A Happy Coincidence

After hearing about the new companions Goblin Slayer kept talking about for the past few weeks, Cow Girl finally decided it was time to meet the trio of porcelain ranked rookies her childhood friend had been adventuring with. While a part of her was nervous about meeting them, even the young girl he seemed to think of so highly(not that she was jealous of her), the rest of her was thrilled to know that he was no longer adventuring alone like he almost always had been in the past five years since he had come back into her life. It gave her a peace of mind she didn't know she was missing upon hearing about it the first time, and she wanted to at least thank them for putting up with her gentle yet stubborn friend as she knew exactly how difficult he could be at times.

Thinking about how childish the serious-acting Goblin Slayer could be at times brought a small smile to Cow Girl's lips, quickly easing away the slight tension she had felt after taking up a chair by the spot her childhood friend usually hung out by in the back corner of the Adventurers' Guild. As she searched the tavern for a trio matching the descriptions he had mentioned to her after being pressed about them dozens of times, she wondered what exactly his companions would be like. The girl that he mentioned sounded nice enough, but the other two concerned her.

The one he talked about the most, a 'Commissar Cain', sounded a little like that dastardly old master he rarely spoke of. She couldn't exactly blame him for yelling at Goblin Slayer from time to time after hearing about the first time he had lost his temper at Goblin Slayer, how her friend thought lighting a tree on fire with him inside was a good idea still baffled her, but it didn't exactly feel nice knowing that such a strict teacher was trying to mold her friend into something else once again. With that said, it seemed as if the Commissar had good intentions, some of which were already starting to bear fruit.

It hadn't been long since the two had been adventuring together, but Goblin Slayer already seemed to have changed for the better. He was less secretive about his work, opening up more to her and her uncle, and even taking an interest in something other than hunting goblins! She never would have expected Goblin Slayer to take up a hobby in making things like potions, tools, and even a device to make something called 'ice cream'; but he always did seem to have a talent for coming up with creative solutions to different problems. Sure, the reason he would give behind whatever he made would always have something to do with goblins, but even he had to see the reasoning that led back to his obsession was shaky at best. After all, figuring how to sell a tasty treat to fund his hunt against goblins could always be used for something else, a fact she suspected Commissar was truly aiming for.

As for the other person Goblin Slayer had been adventuring with, she still didn't know exactly what to think of him. On one hand, this 'Gunner Jurgen' person sounded exactly like her friend but more 'normal', for lack of a better word. Then, on the other hand… he sounded exactly like Goblin Slayer, with all that entailed. She half expected to have seen a second, less armored and older Goblin Slayer walking around from the description he gave of Gunner. They both seemed to hate goblins, had a unique way of solving problems, were dedicated to protecting their loved ones, and enjoyed their work a little too much by the sounds of things. Goblin Slayer even seemed to see Gunner as something to aspire to be from the way he spoke of him, something that, while deeply concerning, was oddly comforting. Gunner sounded like he was nearing retirement because of his age, and he obviously had to be quite skilled to have lived long enough to get to that point. With some luck, maybe the old adventurer could teach her friend the skills needed to keep on adventuring until his own retirement.

It was as she was thinking about what the adventurers Goblin Slayer befriended would be like that one of them, upon seeing the young woman looking off into the crowd of adventurers with a fanciful look in her eyes, finally broke her out of her thoughts.

"Can I help you with something, miss…?" A calm, yet firm voice spoke out from beside her.

Cow Girl let out a small yelp of surprise upon seeing the large man that had walked up beside her without her noticing. The adventurer was a giant of a man, not quite as large as some of the regulars she had seen before like Heavy Warrior, but still enough to tower over her if she was standing up. His impressive height, combined with his ominous looking black and red uniform wrapped around him made him look more like a servant of the Demon Lord instead of an adventurer, the sinister looking sword hanging from his hip only adding to his fearsome image.

Yet despite looking like a villain from her wildest dreams, there was something about the man that looked almost familiar even though she had never seen him before in her life. It was only when Cow Girl was brave enough to look away from the worried expression on the man's face and down at the porcelain tag hanging around his neck long enough to read it did she realize why he looked so familiar.

"C-Commissar Cain?" She blurted out in shock, unable to believe this was the person who Goblin Slayer not only managed to befriend, but was actually being taught by.

"Ah, I see my reputation has preceded me yet again." He said with a gentle laugh that sharply contrasted with his menacing appearance.

He then pointed to one of the chairs next to her. "Do you mind if I take a seat beside you while I wait for my party to join me?" He asked, putting on a noble air that did little to make the woman relax like he intended..

"N-no, not at all, Commissar Cain!" Cow Girl practically shouted.

The adventurer gave her a strange look before hesitantly sharing the table with her, carefully keeping one empty chair between them, much to the young woman's relief.

The two of them sat in silence for a while, both of them staring intently at each other while trying not to be obvious about it. It was only when Cain, unable to let the unease between them carry on any longer and fearing he might be discovered looking at the woman's incredibly generous 'assets' , decided to speak up.

"I'm sorry, I feel like I should know you but can't seem to think of your name." He told her apologetically.

"Oh, please, there's no need to apologize Commissar Cain, I-"

"Just Cain will do." He interrupted with a small smile. "I suppose you could call me a foreigner to these lands as I don't understand everyone's insistence on using nicknames. Personally speaking, I prefer not to use one as I've never been fond of people referring to me by my title instead of my name. It makes me sound like some sort of stupid lord that thinks too highly of himself to get anything done."

"Oh, okay then… Cain." Cow Girl said, fighting against tradition in order to address him plainly.

Cain was a foreigner, acted like a noble, his title apparently had some authority behind it, and wanted to be talked to casually. It was a strange combination, but not one she found uncomfortable. If anything, it almost made the strange man seem like something out of a bard's tales of epic heroes, quickly warming her up to him.

"I'm Cow Girl." She said, finally introducing herself. Cain let out a quick snort, which she took as recognition of her nickname for herself. "I guess Goblin Slayer has already told you about me and my uncle, Farmer."

"Y-yes, he has, but he never told me your names. I never thought they would be so fitting." The adventurer said, fighting back laughter at their ridiculous titles, especially at how fitting the young woman's appeared to be. "Anyways, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Goblin Slayer has spoken very highly of you, on the few occasions I've been able to get the blockhead to open up to our party."

"Thank you. Goblin Slayer has told me a lot about you too." She said, blushing as Cain's gaze continued to watch over her.

"All good I hope." Cain replied as he glanced over to the quest counter and waved over to someone.

"Most of it." Cow Girl guiltily admitted, not wanting to hide anything from him.

"Ah, I'm guessing you've heard about my attempts to knock some sense into that thick skull of his?" He asked, receiving a nod of confirmation. "I've trained thousands upon thousands of troops in the past, and some of them learn better when certain methods are applied. With Goblin Slayer, sharp yet dense as he is, I've found that subtlety does not do much for him."

"Yeah…" Cow Girl sighed in agreement.

"Must be hard trying to get your husband to take a hint, huh?" Cain asked.

"W-w-what!?" The young woman stammered in shock, flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, so you aren't married. I thought you two were together as much as he talks about you. My mistake." He apologized, giving Cow Girl a devilish smirk that spoke to how much he saw through her.

Before Cow Girl could deny or agree to what Cain was implying, a bouquet of pungent smells assaulted them both from behind. Neither of them balked at the hideous aroma, instead merely turning to see the person they had been expecting and one other they hadn't.

"I've finished turning in our quest report from last night, sir. We'll be ready to go on another quest when Priestess arrives." Jurgen announced, phlegmatically as always.

"Everything has been unloaded. You can go home when you're ready." Goblin Slayer told Cow Girl.

And in that moment, a look of mutual understanding passed between Cow Girl and Cain as they both understood what the other had to deal with on a regular basis.

"You must be Gunner Jurgen, I'm Cow Girl." The young woman introduced herself, giggling as the guardsman offered her a lazy salute in return. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"You too." Jurgen said, before looking intensely at Cow Girl's chest.

"You know you got a hole in your shirt?" He asked, pointing the group's attention to the small hole revealing the woman's cleavage.

Cow Girl let out a small cry and covered herself up with the handkerchief Goblin Slayer offered her soon afterwards. She gave her friend a pointed stare once the immediate crisis was covered up for the time being.

"How long has that hole been there?" She asked Goblin Slayer as she felt herself flush with embarrassment.

"The whole time." He answered her.

"Ohhh… so that's what Cain was looking at." She sullenly muttered under her breath, barely loud enough for the adventurer in question to hear.

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, but I didn't know how to approach the subject…" He lied, gracefully taking the excuse he had been given and running with it.

"Well, I'm going to go back to the farm to change. It was nice meeting you two." Cow Girl hurriedly told her friend's companions, before turning her attention back to Goblin Slayer. "And we are going to have a talk when you get back!"

"Urk!" He gasped. "We are?"

"Not unless I talk some sense into him first." Cain said, giving Cow Girl a wry smile. "If you'd let me?"

"Hmm… I think I can take this one." She said playfully.

"Very well. I suppose we shouldn't keep you any longer then." The commissar said, sending the young woman off with a wave.

Cow Girl let out a small giggle as she left the Adventurers' Guild. "Good luck today!" She called out, before quickly making her way home.

Usually, she would have worried about whether or not Goblin Slayer would come back home safely. Hunting down goblins was hard, dangerous work after all, but this time she didn't feel like there was anything to worry about. Somewhere in her heart, she knew that with Cain and Gunner Jurgen at his side, Goblin Slayer was going to be alright.

She would still be waiting for him to come home as always though. Even if she was more confident than ever that nothing bad was going to happen to him, she would always be there to welcome him as always.


Not Alone

It was a night like any other in the four-cornered world, barring one small exception. Stars streaked throughout the darkness of the night, filling the sky with their wondrous light and amazing all who were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of it. Some believed the spectacle they bore witness to a gift from the gods who wanted to show their faithful followers a reward for their steadfast belief. Others believed it to be an omen, a warning of things to come.

In a sense, both claims were right. If the believers of each had only known how accurate their assumptions were, they would have been filled with terror rather than wonder that night.

One of these falling stars was different from the others that flew across the sky. Unlike the mystical rocks that danced across the starlit void seemingly without aim, this one glowed with a malevolent hatred that had thankfully been concealed by its more benign cousins. Another oddity that set this star apart was how, unlike the other lights that streaked past without any intention to grace the lands they flew over with their presence, this one was headed towards the world instead of flying above it.

The strange star crashed with all the fury of the most bloodthirsty of gods, digging a deep gouge across the forest floor that could be heard by all the kingdoms that bordered this formerly unsuspecting area. The star glowed red as it cooled from its journey from the heavens, heat radiating off of it and scorching what little foliage hadn't been destroyed in the initial impact.

Then, as suddenly as it had landed, a portion of the star was thrown away, revealing the sinister beings contained within, each one looking like they had crawled straight from the darkest depths of hell. Four hulking masses of horned armor climbed out of the metal meteor, each one eagerly looking to find a victim for the massive axes they carried, the savage roars of their weapons coming to life barely drowning out their wielder's cries for carnage.

At first, they were confused at what they had found. When they had first departed the vessel that had shot their 'star' across the heavens, they had been expecting to land on what would soon become the fiercest battleground in all the galaxy. To say they were disappointed to find themselves stranded in a woodland without any signs of life would be an understatement.

Then, their confusion turned into an infernal fury as the unholy champions started to fight amongst themselves upon failing to find anything else to direct their fury towards. Helmets were bashed, fists were thrown, and even a finger or two was lost in the ensuing scuffle between the irate invaders.

Fortunately for them, their fury soon drifted away from each other and towards the unlucky creature that had sought to investigate the disturbance that fell in its domain. A massive dragon, its head large enough to swallow each one of the armored marauders before it whole and with claws long and sharp enough to rend them in two without effort, cast its gaze down to the four humanoid figures before it believing them to be mere mortals.

Oh, if only it knew how horribly wrong it was.

With a resounding roar that chilled every being that had not yet fled from the crimson assailants from the sky, aside from the mighty draconic ruler that still had no idea what it had stumbled across, the four armored ravagers gleefully charged towards the immense opponent that had appeared before them, their earlier curiosity and animosities forgotten in lieu of the gift they sought to bestow upon their god for delivering them such a mighty enemy. As much as the hellish soldiers might have hated how they had landed so far from the war they wanted to partake in, they were satisfied for the time being.

So long as they had a worthy foe to fight, nothing else mattered to them or their dark lord. If this first being they had found upon setting foot upon this world was any indicator, the blood they sought after would flow for a very long time indeed, and the mountain of skulls they wished to build would no doubt be visible for miles on end.


Deep within a far off tomb world, a lone Necron cryptek wandered the hallowed halls of its master's domain in order to deliver news that it believed to be of utmost importance. The clanking of its lifeless, metal feet echoed throughout the galleries of the tomb world it called home as it ran in search of its overlord, hoping he would not be too engrossed in his latest obsession to give its observations some serious consideration.

Like all of its kind, it had once been made of flesh and blood, albeit diseased and doomed to live a miserably short life. Although a cure for their mortality had been found millennia past, it had come at a horrible cost. Feeling, purpose, meaning; all of it had been lost in the biotransference process that had saved it from an agonizingly slow death in return for their new undying bodies, a trade that many of its kind considered to be unfair.

The cryptek, much like its master, considered the exchange to be far more beneficial than its kin believed it to be even after having seen countless species rise and fall while the rest of the empire it belonged to slumbered. This particular Necron saw immortality to be worth the pleasures of the flesh it had long since forgotten as, not only did it never have time to enjoy them in the first place, it now had far too much work to accomplish in a thousand lifetimes and desired nothing more than to be able to accomplish the tasks set before it in relative peace.

Thankfully, despite the nature of its overlord's unusual requests, it had been able to do just that. Cataloging the entire existence of the galaxy was hard work, but not entirely thankless as it thought it would be. As loath as it was to admit it, the very master that had a tendency to make its undeath an unliving nightmare also showed the necessary appreciation for its work to make all the difficulties of serving such a frustrating individual worthwhile. It was because of this odd sense of respect the cryptek held for it, and perhaps a few protocols demanding subservience rooted deeply within its subconscious, that it frantically ran throughout the tomb world it called home in search of its master.

After what felt like days of searching, likely longer as it was hard to judge such a brief moment of time properly, the cryptek found the overlord it was looking for deep within one of its most prized galleries.

"My lord, I bear news that you-"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure whatever it is you have to say is very important. No doubt more important than the last few trifling matters you've bothered me about." The overlord interrupted as it studied the galactic star chart in its skeletal, metal coated hands.

"Now, unless what you are about to say has anything to do with my search for the prize I lost track of last month, go back to your station and report back to me when you've finally found something more important than another new Ultramarine successor chapter. I have enough of those self-righteous buffoons already. I'd rather not have any more for the time being in case they manage to break containment before I can find more room to store them." The overlord admonished, dismissing its loyal servant with a disinterested wave.

As disconcerting as it was to be talked to so casually by its beloved master, the cryptek couldn't help but to appreciate how simple it was to talk to the overlord, especially when court procedures could take up to months at a time in order to get such news across.

"My lord, I swear by the honor of the Nihilakh, what I have to say is of the utmost importance." The lowly Necron continued, hoping it could sway its master somehow.

The overlord, not wanting to waste any more time than he already had trying to rid himself of the annoyance behind him, gestured for the cryptek to continue. He figured it would be far better for the underling to say what it wanted and go away once it was satisfied rather than trying to ignore it.

"A thousand thanks, my lord." The cryptek bowed, unaware of its master's true thoughts.

"I have discovered an unusual amount of activity occurring on one of our tomb worlds trapped within the Warp, and I believe that there is a possibility that our diseased brethren might possibly reawaken and endanger us all if not taken care of immediately." The Necron stated, instantly grabbing the overlord's full attention.

"...could you be a bit more specific as to which world you are referring to? We've lost more than a few phalanxes to the Warp since the War in Heaven." He inquired, hoping it wasn't one of his favorite worlds to pilfer.

"It's the world where a few of the Old One's more exotic creations have sought refuge from the Warp, my lord." The cryptek clarified, taking the time to clear its throat, a hollow gesture given its body's current state, before adding, . "The one you specifically asked me to monitor two millennia ago, if you recall."

"Of course it would have to be that one." Its master groaned, his suspicions confirmed, letting out a less than noble curse of its people back when they were still flesh and bone. "First I lose track of that pair I needed to become the centerpiece for one of my displays, then I have to work with that insufferable chronomancer to take back what is rightfully mine, and now I have the Flayer Virus to worry about again decades after leaving quarantine! Can this century get any worse?"

As if to answer his question, a deafening ring pierced through the stagnant air, reaching them from the other side of the planet in an instant. The two Necrons were flung to the ceiling from the force of the titanic soundwaves that crashed into them, both the overlord and humble servant crashing to the ground in a tangled heap of boney, metallic limbs along with generously sized portions of the wall, ceiling, and floor.

"One of these years, I'll learn not to tempt fate." The overlord grumbled as he picked himself off the floor as his necrodermis repaired itself. "Cryptek, please tell me the damage isn't as bad as I think it is."

"How bad do you think it is, my lord?" It asked as it scanned the numerous damage alerts flooding its mind as they came in by the thousands.

"Is it less than one percent of my collection?" The overlord asked, fearing the worst.

The cryptek refused to answer, fearing what its lord would do in response. Unfortunately, the Necron's silence said more about the damage than words could.

"Well, at least I have reason to start looking for new pieces. It would give me an excuse to try taking that spear from Hes'tan again. Maybe 'third time's the charm' works as well for humans as it does for us?" The overlord glumly stated, trying to stay optimistic as it started organizing raiding parties to replace whatever he had lost before it could happen again.

If only he knew what that ringing had meant, he would have never kept the bell that damaged his collection once already for a second longer…


The Legend Grows

"How hard is it to find one human anyways?"

That was the question the high elf posed to her two party members as they took a break searching for the final member needed to finally start their quest. The dwarf, lizardman, and elf all thought that finding one of the most popular adventurers residing in the frontier would have been easy to find given how popular tales of his exploits had become within their own kingdoms. As they had soon discovered, however, finding the near legendary human amongst a kingdom mostly populated by humans was proving to be far harder than they had anticipated.

Who knew it was going to be so difficult to find one person they had never met before amongst the hundreds of small villages within the country he was supposedly adventuring in? Not the high elf apparently, something the dwarf beside her was quick to comment on.

The three of them made for an odd party given their vastly different appearances, but not in the roles each one of them were meant to fulfill. The high elf, unsurprisingly, was an archer, and held the same fair, youthful appearance her race was also known for. Armed with a bow crafted from one of the great trees her kind carved into their homes and wearing light enough clothing to protect herself and catch more than a few wandering eyes from the few people who noticed her after seeing the massive lizardman beside her. Said reptilian stood almost twice as tall as her, unable to sit down beside his two companions due to his large tail not allowing him to fit in the chairs available to him. He was a priest for a religion respected by his people but unknown to denizens of the town, his intricate yet strange feathered garb setting him apart almost as much as his animalistic appearance. Despite his fearsome visage, he wore a jovial grin that looked incredibly goofy for such a large, muscular adventurer. The final member, a dwarf shaman, drank from a large pitcher of beer that he had obtained not long after they had taken a break from their search. Unlike his millenia old ancestral rival, he looked his age, with his long gray ponytail almost touching the floor, unlike his stubby little legs which were swinging while he finished with his drink.

"Well, we didn't have much time to gather information about where we could find Orcbolg." Dwarf Shaman told his elven companion as he set aside his pitcher, snidely adding "And here I thought you elves prided yourselves on knowing everything."

The high elf, in sharp contrast to the noble and peace loving image most people had of them, was quickly riled up by her companion's taunting. "Oh please, we know a lot more than a bunch of dirt diggers who manage to release an ancient evil every few years."

"Not all of us are stupid enough to go looking for gold in a lich's tomb, leaf lover." Dwarf reluctantly countered. "Some of us, yes, but not all of us. At least we're not-"

"I believe we have another member to find." Lizard Priest interrupted, stopping his companion's argument before it could escalate. "Maybe we could try asking some of the people here if they know where we might find m'lord Goblin Slayer?"

"That could work." Dwarf Shaman mused.

"But where are we going to find someone who knows where Goblin Slayer is when we can't even find him ourselves?" High Elf Archer sighed.

And as if to answer her question, the bard who had been waiting for a sizable enough crowd to gather, addressed the crowd as they prepared to perform. "Thank you one and all for coming here today, my friends. Now, the moment you have all been waiting for, yet another tale of the newest hero in the Frontier and the beloved Goblin Slayer!"

Dwarf Shaman let out a laugh after seeing the exasperated look of his elven partner. "You were saying?"

"Listen now, argue later." Lizard Shaman hissed at his companions as the bard began to sing.

"Cain, Cain, Commissar Cain
Hero of Order, Chaos' bane
Cain, Cain, Commissar Cain
The champion of Imperial fame"

"A noble from a foriegn land
Against all evil, he takes a stand
Fighting for Order, fighting for trust
Battling Chaos because he is just
All his enemies, they shall fall
No matter how big, clever, or small
From pettiest monsters to the greatest of foes
All fall before him wherever he goes~"

"Cain, Cain, Commissar Cain
Hero of Order, Chaos' bane
Cain, Cain, Commissar Cain
The champion of Imperial fame"

"On his latest, greatest, most noble feat
The adventurer Goblin Slayer, he did meet
Two champions of order, fighting side by side
There is no force of Chaos that they will abide
Goblins, Demons, it matters not
For they will vanquish all of the lot
Protecting Frontier Town when they answer the call
They do what is right and protect one and all~"

"Cain, Cain, Commissar Cain
Hero of Order, Chaos' bane
Cain, Cain, Commissar Cain
The champion of Imperial faaaaaaa~me!"

With his song tale finished and the crowd satisfied for the time being, the bard bowed to his excited audience and smiled as he watched the coins start flying towards him in thanks for his performance. It was as the bard started to prepare his next song that he noticed a trio of adventurers looking at him with hopeful eyes, the high elf in particular holding up one gleaming gold coin in front of his face who firmly held his attention.

"Hey, I was wondering if we might be able to ask you a few questions about that song of yours?" She asked the bard.

The man, sensing he had an opportunity to live like a king, for however long the gold coin would last him, gave the young looking woman before him his most pleasant smile. "Why of course! I would do anything for a respectable fan such as yourself!"

High Elf Archer smirked at the obvious act, but played along anyways. Ordinarily, she found people like the bard annoying, yet found the opportunity to finally make some progress too good to pass up on. "Do you know where we might be able to find that Goblin Slayer character you mentioned?" She inquired.

"Oh, him? I was sure you were going to ask about the other guy who seems to have formed a party with him." The bard muttered to himself.

His voice leaped in volume and by an entire octave as the gold coin was dropped into his waiting palms. "Anyways, I've heard from a reliable source that he lives in a small little town a day's travel away from here. Just take the path leading from the south gate and you'll find him in no time… if he isn't out slaying more goblins with that new partner of his."

"And this other adventurer, the 'Hero of the Imperium'?" Dwarf Shaman spoke up. "Is there anything you might be able to tell us about him?"

"Oh that guy?" The bard said with a laugh. "He's made me more coin in the past month than most other adventurers have in the past year! The people love hearing about Commissar Cain. There's something about a noble from nowhere standing up for the common folk that everyone can't seem to get enough of."

This time it was Lizard Priest's turn to question the bard. "Oh, so this hero is a lord from a far off land then? Would you happen to be able to tell us anything else about this adventurer? I'm sure he and Goblin Slayer are exactly the kind of people we are looking for."

"Ah, so you're looking to hire them! That's why you want to know about them so badly." The bard exclaimed, grateful the trio had come to him before they could find someone willing to give them the information they wanted for free. "Nobody knows much about the Hero of the Imperium aside from the few people who have met him, and the stories they have shared with me are almost too amazing to believe."

"Some say he is a giant that carries a living sword capable of chewing through everything that stands in its way. Others say that he has a metal golem under his control that he uses as a carriage. Some of the wildest ones even say he has an artifact that can cast the spell Disintegrate any time he wants, has fought his way through a burning fortress to save a damsel in distress, and stopped an entire army of Orcs from taking over the Frontier by himself! It's no wonder people have started calling him a Platinum Ranked adventurer in the making." The bard told them, recounting a few of the claims he has heard.

"A Platinum Ranked…" High Elf Archer gasped in amazement.

Even for a race that lived as long as the elves, Platinum Ranked heroes only ever showed up once in a generation, if they were fortunate. There were rumors that one such hero, a girl, had already been found elsewhere in the kingdom they were currently traveling through, but to have another one working with the very adventurer they wanted to recruit! If they could manage to convince him to party up with Goblin Slayer again then the investigation they had been sent to perform would be finished in no time at all!

"Thank you very much. We'll be sure to ask you any more questions the next time we are looking for someone." High Elf Arched curtsied, departing alongside her companions in the hopes of reaching the Frontier Town he spoke of sometime tomorrow morning at the earliest.

"Well, it sounds like we might have some more help accompanying us than we expected." Dwarf Shaman mused. "First Beardcutter-"

"Orcbolg." His elven partner corrected.

"Yes, first Beardcutter and now this Hero of the Imperium." He continued, letting out a chuckle at the way High Elf Archer's eyes rolled when he ignored her correction. "With a little luck, maybe we can convince him to help us too."

"We can only hope." Lizard Priest said, making a quick gesture of some vague religious importance with his hands, the meaning of which was lost on his companions. "Let us make haste, friends! We do not want to delay any longer in case the duo we are looking for take up a quest before we arrive."


Special thanks to Tireless Traveler for beta reading this chapter!


Author's Corner:

Well, I can't exactly remember who all made predictions about certain characters and other Warhammer 40K entities making an appearance, but it looks like they weren't exactly off the mark for what I've had planned ever since putting out the first chapter. Big things are happening in the four-cornered world, and only one man is capable of stopping them.

Also, while some of you might have recognized the bard's song as something I posted a while back as a teaser, for those of you who weren't around then, that little shanty is something I came up with the very same day I finished the first chapter for this story. One year later, and it has finally seen the light of day… officially. Funny how that worked out. I wonder if some of the other things I have planned and already teased will come to fruition before this story's second anniversary? Only time will tell.

Last but certainly not least, I absolutely love how not a single person who commented seemed to think Goblin Slayer wouldn't light a building on fire while one of his allies were inside it if it meant he could kill goblins a little easier. Then again he has done worse, so very much worse on so very many occasions.

Oh, and apparently this story is now on the recommended 'FanficRecs' tab for both Goblin Slayer and W40K on TV Tropes. I nearly shat a brick when I noticed this while looking for more reading material at work.


Comments:

cirithewitcheress: Nice chapter once again, and cool to see that Cain is gonna join regularly to the party.

A question tho, does Cain doompost a lot in the canon books too? Or is just you the author setting up future events

There is usually at least one 'doompost' per chapter minimum, multiple times per page maximum for absurdly dangerous moments, in each Cain book and I have tried to maintain that same amount of self-aware 'what the hell did I get myself into' the character is fond of including. As I am trying to write a story from Cain's perspective but with shorter chapter lengths… the doom posts will continue. Do remember that this story is technically one of Cain's memoirs, and he is one of the few characters in any story who fully recognizes how bullshit a protagonist's plot armor is.

A guest called "Noone":Very good as usual. Liked the flow and dynamics in both the action and characters. Only criticism I can think of is your over use of overly long and/or run-on sentences. A good example being your first paragraph this chapter.

I do try to mimic the writing style of the Cain series in an attempt to stay in character. The character (and author) is fond of run-on sentences… which just so happens to be something I am naturally prone to do as well. The only exception is that I struggle to make them work nearly as well on a consistent basis.

nquangminh199: When you gonna talk about Fighter and Wizard you just rescued

As Cain is almost completely self centered in his own narratives, any mentions of these two from his perspective will be scarce or nonexistent unless it somehow affects him. With that said, there have been a few things mentioned about them since their initial rescue of arguable importance.


Next chapter will be a return to Cain's story. As always, thank you all for sticking with this story for as long as you have and I hope to see you again in the future!