Almost against my will, my feet brought me to the front of the caravan. I saw Charlie in the corner of my eye, just as reluctantly following me. I was too rattled myself, to pay much attention to him.
To be standing barely yards away from the bizarre creatures, I only thought to be confined within fantasy books, gave me a weird feeling akin to fear. My skin crawled looking at their smirks and the murderous gaze in their eyes.
Their weapons were coated with rust and none of them look sharp. But weapons and steel still. A good hit would be able to wound and possibly inflict tetanus. Most of all, they held them with more confidence than Agag's rubble did.
My heart pounded so loudly that I could barely hear the giggling of these damned creatures and the panicked mutterings of the fishermen. Embarrassing really, that I so underestimated the goblins. Hiding behind a computer screen was so much different than facing them face to face.
Charlie finally reached my side. He seemed to have taken forever traversing a few meters, likely dragging his feet as much as he could. He was sweating profusely.
The loud creaking of the wheels reached my ears. We turned around to see that the fisherfolk had created a wall of carts, and them behind it, and we were on the other side.
What good men they are.
"Earn your keep, Sellswords." Erwin said, and I began to hate his voice and that gaunt face that looked like if Abraham Lincoln did cocaine.
I want my reward to be a free roundhouse kick if I ever survived this.
"You fool. What do we do next? If I die here, nobody's going to take care of my sick sister." Charlie said almost crying. "You careless mutt. I should have not followed you."
Even then, he had kept his words in a whispered tone. Thus, the fishermen might not even know that we were pissing our pants.
"I did not know that." I said, and I felt genuinely sorry. Never had a sister, but from what I saw on the internet, they were kinda great.
"But why would you die here? A veteran caravan guard like you, would die encountering a rabble of green toddlers carrying reject weapons?" I continued, the words were more for me. To be isekai'd and to be killed by goblins in a completely unnecessary quest would be a very funny joke.
"All I did was walk. I did not know the first thing about fighting." he finally admitted, and I was not surprised in the least.
"Lucky me, then."
As it turned out, it would not even be a two against seven. With a useless man like him at my side, this would be more like me against the entire band.
The goblins did not let us further our pathetic conversation and sprung into action, cackling like witches as they did so. They were quick and I had only seconds to decide what to do.
Not that I had any good options.
I could try to run away, which was something I am very good at. My points in agility would help, and even if I did not outrun the goblins, I only need to outrun Charlie and the fisherman and in that I was confident.
Or I could fight and try if the thirteen stat points and one level-up I had was worth the hype.
The sword left my scabbard. And once again, I was launching myself into the enemy without a thought about any tactics. I did not know any. All I knew was that I had to land the sharp edges of the blade and hopefully fatally wound the enemy.
After my feet left the ground, the agility stat upgrade soon made itself obvious. I displayed supernatural speed. A couple of seconds and I was at sword reach of the goblin that led the attack.
The ugly green creatures were as surprised as I was.
I hit the brakes, and still with that unfamiliar speed, my body's motion broke into a vertical swing. The goblin could not stop in time and it charged into my dull blade's trajectory.
[You have slain a goblin]
[You gain 10 Experience]
The pungent purple blood gushed out at the deep slice carved into the greenskin's face. The first casualty of the battle fell lifelessly to the ground.
My hands took back control of the hilt before I over swung, as the next greenskin presented itself.
I stepped back, giving space for another strike, the sword still up in the air. The goblin helpless against his own run's momentum, stepped in front of me.
A quick downward swing connected, and the sword carved deep into the left shoulder.
[You have slain a goblin]
[You gain 10 Experience]
Then I was horrified. The second goblin knelt to the ground, the hands limped on his side, and the weapon dropped. The sword reached the heart and killed the goblin instantly, but I could not pull it out immediately.
I kicked the body. The sword moved a bit. Another kick and it was free. But those were seconds fatally wasted.
I raised my head, expecting to see the third goblin about to hit me with his sword.
"You... you did it." it was strange to be hearing Charlie's voice after what seemed like hours.
No sword touched me. No attacking goblin even.
The goblins, consistent with their reputation, had turned tail and run. I watched their backs until they disappeared into the thickness of the tall grass.
It was over as soon as it started. All my worries and fears were unfounded, and my internal monologue turned out to be too dramatic.
The cheers and words of praise soon came from the fishermen. They seemed impressed when all I really did was make two quick strikes.
[The fishermen are impressed.]
[You have gained 10 reputation]
[You have gained 10 stat points]
They were too many good things happening to me at once, that I did not know which to focus on.
"I did not know you were this good." Charlie tried to sheathe back his sword but his hand was shaking and it took a couple of tries.
"I did not know they were this easy." it was a half-truth. I knew they were this easy, then just before the fight doubted myself like a moron.
I decided to squat down to take the proof of the kill, remembering the quest.
The noses were large and stubby, and should be easy to remove, but would be a gory task. The system came to the rescue.
Before I get to do any severing, the loot button appeared. And wouldn't you know it, among the lootable items were greenskin noses.
The fishermen rearranged their carts and returned to walking. They all looked at me, like I was some glistening golden statue... except for one.
"A mercenary that knows how to use his sword, should be expected. But now it impresses us." I heard Erwin say, as he passed by me.
The rest of the journey was a breeze. Having seen my skills, the fishermen tensed down and started to enjoy their journey home. They talked loudly about the many bizarre creatures they had allegedly seen that one time when nobody else was around.
It involved half-goat-half-men creatures that they call goatmen, and half-horse-half-men creatures that were surprisingly not called horsemen but instead centaurs.
I did not believe a thing about what they said. I once claimed to see ghosts too, until I grew mature enough to admit I was only lying to myself, to make myself fit with the other kids.
Thirty minutes later and the village came to view, and the sound of the rushing waters reached my ears.
Oakrot was a small gathering of about twenty small wooden cabins, situated near a small river where the dried fish must come from. And it was surrounded by old big oak trees which must have been the origin of the name.
As soon as we reached the beginning of the narrow path leading to the village, the blue screen appeared.
[Quest: Fishermen Escort Completed]
[You gain 5 Reputation]
[You gained 20 Experience]
"It is midday, would you mind stopping by for lunch?" asked the same young fisherman who I had asked about the goblin ambush earlier.
My stomach started to rumble as if on cue, eliminating any chance to refuse the offer. Charlie readily agreed, also unwilling to walk on an empty stomach back to Whitefield.
The young fisherman led us to his humble abode and his family. The lad who I would bet was yet to reach his twenties already had a wife and two daughters.
We ate a simple meal of stew made out of herbs and mushrooms and river fish paired with good ole stale bread. Which was a big step up from just bread.
Just right after I finished my bowl, another delightful notification popped up, informing me, that the fishermen had told everyone else in the village.
[The village of Oakrot is impressed.]
[You have gained 15 reputation]
[You have gained 15 stat points]
Bob deserved a heartfelt apology. The rank was every bit overpowered.