Chapter 386: The Spear Hero "Carys"
"Hmph, easy to say. Humans have been rooted in the southern continent for thousands of years. They're not so easily dealt with."
"With the king here, what's there to fear?"
"This isn't about fear—it's about analyzing both sides' strength."
"Since the king has declared war on humanity, he must have made thorough preparations."
Before Li Meng could speak, his subordinates had already begun arguing.
Listening to their noisy debates, Li Meng remained indifferent on the throne.
A meeting was always a place for arguments.
There was no harm in letting them bicker.
He could address serious matters once they were tired of shouting.
The upper goblins, however, looked at the quarreling tribal chiefs with confusion.
What was there to argue about?
Shouldn't they just follow whatever the king commanded?
"Silence. Listen to the king's orders!"
Margarita finally couldn't stand it and intervened, stopping the bickering among the tribal chiefs.
The Throne Hall finally fell silent.
With all eyes on him, Li Meng yawned.
"Our target this time is the Garrison Fort. Margarita, two thousand centaurs will be enough. They will act as the goblin army's scouts."
Margarita straightened her expression under the king's gaze.
"Yes, my king!"
Li Meng then turned to Pig Dajin and Wolf Howl.
"Ten thousand jackalmen and pigmen each will suffice. We don't need too many troops to take the Garrison Fort."
Pig Dajin and Wolf Howl exchanged glances.
"Understood, my king!"
Both responded in unison.
"As for the beastmen…"
Li Meng turned to the beastmen tribal chiefs.
"Do not participate in this war. Stay home and breed."
The beastmen were already few in number.
For them, reproduction was the most important task at hand.
With that, Li Meng waved his hand lightly.
"The army will march in a month. Go and make your preparations."
"Yes, my king!"
The attendees turned and left the Throne Hall.
Watching his subordinates depart, Li Meng's expression turned contemplative.
Once war began, the progress of his salvation mission would be further delayed.
However, even with his current strength, launching an expedition to the Central Continent was still premature.
He needed to strengthen his forces through several wars to expand his domain.
No matter how strong an individual was, they could never replace an army.
To complete his mission, his faction had to grow alongside his own power.
"Before that, I should check on Helen."
By his calculations, Helen's due date was approaching.
The gestation period for goblin hybrids was around two years.
The duration varied depending on the mother's race.
The stronger the mother, the shorter the gestation period.
As a Sword King, Helen's pregnancy cycle would be slightly shorter.
Since Xiao Bai was parasitizing Helen's body, Li Meng knew exactly where she was.
Helen and her husband had returned to the southern continent.
With her due date approaching, they had settled in Oka Village.
Oka Village was within the Dragon Kingdom's borders, far from the Goblin Forest.
But for Li Meng, such a distance could be covered in a day.
He was deeply invested in his first goblin hybrid child.
He wanted to see the potential of goblin hybrids firsthand.
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Irisis Principality.
Garrison Fort.
That night, at the Count's estate.
In his study, Maurice stared blankly at the letter in his hands.
Sandra had been gone for nearly a year.
Though he received letters from her every month, he still couldn't rest easy.
With war approaching, Maurice couldn't afford to waste energy on worrying about his wife.
"Click!"
Just then, the door opened.
A well-endowed maid entered, carrying a cup of coffee.
The deep valley of her ample chest was visible beneath her uniform.
"My lord, have some coffee to refresh yourself."
She bent forward to place the coffee on his desk.
The tight dress outlined her curves perfectly.
Her scent made Maurice glance sideways.
One look, and the inviting sight of her bosom caught his attention.
Seeing the Count staring at her chest, the maid's cheeks flushed.
Taking a deep breath, Maurice waved his hand.
The maid stepped back, placing her hands over her lower abdomen as she respectfully bowed.
Then, she turned and swayed her hips as she walked out.
"Go prepare my chambers."
Just as she reached the doorway, Maurice's voice rang out.
The maid paused, blushing slightly.
"Yes, my lord."
She continued forward, leaving the study and closing the door behind her.
Staring at the closed door, Maurice rubbed his temples.
He needed a woman to ease his stress.
More importantly, he needed to clear his mind to face the upcoming war.
Rising from his chair, Maurice walked to the window.
He gazed at the dimly lit courtyard outside with a blank expression.
The Hero Squad was expected to arrive at the Garrison Fort soon.
He was looking forward to it.
Though the one coming was the infamous Spear Hero, Maurice wasn't concerned.
A hero was still a hero.
As long as they were powerful, their morality was irrelevant.
All men had desires—some simply hid them better than others.
The Spear Hero was merely a man who made no effort to conceal his preferences.
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Irisis Principality.
Obenlo City, Earl Bard's Estate.
The sun shone brightly over Obenlo City, and its prosperity remained unchanged.
Only the slightly dilapidated inner city bore signs of past disaster.
That afternoon, a young man appeared outside Earl Bard's estate.
Staring at the tightly shut gates, Li Meng's eyes flickered with doubt.
A layer of dust and fallen leaves covered the outer courtyard path.
This indicated that the mansion had been left unattended for some time.
Inside, Li Meng detected no signs of life.
"Uh… Boss?"
Looking at the young man, Avinsa hesitated.
Luke also gazed at him with confusion.
The person before them didn't resemble their boss at all.
Tilting his head slightly, Li Meng looked toward the approaching duo.
It was Luke and Avinsa.
"Where is Bard?"
Recognizing the familiar aura, the couple's expressions changed slightly.
Now, they were certain—this youth was indeed their boss.
Luke quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Boss, half a year ago, Bard took Alisa and Susan to the Holy Kingdom."
Bard took Susan and Alisa to the Holy Kingdom?
"Was it for the Saint Candidate selection?"
"Uh… I believe so."
It seemed Susan had quite a journey ahead of her.