Chapter 60: Slaughter
As the plot of "Goblin Slayer" continued to unfold, the audience, who had initially expected to watch a light-hearted comedy, found their spirits utterly shattered. They watched the story unfold almost numbly, all letting out a collective sigh of relief when the fully-armored knight successfully rescued the sole surviving priestess.
After all, they couldn't bear to witness another adorable girl suffer at the hands of goblins.
"First one..."
"Then the second one..."
Following that, the Goblin Slayer swiftly dispatched the two goblins attacking him with lightning-fast moves.
There was no playfulness, no sudden bursts of humor. In "Goblin Slayer," only blood and slaughter were stripped of their glamorous veneer of glory and laid bare before every audience member.
When the cold-blooded Goblin Slayer declared that the fallen female mage was beyond saving and personally ended her life, most of the female viewers gasped in shock.
After all, stage plays rarely depicted such blatant death scenes, and "Konosuba God Blessings On This Wonderful World" scarcely featured any fatalities in its plot. Yet, "Goblin Slayer" made it clear from the start that it had no intention of toning down the brutality of slaughter. Instead, it vividly presented the gruesome imagery of blood-drenched corpses to everyone.
At this moment, even the knight Ryne appeared somewhat distressed. After all, witnessing a young girl meet such a cruel fate, with the protagonist not even attempting to save her but instead affirming her death, was not something that could leave him in a good mood, as a knight.
However, sitting beside him, Wilcliff couldn't help but speak up: "This is the right choice. The most feared thing on the battlefield isn't powerful enemies but becoming a burden to your teammates. Reality is different from those heroic tales in biographies. When a comrade is injured beyond immediate treatment, it's crucial to spare them from further suffering and ensure you can eliminate the enemy."
"Isn't it our duty as knights to protect the weak?" Ryne's naive words prompted a reflective remark from General Wilhelm, who was also watching the movie from a distance. "With gain comes loss. The Goblin Slayer made this sacrifice to save more people captured by goblins in the cave. If he were to waste time caring for someone he could hardly save, like the female fighter who was just captured, we can easily imagine the fate that awaits her."
Seeing two experienced elders express the same opinion, Ryne immediately fell silent. Yet, he still couldn't reconcile the protagonist's actions in the movie.
However, gradually, as the protagonist swiftly eliminated the remaining goblins in the cave due to his absolute experience advantage, and declared, 'These guys didn't even consider that they could be ambushed,' Ryne suddenly felt a tingling sensation from head to toe.
It wasn't fear of the scene that caused this sensation, but rather the realization of how cool the protagonist truly was!
Indeed, although the Goblin Slayer in the movie wasn't a dragon-slaying hero or an accomplished adventurer, all the audience gradually began to recognize his charm and eagerly anticipated the unfolding plot.
The movie was just beginning? What would happen next? Would the protagonist defeat more terrifying monsters? What would happen to the adorable priestess he saved?
Amidst the audience's anticipation, the goblin extermination mission was swiftly executed. Finally, when the Goblin Slayer, having flawlessly executed his plan to wipe out all the goblins in the cave, gently pushed his oil-covered self into the cave, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and rejoiced in the execution of justice.
After all, the hero had vanquished the evil goblins and rescued the captured villagers, a common trope in most adventurer novels. Although the movie's depiction didn't leave people feeling cheerful, the undeniable outcome was good.
However, when the Goblin Slayer opened a hidden wooden door and hurled his axe towards the trembling little goblins before him, the audience couldn't stay seated any longer.
"These... since all the adult goblins have already been killed, these juveniles don't pose any threat..." Ryne's words revealed his inner conflict. After all, the knight's upbringing taught him to protect the weak and punish the strong, so even when faced with goblin offspring, he couldn't overcome the moral dilemma in his heart. This sentiment echoed throughout the audience.
As the Goblin Slayer uttered, "The only good goblin is a goblin that never shows itself," the entire theater fell into a silent contemplation, with everyone pondering the implications of such a statement about race relations.
Though people knew the protagonist had done the right thing, they couldn't derive satisfaction from executing justice. Instead, they felt a profound sense of unease.
Soon, as they watched the rescued girls and the emotionally scarred female fighter withdraw, the audience felt a deep sense of oppression.
This oppression made them hesitate to even consider if such stories were happening in the real world. They only found solace when they saw the priestess resolve to join the experienced Goblin Slayer in eradicating goblins.
After the first segment of the plot, everyone's minds remained unsettled, and the room fell silent. Only the flickering images on the white walls continued.
During this time, opinions about the Goblin Slayer remained mixed. Some girls even suspected that the Goblin Slayer under the armor was actually a giant goblin, as his behavior seemed far from human, making the idea of him being a monster seem more plausible.
As the plot progressed, delving into the Goblin Slayer's memories intertwined with his daily life, especially when he destroyed goblin strongholds in the distance and recounted his past...
The audience finally realized that the cold-hearted Goblin Slayer was just an ordinary person consumed by vengeance.
In response, General Wilhelm, sitting in his seat, let out a long sigh and remarked, "Wilcliff, do you see? This Goblin Slayer is just like you were in your younger days. What color do you think the world you and he see is?"
"It must be gray..." replied Knight Commander Wilcliff calmly. Yet, within his words resonated a sense of world-weariness, as if recalling something unforgettable from a distant past.
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