kscans

Chapter 12 - The Goblin King and Regret

We walked along the stone wall, searching for a place where we could get a look at the buildings inside, but we couldn't find a good spot.

A single goblin stood atop a watchtower. I couldn’t tell if it had noticed us, but it remained perfectly still.

We were a third of the way through our circuit. Nothing had changed.

Famu walked ahead while I followed behind. Just as I was starting to think this whole endeavor would end without a single discovery, Famu stopped.

"I can see a large tree trunk farther in,"

she said. "If we climb that, we should be able to see over the walls."

"Let’s check it out."

From within the forest, the canopy was too thick to see through to the top.

The tree trunk was so massive it would have taken four or five people with their arms outstretched to encircle it.

"It’s definitely tall, but it doesn’t look climbable."

"I agree."

There were no handholds or footholds. Even if we somehow managed to scramble up, we’d never get back down.

"Let’s keep moving."

We gave up and pressed on. Just then, I saw something leap out from the farm’s stone wall. Famu had noticed it too.

The shadow dove into the wheat field, hurtling toward us like a torpedo, leaving a trail of rustling stalks in its wake. There were five of them. They were still a good distance away, but they were closing in at an incredible speed. These weren’t goblins.

"Monsters are coming! We’ll engage them in the forest!"

"Right!"

We drew our weapons and waited for them to burst from the field.

I unleashed my stone magic at the first enemy that emerged. If it connected, it would be a counterattack and should deal significant damage.

Yelp! It was a wolf. The stone sphere struck true, and a cry of pain rang out.

One after another, wolves leaped from the field, and we charged in to meet them.

My thrust was dodged, but Famu managed to land a clean hit. The wolf, however, didn’t fall.

We were surrounded by four of them. The one I’d damaged with my magic was already getting back to its feet.

The wolves darted freely through the forest, running circles around us. They used the tree trunks to launch themselves into the air, turning the fight into an aerial battle. Famu somehow managed to hold her own, but the trees kept getting in the way of my sword. The soft, leaf-strewn ground also made it difficult to get a firm footing or push off.

I was forced completely onto the defensive.

Famu, however, moved through the forest with ease. Her light weight meant the poor footing affected her less. She quickly learned from the wolves’ tactics of using the trees as cover and began to employ the same strategy.

She took one of them down.

It seemed best for me to focus on defense and support her. Seeing me solidify my guard, one of the wolves scrambled up a tree trunk and leaped down from above. At the same time, another came at me from the front.

"Tch!"

I managed to protect my head, but I took the frontal assault. The wolf’s fangs pierced my leather breastplate but stopped there, saving me from a fatal wound. I twisted my blade and managed to graze one of the wolves’ necks, but it didn't seem fazed by the injury.

"Master, I want to use my Miburō skill! We need to get out into the field!"

"What? You learned a skill?"

"Yes, I leveled up in that last fight."

There was no point in hiding now that we’d been spotted. I could swing my sword more freely in the field, and we wouldn’t have to deal with their erratic attacks. The downside was that the wolves could hide in the wheat.

"No choice, then. Understood. Let’s head for the field!"

Famu was our main source of damage right now. It was better to trust her judgment.

We burst out of the forest. The wolves immediately gave chase.

Famu crossed her knives before her, a faint light glowing in her eyes.

"Kikuichimonji!"

As Famu swung her knives, a blade of vacuum shot forth and tore through the wolves. Two of them were instantly annihilated.

I lunged forward and skewered another one as it leaped at me.

The last wolf, however, dove into the wheat field and vanished from sight.

"Watch the movement of the stalks carefully."

"It’s all right. I know where it is. Over there."

Famu could pinpoint its location with her hearing and sense of smell. I launched my stone magic at the spot she indicated, and the wolf leaped out. Famu pounced, her blades flashing as she delivered the final blow.

She collected the Mana Seeds and walked back.

"Famu… you’ve gotten strong. You’re definitely stronger than me now."

"Th-thank you,"

she said, bowing shyly. She must have had a natural talent for it. That, combined with the keen ears and nose of the dog-eared race, her nimble agility, and a class that perfectly complemented her strengths. My experience-boosting skill had helped her level up, too. It was hard to believe she had been on the verge of death from illness.

"You know, my plan was to get you back to town, take a good look at that chest of yours, and then take you by force. But it seems ‘by force’ is off the table now."

"Um, I don’t really know how to respond to a confession like that. I’d prefer it if you were gentle with me."

Famu didn’t seem to be taking my words seriously. It was a joke, of course, but it was also ninety percent true.

"Well, we’re out in the open now, and they’ve definitely spotted us. There’s no point in going back into the forest."

We’d been flushed out. This was no longer a stealth reconnaissance mission. I really didn’t want to deal with another pack of wolves. Still, this told me something. If they’d seen the wolves drive us out, they should have sent reinforcements. The fact that they hadn’t meant they either thought we were weak, or they simply didn’t have the manpower to spare.

"I think we should regroup with Aidan. I don’t know what his situation is, but since we’re fine, he should be too."

"What’s your plan?"

"We’re switching to a reconnaissance-in-force. We’ll cut across the field to the other side. Along the way, we’ll get as close to the buildings as possible and hit the goblin in the watchtower with magic. A little parting gift. It’d be nice if we could take it down, but I’m not hung up on the result."

Famu nodded.

I swapped my katana for a one-handed sword and shield.

"One last thing. If something happens to me, I want you to prioritize regrouping with Aidan."

"I cannot agree to that… but I understand."

There were things we both wanted to say, but arguing wouldn’t accomplish anything, so I set my plan into motion.

I started by advancing through the wheat field toward the buildings.

As I drew closer, I could see the goblin in the watchtower clearly. The little brat was looking down on me. I started banging my shield with the pommel of my sword.

"Oi! You idiots! Stop hiding in there and come on out!"

I let out a bizarre yell, hoping to make the ones inside curious enough to peek outside. I kept banging my shield. Screaming felt surprisingly good. I even threw in a loud "HYAHAHA!"

While doing all this, I approached the gate built into the stone wall.

The goblin in the watchtower shot an arrow at me. More arrows started flying from behind the gate.

I launched my stone magic at the goblin in the tower. The stone sphere traced an arc through the air, hitting the goblin, who hadn’t anticipated its trajectory. While it was groaning, I followed up with a fireball. It struck the goblin square in the face, searing its flesh. It let out a piercing shriek and fell from the tower.

That should be enough.

I turned and ran from the buildings, cutting straight across the wheat field. Famu followed close behind. They shot a few more arrows after us, but there was no counterattack from within the walls.

Just as I thought—they were low on numbers. The initial goblin and the wolves that followed were likely just meant to test us and scare us away, not to engage in a full-fledged battle. Seeing how few of us there were, the enemy had miscalculated and assumed they could win.

I continued on, banging my shield and shouting Aidan’s name.

We crossed the field and had just entered the forest on the other side when Aidan appeared.

"Are you an idiot?!"

He yelled at me. It was a rare chance to see another side of the calm, emotionless dwarf. I was quite satisfied.

"Master is an idiot,"

Famu added.

"Circumstances changed,"

I said, explaining how we’d been discovered and had to switch to a reconnaissance-in-force.

"Hmm."

Aidan nodded, lost in thought.

"I think there were at least five archers,"

Famu said. "And it seemed like there were others, too. Also…"

"Spit it out,"

Aidan urged as she hesitated.

"…There are people alive in there. I think. I’m not entirely sure. I believe they heard Master’s strange shouting. It sounded like a voice calling for help."

"I see…"

Aidan retrieved a massive hammer from his ‘Workshop’ and slung it over his shoulder.

"What are you going to do?"

I asked him.

"I’m charging in. While I do, you two cut across the field and get back to the road. Head for the city."

"Can you win?"

"Don’t know. But if I heard there are people alive, I have to go save them. There can’t be more than twenty of them."

Twenty was a lot. Famu looked at me in silence. Regardless of her feelings on the matter, she must have known it was reckless. It seemed she was leaving the decision to me.

"All right. I’m going too. I’ll do my best to stay out of your way. If things get too hairy, you can bet I’m running."

"I appreciate it. Let’s do this."

Aidan nodded. Famu didn’t seem to have any objections to this choice either.

"One more thing, Aidan. Something I have to say."

"What is it?"

"You’re a pretty big idiot yourself."

The sun was beginning to set. Fighting at night would be impossible. We had to hurry.

We were once again making our way through the wheat field.

We reached the gate and stopped just at the edge of the archers’ range. A goblin sentry stood in the watchtower. No burn marks. It was a different one from the one I torched.

Aidan fired an arrow at the goblin in the tower. Return fire immediately began from within the stone walls.

Swapping his bow for his hammer, Aidan began to run toward the gate. A battle aura flared to life around his back. He swung the hammer at the gate with all his might.

"Divine Grace 'Siege'!"

A ferocious shockwave erupted, blowing the gate and the surrounding stone walls to smithereens. Without a moment’s hesitation, Aidan charged inside.

Following at Aidan’s heels, Famu and I plunged through the breach in the wall.

The power of ‘Siege’ had been immense. It had obliterated not only the archers on the wall and the watchtower, but also a portion of a nearby building. The structure groaned and collapsed with a deafening crash. I hoped no one had been inside.

Besides the collapsed structure, there were two residential buildings, one that looked like a barn, and another for livestock.

Surviving goblins began to crawl out from the wreckage of the collapsed building. Famu and I moved in to finish them off.

From the residential buildings, about ten more goblins emerged. Among them stood a goblin of colossal size. It was clad in a helmet and armor, and it wielded a giant club that suited its massive frame. It radiated a bizarre aura, an overwhelming presence that dominated the entire area.

The goblin let out a thunderous war cry. The sheer force of it seemed to shake the very air. In response, archers began firing from the buildings, and the goblins under its command charged forward.

"It’s a Goblin King!"

Aidan yelled as he swung his hammer at the encroaching goblins. One was sent flying, vanishing into motes of light. The hammer must have weighed a ton, but Aidan wielded it effortlessly, bringing it down on the next enemy and crushing both the goblin and its weapon.

Famu unleashed Kikuichimonji, felling another goblin.

Seeing them in action spurred me to move. I slipped past a goblin’s attack and landed a strike of my own.

KISHAAAA!

The Goblin King shrieked and leaped into the air. It brought its giant club down on Aidan, putting its entire weight behind the blow. The impact shook the ground. Aidan rolled to evade the attack and sprang quickly to his feet, swinging his hammer at the Goblin King.

The blow connected, but the Goblin King didn’t flinch. The two of them faced off.

Arrows rained down on Aidan from the buildings. As he dodged, the Goblin King’s club swung once more. Aidan dodged that as well.

Famu and I dealt with the other goblins. I took down two of them with a thrust and a diagonal slash. Famu, with her swift movements, darted around her opponents, taking them down one by one. She had gotten quite used to combat.

Before I knew it, only two goblins remained. Famu and I took care of them.

I hesitated, torn between taking out the archers hiding in the buildings and helping Aidan. There were only two of them. It seemed like a small number, but Aidan had probably blown the rest away along with the wall. One was in each residential building. They weren’t a major threat, but they were a nuisance. We had to constantly move erratically to avoid becoming easy targets.

"I’ll take care of them,"

Famu said and dashed off.

At that exact moment, Aidan took a direct hit from the Goblin King and was sent flying.

"Aidan!"

I rushed in to cover him, slashing at the Goblin King. It blocked the attack with its bare arm. My blade couldn’t cut through its exposed muscle. It was too tough.

I narrowly dodged a sideways swing from its club. The wind pressure alone felt like it could blow me away. I steadied myself. Watching for the exact moment the Goblin King began to swing again, I struck first. A preemptive blow. I put my faith in Aidan’s katana. Using the very tip of the blade, focusing the strength in my little finger, I executed a drawing cut.

I sliced clean through the Goblin King’s wrist. It let out a bloodcurdling scream.

I’ll take its head next. I tried to step in, but an arrow pierced my thigh. Almost simultaneously, the impact of the club slammed into me. Even with one arm, its power was immense.

I tumbled several times across the ground.

Pain seized my body, and I couldn’t move. How infuriating. To be beaten by goblins yet again.

I was supposed to run if things went south. Why did I fight?

It was hopeless. The enemy was still standing, and I was useless.

There were no light-blue panties in my line of sight today. All my vision was filled with was the ass of a bearded dwarf.

"Leave the rest to me,"

the ass spoke.

Then, I lost consciousness.

When I came to, it was completely dark.

I seemed to be inside one of the residential buildings. A lamp had been lit.

And Famu was cradling my head in her lap.

"I’m so sorry,"

she sobbed, her words slurring together. "If I’d… just taken out the archers sooner… No, we should’ve listened… and gone back to town…"

I couldn’t make out everything she was saying, but I knew she was apologizing. Her tears fell onto my face. She cried so easily.

I tried to move my hand. There was no pain. I tried to lift my body. I seemed to be okay. But it was hard to leave the comfort of Famu’s lap.

"The arrow… it was poisoned,"

she hiccuped. "But we had medicine… so I think you’re okay…"

Was this slurred speech a bit she was doing? She’d never talked like this before when she cried. Was she trying to be funny? Whatever the reason, I just wanted her to stop crying.

I reached up and gently pinched Famu’s cheek. She placed her own hand over mine.

"Master… Master… sob, hic… Master…"

"It’s okay. Stop crying."

"We should have done as you said and gone back to town. And I… what have I done…"

"It’s fine. We made it through. So don’t cry."

I gave her cheek a good pull before letting go. Then I poked it with my finger. It was soft and squishy.

Just then, I felt a gaze on me. Actually, I’d felt like I was being watched for a while. I glanced around and saw Aidan staring intently at us.

An intense wave of embarrassment washed over me, and I shot upright.

A sharp pain lanced through my side.

"You have a broken rib,"

Aidan said. Apparently, potions could heal cuts and bruises, but they couldn’t fix more serious injuries like broken bones.

"My apologies. I got taken out."

"No, you saved me. I want to thank you."

"Your request was way too demanding. Wasn’t this supposed to be a beginner’s quest?"

Aidan didn’t answer, just let out a small chuckle.

"Were there any survivors?"

"Yeah. They were locked in the livestock shed. Three of them, all alive. I gave them potions and some food. They can move, but it’s late. Better to wait for you to recover a bit, too. We’ll stay here tonight and head back to town tomorrow."

I stopped myself from asking how many people had died. I decided to be satisfied with the fact that we were able to save three. I nodded.

The next morning, we buried the dead and began our journey home.

We made it back to the city four days later. The quest, shortened by two days, had taken a total of eight.

We cashed in two Mana Seeds for thirty gold coins. Famu and I each received half of that, plus one gold coin from the quest reward.