Overlord: Start from the Goblin Lair.

Chapter 22: Raid at the Banquet
"Does anyone have anything to ask?" Victor glanced at the people below.

"Why recruit pioneers instead of sending the town's regular soldiers?" A strong young refugee raised his hand to ask. He seemed to be a villager from the village. "They look well-trained."

"We also need manpower to maintain the public security and defense of the town," Victor said with difficulty and regret. "To the west of Fromm is the Gobi Desert where outlaws run rampant. I can't do anything that would risk handing the town over to others. I hope you can understand."

"But I will never sit back and enjoy my success. I have carefully selected a shrewd and capable warrior from my entourage to accompany you - Victoria, come and meet everyone!"

A young woman wearing scale armor and fully armed stepped out from behind Victor with firm steps, bowed slightly to the audience, and then returned to her original position.

She held an iron helmet in one hand, had a mace at her waist, and a shield on her back.

Ron couldn't believe how safe he would feel standing next to her - she was like a mobile fortress.

"Typical equipment for a priest," Ivy snorted. "This mayor is really thoughtful. He's willing to send a priest along."

"If Victoria doesn't go, it will be just me," Boonie whispered sheepishly, "but I'll probably just hold them back..."

"Don't say that, Boonie," Lavinia comforted her friend, "You're just... a little less secure than she is."

After all, even with the same equipment, the aura of halflings and humans is completely different.

"If we occupy that delusional land, who will own it, you?" Sera shouted loudly.

"It won't belong to you anyway, barbarian!" the elf choked her again, "You'd better get back to the blizzard!"

"Why not wait until we conquer the land of delusion before we start dreaming?" A dwarf muttered, "We haven't even left the town yet, and you think you have a sure win..."

"As for this problem..." Victor smiled slyly, "I'll naturally leave it to the pioneers to solve on their own, okay?"

"My goal is only to reduce the burden on the town. I have no interest in expanding the territory. I have already given myself and my last name to the town of Fromm. I have no other ambitions. So you don't have to worry that I will deprive you of the fruits of your victory - it belongs entirely to you!"

There was an immediate cheer from the audience, and Ron felt that those cheering were idiots.

This is simply encouraging people to fight and kill each other! As Victor said, he has no interest in expanding territory, he just wants the refugees to leave here and not add to his burden.

As for whether they are dead or alive, he doesn't care at all!
But what they said was nice, and if this matter was really accomplished, the obstacles to the south of Frome Town would be removed, which would be good for the town, and he would not lose out in any case.

The only ones who will suffer are the refugees, or more precisely, the refugees in the villages.

The surviving barbarians in the north are the elite among the elite, and those adventurers who come to join in the fun also have their own strengths. As for Ron and his friends... they are followed by a large group of goblins!
It was obvious which group would be eliminated first, but they are the ones who are most excited now.

Victor pressed his hands down, signaling everyone to be quiet: "All members who conquer the Delusion Land will receive generous rewards. In addition, when the lord of the Delusion Land is 'elected', I am willing to act as a recommender to introduce the new neighbor to other lords around, and I can also act as a matchmaker to attract chambers of commerce and craftsmen... In short, please believe me, I am very willing to see a new neighbor appear, rather than worrying about that unowned land all day long."

"Remuneration, lord, guild... they are all just nice words." Sera curled her lips, "There is no practical benefit at all! You are just talking nonsense!"

Finally, there is someone who understands... Ron had to look at Sera with a new eye. This tribal chief was quite knowledgeable. "Of course, of course," Victor said with a big smile on his face. "If there are no other questions, we can officially start the banquet now! I, a fat guy, won't be an eyesore here and affect your appetite, hehe."

"That's good enough!" Sera walked to the long table with satisfaction and pulled off a roasted chicken leg from the table.

Ron: ...you overestimate her.

Although the scene immediately fell into chaos after Victor's speech, nothing special happened. Ron and the others took their seats and joined the banquet.

Half of the food here came from the tavern where Ron and his friends were staying, and the taste was quite suitable. Soon, even Quest, who knew the most, seemed to relax his guard and began to eat heartily.

After all, no one wants anything to go wrong, and nothing is the best scenario.

But just as Picasso always had chains and Leonardo always had disagreements, according to that jerk named Murphy's law, when something might go wrong, it will definitely go in a worse direction.

Just when everyone was getting drunk and in high spirits, a sharp scream like a cat's meow pierced the night sky.

One of the tabby cats who lived next door to Ron and his friends had his eyes wide open like bells. After standing up, he covered his neck with one hand and fell limply to the ground.

"Enemy attack, there is an enemy attack!"

The elf reacted the fastest. He raised his arms and shouted, drew a rapier and jumped onto the long table.

Ron quickly stood up and looked around. Some dark shadows rushed out from the surrounding alleys one after another, and right next to him, those guys who were toasting and inviting people to eat and drink well a second ago, pulled out knives from under their clothes and stabbed anyone they saw!

Outside the town in the distance, a beam of fire shot up into the sky, followed by deafening shouts of killing.

"W-What on earth happened?!"

The halfling priest Bonnie was frightened by the scene. A gangster took the opportunity to rush over and chopped her on the top of her head with a knife.

"Oh!"

Two flaming arrows hit the head of the ungrateful guy at random. Benny looked back in a daze and saw wisps of green smoke coming out of the fingertips of Ron and Lavinia.

"Ready to fight!"

The people who had been prepared immediately spread out according to the original formation, protecting Ron and the extra Lavinia and Bonnie.

The sword in Ivy's hand danced, and she knocked down three people in succession in an instant; Quest's punches were as fast as the wind, and although he was unarmed, his strength and skills were amazing. Although most of the people he knocked down were not fatal, they could only lie on the ground wailing, and for a while they completely lost their ability to fight.

(End of this chapter)