'That should be it,' Guild Girl thought to herself as she finished taking stock of the Adventurer Guild's inventory. It was late into the dead of night now, most of the lights in the guild hall had been put out and every adventurer had either left the building or retired to their rented rooms.
She'd gotten used to staying up at late hours. Goblin Slayer's returns were, to put it lightly, varied; sometimes he would come back right after exterminating a den, resupplying and reporting on the matter before going out again, and other times he'd be out for the whole day and return having completed multiple goblin quests. Of course, today he had already finished and had returned home for the night, but she might as well get a little more work done before going to bed.
As she returned a crate of potions to its shelf, she heard the sound of the main door opening and shutting.
'That's strange,' Guild Girl thought to herself as she made her way back to the front desk. The only person who'd usually be here so late was Goblin Slayer, but he'd already gone home.
"Goblin Slayer?" She called out, just in case he'd returned for some reason, but she found no response.
Just then, she noticed a movement in the corner of her eye. A tall figure that had once blended into the darkness approached her; as it neared, the light of the candles above the reception desk illuminated its features and the first thing she noticed was the glint of a sinister-looking eye glaring at her.
"I have a few more questions," Saltzpyre said as he stood before the quivering woman.
"Huh?" Guild Girl said, surprised, before realizing the situation and quickly recomposing herself. "Oh, of course, how can I help you?"
"Firstly, I would like to apologize for what transpired earlier," the witch hunter began, noticing the lingering unease in the receptionist's form. "Whatever... frustrations I hold towards this organization, I doubt you are responsible for them."
"You mean what happened to the rookies?" Guild Girl asked solemnly, already knowing the answer. "I wish I could've stopped it, but the guild's policy says we can't refuse quests to adventurers that meet the rank requirement."
"So, purging the greenskins is considered an appropriate task for the beginner rank?" the witch hunter inquired, remembering the fate of the defeated party.
"That is correct," Guild Girl said solemnly. "Of course, the reality is different, but the ones at the top of the chain won't be convinced otherwise; the fact that goblins are considered about as weak as children and that the quests to get rid of them tend to offer barely anything in terms of rewards leaves them classified as a low-level threat."
The witch hunter was silent for a moment; the fact that the greenskin scum could be treated so lightly left a bitter taste in his mouth. And what did they gain from this blatant negligence? False reassurances and a few coins saved? It wasn't too far off from how his superiors in the order handled the matter of the Skaven.
"These 'ranks' that you've mentioned before," Saltzpyre continued, recalling that a 'gold'-ranked adventurer's word was considered valuable and trustworthy enough to be taken at face value for the supposed discovery of an underground city. "Could you explain them to me in detail?"
"Well, the adventurer's guild ranking system consists of ten ranks," Guild Girl began, "At the lowest is porcelain rank, then at ninth is obsidian, eighth is steel, seventh is sapphire, sixth is emerald, fifth is ruby, fourth is bronze, third is silver, and second is gold."
"What about first?" Saltzpyre asked, curious why she excluded the final rank.
"Platinum rank is reserved for only the most legendary heroes," Guild Girl explained. "There have only been nine adventurers in history who've managed to obtain that rank so far."
"In other words, there's no chance for ordinary people to achieve such a rank," Victor concluded. "Would I be correct in assuming that gold rank is also rather rare?" the witch hunter followed up, recalling that, though a handful of adventurers in the tavern were wearing silver-looking tags, Goblin Slayer included, none appeared to have a gold tag.
"That is also correct," Guild Girl confirmed. "There are a few exceptions, but gold-ranked adventurers usually work directly under the Kingdom's orders, reserved for only the most important quests. Silver is the highest rank that most adventurers operating out here will hold."
"I see," the witch hunter responded, having found the answer to one of his questions; rank in the adventurer's guild held tangible weight within state matters. Still, there was another matter that took precedence over that. "On another note, am I correct to assume that your guild has an extensive information network?"
"We receive dozens of quest givers, messengers, and merchants every day," Guild Girl answered. "We have eyes and ears from throughout the region, more or less."
"Then I would like to make two requests if that is alright," the witch hunter began. "Firstly, I would appreciate it if you could look out for any word on a particular group of people, three to be exact. My companion and I were on an expedition with them, but we were separated."
"I can't guarantee anything will show up, but I'll try," Guild Girl responded as she took out a notebook. "Can you provide a description for each of them?"
"First is Markus Kruber," Saltzpyre began. "He is a brown-haired man around my height, though his physique is of much greater mass. I would describe his usual attire as rather 'loud', especially his choice of headwear. He was wearing plate armor the last I saw him, and the shield he carried with him had a Pegasus emblazoned on it. His face bears three scars that extend from the middle of his forehead to his left cheek and, though I hold no interest in such matters, I have heard others describe the styling of his facial hair as 'exquisite'."
The witch hunter said the last part remembering Olesya's specific use of the term when describing the former sergeant's moustache.
"Large build... 'loud' headwear... plate armor... pegasus shield... scarred face... 'exquisite' beard," Guild Girl listed as she wrote down the descriptors.
"Moustache," Saltzpyre corrected; the former sergeant had, against Bardin's protests, shaved his large beard prior to his journey to Bretonnia in an effort to appear 'proper' to them.
"'Exquisite' moustache," Guild repeated, crossing out and replacing the word 'beard' in the notebook. "Does he have a title?"
"A title?" the witch hunter repeated questioningly. He had noticed that the locals tended to refer to each other with vaguely descriptive titles rather than actual names. At first, he assumed it was something exclusive to the guild, but it seemed to extend to the entire culture. "No, I don't believe any of them do."
"That's fine," Guild Girl responded. "You said there were two others?"
"Yes, the second is Bardin Goreksson," Saltzpyre continued. "He is a dwarf, brown-haired, or rather bearded. Before we were separated, he was wearing a green tunic over his mail armor, his arms were marked with tattoos, and his beard was decorated with numerous ornaments. He was also carrying a weapon that might be seen as 'exotic' by locals of this land."
The witch hunter added the last part, remembering how complex the dwarf's pistol was. The technology was leagues above the Empire's firearms; whatever engineering books and materials Lohner managed to get for him had clearly paid off. The fact that black powder weaponry seemed to have a lacking presence in the region would only make it stand out more.
"Um... is there anything more you can provide?" Guild Girl questioned as she finished writing down the descriptors, noting that the description the old man had provided was rather vague compared to the previous one. "Such as notable facial features?"
"How am I meant to know?" Saltzpyre asked, raising his eyebrow at the receptionist. "His beard covers more than half of his face; and half of his body too for that matter."
"So, he has a big beard?" Guild Girl asked.
"No, it was relatively short, all considered," Saltzpyre answered, having seen other dwarfs whose beards extended to their waists. Of course, he would never make such a comment to Goreksson's face; dwarfs placed a significant level of importance on the matter of their facial hair, and he still owed Bardin for saving him from a troll lair back in Ussingen, the least he could do was be respectful.
"Okay..." Guild Girl said as she added 'big(short?) beard' to the dwarf's descriptors. "So, could you describe your third missing member?"
"A wood elf, one who refers to herself as 'Kerillian'," Saltzpyre stated. "Her pitch-black eyes contrast starkly with her ghastly pale visage and hair, her hunched figure is no doubt as crooked as her nature, and if she wasn't covered in foliage and green rags, she might be mistaken for a wraith or some other kind of devious specter."
"Wow..." Guild Girl said as she tried writing the descriptors in a more neutrally-worded manner. "There must be a lot of bad blood between you two."
"Perhaps, but she is more noble than would initially seem, and I suppose she has become marginally more tolerable with time," the witch hunter added relentingly.
Though the two would never admit it, they held a mutual respect for one another's abilities and each saw a piece of themselves in the other; giving way to a 'tastefully hostile' rivalry.
'Oh, frenemies,' Guild Girl thought as she finished writing.
"Well, I'll be sure to take note of any mention of people matching their description," Guild Girl said as she set the notebook aside. "What was your other request?"
"I would like to register as an adventurer," Saltzpyre stated. Though he heavily opposed the way the guild was being directed, gaining status through the ranks was likely the most effective way he could reach an audience with state officials and potentially change things, and if they didn't listen, such status might provide alternative means to meet his goal. On top of that, it was likely the most reliable means for him and Fuegonasus to secure funds in their current predicament while learning more about the region.
"Huh? Really?" Guild Girl said, surprised by the request. "I mean, of course, you can sign up, but it's a bit surprising to hear that you want to, with everything you've said."
"Despite my opposition to the direction of this organization, the fact of the matter remains that there is a menace plaguing this land and it must be dealt with," the witch hunter responded; the greenskins of this realm were allowed to fester for too long, and besides, he was no stranger to working under unworthy leadership.
"Alright, we can get started," Guild Girl said, handing an adventurer registration form to the old man. "Just fill this out to the best of your ability."
Saltzpyre took the sheet and skimmed over it. Most of the fields were ordinary, asking for age, gender, and other physical identifiers. The only fields that stuck out to him were 'title' and 'class'.
"I assume that I must choose a title for myself?" the witch hunter asked.
"That would be preferred, yes," Guild Girl responded.
"I am unfamiliar with what the term 'class' suggests here," Saltzpyre followed up as he wrote in his title.
"That's fine," Guild Girl said as she pulled out a reference sheet for the classes. "Just look over this document and choose up to two classes that best describe your abilities."
Saltzpyre looked over the form, and was immediately perturbed by the so-called 'spellcaster' classes, even more at the fact that 'priests' were grouped in with 'sorcerers' and 'shamans'. Drawing such a comparison was slander, borderline heresy even, but he supposed that this realm had different meanings for the terms, assuming that Fuegonasus hadn't made a mistake when she had reported the absence of dark magic in the vicinity. There were also 'dragon priests', which he assumed were related to the High Elves based on what he remembered from reading about their affinity with the creatures.
Moving on from that, the witch hunter finished filling out his form and handed it back to the receptionist.
"Okay, please give me a moment to look this over," Guild Girl said as she reviewed the old man's form.
Everything seemed mostly in order, though his choice of title caught her interest.
'Witch Hunter?' Guild Girl read, momentarily confused. It was odd for a man to describe themselves as a 'witch', but he was a foreigner, and every culture has its quirks that should be respected nonetheless. Other than that, the title implied a multiclass of a sorcerer and a scout or ranger, however, the old man had listed Ranger/Scout as his class; perhaps the 'witch' part was a tertiary element regarding his abilities.
"Just to confirm, your chosen title is 'Witch Hunter' and the two classes you identify most with are 'Ranger' and 'Scout'?" Guild Girl asked.
"I do not believe that they are all entirely accurate descriptors, but they will have to suffice," Saltzpyre responded, having found the descriptions of the 'classes' overly vague.
That was all she had to hear.
"Alright, you're now officially a porcelain-ranked adventurer," Guild Girl announced. "I'll have your tag minted in the morning."
"On that note, might I fill out a form on my companion's behalf?" the witch hunter asked. "I would prefer to have everything in order as soon as possible."
"I'm afraid that isn't allowed under guild policy," Guild Girl responded. "But, I can let you fill out a form now and then ask for her confirmation in the morning."
"That will do," Saltzpyre said as he began filling out another form for Sienna's registration.
As the Witch Hunter finished and took his leave, Guild Girl looked at the two forms warmly; Goblin Slayer had seemingly looked up to the 'Witch Hunter', and now they would be working in the same field. Perhaps the silver-ranked adventurer would finally have some of the burdens of his duty relieved; she would be able to rest easier knowing that he had someone looking out for him.
Guild Girl yawned as she retired to her room, intending to get whatever sleep she could before work tomorrow.
Sienna awoke early in the morning, as was usual for every member of the Ubersreik Five. As Saltzpyre would constantly remind them, to their collective groans, 'the heretics and ratmen do not rest and neither shall we'; of course, he was wrong about that matter, but he never let that get in his way.
The bright wizard looked over the state of her room; everything appeared to be in order and, fortunately, nothing had caught on fire in her sleep. She was about to congratulate herself but then noticed a couple of scorch marks on her bed covers, one of which was still lightly smoking. Sienna quickly patted the smoldering spot down before putting a new cover over the bed. The issue would be addressed at another time.
As she exited her rented room, she caught sight of a familiar figure in the otherwise empty guild hall.
"Well, early as always aren't you, darling?" Sienna said, addressing the witch hunter.
"Your timeliness is appreciated, wizard," Saltzpyre answered as he gestured towards an open seat at the table he occupied. "We have matters to discuss."
"So, you signed up at this mercenary company and want me to join you?" Sienna asked. "I have to say, I'm flattered, darling; this is only a stone's throw away from asking me to take your hand and run away into the sunset."
"Yes, your jests are very amusing," Saltzpyre said dismissively as he refocused on the matter at hand. "But the crux of our situation is, we are in unknown lands, separated from the rest of our group, and without the means to sustain our operations. Taking work here will allow us to gather knowledge of our surroundings, secure funding, and potentially determine the whereabouts of our missing companions."
"Can't argue with that," Sienna stated. "But I have a feeling there's something more to this."
"What are you implying, wizard?" Saltzpyre questioned, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"I think you want to stay around that 'Goblin Slayer'," the wizard answered. "I saw how he acted back when we were sterilizing that awful cave; he was hanging on to your every word. Haven't you ever wanted to take on a ward?"
"The only thing I 'want' is the complete eradication of the heretical forces that dare to threaten us," the witch hunter answered. "Though, I suppose it would be favorable to mentor someone to take on the duty as well."
"Oh, you don't have to be so stubborn about it, darling," Sienna teased. "I'm sure you'll be a great mentor! And who knows, maybe you'll finally be able to resolve your daddy issues."
"Firstly, I do not have 'daddy issues'," Saltzpyre stated flatly. "Secondly, this is not the domestic play that you are making it out to be. It is our duty and we shall fulfill it."
The sudden sound of a door opening at the back of the building interrupted the pair's banter.
"Oh, you're both here early," Guild Girl said as she exited her room, ready for work, before turning to address Sienna specifically. "Your companion helped fill out parts of your registration form; if you can just confirm the information, we can get you started."
"Well, of course, darling, give it over here for Auntie Sienna to have a look," the wizard said as she approached the reception desk and reviewed her registration form.
The information on the document was more or less accurate; Sienna took notice of the 'title' and 'class' fields, which respectively listed her as a 'Bright-Wizard' and 'sorcerer'. Given that Saltzpyre would dread associating with anyone who would describe themselves as such, she assumed that the word 'sorcerer' was some kind of technical term. Still, she did appreciate how far the witch hunter had come in choosing her title; only a few years prior, he wouldn't have hesitated to label her a witch.
As Victor waited for the wizard to confirm the paperwork, the main door to the guild hall opened, with a familiar armored adventurer making his entrance.
"Oh, Goblin Slayer, you're here earlier than usual," Guild Girl commented. "I'm afraid today's quests haven't been posted yet."
"I see," Goblin Slayer answered, before turning to the witch hunter. "I heard you might be here; if you are available, I would like to learn more from you about fighting goblins."
"Heresy flows from idleness; it is good that you remain ever diligent, Master Goblin Slayer," the witch hunter remarked. "I will gladly share my knowledge with you."
Just as Saltzpyre was about to start a lecture on combating the greenskin menace, the door to the guild hall opened once again, revealing a familiar cleric.
"Well, fancy seeing you here as well, darling," Sienna greeted as she caught sight of the girl.
"Hello, Miss," Priestess greeted back before turning to address the seated pair. "H-hello, Goblin Slayer, sir. Hello, Mister."
"Hello, girl," Saltzpyre greeted flatly with a raised eyebrow. He hadn't expected her presence, but he had a suspicion of why she had come. "Might I ask what you are doing here?"
"You weren't in your room at the temple this morning when I came to wake you up," Priestess explained. "I thought you'd be here."
"I suppose it was rather improper of me, as a guest in your temple, to leave so suddenly without notifying anyone," the witch hunter thought aloud; it had been a while since he, and the rest of the Ubersreik Five for that matter, was put into a situation that called for acting with proper manners. "I apologize for any inconvenience or worry I might have caused."
"Oh, no, it's completely fine," the Priestess reassured before turning to address the other side of the pair. "I followed your advice and bought some armor, Goblin Slayer, sir."
The girl raised her robe slightly, revealing a chainmail shirt. The armor's mediocre quality was immediately noticed by the witch hunter, an appraisal based on his knowledge of blacksmithing acquired from his time apprenticing under his father and having to maintain his equipment throughout his career; that being said, it would be capable of stopping minor and glancing blows from causing severe harm. Still, his suspicion on the matter of her presence had been confirmed.
"It's not bad," Goblin Slayer stated, having a similar assessment of the armor's quality.
"You are going out? Again?" Saltzpyre said incredulously, looking between Goblin Slayer and Priestess, the former for suggesting to bring the child along and the latter for accepting it. "You should know by now that this is no light matter! The enemies we face are amongst the vilest of scum. Should anything happen, they will not show mercy."
The witch hunter stared down the two adventurers as he spoke, emphasizing the weight of his warning. Goblin Slayer appeared oblivious to the fact that the old man's words were also directed at him and simply awaited Priestess' response.
"I... I understand that you worry for me, Mister, and I'm grateful for everything you've done," Priestess began, shakily. "But I made a promise to the Earth Mother that I would go out and help those in need; after seeing everything those goblins did in that cave... I can't just ignore it."
Victor remained silent, glaring sternly at the girl. Despite her slightly shaking form, she met the witch hunter's gaze directly, the resolve and determination in her eyes clear to see. The old man understood that look. He saw it every time he caught a glance at his reflection; it was the look of someone who had witnessed something horrible and understood it needed to be dealt with.
"Very well then, but you are not going out half-prepared," the witch hunter relented, standing up from his seat. "I myself need to restock on supplies; I will assist you with the matter of your equipment."
"But... I'm not sure if I'd really be able to afford it," Priestess responded disheartedly.
Last night, Goblin Slayer had come to the temple and given Priestess her share of the quest rewards, which was, with Sienna's input, determined to be split seven ways, one for each person who had taken up the task. The shares of those who had fallen would be put towards their and their families' sake. With the already scarce reward further spread thin, Priestess' share was only barely enough to afford the chainmail; what little she had left could hardly even be described as 'pocket money'.
"I will loan you the funds in the meantime. You may reimburse me when you are able to," the witch hunter replied commandingly as he moved to the main door. "Show me where you purchased your chainmail; we will go there now."
"Yes, Sir!" Priestess said as she exited the guild hall.
"We will talk later," Saltzpyre stated, addressing Goblin Slayer, before also taking his leave.
"I see," the adventurer responded as he sat waiting, taking the time to review his own supplies.
"So much for things not being 'domestic'," Sienna remarked amusedly at the thought of the witch hunter taking the girl out shopping, before continuing to review her papers. Although she appreciated the witch hunter's gestures in filling out her form, something like that should never get in the way of a little harmless amusement.
"Well, everything seems fine for the most part, but could you just let me change my title?" Sienna asked.
"Of course," Guild Girl said, handing the wizard a quill.
"Does the skullcap fit soundly?" the witch hunter asked as he plucked at the string of a crossbow. It was notably looser than the one he kept back in Taal's Horn Keep, but it would do.
"I think so," Priestess answered as she walked up to the old man. The previously thin figure of the girl was now notably less so due to the gambeson that lay under her chainmail and robes; the padded skullcap that she now wore was nearly fully concealed by her headdress, with only the strap being visible. "All of this protection is much less bulky than I expected; I'm surprised you know a lot about armor, Mister, most magic users don't usually bother with it from what I heard."
"Magic?" Saltzpyre repeated questioningly as he turned to face the girl. "You believe that I wield magic?"
"Don't you?" the girl asked, confused.
"No, I do not," the witch hunter replied. "What gave you that idea?"
"Well, you cast a spell back in the cave, it made a huge sound and caused the goblins to explode," Priestess began. "You were using a wand, your coat is covered in strange symbols, and you wear a big hat."
"By wand, I assume you mean this," the witch hunter said as he drew his pistol.
"Yes," Priestess answered, vividly remembering how smoke seeped from its tip after it was used to cast whatever spell the old man had used.
"You are mistaken, girl," the witch hunter began. "This is not 'magic', it is a feat of engineering borne from the cooperation of men and dwarfs. It uses the power of a black powder explosion to drive a projectile into whatever target stands before it."
"Black powder?" Priestess repeated, the term being strangely familiar.
"Where I come from, such technology is considered one of the core pillars of our might, along with faith and steel," Saltzpyre continued. "However, it appears to be absent in these lands." The witch hunter glanced at a quiver of crossbow bolts as he finished speaking. With his firearms ammunition ever dwindling, it was wise to consider alternatives.
"No, I've heard about it before," Priestess corrected. "From a story about an adventurer who used a weapon called a 'hand cannon', but this is the first time I've ever seen one."
"Is that so?" the witch hunter inquired. "Then would you happen to know where I might be able to acquire ammunition?"
"Sorry, I don't," Priestess responded. "I'm not even sure if anyone out here even uses a 'hand cannon' other than you, Mister."
"I suspected that was the case," Saltzpyre replied, taking the quiver of crossbow bolts and tying it to his belt.
"So, what about the symbols on your coat?" Priestess continued, pointing at a spot on the witch hunter's outfit. "I've never seen symbols like those before; I thought they were magic runes."
Saltzpyre looked down to where the girl was pointing. It was the word 'SIGMAR' embroidered in Reikspiel near the edge of his coat's mantle.
"Do you understand how to read 'common'?" the witch hunter asked.
"Yes, I've learned how to read and write from the temple," Priestess answered.
"But you're unable to read this?" Saltzpyre inquired, his curiosity intensified.
"No, is it the language of where you're from?" Priestess wondered aloud.
"Indeed," the witch hunter answered. For some reason, he was able to comprehend this world's 'common' language in written form, yet the same did not appear to be the case for the locals with written Reikspiel. It was strange, to say the least, and something he'd need to investigate.
"So, what about your hat?" Priestess asked, focusing on the final 'magical' aspect of the old man.
"What about my hat?" Saltzpyre asked, not understanding the question.
"Well, aren't adventurers who wear big hats usually mages?" the girl asked as if it was common knowledge.
"That's preposterous; if such a thing were true, Kruber would be a sorcerer," the witch hunter stated, thinking about the former sergeant's fascination with such headwear.
"Who's Kruber?" Priestess asked curiously.
"He is the most valiant man I have ever had the honor of serving with," Saltzpyre answered. "But I will tell you of him another day, we must be going."
"Okay," Priestess said, moving along.
"Have you chosen a weapon?" the witch hunter asked, realizing that the girl hadn't appeared to have taken one.
"I'm not sure if it would be appropriate for someone like me to carry a weapon," Priestess answered. "The Earth Mother's tenets are to heal, protect, and save others."
"Does your temple not have a militant arm?" Saltzpyre questioned. Even if this branch of the cult of Rhya was much more pacifistic than usual, they surely had to have some means of combating heretics.
"Well, we do have some warrior priests," the girl answered. "But, even then, I'm not strong like them and I don't really know how to fight."
"Then you require a weapon that is simple to use and isn't too reliant on strength," Saltzpyre stated as he unclipped a sheathed knife from his boot and handed it to the girl.
"You're giving me your dagger?" Priestess asked, surprised.
"Use it only defensively, stay out of engagement when possible," the witch hunter advised; even for someone with no experience in combat, such a tool could mean the difference between life and death.
Priestess nodded in response, as the two made their way to the front of the store, where a young man, the blacksmith's apprentice most likely, met them.
"We will be purchasing a crossbow, a quiver of twenty bolts, a gambeson, and a skullcap," Saltzpyre stated, opening his coin pouch.
"Of course," the apprentice said as he opened a log book to record the transaction. "Your total cost is twelve silver and two bronze coins."
The witch hunter placed thirteen shillings on the table; which the apprentice immediately noticed appeared off.
"Is this some kind of ancient or foreign coin?" the apprentice asked.
"Foreign," Saltzpyre answered. "Will that be an issue?"
"Not at all, this isn't too unusual," the apprentice said as he took out a scale, weighing the shilling against a standard silver coin. The two coins were of roughly the same size and appeared to be of relatively equal weight. "Everything seems in order," the apprentice observed as he collected the coins, handing back eight bronze coins in exchange.
"Is one silver coin equal to ten bronze coins here?" Saltzpyre asked Priestess. A shilling was equal to twelve pennies in the Empire.
"Yes," Priestess confirmed.
"Then it appears we are done here," the witch hunter concluded, before turning to address the apprentice. "Thank you for you and your master's services, we will be taking our leave now."
"Come again soon," the apprentice called out to the exiting pair as he finished writing down the transaction in the log book.
As the pair left the store, they were greeted by familiar faces.
"Well, look at you two; just finished shopping?" Sienna said, taking note of their new equipment.
"The quests were posted while you were away," Goblin Slayer stated. "We should start moving."
"Indeed master Goblin Slayer, let us make haste," Saltzpyre responded.
"Wait a moment darling, you should take your tag first," Sienna said before reading the inscription. "Witch Hunter, is it?"
"Witch Hunter?" Priestess repeated questioningly, assuming the same notion of the title as Guild Girl had. "I thought you said you didn't use magic."
"And I do not," Saltzpyre replied, dismissing the girl's remark, before taking the tag from Sienna. "In any case, we should get going, Bright Wizard."
"Oh darling, that isn't my title," Sienna replied, holding out her tag for her companion to see.
"What are you talking about, wizard?" the witch hunter questioned before his eye went wide upon reading the inscription.
"We've made much progress today," Goblin Slayer commented, as he sat in the back of a cart, taking note of their supplies and pages of uncompleted quests, both of which were dwindling, though the latter much more quickly due to the effectiveness of his new companions. On his own, it would've been late into the night by now with all the work they had done today.
The evening sun cast its orange glow upon the now dirt-covered and blood-stained party as they made their way to the next goblin-threatened village; the horse-drawn cart they had leased hastily traversed the road.
"I don't think I've done much, honestly," Priestess stated disheartedly. The effectiveness of the rest of the group didn't leave her with much to do, other than helping to treat the occasional captive or injured villager; but even then she had only spent one of her miracles for the day, a heal used to save someone who would have died otherwise. That wasn't to say she was idle in combat scenarios, she had pointed out and fended off the few goblins that managed to get through their formation, keeping them occupied for long enough that her other companions could deal with them, though it still seemed an extremely minute contribution compared to her other party members.
"Focus on learning for now," Saltzpyre advised as he drove the cart; the girl wasn't too far off from his age when he was taken in by the Order of the Silver Hammer. Her time now was better used for training rather than being thrown into the deep end.
"Best take his advice, darling," Sienna added. "Better to learn a lesson without having to lose an eye over it, right Victor?"
The witch hunter remained silent towards his companion, not because of her comment, but over a different matter.
"Wizard, might I ask why you changed your title to... that, behind my back?" Saltzpyre finally questioned frustratedly as he kept his eye on the road. Other than giving directions and orders, he had refused to speak with Sienna since they disembarked.
"Well, I figured I should throw you a bone, darling," Sienna teased, smirking now that she was finally being acknowledged again. "You've clearly been wanting to let it out for some time now."
"I do not know what you are referring to," Saltzpyre replied.
"It's been a while since you've called me a witch," Sienna stated, smirking. "Now you have an excuse."
"I did not need nor want an 'excuse'," the witch hunter replied, "Wizard."
'I wonder why they're arguing all of a sudden,' Priestess thought as she listened to the bantering between Witch Hunter and Bright Witch.
"We're nearing our destination," Goblin Slayer stated as he saw the village in the distance.
As the cart finally arrived at the village, they were greeted by a short, rotund, balding man with a thin mustache wearing a tan shirt underneath a green vest.
"Are you the adventurers we sent for?" the man asked.
"That's correct," Goblin Slayer answered as he stepped down from the cart. "Where is the den?"
"About a couple minutes walk into the forest," the man replied, pointing into the woods. "Our local hunter said that there should be a trail leading to it."
"Are you the village chief?" Saltzpyre asked as he looked around the village. It appeared mostly ordinary, but the people were clearly on edge, and a few peculiar things stood out to him.
"Indeed, sir," the man answered, idly scratching the back of his head. "I like to think I keep up with everyone here."
"Did the greenskins attack recently?" the witch hunter questioned, noticing the corpse of a pig that had been shot with arrows. Dark bile and blood oozed from its mouth, likely a sign of poisoning.
"You mean the goblins?" the man asked, idly tugging on his vest. "Aye, they stole a couple of our chickens and killed one of our pigs while going after one of our militia boys. We managed to scare them off, but the boy was injured."
"Was he treated with an antidote?" Priestess asked concernedly, aware of the risk of the goblins' fatal poisons.
"Fortunately," the man replied with a nod. "I saw what happened once to someone left untreated. We're lucky to have an apothecary."
"Thank the Earth Mother," Priestess said with relief.
"Did they take anyone?" Goblin Slayer asked, going directly to the point.
"Thankfully, no one here," the man answered. "Though I can't say the same for any travelers; one of our farmers found an adventurer tag on the road passing by."
"Could we see it?" Saltzpyre asked. They could determine whether said adventurer was likely still alive by their gender. Contrary to his initial assumptions, the Slaaneshi greenskins were not an isolated incident; from Goblin Slayer's accounts, they appeared to be the standard in these lands. But the witch hunter quickly adapted; greenskins were still greenskins, even if their depravity had been enhanced by the influence of the ruinous powers.
The man produced an obsidian adventurer's tag from his vest pocket and handed it to the witch hunter. Blood still stained the surface, and rubbing it off, he saw that the inscription listed the owner as 'male'.
"Most likely deceased," Saltzpyre announced bitterly.
"A man then," Goblin Slayer correctly inferred.
"We'll avenge him, no question about that," Sienna remarked, determination alighting in her eyes.
It was then that the witch hunter focused on a familiar foul smell that appeared to emanate from a nearby barrel.
"That ale, it's gone foul hasn't it?" Saltzpyre asked, knowing the scent from the occasional bad cask among Kruber and Bardin's stocks.
"Yes sir," the man answered as he looked at the offending barrel in question with a disgruntled frown. "A passing merchant pulled a fast one on us; let us sample from his good stock, then gave us a bad barrel. By the time we opened it and found out it was stale, he was already gone. Still, we'll make the most of it in other ways."
"How much did you pay for it?" the witch hunter inquired, as he reached into his coin pouch. With all the spending he'd done for the day, it was considerably lighter now, but the calculated reward from all the quests they'd completed so far would be enough to pay it off.
"Uh, just one silver coin," the man answered, not sure why the adventurer was interested. "Should've known that the deal was too good to be true," the man said ruefully, shaking his head. "Why do you ask?"
"I would like to requisition it," Saltzpyre stated, handing the man a shilling. "I believe it'll prove useful to our operation."
"Oh?" the man said confusedly before realizing the proposal. "Of course, sir," he said respectfully, accepting the silver coin. "Would you like us to load it into your cart?"
"No, that will not be necessary," the witch hunter stated, before looking to his companions. "I believe we should start forming a plan."
The goblins feasted on the bounty of their pillaging, both of the village livestock and the remains of the unfortunate adventurer they had ambushed previously.
They were growing stronger by the day, and their probing attack on the village showed that they were able to adequately fight against the defenders with only a small portion of their forces. With their full numbers, they'd be able to easily overwhelm them and take whatever they pleased.
As the cave-dwelling greenskins continued gnawing on bones and scraps of meat, they caught the scent of an incredible aroma. It was meat. Cooking meat.
A camp was likely set up near their den, the occupants no doubt unaware of the presence. A perfect opportunity for an ambush. As the goblins gathered together and prepared to ascend from the depths of their cave, a foul-smelling barrel came tumbling down from the entrance with a bright burning light following it.
The witch hunter waited as the sound of multiple footsteps and cackling voices drew closer, before making a gesture to Goblin Slayer.
Seeing the signal, the armored adventurer kicked the barrel of stale alcohol down into the den.
Sienna followed up her companions' actions by sending a fireball after the barrel.
The sound of the ensuing explosion echoed loudly from within the cave, followed by painful death shrieks and screams of terror.
"Have to say, I didn't expect to be roasting a hog today, but it does smell quite lovely," Sienna said as she withdrew her magic flames from the broiling pig carcass.
"Do not even think about consuming any morsel of its flesh," Saltzpyre warned. "Whatever poison the greenskins use on their weapons has surely contaminated it."
"This plan seems a bit much," Priestess remarked, still not fully used to the extent of violence and brutality involved with the work.
Working together, Witch Hunter and Goblin Slayer formulated a plan to draw the goblins out using the smell of cooking meat, before sending in an exploding barrel to take out their gathered forces.
"Imagination is a weapon. Those who fail to use it are the first to die," Goblin Slayer replied as he listened in on the screaming greenskins. "Goblins always expect to ambush others, they never expect to be ambushed."
"The minds of these greenskins are predictable, they are driven to seek indulgences and hold minimal concern for all else," the witch hunter added, having found that the goblins appeared to behave much closer to addled Slaaneshi cultists than the more cunning greenskins of the Old World; a sign that the chaos influence had ended up overwhelming much of their typical greenskin psychology. "Still, they retain some shreds of their devious cleverness. Do not underestimate them."
After a couple of seconds, the death shrieks died down, leaving only the sound of still terrified screaming echoing out of the cave.
"The ones who were caught in the fire appear to have perished," Saltzpyre stated, before turning to address his companions. "Wizard, use your magic to dispel the fire, we must go in and take out the rest while we still have momentum."
"Of course, darling," the wizard said, as she channeled the flames into her, absorbing them into her body.
With that, the party entered the cave; immediately noticeable were the charred remains of the goblins that were caught in the fire.
"About twelve," Goblin Slayer quickly counted. It was difficult to determine the number accurately, with how the masses seemed to have melted into one another.
They passed along five more charred bodies, goblins that had survived the initial blast, but had perished from being set aflame, before reaching a turn.
Saltzpyre took off his hat and placed it on his rapier, allowing it to peak around the corner; immediately, nine arrows came flying, with one even managing to hit the hat, but failing to pierce its armored lining.
"They have at least nine archers," the witch hunter observed aloud as he put his hat back on.
"A bright light could disorient them," Goblin Slayer suggested, looking to Priestess.
"Alright," the cleric said as she held her staff in front of the tunnel and began to chant. "O Earth Mother, abounding in mercy, grant your sacred light to we who are lost in darkness! Holy Light!"
The sounds of confused screams filled the tunnels as the blinding light shone through. Goblin Slayer and Saltzpyre rushed in immediately after, dispatching the greenskins with stabs, slashes, and strikes. Sienna followed as well, firing blasts of flame to incinerate the enemies hiding further back.
As Priestess moved to keep up, she noticed a seemingly unscathed goblin lying dead on the tunnel floor; it was then that the creature revealed its deception, leaping up and lunging at the girl.
"AH!" Priestess yelled as she withdrew her dagger, holding the blade out in front of her.
The leaping goblin impaled itself on the blade, bearing an expression of shock on its face as it realized its neck was pierced.
Priestess backed away, pulling the knife out of the creature's throat, leaving it to choke on its own blood as it collapsed on the floor.
'I- I killed it,' Priestess realized, paralyzed from shock and guilt.
"Keep your wits about you, darling!" Sienna called out, snapping Priestess out of her daze. "We're not in the clear yet!"
"R-right," the cleric said shakily as she moved to keep up, the sight of the dying goblin's face still burned into her mind.
"31 total," Goblin Slayer stated, adding up all of the goblin corpses he'd counted. "It seems like that's all of them."
"We should get to sterilizing this hole then," Sienna remarked with a huff. "Best to get it over with."
"Y-yeah," Priestess responded, trying to wipe away the splatter of blood on her hands.
"Did something happen, girl?" Saltzpyre asked, his question being one of concern, but sounding like an interrogation.
"I... I don't know," the cleric stuttered, unable to answer.
"She killed her first one of those little bastards," Sienna whispered to the witch hunter. "I think the experience overwhelmed her."
"You did a good job," Goblin Slayer said, making some attempt to comfort her.
"T-thank you," Priestess responded, appreciating the adventurer's words, but not seeming any less shaken.
Saltzpyre stood silently, thinking of what to say. It had been a long time since he had the same experience, and even then he was much more prepared for it through the conditioning of his order. He could not imagine what was going through the girl's head, but he knew that she needed something to steel her resolve.
"I sense you might feel... remorse, for having taken the life of one of these creatures?" the witch hunter began.
Priestess nodded nervously, confirming the witch hunter's suspicions.
"In some regards, it is good that you do; one should never enjoy doing this," Saltzpyre continued; after all, taking pleasure in such things made one susceptible to the influences of Khorne and Slaanesh. "But know this: what we do is a duty to safeguard those who would otherwise fall victim to these beasts. We do this because we are the only ones who stand between the vulnerable and desolation. Not everyone has the will to handle such a duty; if you wish to withdraw for now, you are welcome to. I believe we are capable of handling the rest of the work."
Priestess stood silently for a moment, thinking over the witch hunter's words before giving her answer.
"I still have one more miracle," the cleric began. "That could save at least one more person's life, so I can't leave now, not when I can still do something."
Priestess appeared more composed now, her determination returned.
"Very well then," Saltzpyre said with approval as he withdrew a container of lamp oil. "When we finish sterilizing this cave, we will resupply what we can from the village. The next location is somewhat distant."
With that, another quest was completed for the day; and soon, another would start.