NABC Page 10
Page 10
“More than a year ago, a group of thieves came here. They first demanded grain and money from the village. Not wanting to cause trouble, the village had no choice but to pay the amount extorted by the thieves. Unexpectedly, the thieves became more and more aggressive and came to extort money more and more often. This time, they even demanded that Lord Aponia and the few remaining women in the village be taken care of. It was only because the village could no longer tolerate it that they had to rise up in resistance.”
“However, there are too many old and weak people in the village. Apart from some women and children, there are only old guys like me. There have been too many conscriptions. The able-bodied men in the village have been drawn away, and even many young girls have been forcibly taken away by the army. Now, our entire village, including children, has only a little over a hundred people. These children are the future hope of our village. If something happens to these children, our village will have no future. And how can I explain this to my son and daughter-in-law who were taken away? I can't even protect the children they left behind.”
At this point, the uncle began to choke up. In fact, Niu Zida didn't say it outright. Rather than the uncle wanting to protect the child because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to face his future son and daughter-in-law, it was more likely that he already knew his son and daughter-in-law might never come back. This child was his only family in the future, and everything else was just an excuse.
I will rescue your child.
"To be honest, if it weren't for Lady Aponia, I wouldn't have believed the goblins. Before the thieves came, you goblins were the biggest threat to our village. Almost every year, one or two young girls would disappear from the village, and it was all done by you goblins."
Hearing this, Niu Zida could only smile bitterly. There was nothing he could do; he was a goblin. Although he couldn't say he had a close connection with the goblins of this world, he was now in this body and could only bear the hatred that humans had for goblins.
“If you had listened to our advice when we came to the village last time, perhaps this disaster could have been avoided, right? We helped you drive away the thieves, but you mistook us for their accomplices and drove us away. You also misjudged the situation, which led to the thieves successfully attacking and invading the village.”
"Alright, alright, our most important thing right now is to rescue the children. We can talk about whose responsibility it is after we've rescued them safely."
Hearing the old man still bringing up old stories and dodging the real reason for the village's attack, the proud Shizuku Sansho couldn't help but speak the truth. The old man was speechless after being confronted with these words, and it was Niu Zida who gave him a way out and ended the conversation.
Because they needed to take care of the uncle's legs, the group walked very slowly. They set off from the village in the morning and didn't reach the thieves' location until almost midnight. The uncle told them that the thieves' hideout was in a cave. He had only found out about it because he had once delivered extorted grain to them.
This place should be in the northeast of Niu Zida's farmhouse stronghold. No wonder a few thieves came before and then no one came anymore. From this stronghold, you have to go around a large area of cliffs to reach the farmhouse. Although the straight-line distance is short, the actual journey is even longer than going south to the village. The thieves dressed as hunters that I met on the road that time, they must have been going south to scout out information about the village and met by chance. If I hadn't killed a few of them back then, they probably wouldn't have found Aunt Liddell's farmhouse by chance.
Upon reaching the cave entrance, Niu Zida didn't rush in. After observing the defenses from the outside, he decided to wait until late at night when the thieves were sound asleep before making his move. He and Yori Sansang Shizuku would go in to rescue the people, while the old man would stay outside as backup.
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Rescue Operation 1
Chapter Twenty-Six.
"Master, what should we do next? Should we just charge in?"
"Of course not. This time we are here to rescue those children. If it were just one or two, that would be fine, but there are probably more than a dozen children. We must rescue them unharmed while the enemy is off guard. First, we need to find the children's location, and then we need to protect them as we get out. This is no easy task."
Before entering, Niu Zida and his two maids began to discuss their strategy. They learned from the uncle that there were eighteen children who had been kidnapped. It seemed that to rescue these children, they first needed to make sure that the children were somewhere.
After finding the children, Niu Zida decided to have Misato Shizuku take them away and not show himself. After all, if he, as a goblin, suddenly appeared in front of the children, they probably wouldn't trust him. In the nest, he wouldn't have time to explain to the children how he was entrusted by Aponia to rescue them.
If it were Shizuku Misato, her beauty would surely earn the children's trust, since children naturally have a fondness for pretty girls. As for why it wasn't Yoel, it's because Yoel would have to ride into battle on his own, leaving him with no free hands.
The battle plan was then agreed upon: Joel would use his stealth skills to infiltrate first, and Shizuku Misato would follow suit. Joel would be the one to make the moves as much as possible, so as not to alert anyone else.
After waiting a while, Niu Zida saw that the thieves' sentries outside were already yawning, so he climbed onto Joel's beautiful back, put his feet on the stirrups tied to Joel's leather belt, and let Joel carry him inside. Joel's stealth skills were indeed very impressive; they approached the cave without even being detected by the sentries. Joel quickly killed one of them with her kunai dagger, then held it to the neck of another and whispered the command:
"Don't shout, answer the questions honestly, or I'll kill you."
"I...I understand?"
"Where are those children you kidnapped being held?"
"It's at the very back of the cave. Once you go in, turn left and keep walking until you get there."
The thief sentry obediently answered the questions. After the questioning was over, for safety's sake, Joel silently eliminated the sentry. When carrying out a mission, Joel never showed mercy.
After getting directions, Joel continued onward, with Shizuku Misato following behind. Along the way, Niu Zida and his group were still a bit nervous. After all, the biggest problems of this mission were how to find the child without being discovered, and how to take the child away without being noticed.
The cave was much larger than Niu Zida had imagined. Joel slowly walked through the cave. Fortunately, the structure here was not complicated, and unlike the cave where the goblins lived, it was inhabited by humans, so there were some fires inside for lighting. According to the information given by the sentry, Joel quickly found the place where the children were being held.
The thieves had probably just returned, and since the children were just kids, they weren't keeping a close watch on them. There were only three thieves guarding the place, and they were all sitting there lazily, chatting and warming themselves by the fire, not paying much attention to the children. After all, they probably weren't worried that the village full of uncles and aunties would send someone to rescue them.
Seeing this, Niu Zida looked around at the surrounding terrain and realized that this was the deepest part of the cave. If he went out, it would be different from when he came. He would definitely encounter other people. If it was just one child, he could carry him. But with so many children, even if Misato Shizuku protected them, it would be difficult to protect them properly in case of an attack. There was a high chance that they would be injured or killed.
After thinking it over, Niu Zida decided to have Sanxiang Shizuku lie in ambush here first, while he rode out on Yoel to create chaos and attract the thieves' attention so that he could have a chance to move the child out.
After devising a battle strategy, Joel first went to a place far away from where the children were being held. The cave was quite large, but he knew that there were hundreds of people in this group. Were they all in this cave? However, he couldn't worry about that now. Niu Zida decided to save the children first, and then discuss with Aponia how to deal with these bandits when they returned to the village.
Inside the cave, Joel began indiscriminately attacking the thieves, deliberately slowing down his movements to allow the attacked thieves to scream and disturb his companions. Soon, screams echoed throughout the cave. At first, they were sporadic, but as Joel's movements quickened, the screams increased, and the number of victims plunged the cave into a state of chaos. After each attack, Joel would deliberately extinguish the surrounding firelight as much as possible, deepening the darkness and chaos. This also helped Joel conceal his presence and made it easier for Misato Shizuku to leave with the child after the chaos subsided.
As expected, under the shadow of death, chaos gradually descended upon the cave. At first, the thieves thought that some enemy had entered the cave to attack, but they couldn't find any opponents at all. The attacks did not stop, and in fear, many thieves even began to kill each other. Just as Niu Zida had predicted, the cave was now in complete chaos.
Taking advantage of the chaos inside the cave, Misato Shizuku launched a surprise attack on the thieves guarding the children. The three men were no match for Misato Shizuku and were killed in one blow. In fact, even if Misato Shizuku hadn't attacked the three men, the chaos inside the cave had distracted them from watching over the children.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you."
The children were a little panicked, but when they saw a tall, beautiful girl with long black hair appear before them, they calmed down. Just as Niu Zida had judged, humans are indeed creatures of appearance. Rather than painstakingly explaining, it was better to have a beautiful girl like Misato Shizuku appear, which would naturally gain their trust.
"Next, follow your sister out. No matter what happens on the way, don't make a sound, okay? Each of you hold the other's hand and don't let go. Then close your eyes. The first one to hold your sister's hand is the one who does this. If you do this, your sister will be able to take you away from here and back to see your parents."
"I understand. You're so beautiful, you must be a good person."
Hearing the children's innocent and adorable answer, Misato Shizuku was both amused and exasperated. Children's sense of right and wrong was indeed very direct, but this saved her some trouble. She quickly pulled the children up and had them follow behind her one by one. Of course, before setting off, she counted the children again and asked if anyone had been left behind. After confirming that every kidnapped child was there, Misato Shizuku quickly left with the children.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Rescue Operation 2
Chapter Twenty-Seven.
The cave was in complete chaos. The thieves were thrown into utter disarray by the attack that came from nowhere. In the midst of the chaos, only their own men were dying one after another. It seemed that if they stayed in the cave for even a second longer, they would be killed at any moment. In this atmosphere, the thieves in the cave all fled out.
The chaos created inside the cave was even more effective than expected. By deliberately extinguishing torches and lights, the goblins proved that humans' willpower was weaker than humans' in the dark. The previous extermination of goblins in the cave seemed like a rehearsal for this battle, and this time, Joel executed the operation even more decisively than before.
Seeing that the situation had reached its expected level, Joel carried Niu Zida and quickly made his way towards the place where the child had been imprisoned. Humans are not as good at sensing things in the dark as goblins, and with such a chaotic situation, Joel even felt that he could find his way there more easily than before. He didn't even need to hide; he could just rush over. If he encountered any obstacles in his way, he could just take care of a few more.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Niu Zida and Yu Er made their way to the place where the children had been imprisoned. They found that the three thieves guarding the place had been captured, indicating that Misato Shizuku's side had succeeded. Niu Zida quickly ordered Yu Er to go out the way they came and try to catch up with them, since it was too dangerous to leave Misato Shizuku to protect the children alone.
With Niu Zida on his back, Yor quickly caught up with Misato Shizuku. At this time, he was leading more than a dozen children, one after another, holding hands as they walked forward. The road was very chaotic, but the children simply closed their eyes to avoid being affected by the outside world. However, this slowed them down.
"Shizuku Misato, we've come to your aid."
While Shizuku was still struggling with how to protect her child and get out of the cave quickly in this chaotic environment, she felt a sense of comfort when she heard Niu Zida's voice behind her. This was the first time she had ever found Niu Zida's voice so pleasant. It was really great to have someone to help her at this time.
"I'm here……"
“I understand. You continue with the children. I will bring up the rear with Joel.”
Hearing Niu Zida's voice, Misato Shizuku confidently took the children's hands and quickened her pace. She had been worried that if she went too fast, the children behind her wouldn't be able to keep up, so she would stop every now and then to check on the group. Now that Niu Zida and Yoel were at the back, she didn't need to worry. If they encountered any bandits in the chaos along the way, they could just charge straight at them. In this way, Misato Shizuku quickly led the leading children out of the cave. A moment later, Niu Zida also came out riding Yoel with the children at the back of the group. The two groups met, and there were exactly eighteen children, not one missing.
"It seems to be even more successful than expected, that's great."
When the uncle hiding to the side saw Niu Zida and his group come out, he quickly came out to greet them. He counted the children, and when he saw that his beloved grandson was also there, he hugged his child with great affection.
“Now is not the time to celebrate, Shizuku Misato. You take the children and the old man and get out of here quickly. Yoel, let’s go back to the cave.”
"Haven't you already succeeded? Why go back?"
“The chaos in the cave is only temporary. If we leave, they will soon realize something is wrong. Once things stabilize, they will outnumber us, and if they really catch up, it will be harder for us to protect the children. Now you take the children and leave quickly. Joel and I will go back and continue to create chaos in the cave to delay them for a while longer.”
Hearing how meticulous Niu Zida's arrangements were, Sanxiang Shizuku now felt a slight admiration for him. In their recent operations together, Niu Zida's plans and analyses had been remarkably insightful. Niu Zida's inner self was far more complex than just a seemingly wretched and short goblin.
"Well, you better be careful."
"Don't worry, I can't bear to part with my wife, Shizuku Misato."
"Idiot, I'm not your wife."
"Alright, wife, you take the men and leave quickly. Joel, let's go back and continue killing."
Misato Shizuku rolled her eyes at Niu Zida, knowing that now was not the time for the two of them to flirt. Misato Shizuku quickly protected the child and the uncle and left the cave, while Niu Zida rode Yoel back into the cave to continue creating chaos and buy Misato Shizuku time to retreat.
Joel resumed her rampage inside the cave, the screams echoing throughout. Joel didn't know how many people she had killed, only that the cave was filled with the stench of blood. After more than an hour, Niu Zida saw that the killing was almost over and that Misato Shizuku should have run far away with the children. He then pinched Joel's big snowball, signaling that she could leave the cave, since staying there for too long wasn't good for her.
After leaving the cave, Niu Zida quickly urged Yoel to catch up with Misato Shizuku and the others. However, they couldn't go far with the children, and soon caught up with them. Some of the children complained of being tired and wanted to rest, but Niu Zida firmly refused.
"Those thieves could catch up at any moment, so if you want to go home, please be patient and come back with us."
It was quite dark in the cave, and with Yoel tall and guarding the children from behind, no one noticed her. Now that the children saw a beautiful older sister holding a goblin who could speak human language, they were terrified. If it weren't for the uncle from the same village nearby, the children would probably have scattered and run away in fear.
"Children, you should go back to the village soon. Your grandparents, parents and grandpa are all worried about you."
Yoel and Misato Shizuku also tried to persuade the children. It was the pretty older sister who had the most influence. The children listened to their advice and followed the uncle through the cold night. Finally, they returned to the village at dawn. Many of the children couldn't help but cry when they reached the edge of the village. After all, the night had been too thrilling and exciting, and they needed a release process after they relaxed.
Many villagers knew that Niu Zida had led a group to rescue the child, and many had stayed at the village entrance all night. When they saw the child being safely brought back, they rushed to greet him. Now, no one looked down on Niu Zida because he was a goblin anymore; everyone was filled with gratitude. However, Niu Zida shook his head and said:
"Now is not the time to thank them. Take me to Aponia. After everyone takes the children home, we must prepare for battle. The most difficult time is yet to come."
Niu Zida had already judged that although these thieves had experienced a night of chaos, once they discovered the child had been taken away at dawn, they would know that this was an attack organized by the villagers. They knew the situation in the village, and they would definitely come back again...
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Aponia's Acknowledgment of the Lord
Chapter Twenty-Eight.
"Thank you for bringing the children back."
"It's nothing, but the village should still prepare for battle. The bandits will come again."
Niu Zida met with Aponia and shared his assessment: if the thieves knew the children had disappeared at dawn, they would definitely know that the villagers had come to rescue them. They already knew the situation of the village, and the village itself would not have been able to rescue the children. The fact that they could launch a sudden attack in the middle of the night meant that they had found some skilled accomplices.
"But judging from the night raid, the thieves must know that the village doesn't have many helpers. Enraged, they might launch a full-scale attack to retaliate. So if the village isn't prepared, it might not be able to withstand another attack from the thieves."
“Mr. Niu Zida, you are right. This is also my next request. I request that you lead the village to resist the bandits.”
"Huh? Let me do it? Wasn't Aponia under your leadership before?"
"No... I just gave them the belief that they would win."
The power of discipline is merely to make people believe in a certain conviction. Aponia told Niu Zida that all she had done was to gain the villagers' trust, unite them, and make them believe that she could fight off the thieves on her own. She did nothing else, after all, Aponia was not good at commanding battles.
"So from now on, we'll need to rely on your strength, Mr. Niu Zida."
"Let me lead the village... it's not impossible... but..."
"If it's about what happened before, please allow me to apologize to you on their behalf, Mr. Niu Zida. As you know, these villagers suffer a lot of bullying on the border. Their wariness of the outside world is also due to the pressure of life. Please forgive them."
After Aponia finished speaking, she took her hand and bowed deeply to Niu Zida. However, Niu Zida did not respond to her words. Had this pretty little girl forgotten something? Why was she still letting Bai order her around?
"Miss Aponia, have you forgotten our agreement? If I rescue the child, you will become my maid. You promised that, didn't you?"
"Ah...that matter...of course...Mr. Niu Zida...I still remember the agreement."
"So, as part of fulfilling the contract, shouldn't the form of address also be changed? If you can't even show sincerity in this matter, Miss Aponia, how can I have the intention to continue helping the village?"
Aponia wasn't stupid. Hearing Niu Zida say this, she naturally understood that this was the condition he was offering: if she didn't become a maid, he wouldn't care about the village anymore.
“Of course, I am willing to sign a service contract with Mr. Niu Zida and become your maid.”
Aponia knew that if she hesitated or made excuses now, the village would still be unable to resist the thieves. The only way to save the village now was to rely on this goblin. If she had the ability, she could of course not rely on Niu Zida, but the problem was that her ability was sealed. To unseal it, she needed Niu Zida's contract. In the end, she had to sign a contract with Niu Zida to protect everyone.
After Aponia finished speaking, she stepped forward, squinted her beautiful big eyes, offered her red and tender little mouth, and kissed Niu Zida, who was being held by Joel. This completed the service contract, and she became Niu Zida's maid.
After signing the contract, Niu Zida reached out and pressed down on Aponia's bouncy, large snowball, instantly opening the panel attribute bar. It has to be said that Aponia's snowball is larger than both Yoru and Misato Shizuku's, and he couldn't even fully control it with one hand. The warm and full feeling of holding it in his hands made Niu Zida feel itchy inside.
Aponia Panel Properties:
Combat Talent:
Speed: 90
Power: 85
Agility: 82
Magic: 60
Special Skill: Discipline Aphrodisiac
Defense: 45
Fertility Talent: Goblin Lightning Elemental Shaman
Special Talent: Command of Discipline (Aponia can make those who believe in her firmly believe in her hints, prompts, and commands; this has no effect on her master).
Corruption Value: 45
"Huh? Why is there a new defense attribute slot?"
Niu Zida was puzzled. It turned out that his maids didn't have any defense. Then he noticed a prompt next to the attribute bar, telling him that because he had signed the third service contract, the defense attribute bar had been unlocked, and attacks on the maids would be calculated based on the defense value.
"So this is like you suddenly having a high-level damage reduction armor, right? It turns out the defense stat was locked."
Niu Zida understood after reading the prompt. Looking at Aponia's Daiyukiko, he carefully checked Aponia's basic stats and found that Aponia's initial stats were stronger than Yoru and Misato Shizuku's. If he had signed the service contract earlier, developing her abilities should have been enough to defeat these thieves.
"But I need to find someone who can truly help the villagers and is someone they can entrust with their work."
In response to Niu Zida's question, Aponia shook her head and then added:
"Besides, not just anyone can sign a service contract. Very few people even know about such a contract, and even if I wanted to, it would be difficult to find someone qualified to sign it."
"But if you meet me, you can protect everyone from now on."
"Yes, of course I have to thank my master."
Unlike the shy Joel when she spoke, and the proud Misato Shizuku who was unwilling to call Ushioda "master," Aponia naturally changed her address to Ushioda "master" after signing the contract, her tone was so calm and natural, as if she had been calling him that for a long time.