Chapter 86 - The Goblin Attack and a Promise to Claire
The chaotic battle continued. But as we gained our footing, we began to push back the goblin horde.
I was worried about Claire in the central carriage. The front and rear of the caravan were well-defended by adventurers, but the other sections were more vulnerable, with only the drivers doubling as combatants. Our job as escorts was to protect the caravan's cargo—and Claire.
While loosing arrows to suppress the enemy archers, I glanced over at Mizuki.
She moved with grace, her sword dancing through the air. With a single strike from her, a goblin fell and vanished.
It seemed the mental shock of having killed Task had not lingered.
Fang, fighting by her side, also provided a stable presence. The way he swung his axe looked wild and reckless, but it was a clever series of movements designed to deliver fatal blows to the enemy and deflect arrows. His actions were efficient, imbued with a refined skill.
"Hey, don't just stand there. You're worried about the trading company's people, aren't you?"
Fang, noticing my gaze, shouted over to me.
"Mizuki!" I called out to her as she fought beside Fang.
"It's fine! You can leave this to us. Fang and I can handle it!"
Mizuki called back in response. Fam moved to my side, ready to accompany me. I switched back to my sword and we exchanged a nod.
"We don't need two healers! Doris, protect the leader!"
At Fang's words, Doris clutched her staff tightly and nodded. Maira, who had been about to follow me, stopped in her tracks. She shot me a mournful look, but there was nothing I could do. Somewhere along the line, Fang had seized command of our position. It wasn't clear who the leader was supposed to be. She seemed to channel her frustration into her mace, bringing it down hard on a nearby goblin.
We fought our way through the goblins swarming the caravan, making our way toward Claire's carriage in the middle.
An arrow shot by a goblin flew toward me. Fam deflected it with a sweep of her blade. Her movements were swift. Her growth was a reassuring sight.
I launched a stone sphere from my earth magic at the enemy who'd shot the arrow. It wouldn't work on a boss or a heavily armored opponent, but it could certainly damage a goblin.
The moment the goblin flinched, Fam leaped forward with a burst of speed and cut it down, finishing the enemy off. The goblin vanished. She then spotted another one hiding in the grass and charged, her blade flashing. A death cry echoed through the air. She returned after picking up a single magic seed.
"You've gotten faster."
"It's a skill from the Mibu-Rō class. At level twenty, I can use mana to increase my agility."
"That's a skill that suits you perfectly."
I started to reach out to pat Fam's head but stopped when I noticed Doris watching me. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I pulled my hand back.
"Alright, let's hurry to Claire's."
Fam and Doris both nodded.
Near Claire's carriage, Mercedes had dismounted and was fighting alongside the drivers. He had an injury on his arm. Though he was swinging his sword to keep the enemies at bay, his movements were clumsy, likely due to the wound. Fam wedged herself between him and a goblin, allowing Mercedes to retreat to a safer spot. Doris rushed to his side and began to heal him. Although he was injured, the enemy's encirclement seemed thinner here than at the front or rear.
"Where's Claire?"
"The young lady is inside the carriage."
I switched to my bow and began shooting arrows at the surrounding enemies.
As we continued to fight while protecting the carriage, the enemy gradually began to flee. I wanted to give chase, but our numbers were limited, so we had no choice but to let them go. Out of frustration, I loosed one more arrow at a retreating goblin's back, but it missed. I realized Doris was standing next to me.
"How's Mercedes?"
"It was a minor wound. He said he was going to check on Claire and went back inside the carriage."
For a little while now, it seemed she'd been watching my every move.
"Is there something about me that you're curious about?"
"No, it's... oppa, oppa, oppa, oppa, oppa, oppa, oppa, oppa, oppa, oppa!"
Doris, who had started to deny my question, suddenly began shouting. Fam, who was on guard nearby, looked over at us in surprise. Doris herself looked shocked. For a moment, I thought she had lost her mind, but then I remembered the penalty I had set for her lying to me.
"You don't have to shout 'oppa' anymore, even if you lie."
Had that canceled the command? I wondered.
"But why did you lie?"
"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lie. I was just comparing this party to my old one. But are you sure? Shouldn't you have canceled it after your question was answered?"
"Maybe, but even if it's my fault, having someone suddenly start shouting 'oppa' at me is scary. I really should have just made it a normal lewd command. Also, I don't plan on using the slave crest to give orders anymore, so feel free to do as you please."
"A normal lewd command... You really are always thinking about naughty things, aren't you?"
Doris let out a small laugh and nodded. I'd rather have her laughing by my side than being timid and on edge.
"Your old party was the one heading for the eastern edge of the world?"
She nodded. I wondered if her companions hadn't tried to get her back after selling her. It was hard to ask, but I couldn't help but be curious about how she felt toward them.
"Did your companions not try to get you back after they sold you?"
"At first, it seems they tried to buy me back from Master Isaac—I mean, Isaac, but the price was too high."
"No matter how expensive, they should have only needed the money for the treatment. If they had just used that and earned the rest..."
I stopped mid-sentence. Because I could get magic seeds with my special skill, I had never given much thought to money. Looking at her, I felt that choosing the skill to increase my rare item drop rate had been the right decision. Being able to take in Fam and even suppress the symptoms of her illness was truly a stroke of luck. Still, I wondered just how many gold coins the church had demanded from them.
"If you're freed from slavery, do you plan to go back to your companions?"
"I think I'll look for them. But as for whether I'll rejoin the party and continue adventuring..."
As I was talking with Doris, Claire emerged from the carriage with Mercedes. Claire looked around nervously, confirming that the battle was over. Avea was walking toward us from the front. She didn't have a single scratch on her. Her bikini armor was truly something else.
"It seems the enemy has retreated," Avea said.
"Are there any injuries?" Claire asked with a nod.
"No one seems to have sustained any injuries that would prevent them from moving. Aira is treating the wounded at the front."
"In that case, let's have the injured here gather around Doris. Maira can see to the ones in the rear. Fam, please go tell them."
Fam nodded and ran off.
"Let's depart as soon as the wounded are treated and we've checked for damage to the horses and carriages."
"Right. I don't want to stay in this place for long. It's a hollow, and visibility is poor. Let's make it quick."
Avea responded to Claire's words. Both of their gazes turned to me. I realized they were asking for my opinion.
"It seems the monster activity in this area has increased due to the Big Hopper migration. We should heighten our alert."
After saying that, I started to head back to the rear carriage, but Claire tugged on the hem of my clothes.
"Mash, in preparation for another monster attack, please ride in my carriage as my guard."
The caravan resumed its journey. The injured were quickly treated thanks to our three healers, and there was no damage to the horses or carriages. Fang and Doris rejoined Altair to guard the front, while Cecily returned to her patrol of the entire procession on horseback. Fam, Mizuki, Maira, and Aira were aboard the rear carriage, resuming their guard duties. I was in the central carriage with Claire.
The interior had a subtle air of luxury compared to the other carriages. The seats were fitted with cushions, and the walls were adorned with simple decorations. Inside, besides Claire and Mercedes, there were two other members of the trading company.
I sat facing Claire, with Mercedes next to her. Beside me and beside him sat the other two company members. I felt vaguely out of place. I should have insisted on bringing Fam with me.
Mercedes cleared his throat. I looked at him, and he gave me a meaningful glance. He clearly wanted me to talk to Claire.
"You went through a lot back in Nielen, huh?"
"Yes. But you were amazing, Mash. Just as my father expected."
"How long will it take to get to Flucht?"
"If there are no other incidents, about five days, I believe."
The conversation died. If it were just the two of us, I might have been able to make some lighter small talk, but in front of the trading company staff, the words got stuck in my throat. This was not the atmosphere for sweet nothings.
"Master Mash, please don't mind us. Continue your conversation with the young lady."
Mercedes said this while looking directly at me. His gaze carried a considerable amount of pressure. Had Mateo ordered him to ensure that Claire and I absolutely got together?
I glanced at Claire and saw she wore the same awkward expression as I did.
"Mash, Mercedes is worried that our relationship isn't progressing."
I knew that without being told, but was I supposed to just make a move? If I reached out and groped her chest right now, would I be forgiven?
"Flucht is a beautiful and lively city. Once we arrive, perhaps the two of you could take a walk through the city together?"
Losing his patience, Mercedes began trying to arrange things for us.
"How many days will we be staying there?"
"Let's see. We have to transfer the cargo from the carriages to a ship. That will take at least one full day. In total, I think we'll need about three days, but if our arrival is delayed, we might not be able to board the ship we've booked. If that happens, we'll have to wait for another one."
So there were consequences if things didn't go according to schedule. The rain and the Big Hopper commotion had already delayed our journey. But surely they had accounted for travel not going exactly as planned. The question was how much of a delay was factored into their calculations.
"Alright. I'll spend one of those days with you, Claire."
As I answered, it was Mercedes who let out a sigh of relief instead of Claire. At this point, I was becoming concerned about Claire's true feelings. I just hoped she wasn't trying to sleep with me out of a sense of duty, like Karpana.
Thank you for reading. To those who have liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, thank you very much. Your support is a great encouragement. I will do my best. Thank you so much for pointing out the typos. It's a great help.