Chapter 9
Chapter 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: New Adventurer Bern (6) - Swift and Decisive
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bern and Blanca's first move was reconnaissance.
Without knowing how many enemies there were, how strong they were, or the exact location of their base, they couldn't even start a fight.
Bern's sharp senses precisely detected the presences of the goblins prowling the area, allowing them to observe unilaterally without being spotted.
"...Are goblins usually this organized in their movements?"
"No way. This is a first for me too."
Surprisingly, the goblins weren't just wandering aimlessly, scavenging whatever they could find.
At least four of them always moved in groups, minimizing the chance of unexpected encounters. Even if some fell, the survivors spread the word to other goblins nearby.
Wild animals like boars or bears, with their substantial size, could fend off goblins and even repel them, but once the goblins called reinforcements and overwhelmed them with numbers, those beasts had no choice but to fall.
Rather than devouring the hunted animals on the spot, the goblins cut them into manageable pieces and carried them off somewhere.
Blanca shivered as she watched them efficiently recover not just animals, but fruits, fish, and even the corpses of their own fallen kin as "resources."
The deeper they ventured, the more frequently they spotted goblins, while the presences of other creatures faded away.
It was only because the goblins ignored plants and insects that the area wasn't a complete wasteland—if they ate those too, it might have been.
Moreover, the quality of the goblins' equipment visibly improved the closer they got to the center.
The ones on the outskirts wielded crude stone axes and wore scraps of hide tied with string, but these had spears with blades affixed to long wooden shafts and properly sewn clothing.
The goblin nest was a massive cave, guarded at the entrance by around ten goblins keeping watch.
Bern lowered his voice.
"Even decent mansions only post one or two guards, but it seems goblins have numbers to spare."
"You have time for jokes? With that many on watch, picking them off one by one and sneaking in is impossible."
"Can't you just blast them all with magic at once?"
Blanca pondered briefly before answering.
"Low-tier won't cut it, but mid-tier could work. I don't recommend it, though. We don't know how many are left, and blowing half your mana now could spell trouble later. Plus, fire magic is flashy—it'll draw every goblin around in seconds."
Bern was impressed inwardly.
Blanca's demeanor was far more calm and rational than he'd expected.
He was confident in his abilities, so this was manageable, and he could protect her even in the worst case. But she didn't know that.
Unaware of his true capabilities, she had to consider the possibility of defeat—and as someone familiar with goblins, she knew how gruesome that end would be.
Normally, she'd panic and back out, or blindly trust him to handle it. But she did neither.
She said what she could do and what she couldn't, with clear reasons for each.
Truly competent talent.
Honestly, at this level, he could take her to the imperial palace...
'...No, can't think like that.'
Bern swiftly banished the "crown prince" thought threatening to resurface.
Right now, he was a guild adventurer, not the empire's heir.
It was weird for one adventurer to look at a senior and think, "Gotta scout her for my team."
RP—role-playing. Immerse in the character.
He took a small breath and said,
"Better save the magic. Area firepower is precious; this isn't the time."
"Then what do we do?"
"No need for fancy tricks. They're handing us an opening already."
Blanca furrowed her brows in confusion.
To her silent urging for explanation, Bern replied,
"Not always. More guards don't mean better vigilance."
"Huh?"
"Take a good look at them."
Over ten goblins swarmed the area.
Yet hardly any were truly focused on watch duty.
Most were dozing against the wall, playing in the sand with their spears, or chattering in clusters.
"Threatening creatures got cleared out through 'hunts,' and with so many comrades around, who needs to stay alert? Even humans slack off in groups like this—imagine goblins, impulsive as kids."
Someone—likely having seen village guards in action during the raid—had ordered them to stand watch, grasping its value.
But they overlooked how excess manpower could backfire.
"When I give the signal, count to ten, then fire a flame into clear view in the air above them. Power doesn't matter—lowest is fine."
"Got it."
"Go."
The word barely left his mouth before Bern darted sideways.
He wove through the brush without a single rustle—how?
Even as that thought crossed her mind, Blanca was already counting silently.
She prepared a low-tier fire spell: Tree Burning Magic.
Far too weak to wipe them out, but perfect for grabbing attention.
Three seconds to launch.
A flying stone from somewhere struck two diligently watchful goblins dead-on.
Two seconds.
They crumpled; the sand-player and chit-chatters turned toward the noise.
One second.
Confusion hit them, on the verge of raising the alarm.
'Now!'
Flames burst from Blanca's hand, painting the sky brilliantly and yanking every goblin's gaze.
Bern seized the instant.
Bursting from cover, he closed in sideways and slit their throats in a flash.
The distracted goblins died instantly, unaware even of his shadow; he followed up with the sleepers.
A display of lightning-fast precision.
Bern called to the brush.
"Come on out."
"...Did you even need my help?"
He could've soloed with stones or a charge.
Bern didn't feign modesty.
"I'd have handled ninety percent, sure."
"Then why?"
"Better safe than sorry with that ten percent ruining everything. Never fully trust the dice."
"Sounds just like those gamblers who went bankrupt."
Bern shrugged.
Strictly speaking, his "dice" weren't for gambling, but no need or way to explain.
"Clear the bodies?"
"Leave 'em. Empty post raises suspicion anyway—waste of time."
"Wait a sec, then."
As Bern tilted his head, Blanca pulled dried grass-like herbs from her bag, scattered them near the entrance, retreated a safe distance, and ignited them with another flame.
"Green Hunter. Goblins and orcs with green skin hate the smell. They avoid it unless desperate. Should make returnees hesitate."
"Why not rub it on us? Keeps them at bay too."
"Exposes our position. And hyper-agitated ones ignore it—no big use in combat."
Bern nodded, convinced.
Three years as an adventurer meant something. He pressed on.
Their strategy inside the cave was straightforward.
Spot first, strike first, neutralize before alarm spreads. Repeat.
Simple didn't mean easy.
If blitzing enemy strongholds without giving reaction time were trivial, no one would bother with defenses or patrols.
To Blanca, their impossible raid succeeded solely thanks to Bern's overwhelming physical prowess.
'Same view, but he sees twice as far. And his throws pack a punch.'
Even sharp senses had limits.
At a three-way fork deeper in, they paused.
Unknown paths risked getting lost inside.
Bern asked,
"What would normal adventurers do?"
"Normal ones don't raid goblin dens with two people. But generally? Block the paths. Covers your back while advancing one—no rear ambushes from the others."
"How?"
"Use obstacles if plenty; station teammates as midpoint if numbers allow; otherwise, torch it."
"Last one's our only option."
"Cave structure might asphyxiate us too."
"No magic for that?"
"Heard of such spells, but I can't cast 'em. My repertoire: two fire shots, one body boost, one wound heal. Spells aren't pickup lines."
She grumbled about the fortune mid-tier fire spells cost.
[The crown prince who gets any spell delivered by fawning retainers if he so much as asks wouldn't grasp the struggle.]
Ignoring Lucidra's snark, Bern pondered.
No wooden furniture for barricades; goblin corpses wouldn't hold.
Splitting their two-man party was out—he'd survive, but she'd be done.
Fire blocked, only one choice left.
"Blitz through fast as we can."
"Same here. ...But what's with the pose?"
Crouched with his back to her, Bern said,
"Hop on."
"You're insane?"
"Faster than matching your pace. One arm to carry, one free to fight. Bonus if you cast from there. Mobile artillery, right?"
"Even so, who asks a near-stranger to piggyback!?"
"Relax. Not starving enough to get ideas mid-fight."
"Real vote of confidence."
Blanca grumbled but knew bickering wasted time. With a sigh, she climbed onto his back.
"You're my bomb now. Fire when I say."
"Tempted to shove a fireball in your mouth—shut it?"
"Here we go. No need to grip tight; I'll hold you."
The words barely ended.
Their shadows shot forward like arrows.