Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Goblin Subjugation
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We literally turned the mountain upside down searching for any signs of goblins. Sant, who had set out so boldly, turned out to be more of a dimwit than expected and was utterly useless at tracking them. Tracking was an advanced skill, after all—not something just anyone could do.
But that wasn't the problem. What I couldn't figure out was why this guy, who clearly had no clue, kept striding ahead like he owned the place. He looked so damn intimidating that I couldn't even say anything. If I snapped at him and he got serious with that spear pointed at me, I'd be screwed. Spears beat swords anyway.
In the end, we kept searching until the sun was high in the sky, but we didn't catch even a glimpse of a goblin. They had to be holed up somewhere in a burrow, huddled together. But mountains are vast, so finding them wasn't easy.
It wasn't quite like finding a needle in a haystack, but it felt about that difficult. Even looking for goblin footprints or trampled bushes didn't turn up anything obvious.
Maybe it would be better to wait until they raided the crops and then follow them stealthily. Yeah, that sounded smarter.
"Ah, this is exhausting. Let's eat first."
Climbing the mountain nonstop like this would probably make me puke my guts out and keel over from exhaustion, so I suggested a meal. We'd been moving a lot, so it was the perfect time for a break.
"...Sure."
Sant, who had been silently leading the way and hacking through the underbrush, agreed.
I glanced back at Meria and Gibson, and they nodded too, so I plopped down right next to a nearby rock.
My back ached from all the strenuous hiking. Sweat was already beading on my forehead. Thirst burned in my throat, so I uncapped my canteen and chugged it down.
"I thought we'd find them quick, but they're nowhere in sight."
"W-well, we'll get 'em before the day's out."
Gibson and Meria settled into spots as they spoke. We each pulled out our packed rations. Unlike my tasteless hardtack, the others had brought jerky and such. As a poor guy, I was insanely jealous.
My staple was this obsessively baked, rock-hard biscuit-like hardtack—basically preserved bread. No joke, it was more object than food, which is why I called it that.
It tasted like crap, and without water, even chewing was a chore. But it filled you up, was cheap, and easy to carry, so it was my go-to. Human feed, plain and simple.
"Ah, this is edible."
Meria, who had unslung her shield and leaned it against a tree, reached out and plucked a black berry.
I'd seen these before, but I had no idea they were edible. They looked pitch-black and sketchy—like they'd give you the runs—so I'd always ignored them. Just to be safe, I asked her.
"Huh? You can eat that?"
"What? You didn't know? It's just a sweet fruit."
Hearing that, I hurriedly grabbed one too. Desperate for some sugar right now, I bit into it without thinking. The flesh burst nicely at first—felt good.
"...Not that sweet, though."
But contrary to what Meria said, it was more sour than sweet. Then again, after all the sugar-bombed food from modern Earth, maybe this wasn't stimulating enough for me.
"Doesn't it taste kinda subtle?"
"It's just sour... Isn't it?"
"Hmm, weird."
Anyway, fruit meant vitamins and nutrients, so I scarfed them all down on the spot. Vitamin C deficiency leads to scurvy and death. Gotta supplement for survival.
Still, fruit beat hardtack by a mile. I'd pick these whenever I could from now on.
"Eh, tastes fine."
Oh, right—the shield.
Meria's shield propped against the tree. Shields were fantastic defensive tools, minus the hassle of carrying them. I was thinking of getting one myself, so I asked her about it.
"Hey, Meria. That shield."
"Yeah? The shield?"
"Looks pretty good. Mind if I touch it?"
"Go ahead."
This round shield was the perfect size for body protection.
"Ho... Not heavy at all."
Lifting it, it wasn't bad. Light enough to carry on my back. Standing up and holding it properly, it covered my upper body nicely. Felt secure behind it.
Security breeds confidence, and confidence boosts combat power. Just hiding behind it seemed to amp up my attack potential.
Attack is the best defense, after all.
"Nice. Did you train specifically in shield techniques?"
I asked Meria. Like swords, shields probably needed proper training.
"Oh, there was this retired soldier back home. With monster raids and all, he taught the villagers weapon and shield basics. Like an instructor—we all learned shield handling from him."
"A retired soldier in your hometown? That's rare. Lucky break."
"Right? That's how I make a living as an E-rank adventurer."
Explained how a woman like her was an E-rank. Training from a pro soldier would give her an edge. I savored the feel as I set the shield back by the tree.
"All done eating."
About 30 minutes of meal and rest later. As Sant stood with a "Let's get moving," a sudden thought flashed through my mind.
Sant immediately struck a pose to resume the damn climbing. He seemed convinced that scaling the mountain was the only way to find goblins.
I grabbed him before he could take off.
"Hold on."
"Hm?"
"Thinking about it, maybe we don't need to go deeper."
"What do you mean?"
Having shoved some food in my mouth, my brain finally kicked in a bit. I explained.
"If the goblins are raiding crops, their base is probably near the village. Too far, and hauling stolen goods would take forever. Instead of climbing higher, searching the lowlands near the village makes more sense."
Even I thought it was a solid deduction. Mornings are foggy-headed, stomach empty, climbing sucks—no wonder I hadn't thought of it. Better to search logically than blindly.
Humans need to use their brains. I convinced myself.
"Yeah, sounds right to me."
Gibson chimed in. If even his young brain agreed, it had credibility.
"...Why didn't you say that sooner?"
Meria acted like she'd had an epiphany.
"More like, how did no one think of this? We climbed for nothing."
"Better head down, then."
"Chalk it up to exercise."
Once the party consensus was to descend, Sant said sternly.
"You're right. Let's go down."
We started descending immediately.
Going down was way faster than up.
I tried thinking like a goblin. Low intelligence, small stature, weaker stamina than humans. Where would such creatures dig a burrow for raiding crops?
Raids at night, vision no better than humans—probably somewhere with a clear view of the village...
...
Fuck if I know.
How the hell would I know that?
If I did, I'd be Kim Goblin, not Kim Katt.
With my worthless pondering, we resumed the search. Our spot was close enough to see the fields with the naked eye, but dense bushes and uneven terrain hid us well.
Perfect spot for it...
That's when it happened.
"Huh? There. That cave. Suspicious, right?"
Meria tapped my back.
"Look over there."
"Where?"
"No, there. That way."
Unable to spot it, she grabbed my head with both hands and turned it. Surprisingly no skinship aversion... Wait, not the point. In the direction she aimed, there was a cave that screamed "this is it."
"Whoa, sharp eyes. Yeah, that looks like it."
"Right? Totally."
"Exactly."
I called Sant and Gibson.
"Sant, Gibson—looks like Meria found the target."
They checked it out and nodded. But the entrance seemed too narrow for a proper cave—tough to explore inside.
"Could be a kobold burrow?"
Gibson said cautiously. Logical, but shortsighted.
I replied.
"Maybe, but if kobolds were there with goblins, they'd be fighting like crazy. Village would've noticed."
"What about an owl bear nest?"
"Huh? Owl bear? What's that? Never heard of it."
Owl bear? Sounded brutally vicious just from the name. Way beyond E-rank scrubs like us.
If that's there, we should bail now!
"You nomad—how do you not know so much? No idea what an owl bear is?"
"What's an owl bear?"
"Too small for an owl bear nest. Not that."
"Oh?"
Gibson seemed convinced by Meria's explanation. But seriously, what's an owl bear?! I gotta fill my monster manual! As I fidgeted, Sant kindly explained.
"Owl bear's a massive bipedal monster covered in feathers. Owl-headed, huge eyes—great eyesight, even night vision. Terrifying predator. But no way it'd be near the village. Too many deaths; they'd know."
"I-is that so? Thanks for explaining."
Learned some killer tips today.
We cautiously approached the cave. Surroundings hidden by vegetation—perfect cover. Scattered messy footprints ringed the entrance.
"These are..."
"Footprints. Size and shape scream goblin."
Meria inspected and confirmed goblin tracks.
If she said so, it was so.
Looked goblin to me too.
I hugged the wall and peeked inside. Deep cave. Entrance under 2m—hard to swing a sword inside. Charging in blindly... not recommended.
In tight, dark caves or dungeons, human size is a disadvantage. Small goblins would thrive. Especially in their home turf. Even dogs bite harder at home.
I asked Sant, the most experienced-looking.
"Sant, what's the play? Rushing in feels risky."
"Set it on fire."
"Pardon?"