The guy clad in full armor with the massive codpiece walked straight up to the reception desk, forcefully slamming his hand down as he uttered a single word, "Goblins."
Surprisingly, the receptionist appeared delighted by his presence and greeted him with enthusiasm, "Welcome back, Goblin Layer-san."
I couldn't help but interject, a touch irritated, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up, buddy. I was here first." And what's with his name? It's not "Goblin Slayer," but "Goblin Layer." What did that even mean? While pondering these thoughts, he turned to me and offered an apology, saying, "I'm sorry; you can go first." It was unexpected. I had half-expected him to throw a temper tantrum, but instead, he proved to be quite understanding.
I turned to the receptionist, mirrored the armored man's action by slamming my hand on the desk, and uttered a single word, "Goblins."
The heavily armored guy, his curiosity piqued, asked, "Oh, are you a fellow goblin Layer?"
I responded with a casual shrug, "I have no idea what that means, but probably not."
Yet, the receptionist once again regarded me with concern and questioned, "Sir, are you sure about this?"
"Yes, I am. Now, give me that quest and tell me where I can find these goblins," I demanded, my tone slightly irritated.
*Sigh*
She let out a weary sigh and replied, "Fine, please hand me your guild card. I'll register the quest for you. As for where you can find them, head to the outskirts of the city and travel southwest for about two hours. If you have a horse or can catch a carriage, it'll get you there faster. Once you arrive, you'll come across a small village, and the goblin cave is situated near that village." She requested my guild card and provided the necessary information.
I handed her my guild card, but she continued to express concern, repeating the same question, "Sir, it's not too late to change your mind."
"How many times do I have to tell you? Just give me the damn quest," I snapped, my anger showing.
"Whoa there, buddy, just because you're an adventurer doesn't mean you can shout at the receptionist without reason," the armored man reprimanded me for my behavior. He had a point; I was taking out my frustration on this poor woman when she was only expressing concern.
I acknowledged my mistake and said, "I'm sorry about that. I've had a really rough morning. Thank you for your concern, but I have my own reasons for hunting goblins." I then proceeded to explain my motivations to her.
"Well, if that's truly what you want, I can't stop you. I'll pray for your success, so please stay safe out there," she said with a gentle smile.
"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," I replied, returning her smile.
She then took my guild card and scanned it in a machine that resembled a computer before handing it back to me. I accepted it gratefully and thanked her once more.
I returned to the armored guy, feeling a bit embarrassed for my earlier outburst. "Sorry about that. My name is Dokuta Doyama, an Iron-Ranked adventurer who recently arrived in the capital city," I introduced myself, extending my hand in a gesture of goodwill.
"Nice to meet you, Dokuta Doyama. My nickname is Goblin Layer, and I am a Silver-Ranked adventurer," he replied, offering a firm handshake. A nickname, huh? Well, that's fine. I noted that he held a rank higher than mine, which was to be expected.
As I pondered this, Goblin Layer spoke up again. "Anyway, I'm sure you've guessed by now, but I'm an expert when it comes to goblins. If you'd like, I can accompany you to the goblin's cave," he offered, extending his assistance as a guide.
"I really appreciate your offer, but unfortunately, I will have to decline it. As I mentioned earlier, I have my own reasons for going after these goblins," I politely rejected his offer.
There was a sound rationale behind this decision. Forming a party with him would limit my ability to use my skills freely, and I had no intention of exposing Truck-Kun to anyone. Additionally, I wanted to test both my and Truck-Kun's new skills if the opportunity arose.
"I understand. That's too bad," he replied. With that, we bid each other farewell, and I continued on my way.
I made my way to the city outskirts, summoned Truck-Kun, climbed inside, and started driving. With Truck-Kun's help, we reached the designated village in just 45 minutes. Once we arrived, I unsummoned Truck-Kun.
I then ventured into the village and decided to seek directions from the locals. I came across a middle-aged woman accompanied by a young girl, likely a mother and her daughter. I approached them and initiated a conversation, "Excuse me, ma'am, but could you please tell me how to reach the goblin cave?" I asked politely.
The woman looked at me quizzically and inquired, "Are you an adventurer sent by the guild?"
"Yes, indeed, I am, but I'm relatively new here. Could you please tell me how to reach the goblin cave?" I replied to her, politely reiterating my question.
The young girl accompanying her then chimed in with an innocent curiosity, "Mister, are you strong?"
I nodded and assured her with a gentle smile, "Yes, I'm quite strong."
Innocence turned into earnestness as the little girl made her request, her eyes filled with plea, "Then, can you get rid of those goblins? They keep stealing our food, weapons, and other things. Because of them, everyone in the village is having a hard time."
"Of course, little lady, that's why I came here in the first place," I assured her with a reassuring smile.
"Yay! Thank you, Mister!" the little girl exclaimed, her cheerful smile lighting up her face. Then, her mother posed a question.
"Sir, are you sure you'll be alright on your own? Don't you have a party with you?" she inquired, her eyes filled with concern.
"Ma'am, I'm a summoner, so I typically hunt with my summons. I don't really need a party," I explained, reassuring her.
"I see, then that's fine. As for how to reach the goblin's cave, simply head north from the village, and you'll easily find it. As my daughter just mentioned, they've been causing a lot of problems for us and the other travelers," she provided me with clear directions to the goblin cave while wearing a tired expression.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked her, "Ma'am if that's the case, why did you build a village here?"
She explained, "Well, those goblins only appeared a few months ago. Prior to that, the cave used to be a mine, and this village was a mining town. Two years ago, we exhausted all the veins in the cave, so we decided to abandon it. Fortunately, we found two other veins nearby, so this village doesn't have to worry about money. However, due to our negligence, those goblins took over the abandoned mines now." She recounted this with a weary expression.
"Ma'am, where can I find the map of the abandoned mine?" I asked her, my curiosity piqued.
She replied, "You can go and ask our village chief for the map. He'll be happy to provide you with a copy. He does that for all adventurers. Usually, most male adventurers avoid goblins, which is why only female adventurers take on the quest to hunt them. Even among them, many leave after hunting a few goblins. So, we can use as many adventurers as we can," she explained, shedding light on the situation in the village.
Her words mirrored what I had heard from the receptionist earlier. This raised a question in my mind. What exactly did they mean by male adventurers avoiding goblins? I decided it was time to find out for myself.
"Ma'am, where can I find this village chief?" I inquired with curiosity.
She extended her hand, pointing toward a somewhat larger house, indicating that it was the village chief's residence. I thanked her and made my way to the village chief's house.
Upon arriving, I knocked on the door and waited patiently. After a moment, the door swung open, revealing an elderly man who stepped out of the house. He asked me, "Can I help you with something?"
"Good morning, sir. I'm an adventurer who came here to hunt some goblins, and I heard from some locals that you can provide me with a map of the abandoned mines. Could I please have one of those copies?" I asked him with curiosity.
Upon hearing my request, he suddenly brightened up and said, "Really? Why don't you come inside and have some tea? We can discuss that inside." He extended the invitation and offered me tea.
I politely declined, saying, "Thank you for the offer, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. Could I please have the map?"
He seemed concerned and asked, "Well, I can give it to you, but will you be alright on your own?"
*Sigh*
I let out a weary sigh and explained, "Sir, I'll be fine. I'm a summoner, and I usually hunt with my summons. That's why I don't have a party with me." It seemed like I had to repeat this information to multiple people today.
He seemed to understand this time and said, "Well, if that's the case, then I guess it's fine. Just wait a minute."
After a few minutes, he returned with something in his hand. "Here, young man, this is the map for the abandoned mine. Please take care of yourself out there," he handed me the map and offered his words of caution.
I accepted the map, thanked him, and began walking towards the mines.