Book 2 Ch 6.
He made his way past shops and stalls, past men and women that stopped from their business in the market and looked as the Master of Slayer Keep passed trough searching for the items he needed.
"That's him isn't it? Ceramicus?" One passerby asked, for years GS had been called 'Clay' or 'Ceramite' despite his silver rank, since many considered him a porcelain adventurer still since he never killed anything else but goblins,
They all laughed at him then.
"Yeah! I just heard that he just returned from the moon itself after burning down a whole kingdom of monsters and taking back their skulls as trophies!" Another passerby said.
Now, nobody laughed at him and the name 'Ceramicus' was whispered in both awe, dread, envy, and lust accompanying the word.
Goblin Slayer payed them no mind, he did not care when they mocked him, he now did not care if they praised him.
All that he cared about was killing all the goblins and...and his friends and Slayer Keep.
And of course his newest addition to his noble crusade, namely the canary he had brought in Water Town, which was also the reason he was in the market, he was searching for some good seeds to feed his small pet and perhaps even a better cage.
"What do you think of these seeds?"
CHIRP* CHIRP*
"I see. What about this batch?"
So the folks of Guild Town were treated to the sight of one of the most fierce adventurers there talking to a bird.
Life was never boring with Goblin Slayer around.
After that he had an appointment at the guild latter in the day. Something about him being a proctor for an exam.
But before that he had enough time to return to the Keep for a meeting of the top brass of Slayer Keep.
As he journeyed with his canary to the keep, he saw that Cow Girl, along with the Keep's Captains and his adventuring party were standing in front of the house and we're talking with a big group of peasants, all who had backpacks and carriages with them.
"What's happening?"
"Ah, Goblin Slayer-san! These gentleman here want to speak with you!" Priestess said and gestured for the representatives of the several hundreds of peasants to come forward.
"We've heard that there is a lot of land available at Slayer Keep." one of the peasants said.
"Land?" Goblin Slayer asked confused, the only thing you'd find in slayer keep was hatred, steel and gunpowder.
"He is talking about the part of the forest that burned down when we killed that WAAAAGH, there's thousands of hectares of land now available. Quite good land too!" Warrior answered.
"Yes my lord, we've heard that here is the one place in the country were no goblins lurk and we've all come from many different villages on the frontier in the hopes of being safe. We're all hard working and loyal men and women me lord. We'll pay taxes on time and be obedient, if y'all have us." Peasant Representative said.
"I do not know anything about that. What should we do?" Goblin Slayer said and turned to his captains and his party comrades.
"It would be disgraceful to turn them back sir Goblin Slayer, and since there is new land available we should welcome them." Lizard Priest said.
"W-we should also gi-g-give them the land instead of making them rent it! Back home all the land was owned by the high nobles, it's not right that-that common folk don't have a bit, while a few have everything." Warrior said hesitantly and with fear in his voice, Noble Fighter squeezed his hand in comfort.
"Very well. anything else?" Goblin Slayer asked.
"From an economic point of view military power derides from individual high income and a strong middle class, with low interference. I suggest we ask for no more than 25 to 30% taxation for optimal economic efficiency." Wizard added.
"We should also think of building a chapel so as to bring the gods favor. " Priestess added.
" We'll need proper stone roads if we're gonna built a village here ." Dwarf Shaman said.
"We should have a quorum like în my hometown. This would help us in leading this new village and also aide us by taking part of the administrative duties, so we can focus on military matters. " Noble Fighter added.
" Very well. We re gonna do all these things. Cow Girl, can you guide them? I have two meetings today, so I can't. "
And just like that Cow Girl became the Chieftain and the peasants almost all fell to their knees with tears of joy on their faces.
They would actually own their own land!
They would pat only a quarter, instead of half their crops!
They would have a voice în a quorum!
And above all they would be safe.
" This is heaven!" Peasant Reprezentative said.
" No. This is Slayer Keep." Goblin Slayer said as he made his way back to the keep, passing by the grateful small folk who almost kissed his feet on gratitude.
Once they had all gathered at the round table, including Cow Girl, the meeting began.
"Goblin activity în our region has almost dissapeared. Also we are becoming a bit crowded such they have spiked în other nearby lands, because of the distance I have come up with this plan." Goblin Slayer said and rolled out a map of the country.
" This is a map provided by Sword Maiden, the red dots are where old forts and keeps are located throughout the country. There are about 20 such places, or 21 depending on how you count the hidden twins fortress, Apprentice Slayer."
" Yes sensei. "
" You will take a portions of our forces and establish a second Slayer Keep în the nearest location. Once you reach our current number of..."
"500 regulars and ireegular adventurers ." Wizard supplied the numbers.
"500 you will once more departe and do the same with the next one. The path for expansion I've sketched makes it so that it's follows a circle that envelops the country în a great wagon fort of goblin killing fortresses that begin în Slayer Keep, circle and end în Slayer Keep. Sword Maiden has agreed to sponsor this, so we should be able to accomplish this project within a year. "
Goblin Slayer said în a calm almost bored like voice, as the gathered Slayers all whispered în shook at what they just learned.
This was the biggest event that happens în this country's past century.
And Goblin Slayer said în all in a tone of : ' also we're doing this today '
" I think we can achieve it în less then a year. " Apprentice Slayer, added the second most surprising news of the day and also în a bored tone that was almost identical to Goblin Slayer.
It was obvious there and then why he had been chosen as Goblin Slayer's student!
" How?"
" My wife sent me word that she wants to help with Slayer Keep. With get help I would say we can finish the project în 6 months. "
"I did not know you were married. " Goblin Slayer said to Apprentice Slayer.
" We married în secret, since she is rich and I am not. But I have gained enough fame as your student that we can reveal out union now. Also we are expecting twins, so there is no reason to hide our union. "
"Who is she?"
"High Water Kingdom Queen." Apprentice Slayer said. Which shocked and surprize all those gathered for a third time today
" High Water Kingdom Queen!? The famous war hero and diplomat!? That's your wife!" High Elf Archer exclaimed.
"Yes. " Apprentice Slayer replied unfazed by their surprise.
"I thank her for the given aide. " Goblin Slayer said în an normal tone of voice.
" That's it! Booze! Booze now! I can't take all these soap opera shenanigan reveals without alcohol inside me! I want to be drunk before I here that 'Goblin Slayer has been summoned by the king' or another shocking piece of news and 'hard head' and 'aspiring to be hard head' over there react like it's nothing!" High Elf Archer shouted in exasperation.
"A hard head is good to have when fighting Goblins." Goblin Slayer said in a calm, monotonous voice.
"Yes it is. Thank you for the complement." Apprentice Slayer said, in an almost identical tone/
"ALCOHOL NOW!" High Elf Archer said in exasperation as Slayer Keep laughed in merriment, she most of all.
Vine cups we're brought and every single one at the round table received a glass from a few part time laborers than earned a bit of extra pay by helping out at Slayer Keep.
The sound of glass being gently struck was heard all around, and silenced reigned as they looked at the one that was calling for attention.
"Everyone, I'd like to propose a toast!" Priestess said in a shy manner. "I...I'd like to say thank you for helping us on our first quest, I don't know how would that gone down if you weren't there." She said towards Goblin Slayer.
"I would like to say thank you as well. Without the Slayer Code my group could have died when we took this fortress. I thank you as well my liege!" Noble Fighter added her own toast.
"We thank ya as well Beard Cutter. For giving so much aide when we told you about that overlord and for keeping things so fun and efficient. Cheers!" Dwarf Shaman said and raised a glass.
"To Orcbolg, à votre santé!" High Elf Archer said as from one of the laborer's chest, a button that was in fact a hidden enchanted magical item started taking pictures, as a bard started playing the song Pavane.
"To Ceramicus!" Noble Fencer said as the laborer, who was in fact a spy, took her picture with her enchanted item.
Those pictures where sent to the very heart of the demon kingdoms domain.
There Head Spy, the master of the Demon Lord's spy network looked at a wall that shoved the pictures of many adventurers along with notes beneath them denoting their threat level.
On the very top there was a picture of Chosen Heroine and her group.
Beneath her there was along line of secondary threats, it began with Sword Maiden and Water Town and ended with Goblin Slayer and Slayer Keep.
Head Spy took down the picture of Chosen Heroine from the top and then placed the picture of Sword Maiden in her place, crossing out the words: secondary threat, and replacing them with ' main threat'.
Head Spy then looked at Goblin Slayer's picture and for a moment in looked like it was staring back at them, and a strange thought entered his head, before he shook head and crossed out 'potential threat'beneath Goblin Slayer's picture and replace it with ' minor threat'.
Really, it was all clear to him now.
Slayer Keep had been from the start a cover operation conducted by Sword Maiden.
It all made sense now!
She was afraid of goblins, there was that social taboo of a golden ranked adventurer taking quests beneath their rank and the fact that so many people ignored goblins as a legitimate threat, the water spell used to kill the WAAAGGHHH, the culling of the goblin kingdom from Water Town and now this news that she was sponsoring an expansion of Slayer Keep, it made all the pieces fall into place!
Slayer Keep was in fact Sword Maiden's puppets, so she could act without impunity!
So the best way to destroy this new threat was to strike at the serpents head!
So the demon lord would focus on Sword Maiden and ignore, at least for now, Slayer Keep.
Head Spy stole another glance at the picture of Goblin Slayer and Slayer Keep, before shacking his head in amusement.
Really, it was impossible for someone as weak as him to succeed on his own.
The odds that the dice would land enough times in that grime covered, cheap armor wearing weakling, for him to achieve all this, for him and Slayer Keep to be on their own merit a legitimate threat to them was to low for the dice to favor them.
And so the gods laughed uproariously at that.
For the one who does not let the dice decide the outcome had entertained them greatly once more!
''Keeps the reader turning the pages''- Pennie Mae Cartawick, author of 'Sherlock Holmes: The Gaslight Collection'
"Think of Lovecraft and Poe, and then put on 3D glasses." -Howard Lipman- Author of the 'Delphic Oracle' and Tesla's Tower'
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