"Are we going to hunt goblins?" Lilith asked her teacher, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Girls will always show their apprehension when faced with something bloody. After all, Lilith was a pampered young lady, and her parents would never allow her to encounter such harsh realities at her tender age. In contrast, boys were raised differently; regardless of how indulgent their parents were, noble boys would participate in various hunting activities before reaching adulthood, targeting beasts, magical creatures, or humanoid beings. By the time boys of Lilith's age came of age, they had likely already tasted blood.
Fars's decision to take Lilith along was ultimately for her own good. Her life could no longer be that of an ordinary noble girl, merely attending balls. It was for Lilith's sake that Fars had risked venturing into the realm of humans.
"With me and Yuna around, you don't need to worry about those goblins harming you. Besides, you've learned Arcane Missile, haven't you? This is a great opportunity to practice. If you perform well tonight, I'll give you a special gift," he encouraged.
The little girl remained tense, knowing she would be going out with her teacher at night. Yet, she also felt a strong desire to test the effectiveness of her newly learned spell. After all, it was her first offensive magic, and it would be strange if she didn't feel a bit excited.
Finally, after a moment of hesitation, Lilith nodded. Fars smiled and gently patted her head, adding, "Magic is something that improves with practice, especially basic spells. If used correctly, they can be just as effective as higher-level magic. With your talent, it won't be long before you surpass me."
The innkeeper found it odd that they were going out so late, but it was none of his business as long as they fulfilled their duties. After all, Fars had already prepaid for three days, so he wasn't worried about them not returning.
Choosing to hunt goblins in the woods outside the city at night had its advantages, primarily avoiding the throngs of adventurers. In Ironwood City, at least twenty percent of adventurers had taken on this task, and the overwhelmed Adventurers' Guild had made it an open mission—no need to formally accept it; just bring back goblin heads to claim the reward.
Many adventurers had the same idea, and on the way to the lumberyard, they encountered numerous fellow hunters carrying torches. While nighttime posed dangers, the low-level goblins preferred to move under the cover of darkness to avoid the many humans roaming about during the day. The lure of profit was a strong motivator for many adventurers, and those brave enough to venture out at night were typically skilled.
Historically, Ironwood City had a thriving lumber industry. Ironwood trees took about fifty years to grow to a usable size and hardness. With relentless logging over thousands of years, the lumberyards had to move further away from the city, gradually pushing deeper into the forest. The straight road from Ironwood City to the lumberyard stretched at least twenty miles. Moreover, the lumberyard was merely a collection point for felled trees, a small corner compared to the vast Ironwood forest.
Goblins were widely distributed, leaving traces throughout the Ironwood forest. Fars had always wondered why these timid creatures dared to inhabit areas frequented by humans. If they were merely passing through, they shouldn't linger too long. Was there something valuable here that made these cowardly goblins risk the annihilation of their entire tribe? Such questions were best left for the people of Ironwood City to ponder. For Fars, the mission was simply to hunt goblins, while his personal goal was to provide Lilith with a few unfortunate goblins to practice her magic on.
To his surprise, the lumberyard was bustling with activity at night, with crowds that rivaled those in the city. A large number of adventurers had flocked outside, prompting many small traders to brave the dangers to conduct business. Adding to the mix were temporarily unemployed lumberjacks, making the once spacious lumberyard feel somewhat cramped. Some even engaged in the trade of goblin heads. Given the distance from Ironwood City, no adventurer could hunt a few goblins and return in one trip. Fars and Yuna were fine, but Lilith's face turned pale at the sight of the disgusting green blood on the severed goblin heads. The sheer number of goblins was staggering, with adventurers continuously emerging from the woods, some carrying one or several goblin heads, while carts filled with heads were being transported back to the city. It seemed that a large tribe of goblins must have been wiped out to yield such a bounty.
The southern region was rarely lacking in food; as long as there were no severe droughts or floods, the vast forests naturally bore a rich variety of wild fruits. Goblins were primarily a gathering and crafting race, and many were quite clever, possessing nimble hands. However, their inherent timid nature and frail bodies put them at a disadvantage when facing other races.
The goblins near the lumberyard had already been cleared out, and they occasionally encountered the corpses of goblins with severed heads along the way. As Lilith grew accustomed to the sight, her fear began to dissipate. Perhaps the presence of the men made her feel more secure. If she were suddenly startled, she would instinctively cling to Fars. Yuna, the little imp, seemed unafraid, yet she mimicked Lilith, trying to burrow into Fars's embrace at the slightest rustle. Fars welcomed both girls' affectionate gestures, enjoying the warmth they brought.
It was unclear whether it was Danis's influence or something else, but after walking for a while, they still hadn't encountered a single goblin. While he wasn't worried about them hiding, ordinary goblins wouldn't be able to escape detection with their keen senses. Frustrated at not finding any prey, Fars couldn't help but give Danis a light tap. Seeing her look of grievance, he picked her up, feeling as if they were less like a group on a mission and more like a couple out for a romantic evening. Their intimate display caught the attention of a few passing adventurers.
Suddenly, Yuna nudged him and pointed to a group of adventurers who had just passed by. Fars immediately understood her intent; they could follow behind them instead of making it difficult for themselves. Surely, those hunting goblins would be better prepared than he was. Fars added another layer of understanding: tonight's dinner was secured. Stealing from others would naturally provoke anger, and disputes among adventurers often led to conflict, which would conveniently allow him to deal with them. Why not take advantage of the situation?
It was likely that Danis's aura was too intimidating. While ordinary humans might not notice it, magical beasts and many other races had sharper senses than humans. The phoenix aura that Danis constantly emitted would easily frighten away various wild beasts and magical creatures.
Initially, Fars and his companions maintained a casual distance of several miles from the group of adventurers ahead, enough to keep track of their movements. As soon as they made a move, Yuna and Fars would be sure to notice. This tactic of taking advantage of others soon bore fruit. The group ahead began to disperse, seemingly having spotted their target. Fars quickly scooped up Lilith and rushed forward.
With confidence born from skill, Fars wasn't afraid of revealing himself as he made it clear he intended to steal their prey. The adventurers ahead noticed the unexpected pursuers but initially dismissed them, thinking they were merely seeking trouble. However, when Fars swiftly ended the lives of two of them with a deadly spell, they realized they needed to escape. Yuna's target wasn't them but rather the goblins scattered further ahead. Since Lilith had just learned Arcane Missile, she wouldn't be able to aim accurately at first. Her initial task was to find a few goblins with poor mobility, making it easy for her to weaken them for practice.
Once Yuna completed her task, she gently set Lilith down from Fars's arms. She didn't want Lilith to witness Fars feeding on human blood. Fars felt reassured with Yuna watching over Lilith, allowing him to pursue tonight's dinner without worry.
As the sounds of screams echoed through the woods, everything soon fell silent. Fars returned as if nothing had happened. After all, they were just a few ordinary adventurers who had gone missing in the forest; the blame could easily be placed on the goblins. Goblins weren't the only ones who could be slaughtered; some adventurers had also perished here, and many more had been injured. The lumberyard had already seen its share of wounded adventurers. Among the goblins, there were indeed strong individuals; a tribe of over ten thousand would naturally have its elite, and it was likely that these adventurers had been injured by them.
Lilith had gradually shed her initial nervousness and was now earnestly controlling her Arcane Missile to strike a limping goblin, only to miss her mark. Blushing, she looked at Fars, who had emerged from the shadows, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"It's alright; this is just the beginning of your practice. Once you get the hang of it, even a lively goblin won't be able to dodge your spells," he reassured her.
As a responsible teacher, Fars knew he couldn't just criticize his student. Children needed encouragement more than anything else. Building her confidence first and then introducing small challenges would be the best approach for her growth.
"Yuna, I hit it!" After a while, Lilith finally managed to strike a goblin, hitting it squarely in the head, and the poor creature was finally put to rest.
Fars thought to himself, "That's ten gold coins gone," but he knew better than to dampen Lilith's spirits at this moment. Instead, he and Yuna praised her enthusiastically.
Looking at Lilith's outstretched hand, Fars suddenly remembered the promised gift. What should he give her? He realized he didn't have any suitable magical items for her. However, seeing her eager gaze, he couldn't bear to tell her he wasn't ready yet. After a moment of thought, inspiration struck him. He focused his magic, and a chilling aura began to swirl above Lilith's small hand, gradually coalescing into an ice flower. The icy blue orchid would remind Lilith of the butterfly orchids her mother had planted in their garden. Comforting her, he gently wiped away the tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. Holding the ice flower, Lilith burst into tears, embracing Fars tightly.