Knights and Magic Wand

As they moved further away from the road that extended to the north along the edge of the forest, Leon and his two companions didn't dare to leave the wooded area and expose themselves in the open fields as before, for fear of the dangers ahead. Inevitably, their path shifted westward, gradually distancing themselves from the well-trodden roads.

Traversing the dense forest and its challenging, rough terrain, the land gradually rose, until there was no path left to follow, and they discovered they had unknowingly arrived at the edge of a canyon cliff, where their view suddenly opened up.

Below the cliff lay a vast and vibrant river valley plain.

However, the trio had little mood to admire the majestic scenery before them. Their gaze was swiftly drawn to the chaotic scene far off that seemed to taint the natural tapestry with its disorder.

Upstream, towards the east along the river, the area had become a bloody battlefield, fully embroiled in violence that tore through the valley's tranquility.

In the distance, orderly masses of soldiers moved densely across the land, their banners fluttering in the bright sun, reflecting the metallic sheen of iron armor and swords.

At the heart of the fiercest battle, the thunderous cries of combat and the neighing of warhorses filled the air above the riverbanks. Squads of armored cavalry wove through a rain of arrows, thundering on horseback, and rows of infantry collided again and again, leaving countless bodies strewn upon the ground.

Even from this great distance, Leon could still hear the deep bellowing of the war horns.

As he watched the two large armies engage in bloody combat, a sense of relief rose in Leon's heart. Although they had lost their way in the woods, they had fortunately avoided the most dangerous place.

"Judging by the size, there must be thousands. The army to the north must be that of the Orland people." Azeryan squinted, trying to discern the banners on the battlefield, but from their vantage point atop the cliff, it was too difficult to see clearly.

"Have we already entered Orland territory? Did we just happen to stumble upon a simultaneous battle between the Kantadar people and the Northerners?" Lokhak scratched his head in puzzlement as he watched the intense fighting by the riverside.

"We're still close to the border of both countries, but we're probably still within Mamor County," Azeryan said, pointing towards the mountains far beyond the plain. "If I'm not mistaken, those should be the Garak Mountains to the north of Mamor County, which means we haven't left Kantadar yet."

"So, the battle we're witnessing... Instead of the Kantadar people invading Orland, it's actually the Orland people taking advantage of the situation to invade Kantadar," Leon stroked his chin, surmising.

His original judgment was largely correct; he had simply not accounted for the Orland people actually initiating a war against Kantadar due to his unfamiliarity with the Northern Kingdom.

"Ha! That's actually good news. By Illaril above, I hope the Orland people make those bastards' blood flow like a river." Lokhak's eyes lit up with expectation as he looked again toward the battlefield, wishing he could join the ranks of the Northern Kingdom's army to avenge his parents' deaths. "Tsk... If only I could join them right now."

Leon shook his head resignedly. "What's the rush? People like you, with combat training, will find plenty of opportunities to join their army once we reach Orland, especially since they're at war and definitely recruiting soldiers."

Without lingering, the group continued on their way, traveling west along the edge of the cliff.

As Azeryan had suggested, since they could see the Garak Mountains, they were very close to the border. Now whether they headed west or north, either direction would lead them to Orland's territory, but the northern route was unquestionably not an option. Therefore, they had to attempt to bypass by going west through the forest.

...

After a whole day of slow trekking west through the forest, they followed the frequent signs of animal activity to find a nearby water source. After filling their water flasks, they set up camp on a clearing near a large exposed rock.

Their luck held that day; before nightfall, Leon managed to catch an animal resembling a fox near the water source. Having exhausted their supplies, this prey provided a much-needed hearty meal.

The group sat around the campfire, chatting idly to pass the time before sleep. Leon casually asked his two companions, "What are your plans once we get to Orland?"

Lokhak said resolutely, "I have to save my sister, but I don't know where she is, so I want to join the Orland army first. That way I can make some money, and with money, I can start looking for my sister. If I can earn more on the battlefield, maybe I can buy her freedom from the Slave Master one day."

Leon was somewhat surprised by Lokhak's response, having assumed that the boy, filled with hatred for Kantadar, would have chosen violent force to reclaim his family from Kantadar people's grasp.

Seeing Leon's surprised look, Lokhak felt a bit embarrassed. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I've thought about what you said before. You're right, I'm alone and weak. No matter how much I hate those Kantadar bastards, blind aggression would just end up getting my sister and me killed."

He gripped his Sword tightly. "The most important thing is to rescue my sister. As for my parents' revenge, there will always be time later for those butchers to pay their blood debt."

Leon felt a touch of relief as he watched this brash and fearless young man finally set a clear goal for survival.

"Joining the Orland army is an option, but as for me, I might try to seek employment with a local Lord," Azeryan added some branches to the fire and continued, "I can read and write, and I know noble etiquette. If I could become an Attendant to a noble, that would be ideal. At worst, I could handle the accounts for a Lord or copy books. If Kantadar withdraws from Rolannar City later, I'll find a way to return."

"And you, Leon?" asked Lokhak.

After thinking it over, Leon felt a bit lost. Besides finding a way to survive, he didn't have any long-term plans.

Joining the army with Lokhak was one path; after all, the original Leon was proficient with a bow and arrow, and his archery skills were not bad. However, being a soldier in these tumultuous times was risky, and there was a good chance he'd end up as cannon fodder on the battlefield.

Could he perhaps find work with nobility like Azeryan suggested? Maybe a local Lord needed a Hunter.

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As for seeking revenge against the Kantadar people for the death of his family... Leon did feel sympathy for the original owner of the body due to the tragic events he had suffered, but he also knew that these were not his memories. If there were an opportunity, he wouldn't mind avenging the original "Leon," but if it meant paying with his own life, then it hardly seemed worthwhile.

Anyway, once this difficult escape was over, perhaps it would be time for the three of them to part ways.

Night fell quickly, and sparse insect chirps accompanied the sinister shadows of swaying trees. Besides the crackling of the campfire, only the intimidating sound of wind flowing through the forest remained.

Having slept through the first half of the night, Leon was quickly awakened to take over the guard shift from his companion. Fortunately, he had already gotten used to such erratic sleeping schedules during their escape.

The forest at midnight was terrifyingly quiet, the feeble moonlight barely able to pierce through the dense canopy of trees. Beyond the small area illuminated by the campfire was pitch darkness. Leon stared blankly into the profound blackness of the night, sometimes pondering future paths but more often simply zoning out without purpose...

Standing guard meant sitting through several tedious hours until dawn. The extreme dullness made Leon miss his smartphone and computer from his past life on Earth every single moment.

...Hm?

What's that?

Fireflies?

Leon squinted, focusing on the faint flickering lights in the darkness until he noticed more and more pairs of reflective spots.

All at once, his blood seemed to freeze. Those weren't fireflies! Those were pairs of eyes, reflecting the light of the campfire!!

"Everyone, get up! Danger!!"

Leon yelled, waking his companions. Rising to his feet, he gripped a pitchfork, aiming it at the shifting shadows concealed in the dark.

Lokhak and Azeryan, who had been sleeping lightly, were startled awake almost instantly. They hesitated not a moment longer, grabbing their weapons and leaping to their feet, standing alert on either side of Leon.

"What is it?"

Lokhak maintained his composure, holding a sword in one hand and removing a rudimentary pine resin torch from his bag with the other. He thrust it into the campfire to ignite it, waving the light across the camp's shadowy perimeter.

The dim glow of the flames skimmed across the dense forest in front, revealing the contours of the creatures hiding there, whose ugly, contorted faces emitted strange cries trying to shield their eyes from the glaring light. It was then that Leon finally saw what those things were...

...Goblins?!

The name flashed through Leon's mind. With their bald and hideous heads topped with sharp ears, their stark naked, dwarf-like humanoid figures were all too similar to the minor foes he remembered from fantasy works of his past memories.

Still, he noticed differences between these creatures and the goblins of his recollection. Their skin was brown, not green, and their faces more resembled those of canids than humans, with sharp teeth and twisted, fierce expressions.

However, similar to the goblins from his memory, these beings clearly were not simple, mindless wild beasts. Leon could see in their claws either rough short spears or rusty broken knives picked up from who knew where; they were obviously capable of using tools and weapons.

"Little Wood Demons?... No! Wild Goblins!" Azeryan was the first to identify this evil life form that was practically only known from books.

Leon furrowed his brow. The original owner of the body had lived near the forest with his father for so long yet had never seen such creatures. Although he had come to accept the fact that he was now in the Otherworld due to previous experiences with spells, this was still his first time witnessing such otherworldly non-human intelligent life with his own eyes.

"What?... Wild Goblins? Aren't those just stories invented by adults to scare children?" Lokhak looked incredulously at the little monsters before him.

"It's normal for you to have never seen them. The monsters and demons near Holy Land City were wiped out by the Church and the army a hundred years ago," Azeryan said gravely.

But his calm was only on the surface. The young man was in turmoil as well. According to the records in the bestiary, although these little monsters posed no threat to an army, the records did indicate that they could attack and kill lone travelers at night. In large numbers, Wild Goblins might even attempt to raid villages at night.

And at that moment, with just the three of them, they were undoubtedly seen as prey by the Wild Goblins.

Realizing they had been exposed, the Wild Goblins hiding among the trees screeched in shrill, unpleasant voices. Cackling, they leaped out from the bushes, brandishing their weapons and surrounding Leon and his comrades in small groups.

Leon, watching the fierce little creatures with bared teeth encircling them, felt a chill crawl over his scalp: "How do we deal with these bastards? Do we fight them or do we just break out and lose them?"

"If the book isn't wrong, these guys have night vision. If we leave the fire and run into the forest, it's even more dangerous because we can't see the path! It'd be the end if we fell into one of their traps," Azeryan tightened his grip on his Round Shield and pitchfork. "Let's hold out until daylight! Wild Goblin eyes fear sunlight; they will return to their nests before the sun rises."

"Watch out!" Lokhak, with sharp eyes, spotted a shadow coming from the darkness.

Azeryan quickly raised his shield in front of his companions, blocking the incoming Short Spear with a thud. The rough spearhead and the somewhat insufficient force couldn't even penetrate the Round Shield.

Though this spear throw did not succeed, it was like a starting gun, prompting the many Wild Goblins to howl and charge forward.

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