My Farming Domain Is Broken

Cedric moved before the rider reached the seed-store door.

He had no sword in his hand. Instead, he grabbed the flat stone Rhea had been carrying toward the channel wall.

The rider swung its short blade at him.

Cedric raised the stone with both hands. The blade scraped across it and slid away. Cedric stepped forward and drove the hard edge into the rider’s chest.

The small creature fell backward into the wet grass.

Evan reached it a breath later. He dropped his shield across its arm, pinned it to the ground, and kicked the knife away.

"Tie it," Cedric said.

Tomas ran from the storehouse path with a length of rope. He bound the rider’s wrists while it twisted and spat words none of them understood.

Carlos saw all of it in one glance. Then the chain came down.

He stepped inside the swing instead of trying to retreat. The iron links cut through the rain where his head had been. Carlos drove his spear into the Marsh Troll’s side, above its hip, and shoved himself back before its other hand could close around him.

The point went deep, but the troll barely reacted.

It turned toward him with its mouth open. The wound around the spearhead was already closing.

Carlos pulled the spear free.

"Fuck, these are tough to kill," he said.

The first troll had forced its damaged knee straight again. It limped, but it was standing. Brann stepped into its path and hit the same joint a second time.

Bone gave way beneath the hammer. The troll dropped fully into the mud, one hand digging into the ground as it tried to rise.

The second troll used the moment to shove the Bearkin Guardian away from the channel. Its broken wood slab came down again. The guardian caught part of the blow on its shield, but the impact drove it back two steps.

Two rushed past Carlos and fired a Water Shot into the troll’s face. The creature flinched and its grip loosened for only a moment.

The Bearkin Guardian drove its shoulder forward. The troll stumbled into the shallow overflow from the damaged channel.

"Keep it there," Carlos called.

The two district Slimes joined Two. Water struck the troll’s legs, then the mud beneath its feet. Each time it tried to climb out, the ground slipped away under it.

The troll did not stop trying. It clawed at the bank, dragging itself forward inch by inch.

Carlos turned back to the chain troll, which had recovered its weapon. The links dragged behind it as it walked closer.

"Brann!"

Brann looked from the troll in the mud to Carlos. Carlos pointed at the chain.

"That one first."

Brann left the first troll trying to rebuild its knee and came hard at the chain wielder.

The troll swung at him. Although Brann could have caught the blow, he did not try. He stepped through the wet ground, let the links tear a furrow across the mud, and brought the hammer down on the troll’s wrist.

The hand bent backward and the chain fell.

The troll roared and reached for Brann with its other arm, its frustration obvious.

Carlos drove his spear through its thigh. The creature staggered and Brann hit its knee before it could plant its foot.

It fell beside the old marker stone, and its wound started healing again in the same place.

"It keeps fixing," Brann said in annoyance.

"Then keep it down," Carlos replied.

A heavy crack came from the seed-store side.

The two berserkers had stopped trying to force their way through Kaia and the Bearkin Guardian. They were running for the storehouse now.

Leon saw Carlos look toward them.

"Take the storehouse!" he shouted.

There it was, the last piece of his lie disappearing.

Kaia followed the berserkers, but one turned and swung both clubs at her. She caught one blow with her shield. The other struck her shoulder and spun her sideways.

Carlos felt the hit more than he saw it.

"Kaia!"

"I am up," she said, already moving again.

The berserkers kept running. Cedric stood in their path with Evan and Tomas. Behind them, Rhea and Milan were pressed against the storehouse wall. The captured rider lay bound in the mud beside the door.

The first berserker reached Cedric’s line. Its upper blades came down toward Evan’s shield while its lower clubs swung at Tomas’s ribs.

Cedric shoved Evan aside before the club connected.

The blow caught Cedric across the side and sent him into the wall.

Tomas lunged with a short spear taken from the militia rack. The point struck the berserker’s thigh. It did not go deep, but it stopped the creature for a breath.

Nessa used that breath. Her arrow hit the berserker’s wrist and one curved blade fell into the mud.

Kaia arrived from behind and cut across the back of its knee. The berserker collapsed with a scream, its remaining arms striking at the ground.

The second berserker reached the door and raised both clubs.

Carlos hit it from the side with his spear shaft. The blow did not knock it down, but it changed the swing. The clubs smashed into the stone beside the door instead of the lock.

The creature turned on him with all four arms moving. Carlos stepped back once, then drove the spearhead through the opening beneath its ribs.

The berserker froze.

Carlos pulled the spear free and brought the shaft across its jaw. It staggered. Evan, still holding his shield, slammed into its legs.

The creature fell backward into the mud. Carlos put the spear point at its throat.

"Stay down."

It bared its teeth. Its hands twitched around the remaining weapons. Then it saw Kaia coming up beside Carlos and went still.

Behind them, the first Marsh Troll had dragged itself back onto one knee. But Brann too was persistent and hit it again.

The second troll remained trapped in the overflow, being pushed back every time it tried to climb out. The chain troll lay beside the marker stone with one ruined knee and a broken wrist, trying to force itself upright.

The three hyenas had gathered again beyond the reach of the water. One limped badly. They watched their Lords instead of coming forward.

The remaining wolf rider had already turned its mount toward the eastern road. Carlos looked at Leon.

His troops were not winning. His plan had not taken the storehouse. The system had seen every part of it too and he knew there would be some penalty to come.

Carlos walked out from the seed-store door and raised his voice.

"You ordered an attack on workers after I told you to leave."

Leon heard him but did not say anything. He only watched from a distance.

"You wanted an agreement," Carlos continued. "Now you get one."

Leon’s eyes hardened at the way Carlos was speaking. He could see that, somehow, Carlos was keeping himself together, but he could not stand hearing confidence in his voice.

"You think you can force terms on us?" Leon asked.

Carlos looked at the broken channel, the wounded people, and the bound rider lying in the mud.

"No. I think you will choose them willingly, Mr. Leon. Before you end up begging me for mercy."

Leon’s hand went to the weapon at his waist. Carlos could not believe how delusional the man was. Or did he still have another card to play?

"Keep fighting, then. Entertain me."

Everyone looked at Leon. At that moment, Carlos felt what Leon was trying to do: create fear in everyone on Carlos’s side.

Carlos raised his spear again, ready to kill Leon before Leon could destroy his people.