Disclaimer: I do NOT own Goblin Slayer or any of these characters.
Author's note: I'm not dead! Yay! I am very sorry for such a long time without posting, but I've had a really hectic last two months. Hopefully, the next chapter will be here sooner.
Let me start with thanking you guys for still supporting me over those two months. Despite my lack of updating, I have whooping 300 favorites on this story and 400 follows, and that's just insane. Especially for GS story. So thank you, you guys are nuts and awesome.
Second, Let's reply to those who reviewed the last chapter. They may have already given up on this story, but some of those replies can be helpful to all of you, to know where this story is going.
Kerlongsj Evert Orlejov: That was the whole point of the fight. GS isn't brute strength... Just a man with a fast working brain in his head, indestructible will and good enough fighting skills.
daniel2610994: Well, he could kill her more than twice if he had known who vampires are. But you know, it isn't a goblin so it can go screw itself, whatever it is. That's kinda GS mentality. And sorry to disappoint you guys, no romance here yet. I mean, it kinda is, but it will pick up in the next chapter.
Mo Eazy: Maybe I should use italic letters, so it would seem like GS thoughts. I thought that the lyrics could describe his mentality in that situation so I put them there. I just wanted the lyrics there. And I have a plan for one more chapter like this. Hopefully, I will execute it better next time.
DarkKesono: I hope the wait is worth the wait.
Oni-Chan 69: Thanks for the praise. And succubi it is.
Christopher Dragkrow: Thanks for the praise. Do 2 months count as soon enough?
Evowizard25: Phew a long review. Love it. Thanks for the praise on the fight! Great observation about the eyes. Shame I didn't think of that, I would have done something with that. Well, she was hot, but also a goblin thot. Soo... I don't think you have to feel bad about her. She had it coming.
And yeah, Succubi and Priestess, you can bet there will be a very interesting dynamic. Especially when priestess is the one with lewd thoughts and Succubi absolutely loved that. I pity the poor blonde already.
As for the other girls, I have already planned everyone out. Except one. My biggest problem will be with Elf. I have no clue how to properly throw her into the harem. But so far, she will admire GS and maybe I will think of something.
Thanks for the long review!
Zealot24: I don't know which versions of Succubi I will use, but probably the more harmless ones, that don't suck anyone they have sex with dry and out of life. Anyway, thanks for the review at 4 AM!
Akuma-Heika: In my AU, I want to be a lot of races that can interact with each other. It gives the world so much variety and so much potential that I think should be used up. And thanks for the reviews!
guyNnumber23: I am glad you enjoyed the fight scene! The fact she is "noble" doesn't mean she can't be a shameless slut. She is one of the most feared beings and can do whatever she feels like. I would say she had an inflated complex. And after all, she works for Demon Lord, so there's that.
Xerzo LotCN: About the harem, I know I said only Her will be added, by I again consider her teammates. One could be the quiet, broody type and the cat girl (At least I think she is. In the anime, I think she had a hood with ears, so she could be another demi-human) could be kinda arrogant like. Similarly to Elf, only on a much broader scale. They are Platinum adventurers after all. Anyway, thanks for the review!
McLaren-HeeroWing: Thanks for the praise and review! Damn, the curse. That's a great idea. I wish I would think of that. But as of now, The Resurrection Miracle heals everything, including curses, as long as there is some activity in the brain. So Goblin Slayer is fine and virile as ever. And he will certainly need that to create his own little army of Goblin Slayers. At least that's how he thinks.
Thanks to all the reviews, I didn't mention too. I appreciate your comments, but I only replied to a few of them. Hopefully, next time I will reply to all via PM or next chapter.
Chapter 7: The Ressurection
The door to Goblin Slayer's room burst open and two young girl entered the room, with the scent of blood very much present in the room. The canary in the cage on the table chirped a few times, averting its attention from the bed to the two girls entering the room.
"We are here!" Cow Girl shouted out. Her uncle kneeling beside Goblin Salyer's bed swiftly stood up.
"Thank goodness! He stopped breathing a few minutes ago! You are the healer?" The uncle whose sleeves were rolled up, and hands covered by blood asked the blonde as soon as she entered the room. The uncle was holding a blood-soaked piece of clothe and his rolled up sleeves were covered by few drops of red too.
Priestess breathing stopped as soon as she saw Goblin Slayer on the red-stained bed. He was without his armor, only in his underwear. His torso wrapped in bandages, trying to stop the bleeding. However, even bandages failed to stop it and they quickly became completely red. A chunk of missing meat was missing on his neck. The sheets beneath him stained with his blood and the water basin near his bed is completely red, with wipes hanging over the edge just as red.
"H-hai. That's me." Priestess managed to speak with a stutter.
"Do you need anything from us?! Herbs? New water? Clean wipe?" Cow Girl behind her asked quickly.
"N-no. Just... leave me here alone and pray to Earth Mother this works." Priestess quietly said.
Cow Girl and her uncle didn't waste any more time and got out of the room as soon as possible. For Goblin Slayer, time is everything now, and the two of them are very much aware of that. So they exited the room, sat down and leaned against the door praying to the gods.
Priestess inside took one deep breath in, and she nervously began undressing. First, she dropped her staff on the floor.
White robes and blue grabs were slowly falling on the floor, leaving her only in a black undershirt, black miniskirt and black stockings. For a priestess, interesting colors to wear underneath the white and blue.
She kicked her white thigh-high boots to the sides, and undressed the rest of her clothes, leaving her only in her black underwear. And soon after, even those lacy panties and bra fell down.
She should be ashamed right now. Priestess was always shy, and being naked in front of her love... that should make her blackout! And if Goblin Slayer was awake and healthy, she would blackout. But seeing his state, collapsing out due to embarrassment will have to wait. If she will faint, it will be because of nervousness.
The blonde grabbed her golden staff from the wooden floor. The metal was clanging, as her grip became unsteady and the appendages on the staff clanged against each other.
Barefooted, she walked up to his bed in the corner of the room.
From up close, she saw exactly how many injuries he sustained. Goblin Slayer was still lying on his back, his face tired, with several slashes on his face. The blood was still seeping through slightly, even when Cow Girl's uncle cleaned his wounds. Soaked bandages around his body will need to change soon as they were getting red already. The worst was the bandage around his one arm, that one was already ready for an exchange.
It hurt so much seeing him in the state like this. Her very own handsome knight who saved her from cruel beasts like the knights saving princesses from dragons in fairy tales, beaten to near death right before her eyes.
With her staff, she climbed on top of Goblin Slayer, all the while a tear escaped her eye. As she was sitting in his abdomen, she placed her staff beside her and she tore the bandages on his stomach, so she would have access to his skin.
"J-Just like with Sword Maiden." Priestess gulped nervously. She should speed up and not even think about all of this when Goblin Slayer's clocks are ticking. But it was just so hard, she had to rethink every single step she took.
The Resurrection miracle is... intimate and inappropriate by all accounts. At least the advance to perform one. Being completely naked was one of those things. Another is, she has to straddle herself on Goblin Slayer's stomach in a way her sacred place had to directly touch Goblin Slayer's stomach. Sword Maiden never told her why is that since back then they were in a hurry, but she figured it has to have something to do with her being a pure maiden in order to perform this miracle.
She could feel how Goblin Slayer's cuts were soaking her inner thighs. That was her alarm clock to finally snap out of her thoughts and do something. She grabbed her golden staff, placed the bottom of the staff between Goblin Slayer's muscular breasts, leaned forward slightly and closed her eyes. It was now or never.
"O merciful Earth Mother, a maiden, pure and untouched humbly ask of you not to bring the life of the man, who fights for the ones who can't, to you. Do not take this man's life prematurely, as his purpose in this life is yet to be fulfilled. With the help of your humble follower, let he sprout again, like flowers which start to bloom when snow melts and winter ends. Resurrection." And the tear that escaped her closed eye earlier, dropped on Goblin Slayer's stomach
Priestesses prayer was quite unlike those she performs usually. According to Sword Maiden, this miracle is very different from all the others. As for where before, the miracles Priestess used healed anyone who needed it or cast a barrier for anyone she wanted to protect, this miracle is an intimate joining between two people. And should be treated as such, no shouting commands, just a quiet prayer with her heart being poured out.
Priestess opened her eyes slowly and watched if the miracle had worked. And if she even has the miracle in the first place.
The wait was nerve-wracking. The miracle doesn't show any signs if it worked or not for at least a minute. At least that's how it went last time. So she just waited there, sitting on Goblin Slayer's abdomen, with her legs bend on his sides of his torso. Her trembling staff still standing straight on his chest.
Her lips were mumbling more and more desperate please to Earth Mother to save Goblin Slayer. It's all she could do in the meantime so she wouldn't go mad. For only a minute, the time went so slow she thought she was sitting on him for at least a month.
"Please, Earth Mother. Please. You... You must not take him away from me. I... I have so much to tell him. I have to let him know what he did to my heart. He thinks he is all alone and nobody cares about him. He's wrong. I do care. He has to know there is someone who genuinely loves him before he dies." Priestess mumbled among many things, with her eyes fixated on Goblin Slayer's face. The staff in her small hands began trembling even more, as she knew the minute already passed and yet nothing was happening.
Her eyes were filled with tears when she thought it was too late, but as she began losing hope, her staff and her very own body glowed in light green light and began pulsing this green light through her nether regions, to Goblin Slayer's body. Not only that, but the staff channeled this energy to Goblin Slayer's body too. Three pulses from the staff and her own body later, Goblin Slayer's body began glowing faintly with a green light.
Priestess's puffy eyes and teary face lighten up, and she smiled widely. "It's working! It's working!" she chirped, similarly to the canary that was watching the whole ordeal from it's cage across the room.
Priestess immediately threw her staff on the floor beside the bed, grabbed the white blanket on the night table next to the bed, wrapping herself and Goblin Slayer in it. She clung to his healthier arm with her tiny arms so she can share her... life energy? She can't remember what Sword Maiden described it as, but it really doesn't matter. The important thing is, she has to channel this life energy or whatever it is to Goblin Slayer through touch. It will tire her out, but it's night anyway. Time to sleep.
The last thing she saw before she fell asleep was Goblin Slayer's face, and a faint breath in that his lips took.
Both Cow Girl and her uncle sighed in relief when they heard victorious shouting from behind the door to Goblin Slayer's room. The two were sitting and leaning against the wooden door to Goblin Slayer's room, looking at their feet.
"I wonder how many times he will get himself injured like that." Cow Girl's uncle softly spoke.
"He never came back injured like that..." Cow Girl gently said, with a small tremble in her voice.
Cow Girl's uncle turned his head and looked at his niece, who was still curled up, leaning against the door. "Are you sure he took a goblin quest?" her uncle asked.
"You know him. Goblin quests are the only quests he takes. It must have been a goblin quest." Cow Girl rested her chin and hands on her knees.
Cow Girl's uncle began wondering if Goblin Slayer encountered another Goblin Lord on his quest. It's true that Goblin Slayer often needs his wounds to be tended by him or Cow Girl, depending on who is on the farm when he returns. But this was extreme. Regular slash or two doesn't come close to injuries like this.
He may as well try to examine his wounds in further detail to get something from it. Goblin Slayer could have been ambushed by bandits and taken by surprise. That would explain his state. And if there are indeed bandits in the area than his farm is in danger.
Cow Girl's uncle slowly got up and looked down at his niece blocking the door. "Move aside a little. I am going to check on his wounds. Hopefully they will tell us something about who got him into such a state."
Cow Girl's face flushed into a pink color. "Well... I don't think that's a good idea, uncle." she uncomfortably said.
"Why?" the confused uncle asked.
"This... miracle. We can't intercept. It is... an intimate magic. It requires Priestess to be naked with Goblin Slayer in the same bed. So... I don't think that's a good idea."
Uncle's eyes widened. "Are you telling me some supposedly PURE priestess is laying with an injured unconscious man?! UNDER MY ROOF?!" the uncle raised his voice to new heights.
Cow Girl quickly waved her hands back and forth in front of her. "What?! NO! No! Of course not! It's just... from what I heard in the temple... this miracle requires a priestess to be naked and transfer her life supply to the injured person by touch. And... if they would do... well... that. It wouldn't work. The priestess has to remain... pure to perform this miracle." Cow Girl tried to explain, dancing around the words to choose to describe such an intimate miracle.
The uncle began breathing heavily grasping his heart. "Gods, you should have begun with that. My heart nearly stopped." He really doesn't care who Goblin Slayer brings into his bed as long as it is not his niece, but taking advantage of an injured and unconscious man, that goes too far even for him. Goblin Slayer took care of them when they got attacked, and the debt of protection must be paid back.
"So we just wait?" the uncle asked.
"We wait." Cow Girl confirmed.
Cow Girl's uncle sighed. "I am gonna check if we are safe here. Stay in the farmhouse." he said and Cow Girl slowly nodded.
Not having the option to check Goblin Slayer's wounds, the uncle left the farmhouse, picked up the lantern, and went to check out the surroundings. He borrowed the short sword Goblin Slayer brought with him in case he would encounter some bandits. It's been a while since he fought with a sword, and his skills are rusty. Hopefully, no bandits will appear.
On the other hand, Cow Girl had one last job to do, despite her uncle's ban of leaving the farmhouse. And it's not like she will go far, just in the front of the farmhouse to thank someone. She exited the farmhouse shortly after her uncle left, and saw Goblin Slayer's horse tied to one of the wooden poles, which supported an additional roof in front of the entrance to the farmhouse.
With a relaxed smile, she approached the black mare, placing her hand on mare's head, petting her. "You did it, girl. You saved him." Cow Girl gently spoke, leaning towards the head of the mare. As to respond, mare huffed, releasing a gush of air from her nostrils. "Thank you." she whispered.
If some person met his horse out in the wild, they would think it's a horse of the Demon Lord himself. Darker than night, with eyes wine red, and an aura of mystery surrounding the horse. The complete opposite of her own horse which she got when she was little from her uncle. A white stallion with crystal blue eyes and an air of elegance.
Cow Girl heard horse hooves running. But looking in front of her, Goblin Slayer's mare is completely still. She averted her gaze from the mare and looked to her side, where the dirt road towards their farm lies. Slowly but surely, lanterns in front of the entrance to the farmhouse revealed 3 horses running towards her.
When she saw Goblin Slayer's friends on those horses, she calmed down. No bandits, just his friends. High Elf and Dwarf Shaman were riding on one horse together, with Dwarf Shaman being in front of the elf who held the reigns.
The second group of two rode on a chestnut horse. She doesn't know those two very well, but she saw them once or twice in the Guild, when they defended the farm and most recently when they stood up to the temple guards and escorted Priestess and her out of the temple.
Cow Girl didn't get a good look at them before, but now with the situation under control, she finally could view them. Both are armored to the brim. The woman is incredibly beautiful with long blonde hair and lilac eyes. She looked exactly like a warrior maidens described in books. The black-haired man holding the reigns and a torch to illuminate the road looked gruff, hardened. A warrior who already seen a lot of things in his life.
The third horse carried Lizard Priest, and it was a funny sight. Cow Girl had to giggle a little, seeing the big reptile trying to control the horse with his reigns. Seems like the lizardman wasn't exaggerating when he said his kind doesn't keep or breeds animals, only eats them.
"This is so humiliating..." Cow Girl faintly heard the gruff voice of Dwarf Shaman. Cow Girl wondered what could be humiliating when she saw them approach. She only saw the dwarf seated in front of the elf. It looked kinda funny seeing the dwarf on the horse, but nothing humiliating in her opinion. Cow Girl gives rides like this to children, who often strayed from the nearby village to watch her taking care of the horses from the other side of the fence. In fact, this looks exactly like her giving a ride to a child... Ooooh... So that's from where the winds blow...
"Stop complaining. Be thankful we got a chance to get to him... Hopefully in time." the elf behind the dwarf said, her lime eyes lacking her usual energetic spark.
As soon as they caught a glimpse of Cow Girl and the black horse, the elf and the black-haired man kicked the sides of the horse, encouraging them to run faster. Lizardman quickly did the same as he tried with all his might to remain in the saddle.
First, one who reached her was the armored man with the armored woman. He jumped off his horse as soon as they reached her. "Definitely an experienced rider." Cow Girl thought.
"Cow Girl, right?" the tall man asked her as he helped the pretty blonde warrior woman of the horse.
"Hai." Cow Girl nodded, never stopping stroking the Goblin Slayer's horse.
"We didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves before. They call me Heavy Swordsman. This is my fiance Female Paladin. It's a pleas-" Heavy Swordsman tried to explain, but by that time the other two riders arrived.
"Is he alright? Is he alive?" the elf didn't even bother to jump off the dark brown horse as she impatiently asked. It was very rude, to jump into the conversation like this, but Cow Girl quickly caught the fear and anxiousness in her voice. To be honest, she wouldn't wait either if their roles were reversed.
To put the elf at ease, corners of Cow Girl's mouth went up. "Yes. The miracle is apparently working." Cow Girl stopped stroking the long face of Goblin Slayer's mare as Lizardman made his way towards her.
And at that moment, even in the middle of the night, with only a few sources of light, Cow Girl saw all the faces light up. High Elf Ranger and the Dwarf Shaman both jumped off their horse with laughter, Heavy Swordsman exchanged a brief smile with Female Paladin and even usually composed lizardman let his sharp teeth show through a smile. It made her smile too. "They truly are his friends."
"Haha! The little cinnamon roll did it!" Dwarf Shaman loudly proclaimed smiled from ear to ear.
"Thank the gods..." Female Paladin sighed loudly, putting her hand on Heavy Swordsman shoulder.
"If I may ask, where is sir Goblin Slayer?" Lizard Priest asked. He finally managed to get off the brown horse with a white stripe on the head. After so much struggle with the horse, Lizard Priest finally managed to tame the beast, tying it to the wooden pole in front of the farmhouse.
Cow Girl turned to the tall lizard. "Inside his room. Priestess is healing him as we speak." Cow Girl informed Goblin Slayer's friends.
"What is going on here?!" someone from where only torch was visible asked. The adventurers quickly became alert. Only Cow Girl was visibly relaxed. At their right, Cow Girl's uncle appeared, with bloody sleeves, bloody sword in one hand, torch in the other and fierce eyes ready to engage in a fight.
When Cow Girl saw how the air around them thickened, she quickly took it upon her to calm down everyone. "That's my uncle." Cow Girl informed the others as her uncle joined the group in front of the farm. However, her uncle still wore an untrusting expression.
"I heard horses. Who are you and what do you want from my niece?" Cow Girl's uncle asked, in a not exactly welcoming tone.
"Uncle, those are the brave adventurers who defended out farm with Goblin Slayer." And one by one, she introduced them to her uncle. Uncle's grip on Goblin Slayer's short sword visibly relaxed when Cow Girl explained who those people were.
Cow Girl's uncle sighed. "I am sorry for this kind of welcome. Know that everyone who helped defend the farm is always welcomed to stay here if they need a roof to stay under. However, I have to be vigilant right now. Whoever got him into that kind of state can still be alive, and I am not taking my chances. I hope you understand" the Uncle explained with a neutral expression.
"We all understand. But if it isn't to much trouble, may I ask what happened?" Lizardman politely asked as Heavy Swordsman was calming and tying his and elf's horse to the wooded slopes. And from the corner of her eyes, Cow Girl saw Heavy Swordsman examining Goblin Slayer's mare next to him. "I bet he has a long history with horses."
"I was waiting for him on the bench," Cow Girl turned back to Lizard Priest and pointed to the bench near the entrance to the house. "he was unusually late this evening. It happened a few times before, but today... today was different." Cow Girl tried to remain calm. "I... I heard metal clinging. I knew it was him so I went to meet him. But... when I found him..." Cow Girl didn't continue, only looked sadly behind her, at the farmhouse in which he is in right now and behind which she found him.
"You found him there?" Cow Girl turned back to the group, meeting the eyes of the Female Paladin who was pointing behind the farmhouse.
"Yes. Behind the farmhouse" Cow Girl managed to say, without a sniff but a clear sadness in her voice.
"Get back inside. We will scout the area and make sure whoever did this to Orcbolg, will not see the sunrise again." High Elf Ranger commanded with a new determined voice, punching her palm.
"I agree. But someone has to stay here to protect the farm. Whoever did this can still come around the scouting party and attack the farm." Heavy Swordsman said. For some reason, the swordsman took an interest in the black mare and always took a glance or two at Goblin Slayer's horse.
"Me and Female Paladin will stay here. You three go investigate. If you will find an enemy you are not sure you can defeat, send for us and we will help you." Heavy Swordsman took charge of the situation. Thankfully for everyone, High Elf Ranger, Lizard Priest and the Dwarf Shaman restocked before they encountered Heavy Swordsman and Female Paladin. And Heavy Swordsman and Female Paladin always have their swords and shields, so they are more than ready to fight too.
Everyone nodded to Heavy Swordsman plan.
"I will lead you to the place where I found him." Cow Girl said and attracted the attention of everyone.
"I scouted the area nearby, and it looks safe. But if you will get attacked, I trust you will protect her." The brown-haired owner of the farm looked at the three adventurers. "You can count on us!" the elf proclaimed for her party members with a big smile and a thumbs up.
"Once you will show them the place, I want you back to the farmhouse." uncle's gruff voice spoke, shifting his gaze back towards Cow Girl. It was not even a question.
"I know..." Cow Girl said. She gets it, he is afraid that something will happen to her. But he could express his concerns in a more loving way.
"Alright! Seems like we have some work to do!" Dwarf Shaman yelled out as he took a sip from his wineskin and smiled at his party members. "You ready?!"
"Always, old man." High Elf Ranger teased with a sly smile.
"Of course, my friend." Lizard Priest joined.
Female Paladin, Heavy Swordsman, and Cow Girl's uncle stayed in the farmhouse. The two silver ranked adventurers were seated at the dining table with a candle lighting the place around the table, waiting for the food. Cow Girl's uncle insisted on treating them with wine and dine, as a thank you for protecting his livelihood, home, and most importantly his only living family member. The couple has no idea what the uncle is cooking. They only hope it's something light after the dinner at the temple.
They began to like the man. He is a little gruff and not very friendly looking at first, but he is indeed a good man. He showed them around, explaining which room is for what, and even where Goblin Slayer is now recovering with Priestess's help.
Female Paladin quit looking around the wooden room and looked at Heavy Swordsman. He is staring at her. Not even flinching when she caught him staring. He wore an almost comical smile that spread throughout his whole face.
"What? Is something on my face." Female Paladin hastily began touching her face with her gauntlets.
"Apart from perfection, no." Heavy Swordsman said lowly. "You are even prettier in candlelight." He added.
Blood rushed to Female Paladin's cheeks and she quickly averted her gaze from Heavy Swordsman due to embarrassment. She was not ready for that! They only began being partners! He never complimented her! Not like this at least!
Usually, his compliments were on how she improved her fighting skills, her ingenuity in fight and maturity. She always appreciated those of course, but now was the first time he complimented her looks.
"I am not perfect." she quietly said, still not meeting his face.
"I disagree. You may not be perfect to others, but to me you are." Heavy Swordsman said, increasing her awkwardness in dealing with compliments. "When did he became such a romantic? Does he even know what he is saying?" she shyly shuffled on the wooden chair.
"Not for long..." Female Paladin sadly looked at the wooden floor below.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Heavy Swordsman asked, with clear concern in his voice. When her violet eyes met his, she saw his concerns are also present in his eyes.
"You will not look at me like this in a few months." she said to his face in a harsher tone than she intended. She quickly realized her harsh tone and regretted it. It's just she doesn't know how to deal with her emotions right now. Before she could apologize, confused Heavy Swordsman raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
She nervously bit her lip considering to not tell her concerns, but she eventually told her lover the truth that was weighing on her mind since the time they got together. They are gonna get married, if she can't tell her concerns to her future spouse, as silly as they may be, then who can she tell?
"... I will be fat."
A short quiet pause followed, putting Female Paladin into a nervous state. But then, Heavy Swordsman lightly punched the stool, chuckling. Chuckling then turned into hysterical laughing, causing Female Paladin to scowl. She believed he would be considerate, but instead he starts laughing?! Maybe she should kept it in.
Heavy Swordsman calmed down shortly after, leaned over the table grabbed her chin and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Unfortunately, the scowl remained on Female Paladin's face. Seeing this, he leaned back into the chair and explained. "You silly blondie, you aren't getting fat. You are growing a child inside of you, not gaining weight by overeating. That is a big difference. Do you even know what it does to a man, seeing his woman's belly grow with his child inside? It's the most beautiful thing in the world. You should be concerned that you will become more pretty, not less." Heavy Swordsman sat back onto his chair, grabbing Female Paladin's hand, resting intervened on the tale.
Female Paladin was again blushing, avoiding Heavy Swordsman's gaze. She felt the air in the room thickened, and she knew her fiance is waiting for an answer. "I will have to get used to them and respond properly." she thought about the compliments she received.
"Do... Do you really mean it? Will you look at me the same way when I'll be fat? The same way you looked at me that night at the inn?." Her eyes found the dark grey eyes of Heavy Swordsman. He was smiling at her. And that single smile caused her hand to relax in Heavy Swordsman grip.
"Is this what bothered you, when I looked at other women? That I will turn to them as soon as you will get bigger?" Heavy Swordsman's signature booming voice got quieter and sincere.
"A little." she tried to diminish how much it actually bothered her, but her voice betrayed her and Heavy Swordsman caught it immediately.
"Trust me. You stole my heart years ago. No woman can erase those years just by showing off a little bit of skin. I will look at you the same way, if not with more appreciation during your pregnancy. And I promise you, I will make sure to show it to you every night we are together, for as long as I live." he told her with smiling grey eyes.
"He... he loved me for years?" Female Paladin teared a bit. As her heart fluttered with happiness, her brain slowly processed what exactly Heavy Swordsman said. Including the last sentence. Female Paladin's cheeks heated even more when she comprehended what her fiance implied.
"Please, leave it for tomorrow. The sheets I am lending you are new, and I don't want to have them baptized by your love juices so early." Cow Girl's uncle appeared in front of their table, with two light brown wooden bowls, with a bunch of veggies in them.
Female Paladin got even more embarrassed. If she could, she would open the hole to the ground to hell itself just so she could get out of this uncomfortable situation. What's worse, Heavy Swordsman, instead of apologizing began laughing loudly like the uncle told a joke.
"HA HA! Alright, don't worry sir. We will find a more suitable place."
"HEAVY SWORDSMAN!" Female Paladin yanked her hand from Heavy Swordsman gentle grip, her face could be easily mistaken for a ripe tomato right now. "I am so sorry mister. We will behave, you have my word." She promptly stood up and apologized with a small bow. Gods, how could he say such things?! To a person, he doesn't even know!
"Not my word." Heavy Swordsman said with a smirk, embarrassing Female Paladi further. "My love, by now you should know I never go back on my word. I intend to keep my promises, no matter the circumstances." Heavy Swordsman gave her a calm smile, resulting in her beautiful violet eyes to go wide.
Heavy Swordsman turned to the brown-haired man with a stoic expression plastering his face. "Sir, I hope you can forgive my forwardness in my next words because I do not want to lie to you. I appreciate your great hospitality, but I made a promise. And if a knight won't stay true to his words, what is the purpose of knighthood? Especially when his promise regards his lady." Heavy Swordsman switched his booming laugh for sincere words. For words, that caused Female Paladin's own words to get stuck in her throat and to blush even more. "Great man with a sword, even greater man with words..." she admitted.
Cow Girl's uncle stern look remained on them for a few seconds, when eventually, he exhaled loudly and put the wooden bowls in front of his guests. "Whatever you do, please, just leave my furniture and belongings out of it. If you can't keep it in your armor even then, than at least clean the mess you will make. And the last thing. For the love of gods, do not tell me anything more than I already know."
"Aye. That I can do." Heavy Swordsman replied and he gave his finance a sly smile.
Female Paladin only looked between the two of them, and nervously chuckled at the cleanly clothed owner of the farmhouse.
Cow Girl's uncle wore the same white shirt and grey pants as before, but now without a hint of blood on them. He sat next to Heavy Swordsman, as the couple inspected the bowls.
The meal Cow Girl's uncle prepared is a simple salad by the looks of it. Chopped summer vegetables, such as cucumber, tomatoes with greens and lettuce, glistering in the candlelight thanks to some kind of oil, he added. And it wouldn't be a salad on the dairy farm without some cheese in it. The white cheese looked like it was pickled in some kind of salty water, being rather juicy for a cheese. With some sprinkled seasoning, the salad looked magnificent.
The brown-haired man whipped two wooden forks from his pocket and gave them to the two adventurers.
"I am sorry, but I am not a good cook. I hope you will find the meal I prepared acceptable." Cow Girl's uncle admitted.
Female Paladin looked at the bowl, and it looked really good. Even though it was just a salad. "For a non-cook, it looks delicious."
"You have nothing to apologize for, it looks great sir and we are very pleased and grateful for your hospitality." Heavy Swordsman gave the man a slight smile. And to be honest, he is glad it's just salad. They ate an hour ago at the temple. They didn't finish, but the feast in the hall filled their stomachs to some extent. Plus, the run towards the stables exhausted them somewhat, so a light meal is welcomed.
"Itadakimasu!" Both adventurers proclaimed and dug in.
As they were eating, the owner of the farm finally broke the silence at the table. "How long do you know him?"
Heavy Swordsman raised his head from the bowl and looked to his right to meet the face of the uncle. "I believe he appeared in the guild five years ago. So five years sir."
"Same here." Female Paladin added.
Cow Girl's uncle sighed. So that didn't help. Nobody seems to know where Goblin Slayer went between the years of the destruction of his sister's village, and the time he met Cow Girl in the town. It looked like they will get some information out of him once. Goblin Slayer began and told Cow Girl what happened to his sister, and her parents the day goblins attacked, but it didn't go well.
The uncle remembered the day very well, as the fourteen-year-old Cow Girl ran to him, crying her eyes out when Goblin Slayer didn't spare her any details of his encounter with the dead in the village. It's safe to say, even Cow Girl didn't stay for long and caught only the beginning. The uncle asked for the story himself, and he was shocked not only by the story on how Goblin Slayer survived those three days in the basement but the tone in which Goblin Slayer told him the story. Emotionless, without a hint of sadness or regret. It was like his soul was long gone. Since then, Cow Girl, and not even him dared to ask Goblin Slayer what happened during those 5 years he was gone. None have the stomach for more gruesome things.
"And how long do you know him, sir?" Female Paladin asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
"Since he was a toddler."
The two were surprised at first. Air grew quiet until Female Paladin released a few sounds. Female Paladin couldn't suppress her cute giggle and began chuckling. She looked at the confused face of her fiance. "Can you imagine, my love? Little baby boy crawling around with that famous helmet on his head, stick in his small hand, swinging back and forth yelling GAWBLIIIINS!" Female Paladin imitated baby talk with the last word. She had to raise her hand slightly to cover her mouth which couldn't stop giggling with such an image in her head.
Heavy Swordsman began laughing loudly, and even Cow Girl's uncle smiled. But his smile was sad, not that of joy. If only they knew what he went through... As the lovely couple grabbed the forks again, returning to eating the salad, the door to the room opened and Cow Girl walked in, speaking all the while closing the door behind her.
"I showed them the place and they are trailing the blood tracks to the place from which Goblin Slayer came from. I-" Cow Girl stopped a few steps from the table, looking at the food. Wearing an adorable surprised "O" face she asked. "You are already eating?"
"I made a salad for them so you don't have to do more today. You had a long day, niece, you should get some rest." the uncle said.
However, Cow Girl didn't listen to her uncle, and went to them, stopping in front of the Female Paladin. "Not yet uncle. I have to congratulate new mommy and daddy." Cow Girl closed her eyes and smiled widely at the Female Paladin.
Female Paladin was initially surprised that Cow Girl knew, but then again, gossip flies fast. If she has to guess, out of the three adventurers, it was the elf who told her she is pregnant. "Thank you..." Female Paladin said.
Heavy Swordsman tried to quickly swallow the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes he grabbed with the fork to thank Cow Girl too, but he sent some of it into a different tube and began coughing loudly. Immediately, he began punching his chest armor in hoped to get some of the food out, and thankfully, he did spit out a piece of tomato on the table.
Female Paladin shot from her spot quickly going around the table to help her love. She shoved the uncle sitting next to Heavy Swordsman aside, knelt in front of Heavy Swordsman, grabbed his hands and worriedly asked. "Are you alright?"
"(cough) (cough) Wrong tube! (cough)." He laughed between coughs.
"I'm gonna fetch some water." The uncle hastily raised from the chair Female Paladin shoved aside and went for the bottle of water in their storage room.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I'm sorry!" Cow Girl stammered, yelled out and bowed slightly. Somehow, she thought this is her fault.
Heavy Swordsman cleared his throat a few times giving his fiance reassuring smile and looked at the sad Cow Girl. "Nothing to apologize for. I just wanted to quickly thank you, but instead, I nearly choked on tomato. Kinda ridiculous." Heavy Swordsman laughed it off as if it was nothing. When Female Paladin saw Heavy Swordsman is again himself, she retreated to her chair to finish the salad which nearly killed her fiance. "My fiance, the greatest swordsman in the guild, choked on a salad... I hope the gods don't have such a cruel sense of humor."
"So," Heavy Swordsman said, but he again had to clear his throat. The tomato he coughed up still irritated his throat even when it was already lying on the table. "are they already tracking the cause of Goblin Slayer's near death experience?" Heavy Swordsman asked, as he grabbed the fork to resume eating again, trying to somehow soothe the itch in his throat.
Cow Girl sat next to the eating Female Paladin so she would be across Heavy Swordsman and her uncle. "Hai." Cow Girl nodded, not giving her usual enthusiasm into the answers.
The place grew quiet for a moment until Cow Girl's uncle joined the table, bringing two glasses of water with him, giving them to the two silver ranked adventurers. Heavy Swordsman immediately drank half of it, aaaahing shortly after, putting the glass back on the table. Female Paladin's table manners were better in that regard. She sipped a little bit of the water when she got her own glass. Cow Girl's uncle got to his place near the Heavy Swordsman, and the peaceful late night dinner resumed without further accidents.
"Heavy Swordsman-san, do you like horses?" Cow Girl threw another topic on the table at the late night dinner.
The swordsman was surprised at first, but he gladly answered. "I wouldn't say like. But I am very familiar with horses. I was raised in a village and my father is a stablemaster. So I know a thing or two about them." Heavy Swordsman explained as he swallowed his scooped salad, now without troubles. "Why do you ask?" he added looking at her over the table.
"I noticed you are quite an experienced rider. And it seemed to me like you were interested in Goblin Slayer's mare outside." Cow Girl's usual smile returned to her face.
"Goblin Slayer's mare?" bewildered Female Paladin asked as she grabbed a glass of water, taking a small sip.
"Hai! It's his mare. Though I am taking care of her most of the time. He is usually busy with goblin quests, so I feed her, groom her and change her horseshoes." she quietly finished, looking at her toes under the table. "But he trained her." she added, looking back up with a big smile plastering her face once again.
"She is indeed in great condition. Muscled strong legs, glowing fresh color of fur, crest and the tail, body cleaner than a whistle and healthy as the day is long. Though I have to say, I have never seen such a horse. She looks..."
"Dark? Mysterious? Demonic?" Cow Girl's uncle completed Heavy Swordsman's thoughts.
Heavy Swordsman's face remained neutral. "Yes." he answered. "I do not mean it badly, sir. But those dark red eyes with the blackest fur I ever saw and muscled body gives a menacing feeling to her surroundings. I dare to say she feels otherworldly." Heavy Swordsman tried to explain his stance.
"It's alright. You are not the first, nor the last one saying that. That's why I gave her to Goblin Slayer." the uncle said, but he soon found out that the two wanted to know more. And so he sighed and continued.
"I couldn't find her a responsible owner because of her looks and sickly conditions when she was just a foul. He didn't care about her looks and gladly took her in, cured her condition and trained her. After his treatment, my niece took care of her. Thank the gods he took her, because she would die in the care of the others. Not that other stablemasters wanted to take care of her when I presented her anyway. Her looks caused quite upset in the village nearby. The villagers, especially the elderly, came here a few times to look at the demon spawn as they still call her. Thanks to this kind of treatment, she developed trust issues and only my niece and him are able to get near her without getting kicked. She doesn't even let me feed her." Cow Girl's uncle explained.
"Poor horse." Female Paladin sadly whispered. Superstitious elders. The treatment of the horse didn't surprise her. People fear they don't understand the most. "But. If that's true... how did you manage to get Priestess atop of her?" Female Paladin asked, chewing the salad and swallowing another bite.
"She let's others on her back if I ask nicely!" Cow Girl tilted her head slightly and her face beamed with a smile again.
Heavy Swordsman chuckled as he was mixing the contents in the bowl with the wooden fork. "That's one loyal horse." he quietly added just so the table could hear him.
"Does she have a name?" Female Paladin asked.
The owners of the farm looked surprised. Which was weird, since asking for the name of the horse shouldn't surprise them that much. Female Paladin would expect this question to be asked at one point during the conversation about the horse. They even looked sad for a moment, which was even more curious about the two owners of the farm. Cow Girl even looked out of the window, brushing her pink hair behind her ear, sour expression on her face. Even Heavy Swordsman, usually the one who has troubles to catch things like this noticed the sour mood of the two farmers.
"Lilie. Her name is Lilie." Cow Girl gently answered, looking out of the window by their table, not looking at their guests. Female Paladin and Heavy Swordsman noticed she was completely in her own world right now.
"That's... an interesting name for a horse such as her." Heavy Swordsman added with a raised eyebrow.
"He named her-" Cow Girl's uncle said, and his mouth opened like he wanted to continue, but more words never came out of his mouth and he decided to stay quiet.
Female Paladin giggled lightly. "I am not surprised. Goblin Slayer always had weird habits. I suppose naming things out of place is one of them."
"Hai..." Cow Girl's whisper nearly got lost as the two began finishing the salad Cow Girl's uncle made them. "But… it's the only name that makes sense."
Heavy Swordsman saw that even a little jape by his fiance didn't lighten up the mood. What is this thing with the name and sour mood? The horse is named after a flower, what's so sad about that? And why would Goblin Slayer name a black horse after a white flower? The horse isn't like a lily. Lily is a white, gentle, delicate and fragile flower. This horse is a complete opposite of that. Heavy Swordsman shook his head. It's Goblin Slayer, nothing makes sense with that man.
Cow Girl straightens up herself, raised her hands up in the air, arched her back and yawned with all her might smacking slightly after it. The uncle saw it, and he himself was getting tired after this eventful day. "If you don't mind, we will retire for the night. It was a long day, and we are really tired." Cow Girl's uncle informed the couple, and the two farmers got up from their chairs.
Both Heavy Swordsman and Female Paladin nodded. "We will remain on the watch until the others return. And thanks for the meal, sir. Delicious." he pointed to both of their empty bowls. For the first time this night, the uncle turned his head around, and genuinely smiled at them. Then the two of them left the room. Leaving the new couple alone.
"So. Have you ever made love under the moonlight?" Heavy Swordsman teased her with a sly smirk, and Female Paladin blushed heavily on the implication.
"Heavy Swordsman! We are supposed to guard the farm!" Female Paladin yelled out.
Heavy Swordsman laughed again. "We will, my love. I am capable of doing more things at once, you know. Plus, I heard it is a great way to refresh your fighting spirit. May as well be ready to fight, don't you think?"
Female Paladin couldn't believe this. What is he thinking?! Goblin Slayer nearly died! They don't know if Goblin Slayer killed the intruder! And they already sinned once! Great way to refresh? She was exhausted after it, not refreshed! How could she do it?! Again?! It didn't feel that good.
Well... maybe it did... a little.
Actually, when she began recalling the night, it felt good. Too good. Why would the gods made it feel so good and made it sinful? It doesn't make sense! She could feel her will crumbling. Why does she want to? It feels so inviting, to try it out outside, in the night, under the stars. It has that sweet forbidden taste to it. And she is too weak to resist the temptation. She wants to succumb to her fiance's advances like she did last time. Well... now he is her fiance. The man she loves, is pregnant with and wants to spend the rest of her days with. So... if there is one instance where laying with the man outside of wedlock is acceptable, this is it. And why wait? They are getting married anyway, she already isn't a virgin, and she conceived his child in the inn so what is there to save for the wedding night?
With a heavy blush, she shook her head, answering him. Such a tease. He knows very well that she made love only once, to him in the inn, and yet he still teases her.
"And do you want to?" he asked, completely serious. When she looked into his dark grey eyes, she saw that he indeed is willing to show her that he loves her for the rest of his life.
In the end, she decided to give in. She already stole a horse tonight, what's one night with her fiance to it? Plus, he made a promise to her, so why to make him break the promise when she is willing to go through with it. "I am such a shameless woman... Earth Mother have mercy on my soul." red faced Female Paladin thought, and nervously nodded to Heavy Swordsman.
He laughed with his booming voice, grabbed her hand and the two disappeared from the room to enjoy the night.
The remaining three adventurers ventured their way through the forest behind the farm. Trailing the blood trail from the place Cow Girl showed them was fairly easy. Goblin Slayer generously left a lot of blood behind for them to track.
"Just how much blood did he lose?" the elf asked when the never-ending trail of blood continued further into the forest.
"More than a man should be able to survive." Dwarf Shaman stated, trailing behind the elf with Lizard Priest, who was lighting the way before them with a torch.
"I agree. If all the blood we encountered is indeed sir Goblin Slayer's blood, the man should not be able to survive this." Lizard Priest added. Little did they know, this was just a small portion of his missing blood.
High Elf Ranger knelt as she spotted a bigger bloodstain in front of her. The blood was still liquid and fresh. What caught her attention though, was a small piece of metal in the small pool of blood. Picking it up, she let Lizardman's torch illuminate the small piece of metal. Unfortunately, not even her enhanced elven eyes or lizardman's reptile eyes could tell with certainty from which part of his armor this part is.
"He had to stumble here a bit." Dwarf Shaman looked around a little to further suggest his theory about the big stain.
As the blood dripped from the metalic part, High Elf Ranger watched the specks drop back to the small pool fascination. She couldn't help but be fascinated by the red liquid. His red liquid. "Such a strong bloodline he caries. Being able to survive all of this... I doubt he is indeed a human. And if he is, he has to be a pinnacle of human race." she thought. Despite being really mad at him right now, she has to give him credit where credits due. Surviving all of this blood loss is an impossible feat in itself. Well, at least for a human.
"I believe we should continue." Lizard Priest told High Elf Ranger, to which she responded by looking back over her shoulder, slowly nodding.
And so she got up, threw the piece of the metal she found away and the group continued along the trail. They were surprised when they encountered four more places where Goblin Slayer had to stumble.
The calm winds of the night rustled Lizardman's feathers on his tunic. All of them were uneasy thanks to one simple fact. The further they went into the forest, the quieter it grew. No owls hooting no rooks cawing, just a quiet wind tickling their ears. Too quiet for their taste.
Once they reached a couple of blooming bushes in front of them, in the treetops above them they saw the wide hole. They all had a gut feeling that whatever happened to Goblin Slayer is behind these blooming bushes. So they pushed the small bush branches away and exited on the other side.
The red moon shone brightly, and it is thanks to its shine through the hole in the tree crowns they spotted an impaled woman on the spike stump. Exactly where Goblin Slayer's blood trail ended. All of their eyes widened once they saw the scene.
"What the-?!" the elf blurted out and stopped in her tracks, watching the corpse lying motionless on the spike.
"Interesting." Dwarf Shaman scratched his beard.
After the initial shock, the other two looked around them for any clues to find out what could happen here. Dwarf Shaman got first over the disturbing sight and approached the impaled woman. Meanwhile. lizardman walked around the place, looking for other clues.
Dwarf Shaman walked up to the stump, rustling his beard all the while examining the woman. Looking past the fact she is naked, she gave him a vague idea who she is. Two knives in her shoulders, one in the head, bloody hands, and when he knelt down and examined her face, more blood was present. Though he didn't see a whole lot as Lizardman is walking around with the torch and is further away.
"I think we found the attacker..." Dwarf Shaman looked over his shoulder on the elf.
"Her?! How? Look at her! How could she fight anyone! And with what?! She is completely naked!" High Elf Ranger disbelievingly pointed at the corpse, all the while approaching the dead woman.
"Hmm... true, but I don't think she used weapons. Her hands are covered in blood like she was fighting with them. And remember, they said Goblin Slayer was beaten up. She could very well just punch him a few times and that was it." Dwarf Shaman lifted one of the hands of the impaled woman.
"I doubt he would go down in a few punches. And why even pick a fight with him?" the elf asked. Fighting against Orcbolg... Why? It's pointless. Unless you are a goblin, he avoids conflict. What could this woman have done, that it pissed him off so much he made her into one layered skewer?
"I would like to know as well..."
Dwarf Shaman looked around the place, and the bearded dwarf ended up looking into the hole in the trees again, finding the hole there very interesting. The branches were freshly broken, and the leaves on those branches were still green. But then, his eyes spotted a pouch, hanging from one of the branches. It was torn up, but he knew who was the owner. "How did you manage to do that?" he asked himself.
"They fell..." the elf followed the eyes of the shaman, putting two and two together.
"More appropriate description would be she was cut down." Lizardman appeared in front of them with something strange in his hand. He raised the things up, revealing a pair of bat-like wings in his hands. Dwarf and elf both raised an eyebrow to their scaly friends and seeing their surprised faces, lizardman continued.
"Do you see the two thin lines on her back?" Lizard Priest nudged his head to the corpse's back, where two very thin seam like lines were. "That's from where these are from." Lizardman directed his head towards the set of wings. Elf's eyes widened, with words failing to leave her mouth due to the winged surprise.
"So Scaly, care to tell us what happened here?" Dwarf asked, already knowing that Lizard Priest figured something out.
Lizard Priest gave the dwarf a light smile. "I have a theory. But before I tell you, could you please check her canines and eyes?"
"Canin-" The dwarf paused for a moment and when he saw all the blood on the woman's body and the wings, everything clicked and he became completely wide-eyed. "Wait! Are you seriously trying to say she is a vampire?! A High Vampire?!" The dwarf quickly spurted out. The only vampires that can take human form are High Vampires, so that made the identification of the corpse much easier.
You could count remaining known High Vampires on your hands. Not only that, those guys are one of the most dangerous monsters out there. Guilds give permission to fight High Vampires to only high gold ranked adventurers, or to platinum ranked ones. And for a good reason. Dragons, earthworms and all other giant dangerous beasts are indeed incredibly powerful. Various destroyed villages and even cities are proof of that.
However, these giant beasts that sometimes take entire groups of adventurers, or armies to put down lack one important thing. Intelligence. And thanks to the High Vampir's high-level intellect, even greater than those of humans, some would argue that they are more difficult to deal with than giant dragons. Plus, there is the fact that only silver or holy relics can weaken them them.
"That's impossible. How could Goblin Slayer kill a vampire? He doesn't have silver equipment or something holy which could weaken a vampire!" High Elf Ranger immediately denied lizardman's idea, with crossed arms under her chest.
"Please. Friends. Just take a look we will see." Lizard Priest politely responded. And so Dwarf Shaman reluctantly knelt down, lifted her head slightly and with his thumb he raised the vampire's upper lip to take a look. "Prolonged canines..." and then he opened her eye with two fingers. "and red eyes.
"Signature features of vampires." The Dwarf stood up from the corpse, dumbfounded by his findings.
"B-But how?! How? How could he kill her?! Those throwing knives in her head and shoulders are steel. She should be fine!" High Elf Ranger pointed at the items and became very startled by those news. She herself can't imagine facing a foe like that. Especially without anything that can kill it. It's completely suicidal to face a vampire without silver!
Dwarf and elf, looking for answers looked at their lizard friend, who wore his knowing light smile. "Look at the stump."
And both adventurers did as they were told. And in light from lizardman's torch, they saw the bark of the stump is smooth white, with black horizontal lines.
"Aspen..." both of them mumbled at the same time. The Dwarf then grabbed his head with both of his hands and his face showed his moment of realization. "Of course! Aspen spike through the heart! That's one weakness we completely forgot! Aspen spike through the heart kills vampires too!" Though. "I guess aspen stump works too. Gods that man is a genius." the dwarf looked back at High Elf Ranger.
The elf disbelievingly looked at the aspen stump in front of her. "So... they flew in the skies, Goblin Slayer cut off her wings and then they fell on this stump?" the Elf looked at lizardman, who unsurely nodded. "Possibly. That's my theory at least."
"That's ridiculous. Not even he can pull this off." the elf shook her head, refusing to believe this nonsense.
"I think you still refuse to don't give him enough credit, Long Ears. He is a formidable foe I would not want to face even with decades of experiences in the field of battles." Thinking about his newfound friend, the dwarf looked at the red moon on the skies. Little did he know, once the moon disappears from the night sky and sun takes its place in the morning, his friend will be woken up and well, ready to tell a really simplified version of this tale.
Author's note: Done! Next Chapter we will go inside the fucked up head of our favorite goblin butcher. I don't have much to say, because I wrote this off and on for the two months so everything I wanted to say is kinda forgotten.
That's all from me! Leave the review, and see ya!