In her office, Brunhild skimmed through a stack of routine reports when her eyes caught something odd—a document titled "Extermination of Goblin Nest." The extermination had been handled by the Adventurer Guild, so she didn't delve into the details. But one line made her pause:
"Extermination successful. Three male adventurers found—only bones remained. Two female adventurers not found; only their ID cards were recovered."
She quietly set the paper aside, marking it for further review, and moved on.
— Three weeks passed.
A new report arrived:
"Merchants spotted a group of goblins carrying adventurer weapons along the same trade route."
Concerned, Brunhild handed the letter to her aide.
"Take this to the Adventurer Guild. Request an extermination mission."
As the aide turned to leave, she added, "Also, archive the previous goblin report."
— Five months passed.
Repeated sightings led to multiple extermination operations, yet all turned up imitation nests. When another report arrived describing goblins spotted along the road, this time by a merchant with a well-guarded caravan, Brunhild gave a firm command:
"Raise the alert level to red for that forest route. And notify all patrol units to focus on goblins."
— Another month passed.
Upon hearing that Prince Paul planned to travel to Handelsfurt, Brunhild summoned his personal maid, Renya. She handed her the compiled reports.
"Are you sure the Prince still wants to go?" she asked, serious.
Renya's face darkened briefly as she read.
"Yes... He said if it's only goblins, he wants to field-test his invention."
Brunhild sighed. "Very well. You may go."
Renya gave a respectful maid salute and left the room.
After the Prince's group departed, Brunhild returned to her office and found a sealed letter left behind by Kruger. As her eyes scanned the contents, her expression sharpened.
Turning to her adjutant, she said in a firm tone,
"Assign one of the knights to gather 120 individuals capable of leading troops. Send them to the city of Handelsfurt and have them wait for further orders."
The next day, another letter arrived—this time bearing more urgency. Brunhild read it in silence, her face turning grave. She stood up and gave her aide a direct command,
"Gather a force of approximately 900 personnel from all available guards. Form them into proper units. Also, deliver this letter to the governor of Handelsfurt immediately."
Once the troops were assembled, Brunhild personally oversaw the formation of smaller squads. She gave each unit precise instructions and ordered them to advance separately toward Handelsfurt.
Each squad had a different route, with directions tailored for strategic positions upon arrival.
Several hours had passed. After the 900 troops from the capital and another 900 from Handelsfurt had been split into units and stationed at eight strategic guard posts surrounding the goblin settlement, and the squad leaders at each post had received their assigned radio packs, a voice came through from Central Command.
Then, a voice came through the central command line.
I pressed the radio button and replied,
"Iron Fist, Front Command. Signal is strong and clear. Standing by for orders. Over."
Moments later, another message followed, mentioning incoming cavalry support.
"Iron Fist acknowledged. Over."
As we waited in tense silence, my father's voice crackled through the radio,
"Group of goblins spotted."
I let out a short breath and muttered,
"Looks like wiping out these monsters will be the most exhausting part…"
Then switched back to command mode, issuing coordinated orders to nearby squads through the radio.
After dispatching several goblin groups, the forest briefly fell into eerie silence.
Using the radio again, I requested support:
"Requesting additional supplies—bows, arrows, and reinforced armor. Over."
A while later, the silence was broken by a familiar voice.
"Here it is… Hop." A light thud followed the words—boots hitting the ground.
I turned toward the sound.
"Ah... Greta. So you're also assigned to guard the Prince," I said, raising an eyebrow, intrigued by her presence.
Hearing that, Greta said, "Yeah... that's how it is. Babysitting duty is so hard..." with a dramatic sigh, as she pulled out all the supplies they needed.
Calling over her adjutant to handle the supplies, Brunhild asked, "Can you deliver these to the other seven outposts?" Her eyes carried a hopeful look as she glanced at Greta. "It would take too long to carry them manually," she added, eyeing the large pile Greta had unpacked.
Greta let out an exaggerated groan. "Ugh, such a hassle... fine, I'll deliver them." And with that, she leapt from tree to tree, quickly disappearing toward the next post.
After Greta left, Brunhild turned to her adjutant and said in a firm voice, "Get everything ready. We'll begin the assault soon."
— A few hours later —
As the fireworks signal lit up the sky, Greta's voice rang out over the radio:
"Iron Fist here. All four Fang units, move to attack formation!"
She stood ready at the Northern Fang position.
The troops moved swiftly, lining up in precise formations as they advanced.
A scream echoed through the trees — "AAAAaa—!"
Hearing the sound, Brunhild narrowed her eyes and said calmly,
"Goblin King, huh..."
as she stepped forward to the front line, preparing herself among the central troops.
Moments later, Brunhild heard the Goblin King's roar again—
"AAaaa—!"
—but this time, it was different. The tone was furious, not fearful.
Realizing something was off, Brunhild immediately switched to Core Channel 5 and issued a sharp command:
"All Fang Units, stop advancing!"
Her voice was urgent, cutting through the static.
The attacking units hesitated, confusion spreading among the soldiers—until a familiar voice came through the channel.
"This is Iron Crown. Iron Fist, initiate an ambush maneuver. The goblins are spreading out, searching for snipers. Over."
It was Kruger.
Without missing a beat, Brunhild responded:
"This is Iron Fist. Roger that. All Fang Units, form into groups of six. Archers fall back. Shift to reverse wing formation. All units, conceal yourselves. Over."
Her tone was calm but commanding.
The unit leaders wasted no time. Orders were shouted, and the formations began to shift. The advancing lines broke into smaller groups, archers took position at the rear, and the squads vanished into the underbrush—preparing for the ambush.
As Brunhild watched from the central post, the forest quieted—her soldiers now hidden, like wolves circling their prey. The breeze rustled the leaves gently, but her instincts stayed sharp.
She pressed the mic on her chest and spoke,
"Father... how many strategic goblins are inside the settlement?"
Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of caution in her tone.
Kruger's voice came through the line, rough with uncertainty.
"It's not confirmed yet... but the Prince said he spotted around twenty goblin monsters wearing closed robes."
Brunhild narrowed her eyes, murmuring to herself,
"So they're using spellcasters or commanders..."
Then, lifting her mic again, she said with a sudden spark in her tone,
"I have an idea."
Switching channels, she contacted the four Fang unit leaders.
Seeing several goblins step into the attack zone, Brunhild—stationed at the command post—gave a sharp command, "Now…"
Twip, twip, twip. Arrows whistled through the air, flying in perfect arcs.
Stab, stab, stab. Each one struck true, dropping the first wave of goblins instantly.
But the silence didn't last.
One of the goblins, wild-eyed with rage, let out a shrill cry—"AAaaa!"—and lunged toward the archer line, charging with reckless fury.
"When the goblin reached the defense area (the ambush zone), one group of soldiers immediately shouted, 'Attack...!!' while banging their large shields and thrusting their spears in surprise.
Meanwhile, the archers launched their attack from behind, aiming at the visible goblins. Twip, twip, twip. The melee group held off the goblins trying to reach them, stab, stab, slash, slash. As the goblins looked for another way, they were ambushed by the next team.
Soon, all six soldier teams and six adventurer teams were engaged in attack and defense together, while the rest of the troops remained hidden in the back, waiting for orders. Watching this, Brunhild calmly said, 'Hold on... it's not time yet.'
And sure enough, not long after the ambush began, a bell rang from the goblin settlement, and the goblins, who had been attacking from four directions, stopped and began retreating back toward the settlement."
As Brunhild watched the goblins retreating towards the settlement, her concern deepened. The sight of the horde running back to the heart of the settlement wasn't just alarming—it felt like a calculated move.
"It's so terrible..." she murmured, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the area, her mind working quickly to anticipate the goblins' next move.
Turning to her side, she noticed Gunther already standing behind her, his eyes sharp and alert. "Gunther, you help the East Area," she commanded, her tone firm, as she trusted him to handle the critical position.
Gunther snapped to attention, offering a knight's salute. "Yes..." he said, before quickly making his way to his assigned area, leaving Brunhild to manage the rest of the strategy.
Brunhild immediately adjusted her focus, activating the radio. "This is Iron Fist. For all guard posts, leave 5 people (1 group) guarding each, the rest are ready to advance to the nearest attack areas, namely North, South, East, and West," she instructed. Her voice remained calm and precise, knowing that every moment counted.
After a brief pause, she continued, her tone becoming more commanding, "For each of the 12 teams (soldiers + adventurers) who have fought, prepare yourselves to lead the goblin horde towards the ambush, so we can surround them faster. Over."
She listened intently for the confirmation from each leader, nodding at their reports. She didn't want to think too much about the possibility, but her mind couldn't help but race as she muttered quietly to herself, "I hope, it didn't happen as I imagined (the worst)."
The air around her felt tense, but she knew that every order given was crucial in the moments to come. The goblins were making their move—and so was she.
The sudden scream of the Goblin King sent a chill through the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps as the goblin horde began to move in formation. Brunhild's instincts sharpened immediately as she received the report from Kruger.
"Goblin troops are out... divided into 4 groups with a total of 2000 goblins per troop. Over," Kruger's voice crackled over the radio, serious and to the point.
Brunhild clenched her fist, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She knew this battle would push them to their limits, but there was no time for hesitation.
"Father, I need help..." she said urgently, her voice laced with the weight of the situation. Kruger's voice came through the comms, quick and precise, "Where..." Brunhild didn't hesitate. "Help the southern troops," she ordered, "Roger," Kruger confirmed immediately, and Brunhild nodded, trusting that her father would move swiftly to assist.
She immediately switched channels to Core Channel 5 and gave the next set of orders, her voice calm but firm, "This is Iron Fist. For all guard post teams, start walking and assist towards the assault team in each nearest area. Over."
As she spoke, her eyes wandered to the sky, watching the birds fly overhead. The sounds of the goblin troops' movement grew louder in the distance, and Brunhild's thoughts hardened.
"I hope the Goblin King is heading here… to the troops closest to me," she muttered, her tone calm but carrying an undercurrent of anticipation.
As day faded into night, tension thickened over the battlefield.
The rhythmic thunder of goblin feet shook the ground as they stormed into the ambush zone.
Brunhild's voice cut through the tension, firm and commanding.
"Now! Turn on the searchlights and begin ranged assault—lure them in!"
Click! Click! Click!
The custom-made searchlights—Paul's invention—flared to life, casting brilliant beams into the darkness.
The nearest goblins shrieked—"AAAAA!"—stumbling and shielding their eyes from the sudden blinding light.
The archers in the back didn't waste a second.
Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip!
A volley of arrows sliced through the air, striking targets with deadly precision as the line began to pull back slowly—disciplined, synchronized.
In the front, melee troops held formation, intercepting any goblins that slipped past the barrage.
But the enemy wasn't idle.
Among the horde, goblins with slings began retaliating. Rocks flew through the air—
Whoosh. Whip. Crack!
—but between the glow of the lights and the controlled withdrawal, the stones missed their marks.
The bait was working.
Seeing that all assault teams were in position, Brunhild's eyes narrowed.
She turned to her adjutant and shouted,
"Now! Signal the remaining twenty-three groups—activate the searchlights and assist with the ambush!"
Click! Click! Click!
One by one, beams of light burst forth through the darkness, slicing across the battlefield.
Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip!
A new storm of arrows rained down from hidden flanks, catching the goblins completely off-guard.
Blinded and disoriented, goblin scouts, thieves, and grunts let out furious cries—
"AAAAAA—!"
—and charged toward the sudden threat.
But they didn't get far.
Brang! Brang!
Metal clashed as hidden ambush teams sprang from their cover.
Stab. Stab. Slash!
Spears pierced soft flesh. Swords danced under the moonlight, cutting down the front line of goblins before they could react.
As some goblins tried to break off and flank the sides, more soldier teams emerged, holding the line with grim precision.
Then, in the distance—glowing orbs began to rise.
Red. Blue. Brown.
Brunhild's gaze sharpened as she spotted them.
"Goblin Sorcerers! Shield wall formation—now!" she bellowed.
The command echoed like thunder.
With trained discipline, soldiers tightened their formation, raising their shields as one.
Archers immediately fell back to safer positions.
Fwoosh—KLANG! KLANG!
Flames burst against iron.
SHAAA—BLUGH! BLUGH!
Water spheres slammed into armor, splashing violently.
DUAGH—KLANG! KLANG!
Chunks of rock exploded against the shield wall, but the formation held strong.
As the front line held strong against the barrage of elemental magic, a new wave surged forward.
Goblin Skirmishers and Soldiers snarled and rushed to engage the defenders in close quarters.
Brunhild, standing tall behind the formation, raised her voice over the clash of steel.
"Archer teams—shift target! Aim for the Sorcerers and fire!!"
Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip!
Arrows arced over the battlefield, now raining down on the robed goblins behind enemy lines.
Suddenly, a sharp metallic sound rang out from deep within the goblin horde.
Clang… clang… clang…
The rhythm was deliberate, calculated.
A Strategic Goblin stood among them, striking a chunk of metal like a bell—
(Skill: Reposition Signal)
As if responding to a command, the surviving Goblin Sorcerers broke formation and scattered, slipping away from their previous locations.
Brunhild's eyes narrowed in frustration.
"Damn it…!" she hissed.
Slamming a hand on the command table, she reached for her radio.
"This is Iron Fist to all outpost support teams—activate your searchlights and have all archers target the strategic goblins. I repeat, aim for the robed ones! Over!"
Click! Click! Click!
Floodlights blazed to life one after another, surrounding the battlefield in a sweeping U-shaped formation—blinding illumination enclosing the goblin force from three sides.
The goblins, caught in the sudden brilliance, froze—exposed.
Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip. Twip!
Volley after volley of arrows flew, each aimed at the fleeing Sorcerers and the robed strategists desperately trying to reassert control.
One by one, they fell—some with arrows piercing their backs mid-cast, others collapsing as light and iron closed in.
While monitoring the battlefield, Brunhild kept her eyes sharp on every front. Everything was still moving according to plan—until a cheerful voice suddenly crackled through the radio.
"Hai hai… is there any job for me?" came Greta's unmistakably upbeat tone.
Brunhild's eyes didn't leave the northern front, but her reply was swift.
"Greta, go to the West Area. Reinforce the western attackers."
"OK~" Greta chirped before cutting off communications.
But just as the transmission ended—
"AAaaaa—!!"
A deafening roar shook the air.
From the enemy's ranks, a towering goblin surged forward—its burly frame draped in a dark cloak, fangs bared and eyes glowing with murderous rage.
And it wasn't alone.
Three of the massive cloaked goblins thundered toward the allied lines, followed by 24 Goblin Commanders, each barking commands to the mobs trailing behind them in a wave of chaos and steel.
Brunhild's eyes narrowed.
She raised her voice across all channels, her tone steely.
"All Captains and Lieutenants! Engage and neutralize the 24 Goblin Commanders! Hold the line!
But do NOT engage the three cloaked brutes."
A pause.
She reached for the hilt at her waist and slowly drew her sword, the blade gleaming under the battlefield lights.
"…Because I'll take care of them myself."
The cold air seemed to still around her as she lowered into a stance.
Her breath exhaled in a fine mist.
She whispered—
"[Glacial Dash]."
FWOOOSH!
A burst of icy wind exploded from her position. In an instant, Brunhild became a streak of frost cutting across the battlefield—her cape trailing behind like a winter gale—closing the distance toward the three charging brutes with terrifying speed.
The battlefield parted before her momentum, and all eyes turned to watch the frozen fury now heading straight for the heart of the enemy's might.
One of the massive goblins, his bulging frame wrapped tightly in a crude but reinforced suit of armor, spotted Brunhild as she shot across the battlefield like a blur of frost. His yellow eyes locked onto her, sensing a real threat.
Letting out a guttural roar—
"AAAAAaa!!"
—the brute raised his greatsword with both hands. The blade, nearly as long as his body, glowed with savage energy.
[Skill: Heavy Cleave]
With a thunderous swing, he brought the massive weapon around in a wide horizontal arc—aiming to cut Brunhild down the moment she entered range.
But she didn't flinch.
Her eyes gleamed with icy resolve.
In one motion, she twisted her stance and shouted—
"[Glacial Slash]!!"
She swung her blade forward, a freezing gust trailing the edge like a blizzard in motion.
BAMMM!!
Steel met steel.
Power met precision.
The sound of the impact shook the earth.
The shockwave split the ground beneath their feet, and frost burst outward in a wave of white light.
Brunhild held her ground—her boots skidding only slightly in the dirt—while the goblin was blown backward, crashing through the air and rolling across the blood-soaked field, kicking up mud and snow.
As he groaned and rose in a stagger, Brunhild narrowed her eyes.
Her voice, low and bitter, carried through clenched teeth:
"…Damn. Not the Goblin King."
What stood before her was a Berserk Goblin Warlord—one of the elite vanguards, not the true leader she was waiting for.
Her grip on her sword tightened.
The real monster was still out there.
Just as Brunhild deflected another heavy blow from one of the berserker goblins, her earpiece crackled with urgency:
"Commander... West... the Goblin King... he's in the west..."
A pause. Then the soldier's voice continued, shaken:
"...and his troops are very organized..."
Brunhild's eyes sharpened. Her breath misted in the cold night air as she answered swiftly,
"Use the retreat tactic. Greta is already heading there. Hold on…"
She pivoted to dodge another sweeping attack, sliding gracefully across the battlefield like a figure skater cutting through ice. Her boots scraped the ground as she twirled under a horizontal slash, narrowly avoiding the second berserker goblin's massive sword.
As the third came down with a vertical strike, she raised her blade to block.
Steel rang against steel. Her knees bent under the weight, but she held.
With a calm yet commanding voice, she spoke into the core channel,
"This is Iron Fist. All remaining cavalry, infantry, and adventurers still able to fight—immediately reinforce the western front. I repeat—head to the West. Over."
The moment she ended the transmission, she felt a deadly shift.
The three berserkers circled her.
Two of them—one on either side—let out beastly roars:
"AAAAAA—!!"
They swung their colossal swords in synchronized Heavy Cleaves, horizontal arcs meant to crush everything in their path.
But Brunhild was already moving.
She whispered—
"[Glacial Dash]"
In a blur of cold air and shimmering frost, she shot past the first berserker, sliding through the narrowest gap. Her form turned sharply, coming to a skidding halt—now facing all three of them in one line.
She raised her sword.
Her stance was steady. Her grip was sure.
A biting blue glow enveloped the blade, frost swirling around it like a storm waiting to be unleashed.
With a voice that cut through the battlefield—
"[Blizzard Blade]!!"
She slashed hard from left to right.
Zhwaaaa—TZZZHHHKK—KRIIINK!!
A wave of frozen energy burst forth—razor-sharp, howling with wind and death. Ice mist erupted behind it, blanketing the goblins in white.
The slash passed through them.
A breath of silence.
Then—
Crk—Crk—Crk!!
The three berserker goblins stood frozen in place.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of thin frost-cut lines carved across their bodies.
As the clashing steel and cries of battle in the northern front began to fade, Brunhild slowly exhaled and lowered her stance. The cold mist still danced around her boots, stirred by the fading traces of her magic.
"I'm coming for you... Goblin King."
The final three berserker goblins stood like icy statues before her—frozen mid-roar, weapons still raised in their final, futile strike.
She sheathed her sword with a quiet shhk, her breath fogging in the cold mist that lingered from her [Blizzard Blade].
And then—
Crk—Crk—CRACK!!
A jagged sound pierced the silence.
The frozen goblins began to splinter, thin cracks running along their bodies like lightning on glass.
A heartbeat later, they shattered—torn apart into a thousand glittering shards, flesh, armor, and bone disintegrating into icy dust.
Among the fragments, three faintly glowing objects—the magic cores—hovered briefly.
Then—
KRKSHH!!!
They too burst apart, torn into tiny, lifeless fragments.
Brunhild's eyes widened in horror. She stood frozen—more still than the goblins had been.
"No…"
Her voice was barely a whisper at first.
Then louder—anguished.
"No!! The magic cores—" she grabbed her hair with both hands, eyes locked on the ground.
"They're split! Completely destroyed!!"