numbers, to be honest, whether there are just a few more or fewer, won't it only take one or two extra Mind Storms for you? Oh, right, I should warn you beforehand. You must control the power of the Mind Storms when the time comes. They're my subjects, just like you are. I don't want to see any unnecessary deaths."
Moa said, "You don't need to worry about that, Lord Landen. You should first think about how to 'invite' those Great Goblins out of their nest."
Ever since Landen had dragged him to the alchemy laboratory to work through the entire night, Aila had not seen Lord Landen again for nearly a week. He understood the lord's thoughts less and less, but he clearly remembered that lord's abnormal behavior that night. Even now, it remained fresh in his memory.
Am I the alchemist, or is he the alchemist? That question still troubled Aila, and even made him feel somewhat inferior.
The stone door was pushed open, but Aila did not look up. These past few days, those Dark Elves had delivered food to him on time, then stared at him for a long while with their scarlet, murderous eyes. He had simply curled himself up whenever they came, remaining that way until they left.
This time, however, they seemed to be staying for an unusually long time. Aila was starting to feel puzzled when Landen's voice suddenly sounded beside him. "Are you sitting like that because you're tired of eating this food, or because you don't want to see me?"
"L-L-Lord Landen!" Aila was startled and hurriedly raised his head.
Landen clearly had no intention of wasting words with him and got straight to the point. "You completed your last task very well, which is why you survived. Now I have another task for you. If you can complete it just as well, then... I'll give you the right to move freely in this room. How does that sound?"
"N-No problem!" Whether he had nearly forgotten how to speak from being isolated too long or was simply too excited, Aila stammered slightly, but his answer was exceptionally firm.
"Good. Then come with me."
These Great Goblins were precisely the ones the previous Landen had first tried to conquer with his subordinates. After a series of evaluations, they had decided these were the easiest opponents to deal with. Of course, the actual situation at the time had given the previous Landen a harsh slap in the face.
This time, however, things were different.
"Old Niu."
"Yes, my lord."
"Go smash that entrance shut. Remember, seal it completely. I need not even a little air to escape from inside."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, 'huh'? You're the biggest and strongest one here. If you don't go, do you expect me to?"
"Yes, my lord."
Landen led his "large force"—which had finally reached double digits—to stand before a small hill. It wasn't especially small, either. It covered at least several thousand square meters and stood more than a certain height. The Great Goblins' nest was inside this hill.
The last time Landen had come here, he had charged in with several subordinates. Before they even found the Great Goblins, they had become hopelessly lost in the winding, complicated terrain and then suffered an ambush.
Amid a series of rumbling crashes, the Minotaur Butler, acting as a laborer, completed the task according to Landen's orders. Landen nodded in satisfaction and led the troops onward.
Several minutes later...
"This entrance too. Get to it, Old Niu."
"..."
For most of the day, the group circled the hill, making nearly a full circuit and destroying multiple entrances. These were all entrances and exits to the Great Goblin nest, and they were marked in the Lord System.
"All right, Aila!"
"Here!"
The Alchemy Apprentice had been imprisoned for nearly a month and had only just been released. He looked rather disheveled. At Landen's call, he immediately jogged over to him, completely ignoring the shackles on his feet, whose weight had only been reduced slightly.
"This is the place." Landen pointed at the waist-high entrance before them. "Remember what I told you earlier? I don't care what method you use. In short, you have to pour those things inside for me. Understood?"
"I shall not fail you, Lord Landen!" Aila nodded forcefully, then began pulling things out of a huge cloth bundle strapped to his back.
"Lari Brothers, and Mikhail, the three of you guard this place. No matter what tries to come out, force it back inside. Don't let even a single mosquito out. Anything that tries to force its way through is to be killed without mercy. Everyone else, come with me."
Soon, the remaining people followed Landen to another cave entrance. It was about the same size as the previous one, roughly half a person's height.
"Hmm..." Landen looked at the cave, then turned to look at the Minotaur Butler. Under Landen's gaze, the Minotaur Butler couldn't help shivering.
"Old Niu," Landen continued, "I remember you have a set of armor, the pride of the Minotaur race?"
"Yes, my lord!" At the mention of it, the Minotaur Butler proudly declared, "It's armor unique to our Minotaur race, woven from the hide of the Great Yak, which only our race can domesticate. Its defensive power is even greater than that of ordinary steel armor."
"Very good. Very powerful. Come, take it off."
"Huh? My lord, you want to..."
"It's not for me. It's for you. Hurry up! Yes, wrap it like this. That's right, just like that. Good. Come on, walk over slowly. Turn around. Yes~ Sit down. It's fine, don't be afraid. Come on, sit down. Done!"
Under Landen's tireless guidance, the so-called pride of the Minotaur race was wrapped around the Minotaur Butler's pert rump, and then... he sat his whole body down over the cave entrance.
Before you continue