With the mad lion, Gi Zu Ruo, participating in the battle outside of the western capital, the goblins were finally able to secure victory.
The goblins tried to pursue the fleeing Storm Knight, Gulland, and Ripper Knight, Sivara, but they were able to fend off the goblins and successfully retreat to the southern region.
The whole battle took about half a day, and it ended in the humans’ defeat.
After all, while Sivara and Gulland were still alive, they still failed to achieve the objectives they had laid out. They could not evacuate Gowen, they could not kill the Goblin King despite breaking through his length and width formation, and most of the southern army was lost in the battle.
It was still fine up till the point where Sivara and Gulland worked together, but the last night attack was painful. Not only did they fail to reach the king, but Gulland’s army of 100 soldiers have been cut in half. In the end, they had no choice but to flee the western capital, furious.
On the goblins’ side, they suffered much losses due to their formation being broken through. There were many casualties among Gi Jii Yubu and Rashka’s men. Continuing the war any further would be difficult.
But the ones who suffered the most among the goblins were the wounded ones led by Gi Ga Rax. They lost half of their numbers when they met Sivara’s assault team head on, and the survivors were wounded so heavily that it was harder to find a place without wound than with.
Relatively better off were Gi Za Zakuend’s druids, the demihumans, the Paradua, who were tasked by the king to pursue the fleeing humans, Gi Zu Ruo, and Gi Go Amatsuki. The last two of which were ordered by the king to secure the western capital.
◇◆◇
The crux of Sivara’s plan was to evacuate Gowen, but when the person himself gained consciousness, which was while Sivara was fighting the goblins, he ordered his subordinates to prioritize the evacuation of the citizens instead.
“…What’s the point of saving these old bones of mine!? Are we not the shield of the people? If so, it is the people who should be saved!” Gowen ordered his subordinates with enough anger to shake as he watched the people’s plight from atop the spire.
Thanks to the efforts of the soldiers and the cavalry, half of the western capital’s city was able to escape.
If Gowen had joined the battle at this time, perhaps victory might have swung toward their side instead, but unfortunately, Gowen prioritize his duty as a feudal lord over his duty as a knight.
It was a decision Gowen consciously made after seeing the losing battle. It was because he knew full well how tragic villages ruled by monsters were.
“Lord Gowen, the people seek an audience.”
“Tell them to wait at the square.”
Gowen nodded to the platoon commander, and after donning his armor to hide his wounds, descended down the stairs.
Pain jolted through him every step he took, causing his face to twist a grim expression.
Before long, Gowen arrived at the square, where the restless people waited him.
“Lord Gowen! He’s safe!”
Gowen raised his hand to still the clamoring people, then as he ignored the pain of his wounds, he spoke.
“Citizens of the western capital, the city is lost, you must flee to the main capital!”
Voices that sounded like screams resounded at Gowen’s proclamation, but Gowen stilled the people again as he patiently continued.
“The responsibility of this loss falls entirely on my shoulders. The soldiers have served well! My army shall see to it that you make it safely to the main capital!”
When the platoon commanders listening heard that, they were shocked.
“We don’t have time! But we absolutely will not give you up to the goblins! You must divide yourselves into groups and begin preparations! Do not worry how you will be living in the capital, I, Gowen Ranid, swear in my name that you will be taken care of!”
The people glanced at each other as Gowen pressed on.
“Now, go! This is the command of your feudal lord!”
Gowen drew his long sword cheated by his waist and struck it into the ground.
Gowen’s imposing figure as he stood with his two hands resting on the buried sword was brimming with majesty.
“Hurry, the feudal lord has spoken! Move!”
At Gowen’s behest, the platoon commanders under his leadership all guided the citizens through the western gate.
“Lord Gowen!”
The defender of the capital city, Yuan, hurried to Gowen’s side.
“Hurry, Yuan. The city will fall soon, you must see to it that the people escape!”
The gaze Gowen looked the people with was gentle.
“But Lord Gowen, if you don’t hurry yourself…”
“I will escape with the last citizens.”
“You can’t! If you do that, you won’t make it in time!”
“Yuan! Fulfill your duty. I will write a letter to the king, you will take it to him and ensure the safety of the people.”
Yuan could faintly guess that Gowen intended to die here in the capital, but he didn’t want to accept it.
His talent was something that Gowen discovered and polished, allowing him to take the rank of knight despite his background. As far as Yuan was concerned, Gowen was his benefactor. Back at the Forest of Darkness, and now even the colonial city that fell under his command, not once has Yuan managed to pay Gowen back for the kindness he has shown him.
“…The enemy will probably enter through the western gate. I will buy the people some time to escape.”
“Yuan!”
Gowen tried to chase after Yuan, who immediately turned heel after saying his piece, but his legs wouldn’t move.
“Age… A frustrating thing indeed.”
Having bled so much, Gowen has already lost half of his strength.
But the responsibility of a feudal lord that he carried on his shoulders spurned him on.
Scraping together the fighting spirit within, he glared toward the west from which the enemy approached.
◇◆◇
Gi Zu Ruo led his men and literally crushed the archers of the southern army that stood in their way.
“GU, NU!?”
When Gi Zu saw the stone paved road, the stone-built houses, and the stalls lined up along the street, he couldn’t help but falter a little.
“Humans could make things like these?”
He looked wide-eyed at his surroundings. He wasn’t sure if the people had locked themselves in their houses or not, but either way, there was no one on the street.
This was Gi Zu’s first time seeing a human capital. It couldn’t be helped if he felt a little intimidated upon seeing one.
“Pops, what we gonna do!?” Zu Vet asked, waking him up from his daze.
Gi Zu fixed his grip on his spear and commanded. “We’ll march together! And kill any opposition met! Move!”
From the goblins’ perspective, the arrangement of the houses was like a maze.
When it came to settlements, Gi Zu only really knew of the goblin villages, and the biggest he knew of was the Fortress of the Abyss.
But the Fortress of the Abyss was big underground, it was not so breathtaking when looked at on ground level. All Gi Zu knew was that it was a nice place to live at.
Right now, however, the king was asking him to occupy this giant city. Gi Zu was at a loss how he should carry out this great task, so much so that he felt like his brain was being squashed.
“Don’t kill the first enemy we come across! We need to know where the boss of this village is first!”
“As expected of pops! So smart! Oi, did ya whoresons catch that!?”
For the mean time, Gi Zu decided to first search the vast roads.
“They’re here, draw your bows!” Yuan had created a barricade in the middle of the road, behind which he stood with his men.
“I found ’em!” Ved said, causing the goblins to all look toward the humans blocking the path.
“Archers!? Unfortunately for you, something like that can’t stop me! Onwards!!”
Gi Zu raised his spear and ran toward the humans. He bellowed out a terrifying howl as he did.
Arrows flew toward Gi Zu.
“Slash!”
But he did not slow down in the slightest, instead he chanted a spell and shot forth as a black light.
“Ohh, having a party!? Count me in!”
A one-eyed fiend laughed as he walked through the road. It was none other than Rashka of Gaidga.
“It’s Lord Rashka of the Gaidga.”
Gi Zu inhaled after breaking half of the barricade.
“Come on, you whoresons! Get through that blockade!”
Ved said, causing the goblins to jump over the broken barricade and battle the humans behind.
“My subordinates lost in the last battle, but I’m still not satisfied.”
Rashka looked down at Gi Zu, while the latter looked back up at him. The two of them wordlessly glared at each other.
“We have been ordered by the king to take over this village.”
“…Ho, then I guess I’ll have to stand back, won’t I?”
Rashka left the lead to Gi Zu, then he fought with the other goblins.
