Chapter 8 – The Emperor's Food Crisis
In times of emergency, the darker side of human nature begins to show. Noble guards proved to be not much different from adventurers—eager for quick success and instant gain.
In truth, old resentments between noble guards and adventurers, coupled with their vastly different environments, were the root of their discord. Adventurers lived constantly on the edge of danger, alert and cautious, while noble guards were usually arrogant, rarely facing true life-threatening threats. Once an emergency arose, chaos came easily.
The deputy captain of the guards wore a grim face. They hadn't even seen the goblin cave yet, and already two were lost—one dead, one poisoned and unable to fight. This was far beyond his calculations.
Klethar did not blame the deputy captain. Fanning the flames of discord would only hasten the team's collapse. He crouched beside the young adventurer panicked from the snake bite, trying to calm him.
This type of snake was actually common, but the sheer number they had encountered was highly unusual. Logically, venomous snakes would not appear so densely in goblin territory. Normally, they were nocturnal, yet now they were active in broad daylight.
As if something was driving them.
A Goblin Commander! Klethar thought briefly. A special profession of the Purple Goblin. But the requirements were too high, and it was unlikely to be present here. He dismissed the suspicion.
Still, something was amiss. The goblins had not come out to block them, as if intentionally leaving humans room to enter.
"Captain of the Guards, if you want to save Lady Lyra, control your men," Klethar warned.
"…I regret this," the deputy captain admitted.
The situation was becoming more difficult. Morale had dropped. Yet Klethar, as a Bronze-rank adventurer, and the deputy captain, a mid-level warrior, remained the pillars of the team. Along with a human mage, their chances were not entirely lost.
"Use long sticks to clear the grass. Test the ground with stones before stepping. Do not let traps claim more victims. If we have to retreat later, we cannot fall into the same dilemma," Klethar instructed.
They continued their march. The farther they went, the fiercer the resistance from green goblins became. Eventually, the goblins realized they could not win in open space and retreated into the caves.
The entrance was wide enough for Giant Warrior Goblins. Torches were lit, and they entered. The poisoned man stayed outside as guard.
"Our goal is clear," said Klethar before they went in. "Find the Goblin Shaman and the two Giant Warrior Goblins. Kill them together. If the leader hasn't shown, prioritize slaying goblin warriors. Remember, there may be more than two Giant Warriors, and the cave may branch wide. Do not attempt to rescue captives until we have defeated them. Unite, and bring down the enemy one by one."
Everyone nodded.
But suddenly, a glow of magic flared from within the cave, rushing toward them.
"Out! No—raise shields, brace!"
Boom!
A massive explosion shook the entrance. An old, thin Purple Goblin wielding a wooden staff taller than its body danced gleefully, celebrating its cunning.
Behind it, two massive White Goblins stood faintly visible, brimming with confidence. They did not fear the human force—they stepped out to face them directly.
Flames engulfed two guards and one adventurer standing in front.
That powerful magic had clearly reached the second tier of sorcery. They had gravely underestimated the goblin shaman's strength.
"Retreat, quickly!" Klethar shouted.
Humans panicked, fleeing the cave, even abandoning the bodies of their companions.
The first battle against the goblins ended in utter defeat for the humans. And this was only the beginning.
Night fell silent.
Wearing her knitted sweater, Lyra sat on the simple wooden bed. She stared blankly at the fragrant roasted rabbit before her, with no appetite.
Altair sat beside her, placing a hand on her fragile shoulder compared to a goblin's body.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently.
"Altair… why haven't they come to rescue me yet?"
Altair smiled faintly. "Give them time. It's only the second day. Your father may have only just received the news."
"Can we really leave this place? I'm afraid…"
"Yes. I will make it happen. Just endure a little longer."
"Uh…" Lyra leaned her head against his arm, seeking comfort.
Hope Value of Lyra: 23
Individual Name: Noble Human (Lyra Rejerson) (Pregnant)
Altair stroked her head, then watched as Lyra finished the roasted rabbit down to the bone. She felt hungry again, so Altair rose to cook more.
Ordinary goblins could only give birth to seven infants every seven days—if there was enough food. Thus, Lyra had to be fed sufficiently.
After eating her fill, Lyra fell asleep. Altair then sat with the old Purple Goblin, pondering a new problem: the food crisis.
To make Altair grow within seven days, they had already consumed much of their stores. Added to Lyra's rising appetite, the food stock was now running thin.
If left unchecked, some goblins might starve just to welcome the birth of the emperor's first-generation goblin offspring. And after that, food demands would only swell further.
Temporary solutions: seize stores from other goblin groups, hunt relentlessly, or wait for human attacks to steal their supplies.
But none of those were long-term answers.
They needed a new way.