…
「Jinta……was stronger than I thought……I already knew he was strong since he defeated the Behemoth, but……」 (Reefa)
「E, eh……it really was on an unimaginable level. It’s totally different when you see it upfront.」 (Quina)
I guess for those two, seeing is believing.
「I think there are even stronger ones.」 (Jinta)
Wait, are there? I don’t know yet. Ah, I have to collect the magic stones.
「With this, the quest to kill 20 Goblins finished.」 (Jinta)
Reefa approaches a dead Goblin body.
She looked closer at the armor they’re wearing, and seemed to have confirmed something.
「There is a Dridd (ドリッド) logo in it. This, is this a good thing?」 (Reefa)
It’s a superior article made from Balsa iron, and there was a possibility that it was made in Dridd and could have been transported here. The name of the town doesn’t ring a bell to me. I’m not really with world history. I’m not good with long, Western names or places……
Quina breathed a sigh.
「……I, do I even need to fight……my confidence seems to be fading……I intended to support Jinta-sama, but……with this, I’m just being a nuisance……」 (Quina)
「I……in this case, my Recovery Magic is also useless……」 (Reefa)
They’re feeling down?!
「Even if we’re not here, everything would’ve been fine regardless……」 (Quina)
「I agree……」 (Reefa)
「Wait, wait, wait! In the first place, it’s a man’s job to protect you from anything dangerous. That’s why, I don’t want the both of you to be in peril!」 (Jinta)
「Jinta-sama……for you to be thinking of me that far……I am deeply moved……this Quina, I shall be following you all throughout my life!」 (Quina)
「Jinta……for you to think that I’m important, I’m somewhat happy……」 (Reefa)
The battle may have went as it is, but I don’t know what would have happened if I was the only one here. As expected, everyone is needed.
「Might the reason as to why they were equipped with shortswords and armor be due to the robbing of merchants who were carrying carts and goods?」 (Jinta)
「Yes, it might be so. The Goblins don’t have the technology to build equipments.」 (Reefa)
「……if that’s the case, there is a possibility that the stolen goods were concealed somewhere.」 (Quina)
Gus.h.a.gusha, I looked back when I heard a crushing sound, and what I saw was Hicchan eating a Goblin. Moreover, the armor was taken skillfully as she eats.
「……」 (Jinta)
「GAU?」 (Hicchan)
「No. It’s nothing……」 (Jinta)
Reefa and Quina does not seem to be aware.
The blood around Hicchan’s mouth, I’ll keep quiet about it, for now.
I wonder if she was hungry.
「As far as we’re concerned, the quest for the Goblin’s magic stones have been completed. But if we were to leave the Goblins here, someone will surely be bound to be attacked again.」 (Jinta)
Reefa and Quina nodded, seemingly understanding what I’m trying to say.
「That’s why, I think it would be better if we were to destroy the nest.」 (Jinta)
「Un. I agree.」 (Reefa)
「Yes, let’s do that. We will try to help you with our utmost capabilities.」 (Quina)
「GAUGAU」 (Hicchan)
The decisions were settled, and we decided to head deeper.
There’s plenty of room, but I wonder what’s it for? Also, if you were to look closely, worn-out carts and bags thrown away everywhere.
Were they carrying the things they plundered here……?
A pa.s.sage that leads to the back appears. Naturally, it wasn’t a proper pa.s.sage, rather, as a path frequently treaded on by the Goblins, a path somehow formed.
However, there were one on the left, and two on the right.
「After going to the left for a while, it’s a dead end, while going to the right will lead to a hall similar to this one. I don’t know where exactly it is.」 (Reefa)
「I’ll force our way through either way, so let’s go the left.」 (Jinta)
At first, I decided to go through the left path, with me as the lead. Due to the trees being tall, the light from the sky seems to be blocked out.
It quite dark, even though it’s still around noon.
Gyagyaー, gyagyaー.
As we heard faint Goblin voice, we stopped our tracks. The voice grew gradually, and soon, footsteps were heard.
A large amount of Goblins (Elite) bearing armor and swords appeared.
「「「「Gyagyagyaー!」」」」 (Goblins)
One of them pointed at us, and they rushed towards here.
「T, th, th, there are too many of them, a, a, aah?!」 (Reefa)
「R, Re, Reefa-shan, pl, pl, please ca, calm down.」 (Quina)
Because ten or more Goblins appeared, both of them were at their wits’ end.
「Un, for now, both of you should calm down first, okay?」 (Jinta)
I activated 【Embers】 as I pulled out the Demon Flame Sword.
Zuban, and the Goblins were split into two.
That was anticlimactic……
「Reefa-san, isn’t it miserable to panic to that degree?」 (Quina)
「Quina is not one to talk.」 (Reefa)
Quina can’t seem to calm down unless she gets far away. Well, it can’t be helped since magic is her main form of attack.
Just then, more Goblins came out. From the gaps in the trees, the braches, to the bushes. It’s kind of like a Goblin festival.
As what you’d expect, it’s a nest after all.
I defeated the enemies rushing in from the left and the right, and Hicchan and Quina beat the Goblins who sprang from the rear.
As soon as Hicchan and Quina were wounded, Reefa immediately heals it with Recovery Magic.
「With this, they’ve been wiped out, haven’t they?」 (Jinta)
None of the Goblins were moving anymore, and no additional reinforcements came.
「Haaa, we somehow made it.」 (Reefa)
「Reefa, your ＭＰ usage……」 (Jinta)
「I know. I’m paying close attention to it.」 (Reefa)
Quina seems to be puzzled.
「Emupi, what’s that?」 (Quina)
Ah, that’s right.
An ordinary person can’t see the status.
「Um, it’s something that’s consumed when you use magic.」 (Jinta)
「Ah. Magical power, is it. Emupi, is that what it’s called?」 (Quina)
Besides Reefa, I myself also used a considerable amount of ＭＰ. It might be better to conserve it while fighting.
「GARUー」 (Hicchan)
Hicchan collected the magic stones and brought it to me.
「Oh. Thank you.」 (Jinta)
Yoshi yoshi, I patted her head.
There might be some that haven’t picked up yet, but there’s 14 in total.
We advanced onwards the quiet forest.
「Why are the Goblins not coming out?」 (Jinta)
「It’s better if they don’t come out……」 (Reefa)
Just when I thought it’s a dead end, I noticed a small room around the corner. In there, there were armors in crates, and bundles of swords scattered around. Mudded clothes and cracked tablewares were in the other boxes.
「Stolen goods.」 (Jinta)
「Un, can’t be mistaken. The ones who came out earlier were probably the guards, weren’t they?」 (Reefa)
「I think so, too. It’s understandable for them to be that many.」 (Quina)
In the far back of the room, was a single wooden box. When I peeked inside, paingo, apples, and grapes, etc. were inside.
「GARU! GARU!」 (Hicchan)
Spotting a paingo, Hicchan‘s tension has been on ＭＡＸ!
「Hai, Hicchan.」 (Jinta)
When I grabbed the paingo on one hand and brought it to her mouth, 「GARUU~」, she ate it deliciously. Shaku shaku, she seemed satisfied eating it.
「Let’s take a rest for a bit.」 (Jinta)
「Let’s do so.」 (Reefa)
「Agreed.」 (Quina)
The fruits on the wooden box were either or had started rotting, so I handed down Reefa and Quina some suitable edible ones.
When I sat down, Hicchan followed suit.
「N? I can rest on your back?」 (Jinta)
「GARUGARU」 (Hicchan)
「? Wonder if that was an okay.」 (Jinta)
When I sat down on her back, Reefa also sat next to me, and Quina on the opposite side.
「GARUGARU!」 (Hicchan)
「W, wait, don’t get mad. We’re simply sharing, aren’t we?」 (Reefa)
「That’s right, Hicchan–san.」 (Quina)
「「Hicchan–san?!」」 (Jinta and Reefa)
How’d she come up with that name?
On the dragon’s back, shaku shaku, we feasted on the paingos.
The sweetness and sourness of the fruit, eating it while having a tired body works effectively well……delicious.
「These stolen goods, either old or new, they seemed to have brought it here nonetheless.」 (Jinta)
「I wonder why they were stealing? From the looks of it, they seem to be robbing indiscriminately.」 (Reefa)
「Because we can’t converse with Goblins……attacking then looting, we can’t really know why they do so in the first place, can we?」 (Reefa)
「Is that so. They initially had low intelligence, after all.」 (Quina)
「I wonder, is that really the case? Ordinary Goblins were equipped with only small swords, while the elites have an additional armor. Could someone have been giving out instructions?」 (Jinta)
「That, we might find out something if we investigate further?」 (Reefa)
「Possibly so.」 (Jinta)
「Jinta-sama, what are we going to do next?」 (Quina)
I looked at the barely visible sky. There is still some time before sunset.
「It’s a dead end here, so let’s go to a different one this time.」 (Jinta)
At my words, Reefa and Quina nodded.