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***
I could see Aquina fighting the urge to hang around my neck, but given my appearance and the crowd behind me, she quickly pulled herself together and turned her attention to the girls. Her gaze - full of pity for the girls - betrayed concern. But Aquina didn't rush to run and comfort them, not even the new elf standing next to her - she just looked at her like the others, with a regretful look.
Smiling bitterly, she looked at me again, and wrinkled her nose a little.
- Arien-sama, you might want to wash up, or you'll attract the blood odour of the local predators.
- You're right, as always,' I said with a chuckle as I looked round myself, 'there were more goblins than we had hoped for.
Aquina said nothing - just nodded with a look of 'you'll tell me later' and we, in silence, under the sun scorching our heads, moved away from the cave to a safe distance. As we crossed, Elvina surprised me with what she did. That two-handed sword that I had left in the body of the fatbat was now in her hands. The sword had been cleaned of blood and fat, and she presented it to me, saying, 'Though this blade is not mine, I present it, as well as my life, to you!' - she said, handing me the sword. She looked all important and serious, but the corners of her lips twitched in an attempt to hide the smile that was creeping onto her face, with a glint of incomprehensible anticipation in her eyes.
Ohhh, 'what words' I had just heard. Good thing Aquina was walking ahead of our entire convoy, and didn't hear 'those words'. But, apparently, she noticed the strange actions of her new companion, otherwise how to explain this look full of suspicion, passed on Elvina's bust, after which she looked at her own and 'for some reason' blushed? All this did not escape my keen eyes.
At the same time, walking next to me, the second, new elf girl, continued to cling to my bloody waistcoat and walked to my left.
I asked Elvina to keep that sword to herself, and at the same time I listened to a brief history of her life, thanks to which I learnt that she was a swordswoman. Apparently, a two-handed sword was not new to her. The girl left it without any questions, but the words that followed surprised me again.
- You will not be disappointed in me, Mr Arien! I will not give your enemies a chance to win! - she said with a sparkle in her eyes and a joyful smile. Then, confidently holding her sword with one hand, as if it did not cause her any inconvenience, she swung the sword through the air with mind-boggling speed, and a shallow furrow was formed on a stump a metre away from the girl. If it weren't for the bandana, my jaw would have definitely dropped. How could such a warrior have been twisted?
I realise, of course, that goblins can butcher anyone, though each individual can be split into two halves with a single sword thrust, and sometimes two or three at a stroke. But there would be a lot of dead goblins in that position! - And I'm not even sure that at the end of 'such' a 'fight', any of them will be left....
But... these are just my assumptions, where the opponents are just ordinary goblins with shit instead of weapons in their hands. There are hobs, and champions, and shamans, and they are stronger and smarter than ordinary goblins....
And a warrior like this in a cave... is she a naive fool?
- Elvina, how did you end up in the cave? - I asked a question that made the girl lose her breath - as if she had choked on air - and slumped her shoulders.
- I'm... tired...' she said, her face red with embarrassment, averting her gaze away, apparently embarrassed to look me in the eye.
- B-but don't worry! It was an accident! I couldn't sleep... and... so...' she added, finishing in a very quiet voice muttering to herself.
Even the new girl walking next to me perked up her ears and smiled weakly, holding onto the edge of my waistcoat.
Well, I had satisfied my curiosity. And apparently... I'll have to forget about my sword for... - I glanced again at the girl and her firm grip on the weapon - for a while... I guess, maybe....
Truth be told, I was getting eerily curious to know what her sword level was, and in the time we'd been walking, her mana scale had already fully recovered.
'Evaluation'
*Grade - Success
-45MP*
*Jink*
Assessment skill has been upgraded.
Elvina Augusteria is a genius swordsman.
Danger level is high!
Attitude towards you: Admiration, [?], [?]....
Swordsmanship - 13, [?], [?]....
Strength - C+
Dexterity - B+
Stamina - D+
Intelligence - C+
With my mouth hanging open in surprise, I stared at the translucent window for several minutes. As I automatically took steps, I was simultaneously surprised by the data I received. Elvina walking and humming something, looking in all directions, could not distract me with her singing.
The unpleasant sensations of blood-soaked clothes on my body, and a great desire to wash myself, faded into the background.
I didn't realise much. Genius swordsman - everything here speaks for itself, no explanation needed. Like 'Attitude towards you: Admiration' - her attitude towards me (only the questions are tense). But her physical stats with intelligence... were a mystery covered in darkness. Maybe if I check all the others, including the girls behind me, I'll understand something and maybe raise my grade?
It was decided - the elf girl walking next to me would be first.
'Grade.'
*Grade of success
-40MP
Vivi Lavenrs - mage[?].
Danger level - high!
Attitude towards you: Strong gratitude - saviour, [?], [?], [?]....
[?], [?], [?]...
Strength - D+
Dexterity - B+
Stamina - D+
Intelligence - A+
Hehe... I feel like a bug. Both of them are stronger than me, judging by their danger level... Also almost completely unknown....
So... let's take a look at the average girl behind me.
'Evaluation.'
*"Score a success.
-40MP
Kara's a country girl.
Danger level is very low!
Attitude towards you: -.
Cleaning - 4, Farming - 5.
Strength - D+
Dexterity - D
Stamina - D
Intelligence - C.
That's where I let go. Not all people have incredible talent and they are not so dangerous. I thought of checking the information about myself, even though it was a pity to waste energy, but I still need to find out....
*Fail
-40MP
What else did I expect?
Uh-huh, maybe I can test someone else's skills? Then I'll try to test the skill 'Farming'.
*Assessment - unable to test another man's skill*
-40MP
...
- Ahem... - the air stuck in my throat, from which, coughing, I knocked myself in the chest, thus attracting attention.
- Is something wrong, Mr Arien? - Elvina asked anxiously, looking over my shoulder.
- No, nothing. Ahem, right! - I glanced at the mini-map and noted that we were not far from the creek. In principle, I could leave for half an hour, and the girls would have time to rest.
- I've been thinking... I need to go away for a while...' I said, but, noticing Elvina's desire to come with me, I added: 'Alone, and you shouldn't leave the girls alone. My friend, - I looked at Aquina, - though she is a good archer, but her bows and arrows are not of good quality, so it would be difficult for her alone... - I added at the end.
I wouldn't mind the company of a girl who would rub my back... well, and then, you know, I'd get more, but I can bear it now. And my circumstances, so to speak, force me to go alone.
- No, sir! It is dangerous! - Elvina objected, nervously clutching the hilt of her sword.
- I don't know anything... Hey, what are you doing? - I tried to step aside ignoring the glances of Elvina, who still didn't follow, but the new girl followed me, still holding on to my waistcoat.
Trouble elf... I don't need to talk you into it.
- Ahem... um, could you let me go? - I tried to make her understand tactfully, to which I received a negative shake of the head.
What am I supposed to do with you? Maybe...
I reached for her with my hand and made the pixie wince, but she didn't pull away. When my palm rested on the top of her head and ruffled her blue hair, she squeezed her hand tighter, almost clinging to me.
Elvina, who had come to her senses, stopped her from pressing against me by grabbing her shoulders.
The elf shuddered again, and then, frightened, turned to Elvina, who smiled gently at the elf with understanding on her face.
It seemed as if they were communicating through looks... But most importantly... I was timidly released. I was free again! Quickly running up to Aqui, I warned her about the break and told her lastly that I had to leave on 'important business'.
Aqui, of course, volunteered to come with me, but got the same refusal as Elvina. The girl, despite this, was not upset and nodded in all seriousness at the end of my speech. Indeed, it was dangerous to leave the other girls unattended, she realised that.
I finally managed to sneak out. First of all, after making sure that I wasn't visible behind the bushes and trees, I squatted down and took off my bandana, smelling the pleasant scent of fresh forest air.
'Finally... Fresh air...' - With these thoughts I moved towards the creek. Even, you could say a small river, not a creek at all.
***
Cleanliness is the key to health! One could exclaim this old motto without my clothes being soaked... But clean they were. Having finished with my things, I washed myself thoroughly in all places, scraping blood and dirt from the bottom of the stream with sand. The water was a bit cold, but I was fine.
For the first time in my new life I saw my face and... I wouldn't say I looked like a goblin. Heh-heh. In all of my new goblin life, it was only now that I was able to see myself. If you compare me to other goblins, there are many differences. I have no growths on my face, my nose is only a little long, but no more, my head does not resemble a skinned skull with small horns, as in some goblins and their subspecies. And even black hair is there, but it's very short, as if just shaved bald. And the ears - they began to resemble more like elven ears, like Aquina's, but shorter, as if I am a mestizo of human and elf. If you think about it... if you remember some things... I look a lot like the Hulk, only not as muscular and handsome.
It's safe to say - I'm definitely not a goblin... I have a pretty 'cute' teenage face, I'm not even over twenty. If it wasn't for my green skin, slightly yellowish teeth and eyes with horizontal black pupil - just a normal guy. Teeth... at least human teeth... correction, there are a couple of small fangs that are not human in any way - not noticed by me before. Or was I just not paying attention? By the way, why do all the girls have straight white teeth when they smile? Is it magic again?!
I don't know... but I have to ask Aquina... Although... Magic is such a thing... does it somehow affect the host's body on a subconscious level? Or is it a spell? Or maybe they all have teeth that are naturally white and even? Can I do that?
My body is... ugh... ordinary, almost human. I've got lean muscles in my arms and legs and abs with little cubes. Such a wiry green man... with eyes, nose, okay, and ears - of a goblin.
I wouldn't be mistaken for the unproduct of a goblin orgy, looking like that.
In age, I looked like a teenager... not a man (though I'd have a bigger dick than a teenage boy). It was probably even okay to take off the hood... No, the risk was too great. If I was sure I wouldn't be swatted by my own mates - whether by accident or not, I would have taken it off... But as it is... My imagination conjured up a picture:
A green little man comes out from behind the trees and bushes, wearing clothes similar to the one Arien was wearing, waving, wanting to say a word...
Suddenly he gets an arrow in his shoulder, dodging it by a miracle - or he would have fallen with an arrow in his forehead. He wants to shout something... but then Elvina swings her sword and... and he's gone... end of the film.
Shakes his head, shaking off the obsession. Well, why? Green? Green. A sure sign of a goblin... And, for example, the same ogres/orcs should not be forgotten - they, too, like... human-like, in childhood and until they grow up. I'm not even talking about other monsters, and there are, like, more than fifty thousand of them?
Demons... Don't forget about them too - I might be mistaken for one of them, and their relationship with other races is not very good. Problem.
In the end, having confused myself... decided not to change anything - it's better to continue hiding my face and think how to solve the problem further, looking for ways out of my situation....
I washed the blood and dirt off of me, and that was fine... I even spent some magic on the fire - trying to dry my clothes. I almost lost them while drying, but I managed to remove the danger in time, and now they're just a little bit burnt and dirty, which doesn't make me uncomfortable.
- The freshness of a frosty morning is quite invigorating!
With one last look at the sunshine and the clear sky without clouds, I pulled my hood and bandana over my head and headed back to my group.
Time to think about what exactly to do with the fetuses in the girls' bellies.
The first thing that comes to mind is to affect the foetus-embryo with magic. The effect is unknown. I don't know what happens if you use magic on a goblin foetus, but assuming magic is contraindicated at that age, you could, I think, cause a miscarriage that way. Or... worst case scenario, the girl would just burst because of the side effects.
It's hard to be a self-taught mage... especially when you can't see or feel the mana.
The second is to use healing magic to accelerate the growth of the foetus. And I'll have experience... but there is a risk of harming the girl, up to lethal outcome.
I can't think of anything else. The only hope left is Aquinas. She should know more about this than I do, after all, she was a healer.
With these thoughts I reached the resting place. I hid in the bushes and saw a trio of girls eating fried rabbit. When did they have time?
As I looked at them, I was amused - Aquina and Elvina were chatting merrily. A little away from them sat the girls-dolls - well, okay, everything is clear with them.
But the new girl had stopped looking like a half-dead person and was eating meat and smiling wryly - it was obvious that she found it difficult when girls addressed her.
...
'How carefree,' I thought, but Aquina somehow spotted me in the bushes and invited me in by waving her hand.
Even stealth didn't help. I can see where their carefree attitude comes from....
- Miss Arien! Have a seat! We left some for you too! - Aquina smiled, as did the other two girls. Even the new girl, noticing me, smiled a happy smile.
Wow!!! I didn't think she would start to get better so quickly after all that had happened to her. Once I fed her, let her socialise with the other girls, she was on the mend. The rest of them... Well, she's kind of a mage and it's silly to compare her to the villagers.
Apparently, she has a strong will and a tempered - most likely in tedious training of the gift - character. And let's not forget that she's an elf, and it's quite possible that she's much older than me. And Aquinas, too.
*Shurukh* - I come out of the bushes, raise my hand in greeting for a moment and approach the fire. I looked regretfully at the outstretched rabbitcage on the twig. It was pitiful, really... munching on raw food, of course, was not that it was too disgusting... but seeing the fried FOOD in front of me, drooling like that! And the smell... damn, I'm going to cry at the injustice of it!
- Arien-sama, is something wrong? - Aquinas said, noticing my condition or something else. She stood up anxiously and added worriedly:
- ''If you're worried about my cooking skills and my fondness for meat...''
I mean... what?
- Arien-san! Aquina-dono's cooking is amazing! - stood up for her... friend? Elvina. You leave them alone for half an hour and they're already friends? Or is it just me? Either way, my silence is dragging on, they're already looking at me with growing concern...
- Um... delicious - said the new girl, in a quiet and calm voice, which distracted the girls, causing them to burst out laughing.
- Hee-hee-hee-hee,' Aquina laughed with Elvina, looking at the bewildered expression on the new elf's face, who quickly hid her confusion behind a lock of long blue hair.
Even I, looking at the girls, felt... cosy at heart? Looking at their naturally joyful smiles, something in me responded, spilling over with a 'feeling of warmth'.
*Jiinkk.
Hidden quest completed!
Reward: magical gaze. Harem.
Huh? What's a secret quest! Aouch! My eyes are tingling.
- Arien-sama! - Panickedly, with fear in her voice, Aquina exclaimed while looking at me. Shit... I can't see anything normally...
*Zing*
The beast instinct skill is heightened.
My goggle clenched involuntarily, and a chill ran down my back, just like the first time I was ambushed by goblins....
- THE FULPHAS ARE COMING!
Before I could do anything, Elvina jumped up from her seat and grabbed her sword with both hands.
- Awww!... - There was a howl, followed by a menacing growl. And then a pitiful whimper - and with it came the realisation that it was probably Aquina who had fired an arrow at... judging by the howl... a wolf. Judging by the sound of the bowstring's trinkling - she kept firing.
- Don't let them get any closer! - shouted the elven archer in a commanding voice.
But I couldn't even make out what was happening, because of the burning pain in my eyes and the blurred picture in front of them... I was literally blinded - and there were incomprehensible blue lines everywhere in front of my eyes. It was difficult to understand where-who, in such a situation - only my hearing remained with me....
- Grrrra! - came a growl from somewhere to the side.
Turning towards the sound, I only noticed - along with the blue lines in it - a blurred grey blur, and it was running towards me... or us.
No time to admire it, I used the fireball template, reinforced with three Runes, and without a word, I launched it at the wolf and heard a whimper in response. And a moment later, I heard a howl of pain that died down quickly enough. The smell of burning meat and wool wafted up my nose.
Experience +100
- Elle, don't let them get to us! Ar, your two on the side!
- Got it! *Whoosh* - came from the side, followed by another wolf whimpering.
Except... two on the side?
I look around... I see two grey spots that are quickly moving towards me - the second fireball - and no sooner was I happy with the squeal that followed, than someone's fangs clamped into my arm.
An involuntary groan escapes my lips. It hurts... But compared to the pain of an ogre's bite, it's a little weak.
I used my free hand to punch the wolf, but it continued to cling, and now it was trying to throw me to the ground....
- Sir! - Before the wolf could topple me, he was decapitated. - Sir, get up! There aren't many of them left! - Elvina shouted, and then her silhouette disappeared from my sight.
Clenching my teeth against the aching pain in my arm, I turned towards the sounds of battle and noticed the grey blurs rushing back into the forest.
- Ugh, that was close... - I muttered, rubbing my eyes, expecting to see... just see normally, but nothing changed.
Eventually - I pretended to see, orientating myself to the girls' voices. Afterwards, there was the excited, full of remorse, voice of Elvina - that quickly approached me and grabbed my wounded arm. Along with her, Aquina also approached.
- I'm sorry, sir, I...
- No, it's okay. It's not your fault,' I didn't let her finish.
- And the wound was nothing, my sleeve didn't let the wolf hurt me... - I lied, feeling the hot blood, that a little bit more, and it would start dripping and dripping, under the force of gravity, downwards. Ugh, then I would definitely have to....
- N-no!
- Elvina, Arien-sama said not to worry!
- I'm sorry...hehehe....
- Blood... I smell blood...' a quiet voice full of suspicion came from the side.
- W-what! So Arien-sama is injured?
*Sniff-sniff* - Yes, he has a wound. I can feel it... clearly.
- Ah! Arien-sama! We need to bandage your arm immediately! - Aquinas came right up to me and was about to open my sleeve. I grabbed her in a hug.
- Eh? Arien-sama?
- It's okay, I'm a magician and I can heal myself quickly.
- N-but, you've used spells and you need to rest,' she tried to convince me, hugging me tighter and trying to help me with my wound at the same time.
How difficult. As if seeing my skin wouldn't kill me on the spot... Heh. Though... I'm not sure about Elvina, she kind of... owes me. And everyone here owes me, after what happened, are they really going to try to kill me just to find out about my 'non-human nature'?
- Mr Arien! Aquinas-dono is right. You shouldn't waste your strength, because the wound can be bandaged! - Elvina took her side.
- Come on, Vivi, why are you standing there silent! - she added, pressing herself against my back.
- Mind... wound... bandage....
Shit... I don't believe in a good ending... especially my own... I can't even escape now, can I? I'm pinned down on all sides. They're holding me so tight, I can't even move.
More and more, the girls insisted on bandaging me, and my excuses didn't change their minds. My traitorous imagination even showed me how I would be... raped?
I would not be allowed to leave or escape peacefully.