Diversion at the Goblin Watchtower
“Understood. I’ll definitely… find it.”
“Good. Once we do, report it as something the deputy battalion commander designed from the start. That should at least shorten the timeline.”
He was sketching it out in his mind as he spoke, but there was no reply.
“Huh? Deputy?”
He turned to look at Aisa—and her eyes were bloodshot red.
“Really… sob sob, thank you so much.”
Lieutenant Aisa covered her face with her left hand and bowed her head.
Anyone could see she was crying.
What the… why is she crying?
He’d been acting a bit nicer than usual, but he honestly couldn’t see how that warranted tears.
What do I even do here?
Facing a crying woman for practically the first time left him thoroughly flustered.
“Uh, don’t take it too hard. We’ve still got plenty of time. The war shows no signs of ending anytime soon. You work hard as it is—you’ll pull it off.”
He wasn’t even sure what he was saying himself, but he pulled a handkerchief from his desk drawer and handed it over anyway.
“Th-thank you.”
She wiped her tears with the handkerchief, then lowered the hand that had been covering her face and looked up at him.
“I won’t let you down. I’ll find it, no matter what.”
“Yeah…? Uh, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“And…”
She averted her gaze for a moment, hesitating, then forced the words out.
“I’ll be waiting, so please come back safe.”
With that, Aisa fled the room like she was escaping.
The whirlwind aftermath made it hard to collect his thoughts.
“But… she should at least give the handkerchief back. That’s my only one.”
“Everyone from our side is here.”
“Then let’s do one final briefing before we head in. Gather round.”
At Major Orpia’s words, the slightly more than twenty operatives clustered together.
“Today we’re scouting two suspect zones. On the map, that’s roughly here and here.”
It wasn’t precise, but it beat nothing. Major Orpia had marked off the areas.
“Basic rule: we scout ahead, secure safety, then move. Is the recon team ready?”
Major Orpia glanced at Lieutenant Colonel Garen as she asked.
“Yes, ma’am. Four two-man teams.”
“Recon and combat as we discussed yesterday—handle it, Lieutenant Colonel Garen.”
From the meeting, eighty percent of the team were Special Forces.
So recon and combat fell to Garen, search to Orpia.
“No worries, ma’am.”
He thumped his chest with confident bravado.
Combat was his expertise—no issue there.
“No time to waste. Let’s move out.”
“Yes, ma’am. Recon teams first.”
At Lieutenant Colonel Garen’s order, the eight recon members plunged into the mountains first.
Soon after, the all-clear came through comms, and the main group followed.
“Recon says it’s clear, but stay vigilant around us at all times.”
“Yes, sir!!”
Solid advice—he kept his head on a swivel, tension high.
We’ve finally made it in here.
Gork Mountains.
They’d crossed the borderline about five minutes ago, and the trees stood out most.
They just keep getting freakishly bigger.
Gork Mountains’ structure was simple.
Deeper in, richer soil grew rarer things, drawing stronger monsters.
Pyramid-shaped.
Vrrr.
“Huh…?”
As rarer sights came into view, the tracking magitech began to vibrate.
“There we go! Pick up the pace a bit.”
Mission’s key phase success—Major Orpia’s voice rose with excitement.
But Gork Mountains threw too many curveballs for everything to go smoothly.
The report crackled over the comm crystal.
It matched the magitech’s direction exactly.
“Still pointing that way?”
“Yeah. At 5km range, it’s gotta be in that zone.”
Dreadful words from her mouth—no one wanted to hear it.
No way they installed magitech inside goblin turf?
Unless helicoptered in, hauling and planting that bulky thing then escaping? Impossible.
Garen shared the doubt.
“Not a small device—odds of it being inside their turf are low, right?”
“Winter’s territory war season—borders shift constantly. Probably installed before the lines moved.”
“Ah…”
Garen sighed in regret.
But the real tragedy was worse.
“A zone means at least three hundred goblins. If it’s at the center… we don’t have time to waste. Move fast.”
Shit, yeah, when you put it like that.
Hordes hypnotized and charging? Nightmare fuel.
But charging a goblin zone? No.
“Too risky to punch through with twenty. Tricky spot.”
Garen rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
Tough nut.
Lightning strike the watchtower goblins, infiltrate—still gets spotted eventually.
Then isolated.
Even Special Forces couldn’t carve through hundreds easily.
Pull more troops from outside? Nah, suicide.
Gork monsters hated human intruders most—fights among themselves secondary.
Big force tips them off? Game over.
Hence the cautious recon.
“Any sharp ideas?”
Garen eyed his company men briefly.
“Hit fast, scatter and exfil?”
“Too risky. Veto.”
More ideas followed—all high-risk, low-odds.
Need to slip in quiet, snag the magitech, slip out. Hm?
Sudden flash: Rimir Castle assassins.
They targeted the mess hall and me, then bailed.
Their entry method?
“Uh, mind if I speak?”
Hand raised cautiously—Garen turned instantly.
“Oho! Speak up.”
His eyes brimmed with expectation.
Way too intense—overwhelming.
Why’s he looking at me like that?
Better than dismissal, but still excessive.
“Main force attacks goblins, draws eyes. Small team sneaks in, smashes magitech.”
“Diversion to create an opening?”
“Yes, sir. Goblins smarter than orcs, sure—but still monsters. A poke, and they’ll swarm main force.”
“Not bad…”
Garen ran the sim in his head, nodded approval.
“Looks solid to me too. Our ace, alright.”
Orpia agreed—plan framework locked.
“Then infiltration team. More’s worse—pull from 2nd Company…”
Garen moved to select—Orpia stepped forward.
“Infiltration: me and Captain Palan. Just us two.”
“Pardon…? What—”
Like a hammer to the skull.
Would’ve cursed if less shocked.
“Just two? Risky, no?”
Garen fretted, but Orpia was firm.
“More people, more chance of detection. Right?”
She eyed him—answer was set.
“Still, at least one Special Forcer… No. Fine, let’s go.”
Three vs. two? Same outcome, per her.
Detection risk only up.
Me on infil was the error to begin with. Speaking up changes nothing.
Just earn a scolding.
Planned to send Special Forces bros. Now I look dumb. Tsk.
This damn mouth.
“Just make sure to pull their eyes good.”
“You got it—trust me.”
“No time. Moving now. Let’s go.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
Felt like marching to hell as he distanced from main force.
“Don’t sweat it. Numbers don’t matter—they’re just goblins.”
That’s the problem.
She missed the point entirely.
“Sigh. Got it.”
Resigned to the void, he stepped forward.
“Kreek!”
“Hide.”
Goblin cry—Orpia whispered, ducking behind a rock.
There it is.
Peeking out: watchtower, as recon reported.
New territory line recently, huh.
Just the tower visible now—but it said plenty.
Clean. Too clean.
Goblins didn’t tidy—meant recently built.
“Your eyes look murderous. Different from extermination duty.”
“We’re at the cliff’s edge. Desperate times.”
“Ah, yeah.”
They were at the mountains’ outermost fringe.
Lose here, and goblins get booted from Gork entirely.
“Anyway, it’s about to—”
BOOM!
Like scripted—explosion roared from main force as Orpia spoke.
Magic bullet… now?
Brutal, insanely risky—left him speechless.
“Kree-reek!”
“Kreek!!”
Sudden blast.
Goblins freaked, assuming invasion—grabbed weapons.
Imperials would radio HQ, hold post.
Not goblins.
“Kreek! Kree! Kreereek!”
“Kreereerek!”
Abandoning tower, they bolted toward the noise.
Entrance now wide open.
Perfectly as planned.
His plan, sure—but chills anyway.