Outside Ironwood City, the forest was just as lively as the previous night. After a day and night of large-scale slaughter, the number of wandering goblins had noticeably decreased, making it rare to encounter a lone goblin. Conflicts now primarily erupted between adventurers and groups of goblins. To secure enough food at night, the goblin tribe began dispatching its elite forces, as evidenced by the increasing number of injured adventurers. However, the location of this large goblin tribe's temporary hideout remained undiscovered by the scouts scattered outside Ironwood City. This was largely due to the goblins' tendency to dwell underground, where hidden caves could easily conceal them.
As the goblin numbers grew, adventurers boldly brandished torches, showing no concern that timid goblins might notice them. The goblins, likely driven by hunger, displayed surprising courage, often banding together to seize weapons and food from adventurers. Many adventuring parties that encountered the true elite goblins faced annihilation. The price of ten gold coins per goblin head had seemed high before, but after the loss of many adventurers' lives that night, it now appeared quite low. After all, for weaker teams, it was challenging to slay goblins one-on-one.
These developments had little impact on Fars and his group. He was quite pleased to discover that goblins no longer fled from him. With just a few dazzling spells, he could easily scare them off, making it simple to catch one or two goblins for Linte and Lilith to practice against.
"Linte, hold your sword a bit straighter. If it's all crooked, you won't be able to channel your strength into the blade," Yuna instructed, taking her role as a responsible teacher seriously. For Fars's 'favorite' boy, she transformed into a strict instructor, wielding a flexible vine stick. Whenever Linte made a mistake, she would mercilessly strike him.
Fortunately, Linte was somewhat frail, so Yuna didn't dare hit too hard; otherwise, even ten Linte wouldn't withstand her blows. Although Linte was slow to learn, he was resilient, and he quickly began to mimic the sword techniques Yuna had just taught him.
When they encountered a group of goblins, it was time for real combat. With Fars and Yuna, two powerful fighters, leading the charge, Linte stepped forward to face a common goblin head-on, while Lilith stayed back, casting Arcane Missiles from a distance. This was a significant test for Lilith; not only did she need to hit the goblin, but she also had to be careful not to accidentally strike Linte. She understood that Linte wasn't as agile as Yuna and might not easily dodge her "unintentional" attacks. In truth, Fars had secretly cast a protective spell on both of them, but Linte and Lilith were unaware. If Lilith accidentally blew Linte's head off, it would be a tragedy. Keeping this information from them was wise; it prevented them from becoming overly cautious and losing focus.
As for Linte, he had been well-fed before joining Fars, and despite feeling tired, he fought valiantly against the naturally frail goblins. Though to Yuna, a professional swordswoman, his efforts might seem childish, he still managed to keep the goblin at bay. Armed with a three-foot-long steel sword, Linte's first sword was merely a practical one; it didn't need to be exceptionally sharp. Every thrust and slash he executed was done with effort and adherence to form. While he might not yet grasp the brilliance of this foundational swordsmanship, he was simply imitating what he had seen. With more practice, as he integrated these fundamentals into his combat, he would gradually uncover their intricacies.
Perhaps only masters could wield advanced sword techniques, but even the most legendary sword saints had started with the basics. These foundational skills had been refined over countless generations, making them impeccable.
Lilith, on the other hand, appeared somewhat nervous. Not only had she not practiced Arcane Missiles well, but she also feared accidentally harming Linte. She took ages to gather enough courage to launch a single missile. Fars watched her anxiously.
With no other choice, he moved closer to her and demonstrated the spell several times. The reason he had been reluctant to demonstrate frequently was that the goblins were too weak; a direct hit from his Arcane Missile would easily kill them. It would be a waste to eliminate such good targets in one shot. Instead, Fars expended more mental energy to cast a weaker version of the missile, ensuring it looked impressive but lacked significant power. This delicate control tested a mage's mental discipline. When the missile struck a goblin, it only caused a brief sting without inflicting serious harm.
However, Linte seized the opportunity whenever the missile hit a goblin, exploiting its momentary pain to land solid blows with his sword. After a few successful strikes, the unfortunate goblin finally met its end.
Lilith, instead of feeling disheartened, cheered for Linte's successful kill. It seemed like a long night ahead. Reluctantly, Fars continued to lead them through the vast Ironwood forest in search of another lively practice target. During this time, he entrusted both Lilith and Linte to Yuna and stepped away for a moment to take care of his own needs. Yuna and Lilith were accustomed to this arrangement and understood without needing to discuss it. Linte, being a compliant child, didn't question where Fars had gone. The four of them continued to navigate the seemingly perilous woods.
Strangely enough, the goblins that night showed no fear of Danys's presence. They appeared in large groups and even dared to surround them. They must have been feeling reckless. Fars unleashed several shadow arrows, resulting in numerous goblin corpses littering the ground. Under such circumstances, the goblins should have fled, yet they maintained their encirclement.
Upon closer inspection of these audacious goblins, Fars noticed they were different from the ones they had previously slain. They were larger, comparable in size to Linte. Additionally, unlike the goblins who wielded only broken sticks, these ones carried real weapons and wore makeshift armor crafted from animal hides. Some even donned ill-fitting iron chainmail, likely stripped from some unfortunate soul.
Counting their numbers, Fars realized there were over thirty of them. It seemed that the more goblins there were, the bolder they became. A few goblins, emboldened by their comrades' earlier deaths, charged toward Fars. However, before they could reach him, they were instantly consumed by the strange black flames that erupted around him, purifying their souls. This was, of course, Danys's doing. The fire-loving Danys seemed to have developed a preference for burning rather than using her freezing spells.
Yuna was not to be outdone; she effortlessly plunged into the goblin fray, her sword strikes sending splashes of green blood everywhere. As she fought, she also took the opportunity to teach Linte, employing only the most basic sword techniques without using any fighting spirit or flashy moves. Her straightforward approach claimed the lives of goblins with each strike.
Linte was astonished by the sheer power of basic swordsmanship in Yuna's hands; he was momentarily left speechless. Fars prepared his "Corrosive Acid Rain" spell, aiming to demonstrate his precise control. He cast it directly into the center of Yuna's battle zone. The corrosive black cloud spread over nearly a hundred meters, enveloping the entire battlefield. Accompanied by a rain of acidic droplets, every goblin caught in the downpour clutched their corroded heads and bodies, rolling on the ground in agony. Before long, all the goblins had turned into piles of white bones, while Yuna remained untouched, quietly returning to Fars's side.
The power of high-level spells was truly shocking. Yuna, feeling a pang of sympathy, covered Lilith's eyes to shield her from the horrific scene. However, Fars pulled Yuna aside, wanting Lilith to confront the grim reality. Even if it instilled some fear of magic in her, it was better than having her hesitate in the face of enemies in the future, unsure of which spell to use.
After witnessing such a spectacle, Linte gained a deeper understanding of basic swordsmanship, while Lilith became more focused in her magical practice. The growth and progress of both children brought Fars great satisfaction. However, he couldn't allow them to completely abandon normal human habits, staying active at night and sleeping during the day. Once the moon reached its zenith, Fars led them back.
Following the incident where the soldiers had been threatened to open the city gates, Fars had gained a bit of notoriety in Ironwood City. This notoriety was limited, as most people were unaware of his identity as a mage. However, word had spread among the city's upper echelons; the city guards and watchmen had been warned not to provoke Fars. He was easily recognizable, leading two exceptionally beautiful women and carrying a peculiar little bird.
Although Fars had brought Linte along this time, an observant old soldier at the city gate immediately recognized him. After all, the city lord had to send gifts to apologize to Fars; they were not someone they could afford to offend. Without needing Fars to instruct them, the guards opened the gates early for him. Since they returned relatively early, there were no other adventurers waiting outside the gates. As soon as Fars and the members of the Deunasha group entered, the gates closed behind them.
The innkeeper noticed that Fars had gone out again that night and kept a closer eye on things. It was late, but he left a door ajar. With so many servants in the large inn, there was no need for the innkeeper to wait personally; he had instructed a clever young servant to stand by the door.
Grateful for such treatment, Fars generously rewarded the attentive servant with a few gold coins. After instructing the servant to prepare some food for Linte's room, Fars entered his own room with Yuna and Lilith. Although Linte had devoured a substantial meal earlier, after a night of intense training, his stomach felt nearly empty. As for Lilith, who had also been "hard at work" practicing magic, she, like many women, cared about her figure and naturally refrained from eating late at night.