Around a week passed since Rumba arrived at Coryatt Village, I guess. Since I didn't like having someone else at the mansion, so I offered my home as a place to stay at.
It's more luxurious than the village inn, you know?
I was expecting that he might whine, but he accepted it with no objection.
If he can't cook, he can go to Celia-san's restaurant. Though I think he can cook a dish or two since he's an adventurer. If he doesn't have money he can go hunt in the mountains. Though Rumba said that he has quite a bit saved up so I think it should be alright.
Maybe I should build a third base.
Today, I decided to head to the forest with Rumba. The reason being that I want the wisdom of adventurers. If he can't help me, there's no meaning to me providing my home to him.
"I told Nord about it, but is it alright? Not calling Eleanora."
"But, with Eleanora-neesan, it would become charge and annihilate from the get-go."
"That's true."
Rumba, not moving in trickles like the robot vacuums (Roomba) in Earth, was moving silently with accurate footsteps.
Roombas have 1st gen or 2nd gen, so it feels a little cool. It seems like 3rd gen ones can avoid obstacles as well as have sight functions.
This Rumba too, the mechanism for cleaning monsters is amazing. There might a little problem in the AI though.
When I walk, I step on twigs, or stomp the ground.
"Take note of your surroundings properly, okay? For now, just walking with your presence controlled is enough."
"Okay. I'll be careful."
I tried to not make sounds as I stepped on grass and took care to not step on twigs as I approached deer or rabbits, but they notice my presence in the end.
As for Rumba, he silently walked through the knee-length grass and approached a wild boar, then hurled a rock at it.
How he manages to that with such a large body is a mystery.
Hit with a rock, the angered wild boar came charging. Rumba caught the boar with the arms he take pride in and easily threw it. Too hearty.
.
While I was going on even as I had trouble killing my presence, Rumba suddenly stopped me with his hand.
"Is there something?"
With a soft voice, I spoke to Rumba.
"A monster... though it's just a goblin."
"A monster!?"
The moment I heard the word 'monster' from Rumba, I felt a chill run down my spine as I froze up.
I slowly turned my gaze to the small path up ahead.
There was the sound of something moving in the grass, then the goblin appeared from the bush. Small green body, with pointy ears. The large nose on its face was characteristic of it. Maybe it was one that wandered off from the group, since it kept looking around.
"Al, is this the first time that you're seeing a monster?"
"I saw one from far away."
Yes, I saw one before. A wolfish monster with white fur called Wind Wolf.
I got frightened at the sharp gaze of the Wind Wolf, so I immediately ran away using teleportation that time.
"Well, it's just a goblin. The ferocious ones sometimes have swords, but this one's barehanded so it should be alright. Al, want to try defeating it with your sword?"
"No, even barehanded, that could inflict fatal wounds to a six-year-old. And if I'm going to fight, I'll be doing it with magic.
"Oh? That makes sense. Al, your specialty is in magic, after all."
While we were talking, the guy seemed to have noticed too, as it cried, "Gii," in a thick voice and started coming over here.
"If you want to defeat it safely using magic, don't let it close in, okay? That will make it turn into a close-quarters combat, you know?"
Rumba held the sword that was as tall as him and stared at the goblin.
"Huh? Where's Al?"
[Here—!]
I shouted to Rumba from far away.
"Ha? Why are you so far away!"
[Because it's scary up close!]
"Scary my ass! Seriously, when'd you do that?!"
Eh? I merely increased the distance using teleportation. Currently, the distance between the goblin and me is about thirty metres.
Rumba was, maybe planning on making me defeat it, ran over to me, leading the goblin to me.
Since it was little, the distance between Rumba and the goblin was widened greatly. Even so, the goblin ran hard with its bowlegs.
I created two icicles using ice magic. A coldness gathered in front of me and turned into icicles. Thanks to the icicles, the temperature around me dropped quickly.
"Rumba—! I'm going to attack so get out of the line of fire!"
"Sure thing!"
Thanks to Rumba moving away, the line of fire to the goblin was secured.
Sorry Rumba. It became more bothersome because I increased the distance with teleportation.
I imagined the giant stationary crossbow used from the ancient age to the medieval age and shot the two icicles.
[Ballista!]
With a deep sound, the icicles sliced through the air, one into the chest of the goblin, while the other tore off its arm and spiked it to the ground. The blood didn't have the familiar colour of red, but was purple.
If it was red, I might have thrown up from feeling queasy.
When I approached the goblin, it wasn't moving at all.
The thought that I killed makes me feel very gloomy. The image of the icicles piercing the goblin isn't disappearing from my head.
Already, there were a few times I hunted animals like rabbits or boars. I concluded that it was for living.
But, killing a humanoid creature, I could feel my heart growing chilly. I couldn't accept it. Even if that was a monster.
Probably, I, put up reasons like, 'safety', 'from far away', or 'with magic' because I was afraid of killing a humanoid creature with my hands.
Phew— I sighed to change the mood. Rumba too seemed to have understood my feelings, as he was standing next to me with a complicated expression.
To move on, I steeled my resolve and looked down at the corpse of the goblin.
"...This is quite horrible."
"...Your magic, that is."
No, Rumba. I'm being serious now...