A Ruse Revealed
It was early in the morning, not long after the day's quests had been posted and the eager adventurers who had been waiting to claim fame and fortune finished fighting amongst each other for the best jobs with the most extravagant rewards, when Guild Girl spotted an unlikely group finally returning from their bandit hunt the previous day. Spearman, Witch, Commissar Cain, and Gunner Jurgen all strode confidently into Adventurer's Guild with only the former two looking mildly nauseous after finishing what should have been a three day endeavor in a little over twenty-four hours. She didn't expect them to arrive so early, but acting with that same professionalism she always strived for, Guild Girl put on a warm smile as she greeted them.
"Welcome back. It's good to see you all return unharmed." She said, tactfully ignoring Spearman's attempts to slick his hair back and focusing on the rest of his companions so she didn't break her friendly façade because of him. "I'll take it your quest was a success?"
"You know it." The spear wielding fool smirked, doing his best to act cool in front of her and failing miserably. "A couple of bandits are nothing the "Frontier's Strongest" can't handle. I can tell you all about it in my report if you'd like?"
"Perhaps it would be better if someone else were to tell Guild Girl what happened on our quest." Cain suggested, giving her a knowing look from behind Spearman as he came to the receptionist's rescue.
In any other circumstances, she would have gladly accepted the offer and endured Jurgen's repulsive odor to escape her unwanted suitor's attention. Sadly, she had work that demanded she bear with him for now.
"I'm sorry, but there are a few other matters I need to discuss with Spearman and Witch before we can start filling out the report for your quest." She apologized as she bowed towards the commissar. "I'd hate to waste your time when I'm sure there are other things you would rather be doing."
"Are you sure? Jurgen and I don't have anything else to do until Goblin Slayer returns." Cain said, grumbling that last part as his resentment upon bringing up how he had been left behind. "You wouldn't happen to know if that stubborn oaf is back yet, is he?"
"No, but he should be before the day is over." Guild Girl quickly answered. "You and your partner have the entire day to yourselves unless you plan on going on a quest without the rest of your party."
"Well, I suppose that is all the more reason for us to stick around and wait to give our report since neither of us have anything better l to do." The commissar replied, causing Guild Girl to panic slightly as she wondered how she could get rid of him without arousing his suspicion.
"Oh, Jurgen, you're back!" Padfoot Waitress interrupted as she dashed out of the kitchen. "Are you free for a moment? I think I might have found that little thing you were looking for in the market. I'm on break right now so if you'd like, we could go out together to see if it's still there."
Jurgen immediately straightened up and nearly bolted to her side before remembering he still had some work to do, as his position as a commissar's aide demanded of him. Cain gave the blushing young woman and his long time friend an incredulous look before noticing how conflicted his aide looked, even if it was hard to make it out from the man's usual disheveled and grimy appearance.
"Go ahead and enjoy yourself, Jurgen. You've more than earned it." Cain casually dismissed the slovenly guardsman with a wave, "It's about time I start taking on my fair share of our paperwork anyways."
"It can wait." His aide started in an attempt to rebuke the commissar's efforts to get rid of him before a padded hand started pulling him towards the exit with a startling amount of strength.
"Thanks a bunch, Commissar!" Padfoot Waitress giddily cheered before she left the Adventurer's Guild in tow with Jurgen putting up only a minor protest against how he was being dragged along by her.
The trio of adventurers were all too shocked by the quick sequence of events to notice the quick wink the maiden in love gave to Guild Girl as she hauled the target of her affection away with her before making her exit. The receptionist knew Padfoot Waitress still had a few more hours until she was supposed to go on break but felt nobody had to know about her absence given how helpful her efforts were, leaving Guild Girl with only one person to get rid of.
Thankfully, she didn't have to search for a distraction as one came straight to her in the form of two familiar fledgling adventurers who had been underneath Cain's tutelage alongside Priestess once before several weeks ago. It had been quite some time since Rookie Warrior or Apprentice Cleric came to the commissar for some advice or asked him to train them, whether it was due to neither of them having a chance to meet up or how the former would be too tired to consider being put through his rigorous yet effective exercise regimen.
"Hey, Commissar, is it true that you aren't doing anything right now?" Rookie Warrior inquired hesitantly as he found himself fully engulfed in the taller porcelain ranked adventurer's shadow. "There is a little something I was hoping you could do for me, and-"
"What my dear friend here meant to say is if it wouldn't be too much trouble to bother you on your day off, would you mind showing him some of your sword techniques?" Apprentice Cleric stepped in for her partner, largely unperturbed by Cain's domineering presence unlike her companion.
"Of course I can, but first there is a little something I need to take care of first." Cain humbly told the duo as he looked back to the silver ranked adventurers he was accompanying.
"We can… handle this ourselves." Witch told him, her words hanging softly in the air like a gentle caress. "Go ahead… 'Hero of the Imperium". They need you more… than us."
The commissar looked conflicted for a moment as he debated whether or not he should trade off one responsibility for another, before finally shrugging as he came to a decision.
"If you insist." He conceded. "Never let it be said that I turned down someone in need."
"Alright you two, I'll try to give you some pointers after seeing what the two of you are capable of and see what else I can do from there." He said as he left towards the back entrance to the Adventurer's Guild where the training area was with the rookies following close behind him. "If both of you have been working hard like I instructed you during our last session, then we should be able to skip the basics and move on to some basic swordsmanship and defensive techniques fairly quickly."
"Oh, I won't be needing any training this time. Rookie Warrior is the one who will be needing the most help." Apprentice Cleric nervously told him, her mind racing back to the many aches and pains following her last training session with the commissar.
"Nonsense. There's no telling if you'll ever be forced to defend yourself should you become separated from your partner. Besides, a little extra insurance never hurt anyone." Cain immediately countered. "Now, you did purchase a dagger and some armor like I recommended last time, right?"
The servant of the Supreme God flinched at his words. "Uhm, about that…"
"Right?" The commissar asked her, his ire at how little care she took into ensuring her own protection obvious to the silver ranked adventurers and receptionist who were watching the scene unfold.
"..."
Guild Girl couldn't help but to chuckle at the sight of Cain chastising the two rookies as he prepared to give them the help they so desperately needed. There weren't many experienced adventurers or former soldiers and mercenaries willing to spend time teaching the younger, less experienced members the vital skills they needed to stand a better chance at surviving even low ranked quests. Aside from Cain, who had already gone above and beyond by developing a training program and helping to design a facility for those programs to be held, the only other adventurers she had seen helping out new adventurers were Heavy Warrior and Female Knight. Those two silver ranked adventurers would occasionally accompany some of the new members of the Adventurer's Guild during their own adventures whenever they couldn't find a suitable quest for the day or felt like assisting the commissar during one of his training sessions as additional mentors.
She would have included Goblin Slayer among the few adventurers willing to help out rookies on account he regularly took Priestess on goblin hunts, but with those two, she wasn't sure who was helping who sometimes. And if it wasn't for receiving multiple reports as to Commissar Cain and Gunner Jurgen's prowess from several adventurers and even the local governor, then she would have thought he was mentoring them instead of the other way around. The hero and his slovenly squire were apparently skilled enough to teach him a few things and the changes were already starting to show, something Guild Girl was immensely thankful for.
Speaking of that odd duo, they were exactly why she needed to talk to Spearman and Witch in relative privacy about the results of the quest they had taken together.
"So, how would you say Commissar Cain and Gunner Jurgen's performance was during their quest?" She finally asked the two adventurers she had enlisted the day before to appraise their talents.
"Well, there's no doubt about it." Spearman sighed. "Those two definitely have what it takes to keep up with us."
"They took… the lead for us." Witch corrected, much to her partner's shame. "We hardly… did anything… to help them."
"Really? I suppose you would say they passed the part of their promotion exam meant to test their skills then?" Guild Girl inquired further.
She still couldn't believe how easy it had been to set up the circumstances meant to serve as an advanced promotion test for Cain and Jurgen. She had initially thought separating those two to prove their exploits were thanks to their own ability and not that of the other high ranking adventurers they accompanied would be the hardest part, but that quickly proved not to be the case. Convincing Goblin Slayer to leave had been easy enough as he hardly needed a reason to go out goblin slaying. Priestess on the other hand was a different story, as she was far more cautious than him. Thankfully, the unexpected return of the adventurers they accompanied on a previous urgent quest that morning had been enough to convince her that leaving her other two partners behind wouldn't be so bad, even if it pained her to do so without warning them.
When Priestess returned, Guild Girl was sure the young adventurer would pass her own promotion exam with flying colors given all the good things her previous partners had to say about her. Because her promotion was only to obsidian, only one rank above her current position, a simple interview would suffice.
"Hell, if anything, I think they were testing us." Spearman grumbled. "Like Witch said, we were hardly needed on that quest. I think they only let us handle a few bandits to make us feel like we weren't just leeching off of them."
"Wow. That's… really high praise, coming from you." The receptionist gasped after hearing Spearman's impression of Cain and Jurgen's performance.
"So, anyways, the whole reason you asked us to go on a quest with them was so we can give you our impression of what rank we think they should be based on their performance, right?" Spearman asked, bringing up the whole reason they went on a quest together to begin with. "I'm asking to make sure there isn't anything else you wanted to know about, like their equipment or anything else."
"No, I just need to hear your impression of what rank they would be if you were meeting them for the first time." Guild Girl reminded him.
Spearman and Witch both looked at each other for a brief moment before giving the receptionist their thoughts.
"Silver rank for sure."
"Silver… if not higher."
"Oh, really?" Guild Girl gasped at their unanimous answer.
There had already been some talk amongst some of the higher ups in the Guild about giving Commissar Cain and Gunner Jurgen the recognition they deserved after noticing how much of an impact he had made since joining once tales of their exploits started to spread, to say nothing of the ongoing investigation into their mysterious origins and the astounding rate at which their reputation was growing in the area. The managers in charge of running the Frontier Town branch were already talking about giving them an impromptu promotion exam to reward them for their continued efforts as the local governor had been strongly advocating for it. Rather than wait to see when a proper examiner could be sent to appraise their skills for rare cases like those two, they instead decided to take a far less orthodox but equally valid approach of allowing some of the highest ranking adventurers working with the Frontier Town branch act as the Imperial duo's examiners. While it did sound counterintuitive to allow a stronger adventurer work alongside the examinees during their exam, measures were taken with guidelines set in place to ensure any assistance they offered would have a minimal impact on the exam.
It had already been made clear before proof of their encounter with two Ogres that Cain and Jurgen were far more skilled than the average adventurer, although it was hard to say by how much since the only people who had seen them in action until then were untrustworthy sources at best. While Guild Girl personally believed that the two were every bit as talented as the songs about them claimed, the higher ups felt it would be better to listen to the opinion of someone whose life hadn't been saved by the commissar and gunner and were a respected figure of authority on top of it. Seeing as how Goblin Slayer was excluded by that final criteria, much to the receptionist's chagrin, that left Spearman and Witch as the prime candidates the Guild had been looking for. Had several of the rookies Heavy Warrior and Female Knight accompanied not been considered to hold biased opinions that might have tainted the opinion of everyone else they partied with, then perhaps she would have asked them to do it instead.
Thankfully, Spearman and Witch did accept the unusual request Guild Girl gave them with only a few minor complaints voiced by the former on account of his less than cordial relationship with Cain after being overshadowed by the Hero of the Imperium on more than one occasion.
"Yeah, really. I guess Commissar Cain isn't called a 'Hero' for nothing back wherever he's from." Spearman reluctantly admitted, further astonishing Guild Girl.
To hear such high praise coming from that blowhard was nothing short of the highest compliment the spear wielder could have offered.
"Well, I'll be sure to include that in my report regarding their promotion exam." The receptionist said as she pulled up the paperwork regarding the results of their quest.
"Great, so since that's over with I'm going to get out of here and-"
Before Spearman could abandon the bar counter, Witch grabbed onto the rear of his collar before he could slink away from her.
"Where do you think… you're going?" She chided him, "We still… have a report… to give."
Spearman gave his partner and Guild Girl a pleading look but, after finding no remorse being offered by either of the women, let out a long sigh and took a seat beside his partner as he prepared to endure the most boring part of his job. As disappointed as he was to not have been able to weasel his way out of filling out his paperwork this time, at least that armored idiot wasn't around to interrupt him while he-
"Oh, Goblin Slayer! Welcome back!" Guild Girl happily waved to the familiar set of armor and exhausted Priestess following behind him. "I'll be with you in a moment after I get someone else to take care of Spearman and Witch."
"Oh, come on!" Spearman blurted out while Witch did her best to comfort him without showing her silent appreciation for Guild Girl's quick departure.
Imminent Ruin
The battle was finally over. Blood soaked the ground both the three victors and the hundreds of corpses surrounding them, a pile of skulls erected as an offering to the warriors' patron, and a moment of clarity passed in between the three as they surveyed the carnage they had wrought.
Only a few burned out husks and smoldering splinters remained of the village that had been their battleground. The mangled remains of the village's previous inhabitants were scattered everywhere, most of them unrecognizable pieces from whatever being they had once belonged to. Only some of the warriors' victims were human.
Pure ones, that is.
What amalgamation of man, beast, or xenos the others could be was beyond the blood soaked berserkers' reasoning, even with their temporarily liberated yet burned out minds able to ponder it for the first time in what felt like centuries. Instead, using what little time they had left before they lost themselves once again, they cautiously searched through the bodies scattered around them until they found the one amongst their number who had fallen in battle. Although their legion never had any funerary rites to speak of before their fall from grace, that did not stop the brothers of the dead warrior from sending him off with as proper a burial as they could give him.
A single melta charge was placed on the deceased's broken armor, deep within the rent across his chest plate a single one of the strange insectoid monstrosities left which was undoubtedly what slayed the warrior. His brothers watched as the brief flash of light that consumed his corpse left behind an unrecognizable pile of molten slag in its place. None of them said a word as they watched the pyre consume the flesh of their fallen comrade, for there was nothing any of them could say.
Whatever thoughts of camaraderie or regret they held towards their fallen brother disappeared in an instant, if they ever existed to begin with, as an overwhelming desire to see the stars run red with blood washed over them once more. Rather than seek out the nearest settlement as most of their ilk would do, the now frenzied marauders resumed the pursuit of their elusive quarry.
The champion they searched was near, only another day's travel at the most. Their blood boiled in anticipation for the battle to come and the skulls they would be able to take as trophies afterwards.
Equals
Once I finished giving Rookie Warrior a few pointers on his swordsmanship and put both him and his partner through another set of exercises meant to enhance their woefully lacking stamina, if they were smart enough to keep doing them despite their protests, I found myself face to helmet with the armored twit who thought it would be a good idea to leave me behind while he went adventuring on his own. I made sure to chew him out to the fullest of my ability and with all the rage a hacked off Commissar could muster in the middle of the Guild Hall, only stopping once I noticed the concerned looks of the staff who had been listening in on my tirade. After uttering a few apologies to the lovely ladies looking out for the goblin obsessed idiot and assuring the few adventurers who hadn't left during my rant that Goblin Slayer's life was not in danger so long as he did not attempt to put mine in danger once more, Guild Girl approached me saying she needed me for something private.
Judging by the concerned look on her face, I thought she was going to let me know I overstepped my boundaries in disciplining my occasional questing partner, but I was surprised to hear her say the exact opposite.
"Thank you for putting up with him, Commissar Cain." She told me as we walked up the stairs to the Guild's second story. "I've read a few of the reports Jurgen and him have filled out. I imagine this isn't the first time you've had to 'remind' him of how to behave like a proper adventurer?"
"Y-yes." I stammered, completely taken aback by how casually she brought the subject up before remembering that she knew him perhaps better than anyone else in the Guild did. "Should I assume I'm not the only one who has tried to get a few lessons through that thick helmet of his?"
The young woman let out a small chuckle at my gentle accusation. "I haven't ever been that strict in reminding him that he has certain responsibilities and expectations to live up to as a silver ranked adventurer, but it is nice to see you are having a positive effect on him."
"I find that hard to believe. I'm not the first person he's left behind on a quest before." I grumbled, recalling the first and only time he left Priestess behind without an explanation and the reaming I gave him once she explained what happened to me.
"Oh, I'm sure he had his reasons." She sheepishly defended in an attempt to support her favorite adventurer.
Before I could inquire as to what those reasons were, Guild Girl opened the door to a familiar meeting room where Jurgen was waiting for me looking quite sullen compared to his usual self. It was the same meeting room where I had first informed the Adventurer's Guild of my peculiar circumstances of arriving on this planet, sparing a few damning details to ensure my safety and that of Jurgen's. From what little I knew about the Guild's dealings, they only used this room for serious matters between individual adventurers and the Guild itself, leaving my mind wandering and palms tingling as I wondered what it was that Guild Girl wished to discuss with us.
"Didn't find what you were looking for?" I asked Jurgen despite knowing the answer from how it was plainly written on his face.
"Sorry sir, turns out it was a close look alike." He glumly replied.
"Well, in that case, were you able to make the most of the rest of your date?" I pried further, unable to help myself and hoping I might no longer be in danger of walking in on my aide with a porn slate in each hand but something different entirely.
"Date?" He muttered aloud, clearly missing what the true objective of Padfoot Waitress' little excursion was meant to be.
I couldn't entirely put the blame on my aide for his ignorance, unlike the rest of the lovestruck and oblivious idiots that called this world home. Jurgen was, for lack of a better way of saying it… Jurgen. I've seen sewer rats that were more well groomed than him, to say nothing about the repulsive stench that hangs around him like one of his many skin diseases. I'd have been surprised if he hadn't given up on finding himself a lover decades ago because of how most people tried their best to stay as far away from him as possible when they shared a room together. Perhaps I might need to help the two of them along at some point, because as effective as Padfoot Waitress' advances might have been on anyone else, nothing short of laying on his bed as naked as the day she was born would be able to get her intentions across to him and even that only had a mild chance of success.
"Oh, it's nothing worth worrying about." I chuckled to myself, barely restraining myself from giving Guild Girl a verbal lashing of her own as she cringed at what I was implying.
"Anyways, I suppose you wouldn't mind telling Jurgen and I why you brought us here, Guild Girl?" I said, loudly clearing my throat so as to prevent her from disparaging my aide any further than she already had, intentionally or otherwise. "You wouldn't have happened to have found someone from the Imperium who might be able to give us a ride back to where we belong?"
"No, I'm sorry but we haven't found anything to help both of you return to your homeland." She told us apologetically, then added on a slightly peppier note, "No, what I brought the both of here for today is to congratulate you on your promotions and explain a few of the benefits they will bring you."
"Oh, a promotion?" I hummed, trying to sound moderately surprised even though the only thing I found shocking is how we hadn't received any recognition for our efforts sooner given how many quests we had completed already.
"Yes, although it took some time to fully verify whether or not your achievements were due to your own efforts or those of the higher ranked adventurers who have accompanied you on each of your quests, I would like to present you with your new adventurer's tags." She explained with a slight stiffness to her speech.
Her lack of stumbling and lack of usual passion behind her words left me with the distinct impression that this wasn't the first time she had given this speech to someone. As someone who has given out plenty of pointless spiels when awarding medals to various troopers braver and dumber than myself for somehow not getting themselves killed in the line of duty, I was quite familiar with being the person to shovel out such groxshit, both as the recipient and the distributor of such hollow words. This was the first time I managed to acquire recognition on a local, more personal level though. I must admit, hearing someone stroke my ego didn't feel as bad as it usually did this time.
"Congratulations on your promotions, Commissar Cain, Gunner Jurgen. You've earned them." She finished, pulling out a box and opening it up to reveal the new signs of our rank and means of identifying our bodies should they happen to be mangled beyond recognition.
Our tags were presented to us on luxurious looking cushions nestled within the box, putting that finishing touch to this overblown charade when a pat on the back and a round of amasec would have been received by most adventurers just as well, if not better. Aside from the softness of the material our tags were lying on, there was one other thing I couldn't help but to notice about them that struck me as odd. Mine was a vibrant green, not unlike jade or, given the ranking system used by the Guild, emerald or some other material meant to be seen as an indicator of said rank whereas Jurgen's was ruby red.
While I was largely unfamiliar with the way the Guild handled itself as I had no desire to take the risk of being dragged along on errands by the Guild Staff like Jurgen had been once already, I could at least tell that our ranks were apparently not considered equal in the eyes of whoever was behind our promotion, a presumption I immediately took umbrage with after realizing the Guild didn't think my aide's contributions were as meaningful as my own. Thankfully, before I could voice my dissatisfaction at how Jurgen had been snubbed by the Guild, he beat me to it.
"I can't accept this." He plainly told Guild Girl, who looked mildly shocked by his refusal.
"W-what?" She stammered, quickly getting control of herself once more before inquiring further. "Is there something wrong, Gunner Jurgen?"
"Priestess told me she only got promoted to obsidian." He explained as he handed her his new tag back.
"Oh, she was promoted? When did she tell you the good news?" I asked him as this was the first time I was hearing it myself, feeling a little well of pride at how the young girl's hard work was already being recognized so soon.
Jurgen flinched and looked a little guilty as he answered. "She told me while you were out helping out the other rookies. She wanted to be the one to give you the good news. Don't let her know I spoiled the surprise."
I gave my aide a reassuring nod before telling him, "No need to worry about that, Jurgen. I'll be sure to act surprised when she tells me herself."
I then turned my attention back to Guild Girl and followed in my aide's footsteps, giving her whatever bogus reason I could think of for receiving the 'privilege' of accepting quests that would be far more likely to end with me dead than a few measly goblin hunts.
"I'm sorry for all the work you and the others must have gone through to give us our new tags, but I'm afraid I will have to turn down my promotion too, unless you're only going to increase my rank to obsidian along with Jurgen. As much as I appreciate how much our work has been appreciated, I cannot accept any more credit for our party's accomplishments than our other members can. Each of us has a vital role to play, and without one another, none of us would have made it far enough to be promoted today."
Of course, I fully believed that we all deserved equal recognition and wasn't taking the frak with Guild Girl. Not entirely at any rate, since Priestess still had yet to kill a single goblin or other xenos. My arse had been saved on more than one occasion thanks to my aide and his trusty meltagun, Priestess and her ability to summon an almost impenetrable wall that just so happens to not be lasbolt proof as we had accidentally discovered, and, yes, even that blockhead Goblin Slayer and his savant-like knowledge of goblins. After having let my aide be trampled by my own legendary status within the Imperium, I was not about to let it happen again when there were other people who actually deserved the respect I was being showered with.
That isn't to say I would refuse what meager gratitude happened to fall into my lap when I had done something to actually earn it or explain that my humble looking actions were not nearly as altruistic as they seemed, but I did want to make sure everyone received as much recognition for their efforts as I knew they deserved.
"I take it that you're in agreement, Jurgen?" I asked my aide, knowing full well what the answer was as I tried to make a show of it.
"Yes, sir. I kinda have to refuse being promoted more than one rank if you're going to do it too." He added, his insistence of acting as my subordinate sounding far too passionate for anyone to believe it is an act.
"I hope this won't cause any problems for you, Guild Girl. I'd hate for you to run into trouble because of us." I told her.
"Oh… th-that's…" The receptionist looked conflicted before finally sighing in resignation upon realizing she would have a better chance of taking the both of us on in a practice match in the Guild's training area than making us change our minds. "I understand, and don't worry about me. I'll be sure to tell the higher ups your decision and let them make the appropriate arrangements. This isn't the first time this has happened. They'll understand."
And with that, Guild Girl escorted us out of the meeting room and left Jurgen and I to our own devices for what little daylight we had left. Sure enough, I barely had enough time to find an available seat in the bar area of the Guild as I attempted to flag down Padfoot Waitress so I could order a meal when a cheerful Priestess came up to me saying she had some good news she wanted to share with me. I made sure to feign surprise when she showed me her brand new adventurer tag before Jurgen and I showed her that she wasn't the only one who received a promotion that day, unlike when I noticed the appearance of the xenos and abhumans who had apparently been the reason why Goblin Slayer thought it was okay to go on a goblin hunt without me.
Needless to say, but neither Jurgen or I bothered telling Priestess the reason why we hadn't received our obsidian tags when she asked to see them. Thankfully, she didn't think to ask.
Dawn of War
A half dozen small, child sized figures cautiously emerged from the forest bordering one side of the quiet farm nearby, each one of them moving slowly despite the cover the distant moon above their heads provided them. It was only as the first of them stepped into a glimmer of moonlight that their vile nature and ill intent was exposed. They were goblins, and there was only one thing goblins would ever do to an unsuspecting home.
But that would come in due time. For now their purpose was a simple one: Scout out the farm for their Lord and report any possible dangers back to him so the rest of their nest could prepare accordingly. Ideally, the job should have enough for a single one of them to handle, but their Lord was insistent that no risks were taken when securing a base to stage the assault he had been planning on the town the farm overlooked.
Why they were being sent out to inspect the defenses of a measly farm or why so many of them had been sent was a question that none of them bothered to answer, as none of them possessed the intelligence to do so. Their Lord had ordered them to scout the area and they intended to do exactly that as the punishment for refusing would be as swift as it was severe.
The small, shadow clad goblins were hardly acting in a way that could be considered stealthy by any other race, quickly running around and arguing amongst each other in their unintelligible tongue, but compared to the rest of their kind, they hardly would have been noticed amongst their ever growing horde. Still, as either a testament to their skills or the soundness of their future victims' slumber, they remained undetected as they walked up to the stone wall separating the fields from the central part of the farm where the animal sheds and the farmer's house lay.
It was just as the goblins stopped to laugh at some of the pathetic looking scarecrows propped up alongside the fence that one of them cried out in horror upon recognizing what one of them were.
"GOBLOB OGBOLG!" It yelled in terror, stumbling to the ground as it pointed at a helmet propped up on a stick that leaned underneath its weight.
Naturally, the other goblins didn't look at what their frightened kin had noticed at first and took a moment to berate him for his cowardice. It was only when they looked to see what had frightened their kin that they too recoiled in horror at the sight of the helmet. Ordinarily, an old beaten up helmet would have been thought of as good loot to take back to their nest, but not this one. With a menacing metal visor that pierced through the gloom of night, a tattered plume of crimson pouring out of the top, and the broken nubs of twin horns that used to be prevalent on each side of helmet, the armor they saw might have looked pathetic to most creatures, but not to a goblin who had learned more about the world outside their nest than most others. The helmet's unique appearance, combined with the unmistakable odor of gobin filth and thick stench of death that emanated from it even now, they knew there was only one person that helmet could have belonged to.
HE was here. DEATH LIVED HERE.
…and the Lord wanted to attack this place tomorrow night.
The Lord needed to know what resided here, just like they needed to make sure they managed to be on guard duty when their leader inevitably ignored their findings and launched his attack on the farm.
Just as quickly and quietly as they had appeared, the goblins slunk back into the forest to make their report in the hopes they might live to witness the birth of the dark kingdom they had been promised by their Lord. Not a soul on the farm heard them arrive or depart, but it was only a matter of time until HE found their tracks and started making the appropriate preparations.
Special thanks to Doc43Souls for beta reading this chapter!
Author's Corner:
Here's another little chapter showing what kind of an impression the HERO OF THE IMPERIUM is leaving on the four cornered world, amongst other things. As much as I have Cain portray himself as a highly charismatic self-serving coward, there is no denying that he has a habit of saving the day despite his own desires to run away from danger the moment the opportunity presents itself. Might not be the same heroism the likes of fellow commissars Ibram Gaunt or Yarrick displays, but there is no denying that it isn't just as effective at achieving results.
Comments:
longlongmaaan:Hoo boy, Cain will have a ton of work waiting for him now that he's painted himself as the "Incredibly brave and selfless hero".
It's just one of the many dangers Cain is all too familiar with while acting as the hero everyone else believes him to be.
Cerberusx: So, has the Commissar not explained that he and Gunner Jurgen are not from this planet? Cause it seems like it should be better explained at this point.
No, he hasn't. Considering he is currently in a fairly cushy position on this planet that doesn't force him to go on suicide missions on a regular basis and possesses no desire to change the current state of things, he has no intentions of admitting it either.
Of course, that's not to say his hand won't be forced at some point in the future.
A guest called "Pazzy": (On why Goblin Slayer seems obedient towards Cain)
For those of you who do not know, Goblin Slayer first started on his path when a 'Burglar' that definitely isn't Bilbo Baggins took him on as a student after a successful goblin attack on his village as a 10 year old child. Said Burglar was also an abusive bastard when mentoring the young Goblin Slayer, to the point of nearly killing him on multiple occasions, and demanded absolute subservience of him. I imagine anyone who would take an even mildly strict approach to teaching Goblin Slayer might remind the boy of his mentor and back a few traumas alongside some habitual responses.
And yeah, Goblin Slayer might not be the way he is in canon because of an underlying mental issue. Burglar's sadistic training methods are just as likely to have turned him into a broken man obsessed with killing goblins.
Well, that's it for me. Anyways, I hope to see you all in the future!