Disclaimer: I do NOT own Goblin Slayer.
I thank you No-Named Dude for going through the chapter!
Author's note: Surprise! I am alive! So, Hi guys. Since last time, Christmas happened, New Year happened, some of you had quarter of you celebrated their birthday and much more, but here is the new chapter! It took a while, and I had to push myself a lot, but a new chapter is done!
I will now answer some review.
hulkysy: No, thank you for the kind words. I am doing my best.
Anime-ted Life116: Thanks for the kind words, I am doing my best.
Onii-Chan 69: Thanks for the kind words. The problem is, I am apparently a perfectionist, and that is why I am not satisfied with what I write.
derethl2: That's a secret.
daniel2610994: Man. You had it rough. Hope you all are better now.
LongNightDragon: Well, I could. But I have different abilities in mind for Goblin Slayer. I don't know how, but one fan had to read my mind, because he wrote exactly what I was about to give Goblin Slayer, so he stayed relatively same in terms of power, but more interesting.
Evowizard25: I am glad you liked the things back in Twilight Town. And as for the Amazon's handling Goblin Slayer, I would rather ask how the amazons are gonna handle Goblin Slayer.
Rayyan The Reader: I mentioned this will be a harem route. So yeah, whoever your girl is, she'll "win" in the end. Now it is only about who gets him first.
bysater: Thanks for the praise
Xanderboii: Dude… come on. Are you a mind reader or what?! I had this in mind for a while now! Jeez, you thought of everything I was thinking to the last detail. You are terrifying me. :D
Chu-chu27: Another lengthy review which I adore. Yeah, a lot of time was put into this, but as I mentioned, even though I want to finish this so hard, I just sometimes get discouraged to continue. But that is just in my head.
I get that Goblin Slayer may seem to "human" now. But the goal of this whole thing, is to develop him to be human enough, to handle 5 girls at once right from the beginning. The way he was at the end of an anime, he'd never do that.
Sword Maiden guess, huh. Well, even though she is aggressive in this regard, the fact she got goblinated still haunts her, and doing more than the teasing scared her. But… who knows. Maybe after the traumatic attack on Water Town, she'll just go all in. You'll have to wait and see.
Thanks for the praise and the review
AkaDeca: Aaaaaa. A new reader. So, if you'll still here, enjoy the ride.
DavJaiJai: Thanks for the praise! Harem fan… well, I hope this will be to your liking.
Thanks to all the other reviews posted, and for all the followers and favorites that appeared during this long break. More than 300 new followers came, and I am very thankfull for every single one of them.
As for the future of this fic, I'll give myself a challenge. If I'll manage to post next 3 chapter in a month (that means 23rd of March, April and May), sticking to the schedule I will allow myself to create a , where you can discuss this fic with me. I had this idea on my mind for a while, ever since 1 000 followers, but I cannot start something like this, unless I can stick by the schedule. So, hopefully, this will push me to write more, and by the 23rd of March, the next chapter will be posted. You can leave your thoughts on this in the reviews, or in my DMs. Both is fine.
Now onto the chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 20: Time's out
The Sea Festival. Held every year in Water Town, in the names of the gods who ruled over the oceans, seas, and even rivers and lakes. Since Water Town was built, Sea Festival was held, thanking them for the fish that were caught and feed to the bellies of the townsfolk, the seaweed feeding said fish, and the lack of tsunamis and tornados that were common on other coastlines. And ever since the city was built around the Temple of Law, their archbishops oversaw the organizing the of celebrations. Farmers from around Water Town would attend the festival, building booths where they would try to sell their goods. Performers from around the human realm would walk days to reach the town, where money could be easily earned. And then, other visitors who saved their money all year just for this moment. However, these attractions and markets weren't the main things that beguile people in.
It was a known fact that the canals in Water Town were made with mermaids in mind. When merman and humans buried the hatchet, to show peace between the two factions, merman and humans built these canals to show that the two worlds are seamlessly connected. To show that each race can live together in harmony. But… it has been years since mermaids swam around Water Town, with many not knowing as to why they had stopped, though gossips say Merman King restricted merman's movements from their towns and villages under the sea. Nevertheless, people still go to the Sea Festival, in hopes to see these beautiful creatures full of grace, jumping out of the canals in Water Town.
Unfortunately for some, at today's Sea Festival, a small portion of people will pay the ultimate price and others would be traumatized for the rest of their lives.
Sword Maiden woke up in her spacious chambers in the Temple of Law, with the sun shining through the balcony glass door. A silky blanket had fallen down her body upon raising up from her bed. Opening her eyes, she was disappointed when there was no shadow of a man beside her. "A Warriors duty never ends…" she thought, gently grazing the sport where he was supposed to lie with her fingers. A sad smile washed over her face. Her little scheme to share a bed and something more with him wasn't going according to plan at all. Though… after what happened to her… she didn't even know if she could do anything more with him other than occasional teases and kisses…
And worst of all. "I can't even give him what he wants…" Sword Maiden lowered her head, rubbing her abdomen, where several scars were. It all brings tears to her eyes and brought out the worst of her memories when her fingers brushed against those scars. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "I have work to do. I must pull myself together. Today is a big day for a lot of forgotten people. I have to persevere…" she rubbed her eyes, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, pulling the silky double blanket off her completely.
The naked Sword Maiden walked over to the stand with her robes, picked up her blindfold, and tied it behind her head. Her robes followed, and with her magic staff, she left the room.
Sword Maiden walked through the halls of the Temple of Law, trying to clear her head of unpleasant thoughts. She made her way towards the Temple's kitchen for breakfast, wondering if she would meet someone from Goblin Slayer's party.
The kitchen in the Temple of Law wasn't anything grandiose such as the rest of the Temple. It came down to the shortage of nuns at the Temple. It's not that they would be completely out of people, there were around 50 nuns in the Temple and 50 Mother's Guards, more than enough people to have someone take care of cooking at the Temple. However, today, every single nun has at least one child under her care. There are 67 children at the temple from ages 0-15 who were left at their doorstep as a baby, or some street kid in rags knocked on their door asking for shelter. There were other responsibilities for the nuns such as keeping the temple shining clean, regular prayers, listening to confessions, and many other things. So usually, every week, the nuns with children assigned to them were in charge of cooking for the temple three meals a day. Though… most nuns unfortunately weren't well versed in cooking, so the quality of the food left a bit to be desired. But… the orphans and nuns didn't mind. Both were just glad they had a safe roof above them, and warm meals to feed them every day.
Sword Maiden walked between the tables in the big dining area in front of a serving hatch. When Sword Maiden got into the line with the rest of the nuns, waiting to get their fair share of food, a nun and a little girl in a beige sweater too big for her greeted Sword Maiden with wide smiles. Sword Maiden returned the gesture with a smile of her own. As the row was moving forward, a black-haired small boy in an apron was excitedly running from the serving hatch and began talking to every single nun and child in the line, bowing and asking their orders in an atypical manner.
As the nuns giggled at the boy's behavior and were sending him further down the line, Sword Maiden soon picked up with her ears what the boy was saying. And she couldn't help but giggle. He was so adorable.
"We've got a charmer on our hands, don't we, sister?" Sword Maiden said, the nun in front of her letting out a chuckle.
"I guess so."
"Wasn't he one of the more mischievous children here?" Sword Maiden asked.
"Ooooo, he was. But, ever since their visit to the mansion, he fell in love with butlers and their mannerisms. I guess he wants to become one." The nun answered.
Sword Maiden smiled. "That's a good goal to have." and most importantly, it was a realistic one. Boys dreaming of becoming heroes often die first.
"M'ladies, what are your wishes for today's breakfast?" the boy asked when he reached Sword Maiden, the nun, and the little girl standing next to the nun. With his right hand over his heart, he was bowing at a near perfect 45-degree angle. He already had the potential in him, though it looked odd in an apron instead of a suit.
Both Sword Maiden and the nun giggled again. The little girl's eyes widened, surprised by the sudden change in her friend's behavior.
"Scrambled eggs, young gentleman." Sword Maiden and the nun crouched so they were eye-level with the boy. It wasn't like they really had a choice in food anyway. But… why not play along?
"And for a drink?" the boy straightened up his posture.
"Water." they again said, but now, their attention diverted towards the bewildered girl.
"Noted." he answered with a smile. "And you, little flower? What are your wishes?" he bowed to the little girl.
Now the girl's cheeks changed colors to blazing red. "F-f-f-flower? L-l-little?" she stuttered out.
"Uhm…" the boy paused and turned to the two older women. "Did I do something wrong?" this didn't go according to his plan.
"Not necessarily. Tell me, my child, where did you come up with the idea to refer to your friend like this?" the nun asked, and Sword Maiden herself was curious. The boy is already a ladies' man, which brought another, now more mischievous smile to Sword Maiden's face.
"The butler I met called little girls like this..." he innocently answered. "Am I not allowed those words?"
The smiling nun answered the boy. "If your friend doesn't mind, I do not see any problems with that."
Attention shifted towards the cute little girl, her cheeks reddening even more. Instinctively, she hid behind the nun's skirt, slowly whispering. "I… don't… mind." Sword Maiden and the nun both giggled as the boy beamed with a wide smile. However, when he recalled that one must maintain a neutral face at all times if they were to become a butler, he quickly changed his expression.
"Breakfast will be ready in 10 minutes m'ladies. I will take my leave now." He bowed with a hand on his heart before running back to the serving hatch to help the nun cook.
"He is still a little too excited, but he's got the spirit." the nun remarked as she petted the head of the little girl behind her robes. He forgot to take her order… Granted, it didn't really matter since they only have one choice for the meal, but still…
"Hello, ladies." a manly voice from behind them spoke. Upon turning around, they found Dwarf Shaman, now standing in the row with them.
"Good morning, Dwarf Shaman." Sword Maiden smiled.
"Good morning, sir." the nun bowed a little.
"M-m-morning sir." the little girl spoke in awe, the first time seeing a dwarf.
"Now, aren't you a pretty little princess." Dwarf Shaman looked at the little girl with a cheeky smile.
"T-t-thank you, s-sir." she meekly answered, gripping more of the nun's robes, not being used to getting so much attention in such a short amount of time.
"Seems like even a midget like me can be scary." Dwarf Shaman chuckled, noticing how tense the little girl became. Brief silence broke the flow of conversation until Sword Maiden broke it.
"Dwarf Shaman, have you seen my beloved? The morning sun woke me, and he wasn't next to me." Sword Maiden asked.
Dwarf Shaman chuckled, being already used to Sword Maiden and her… unique way of referring to Beard Cutter. "You know him. Goblins don't sleep, and nor does he. He and Lizard Priest went to scout the sewers early in the morning again."
"Already doing his vocation…" Sword Maiden whispered. It dawned on her of just how true the first ballad about Goblin Slayer was. "I may not be the beautiful, pure young maiden from the ballad, but he is exactly as they sing."
"I am starting to think that this, the unthankful job most scoff at is the reason why the gods made him. So, when peasants pray for salvation, and for a hero to save them from damnation, there is someone who'll take action. He may not be the ideal hero many might imagine, but he is what all these people need him to be." Dwarf Shaman said, receiving a confused look from Sword Maiden. "I have mused over him and his path in life a lot these last few days. And I am sure you did too…" Dwarf Shaman said.
Sword Maiden looked up the ceiling, saying a quiet prayer for him in her mind. With her hand on her heart, she answered Dwarf Shaman. "I have thought about him long before I even knew he existed…"
As Goblin Slayer and Lizard Priest scouted the sewers yet again, High Elf Ranger and Priestess were on their own little mission. Though both had hoped Goblin Slayer would take a break at least during the day of the festival, he didn't. However, the grey-haired man promised to come back by dinner to prepare for the festival. Before that though, there was still the question of who would accompany him this evening.
"We will never figure this out, won't we?" High Elf Ranger sighed in frustration.
The emerald-haired elf and sky-eyed Priestess with a bear cub were walking the streets of Water Town. They asked Goblin Slayer when they had met him earlier in the morning to finally choose who he wanted to accompany him. Even though he had his helmet on, they could sense the confused face he was making as he looked back and forth between them. "Either of you can accompany me." he responded bluntly.
And even when they pushed for more answers, he just repeated the same statement. Eventually, he got tired of the bickering, and just left, saying that he was going to scout the sewers with Lizard Priest and that in the meantime they should figure it out. And if they didn't, he'd go alone. So now, the two young girls were walking down the streets of Water Town, discussing the little dilemma they found themselves in.
"I just want to show him what fun is…" Priestess said quietly.
"I am sure that's all there is to it." High Elf Ranger sarcastically remarked, with Priestess's cheeks heating up. "Besides, I want to do that too…"
Priestess sighed. She had an idea on how to solve this situation, but firstly, she didn't know if High Elf Ranger would even accept the solution, and second, she wanted this to be a private affair between her and Goblin Slayer. A chance to be alone with him, on an evening event under the starry sky, moon making waves washing over the shores and roads of Water Town, ending in fireworks. Maybe they could even catch a glimpse of those mermaids people talked about. And supposing she was lucky, maybe she could even get a quick peck from him. Though, she wasn't getting her hopes up. Even when she will dress up for the festival, he will most likely still be wearing his worn-down armor. Getting him out of his armor was farfetched in of itself, so getting a kiss from Goblin Slayer was as likely as spotting mermaids.
So… if this fantasy of hers didn't have much of a chance of happening, why not just compromise?
"Hey… High Elf Ranger…" Priestess quietly said, squeezing Kuma with shaking arms.
"Hm?"
"What if we both… accompanied him during the festival?" she asked, not being able to look the noble elf in the eyes.
"Both?!" High Elf Ranger yelped, looking at the little Priestess as if she had lost her mind. "How would that even work?"
"W-w-well. Since we both just want to show him something fun, I-I-I think two of us together would have higher chances to do so, instead of just one." Priestess tried to explain with an ever-present blush, telling a slight lie in the process.
The slim elf eyed Priestess suspiciously, making the blonde even more nervous. Though, now that she thought about it, why was High Elf Ranger so adamant about accompanying him? She realized that everyone in their party grew to care about Goblin Slayer, and all of them have been trying to pull him out of that lonely fortress he barricaded himself into. There was just something weird about her. Though, that may be due to her being an elf…
"Look… I don't… mind." High Elf Ranger began twirling her braid framing her face, seemingly as embarrassed as Priestess. "But what will others think? When they see two girls going arm in arm with Goblin Slayer? Will that not smear your name as a priestess?" she asked the girl with the bear cub.
Priestess released an even cuter giggle and answered. "I think you misunderstand how we work. My name as a priestess will not be smeared even if there were to be ten of us accompanying him. As long as all the people are sincerely in agreement, the whole town can accompany him."
"…You follow an interesting goddess I have to say. Do sins even exist in your religion?" High Elf Ranger answered.
Priestess immediately began defending her faith. "Of course! Lying, greed, kinslaying, unfaithfulness, and several other behaviors are considered sinful with different severity for each!"
High Elf Ranger was surprised by the sudden vigorous defense of Priestess's faith. Seeing Priestess that determined was quite the sight. "Well, that's something at least, since from what you are saying, a man could have thousands of lovers if he so wished it, and no one would bat an eye." High Elf Ranger said.
Priestess laughed nervously, her cheeks turning red once again. "W-w-well. A-according to the teachings of Earth Mother, if one wants to have more spouses, they can… B-b-but there are still rules everyone must follow! I-i-i-it is not like a person can bed just anyone!" Priestess tried to explain how things worked to an outsider, and not make it sound as bad as it did.
Nonetheless, explaining to someone that people can have more wives or even husbands for that matter was quite difficult. With so many gods existing in their world, there were a lot of different views of their realm. Still, all of those gods could be divided into two primary groups. The Gods of Order, and the Gods of Chaos. Or as the civilized realm liked to call them, the good and evil gods. And of course, the demon king's followers called them the same thing, just with switched meanings.
Though the "good" gods belong to the same group, even in those two primary groups there were a lot of differences. The gods the lizardmen worship were very different from the ones the humans worship. However, there is one thing that puts all the religions the civilized world worshiped under one umbrella.
NO ONE SHALL TAKE A LIFE OF ANOTHER INNOCENT PERSON
After that, it depends on the religion and the gods they follow to line up more rules. In Priestess's case, the unique Earth Mother's rules and teachings. Though, since it was believed that the Supreme Goddess is Earth Mother's mother, these two have a lot in common, not making their way of life incredibly unique from those who follow Supreme Goddess. The main difference here stems from the abilities each goddess provides. Disregarding the vast healing ability overlap, Earth Mother focused more on light magic while Supreme Goddess on lightning magic.
In summary, both religions follow these 9 principles. You shall not steal, cheat and lie. You shall not be greedy, gluttonous, or sadistic. You ought to be humble, faithful, and just. These are the stones upon which these two religions are built upon. Then there are more rules, such as the sanctity of marriage, being compassionate, forgiving, chaste, and more, with small differences in religious practices here and there between the two.
And having more than one spouse was not against the teachings of either Earth Mother or Supreme Goddess. Teachings of those two say that if a situation occurs, where a single man catches the attention of more than one woman, he can marry them all. However, other women must agree to the whole situation. If for example, two out of the three women were for the marriage with one man, he may marry only those two. It can also work the other way around, but men's pride and ego often put a quick end to those plans. And since successful cases of women marrying more than one man could be counted on one hand, over time people forgot that this rule also worked the other way around.
"You humans are weird…" the elven princess said.
"Says someone who worships a tree." Priestess mumbled underneath her breath.
"What did you just say?!" High Elf Ranger yelled, shoving her face up to Priestess's own, glaring at the poor blonde.
"N-n-nothing!" Priestess managed to stutter out.
"….." High Elf Ranger kept the tension between them by not moving an inch from Priestess's face, all while Kuma who was still being held in her arms tried to fend off the person who was intruding into the personal space of Priestess with his little paws.
"A-a-anyway. W-w-what do you say to both of us accompanying him?" Priestess tried to change the topic.
High Elf Ranger sighed loudly and after several seconds of thinking, she answered. "Well… I'd like… that."
Priestess's eyes lit up. "Really?! You're not going to get into trouble because of that?!" excited Priestess yelled out.
"Not anymore." High Elf Ranger quietly said.
Priestess's kind heart immediately noticed the mood turning sour, as she was taught at the temple. She immediately tried to help her friend. "Is something wrong?"
The elf chuckled. "No. Everything is as it should be." and then, High Elf Ranger scanned Priestess from top to bottom. "Come. Let's find you a cute dress for the festival." she said.
"For us, you mean." Priestess smiled.
"Yeah… for us." High Elf Ranger chuckled, before the two girls ventured towards the nearest tailor, in hopes that maybe, they would be able to catch the attention of their grey-haired weirdo.
It was an afternoon in Water Town, and our goblin-slaying hero and his bipedal lizard friend were returning from their scouting of the sewers. Early in the morning, they walked around the town, looking for an alchemist who could have had anything to reveal the usage of magic. Luckily for them, there was a cheap candle that burns brighter under the circumstances the enchanter gave it, and usage of magic was among the more popular enchantments for such a candle. Unluckily for them, the candle was barely burning throughout their whole stroll.
So, Goblin Slayer wasn't very satisfied. Another wasted day, without a single dead goblin, or even a clue on where they could be hiding. And now, he'd have to deal with this "date" he had coming up during the Sea Festival. Yeah, date. During Goblin Slayer's and Lizard Priest's scouting of the sewers, Lizard Priest occasionally asked about the morning and the two arguing girls. None of the two knew anything about this whole "dating", "courting" or whatever you wanted to call it. But, logically, if a simple walk around the park counted as a date, then a walk around the festival counts as one as well, right? It was the same as with Guild Girl. Though, only in Priestess's case. High Elf Ranger didn't want him, so that shouldn't classify as a date. Or maybe it does also. Well, at least from the rules he had gathered it shouldn't be.
For the thousandth time, Goblin Slayer's mind wandered into a place he never thought it would. "Why is this so complicated? I sincerely hope there is some book that explains all of this love stuff."
"Sir Goblin Slayer?" Lizard Priest walking next to him turned to Goblin Slayer.
"Yes?" he said back.
"I would like to ask for your recommendation as to what to do during the festival. As you may be aware, I am not too familiar with human customs, and I would like to learn them eventually." he politely asked.
"Hmm…" Goblin Slayer put a hand under his armored chin.
He had no idea what he would do himself if he did not have plans already. Well, goblin slaying was always an option, but by now he knew that only he would trade a peaceful and fun night of celebrations with a goblin nest.
"If you want to learn about human customs, see some religious service. Or participate in competitions for prizes. There are supposed to be a lot of both." Goblin Slayer said.
"Hmm. Indeed, interesting things to do." Lizard Priest scratched his chin.
But, as Goblin Slayer saw Lizard Priest's reptilian tongue quickly shooting forward and back into his mouth, he got a better idea. "Or visit the farmers market. There's a lot of different kinds of cheese you haven't eaten."
Lizard Priest stopped walking, his eyes lit up and his tail began smashing the ground subconsciously. "More of sweet Nectar!"
Goblin Slayer stopped along with Lizard Priest, watching his outburst of excitement over the shoulder. When Lizard Priest realized this, he scratched the back of his head nervously, his tail nevertheless still swung back and forth excitedly. "Excuse me, sir Goblin Slayer. I got taken away a little."
"No need to." Goblin Slayer replied. Under that helmet of his, a faint smile appeared. As much as he wouldn't like to admit, he began to enjoy his team's antics. Somewhere along the lines, Goblin Slayer stopped viewing their antics as a nuisance and began to enjoy their different quirks from time to time.
With a relieved smile from Lizard Priest, the two men walked through the channel-filled Water Town, eventually ending on the marble bridge connecting the religious center of the town, and the rest of it.
"Sir Goblin Slayer?" The bipedal lizard broke the long silence when they were nearing the temple.
"Yeah?"
"I am curious. Would you rather be at the festival with lady Priestess or lady High Elf Ranger?"
Another loud tired sigh escaped Goblin Slayer's lips. "I will never escape this topic, will I?" Goblin Slayer quietly said.
Lizard Priest laughed a little in return. "Sir Goblin Slayer, in my humble opinion, it is too late to run away."
Goblin Slayer sighed again. Lizard Priest was right. He was too deep into this love thing. If there was ever a chance to safely stop all of this, it was long gone. "Yeah…" he answered.
"So, which one would you prefer as your mate right now?" Lizard Priest asked.
"Priestess." Goblin Slayer replied like it was any other question. The quick response surprised even Lizard Priest. However, Lizard Priest failed to realize that Goblin Slayer looked at this question from a solely biological perspective. Having a mate means having someone to produce offspring with, and since Goblin Slayer doesn't know how different the reproduction of elves between humans is, choosing another human person is a safer choice in that regard. Plus, Priestess loved him so that was a big plus too.
"I… see." A stunned Lizard Priest managed to say. As they stood before the large entryway leading into the temple, Lizard Priest decided to drop the topic, for now.
When Goblin Slayer opened the massive door, on the other end a bunch of girls stood, along with Dwarf Shaman and Kuma. With their backs turned to him, Goblin Slayer recognized them from Hero's party and were in their iconic armors. Then there was Sword Maiden in her usual robes and with her staff. But the last two girls standing there looked somewhat familiar, and yet, foreign at the same time.
The petite blonde wore a light blue string summer dress, with small white roses decorated the dress. Along with those light dresses, the blonde wore white slippers and a big straw hat with a light blue bow. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, reaching down to her bottom.
The green-haired girl wore a slightly fancier dress. A light green, strapless dress with a short skirt enveloped her body. She wasn't wearing any headwear, but Goblin Slayer saw something sparkling around the back of her neck, like some type of necklace. Even her boots were fancier than the blonde girls. Light Green, short heeled boots, with what looked like a small yellow flower on top of each. Her hair was free, decorated with a bunch of flowers of various colors.
And as soon as those girls heard the door opening, they turned around. "Goblin Slayer-san! You are back!" Priestess yelled out with a big smile.
"F-F-Finally, Orcbolg!" flustrated High Elf Ranger said.
As Goblin Slayer and Lizard Priest walked up to the group, he couldn't help but think about the dresses the two had changed into. He didn't know if it was intentional or not, but Priestess was somehow even cuter in the rose dress and big straw hat. And High Elf Ranger dressed into an outfit he thought some kind of forest princess would wear, with those fancy dress and flowers in her hair.
"Welcome back, Beard Cutter! Found anything interesting in the sewers?" the Dwarf asked with a cheerful smile.
"No. The magic candle didn't find anything. Another expedition needed." he answered and turned to the trio of platinum adventurers.
"EEEEEEEEEH! You were on a quest and you didn't tell me?!" Hero squeaked.
"Yeah." Goblin Slayer replied.
"Whyyyyyyyy?!" Hero launched herself at Goblin Slayer, holding him by shoulders, with sad eyes looking at him.
"There was no need to." he replied. "And I had no time to be looking for you in the town."
"Don't be sad, Hero. We wouldn't be able to go even if he invited us. We had our hands filled with work with the preparations for tonight's festival, remember?" Sword Saint softly spoke, and walked up to Hero, placing her comforting hand on Hero's shoulder pad.
"I knooooow. But… come on! Why don't you want me to go with you? I know a lot about goblins!" Hero whined some more.
"… Maybe some other time." Goblin Slayer replied after a short pause, looking down on the angrily pouting Hero.
"You better invite me next time…" she quietly said with an angry pout. Unfortunately for her, Goblin Slayer ignored the remark.
"You have troubles looking for goblins..." the quiet Sage said from the back, not really asking since it was quite obvious from their talk.
"Yeah." Goblin Slayer said.
Sage's eyes wandered to the pleading Hero and Sword Maiden next to her, the two girls who wanted those goblins gone the most. From what she had heard, Sage deduced they were doing something with magic in regard to finding this Goblin Slayer lair. And since she was the best there is… The little mage sighed. "Fine. I'll help you next time to look for them."
Goblin Slayer quickly considered declining the offer. Mainly, because if he invited Sage, Hero would tag along. And… he did not have the energy for that. He already has one energetic girl in his party that drained him and would most definitely be joining him on the next scout, so two of them would be too much.
But goddamn if this wasn't a godsend in disguise. Sage was the greatest living mage, no sane soul in their world doubted that. The earth spells Dwarf Shaman knows were nothing compared to the mountains this little girl could create with her own earth magic. Yes, the gap between gold/silver and platinum was that big. So, if there was even just a speck of magic used in the sewers, no matter how hidden, she was their best bet on finding it.
"Alright. Tomorrow, sundown. Meet me here." Goblin Slayer said.
"YAY! FINALLY! I'LL GO ON A QUEST WITH GOBLIN SLAYER!" Hero jumped around excitedly, all the while Sage squinted her tired eyes and stared at Goblin Slayer.
"OK. But don't think you'll be able to boss me around like you are doing right now." the little mage put her foot down.
Goblin Slayer sighed internally. This. This was exactly why he would rather be slaying goblins alone. People were often stupidly prideful. And convincing someone like that was almost impossible. May as well drop this topic now, or he'll anger her, and she'd want to fight.
Now, what was the plan for tonight? When he heard fidgeting next to him, seeing the nervous elf girl, he knew what was on his schedule next. "I see." he thought.
"So. Which one of you will accompany me?" Goblin Slayer asked, his eyes under the helmet shifting from the cute Priestess and flowery High Elf Ranger.
Both girls looked at each other and giggled. And it was not a giggle Goblin Slayer liked. It was filled with mischief and excitement. And from the feeling he was getting, they thought of something particularly troublesome for him.
"Why choose one-" Priestess slid towards Goblin Slayer, locking her arms with his armored one.
"-when you can have both!" High Elf Ranger slid towards his other arm and locking it with her own.
"Have… both?" Goblin Slayer asked unsurely the two girls clinging to his arms. Confusion now reached new heights as most of the people around Goblin Slayer began chuckling. As far as he knew, this was supposed to classify as a "date". Not that it was his idea of a date, but the two girls liked to throw the word around and say, 'He will be my date at the festival!' when they were arguing in the morning with whom he'd go with. Unfortunately, Goblin Slayer had no idea how "dates" with a single girl were supposed to go, apart from the brief advice from Dwarf Shaman. And nobody at all has told him how the date is supposed to go with TWO girls AT THE SAME TIME!
"Uhmm!" Priestess nodded with a cheerful smile. "We agreed to both of us being your date at the festival!"
Goblin Slayer remained quiet for a moment. "And how does that work?" he eventually asked.
"W-w-w-well… We… don't… know." Priestess nervously strengthens her grip on his arm.
Goblin Slayer turned his head towards the person who, in his eyes, was the most skilled in this matter, Dwarf Shaman. As far as he knew, no one in here had many, if any experiences on this matter, safe for maybe Hero's party which was a big mystery. "Any advice?" Goblin Slayer asked, turning towards the smallest person in their group.
"Don't look at me, Beard Cutter. I never had a two-way date like you're having right now. You are on your own here." Dwarf Shaman chuckled.
"…" Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. "And you?" Goblin Slayer asked the other girls in the room.
"Not a single experience in this matter from me." Hero replied with a cheerful grin. "Though good luck!" Hero gave Goblin Slayer a thumbs up.
"Likewise." Sage stared daggers at Goblin Slayer, looking at him as if he was the biggest scum of the earth.
"M-m-me neither." Sword Saint stuttered out, scratching the back of her head, slightly grazing her hair in a ponytail.
Lastly, Goblin Slayer looked at Sword Maiden who stood still ever since he had returned to the temple. The blonde archbishop wore a sad smile the entire time, her head hung low and unlike his old self, Goblin Slayer now had a hunch on what was bothering Sword Maiden. The beautiful archbishop raised her head and forced herself to give a genuine smile to the group. "I am afraid I can't help you in this matter either, my beloved." the last words were a mere whisper from her.
His enhanced ears picked up the defeated tone in which Sword Maiden was talking. He now knew for certain why she invited him here, and seeing him going out with two girls, and with her not being one of them most likely stung.
"You can join us when you are done with your events during the festival." Goblin Slayer said, surprising everyone in the room. He already had no idea how to go around having a date with two girls at the same time, so adding another won't change much. Plus it may lessen Sword Maiden's heartache.
"WHAT?!" both Priestess and High Elf Ranger pulled away from his arms, staring at Goblin Slayer with wide eyes.
"She is the one who invited me. Without her, we wouldn't be here. She should be able to spend the time with me if she so desires." Goblin Slayer calmly.
Both girls were about to say something, but words never left their lips. Seeing Goblin Slayer won this argument, he turned to Sword Maiden who was slowly walking up to him. Once she was in front of him, Sword Maiden rewarded Goblin Slayer with a warm, honest smile, reaching for his chin, unbuckling his helmet. "Will you join us then?" he asked.
He really disliked the fact that she was taking off his helmet, but somehow, he felt it was not his place to stop her right now. He didn't know how, or what it was, but something else other than logic was telling him to let her take his helmet off, even if it went against every rule he had set for himself. Because of unknown reasons, he was willing to risk being knocked out by goblins right now, though this was not the first time, as he was letting his guard down more and more these days.
Before he knew it, his helmet rolled down the floor, and with the moon's light illuminating them in the center of the temple hall, Sword Maiden wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her face.
As soon as their lips touched, Sword Maiden closed her eyes. He remained looking at Sword Maiden, with ever so slightly widened eyes. What surprised the grey-haired man was when Sword Maiden began probing his teeth with her tongue. Goblin Slayer not wanting to make Sword Maiden upset, opened his a little. However, Goblin Slayer was not prepared for the tongue assault Sword Maiden unleashed upon him, causing his eyes to widen even more. At first, Goblin Slayer wanted to push Sword Maiden away, so he grabbed her by the waist and was ready to gently push her away. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so and Sword Maiden's assault continued.
Goblin Slayer had to give her credit for one thing though. She had phenomenal lung capacity. His estimation was that for at least one minute she was latched onto his lips, refusing to let go, all the while playing with his tongue, changing head angles, and more, making Goblin Slayer adjust if it was necessary.
As Goblin Slayer had his eyes wide open during the whole ordeal and Sword Maiden's closed, enjoying the experience, other people's eyes in the vicinity threatened to fall out of their sockets, bewildered with how Sword Maiden was so bold to jump Goblin Slayer right then and there.
Dwarf Shaman whistled. "Now, THAT'S a kiss." Dwarf Shaman said with an amused smile.
"Wow…" Lizard Priest watched the show of passion before his eyes, not being familiar with these kinds of affections.
"Pervert…" Sage pouted as her two friends watched the scene with red cheeks.
The other two girls, Priestess and High Elf Ranger could only watch in disbelief at what was happening before their eyes. Priestess gulped loudly, having her eyes glued to the scene, wondering if she could ever do something like this with her Goblin Slayer. As for the elven girl, it irritated her to no end on what Sword Maiden just did, however, she knew she couldn't say anything. Dwarf Shaman had figured her out already and didn't want to give him any more reasons to think he was right about her and Goblin Slayer. Or adding more teasing material…
It took a while, but the blonde archbishop finally ran out of breath and had to pull away from her savior, leaving a string of saliva connected between them, which Goblin Slayer wiped off as soon as he could.
Looking at Sword Maiden, she had a satisfied smile on her face. "So… how was that?" the archbishop asked, with a light blush on her cheeks.
"Inappropriate." High Elf Ranger answered in Goblin Slayer's stead. As soon as Sword Maiden and Goblin Slayer looked her way, she quickly diverted her head, attempting to hide her blushing face and irritated expression.
"Will you join us later today, or not?" Goblin Slayer asked again, hoping they could abandon the topic of this whole ordeal as soon as possible. However, Sword Maiden wanted to hear his answer.
"If I have time… then yes. Now, if you'll answer me, my beloved, I would like to know how the kiss was." Sword Maiden again asked.
Goblin Slayer took a while to look for the right word to describe this, and eventually, he came up with one. "Unexpected." he answered, causing most of the people present to giggle.
"That's one way to put it." Dwarf Shaman chuckled.
Goblin Slayer turned to the red-faced Priestess and embarrassed High Elf Ranger. He stayed quiet, making them even more anxious and nervous. Also, without his helmet on, they saw how his moving red eyes were examining their appearance. Though they didn't hear him say it, this was what Goblin Slayer thought. "It suits them."
"Stop staring!" High Elf Ranger yelled out in a typical fashion. However, Goblin Slayer ignored it in his typical fashion.
"Are you two ready to go then?" Goblin Slayer asked one last time.
"Y-y-yes, Goblin Slayer-san." Priestess stuttered out, still shaken by the passionate kiss Sword Maiden gave Goblin Slayer, visualizing herself in Sword Maiden's place.
"Yeah. Let's just go before she'll drag you upstairs to do god knows what with you." offended High Elf Ranger pouted.
"And don't forget to show up at our event!" Hero excitedly yelled out.
"We'll see…" Goblin Slayer answered.
"See you later tonight, be it in my bedchambers, or at the festival." Sword Maiden smiled at Goblin Slayer.
"Yeah." he answered, and just like that, Sword Maiden along with Hero's squad left the Temple of Law.
"And what will you two be doing tonight?" Goblin Slayer asked Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest.
"During your tongue war with Sword Maiden, Scaly asked me to walk around the farmers market with him and recommend him some new kind of cheese. So we'll go there, and then he'll help me find some new kind of booze." Dwarf Shaman grinned at Goblin Slayer.
"I see."
"Well, we should be going, Scaly. Let's give these three some alone time." Dwarf Shaman elbowed Lizard Priest's leg.
"Y-yeah. Enjoy the festival, sir Goblin Slayer, lady Priestess, and lady High Elf Ranger." Lizard Priest politely bowed.
"Likewise." Goblin Slayer said.
"Enjoy the festival too, Lizard Priest-san, Dwarf Shaman-san!" Priestess cheerfully wished her lizard friend a good time.
"Yeah. Enjoy the festival, Lizard Priest." High Elf Ranger said, intentionally leaving out Dwarf Shaman to take another jab at him, which only resulted in a giggle from Dwarf Shaman before both guys left, leaving only the two girls and Goblin Slayer in the middle of the temple hall.
Goblin Slayer took a deep breath in and readied himself for a catastrophe of biblical proportions. He knelt to pick up his helmet, but High Elf Ranger grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, I am willing to tolerate you in that armor of yours at the festival, but forget about the helmet. We want to see your face." High Elf Ranger sternly said, Priestess nodding furiously behind her in agreement.
"The helmet stays on." Goblin Slayer decisively said and was about to pick up the helmet, but High Elf Ranger tackled him, making him lose his balance. Next, she straddled his stomach, pinning him to the ground.
"Priestess, go hide the helmet! I'll buy you some time!" High Elf Ranger looked over her shoulder at the bewildered Priestess.
"H-h-hai!" Priestess quickly picked up the helmet before making a dash towards the stairs leading to the upper floors of the temple, with Kuma running behind her.
Goblin Slayer sighed. Well, if this was the game that they wanted to play, alright. Somehow, High Elf Ranger forgot that Goblin Slayer was quite a buff man. And now with the small strength boost from High Vampire, he was even stronger. On the other hand, she was quite slim and didn't have the upper strength Goblin Slayer possessed.
In one swift motion, Goblin Slayer was on top of her, holding both of her hands behind her head. Goblin Slayer pulled a rope from his pouch, which he always carried with him in case he needed to climb up, or down to reach a goblin nest, and wrapped it around High Elf Ranger's wrists. Of course, the loud green-haired elf wasn't quiet during the whole ordeal.
"Unhand me Orcbolg! Unhand me or you will face the elven wrath!" she screamed as Goblin Slayer held an iron grip on her hands. Goblin Slayer remained unmoved by her outburst. Once Goblin Slayer finished tying her hands, he grabbed High Elf Ranger by her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. This caused the elven princess to let out an audible gulp, since frankly, he was quite handsome and she had begun to develop a sort of weakness against those moving red eyes, stern expression and dominating behavior.
"Be quiet." he sternly said. And just like that, with red cheeks, High Elf ranger remained quiet.
Meanwhile, Kuma and Priestess were running towards… somewhere to hide the helmet. She didn't have many ideas, so she decided to quickly run towards the room in which she and her party, except Goblin Slayer stayed. Right now, Kuma and Priestess both stood in front of the doors leading into the room. Priestess pulled out her key to the room from a small pocket in her summer dress and opened the door after a few tries. It was dark already, and the moonlight didn't illuminate the room enough for her to spot a hiding place quickly. As she was deciding on the place of where to hide the helmet, a person made himself known.
"You are getting quite rebellious lately." A recognizable voice was heard from behind her. Priestess jumped up and slowly turned around.
"H-hi, Goblin Slayer-san." Priestess stuttered out, anxiously awaiting her fate for this.
Goblin Slayer extended his hand, expecting Priestess to hand him the helmet when she was caught. However, the little Priestess has quite the spunk in her, and she began slowly backing off as Kuma began growling near her feet.
"Hand me the helmet." Goblin Slayer said, again as stern as a father slowly cornering Priestess as he approached her.
"W-w-well. W-will you promi-ou!" Priestess backed onto the edge of the bed and fell on the soft mattress butt first. She immediately began crawling back when Goblin Slayer wasn't stopping his walk towards her. "-promise me t-that y-y-you'll not wear it during the festival?"
Goblin Slayer growled in disbelieve. Though to Priestess, the animalistic growl awoke another kind of excitement in her. He jumped onto the bed and walked towards Priestess who now reached the bedframe. Kuma tried to help his mistress, but he was too small to jump onto the bed.
The feeling of being backed into a corner by the imposing Goblin Slayer, him being litten by moonlight, including that handsome face, threatened Priestess's panties to be soiled by something. And she really wasn't sure which kind of liquid it would be. In one last desperate attempt, the sitting Priestess hid the helmet behind her back.
Goblin Slayer being tired of these theatrics picked Priestess up by the waist and threw her over his shoulder.
"Wooooo?!" Priestess breathlessly said, clinging onto the helmet she stole.
Goblin Slayer jumped off the bed and began walking back to the temple hall where High Elf Ranger tied to a pillar should be waiting.
As they were walking, with Kuma being dragged behind them as he was holding onto Goblin Slayer's armored leg with his small sharp teeth, Priestess came up with a brilliant idea on how to get out of this AND hide Goblin Slayer's helmet.
Priestess began whispering. "O merciful Earth Mother, please bless us, the wor-" but she never finished her sentence because a loud smack was heard.
"OUCH!" Priestess yelped, nearly dropping the helmet she was holding.
Seems like the little blonde Priestess had forgot that he had enhanced hearing, and with her being held over his shoulder, she was awfully close to Goblin Slayer's ears. He was clearly done playing this game. As much as one would think, he didn't have nerves of steel. So much so, that he decided to discipline Priestess by spanking her butt.
"Y-y-you spanked me!" Priestess stuttered out; her face redder than ever, still grasping the fact she was spanked for the first time in her life. By a man, she loved nonetheless. And also, the fact that she kinda enjoyed it…
"Yeah." Goblin Slayer said like it wasn't anything weird. To him, he really didn't think it was weird, since he was spanked when he was very little, while his parents were still alive, his stern father would spank him when he was being difficult.
For Priestess though, this had vastly different implications. Thanks to this, she remained quiet for the rest of their walk back to the temple hall.
Eventually, Goblin Slayer and Priestess, still on his shoulders, made it back to the temple hall, where High Elf Ranger struggled to get out of her ropes. However, Goblin Slayer was quite rigorous with the tying, leaving little to no room for escape. Kuma was still clinging to his leg, trying to bite into it, but the metal plates blocked any efforts of breaking through.
Once again, Goblin Slayer placed his hands on Priestess's waist, resulting in a quiet "Uhm" from her, and placed her next to the tied High Elf Ranger. Surprised, Priestess didn't have time to react to Goblin Slayer snatching his helmet back from her hands, and putting it on.
"Come on, Orcbolg! Just once leave your helmet here! It's SEA FESTIVAL!" High Elf Ranger yelled in frustration, still struggling to get out of her bindings.
"No." he simply answered, resulting in a sigh of defeat from both girls. Goblin Slayer sighed himself and decided to further explain. "Do you really want me to go out without my helmet when yesterday someone tried to kill me?" he asked.
It was then, that the girls realized, he was already treating them with this "date", already putting himself at a great risk. A month ago, he wouldn't have even considered going and that would have been the end of it. Both realized that Goblin Slayer was much more friendly than he ever had been. This was more than enough.
Priestess hung her head in shame, covering her eyes by the shadow of her straw hat. She just wanted to be playful for once. Seems like she chose the wrong time for that… "I am sorry, Goblin Slayer-san."
"Fine! I guess it isn't a great idea. Now untie me!" the prideful elf yelled out.
Walking up to the pillar that he tied High Elf Ranger to, Goblin Slayer sighed again. "This is gonna be a long night…" he thought.
The Sea Festival was in full swing as the cloudless warm night washed over Water Town. Every corner of a street was occupied by some kind of stand, whether it be a stand to sell some fresh farmer harvests, or entertainment stands with various competitions. People from various villages flooded Water Town, and the townsfolk enjoyed a fresh scent of bread, vegetables, meat, and milk products by just walking through the town.
The busiest place was the town's square, not too far from the bridge connecting the Temple of Law island and the rest of the town. Bards were singing songs about heroes of the past, present, and future. Firebreathers showed their talents, and mages entertained most of the children with various spells. However, there stood an empty wooden podium in the square where most people gathered. Their only chance to meet the famed Hero and her party and sing their praises and thanks to her for rescuing the world.
And in this packed square, even Goblin Slayer and the two girls with him were there. So far, they were just aimlessly wandering through Water Town, watching other people enjoy the event, with Goblin Slayer thinking just a walk around the festival, seeing sights would be enough, and he won't have to participate in something silly
At first, Priestess couldn't even look at Goblin Slayer, being reminded of the spanking she had received every time she saw his helmet. However, just like with the naked dip in the river, she quickly realized that Goblin Slayer had most likely forgotten about the event already, and so Priestess returned to her cheerful self shortly after. Occasionally, Priestess with Kuma in her arms would point at an interesting event happening, but Goblin Slayer always replied, "I see." before they continued on their way. And once they were wandering around the square, he could tell the constant silence and nothing happening was boring the girls. Priestess's enthusiasm had faded, and High Elf Ranger was averting her head as soon as Goblin Slayer was about to look at her, and even in one instance, he considered talking to her. In the end, he decided to finally stop denying any chance for "fun", as they said, and asked the dreaded question, resulting in him being dragged all over the place.
"Is there anything you would like to do?"
"Finally! Took you long enough to ask!" High Elf Ranger lit up, along with Priestess. "Seems like they at least have some plans…" he thought.
"You could have asked me what I wanted to do too." he replied.
"Yeah, we could have asked you what you wanted to do, but why bother when the only thing we would get as an answer would be goblin slaying." High Elf Ranger said.
"…" Goblin Slayer had nothing to say in return. She was right. "Any things you want to do then?"
"There are so many! I don't know which one to choose!" Priestess excitedly looked around the square, seeing dozens of competitions they could participate in. Before they could reply, Priestess already spotted her first target. "Let's go there! That looks like fun!" Priestess shuffled Kuma into holding her in only one hand, and with the second one, she grabbed Goblin Slayer's hand and dragged him to the stand that caught her eye.
"Hey! Wait for me!" High Elf Ranger yelled from behind them.
As they were making their way through the crowds of people at the square, Priestess bumped into a familiar person.
"Ou! I-I-I am sorry-" Priestess began, but stopped once she looked up, at the person's face. "Sword Maiden-sama!"
The archbishop turned around and smiled sweetly. "Ara, ara, little priestess." she spoke in a sing-song voice. "With my beloved and High Elf Ranger." Sword Maiden registered the two.
"Sword Maiden. Aren't you supposed to be blessing newborns right now?" A surprised High Elf Ranger asked Sword Maiden.
Goblin Slayer didn't know much about the event, but supposedly, the peasants who managed to visit the festival would bring their newborn babies here to get the highest blessings they could, from the famed archbishop of the Temple of Law.
Sword Maiden giggled. "Oh, yes. However, I managed to forget the Holy Candelabrum for our service in the temple. And so, I am heading back to retrieve the artifact and start the service."
"Though… I am sure I packed it with other items for the service…" she thought.
Priestess's eyes lit up with stars. "Holy Candelabrum?! The item said to be able to summon the Supreme Goddess and Earth Mother to our realm?!"
"Yes, but I am afraid the story told is merely a tale to give us hope in the dark times, so we use it in or blessing rituals." Sword Maiden petted Priestess's head, whose cheeks turned pink at the warm behavior of her superior. "Anyway, a lot of parents and newborns are waiting for me, so if you'll allow me, I will take my leave." Sword Maiden walked past the trio. "Enjoy the festival." she said to the trio over her shoulder as she was walking away.
"Holy Candelabrum! I have always wanted to see it with my very own eyes!" Priestess squeezed Kuma in excitement in her arms. "Can we go there?" Priestess asked enthusiastically the other two. Religious blessings of newborns weren't anything new to her, but this holy relic… that was something else entirely.
To High Elf Ranger, that didn't sound so bad. Yes, she had no clue how religious humans were and what practices they did, but she was very eager to learn them. Plus they'd at least have something to do…
And Goblin Slayer… to put it bluntly… didn't care. Gods, even the good ones, never helped him, if anything, they wanted him dead for as long as he could remember. First, he was born during the plague outbreak around his area, then he survived the goblin attack, survived the insane training by Burglar, and he was closer to death on his quests more times than he could count. So, he really didn't care about gods. But… if it will make Priestess happy, why not visit the service.
"Sure, Priestess. I am looking forward to learning your practices." High Elf Ranger brightly smiled at the young priestess, who kindly returned the gesture.
"Yeah. We can." Goblin Slayer said.
"YAY!" Priestess happily jumped up.
"But, it will be a while before Sword Maiden returns with this Holy Candelbrum thing. Want to visit the attraction you saw before?" High Elf Ranger asked, putting her smooth hand wrapped in a flower bracelet under her chin.
"That sounds great!" Priestess cheered, and again took Goblin Slayer's hand and dragged him towards the stand which attracted her.
Well, in Goblin Slayer's opinion, she just saw a nice-looking stand and wanted to visit it purely based on appearance. But hey, he'd most likely do the same. He heard the saying, 'don't judge the book by its cover' a lot, but that's another stupid saying. If he shouldn't judge the book by its cover, then why even have ANY cover? Not to mention, some poor artist poured his soul into the cover of a novel… But maybe he was overthinking things again… or missing the point entirely.
"Aaaaaah! New customers! Come, come and compete!" an older, bald man in white long-sleeved shirt and black trousers tried to lure them in.
"Well, what do we have here." the man mused over when the trio stood before his stand. "Two lovely ladies with a bear cub, and…" the man raised an eyebrow.
"Goblin Slayer." Goblin Slayer introduced himself.
"Oooooooh! The man from those bards?" the man raised his voice, with widened eyes.
"Yeah." Goblin Slayer confirmed.
The older man bowed, showing respect to the armored weirdo. "I am honored, sir Goblin Slayer."
"No need to be." Goblin Slayer said before he looked around the stand. Behind this older man stood three wooden circle targets. These targets were on wooden stands, with small storage space beneath the targets, with small knives in them. The targets had three circles painted at them, with the smallest circle being in the middle. Behind the counter, and on the walls of the stand were hung various trinkets that he assumed were prizes in this competition. He also noticed these prizes were divided. All these things were arranged into columns, where on the top were written numbers from 1 to 9. Under label 1 were ridiculously cheap things, like one potato, or a chunk of coal. However, under label 9, there were several rare gems and stones, some even embedded into jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, rings, and such. This ninth column was even secured behind the glass door, with a keyhole.
"I suppose you are interested in the competition here, sir Goblin Slayer." the owner of the stand grinned.
"Yes, he is!" High Elf Ranger exclaimed with confidence pushing Goblin Slayer forward.
"No, I am not." Goblin Slayer simply replied, looking back at the flowery elf.
"ARGHH!" High Elf Ranger released a frustrated groan. "Come on, Orcbolg! Don't ruin the fun and compete!" High Elf Ranger urged him.
"Why don't you two compete?" Goblin Slayer asked.
"Because neither I, nor Priestess are skilled in throwing knives. Besides, we are at a festival. A man has to win some prizes for the ladies accompanying him." High Elf Ranger said with a cocky smirk.
"Hehe… that's… true." embarrassed Priestess confirmed, though Goblin Slayer didn't know which part she was confirming. The skill in throwing knives part, or the man's duty part. Both perhaps?
"Is it true that a man has to win something for his date?" Goblin Slayer asked the man before, who chuckled loudly and put a hand on Goblin Slayer's shoulder. Goblin Slayer was ready to throw him over his shoulder, but fortunately, he stopped himself in time, when it was clear this man had no ill intentions, and both Priestess and high Elf Ranger released a giant sigh of relief.
"Boy, listen, my whole business stands on this one very rule. So yes, it is true." he confirmed.
"I see." Goblin Slayer pulled the owner's hand off his shoulder and put his own hand under his chin. "I guess I will compete than."
"Marvelous! Now, as the lovely elf lady mentioned, this is a competition in throwing knives. The rules are simple. For 25 silvers, you will get three knives. Your goal is to throw them in a way so that all three are stuck in the target. As you can see, there are three concentric circles drawn. The smallest one is worth three points, the middle one is worth two points, and the largest one is worth one point. Depending on how well you perform, you can choose the price. If you score for example 5 points, you can choose something worth 4 points instead, if you want to. And since you are an adventurer, who is possibly quite experienced in this matter, you will have only one try, even when you'd be willing to pay for more tries… I do not want to get bankrupt." the owner of the stand explained.
"Hmm…" Goblin Slayer thought, his hand under his chin. "Seems reasonable." he responded after a short pause. "Here." Goblin Slayer pulled 25 silver coins from his pouch and placed them on the desk.
The owner looked at the coins. "Is there a target you prefer, or is it not important which one you'll be trying to hit?" the owner raised his head back and asked.
"It doesn't matter." Goblin Slayer replied. The owner scooped the coins, went towards the closest target with stored small throwing knives, picked them and put them in front of Goblin Slayer. Goblin Slayer picked one of the knives and examined it first. He pushed the tip of the knife against his fingertip lightly, checking if they are sharp enough to be embedded into the wooden target. Looking at his fingertip, there was blood seeping through the leather gloves. "Sharp enough…" Goblin Slayer concluded.
Being quite experienced in throwing knives, and having a clear target in front of him, in short succession Goblin Slayer threw the knives at the target, all hitting the dead center of the target, earning him a quick 9 points.
"Yes! You did it Goblin Slayer-san!" Priestess cheered, and Kuma roared just to imitate his mistress.
"Good. I expected nothing less from you, Orcbolg." High Elf Ranger proudly said.
The owner of the stand just smiled in return. When you see a man walking around in armor, even at a festival, you'd expect nothing less from him. Even more so when it was the famed Goblin Slayer. "Can't say I am surprised. Now, lad, what do you want? It's your pick. You can choose any one thing from this stand for your lady." He announced.
Goblin Slayer looked at the jewelry in the stand, and one caught his attention the most. He didn't know what stone it was, but there were these gorgeous silver earrings, with green/blue teardrop-shaped polished gems dangling from a small piece of silver. At first glance, he didn't know why he liked it so much, but he wasn't about to waste more time picking. "Those green/blue earrings, please."
"Aaaaah. Aquamarine silver earrings with a teardrop cut. Very iconic for Water Town as well." The owner commented as he went to the glass box and opened it with a key. "I have to say, you have a similar taste to mine, sir Goblin Slayer."
"I see." he replied.
When the owner placed the earrings on the counter, Goblin Slayer was about to pick them up and say his goodbyes, but the owner slapped his hand away.
"Wait a second young man." the owner said. Goblin Slayer began suspecting he was about to get scammed out of his victory if these aquamarine gems or whatnots were even real. But the old man surprised him when he placed his hands above the earrings and began channeling magic.
"UNSEAL" he yelled out, and what looked like yellow shining letters appeared around the earrings. Streams of yellow magic flowed from the earrings to his hand, eventually fading away. The owner looked a little tired after performing the spell, but nothing serious.
"Sealing magic?" Goblin Slayer asked the owner.
The owner released a tired sigh. "Y-yeah. Sometimes, people try to rob me during the festival when they see these expensive jewels. I have them sealed with some reactionary magic; in case these stones get picked by someone else. Trust me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of the magic sealed in my jewels."
"I see." Goblin Slayer replied, examining the earrings in the little blue box on the table. "Where has a commoner like you learned sealing magic?" Goblin Slayer asked.
The owner of the stand calmly explained. "From the people who are the best at sealing magic. Slave traders." he replied.
Yeah… that made sense. After all, depending on the contracts, slave traders often middle with the seals on the slaves they want to sell. And from who to learn sealing magic, then from the people who can make seals powerful enough to take your life.
"I see." Goblin Slayer said. "Thank you." Goblin Slayer thanked the owner of the stand.
"It was my pleasure, sir Goblin Slayer. And if you have time, stop by at Fuka Village north of here. My nephew is a big fan of yours and would love to see you in person." the older man said.
"We will see." Goblin Slayer said, turning back to the girls behind him. And now seeing the two of them, and only one pair of earrings, he realized he had a problem.
"Old man?" he asked over his shoulder. But the man already knew what his problem was when Goblin Slayer froze as soon as he saw the two girls before him.
The owner smiled mischievously. "You are on your own lad. Rules are rules. One try, and that's it." The old man laughed, enjoying Goblin Slayer's struggle.
However, Goblin Slayer didn't struggle for long. Luckily for him, he had a PAIR of earrings. Meaning, two in total. Goblin Slayer pulled both earrings out of the box and offered one to High Elf Ranger, and the other to Priestess. "Sorry, but I can't compete twice."
Priestess immediately snatched up the earring, but not because she was eager to have a gift from Goblin Slayer. "Goblin Slayer-san! Aren't you burned?! These are silver!" Priestess immediately looked at his palm, searching for any kind of damage.
"Such a small piece doesn't have much of an effect on me if any at all. And I am wearing gloves." Goblin Slayer said.
"Oh… right." Priestess chuckled in embarrassment, slowly pulling away from Goblin Slayer.
Goblin Slayer stared at the two girls before him, both dangling the earring against the light from street lamps at the night square, admiring the reflections. He wondered if girls had anything in common with magpies since both creatures seem to like shiny objects…
"They are so pretty!" cheered Priestess, who couldn't praise the earing enough.
"They are… decent." High Elf Ranger said, trying to downplay the beauty of the earings in her usual tsundere behavior.
"… Will you wear them then?" Goblin Slayer asked.
"W-well, I would love to… But I don't have pierced ears so… not right now." Priestess scratched the back of her head with a nervous chuckle.
"And my ear would heal the small hole shortly after. So, I'll have to find another way to attach this to my ear." High Elf Ranger said, holding up the earring.
Goblin Slayer sighed… Of course. Priests and priestesses don't usually wear jewelry unless it is not a magical item, and elves are not into the whole precious metals thing since they like to live in harmony with nature, so they also wear little to no jewelry.
"I am sorry. I should have picked something else." Goblin Slayer apologized, with a polite bow.
This gesture flustered both girls. They knew Goblin Slayer had no qualms with apologizing when he thought he was in the wrong, but it was just so weird seeing him apologize for something as trivial as this.
"Hey, hey, Orcbolg. It's nothing. We will treasure the earrings until we can wear them." High Elf Ranger urged Goblin Slayer to straighten his posture. "Right, Priestess?" the elven princess turned to Priestess with a warm smile.
"Of course!" she replied with a cheerful smile.
"Treasure them…" Goblin Slayer mused over those words. Did they really have that much value to them?
As Goblin Slayer continued to take in their words, and with the two girls attaching the earrings to their dresses, for the time being, something in the air felt different. Goblin Slayer looked around, and the square seemed the same. However, even when his eyes saw nothing suspicious, he still could not help the feeling that something was happening.
"What's going on, Goblin Slayer-san?" Priestess innocently asked.
Goblin Slayer, looking into the distance answered. "Something's wrong." And as soon as he said it, he heard screams in the distance with his enhanced ears. Not long after, from one particular street, people flooded into the square, looking for refugees.
"What is happening?!" Priestess asked, seeing the sudden influx of people in the square.
As the trio was bewildered at what was happening, a large beam of white light shot straight up into the night skies, somewhere in the area of Temple of Law.
Along with all the screaming and panic, Goblin Slayer's ears, along with those of High Elf Ranger, had a hard time picking up what exactly the people were saying. But then, one man's scream broke through.
"RUN! RUUUUUUN! HUNDREDS OF GOBLINS ARE IN THE TOWN! THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!"
When Goblin Slayer was locked in his cell, he thought about the moment goblins along with their boss would attack. And the festival made perfect sense, to take advantage of the chaos that would undoubtedly ensue. Seeing the bright white light shooting into the skies around the Temple of Law, he knew where he'd have to go first.
Without a word, Goblin Slayer pulled out his silver sword. "IGNITE!" he bellowed, running his hand along the rune blade, engulfing the sword in white flames.
The girls only nodded to each other, knowing full well that they were going to have to fight. They too expected an attack on Water Town, sooner or later. However, the girls expected Goblin Slayer would run towards the Temple of Law, from the direction all the people were running from. But he ran the opposite way.
"Goblin Slayer-san! Where are you going?!"
"Stables." Goblin Slayer replied.
Right now, all Goblin Slayer could think of was not how he would kill every last goblin in his way, but rather the promise that he gave to Sword Maiden. Since she had gone to the Temple of Law, and all the people were running away from it, along with that beam of light…
"Hang on, Sword Maiden…" he thought. "I am on my way."
Author's note: Finally done!
So just when the things were getting good, attack on Water Town starts. What shame. Anyway, that's all I have to say for now. Nothing comes to mind, and I already want to post this.
That's all from me. Leave a review and see ya in the next chapter!