27 Hand in the Shadows

Raynard had successfully motivated everyone into siding with him against Lucas. But he knew that Lucas wasn't weak, and he could have gotten stronger.

Raynard hadn't even reached the 2000s in rank. Yet Lucas was already in the 1500s, he felt fear at his growth potential. When he asked his brother for help he was rejected. He wouldn't even dare to dream of asking his eldest brother to help. That would be equivalent to begging Lodite for help.

So he decided to make a plan of attack with the group, Carol would restrict Lucas. Raynard would be a striker and do the most damage. John would lead the commoners to guard against Lucas' attack. Lastly, the remaining nobles would guard Raynard and Carol.

Although the plan was biased it was based on the numbers and powers of each little faction. So no one had any complaints and even if they did. Their complaints would only warrant anger and not amendments.

The group started to wander the forest, with the commoners scouting in the front. They stayed on the ground to keep order and moved slowly. The commoners were in the trees keeping a lookout. They would occasionally find a few goblins, the goblins looked to be waiting for someone.

At first, they didn't want to fight but the goblins became hysterical when they saw the groups and attacked. So they started the fight and the goblins would be overwhelmed.

'What is wrong with the goblins, what are they waiting for?' Raynard thought at the end of the fight

The group started to feel nervous as the tension increased. The unknown was far scarier than the known as they slowly inched into the deeper part of the forest. The shrubbery obscured more, and the darkness was all-encompassing.

"Raynard maybe we shouldn't go so deep." Said a noble with a nervous voice

"Nonsense, it's only this area that Lucas would show up. It's around here that he should have gotten such a high rank. If we want to kick him out we need to take a risk." Raynard said sternly to remind the noble

The noble gritted his teeth and tried to keep in the formation. Because only with the formation would he be able to survive. As they went deeper into the forest, they were greeted with strange sights and smells.

They would hear footsteps from everywhere and many would walk into bogs or step on small animals. The false alarms just built up the tension as many started to become terrified. Only one step and they would all lose order and rationality it seemed.

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I watched them dance like idiots from a treetop. My elemental brandings burning on my face, I could see their nervousness from their behaviors.

All I did was send an occasional goblin patrol and added a few traps to the area, I could see they would enter soon. After analyzing their formation it was obvious it was based on class. Only one person hates me enough to bring a whole expedition to execute me, Raynard.

Since he wants to become an enemy of the entire class then I'll just help him. I couldn't help but chuckle, I wouldn't even have to do much. All I had to do was let the goblins kill them and they would blame Raynard. John will speak of righteous and fairness, and the nobles will back out in fear.

Then it will be Raynard vs John for a while, and I will have the peace I have wanted. I would kill them all myself, but it just isn't worth it.

All it would do is unite them against me, and give Raynard a good excuse to call in the troops. Like his brother Gavyn who I know, I couldn't fight. Even as a level 2 right now, it will take a lot of time before I can get him and his brother.

"Pektog sorry for your tribe loss, but I promise you it will be worth it," I said as I spoke to Pektog who was in a treetop adjacent to mine

"I know you to be honorable, so I believe you my people are a war people anyway. Death isn't a problem for us, domestication is our problem. I think you of all people would understand that."

He said as he thought about the fight and the moment when I became like an animal

'Domestication huh, good way of putting it.'

"You are rather intelligent for a goblin," I said with a smirk

Pektog sat silently and didn't respond to me.

"You can finish them off now, I am done building the tension," I said as I stood up from the tree top.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to fight them at all?" Pektog asked as I was about to leave

"No, I have no interest in that," I said as I shook my head.

"It's one thing for goblins to kill them but for me, that would just be trouble. I need to conserve my energy for later." I said calmly

"You said that there are other tribes of goblins correct?" I asked remembering earlier when Pektog told about the forest.

"Yes." Pektog subserviently responded

"Which is the strongest?" I said with my anticipation showing on my face

"Dahziekt the Demolisher. He is the king of hobgoblin groups in the outer ring, he wields a great sword with almost as much prowess as you. He has slightly more strength than me." Pektog said with a pale face as he remembered his battles against Dahziekt.

"I would be able to fight him if I had better weapons." Pektog declared in his own defense.

"Alright you finish it up here, I will go back to your village and guard it in the meantime. Just make sure to scare the commoners away. Then kill all the regular nobles, afterward, let the two leading survive and escape."

The regular nobles individually aren't very powerful but all of them pressuring the Gallius house would have power. The commoners hating and fighting against Gallius house in the school would cause them trouble. Lastly, the coincidental survival of superior nobles would cause a feeling inferiority.

The commoners and nobles would feel closer to me than the superior nobles. I am someone with less of a background than them, but more backbone. They won't think to hurt me but rather follow me or even idealize me.

I left using the treetops as Pektog started his offensive.

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The commoners were trying to stop the goblin's advance when they were pushed out of the way by Pektog. Carol tried to slow, Pektog down as he rushed towards Raynard.

But Pektog changed directions and attacked at Carol. He swiped at her guards and they were sent flying.

Carol was unguarded as she was punched into a tree. Raynard yelled in anger as he ran at Pektog with his sword. He tried to cut at him but the wounds were superficial.

Raynard had disrupted the formation with his attack, and he was left stranded. The commoners were about to move in to help Raynard. When Raynard moved and took a commoner as a shield.

Pektog then tackled the commoner shield leaving the commoners angry. They continued their skirmishes as Pektog left an opening. The commoners took it and left the encirclement of goblins leaving Carol, Raynard, and the nobles.

The nobles and Carol recovered in time to see the commoners and John leaving

"Those fucking bastards." Raynard cursed

Carol was angry but her mouth and face were bloody so she didn't speak. Instead, she gripped her whip with power, she swung it as it wrapped around Pektog's leg.

She pulled with all her force and Pektog fell over the nobles and Raynard rushed at Pektog. As they were fighting the commoners were fleeing.

Until a few goblins intercepted them from the trees. They slit the throats of a few of the commoners, leaving bloody pools intertwining with the green of the grass.

They became disordered and fled in different directions, as many of them were killed. Raynard and the nobles were about to cut at Pektog when Pektog smiled an ugly toothy smile.

The goblins from the encirclement jumped from the trees and attacked the nobles. Raynard conveniently fled just in time. But the nobles were held down and killed as the encirclement was open.

Carol and Raynard took the opportunity to run away in fear. They had just barely attacked a goblin raid, they ran away together and finally got a moment to breathe near a small river.

"What the hell since when do goblins use tactics like that?" Raynard cursed as he wiped the blood of himself and Carol using the water from the river

"Its irregular...are goblins supposed to be this tough in the dream formation aren't they all guaranteed to be under level 30." Carol asked anxiously

"They are and they can't be planning like this, someone must have been guiding them. But who in the world could be speaking to goblins." Raynar said angrily

"Goblins speak the beast script right," Carol said

"Yes, what is your point," Raynard responded as he started to calm down

"Can humans speak beast script?" Carol asked

Raynard just shook his head entirely

"Human can't use their tongues to pronounce any words from the beast script. The gods made that impossible, because of the danger of the beast script."

"Then some intelligent being that could speak beast script trained those goblins," Carol said with certainty

"Shit lets just quit at this point, just say the safe word. We already killed enough goblins, we'll just report this to Teacher Elton." Raynard said irritated