Chapter 50 - To the Goblin Stronghold
Our group became sixteen people and seven wolves.
Whether the feeding worked or not, the wolves were surrounding Robinson-san and me.
Wolves were walking on my left and right, and I could pet their heads whenever I wanted by reaching out my hand.
When I petted one, the other wolves would huddle close as if asking to be petted too.
According to Robinson-san, the wolves were simply hungry. Then, something smelling of meat came along.
"Even so, for wolves to come to a place where there's a human scent..."
According to Angus-san, it's normally impossible. They must have been incredibly hungry.
"Emily. What do you think?"
The Headmistress, who had been smiling and watching me and the wolves until now, suddenly spoke.
"I don't feel any life force. This forest is strange."
I knew this place was weird.
"There's no sign of beasts. Could there be some kind of outrageous monster?"
It was Angus-san. Moreover, he was saying something terrifying. I must make sure not to leave the Headmistress's side.
"Robinson-san. Was it always like this around here?"
The Headmistress asked Robinson-san this time. After all, he lived around here.
"No, the wolves shouldn't have been starving. Since I took most of the goblin pack out to reduce the spiders, I thought the beasts would have increased instead."
"Was the wolf pack near the nest?"
"No, we lived separately. The wolves should have been a bit further away, beyond the nest we're heading to now..."
"Hmm," the Headmistress muttered and looked down after hearing that. Her expression wasn't very good.
"Let's hurry."
Emily-sensei, the former hunter, quickened her pace. In fact, everyone followed suit. Beatrix and I were almost at a trot. At this rate, we'll be out of breath in no time.
Wait, everyone, you're too fast. Please go a little slower.
Thankfully, breaks were taken just as Beatrix and I were about to run out of breath. However, sitting was not allowed. We rested while standing, leaning against trees. Even for drinking water, it was only a single sip. I was told that any more would make my legs heavy. No one except us was out of breath. I wonder where Emily-sensei trained.
Before I knew it, it was already evening. Spending the night in a forest with such a suspicious atmosphere was a little—no, quite—worrying.
Even so, I felt relieved when the entrance to the goblin cave came into view. Despite the fact that I had participated in the goblin attack just the day before yesterday.
I certainly think conveniently for myself.
When Priest Williams searched the inside with [Skill: Sense Living], it was determined that there were nearly thirty goblin reactions.
"Please wait a moment."
Robinson-san, holding a torch, went into the cave alone. He's probably going to rendezvous with the goblins.
"I wonder if he'll be okay?"
"He'll be fine, right? He's the former boss, after all."
Beatrix seemed quite carefree.
"But you know, what if there's a power struggle or something?"
"He has magic, so he'll manage somehow, won't he?"
"But still, it is a monster's nest. Isn't it dangerous for just one person?"
"It's the opposite. If other humans went in, they'd be identified as enemies all at once. Besides, if it's not okay here, we've come all this way for no reward. I don't even want to think about it."
That would be terrible. It was a good experience, but coming up empty-handed would be too sad. Let's hope Robinson-san does his best here.
While I was whispering with Beatrix, Robinson-san came out quite easily.
"Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting. It's okay to go inside."
While everyone was hesitating and looking at each other, the Headmistress took the lead and entered the cave.
As expected. Smiling, she used the staff in her hand as a walking stick and walked normally. Emily-sensei hurriedly followed behind her.
Since the Headmistress entered with such composure, everyone else seemed relieved and followed with torches in their hands.
The stronghold cave was, as expected, low-ceilinged and narrow.
According to Robinson-san, the structure of the cave was the same as the one we fought in last time. Since that was a temporary base, he said he made it the same on purpose so it would be easy to fight even if they were attacked by something. That point was also helpful for us.
Going straight in from the entrance, there's a short passage to the left midway, and beyond that is a T-junction. If I remember correctly, going right leads to a room midway, which was where we, the Class of 175, fought by reflecting magic in the previous cave. This time, we head left to go deeper. We proceed to where we fought the spiders.
Beyond that is a crossroad.
Two directions are dummies. We turn right and proceed. At the next crossroad, we turn right again. Last time it was easy because we used the direct path Paul-san dug, but if we had actually attacked along the passages, we might have struggled. Turning left and then right at the corners past the second crossroad, there's a large room ahead.
Should I call it the stronghold's Great Hall? It was a bit wider and felt slightly higher than the previous cave. The walls were about two and a half stories high, and it was the same in that there were many holes in them.
Robinson-san was standing in the center of the room, and in front of him, the goblins were loitering while being wary of us. I don't really know the difference between male and female goblins, but those with large bellies or holding children are surely females. There are about thirty in total, but it seems the majority are females and children.
The children's faces are smooth without any wrinkles. Apparently, wrinkles increase as they mature regardless of gender, and by the time they become adults in human terms, the wrinkles have increased considerably.
The children large enough to walk were clinging to their mothers, looking frightened.
It's no wonder. We killed the majority of their pack.
To be honest, when I heard we were going to the goblins' place at the stronghold with Robinson-san as a guide, I thought we were going to wipe them out. I don't think such a double-cross would happen no matter what, but the memories of the vivid battle are still fresh.
The victor can afford to be generous to the loser. However, what are the feelings of the side that was overwhelmingly defeated? And, if the goblins didn't agree to the humans' terms and didn't think it was good to work...
So, how would he persuade them?
Robinson-san apparently proposed it after telling the goblins everything.
That we lost the battle.
He intended to die with his comrades, but he became a prisoner. And then, he was told to become an ally of the humans. If they become allies, they will be given land to live on, food, and clean water as a reward just for helping out. They'll even give them the necessary tools. He made a contract with the opponent's boss.
They are to move from here, get away from the Demon Lord, join hands with the humans, and grow the pack.
It sounds almost too good to be true, but the Elder trusted the contract the boss... that is, Robinson-san, made, and the collective will of the pack was decided.
Goblins are originally weak monsters. When a boss is defeated, they are used to taking someone else strong as their boss and living according to those orders. Robinson-san said it was because of that background.
"Priest Jeanne."
Robinson-san is calling me.
Wondering what it was, I went over, and he pointed to the storage bag I was carrying.
"I believe there were some sweets in there."
It's the rest of the Highway Cookies. Since they keep for a long time if you're careful about moisture, I had kept two without eating them, but it seems he had spotted them when I took out the dried meat for the wolves.
"Could you share them with the children?"
I see. That might be a good idea.
It's the same method as taming the wolves. No, even humans let their guard down for delicious things.
"That girl still had those?"
"Umu, her obsession with food knows no bounds."
Ignoring the voices of the two jealous mages, I took the cookies out of the bag.
Since there were many children, I split one cookie into four, making eight pieces in total, and placed one of them on my palm and offered it to a nearby child.
The child was scared and clung to the mother. The mother shielded the child behind her and looked at Robinson-san. They are quite wary.
Inevitably, I broke one further and ate it myself. A taste test.
Yes. It's delicious.
Then I offered the rest of what I had eaten to the mother.
The mother was looking at Robinson-san. Seeing Robinson-san nod, she took the cookie from my hand as if making a decision. She closed her eyes and put it in her mouth.
So, do human taste buds and goblin taste buds match...
The answer... was the beaming smile that came back from the mother.
In the end, I was surrounded by goblin children stuffing their faces with cookies.
When I petted their heads, they smiled at me. Children are cute, just like humans.
"Damn it! To think that I, a Highway Cookie maniac, would fall behind..."
I decided to pretend I didn't hear the words of the uncute mage who used such suspicious terminology.
Just as the atmosphere softened, Angus-san and the others came in. Everyone had prey like rabbits or birds in their hands.
As usual, they are very skilled.
"First, let's have a meal. We'll talk after that."
Before I knew it, a campfire was lit, and humans and goblins sat in a circle, and everyone took out bread and cheese while roasting rabbits and birds. The wolves also received something one by one.
Everyone split what they had in their hands in half and gave it to the goblins. Undiluted honey wine and several bowls even appeared. The source was the Headmistress. It turned into a complete banquet.
When I took bread, cheese, and rabbit meat to Beowulf, who was on watch, she said thank you and ate it while standing. It's a bit bad-mannered, but she said this was also part of the job. The Headmistress walked around distributing to the guard squad in other locations. Only the Headmistress could walk alone through a dark cave without fear.
When I returned to the campfire, children had gathered around me before I knew it.
I was thinking I didn't have any more cookies, but everyone had sticks with pieces of rabbit meat skewered on them.
Every single one was roasted to a nice brown.
I thought they came to show me, but apparently that wasn't it.
Emily-sensei told me to eat it.
Since they thrust it toward my mouth, I took a bite and said, "Delicious!" and when I smiled, petted their heads, and nuzzled them, they were happy. It seemed to be in return for the cookies. The mothers were also smiling.
Emily-sensei must have set this up.
It seems it was communicated just by showing the children meat cut into small pieces and skewered on branches, then pointing at me.
As expected of the number one most popular person with the children at the orphanage, she understands very well what children want to do. The reason Jennifer-sensei specifically named Emily-sensei was apparently to look after the children as well as the Headmistress.
The adults are getting lively with honey wine.
Anyway, we're cooped up here until dawn. If it's only to the extent of not getting drunk, it's better to have a drinking party to promote friendship.
The ones at the center are, as I thought, the two mages.
"Nakanohara Hunters' Association Preparation Exercise Number One! Begin!"
When Paul-san stood up and danced with strange movements, the hunters and goblins were cackling. No matter how you look at it, he's just a drunkard. Even several adult goblins who seemed to have had hostility at first were laughing with Robinson-san. Middle-aged men are middle-aged men, regardless of race.
"Cheers!"
Beatrix, who had stood up, shouted and drained her honey wine, handed the empty vessel to a goblin, and poured more as if telling him to follow suit. Beatrix is invincible against middle-aged men. The goblin who was handed the vessel also stood up, shouted something, and downed it in one go. Cheers rose from both the human and goblin middle-aged men.
The banquet with the goblins continued with much fanfare, and I fell asleep before I knew it.