After the incident with Gabe, Maria had called a meeting late in the night. Among those she had called were Gil, Nova, Holly, Andromeda, Atticus, Jaco, Klain, his brothers, Hagas, Conall, Tiffany, Sarah, and Alyyiah. They all assumed the dracaena had come to their village to ask for help against the hobgoblin army. With that in mind, it was probable that the goblins were headed towards Glouvons Clove. Their town might be next, and now was the time to figure out how to assess the threat.
Under Maria's orders, Jaco had gone to observe the hobgoblin army. The Oni had used his powers to make duplicates of himself, making the job of scouting easier. Now Maria had asked for what Jaco found.
"The hobgoblin army numbers in at around three hundred thousand. My body doubles have confirmed that they are heading towards Glouvons Clove and will get there in about five days."
"Have you seen any jinns in the forest?" Gil asked. According to Nova, two jinns were present when his village was attacked. One even alluded to it, increasing the chances they arranged it from the shadows.
"No, Lord Gil. My clones have searched as much of the forest as possible, but they could not find a jinn."
"It looks like we won't be able to take out the masterminds so easily. I guess the dracaena would have gone after the jinn too if they could."
"But do they even know that there's another element to all this?" Alyyiah asked. If she were the dracaena, she would be so concerned with the army that she would miss the hidden factors involved, namely the jinn. "If I were them, I would put all my attention on the army. Three hundred thousand hobgoblins can inflict massive damage."
Maria nodded. "That's true, but I'm sure their Queen has noticed. Goblins aren't a very intelligent or powerful race. They most certainly could get the amount of equipment they currently have without some third party. But I agree with you that even she would pay more attention to the army. Her kind would be exterminated from the forest if she didn't."
Gil had a question. "Wait, how do you know the dracaenas have a Queen and not a King? Have you met them before?"
"No, but it seems Nova and his friends have. It was also them that brought up a troubling idea: that a ghoul might be leading this army."
"You mean the unique demon born only every ten centuries?" Tiffany asked. She had only read about it, but the descriptions themselves were scary. A ghoul exists only to cause calamity to the world, and they devour everything in their path. "Can we be sure? Ghouls are very uncommon creatures."
Klain rubbed his chin. "No, it makes sense. Controlling an army of goblins three hundred thousand strong would be bothersome even for a demon emperor. Ghouls have the power to control the minds of other goblins, making them uniquely suited for leading large armies of them."
But that explanation did not satisfy Gil. "Ghouls eat everything on sight, right? By the time they take over the whole forest, there would be nobody to rule. The destruction from all the battles they fought will doubt ruin the land. Why would a demon emperor want to get his hands on Silverlake this way?"
Maria shrugged. "Goblins are weaker than most creatures and much easier to control. I'm guessing that he just wants the land itself. We don't have any information about that, so we'll have to put the thought aside. I have a feeling that nothing would change even if we knew the answer. Defeating the hobgoblin army would still be our biggest priority."
Conall raised his hand. "I say we play on the side of caution. With an army that big, we could lose a lot if we make mistakes." Gil nodded. "Yeah, a lot of people could die if we mess up."
Jaco's expression changed to astonishment. "Lord Gil, Lady Maria, one of my clones has had an unusual encounter. Someone wishes to speak with us."
After meeting Gabe, Maria was warier of strangers. She did not want to see him ever again. "Who is it? I've already had enough of weirdos after meeting Gabe. I won't be able to handle another one."
"I can't say they're a weirdo, but they are unusual. What should I do?"
"Let them in," Gil answered. Maria turned to him. "What happens if they're our enemy? They could even be the jinns." Gil shook his head. "Nova and the other Onis already know what the jinn look like, and you ordered Jaco to go look for them, so he wouldn't be relaying their requests. I can't say anything for someone else who might be in cahoots with them. Still, this is an opportunity. This person might know more than we do, and that would be helpful."
"I suppose." Blue light emanated from the space above the table they sat around, and a woman came out of it. She was of average height and gave an impression of water. Her whole body was painted an ocean blue, as was the dress she wore. She was wet, yet she appeared to be dry at the same time. Around her, droplets of water were forming. Everyone in the room except Gil stood up. "A naiad!"
The naiad bowed, smiling at Gil and Maria. "How do you do? I am Coraline, the caretaker of Silverlake forest."
"Aren't dryads the ones who take care of forests?" Gil asked. Coraline nodded. "The ones who were responsible in this forest have passed away, and we naiads had to take on the role five hundred years ago."
Hagas's jaw dropped. "I can't believe it! The last naiad was seen around three hundred years ago." Maria sat back down. "It seems a celebrity decided to pop up. Why have you come here, Coraline? Actually, I think I can surmise. As the caretaker of Silverlake, you find the army a disturbance, correct?"
Coraline nodded. "Yes. I've also come to ask for a favor." She turned to Gil. "Now that I look at you closely, you're rather cute. I guess that explains why you have two beautiful young women chasing after you."
"What do you mean?" Gil turned to Maria, who looked away, blushing. Alyyiah's face was also red, and she buried it in a book as Tiffany chuckled. Coraline smiled wryly. "You're a bit naive, I see. Well, would you like to know my request?"
Gil nodded. "What is it?"
"Gil Asphodel, we naiads want you to defeat the ghoul."
"Wait, so the ghoul actually exists? Up until now, it was just a theory." Coraline grabbed one of the potato chips from a bowl. "We naiads know everything that occurs in the forest. Believe me, he is real."
"Why are you asking me to do it? Aren't ghouls supposed to be powerful? Wouldn't it be better to ask someone else?" Coraline shook her head. "As a Pulsar, defeating a ghoul should be a joke to you." Coraline turned to Maria. "As a pure-blooded Count, you should be able to do the same, although it would be more difficult. Moreover, I sense you are the calculating type. I think you realize how powerful your friends are." Andromeda stepped in front of Maria and Gil. "But asking us to take down an entire army along with a ghoul is a big request. Why did you come to us? There are superior races to the leprechauns."
"Yes, and had the ogre villages not been destroyed, I might have asked them. But there is more to it. I can no longer ignore the presence of two special individuals."
"You mean Maria and me?" Coraline nodded. "You two plan to build a nation where sentinels and demons can live in peace, correct? While I do not disavow the idea, I must evaluate whether or not it will bring harm. Many demons will be against your idea, and the same goes for sentinels. They are so embittered the last thing they would want to do is coexist."
"But I have to do something," Gil argued. "More people will suffer as the war goes on. Besides, the demons here are happy to live with me. That's the point. I want to prove that we can support each other."
Coraline waved her hand, telling Gil to calm down. "I did not mean to anger you, Gil. In fact, I wholeheartedly support your idea. It's just my job as a caretaker to make sure the forest is preserved. As a sentinel, I was especially suspicious of you, I'll admit. But seeing your relationship with Maria is enough to convince me you're not joking. In fact, I'll be happy to help you."
Maria thought Coraline was shrewd. She came to them because they would be the best investment, both long-term and short-term. In the present, Coraline could get rid of the hobgoblin army, and in the future, she'll have key allies in a small town that was set to expand into a strong nation. The town was already strong, as Gil and Maria had the strength to take on demon lords, and then there were the Onis. More individuals may dwell here when this village became a flourishing nation, becoming the best defense the forest would ever have. "Well, we were going to fight the hobgoblin army anyway, so we'll be doing as you wish either way. But, before we do fight the hobgoblins, I'd like to get more information from you. Is that fair?"
Coraline nodded. "It sure is." She sat between Hagas and Klain, making them nervous.
"My first question is whether if you know anything about the jinns who may be directing the hobgoblin army." Coraline sipped a cup of tea. "I do. I have seen two jinns lurking around in the depths of the forest, and I know their locations."
"Do you know where they are, and can you tell us that?"
"I can. But I should be able to handle the jinn on my own." Maria nodded. "Alright, then I'll let you handle them. Is there anything else you know of the situation?"
"Other than what you already know, no."
"Maria, if the goblins really are going to Glouvons Clove, I think teaming up with the dracaena would be in our best interests." Gil agreed with Hagas that they should be cautious. Their chances of winning would significantly improve if their numbers increased, as the opposing side was three hundred thousand strong.
Maria understood Gil's reasoning, but she wasn't sure. "You're not wrong, but after meeting Gabe, I'm a bit hesitant. He's too arrogant to trust, and I think he's kind of dumb. Having an incompetent ally will hurt us more."
Jaco got up from his chair and bowed. "Then should I go visit the Queen of the dracaena to request an alliance?"
"That's a good idea," Gil said. "But if their Queen turns out to be the same as Gabe, just come back here." Jaco nodded, disappearing from the room as he teleported his way to the Queen of the dracaena.
Maria got up from her table. "Well, while Jaco's doing that, the rest of us should get ready. Tonight's meeting is adjourned." The Onis got up excitedly. "Excellent. This is just what we've been waiting for," Nova said." Klain nodded. "We have complete faith in your abilities; just tell us what to do."
Medusa's thoughts were wrapped around the hobgoblin army. Assuming her son managed to recruit all the elves in Silverlake, their manpower would increase. It would help considering how far behind they were in terms of numbers. Then, there was the ghoul. Medusa knew that it would be a challenging task to defeat it on its own. It would be near impossible with an army of three hundred thousand behind it. Then there was the possibility that all this was done by a hidden party. Taking them out would likely solve the problem, but Medusa had no intel on their whereabouts. She didn't want to risk the lives of her men right now, as every one of them would be needed to overcome the hurdle they now faced.
A guard shot into the room. "My Queen, an intruder has entered the cave!" Medusa's personal guard held up their spears, ready to charge. But what scared Medusa was the particular aura this "intruder" was emitting. Her men would have no chance. "I wish to know why they've come here. Let them in."
"Are you sure?" Euryale asked. Medusa regarded her daughter. "So you feel it as well. This aura is..."
"Yes, Mother, I feel it. I doubt even all our best men combined would be a match for them." Jaco walked into the throne room and bowed before Medusa. "Greetings, Queen of the dracaena and all her attendants."
Medusa examined the man before her. He was about as tall as her soldiers, with light brown skin and purple hair that swept past his eyes. He wore purple attire, armored gauntlets covering his arms, and black boots. "I'm sorry for not having much to offer in terms of hospitality. Some events have needed much time and thought."
Jaco shook his head. "Don't trouble yourselves. I am only an envoy sent to deliver a word from my master."
"What's the message?"
"An alliance. My master wishes to join forces with you to defeat the hobgoblin army."
"I see. Unfortunately, I have no knowledge concerning your master."
"My master is known as Gil Asphodel, partner of Maria Asphodel."
"Asphodel? You mean the royal family of Bloodbound, the vampire nation?"
"Precisely, although neither have no tie with Bloodbound. My master recently received a request from the naiads to defeat the hobgoblin army."
"The naiads?" Medusa thought that the words coming out of Jaco's mouth were outrageous, but she knew he wasn't lying. He would make the story more believable, and he answered her questions without hesitating. "Truly?"
"Yes. You might want to take that into account as you consider." This prompted laughter from one of Medusa's guards. "I've never heard of Gil or Maria! They're probably just too afraid to fight the hobgoblin army and seek our protection, and they should just say so!"
"Watch your tongue," Medusa warned.
"But, my lord, I cannot. This man has clearly come to insult-" The guard could not speak, as silvery threads made out of quanta cut into his throat. He looked towards Jaco and saw his fingers balancing on the string as he coughed blood. Medusa jumped from her throne. "Please, forgive his language. I accept your offer. I believe that working together will benefit us both, and so I request that you let my soldier go."
Jaco obliged. "I apologize. I did not come to evoke hostilities, but I will not tolerate any insults towards my lords." Medusa nodded. "I understand. Do not take this the wrong way, but I am ignorant of your master, and it will be difficult to trust someone I do not know."
"That should be an easy fix. My lords should arrive here within four days, and you can speak to them then. But, you must promise not to engage the enemy before we arrive; otherwise, everything will be ruined. Farewell." Jaco teleported out of the throne room. Medusa sat back down on her throne, breathing a sigh of relief. Euryale tended to her mother. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, Euryale," she smiled. "Do not despair, for we have finally found a light at the end of this dark tunnel."
Medusa called for all the troops to assemble and stood before them. "As all of you know, a hobgoblin army is marching their way towards here, but there is hope. Within four days, powerful reinforcements will arrive to aid us. Until then, do not engage in combat. I will not tolerate a single death from my men, is that understood?" The soldiers roared with cheer.