Goblin Slayer: The Team Year Two

by GLG-3883

It's been just over a year since the team broke up to both continue aiding Goblin Slayer, and the frontier of course, but also to raise a family in the Sword Maiden's hometown. Now, they must reunite to face a series of some of the greatest threats the world has ever known. Rated M for dark/adult themes; the same as the series itself is known for.

48. Chapter 23 Part IV

Happy Labor Day people, and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. I actually wanted to do this part as an addition to the previous chapter but, nah, too much to do. Although just a warning, this chapter will have a few twists in it's timespan because of how much happens, or doesn't happen, so let's get going.

Review Response: No kidding, hitting forts at nauseam tends to do a pretty serious number on the goblin's numbers. What do you mean they learned not to tempt fate? And for that matter, may I ask why you haven't been anywhere near as descriptive as you were in Year One? Like what was so enjoyable in the last chapter specifically?

---

"Dear Supreme, look at this mess." Sword Saint said as she, Hero and Sage looked over a ruined fortress full of butchered goblins.

"This has "Ranger and Goblin Slayer" written all over it." Hero said.

"They're waging an all-out war against the goblins. This shouldn't be a surprise." Sage said.

"Still. I'm amazed those guys never complain about how much they have to wash up." Hero said.

"They're probably used to this. They've been at it for an entire year now." Sword Saint said.

"Right." Hero said before the ladies kept going until they reached a temple. "Hey, didn't we pass this place before, and wasn't it completely run down?"

"Maybe someone rebuilt it." Sage said.

"Hey, there's someone going inside." Sword Saint said, and Hero led them to see who it was, and lo and behold, it was Elder Revenant absorbing the souls of the goblins, out of the bodies that the vultures no doubt pecked clean.

"If it isn't our favorite dead guy." Sage said as said dead guy went inside, and Hero went after him.

"Are you nuts!?" Sword Saint asked as she and Sage went after her. When they entered, Elder Revenant was sitting on a stone bench with his scythe's blade facing behind him as he looked at a mural in the back.

"Hey. Long time no see." Hero said and Elder Revenant side-glanced at her.

"What? Not happy to see one of your living friends?" Sword Saint asked.

"We're not friends." Elder Revenant said dryly before continuing to look ahead.

"Right. Who's friends with a servant of death?" Hero said.

"That's not the point." Elder Revenant said.

"What are you doing here?" Sword Saint asked.

"I sensed millions of souls littering the Deadlands, and I discovered this temple to my lord was restored by the new archbishop. This warranted further investigation." Elder Revenant said.

"And?" Sword Saint asked.

"No and; that's it." Elder Revenant said.

"So...you just came here because you just happened to be here at the right time? The Death God didn't send you here?" Sage asked.

"Of course not." Elder Revenant said as he got up and went further into the temple...and looked the place over.

"What?" Sword Saint asked.

"This...this is where I became what I am..." Elder Revenant breathed out.

"What?!" Hero asked in awe.

"Yes..." Elder Revenant trailed off as he looked around...and the memories came back. When he saw a mural of a man laying on a table with priests surrounding him, he recalled how he was in that position, and then how they summoned the Death God to take his soul, and replace it with a piece of the Death God's will itself. He then recalled how he fought through a small horde of demons, just to get to the soul of a woman they sacrificed to the Demon Lord before her soul was damned, and how he used the powers of death to rip through them, which included his scythes channeling said power to slice through the demons' very life forces despite the scythes themselves not breaking skin, and it ended with one scythe being casually plunged into the side of a demon's head before he left the chamber.

"Are you alright?" Sword Saint asked and Elder Revenant sighed.

"I was just recalling...nevermind." He said before moving on.

"That's you on the wall isn't it?" Sword Saint asked and Elder Revenant stared at her, which made all three ladies nervous.

"Yes..." He said before walking away and leading them down a hallway.

"Where are we going?" Sage asked, and Elder Revenant remained silent as he looked over the walls in thought.

"I wandered this world, and others so I could take any souls that needed to reach the afterlife, and it all started here. I discovered a few decades into that crusade that the reason I was raised here, is because there weren't enough revenants at the time. Among the things they taught me was that life and death were interchangeable; death, and life not only balanced each other, but also that there's no difference...and I believed that for five...thousand years, never once questioning it...until now." He said seriously.

"Sorry but...did I hear you correctly? They specifically raised you to become a revenant?" Sage asked.

"You heard right." Elder Revenant said.

"Why are you telling us this?" Sword Saint asked.

"Because you're right." Elder Revenant said and she raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Hero asked.

"When we last met, you told me that the living do concern me because I used to be alive myself, and that I aided living people as well as the dead...and I exercised that same hypocrisy for millennia. I must be the greatest fool in the country." Elder Revenant said.

"Well, at least you know better now, and as Ranger once said: Heaven is sweetest when you've tasted hell first." Hero said.

"As one who has been to both Heaven and Hell...I can tell you he is correct." Elder Revenant said.

"Nice to see you and Ranger on good terms for once." Sage said.

"Oh zip it." Hero said and Elder Revenant kept going down the hall, until they reached a chamber with a stone table in the middle like the one in the mural.

"This is where you were turned isn't it?" Sword Saint asked.

"Yes..." Elder Revenant whispered before approaching it and looking it over as the ladies searched the room. Elder Revenant then recalled the moment he stared into the eyes of the Death God himself before having his soul removed...then killing the same priests who raised him at the Death God's decree. The moment that memory ran it's course...he recalled the moment Sword Maiden made him feel alive and cringed with a hand over his chest and inhaled deeply. "Sword Maiden..."

"I found something!" Hero exclaimed and her teammates rushed over to see the book she was holding.

"Yeesh. Becoming a revenant doesn't sound too fun." Sword Saint said.

"But at least it's not done by accident." Hero said.

"That being said about the people who are either groomed, or give up on life to become walking corpses that harvest souls." Sage said dryly.

"Our undead friend lived with it for five millennia." Hero said.

"And now regrets it from the look of it..." Sword Saint said seriously yet softly as she looked over the revenant who was still looking over the table.

"Maybe we should leave him be." Sage said and Elder Revenant walked out.

"Or not..." Hero said.

"Where are you going?" Sword Saint asked.

"I have more souls to harvest...and I need a sacrifice to use to summon the Death God." Elder Revenant said as he walked outside, and left with the ladies following him at a distance.

---

Back at Water Town, Ranger and Fighter were in their backyard throwing punches and elbows at each other, and occasionally trying to kick each other and failed miserably every time. Neither wore their armor minus the plating covering their arms and legs, but they were so evenly-matched that neither of them landed a single hit to their heads or torso, and even if they did hit each other...their life-boosting pendants would ensure that's not a huge loss. It was like their first spare all over again...only this time, they took pauses, usually after one grabbed the other, in order to catch their breath, and let the tension sink in before deeply kissing and caressing when it got too heated. When things died down, they backed up and continued their match.

Eventually, Fighter wrapped it up by getting behind Ranger, grabbing his waist, and picking him up over her head and tried to piledrive him, but he caught himself and reversed the attack by throwing her behind him with his legs, but she avoided injuring her back by landing like a cat. The two then stood there looking at each other panting and smiling before she marched up to him, yanked him into a series of passionate kisses as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her curves against him...before she giggled into their kiss.

"You get solid way too easily." Fighter teased.

"Fighter...baby...we were attached at the waist since Day One; being attached at the waist literally is virtually poetry." Ranger said seriously and Fighter stared at him.

"Wow...even during a scrap you're the most poetic man I know." She said and Ranger ran his hand through her hair...that was in a ponytail for the first time in ages.

"Ironically, I meant that in the same context you meant...but who cares?" He said.

"Let's just go inside and see our child." Fighter said before they did just that: Ranger watched Fighter supervise their child as she played with some building blocks, and then when she had enough of building and destroying the houses they made, Fighter took their child to the bathroom to clean her with lukewarm water and some soap. Ranger couldn't keep himself from smiling at his two favorite girls the entire time; Fighter has always been a loving person, but with her daughter in her arms...she wasn't even human.

When she was done, Fighter let Ranger dry their baby off with the same gentleness he always shows with their daughter. After Fighter was done breastfeeding their baby and put her back in her crib, they went to their room, took their clothes off, and laid down together..before Ranger began sucking on her breasts himself, much to her delight. She held his head against her pillow-like breasts as he swirled his tongue around her nipples like the master he was and went back and forth between them as he sucked on one breast, and groped and fondled the other. All the while, her pleasured gasps spurred him forward to remind her of the euphoria he has the ability to drown her in. He then released the breast he was sucking on, watched it bounce and looked up at her smiling face as he kept kneading her plump flesh.

"Should I wrap this up?" Ranger asked and Fighter thought for a moment.

"Let me make a clone; I want to watch you." She said before Ranger let her breasts go.

"You mean watch me return the pounding you gave me?" Ranger teased.

"Right..." Fighter said with a smirk.

"Well..?" Ranger asked, and Fighter then made one copy of herself, who then stood up, and gave Ranger a quick kiss before rubbing her butt against his hip. She then bent over the bed as Fighter herself got up and hung onto Ranger's side as he looked over the clone's perfectly-shaped buttocks that matched Fighter's perfectly...including the lips of her womanhood which was already dripping with her fluids and ready for his manhood to be stuffed into it.

Ranger couldn't keep the clone waiting as he rubbed the clone's butt and hips, earning him a giggle from her as he looked eyes with Fighter, who quickly glanced at the clone. He got the message right away, and spread the clone's cheeks before slipping his manhood through her moist, swollen lips, and into her womb. The clone rewarded his thrusts by immediately moaning her lungs out as Ranger mated with her, and making his favorite sound: the plopping sound his groin makes when he slams into her flawless butt.

Fighter continued holding Ranger as his entire body flexed with the same power the clone felt as Ranger relentlessly thrusted into her from behind. Fighter watched the same organ her husband used to give her a child get shoved into her clone,and be removed afterwards multiple times every second. Ranger himself watched his manhood slip in and out of the clone's entrance, which matched the sweet friction he and the clone felt perfectly, especially with her musical throat being put to good use.

Ranger then groaned himself as the clone's womanhood tightened around his thick, rock-solid organ as she convulsed with an orgasm...and continued doing so as the well-build man behind her continued thrusting into her impossibly tight entrance until he groaned with his own orgasm. Fighter herself caressed him from top to bottom as he and the clone caught their breath. Ranger then removed his softened manhood from the clone's body. Fighter then reabsorbed the clone, anticipating the orgasm coming her way...but it only somewhat helped; she was still overwhelmed by the pleasure and collapsed on the bed, with Ranger doing the same.

"Hell of a show..." Fighter groaned before Ranger groped her butt.

"I'll bet, and when I master that clone spell...you'll get fucked as many times over as you want." He said and Fighter exhaled deeply.

"Don't torture me baby." She said.

"I'd never. You're too beautiful, and too loving to hurt...but not too beautiful and loving to consume." Ranger said.

"Right..." Fighter said before getting up, and then turning her head to see Ranger's eyes glued to her butt. She then smirked and backed up closer to him as he sat up. She then let off a horny chuckle as he roughly gripped her buttocks with a fleshy slapping sound, and kept standing there letting him grope, rub, and squeeze her flawless butt from every angle for the better part of a minute while she graced him with an alluring smirk. Fighter even flexed her buttocks occasionally to give Ranger's hands a contrast between how soft it was when relaxed, and how hard and strong it was when flexed...just like the rest of her lovely body.

"You know I was tempted to bite you quite a few times?" Ranger asked while continuing to fill his hands with her flesh.

"That's...I don't know how to process that..." Fighter said.

"I'm not going to, but...licking your breasts is enough." Ranger said.

"Says the man who can't keep his hands off of my ass." Fighter teased.

"And said to the woman who's ass might as well have glue on it whenever my hands are on it." Ranger said.

"That's it..." Fighter said before turning around, pushing Ranger back down, and making another clone. Ranger then sat up as the clone mashes her lips against his while wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Fighter herself then watched her lucky clone get her breasts squeezed and fondled while passionately lashing tongues with Ranger. When she finally breaks the kiss, she lowers herself onto Ranger's manhood and immediately groaned in pleasure as his organ filled her womanhood.

Fighter then watched her clone buck her hips as her tight, moist entrance swallowed her husband's swollen manhood, gasping and groaning in bliss all the while. Ranger meanwhile watched the clone's enticing breasts bounce and her hair flail about while he groped and squeezed her round, and supremely fleshy buttocks which was slamming and rubbing against his rippling thighs as it rapidly flexed and softened as she took his manhood into her lower body. The entire display made the organ the clone was stuffing herself with swell even more, which made the clone slow herself down, and savor the increased friction, and the raw satisfaction of being filled up so intimately.

The clone's moans completely replaced her gasps as Ranger couldn't resist her lustful noises, and the power she displayed, and thrusted up into the clone's entrance to double the sweet friction as her clone drew more power from her dense and vigorous muscles to help buck her hips with more force and less speed. Ranger groaned as her womanhood tightened enough to practically crush his organ while she kept rubbing her flawless butt against his thighs and enveloping his manhood with her body.

The clone then squealed and laughed in surprise and delight as Ranger picked her up with his hands holding her up by the butt before continuing to stuff his swollen manhood into her with Fighter continuing to watch him do so with interest. The clone moaned and gasped in pleasure as Ranger continued to rapidly mate with her, with her musical throat inspiring him to mate with her harder and faster, but as always, never roughly. Ranger then slowed down and Fighter's clone tightened her legs around his waist and bucked her hips in-sync with him while he dragged his tongue up her neck while his hands dug into the flesh of her buttocks even more.

Ranger then locked eyes with Fighter herself who was sucking in deep breaths and staring at her husband as he stood there holding up her clone with his mighty muscles practically straining as he kept thrusting into the lucky clone in his arms as passionately as ever. He then slipped out of the clone, and she stood on her own two feet before kissing Ranger deeply and noisily as the two caressed each other and moaned in bliss, especially since Ranger's powerful hands were filled with the clone's strong yet plump flesh.

She then placed her hands on the edge of the bed as she bent over, and Fighter got an even better angle as Ranger spread the clone's butt cheeks with his hands, and thrusted into the clone with even more vigor than before. The clone's throat became dry as she kept moaning with Ranger's groin making musical slapping sounds as he slammed into her butt with impressive speed and power.

The pair continued devouring each other until the clone moaned and spasmed as an orgasm flooded her mind, and Ranger did the same, while thrusting into her a few more times to make the omnivorous bliss last as long as possible. Fighter then looked over the clone's unfocused and blissful face as she giggled with the aftershocks of her orgasm, and Ranger looked her over as well as he panted as well with his own euphoria.

Fighter then locked lips with Ranger as he removed himself from the clone and Fighter absorbed her, moaned in delight while claiming her husband's mouth with her own, and the two took their place on the bed and casually massaged each other. From him running his hands through Fighter's hair, caressing her thick, milky skin, to lazily kissing her neck and groping her breasts, nothing on her beautiful body went unattended. Meanwhile, Fighter was stroking his enormous muscles, from his arms, to his back, and rubbed her thighs against his waist. She even pressed the breast Ranger wasn't kissing against him, and then gripped his manhood that was still slick with both their fluids.

"How much hunger do you have woman?" Ranger groaned.

"As much as you bestow upon me." Fighter teased as she kept running her hand along his length as he groaned and laid down flat as she put her head on her husband's chest and he closed his eyes to focus on his wife handling his most prized body part. "You're such a good man, giving your loving wife the pleasure you promised her; being the husband you promised to be, and the complete badass you promised the country you'd be."

"You always gave the greatest encouragements, in bed...and out in the world." Ranger breathed out and Fighter stopped stroking him.

"I would continue but...I think you've had quite enough." She said.

"True. Well, before we break this mattress, how about we get going." Ranger said.

"Right...unless there's anything you have left in your system?" Fighter said before she snuggled into him. He then ran his hands through her hair, and she casually placed kisses on his chest, then his neck...and kept at it. Ranger groaned in bliss, flexed enough that she felt how much strength he still had, and she moaned into his neck as he held the back of her head.

"Enjoying yourself...?" Fighter asked before licking his neck.

"Oh yes..." Ranger breathed out as he felt his dazzling wife drag her tongue along his neck.

"I sure am. Although you fuck better than you taste." She teased.

"Oh really? Is there anything I do better than fuck you?" Ranger asked and Fighter sat up.

"That's the least fair question you've ever asked." She said seriously.

"If you say so..." Ranger said before groaning as Fighter gripped and fondled his manhood again.

"You know...truth-be-told, watching you stick this little thing into one of my clones over and over is in the top ten percent of things I love to watch." She teased.

"Little...?" Ranger asked.

"Oh that was completely ironic; I'm amazed it fits inside me so well." Fighter said.

"I'll bet..." Ranger breathed out.

"I'm serious; you're not the only one who has quite a body to work with." Fighter said as she rolled the tip between her fingers.

"Lady...either give me another clone to fuck, or get off of me...now." Ranger said seriously, before giving his wife one last spank as she got up, and both of them got dressed, and kissed one last time before they left to take a soak in the waterfall. When they got there, Fighter made three clones and they all soaped and massaged Ranger from head to toe, and of course used their lovely breasts as sponges, rubbed their thick legs and deeply-curved butts against him, kissed and licked his neck, shoulders, chest, back and abdomen, and fondled his manhood, all while he rewarded them with pleasured groans.

Fighter herself soaped and rinsed her hair as she watched her husband have a good time with her clones, which she then absorbed after they were done. She then washed Ranger's hair and then pulled him into a kiss that quickly escalated when they rubbed their entire bodies against each other...which included her fondling his dense manhood and him rubbing her entrance with his fingers. Ranger then groaned as one stream of his seed after another sprayed all over Fighter's lower belly, but she never stopped until he was completely soft again, and he responded in kind as his fingers slid up and down the swollen lips of her womanhood, and her knees buckled as she had her own orgasm. The two then sat down with her butt in his lap, and Ranger casually kissed her neck and listened to her chuckle and moan while he groped and rubbed her breasts, legs, and hips.

"And you ask about my hunger..." Fighter breathed out while Ranger continued wrapping his entire hand around one of her breasts while the other rubbed her belly.

"Not my fault I have the most passionate, and most voluptuous woman in the frontier in my arms, who also happens to be better at shredding goblins than she has a right to be." Ranger said.

"Oh really?" Fighter teased as Ranger continued working her flesh.

"Oh yes...I'm amazed I'm not getting hard again just thinking about it." He said and Fighter stopped his actions, turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck and smirked as he stared at her breasts.

"Most women would find that unsettling...but when have I ever been most women?" She asked sensually, before Ranger turned her head to him.

"It's not the shredding that makes me desire you...it's that power you exercise." He breathed out.

"The same power I promised would always be available to you." Fighter said before passionately kissing Ranger and chuckled as he groped the side of her buttocks as she rubbed it against his lap. She then broke the kiss, and graced Ranger with a toothy grin, before kissing them again and lashed tongues with him,..before he clapped onto her breast and went back and forth between her nipples as she gasped and threw her head back as he swirled his tongue around her nipples and groped her breasts themselves with his powerful and loving hands.

---

At the guild hall, Cow Girl was sitting on a bench, with her hair cut short again, watching the rookies train on obstacle courses, and sparring each other with Ranger's dad supervising them. She then looked over her new Bronze Rank tags and smiled to herself; it won't be long until she's Silver Rank like GS...who happened to be on his way with Wizard.

"There you two are." She said.

"Why are you waiting here for us?" GS asked.

"Everyone else is inside, and I wanted to see where you were." Cow Girl said.

"Wizard needed me to check on that gateway attack she and her brother were working on. It looks fine to me." GS said.

"One would hope so. We've been working our asses off on it." Wizard said.

"It shows." GS said.

"Well...nice to see you're both back." Cow Girl said.

"You said everyone else is inside?" GS asked.

"Yes I did." Cow Girl said.

"Goblin Slayer, you go ahead, I'd like to talk to her girl-to-girl." Wizard said.

"Alright." GS said as he went inside.

"What's this about?" Cow Girl asked.

"I...I also did a physical on him...it wasn't good. You once said how you were concerned about his health and...like I said, it wasn't good." Wizard said and Cow Girl gulped.

"Dare I ask?" She asked.

"Where do I start...? He had so many scars I couldn't tell where one started and another ended. When I looked at his muscles and bones themselves...same deal; his scars ran pretty deep, and don't get me started on his internal organs; his stomach and intestines alone had signs of being ruptured and then healed again. Thank the Supreme alchemy came a long way since I was Porcelain Rank." Wizard said and Cow Girl deflated.

"That's what I was afraid of. What did you have to do?" She asked.

"Well it took more than a simple potion that's for sure. I actually had to persuade him to let me give him a biological reconstruction; I had to do to him, what that alchemist did to that elf archer lady at the demon hunters' fortress. The results were an almost complete success despite how much of a Platinum Rank pain-in-the-ass it was, but I blew through more materials than I'm comfortable talking about; turns out powering a magical machine takes more raw materials to work than I thought." Wizard said.

"Say what?" Cow Girl asked.

"Long story, but every now and then I make trips to the oceanic city via a gateway, and I was allowed to buy some materials from them. One of which was a machine that let me do...well, what I said I did. Granted I had to work out...alot of bugs, but it was worth it. I probably increased his lifespan by at least five years too." Wizard said.

"Thank you so much." Cow Girl said before hugging Wizard, who returned the embrace a moment later.

"I never got a chance to ask, but why did you cut your hair?" Wizard asked.

"I just thought this suited me better, plus I actually mind having hair too long in the middle of a battle." Cow Girl said.

"Funny, none of us have that problem; even I don't." Wizard said.

"Well...I do." Cow Girl said.

"I meant I don't get why you stand alone." Wizard said.

"Me neither, but when this is over, I might grow it back." Cow Girl said.

"Suit yourself. You want to come inside?" Wizard asked.

"You go ahead, I'll catch up." Cow Girl said.

"Alright." Wizard said before she went inside, and eventually, Cow Girl got more visitors.

"Welcome back." Cow Girl said as Ranger and Fighter approached.

"Hey. Where's everyone else?" Fighter asked.

"There's getting their lunch, and you're just in time apparently." Cow Girl said as they looked inside to see everyone at a table eating, drinking, and talking.

"Aren't you hungry?" Ranger asked.

"I've already eaten, and last I saw them they were recapping our feats to some rookies." Cow Girl said.

"Figures..." Fighter said.

"Honey, could you give the two of us a minute?" Ranger asked.

"Why not?" Fighter said before she went to join their team.

"Yes...sir?" Cow Girl asked and Ranger hugged her.

"I'm proud of you. Despite everything, you got your hands on your very own Bronze Rank, and I can practically hear a Silver Rank marching your way." Ranger said and Cow Girl smiled before returning the hug.

"I'm on a good team...and have a good teacher." She said softly before they kissed each other's cheeks.

"You really would make a solid ranger, but you're a solid Goblin Slayer already so...eh, semantics." Ranger said.

"Right." Cow Girl said.

"Do you know what you're going to do after you get rid of the Goblin Overlord?" Ranger asked.

"Wait, first off, you're not coming?" Cow Girl asked.

"I didn't say that; we haven't even discussed our plan of attack yet. Now, could you please answer me?" Ranger asked.

"Well...me and Goblin Slayer talked about that, and...we might end up living at that fort in peace, although if you need us, don't hesitate to let us know. I for one plan on continuing to keep myself as ship-shape as I am now." Cow Girl said proudly.

"I'm sure you do." Ranger said.

"I even told Goblin Slayer he wouldn't need to be the Goblin Slayer anymore and...he actually told me and I quote, I will always be the Goblin Slayer." Cow Girl said.

"Why am I not surprised...? Have you looked at the farmlands yet?" Ranger asked.

"Yes we have, although...there's not much to them; most of the time, the farmers are in the city hawking their produce or getting involved in other things. I'm alittle amazed they can get as much done as they do." Cow Girl said.

"Well, they live next to a city with master alchemists; maybe they have their hands in this." Ranger said.

"Maybe..." Cow Girl trailed off.

"Didn't think of that eh?" Ranger asked.

"No I did not. But whatever, let's go eat." Cow Girl said as they went inside and saw the rest of the team eating, drinking and eventually talking.

"So, what's new?" Ranger asked.

"Well, I sent a letter to my sister..." H.E. Druid said.

"What would you need from Her Majesty?" Ranger asked.

"To prepare my wedding." H.E. Druid said simply and several people gasped.

"You too?" Wizard's brother asked and D.R. took H.E. Druid's hand.

"The two of us really bonded over the course of this month, and after hearing about...our other dwarf friend, I told him to marry me." She said.

"Yep. A dwarven demon hunter and an elven princess. How charmed it that?" D.R. asked.

"But...seriously, dwarves and elves are infamous for not getting along. No offense, but that's bound to raise a few eyebrows." Ranger said.

"We'll blast that bridge when we come to it." H.E. Druid said and Warrior raised his mug.

"To Dwarf Shaman." He said, and the rest joined in and took a sip...except for H.E. Druid who raised her mug last.

"In life he was a pain in the ass, but in death...he is an inspiration." She said seriously before drinking her ale and slammed the mug on the table with her head lowered.

"There is no shame in taking time to grieve Lady Archer." Lizard Priest said.

"That would probably be best." H.E. Druid said softly as she stood up and let go of D.R.'s hand.

"Your Highness-" She cuts him off.

"Don't...I appreciate everyone's concern, but I need to be alone for a bit." H.E. Druid said before walking off.

"Well shit..." Wizard said.

"Let her go. If she needs her space, she needs her space." Ranger said, and the next hour was spent continuing to feast and then train other rookies in various ways. Eventually...Summoner and his trainees showed up.

"Nice of you all to join us." Summoner said.

"Very funny." Fighter said.

"How is your goblin hunt going?" A.C. asked.

"Well, we've been hitting every single goblin nest close to a populated area, and we're going to get back on it later on." Cow Girl said.

"Sorry we haven't been keeping you in the loop." Priestess said.

"Don't worry about it. We've had our own training to do, what with our patrols around the city keeping an eye peeled for criminals, demons, and even spies." R.W. said.

"Speaking of demons, their presence has been...underwhelming as of late." Summoner said.

"Maybe they just wised up and called it quits, or maybe my threat to the Demon Lord paid of." Ranger said.

"Wait...you threatened the Demon Lord?! Ranger, you've got more hangers than a closet." Summoner said and several people laughed.

"I suppose so." Ranger said.

"Oh, by the way...I'm a quartermaster now." R.W said.

"You're kidding." Fighter said.

"Not at all." R.W. said.

"How'd that happen?" Wizard asked.

"Let's see, we got in touch with the guards, we proved how well we could handle supplies, and to top it all off, thanks to my lovely wife being there to empower me, I'm basically a one-man work force." R.W. said.

"It's also helps I got over my fear of spiders." A.C. said.

"What?" Warrior asked.

"She mentioned she got over her fear of spiders before, remember?" Fighter asked.

"No...I did not." Warrior said.

"To be fair, it was a pretty obscure moment." Wizard's brother said.

"Anyway, the two of us were on a spider extermination quest with Heavy Warrior and Female Knight, and...seriously, just the little spiders put me on edge; a cave full of spiders three feet wide was a nightmare, especially with dead people infesting the webs. I actually told myself I would have nightmares over it...and I was right." A.C. said while breathing hard, and R.W. held her hand before she got a grip.

"We also had one of our revenant friends with us." R.W. said.

"Wait...you mean that Elder Revenant who makes the first one we encountered look like a pushover?" Warrior asked.

"Apparently." R.W said.

"So long-story-short, it became apparent that even giant spiders are easily-beaten by any adventurer worth their salt, and my fears went away...and even the nightmares I had were easy to deal with." A.C. said proudly.

"We're well on our way to becoming Silver Ranks ourselves." R.W. said.

"We're glad for you." Priestess said.

"Damn straight." Rhea Fighter said and the others either nodded, smiled, murmured in approval, or any combination of the three.

"Thanks." A.C. said.

"Now, about that revenant...?" Priestess trailed off.

"What about him Your Grace?" R.W. asked.

"What part did he have in this?" Priestess asked.

"Well...he was there looking for something, but ironically wound up being a walking shield for us. One time a spider came out of nowhere, sank it's fangs into it's chest...then he cursed it to rot down to it's...bones, cartilage...?" R.W. said.

"Spiders don't have either; they have a hard shell that holds and protects their insides." Wizard's brother said.

"O...k...well in any case, he never said anything about what he was after aside from showing it was a piece of an armor." R.W. said.

"The Abyssal Hide. That's what it's called, and guess who's wearing it." Warrior said as he pointed at GS with his thumb.

"You're kidding me..." A.C. said.

"Not at all." Wizard said.

"So...is it good?" R.W. asked.

"Is it good? Is it good?! He took a storm of arrows that tore through the rest of our armors like it was a storm of pebbles!" Warrior said seriously.

"Abyssal Hides are a gigantic fuck you to even the laws of magic, nevermind nature. I.e. those arrows were enchanted with the same space magic that Sword Mage's sword uses, and-" Summoner cuts Wizard off.

"Wait a minute...the goblins are using magic weapons? What's new..." He said.

"And...it's getting worse. Anyway, the Abyssal Hide resisting space weapons pretty much confirms that it's basically unbreakable; if it can resist something that tears through the fabric of space...yeah, you might as well slit your own throat." Wizard said.

"Noted." Summoner said.

"You know seeing that revenant got two gigantic fangs through his heart and lungs was...pretty unsettling." R.W. said.

"It's not easy to kill someone who's already dead." Wizard said.

"What about the vampire queen?" Ranger asked.

"Or the zombies she had working for her?" R.W. asked.

"Or the rest of the vampires?" Warrior asked.

"None of them were in league with the Death God!" Wizard snapped before getting a grip. "Sorry, please continue."

"Anyway...when that spider bit him...he didn't even seem bothered; I nearly had a heart attack when it happened. I know revenants don't feel pain, or anything for that matter, but still." A.C. said.

"So how did you conquer your fear?" Cow Girl asked.

"I had to fight some while everyone else was occupied, and...well, I just discovered they're not so tough, as long as me and my team fights smart. But, what else is new?" A.C. said.

"The revenant also killed their queen...so to speak." R.W. said.

"Thank the Supreme he was there to fight it for us; that thing was a living nightmare." A.C. said nervously.

"Speaking of nightmares, how was that matter handled?" Fighter asked.

"Surprise-surprise, my new husband handled that, and no we didn't do the deed; he was just there to ease my panic." A.C. said.

"Can't argue with that." Ranger said.

"Well, that was a nice chit-chat, but we have some things to do." Summoner said.

"Alright, lead the way boss." R.W. said and they left the team to what was left of their meal.

"So...I did some more research on that specialist we brought back, now I'm not finished, but it's extremely apparent they aren't human." Wizard said.

"What? They look human to me." Fighter said.

"On the outside, but on the inside...good luck not telling them apart from a human being." Wizard said.

"Any idea why that is?" Ranger asked.

"I did say I'm not done." Wizard said.

"Well excuse me..." Ranger said and H.E. Druid came back...and her face was flushed pink, especially her eyes.

"Sorry, I...lost my cool." She said.

"Are you alright now?" Cow Girl asked.

"I'll live." H.E. Druid said.

"So...are we going to not talk about the citadel?" Rhea Fighter asked.

"What's there to talk about? That place makes the vampire queen's fortress look like a baby's crib." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: we'll need another army to deal with it?" Warrior asked.

"What was your first clue?" Wizard asked.

"Oh, just the sight of a mountain-sized, demonic fortress in the middle of a place with less life in it than a field of dead goblins." Warrior said dryly.

"Yeah, that's a good clue..." Cow Girl said.

"Are we ready for the next assault on the goblins?" GS asked, and the team looked at each other and nodded.

---

The next week went by without too much of an issue, although the number of goblin-slaying trips was...underwhelming. Ranger wound up handling most nests by himself and then they just went home, even though the team got to witness his usual over-the-top brutality. From him calling down a meteor and smashing an entire nest in one blow, to unleashing a plague upon an entire fortress, and of course robbing the place blind, to the team watching him rush at a fort head-on. The 11th Platinum Rank dashed at it directly, deflecting and dodging every arrow shot at him with his twin swords, and then grappled up to their ledges, butchered them, and then switched to his greatsword and made the ground shake and debris fly all over the place as he smashed the entire place to pieces and splattered every goblin in the area to a paste.

On some days, he simply let the others do the killing while he looted the place, and sent the stuff to Water Town with his portal gem. He watched the rest of the team slaughter goblins with their usual brilliance the whole time as well. Wizard and her brother roasted dozens of goblins with fire, paralyzed the hobs so someone else could knock them down, like when Warrior severed one's head after it was paralyzed and fell to the ground, and Fighter kicked it's rolling head into another, before yanking it down with her cables, and Warrior stabbed it through the face as it came down.

The Wizard siblings themselves continued roasting and incinerating hundreds of goblins in each nest, and she sliced them apart with her glaive, and her brother crushed their heads with his mace. Either of them, or Ranger for that matter burned down the wooden fortresses, or they even used flaming arrows like old times...if the Wizard sibling didn't blow the forts up with Mana Bolt, or Warrior didn't blow them up with his new Thunderstrike miracle he discovered he could use. Wizard then used a gateway scrolls to try an elemental trap like they planned...and it worked wonders: a stockpile of molten metal she and her brother placed in the sewers of Water Town was teleported through the scroll and engulfed an entire fortress, and when they were done...the fortress was melted down as well, like it was never there.

---

After Ranger absorbed the metal after it was cooled off, the team went back to Water Town for some R and R, and more practice for their most advanced moves, especially with Ranger's ability to fly, which of course he did in secret. Priestess got on her role as archbishop with Sword Mage actually making notes about what was going on while she was away, and she made amends in response. From giving due promotions to some people who showed their mettle in their respective fields, inside or outside the guild, to transferring resources to where they're needed, and even giving quests to adventurers herself.

The quests were mostly supply quests with the occasional investigation quest, and the worst case that happened was when all but one member of the four-person group came back without an injury. The case was when a minor natural disaster happened, and a landslide caught them, with only the one being unscathed. Several members of the Temple, including Inspector used healing spells and miracles to get the group back on their feet, but now Priestess had some thinking to do.

"Your Grace?" Sword Mage asked as he walked into the main chamber.

"I was just thinking about that group that came back..." Priestess said softly.

"They understood the risks." Sword Mage said.

"No...no one could've. I'm just glad no one died." Priestess said.

"I suppose that's a good way to look at it. What about the one who wasn't hurt? How did he handle it?" Sword Mage asked.

"Not well. I spoke to him personally and...he felt guilty for not sharing their fate; he confessed that he felt pride that they were hurt and he wasn't. He even questioned whether or not he's worthy of being an adventurer." Priestess said.

"And?" Sword Mage asked.

"He told me that he knew he should feel guilty, but didn't know if that was enough to vindicate him, his exact words. In return, I told him that he wouldn't be worthy if he wasn't guilty, and he should see this as a cautionary tale of what could happen on quests. I also told him that if he was truly arrogant, guilt would have no say in this, and would lead him to become no better than the Evil Sect." Priestess said.

"You demonstrate why you're the archbishop more and more every day Your Grace." Sword Mage said with a bow.

"Ironically, I feel alittle guilty myself by making him afraid of becoming like the Evil Sect, even though he shed his fear right away." Priestess said.

"With all due respect, there is no shame is making people afraid of the consequences, especially if those consequences aren't your fault. Even more so when you give fair warning about those consequences being part of the equation." Sword Mage said.

"That is true. Thank you Sword Mage." Priestess said.

"My pleasure." Sword Mage said.

"Before you leave...and I regret not asking you this sooner, have you given any thought to having a woman in your life?" Priestess asked and Sword Mage recoiled.

"No...I have not. May I ask where this is coming from?" He asked.

"I have seen love blossom in the lives of not only my family, but people outside of my family. I'm curious if you either were, or intend to be one of them." Priestess said and Sword Mage took a moment to think.

"Well...I have been involved with some women over the centuries, but it never lasted; they either stopped loving me, left before I could tell them my feelings...and in one case, the woman I cared about died from a sickness." He said.

"Oh...I'm sorry." Priestess said softly.

"She was human; I would've outlived her regardless. Although, I estimate I will die in less than a century, if the history of human-elf hybrids is anything to go by." Sword Mage said.

"Haven't you said that before?" Priestess asked.

"I don't recall." Sword Mage said.

"Anyway, is there anyone else you have eyes for, or is there anyone who has eyes for you for that matter?" Priestess asked.

"Well, there was that Noble Fencer woman whom I fought beside when this city was assaulted, and her lightning magic was impressive, and she is reasonably easy to look at, plus her devotion to serving this county in what few ways she can is admirable...but I never looked at her in any way that wasn't professional." Sword Mage said.

"She cannot say the same." Priestess said and Sword Mage sighed.

"I...I will consider this. Is there anything else you require?" He asked.

"Not at the moment." Priestess said, and Sword Mage bowed

"Then by your leave Your Grace..." He said before he turned to leave.

"Wait...there is one more thing." Priestess said.

"What is it Your Grace?" Sword Mage asked and Priestess turned to the alter behind her.

"Nevermind how I am as archbishop, do you think I'm a worthy replacement as the Sword Maiden?" She asked.

"No one can replace the Sword Maiden...just like no one can replace the Priestess." Sword Mage said and Priestess tensed up and lowered her head as her enforcer left her alone to weep in solitude. She hadn't thought of it like that at all, and it hit her...hard.

---

The rest of the team spent their spare time showing some rookies how it was done with Ranger watching from the sidelines. His presence inspired the rookies to give it their all...even though their desire to show off made them make stupid mistakes that cost them, mostly in the form of them getting knocked down, sometimes by Fighter when she fought no less than three of them. To be fair, the same trio had the same luck against Cow Girl, and it was a safe bet they didn't want to fight the two ladies because of their looks. Ranger then turned to see that Female Summoner was approaching.

"Nice to see you sharing your wisdom with the others." She said.

"This is hardly new." Ranger said.

"All the better." Female Summoner said.

"Are you enjoying yourself in Water Town?" Ranger asked and Female Summoner sighed.

"The city itself is as pleasant as ever, but...even aside from the somber fact the Sword Maiden was murdered there, the Temple of Law is one of the most depressing places I've ever been to. Those women you saved from the goblins are a mess, even with their minds and bodies being healed." She said.

"Right..." Ranger whispered.

"Seriously, every time I go there to check on them, I keep hearing them ask "how could they" over and over. Did I mention the place is depressing?" Female Summoner said and Ranger tensed up.

"Yes...and I seriously wish you hadn't." He said.

"Sorry." Female Summoner said and Ranger sighed.

"Forget it. This isn't the first case I've seen, and I doubt it'll be the last." He said and they went back to watching the team train the rookies, and this time, Wizard was up against some mages, and they used ice magic in combination with each other against one of her fireballs, and it was a stalemate. The entire area watched the exchange in total silence, until Wizard launched their spell into the sky.

"Nice going. If I hadn't deflected it at the last moment, you would've gotten me. Now, show me what else you've got." Wizard said, and they tried another series of ice spells that she used a weakened Reflect spell to protect herself.

"Is she serious? She could get killed." Female Summoner said.

"She'll be fine." Ranger said.

"Are you certain?" Female Summoner asked.

"She's dealt with far worse; we're Gold and Platinum Ranked for a reason." Ranger said and the mages stopped using their magic as Wizard lowered her Reflect spell.

"I think you've had quite enough. Go get a magic-restore potion and meet me back here in an hour." Wizard said as the mages left murmuring to themselves about how outclassed they were.

"She's not even tired." Female Summoner said.

"Like I said, she's dealt with much worse." Ranger said.

"Dare I ask?" Female Summoner asked.

"I don't know where to start." Ranger said seriously.

"Alright then. May I ask if you trained them yourself?" Female Summoner asked.

"As a matter of fact, I have." Ranger said.

"Must have been quite an endeavor for them, training with the infamous Ranger." Female Summoner said.

"Infamous?" Ranger asked.

"Yes. When I asked around, everyone talked about you like you were a force to be reckoned with, and their voices were filled with relief, as well as fear. It's like they're glad you're on the side of good, but absolutely dread the idea of having you as an enemy." Female Summoner said.

"Well...that does make sense." Ranger said thoughtfully.

"I even asked why they were so scared of the idea when there was practically no chance of you turning evil, and it turns out that it was just the idea itself they're scared of, nothing else." Female Summoner said.

"Unbelievable. We've known each other less than a month and you know me almost as well as the Sword Maiden does." Ranger said.

"I heard numerous claims from numerous sources, and I believe what I heard and see, especially the proof is right in front of me." Female Summoner said.

"If these rookies follow that trend, then forget Silver, they'd be Gold Rank in a reasonable amount of time." Ranger said.

"Speaking of which...a handful of them using that kind of teamwork against a Gold Rank was pretty impressive." Female Summoner said as Rhea Fighter swapped out with D.R. who trained some people with shooting guns.

"Some of them asked me if I could vouch for them before the War God." Ranger said.

"And?" Female Summoner asked.

"I let them know the War God's path, but I doubt most of them will be willing and able to do more than summon a weapon or two." Ranger said.

"Figures." Female Summoner said.

"They're probably hoping that they'll get a fast road to greatness...like your first brother did for me." Ranger said.

"I remember that...he's come a long way since becoming an outlaw." Female Summoner said.

"From an outlaw, to the Sword Maiden's guard...and husband." Ranger said.

"Is it true that they mixed their ashes together and put them in the same urn?" Female Summoner asked.

"Yes it is." Ranger said and Female Summoner shook.

"That's so romantic..." She whispered and Ranger looked at her to see her eyes watering.

"That man really loved her." He said softly and Female Summoner dried her eyes.

"Well, at least he's at her side, where he belongs." She said.

"On top of that...he introduced me to the War God, so if it wasn't for him, I never would've become Platinum Ranked, and get everything I did done, and don't get me started on everything my team did since becoming Gold Ranked." Ranger said.

"Right..." Female Summoner said as the training resumed, with Rhea Fighter training with some rogue-type rookies, and she took full advantage of her size by flipping over and ducking under their attacks...if she didn't weave around them. The way she made them look around for her and fail to attack her, especially after tripping over each others' feet made Female Summoner giggle.

"Wow...just wow..." Ranger groaned.

"They're having less luck then the others did against the girls." Female Summoner said.

"Well, it's no secret that facing an opponent someone is attracted to tends to take away their will to fight, even if they're spoken for." Ranger said.

"In this case though...bigger isn't always better." Female Summoner said.

"Right. Oh, here comes your brother." Ranger said and pointed to where Summoner was coming, and his sister went to hug him.

"That hair fits you like a glove..." She said.

"I'm never cutting it again." Summoner said as he let his sister go.

"So...what's the deal?" Ranger asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you two, especially her. But also...well, I'll let them speak for themselves. Demon hunters in training! Front and center please." Summoner said and R.W. and A.C. walked up to them.

"Do...you know if it's possible to serve the Supreme God, and the War God at the same time?" A.C. asked.

"I supposed so, but if you're asking me to vouch for you, forget it." Ranger said.

"What? We can hand-" Ranger cuts R.W. off.

"No you can't, and you're certainly not going to become Platinum Ranked as a result of it." He said.

"O.k...where did that even come from? We're just curious." A.C. said.

"Sorry, but I'm getting alittle sick of people walking up to me with the opposite intentions to what they're supposed to be, although...this isn't the first time a servant of the Supreme asked me about the War God." Ranger said.

"What?" R.W. asked.

"Remember the time I gave you that greatsword? Well, I spoke to Inspector beforehand, who happens to be a priestess herself last I checked. I even used the miracle of Smith to create it." Ranger said and R.W. recoiled and pulled the sword out.

"All this time..." He trailed off.

"Yep. That's a gift from the War God himself." Ranger said.

"Well, then it's both a good and a bad thing it's rarely used; it's a weapon, but it's still good only for training, and it's good for remembering certain times. Right?" Female Summoner said.

"I guess." R.W. said.

"So...could you at least make them advocates of the War God like I am?" Summoner asked.

"I suppose...follow me." Ranger said as he led the pair away, with the two summoners leaving. They then spotted Fighter leaving the arena to do her own thing...and then she ran into an old friend.

"Guru?" She asked as she saw the man sitting on a carpet as some people left.

"Hello my dear. Good to see you again." Guru said as Fighter bowed to him.

"Likewise. May I ask what brings you back?" She asked.

"I simply wanted to visit, and those people were interested in their chakras like you were. In fact, how have you done since I taught you?" Guru asked.

"If it wasn't for my chakras, I would've died in several situations, from the vampire queen's forces, to an archdemon, to multiple goblin fights." Fighter said.

"Oh...well, it's a good thing I came to you when I did..." Guru said.

"You can say that again." Fighter said.

"It's a good thing I came to you when I did." Guru said and smirked at Fighter as she deadpanned at him.

"Hilarious. I also talked to my husband about the chakras...but I've never seen him use them." She said.

"Oh well, he will use them when he uses them." Guru said.

"Right. It's not like they're going anywhere." Fighter said.

"Most definitely not." Guru said.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you again, but I have to get going." Fighter said.

"Good luck in your future endeavors." Guru said as he put his hands together and nodded, as she returned the favor.

"Good luck to your initiates in theirs." Fighter said before leaving, and ran into Priestess holding her baby and talking to Cow Girl who took the baby.

"Fighter?" Priestess asked.

"Welcome back Your Grace." Fighter said before hugging Priestess.

"Where's Goblin Slayer?" She asked.

"Last I saw, he was with our resident elf princess talking about how Ranger said he'd would make a good one, and she agreed with them." Cow Girl said.

"Oh yeah, that's right. She's a ranger herself. How'd I forget that?" Fighter said.

"Any news from Her Majesty about the wedding?" Priestess asked.

"Not yet. But there's no way she'd leave her sister hanging like this." Cow Girl said, then H.E. Druid showed up.

"Would you do me a favor and send me to my sister with that portal gem?" She asked harshly.

"What's wrong?" Priestess asked.

"She actually sent me a letter in return, and she's concerned that me being with a dwarf might make cause problems." H.E. Druid said.

"What? She seemed o.k. with it last time we saw her." Fighter said.

"My thoughts exactly, now send me to her." H.E. Druid said and the trio of ladies looked at each other before Priestess used the portal gem to send her to the forest city, and H.E. Druid took the gem with her as she went through it.

"Why do I feel like things aren't going to go well?" Cow Girl asked.

"She and her sister are very close, but she apparently loves our new dwarf companion, so she probably feels conflicted." Priestess said.

"She has a good point; I'd hate if my feelings for Ranger conflicted with my feelings for my father. Thank the Supreme they hit it off from the first moment." Fighter said.

"Same goes for me, Goblin Slayer, and his sister." Cow Girl said.

"Ranger told me about his encounter with his sister in Heaven...she sounds like a great woman." Fighter said.

"She was; she was like a second mother for me...I miss her." Cow Girl said somberly, and Fighter hugged her.

"You can use the Ether Gazer if you'd like." Priestess said and Cow Girl thought for a moment.

"No...I'm going to wait until we leave to go after the Goblin Overlord, to make sure I really know what I'm fighting for at the best moment." She said and Fighter chuckled.

"My husband is rubbing off on you." She said.

"Yes...he is..." Cow Girl said softly before weeping into Fighter's hair, and Priestess watched the two women stand there holding each other. "I love you..."

"I love you too...sister." Fighter said, and after a while, the two separated, Cow Girl dried her eyes, and the three went inside...and saw dozens of adventurers dancing, rhythmically clapping, and banging on tables as none other than Sword Mage was dancing across several table with even more speed and vigor than he displayed at the wedding, and Bard was there stung his lute.

"Oh, welcome to the party ladies." Guild Girl said as she subtly danced along.

"What's going on here?" Cow Girl asked with amusement.

"It's a celebration. Dozens of adventurers graduated and got their Porcelain Ranks, and dozens more got Obsidian and Steel Ranks while you were away, and now they organized this." Guild Girl said.

"Unbelievable. A year ago getting a Porcelain Rank was just the start, now...people are throwing parties over it." Fighter said.

"It wasn't a big deal back then." Guild Girl said.

"That is true..." Fighter said as the ladies kept watching the festivities.

"They sure look like they're having fun." Priestess said as Sword Mage continued spun and rhythmically skipped across the tables. The ladies also noticed some staff, and other civilians joining the festivities...including Noble Fencer who couldn't take her eyes off the holy knight on the tables dancing like a master.

"Your Grace? Did you...talk to Sword Mage about...the thing we mentioned?" Guild Girl asked and they spotted Sword Mage kneeling down, offering a hand to Noble Fencer to join him on the tables, and after frantically looking around to see people motion for her to join him, she took his hand and joined him, and she couldn't stop blushing and smiling as Sword Mage watched her...and her lack of confidence showed with her trying to keep up with him, and failed. He then eventually snatched onto her as she squealed in surprise, and the crowd clearly supported them.

"Does that answer your question?" Priestess asked and Guild Girl nodded with the smirk never leaving her face a Noble Fencer got thrown around and got pulled to her crush, and the music, and dance ended with Sword Mage dipping Noble Fencer, and the two stood there looking each other in the face panting as the crowd applauded.

"This makes his dance at the wedding look like playtime with my daughter." Fighter said seriously as Noble Fencer caught her breath, got off the table with the crowd praising Sword Mage's moves, and Noble Fencer herself joined the ladies at the desk, and sat on a chair backwards still overwhelmed.

"Wow..." Noble Fencer breathed out.

"Have fun?" Cow Girl asked.

"Did I have fun...? Did I have fun? That was the most fun I've ever had!" Noble Fencer said seriously.

"Apparently." Fighter said with a smirk as Warrior came in. "You do not know what you missed."

"No kidding. What did I miss?" Warrior asked.

"I just finished...dancing with Sword Mage...and it was intense!" Noble Fencer said.

"Apparently." Warrior said with a raised eyebrow.

"That's what I said." Fighter said.

"I wasn't here lady; how could I know that?" Warrior asked.

"So what's going on?" Cow Girl asked.

"Well, the rest of them are still training the rookies, with me doing most of the work by the way. The Mrs is also studying that specialist we picked up earlier." Warrior said.

"Specialist? You mean those cheap-ass bastards that move too fast to track, run around hiding behind everything, hit you in the back, cripple you, break through everything you throw at them when you can't do anything about what they can do?!" Noble Fencer snapped with the others staring at her as she ranted.

"Yes...them..." Warrior said.

"We also almost lost Ranger to them multiple times since we've known them." Fighter said seriously which made Guild Girl recoil in horror.

"Again?!" She asked, and Fighter nodded. "They're not going to stop until he's dead are they...?"

"Not likely. It's as if they were bred to fight him..." Warrior said.

"I sincerely hope not. Just the idea of a person who can take him down terrifies me." Guild Girl said.

"Join the club lady..." Warrior said.

"He's still not alone." Priestess said seriously.

"Right." Fighter said.

"I ever tell you it was a specialist that put me in that vat you found me in?" Noble Fencer asked.

"Once or twice." Cow Girl said.

"Make it three times then." Noble Fencer said simply.

"Well, I'm going to get some lunch, and maybe give our fans some love." Warrior said before leaving, and Fighter shared a look with Priestess before getting their own lunch.

The next hour was spent with the team showing up one by one to get their own lunch, with Guild Girl, and her co-workers sorting things out, and then getting their own lunch. The Summoner siblings had lunch by themselves, which made sense since they haven't seen each other in years and likely wanted to catch up, or make up for lost time. No one knew for sure, but they respected the pair's privacy. When they were done, Guild Girl went back to work, and Warrior sat by the desk with her, waiting for Ranger and Wizard who still didn't return.

"Where are those two?" Guild Girl asked.

"Who knows. My wife's always been a workaholic, and the boss is probably throwing some trainees a bone." Warrior said.

"That's what they do...that's what they do..." Guild Girl said, before she got some more papers worked through.

"Won't be long until the last goblin bites the dust." Warrior said.

"The sooner the better." Guild Girl said.

"You know, every time we went on a goblin-slaying trip this week, I half-expected them to give us the finger by rebuilding the Hell Ripper and using it to jump us." Warrior said.

"I sincerely hope that never happens. That thing should stay destroyed for the sake of the entire country, not just yourselves." Guild Girl said.

"No kidding. There's a reason we've been fighting this little war against the goblins for over a year. Wow, to most people, going after goblins is, or at least was a starter quest, for Goblin Slayer it's a mission...but for us, it's a full-fledged war." Warrior said.

"A war I for one am happy you're waging on behalf of the whole country." Guild Girl said seriously.

"Although recently, it was more like a series of massacres- well, it's always been a series of massacres, but especially now...and especially in the boss' case." Warrior said.

"Let me guess: he was carrying you most of the time?" Guild Girl asked.

"Not really carrying us, but...well, let's just say he and Goblin Slayer are practically the same person, but with different attitudes towards goblins." Warrior said.

"That doesn't make any sense..." Guild Girl said.

"Well...the thing is, the two hate goblins and neither are afraid to show it, but they go about showing it in pretty different ways. Sure, Goblin Slayer does some messed up things to them but Ranger makes it personal." Warrior said.

"I'm alittle afraid to ask..." Guild Girl said.

"Oh you couldn't pay me to give a list of what he does, but be that as it may...are you aware of just how Goblin Slayer works?" Warrior asked.

"He...never really talked about it..." Guild Girl said thoughtfully.

"Well, normally he just takes out one goblin, goes to the next one, and then keeps going until he wins, and when he does win, he just gets on with his day. Ranger however...takes his time, just like the goblins themselves do, only he doesn't get rid of his honor obviously." Warrior said.

"Really?" Guild Girl asked.

"One time, we invaded a fortress full of goblins, found a woman chained to a wall, and when he approached her, a goblin ambushed him, and he made one of his super-huge gauntlets, grabbed it by the face and started suffocating it as it frantically tried to stab his hand to free itself." Warrior said.

"Yikes..." Guild Girl said.

"It gets worse. Ranger was so pissed off at what happened to the girl that he heated the gauntlet which of course cooked the goblin's face. I'm still amazed the smell didn't bother him." Warrior said as Ranger came in.

"It's called retribution, and not one tear should be shed over that little bastard." He said seriously.

"Where were you boss?" Warrior asked.

"Well, our sweet little elf princess came back from yelling at her sister, metaphorically, and we had a talk about who should come to her wedding, and-" Guild Girl cuts him off.

"Wait a minute! There's another wedding?" She asked.

"Yes, between her and our new dwarf companion. Anyway, she also asked me to talk to the queen, and I had to vouch for him...as much as I could anyway; I barely know him personally. She also said me, and the rest of you should come since, and I'm directly quoting her, "we are still indebted to you for saving our home"." Ranger said.

"Nice lady." Warrior said.

"You don't know the half of it." Ranger said.

"Can me and Inspector come? And the summoners of course?" Guild Girl asked.

"I don't see why not. It's in 48 hours though." Ranger said.

"That's plenty of time to get ready." Guild Girl said.

"Well, I'll go let everyone know." Warrior said, as Ranger sat down.

"What were you two talking about?" He asked.

"Mostly the goblin war you're waging." Guild Girl said and Ranger huffed in amusement.

"That's probably what historians will call this: The Goblin Wars. Has a nice ring to it actually..." He said thoughtfully and Guild Girl deflated.

"Ranger...do you enjoy hurting goblins?" She asked.

"In a word? No. In more than one word: I don't hurt them because it pleases me, I hurt them because they have displeased me." Ranger said.

"I get it...well, in any case, I can't tell you how much of a service it was, and is, to go after the goblins and do other things as well." Guild Girl said.

"Inspector mentioned how much of a load off your mind it took." Ranger said.

"She couldn't have been more right; almost no one took the goblins seriously, and now look where we are: they probably amassed in that citadel you told me about because no one got on them." Guild Girl said.

"Also because we pushed them into a corner out of both fear and necessity, but I see what you mean." Ranger said.

"Right." Guild Girl said.

"As for us doing other things? Well...I know Goblin Slayer never did anything but kill goblins, but why should we?" Ranger asked.

"That is a good point. You climbed through the ranks much faster than most people, and you did it by mixing it up in ways most people never think about." Guild Girl said.

"Like imbuing our blades with dragon blood?" Ranger asked.

"You remember that?" Guild Girl asked.

"I just now remembered, and I'm abit upset that I haven't thought of it in ages." Ranger said.

"Well, it was still impressive. And speaking of those blades, where are they?" Guild Girl asked.

"I swapped them out for my armor...best trade ever." Ranger said.

"What?" Guild Girl asked.

"Well...I can't say too much, but I offered them to the War God in exchange for this armor." Ranger said.

"How does that work?" Guild Girl asked.

"I just said I can't say too much." Ranger said.

"Alright, I hear you." Guild Girl said, and then sighed.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"It's just...it's hard to believe it's almost over..." Guild Girl trailed off.

"You have any plans to celebrate the goblins' extinction?" Ranger asked.

"No...but I'm definitely going to sleep better knowing that nobody else is suffering because of them." Guild Girl said.

"I don't even know how to celebrate myself, but we're getting far ahead of ourselves." Ranger said.

"Right...well, on behalf of the entire country, thank you so much for putting a nail in the goblins' coffin." Guild Girl said.

"That has got to be the darkest thing you've ever said." Inspector said as she approached.

"Oh shut it." Guild Girl said.

"Where have you been?" Ranger asked.

"Talking something over with one of the trainees actually." Inspector said.

"Must be nice having a priestess of the Supreme to dump your troubles on." Ranger said.

"Hey, giving people a hand is my obligation." Inspector said.

"O.k. bad choice of words, but still." Ranger said.

"How much of our talk did you hear?" Guild Girl asked.

"Just that last thing about the goblins." Inspector said.

"Well, guess what? We've got another wedding to prepare for." Guild Girl said and Inspector squealed.

---

H.E. Druid was outside talking to some elf trainees in their tongue when Ranger came outside, and the group broke up.

"What do you want?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I just had an idea...you know how you used to get on Goblin Slayer about going on a real adventure?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I think it would be a nice pre-wedding gift if you and I did one." Ranger said and H.E. Druid looked right at him.

"Are...are you serious?" She asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ranger asked.

"You and I have never done anything serious together, even though we rangers apparently have to stick together." H.E. Druid said.

"That is true, but better late than never right?" Ranger asked and H.E. Druid sighed.

"That is also true...what do you have in mind?" She asked.

"You'll find out..." Ranger said.

---

"You call looking into a freak accident an adventure?" H.E. Druid asked as Ranger surveyed a collapsed tunnel.

"I call it a start. Besides, no one died in this tunnel, or so Her Grace told me." He said.

"As good as that news is, how are we going to-" H.E. Druid shuts up the moment Ranger morphs his gauntlets, and removed the debris piece by piece as she took cover. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Take it easy you big brute! You almost got dirt all over me!"

"You've dodged worse." Ranger said simply before getting back to work.

"I regret coming with you already." H.E. Druid grumbled as Ranger cleared the entrance...and then stopped cold before looking over the mouth of the cave again.

"This is no cave...it was a mountain pass..." He said.

"Yeah, look at the shape of the rocks. That doesn't happen naturally." H.E. Druid said and Ranger sighed.

"I came here once when I put my swords on the rack. It's not an important trade route or anything..." Ranger trailed off.

"But for how much longer?" H.E. Druid asked.

"My thoughts exactly. We need to clear this place." Ranger said.

"How?! I can't shatter dams with a single punch!" H.E. Druid asked.

"Your point?" Ranger asked.

"I'm not strong enough to help you clear this." H.E. Druid said.

"Then save your strength for whatever comes up later. It's not lobotomy." Ranger said before punching out a chunk of rock so hard the ground shook. H.E. Druid then got to cover as Ranger worked relentlessly to clear the rubble for the better part of ten minutes; he could've done so faster, but working too hard was out of the question because he didn't want to start an earthquake and do more damage to the environment. When he reached the end, he sat down, and caught his breath.

"Life potion?" H.E. Druid asked as she handed one over.

"Thanks..." Ranger said as he downed the brew and handed it down.

"Have you been out here before?" H.E. Druid asked as they went down the mountain pass.

"I haven't even left home if I could help it while Fighter was carrying our daughter." Ranger said.

"Well, at least you had a good reason for not venturing out like this." H.E Druid said.

"And now I have one of the best reasons to venture out like this." Ranger said and H.E. Druid smiled.

"This really does mean alot, even though it got off to a rocky start...no pun intended." She said and Ranger snickered. "I said no pun intended."

"The pun still exists, even though it's a childish one, it's still good." Ranger said.

"Right..." H.E. Druid said.

"Our friendship, or association, whatever you want to call it also had a rocky start now that the memories have stirred." Ranger said.

"I remember. I used to make fun of you for using a crossbow that was simpler than most other crossbows, but that changed pretty quickly." H.E. Druid said.

"I didn't even want another crossbow because of how much slower they were than my original crossbow...but I didn't think of one being enhanced like it was. Boy did I feel stupid at the time..." Ranger said.

"Hey, I'm a hundred times your age, and I make stupid mistakes." H.E. Druid said.

"You may be a hundred times my age, but I'm a thousand times stronger." Ranger said.

"Don't remind me..." H.E. Druid groaned.

"I'm also a thousand times smarter." Ranger said smugly.

"What?!" H.E. Druid snapped.

"I'm kidding. I'm not that stuck up." Ranger said.

"That's what I thought you said." H.E. Druid said and Ranger scoffed.

"Well, you thought right..." He said with a snicker. The two then kept going down the pass...for over ten minutes with nothing happening

"This is turning out to be one dull adventurer so far." H.E. Druid said.

"At least there aren't any goblins." Ranger said and H.E. Druid thought for a moment.

"True..." She said, and about a minute later, they found a plain that had evidence of a battle.

"Wow...something serious happened here." H.E. Druid said as she surveyed the area.

"You don't know the half of it." Ranger said.

"What do you mean?" H.E. Druid asked.

"I did this, when me and the Hero's team went after the Evil Sect." Ranger said.

"Why am I not surprised...? Wait! They set up a base this close to Water Town?!" H.E. Druid asked in alarm.

"Apparently." Ranger said and H.E. Druid looked over the place.

"To think they had a base this close to one of the most holy places in the country..." She breathed out.

"It makes sense. They laid siege to it multiple times in a row, and there's no way there weren't being coordinated from somewhere." Ranger said.

"That's pretty well-thought out. You ever think about becoming a general?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Lady...I have probably forgotten more about warfare than most people ever learn. But to answer your question: I'm not thinking about any part of my future until the goblins are wiped out, and I jam my greatsword up the Cambion's ass." Ranger said.

"Vivid. Now, to the matter at hand, this answers my theory about this pass leading to somewhere that may become important..." H.E. Druid said, and Cherub appeared, which surprised both of them.

"Sorry, I just thought you'd like to know that this place is a prime mining zone." He said .

"What?" Ranger asked.

"Mining for what?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Oh, iron, jewels, some precious metals like gold, silver, and even platinum, maybe some relics. Who knows?" Cherub said, and the lights went on in both their heads. "Yeah, what would you do without-" He shut up when Ranger and H.E. Druid made a beeline back to Water Town. "-me..." Cherub then poofed away.

---

The next week involved little more than a series of trips to the plain for a mining expedition, which was was prime opportunity for Cow Girl to work on her summoning with stone elementals with the two Summoner siblings coaching her if she needed it. She also drew power from the elementals to become a one-person mining team, with the rest of the team putting their own skills to work with Warrior and Rhea Fighter slicing up the ground with their swords, Fighter digging with her blades, Priestess being there to empower them, the Wizard's using their own elementals and familiars to dig, and use spells, especially Levitate to either move large chunks when their stronger teammates weren't there to help them, and Transmute to make their hauls larger.

Ranger and Lizard Priest used their armor and Partial Dragon forms respectively to do the most serious digging. H.E. Druid used her enhanced strength to do some digging, although most of the time she just carried the haul back and forth to their carts with her speed making the trips easier for her. Not only did that save everyone else time and energy transporting the goods, but also kept them from getting buried under their own haul. GS even got involved, and he and D.R. used bombs to collapse some tunnels, but that was done on purpose for once to soften the soil for digging.

When they were done in the two days before H.E. Druid, and D.R's wedding, half the plain had been dug up, and when they got back, Priestess commissioned an expedition of adventurers to make some easy money in the mine, as well as add to their war chest to fund the army they were going to need for the goblins' citadel.

Cow Girl even took it upon herself to look after the place so no one got any ideas...which went surprisingly well. She caught a multitude of men undressing her with their eyes, but some others recognized her as GS' girl and then backed off...while others required her to slice through a piece of stubborn rock with her enchanted sword like it was melted butter. After that, none of the men were turned on by her anymore. She even walked off with her inhumanly wide hips swaying and smiling innocently over by her display of power...which ironically made her even more daunting; a display of deadly force and an adorable mannerism do not go together.

When it came time for the wedding...H.E. Druid dressed in the same gown the Elf Queen dressed in on her wedding, and D.R.'s interest in human culture showed; he dressed in a suit similar to the one Ranger wore on his own wedding, only...D.R.'s suit was custom-made for his size. When he finally saw his bride, and she saw her groom...it was like the time Ranger and Fighter saw each other before their blessing all over again. H.E. Druid even let her light green hair flow without the ties she wore keeping it contained.

The wedding itself wasn't much different from theirs aside from the fact that it took place in a forest, their were alot more guests, most of the guests were elves...with a few dwarves who wanted to witness history of an elf princess marrying a dwarven soldier-turned-ambassador, and instead of the Sword Maiden...the wedding was being blessed by the queen herself. After she glorified the occasion of a union between an elf and a dwarf, especially her own sister as the princess and now a Druid, she chanted a blessing in the elvish tongue, that the elves in the audience joined in as the new pair embraced and kissed as husband and wife.

---

H.E. Druid then snuck her new husband away as the celebrations with the people themselves were underway, and they could barely hear the flutes, lutes, and drums as she pushed the dwarf onto the bed and removed her gown to reveal the new body she put herself through a secretive ritual to obtain...for his sake.

All the while, D.R.'s eyes were glued to her breasts that were easily three times their original size, her hips that were at least twice their original width, and her muscles that were twice as large, but not overshadowed by her thick, milky skin he was itching to feel. The elf princess must've read his mind because she slowly but steadily removed his suit for him, but allowed him to get up and removed his pants before she pushed him back onto the bed and hover over him.

"What did your sister say...?" D.R. asked.

"Two loving souls, joined in union and love, meeting in war and muck, bathed in power and beauty, forever forged in Heaven's great fire." H.E. Druid said softly.

"Wow..." D.R. breathed out before his new wife caressed his face.

"Enough talk...make love to me." H.E. Druid whispered before D.R. pulled her into a deep and sweet kiss. She then flipped them over so her shorter lover-turned-husband could be on top, and they lashed tongues while running their hands through each other's hair.

"Wait...you know what's going to happen if we go far enough." D.R. said.

"My dear, as a druid, I can choose whether or not I get pregnant." H.E. Druid said.

"One of many reasons this was one of the best decisions I've ever seen anyone make." D.R. said softly, and H.E. Druid returned his bright smile as he caressed her face...and then fondled one of her ears, as she burst out laughing. "Ticklish?"

"Was before, certainly am now..." H.E. Druid said, and D.R. resumed stroking her six-inch-long ear as she continued laughing, and eventually stopped him and gave him a quick but sweet kiss before holding him close.

"I cannot believe I'm asking this, but...how does a woman like yourself go for two millennia and remain a virgin?" D.R. asked.

"A lack of princes for one thing, but also because...well, no one caught my eye, and as an elf, I was in no hurry to have a husband." H.E. Druid said.

"You didn't have any urges to satisfy?" D.R. asked.

"We elves aren't as hung up on sexuality as other races are. Besides...compare my body now to how it was." H.E. Druid said as she touched one of her breasts.

"You have a point there, but that doesn't change the wisdom of your choice." D.R. said seriously.

"Speaking of my choice...did I ever tell you that all my senses can be dulled or sharpened at will, including my sense of touch?" H.E. Druid asked.

"You didn't mention that last part no...especially not in this case." D.R. said and H.E. Druid replaced her hand with his own as he gently squeezed her plump flesh, as she gasped in bliss.

"Like...this for example...oh dear spirits that's good...!" H.E. Druid groaned while she spasmed out as D.R. handled her breast.

"If you keep your sense of touch at this level you won't survive this." He said seriously.

"Then...I'll keep it level..." H.E. Druid breathed out.

"Word play intended?" D.R. asked.

"Not at all, now shut up and make love to me." H.E. Druid said and D.R. fondled both of her new breasts, and she got more proud of them by the moment as D.R. rubbed and squeezed both her breasts at once. He then went down to her flat but toned abdomen and she giggled and tensed up as he caressed her sensitive core muscles, and then her enticing hips and legs. She then flipped over and gave him a very nice view of her buttocks before she let off a lustful chuckle as D.R. dug his hands into her perfectly round and supple cheeks and started squeezing them. She rewarded him with blissful moans and chuckles the entire time, and shifted occasionally...which sometimes made her butt harder as her muscles flexed, but it didn't stop him from getting his hands on her fleshy lower body.

"Is my dear princess enjoying herself?" D.R. asked.

"Your dear princess would like to get her hands on you for once." H.E. Druid said seriously.

"Can't say no to that, now can I?" D.R. said as H.E. Druid grabbed him, made him lay down, and returned the favor by massaging his slender but lean muscles...then removed his underwear and sucked in a breath at the sight of his arousal. "Now you know one of the reasons people wear underpants."

"You remember me saying that?" H.E. Druid asked.

"What conversation between us do I not remember?" D.R. said.

"Clever dwarf." H.E. Druid said with a smirk.

"Sexy elf." D.R. said before sitting up and pulling her down to kiss her with him on top. The elven princess then turned it up a notch by poking her tongue through D.R.'s lips, which made him groan in surprise, which quickly turned into fervor as their tongues danced around in their mouths. He then turned her head and licked and sucked on her neck as she gasped in bliss...he then went down on suck on her nipple and she gasped even louder and more rapidly as he sucked and licked her chest like a hungry infant.

"How are you so good at this...?" H.E. Druid asked.

"How are you still a virgin after living a hundred times longer than me?" D.R. asked as he backed up and fondled her breasts.

"Good point...although I'm not clueless." H.E. Druid said before flipping them over, sitting up to display her body in it's entire glory to him, and lowering herself onto his manhood...and groaning as he filled her impossibly tight entrance, and eventually broke her barrier. She then sat like that as her discomfort slowly faded.

"Love?" D.R. asked softly as he watched his wife sit there in discomfort.

"I...am a druid now, and I waited 2,000 years for this..." H.E. Druid breathed out as she let her womanhood adjust to being filled. When she did she moved up and down slowly but steadily as D.R. watched her muscles flex beneath her skin and her breasts sway back and forth as she eventually supported herself on her hands just above his shoulders. The princess then gasped as D.R. started licking and sucking on her nipples while fondling her breasts themselves.

Eventually she started bucking her hips and D.R. groped her butt as her sharp gasps turned into blissful moans as she rapidly swallowed his organ with her womanhood, especially when he thrusted into her in-sync with her until she went back to sitting on him. Occasionally, he stopped sucking her nipples to watch her breasts bounce around and her face twist in pleasure, as well as feel her butt and legs soften, and then go right back to sucking on her nipples. The pair continued consummating their marriage until she finally convulsed and let out an elongated moan as her first orgasm washed over her, in tandem with his own no less. When she got a hold of herself, she got off his lap and collapsed next to him trying to catch her breath as he did the same.

"There's nothing more beautiful for a man than seeing his woman enjoy herself like this." D.R. said as he got on top of her, and she graced him with a toothy smile before he locked lips with her.

"I enjoyed myself alot. This was totally worth waiting 2,000 years..." H.E. Druid breathed out.

"It was worth waiting only 20 years for...actually, you have me beat there." D.R. said.

"Took you long enough to figure that out." H.E. Druid said.

"Hey, I just gave you the time of your life." D.R. said seriously.

"And I thank you for it...and all the other good times you showed me." H.E. Druid said before pulling him into another kiss, one where H.E. Druid's tongue entwined with D.R.'s. Within, or outside of their mouths, the two added the flavors of each other's tongues themselves to the euphoria they were swimming in just minutes ago.

"You know what was going through my head this whole time?" D.R. asked.

"What?" H.E. Druid asked.

"The first time I got to see you naked, as a druid...it's the best sight I have ever seen, and it matched our relationship flawlessly." D.R. said.

"Oh?" H.E. Druid asked.

"Yes. You would think it would be strange, but no...not at all; it fit us like a glove." D.R. said.

"Some would say it was strange, a woman letting a men she knew for less than a few weeks see her bare-skinned." H.E. Druid said.

"Your point?" D.R. asked.

"Cheeky devil." H.E. Druid said with a smirk...before flinching as D.R. groped her butt.

"Headstrong princess." He said before mashing lips with her again as he got on top of her, and she held him close.

"You know that mining trip was due to a quest me and Ranger had?" H.E. Druid said.

"I remember. People complained about the shockwave from his punch on the side of Water Town away from where you two were. I'm never challenging him to arm-wrestling." D.R. said and H.E. Druid giggled.

"Ironically, he lost an arm-wrestling match to Orcbolg." She said and D.R. recoiled.

"What?" He asked.

"Relax, he wasn't wearing his armor." H.E. Druid said.

"That...actually makes sense. Still, it was awfully nice of him to treat you like that." D.R. said.

"Yes...it was. I actually hope we can do that again when this is over." H.E. Druid said.

"But until then, let's enjoy ourselves here. If they need us again, they can come get us." D.R. said.

"Right..." H.E . Druid said, as her new husband snuggled into her chest.

"Wait a minute...what about my longevity?" D.R. asked.

"We can find a way to transfer some of ours to you. I don't know how it works, but if I can get my body altered like this, you can alter your own body as well." H.E. Druid said.

"I sincerely hope so; you losing me to old age and living on without me is the last thing I want for you." D.R. said.

"I know...I love you." H.E. Druid said softly before kissing her new husband good night.

---

The rest of the five days of the week, the team continued looking for goblins...but no more nests were found the whole time, so they got back to their training, and of course supervising the mining trips the miscellaneous adventurers aided with in droves in-between training sessions with the team. Dozens of them were asked to join the siege of the Goblin Overlord's citadel, at first they were hesitant, but when information flowed about how the siege of the vampire queen's fortress went, any hesitation was crushed, and they lined up to ask about how to go about it.

GS of course stepped up to the plate and shared his knowledge about goblin behavior, especially their tactics, if you can even call them that, how tough they are, and how they've improved. All of this lead to them engaging in a mock war in Water Town's training area with different groups fighting in small contained areas to simulate caves, or other tight spaces, or just because the area was coincidentally small. Naturally, it was one member of the team vs multiple trainees or low, to mid-ranks since the members of the team were the strongest people in Water Town without question.

Ranger's turn came up...and his opponents were advocates for the War God that each used the miracle of Smith to make weapons of different types, as well as a few shields. The fight would normally be one-sided, but he obviously held back, which especially included using his most advanced weaponry and miracles...until he pulled the greatsword and smashed the ground to not only get a laugh out of it, but to teach them never to trust their enemies. Based on the looks on their faces, the point got across, although some of them called him out of it, even though fights to the death aren't fair by nature. Ranger then took a breather after teaching some rookies how to handle guns, and had some visitors while wiping off his bare torso with a wet towel.

"Hell of a show Mr. All-powerful Platinum Rank." Spearman said.

"Very funny. You here for some advanced training or something?" Ranger asked.

"No. We were just wondering where your dwarf and elf teammates were?" Witch asked.

"They stayed behind to enjoy their honeymoon, and asked us to come get them when we're ready to go after he Goblin Overlord. Can't say I blame them either." Ranger said.

"Heard you encountered a shitload of goblins when you went after them on their own turf." Spearman said.

"More like 9,999 shitloads..." Ranger said.

"Huh?" Spearman asked.

"We literally killed millions of goblins when we went after them. Took us a few weeks to do it, but we still did it." Ranger said.

"Alright alright, we get the point, but what's the first shitload?" Spearman asked.

"All the goblins me, Goblin Slayer, and the rest of us took out, which I guarantee you was less than a million." Ranger said and both of them stared at him.

"Oh my. A feat indeed worthy of a Platinum Rank, and a team of Silver and Gold Ranks." Witch said.

"Although, while we haven't gone over the details, me and my original four teammates won't join the siege; we're going after the Cambion." Ranger said.

"Oh really? Well, considering that he kicked your asses before, I guess it would be a personal matter." Spearman said seriously.

"It goes far beyond that; it even goes beyond him murdering the Sword Maiden. We don't know what his plan is in detail, but whatever it is, it cannot be good." Ranger said.

"Let me guess: you're going to kick the shit out of him until he talks, and then put him six feet under." Spearman said.

"Basically yes, although...he's not the go-down-without-swinging type, hence why when me and the rest of us weren't killing goblins, and saving their captives for that matter, we were training our asses off." Ranger said.

"Well then, should you face this demon spawn, I'm sure you'll find a way to win." Witch said.

"If we don't, the whole country is screwed..." Ranger said before getting up and leaving to go inside the guild hall...after he morphed his upper armor back on.

"Welcome back." Guild Girl said.

"Hey." Ranger said and looked around to see Priestess, GS, and Lizard Priest eating lunch together...then gets an idea.

"How's it going?" Guild Girl asked.

"I have a favor to ask..." Ranger said.

---

When they were done with lunch, Priestess went to Ranger's home, and looked around for him.

"Sir? Are you here?" She asked...and then found him, in his old outfit, much to her surprise. "Sir?"

"Welcome back Your grace." Ranger said.

"Guild Girl asked me to come here to see you...but why are you wearing your old armor?" Priestess asked.

"If Your Grace so pleases, I'd like to try our quest again." Ranger said and Priestess gasped and widened her eyes.

"I...I'd love to, but you didn't answer me." She said.

"I'll explain later, but I have a quest in mind already. One I myself came up with, an exploration quest to be precise." Ranger said.

"What do you mean?" Priestess asked.

"Well, we haven't been to the oceanic city, and especially the north in ages, and I want us to wear our original outfits so fewer people recognize us. I even borrowed some Porcelain Ranks so it really feels like a fresh start for us." Ranger said and Priestess covered her face as her eyes watered.

"I'll gladly go exploring with you...!" She whispered before leaning her staff against the wall and rushing Ranger to hug him.

---

They then took a gateway to the fort GS and Cow Girl live at, and after Ranger summoned his horse, he helped Priestess climb up to sit in front of him as they rode through the farmland.

"You know on the way to our first quest, I thought about making room on the saddle for you? But of course, that lost it's point when we got our cart." Ranger said.

"Ranger..." Priestess whispered.

"Sorry, too much sentiment?" Ranger asked.

"A little bit..." Priestess trailed off, and they spent the rest of the trip in silence, as he held her hand, which calmed her down. When they reached the gate, the guards welcomed them and let them inside. They then went to Master Fighter's dojo, and found him training a few students. When they took a breather, Ranger and Priestess went inside.

"Can I help you?" Master Fighter asked.

"That won't be necessary..." Ranger said before Master fighter took a closer look at them.

"Ranger?" He asked.

"Hello master." Ranger said as he and Priestess bowed to him.

"Welcome back my old friends! How is your wife?" Master Fighter asked.

"She's doing great. The two of us just came here to check on your dojo actually." Ranger said.

"Although it seems you're doing quite well." Priestess said and Master Fighter looked her over.

"Have we met?" He asked and the two looked at each other.

"Oh! Right, you haven't met in person have you?" Ranger asked.

"No we haven't. Well, me and Ranger are the first two to form our team." Priestess said.

"And now the current archbishop." Ranger said and Master Fighter gasped and got on his knees.

"You're the Sword Maiden's successor! I've heard of you..." He said.

"Please stand up. There's a reason we're dressed in our original outfits." Priestess said seriously and Master Fighter got up.

"Sorry Your Grace...but this is such an honor, to have the new archbishop in my dojo...! May I ask how you became archbishop? I mean no disrespect, but you seem awfully young to be archbishop." He said.

"Well, since it's public knowledge, I can tell you. The Sword Maiden's ghost appeared and choose her in the Supreme God's name. Did it in the middle of her own funeral to." Ranger said and Master Fighter stared at him.

"Ranger...I have no idea what to say to that...and that's a first..." He said seriously.

"The Sword Maiden was, and still is, an extraordinary woman, and an even more extraordinary mother..." Priestess said softly.

"You were close in that way were you?" Master Fighter asked.

"We still are." Priestess said and Master Fighter smirked.

"Of course. How can one see another as dead when they make a public appearance that serious?" He asked.

"You really can't." Ranger said.

"How has your dojo been since we left?" Priestess asked.

"Quite well. With the crime boss behind bars, and at least most of his minions dead, people are free to come and go as they wish. I've actually received no less than 19 new students since you left, and more are likely on their way." Master Fighter said.

"Very good." Priestess said.

"And I have your team to thank for it. I wish I knew how to repay you." Master Fighter said.

"You can let us know how much of an impact we made." Ranger said.

"That will not be a problem good sir." Master Fighter said.

"Well, as nice as this was, we have other places to be." Ranger said.

"Farewell you two. Please come again whenever you please." Master Fighter said as the two left. They then went to the docks, and there was no sign of the monster hunters Amazon Warrior led, which was quite a shame. They then went to the guild hall, and there was still no sign of them. They then settled on a quest that happened to be an escort quest for a ship that went to he northern kingdom. They were going to use the portal gem, but a service to the country wasn't going to go unattended. Despite the protests for a couple of Porcelain Ranks to undertake a quest so serious...little did they know...

---

Priestess and Ranger looked around their ship at the sea itself, and the weather, which were both quite calm, as the sailors kept up their work to keep the sailing smooth. The two then went below deck to get some rest after a few hours of lookout duty, and Ranger sat on their bed, with Priestess leaning into his side.

"Nice change of pace isn't it?" Ranger asked.

"Very much so." Priestess said.

"Some people would spend their adventuring careers sticking to this for quite some time." Ranger said.

"Still, as slow as ranking up from this would be, it's a nice change of pace like you said. We've been running ourselves into the ground with challenging quests, as well as things we took on ourselves." Priestess said.

"Can't argue with that. Does it make you more nostalgic?" Ranger asked.

"I wouldn't say that; we never had anything like this, and I never thought of having a moment like this before becoming an adventurer. Have you?" Priestess asked.

"Not really, but we were past the point of no return after...you know what." Ranger said and Priestess sighed.

"Right. If this escort mission does have anything to do with what actually happened, it's that it makes what happened before look...calmer." Priestess trailed off.

"You're talking about me too aren't you...?" Ranger asked, and Priestess nodded.

"I'm sorry I doubted your self-control when you continued pursuing revenge. I was just afraid of you losing what made you our strong, faithful, and loving leader, and not be able to get it back." Priestess said.

"I don't blame you. In hindsight...I really was in control, but...for how long?" Ranger asked.

"I know you were in control, but...even the Sword Maiden was afraid for you, and except for goblins, she feared nothing. Not even the Demon Lord himself could intimidate her. It was expected that Goblin Slayer would be so focused on the fight but...his rage against the goblins made him a block of ice that made him a daunting person even from the moment we met him. Your rage made you a wildfire that burned with the same heat...and just the thought of you being completely consumed by your rage to the point of no return, and it seemed like you were more than once...was frightening, especially for the Sword Maiden...and me." Priestess said.

"Are you still afraid?" Ranger asked and Priestess thought for a moment.

"No..." She whispered, and Ranger hugged her.

"I'm still sorry I scared you. I even talked to the Sword Maiden about instilling the wrong kind of fear...and here I am making my kind and gentle little sister shake in terror. You said you're sorry for doubting me, but I'm the one who needs forgiveness, not you." Ranger said and Priestess snuggled into him more.

"We're alright. " She whispered...and Ranger felt her tears moisten his undershirt.

"I love you, and the rest of the team more than anything, I always have, and I understand that you were all concerned for me, but if it wasn't for all of you I would have given up on adventuring after our first quest. Becoming Platinum Ranked would've been unthinkable..." He said softly as Priestess continued pouring her heart out in her older brother's large, welcoming arms for the better part of a minute, before she backed up, dried her eyes, and felt Ranger kiss her forehead.

"I love you too brother." Priestess said before looking up at him and smiling before they laid down and snuggled together on the bed.

"For the record, I always focused more on why I was furious than the fact I was furious. If it was the other way around, your fears would be completely justified, and I wouldn't be able to argue with you to save my life." Ranger said.

"We understand as well-" Ranger cuts Priestess off.

"Please let me finish...it's no secret the goblins are monsters beyond any hope of redemption, but that's the problem right there; they're beyond hope, but why should the rest of the world be dragged down with them? That kind of hopelessness itself is unacceptable, and like you, and the Sword Maiden for that matter, I care about the world too much for that hopelessness to slide. My rage against the goblins, and my desire to punish them was, and to an extent, still is the only way I know how to solve it...and combining that with the desire to be the one who does it personally did not help." Ranger said.

"That's the Ranger I know and love." Priestess said and Ranger returned her smile, and gently kissed her forehead. She then snuggled into him even more, and simply laid there bathing in his warmth, feeling his dense, gigantic muscles and feeling him run his hand through her golden, silky hair. The contrast between the bulk of Ranger's body and the slenderness of Priestess' lingered before they went to sleep.

---

They reached their destination in the morning, left the port town without getting their unnecessary payment; they had more money than they knew what to do with, and the money could've gone to someone else, not to mention the pay was too small to be noteworthy. When they got to a place where no one could see them, they used the portal gem to get to the town Ranger went to when he first got to the north. They then checked the town, and thanks to their outfits, no one recognized them...nevermind that Priestess wasn't there before, and after asking about Herbalist Girl, they went up the road just enough so that no one could see them, and opened a portal to the Jarl's front gate. They then morphed their current outfits since it was more fitting now, and the guards opened the gates for them.

"Ranger! The slayer of the vampire queen has returned!" The Jarl exclaimed as he stood up and approached Ranger and embraced him.

"Good to see you again good jarl." Ranger said before the Jarl looked Priestess over.

"Priestess? I almost didn't recognize you." He said.

"The Sword Maiden choose me as her successor; I'm the archbishop now." Priestess said and the Jarl's eyes widened.

"Truly? So her death was not in vain..." He said.

"You know?" Priestess asked.

"Your Grace, the entire country knows. The High King called for a statue to be built in her honor in the capital to immortalize her." The Jarl said.

"They did so in Water Town as well." Ranger said.

"I can imagine." The Jarl said.

"Have you had any more vampire troubles?" Ranger asked.

"None whatsoever. Whatever vampires remained were either disposed of at the siege on her fortress, or are too scared of their queen's killer to try anything so bold." The Jarl said.

"Good." Ranger said.

"I never thought I would have the future 11th Platinum Rank in my hold before you arrived." The Jarl said.

"No one did good jarl, although...Priestess becoming archbishop was predicted, or at least theorized." Ranger said.

"It was a fairly logical theory." Priestess said.

"So it seems." The Jarl said.

"How is your hold aside from the vampires?" Ranger asked.

"With the vampires out of the way, night time adventures are free to flourish, and as a result, resources of every type are flowing through the country like water. Even the bandits that roam the country are too scared to do anything about it; I suppose that if there's someone out here strong enough to take care of the vampire queen, then what would happen to them should they encounter that person?" The Jarl said.

"Smart..." Ranger said seriously.

"Do you plan to visit His Majesty?" The Jarl asked.

"Yes we do, but first, I want to visit the girl I first came here with." Ranger said.

"By all means. She lives in the same place she did when you arrived first...and she's an aunt now." The Jarl said.

"What?" Priestess asked.

"Yes, her sister gave birth to a healthy baby boy a few weeks ago." The Jarl said.

"Then we should pay her a visit first." Priestess said.

"I agree completely." Ranger said.

"Farewell you two." The Jarl said, as the two left and visited the temple for the sake of it, but no one was there, and then they went to Herbalist Girl's house, and Ranger knocked on the door, and saw H.G's father who's eyes widened.

"Ranger! Welcome back!" He exclaimed.

"Hello. This is a bad time?" Ranger asked.

"Not at all, come in." H.G.'s father said as the pair came in, and H.G. herself rushed Ranger and hugged him.

"Ranger! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Among other things, we came here to see you." Ranger said.

"We? Oh...I didn't see your Priestess friend." H.G. said.

"She's the new archbishop, hand-picked by the Sword Maiden herself." Ranger said and H.G. let go of him, quickly backed away, and widened her eyes.

"Say what?! You mean the new archbishop, and the 11th Platinum Rank are in our home?!" She asked.

"Apparently." Ranger said with a smirk and H.G. held Priestess' hand.

"Please come see my nephew...!" She said, and they went to see the baby, and her mother and father in the back...and Priestess approached, and put a hand on the sleeping baby before closing her eyes.

"She did the same thing when she blessed my daughter...only she wasn't archbishop at the time." Ranger said softly.

"I can't wait to have my own child." H.G. said.

"Speaking of recent events...how are you doing?" Ranger asked.

"Well, ever since you left, things have been much more peaceful around here, especially since my nephew's birth. Oh, and I got my hands on the miracles of Healing and Purify." H.G. said.

"Lovely. Now you can really serve the Earth Mother. Are you having any problems?" Ranger asked.

"No...why?" H.G. asked.

"Well...because of the goblin attacks." Ranger said.

"Not really. There were some attacks here, but they were dealt with pretty quickly." H.G. asked.

"Were you scared, or attacked personally?" Ranger asked.

"Yes on both accounts, but I was saved by the guards." H.G. said.

"Good." Ranger said seriously, and noticed H.G.'s face fall.

"I still can't believe some goblins got their hands on me..." She said.

"It didn't go any further than that remember?" Ranger asked.

"Still...it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it. I know you saved me, which...I'm immensely grateful for, but I get chills just thinking about how bad things could've gone." H.G. said.

"There's a reason I told you not to think about it too deeply. I fight those abominations tooth-and-nail every day, and the results of what they do to their captives...especially female ones, doesn't give me chills, it make my blood boil. Ironic, but the difference speaks for itself." Ranger said.

"I get it..." H.G. whispered harshly.

"Well, enough of that, let's just eat." Ranger said, and with that, he and Priestess were asked to stay for dinner, and had some venison chops with the family, along with some fish fillets and veggies.

---

When they were done, they left the hold, and opened the portal gem to head to the capital's gates, and the guards let them in as well with encouragement. The city was completely rebuilt after the goblin invasion, and the people gave the two looks and murmured among themselves in awe that the 11th Platinum Rank has returned. Ranger and Priestess then checked on the manor they were given...but neglected for weeks on end, and they found it refurbished. The walls and floors were clean, the furniture was spick and span, and so on. The pair then asked the castle guards to inform the king they've arrived, and they waited for a go-ahead to see the high king...who was in the throne room and stood up the moment they showed up.

"The 11th Platinum Rank has returned to my kingdom!" The High King exclaimed and Ranger and Priestess bowed to him.

"It is good to be back Your Majesty." Priestess said.

"And even more so to see your home has recovered." Ranger said.

"Ah yes. It hurt my coffers greatly, but I showed those pesky goblin bastards that it will take more than whatever they have to throw at me to erase my kingdom...and of course I am grateful to you and your team for driving them away." The high king said.

"We have actually paid a visit to the goblins' kingdom over the past few weeks and slaughtered millions upon millions of them. Before long, there won't be anymore goblins left." Ranger said and the high king laughed.

"I expected nothing less from a small army of Gold and Silver Ranks with a Platinum Rank among their number." He said.

"We are formulating a plan to destroy the goblins' main citadel as we speak." Ranger said.

"If I can assist you in any way, you need only ask." The high king said.

"We thank you Your Majesty." Priestess said and the high king deflated.

"I have heard of the Sword Maiden's fate...you have my deepest sympathies; I know you were close." He said.

"Your compassion is welcome, but unnecessary. She not only still lingers on Earth as a nephilim, but she also choose our dear Priestess as her successor." Ranger said and the high king looked her over.

"I must admit this is a quite surprising, but it is not unwelcome..." He said.

"I am doing everything I can to follow in her footsteps as well as I can." Priestess said.

"And I for one have total confidence in you my dear." The high king said.

"Thank you Your Majesty." Priestess said.

"Aside from your plan, may I ask why else you came here?" The high king asked.

"Well, we checked out the manor you gave us but haven't used...but we can remedy that later." Ranger said.

"How so?" The high king asked.

"We have gateways to different cities in the homes we have there. We were going to have a gateway placed there and have the rest of our team make themselves at home there before returning to Water Town." Ranger said.

"Understandable." The high king said.

"Priestess? Would you mind fetching the rest? I would like to speak to His Majesty alone, if I may?" Ranger asked.

"I suppose so." The high king said, and Priestess left them be. "May I ask?"

"I think you should know what has happened since we were last here." Ranger said seriously.

"Walk with me Ranger." The high king said and as they went down a corridor, and through a hallway that lead them to a series of balconies that gave them a view of the city.

---

"...amazingly, the Evil Sect hasn't attacked Water Town since." Ranger said.

"I...cannot believe...to face the first Platinum Rank in preparation for an apocalyptic battle." The high king breathed out.

"He didn't want to, but he felt he had no choice." Ranger said.

"Is all this preparation even necessary?" The high king asked.

"Quite necessary. The first time I faced the Cambion, I threatened him with my greatsword...and he pinched it between his middle and index fingers and snapped it in two like it was a stick." Ranger said seriously.

"How is such strength possible?!" The high king breathed out.

"I do not know...but whatever the case may be, he is a threat to the entire country, and he has the Sword Maiden's blood on his hands. He needs to be stopped." Ranger said.

"I pray to every god in existence you succeed Ranger." The high king said seriously.

"As do I Your Majesty." Ranger said.

"Before you leave, I must ask. If you know time is not on your side, why pay my kingdom a visit when there is nothing for you here?" The high king asked.

"There are several reasons Your Majesty. The first is that I owe it to Priestess to give her a memorable quest for just the two of us, but that is utterly personal. Another reason is that there may very well have been something for us, either now or in the future; me and my team have been quite fortunate in such matters, like when we had a man of the cloth join us in our campaign and he gave us a multitude of items to aid us. Last but not least...I don't forget my friends, simple as that." Ranger said.

"Spoken like a true adventurer..." The high king said.

"My friends, family, and proper planning are three of many reasons I obtained the Platinum Rank you bestowed upon me, and the moment I betray those things, is the moment you should rip these tags off me with your own hands." Ranger said.

"I have never been more proud to give anyone their rank, to you...or anyone in your team. Even other lands have been cleansed at your doing, and I am certain this is just the beginning. Now go...get what you came for, and resume your preparations for the upcoming battle." The high king said.

"Yes Your Majesty. Oh, by the way, do you still have those goblin heads?" Ranger asked.

"Yes I do." The high king said.

"Well...they're going to become alot more valuable in the near future." Ranger said.

"You may take a single jar to your home, but no more." The high king said.

"I...wasn't going to ask, but I do appreciate the offer." Ranger said.

"Well get going then. The sooner you crush those little green bastards, the sooner we can lead this country to the prosperity it deserves." The high king said as Ranger left the castle, and eventually ran into Priestess.

"Sir...I'd like to see the vampire queen's castle." She said.

"What for?" Ranger asked.

"The memories mostly, but also...I want to see more of this land." Priestess said.

"Alright, hand me the gem." Ranger said and then she handed him the gem and he opened a portal to the ruins of the vampire queen's fortress. The moment they got to the place...the memories came flooding back, especially the part where Ranger used Army of One for the first time and turned the grand and ominous-looking castle into the pile of rubble and heavily damaged bastions that is is now.

"Ranger...I want to restore this place." Priestess said.

"What? Why?" Ranger asked.

"So the place can be reused." Priestess said.

"You know this place's history." Ranger said.

"I know I know, but...the environment around it needs to be fixed, and I do still serve the Earth Mother deep down. Besides, this place can be used for good." Priestess said.

"And if any vampires want to use it to cause trouble...I will tear it down again. A hundred times over if I must." Ranger said.

"I doubt they could; this place will be sanctified, not just restored. Maybe this place will be used as a base for holy warriors or something." Priestess said as Ranger sighed.

"One can hope..." He said seriously, and with that...Priestess knelt, put her hands together, and the environment...and the fortress, were rejuvenated with a Restoration miracle as Ranger watched in awe.

---

The team then spent a few hours refurbishing the manor with a bath and waterfall like in Water Town, as well as alter the woodwork with stone, metal, and so on. Some training equipment and even a baby's playroom was added for when Ranger and Fighter wanted to spend some time there, and they did for about and hour with their daughter as she crawled around and interacted with some toys before she had enough and they went home...and had a surprise.

"You're pregnant?" Ranger asked and Guild Girl rubbed her lower belly.

"I just now found out." She said.

"Well, good for you." Priestess said.

"Where's the rest of your team?" Guild Girl asked.

"Wizard said she wants to improve our weapons with silver, but never said why that is..." Ranger said.

"Huh...well, I'm sure she has a reason." Guild Girl said and Wizard walked in.

"Yes I do...it's that specialist. I finally finished the autopsy and...holy shit..." She said seriously.

"What's the deal?" Ranger asked.

"The deal is that their strength, speed, and skill comes from blood taken from both the Cambion and...well, from you." Wizard said.

"What...?" Ranger breathed out.

"But the good news is that they're vulnerable to silver; holy arts might be useless against the Cambion, but if silver works on the specialists..." Wizard trailed off.

"Well that explains why you put silver in most of our weapons." Ranger said.

"And why my sword weakened that specialist." Priestess said as she recalled the time she impaled the specialist that was choking Ranger.

"Exactly. I'd hate to be in the Cambion's shoes when you're spraying silver bullets at him boss." Wizard said.

"I can imagine..." Ranger said, and they left the guild hall to meet up with the team...and ran into Hero's team.

"11th." Hero said.

"Tenth." Ranger said, and the two stared each other down with blank faces as their team looked them both over.

"So...where have you been?" Wizard asked.

"Well, while you were away doing who-knows-what, I was going around the country spending the word." Hero said.

"About what?" Ranger asked.

"The formerly old man has a plan to combat the goblins, and wants to share it in person." Sword Saint said.

"He's at the Temple of Law." Hero said.

"And we have news for you, about the revenants." Sage said.

"What do you mean?" Wizard asked.

"It's in this book." Sage said as she handed it over, and Wizard looked it over.

"Where did you get this?" She asked.

"We'll explain on the way, but we also had a run-in with our favorite dead guy, the Elder Revenant." Hero said.

"Great..." Ranger groaned, and with that, the group walked to the Temple with Hero explaining their encounter with the Elder Revenant.

"...he then tore open a rift with his scythe and left us at the temple." Hero said.

"Are all revenants made like that?" Ranger asked.

"Apparently so..." Wizard said as her eyes were glued to the book.

"What? What's in that book?" Ranger asked.

"Everything you wanted to know about revenants but were afraid to ask..." Wizard said as she put the book away and they entered the main chamber, and Abbot was there.

"I would like a moment with Ranger alone. Hero? You know what to do." Abbot said and everyone left.

"What's the story?" Ranger asked.

"Well, thanks to you, this war against the goblins is coming to a close, and they just cut their own throats. Every goblin in the country is holed up in their citadel, if we destroy it, then they will never again plague us." Abbot said.

"But haven't they tried rebuilding the Hell Ripper within the citadel?" Ranger asked.

"If they could have, they would have, but this is a last stand for them. Although as you can probably guess, it won't be easy...we're going to need-" Ranger cuts Abbot off.

"An army." He said.

"Yes, which what I had Hero roam the country telling people about. Quite perspective of you to figure that out." Abbot said.

"It was an obvious guess old man." Ranger said simply and Abbot smirked.

"Then you know what's ahead of us...and how high the stakes are." He said.

---

As the sun went down, everyone went home to rest for the upcoming preparations, and Inspector saw fit to take a soak in the waterfall at the Temple of Law's bathhouse with Summoner soaping her hair, massaging her slender yet plump body, and kissing her deeply as she sat in his lap. She then backed up to look at her husband with lust on both their faces, and then she slowly and passionately kissed and lashed tongues with him as water poured down from above. The priestess then moaned as Summoner squeezed her shapely buttocks and rubbed her thighs and hips, and she massaged his lean chest, abs, and shoulders in response.

"Summoner?" Inspector asked.

"Yes baby?" Summoner asked.

"You're going to join that siege are you?" Inspector asked.

"Yes, but all I'll have to do is summon elementals to assist the army, especially World Spawns, and I'll have my sister there to do it as well." Summoner said.

"But...me and Guild Girl will hold our breath until you get back." Inspector said.

"You don't have to. Come with me." Summoner said.

"What? I've never been in a warzone before, and Guild Girl has to stay here and carry your child." Inspector said.

"You can empower my elementals by empowering me. My sister had it done to her plenty of times, and there will be plenty of elementals around to protect us, and I'll be there too. Like I always was, and always will be." Summoner said.

"Summoner..." Inspector said softly before hugging him tightly.

"I love you." Summoner said.

"I love you too..." Inspector said before kissing her husband. She then backed up and lowered herself onto his manhood, and moved up and down with her arms around his neck and his hands on her hips, and even his mouth on her nipples as she gasped in bliss. Summoner moved his hands up her back, and through her hair as she continued riding him slowly but steadily as her breasts rubbed his chest. Inspector then groaned as a minor but satisfying orgasm claimed them both.

---

Meanwhile, Cow Girl went under the city to the Ether Gazer, and swallowed before she could approach it...and then both her parents appeared.

"Mom...dad..." Cow Girl whispered.

"Hello baby." Her mother said as Cow Girl approached and hugged them both.

"Our little girl, a Bronze Ranked adventurer. Who would've thought?" Her dad said.

"I never did...but I'm glad I thought of it." Cow Girl said.

"We're proud of you, we always were, and even death hasn't decreased our love for you." Her mom said.

"I love you too." Cow Girl whispered.

"Alive or dead, you're still our little girl, and you became a fine young woman, and an even finer adventurer." Her dad said.

"If it wasn't for Ranger and his family, I would be completely lost, even with Goblin Slayer at my side. I know he always loved me and I loved him but...there's nothing he could've done by himself. I hate to say it, but he's only good for killing goblins; he's hopeless when it comes to mending broken hearts...I guess that was my job wasn't it?" Cow Girl said.

"You did a good job at it." GS' sister said and Cow Girl let go of her parents to see her...and she just stared at her the whole time.

"W-what?" Cow Girl whispered.

"It's me." GS' sister said as she approached, and Cow Girl still stared at her, until she put her hand on Cow Girl's face. "How you've grown...in every possible way."

"Even with an Ether Gazer, I never thought I'd see you again." Cow Girl said softly as she held the hand against her face.

"Just like your parents, I never left...and neither did her." GS' sister said before Cow Girl's uncle appeared, and got a hug from his niece right away.

"Uncle..." She said softly.

"I have nothing to say that your parents haven't, aside from that I'm a bit surprised." Her uncle said.

"If I was as strong then as I am now...I could've saved you." Cow Girl said.

"Maybe...but you have other things to worry about. Don't blame yourself for what happened; there is nothing you could've done." Her uncle said.

"I know...it's just not easy to think about." Cow Girl said.

"Hey, if you're going to blame anyone, blame the goblins." Her uncle said and Cow Girl back up and steeled herself before looking at the four people in front of her.

"Right." She said.

---

The final days of the month were spent with Ranger training alone as the rest of the team recapped the training with the adventurers who volunteered to join the siege, and true to the plan, Hero's team went around gathering forces from humans, the elves, dwarves, and even lizard people to besiege the goblins, and most of them either wanted revenge for the goblins attacking them in their most vulnerable cities, or in the lizard people's case especially, they felt they owed the team for their services.

Ranger also gave Cow Girl some training on how to use the revolvers he uses, and logically she had to get used to shooting one with both hands first, but once she got a feel for it, she tried it with only one hand, then moved on to one in each hand. She was nowhere near as comfortable with it as Ranger was, but she had her rifle and it's modifications to make up for it, which she was certainly comfortable with.

Ranger even offered to train her with a greatsword...but why use that when she had a sword that could cut through anything that wasn't heavily enchanted? However...when she figured out that the space enchantment wasn't perfect; that it could be countered like they did, she took up a greatsword of her own and it was the deal with her revolvers all over again: be predictably lackluster at first, at least compared to the fact that she had prior experience, but become a complete monster once she got back into the swing of things.

At the end, Ranger flew back to the city with the flight training he went through with the Champion taking full effect. At first, his flying speed was nothing noteworthy, but he flew back and tried to increase the speed, but went too fast and his vision became too blurry to trust his speed, so he slowed down, and then he flew right back, and slowed down just enough to land without breaking the ground, but he was too shook up to try it again.

Ranger then went into his manor, found his daughter in her crib, and waited for her to wake up, but she was fast asleep, so he simply smirked and spoke anyway.

"Your father and mother are almost done sweetheart. For better for worse the war we're in will end soon. But...if we don't make it, I'm sure my own mother and father will take good care of you. Then again, they will probably go down with us, as will you...so we cannot lose this, and we won't. We have come too far, for too long to fail now, and with the Supreme as my witness...we will come back to you. I love you daughter, with all my heart and soul." Ranger said softly before stroking the baby's cheek with the back of his index finger. and leaving her to her nap.

---

He then saw the whole team assembled, including H.E. Druid and D.R. both of whom had a metallic bow like Fighter's, and a quad-rifle respectively. They then went inside the guild hall to see some adventurers from up north banging on a table and chanting.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed as they kept banging, then one man stood on the table.

"See the blood and organs, splashed across the floor. We'll cut their necks, and kill their pets, and go back for more!" He exclaimed before sitting down and rejoining the banging and chanting.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed, then another man stood up.

"To be the masses' sword-arm, this is why we act. We go on, and be the polearm that'll break their back." He said.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed and another man stood.

"We beat them once before, but still they come to play. Well they come, to be shown, another round of shame." He said.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed and a woman stood up.

"We will crush the goblins, we'll beat them to their knees. We'll crush their skulls, and break their legs, and march to victory!" She said.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed and a man stood up.

"You pathetic maggots, you think you can survive? We will come, and run you down, and smash you like a hive!" He exclaimed.

"Chief God! Chief God! Chief God! Chief God!" They exclaimed and another stood.

"See our battle march, hear this battle cry! Have it show, let it flow, and fill you with our pride!" He exclaimed before jumping off the table.

"CHIEF GOD! CHIEF GOD! CHIEF GOD! CHIEF GOD!" They exclaimed, before stopping their chanting, and the hall exploded in yelling and weapons clanging.

---

GS then left the guild hall, and looked at the horizon.

"Hell of a way to prepare for a battle isn't it?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah." GS said and Ranger huffed.

"You never change..." He whispered.

"Neither do you..." GS said.

"No...I guess not." Ranger said.

"Did you enjoy your trip with Priestess?" GS asked.

"It was...character-forming." Ranger said.

"Good." GS said.

"You know one of the things we haven't discussed is whether or not Priestess should go with you, or with us..." Ranger said.

"I see..." GS said.

"She's terrified of the Cambion, and with good reason, but she could be of better service to you than us...or could she...?"

"I don't know." GS said.

"You know...it's hard to believe it's almost over." Ranger said.

"Yeah." GS said.

"It seems an eternity ago we started slaughtering goblins side-by-side, and now...you're going to destroy all of them in one fell swoop." Ranger said.

"You're not coming?" GS asked.

"Absolutely not. The Cambion is still out there, and my team is going to hit him before he hits us." Ranger said.

"I see." GS said.

"Do you have any thoughts about him yourself?" Ranger asked.

"I believe what you say about him, but I will still leave him to you." GS said.

"Right. It's a shame that Wizard couldn't copy the Abyssal Hide's properties and add them to the rest of our armor, but in time...who knows?" Ranger said.

"I see." GS said.

"You know...I never really gave you anything myself did it?" Ranger asked.

"You gave me plenty." GS said.

"No, Wizard gave you plenty...I barely gave you a damn thing. Normally I'd give you a greatsword to use in a pinch, but you already have that starlight sword." Ranger said.

"Right." GS said.

"Do you have any long-range weapons? You're probably going to need one." Ranger said.

"No." GS said, then Ranger morphed a rifle and handed it over.

"Now you can snipe like Miss Goblin Slayer can." He said and GS looked over the weapon, took it, and fired into the distance.

"You even silenced it." GS said.

"Isn't technology great?" Ranger asked.

"Yes...it is." GS said before slinging the gun over his back.

"You know, none of this would have happened without you there to inspire us." Ranger said.

"Right." GS said...and Ranger held his hand out, and to his surprise...GS removed his helmet before shaking hands with Ranger.

"Best of luck with the Goblin Overlord." Ranger said.

"And with the Cambion." GS said.

---

Show of hands, how many were stoked that GS and Ranger finally shook hands? Anyway...this chapter was one hell of a nostalgia trip wasn't it, not to mention the tidbit about the revenants, the preparations for fighting the Goblin Overlord like they did with the vampire queen, although...spoiler alert, that siege will make the siege of the vampire queen's castle look like Fisherprice playtime, and then there's the umpteenth wedding in this story. So...next couple of chapters will be when all that training pays off, so be sure to Rate, Review, and Share while you wait for the final showdown, so stay tuned...