Goblin Slayer: Survivors
Chapter three
Priestess saw the group arriving, and recognizing the holy vestments the leaders were wearing she hurried over.
"Priestess," Lady Cleric smiled, the thirties-something woman leading a group of nuns.
"I booked all the rooms over the Adventurers' Guild bar, otherwise you would have to try to rent out rooms in people's houses," Priestess said apologetically. She added, "I only heard you were coming yesterday."
"We kept it a secret," Lady Cleric admitted, "we didn't want to risk an ambush."
Priestess nodded understandably. While the Demon Lord had been defeated and his army routed, there were still powerful servants of his still following his cause. They would LOVE wiping out servants of the Church.
"Thank you for readying things for us," Lady Cleric added.
"It's nothing," Priestess waved it off. She bowed slightly, "Excuse me."
"DON'T LEAVE ME!"
Priestess turned towards the yell and watched with amusement as a novice tackled Fighter, then knocked the taller young woman over.
"Uhm...," Priestess cleared her throat.
"Priestess," Fighter blurted, looking up at her.
Priestess was relieved to see the life shining in Fighter's eyes. The last she had seen her, visiting at the temple, they had been dull and lifeless.
"Fighter," Priestess smiled, "it's good to see you."
Fighter returned the smile a bit sheepishly, "You too."
The younger woman GLARED at Priestess, clutching Fighter possessively. She had to fight back a chuckle at how cute they looked...
"Advanced Novice, this is Priestess," Fighter introduced her a bit sheepishly.
"Ma'am," Advanced Novice said, recognizing that Priestess was both higher in their faith, AND a Steel Adventurer.
Priestess just smiled back, rather amused at how embarrassed Fighter looked. Fighter got up, brushing herself off.
Tentatively Priestess asked, "Are you planing to stay around, or..."
Fighter nodded slightly, "I think so. The Temple wants me as a guard, and.. I'm considering going back to adventuring."
Priestess beamed, "We could use the help!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Around the xsame time Guild Girl was manning the desk as usual, as the local Adventurers went over the job board and fought over assignments. There was a disturbance outside, but she had heard from others about the Clergy arriving.
Spearman, who had been trying to flirt with her, noted, "I heard they plan to establish a full temple out here."
Witch, his voluptuous partner, drew on her pipe, "Yes. That will be helpful I think."
Adventurers got hurt a LOT out in the field, so having a temple here in Frontier Town was a good thing. Probably.
"Or they're putting a temple out here because of the recent rise in goblin attacks," a voice noted rather dryly.
"Female Merchant," Guild Girl nodded to the attractive young woman, the former adventurer called Noble Fencer. Now dressed in a woman's suit, she cut a fine figure as she strode through the crowd towards the counter.
"I need your help with something," Female Merchant added, "but I'll ask once things settle down. I can see you're busy."
"Thank you," Guild Girl answered as a group of young adventurers arrived.
"More new kids?' Spearman muttered.
"We're here to report a quest completed!" Novice Archer declared.
"Well done," Guild Girl smiled, identifying him, Rhea Dagger and Beginner Knight. "Ah, a escort quest.. and you fought goblins and bandits?"
"Yes ma'am," Rhea Dagger grinned.
"Tch. Goblins," Spearman grunted.
Witch elbowed him in the ribs.
Beginner Knight ignored him as the three finished the paperwork. "Will you be staying in town?" Guild Girl asked.
Beginner Knight, Rhea Dagger and Novice Archer exchanged glances. "We're thinking about it," Rhea Dagger admitted.
"If so, good luck!" Guild Girl smiled warmly.
Then the door opened and Fighter strode in...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Argh," Fighter sighed after checking in at the Guild.
That had been a VERY weird experience. This was the first time she had been back in Frontier Town since she and her friends had taken the Goblin hunting quest... It brought back memories she wasn't sure she wanted to deal with.
"Fighter!" Rhea Dagger hurried over.
"Sorry, I didn't see you there," she apologized to the shorter woman.
"Gee, thanks," Rhea Dagger laughed.
Beginner Knight and Novice Archer looked nervous, standing nearby. "Uhm," Novice Archer started, then trailed off.
"Go on," Rhea Dagger nudged him.
Beginner Knight then blurted, "We're thinking of staying together... and we want you as party leader."
"WHAT," Fighter blinked. She added, "You know the rumours.. the only party I was in was ambused by goblins. The only reason I'm alive was because I was rescued."
"We know," Novice Archer agreed, "but you survived. And on this escort job, you took charge and anticipated what might happen."
Fighter paused, not really being able to argue that point.
"Being porcelain adventurers is REALLY dangerous," Rhea Dagger added, "having someone like you in charge might help us survive. Plus you're really good in combat."
Beginner Knight added, "I would have never thought of arming the nuns."
Fighter wryly noted, "Lady Cleric was NOT happy about that, you know."
"Maybe," Beginner Knight shrugged, "but it worked."
"IF we do this," Fighter said after a moment, "we need a magic user and a priest, too. As it is, we could get in trouble if we run into magic or poison, undead..."
"So you will?" Novice Archer pounced on that.
"I'm considering it," she told the three. Fighter then asked, "You're staying around town for a few days?"
"Yes," Rhea Dagger said.
"Let me consider, and we'll talk," Fighter promised.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Records on goblin attacks?" Guild Girl asked, surprised.
Female Merchant nodded, "As far back as you have."
"Why?" Guild Girl wondered as she went to the filing room, the other woman following.
"Sword Maiden has various people going to Adventurer Guild Halls across the frontier, collecting information," Female Merchant told her. She continued, "She wants to assess how much damage the goblins actually do."
"Don't we know how much damage they do?" Guild Girl asked as she collected the sheets from various goblin slaying quests. Most, of course, having been completed by Goblin Slayer.
"We know lives lost and such," Female Merchant nodded, "but how does it damage the villages and settlements? How do merchants travelling between them get impacted? How many young Adventurers are lost every year?"
"When you put it that way, it sounds like a lot," Guild Girl admitted.
"That's what we're trying to determine," Female Merchant nodded. She took the bundles of papers, "Thank you."
"We don't have exact numbers on adventurer losses," Guild Girl admitted, "but I can get the clerks together and get an estimate..."
Female Merchant nodded, not commenting on how sad it was they weren't keeping track of how many kids were probably dying out there.
"Come on," Guild Girl added, "we can ask the Tavern Staff and others too."
"Right," Female Merchant agreed, following her back out. "I didn't see Goblin Slayer in today," she mused aloud.
"He took on a solo goblin quest," Guild Girl sighed. "Priestess was quite annoyred he took off without them."
"Is that safe?" Female Merchant had to ask.
"No," Guild Girl admitted, "but he does it anyway."
To be continued...