"Quick, quick! Doctor! We have someone injured here!"
A group of armored soldiers rushed into a clinic. At their center, a wounded soldier lay on a stretcher, his face covered in blood. A fist-sized hole had been torn through the middle of his armor, and bright red blood stained everything beneath it.
"Here, set him down. Gently, gently."
An old man in a gray robe came over and carefully removed the soldier's damaged armor.
"Hiss!"
The old man furrowed his brow. Only after removing the armor did he realize the soldier's condition was worse than he'd imagined. Blood continued to pour from the wound, and several broken pieces of armor were embedded in it, making it extremely difficult to clean.
The medical facilities at Crouching Dragon Ravine were poor, too. Without Priests or healers, it would be difficult to save him.
But no matter how difficult it was, the old man was prepared to try. After all, this was a living, breathing person.
"Bang!"
Lin Lei slammed his hand down on the table, making a tremendous noise. The pen and paper on it scattered across the floor.
"This is already the fifth incident—the fifth damn time a magical beast has attacked someone. Five civilians and three soldiers have died."
"Lord, this was unavoidable. We're in a wilderness. Before, our population was small, our range of activity was limited, and we had your protection, so we never encountered anything like this.
"Now our territory has grown, and our people's activities have gradually reached the edge of the Gloomy Forest. We have too few soldiers to keep everyone safe."
Allen offered a calm analysis.
"No. I can't let any more of my people or soldiers die. It would seriously damage the people's morale and leave them without a sense of security or belonging, severely hindering our territory's further development.
"Besides, every one of these people is a precious life to me. I can't treat them like cold numbers, the way a politician would."
Lin Lei stood up, rubbing his chin as he paced back and forth across the hall.
"Where's Furell? Have him come see me."
"Yes."
Allen hurried out.
Before long, he returned with a bewildered-looking Furell and brought him into the council hall. Lin Lei had already composed himself and was seated in his chair.
"Both of you, sit down.
"Allen, do you think our soldiers are strong enough to hold a 'Small Hunting Festival' around our territory, clearing out the magical beasts and foreign races within ten kilometers?"
"It'll be difficult. Although our army has grown to six hundred soldiers after recruiting five thousand people into the territory, trying to organize a purge would be like trying to find a needle in the ocean—far too little effort for far too much ground.
"Besides, we don't know how many magical beasts are out there, how dangerous they are, or whether any of them are above the Gold rank."
Allen spoke frankly, and his words poured cold water over Lin Lei's hopes.
"What if we include the goblins from Green Goblin Town? They have nearly five hundred troops. With their forces, we should be able to carry out a hunt, right?"
Lin Lei wasn't ready to give up. He believed there were always more solutions than problems.
"With Green Goblin Town's forces added, it's worth a try. More than a thousand soldiers should be enough to clear out the magical beasts around us. The only question is whether Chief Furell will support the operation."
Allen finished and looked at Furell.
Lin Lei also turned to Furell, who had remained silent, and said, "Chief Furell, what do you think? If you have any concerns, feel free to say so."
"My lord, I have no objections. Just give the word, and Green Goblin Town will send all its warriors and mages."
The bugbear Furell declared boisterously, thumping his chest.
"Good. Since both Centurion Allen and Commander Furell agree, the hunt will begin the day after tomorrow."
Lin Lei spoke as he thought.
"The hunting grounds will extend ten kilometers south and ten kilometers north of Crouching Dragon Ravine. During the hunt, everyone must stay indoors to avoid being injured by magical beasts running amok.
"At the same time, all the soldiers from Crouching Dragon Ravine and all the goblin warriors from Green Goblin Town must be coordinated under a unified plan. If you can gang up on a magical beast, don't attack it separately..."
After hearing Lin Lei's instructions, Allen and Furell left the council hall to carry them out.
This hunt was already a small-scale war, albeit a relatively mild one. Its scale might not be large, but it was still a war.
And wars were won through preparation and logistics. As the saying went, an army marched on its stomach. This operation wasn't quite that demanding, but Allen and Furell still had plenty to prepare.
For instance, they had to prepare at least two days' worth of food and drinking water in advance. Countless creatures lived across this area of several hundred square kilometers—the circle with a radius of ten kilometers—and the soldiers would be in for a fairly drawn-out battle.
They couldn't return to the territory during the operation, so they had to bring enough food and water.
They also needed to prepare the soldiers' weapons and armor. Well-maintained equipment was as important to a soldier as a helmet was to a motorcyclist: at a critical moment, it could protect them from harm.
For the mostly Bronze-ranked and partly Silver-ranked soldiers, iron armor was far sturdier than their own flesh, while sharp weapons were more effective at killing enemies and piercing magical beasts' defenses.
That was why, when Lin Lei had returned to Crouching Dragon Ravine, he had specifically bought a thousand sets of finished armor and weapons, distributing them to the soldiers when they enlisted.
As for Green Goblin Town, while sending over supplies, Lin Lei had also delivered two hundred sets of weapons and armor, bolstering the goblins' military strength.
Inside the Elder Hall in Green Goblin Town.
Furell was explaining the joint hunt to the elders in detail.
"My lord has asked Green Goblin Town to send troops to help them clear out the nearby native tribes and magical beasts. What do you think, elders?"
"We can't go. What if Baron Lin Lei is trying to weaken our forces, making the goblins fight the magical beasts? Our already meager number of goblin warriors would die in a pointless battle, and Green Goblin Town would no longer be able to stand against Crouching Dragon Ravine."
As soon as Furell finished speaking, the bugbear mage jumped up to object.
"Chief, I think we should go. The human baron may be testing whether we've truly submitted. If we refuse, Green Goblin Town, which has only just begun to recover, may end up in ruins.
"Ever since Green Goblin Town became a vassal of Crouching Dragon Ravine, the human baron has sent us food and weapons and even dispatched specialists to help plan our development. If we disobey Baron Lin Lei's orders, we'll be no better than an ungrateful dog that can never be tamed."
After the bugbear mage finished, a thin, old mage stood up to retort. He and the bugbear mage were bitter rivals. Whenever the bugbear mage agreed with something, he opposed it; whenever the bugbear objected, he agreed.
"You..."
The bugbear mage was so furious that his eyes bulged like a bull's.
"We built Green Goblin Town ourselves. The human baron took the furs and ore we had stored up and traded them for food and weapons. We deliver wood to them every day, and he helps us develop. It's an equal exchange."
"Pfft, equal exchange? And who would you trade with if Baron Lin Lei weren't around? What we need is a lord who can communicate with the human world. He gave us that opportunity. It didn't just appear because you flapped your lips."
The old mage laughed. The bugbear mage was left speechless.
Furell slammed the table three times, cutting off the old mage before he could continue. Then he turned to the Grand Elder Vix, seated at the head of the table, and asked, "What do you think, Grand Elder?"
Vix, who had not spoken until then, opened her eyes. Everyone fell silent and watched her.
"If we've chosen to follow the baron, then we should see it through to the end. Besides, haven't you already made up your mind? Do as you think best."
Furell nodded and said, "When I was at Crouching Dragon Ravine, I already promised my lord that we'd send five hundred goblin warriors to take part in this hunt. Since the Grand Elder supports it too, have everyone make preparations at once. The hunt begins the morning after tomorrow."
Taking Vix's advice into account, Furell decided they would participate in the hunt.
"We only have a little over five hundred goblin warriors. If you take that many, what will happen to Green Goblin Town's defenses? There's a Kobold tribe nearby that's always had its eyes on us. Without guards, they'll overrun the town."
A one-legged goblin mage spoke up.
"The hunt is meant to eliminate them, too. Once our warriors leave for Crouching Dragon Ravine, Green Goblin Town must remain on alert, and no women or children may leave town. As long as the Kobolds don't learn about it right away, they'll be wiped out after the hunt."
Inside the Lord's Mansion at Crouching Dragon Ravine.
"My lord, I want to join this operation, too. Being stuck in my room with no students to teach is so boring."
Aierlan tugged at Lin Lei's clothes.
"No. This operation is extremely dangerous. I can't even be sure I'll come away without getting hurt, and as a Silver-ranked mage, you'd be even more vulnerable.
"Be good. Once we've cleared out all the threats around the territory, I'll bring my parents and younger sister here. Then you won't be bored anymore."
"Ah, you're bringing your parents here too?"
Aierlan looked a little flustered. Every girl felt at a loss when meeting the parents of the person she loved.
"Yes. My parents are still living in Wheat Town. Although the town chief looks after them, they'll always be safer here with me. Before, Crouching Dragon Ravine wasn't safe enough to protect them.
"Once the hunt is over, there'll be few enemies left to threaten us, and my parents and younger sister can move here. Then you can teach my younger sister, Avril, magic."
Lin Lei continued.
"I will, I will."
As soon as Aierlan heard that Lin Lei's parents would be coming to Crouching Dragon Ravine, all thoughts of joining him on the operation vanished. She began wondering how she should meet his parents.
Before you continue