Goblins

The slaves around them also stopped working one after another and stared over in disbelief.

Several seconds passed before immense joy and excitement suddenly overwhelmed the fear on Otto's face. He dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice choked with emotion. "Th... thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord! I'll work hard! I definitely won't disappoint you!"

Karl gestured for him to get up. "Work hard. As long as you perform well enough, I'll choose a steady, hardworking woman from among the female slaves and reward you with her as your wife. Then you can start a family."

Those words were like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, instantly causing a huge commotion among all the slaves!

A wife as a reward? Starting a family? To these slaves, who had long since lost everything and been reduced to something barely better than livestock, this was an unimaginable blessing!

Otto was overwhelmed with gratitude and nearly burst into tears. Only after thanking Karl profusely did he return to his group.

He immediately seemed like a different person. His back was much straighter, and he began loudly directing the slaves in his group with great enthusiasm. Their efficiency visibly improved.

Seizing the opportunity, Karl loudly announced to all the slaves, "You've all seen it, haven't you? As long as you're willing to work hard and follow orders, you'll have a chance to earn rewards! More food, promotion to squad leader, and even women and the chance to start a family! The opportunity is in your own hands!"

For the first time, the slaves' eyes were no longer utterly numb. Instead, a faint flame called hope flickered within them.

They still had their doubts, but the lord's promise and Otto's example were right before their eyes.

Even the soldiers nearby were infected by the atmosphere. A few bold veterans, already familiar with Karl's relatively easygoing personality, laughed and shouted, "My lord! When are you going to give us a few wives, too?"

Karl laughed when he heard that, his mood easing somewhat. He replied jokingly, "Just wait! Once we've established ourselves in Carnford and built our own town, I'll bring each of you a beautiful girl from Fran City!"

The soldiers immediately erupted into cheerful laughter and cheers, and the fatigue of building the camp seemed to lessen considerably.

Amid this atmosphere of hope, tension, and a touch of optimism, a camp that was sturdier and better planned than yesterday's rose at astonishing speed.

Almost as soon as the final palisade was erected, the system notification sounded in Karl's mind again:

[Quest]: Establish a camp and construct solid defensive fortifications. (Completed)

[Reward Information Issued]:

[Information]: Your group has been discovered by a goblin scouting party hiding in the "Blacktooth" Cave three kilometers to the northeast. They have carefully observed your numbers, equipment, and camp layout, and plan to launch a raid tomorrow before dawn, when the sky is darkest and people are most tired, with the aim of plundering your slaves and supplies.

In the Northern Territory, goblins were also known as gremlins or cave dwellers. They were completely different from the more beastlike kobolds.

They were intelligent creatures. Though small in stature, usually only half as tall as humans, they lived year-round in underground caves or abandoned mines. Their bodies had adapted under the influence of their environment and certain ancient spells, making them exceptionally suited to darkness and cramped spaces.

They retained human-level intelligence, but were even more cunning, cruel, and organized. They excelled at using traps, poison, and ambush tactics, and were utterly incomparable to the rabble that kobolds were.

Sending out scouts and making careful plans was entirely in keeping with their nature!

As Karl read the information, he drew in a sharp breath, and the last trace of luck in his heart vanished.

Brendan's feeling had been completely correct!

He abruptly raised his head and stared sharply toward the rolling hills to the northeast, which appeared perfectly normal.

The enemy was already in position, their fangs grinding in the darkness.

And they were ready, too.

Before long, night completely enveloped the camp in the wilderness. Apart from the crackling of the campfires and the sentries' steady footsteps, all was silent.

However, inside the tent where the officers and noncommissioned officers were preparing to rest, Karl issued an order that left everyone stunned.

"Pass this down: everyone, including the support troops, is to sleep fully dressed in armor tonight! Keep your weapons within reach! Maintain the highest level of alert and be ready to respond to battle at any moment!"

The officers in the tent all froze as soon as the order was given.

Even Brendan, the most composed of the old knights, could not help advising him, "My lord, that... that was only a vague feeling of mine. Perhaps it was just an illusion caused by excessive tension. Is it really necessary to have the entire army sleep in armor? The soldiers won't be able to sleep at all in their heavy armor, and we still have a long march tomorrow. Their stamina will be severely affected..."

The other officers also nodded in agreement, feeling that the lord was overreacting.

Karl's gaze swept over them, and his voice was low but exceptionally firm. "Brendan, your instincts have never been wrong. I trust your intuition. Besides, here in the wilderness of the Northern Territory, far from any protection, believing a threat exists even when it might not is the first rule of survival."

"We're too weak. Any lapse in vigilance, any tiny mistake, could make us pay an unbearable price—that price would be everyone's lives! Carry out the order!"

His tone was decisive, leaving no room for discussion.

The officers looked at Karl's unusually stern face in the firelight. Though doubts still lingered in their hearts, none dared contradict him again.

They silently saluted, then turned and left the tent to pass down the harsh order.

The news quickly spread throughout the camp, and the soldiers erupted in an uproar.

Sleep in full armor? It was pure torture!

Karl's militia had it easier. Most of them wore relatively light leather armor. Though uncomfortable, it was still barely tolerable.

But the thirty veterans from the City Defense Army whom Richter had brought were suffering terribly!

They wore standard chain mail, heavy and cold. Wearing it directly against their bodies was incredibly uncomfortable, and even turning over was difficult. A few noncommissioned officers also had breastplates, and the hard iron shells dug into them so badly that lying flat was impossible.

Low complaints spread through the camp, but their long military training and obedience to the lord's orders ultimately prevailed.

Muttering under their breath, the soldiers helped one another put their armor back on, clutched their weapons, and lay fully clothed on the crude bedding, doing their best to fall asleep.

The entire camp was permeated by a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Karl set an example himself. He put on that cold chain mail again and placed his Butterfly Helmet beside him.

He did not lie on the bedding. Instead, he hugged his longsword, sat with his back against the central support pillar of the command tent, and closed his eyes to rest.

He had no need to pretend to sleep. He would wait personally—wait for the attack suggested by his premonition, or rather, the attack clearly indicated by the intelligence, to arrive.