By the time the sun came up Goblin Slayer was already outside, checking the fence post and making sure any farm animals that got close would stray away. He leaned down and picked up a few pieces of metal on the other side of the small wall. Sharp pieces of metal welded together like jacks with the sharp end pointing at an angle. He made sure to pocket the rusted ones into a leather pouch while replacing them with fresh clean ones. Noticing that that it was sunrise the armored man walked back towards the house.
-Inside-
High Dark Elf was relaxing as she laid on the bed, humming in delight as her eyes opened to see the sunlight from the window hitting her dark skin. "Ahhhh now that's nice when it isn't scalding." She said feeling the warm rays through the window better than without it. Sitting up she picked up two braids from the small drawer before braiding her two front hair braids and started to put her other clothes on.
After getting ready the white haired female walked into the hallway and noticed the nice smell coming from the kitchen and followed it.
At the stove Cow Girl was humming to herself as she cooked up some soup for breakfast. Adding some spices and cubed meat in as she stirred it. "Hey there." She heard a familiar voice behind her and turned to give High Dark Elf a smile.
"Morning! I hope you slept well."
"Yeah, I did, you making breakfast?" She asked as the pinkette nodded.
"Sorry I believe you didn't like meat, right?"
"No no, I can eat it, I just don't really prefer it." She waved the concern off as the two saw the door open and Goblin Slayer entered. "And morning to you Slayer." The Dark Elf said only for him to walk past her and straight to his room. "Wow quite the talker." She said sarcastically as she walked over to the table. "Is he always like that?" She asked while Cow girl checked the soup and brought a few bowls over to her.
"Yes but, I tend to enjoy his company whenever he comes by." The farm girl replied while setting them down. "He tends to isolate himself, but it used to be a lot worse when he first started to live here."
"He was worse?" The High Dark Elf said surprised as she took a spoonful of the soup into her mouth.
"Yes, but who wouldn't be if they met someone, they thought died years ago came back." She said mostly nonchalantly as she sat down as well.
"Wait he thought you were dead?"
"I believe so, I tried to bring it up, but he always dodges it each time." The farm girl said while she ate her soup.
"Does it ever bother you, his indifference I mean." High Dark Elf asked as she leaned her cheek against her fist. "You come across as genuinely friendly, much different from the other human's I've met, ut he doesn't seem to share or respond to that."
"Yes, it does, but by now I've gotten used to it. I have come to appreciate the time he spends with me much more. Sure, he's different from most but I know he's a good person inside." Cow girl said as she stared at the other female.
"Then your much more patient than I ever could be. Were it me, I would've yelled or punched him by now. In fact, I've already done that now that I think about it." High Dark Elf thought about what she just said then made sure to correct herself. "Sorry, I punched him because of a certain request he said completely without any context. Hopefully, that doesn't bother you."
"Oh no, I'm aware of what most people think of him. It's just, he's been so alone ever since we met. I don't know what happened to him, but I'd like to be there for him in a way." She said still stirring her own bowl of soup. "Would you believe that you're the first to actually punch him for how he acts?"
"Now that is surprising. I would have figured more people would have done that." High Dark Elf found herself chuckling as she pictured a line of people ready to hit him one after another. "You know… This is a bit out of character for me but thank you. I haven't really had the chance to talk with someone like this before. I mean I do converse with the fat dwarf and lizardman, but that's mostly business and sarcastic insults. This might be the first time I really got to talk to someone about… common things."
"Well it's nice to talk with someone who has good relations with him. He never brings anyone home. You three must've had quite the impact on him." She happily says as she finished her bowl. "I never tend to go out much, rather spend my time here at the farm than at town."
"Really? Well." She looked at the cow girl a bit, her pink hair was long and it covered one of her eyes. "You do seem like a secluded girl." She deduced as Goblin Slayer entered leaving an empty bowl at the table. "OI you have anything to say?" High Dark Elf asked as he turned to both of them.
"Have a good morning." He said before going outside. The Dark Elf huffed as she stood up and finished her own bowl.
"Jackass… Again thanks for the meal, it was great." She said before leaving as well. Cow girl looked at them as they left and softly smiled to herself.
-outside-
Goblin Slayer went over to the barn and opened the doors to reveal a sleeping Dwarf Mercenary and Lizard Sorcerer on the ground with the tarps he provided.
"Agh… a bit too sudden there." The dwarf said shielding his eyes from the morning rays as the Sorcerer softly groaned and stood up.
"Is it morning already?" The lizardman said stretching his arms as multiple bones fell off of his person, deer bones large and small it seemed. "Ah so it is, I had a well night."
"Speak for yourself Scaly, my back's still aching." Dwarf shaman said as he popped his back a bit before looking at High Dark elf. "You seemed to have a good night."
"Heh yeah, asking does have its perks…. There's only one guest room though." She quickly said, not wanting to lose her current sleeping area to the lizardman or fat dwarf. "So, what now then?" She asked as she looked at Goblin Slayer.
"You leave."
She blinked for a moment looking at him. "Come again?"
"The three of you leave, you have no reason to stay." He said bluntly as Lizard Sorcerer and Dwarf Mercenary stood up. "You have your gold; you got your meals and a place to stay. I see no further need for you to stay."
"What? that's it? You're just going to ask us to leave then and there?!" High Dark Elf said as she glared at him.
"Did you think we were staying together? We had a similar goal before, the reason I allowed you to stay here was to be nice." He said as the other two got out of the barn.
"Yes, well that does indeed make sense." Dwarf mercenary said as he stroked his beard and walked out.
"But, I thought-"
"You thought what? That you would be staying here with them?" He said as he went into the barn and pulled out a rolled-up tarp. "Unless you're paying for rent, I suggest you leave." He handed it to her, and she checked to find it was all her weapons he had her strip off before he'd go into the town.
"There's no need for conflict madam dark elf, he's repaid us with food and shelter, something we don't get often." The Lizardman said as Goblin Slayer locked up the barn, he walked past them and walked onto the trail to frontier town.
"… Damn human." She quietly said under her breath as they made their choice to leave. There was no point in arguing or making conflict.
-At the guild-
"My my… I find that a bit hard to believe." Guld girl said as she looked at a lone woman who stood on the other side of the desk.
"It's true! I saw it with my own eyes! It was wearing armor and it led this small group through that horrifying Acidic Valley!" She said as the brunette nodded and started to write it out.
"The place already sets it to a ruby tier quest… Now you said goblins correct?" She asked as the woman nodded fearfully.
"I don't know how many, but I saw about four or five. But the big thing didn't look like a goblin, it looked like some sort of metallic monster!" She said catching the eyes of a few adventerurs.
"Hmmm goblins…" Guild girl looked at the groups, noticed a few younger ones pay attention when it was heard to be goblins. 'I can't let them think it's easy. But it'll be hard to make it sound difficult.' One wrong move and she would end up with a young porcelain group or inexperienced adventurer's attempt their hand on this quest just because it was goblins, and any more difficult it would be written off as overdramatic to the higher rankings due to the mere involvement of goblins.
She was in deep thought until the sound of the door's opening caught her attention and she saw the dirty armored man himself walk through with his blonde accomplice. 'Goblin Slayer.' She thought as she watched him walk towards the desk.
"Please, it killed my husband and my son!" The woman begged as she cried a little, though the lines running down her cheeks showed she had already cried for them prior to coming to the guild. Even bringing a sack of silver pieces as a reward.
"Don't worry I think I know someone who would take this…" Guild Girl said as she saw him stand behind the woman. "Goblin Slayer, welcome back to the guild. I take it your well rested from your recent quest?" She asked with a jovial smile that appeared real to others but was forced to him.
He nodded and crossed his arms. "Goblins?" He merely asked and she nodded.
"Yes, and I think you're the right group for the job." She said as she looked to priestess who smiled at her. Her own nearly faltered but she kept it up. "This quest is in the Acidic Valley, known as the land, where large lakes of highly corrosive acid reside. There's a mysterious wandering monster that appears to have a band of Goblins-"
"I'll take it." He said immediately as he took the paper and signed it. Priestess blinked at this for a moment.
"Um…"
"What?"
"Shouldn't we have listened to the rest of it?" She asked. "That was quite rude."
"Is that so?"
"Y-Yes… of course." She gave him a small stern looked and he merely stared back before looking at Guild girl.
"This figure is it a hobgoblin?" he asked deducing that a small group of them would follow a wanderer like nomads.
"Wh-Wha-"
"It's not known what it is, but as I've heard it seems to be covered in dense steel armor. I don't know if it's body is like that or if it's wearing a suit, but it seems to be tall and powerful."
"I see."
"By the way… where's your… Concubine." She asked while trying not to seem intrusive. Goblin Slayer stopped mid insignia before continuing. Priestess also looked at him oddly wondering where the others were before shaking her head.
"We took our separate ways." He said, talking about the group and High Dark Elf. Guild girl then sighed in relief before stopping herself.
'No, you're not glad they aren't together, your glad that a man like him isn't with any woman… wait.' Her thoughts were interrupted when she watched the two leave. She looked to the woman who was standing nearby. "Didn't you want to wish them luck?" She asked.
"I did but… that man is quite intimidating." She said shivering at the cold exterior he had.
Guild girl sighed. "He sure is."
As the two got out Priestess looked up at the armored man while they made their way towards the area. "So, have you ever been to this place?" She asked as he shook his head. "Do you know of it?"
"Not too much, but the area used to be a large plain's area. A grassland before something happened."
"What?"
"I'm not too sure but during a large storm something converted the water into an acidic liquid." He said as she marveled at the statement.
'Someone powerful enough to do that… wow.' The blonde thought as she wondered who could've done such a feat. "And this metallic monster, what do you think of it?"
"Don't know but if it's leading a pack of goblins it needs to die as well."
She nodded in agreement; she couldn't think of a single good being that would use Goblin's of all things as companions.
As they were getting into a carriage that would take them to the Acidic Valley, she noticed Goblin Slayer holding a bunch of glass bottle's at his side hanging off string clanging together. "hmmm" She hummed before they began moving.
Though unknown to them a certain trio were watching from afar as the carriage left, with a white haired dark skinned female using a spyglass to spot Goblin Slayer guiding the horses. 'Hmmmph must be off to that valley…'
"You sure the only reason we're following them is to steal the dead creature's part?" Dwarf mercenary asked her as he looked at his sharpened axe and got a sharpening stone to make sure the blade was well sharp.
"Of course, it is you fat dwarf, remember the money we got from his last quest? Just think of the money we can get with the parts we sell. Who cares about what's his name… Dumbass can go and get himself killed for all I care." She said while putting the spyglass away. Her cloak covering her figure as she walked over to the carriage that Lizard Sorcerer had. 'procured' for them.
"So, you say… You know Long ears there's an ancient saying we dwarves use for situations like this." He said walking toward their ride while stroking his beard.
"Oh, and what is that?" She asked with an annoyed expression.
"Don't bullshit a bullshitter." He said with a big grin as her eyes went wide and her cheeks reddened. He then climbed into the back of the carriage as the Lizardmen got the horses strapped in.
Looking at her still form he coughed. "He is rather correct miss Dark Elf."
"… Shut up and get in the back." She said as she pulled her hood up over her head and got on the front of the carriage to steer the horses in the same direction that Goblin Slayer went.
After a few hours of riding the dirty armored man stopped the horses and hopped out. In the back Priestess came out noticing that they were far from the Acidic Valley but could see the green smog afar pf where they should be. "Uh… Goblin Slayer, what are we doing here?" She asked as she noticed him kneeling down. In front of him was a puddle, but it was bright green, and bubbling with smog coming off of it. "Is that?"
"Yes." He said as he carefully grabbed a stick and dipped it in. after a few seconds he pulled it out and the end that went in was gone. "Hmmm troublesome." He said before getting a glass vial and pressed the bottom of it into the puddle and raised it only for it to still be there. Giving a nod of satisfaction he began to carefully push the vial on it's side and allow the acid to get inside through the hole.
"Goblin Slayer are you gathering acid?" She asked as she had seen the effects of it on the stick.
"Yes."
"Oh.." She heard his response and stood by quietly as he gathered more acid in the rest of the vials. Shaking them so the acid would drip off. "Stay with the carriage." He said as he filled the last vial making Priestess blink watching him stand up and walk a few steps toward the dense smog like fog.
"W-Wait goblin Slayer! You can't go in alo-"
Thicth!
She stopped as a knife was stabbed into the ground in front of where she would step and looked at him.
"It's not safe, it's netter if I go alone." He said before he continued to walk.
"But…" She heard a burning noise and looked down to see the knife slowly melt into another puddle of acid she nearly stepped in. She looked back up to him before huffing and gripping her staff. 'I won't let you go alone.' She then started following him, looking down to make sure she didn't step on any other puddle's of acid as they made their way to the dense smog.
Behind them a few miles away High Dark Elf spotted them with their carriage and stopped it right next to theirs. "Alright be careful you two and watch your step, unless you want to kiss your feet goodbye." She said as she hopped off and ran to follow them, her eyes gazing down to be careful with each step she took.
Dwarf groaned as he walked out and followed with a small jog as Lizard Sorcerer stared on. Looking down at his bare reptilian feet he let out an annoyed his as he took much slower and careful steps, very agitated with this environment.
While off deep inside of the Acidic Valley the large figure groaned and chuckled as his arm which had the metal armor began to mold and merge with his skin, the same thing happening to his chest as he began to grow in size. The smaller goblins below him cheering him on with laughs and raised their weapons for him. But when one took a bad step his foot splashed onto a puddle.
SSssssszzz
"Ah? AAHHHAGGHAAAGH!" The goblin fell onto his side and screamed out bloody murder making the others turn to him to see that his foot was melting and burning up, his bones being seen as the flesh fell off and disintegrated from the acids effects. The large figure saw this and walked towards the goblin who kept screaming before he was grabbed by the other leg by its large hand. The figure lifted him up making him scream in fear and pain before the back of his head was grabbed and then dunked into an Acidic lake while standing at the edge, his arms spasmed for mere seconds before he was pulled out.
The other goblins saw in horror as their brother's face was completely gone, nose eyes and mouth were burnt and shriveled up as the acid ate away at his front skull, his arms moved up to grasp at his nonexistent face before his head bursted when the figure crushed the weakened skull.
"Grrooooaaaahgh!" He yelled tossing the goblin's corpse aside before putting a finger in front of his mouth, telling the others to stay quiet and pointed at the dead goblin to show them their fate if they ignored his warning.
Terrified they nodded and stayed quiet with some even putting pieces of cloth in their mouths to keep themselves silent. The massive figure looked around and picked up what seemed to be a large metal club, seemingly pieces of metal and armor merged into a crude deadly weapon. His yellow goat eyes staring in the distance narrowed, as if it expected another adventure coming to slay him. Looking down at his hand it was slowly growing as he grinned and clenched it. He could use a new meal or toy soon.