Building a Harem in a Noble House

Chapter 109: Get Ready to Fight!

The air hit me first, damp and earthy, carrying that faint tang of wet stone and moss. It pressed down lightly on my senses, reminding me I was no longer in the training hall. The torchlight embedded in the walls flickered across the cavern floor, catching on uneven stone and throwing long shadows that danced with every movement. My boots scraped against the rough surface, and the weight of my claymore tugging at my belt.

Meredith was beside me, claymore half-raised, her eyes sweeping the cavern with that sharp, measured focus she usually carried, silver armor reflecting the torchlight.

"This is remarkable," she said, awe coating her words. "Are Isobel’s illusions always so detailed...?"

I considered her words as I took another tentative step forward. "She’s quite the Dark Mage, but this is... a lot."

An illusion this detailed was child’s play for the Demon Queen, but for Isobel the Advisor? This indeed was "a lot". Too much, in fact. There was something to this, I realized. Something that I needed to consider very quickly.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t granted the opportunity to spare any thought on Isobel’s unusual skill level any longer. Not when a group of goblins were howling far off in the distance.

"What are they–" Meredith started, only to be cut off by the goblins themselves.

"For the Mother! For the Mother!" they screeched, echoing off the walls.

Adrenaline spiked as I spotted the first wave of goblins leaping from a side tunnel. Their scrawny green bodies were clad in scraps of metal and ragged leather. Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust, yellow teeth bared in savage grins. Some carried jagged shortswords, others crude spears, and one lanky figure had a damn bug’s net swinging from his hand.

"Stay close!" I called, stepping forward instinctively.

I planted my feet firmly, armor clanking as I raised my claymore. Meredith fell in beside me, matching my stance perfectly.

The first wave hit fast. Three goblins lunged, spears aimed at my chest. I swung my claymore in a wide arc, aura coating my blade easily, cutting down two of the three goblins before they could so much as shout. The third darted low, trying to take out my knees. I kicked it, crushing its hand, then finished with a downward chop that split it from shoulder to hip. Despite the illusion, the acrid stench of metal and flesh filled the air as the creatures body fell to the stone beneath us.

Four more goblins dropped from a crevice, nets and daggers flashing. They swarmed Meredith immediately, one stabbing at her leg, another whipping the net to trap her arms.

"Meredith!" I shouted, slashing through a spearman to clear my path, though she was already handling them with cold precision.

She didn’t panic. Meredith flared her aura effortlessly, radiant energy washing over her and spilling into me, granting me a boost to my strength and speed... though it wasn’t like I needed it with her fighting how she was.

A net-goblin charged at her, only to be sent flying by an absent-minded backhand. She twisted, sweeping her claymore to leave two more unfortunate goblins in two like a hot knife through butter. One scrambled up, only to be pinned under her boot, a precise thrust finishing it. The last lunged for her side, but her armor held strong as she launched a Guiding Bolt at the creature, burning it to a crisp.

"Nice work," I acknowledged, sweeping up the last of the stragglers with a few swings.

The tunnel opened into a larger chamber following our brief exchange, a hidden doorway opening to lead us deeper into the cave.

Lanterns were slowly replaced by bioluminescent fungi, odd looking mushrooms which cast a sickly green glow over the stony hallyway before us. No, this wasn’t a hall, I realized. It was a room. A boss room! It was circular–large enough to fit Meredith, myself, and the creature at the center...

...a Goblin Raider.

The Goblin Raider was massive even by Goblin Raider standards. The ten-foot tall creature was well-muscled and scarred all over. He wielded a club in one hand, and a shield etched with crude runes in the other. His eyes were sharp and calculating, lacking the mindless rage you’d expect from a goblin. He didn’t even charge us as the room lit with green shroom light. No, he planted himself firmly, club lowered yet held firm in his grip.

"Hold!" he bellowed, voice rough but clear. "

"Adventurers, stay your blades! You must listen: the real enemy is deeper within these caves. She is a sorceress who wishes to control the dead and turn them to her pawns! Fight me, and you play into her game. Join me, and together we can strike at her heart!"

Meredith lowered her claymore slightly. "An evil sorceress, you say? Speak plainly. What hold does she have over you?"

The Raider leaned in, shield forward, club still tight. "She promised us power, but instead gave us chains. Burned our homes, forced us to fight in her name. The Mother weeps in her cage. Free us, and we strike at her."

Meredith nodded. "Perhaps there is a path to peace here. Tell me how you would defeat this ’Mother’."

"Meredith," I said, holding a hand up, eyes trained on the Goblin Raider.

"Hmm?" She asked, turning fully to face me, eyes curious.

"Get ready to fight," I growled, voice low.

"Do you not believe me...?" the Giblin Raider asked, voice trembling.

"Why would I? You haven’t dropped your weapon, haven’t acknowledged that your men attacked us, haven’t acknowledged that we killed them, and you haven’t said a word about how we’d kill this ’Mother’. You’ll have to do better than that, goblin."

"Does he speak truth, Raider? Were your words truthful?" Her expression darkened as she gripped her blade tighter. "Or were you being deceitful...?"

His face twisted, fury breaking through the mask. "Bah! Foolish woman! If your protector wasn’t here to save you, you would’ve been dead! Very well, I suppose I’ll just have to kill you b–"