Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: On the Main Road
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"Ridiculousness has its limits."
On the way to the kingdom's capital, even if it took a bit longer, I'd asked the coachman to take the safe route. He'd smiled broadly, saying it would cost extra for the time, and confidently drove the carriage.
And this was the result.
Goblins had been lying in ambush.
They'd stabbed the horse's throat with something so crude it barely qualified as a spear, killing it.
As the horse convulsed and died, the carriage overturned.
Before the panicked coachman could even react, the goblins swarmed him and tore out his throat.
Then they came for me, inside the carriage, suffering from motion sickness.
Luckily, this wasn't my first time facing goblins. If I stayed calm, I could handle two or three on my own. I drew my sword and slashed the one trying to climb in, cutting it to pieces.
My strength was lacking, but the new sword I'd just gotten was exceptionally sharp, making it possible.
Gripping my sword, I climbed out of the carriage and butchered two more. The goblins lost their momentum and retreated.
If they hadn't known fear—if they'd charged me anyway—I would've died pointlessly right there.
"...Rest in peace."
I approached the fallen coachman and bowed my head.
I wanted to bury his body, but as I'd just seen, goblins were swarming the area.
If I wasted time digging a grave, I'd be the one in danger. Instead, I rummaged through his pockets and found a map and something to prove his identity.
I couldn't give him a proper burial, but if I could confirm who he was, at least I could tell his family what happened.
Blood and filth leaked out, filling the air with a foul stench.
I couldn't stay here any longer. I grabbed my belongings and hurried away.
If there was any silver lining, it was that I knew which way to go.
"For now, sticking to the main road should let me run into other travelers. Better not stray off."
It was unsettling to be ambushed on the main road, but it was still the main road.
A path frequented by many people.
The odds of encountering others weren't zero by any means.
The problem was that they rarely took a liking to me at first glance.
Fortunately, I had plenty of money.
For the right price, even if they found me distasteful, they'd make room for me on a merchant wagon or something.
That was my only hope.
Walking the whole way without rest would take nearly three straight days—no way I could manage that.
"At least I didn't get hurt when the carriage flipped."
If I'd twisted an ankle or something during the overturn, just imagining the aftermath was horrifying.
"Those goblins retreated because they lost their nerve, but they probably didn't go far. Gotta move fast."
I muttered to myself the reasons I needed to hurry.
There was a big difference between vaguely thinking it and saying it out loud.
It sharpened my focus.
Smart as they were, the goblins would prefer the horse and coachman's corpses—easy pickings that couldn't fight back—over me, who'd just butchered their kin.
But the danger hadn't gone away.
Under the unusually hot sun, I quickened my pace.
How many hours had passed like that?
As the sun began to set, I had no choice but to make camp.
This world was far too dangerous to travel at night.
Separate from this incident, camping had become second nature by now. I gathered branches, lit a fire, and skillfully caught and cleaned a rabbit.
I sprinkled it with salt and roasted it over the flames, but since I hadn't drained the blood properly, it had more gamey taste than expected.
After eating, I swung my sword for about an hour, then leaned against a rock, sword in my arms, using my cloak as a blanket for a light sleep.
The next day.
As I sliced through another goblin that crossed my path, I thought to myself.
Something was definitely off.
Even traveling along the main road, running into goblins this frequently made no sense.
Goblins had intelligence, which meant they could think.
Being able to think meant they knew to be cautious and avoid certain things. That's why goblins usually lived deep in mountains or forests.
Most humans saw them as easy prey, barely better than wild animals, but they knew overlapping territories with humans brought nothing good.
Yet here they were, showing up constantly. That was definitely strange.
Territorial dispute? Pushed out by some new force from their habitat?
It happened occasionally, if not often—goblins forced into human areas.
But even so, weren't they being too aggressive?
They'd ambushed and flipped the carriage with practiced skill, impressive even for goblins.
"No idea."
I mulled it over, but no clear answer came.
Whatever the reason, goblins popping up more than twelve hours from the ambush site was bad news.
Not my problem, sure, but a world in chaos wasn't exactly cheerful tidings.
"Well, yeah."
I clicked my tongue.
Tsk—
This world was a game, and if the game world were peaceful, there'd be no need for a protagonist. Chaos was probably par for the course.
Lost in pointless thoughts, I pulled out the map to check my direction.
Following the main road straight ahead would lead to a small village.
"Guess I should head there."
It was tiny, so I wasn't sure it'd have what I needed, but I had to go anyway to rest.
With a destination in mind, I kept walking.
No choice now that I'd lost the carriage.
Just keep trudging along boringly.
That was when it happened.
Kyaaahhh—! A horrific scream echoed out.
Instead of jumping in surprise, I instinctively drew my sword and ran toward the sound.
As I got closer, a cacophony of noises mixed in.
"Why the hell are these goblin bastards here—!"
"I don't know! Just kill 'em!"
"Nenya's down!"
"Hold on, you fucks! You know what happens if goblins get you!!"
The clash of weapons.
The rip of flesh.
The scream I'd heard was a dying gasp—a body with a gutted stomach spilling entrails came into view.
Twelve goblins against five people. No, make that four now—one just dropped.
If I wasn't going to help, I wouldn't have run here in the first place. And if I was, there was no reason to hesitate.
I tossed my bag to the ground and charged into the fray.
I walked forward.
Caught a goblin from behind and swung my sword.
The blade—too long for a dagger, too short for a standard sword—was perfect for me, worthy of being called my treasured blade.
Lacking strength, I'd made it light.
Light meant thin.
Thin, light, and razor-sharp.
I approached silently and severed a goblin's head.
Only after the head hit the ground did the people notice me. After the second head rolled, the goblins finally did.
I flicked the blood from the thin blade and switched to Grandpa's sword.
Sharp, yes, but fragile too—prone to snapping if I wasn't careful. Better not to use it for direct clashes once enemies spotted me.
"What are you staring at? Fight!"
As I downed two goblins and shouted, the others gripped their weapons and engaged.
Goblin skulls crushed. Human flesh torn by goblin attacks.
As if I were the biggest threat, three goblins surrounded me.
Sword in hand, I glared at them.
I swung in a wide arc, cleaving one's chest open. It dropped dead.
The other two charged simultaneously. I rolled desperately across the dirt to dodge.
I grabbed a handful of soil and flung it at them.
One fell for it, vision obscured.
No hesitation—I thrust my sword through its gut.
One left.
It assessed the situation, realized it was the last survivor, and bolted.
"That bastard…!"
"Don't chase it! Could be a trap!"
I grabbed the shoulder of the man revved up to pursue and urgently warned him. He irritably slapped my hand away, making me furrow my brow.
I didn't have to put up with this crap.
"You little shit, I just saved your ass and instead of thanks, what's with that attitude?"
"...What?"
"If you're so damn strong you can chase that goblin and bulldoze any traps, fine. But without my help, you'd all be dead meat. Don't act like an idiot."
He was taller by two heads and bulkier, but that move was suicidal.
If I didn't push hard, he'd definitely do something stupid.
"What you're about to do isn't revenge—it's suicide. Get a grip. If you wanna die following your buddies, just off yourself cleanly here. Anyone with a brain knows goblins don't leave you in one piece."
"...Damn it."
He must be pissed.
Probably wanted to snap back about who the hell I thought I was.
But he just trembled silently because I wasn't wrong, and he wasn't that unhinged.
"Sorry for the harsh words. But if you really care about your comrades, you know not to chase it."
"...No, you're right. Sorry. And thanks."
"It's fine."
I'd cursed first, so I figured he wouldn't think much of me.
But he apologized and thanked me readily. Seemed he'd just lost it momentarily— not a bad guy at heart.
In that case, I should return the gesture.
I pulled out the hemostatic agent I'd gotten as a reward last time.
"Put this on. And let's get to a safe spot first."
Standing around here might draw more goblins.
We needed to be at least four hours away.
"Everyone, move. I'll help. If you've got questions, save 'em for somewhere safe."
There'd be time later for back-and-forth.