The March

Kobolds are barely considered sentient, their intelligence leaves much to be desired. They possess some, but not much. Their animalistic instincts far outweigh their human-like traits, driven by an inherent instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm. Without a strong leader to suppress them, their brief moments of frenzied aggression quickly cool, leaving only the primal urge for survival. They scatter like a wolf pack without an alpha, even more easily than wolves.

This is why smaller intelligent species like kobolds, goblins, and murlocs are often easily enslaved by other races.

"What's wrong with these kobolds? With such weak strength, they dare attack us?" Ulyan muttered to himself, standing beside Leo and surveying the twenty-odd kobold corpses strewn outside the camp.

Leo explained, "Is it that surprising? Big and small, they came out in full force. This only means we've stumbled upon their den, and they panicked."

As they watched the kobolds vanish into the forest, Leo made a sudden decision. "Eat quickly! After breakfast, we'll pursue them and wipe them out in one go!"

Ulyan looked at Leo in surprise. "In such a hurry? Are you fully healed?"

Leo pressed a hand to his still-aching chest and flexed his stiff arm. "We don't have time to wait. It's not just kobolds that can attack us. If it's them today, who knows what it'll be next time?"

"These kobolds have been wearing down their own combat strength with frequent raids, but other tribes have been quiet," Ulyan sighed, showing a hint of weariness. "We have too many tasks, each one crucial. Starting today, I'll have half our men chopping trees. We need to build houses and erect fences quickly. Who knows what might come next?"

"If we can't clear three hundred acres, we'll start with half. We need to survive first."

Seeing Leo's silence, Ulyan felt a sense of relief. This was a far cry from the impulsive young man he used to be. "At least you're thinking now. When I'm granted the title of frontier knight, you'll be my first knight squire!"

Leo immediately protested, "After all I've done, a knight squire is all I get?"

Ulyan's eyes widened, the fatherly warmth vanished. "What? You want to be the knight and have me be your squire?"

The villagers in the camp were surprisingly calm. They seemed accustomed to kobold attacks, and after seeing the kobolds retreat, they quickly resumed their daily routines. Far from causing panic, this attack seemed to boost the villagers' confidence. At least no one died this time; that was a significant improvement. The wilderness suddenly felt a bit less menacing.

In the center of the camp, a large pot was already set up. Nearby, fish of various sizes were being scaled and gutted, then tossed into the pot. Leo, ready to grab a fish for roasting, was slapped on the back of his hand by Olivia. She sat unceremoniously on a wooden bucket, her dress spread wide to shield another bucket beneath her, glaring at Leo. "What are you doing?"

"These are my fish!" Leo retorted.

"Your fish need to be shared. This morning, we're all having fish soup."

"Just one fish!" Leo pleaded.

"Not even one."

Seeing that hard tactics wouldn't work, Leo quickly changed his approach, adopting a dejected look. "After breakfast, I'm off to clear out the kobolds. I might not come back, you know. This could be my last meal."

Olivia froze, momentarily at a loss. Seizing the opportunity, Leo's hand darted under her skirt, snatching a small fish from the bucket. It was just a palm-sized fish, but he held it triumphantly like a conquering general, heading off with a beaming Little Mouse to roast it.

After breakfast, Leo organized a militia of twenty-five men and twenty-five able-bodied villagers, making a total of fifty. Led by two scouts, they set off in pursuit of the kobolds.

Ulyan stayed behind to guard the camp with the remaining men, preventing any surprise attacks. Leo had taken the camp's core fighting force, but the elderly and children still needed protection. The surrounding wilderness held more dangers than just kobolds.

Ulyan, who had once patrolled the western frontier and scouted the wilderness around the Anzenor River, knew well the need for vigilance. Though it had been five years since those days, the wilderness had likely changed. Now, they needed to reassess the area's threats.

Initially, the biggest challenge for their expedition was the thousand-mile migration. While the nearby non-human tribes had grown in five years, they were still no match for a hundred trained militia. But things had changed; their group was now significantly smaller, making them vulnerable.

The camp's militia was now less than thirty strong. Fortunately, after extensive training and combat experience, they were as capable as conscripted soldiers. Some had proven themselves, ready to be full-fledged imperial soldiers, just lacking proper equipment. 

The Anzenor River's banks displayed a stark contrast in vegetation. The northern side, with towering conifers, was heavy with snow-laden branches, while the southern side near the river's bend was filled with eerie, leafless trees. The forest floor was thick with decaying leaves and scattered twigs, clearly showing the kobolds' trail.

Though Leo doubted the kobolds could organize a trap, he still sent his most experienced men ahead, advancing cautiously.