Goblin Slayer © Kumo Kagyu, SB Creative
Chapter 3: Brave
The sweet scent of chocolate was what woke her up that morning. She smiled when she opened her eyes to see the High Priestess bringing a cup of hot chocolate her brother made for her along with a stew she made, and it was the second most delicious thing she ever tasted recently. The Alchemist looked rather excited bringing her to the market for unknown reason. However, she couldn't hide the fact that she was rather excited as well.
Squeezing her eyes as the sun ray hit her vision, she started to wonder if the sun was always this warm. The Alchemist told him many things she didn't know about the town because she only reached the town last week when she registered to be an adventurer. The joyous laughter coming from the rookie adventurer didn't help at all. Glancing to her side, she saw a party made of a swordsman, a witch, and a priestess—exactly the same party she went with—talking about slaying goblins. Their eyes were brimming with dream and hope and she couldn't help but ponder if she looked like them back then.
"Hey." The touch on her shoulder startled her. She quickly turned around only to tripped on her own cloak and fell. "Sorry, are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you." The Alchemist offered his hand to help her up which she accepted.
However, she felt something different from the way people looking at her. They gave her pitiful gazes. Some whispered to another but she could hear something like 'goblin', 'victim', and 'sorry'. What hurt her was that one of them loudly said, "Wasn't she one of those goblins' playthings?"
"Yeah. Gross… They should've just leave her die than having her reproduce the goblins. We won't want that low creatures around us."
Goblins' plaything…
She should've just left died…
The words pricked her deep into her soul. She couldn't believe that the label as the strongest girl in her village was now replaced by them. The Fighter gritted her teeth and lowered her face, wishing that the earth could just swallow her away from the world that saw her nothing more than a dirt.
The next thing she saw was the guys were punched by something and was sent flying until they crashed the fruits stall behind them. Her mouth was gaped in surprise. She craned her head to see the Alchemist swatted his hand.
"Watch your mouth, rookies. You'll turn into goblin if you keep bad mouthing people," he said. "That was what my sister said."
"Why you!" they were about to retaliate but before they could reach the Alchemist, they stopped on their track, as if something froze them.
"Stop… bullying… will you?" A beautiful purple-haired witch appeared from their back with a smoke pipe on her hand. She rounded the two people who bad-mouthed her and blew the smoke on their faces, making them cough. "Or… I'll make things… very bad… for you…"
The sound of a metal being slammed on the ground startled them all, except the witch. A man in armor pointed his spear towards one of the people who bad-mouthed her. "And I will help her cut your tongues. Go away and don't ever show your faces in front of this lady again. You heard me?"
The men nodded in response. They immediately left the place after the Witch undo her spell on them. She let out a mischievous smile as she watched the two running as if a goblin champion was chasing after them.
"Are you… okay?" The Witch helped the Fighter up.
The Fighter nodded in response, but pulling the cloak around her tighter as she still sensed the way people gazed at her, as if the was too impure to stand in the place with them.
"I don't even know which one is better—people like them or goblins," said the Spearman as he placed his spear on top of his shoulder. "At least goblin is easier. They're bad and want to kill you to begin with. Unlike them, wearing human's skin but thinks like goblin." He then narrowed his eyes on the people that gathered around them. "What are you folks looking at? Go away!"
"No need to be… harsh…" the Witch said to her companion as she stood by his side, watching people left the place.
"Thank you so much for you help," said the Alchemist as he approached the Fighter from her back and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"My pleasure… boy…" She winked. The way the Witch smiled at him somewhat made him flustered.
"Just buy me a drink in the guild if you want to thank me," said the Spearman.
The Alchemist chuckled. "Sure, I owe you a glass. I've seen you in the guild a lot so it won't be hard to find you."
The Spearman waved his hand in response as he walked away with the Witch. The Alchemist sighed as he turned to see the Fighter who lowered her face as low as she could. He didn't feel like asking if she was okay because she clearly wasn't. Out of instinct, he decided to firmly entwined his gloved hand around her. But through the leather glove, she could feel the warmth of his hand radiating on hers and blushed.
"That will pass soon, don't worry," he said. "This city has too many things happening so the news won't last long."
"Y-you should just let my hand go. I don't want people to see you with m-me," she stuttered. "T-they will say bad things about you too!"
"Which is why I won't let go. I don't care about anything they'll say about me but I won't let they bad-mouth you."
"They're saying the truth… I'm just a goblin plaything… I'm not even the fighter I used to be…" She clutched her chest as she said it.
"You still are." He smiled. "You might not realize it yet. But I believe you're still a fighter you used to be."
"What makes you say so?"
The Alchemist stopped and stood before her, slightly bent so he was on her height level. "I can see it in your eyes… Somewhere inside you, the fire is still there and that what makes me think that your eyes are beautiful."
She stared at him with blush creeping her face. The black-haired girl couldn't believe that he could say something so blunt without feeling shame at all, almost like a kid. Touching her chest, she wondered if he was right about the fire inside her.
"Now, let's just forget about it for a moment and enjoy the city. Okay?"
She bit her bottom lip and nodded. But deep inside, she was torn apart between staying or going back to her hometown to avoid this kind of talks. However, if she ever going back to her hometown, it would be even more unbearable for her to have the whole village pitying her for what had happened. Her father was well-known because of his dojo so going back with the terrible news about her first quest would definitely ruin her father's name.
Suddenly, she heard people whispered from one to another again. Her eyes fell on a rather odd party that consisted of a dwarf, a lizard man, and a very beautiful elf kept saying something about 'orcbolg'. Her ears were a little longer than the elves she usually met was what made her curious.
"She's a high elf," said the Alchemist. "A descendant of the true fairies. That's why she has longer ears than the elves you've met. But it's funny to see her walking with a dwarf, right?"
"I heard they're ancestral foes, right?" she asked.
"Yeah. But this is the first time I see them though." He suddenly stopped in front of a stall with excitement glinted in his eyes. "Oh, have you ever tried the cheese they sell here? It's really good!" The Alchemist pulled her to see a perfectly round thing she never saw before.
"C-cheese? What is that?"
"The fermented cow's or goat's milk that tasted like heaven. Here, try this," he said as he gave her a bite-sized cube. The Fighter put it into her mouth and she had to placed her hands on her cheeks as the delicacy melted inside her mouth.
"Dear Earth's Mother! This is so delicious!"
"Right? I'll have one of this please," said the Alchemist to the shop owner. "We'll melt this and eat it together with bread later. This food has good chemistries with many other things like wine, tomato, and many more."
"What an interesting food," she said.
"I'm way more interested with the 'dumplings' you mentioned." He grinned. "How does it look anyway?"
"Well… that will depend on the fillings. In where I came from, we usually shape the one with shrimp filling looks like water-drop while the one with meat filling looks like flowers. My mother was the best when it comes to fold it."
"I can't wait to see. You must be inheriting her skill."
"I do." She stared at her palms. "My father always prioritized the mastery of arts that are parts of our inheritance—my mother's dumpling fold skill, my father's martial arts. I've learnt them since I can remember. I even promised my father that I will use the arts he entrusted to me…" she clenched her fists, "to help everyone I can…"
She bit her bottom lip upon remembering how she failed him. How she must be an embarrassment to her father…
"I see. Your father must be proud to see you now." He patted her head.
"H-how so? I've failed to save my own party. I—"
"Do you remember the priestess that went with you to that quest? She told me everything. She told me that you're buying the time so she could escape with your other companion. I think that's the bravest thing anyone ever did in that situation."
"B-brave? Me?" She snorted.
"You knew what would happen to you. But you still decided to sacrifice yourself so you can save your friends instead of running. The Priestess might never be able to make it without your help." The Alchemist put his hands on her shoulders. "If I were your father, I would be so proud of you."
"Father…" She clenched her fist in front of her chest. "Then how to make my father keep proud of me? I don't think I want to be an adventurer anymore…"
"Well, you don't have to be an adventurer. You said that he prioritized the mastery of arts that are parts of your inheritance, right? Don't you think making dumpling would be one of the things that'd make him proud?" he innocently asked.
She chuckled. "Maybe you're right."
"Let's go and shop for the ingredients then. I can't wait to make them." He offered his hand at her which she happily accepted.
She almost forgot about her incident when they made dumplings together with the High Priestess that noon. There were so many laughter and flour-fighting during the process that she had forgotten when was the last time she had so much fun.
"Oh my! These foods are gems! How could I live this long without knowing this kind of cooking exist in this world?" the High Priestess said as she held both of her cheeks.
"They have unique shapes as well. It's so cool that you can make this one looks like a fruit," the Alchemist said as he bit into the bun with lotus filling. "They tasted extraordinary as well!"
"We have so many kind of foods you might want to try. I can make them but unfortunately this city doesn't have the spices I need."
"Well, we have many merchants coming from all over the world. I bet some of them must have it. They usually gather in the tavern in this city's west wing if you want to check them out," the High Priestess said.
"I will. Thank you for the information," said the Fighter as she bit on her dumpling. Together with the Alchemist and the High Priestess, they craned their head to the window's direction when they heard the horses' neigh. Both the High Priestess and the Alchemist immediately rose from their seat.
"Sorry, we'll continue this later. We have works to do," said the Alchemist.
"Uhm, can I help you?" the Fighter asked.
"Well… I'd rather not because…" The Alchemist didn't seem to want to end his sentence but it only gave her the idea why.
"It's… the goblin's victims, right?" she asked.
"I'm not sure yet. But it usually is…" He bit his bottom lip. "That's why I—"
"I'll help," she cut him. "You and your sister are kind enough to allow me to stay in this temple so… let me help in any way I can."
The Alchemist observed her for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll need to make the concoction for them, so please help my sister bring them to their room."
"Okay." She went to the main door and saw the same armored man that saved her in the cave talking to the High Priestess, muttering something like "take care of them" before bowing and left. The High Priestess helped them got off from the cart, placing her hand around one of them while whispering at them. Inside the cart were the girls covered in brown cloak that hung their head low.
The Fighter stood rooted in front of the cart when she saw herself amongst them, holding herself as she started to tremble from the memory. It was getting harder for her to swallow. An ice wave was beaming from the center of her belly then slowly spread throughout her body. Suddenly, it was getting harder for her to breath. She could feel their touches under her skin that she started to claw her arms to get it out. Squeezing her eyes shut, she could feel something hot rolling on her cheeks.
I should've been death! the words echoed in her mind, weakening her that she could no longer feel her legs. I can't live like this! I don't want to live like this anymore! she screamed to herself as she started to sob.
"My daughter is not weak!"
She snapped her eyes open when she heard her father's voice. With her glazy eyes, she looked around her to find the source of the voice but she couldn't. Glancing at her hands, she remembered the moment when he punished her for not being able to finish the practices he assigned to her.
Tears rolling on her eyes when her father hit her palms with a tree branch when she failed to finish the one hundred squats.
"I can't do this anymore! Why are you forcing me to do this everyday?! I hate you, Father! I hate you!"
"My daughter is not weak!" he shouted. "She can and will do the practices I assigned for her!"
"Then I'm not your daughter! I can't take this anymore! Go and find another daughter!" she yelled back as she stomped her foot on the ground before turning around to leave the training ground but her father held her arms firmly and turned her around.
"My daughter is irreplaceable. Because I only have a daughter that will save everyone in her power just like what she always said."
"But I can't, Father! I'm a failure!" she sobbed. "I will never be the daughter that meet your expectation!"
He shook his head. "She is and will always meet my expectation." He then put his hands on the sides of her face. "Because she is a girl that uses her failure as the reason to get stronger."
"Father…" she murmured under her breath. She glanced at the girls first, then slowly climbed the cart to approach one of them, an elf girl. Her purple eyes were deprived of life, scars all around her legs, and blood on the corner of her lips. The Fighter stroke her white hair first before pulling the girl into her embrace, feeling like she was embracing herself when she just got into the temple.
"It's okay. You're safe now…" She could feel something hot on her shoulder as the elf shed tears at her words. "I've been through what you've been through but trust me… everything will get better…" She lifted her head to the sky, glancing at the billion stars while wondering if her father resided in one of them.
"And you'll be strong enough to get over it."
AN: I hope you'd enjoy this chapter since I make this longer than the other two. XD You might notice that in my story, I make Fighter coming from the Eastern part of the world based on her face features and clothing. It's fun inserting the Spearman and the Witch because I kinda love them. LOL~
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Thank you Tavish DeGroot, Danny Barefoot, Shark Shayu, and EternallyLostAuthor for your kind reviews! I hope you're enjoying this new chapter! Your reviews are making me feel like it's worth posting this story because I'm not confident with the story at first. LOL~
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