It was our fifth consecutive night in these woods; we've been doing this daily. Ah, I found it the worst job we've been doing, but I can't help it. I have no right to speak; it was Eric's decision after all. Well, he's right, too. We need some good money to fill up our bellies, and slaying these goblins for the commission is a good way of earning some silver. 

Recently, their numbers have increased, and they have been damaging the fields. They just come in the day, plunder the crops, steal food, and go into hiding at night. 

Me, Eric lisana and Milio have been at a party for the past few months. Well, we all got our separate reasons for it but we are adventurers now, though all we've been doing is finding someone's stray cat, doing house chores, and labouring stuff. The city's a real mess after that last attack from Ogres. Though it's almost as good as before now. I was just wanting to help people around the city affected by it and enrolled myself as an adventurer as how else was I supposed to know who needed help and where? 

That's how I met my party, Lisana the clumsy holy healer, Milio the catfolk rogue and our reliable knight Eric. 

It was Eric who thought we should step up from doing those daily chores and go towards some adventuring, well its true that's how adventuring is supposed to be after all, I'm just tagging along and don't want to abandon my only friends now, else I am nowhere close to being as much ambitious and confident as Eric. I have no interest in being an adventurer now, all I have is a good nose to be in the party.

It was Eric who noticed me doing labour jobs, and rebuilding the city and invited me out of goodwill.

Ok coming back to these goblins, the guild is paying good silver to hunt them, well it's a safe job too, Milio and I lay traps before dawn, and when they come to steal crops they get captured and we handed over to the guild by dusk. If few manage to escape our esteem knight deals with them with ease. He got that knighthood in his blood after all and nothing to worry about when we got our back by the healer. 

We've been doing this for 5 days now, I can sense their tracks where they have been moving and then we lay traps, as of now it's 2 am, and all of the others are fast asleep in our tents near Mr Oolong's fields. Tomorrow's our last day and we'll be heading back to town. Only if we were rich enough to afford horses to ride we could've reached the town in half a day through woods, well it's okay too I don't hate travelling on foot with my companions. 

Mr. Oolong's fields were surrounded by woods from all sides, with a small poorly built house of the owner and his family in the north. An empty stable at the opposite side where we have been keeping those captured goblins these days now. Then it was tents of me and my fellow party 100 meters more south to the stables.

Due to some reason, no one came to collect today's prisoners at dusk so we are still keeping them at night and will hand them over tomorrow morning and make our way back to the town then.

 Well, everyone seems to be sleeping well, I think I will be going to check on those goblins.

I stood up and went towards the stable, but to my surprise upon reaching.

What the .... Why is this stable empty? We had captured around 8 goblins today which. Why the heck is not even a single one here? 

"AHH". SCREAM! 

That was Eric! 

I rushed towards the tents with all the strength I could muster in my legs, ignoring the sudden smell of human blood my nose was detecting right now. 

A catfolk with a knife stuck in one shoulder was barely standing, blood dripping down her hand, holding a short sword with the other hand, pointing towards goblins in front. 1… 2 …. 5 …. 8, no there were more, 15 of them surrounding her in a semi-circle laughing at her behind her Eric was lying with his eyes closed .... A dagger deep in his stomach, 

Milio shouted "Reibar, RUN! I'll hold them off " 

Reibar was shocked why are goblins appearing at night? Why was Eric lying down straight? 

Instead of running away I ran towards Milio and stood by her side facing the laughing goblins in front of us. 

Goblins had adapted to our hunting and trap pattern, they knew about the smelling sense of mine and had camouflaged themselves with mud to let their brethren escape from the stables. They waited for me to leave to check the empty stables as I was on guard and it would've been a problem if Eric was awake they couldn't fight him head-on even with this many.

As soon as I left the place then sneaked into Eric's camp and stabbed him into his sleep. 

The thing is if only adapting to their attack pattern was one thing but planning such an attack ..... goblins just are not intelligent enough to do it, then what? There must be someone leading them, a hobgoblin maybe? 

I inquired, "Where's Lissana?" 

"I don't know, she was not here" Milio replied. 

Reibar, "thank god, maybe she went asking for help" 

"So, I suppose it was our last mission, it was nice knowing you Reibar" Tears were visible in Milio's eyes but a vivid smile on her face.

"Don't be a fool, I'll hold them u run with Eric"

I yelled at her

Goblins were closing in slowly, smiling and holding knives, coming towards their prey. 

"Shut up! I am in no condition to run with Eric, u run alone, ...… Eric can't be helped now" Milio spoke tightening her grip over her short sword and pointing towards goblins. 

My face got white hearing this, I looked at the dying body of Eric, though I didn't want to admit it but he was having his last breaths ... only a few of them left.... Only if Lisanna was here maybe he could've been saved... but not now, his gaze went towards Milio. 

My first friend I got in my life was now taking his last breaths and another one was trying her hard to just stand still to let me run for my life.

I won't get things to end like this. I won't be as helpless as I was back then.

Sorry Eric I couldn't save you, but please lend me your strength to save Milio at least.

I grab Eric's sword still attached to his waist. Lifts it its sword in my hand. 

"What are you doing you idiot! U can't fight them! Go run aren't you proud of yourself running as fast as a dog?! Go!! I'll hold them off" 

But I didn't hear a single word of what Milio was saying, closed my eyes, my grip and resolve even getting stronger.

Milio must have thought at this point I am going to get myself killed fighting 15 of them all alone, but it was something else....

I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't be relying on this ever again... still, a clear picture of a puppy's yelp resonates in my head.

"I am sorry Eric, I couldn't save u ... if only Father was here…. No, even if any of my brother was here…." 

Milio was mustering all her strength to keep standing still holding a short sword with all that blood loss and goblins that were just 5 steps away from her now. 

"But Eric... I will make sure to save Milio" Whispering this, Reibar thrusts his sword into Eric's heart!