The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

Chapter 221: Chapter 193: This Coming Winter

"Goblins?" Valentine stared at the letter, his hand trembling uncontrollably. He seemed utterly unable to believe what was written on the single, flimsy sheet.

"How could it be goblins?" he snarled, clenching his fists. "Wasn’t it the Giant Spiders and Giant Bees?"

After leading his troops to exterminate those giant creatures, he had found his son’s body in one of the caves. Thank heavens, Philip’s body was still relatively intact, missing only a leg.

But now, this anonymous letter was telling him that the killer of his only male heir wasn’t some Dark Grand Mage pulling the strings from behind the scenes, but merely a pack of unusually capable goblins.

"Absurd," Valentine slammed the letter onto his desk. "How could a pack of goblins possibly kill a squad of guards in full Armor?"

"Yu Le," he called out, turning his head. "Back when you and Philip were investigating the Storm Brotherhood, what did that bastard who got away say?"

Yu Le, who was standing among several subordinates, immediately stepped forward, bowed, and replied respectfully, "He said that the Storm Brotherhood was indeed attacked by Demons. There were goblins among them, but also other creatures, and even a large number of Brain-Eating Monsters."

"But this bullshit anonymous letter now claims those monsters were all under the command of goblins," Count Valentine said hatefully, tossing the letter into the air. "How could a pack of goblins possibly command those giant monsters?"

"My Lord," Yu Le paused for a few seconds before speaking cautiously. "Perhaps the sender meant that the ones who ultimately killed Young Master Philip were the goblins."

"Goblins? Killing my son?" Valentine frowned, glancing sideways at his deferential subordinate. "Do you have any idea how people would view the Valentine Clan if word of this got out?"

"Er..." Yu Le was speechless. He knew that if this news got out, the Count’s clan would be equated with fools. The Count had made a grand spectacle of transporting the corpses of the giant monsters to be displayed in various places. This was partly an excuse to levy taxes, but also to prove that Philip’s death was not the result of foolishness, but a consequence of facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy. It showed that the Valentine Clan had already exacted its revenge by slaying those mighty, evil creatures.

"They can have been attacked by goblins, but," Valentine’s gaze swept across everyone present, "goblins cannot be the ones who killed them."

The few senior officials in the study all nodded quickly, showing they understood.

Seeing that his men understood him, Count Valentine let out a long sigh. He knew there was something suspicious about his son’s death. However, as a nobleman, especially at such a delicate time, some things had to be handled in a prescribed manner. Only then could unnecessary trouble be avoided.

He picked up a second letter from the desk. After confirming the envelope was intact, he used a Small Knife to break the wax seal and pulled out the paper inside.

After reading it, Count Valentine once again clutched the letter, closed his eyes, and fell silent.

A few seconds later, he handed the letter to the Clerk beside him. "The Third Prince is summoning me to Plantagenet Royal City."

"To the Royal City?" The Clerk hurried forward to take the letter and began reading it quickly. The others around him crowded in to look, while only Yu Le remained where he was, watching their every move.

"He says that because I presented the Giant Spiders and Giant Bees, the King intends to summon me and grant me some rewards," Count Valentine said, his face devoid of expression. "He also mentions in the letter that he greatly admires how my clan has guarded the border of the Nightmare Forest for many years, acting as a barrier for the Fran Kingdom against the invasion of evil."

"That’s all just flattery, My Lord," the Clerk said after a quick read. He passed the letter to the others and took two steps to the Count’s side. "The other matter mentioned in the letter is far more important."

Meeting Count Valentine’s questioning gaze, the Clerk glanced back at the letter. "The Duke of the North is also among those being rewarded."

"You mean..." Yu Le immediately picked up on the implication. "The Eldest Prince’s maternal uncle? The Duke of the North, who’s stationed at the Northern Fortress, ’Giant Nest’?"

"Correct," the Clerk glanced at Yu Le, pleased that he had followed along. "I suspect His Majesty the King will be summoning many people. You, My Lord, are but one of them."

"As for the Third Prince," he added after a moment’s thought, "he must be growing impatient. He wants to meet with you face-to-face."

"Hmph," Count Valentine nodded. "He’s just a boy, after all. He put on such a calm and collected front, but the moment things change, he loses his composure."

"Does that mean..." Yu Le stepped forward, careful to remain a few paces behind the Clerk. "His Majesty the King... he’s..."

"His Majesty the King will likely..." the Clerk immediately picked up on Yu Le’s unspoken question, "not make it through this coming winter..."

He didn’t finish the sentence, only shaking his head slightly.

The others present seemed to understand his meaning. Count Valentine clenched and unclenched his fists.

"My Lord, you must go. You absolutely must," Captain of the Guard Yu Le declared loudly. He didn’t even bother taking the letter being passed to him, his expression excited as he addressed the Count. "This is an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime."

Count Valentine gave Yu Le a long, hard look, then scanned the others before his eyes finally settled on his most trusted Clerk.

The Clerk narrowed his eyes. Without a word, he gave a single, heavy nod.

"Good. Reply to him at once." Valentine then waved his hand. "No, I will write back to the Third Prince personally."

"All of you, begin taking inventory of the Count’s Mansion’s storerooms. And you," he pointed to the Clerk, "immediately draft a plan for what’s to come. Ensure our supplies and military strength are sufficient for the mobilizations next year."

"My Lord, who is our target?" one of his confidants asked.

"We strike south first," Count Valentine slammed his fist on the desk. "That old bastard Kaiyude sent me such a sanctimonious letter. He’ll never expect us to make the first move on his territory."

"Once we take Kaiyude’s territory, it’s open plains all the way to Torch City. The tip of our spear will strike directly at the city," he said, his gaze sweeping over his men, "and we won’t stop until we control the entire length of the Darren River."

The men before him could hardly conceal their excitement, rubbing their hands in anticipation. Yu Le was particularly ecstatic. ’If this war goes as the Count plans,’ he thought, ’I could become a nobleman of some standing. I might even be able to snag a minor earldom for myself.’

"As for you, Yu Le," Valentine glanced at the Captain of the Guard beside him. "You won’t be going to Plantagenet City this time."

He looked at his stunned subordinate and said slowly, "Take a few men and go to the forest. I want you to see if those damn goblins are everything that anonymous letter says they are."

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