On a pleasant afternoon, the warm sunlight bathed the wheat fields of the McKo Village. Numerous villagers were busy harvesting the ripe wheat.On the village streets, children played and frolicked, while the elderly gathered to chat and share stories.Suddenly, a rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed from the road leading to the castle."Pat, pa, pat."In sight were Lord Kain, Commander Catherine, and Knight Marcus, riding at the forefront of the procession on their white steeds.Following closely behind them was a well-equipped cavalry unit of twenty-four soldiers, exuding a powerful presence.At the rear of the formation were various foot soldiers in leather armor. Some carried long spears, others had bows and arrows, and a few held longswords and wooden shields. Despite their diverse armaments, they all emanated a formidable aura.The villagers paused their activities as Lord Kain and his party passed by, offering their respectful bows.Once the expeditionary force moved on, the villagers began to discuss the actions of their lord."Did you see that group of cavalry? The armor and the horses, so majestic! I feel like joining the army right now," exclaimed a young man in simple attire."With your condition, you better stick to farming," his companion shook his head, advising him to abandon unrealistic dreams.Meanwhile, the village girls were discussing the appearance of Lord Kain for the first time."So, that's Lord Kain? Indeed, as handsome and heroic as the rumors say.""Yes, true. I wonder what kind of lady could capture his attention.""It must be a noble lady of high status. By the way, do you know why he's heading out this time?""I have no idea. Maybe Mayor Kain knows something."Prompted by the girls, more villagers approached the mayor to inquire about the situation.The elderly mayor was overwhelmed by questions, and he reluctantly shared his speculations, as the urgency of the situation had prevented Lord Kain from notifying him."Calm down, everyone. Lord Kain might have come because of an incident to the south," the mayor said."What happened in the south?""Monsters attacked our patrol near the border."The revelation stirred the villagers."No wonder there was a bloodied cavalryman passing by at noon. So, they encountered monsters.""Ah... Will those monsters attack us too?""Are you silly? Lord Kain just led a team to exterminate them."Coughing to gain attention, the mayor continued, "Everyone, trust Lord Kain. Under his leadership, those monsters will be annihilated. Now, go back to your business."While the villagers marveled at the appearance of monsters within their territory, Lord Kain and his party had reached the southern border.There, the remnants of the recent encounter were still visible – bloodstains, scattered limbs, and a few horse carcasses. Everything else, including the people and creatures, had been taken into the forest by the goblins.Seeing this scene, Commander Catherine expressed her anger, "These despicable green-skins treating my soldiers like this, they will pay dearly."Though less vocal, Marcus also clenched his longsword, displaying his emotions.As the lord, Kain was equally furious but managed to suppress his emotions. He gave the command, "Catherine, send scouts to quickly explore the forest terrain and the enemy's location. The rest of you, stay put.""Yes, my lord."Shortly after, three soldiers in light armor emerged from the group. Disguised with camouflage, they disappeared into the forest for reconnaissance.The remaining soldiers settled down for a brief rest, and the cavalry dismounted, leading their horses to a nearby fence.Earlier, Marcus had mentioned that the forest wasn't suitable for mounted combat. Therefore, the cavalry, even when dismounted, had superior combat abilities compared to foot soldiers.After approximately two hours, just when Kain thought the scouts might have failed, the three lightly-armored scouts returned from the forest.Kain promptly approached them, inquiring, "How is the situation?"The central scout saluted before reporting, "My lord, we have identified the location of the goblin tribe.""Good." Kain unfolded his map, and, guided by the scout, he marked the position."How many goblins are there? And how many supernaturals?""My lord, there are approximately a hundred goblins. As for supernaturals..." The scout hesitated when mentioning supernaturals, "Due to the extreme sensitivity of their leader, we only detected the obvious supernatural, a goblin champion.""Hmm... It means there might be other supernaturals that we couldn't detect. Apologies, my lord, we did our best," the scout lowered his head in remorse.Kain patted the scout's shoulder reassuringly, "No need to blame yourselves. You've done well. Return to the ranks.""Yes, my lord."Turning to Marcus and Catherine, Kain asked, "What are your thoughts?"Catherine, gazing into the forest, responded, "Lord Kain, I believe we should proceed with our original plan."Marcus, in agreement with Catherine, rare as it was for them to share the same opinion, added, "My lord, I also think we should stick to the plan. Based on my knowledge of these goblins, there should be no new supernaturals among them. Even if a new one appears, it won't surpass first-tier high-rank."Catherine chimed in, "Exactly. These lowly green-skins will always remain at the bottom of all intelligent races."Considering the unanimous agreement of his subordinates, Kain issued the order, "Everyone, form up the ranks. We march to exterminate the goblins!"The soldiers quickly stood up, organized themselves under the guidance of their respective leaders, and followed Kain into the dark forest.The dense trees blocked the sunlight, leaving only scattered beams to filter through the canopy.In this dim environment, everyone was uncertain of what might emerge ahead.Kain, with a map in hand, squinted at it, ensuring they maintained the correct direction.Catherine and Marcus, standing on either side of Kain, remained vigilant for any potential threats.The goblin tribe's location wasn't far from where they stood, and after another fifteen minutes, they reached the outskirts of the goblin settlement.