Be Careful What You Wish For (1)
“What? You’re telling me to watch out for a single goblin?”
The blonde youth in silver armor snorted at the ridiculous warning. With a helmet on his head and a fine sword at his waist, he looked every bit the knight. Yet anyone with a keen eye would notice the silver cross hanging from his neck and realize he was an adventurer.
“Do you know who I am? I’m Lance, the Silver-grade adventurer known as Sword Wind.”
His tone carried a hint of arrogance, but the silver cross lent weight to his words. It was the mark of a Silver-grade adventurer, a guarantee from the Guild of both his skill and identity. In other words, no matter how flippant he seemed, his ability was genuine.
“P-please, you must be careful, sir!”
“That’s right. That creature is no ordinary goblin.”
“Tsk. This is why country bumpkins are hopeless. No matter how strong a goblin gets, it’s still just a hob or a shaman at best.”
Lance clicked his tongue openly as he watched the merchant and his men turn pale. He wasn’t dismissing the harm goblins could cause to villages. He understood their danger well enough. If goblins ever formed not just a pack but an army, the Guild would have to respond with full force.
‘Still, we’re talking about one goblin, not an army or even a pack. Could there really be something more to it?’
A flicker of caution crossed his mind, but Lance quickly brushed it aside with a smirk. Even if there was something unusual, the opponent was still just one goblin. If monsters had ranks, goblins would be at the very bottom—slaves or commoners.
His dismissive attitude only made the merchant’s side grow more frantic.
“I beg you, adventurer. That thing has already caused enormous losses to our caravan.”
“Oh? I heard you’re carrying some top-grade goods. Mind letting me have a little fun with them before you sell?”
“Th-that’s impossible. There are procedures—”
“Yeah, yeah. I was joking.”
Lance patted the merchant’s back as if it had truly been a joke, and the merchant finally managed a sigh of relief. The Guild valued credibility above all else. Skill could be improved with effort, but lost trust could never be regained. Earning a silver rank meant he was someone reliable. Naturally, hiring a Silver-grade adventurer cost a pretty penny. Even so, this job was worth every coin.
‘This time, failure is not an option. If I deliver this shipment safely, I can recover all my losses.’
One might wonder why the merchant insisted on this route if the cargo was so important. Why not take a safer path? The answer was simple: this was the safest and best-maintained road in the area. At least, it had been—until that mad goblin appeared.
“Halt.”
At that moment, Lance, who had been keeping watch at the front, raised his hand. The entire caravan stopped instantly. A cold silence fell. Only one monster attacked travelers on this road—that mad goblin.
Lance looked up. From the darkened undergrowth emerged a green-skinned monster, walking with a leisurely gait.
‘Definitely a goblin. At least they weren’t lying or downplaying the request. But something feels off.’
He had expected a hob or shaman, yet the goblin before him was different. It wore a strange triangular hat, leather pants covering its lower body, and a gray robe fluttering over its shabby shoulders. What Lance found most alarming, however, was the sword—not drawn, but sheathed at its waist.
“I’ll give you that much. I’ve never seen a goblin like this before. Some kind of new variant?”
“Drop your weapons and carriages and flee. I’ll spare your lives.”
“……It speaks the human tongue? And so fluently?”
Surprising a veteran adventurer who had seen countless battles was no easy feat—especially one of Silver rank. Yet this was the second time Lance had been shocked today. Other monsters were one thing, but a goblin speaking human language? This was unprecedented. He had heard reports, but assumed they were mistaking a shaman’s incantations. Never had he imagined a goblin that could speak proper human words.
If he captured and sold it, it would fetch a fortune. The world was vast, and twisted desires always sought rare offerings. If that failed, he could always stuff and mount it.
Realizing he had stumbled upon unexpected profit, Lance hid his grin and spoke.
“How about you drop your weapon and surrender instead? I’ll at least let you keep your life. Otherwise, it might hurt—a lot.”
“……I see. That’s your answer.”
“A goblin acting all high and mighty—?!”
Swish.
In that instant, a flash of light streaked past. A metallic clash rang out a moment later—the sound of metal slicing through metal. Only then did Lance realize the goblin had severed his neck, which had been protected by armor.
“……How?”
Blood gushed from the stump like a fountain. His severed head rolled across the ground. In his final moment, Lance saw his own armored body collapse. That was the last thing he ever witnessed.
A Silver-grade adventurer had been slain in a single strike. The sight was enough to plunge everyone into despair.
“W-wait! I’ll listen! I’ll give up everything we have! Just spare our lives, please!”
No one had expected a Silver-grade adventurer to be defeated so effortlessly. The merchant dropped to his knees once more. The cost of hiring Lance, the penalty for losing the goods—it would be a devastating loss. But he could always make more money if he survived.
The goblin simply shook its head.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay out of this?”
“D-did you say that?”
“This is the second time now.”
“Th-then, if you spare us just this once, I swear I’ll never forget—”
Swish!!
“…That answer was already your second.”
The merchant’s head fell as he knelt begging for his life. At the same time, the heads of the surrounding guards dropped as well. After slaughtering over ten humans in an instant, the goblin casually wiped the blood from its blade and sheathed it.
You have defeated the first Silver-grade Adventurer.
Experience has increased.
Stat increases are limited due to the physical limitations of ‘Goblin’.
The effect of ‘Sword Master’ breaks through the limits!
Strength and Agility have increased!
‘This isn’t what matters right now.’
Brushing aside the half-broken Status Window without properly checking it, the goblin hurried toward the carriage.
Crack! Crash!!
With a single effortless swing, it sliced through the sturdy magical lock and opened the door. Inside, it saw elves—collared like beasts, huddled together inside iron cages.
“It was noisy outside. Did you kill all the humans?”
“I did.”
“I see. Then I suppose we can die in peace now.”
The elf had already resigned herself to death. Yet there was no fear on her face—only an eerie calm. It was only natural. They had already lost everything: their home, their friends, even their dignity. And now, even Chaos’s Kin had become involved. Death seemed preferable.
But the goblin shook its head at her resigned words. The elf’s eyes widened.
“What does that mean?”
“If you want to live, move.”
“Don’t tell me you’re taking us to a goblin cave?”
“This should be answer enough.”
No longer bothering to explain, the goblin pulled something from its pocket and tossed it to the elf. When she caught it, her expression turned to shock. It was a brooch that had belonged to her older sister, who had gone missing years ago.
Could this goblin be the one who had kidnapped her sister? The misunderstanding didn’t last long.
“Eloise said you’d follow without question if you saw this.”
“Wait—how do you know my sister’s name?”
“Because she’s my companion.”
“Companion?!”
“Yes. So move. If you die, it’ll be troublesome for me.”
With that, the goblin turned away. As if entranced, the elves began to follow. Watching them trail behind without complaint, the goblin let out a sigh in his heart.
This cursed race made suspicion the default. Even he would hesitate if a goblin suddenly told him to follow. How much more so for others?
‘Why, of all races, did it have to be a goblin?’
In this dark fantasy world where many non-human races were treated as slaves, livestock, or even furniture by humans, I was now living in the body of a goblin. How had I ended up in such a miserable state? Let’s turn back time a little to find out.