Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: 7. Greenback Forest
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Sudden gas terrorism.
For the already chaotic Goblin Fortress, rattled by the injury of Goblin King Junior, it was nothing short of a catastrophe.
"Kueeeek!"
"Kyaaak?! Kaaak!"
Fluids poured endlessly from their eyes, noses, and mouths.
Rubbing their eyes because they stung so badly only made it feel like sanding them with sandpaper, worsening the symptoms even more.
The goblins touched by the rising gas, along with the orcs and other monsters who had been working, were thrown into utter panic.
They thrashed about trying to escape it, but the once-sturdy fortress had become a massive prison trapping everyone inside, preventing any flight.
"Kek?!"
"Kigak!"
The goblin patrol squads on the fortress walls watched in confusion.
But they had no knowledge that the faint gas now spreading was dangerous.
In their desperation to save their writhing kin in agony, they descended from the walls into the fortress filled with tear gas.
"Kueeeek!"
"Kyak?!"
And they met the exact same fate.
Total chaos.
Over 200 goblins dashed about wildly in every direction, rubbing their eyes and noses, rolling on the ground.
'My god.'
'No time to prepare or anything, but this is insane.'
Qumel, Shnero, and Rin's party, who had entered the fortress through the hole Edin had made, were a bit taken aback by the disaster beyond their expectations.
Even though these were low-level monsters lacking both the time to react and the ability to do so properly.
Hundreds of monsters weren't even mounting a proper response despite the intruders being right there.
'This is like... beating up training dummies.'
Pow!
Qumel smashed the head of a goblin rolling on the ground with tears and snot streaming down its face and thought as much.
"Kek!"
"Kiik?!"
But it wasn't like they couldn't respond at all; even with tears and snot flowing, the goblins who spotted the three began charging at them.
However.
Kwajik! Pow! Boom!
"Kyaaaak!"
"Kuek!!"
Against opponents they might not even beat in a fair fight to begin with, how were they supposed to cope now with blurred vision from tears and numbed sense of smell from snot?
It was a outright massacre.
As easy as stepping on a swarm of passing ants.
'Is this really okay...?'
The thought crossed her mind, even though they were monsters.
"Kueeeeeek!"
But that didn't last long.
Their king, the Goblin King, had stepped forth.
Fwoosh!
He immediately gathered the goblin shamans and had them cast wind magic.
He had instantly realized the faint smoke filling the entire fortress was the cause.
The Goblin King was tearing up and snotting too, but it seemed he'd protected his respiratory system and eyes with mana.
Unlike the others, his symptoms weren't severe and were already clearing up.
Thus, the smoke was dispelled by the shamans.
And the figures of the party, who had been massacring goblins while wearing gas masks amid the smoke, came into view.
"Krag! Kyarga!"
He was already furious over his son's severe injury.
And now, this ridiculous human raid.
But thinking about it, they'd been planning to hunt humans for healing potions anyway.
These ones were comparable to the humans they'd encountered before.
Or perhaps even stronger.
Back then, he would've pissed himself and fled.
But now was different.
He was the king of the goblins, with hundreds of goblins and orcs plus other races under his command...
"...?"
The Goblin King looked around in confusion.
Wasn't something... off?
The thought suddenly struck him.
As he suspected, the goblin numbers had dwindled significantly in the meantime.
It had been about 10 minutes since the Goblin King appeared and used wind magic to blow away the tear gas, calming the situation.
Not a long time.
But these were super-elites shining with temporary adventurer registration at A-rank.
In that span, they'd efficiently culled a huge number of the fortress's minions.
First, the goblin shamans and their guards, who would be the biggest obstacles once they recovered.
Already incapacitated by the tear gas, they were head-smashed like regular goblins in an instant.
Next, the orcs and other races.
Stronger baseline fighters than goblins, so they were prioritized.
Then, the Goblin King's commanders directing the goblins.
Generals or chieftains with such titles.
Without them, the goblins' command structure crumbled.
Even if the king issued direct orders, there were limits without generals to rally the troops below.
Qumel charging at tremendous speeds, no need to protect party members.
Rin, fast and precise as ever with her ranger skills.
Shnero mainly using pinpoint arrow or lance spells to avoid blowing away the gas with area magic.
With such sharp situational judgment and teamwork, the monsters were cleared in a flash.
In just 10 minutes, about 50 goblins vanished, and the 40 or so orcs and dire wolves were wiped out entirely.
"...Kuek."
And then.
'In a few minutes or so, they'll gather goblin shamans to blow away the gas. Get ready for that.'
As soon as the goblin shamans assembled and began chanting wind magic per Edin's advice, the three students grouped up and took positions.
The goblins still coughing from the lingering tear gas effects.
Ah, this is bad.
Such a thought flashed through the Goblin King's mind.
#
They fully dealt with the Goblin King and his injured offspring in the king's lair.
Apparently, the chaos stemmed from the heir being wounded.
That made the plan work even smoother.
Otherwise, they might've responded faster, requiring backup plans two and three.
Well, it resolved easily, so all good.
"Whoa... incredible, Professor Edin."
"Seriously. The effect was insane? You made all that yourself?"
"...Efficient, rational strategy."
After it was over, the students swarmed him with pure praise.
Eh, not that big a deal.
I just provided support to let them fight comfortably.
Capturing the Goblin King afterward was purely their skill.
Still...
'Ah, whatever. Don't bother.'
'Hey, don't waste time digging that crap up, let's go.'
'What? Potions? You need that stuff?'
"......"
Yeah, it felt pretty good.
"Seriously amazing. It wasn't just support; you basically handled it solo."
"At this rate, even three or four mid-level party teams could've cleared it."
"...Huh? N-No, that wouldn't do."
Staff normally don't interfere with student requests, per policy.
...Even if this was a bit exceptional.
Did I overstep...?
Their earlier reactions bugged me too.
"Seems like you're worried about the rules, but this was definitely an exception. Without you, Professor Edin, it would've taken forever. Or we'd have taken heavy losses."
"Yeah. Might've even needed Instructor Rasen to step in."
"...Thanks to you, no one got hurt..."
The students said as much, thumbs up to say not to worry.
"I see. Glad I could help, then."
With the request wrapped up... time to claim the very important spoils?
"Ooooh."
Probably because his offspring had taken heavy external wounds, there were heaps of Acorhol Grass—the raw material for antiseptics—plus other ingredients.
And Remod Fruits for antibiotics, too.
They'd been making meds somehow to stave off infection and keep it alive.
But now, this was mine.
...Ah, no.
Still the students', but I'd buy it with academy budget soon.
"Look at this. Pretty decent treasure orb, huh?"
"Oh ho... Was that what the king had?"
"...Valuable spoils."
They were checking the magic stones and artifacts from the Goblin King too.
Adventurers prioritize that stuff, after all.
"Edin."
"?!"
Gah, startled me.
Where'd she come from?
Saella suddenly appearing right behind me gave me a fright.
"Saella... what is it?"
"I keep telling you, drop the honorifics."
But how could I speak casually to Saella, way stronger than me, an elf so much older, with far more experience?
I still couldn't with Lunarin, either.
Anyway, when I asked what was up again.
"Sniff...! I saw your performance, Edin. As expected of your potions—top-notch efficacy."
"......"
Then she gushed about the clean strategy, how per the students even lower parties could've done it.
Just nonstop praise and admiration for me.
...So, what'd you show up for, then?
"Whew. Had to say that. Later."
"...??"
Shockingly, after ranting her respect and praise excitedly.
She vanished again.
...She really just came to say that?
I knew she was a weird elf, but this was baffling.
"Professor Edin. Come check this out quick! More herbs, and stuff that looks like poison ingredients."
"Ah, yeah! Coming!"
The students called me back, so I headed over.
The storeroom was already packed with those piled-up materials earlier.
More ingredients? Guess they really dominated a chunk of Greenback Forest.
The brief fluster from Saella faded, replaced by excitement over the new materials.
Wonder what potions I could brew with these.
Getting thrilled over stuff like this... yeah, alchemy really suits me.