After Niu Zida returned, he waited two or three days, and the Goblin Demon Swordsman born to Misato Shizuku also matured. Niu Zida could check its panel attributes through the Goblin Bone Whistle. Unlike the maid's panel, the Goblin Demon Swordsman only had general ability ratings, no specific values. This Goblin Demon Swordsman's ability rating was C-grade.
"I wonder what the highest level is."
Looking at this dull-witted Goblin Demon Swordsman, Niu Zida was also muttering to himself. But it was his first Elite Goblin, so he had to put it to good use. So, he had the Demon Swordsman lead the other Goblins in training to see the effect.
After returning, Niu Zida made Yor and Aponia pregnant again, and good news followed. Soon, Yor also gave birth to an Elite Goblin, whose class was Goblin Assassin. Now he even had an assassin.
"Not bad, not bad. A big battle is coming soon, and now there are two Elite Goblins."
After a few days of training, the Goblin Assassin also entered its mature phase, and its level rating was also C-grade. Although the level didn't seem very high, it was usable, and Niu Zida wasn't picky about these things now.
The day to meet Comte at the previously agreed location was approaching. Niu Zida calculated that he had a total of 155 Goblins under him, plus 2 Elite Goblins, one Goblin Assassin and one Goblin Demon Swordsman, both of whom had reached maturity.
Fortunately, the maturity period for Elite Goblins was the same as ordinary Goblins, only taking a few days. This was an advantage brought by the strong reproductive ability of the Goblin race. If Elite Goblins needed to be cultivated for several years or even more than ten years like humans, Niu Zida would have cried, as the cost would be completely uneconomical.
Then, on the day of the scheduled meeting, to be safe, Niu Zida had Misato Shizuku carry him and the money that might be used for intelligence transactions, while Yor lurked nearby to meet the other party. This way, if there was really a problem, Yor could rescue him. As for others, he didn't bring them. Considering the military strength in Duōléi City, Niu Zida actually thought it was unlikely for the other party to ambush them. Even if they did ambush with so few people, the combat power of Misato Shizuku and Yor would be enough to rescue him. He was just ensuring foolproof safety.
This time, he didn't bring anyone else along either. After all, if something really happened, he could run, but it would be hard to say for the villagers who followed him. Niu Zida felt that even with such preparations, there was still an element of gambling in this meeting with Comte. He didn't fully trust that a human would be trustworthy and honest with a Goblin, even though he had investigated beforehand and confirmed that Dore Territory was indeed very similar to what he had described, with many internal problems.
Misato Shizuku carried Niu Zida to the place where Comte was released before. Upon arrival, they found Comte already waiting there, seemingly quite punctual. Moreover, the terrain here was relatively open, making it difficult to set up an ambush, which was also why Niu Zida had chosen this spot for the meeting.
"Lord?"
"It seems you've been doing well recently. Were you not suspected after you returned?"
"No, Spring has been particularly troubled recently and temporarily can't focus on the bandits."
"Oh? What happened?"
"The war between Atair Kingdom and Fortini Kingdom is at its most crucial point. The kingdom is demanding that Spring provide money and men to help continue the war. Spring simply can't come up with the money and can't send troops to support the kingdom's war, so he's been worried recently. If he were to raise taxes, the situation within the territory simply wouldn't allow it. Now, what he's thinking is that if he can incorporate those bandits, he might as well organize them and send them out as cannon fodder."
Good heavens, this Spring really knows how to play. Incorporating the bandits and sending them out for an external war would satisfy the kingdom's demands and eliminate his internal troubles. He would solve both internal and external problems without spending a single penny. What a calculation.
"Then in that case, he should be very concerned about the bandits' situation."
"The problem of sending troops is solved, but the money problem is still not. He himself doesn't have much money, and even if he did, he wouldn't be willing to give it to the kingdom. So, he wants to temporarily impose an additional tax, but several important knights within the major families below are against it. After all, the taxes would also be imposed on them, and these knights have already been subjected to several rounds of taxes and have no money left. Some even directly advised that such taxation would lead to a rebellion among the people, and others simply blamed Baroness Amelie, saying that her arrival was what caused Dore Territory to become bound to the central kingdom and deeply entangled in this war."
Sure enough, Spring's internal stability was shaky, and now he had an opportunity. It was understandable that Spring's knights opposed this war; the mineral resources gained from fighting in the eastern region would most likely have nothing to do with these western lords. No one would be so foolish as to sacrifice their lives for others' benefit.
"Have you clarified the situation within Duōléi City?"
"I've clarified some things. Currently, there are about 20 knights and 100 Militia on duty. I even know the people guarding the city gates. It wouldn't be difficult to bribe them."
"Oh, oh, that's great. How much money do you need? Give me a number, and I'll try to gather it for you."
"50 gold coins."
It actually required such a large sum of money, but Niu Zida could afford it. He actually took out a bag full of gold coins and handed it to Comte, saying:
"There are roughly 50 gold coins inside. Take them to bribe the gatekeepers to open the city. I will reward you heavily afterward."
Comte probably never expected Niu Zida to be so generous. A Goblin seemed much more straightforward than a human in spending money. He took the money with some surprise and then said:
"One week from now, at night, you should go to the South Gate of Duōléi City. Around 12 o'clock, I will bribe the gatekeepers to open the city gate. But you must not expose your identities beforehand. My excuse at that time will be that I'm bringing in a batch of goods at night for smuggling without reporting taxes. If your people appear near Duōléi City beforehand and are discovered and reported to the lord, causing alarm, it would be terrible, because no one would open the city gate for Goblins."
"Of course."
The two briefly discussed the secret code for their rendezvous, and Comte quickly left to avoid being suspected for being out of the city for too long. After Comte left, Misato Shizuku then carried Niu Zida and met up with Yor, who was hiding in the dark. The three then returned to the village.
"Master, do you really trust that Comte?"
"Misato Shizuku, do you think his words are true?"
"I think it's hard to say."
"Whether his words are true or not isn't important. This is an opportunity I'm exploiting. I won't waste this 50 gold coin sum."