After all the troublesome days, Zarock was finally free from poisoned food. It might take him three years to fully recover, but he still had a scrawny body and a gloomy look. The food here was just rice porridge, and there were only fields of rice.
This town is located far from other places. Some merchants, affiliated with a viscount, come here and use the barter system to trade, but they often charge high prices. Those merchants simply make a profit by scamming the people of this town.
Zarock was looking at the report sent by Winthrop, planning the future direction of development.
He assigned five knights to scout the surroundings, check for any danger, and report back.
He gave Gilbert a barn house to clean up, where Gilbert would conduct all his alchemy experiments.
He made the rules stricter and added new ones. Like robbery will to cutting fingers
If they repeat again they will go through water boarding. And many other
Many people were dissatisfied, but they couldn't win a verbal battle with the prince, as the rules were not unreasonable. Due to past experiences, Zarock knew how to play mind games. He understood that in people, there was no rich or poor, noble or commoner; human hearts could be vicious, driven by jealousy or greed. People forget all rationality, so he needed to manipulate them while instilling fear, ensuring they respected and obeyed him.
Roy decided to draw blueprints for development but realized he couldn't. His body and mind were not compatible; even his handwriting was terrible, possibly due to the damage caused by poison. He needed practice and recovery.
For him to survive, he needed to recover as soon as possible.
"Your Highness, a report!" Zarock was in his study, working on his plan when a knight entered. "What's wrong?" Zarock asked.
"It's an emergency! This town is going to be attacked by monsters."
"What?!" Zarock exclaimed.
A meeting was arranged. The participants were Zarock, Elvin, Winthrop, and Gilbert. Elvin was the spokesperson and leader of the knights.
"Milord, the knights sent for scouting found a cave further away. It has become a breeding ground for goblins. We rushed back using horses, but the goblins will march on foot, which might take two days," the knight explained.
This world had goblins and other creatures. If Zarock remembered correctly, goblins were blue-skinned, short, ugly creatures. These goblins wandered in hordes from one cave to another in search of food. When a horde is destroyed by adventurers, the remaining goblins scatter, making it difficult to kill them all. The surviving goblins either join a new horde or die of starvation, but sometimes they create a new horde. Male and female goblins are difficult for humans to distinguish, as they all look identical. Driven by primal instincts, they mate frequently when in proximity. A female goblin gives birth within 15 days, producing up to 4-6 cubs. There's no complex courtship. They mature in two months and begin mating among themselves, with little to no restrictions or complex social structures. Goblins do not form lasting bonds and do not suffer from genetic disorders. Every member of the tribe mates freely, focusing purely on survival and increasing their numbers. The problem arises when a hobgoblin is born, which is rare. Hobgoblins are about 7.5 feet tall, much larger than regular goblins, who are half the size of humans. Even rarer are goblin kings and queens. There can only be one goblin king and one queen at a time; any other potential rulers are killed to eliminate competition. The king and queen only mate with each other, producing strong hobgoblins.
The attackers were part of such a large tribe. "Warn the citizens to stay in their homes. Gather the strong men in town and tell them that if they succeed in repelling the invasion, they can permanently get jobs as city guards with decent salaries." Money wasn't an issue right now; they had found a ton of gold coins in Rale's room.
"But, Your Highness, this might cause panic among the public. We can't disclose this," Winthrop, experienced in managing the town, warned. He knew human nature well, and panicked people could cause trouble.
"Elvin, if anyone causes trouble, suppress them—use any means necessary to threaten them." Zarock had full confidence that Elvin wouldn't go overboard. The public here wasn't large, so they could be controlled. Also, warn them that if anyone tries to flee the town, they will be punished. Making an example of one person could elevate fear. This fear should make the public obedient, easing future governance of the town.
Zarock planned that once the population increased, he would use mass brainwashing to ensure the public obeyed him.
Some were reluctant, but Zarock told them they were doing this for their own good. They eventually agreed with Zarock's plan after discussing it for a while. The announcement was made, and everyone began preparations.
Although some were still reluctant, they didn't dare oppose the royal family. Thirty men volunteered—they agreed to become guards for the reward. Some came to protect their families and friends, while others came out of pride, not wanting to hide in their homes.
Zarock instructed them to sharpen and bring any weapons they had. They brought clubs, hayforks, pickaxes, and some even had wooden swords for self-defense.
Fences were quickly built, and the people of the town shut their doors and windows. Today was the day of the attack. In these two days, we had managed to prepare as best we could. There were no other towns nearby to seek help. I don't know how they've managed to survive until now.
The fences were high to block the invading goblins. Thirty men stood behind the fences, ready to kill any goblins that tried to climb or pass through.
Zarock knew very well that if he succeeded, he would have better control over this town, but failure would mean the end of everything. Still, he decided to take the risk.
The knights were aura knights, and the goblins weren't much of a threat. Eleven knights clad in armor stood outside the fences in a row. Zarock also participated for morale; he was in the watchtower behind the fences with poison darts and a bamboo pipe.
The poison, given by Gilbert, worked by sapping a person's stamina over time, eventually causing them to faint. The stronger the person, the longer it took for them to collapse.
In the afternoon, Zarock saw black spots appear on the horizon. Although his vision was weak due to his damaged body, he could identify the black spots—it was the goblins coming in hordes. Zarock quickly rang the bell in the watchtower.
"Everyone, prepare to meet the enemy!" Elvin shouted.
We are now ready. Let the game begin.