Right now it was 12pm in the afternoon. I didn't have a watch but I can always rely on the sun's position. Right now, I was walking in the unpaved roads towards the village in my quest with a certain someone.
"Why did you ask for me, Pellet-chan?"
And I didn't get any answer, I got ignored.
If you're wondering who I'm talking to, it's the loli elf from earlier. And if you're curious of what happened before the both of us started going to the same destination, let's do a little flashback.
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"...Excuse me?"
I asked the short elf with a frightened look on my face. I was sitting on the floor after losing balance, afterall.
"You will join me in this quest. I heard during your registration that you scored a full mark, that means you're able to lift things 5,000 kilograms and above. Isn't that right?"
I nodded reluctantly. What might she do with me and my strength?
"Then come with me."
"But wh-"
"Come with me."
"Don't I get a say in this?"
"Come with me."
We continued like this for several minutes, she was too desperate, this loli. In the end, I gave up and accepted the quest with her.
So now, back to the present.
We've finally arrived at the entrance of the Village.
"So this is the place where we'll do our job. Is this place under attack?"
I asked Pellet-chan while not actually looking at her but at the obviously peaceful village.
"There have been reports of goblin sightings here lately. They've been scaring away children and stealing the crops." She informed me briskly.
"How did you know?"
"I have went here already just recently. But for a different goal in mind. Now then, let's go and talk to the village chief to inform him that we'll be taking the quest. We might get some useful information that can aid us in battle."
A village being attacked by goblins, huh. Pretty common but it's also logical in this world considering the mindset of goblins. I should just be thankful they haven't kidnapped any residents of this village yet.
Pellet-chan ushered me inside and we entered the village. I daresay, they were pretty... untroubled. I guess goblins aren't that much of a deal if it's just stealing some crops and scaring children off.
The adults were just doing their jobs while the children played. Eventually, we've reached and entered the village chief's house. It seemed like Pellet-chan already knew where it was.
We discussed the goblin subjugation quest with the village chief and he pointed to us a woodland near the village. Children often play there and it's where the lumberjacks do their work, it was also the place where sightings of goblins were said to be in.
After showing us his gratitude for accepting his request and wishing us goodluck, we immediately set out to explore the forest near the village. However, we didn't so much as see any monsters besides a pair of weak slimes that casually ignored us. We continued even further in while inspecting the ground and our surroundings for any clues of where those creatures were.
"Hey, why do you not have any weapons on you?"
The loli elf asked while turning her head to give me a side-way glance. I also knew I didn't have any weapons on me but I still went either way.
"I don't have any money to buy weapons."
She frowned as she sent violent gazes at me. Is she thinking I'm some sort of leech now, or something? She's the one who invited me though...
All of a sudden while I was averting my eyes, I noticed that Pellet-chan was holding a sword with her right hand. Seriously, where does she keep all those things?!
But then, she tossed it at me. But not with any intentions to hurt me but with the expectation that I would catch it by it's handle which I didn't fail to meet.
After seizing it's grip in mid air and taking a short look, she told me it's a silver sword and it's fine for me to use it while I still don't have a good sword yet. I nodded to her in gratitude and we continued on our exploration.
Our march came to a sudden halt when Pellet suddenly stopped walking and started kneeling on the ground.
"What's wrong?" I asked while trying to take a glimpse of what she's looking at, but I couldn't make out of it.
"Goblin footprints..."
As she informed me, I quickly readied the sword that was lent to me and looked at my surroundings.
Greenish, humanoid creatures with crooked noses and pointy ears were everywhere, no matter where I looked. Left. Right. Front. Back. They have formed a circle, trapping us inside. There were only 30 this time, I'm not that scared since I've faced a greater amount of stronger monsters just earlier. Except ofcourse, I only ran away.
"We're surrounded!"
I cried out towards the elf loli who was keeping quiet while still inspecting the foot-prints. Like, what's the use of inspecting the footprints when we're already surrounded by our targets?!
I gripped the sword tightly, and decided to protect Pellet-chan while she's so engrossed in inspecting those stupid footprints.
I injected all my strength in my new body as I prepared a sword stance I came up with just now. Raising the sword at head height in a crossed manner, I thought this was the best noob stance I could do which gives me both offense and defence.
It's a good thing that Pellet-chan is currently ducking. This way I'll have a lower chance of hitting her by mistake.
Finally, the enemies have begun their move. All of them rushed in one at a time. The first one came in from behind me, I could feel his footsteps from the vibrations on the ground.
With a swing of my sword, I turned around while producing an arc in the air. The goblin that was coming after my back had been decapitated airborne. In order to stay dry, I kicked the goblin away before it's blood had showered out of it's head, making it's red liquids shower on it's fellow goblins instead while also knocking one of them down, that ought to slow one down a bit.
While carefully inspecting any new movements, I noticed that their expressions were wrapped in fear and hesitation already. Sheesh, was I that scary?
"Kiki! Kii! Kikikikiki..."
Are they trying to communicate with their fellow goblins? They're thinking of a plan?
From behind me, I heard footsteps of more than one goblin. I quickly turned around and saw four goblins leaping to strike me with their club, spear and swords.
"Shit."
Once again, I sliced all four of the goblins with my full speed which only resulted in a flash. However, I did a little mistake. It turns out the goblin on the far left merely grimaced since it's only received a deep scratch on it's abdomen from my attack.
It's too shallow!
The slightly injured pest had a huge grin on it's ugly face as it swung it's club at my right shoulder. However, I rendered it useless right in time and blocked the attack with my left arm's wrist-guard. It was befuddled by it's failure when it thought it had won.
I instantly decapitated the goblin before a second has passed after he landed on the ground and before it could even think of escaping.
I could sense that many of the remaining goblins around me are holding discussions. And as I looked in their direction, they became even more tensed up and they began arguing and some even smacking each other in annoyance.
Finally, it seemed like they're prepared to go all at once now. The positions that the 5 goblins had lost were now covered and repaired by their kin, completely trapping us again. I briefly sent my gaze at the mage simply kneeling on the ground, probably still analyzing those damned footprints.
"Do you plan on helping me?!"
She was muttering something, although I didn't quite hear what she's saying. So I asked for a repeat.
"What?"
"Water Blade."
A ring made out of water appeared around the both of us and turned sharper as it rapidly expanded towards the circle of goblins.
The expansion was so fast that none of the Goblins were able to react on time and jump up to avoid it. Every single one were slaughtered by having their lower half severed from their body, making them die a pretty merciless death. I stared dumbfounded at the corpses, that was too cool.
"That incantation was slower than usual."
I see now! So she pretended to be harmless earlier so that the goblins wouldn't think she was actually casting a spell. That was brilliant.
Before I knew it, Pellet-chan had already walked towards the bodies and was cutting off the goblins' right ears with a knife she pulled out of her robe, putting the loot on a leather sack which she also magically pulled out. It finally crossed my mind that she likely has some sort of magic storage item. Wait, come to think of it, I didn't see the adventurers in the guild holding big packages either so it must be common in this world.
"What are you standing there for? Help me cut the goblins' right ears or else we'll have no proof to show."
I got startled for a second but eventually recovered. She tossed at my front a leather sack and I hastily tried helping her cut off goblin ears, putting them inside the leather sack. I guess this is for proof to show to the guild. And ugh... It feels weird cutting off ears of a tough-skinned green creature that looks a little like a human. Even I have never killed a chicken before.
So I guess that was the first time I've seen offense magic in this world. I'm not dense to be unable to identify magic when I see it. Even though I already saw her use something like a translation magic on me earlier. This world sure is full of surprises.
After we collected all the right ears of the 30 goblins that have attacked us, I tried going to the direction of the village to report this a success. Since slaying a single goblin is worth 15 copper coins, then the reward money for this is atleast four gold coins and 1 large silver coin. If divided by two, then my share would be two gold, 1 silver and 5 coppers.
However, just as I was going to frolic all the way back, someone pulled on my skirt making me stop. I turned my head to look at who it was and it was Pellet-chan. No way, is she going to say that she wants most of the share? I mean, if she says so, I wouldn't mind since she's the one who killed most of the enemies anyway.
"Wait... Not yet."
Is what she told me, but I didn't understand what that meant. One thing for sure though is she's not asking to have most of the reward, I should really stop judging people too often. She let go of my skirt and walked to the opposite direction of the village which lies the deeper parts of the forest. She sent me a gaze which clearly signaled "Follow me.", So I did just that.
As we moved deeper into the forest, the density of trees grew larger and the light which guided us were slightly diminishing, making it seem as thought it was already evening here. Theres likely more trees here since not many lumberjacks venture deep into the forest just to fell woods.
While in this quest, she and I haven't talked much at all. Maybe I could spear up a topic and break this silence.
"Um, where exactly are we going, Pellet-chan?"
However, she didn't answer me. She ignore me again. Or so I thought, because I didn't wait for atleast two seconds to receive a reply.
"There is a hidden passage here."
She informed me in a whisper. The gloominess of the forest was beginning to make my hair stand, but she remained composed even under this pressure.
"A hidden passage?"
I asked, quivering and looking about, to see if there were monsters behind the tree trunks we pass by. But I barely saw any signs of life in this place.
"Hum. I am a member of the Magic Tower's unknown exploration department. I was sent to this place before by the upper echelons along with my squad."
A member of the Magic Tower?! Isn't that the place Nina-san told me creates magic devices and develops magic spells?
"H-How did it go?"
"We were attacked by monsters we've never seen before. Our advanced magic were no match to their strong fur, it was as if the magic particles were shattering and simply bouncing off of them. And even when some of us used swords which surprisingly worked, the sword users were no match in strength or otherwise whenever they killed one, it would howl with it's last breath and more of those creatures will keep coming."
That sounds so terrifying. Specially in a place so dark like this...
I'm so scared right now that I began to quiver at the thought of being pounced on. Holding my sides with crossed arms, I was also checking if my sword was still in it's sheath.
"Do you think you can defeat them?"
She asked while tilting her head to look at me who was following closely behind her. I saw that her green eyes were glowing in the midst of this darkness, it gave off a feeling that she might suddenly kill me on the spot.
"I don't know... But I have an ace up my sleeve. Do you happen to have a pen and paper with you?"
Her eyes narrowed a little, but one way or another, I might need it to save both our lives. So she handed to me a piece of parchment and a quill loaded with ink. I tucked them inside the small pouch behind my back. I didn't receive it from anyone nor did I buy it in this world, it was a feature of my character's armor.
The thing with my ace is I needed these two items. The next requirement would be hard to obtain, but the important condition is already fulfilled. So simply just that one requirement is left. I hope it works when I'll need it.
After 20 minutes of walking, the trees grew so dense that it was beginning to look like it was nighttime here. I was barely able to see a thing but it looked like Pellet-chan was able to see in the dark with those green eyes of hers, she told me it was a trait of elves.
"Are we... almost there..?"
I asked Pellet-chan who began pulling me in a run since earlier for a reason, while gasping for breath I looked at her figure standing as still as a statue. She was holding her staff already, but tight enough to know that she's not calm.
"They're here..."
Said under her breath. Her eyes were fixed to a certain direction which was behind me. I began hearing from the surroundings various sounds like cracking branches, groans, nonsensical laughter, footsteps and unstable breathing.