Esdras got a good look at the assailants, they were goblins. As far as he could see, there weren't too many of them twenty at most.
This was not a very fierce force, but he still wouldn't choose to attack them blindly. From his recent experience, you learned to be cautious and careful.
The others were waiting impatiently for him.
"How is it?" The prince asked.
"Nothing much just some goblins trading a carriage, a merchant most likely." Esdras shrugged.
"We should help them." The prince replied while looking at the rest of the group almost everyone nodded along.
Esdras was still apprehensive, but he was not a coward, being careful did not mean being indecisive. You had a reason to help these people since they could. And besides, they're monsters.
" good since we're all in agreement, we will split into two teams, the first team will go help those people from the front and the second team will try to flank the goblins. Be careful, the goblins may not be powerful, but they were very crafty and cunning."
The prints quickly divided them into two teams, Celine and David were tasked with protecting the carriages. Esdras, the prince, Daylen, and Calvin we're going to attack from the front, the vigor knight, and two of Daylen's friends will flank the goblins.
It was a simple, but effective plan.
They immediately rushed into action, after all, it was not the time to decide on a detailed plan. This situation required urgent aid.
Esdras and the first team rushed in to help the guards first, as long as they distract the goblins the guards, could join them. And then they could launch a collective assault on the goblins from both sides.
The guards noticed them immediately, and their faces paled in fright at first. Probably they thought they were bandits or associated with the goblins somehow.
But when they were shot with arrows, the guard's expressions loosened.
The guards were in a precocious situation but they are not injured very badly. They were still in fighting shape.
Their arrival alone was enough to distract the goblins, and even give them pause for a second. After all, they probably did not expect backup.
It was at this moment of the four guards jumped over the dead tree, "quickly we will rout them!" One of them yelled as the other three rushed into the woods that the goblins were using as cover.
Esdras and the rest nodded to each other and attempted to follow the guards but he smelled something strange from the dead tree… what was it?… it was lamp oil!
"Quickly jump over it!" Esdras yelled at the others, just as he warned them several flaming arrows were shot from the woods at the dead tree. And it blazed with fire almost immediately.
The tree must have been completely soaked in oil.
But the prince was a vigor knight, and Esdras was even stronger and faster so they both were able to jump over the tree before it was lit on fire.
Daylen on the other hand commanded the water element and conjured the cantrip [water splash] which was able to reduce the intensity of the flames at a certain area on the tree, and he jumped over it safely.
After they overcame that hurdle, they sprinted following the guards who are already chasing after the goblins.
At this rate, they were going to easily surround them, and then dispose of them.
However, Esdras couldn't help but feel that there was something wrong. These goblins were so well prepared, if not for them, that ambush would have been perfect.
But that was not all, it was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he missed something back there.
Esdras forced himself to stop, his feet dug into the earth leaving behind a mark.
"I will go back to check on something!"
He yelled at the prince and Daylen but he doubted they heard him since they were running like there was no tomorrow.
Esdras hurried back and discovered that the place had become a mess, one of their horses was shot with a flaming arrow which caused it to go mad.
In that frenzy, the carriage flipped over, and Celine and David had to protect themselves by jumping away from the carriage. The carriage and two horses fell in a terrible accident and crashed into the wagon of the merchant.
At some point, seven goblins appeared behind the crash sight and looted both the carriage and the wagon with practiced movements.
Esdras was enraged at the ruse and hurried over, however, the goblins each grabbed something and ran away.
His heart suddenly dropped, one of the goblins was holding the box containing the royal relic.
Esdras used a wind blast underneath him to boost his jump and crossed a large distance over the burning tree, but he couldn't do it again or risk crashing into the trees and losing the goblins for good.
He fired several [Stone bullets] at the goblins but they all missed the mark. Aiming while running so fast and on small moving targets was beyond his ability.
The goblins were extremely fast and nimble, they moved in the woods so naturally that sometimes he would lose sight of them.
Suddenly he felt a warning going off in his head, he slid down on his back and saw several arrows whizzing over his head.
With an angry shout he conjured four wind blades cutting off three trees at once and jumped over, he aimed with his hand in the air and fired a [stone bullet], it was about to miss but suddenly it bent in an unnatural way killing one of the goblins.
This was thanks to wind manipulation at the last second and it consumed a great amount of focus and mana.
The other goblins jumped into boltholes in the ground and the tunnels collapsed after they went in. This prevented him from pursuing them further.
Esdras flipped over the dead goblin to reveal that he was carrying a bag of wheat.
"Fuck."
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