Anybody can make a plan

On the road to Karst, Young Master Wu sat in the carriage, reading over the contract. Cursing he flung the parchment to the side. The guard sitting across from him obediently collected the document and rolled it up. Ever since leaving the farm, his young master had continuously cursed both gods and devils alike.

"I have never seen an agreement like this, the damn thing is more ironclad than the Bridgeroak's tower shield. That lumpy sister of his, she didn't leave even a single loophole to exploit."

Young Master Wu uttered. Since forming an excuse to leave early, he had spent the time in browsing through the document, hoping to glimpse some way to gain some advantage. Most contracts like these allowed the more powerful party to claim ignorance, be it in slow delivery, sub-par goods, or stipulated method of payment.

He had hoped to feign ignorance, avoiding the one-time lump sum, in favor of small monthly or even yearly down payments. If he played his cards right, he might avoid frustrating the boy and might even convince him to stay at the Clan.

This contract, however, did not allow any such chance. Worse yet, he soon realized that the small writing at the bottom that he did not pay attention to actually meant something. The little paragraphs even included things like double the amount for late payment or a reimbursement fee for failure to pay.

As a man who worked his way up from a foot salesman to mid-management, Chu had personally bore the brunt of all kinds of skullduggery. He had learned by force the importance of a contract and their hidden clauses.

To a spectator, they decorated the contract, with neat patterns, but to the holder, they represented words of hell. With the seals of the Churches Union and two other powerhouses on everyone's contract, only a fool would cry forgery.

Who the hell read those fine prints?

"This trip has turned into a huge loss for me again."

Young Master Wu held the reputation as one of the more prominent upcoming heroes in the Capital, with his fame spanning across the Empire to even Frost City. To possess fame or infamy in a city of thousands, spoke something of his character.

The older noble patriarchs praised him for a shrewd mind, and he had once been among the prime candidates from the Capital who possessed the daring, resources and cunning to gain the power of a Sersen. A Sersen of legend, powered by a wolf demon lifestone.

Since that year, when he arrived in Limerock only to find that the wolf demon had been slain by bandits, his luck had plunged to rock bottom. Rumors had spread on how he abducted young girls while eradicating their resisting family. Last year, he lost the favor of the Princess, as the little brat shooed away all would be suitors.

On learning of the young genius living in the fringes of the Empire, Young Master Wu though it would have been easy to bamboozle an ignorant peasant. Acting the role of an approachable noble, while dispatching any close confidants. This cunning plan normally had the target running into his embrace.

Instead, this tried and perfected plan, that succeeded in the cities, failed miserably with these stupid wretches.

"Have this letter delivered to Patriarch Prickus of Limerock. Remind him to make sure it looks like a bandit attack, when they raze the farm. I want the kid alive."

Young Master Wu said. His face twisting in a ferocious grin.

The Prickus family had a long-standing relationship with Wu. As vassals, they would certainly seek to accomplish this task, so as to earn his favor. He was after all the prime candidate for the head of the Wu Clan. The Prickus family headquarters in Limerock happened to be the closest contact he had in this border region. His only other choice lay in the Wu Clan's outpost in Frost City.

Young Master Wu would pass Limerock on the way to the Capital, so he intended to send this guard on horseback at the forefront to deliver the message. With narrow eyes, he laughed as the horse disappeared in a storm of dust. He leaned back into the seat, mumbling

"I want them to torture him into revealing more secrets, before sweeping in to rescue him like a king. No one has ever escaped the eye of this young master."

***

In the morning on the day the Houses departed, Jim and Chong followed in a wagon some distance behind. Chu organized a group in the barn.

A white hand casually flicked some loose strands of glistening black hair behind a cute little ear. If not for the stubborn white spots indicating some retreating calluses, or the fading lines from past scratches while romping through the forest and bushes, then this girl seated at the table could rank as an unblemished beauty.

"Amazing Chu, this really looks as if I'm staring down from up high at our farm. Can our maps really create something like this?"

Miki asked. She moved one of the little pillars, stained with different colors around the model set on the table. This simple 3D model, built with carved wooden blocks astounded her. Chu stood on the opposite end, using the rectangular blocks to finish the wall.

"Remember the fight with the goblins? I want you to use this to reenact the night. Those pillars represent your little teams. Find places for them so that when I position these berries... I mean goblins, you can protect your farm."

"What about that?"

Miki asked while positioning her defenders.

Chu followed her gaze towards the smaller table on the side. Sakura and Rose faced each other, twisting their faces over the large board. Ever so often, lithe fingers would hover over a marked tile, before pulling back.

A crowd gathered around the two girls, holding fingers to their lips, or grabbing their hair while watching the board battle in heated interest.

"Don't worry, you will have to practice there later. Consider all this part of your warrior training. As second in command for defense, you have to learn tactics."

Chu reminded her. He glanced at the crude chessboard he designed. Many times he had heard that the game fostered the mind. Leading a small party, as compared to fighting a large-scale battle required a grasp of strategy. The model and chessboard might provide a form of recreation, but it also developed a keen sense of foresight.

Considering the fact that they lost the skirmish that night, he felt that the goblins would soon seek to retaliate. The confrontation with the captured goblin demonstrated the vindictive nature of the creatures.

***

Pug prostrated in the middle of the cavern, kissing the slimy uneven surface.

On the curved white ribs of a Jaga, The Vanguard General, Lord Pocong rested his huge, goblin frame on the throne. Issuing a grunting command, Pug complied by straightening himself to a sitting position. He had been tasting a rock for half a day since he regained consciousness.

"Say what happen to Cust. Talk now!"

The Goblin Vanguard shouted. The gathered goblins looked on with faces contorted in hate and anger. Cust once had a position among this group of ten or so captains. These goblins had followed the vanguard since the very beginning. They had survived the deadly skirmishes, thus earning a position at his side.

"Lord Pocong, from between trees this slave see raiders crawl towards the farm, silent like snail. Then the moon rained down arrows. Like a cloud bursting in sky, this lowly one see arrows from hundred hands. Terrible..."

Pug relived the tale from last night, vividly imagining it, while adding his own embellishment. He enacted the tale, demonstrating with his hands and fingers the terror of the previous night. His long fingers played piano as he told of the never-ending rain of death.

He spent some quality time in copying Cust and his defiant stance in the moonlight. By the time he completed the story, the listeners believed the farm had hundreds of warriors, and also commanded a ferocious pack of wolves. The menacing and arrogant goblins in the cave slowly turned silent on the vivid description.

The Vanguard leaders frowned on hearing the report. Pug held the status of a scout; if they did not believe him then who would they trust in gathering information? Some of them doubted the heroic stance of Cust. Goblins were born cowards. But this tale seemed to negate that fact.

Pug did not know from his distant vantage point, the goblin raiders never gained the opportunity to flee. General Kettle had a team of Sersen riders wipeout any fleeing goblins on the grasslands before they stepped foot into the forest.

As for the searing pain, Cust underwent in his final minutes alive, only Cust alone knew. Even if he survived, he might have taken such embarrassment to the grave in silence.

The Lord shifted his large frame on the hard chair, before speaking.

"The Shaman sent a crow. He said; the scattered bones say wait until two full moons, then sweep the farms. Bountiful harvest."

Lord Pocong growled.

The supreme order of the Shaman could be considered absolute. The meticulous care and understanding that one needed to understand such technical skills left most goblins in awe. The message did fall in line with the initial plan given to the vanguard before they left.

The Vanguard would consist of the more experienced goblins who participated in the small raids during their stay in the south. The goblins might have come across as a vile and uncouth race to humans, but that did not mean they were stupid. In fact, the other races in the forest considered them sly and cunning.

How else would such small weak creatures survive in the Great Western Forest?

Far to the south, the goblins raiders overwhelmed and wiped out a couple of border farms. The raids had been conducted in a random order, with the goblins leaving prints from wolves or other beats so as to dupe the investigators. They also participated in some raids on small merchant caravans and lone road peddlers.

"Have to wait, but need revenge for Cust."

Lord Pocong growled. He lifted himself off the throne and squatted to the side. When he finished his business, he returned and sighed.

When you got to go, you got to go.

The goblins would follow their previous ancestors, forming small raiding parties to attack the scouted farms in the area with pinpoint precision. This blitz attack would wipe out all the farms around the village simultaneously, leaving the entrenched garrison at their wit's end on how to retaliate.

If the garrison decided to split their forces and patrol the surroundings, the goblins would ambush them, before proceeding to overwhelm the village. Legends cast down through word of mouth, spoke of untold grain and riches once pilfered from a successful village raid.

This plan by the goblins whether by coincidence or logic, coincided with the time of harvest. Farms at this time would certainly have abundant grain, while the village would stack the grain and money collected through the yearly taxes. This time the goblin clans who banded together decided to emulate one of the most glorious tales from their ancestors.

The Vanguard would blaze through the farms in the north, worrying and looting from this point until they arrived under the shadow of the mountains. As the humans mounted their counterattack and sought to rally the troops to await the goblins in the north, the Shaman and the main army would strike in the south.

The entrenched Shaman in the south wanted to sweep eastward like the ancestors of old, to assail the walls of the towns and overrun the nearby villages. So far, the main army had successfully remained hidden and waiting. The Vanguard had, however, been discovered early.

The Shaman had chastised Lord Pocong for his premature attack. If not for the fact that the attack would turn the eyes of the Empire towards the north, Lord Pocong might have lost his position. Deep within the bowels of the cave there lived three old decrepit goblins whose duty lay in reporting the actions of the Vanguard.

"Gorl, take raiders and Bloodwood archers. Wipeout farm, then return. Fike, you go north, way past village, harass next one. Human army follow you, make time to raid success."

Lord Pocong said, while sniffing his hand.

With the usual raiding party numbering around twenty, and the Bloodwood archers crossing one hundred, any resistance had no hope to survive. The archers themselves composed nearly a quarter of the Vanguard and represented a key piece sent by the Shaman in assaulting and capturing a village.

The plan at this time seemed perfect.

By now the troops in the farm would leave, making it easy to decimate the remaining farmers. By sending Fike to the north to expose himself, Pocong hoped to attract the human army northwards. This plan would pave the way for his sweep to the north. As for attacking the farm, that was driven by pure vengeance.

"Five suns, after five suns demolish the farm."

By the time the humans realized what happened and let the lull of two months in peace roll away, then the Vanguard would move unimpeded through the grassland. The farm lay in the path of progress and stood as an eyesore.

"Gorl let this scout lead you. Pitiful worm, next time this would be your punishment..."

Lord Pocong turned speaking to Pug while kicking a small malnourished goblin scooping up his shit. Bearing bad news would have him end up earning a demotion. He ordered Pug again since Gorl needed time to make preparations.

"Remain there as punishment."

Pug returned to licking the floor, oblivious to the excited chatter. With the Bloodwood archers, the farm dwellers would never live to see another dawn. What he did not know, was that during his marathon run in the forest that night, one of his comrades had not been slaughtered.

***

"Will we leave him like that?"

"That kid knows more than he lets on. Why do you think he chose to remain in a place of obvious danger?"

General Kettle said, sitting in the moving carriage with his eyes closed.

"You don't think he can withstand a goblin raid by himself?"

Young Master Tian answered in shock. He had wanted to mobilize the garrison to place a permanent guard near the farm, but that plan failed.

"Don't worry you will surely meet them again. The kid protects his family, but tell me, why the girl? You've never bothered much with those in the Capital."

"I can't explain it, she just seemed so different. It's not like I want to bed her or make her my wife, but she has this kind of gentle aura."

Young Master Tian replied after thinking for some time.

"Not everyone knows that your bad mouth betrays kindness. Besides, soon adventurers and mercenaries will flood to the west."

General Kettle sighed. The Empire had lots of upcoming geniuses but this one overshadowed them all. He had high expectations for this one.