My planet is infested with Goblins

Colonel Alaric Veyne ordered the column forward less than an hour after discovering the abandoned goblin observation post on the ridge.

The discovery had confirmed what he already suspected: the goblins knew where the provincial force was, how many soldiers it contained, and which road it followed. There was no longer any reason to pretend that their advance remained concealed.

From that moment onward, Alaric treated every stretch of woodland, every distant ridge, and every abandoned farm as a possible observation point.

Mounted scouts pushed ahead in carefully spaced groups while local hunters searched the sides of the road for narrow trails that could allow goblins to approach unseen.

The infantry remained close to the wagons, crossbowmen were distributed throughout the formation, and cavalry officers had been reminded once again that no rider was to chase a fleeing goblin into the trees without direct permission.

The soldiers had become quieter as they marched. Rumors about Brackenford had already made the eastern countryside feel dangerous, but knowing that goblin scouts had watched them from less than a mile away made the threat far more immediate. The men could imagine hidden eyes following every movement of the column, and Alaric knew fear could exhaust an army long before a battle began.

He therefore refused to halt every time a bird moved through the branches or some nervous soldier thought he saw a shape among the trees. The goblins did not need to attack if the humans wore themselves down preparing for an ambush that never came.

Captain Joren Bale rode beside him near the head of the infantry.

"They have had plenty of chances," Joren said. "If they intended to attack us on the road, they could have done it already."

Alaric glanced toward the trees.

"They are just waiting for the right timing to fight."

"You think they are waiting for something?"

"I think they are meticulously choosing every engagement since their attacks began. I see no reason to believe they suddenly stopped."

The terrain slowly began to change as the column moved farther east. Thick woodland withdrew from the road, replaced by abandoned fields and patches of low grass stretching between gentle hills. Scattered groups of trees remained in the distance, but the road itself passed through increasingly open country.

The change brought visible relief to many of the soldiers. Cavalry could maneuver freely here, infantry formations would have enough room to expand, and crossbowmen could see threats long before they reached effective range. There were fewer places for small goblin patrols to disappear after firing from concealment.

Joren studied the open ground ahead.

"If they attack here, they will have to do it where we can actually see them."

"That would be convenient," Alaric replied.

"You do not sound pleased."

Alaric looked over the fields.

"The goblins know the terrain better us. If they choose to fight here, I want to know why. There must be a reason."

Before Joren could respond, three mounted scouts appeared over the next rise. Their horses were moving quickly enough that Alaric immediately raised his hand and ordered the front companies to halt. Signals traveled backward along the column until the wagons stopped and infantry shifted toward defensive positions. The lead scout reached Alaric, pulled his horse around, and saluted while catching his breath.

"There are goblins ahead, Colonel."

Alaric had expected the words eventually.

"How many?"

The scout hesitated before answering.

"We cannot give an exact count, but more than a thousand. Perhaps fifteen hundred."

Joren stared at him.

"Where are they positioned?"

"Across the road and the fields beyond the next rise."

Alaric waited for the rest.

The scout understood.

"They are not concealed, Colonel. They are standing in the open."

For a few seconds, nobody nearby spoke.

Alaric looked toward the rise.

"Take me there."

He brought Joren, several officers, a dozen cavalrymen, and two local hunters while leaving orders for the main column to remain in place.

They advanced slowly toward the ridge, watching both flanks despite the scout’s report. Alaric still expected some secondary force hidden among the distant trees, but nothing moved against them.

When they reached the crest, he saw the army waiting below.

The sight overturned his understanding of the goblins.

Approximately fifteen hundred green-skinned soldiers occupied the open ground along the road. The front consisted of organized infantry formations arranged in disciplined blocks rather than the loose groups Alaric had imagined when hearing descriptions of goblin raiders.

Their equipment appeared standardized. Shields were aligned across the front ranks, while spears and shorter polearms rose above those behind them. Separate formations carried banners marked with unfamiliar symbols, and officers moved between the units without disturbing the order of the ranks.

Behind the infantry stood organized ranged troops. Additional formations waited farther back, clearly positioned as reserves rather than simply soldiers who had not yet found space.

Alaric could see messengers running between commanders, supply wagons positioned behind the army, and groups that appeared to be healers or other support personnel.

Everything about the force suggested preparation rather than improvisation.

Joren stared across the field.

"That is not a raiding force."

"No."

"That is an army."

A cavalry captain rode closer.

"They could have attacked us in the forest."

"Yes."

"They knew exactly where we were."

"Yes."

The captain looked from the goblin lines toward Alaric.

"Then why are they waiting here?"

Alaric studied the battlefield carefully. The open ground extended broadly enough for both armies to deploy. A shallow stream ran along the southern side, but it was not deep enough to prevent movement entirely.

The northern side consisted mostly of fields before reaching distant woodland. There were no fallen trees blocking the road, no barricades, no visible trenches, and no narrow passage forcing Caldris troops into a disadvantageous formation.

The goblins had chosen ground where the humans could fight properly.

"They want us to fight them" Alaric said.

Joren understood immediately.

"They are offering battle."

The cavalry captain looked disturbed.

"Or daring us to accept one."

Alaric continued studying the enemy. Until now, Caldris had assumed the goblins preferred concealment because their smaller bodies made direct combat dangerous. Their successes had come from forests, ambushes, sudden attacks against wagons, and coordinated assaults on villages.

Even Brackenford had involved fighting through streets and defensive breaches rather than two armies forming against one another.

This was different.

The goblins were openly inviting Caldris to test that assumption.

One of the officers looked toward Alaric.

"We should turn back."

Another immediately disagreed.

"We came east to locate significant enemy forces. We have found one."

"We were ordered to fight when favorable. They have nearly twice our number."

"They are also half our size. It doesn’t matter even if they’re much numerous than us."

Alaric raised his hand before the argument became louder.

"Enough."

He counted what he could see. The goblins had the numerical advantage, but humans possessed other strengths. His infantry was larger and physically stronger.

Their longer spears could create dangerous reach against smaller enemies. Heavy shields and armor gave the professional troops strong frontal protection, while eighty cavalrymen could operate effectively on the open northern field. One hundred and forty crossbowmen could deliver concentrated ranged fire if positioned correctly.

The question was whether those advantages were enough.

Joren lowered his voice.

"Our orders do not require us to fight this battle."

"No."

"Then what are you thinking?"

Alaric looked back toward the road they had traveled. Retreat remained possible. The goblins had not surrounded them. He could order the column west and preserve nearly eight hundred soldiers for another day.

However, that decision would have consequences.

The entire purpose of the counteroffensive was to restore provincial control over the east. If eight hundred soldiers turned around the moment an enemy army appeared, the goblins would learn that gathering a sufficiently large force was enough to clear Caldris troops from the countryside.

Villages would hear that the provincial army had marched east and retreated without fighting. More importantly, Eastwatch would still know almost nothing about how a large goblin formation performed in open battle.

Alaric turned back toward the field.

"We came here because we cannot keep responding blindly. This is the first time they have shown us an army."

Joren nodded slowly.

"And perhaps the last time if we lose."

"That is why I am not charging down the hill."

Alaric examined the terrain again. The low rise behind them offered a useful position for the Caldris line. The stream could protect part of the southern flank. Cavalry could maneuver on the northern side. The supply wagons could be pulled behind the ridge where they would be protected from direct ranged fire.

The ground did not guarantee victory, but neither did it guarantee defeat.

Alaric made his decision.

"Bring the column forward. We deploy on this rise."

Joren watched him.

"We are fighting?"

"We are preparing to fight. If they want this battle, they will still have to cross the field and earn it."

Orders immediately began moving back toward the main force. Infantry companies advanced first, climbing the ridge before expanding into broader formations.

The center was arranged into several lines, with heavy shields placed forward and spearmen positioned to use their greater reach. Crossbowmen were distributed behind and between the infantry blocks rather than concentrated into one formation vulnerable to a single attack.

Alaric sent the cavalry north where the open ground provided room to maneuver. The mounted scouts withdrew from long-range reconnaissance and formed behind them as additional mobility.

Engineers examined the slope and nearby stream while the supply wagons were moved behind the ridge with the healers and reserve troops. Civilian hunters were ordered away from the front once they finished identifying paths around the battlefield.

The soldiers began seeing the goblin army as they crossed the rise, and reactions spread quickly through the ranks. Some men stared

openly at the disciplined formations ahead. Others tightened their grips around their weapons. A few seemed relieved simply because the enemy was finally visible.

Alaric rode along the forming line.

"Keep your spacing. Watch your officers. You wanted the enemy out of the trees, and now they are standing in front of you. Do not waste the opportunity by forgetting your training."

The statement produced several nervous laughs, but the ranks continued forming.

Across the field, the goblins remained motionless.

They did not fire while Caldris deployed.

They did not send skirmishers forward.

They did not attempt to disrupt the cavalry as it moved toward the northern flank.

They waited.

Joren returned after positioning his company.

"They are letting us prepare."

Alaric watched the unfamiliar banners moving slightly in the wind.

"I noticed."

"That means they are either extremely confident or extremely foolish."

"We will know soon."

The final Caldris formations settled into position. Crossbows were loaded. Shields locked closer together. Spears angled forward. Cavalry officers rode along their lines repeating instructions that no one was to charge without orders.

Across the open ground, fifteen hundred goblins remained in disciplined ranks.

For the first time since the invasion began, there were no forests hiding the enemy, no burning village between the armies, and no uncertainty about where the next attack would come from.

Eight hundred Caldris soldiers faced the first true Viridian field army the province had ever seen, while both forces waited beneath their respective banners for someone to give the command that would end the silence.

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