Third Battle of Carne Village

The Third Battle of Carne Village was a battle during the Annual War between the inhabitants of Carne Village and a belligerent force of the Re-Estize Kingdom led by Crown Prince Barbro.

Background
During the preparations for the Annual War, King Ramposa III and his court learned about of the self-proclaimed Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown, who would be joining the war on the side of the Baharuth Empire. Demands had been made by the magic caster and that was to have E-Rantel ceded to him, claiming it was standing on the land that once belonged to him long ago and he has come to retake it.

The king asked Gazef Stronoff, his Warrior Captain, for advice regarding the Sorcerer King due to the two having met when the Sunlight Scripture attacked the Re-Estize Kingdom. Gazef warned about the power Ainz possessed and advise to his king to hand over E-Rantel to him. While most of the court scoffed at the idea, the King believed his Warrior Captain and sent his son, Crown Prince Barbro, to Carne Village under the guise of collecting information to keep him safe.

On way to Carne Village, Barbro found himself disgruntled at the meager task entrusted to him. He and his younger brother, Second Prince Zanac, had a long and bitter rivalry over the throne of the Re-Estize Kingdom. While the position of heir had been Barbro's for the longest time, following the Demonic Disturbance, Zanac now had more support. Fearing his birthright would be passed to his brother, the Crown Prince came to the battlefield in hopes of attaining war merit. However, the meager task he had been entrusted with now only accentuated his fears.

Amidst his anger, Barbro suddenly had an idea: The war was caused by the Sorcerer King's claiming E-Rantel. Thus, if he were to change his mind, the Empire would lose their casus belli and be forced to retreat. To create this outcome, Barbro intended to forcefully draft the inhabitants of Carne Village, who the Sorcerer King seemed to view as his own people, into the Royal Army and have them request the monarch to surrender. Even if the Sorcerer King were to refuse to stand down, it would create an image of him being a tyrant, causing his claim to lose legitimacy. Either way, Barbro would become a hero who ended a war, cementing his position as heir.

When the force arrived at Carne Village, the villagers were shocked to find a small army at their doorstep. An envoy from the army ordered the village gate be opened, but the villagers stalled to get enough time to hide the Demi-Humans that had become part of their community following the Second Battle of Carne Village. To get the villagers to hurry things along, the envoy informed them that Ainz Ooal Gown was an enemy of the Kingdom. This confused the villagers, unsure whether to trust their savior or their home country.

Eventually, Crown Prince Barbro lost his patience and ordered a warning shot of several fire-arrow by fired into the village. However, this was a fatal mistake, as many of the village's inhabitants came from villages previously burned by the Slane Theocracy's Sunlight Scripture, causing fits of PTSD amongst them. This resulted in the villagers making the unanimous decision to side with Ainz Ooal Gown and rebel against the Kingdom.

Battle
The villagers knew that their chances of victory were impossible, but unanimously agreed to resist the Crown Prince, and prepare to die. However did not wish for their children to die with them and devised a plan to save them. Since both gates of the wall were sealed by the army, a plan was proposed to allow the village's children and non-combatants to escape. Jugem advised that the defenders of Carne Village take the prince's forces by surprise by opening the front gate and lure them into the village. Once inside, the army would be caught off guard when the villagers hit them hard. It was hoped their attack would cause the troops stationed at the other gate to disperse and regroup at the front. Once the back way was freed the remaining villagers would escape into the Great Forest of Tob and be guided by Agu and his tribe and Brita. The Goblin Troop would stay behind to lead the attack with the Vigilance Committee. Jugem insisted that Enri and Nfirea join the escapees so they could protect the children. The goblin also suggested that if Enri encountered any trouble, use her last remaining Horn of the Goblin General so that a new group of goblins would protect them.

Upon the opening of the gates, Barbro was convinced that his show of forced cowed the villagers into submission. He was eager to begin the interrogations of villagers to gain valuable on Ainz Ooal Gown and which afterwards he would dispose of the entire villagers as a 'mercy'. Just as the levies of Baron Cheneko advanced to the open gate with the flag of the Kingdom, several soldiers were knocked back by the clubs of five ogres. The prince and his men were shocked by the sudden appearance of the demi-humans confounded as to why they were in a human village. The soldiers that had approached the gate then retreated in face of the giant monsters. In response to the new threats the soldiers of Marquis Blumrush raised their lances, however were unable to engage the ogres as they were still in the midst of their own fleeing allies.

Barbo aggravated his men to get back into formation as the ogres retreated back behind the closing gates of the village. Annoyed that his plans to swiftly complete his mission were now more complicated and hindering from returning to the battlefield against the Empire, Barbro ordered his knights to slay the demi-humans and villager as he saw they were in league with one another. Though his aide believed that there was something stranger afoot considering the presence of the ogres, as no mere peasants could possibly control them. Barbro insisted that there was nothing to consider as it just a rebellion to the Kingdom, using a discarded soiled flag of the Kingdom to justify intensifying their attacks. Uncaring that there might be a stronger foe within the village, Barbro pressed his forces on the attack, but in consideration ordered that some be captured alive for questioning. He gave out orders to his men to cut down trees to make battering rams and to continue launching more fire arrows.

As the front walls of the village were pummeled by pots of oil and fire arrows, the defenders of Carne Village at the command of Jugem waited patiently as the soldiers of the Kingdom began breaching the gates. After determining that the soldiers were close to the wall, the defenders launched a volley of arrows. Yet the battering rams did not cease as the soldiers were using multiple of them in a sequential attack. Another volley was sent over the wall, which was responded by arrows from the soldiers of the Kingdom, yet none struck the defenders. The villagers were then ordered to move back to a new position to avoid being hit by the other side's arrows. The defenders' plan to consolidate all the prince's forces at the front worked and now the main plan was to erode the Kingdom's forces strength and buy as much time for their loved ones to escape. Their goal was to charge headfirst at the soldiers and fight their way to the commander.

As the battle raged at the front Enri and Nfirea herded the women and children to the rear of the back gate. Once it was confirmed that the rear was left unguarded by Barbro forces, the group hurried to make their way towards the safety of the forest. The group had just left the confines of the village when they were spotted by mounted knights. The distance to the forest was too great for them to reach as the knights had horses and overrun them. Enri urged the others to hurry and escape while she and Nfirea remained behind to buy them time. Having no other recourse Enri blew her Horn of the Goblin General. The knights were about to catch up to the Carne Village escapee when they abruptly halted in face of the Goblin Army that magically appeared before them.

Back at the front gate Jugem continued to lead the defenders against the knights of the prince. Despite being outnumbered he and his small force managed to take down several of the prince's men. Still the goblins and human villagers were slowly being overwhelmed by the superior numbers and suffered many casualties. Jugem himself fought three warriors himself before he was starting to succumbed by the oppressive attacks. His fighting ability though intimidated the human soldiers on his skill and power and were unable to strike him effectively down.

A rhythmic beating of heavy drums was jeard throughout the battlefield, turning all eyes to the direction of the sound. Before them they saw a force of five thousand strong goblin warriors marching towards them. Jugem innately sensing that they were allies, ordered all the surviving defenders to run towards them to safety. The prince's warrior in face of this new enemy reacted sluggishly to reformed their lines as Jugem's force were allowed entry behind friendly lines. Now able to take a breather, Jugem met the commander of the army, the Goblin Strategist. Noting that his peer was injured the strategist offered to get him medical attention. After Jugem was told that Enri was safe he formally allowed the Goblin Strategist to take the reins of the battle against the Kingdom which the other goblin was happy to accept.

For the Crown Prince seeing the army threw his men into a panic who wanted to retreat from the disciplined demi-human army. Barbro refused as such an act would make the prince a laughingstock in the royal court as being one who fled from mere goblins. The goblin army was at least three ranks deep in a standard line formation. To compensate, the prince ordered his men into a crane wing formation to break through the goblins' defenses, but to their shock the armored shields of the Goblin Heavy Infantry Corps held against their spears and pushed them back instead. The cavalry of the prince tried to flank the armored goblins on their right, but were intercepted by the Goblin Paladin-Knight Squad. Likewise, the cavalry on their left were repulsed by the Goblin Beast Rider Corps. To make matters worse, Barbro's soldiers were attacked from long distance by the Goblin Longbowman Corps, Goblin Magic Bombardment Squad, and Goblin Magic Support Corps. Faced with these overwhelming counter attacks, the knights pleaded with Barbro to call a retreat. With great reluctance, Barbro conceded and had Baron Cheneko retreat first so as to saddle him with the reputation as a coward.

Just as the order was given out, Barbro and his men found several goblins of the Goblin Assassin Squad in their midst and a member of the Goblin Bodyguards. One of the goblins slayed Barbro's aid in an instant and caused the Crown Prince to instinctively retreat for dear life, escaping from the sounds of the Goblin Musician Corps. The goblins allowed Barbro and his remaining soldiers to flee at the strategist's order to give their commander better wiggle room during potential negotiations. Once the battle was over, the goblin reinforcements busied themselves in taking care of the dead.

Aftermath
After barely escaping with their lives, Barbro and his army finally stopped on an open field during nighttime. While the weakened soldiers rested, the prince could only rant about how they could have lost what he perceived to be low-level creatures.

Just then, a beautiful red-haired maid appeared before Barbro who was already suspicious about her and demanded to know who she was and why she was there. She revealed herself to be Lupusregina Beta, a Battle Maid of Ainz Ooal Gown. Learning who she was serving under, Barbro believed that Ainz Ooal Gown sent her to capture him and take him as a hostage. The prince attempted to negotiate with the intention of selling out his kingdom to get the magic caster's aid and be put in the throne as his puppet.

Lupusregina, however, had no desire to entertain the man and explained her intention in confronting him; To murder Barbro and his men. This angered Barbro and he explained to her who he was, believing she had no idea of his value as the member of the Re-Estize royal family. This didn't convince her and she was instead surprised by his idiocy. Lupusregina explained that both she and Ainz already knew that Barbro was the First Prince. She told him as simply as possible so that even he could understand that Ainz deemed him useless to his plans and, after witnessing the prince attacking one of his investments, this gave him more reason to have the nuisance eliminated. Lupusregina repeated her intentions once more and began her attack on those who dared to defy her beloved king's judgement.

To make the occasion "special", as she put it, Lupusregina requested Ainz to summon the Redcap Goblins to aid her. Barbro shouted for his men to get up and protect him but, when they awoke and saw the Goblins, they were so scared of them that they immediately abandoned him and attempted to flee. The Redcaps showed no mercy as they slaughtered the remaining soldiers and nobles. While the two forces engaged one another, a terrified Barbro was left alone with Lupursregina who would make sure that he would suffer a punishment befitting a failure of a prince. It was only thirty minutes later that Barbro finally died.