The Red Lands 2

by ForestRage

  'Wait!'

  Chu made a face like he was ready to cry.

  "Amm...Mr. Thomas do you have any idea how those tribes and demon beast interact with each other?"

  Thomas took a little while to answer. He was a person who liked to sort out the facts before replying.

  "What we know is not much, the Empire does not have much interaction with the tribes living in the Western forest. Our borders technically end at the forest and expansion is too much of a risk given the majority of the soldiers are focused at the northern border.

  You may not be aware, but demon beasts require human hearts and brains to evolve. Apparently, for some reason we are their first choice, if we are scarce then they turn to the other races. Forest dwellers tend to take no chances and quickly move away."

  Chu was this close to bursting into tears.

  "So let's say our friends in the forest up north realized that there was a dangerous demon beast around. Is it safe to say that they would move away?"

  "Correct. But like I said, most of the tribes have their own fixed territory. Most likely their only way to move would be to the south and not deeper into the forest. They would not try to move into Empire territory, they are smart to know that is the focal point of the demons. Why should they put themselves in the crossfire between humans and demons?"

  The tears were now welling up in his eyes.

  "So a logical and sane statement would be that the raiders who were present in the north would have most likely migrated to the south. If their scouts find no signs of the demon beast, I am guessing they would begin raids as they move northwards?"

  Mr. Thomas nodded approvingly.

  "Good inference. I think you have the mind of a genius strategist in the making. Such thinking is worthy of a commander in the Military.

  Wait!?... Why are you crying? I was complimenting you..."

  Any person with a sound mind could reason the conclusion Chu came to. Chu was crying simply because any creature with intelligence would arrive at the same answer.

  If placed in the shoes of the Goblin Tribe it was easy to guess what might happen in the near future. The chief would surely move south to avoid confrontation between the other tribes, humans and the prowling demon.

  Given time the scouts may finally return joyously with the news that the demon has moved on. Whenever the war breaks out the tribe would just keep their usual lands. Of course, what better way to fight than to raid the defenseless human farms.

  Why fight a deadly battle in the forest when you could raid and gain abundant resources.

  Skirmishes for free resources was the best!

  Win-win!

  To the boy who had some large tears flowing down his face, it was far from such a situation.

  His little mansion and spread would be one of the first to be noticed and raided.

  Just when he believed he pulled himself up he was given a heavy blow. He was now beginning to feel confident in able to tackle those wild animals. Now he had to step up and deal with a more troublesome foe.

  "Why doesn't the army send out some soldiers to reinforce the villages?"

  Thomas shook his head.

  "Do you know why it's called the Great Western Forest? This forest runs along the entire western border of the empire. Only to the south do we have a path to the Myriad kingdom. It is too large an expanse to protect by splitting the soldiers."

  He continued speaking as if to himself.

  "Sometimes bad things can work in our favor. I remember reading a report about a large bandit group that prowled the western grasslands. The bounties for goblin raiders are huge so I am sure they would gobble up most of those attackers."

  Chu nearly burst into hysterical laughter.

  Unfortunately, those Mong bandits were now bearing the brunt of the attacks by the Military. By clearing away one pest he had unconsciously opened the door for another.

  He paced the ground slowly with one hand on his chin. Mr. Thomas remained silent so as not to disturb him. The only sounds were from the hammering and burst of conversation between Ming and Clod.

  Runaway to Karst and start over?

  Too hard. He had come too far to try to take unnecessary chances in a place full of people. Children like them were simply begging to be taken advantage off.

  Secure himself in the village?

  That would be risking himself among those ignorant people. Who knows if one day they decide to sacrifice the children for some greater good. Chu had come to the belief that nothing was impossible for ignorant people to accomplish.

  "Say, Mr. Thomas, do you have any idea how large these raiding parties are?"

  Thomas looked at him in surprise. He was half expecting the boy to hightail it out of here after learning about this situation.

  "Not sure, but I guess a raiding party would be about maybe twenty goblins. If they are desperate to attack a village then maybe it would number in the hundreds. Usually, they tend to focus on hit and run tactics so they concentrate on the farms."

  Chu nodded. He would do the same in their position. Since they were ranked as one of the weaker tribes, it was a fact that they would like these types of ambush attacks. Farms made perfect targets, low risk with high rewards.

  By separating their troops, in one night they could strike multiple targets and make off with the loot long before troops began to mobilize. Like Thomas said, only if they were truly desperate would they attack a fortified village.

  He would be lying to himself if he said he was not worried but the merchant blood inside was beginning to boil. This event might just seem manageable.

  A part of him was also itching to face something out of legends. It would be a shame to be tossed into a strange world only to live like a coward.

  "Hey Mr. Thomas, can you take on a goblin in combat as you are now?"

  Thomas scoffed and turned up his face in disdain.

  "Kid, even with my limp and one hand I can kill one of those bandits in just over a minute. With a crossbow, they would die within sixty paces."

  Chu clapped his hands in appreciation.

  "Oh, very good. Tell me, how long will it take to train some newbies such as that hard-headed oaf across there to take out a goblin safely?"

  Mr. Thomas glanced at Ming.

  "I think two years with some live practice will make him more than able to deal with a goblin one on one. Three years of learning the Military sword skills would ensure his safety by a mile."

  Thomas quickly added the last part since he felt Chu may have thought the time-frame was too long.

  "No problem, we can work with that."

  Thomas felt the boy was taking things too lightly. Raiding Goblins tend to be highly skilled in ambushes. If they failed to spot a party in advance, he along with the three boys would find themselves in a perilous situation.

  Not only would they be hard pressed but his wife and daughter would be at the mercy of the raiders. An ambush conducted with larger numbers had a high chance of success. Alone he stood a chance of escape but with the others...

  "I think we should try to gain a house in the village it would be..."

  Chu waved his hands to stop him.

  "I think with your help we should be able to manage. One last question."

  Chu stopped his pacing and looked Mr. Thomas in the eye.

  "How much is a goblin raider worth to the Empire?"

  Chapter 5

  Is this a Farm or an Orphanage

  It was now the middle of Spring.

  Since Mr. Thomas joined this group, two months had flown by. The seasons lasted four months unless some weather event either extended or shortened the time.

  The roads that were once hard had turned into slush and had begun to dry. In a few months, the scorching Summer months would begin. It was now close to midday for those living at the barn.

  Mr. Thomas sat on a wooden bench under the shade of an oak.

  He poured some water out of a wooden jug into a wooden cup to quench his thir
st. The weather was not blazing hot but he was already drenched in sweat.

  Farming was certainly not an easy task. Especially for a newbie whose knowledge of agriculture was near nil. It was further daunting to someone whose previous attempts was marked by repeated failures.

  Work had begun ever since the first day he came to the barn. That day after hearing about what was certainly a life-threatening event, the boy merely shrugged it off and continued with his farming goals.

  Mr. Thomas was a little shocked and a tad angry after that day. His family would also be implicated if and when this happened. He could only convince himself that the boy was trying to make as much money in the meantime.

  At first sign of trouble from those adventuring parties and scouts, he believed the boy would close up shop and high tail it out with whatever profits they made. Since they were all in it together he voiced his opinions on the matter to the others.

  He soon found out that this group was not run by the collective thoughts of its members but by a profound and well-entrenched dictator.

  From that first week, the boy with the lame leg began framing and extending the platform in the barn outwards to make a complete second floor. In the evenings he switched work to set up a rough enclosure around the old farmhouse. This was to serve as a stable for the horses.

  At the end of the week, the outline of what he planned became evident. Four rooms were made at the top in the center with an open floor on both the front and back connected by corridors on both sides. Two room doors opened to the platform at the back while two others faced the platform at the front.

  A staircase with a solid trap door opened the exit leading from a corner at the back of the barn to the kitchen area. Slowly this skeleton structure began to take shape.

  They rotated the ones who stayed back at the barn. Mr. Thomas was always accompanied with either Chu or Ming on his trips to and from the barn. The builder Clod always remained as a watchman. He and the one who remained usually were already drenched in sweat by the time the others arrived.

  When the oven was repaired, Chu had Mr. Thomas escort his family to their new home. Clod used this time to make another trip for lumber and some supplies. Both wagons returned loaded from their trip.

  The first major investment was when Chu purchased the wagon and a horse from the Trading Post. With trade restarting in the village, it was easy for John to order new supplies and animals. He also pre-ordered a variety of seeds from the town.

  A large purchase at the beginning of the year already had him fawning over the boy. Like a greedy merchant who smelled money, he was akin to a piranha that circled a wounded carp.

  In Chu's eyes, both Mrs. Thomas and her daughter Amanda had the same features as her husband. They could pass as people from Northern Europe with their blond hair and light blue eyes.

  Amanda was a young woman who had just turned seventeen this year. For a girl kept protected and pampered by her family she had a kind demeanor. From the beginning, she offered to help with the hard labor not afraid to blister her hands.

  Chu felt that if she was born in a noble house those callused hands would be smooth as silk. He placed her as a very attractive girl back on earth. No wonder the Thomas's had their fair share of trouble. A beauty like this could not be hidden even under a bath of coals.

  Thus the close interaction with the family and the children started. It was also the beginning of Mr. Thomas's headaches.

  Mr. Thomas first complaint was that Chu was building too much. This should only be a temporary place to stay, no need to spend so much time and labor in repairs. All Chu did was listen to him but continued with his plans.

  The man then turned to the industrious limping builder.

  "Hey, Clod, why don't we slow down. We should use this time to check out the land and start preparing for planting."

  Clod continued nailing the planks without looking up.

  "Can't, have to get this done by next week."

  "We can always do this in the evening, should we not get the fields ready for planting?"

  The nailing continued.

  "Have to get the well done and bucket installed in the evening. No time."

  "Well what about tomorrow morning, we can look at it and start."

  The nailing continued.

  "Chu said I have to finish this or else I won't ever have to worry about limping on only one leg anymore."

  Mr. Thomas gave him an exasperated look.

  "He threatened you? Are you satisfied with that? You are twice the size of him!"

  The nailing speed doubled in intensity.

  "Mr. Thomas, I have no intention to hobble on two broken legs. I just have to get this done. Pass me another wooden plank."

  After wasting time talking to that fanatical builder, Mr. Thomas tried his luck with the next fellow.

  Since the first day, Ming only helped in the mornings to site material for Clod outside so he could measure and cut. In the evenings he carried the prepared lumber to the work-site for use on the next morning's construction. Chu and Mr. Thomas did any running around for Clod if he needed anything special.

  Ming's job was to focus on training. Chu was adamant he concentrates most of his waking hours trying to grasp the Military combat skills. Mr. Thomas was responsible for checking up on him during the course of the day and correcting any mistakes.

  Ming’s training ground was set in front of the barn. It offered a view of the surroundings and the forest line. He functioned as a lookout for them.

  "Hey Ming, why do you continue practicing so hard. Take a break."

  The boy was sweating buckets from the training regiment.

  "No need, if I become stronger Chu will have no choice to do whatever I want."

  Thomas saw an opportunity opening up. This boy was certainly one who was not afraid to stand up to the little kid. He was the most vocal of the lot.

  "Hey Ming, I think we should not try so hard to make this place too comfortable."

  "What are you saying, my room is the last one that Clod is supposed to make. I can't let everyone get a place and I have to stay out on the open."

  The boy seemed to be running on a different wavelength. Mr. Thomas tried another method.

  "I think we need to tell Chu about how hard it is to face those Goblins. Those things are dangerous you know. We should convince him to leave when the time comes."

  "What!? Leave here before the Goblin raids. Then how am I going to convince Chu to buy those trinkets for me? I need to sweeten him up for those things. You know how long I had to work to get this bead?"

  Mr. Thomas felt taking the sword from the kid and knock him on the head.

  "Don't you brats have any sense of pride? Letting a young kid boss you around. Why don't you tell him what you want?"

  Ming stared at the man like looking at an idiot. He lowered the sword he was practicing with.

  Giving the man a pitying look he spoke.

  "Mr. Thomas, I admire your courage. But let me give you a little advice, stay away from that little devil. I do not want to suffer together with you. Clod says my head keeps getting empty every-time Chu slaps it. I want to keep whatever wisdom I have left."

  Mr. Thomas was grumpy for the whole week after that.

  When two weeks had passed Clod drove to the village one day and brought back a young girl named Sue. She quickly assimilated into the group and became a hit with his wife and daughter.

  Sue was an outstanding cook and the meals she made was with care. He soon found out she was a previous companion of the boys. She soon took over that chore from his wife and helped out with the housework.

  "Sue what do you think about this issue."

  Mr. Thomas asked her opinion one evening when no one was around. He told her about the situation with the Goblins.

  The girl was unfortunately unfazed. He was expecting a frightened reaction but she just soaked it all in like a sponge.

  "Don't worry Mr. Thomas. It will be okay. I am sure everything will w
ork out just fine. Please don't stress yourself out on such matters ok."

  Mr. Thomas was depressed for another week.

  'Who the heck was comforting who?!'

  At the end of the month, Ming and Chu made a trip to the village. They returned with a younger girl called Sakura.