Author: Yume Neiji

This chapter is sponsored by Raymond Anthony-san.

On my way back to our tent, I saw a wagon and several cavalrymen leaving. Perhaps they were returning ahead of us, as harbinger of the things this time.

That night, I could see the excitement here and there. There are various people who dance and sing near the bonfire. They didn’t seem to have brought any alcohol so they were all sober despite the excitement. However, the joy of victory must have been enough to intoxicate them.

I’m now eating dinner with Oyasan, Matis and the rest of the supply team while watching all this. We ate it as late lunch but it was supposed to be our dinner if the monsters didn’t get eradicated today. Since all that was left was for us to return home, they both served lunch and dinner.

The number of jobs for Oyasan and the others has increased but Oyasan said,

“Well, it doesn’t change whether we make it once or twice.”

He laughed as he said that but I don’t think it’s really the case.

It’s already late, so Miss Frederica, who also finished her paperwork for today, is eating with me. I don’t know why but she’s sitting next to me, just like a puppy who has grown attached to me. If Diana sees her like this, she’s going to hit me on the shoulder repeatedly and say that I should take her home. Our conversation naturally focused on today’s victory and I was asked a lot of questions, mainly by Oyasan and the younger guys. Of course, I didn’t tell them who defeated the hobgoblin in the end.

“Then, Eizou should make a lot of money.”

Oyasan spoke.

“Not really”

“Really? Well, I hope Eizou is satisfied with it.”

“Thank you, Oyasan”

“Ou”

Oyasan is unusually shy. The two younger guys teased him which ended them being yelled at resulting for us to have a great laugh.

The next morning,

After I finished tidying up, I then headed to the wagon. Liddy-san was already waiting there.

“Good morning, Liddy-san”

“Good morning”

When I greeted her, she replied in a soft voice. I tried to help her in bringing up her luggage but as I looked at her, I found that she had only one bag on her back and nothing else.

“Oh, you don’t have much luggage huh.”

“Yes. We don’t have that much stuff to begin with.”

Is that so? I wonder if there is a decrease in attachment to things when one’s lifespan is long. She may end up having no possessions at all in this case.

“Ah! By the way…”

Liddy-san makes a slightly panicked voice.

“For that matter, the one that moved to another village will do it, so don’t worry about it.”

Is what she said. I wonder what that matter is though. ……Ah-.

“Are you talking about the crop seeds?”

“Yes. It was supposed to be delivered to Camilo-san’s place.”

“Given such circumstances, it would have been fine. You didn’t have to worry about it.”

“No, I can’t do that.”

When she first came to my house, she must have been already half certain that they would leave the village so she took the request into consideration.

At first, it was not that Liddy-san will go to our house, but maybe, even if it’s far away, Liddy-san plans to go to Camilo’s place. Considering this, the condition may have been a mistake. In the future, when I make similar conditions, I’ll first ask how far the other party’s residential area from the city is.

After me and Liddy-san, Matis came, then Miss Frederica, and finally the guys who had cleaned up the kitchen came in a flurry and boarded the wagon. As soon as Miss Frederica got in, she laid the cushion I had given her under her butt. She still had it huh.

“Iya-, Elf are really beautiful huh.”

Oyasan gave his impressions straightforwardly. It’s a content that can be called sexual harassment in the previous world so I’m anxious deep inside.

“Oh, I see. Indeed, if you have such a beautiful wife, you’ll have to make a lot of money at least!”

He said that with a laugh. At that moment, I found Miss Frederica turning her head like a broken tin doll and she start to stare at me. I’m a little scared, so please don’t do this!

“No, she’s not my wife or anything. Besides, it’s a pity for her to accompany an old man who seems to be living in seclusion for some reason, right?”

I frowned and denied it. Even if I hear that it won’t have a big impact, I’m still an irregular in this world. I still can’t think of myself having a family. It’s hard to say this as my reason because no one will understand it.

When I said that, Miss Frederica looked away, and at the same time, Liddy-san began to stare at me. What the heck is going on today…?

Other than this story, there was no particular topic that made me anxious.

If you consider the two points, “the elf village suffered a damaged” and “thus along with that, Liddy-san moved places so it wasn’t a marriage or anything”, you could imagine what happened. Not so many people would run into such a minefield then.

In this way, during the three days of the return trip, although Oyasan occasionally showed his lack of delicacy, the atmosphere was not particularly awkward and the wagon went safely to the capital.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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This chapter is sponsored by Raymond Anthony-san.

After a joyous ovation, the soldiers then returned to the garrison. Liddy-san went back to the village together with the elves and by tomorrow, she will come to the garrison again and will be returning with me. When I returned to the garrison, Sandro-oyasan and the others already prepared the meal and they were waiting for us. Come to think of it, it’s already past noon.

“Good work everyone! Come, enjoy your meal!”

Oyasan shouts out loud, not to be defeated by the boisterous soldiers. As the tension is released, the soldiers who suddenly became conscious of hunger run to the simple dining room.

“The amount of meal will not change even if you are in such a hurry you know!”

After Oyasan said that, the place was surrounded by the laughter from the remaining soldiers. I have something I want to do first so I headed for the branch office. The commanding officer of the unit who escorted me there called out to me, “Hey!”

“You really helped a lot today. And… I’m sorry.”

The commanding officer’s brow furrowed. He knows that I was the one who defeated the Hobgoblin so I’m sure he’s worried that the credit won’t come to me.

“Hey, you know an old man like me who does blacksmithing will not be happy receiving such an honor so don’t mind it. It won’t give me money either you see.”

I laughed and extended my right hand. The commanding officer took my hand with an embarrassed look on his face. His calloused hands gripping mine shows his experiences so far. It’s better if it’s someone like him who receives the honor than me, who is covered by cheats. I thought so once again.

When I returned to the branch office, I put the statue of the goddess in my bosom on the shelf and thanked it for our safety. The spear was also surprisingly very helpful and I regret that I have to leave it behind. After thanking it in my mind, I took off the handle, leaving only the spearhead. When I get home, I’ll put a handle and butt end on it again.

I then head to the command post. It was more efficient if I come here first but I wanted to put the goddess statue back on the shelf first. When I entered the command post, it was quite noisy with the joy and excitement along with the preparations for tomorrow’s departure.

I looked around and found Miss Frederica focused on her desk. She’s writing a lot. She should be busy for the next week or so after this. The best place for her to have a rest might be in the wagon on our way back.

I felt bad, but I need to talk to her because this is also work related.

“Frederica-san, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Oh, Eizou-san. Yes. Please wait a moment.”

Miss Frederica quickly finished what’s she’s writing on her notebook and then she faced me. Speaking of which, I wonder what she does when she gets back to her original job.

“What is it?”

“Ah, I want to check if there is any repair needed to be done today. And, in addition to that, I want a little manpower to clean up the materials and other things at the smithy.”

“Oh, I understand.”

Miss Frederica flipped through the documents on her desk and then she speaks while looking at it.

“Hmm, I don’t have any repair request today. I have some broken armor but on our way home, I’ll cover it with the spare I have. After I get back, I’ll send them all together for repair. I’m sorry for this Eizou-san.”

Well, if I fix it here, they will be paying me for it. Though from my point of view, it means that I’ll not be making any money.

“No, don’t worry about it. I’m also tired for today so I’m rather grateful.”

It’s not that I’m being humble or reserve, but it’s a true feeling of mine. I was able to act as usual but, I just came from a fight after all so I’m not so energetic that I’ll be declaring, “It’s time to do some repair!”

“Thank you very much. I’ll send some personnel for the demolition later so please leave it to them.”

“Okay, thank you. Frederica-san too, please do your best not to overwork.”

“Yes”

Miss Frederica had a relieved smile on her face and she replied with a laugh. Seen off by that cheerful smile, I then leave the command post. If there is no repair to be done, all I have to do is to clean up.

I then returned to my post. While I busied myself clearing away the charcoal and bricks from the fire bed, dumping water from the water barrels and making it possible to move the bellows, four soldiers arrived. I asked them to take what they could bring with them first.

“I’m sorry to make you come and do the hard work.”

“No, this is also part of our job.”

The young soldiers then carry out the things in the branch office in pairs. In the meantime, I stowed the statue of the goddess on the shelf, folded the tatami that was laid there and eventually, the branch office disappeared. It was only a short time, but I feel a little sad when my workplace is gone. The traces from the installation of tools left in places add to the sadness of seeing an abandoned workshop.

“I’ve been in your care. Thank you.”

I gently put my hand on the traces, expressed my thanks, and then I left the branch office.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Marius continues to speak.

“You may have heard it to some extent but, the outbreak happened before we were dispatched here to kill it and the damage was already done. Of course, I am talking about the elven village.”

As I was being treated for my injuries, I glanced at Liddy-san but there was no particular change in her facial expression.

“It seems that they managed to stop it at that time but the damage was too great…”

They used that sword at that time. Because it needed life force, some people have been sacrificed.

“The number of people in the village has dropped sharply and it is impossible to rebuild it as it is. Therefore, this elf village was abandoned and the people of the village moved to other villages.”

“What about the cave there?”

“The state will manage it. If we leave the village like that, bandits may settle in so we will station the army there. The cave and the plaza where we are currently stationed will be mainly used as a training ground for recruits.”

“…Ah-, you mean a training ground where infinite opponents can be born huh.”

“Exactly”

I’m not sure how often they spring up, but I do know that the elves have their own normal way of living so they can’t go to the caves as often as they’d like. Given that, there would surely be a lot of those monsters.

In that regard, if it was a military training, they could go into the cave once every two days or so, and if they clear up the cave, it would be unlikely that powerful monsters would spring up. I wonder why they haven’t done so until now, but I guess they were just looking out for their village or something.

“So, what is it that Liddy-san wants me to do for her?”

“Frankly speaking, I want Liddy-dono to live in your house.”

“Ha?”

I made a stupefied voice. No wait, didn’t the elves move to another village?

“The people of this village will move to another place, in that case, it will take longer when we want to borrow the knowledge of the elven people.”

“Is this the closest village to the Capital?”

“That’s right. So I want to keep one of them close by. Given that, I thought it’s best for her to live in the Capital but it seems that it’s not applicable for the elves, right?”

“Yes”

Liddy-san nods in assent. Well, elves need to replenish their magical powers. In a place like the Capital, where magical power is weak, it will be difficult to continue living for a few days. Strictly speaking, it may be good to come to the Black Forest once every few days to replenish their magical power but it is not very efficient.

Marius continued on.

“If it’s doable, she would probably live in the Capital… Then, when I asked her, I heard that the closest place to the Capital is the black forest. That is, your house is the most convenient place to go. That’s what she requested then.”

Liddy-san nodded her head again. When it comes to meeting the conditions, my house is certainly the best option.

“Is Liddy-san sure about this?”

“Yes, if it doesn’t bother Eizou-san.”

“No, it’s not a bother but you’ll be away from the people of your village you know.”

“Yes, I know.”

I think she has a family there so I’m not sure if it’s really okay. I’m afraid to ask if there are complicated circumstances in that area though. Since she is an elf, I don’t know how old she really is but she is probably not a child anymore. If she says it is okay, then it’s fine then.

“Understood. Let’s do that.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Thanks as well.”

Liddy-san and Marius thanked me.

“It’s not necessary you know.”

I waved my hand in response. It is a merit for us to have Liddy-san come. Perhaps the “elven knowledge they want to borrow” is about magic, and it’s a knowledge I don’t have right now. That’s also why I spent my time completely ignorant of the phenomena around magic. Rike can also do some blacksmithing by applying magical power, it’s a Win-Win situation for us.

Thus came the end of the discussion about the “additional request”. Marius told me to use the reserve fund under his name, but I refused. As long as one lives in my house, I want them to live as my family. I’ve only ever known one family to have a reserve fund. It’s also not in my intention so I won’t accept it. I just said, “I’ll get the proper amount from my blacksmithing work anyway.”

After talking to Marius and the others, we all left the tent, the rest of the subjugation team were also out of the cave. Whether or not it’s an “expedition” until we get home, this completes the main mission this time.

After seeing that we come out of the tent,

“Gather around!”

Leroy issued a command. Except for the injured soldiers and those who are taking care of them, they all lined up. Liddy-san and I hurriedly moved away from the line.

“This time has been tough for you guys. Thanks to your efforts, we were able to safely wipe out the monsters that nest in this land.”

Marius makes a speech to the soldiers in line and Miss Frederica writes it down. She may also be an observer from the state.

“As I told you before our departure, I can’t give you rewards that is to your heart’s content but, I believe you’ve gained a lot from this experience.”

In the previous world, it may be called “rewarding exploitation”, but this time, we will have to agree with each other. In fact, I think this is a big thing whether or not one has gone through a real battle.

“Fortunately, no one lost their lives this time, but some were seriously injured by devoting themselves. Please applaud their dedication and courage!”

There was a sudden round of applause. I and Liddy-san also applauded.

“Now then, let’s go home. It’s a triumphant return!”

Applause and cheers recurred, which seemed to go on forever.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Yey, it’s finally school break! Sorry for the long hiatus guys.

The hobgoblin was a stagnant mass of magic that affected the surrounding goblins. What would happen if it disappeared? Well, it was evident from the scene of the troops who had been escorting us –they began to kill the goblins easily.

It may be better if I help them but it’s not the mission I was told to do. Besides, in addition to the bruises, scratches and cuts I took from the battle I just had, my energy bar is now empty. I can barely able to sit up and my priority now is to drink water from the canteen I had brought with me and rest my body. However, in an event that someone looks like they’re in trouble, I’ll readily come to their aid.

Just in case, I asked Liddy-san to stay with me. But looking at the situation, it’s only a matter of time before this place is cleaned up. Since the source of the monsters and the source of their reinforcement is gone, they are no different from an army that has lost all of its supplies. What will happen to such army is very obvious.

As we watch the situation, I wasn’t sure whether it’s okay to ask or not, but I still ended up asking Liddy-san.

“The sword that I fixed…, uhm, someone risked his life to use it to defeat the monsters here, right?”

“Yes. There was something even stronger than the monster you defeated earlier so we had no choice but to use it to defeat it.”

“If it’s stronger than that, then I guess it could only be the way…”

If it’s stronger than that hobgoblin, it’s probably a goblin lord or an ogre or something like that. I’m sure such information didn’t get to Camilo because they already took care of it before anyone else got hurt.

“Usually, if you defeat one of those, it will take a long time until the next one appears. However, this time, it’s faster than we imagined…”

In a murmuring manner, Liddy-san continued to speak.

So that was why they decided to ask for a subjugation team huh. And during that interval, it’s easy to imagine that it was such a fierce battle, considering that they managed to hold off the enemies and wait for the subjugation team to arrive.

“Does this mean that it will be okay for a while?”

“Yes. Almost certainly. The magical power of this forest is not so strong that it would happen three times in a row. It is abnormal to have two occurrence in a row in the first place.”

I see. I guess that’s a relief then. I then noticed that the sounds of battle had almost disappeared from the surroundings. Looks like the commanding officers already annihilated the goblins.

“Alright then, let’s join over there.”

“Yes”

The two of us head towards the commanding officer without me noticing that Liddy-san’s usual calm voice was tinged with a little melancholy.

“You’re really something! It’s no wonder you’re in charge of guarding the elf lady!”

The commanding officer energetically hit my shoulder as he said that. Uh-, with this force, it would surely hurt even if I don’t have an injury. He is in tatters but he is full of spirit because of the excitement from our victory.

“I’m just a blacksmith though.”

“Yeah, a blacksmith that can handle a spear so well.”                                                       

Urr- right. I can only smile wryly.

“Well, a lot has happened you see. Uhm, don’t spread it around.”

“I know! Alright then, let’s head back!”

“Okay”

With the commanding officer in the lead, we went out from the innermost part of the cave. Liddy-san is right behind me. It would be too unbearable to look at if one of those monsters remained somewhere and attacks us. As we go out from the innermost part, the last goblin is about to be defeated in the hall. Leroy, who I did not see earlier, was also there. I wonder if he was on the byroad. Leroy glanced at me and nods lightly. I also nodded modestly and we commended each other for fighting bravely. A few free soldiers cheered when they saw us safely return and it eventually spread throughout the hall.

Amidst such cheers, we cross the hall and head back the way we came here and eventually got out of the cave. Maybe one person already came out earlier and reported to him as Marius was there waiting for us with a big smile on his face. Miss Frederica was also by his side. After seeing me come out, she looked relieved and then she looked at Liddy-san with a pout.

All the commanding officers lined up in front of Marius and they simultaneously knelt down. Me and Liddy-san followed suit and knelt behind them.

“With the help of Eizou-dono and Liddy-dono, we have successfully defeated the boss monster. The rest is now being wiped out by Leroy-sama. It’s only a matter of time though.”

The commanding officer officially gives a report. Miss Frederica seemed to be writing it down.

“Un. You did well.”

Marius nods and urges everyone to stand up.

“For the meantime, take a rest until everyone comes back.”

“Yes. Understood Sir.”

The commanding officers saluted to him and then they head towards the square in front of the cave. When me and Liddy-san also tried to go there, Marius stopped us.

“Oh you two, this way please.”

He led us to a tent that was probably the front line’s command center which is much smaller than the one in the garrison but still, it is quite a decent tent. Liddy-san and I looked at each other and then we followed Marius inside.

“I had you guys follow me for us to talk about your reward.”

Once we entered the tent and confirmed that no one else was around, Marius spoke to us. Well, aside from Marius’ knight guard –there are some servants around as well but Miss Frederica is not here.

“I made “Eizou” do work other than blacksmithing after all.”  

Marius continued. Calling me “Eizou” instead of “Eizou-dono” huh. It means that I can do that as well.

“What are you saying? In the first place, I was prepared to work with my spear to some extent when I was called here. Besides, it wasn’t me who defeated the boss monster, it was someone else.”

I also speak to him in my usual tone. Liddy-san looked surprised. I don’t know if it’s because of my tone or because of what I said. Or both I guess?

The commanding officer did not say that I was the one who killed it, he said that the monster was killed with my and Liddy-san’s help. For the record, me and Liddy-san did work together but it’s not strange to say that it was someone else who killed it.

“You are such a great help for being so perceptive.”

Marius says with a slightly troubled and sad look. I guess he thinks it would be better if he can defeat it but as he can’t do that, he felt bad for me.

 “Don’t mind it. That feeling is enough for me.”

I said so from the bottom of my heart.

“Thank you. Well, that’s the reason why I can’t talk about the rewards for this in front of that young lady.”

“Un, I thought it would be like that.”

If we talked about this in front of Miss Frederica, it could be recorded. She is an official dispatched from the country after all, not as a vassal of the Eimurl Family. It doesn’t matter to her whether it would be at the disadvantage of the Eimurl family or not.

“So, why did you let Liddy-san follow us too?”

If it’s just a matter for my treatment, he only need to talk to me and he shouldn’t have to bother to show this side of us.

“It is related to the other request from her. That and for me to take care of your injury.”

Marius winks as he said that. Unlike an old man like Camilo or me, it looks good when a handsome guy does that. As I am receiving medical treatment from Marius’ guard, I was thinking about such useless things.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Hearing Liddy-san’s voice, I quickly lie down. Or rather than saying I lay down, it’s better to say that I drop down on the ground. Then a bluish-white light passed above my body. Seeing that, the hobgoblin jumps back to avoid it. However, the light changed its trajectory and it chased the hobgoblin, hitting it in the end.

Whack! Along with that sound, the hobgoblin falls on its back. If it disappears, it only means that we defeated it but I doubt that it would be the case. I quickly get up and repositioned my spear. As I check its state, the hobgoblin didn’t disappear, it stood up instead and it let out a howl.

“Guoooooooooo!!”

Along with the rattle, the air trembles. It seemed to have worked. I don’t know if it’s similar to a beast, but once it’s cornered it might be more troublesome.

The second round now begins.

“It’s not enough huh…”

Liddy-san murmured behind me. It looks like she did not expect that it would survive that.

“Can you do that again?”

Though I thought that it’s no longer possible, I still asked her and as expected, Liddy-san shook her head.

“The only thing left is to use this…”

Liddy-san showed me the sword on her waist. It’s the Mithril sword that I repaired. I’ve heard that it can be used as a magic battery but I thought there was a procedure to do that…

“By the way, what do you need to do to use it?”

The fact that we already came here and she still have some hesitation to use it, there must be something important that needs to be done.

“It’s life force.”

“Eh?”

She just said something absurd with the same tone of voice as usual and for a moment, I couldn’t catch up.

“In exchange for a life force, I can draw out the magical power and I can create the magic I used before one more time.”

“Then let’s not use it!”

After Liddy-san explained it in detail, I quickly rejected it. I feel like I can see how Liddy-san brought that sword to me. But for now, let’s focus on killing the hobgoblin.

“……Okay”

Liddy-san nodded after a little hesitation. The fact that Liddy-san’s magic can no longer be used means that I have no choice but to use my cheat.

Upon my observation, it seems that the magic just now worked on that monster and its movement has now slowed down. If this is the case, it may not be impossible for me to take it down. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow and I don’t think it’s a good idea to miss this moment.

“I’ll kill it.”

I declared to Liddy-san. Well, there’s no turning back now.

The hobgoblin aims at Liddy-san again. It’s probably because it is wary of the magic she used before. However, with it doing that, it gave me an opening to take. Of course, I don’t have a reason to miss it so I also stab it with my spear. Perhaps the hobgoblin was expecting it, it simply abandoned its attack on Liddy-san and avoided my spear.

The hobgoblin dodged my spear attacks several times. However, compared to what happened a while ago, my attack is now hitting it and its wounds are healing slower than before. If I were up against a normal creature, I would be able to bring this to an endurance battle and win in the end. Sadly, it’s not a normal creature. If I were to engage in an endurance battle, I would be at a disadvantage because the hobgoblin could absorb the stagnant magic here.

While parrying the Hobgoblin’s attack, I also launched an attack and waited for an opportunity. In an irregular stance, I held the rear half of the spear’s handle with one hand and my other hand held the butt end. Neither attack was fatal. However, little by little, the hobgoblin’s attack began to hit me as well. My bruises and cuts also increase here and there. I’m glad that those nails aren’t poisonous.

Then the chance I was waiting for finally came. The hobgoblin tried to dodge when I made a faint attack. I stabbed my spear with all my might and it jumped back. I had been waiting for this moment.

Just before I fully thrust it out, I removed my hand from the handle of the spear and then I pushed the butt end of the spear with my other hand. Although it was much weaker compared if I throw it with a proper javelin throwing stance, the spear, which had enough speed due to my enhanced muscle strength, tore through the air.

“Gaah!?”

It didn’t hit the center of the chest as it’s not something I can aim at this moment but the spear pierced the abdomen of the hobgoblin. There was no way for it to avoid the spear as it flew in the same direction where the hobgoblin jumped to. The hobgoblin stumbled forward. During that moment, I had already drawn my short sword and I jumped towards the hobgoblin’s chest.

The hobgoblin tries to regain its stance but I pushed the handle of the spear that is sticking out from its abdomen to prevent him from doing so. Once again, there is an opening. I then quickly stabbed the short sword into its chest.

“Guga!”

With a painful cry, it finally fell sideways. I won the match.

I quickly swung the short sword down to the neck of the fallen hobgoblin. The neck separated from the torso and eventually, both parts disappeared. Seeing that, I collapsed like a puppet with a broken string. As expected, it is the limit of my physical strength. From the corner of my eye, I saw Liddy-san running up to me with tears.

“Are you alright!?”

Liddy-san asked me as she crouched down beside me to look at my face. Her eyes look beautiful as usual.

“I’m fine. I have some wounds but none are fatal. Ah-, I’m tired…”

As I said so while panting, Liddy-san lightly poked my head.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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This chapter is sponsored by Raymond Anthony. Enjoy reading!

“The innermost part is right inside!”

The commanding officer informed me and Liddy-san. There’s something like an entrance at the end of the hall.

“The two of you, guard here! We are going inside!”

The soldiers nodded and one after another, they quickly arrived next to each side of the entrance. I wonder if this squad is one of the most skilled when they cleared out the area. Well, otherwise, they wouldn’t be brought along to be Liddy-san’s escort. She is also our decisive weapon after all so it would be useless if she dies along the way.

When we barged inside, I found that the space was not as large as before but still, it is quite large. The soldiers quickly positioned themselves in front of us. Illuminated by the torches, I saw that there’s a great number of goblins inside and there is also a goblin that was much larger than the normal goblins. I’m not that tall myself but it is comparably taller than me. Just like the normal goblins, it doesn’t have clothes or armor but the goblin looked muscular.

That’s the boss huh. I’d rather call it a hobgoblin though.

“We’ll get rid of the small fries around it, I’ll leave the boss to you guys!”

“Alright!”

I also shout back hearing the commanding officer’s shout. It’s finally time huh. I gripped the handle of the spear tightly. The commanding officer and his men began to handle the goblins around the hobgoblin. The commanding officer cuts them down with a single sword strike, but the other soldiers took a little time to do so. The hobgoblin is not sitting idly either. Along with the goblins, it attacked the soldiers who have just handled their opponents and they are now barely able to save themselves.

I see, so this is why they retreated yesterday huh.

Unlike today, there must have been more of them yesterday. There are many goblins between us and the hobgoblin so we are not yet in a position where we can fight the hobgoblin. Despite its size, the hobgoblin moves very fast. I tried to attack the hobgoblin as I deal with the goblins several times but I could only hurt it a little. In this state, I will not be able to inflict a fatal wound on it.

If it hits the right place, this spear can easily pierce the opponent’s skin even if it is a little hard, but if it does not hit, there is nothing I could do. It’s vexing, but I could only wait for the chance for me to get in a position where I can quickly get close to the enemy and that could only be done once a path is made.

While we were fighting like this, the goblins dwindled in number and captain and the others could now hold them back, finally creating a path between us and the hobgoblin. Seeing that, Liddy-san and I quickly approached the hobgoblin.

It’s 2 versus 1. This is advantageous in terms of numbers but that doesn’t mean that I can just simply stab it with my spear and say “There, it’s over”.

To separate the goblins from the hobgoblin, I thrust my spear towards the hobgoblin. The hobgoblin avoided it quickly as expected. At the same speed as that, I pulled back my spear and stabbed it again. I’m not expecting that I’ll hit it like that though. The hobgoblin also keeps a distance after it dodges it. By repeating this, I managed to create a distance between the hobgoblin and the goblins.

Of course, in between that, the hobgoblin also attacks me. If it aims at me, I’ll take a few hits at worst, but I can’t let that happen if it aims at Liddy-san. And since there’s also interference from the goblins, I could only defend frantically.

Whew-, it’s great that I was given combat cheat as well….

Without this cheat, it wouldn’t be possible for me to fend off the enemy while protecting someone. I thanked her(?) in my heart. Then at that moment, I thought that I heard a giggling voice saying, “You’re welcome”.

Eventually, I was able to pull the hobgoblin to a distance where the goblins could not get in the way. It’s now Liddy-san’s turn.

“What should I do now?”

While fending off against the hobgoblin’s attack, I asked Liddy-san for instructions. I tried to get rid of it but it’s quite difficult to do because I’m still looking after Liddy-san.

“Eizou-san please try to keep the monster from moving as much as possible. I’ll make preparations in the meantime. Please get down when I give you the signal.”

Liddy-san replied with a clear voice. I nod to express my understanding. But it’s fine if I kill it right? Uh-, I swallowed back my words. When I took a closer look, I saw that the wounds I made just now is already closing up. Could this be――

“It’s healing itself with magical power!”

I instinctively said so. This time, Liddy-san nods at my words.

“It can’t recover like that with pure magical power but if there is stagnant magical power, it will heal like that.”

So this is why it took so long for the soldiers to kill the goblins. This is also the real reason why they couldn’t kill the hobgoblin even though they came in large number yesterday. This is really troublesome.

There’s no point in complaining though. I have to deal with this hobgoblin until Liddy-san finishes her preparations. I thrust my spear with an intention to kill it but it’s difficult as it’s too fast and it could also recover. It’s different from the bear. If so, it’s time to increase the number of moves so that it can’t do anything else.

Aiming at it is the second priority, I focused more on the number of moves I can do. Occasionally, I hit the hobgoblin and manage to wound it but it won’t take long for that wound to heal.

Instead of just waiting to be killed, the hobgoblin also focused on me before it attacks. When it aimed at Liddy-san a couple of times before, I was able to make an attack that would have killed it if I hit it. I don’t know if it have any feelings, but probably because of that, I think it must have been very scared. At least it seems to be capable of learning.

I thrust my spear once again and seeing a slight opening, it throws a kick at me. The kick was so sharp that it makes a whooshing sound. If it hits me, I will not be in a state where I can continue the battle. I twisted my body to dodge it, I then pulled the spear and thrust it out again but it also dodged it.

How long did it go on like this?

Well, I don’t know the exact time because I’ve been waging my life all this time. But I think, at least about quarter of an hour has passed. Then Liddy shouted,

“Please get down!”

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Why is it necessary for us to defeat that boss thing?”

I asked the commanding officer.

“Monsters are a lump of stagnant magical power.”

The answer did not come from the commanding officer, but from Liddy-san. It was a soft but clear voice.

“A monster is born from stagnant magical power after all.”

“They are not exactly a living creature?”

“Yes. Aside from dragons, demonic race, or those who were originally living that turned into monsters, the monsters born from magical power are not alive like us. As they are born from magical power, they could easily multiply. Furthermore, they would attack anything that is alive.”

Like those enemy monsters in the computer games in my previous world huh. You don’t know what kind of life they live, they just attack you and appear endlessly.

“What happens if we kill them?”

“The magical power that they have in their body disappears. If it’s something that is alive, its body will remain, but the magical power will disappear.”

I don’t know if the bear I defeated before was considered to be a monster. There is no doubt that it was not born from magical power though. I thought that magical power is something like an energy, but apparently, it’s a little different. Well, at least it doesn’t have a conservation law. The energy that existed but disappeared afterwards is still too mysterious for me though.

“So…if we do not defeat the boss, a monster will be born from its magical power. Then more monsters will be born based on the magical power of that born monster. Is that right?”

“Yes”

“So if we leave them alone, they will multiply endlessly huh.”

It’s like the monsters will be multiplying like rats.

“That’s right. Normally, monsters only spring up little by little, but if a large number of monsters emerged for some reason, it will be a big deal. And that happened a while ago…. Here.”

“Eh?”

Just now she said something heavy without hesitation. I got curious but did not delve on it.

“We barely fought them off but there were a few monsters left. We tried to keep them from increasing for some time now but we couldn’t defeat them all. And since the same thing is likely to happen again, we asked for a subjugation team.”

“So that’s how it is huh.”

The elves can defeat the boss but they can’t go all the way there. On the other hand, the subjugation team can make a way to reach there but they can’t defeat the boss. They then agreed to join hands and annihilate them.

While talking about such things, the sound of the battle became quite loud. I can see the torchlight shimmering, and there are also some reflected light, probably coming from the swords. It seems that there is a little hall ahead of us. As far as I can see from here, it’s a big battle.

“Alright, you should protect the elf lady!”

The commanding officer shouted at me as we moved forward.

“I know that without you telling me!!”

I shouted back at him as loud as I could, and held my spear at the ready while shielding Liddy-san behind me. The soldiers also stepped in front of us and began to clear the area.

As we entered the middle of the battle, with the help of the light on the torches, I could finally see the features of monsters here. Rike may get angry when I say this, but they are about the height of a dwarf, only, they have greenish skin. They have bald head, pointed nose, and their glaring eyes glowed yellow. Unbalanced limbs, like thin dead branches, extend from their body.

The closest thing to them that I know is the goblins. But the goblins that I know are a bit more civilized, they are clothed and armed, but these guys don’t have anything on their bodies and their weapons are their long claws and razor-sharp fangs, making them look almost like a beast.

They jumped at the soldiers, but most of them were blocked and slashed. The goblins that have been cut off do not spatter blood and once they were killed, they turned into black ash and they disappear just like that.

I see, so this is what she meant when she said they are not a living creature….

From time to time they throw themselves upon the soldiers. And perhaps since the soldier was just jumped on, he misunderstood the distance and the sword he swung vigorously in the air struck against the rock on the ground. Certainly, the sword will be distorted and chipped this way.

Oh well, let’s just fix the ones that I can still fix when we get back.

The soldiers are clearing the way in front of me so I’m going forward while protecting Liddy-san and focusing on the rear. On our way there, a goblin approached us, perhaps it slipped through the gaps between the soldiers.

I thrust out my spear so as not to hit the soldiers and then the tip of my spear caught the center of the goblin’s body and it pierced right in. The lack of substance I just saw and the feeling in my hand don’t match up, which is really weird. Even though the performance of the spear is equivalent to that of a custom-made model, it still feels a little like I just pierced a flesh. I quickly pulled out the spear and the goblin disappeared before it could fall to the ground. There was nothing left behind.

I slaughtered about four goblins just by crossing the hall. Some of the soldiers were injured, but they are generally safe so the goblins eventually reduced in number. With the battle behind us, we rushed into the deepest part of the cave, where the boss was waiting for us.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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“Liddy-san…?”

In my surprise, I blurted Liddy-san’s name. It would have been better if I acted like it’s our first meeting but it’s too late for that now.

“Eizou-san!?”

Liddy-san also called out my name with a relatively loud voice. Her almond eyes were so round as she stared at me with wide eyes. I had never seen her have such expression during her stay with us. That only shows the huge shock she’s having.

“Are you two… acquaintance?”

Marius asked without hiding his curiosity. This way of asking doesn’t feel like Marius is on to something though. He is not grinning either.

“Yea-, Yes. I’ve done a work request from her before.”

There was no need to hide it so I answered honestly. Liddy-san’s expression returned back to her normal cool self and she nodded silently in assent to my words but she’s probably a little embarrassed too.

“Oh, I see. Even with such unsociable expression you can’t be underestimated huh.”

“You must be joking…”

Marius spoke with a slight grin. That is obviously a look of someone who just found a new toy. I can barely reply as I tried my best to keep my current position intact.

“Then I guess I don’t need to introduce you to each other. She’s the escort target though. Your mission is to take her safely to the innermost part of the cave.”

“Understood. I will protect her with my life.”

Marius and I had a polite exchange. I’m a little embarrassed because we actually knew each other.

“If it’s Eizou-san who will escort me, I’m more reassured. Well, I’ll be counting on you.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Whether or not she knew how embarrassed I was, Liddy-san said that with a smile that made it feel like a flower was blooming.

Even though I myself is a guard, there are soldiers around me too. I heard that there were not many ferocious beasts around here so it was rather easy for us to get to the cave. Even so, I kept a minimum of vigilance so that I can brandish my spear at any time.

Eventually, the forest come to an end and a meadow spreads out. And on the far side, there’s a mountain that doesn’t look very high but the cave is probably at the foot of it. The soldier who was a little ahead of us found the trail where the main army passed by and then we followed that.

Most of the beasts must have gone elsewhere since the army passed through here. Though we have fewer people, none of the beasts dared to attack us. Shortly after, I saw the cave with a gaping wide opening and about ten soldiers gathered in front of it as they guard in the entrance. The others appeared to have already entered the cave.

“Alright, let’s also go inside.”

Of the remaining 10 people, a man who seems to be their commanding officer said that to us. We nodded to show that we agreed. Marius and his bodyguards are staying here, or rather, he is not going to go inside and take command. I’m sure they’ll go inside if a need arises though.

One of the soldiers transferred a fire from the campfire that was burning near the entrance to the torch and light it up. Perhaps because the party earlier had already cleared the area, we did not come across anything even after moving for half an hour.

“Even so, it’s deep huh.”

I muttered inadvertently.

“Yes, it’s pretty deep. We went to the deepest part once yesterday, and it would have taken us about an hour to get there without any obstacles.”

If that’s the case, this cave is a little less than 4 kilometers huh. It’s certainly deep. There is almost no branching and there are torch set up in the right path so I’m relieved to know that we won’t get lost. The only thing that worries me about using torches in a place like this is the oxygen. However, it seems to have been burning for a long time so there must be places where air goes in and out. I don’t feel any wind so I am still a little worried though.

“The longer it is, the easier it is for the stagnant magical power to accumulate. It is said that when the stagnant magical power exceeds a certain level, monsters will spring up, but the details are unknown.”

Liddy-san explained. To put it the other way around, monsters rarely appear unless it is at this level. Though the Black Forest has a lot of magical power, I can understand why monsters rarely grow there. However, though I haven’t heard of one, it might be better to ask Samia if there is a cave there. It would be a problem if monsters suddenly spring up from there one day.

As we went a little further, I heard a muffled metallic sound. In this situation, it must be the sound of battle. It’s hard to tell if it’s still far away or close by because the sound is probably reverberating.

“By the way, you managed to go all the way to innermost part of the cave but you didn’t get rid of it yesterday?”

While we were walking in a hurry, I asked the commanding officer. Well, we are not running because if we do, we won’t be in the best condition once we get there.

“Yes. It is a little strong so we decided to withdraw just in case.”

“I see. So, we are going there today?”

“The monsters won’t stop emerging if we don’t defeat that thing. However, that can’t be done with just the new recruits. The villagers here said that they know how to defeat that thing so that’s the reason why we are bringing them along.”

I don’t want to treat Liddy-san like an object, but this is like we are carrying the necessary explosives deep into the enemy base to blow it up. Well, since it’s like that, we just have to get them all the way there safely. We then speed up towards the sound of the battle, which was getting louder and louder.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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