28
Chapter 28
The dawn of the next day.
It was slowly becoming a habit to wake up at this hour.
Is this what the life of a morning person is like?
"Yawn."
Sitting on the Bed and yawning, I handed some Hardtack to Gerangi, who was crawling around on the desk.
Click-clack.
Gerangi took the Hardtack with its claws, put it in its mouth, and munched on it.
Hmm, were Crabs omnivores? Is it okay to feed it this?
To begin with, it wasn't a normal Crab. It didn't even have that distinctive fishy smell of seafood.
I should probably just view it as 'something in the shape of a Crab'.
Gurgle. Pfft.
I roughly gathered water using Condensation to rinse my mouth, then got up from the Bed.
"I should head out soon."
I tightened my Armor straps and packed my bags.
Since I said I'd only be gone for the morning, I wouldn't need to pack much.
After finishing packing and strapping the Pouch to my waist, Gerangi sneakily approached. It looked like it wanted to climb onto the Pouch.
"Alright, you need to show me something this time too."
I carefully placed Gerangi on the Pouch and headed to the lobby.
Going down the Stairs, I saw a few Mercenaries sitting at a table and yawning.
About four of them? That meant half of the Mercenary Group was gathered.
"Oh, you're out early."
"Good morning."
I raised my hand in a light greeting to the Mercenaries who spoke to me.
"Is this everyone?"
"No, that coward hasn't come out yet."
Coward? Ah, Piren was going too.
This guy was a problem even here.
Then, counting Piren, there were five members going out for reconnaissance today.
They were all faces I had grown familiar with during training.
The first to catch my eye was the lanky 'Geminic'.
With a bit of exaggeration, he was as tall as two people put together, and seeing him always sticking next to Commander Barret, he practically acted as the Vice Captain.
Thanks to his calm and polite personality, he was also the first person I became close with, other than Barret.
Next was the fatty, 'Charlie'.
Judging by his appearance, he looked like he'd swing a massive Hammer, but he surprisingly preferred the spear.
He had a round and gentle personality, but thanks to his size, he gave off a presence that couldn't be easily ignored.
And the foul-mouthed 'Gailson'.
From what I heard, he was someone who had been with the Barret Mercenary Group since its founding.
He had a filthy temper where curses popped out the moment he opened his mouth, but lately, he seemed even more sensitive, perhaps due to an injury.
Still, his skill with an Axe was solid, so everyone just kept quiet and let it slide without unnecessarily provoking him.
The last was the gambler, 'Nick'.
He always paired up with Gailson to roam the gambling tables, and whether his dexterity was good or bad, he endlessly cycled between winning and losing.
Still, I might have to acknowledge his sheer persistence. I wondered where he always got the money for it, but it turned out he was the only Archer in the Barret Mercenary Group.
Adding Piren to this made a total of five.
There were a lot of weirdos, but remembering what I saw at the sparring grounds, their skills were definitely solid.
Speak of the devil, I heard a thumping sound coming from the Stairs.
Piren hastily came down the Stairs and said.
"Gasp! Is everyone already gathered?"
"Yeah, you punk!"
As soon as he arrived, Piren was smacked on the head by Nick.
Serves him right. That's what he gets for not coming early.
Geminic, the Captain of today's party, spoke.
"Well then, since everyone is here, shall we head out right away?"
"Are we not having a meal before we go?"
I just woke up and I'm hungry.
Breakfast is a pretty important matter.
"Those Goblin bastards are hard to spot unless it's dawn, so we need to go quickly."
"Then I guess it can't be helped."
Tsk. I'll just have to chew on some Hardtack on the way.
With that, we immediately set off for the North Forest.
The North Forest was the last area the Mercenary Group hadn't searched yet.
This was where the possibility of finding a Goblin settlement was the highest.
Today's goal was simply to 'confirm the existence of the settlement' and return.
Given our current numbers, subjugation would probably be impossible.
As we walked through the Village, I chatted about this and that with the Mercenaries.
I asked fatty Charlie, who was walking next to me.
"If a higher-tier entity appears, would subjugation be difficult?"
"A higher-tier entity? Hmm. A Hobgoblin would be fine, but... if there's a commanding entity, we'd have to report it to the Guild."
In games, Goblins were just low-level monsters, but in this world, they seemed to be quite a headache.
Thinking about it, that makes sense.
Facing a single Beast was hard enough, so if it were one equipped with intelligence, it would be much trickier.
"Have you actually met one?"
"Well, not exactly... but I have seen an Ogre once."
"An Ogre?"
Ogre.
A Monster commonly seen in games, massive and slow-witted.
They were usually treated as basic mobs here too, but depending on the setting, they could be quite strong.
"One appeared on the Highway near the Village a while back. It was terrifying even from a distance. It crushed a Carriage with its bare hands."
...With its bare hands? A Carriage isn't a toy.
"Fortunately, the Ogre seemed satisfied with that and disappeared into the forest carrying the broken Carriage. After that, the Guild was commissioned, and Mercenaries came to handle it."
Mercenaries capable of taking down an Ogre... They must have been Gold Token Mercenaries.
Just hearing the rough description made it clear that a Silver Token wouldn't stand a chance.
"An Ogre wouldn't appear in the forest again, right?"
"No way. Ogres aren't common, and they're so huge that you'd see their heads poking out even in the forest. If there was one, we would have seen it by now."
He wasn't wrong.
This forest wasn't that dense.
Still, saying things like that usually raised a flag, so I needed to be careful.
"These days, those Thief bastards are more of a problem than things like that."
"Hmm."
I found myself nodding quietly.
Honestly, I had more memories of running into Thieves than a Monster.
"But why have there been so many Thieves lately?"
When I asked, Charlie shrugged his shoulders.
"The increase in Thieves... It's probably because of the Kingdom's situation, isn't it?"
"The Kingdom?"
"Yes. I don't know the deep details either, but they say the clouds of war are gathering with the neighboring country. The Border Region has been unrestful for years, and I heard the Royal Family even started forced conscription. With even country youths being dragged away, the ones who don't want to die end up hiding in the mountains... Then they starve, pillage, and become a Thief."
"...Aha."
I let out a short breath.
Border disputes, forced conscription, deserters.
None of it sounded like someone else's problem.
"That's why. If you're taking country roads these days, you absolutely must be armed. They attack with their lives on the line. Because if they get caught, they're dragged to the Battlefield."
"...So that's how it was."
I thought I wasn't interested in the political situation, but I didn't expect to feel it so closely.
Somehow, I now understood why I could frequently see a Thief in every Village.
"Haha, you really don't know much about the political situation. Then again, I've heard Magicians are usually like that."
"Do you know about Magicians?"
Charlie furrowed his brow as if it was awkward to answer.
"...Only as much as the fairy tales I heard as a child. Honestly, to a Country Bumpkin like me, a Magician is basically just a being in a story."
Were Magicians really that rare?
I heard there were organizations like the Magic Tower.
The people I met recently didn't seem particularly surprised...
Ah, I barely ever talked about it.
To be sure, I couldn't remember seeing any other Magician while wandering around.
"That's why Commander Barret is trying so hard to keep you, Sir Riv."
Charlie spoke honestly.
Well, if a real Magician is that rare, I suppose it makes sense.
It's a bit embarrassing to say it myself.
"What are you guys talking about?"
Perhaps bored, Piren chimed into the conversation.
"This is grown-up talk, so kids should get lost."
Charlie waved his hand dismissively at the approaching Piren.
"Huh? I get that Mister Charlie is older, but Sir Riv looks about the same age as me, doesn't he?"
...Looking only at appearances, yes.
Did Piren say he was eighteen?
Riv's body looked roughly similar in age.
Of course, my actual age is in my late twenties.
"Hey you punk, Magicians use Magic that keeps them from aging."
Charlie suddenly interjected.
"Huh? Really?"
...Is there really such a thing?
Since Charlie said it with such a serious face, even I was confused for a moment.
I wondered if there was such a thing, but it was probably just a fairy tale.
"Re-really?"
Piren asked again with sparkling eyes.
Looking at those eyes, I felt awkward denying it, so I gave a rough nod.
"Huh? Uh, yeah, sure."
He wouldn't know my real age anyway, so let's just let it slide.
"Wow, Magicians are amazing..."
...That's a lot of pressure. I can't use anything like that.
I wonder if I could mimic it if there was something like Blue Magic : Botox.
"Piren, quiet down now."
As soon as Geminic spoke from the front, Piren shut his mouth with a flinching expression.
A Forest Path stretched out before us.
We had finally entered the North Forest.
Even the Mercenaries who were noisy in the Village shut their mouths like ghosts and checked their Weapons upon entering the forest.
I also carefully lifted my Staff.
I didn't bring a Mace for this request.
The only one I had was a training Mace, and it didn't have enough Power to be useful in actual combat.
Well, if things get urgent, I'll just have to swing my Staff.
Since there's a Crystal Ball attached to the end anyway, it'll probably be similar.
Rustle, rustle.
Except for the Bird sounds heard in the forest, only the sound of us pushing through the Bush could be heard.
Since it was a search request, I thought we would scatter to look, but this was closer to a march.
I quietly asked Charlie, and he said they were ambushed while moving separately last time, so they stick together ever since.
The request wasn't delayed for nothing, I suppose.
A stop signal came from the front.
Geminic squatted down and examined the ground.
Are those... footprints?
"Has anyone been to the North Forest recently?"
"No. I heard no one has come since the last incident."
The footprint Geminic was looking at was much larger than a Goblin's.
It was obviously a size that only something human-sized could leave.
It meant either a Village Resident had secretly visited, or there was something else.
"Anyone in their right mind wouldn't enter a forest swarming with a Goblin alone. This might be a higher-tier entity."
Damn it, did one really appear?
This is why you shouldn't raise flags.
"Then what should we do?"
"Hmm, it's just a guess for now, so we still need to find the settlement."
Geminic added to my words.
"Not all higher-tier entities are strong. A Centurion isn't unconditionally stronger than a Decurion, you know."
Perhaps reading my expression, he deliberately said something to reassure me.
"Have you ever seen a higher-tier entity?"
"I've hunted a Hobgoblin before. It's just about the level of a bulky Goblin."
"Hmm."
Hesitating here is just a waste of time.
We began our search again.
Honestly, no matter how anxious I was, I never thought of turning back.
We wandered the forest all night like that, but we couldn't find any more traces of a Goblin.
The forest was much wider than expected, and the fact that traces quickly disappeared due to wild animals or fallen leaves also played a part.
In the end, we only came up empty-handed and returned to the Inn dragging our heavy bodies.
***
The third day since joining the request.
We finally discovered a new trace.
"Did these bastards hunt something?"
Clear bloodstains remained on the dirt ground.
Along with traces of dragging something heavy.
"The blood is still warm? They must be nearby."
"Yeah, even if they hide, they're just Goblin punks."
None of us disagreed that this was the work of a Goblin.
Of course, there was a possibility that wild animals fought each other, but under the circumstances, it was likely a Goblin.
The bloodstains continued long like Hansel and Gretel's trail.
We walked carefully, following the trail.
After a while, a shallow Hill appeared.
There were five Goblins on top of the Hill.
They were whining and dragging an animal that looked like a Deer.
'They couldn't go as far as I thought.'
We hid our bodies in the Brush below the Hill.
"What do you want to do? Should we strike right away?"
Gailson whispered.
However, Geminic gave a small shake of his head.
"No, we follow them quietly."
"What?"
"It would be good to reduce their numbers, but we need to figure out the settlement first."
"......."
Gailson narrowed his eyes as if he was dissatisfied.
Right, it's a matter of life and death, so we have to be careful.
As expected, he isn't acting as the Vice Captain for nothing.
"Let's stick to them for now."
We began to chase the Goblin group while keeping a suitable distance.
Midway, Piren tripped over a Tree Root and almost got us caught, but fortunately Charlie caught him quickly.
Thanks to that, Piren got two more bumps on his head.
"Kiek!"
"Kiek, kiek!"
The Goblins pushing through the forest suddenly stopped.
Are they taking a short break?
A few of them laid right down on the ground.
It seemed they were taking a real rest.
"Those bastards, sleeping on the streets is part of their daily routine."
Gailson grumbled with a pout.
Geminic quietly drew our attention with a hand gesture.
We lowered our bodies tight to the Brush and held our breath.
Gailson, who quickly scanned the surroundings, whispered lowly.
"Should we ambush them now? It'd be easy like this."
The off-guard Goblins, even the ones lying down.
If it's now, I definitely feel like we could end it easily.
But Geminic gave a small shake of his head.
"No, we hold back. We still don't know where the settlement is."
"Tsk, you're right."
Gailson grumbled and tapped the ground.
Geminic certainly makes cool-headed judgments.
He wasn't acting as the Vice Captain for nothing.
"......."
We watched the Goblins again in silence.
Not long after, one of the Goblin group raised its body.
Breathing heavily, it looked around as if its nerves were on edge.
'...Is it smelling something?'
My chest tightened.
Could it smell humans even through this thick forest scent?
One Goblin sniffed before suddenly letting out a short shriek.
"Kieeeek!"
"What is it?"
Our surprise only lasted a moment.
The situation was soon understood.
One Goblin made bizarre gestures while biting its pinky finger.
It cut off the tail of the dragged Deer and began to chew on it.
"...It must just be hungry."
Charlie muttered as if he sympathized.
The Goblins didn't care and started moving sluggishly again.
We carefully followed behind while maintaining our distance.
The Forest Path became increasingly rough.
Our feet caught on Vines, and the ground was covered in sludgy Mud.
'Are we getting close?'
An unpleasant smell creeping up from somewhere pierced my nose.
The smell of rotting Meat, the scent of a Beast, and even a sticky stench that was hard to describe.
Geminic raised his hand and stopped us.
We all lowered our bodies like instinct.
Up ahead, a faint shape could be seen through the Trees.
Tangled branches, a Decoration hanging Skulls, and Tents with holes.
Anyone could tell it was a Goblin settlement.
"......We've arrived."
Geminic muttered lowly.
We held our breath and looked around.
The settlement was smaller than expected.
Even with a rough count, there were about twenty Goblins.
However, inside, I saw one guy that was exceptionally large.
'...Is that the higher-tier entity?'
I swallowed my saliva without realizing it.
"What should we do?"
Gailson whispered.
Unlike his cautious voice, his eyes were excited.
"We watch a bit more."
Geminic said firmly.
That's right. It wasn't the time to move hastily yet.
We hadn't come here to subjugate them in the first place.
The numbers, the layout, the leader.
We could only move after figuring everything out.
Let's endure just a bit more.
But it was at that moment.
"Kuooooh...!"
A massive shadow slowly approached from behind the Goblin group.
A bloated silhouette easily over twice the height of a person.
Geminic also clenched his teeth.
"...A Goblin King."
A true higher-tier entity had revealed itself.