Chapter 4: The Perfect Family

“Just a rough estimate shows nearly two thousand goblins, and there is no telling how many more have gone undetected.”

“I still maintain my opinion that we should recall half of our troops to garrison the neighboring villages.”

“With the autumn harvest fast approaching, even a few slip-ups that harm the farmers will spark local panic.”

“This will disrupt the subsequent urgent harvesting and even lead to the destruction of the fields.”

“I disagree!”

“We should wipe out these goblins in a direct, head-on confrontation!”

“Dispersing our forces will weaken our greatest advantage, and any stragglers can be handled by the local militia.”

Inside the lord’s manor, Baron Khepri sat in silence at the head of the table.

The remaining lesser nobles gathered around, arguing with anxious faces.

Goblins were weak, but that did not mean they posed no threat.

On the contrary, they possessed a terrifying reputation among the common folk capable of quieting crying children at night, because their treatment of prey was extremely cruel.

Due to their small stature, goblins had not developed the habit of delivering a single, killing blow to their prey.

Instead, they were more adept at utilizing the environment to stage ambushes.

Many victims were attacked in the fields or right near their own residential areas.

To ensure efficiency, they usually devoured their meals alive.

Even if a victim was fortunate enough to be rescued and spared from death on the spot, they would typically succumb to wound infections later on.

Consequently, without the protection of soldiers, ordinary people were highly reluctant to go outside and work when they knew goblins were on the loose.

This, in turn, severely disrupted agricultural production.

However, dispersing their forces was also an extremely risky move.

The entire military force of Baron Khepri’s territory consisted of sixty noble knights, around three hundred knight squires, and approximately one thousand soldiers.

In normal times, this was by no means a small number, but now it seemed somewhat inadequate.

A portion of the light cavalry, made up of squires, had to patrol the vast borderlands between the forest and the towns.

Their job was to eliminate the threats posed by scattered magical beasts and stray goblins.

The forces that could be deployed directly were merely the noble knights, some of the squires, and the one thousand soldiers.

Not long ago, they had organized an offensive.

However, the goblins, who were usually numerous but brainless, had grown cunning and retreated straight back into the forest.

Baron Khepri murmured, “This goblin invasion is the largest in decades.”

“We have no prior experience dealing with this scale, not to mention we still do not know how many more are out there undetected…”

“No matter what, we must keep a close eye on the largest concentration of goblins; we cannot afford to deploy too few men.”

“Have each village step up the conscription and training of armed militia.”

“We will dispatch three hundred soldiers to serve as captains to lead them.”

More than two thousand goblins were no small matter.

Heavily armored knights could not force their way into the forest, a terrain that naturally countered them.

Therefore, too many ordinary soldiers could not be spared either; it was best to keep them ready to support various areas as needed.

He would rather face a regular army of two thousand humans.

At least both sides would line up in formation to fight it out, unlike these monstrous goblins.

If they lost track of them for even a second, thousands of goblins scattering into the territory would throw public security into utter chaos.

Late at night, escorted by several cavalrymen, Su Na finally arrived at the central castle of the barony under the moonlight.

With a pale face, she was lifted down from her horse by her personal maid.

The moment her feet touched the ground, her legs buckled, and she began to collapse.

Fortunately, the maid was quick-witted and caught her back in her arms, saving her from making a fool of herself.

To save time, Su Na had switched from a carriage to horseback once the territorial guards arrived.

Since she was being held, it did not matter whether she knew how to ride or not; all she cared about was speed.

However, she had clearly underestimated horseback riding, an activity considered a sport even in modern times.

She began to regret it the instant the horse started to gallop.

The rushing wind, the jarring up-and-down rhythm, and the terrifying sensation of losing control made for an incredibly miserable experience.

The jolting made her feel as though her internal organs had shifted places.

Debuffs like nausea, dizziness, and vomiting were instantly cranked to the maximum.

In the end, her personal maid had to carry her into the castle in a princess hold.

Once she was placed on the sofa in the original owner’s room, the Baroness, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, gently tapped her forehead.

She then stroked her small head and said, “Didn’t your father tell you not to come back for now?”

“Hehe.”

Su Na took the opportunity to nuzzle her palm, “I was just worried about you, Mother.”

Being nuzzled by her daughter like a kitten, the Baroness’s lingering annoyance dissolved entirely.

A warm smile appeared on her face as she said softly, “You always have such a sweet tongue.”

“I brought you some pastries; once you feel better, eat a little and get some rest.”

“Okay!”

After resting for quite some time, the discomfort finally vanished completely.

Her personal maid helped her up.

The other maids, who had been waiting nearby, quickly stepped forward to help her undress.

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