Disclaimer: I do NOT own Goblin Slayer.
Hi. So as you guys can see, I am not dead yet, and this thing is still going on. I am really sorry for such a late update. how long was it? 3/4 months? Anyway the reason is not that I don'thave time, nor that I wouldn't want to continue the story.
I just couldn't get back into it. Believe me, I really want to finish this, since it has a large following, and I like Goblin Slayer franchise. But, everytime I started writing I always had a feeling it's not good enough. I am kind of a stickler, so when I saw the mistakes I make, the things I could improve, I got kinda discouraged from continuing further. However, thanks to re-reading your reviews, I was able to write another chapter. Today, I will not reply to the reviews, because it was such a long time since the last chapter, and many of the fans could have even dropped the story already. However, next chapter I will reply to all the reviews for this chapter. I hope the next chapter will be out in a month like it always was, but you never know. However, the fact I don't want to abandon this story still stands. So thanks you very much for your reviews, and
I thank you No-Named-Dude for going through the chapter! Now onto the chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 19: Before the storm
A cloudy afternoon shadowed the lands around Twilight Town, and in one of the surrounding forests, Heavy Swordsman's party was currently engaged in battle. All the young teens, Druid Girl, Apprentice Cleric, Rookie Warrior, and Scout Boy, along with Female Paladin were against a Shadow Walker.
A creature of pure darkness, where no light could ever hope to touch. The monster had scrawny legs, bony, yet had no bones. Even the body was thin, looking starved out, with something akin to ribs poking out of the utter blackness of its body. Four spider-like arms with a claw at the end of each limb sprouted from the sides of its torso.
The head of the creature was triangular, with the only non-dark area being two white lines on each side of its head where one would normally find eyes like ones on more humanoid beings. This scrawny creature seemed to drip darkness from its body, yet not losing any mass in the process.
A white line appeared under the "eyes" of the creature, imitating a mouth before making an unbearable screeching sound. Everyone in Heavy Swordsman's party covered their ears, however, their ears began bleeding through their hands regardless, making their efforts futile. Fortunately for them, the creature did not keep screeching for long.
The first one to recover was the shorter girl in green robes. "Dancing flame, Salamander's flame, grant us the share of the very same. KINDLE!" a pink-haired rhea began her incantation, raising her druid staff, yelling her last word.
From her wooden staff, a spiraling flame appeared out of thin air and flew towards a giant broadsword in the hands of an armored warrior. Heavy Swordsman smiled, seeing his trusty weapon surrounded by a magical fire.
"O fair goddess of the skies, strike those who make innocent cry. SMITE!" Apprentice Cleric said her prayer with closed eyes, opening them once she yelled out the last word; her staff pointed towards the dark creature. Lighting emerged from her staff, electrocuting the shadow monster. However, despite the staff's new upgrade by Sword Maiden, the shadow creature shook off the damage very quickly. At least it did some visible damage, it would have done nothing without the enchantment otherwise.
During this small opening, Rookie Warrior and Scout Boy tried to land a hit on the creature, but all the swords did was pass through the shadow monster.
"OUT OF THE WAY BOYS!" Heavy Swordsman charged at the monster with his giant sword, the two younger boys quickly moved out of the way of the charging bull of a man with the flaming broadsword. When Heavy Swordsman yelled, villages kilometers away could hear it, and so of course, ear-bleeding youngsters could hear him too.
"O merciful Earth Mother, please grant us the necessary stamina to protect the weak. HOLY SHIELD!" Female Paladin prayed in the background, yelled out the last word from the back, jumping in front of the shadow monster when it was about to attack Heavy Swordsman. When the claw contacted the light shining shield, a flash of light blinded the shadow monster, weakening it and even damaging it.
As soon as the shield made contact, Female Paladin jumped out of the way as Heavy Swordsman swung his flaming sword with a battle cry, splitting the monster in two in one fell swoop. The shadow monster began burning under the magical fire, screeching uncontrollably, hurting the party's ears even more.
Heavy Swordsman and Female Paladin watched as the monster burned to death not even a meter before them.
The younger teens walked over to their mentors, breathing heavily unlike the two experienced adventurers.
"Thanks for the help, but I had it under control." Heavy Swordsman turned away from the burning creature and towards his fiancé as he stabbed the broadsword into the ground, all the while losing the spiraling flames around it.
"Sure, you did…" Female Paladin rolled her eyes. Of course he did, he always does… well, at least that's what he always said anyway.
"We… We did it." Rookie Warrior managed to tiredly get out of his mouth.
"T… That was intense." Druid Girl joined.
Heavy Swordsman laughed loudly. "Of course! Adventures are always intense! Better get used to it kids!" causing all the other people to giggle at Heavy Swordsman's loud proclamation, failing to notice that the shadow creature was not quite dead yet.
In one last effort, the cut upper half of the shadow creature tried to stab the closest person to it, that being Female Paladin. At the very last moment, Scout Boy noticed it and tackled Female Paladin out of the way without a chance to even warn her.
The shocked Female Paladin wasn't completely saved however, as the claw scrapped the piece of Female Paladin's armor on the side of her stomach.
"O fair goddess of the skies, strike those who make innocent cry. SMITE!"
"Living roots. Ent's roots. grant us a speck of your tools. TANGLE!"
The two young girls quickly yelled out, casting their magic at the shadow creature again. Smite electrocuted both halves of the Shadow Walker. Tangle, one of the newest spells learned by Druid Girl, made the stems of grass around the creature grow, wrapping around both parts, squeezing and restricting the movements of the creature. Not that it was needed, because Smite finished the Shadow Walker.
As the two girls oversaw the Shadow Walker, Heavy Swordsman was already on his knees beside the sitting Female Paladin, checking if she was alright, along with the two boys watching over the older couple.
"You alright?!" a terrified Heavy Swordsman reached for her shoulders, looking over her armor to see if there was any damage. Heavy Swordsman did not find any, even though there actually was some damage.
Female Paladin was frozen on the spot. Her breathing harsh, hands and legs shaking and her violet eyes twitching in terror. She was holding the place where the shadow claw chopped off a piece of her armor… on the side of her stomach.
She looked at the gauntlet that was holding her side. Drops of blood trickled down the gauntlet. As soon as she saw this, the clear horror in her eyes doubled.
"Thank the gods. It's just a scratch." Heavy Swordsman sighed out, seeing the small scratch on her left side.
However, Female Paladin did not see it as just a scratch. Just a few centimeters from the place where she was hit, her baby was resting. She was not horrified because of a simple scratch. She was horrified because she had nearly killed her baby. The baby's own mother.
As Heavy Swordsman and the two boys were asking her questions regarding her condition, Female Paladin failed to hear them. She was in her own head, blocking out their questions all the while questioning everything. What was she even thinking? This… this was like bringing a newborn baby into a fight with them! Why did she even do that? What was this supposed to achieve? It was so stupid and irresponsible.
Female Paladin began gently shaking her head. "No…"
"What?! Is everything alright?!" Heavy Swordsman shook her shoulders, trying to get anything from his fiancé.
"I can't do this." Female Paladin locked her purple eyes with Heavy Swordsman's grey ones.
Heavy Swordsman raised an eyebrow.
"It… it nearly hit…" Female Paladin protectively wrapped her hands around her abdomen, her eye becoming glassy, her voice trembling.
Heavy Swordsman sighed in relief. It would seem that she was alright, physically at least. Heavy Swordsman slowly moved over Female Paladin and pulled her into a tight hug.
Do not be mistaken, even Heavy Swordsman was terrified when he saw the blood. But when it was revealed it was just a scratch, he calmed down, at least a little. He was madder at himself than anything. Mad for failing to notice the Shadow Walker was still alive. He wanted to punch himself in the face. If it were not for Scout Boy… he may have lost everything.
"It's alright. It's just a scratch. It did not hit you, nor the baby." Heavy Swordsman rubbed Female Paladin's back. The blonde let her soft face rest against Heavy Swordsman's armor, still shaken from the unpleasant experience. Heavy Swordsman noticed how his blonde fiancé was getting more and more emotional ever since he knocked her up. It would appear that the tales about moody pregnant women were true all along…
"But it could have hit… It could have…" Female Paladin's voice drifted into quietness.
"It didn't. Everything worked out in the end." Heavy Swordsman kissed the top of Female Paladin's head. "We will do everything we can to keep you safe on our quests." Heavy Swordsman tried to reassure her, while looking at the rookies, searching for more words of encouragement that Female Paladin needed, because this was all he could say.
"Sure thing boss!" Scout Boy said with a toothy grin as the other three young adventurers nodded.
"I can't. I don't want to do this again. I am staying in town. No quests from now on." Female Paladin quietly said.
Heavy Swordsman smiled. He had wanted her to stay in town from the moment he knew that she was pregnant. But… she was just as stubborn as he was. And, understandably, she wanted to go out at least a few times to test her abilities before putting the sword and shield away. Seems like she finally understood why he wanted her safe behind the town's walls.
"Yeah… That's a good idea." he said.
However, as much as this calmed Heavy Swordsman down, he had another problem to deal with. That which his parents brought up when he announced the exciting news to them. Of course, both were excited to finally be grandparents. His father praised him for finally becoming a man by taking on the responsibilities many other men run away from, and his mother could not get over the fact by how sweet Heavy Swordsman and Female Paladin's relationship seemed like after Heavy Swordsman's retelling. They heard about Female Paladin a few times, and both parents suspected that if their son were to bring home a girl, it would be the one he told them most about during his brief visits. And with their fingers crossed, it happened.
But as joyful as it was to share this information, his parents had pointed out that they didn't have a home. Neither he nor Female Paladin. Both usually stayed at inns or some of the guest rooms in the Guild when they returned late.
Having his pregnant soon to be wife stay at the inn, with drunks lurking around in the evening and him not close enough to take care of them had rubbed not only him the wrong way, but their parents as well. He needed to find someplace safer than an inn for her. At least some private living quarters at a hotel for just the two of them for now. Well... three of them.
"Everyone OK?" Rookie Warrior sighed out tiredly, even though he didn't do much this fight.
"Yeah." The other rookies confirmed after a brief scan of an area and their friends.
As Female Paladin was still siting and wrapped in Heavy Swordsman arms, the burly man turned to look at the rookies.
"Good job you four. Especially you girls. You didn't freeze when Shadow Walker attacked again, and you restrained it." Heavy Swordsman said. "That's a lot of progress from our previous adventures." He added, making the young maidens blush upon receiving praise from their mentor.
"Scout Boy." Heavy Swordsman looked at the young boy.
"Yes, boss!" Scout Boy straightened his posture.
"You… you just saved my whole world. I cannot thank you enough for pushing Female Paladin out of the way. You noticed first the Shadow Walker was still alive and you were the only one to react in time. Today, you were the most valuable person here. More so than me or Female Paladin. You saved someone." Heavy Swordsman confessed. Scout Boy was moved to tears, being praised by one of the most powerful adventurers in their Guild.
"Thanks, boss!" teary eyed boy thanked him with a salute.
"As for you Rookie Warrior. Today… was not your day. But do not lose the spark that keeps you going. Sooner or later, there will come an adventure where you will shine." Heavy Swordsman said.
"I'll do my best next time, sir." Rookie Warrior was a little depressed from the lack of his usefulness in this fight. He really needed to step up his game if he wanted to go on an adventure with Apprentice Cleric alone…
"Hey, don't look so down. I am sure with more training you'll become even stronger than Heavy Swordsman." Apprentice Cleric put her hand on his shoulder, trying to cheer him up.
"I hope so..." Rookie Warrior quietly said, sheathing his sword back into its scabbard.
Heavy Swordsman smiled at the team. "Alright, kids. That's it for today. Tomorrow, I want all of you at the Guild by sunrise to walk over our adventure and talk about what could be improved next time. As for now, we will wait a little while for Female Paladin, and head back." he petted the shivering blonde in his arms. He was quite curious about what adventuring without his fiancé would look like. After all, for the last 8 years, they had always gone on quests together.
Twilight Town's Guild was buzzing with positive energy during the lunch break for most people. There was a decent amount of people to keep Padfoot Waitress occupied with cooking and serving the brave adventurers. As Padfoot Waitress was serving the guests, the two receptionists of the Guild were having lunch together at one of the tables inside.
"… Don't you think you're getting a little ahead of yourself? I mean… he only agreed to a simple date…" Inspector skeptically pointed out during the lunch.
"Maybe so. But… it never hurts to be ready. Right?" Guild Girl asked with a sheepish smile, chuckling uncertainly.
"I wouldn't call it ready. Remember, you haven't even gone on a first date yet and you're already planning a wedding. You may not even get to that point." Inspector pointed out.
"Well…" Guild Girl sadly looked at the bowl of vegetable salad before her. "I hope the wedding will follow soon. I can't afford to wait any longer. As he said himself, no active adventurer died in bed of old age." Guild Girl sighed out. Only now she realized how stupid it was for her to have waited this long to confess to Goblin Slayer. She likely never would have done so if Goblin Slayer hadn't found out that she loved him. That in of itself was lucky enough, now it was time to start pushing her luck herself.
"At least you know what you are getting into. That can't be said for a lot of girls who date adventurers." Inspector said with an uncertain smile. What can you really tell your best friend when she had fallen in love with a walking dead man? Not much, especially when it's the "one true love" as people often say. For some reason, Guild Girl considered Goblin Slayer to be perfect, even with his glaring flaws, refusing to even consider someone else as a partner. If Guild Girl would have fallen for anyone else, Inspector would just point out that there were more men like the one she fancies. But… Goblin Slayer was truly one of a kind.
"Even then… I hope someday, I'll be able to give him more reasons to stay alive, so that he would be more cautious about his quests. At this point in time, he's… somewhat suicidal on those quests of his." Guild Girl said, a ghost of a smile on her face.
They both knew Goblin Slayer would not stop until all goblins were no more. If she would want him to put down his sword and live a quiet life with Guild Girl, goblins would have to cease to exist. And, while it was not impossible, as different species of animals die out each year, it was highly improbable that it would occur with goblins during their lifetime.
"Hypothetically, with you being his wife, he would have a reason to come back alive. And, when you add children to the mix, I am sure that desire to come back to you would only increase." Inspector chewed her steak, casually pointing at Guild Girl with a fork. "Though apart from that, I don't think you can motivate him to stay alive any further."
Guild Girl lowered her head, a red color heating up her cheeks at the mention of children with Goblin Slayer. Because to make children, you would have to… well… MAKE CHILDREN.
"Y-y-yeah… B-" Guild Girl muttered under her breath.
"Hello Guild Girl-san, Inspector-san! Have you seen Goblin Slayer-san? I have prepared a new dish for him!"
A demi-human girl dressed in a waitress uniform appeared at their table, smiling at the two receptionists. Her cat tail swaying from side to side behind her, with that wide, never-fading smile on her face. In her paws, she was carrying a steaming plate with what looked like some type of tomato sauce with pasta and meat, covered in said red sauce. The two girls sitting at the table nearly melted in their chair when the delicious scent from the porcelain plate reached their noses.
"Hi." Inspector returned Padfoot Waitress's wide smile.
"Hello, Padfoot Waitress-san. You haven't heard? He's in Water Town on Sword Maiden's request again." Guild Girl raised an eyebrow at the cheerful demi-human.
"Oww." Padfoot Waitress's furry ears curled downwards, her tail stopped swaying and her face fell. "And… when will he come back?" Padfoot Waitress asked.
"We don't know." Inspector replied causing Padfoot Waitress to become even sadder. Guild Girl seeing the saddened girl, offered a seat next to her. "Sit with us and eat up."
The brown-haired ears of Padfoot Waitress perked up. "Can I?" she excitedly said, her thin brown tail swinging back to back again.
Inspector and Guild Girl both giggled at their younger coworker's enthusiasm. "Of course." They both said. "You have been on your feet since this morning, and from what I can see, you served everyone already. Take a little break and eat what you have prepared." Inspector added. Indeed, everyone in the Guild already had a plate in front of them
Padfoot Waitress slid next to Guild Girl, placing her plate in front of her, looking at it unsurely. "But… this was supposed to be it. The best meal he'll ever taste." Padfoot Waitress slumped a little in the chair.
"You still haven't given up on that?" Inspector raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not! A chef never backs down from a challenge!" Padfoot Waitress pridefully puffed out her generous breasts, with a confident smile.
"I know. But… it's Goblin Slayer. That's some tough crowd." Inspector said with a deadpan expression while finishing her steak.
"The tougher the crowd, the more satisfaction one gets when breaking it." Padfoot Waitress replied, still prideful as ever.
"I don't think it's that Goblin Slayer is tough on you. The word "delicious" may not even be in his vocabulary altogether. I've never heard him say it." Guild Girl released an uncertain giggle.
At that revelation, Padfoot Waitress's eyes lit up with an intense fire of determination. "Then I will be the first one he says it to! I will not stop until he admits my cooking, is the most delicious cooking he has ever consumed!"
The reason for Padfoot Waitress being so fired up for her own little quest was a simple one. Literally, everyone who ate her cooking could not get enough.
It may seem like a stretch to say literally EVERYONE praised her food, but it was indeed true. For starters, no matter how small of a meal she makes, she would put her heart and soul into it. That in of itself wasn't rare, but it was rare at places like guilds. Adventurers aren't used to high standards of cooking, but here, at a Guild in Twilight Town, it was the norm thanks to the cat demi-human. The same can be said for the other kind of customers she feeds. In the Twilight Town Guild, apart from the usual adventurers, they would also get builders, lumberjacks, miners and other laborers to stop by for lunch on their busy days, and even they couldn't praise her cooking enough. Nobles and richer people would usually avoid this place, preferring to eat in much fancier locations, not wanting to deal with laborers and adventurers.
Thanks to all of this, she never heard a bad word said about her cooking. That was until she first cooked for Goblin Slayer. She remembered that moment from a few years ago as clear as day. The spring afternoon, he was in bloodied armor, and sitting quietly at a table by the window. Seeing the strange adventurer, the demi-human approached and offered him her mushroom soup. One "Yeah" later, she brought him her delicious mushroom soup, he shocked her with the response, "It's edible."
And since then, she heard that phrase uttered 74 times, from the same armored man. Not once had he said anything else about her cooking.
"You do realize it may be impossible to do so? Right?" Guild Girl inquired.
"Says the girl who convinced him to go out on a date. As far as I am concerned, you did the most impossible thing to date regarding that weirdo." Inspector said with smugness. And as she expected, Padfoot Waitress's ears nearly shot off her head.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaat!?" The high-pitched sound of a bewildered Padfoot Waitress echoed in the halls. The green-eyed cat-girl spun her head towards a tense Guild Girl, who's cheeks were as red as Goblin Slayer's eyes.
With an embarrassed chuckle, the golden-eyed girl turned to Padfoot Waitress next to her. "Y-yeah. I… I have a date with him." she scratched the back of her head. However, her expression quickly turned to one of mild anger. "AND DON'T CALL HIM WEIRDO! HE IS A NORMAL GUY WITH FLAWS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE."
Not fazed by her mild outburst, Inspector raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile plastered all over her face. "Normal? Do you really think Goblin Slayer is normal? That his "flaws" are normal?" she chuckled.
"W-w-well. Yes." Guild Girl tried to convince not only Inspector, but herself as well. She wouldn't fall in love with a crazy man, right? RIGHT?
"You know what? I am starting to think that you're a weirdo too." Inspector began mindlessly writing circles on the wooden table in boredom, watching her hand.
"I AM NOT!" Guild Girl quickly shot from her chair.
"Only a weirdo would fall in love with another weirdo." Inspector elaborated. "Wouldn't you agree, Padfoot Waitress?"
It took a few seconds for Padfoot Waitress to regain her composure. With one quick shake of the head, she was back. For now, at least. Goblin Slayer having a date needed to be elaborated much further. It was like saying goblins had stopped with all the raping and torturing. Absolutely unbelievable. "W-w-well. He is kinda… unconventional, to say the least." Padfoot Waitress tried to lay it delicately to Guild Girl. The cat-girl was definitely on Inspector's side on this one.
"Unconventional you say. That is a fancy word coming from a waitress. Where did you study?" Inspector picked up the small detail as Guild Girl could only look down, thinking that maybe, she was not as normal as she thought.
The demi-human girl's furry ears perked up with excitement. "In Wat-"
"ALL RIGHT MIDGETS! WHERE IS THE GOBLIN MAN?!" Amazon Warrior's loud voice burst through the door into the Guild. And to the surprise of many, two other amazons stood beside the tanned woman, who always carried her signature battle-axe on her back.
One was shorter than Amazon Warrior, though still much higher than humans, with a long white braid resting on her shoulder. This young, tanned lady easily caught the attention of the men inside the Guild, as her body looked like it was carved by some higher power. She wore similar robes to that of Witch, hugging her body tightly, and showing her curvaceous figure to the world. Her robes were red and white, with a hood covering the rest of her white hair, instead of a witch hat. The robe had white fur around the cleavage, hands, the outer end of the hood, and at the end of the robe which ended at her mid-thigh. Under the hood, she hid her big silver eyes and a gentle smile. Unlike Amazon Warrior who wielded a battle axe, she was holding what looked like a magic staff made of white wood. The white twisted "branch" in her hand was just as tall as her. Small red berries could be seen growing near the top, and gave the staff a unique feel of life itself.
The second amazon on the other hand was taller than Amazon Warrior, and out of the three, she was clothed the most. She wore a grey battle kimono that was relatively loose around her slender figure, giving her room to move. Unlike the other two, her chest was flat, with little to no indication that something was hiding under the kimono. Like the other two, she also had long hair, though the color was light orange, and her hair was made into a bun at the back of her head. Her expression was also different, being that of a stern teacher in a school with peach-colored eyes. Also, unlike the smallest amazon, who looked to be around 18 years old if one were to look at her face, the taller amazon looked to be around 30 years old.
"Is this how humans greet each other?" the gentle, smaller amazon asked.
"I highly doubt it. Our friend just never got used to the manners of the outside world." the taller one spoke. Her voice was stern, commanding respect with just a few words.
"Manners? They never complained, so everything's alright!" Amazon Warrior slapped the taller amazon on the back with a cheerful smile, much to the amazon's annoyance. "Anyway, where is the goblin man?! Shouldn't he be here?!" Amazon Warrior asked, now with a quieter tone than her previous yell from before.
"Uhm… can I help you?" Guild Girl walked up to the three amazons in the doorway to see if Amazon Warrior needed something. She assumed that these two were her new teammates since Amazon Warrior always went solo. Though their look for Goblin Slayer was… strange.
"OO! Gold-eyed receptionist! You'll know! Where is goblin man!" Amazon Warrior yelled out and picked up Guild Girl from the ground.
"Goblin Slayer-san is on a quest outside of town, by the request of Sword Maiden." Guild Girl politely replied with a small bow.
The tall amazon growled. "So, we came here for nothing."
"No worries! We'll just wait here! I am sure the little lass over here can have us stay in a room!" Amazon Warrior turned to her friends with another cheerful smile.
"Umm… yes. That can be arranged. However, we only have one room available with two beds that can take in people of your height. One of you will have to sleep on the floor, unfortunately." Guild Girl told to the three tall women.
"Nothing we aren't used to." the stern orange-haired woman said.
"It's all good then. Please, follow me to the counter and I will give you your keys." Guild Girl gestured with her hand towards the Guild counter, with the three amazons walking past her.
She walked behind them, wondering why amazons would be looking for Goblin Slayer. Apart from that one ropey interaction, they never really talked to each other. Yes, Amazon Warrior was at the farm on the night of the goblin attack, helping him to defend it, but so were all the other adventurers from the Guild, and apart from a few exceptions like Spearman, Heavy Swordsman, and their parties, none were interested in Goblin Slayer like this.
"May I ask why you're looking for Goblin Slayer-san?"
The smallest and curviest of the tall woman turned around with a mischievous smile and put a finger to her lips. "That's a secret." the silver-eyed amazon said.
Guild Girl pouted angrily. "Why are all these girls swarming around my Goblin Slayer. I don't like it." she thought.
Meanwhile, in the tallest amazon's mind, she constantly wondered how a simple human could beat one of their high-ranked warriors. This was her and Amazon Shaman's first trip outside of their village. They all heard, and even on rare occasions, saw humans, or more specifically men, but all seemed fragile. Both her and Amazon Shaman thought humans outside were more… well, strong. And apparently, this Goblin Slayer wasn't tall or buff either, even by human standards. However, she knew how prideful Amazon Warrior was. Amazon Warrior would never lie about losing a battle of strength, especially not with a midget. To amazons, there was no disgrace worse than losing to a small and weak man.
"Here are your keys. Room 31 and it'll be 50 bronze coins for a two-bedroom for a night of stay." Guild Girl pulled a key from under the counter and placed it in front of the amazons, not giving away her displeased mood, acting as professionally as ever.
"Thanks! Let's go upstairs!" Amazon Warrior shouted in her strong voice and pulled the other amazon girls with her up the stairs with a wide smile, not caring about what was going on around her, nor what her friends thought.
The taller amazon hissed in irritation from being dragged by her arm upstairs. "I am starting to think the story she told is farfetched."
"Well, it seems unlikely, but what's the harm in seeing it for ourselves? We can at least finally see the outside world. And… I am looking for a future where her story holds true." Amazon Shaman, who was too dragged upstairs by Amazon Warrior's other hand, quietly finished the last part.
"Tsk. Of course, you are. It's all the girls in our village can hope for." the taller amazon gritted her teeth.
As the amazons disappeared from Guild Girl's sight, the honey-blonde haired girl was getting very bad vibes from these giantesses. Something was telling her, they had their own plans with Goblin Slayer, and while they may not be malicious, they were certainly dangerous to her certain goals regarding the masked goblin grinder.
Though she did not know it yet, her fears were certainly justified, because indeed these three had their own plans with Goblin Slayer.
As the sun was setting over the plains around Twilight Town, Cow Girl was finally done with her delivery to the Temple of Earth Mother. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she walked in front of the kart and began pulling it back to the farm. It was supposed to be another ordinary day of deliveries, but near the gates of Twilight Town, she saw a familiar face.
One of the adventurers who had helped Goblin Slayer defend the farm looked lost in thought. He was sitting on a bench, his head hunched down in his blue/gold armor, all alone, and had a bouquet of roses in his hands. Cow Girl just wanted to leave, but her heart wouldn't let her. After all, this was one of the people who had saved her and her uncle's home, and so she decided to help any of the people who helped Goblin Slayer defend it when possible. And boy, did he look like he needed help. So, she pulled the kart to the side of the road and started heading towards the brooding man.
"Hello, Spearman-san."
The young man shook his head upon hearing his name. "Oh, hello." Spearman looked up. It took a few seconds to realize just who the girl was since the sun had already set. "You're that farmer girl Goblin Slayer lives with, right?
"The one and only!" Cow Girl smiled at Spearman. Brief silence filled the streets until Spearman decided to speak again.
"So, what brings you here?" Spearman asked, his face not giving Cow Girl any hints as to why he was sitting here, deep in thought, and with flowers in his hands.
"I was heading home from delivering goods to the temple." Cow Girl pointed to her kart at the side of the road. "But what are you doing here, all alone with that in hand?" Cow Girl looked at the flowers he was holding.
Spearman sighed. "It's kinda complicated."
Without a word, Cow Girl sat next to him. "I have time." she said.
"Well… where do I begin?" Spearman looked at the soon to be starry skies of Twilight Town.
"Wherever you like." Cow Girl said.
Spearman took a deep breath and spoke. "I don't know how familiar you are with me, but if you've ever seen me, you've most likely seen a purple-haired witch accompany me." Spearman turned to Cow Girl who nodded in agreement.
"I have recently found out that she is into me." Spearman paused for a second. "Unfortunately for her, I've always had my eyes on Guild Girl at the Guild. But after she chose that weirdo you live with, I tried to drown the rejection in booze." Out of the corner of his eyes, Spearman saw the sad smile the pink-haired girl was giving him. "Yeah, I know. Not the smartest decision, and believe me, I regret it now. What I said that night to Witch, I should have never said." Spearman lowered his head.
Cow Girl, seeing the troubled man patted his blue armor. She didn't know if it had any effect, or if he even noticed it, but nothing else had come to mind. "I am sure she'll forgive you eventually."
He shook his head slightly with a quiet hiss "That's exactly the problem. She forgives me for everything. And so do you it seems. Why? I am not worthy of this… compassion? Kindness? I do not deserve this kind treatment." Spearman said, struggling to find the right word to finish the sentence.
"You may think that, but I don't. Do you know why?" Cow Girl smiled at Spearman, and the perplexed man chuckled. She must have some silly reason, because he failed to see how his recent actions were redeemable. "Please, do tell."
"I heard around the Guild that you were the first one to lend a hand to Goblin Slayer in defending the farm. Without a reward, except for a mug of beer. Someone lending a hand to a man, even when you can die out there, is to me, a man with a good heart." Cow Girl gave Spearman another heart-felt smile.
Spearman again chuckled, this time harder. "Just so you know, I never had any intentions of dying to a stupid goblin. Not now, nor ever."
"Still. You helped him. You were the first to help, even before his teammates and friends. That has to mean something." Cow Girl gently said.
"Look, it was the first time he asked for help. And even I know when someone like him is asking for help and offering EVERYTHING he has just so he could save you, you must be a very special person to him. I just had to lend a hand." Cow Girl's cheeks warmed when Spearman mentioned she was Goblin Slayer's 'special person'. "Besides, if he died, I couldn't make fun of him anymore. It would get boring really quick in the Guild."
Cow Girl chuckled at his joke. "Anyway, you are a good person in my eyes. So why are you here with those flowers?"
Spearman sighed again. "I screwed up today again."
"Alcohol?"
"Not this time." Spearman shook his head. Another deep breath in and Spearman continued. "We met to discuss my false accusations when I was drunk, because, as it turns out, I do not know my teammate at all. So, I wanted to get to know her after these 5 years of adventuring together. Problem was, I invited her to lunch, and she took it differently from the way I meant it." Spearman paused. "I should have known after she kissed me. When I entered the restaurant, she was already seated. But not in her usual witch robes. She dolled up. Even though it's autumn, she wore a gorgeous purple summer dress, purple high heels, braids, jewelry, you know, the whole thing. Gods, she was gorgeous. And then there was me, in dirtied armor, thinking this was just a friendly meeting." Spearman sighed. "Needless to say, the rest of the day was awkward. I thought it wasn't a date, she thought it was, and as soon as we saw each other, we both knew we miscalculated. I tried to save the day by asking those random bullshit questions like: How was your day? Good weather we have today, aren't we? And so on. We have not talked about us at all as we initially thought."
"So… are you here to apologize for the misunderstanding? Or… ask her out again? This time properly?" Cow Girl eyed the flowers in his hands. Something was telling her that he would not have brought flowers if he didn't intend to ask her out again.
Spearman nodded. "I decided that I was going to ask her out properly this time. Until I saw a couple on the first floor of the inn she stays at, arguing, and it reminded me of both myself and her. So, I turned around, and tried to go home. But then I realized, leaving this unnoted would do no good either. So, here I am, thinking about what to do next."
"What have you seen in there?" Cow Girl asked, curious what could shift Spearman's intentions.
"The couple… I think that's how we would eventually look like. The man… he was drunk, and his wife came to pick him up from the pub. However, he didn't want to go and caused a scene, which caused me to stop in the doorway. He lashed out at her, and when she begged him to come back and not make more problems, he refused. It escalated to the point where he slapped her so hard, she fell to the floor." Spearman looked at the flowers in his hands. Cow Girl couldn't tell what he was thinking, as his facial expression was neutral. "Naturally, as soon as the man slapped the woman, other men in the pub were on their feet ready to beat him up. Including me. The scene that caused me to walk out of there, was when his wife got between us and pleaded to leave them alone, and that it was none of our business. Naturally, all of us were confused. Then, the man smirked and walked out, with his wife right behind him, despite all of us offering her help and shelter from the abusive man." Spearman paused. "This wasn't a one-time thing. When we saw her up close, she had another bruise on her cheek. And yet, despite all of that, she continues staying with him. With such a piece of shit." Spearman sighed getting a little bit emotional.
"What if I become like that too? What is stopping me from doing the same? I would like to think I am not capable of hitting her. Ever. But… am I? I never thought I would say the things I did to Witch either, yet I said them, nonetheless. What is stopping me from harming her more? And the worst part is, she keeps overlooking this, blinded by love, I guess. When will we get to a point where she excuses even me hitting her like that guy hit his wife?" Spearman looked at Cow Girl, looking for answers to this question. What he saw were widened eyes of a surprised Cow Girl. Spearman smiled sadly.
"I'm not surprised you fear me now. It scares me too." he said. However, Cow Girl's widened eyes had nothing to do with astonishment, but the fact she relates to it too.
"You are afraid you'll take advantage of Witch's good nature…" she said, in a whisper as the chilly wind picked up a little in the autumn night.
Now it was Spearman's turn to be surprised. She understood him. "You are not the only one who thinks their closest ones are too good for them…" Cow Girl commented, her smile also filled with sadness.
"Y-yeah…" Spearman managed to stutter out. He didn't think there was someone with the same problems in his… Yet here she is.
"I too hope I am not capable of hurting my loved ones… but you never know." Cow Girl shared her fears with Spearman. Spearman, seeing someone in the same predicament as he, got an idea.
"Hey, since we have the same problems, what about this. If I begin to behave like a tyrant, you will slap me back on the good, civilized path. And the same goes for me. If I see you becoming distant from your friends and starting to take advantage of them, I'll redirect you back to the right path. Deal?" Spearman offered a hand to seal the deal between them.
How could she deny such an offer? She just hoped they will meet more frequently just so they can keep an eye on each other. Well, Goblin Slayer and he were getting closer lately, excluding that Guild Girl situation. So, there's always a chance for that. Without a second thought, Cow Girl shook Spearman's hand. "Deal" she said with a smile.
"Now. Go and get your girl!" Cow Girl cheered him on.
Blushing Spearman chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head, looking away from Cow Girl. "Y-yeah. I'm gonna go and get… my girl…" Spearman said, never thinking he would end up saying such a thing. And just like that he got up and looked down the street in the direction of Witch's inn where she resided. Before setting out, he turned around one last time. "Thanks for the talk." he said.
"No. Thank you for saving my home. If you ever need a place to stay, our farm will never turn away an adventurer who helped defend our home." Cow Girl sincerely thanked the first person who offered to help Goblin Slayer.
Spearman chuckled, raised his hand nonchalantly, and made his way towards the inn. He knew she would forgive him and accept the clear invitation to a date, so he wasn't that nervous about it. Like he just shared, he hopes he'll never turn to the heartless monster like the one he met earlier that day. Maybe he'll meet that man on the streets somewhere. He saw how some men eyed the abuser, with the intent to track that guy down and beat him up regardless of his wife's protests. And if he were to meet that man again, Spearman would surely punch some sense into the guy too. After all, he wasn't on quests today and he needed to blow off some steam.
"But first things first." Spearman said, looking at the flowers. "Let's make this work…"
Goblin Slayer sat, leaning against the cobblestone wall, with a small rectangular window with iron bars above him, mindlessly tossing a pebble up and catching it shortly after. All the while doing this mindless action, his mind was racing.
That rhea… He wouldn't want to kill him just because he was an observer during his demotion, could it? He was pretty sure that was not the case, as the rhea reeked of goblins, indicating that he was simply a threat to his new allies. But where? Where would the rhea encounter goblins AND make some sort of alliance with them? And where in the sewers could they hide. Goblin Slayer just hoped that they would release him soon so he could get back to work. The threat of them attacking Water Town was rising every minute.
"ARRRRGH! What is taking them so long?! Someone had to have seen the rhea attacking us!" High Elf Ranger yelled out in frustration, shaking the iron bars of their cell.
Goblin Slayer sighed. And he was also locked in here with her. His ears just couldn't catch a break… All in all, the cell wasn't too bad. 3 cobblestone walls with small, barred windows at the top, and an iron bar wall with doors as an entrance. A torch on the wall, bucket of water, empty bucket for certain needs, and two strawed mattresses for sleeping with one blanket each. It was relatively clean, considering this was a prison cell. Only minor issue was the company was too loud.
Goblin Slayer paid the High Elf Ranger no mind and began tossing his pebble up and down once again. However, unlike Goblin Slayer who could kill time with a simple pebble, High Elf Ranger wasn't that easy to please.
"How can you do something over and over again for three hours and not go crazy?!" Goblin Slayer turned to her, wordlessly, staring at her for a good ten seconds. Only after those 10 seconds, High Elf Ranger realized how stupid of a question she had just asked. He had done virtually nothing but goblin slaying for 5 years. Three hours doing the same thing should be nothing to him. "Forget I said anything." she sighed in defeat.
The two unfortunate prisoners spent another two hours in that prison cell. Goblin Slayer doing his usual stuff with the pebble, and High Elf Ranger restlessly walking back and forth, exercising, or writing on the floor with pebbles. When her boredom had reached its peak, she began tapping Goblin Slayer's helmet in a rhythm to pass the time, again, much to Goblin Slayer's displeasure.
After those two boring hours, steps were finally heard again, and High Elf Ranger's ears perked up. She immediately stopped playing on Goblin Slayer's armor and went towards the cell doors as Goblin Slayer kept tossing the pebble. As light from the torch approached their cell, a lot of footsteps could be heard. Eventually, 9 people stood in front of their cell. Lizard Priest, Dwarf Shaman, Priestess, and Sword Maiden. Surprisingly, there was also Hero and her two teammates, the brown-haired human man who was a prison guard. The last one Goblin Slayer didn't know, but he was a tall slender elven young-looking man.
"So, how did the dinner go, Long Ears?" Dwarf Shaman asked sarcastically towards his friends behind bars.
High Elf Ranger grit her teeth in irritation. "As you can see, not particularly good." She replied, equally as sarcastic.
"Goblin Slayer-san! Are you alright?" the gentle voice of Priestess asked from the back of the group, trying to get a look as others blocked her sight from seeing Goblin Slayer in the cell. For the first time in 5 hours, Goblin Slayer stopped tossing the pebble and looked at the group before his cell. "Yeah." he answered.
"Wait! Hero?! What are you doing here?!" High Elf Ranger yelled out as soon as she saw the famed savior of their world.
"Heh heh. We were with Sword Maiden discussing the schedule for the festival tomorrow when we heard Goblin Slayer and you were taken into a cell." Hero chuckled.
"Wait a sec! You know us?!" she yelled out again.
"Only him." Sage standing next to Hero pointed at the armored prisoner.
"When have you ever met them?!" High Elf Ranger turned towards Goblin Slayer.
"A few days ago." he simply answered.
"So, are you sure it was self-defense? This is the last time I am gonna ask." the prison guard asked the slender elven man.
"Yes." the elven man gently spoke.
"And you are vouching for this man and elf, right?" the guard turned to Sword Maiden. The smiling maiden answered. "Yes. I vouch for their innocence."
"Fine then." The guard began looking in his pockets for the iron keychain with cell door keys.
As soon as the door opened, little Priestess squeaked through and ran to Goblin Slayer to check on him. As Priestess was lifting Goblin Slayer's arms to check if he had any cuts, Goblin Slayer himself didn't move an inch.
"I am fine too, thanks for asking." High Elf Ranger teased the poor Priestess on her way out of the doors, though inside a tiny bit of jealousy was appearing.
Blushing Priestess replied. "S-s-sorry. I-I'll check you in a minute." she finished, and the group chuckled.
"We are glad you are alright, lady High Elf Ranger and sir Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest joined the conversation.
"Yeah. It was getting quite boring at the temple without you two." Dwarf Shaman said.
The eyes of the male elf widened when he realized who this elven prisoner was. Without a word, he was ready to get on his knees and show respect to the princess, but he was suddenly stopped by Her Royal Highness herself. "Do what you are about to do, and I swear you'll never bend those knees again." High Elf Ranger threatened the poor, confused man.
The petrified man stood still, not making a move, not knowing what exactly to do in her presence. On one hand, he was obligated to greet her as proper customs, but on the other, it was her wish not to.
Trying to divert attention from her outburst at the elf, High Elf Ranger quickly shifted her attention to Hero and her group. "We were never properly introduced. I am High Elf Ranger. I am in a party with that weirdo over there. Nice to meet you three." High Elf Ranger offered a handshake.
Hero, without any hesitation, took the hand with enthusiasm. "Hi! I am Hero! Nice to meet you" she said.
High Elf Ranger smiled back at the cheerful raven-haired girl. "Pleasure is all mine."
"I am called Sage." the little mage introduced herself.
"High Elf Ranger. Nice to meet you too." The lime-haired elf moved to the small sleepy mage and shook hands.
"And you must be Sword Saint. A pleasure to meet you too." High Elf Ranger moved to the last girl of the Hero group.
"Likewise, lady High E-" Sword Saint began, but quickly stopped when Goblin Slayer along with Priestess stood up and walked up to them. Even when Goblin Slayer had promised that he would never tell anyone her secret, she was still worried. The only people who know of her secret were her teammates, Sword Maiden and Goblin Slayer. She trusted her two friends with everything, no secrets between them. Sword Maiden was the head of the Supreme Goddess church, which made her trustworthy enough. But Goblin Slayer… no one knew much about him, and as such, trusting him was not easy either. The other people around them quickly noticed Sword Saint's stiffened posture when she saw Goblin Slayer.
Goblin Slayer eyed Sword Saint from top to bottom, curious if the constant drinking of Doppura potion caused some permanent side effects. But apart from her trembling like a leaf, there was none that he could see. Maybe there were some hidden beneath her light armor, but unless she stripped, he wouldn't find any. His eyes are not that good, unfortunately.
"Glad to see you are doing alright." Goblin Slayer said to Sword Saint.
"Thank you…" she replied, her voice uncertain. Goblin Slayer's party immediately sensed some history between the two, but none were brave enough to ask. Not that they feared Goblin Slayer, but delving into the secrets of one of Hero's friends was a dangerous game none of them wanted to play.
"My beloved, I know after recent events, rest is something you do not think of, but the Sea Festival happens only once a year, and your presence there would make me happy. It shall last only one evening, and I would like you to attend in my name, as a reward for answering my call." Sword Maiden spoke, her gentle motherly tone being music to everyone's ears. "Your friends can join as well if they choose too." she turned to the rest of the group with her blindfolded eyes.
She knew him all too well. Even when he had planned to let his body and mind rest during the day of the festival, and enjoy the peace that comes with it, after recent events unfolded, he would have to get back to the thing he did best as soon as possible.
"With a lot of people, comes a lot of potential clues. I will attend." Goblin Slayer announced, having his mind made up already. He will go to the Sea Festival, sure, but to investigate as many people as he could. And who knows, maybe someone will reek of goblins, giving him their first suspect. Well, second actually, since the first one he had killed in a mindless self-defense.
"Thank you." Sword Maiden approached Goblin Slayer, giving his helmet a quick peck on the side, much to the surprise of many in the prison dungeons.
Not the answer Sword Maiden was hoping for, but at least he would attend. She knew that was the best she could hope for, that's for sure.
"Didn't know our archbishop was already spoken for…" the prison guard said.
"Neither did we." Hero said, unsure how she was feeling herself.
Goblin Slayer, sensing how his girls, "Wait. My girls? Since when have I referred to them that way?" Goblin Slayer paused his train of thought. Well, many consider him the leader of this party, so technically High Elf Ranger and Priestess could be considered his girls, and Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest his boys. But he didn't think they were on those terms yet… It did seem like they were in his mind though.
Anyway, the first thing he was going to do was to leave this place. The topic was once again shifting to his love life, and quite frankly, he hated the topic by now. "I'll go to the temple and prepare for the festival." And with that said, Goblin Slayer made his way through the crowd of people to the stairs, exiting the dungeon.
"Wait for me!" Priestess yelled out, running after him. Today she was without Kuma, because the lazy cub didn't want to go with her to Goblin Slayer, so Kuma stayed at the temple.
"What an interesting man…" the slender elf commented.
"Interesting indeed." Sword Saint quietly whispered, still not knowing what to make of him.
"DAMMIT! I FORGOT TO TELL HIM TO LET US KNOW WHEN HE'LL GO OUT TO SLAY GOBLINS! WAIT A SECOND GOBLIN SLAYER!" Hero panicked and yelled as she was running up the stairs to catch the duo of adventurers.
As hairs were flicked when Hero ran off, Sword Maiden giggled. "These few following days will certainly be interesting."
And she was right, they would be interesting. Because a certain Dark Elf lost his patience when he had heard about the fate of his accomplice. The day of the festival will be the day hell will fall upon Water Town.
Author's note: Finally done! Next chapter the big fight in Water Town will finally start so you have that to look forward to. Also, the first lemon is inching closer and closer, so that's also something to look forward to. Anyway, have a nice day, stay safe and take care.
That's all from me. Leave a review and see ya in the next chapter!