The Goblin Horde's Assault
The adventurers moved swiftly. C-rank adventurers were among the more experienced of their kind, after all. Led by Lewis, the front-line adventurers—including Kiene and me—began setting up ambushes along the goblins' expected attack routes. Before long, the goblin horde came into view.
So the quest changed from subjugating a goblin nest to simply wiping out a large-scale goblin force...
Kiene, about thirty other front-line adventurers, and I waited in tense silence, weapons at the ready. Yet every one of us carried a grim resolve—the determination to protect the village.
"More than I expected. What was the lord doing while they gathered like this?" grumbled an adventurer clad in armor and wielding a massive greatsword.
"Hey, what's your name?"
A young male adventurer carrying a long sword on his back spoke to me.
"Me? Logue."
Since I had already been excommunicated, I saw no need to reveal my family name.
"You look young. How'd you end up in a mess like this? I came because the pay's good, at least."
"...Same here."
"Well, everyone has their reasons. Judging by the academy uniforms on you two, you're both students? ...Lucky."
"What's your name?"
"Isaac. And the impressive woman with the mace beside me is Kylie."
Next to Isaac stood a figure in full plate armor holding a mace. I hadn't been able to tell the gender because of the helmet, but it was a woman.
"...Hello, kids."
My brow twitched at being called "kids" by Kylie, but I ignored it to avoid pointless friction.
"Haha. I'll apologize for her. Kylie's got a rough mouth."
"Shut it."
The way they bantered made it clear they had known each other for a long time.
"...Anyway, let's all make it out alive."
With that, Isaac turned his gaze back to the front.
The goblin army was nearly upon Lien Village now, advancing in a surprisingly organized formation with hobgoblin shield-bearers at the front.
At this scale, there's definitely a goblin general.
As expected, the goblin general stood at the center of the formation, proudly displaying a massive axe. The goblin general was an intermediate boss that appeared in A-rank quests on the adventurer route when Hero accepted them. It was a monster that naturally spawned once a certain number of goblins gathered—a goblin that had transcended the limits of its species. In terms of rank, it was on par with a fully equipped Melek.
In other words, not the kind of monster you'd normally encounter on a quest like this... Did the story change again?
I fiddled with the Return from the Brink potion I'd received before departing. ...It looked like I might need it after all.
Toot.
A trumpet sounded from the defensive line at Lien Village. Then came the explosions.
—Boom!
—Kaboom!
After that, a barrage of fireballs rained down on the goblins. It seemed the mages who had already set up defensive formations in the village were at work. Arrows followed, and goblins who failed to dodge began to fall one by one.
"This might be easier than I thought."
One of the hidden adventurers muttered absentmindedly.
But the situation didn't unfold so optimistically.
"Uwooooooooor!"
The goblin general let out a thunderous roar. At the same time, the goblins began advancing with their shields raised high.
...Mage incantations take time. This is where it gets difficult.
The goblin general hurled the polearm strapped to its back toward the barricade. With that single throw, a territorial soldier holding a shield was impaled along with it. The soldier died instantly.
A murmur of unease spread among the territorial soldiers. Arrows continued to rain down on the goblins, but their momentum remained unbroken.
"Let's go, Kiene."
"...Yeah."
The difference in numbers was overwhelming. Even if we'd thinned their ranks with large-scale magic and arrows at the start, holding the barricade would eventually lead to defeat. The other adventurers seemed to share my thoughts; they gripped their weapons and stared at the battlefield.
Whoosh!
Kiene and I charged toward the goblin horde. The other adventurers followed right behind us. Our target was the enemy's rear. As planned beforehand, we split into two groups and began striking their flanks and rear.
Thud.
My spear pierced a goblin's abdomen. I retrieved the weapon, blocked the next wave of attacks with my shield, and glanced around.
—Boom!
...There was no need to worry about Kiene. Her greatsword cleaved through multiple goblins with every swing. The other adventurers were holding their own as well. Especially Kylie with her mace and Isaac—they were slaughtering goblins in single strikes.
...Even so, there were simply too many goblins.
A thousand... maybe more.
Small wounds were accumulating on my body and those of the other adventurers. To make matters worse, the goblins had smeared filth on their weapons, and the injuries were beginning to fester.
Cunning little bastards...
"Kieeeek!"
A goblin shaman waved its staff and let out a shriek, causing the eyes of nearby goblins to turn red.
A buff? ...Berserk?
After that, each of the goblins' attacks grew noticeably heavier. Even the goblins that had been hesitant at first now pressed the attack, and we found ourselves at a disadvantage.
"Agh!"
I turned toward the scream and saw an adventurer I didn't recognize impaled through the abdomen by a goblin's blade, blood pouring from the wound. I rushed over, but by the time I arrived, the adventurer had already been reduced to a pulp and died.
...Damn it!
The other adventurers were struggling as well. At that moment, the trumpet sounded again.
Toot!
Simultaneously, countless fireballs rained down on the goblin horde—an inferno reminiscent of a rain of fire.
"Kiene, over here."
"...Hngh."
I wrapped an arm around Kiene's waist, pulled her behind my shield, and braced for the fireball barrage. The mages had tried to avoid hitting our raiding party, but the risk of friendly fire was unavoidable. The battlefield didn't move according to our convenience. Proof of that lay in the fact that the spot where Kiene had been standing moments ago was now engulfed in flames.
I could've sworn I heard a cute little scream just now...
When I looked at Kiene, she had her head lowered, face flushed red.
"...Thanks."
With those words, Kiene readjusted her grip on her greatsword and charged back into the goblin horde.
—Boom!
...Goblin blood splattered across my face. Once again, Kiene was tearing through the goblins, reducing them to chunks of meat as she rampaged across the battlefield.
That said, the number of hobgoblins is increasing. Does that mean our disruption is working...?
We were facing more and more hobgoblins. The fact that their numbers at the front were growing meant we were doing our job effectively. The adventurers naturally regrouped.
"Huff... huff... Everyone okay?"
Isaac asked, breathing heavily. The goblins didn't dare charge while we were clustered together. But that wouldn't last long.
Seven of us left... Fewer than last time.
The battlefield resembled hell itself. The stench of blood hung thick in the air, and the goblins' flesh and entrails were strewn everywhere, creating this nightmare.
"...We should retreat for now, regroup, and charge again."
It seemed everyone, myself included, had reached their limit. We were all breathing raggedly, covered in wounds. Even Kiene was catching her breath...
The defensive line still held—the barricade remained intact.
"The magic bombardment will probably start again soon. Let's fall back to the hill we were on earlier. Keep an eye on the rear while—"
But Isaac's words were cut short. An axe hurled by the goblin general from somewhere had split his head in two.
...A piece of Isaac's head splattered across my face.
"Isaac!!!!!!!!!!"
Despite everyone's attempts to stop her, Kylie, enraged, charged straight at the goblin general. The result was horrific.
"No!"
Afterward, Kylie's figure was cleaved in half.
"Grrgh..."
The goblin general had apparently decided that if it didn't stop our raiding party, it wouldn't be able to capture Lien Village.
...If I use the Return from the Brink potion now, I might be able to take down the goblin general, but I'd be forced to retire from the battlefield afterward.
The risk was too great to use the potion recklessly. At least not until the battlefield was more settled...
"Incoming!"
At the same time as an adventurer's shout, the axe the goblin general had been carrying flew straight toward me.
Crash!
I raised my shield to block it, but I couldn't fully stop the force and was sent flying backward.
What monstrous strength...
My arm holding the shield trembled violently. The goblin general approached us with a chilling smile on its face. At the same time, Kiene charged toward it.
Damn it!
Kiene was strong, but she wasn't yet at the level to subdue the goblin general alone. Especially not when she was already exhausted. I forced my unwilling legs to move and headed toward her to provide support.