King of Beasts Productions Presents:
Fist of Iron Will: A Goblin Slayer Fanfiction
Chapter 4: Meeting of the Minds
It was another early morning that had Fighter up and about to do her training. Deciding that a change of location would do her good, she went outside of Uncle's farm towards a nearby spring.
"HA! HA! KYAI!"
She found that someone had arrived first. A woman around her twenties with long white hair tied into a ponytail and eyes as blue as the midday sky on a clear day. She wore a white tank top, dark blue denim shorts, and black thigh high socks with white boots. Fighter watched intently as the woman practiced her forms, taking note of how toned the muscles on her arms and long legs were, a testament to her training.
It didn't take long for Fighter to recognize this woman; she had seen her in the Guild Hall a few times with a red-headed male warrior who she presumed was in the same party as this woman. From what she had heard, she was a Martial Artist who had seen her fair share of adventures, one of which was her party facing an undead king with the help of a Gold Ranked Adventurer in an ancient city that sunk underground. As such, Fighter saw this woman as a standard she aspired to reach, someone who's level she wished to reach someday.
"Hm?" The woman stopped mid-training when she noticed that she was being watched. She turned to Fighter and gave her a friendly smile. "Oh, hello! Sorry that I didn't see you there!"
"No, it's fine." Fighter shook her head while waving her hands. "If anything, I'm the one who should be apologizing for interrupting you!"
"Don't worry about it!" Martial Artist giggled as she walked over and gave the younger Fighter a pat on the head. "And it's not like I haven't see you before. You're one of those girls hanging out with Goblin Slayer recently, right? Still can't believe he finally got himself his own party."
"Y-Yes." Fighter chuckled sheepishly, knowing full well his reputation but choosing to stick with him anyway. "We all owe him our lives. If he hadn't been at that goblin cave that day, our first mission as adventurers would have ended in disaster."
"I see." Martial Artist nodded slowly, intently listening to the younger girl.
"Since then, we've been going on missions with him and learned quite a lot." Fighter continued as she looked down on her fist. "And even then, I think I can do more. I want to become stronger. Not just for my sake, but for the sake of the people I'm travelling with." She clenched her fist tightly. "I don't want to fail my party the moment they need me the most."
"...I like your conviction." Martial Artist, who had been listening the entire time, had a fond smile on her face. "Reminds me of myself when I was younger. So howabout this?" She got into a fighting stance, beckoning Fighter to come at her. "Let's go a few rounds. That way, I can gauge your strength for myself and see how far you still have to go. From there, I'll train you myself. Sound good?"
"Yes!" Fighter had an eager smile on her own as she got into her a stance of her own.
"From this point on, I'll be your shifu!" Martial Artist grinned. "Shall we begin?"
"Guh..."
Fighter was on her back looking at the sky, having been knocked on her ass from a roundhouse kick from Martial Artist she tried to block.
"Mhmm, not bad." Martial Artist looked down at her with a smile as she offered her hand. "You got the fundamentals down pat. Were you self-trained, or did someone teach you?"
"Thanks." Fighter took that hand that helped her back onto her feet. "My father taught me everything I know before he passed away."
"Sorry to hear that. He sounds like a good man." Martial Artist offered her condolences, only for Fighter to shake her head.
"He was. He raised me well and wanted what was best for me." Fighter then chuckled as she favored her left shoulder. "Though it seems I still have room to improve."
"Well, that you do. For starters, I'd stick to not trying to fight opponents much stronger than you until you yourself can match them." Martial Artist offered some advice. "Nearly learned that the hard way; Tried to kick a hobgoblin once, but it caught my leg. Had it not been for the Professor, I could have been a splatter on a cave wall!"
"I'll keep that in mind!" Fighter nodded, taking that lesson to heart.
"In the mean time, how about something the Professor calls 'homework'?" Martial Artist pointed to a nearby rock that was about as tall as she was. "Here, let me show you some thing you can work towards." Fighter watched as the older woman closed her eyes as if to concentrated and reared her fist back. Her eyes widened in wonder as faint white aura coated her fist.
"HA!"
Opening her eyes, Martial Artist let out a shout as she threw her fist forward, a gust of air pushing from it that pulverized the rock that was standing close to them moments before.
"Amazing..." Fighter was amazed at what she had just seen. She had heard of the ability to manipulate ki once before from her father, yet this was her first time to see it in action.
"It is, huh?" Martial Artist chuckled. "From what I've seen of you just now, I think you have what it takes to learn how to manipulate ki. You can use it like I did just now, or you can strengthen your punches and kicks to deal strikes that can make even something as strong as an ogre buckle! As the Professor would say, 'the possibilities are endless!'"
"You really think so?"
"I know so, my new student!" The older woman nodded in approval before turning to leave. "I gotta go, but I'll let you know when we can train again next, okay?"
"Will do!" Fighter nodded as she waved her new mentor goodbye.
"Good. And show me your progress with your 'homework', alright?"
A few days later...
"We're back."
Goblin Slayer and his usual party came back from yet another goblin extermination request to find Guild Girl talking to three individuals Fighter was sure she hadn't seen before. The first was what she believed to be a High Elf woman with a slim, lithe body and short stature. She had short green hair with long bangs, the pointed ears expected of a high elf, and green eyes that threatened to pierce through you like arrows if she so much as glared at you.
The person she had been arguing with was a dwarf whose hair, beard, and long eye brows were gray, but that did little to diminish his stout stature. Other than the white flowing robes, Fighter noted that he was carrying a gourd around his belt.
And the last one trying to mediate their arguing in front of flustered Guild Girl was a Lizardman who towered over the two. His scales were navy blue and he wore an ornate feathered head dress that complement his horns, and the rest of his outfit seemed to follow suit, giving it a tribal sort of feel.
"Ah, welcome back, Goblin Slayer!"
All three of them turned their heads towards the arriving Goblin Slayer, staring as his armored visage made its way to front desk with party in tow.
"I trust your quest went well?" Guild Girl asked.
"More or less. A few hitches here and there, but nothing we couldn't handle." Wizard stated as-a-matter-of-factly.
"You mentioned Goblins." Goblin Slayer went straight to business as per usual. "Where are they?"
"You should ask them." Guild Girl pointed at the tree newcomers, who were staring at him questioningly.
"Are you goblins?"
This drew varying reactions from his party members; Wizard facepalmed, Priestess giggled sheepishly, and Fighter just sighed.
"Of course not." The elf sighed. "Are you Orcbolg? You don't look like it."
"Why would I?" Goblin Slayer asked back. "I've never been called that."
"He isn't wrong." Fighter made a mental note as she watched the back and forth.
"There is a matter we would like to discuss with you, Sir Goblin Slayer." The Lizardman interjected politely before his elf friend could make a retort, then folding his hand together as if in prayer. "If we can have a moment of your time, of course."
"Very well." Goblin Slayer nodded curtly.
"There's a meeting room upstairs if you'd like to use it." Guild Girl suggested.
"Then let's go." Goblin Slayer turned to walk towards the story.
"What about us?" Fighter asked for her other two team mates.
"You three should rest." Goblin Slayer's answer was short and sweet, though the latter was highly debatable. Wizard was about to protest when Fighter cut her off with a smile.
"Okay, we'll do just that. Let us know how it goes!"
"Can't believe he left us out of meeting." Wizard was obviously not amused at being left out, a sentiment she made known as they sat in one of the waiting table while drinking tea after Goblin Slayer went with the three upstairs to discuss business. "We're his party members, are we not?"
"Y-Yeah..." Priestess seemed to have a crestfallen look on her face, prompting Fighter to pat her head with a smile.
"I'm sure he's being considerate." Fighter tried to reassure her. "After all, we just came from a quest."
"I-I suppose..." Priestess relented with a sigh.
"Hey there!" All three turned to see two adventurers they've seen around the Guild Hall. They were recognizeable in their own right, as they were the Rookie Duo that often took rat extermination jobs beneath in the town's sewers. The one speaking was known as Rookie Warrior, a blonde haired young man around their age. "You three are Porcelain Ranked like us, right? Wanna join us?"
"Uhm, we appreciate the offer." Priestess smiled politely. "But we're already in a party with-"
"That guy who never takes off his helmet, right?" Apprentice Cleric, the other half of the team and a brunette in flowing white robes.
"Yeah, we know. Something's off about him, though." Rookie Warrior added.
"Is it because he only slays goblins?" Wizard interjected, the raised brow and the slight scowl on her face a sign that she was not amused at where this conversation was going.
"I mean, don't Silver Ranks go for bigger fish than that?" Rookie Warrior asked.
"I've heard rumors that he's dragged newbies around to be bait for the goblins." Apprentice Cleric added. To everyone's surprise, the one who was about to say something was not the ornery Wizard, but the mild-mannered Priestess.
"That's not-!"
"That's quite enough." Fighter was the one to put her foot down figuratively on this discussion as she turned to the duo with a polite smile. "We thank you for the kind offer, but I think I speak for the rest of my party when I say that we respectfully decline. Whatever people have said about Goblin Slayer, we've been learning a lot from him. Like, for example, to not underestimate goblins."
"Well spoken, my student!" Fighter suddenly felt a rough, yet kind hand on her head. She looked up to see Martial Artist grinning down at her before turning to the two. "Well, you heard them! They know what they're getting into, so don't worry about it!"
"She...quite right..." Yet another woman came to their table, this time it was another Silver Ranked Adventurer in the form of Witch, whose long purple hair, low cut black robes that revealed a generous amount of her chest, and a mysterious smile complemented by the beauty mark underneath her left eye was a recognizable figure. "Now...run along..."
"But we were just-!"
"Leave...the rest...to us..." Witch giggled as she watched Martial Artist gently push the duo along before turning back to the group. "I wish...to speak...to the young Priestess...and Wizard..." She tapped the pipe in her hand before turning to Fighter. "I believe...your shifu...wants a word."
Fighter nodded as Witch ushered Wizard and Priestess further down the guild hall to another table.
"Those kids had good intentions, but they really shouldn't believe all they hear." Martial Artist rejoined Fighter with a thoughtful expression on her face. "What's that thing Professor always tells me? Something about gathering all the facts before making your conclusions..."
"Hey, shifu." Fighter inquired. "What do YOU think of Goblin Slayer?"
"Him?" Martial Artist gave the matter some thought before answering. "I haven't met the guy personally, but what I know about him, I know from one of my party members who worked with him before."
"And?" Fighter asked, waiting for her master's answer eagerly.
"He's quite the odd one, but he's dependable." Martial Artist finally answered. "Goblins may be the weakest monsters around, but that doesn't mean they aren't a problem. I'm sure you know it first hand, since you've been partying with Goblin Slayer." She smiled as her student listened intently. "I trust my friend more than I trust rumors, and from what he tells me, he genuinely deserves that Silver Rank. So don't feel bad about sticking around with him, okay?"
"I don't, but thanks." Fighter, who herself had heard the negative rumors about her party leader (whether he was aware of it or not) and wasn't happy about what was said either, she felt happy knowing that not everyone in the Guild had a negative view of her savior.
Speaking of, Goblin Slayer had just gotten out of the meeting doors and was seen heading down stairs.
"I'll leave you to it." Martial Artist gave one last wink before walking away. Fighter herself stood up not too long after, Priestess and Wizard coming back from their own talks with Witch.
"How'd it go?" Guild Girl asked as Goblin Slayer got to the desk.
"I'll take the pay from my last quest." He went straight to the point.
"But you didn't give your report yet. I'll make an exception for you, though."
Fighter noted that the Spearman was seething, only to be quickly lead away by Witch.
"Make sure the others get the rest." Goblin Slayer continued.
"You're not taking them with you?" Guild Girl asked again.
"I'm letting them rest." He responded in his usual direct manner. "I'm going alone."
"Like hell you are!"
He turned to see Wizard and Priestess looking quite cross with him as they made their way towards him.
"That's not fair at all!" It was Priestess who's raised voice attracted attention from even the three visitors watching from the balcony. "You should've discussed this with us, at least..."
"If I'm going to be honest, she's not wrong." Fighter spoke up to mediate between her party members. "We're your party, after all. This kind of thing is as important to discuss as tactics."
"...I am discussing it right now."
All three girls had gobsmacked looks on their faces at that revelation.
"So you're saying that...this is a discussion?" Priestess was the one to ask.
"Yes." was Goblin Slayer's answer.
"You know that that not giving us a choice in the matter is not a discussion, right?" Wizard asked while placing her fingers on her temples as if she was having a migraine.
"It doesn't?"
"Nope." Fighter simply shook her head before turning to her other two compatriots. "So, what do you guys say?"
"I'm going." Priestess immediately answered with a smile on her face. "I can't just let you do this alone."
"Likewise." Wizard nodded in affirmation. "Besides, there's several recipes I've been meaning to test out."
"Well, there you have it." Fighter summarized while saying her own piece. "We're a party, for better or worse. So we're going with you on this one too. Shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Do what you want." Goblin Slayer finally relented before turning to leave, the smiles of his party growing wider as they followed right behind him.
"Well now, ain't that a sight?" Dwarf Shaman chuckled as he descended the stairs. "Lookin' forward to seeing what this young'un does next."
"Indeed." The Lizardman Priest chimed in. "If we were to not go with him after posting this quest, I wouldn't be able to face my ancestors."
"What an strange and incomprehensible guy Orcbolg is. I left home to see something exactly like that!" The High Elf Archer followed last, leaping off the stairs. "Geez, learn to respect your elders, huh?!"
"If you really are an elder, then should you be leaping off stairs like that?" Wizard asked with a raised brow. "Your knees just might give out."
"A cheeky one, huh?" High Elf Archer felt her vein bulge at that comment. "Got quite the mouth on you for a Porcelain Rank!"
"And for a Silver Rank, you seem a bit carefree." Wizard shot right back with a leering grin. "You should be setting an example to us rookies, you know?"
"Oh, I'll set one alright!" High Elf Archer retorted as she tugged on Wizard's cheeks. "Starting right now!"
The rest of the party laughed heartily at the sight of the two resident hot heads yanking each other's cheeks while shrieking, starting off this adventure on a lighthearted note.
What they all didn't notice was Martial Artist watching this from the side with her arms crossed and a smile on her face.
"Well I'll be." A young man with spiky red hair and simple plate armor walked up to her, his expression surprised at the sight. "That guy really did get a party. Still can hardly believe it, even if I'm seeing it with my own eyes."
"True, but I think it's a good thing he did." Martial Artist's gaze focused on Fighter as she watched her talk among her friends and laugh, her smile taking a nostalgic tone as if remembering days of yore. "Reminds me of when I was just starting out."
"Yeah." The man known as Young Warrior chuckled. "Quite the handful you were back then, though not as much as Elf Cleric and Dwarf Scout whenever they got at it with each other."
"Oh stop, you!" Martial Artist giggled. "But yeah, it has been a while, hasn't it? Think we should visit some time?"
"One of these days." Young Warrior agreed before he took her hand. "For now, let's see what the board has for us."
"Right!" Martial Artist nodded enthusiastically as she followed her party leader, wishing the fledglings luck on their next adventure, and hoping they learn from the veteran Goblin Slayer just as much as he can learn from them.
End Chapter 4
A/N: I'm on a train and it won't be stopping any time soon!
Welcome to another chapter and thanks for reading! Here are a couple of important notes for this one:
- In case you didn't recognize her, Martial Artist from the Year One spin-off is now Fighter's mentor in the ways of unarmed combat. As such, learning ki manipulation is now a possibility for our protagonist! Whether or not she does is something you're going to have to see!
- Of course, with Wizard and Fighter still alive, there was bound to be some changes in interaction for the introduction to the three future party members. Took a bit of inspiration from A Study in Green for how Wizard and High Elf Archer interact in particular.
- And lastly, as you guys saw with Young Warrior, the rest of the group from Year One will make an appearance eventually. Stay tuned for that!
Okay, that's all for this one. If you liked it, please leave a review! Until next time, this is the King of Beasts signing off!
Next Time on Fist of Iron Will: Here We Go Again!
