The Knight Apprentices behind Alaric were dumbfounded when they saw him killing the goblin sentry with zeal.
The stoic image that he had imprinted upon them took a massive hit and they almost thought that this wasn't Alaric but an entirely different person.
The sudden change in his expression and behavior was so abrupt that they had no time to comprehend what was happening.
While the Knight Apprentices were still reeling in shock, Alaric had already lunged at the second goblin.
He made a diagonal slash with his sword which effortlessly cut the poor goblin in half.
Whoosh!
Thud!
Eekk!!
The remaining goblin sentries stared at the crazed human with fear. It was a natural instinct that one would feel after seeing an incredibly powerful predator.
Eekk!! Eekk!! Hieee! Hieee!
The goblin sentries communicated in weird, high-pitched squealing voices which were uncannily similar to the sound that hyenas make.
As if they had made a tacit agreement, the goblins pounced at Alaric simultaneously while waving their bone spears at him, leaving him no room to maneuver.
Seeing this, Alaric felt his senses activating at full capacity. His body moved seamlessly, narrowly avoiding the sharp, pointed edges of the bone spears. At the same time, he brandished his swords, wielding them forcefully to destroy the crude bone spears.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In quick successive slashes, the goblins' bone spears broke apart, leaving them unarmed.
After disarming them, Alaric smiled mercilessly. "Die, you filthy green bastards!"
A series of whistling sounds echoed as the goblins' bodies were slashed into multiple pieces.
Looking at the mutilated bodies of the goblins, the Knight Apprentices were left horrified.
They didn't expect to see this cruel side of Alaric.
So scary! I almost pissed my pants watching Lord Alaric kill those goblins in such a manner…
Having killed all the sentries, Alaric turned his head at the stunned Knight Apprentices. "Follow me! Our job is not done yet!"
His voice carried a trace of viciousness.
"Y-Yes, my lord!"
Alaric immediately headed deeper into the goblin settlement with his four subordinates tensely following him.
They encountered some goblin warriors along the way, but none of them survived under Alaric's fearsome swordplay.
The Knight Apprentices didn't even have to do much. They only need to kill the goblins that Alaric intentionally left alive.
Hmm… Although they were nervous, they still managed to execute their roles effectively. All those training and drills we did in the past two months were definitely worth it.
Alaric remarked when he saw the Knight Apprentices' performance.
These guys were among the most talented warriors in the household. They were also more attuned with mana so they have a high chance of becoming full-fledged Knights.
"Destroy their houses and make more disturbance!" Alaric instructed.
"Yes, my lord!"
Alaric watched the broken treehouses and the goblin corpses around him as he thought.
By this time, the elite goblin warriors should have already noticed the situation here. We will have to face those monsters soon…
Alaric was eager to try his skills against a hobgoblin.
Those creatures were a lot more powerful than normal goblin warriors and in rare cases, they could grow even stronger than the average human Knights.
He wanted to make use of them to test his current abilities. He wasn't able to exhibit his full strength in the impromptu competition during the celebration so this was the perfect chance to assess his power.
Suddenly…
Alaric saw one of the Knight Apprentices hesitating to kill a female goblin. And the reason was because it was holding a newborn goblin in its arms.
Alaric watched the scene with a cold gaze.
In a battle between two races, sympathy was poison.
He had experienced it in his past life so he was aware how cruel the goblins could be. Whether they were young goblins or old, they wouldn't hesitate to kill a human. They were heartless monsters who viewed humans as prey.
On the other hand, some human soldiers would hesitate to kill when they encounter non-combatant goblins.
Alaric had seen so many people die because of their compassion. In fact, he was also the same as them. He only changed after seeing how his comrades died because of their kindness. It was also how he had developed a strong hate against goblins.
At this moment, the female goblin that was holding its baby suddenly pulled out a bone knife from out of nowhere and pounced at the hesitant Knight Apprentice.
Startled, the Knight Apprentice quickly parried the bone knife using his sword and plunged it into the female goblin's body.
The female goblin didn't die immediately. It stared at the Knight Apprentice with a gaze filled with loathing and anger.
The baby in its arms fell after it lost its grip and the tiny thing crawled towards the Knight Apprentice, crying while emitting chirp-like sounds.
The Knight Apprentice couldn't bear to kill the powerless little thing.
"Kill it!" An icy voice resonated in his ears.
The Knight Apprentice looked at Alaric in shock.
"But my lord, this is…"
"That bloody thing might turn into another hobgoblin if we leave it be! It will seek revenge for the destruction of its tribe and it will mercilessly slaughter humans! Kill it!" Alaric's voice was filled with unquestionable authority.
The Knight Apprentice trembled and his gaze slowly hardened as he looked at the tiny creature crawling beneath his boots.
With a low grunt, he lifted his sword and stabbed its heart which killed it on the spot.
Looking at the Knight Apprentice's complicated expression, Alaric sternly reminded him. "You must bear in mind that these creatures are our enemies. If one of them survives, they will come back to seek revenge! The victims could be your friends or even your family so no matter how difficult it may be, you must harden your heart and kill them without mercy!"
Alaric's words resonated deeply in the Knight Apprentice's mind, shaking his very being down to his core.
"I was foolish. Thank you for reminding me, my lord." He stared at Alaric who was younger than him by a decade with newfound respect.
He respected the young heir's decisiveness.
Alaric tapped the man's shoulder. "The battle isn't over yet. More enemies are coming. You better get ready."