Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 322: The Signal for a Counterattack
After abandoning the captured village, Viscount Danton’s territorial troops and the adventurers supporting them had formed a defensive line along the main road to the territorial capital, hoping to halt the Goblin army’s advance.
Their morale had collapsed with the loss of the village, and they looked ready to break at any moment.
Tauro and the reinforcements from the Royal Capital finally arrived, yet the defenders’ spirits didn’t rise.
“Thank you for coming… But this still isn’t enough. You may have passed the messenger on the road, but I’ve just sent another request to the Royal Capital for additional reinforcements.”
The captain commanding the territorial troops was battered and exhausted as he greeted them.
“More reinforcements? What do you mean?”
Hulk, the leader of Silver Goblin Hunters, spoke sharply, perhaps taking the request as an insult to the force he commanded.
“I apologize. We don’t consider your force inadequate. The enemy’s numbers simply exceeded our estimate after the first request was sent. We initially believed the Goblin General commanded roughly four hundred troops, but another four hundred joined them. Once we were outnumbered so badly, we had no choice but to abandon the village.”
“Eight hundred Goblins in total…!” Hulk’s expression tightened, but he forced confidence into his voice. “We may be newly promoted to B rank, but Silver Goblin Hunters specializes in Goblin subjugation. Doubling their numbers changes nothing. Right, everyone?”
Despite his brave words, his face was drawn.
Even specialists in Goblin extermination would find eight hundred enemies excessive.
At that scale, an organized army was better suited to the battle than a collection of adventurers.
However, even if the Royal Capital responded immediately, further reinforcements would need several days to arrive.
If the defenders lost here, the Goblins could reach the territorial capital within hours.
They had only two choices: hold the road and fight to the death, or retreat into the small castle behind them, whose defensive walls were low.
Yet retreating would require them to hold the enemy long enough to evacuate the surrounding residents, and the small castle might not even have space for everyone.
Viscount Danton’s territory lay near the Royal Capital and normally enjoyed excellent public order. Perhaps for that reason, its standing force was small.
Tauro counted fewer than one hundred exhausted territorial soldiers and roughly forty adventurers.
With the force available, the soundest plan was to pierce the Goblin army, preserve Silver Goblin Hunters as their ace until they reached the Goblin General, and let the B-rank specialists end the battle by killing it.
“This is where we show what we can do!” Hulk declared. “We’re experts at killing Goblins. Do you think a mob like this can frighten us?”
Having recovered from his momentary shock, he announced that Silver Goblin Hunters would take the lead.
No, no—you’re supposed to conserve your strength!
Tauro groaned inwardly. Hulk was apparently so frustrated that Black-Gold Wings had taken the spotlight in the earlier skirmish that he stubbornly ignored every attempt to dissuade him.
“Good grief,” Ankh whispered to Tauro, shaking his head. “He may be a capable adventurer, but he has no talent for commanding a force. If I were a mercenary serving under him, I’d throw the contract money back in his face and run.”
“Ha ha… We can’t do that this time. For now, let’s follow Silver Goblin Hunters and decide what to do as the battle develops.”
Tauro proposed the plan, and Aeris and the others nodded.
“I can’t remain in the rear this time either.”
Aeris grinned.
She was skilled at close combat with her staff, particularly against Goblins, which she had fought many times before.
“Don’t worry, Aeris. I’ll stay with you and protect you!”
Ragune smiled and patted her on the back.
“All right. Keep our formation tight, stay together, and guard the rear of Silver Goblin Hunters.”
Everyone agreed to Tauro’s immediate plan.
The Goblin army began to move.
The Goblin General had to be somewhere behind the front line.
There were so many presences that Tauro couldn’t isolate its exact location, but the way the surrounding Goblins moved gave him a rough idea of where their commander stood.
The opening attack came from the mage of Silver Goblin Hunters, the ace force that should have been conserved for the Goblin General.
The mage cast wide-area earth magic. It wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful, but a shower of sharp stone fragments spread across the battlefield, killing more than a dozen Goblins and thinning their ranks.
Hulk followed with a ranged sword technique that cut down nearly another dozen enemies in front of him.
At the same time, the team’s scout threw a magic tool over the Goblins. Flames rained down and engulfed them, and the creatures fell one after another while desperately trying to extinguish the fire.
Silver Goblin Hunters lived up to its reputation. Every technique had been selected and refined specifically to eliminate large numbers of Goblins efficiently.
Faced with the B-rank team’s advance, frightened Goblins scattered aside, opening a path as their formation collapsed.
“That gives us a route to the Goblin General. We’re moving in!”
Tauro finally released his companions, who had been waiting and observing Silver Goblin Hunters’ attack.