After a while, the boys finally regained their senses.
「Do you have any water?」
When they shook their heads, I took a two-liter plastic bottle from my backpack, broke the seal, and handed it over.
The boys passed it around, draining the whole thing in one go. Wasn’t that a bit much all at once?
「…G-gratitude for saving us…」
The warrior-looking boy, the one who reacted fastest to my voice earlier, finally spoke.
「In situations like this, it’s better to say “thank you”. It leaves a better impression on the person who helped you. Remember that next time.」
Was I lecturing them? Guess I really am getting older. I still think of myself as young, but my body reminds me otherwise.
「Th-thank you very much.」
「「「Thank you very much!」」」
The other boys followed his lead and expressed their thanks. Honest kids, at least.
「You’re welcome. Makes it worth saving you. Anyone hurt?」
「Daz, how’s the spot where you got hit?」
「Hurts like hell, but I don’t think it’s broken.」
The sturdy boy with the axe must’ve been Daz.
「Where did it hit you?」
「My arm. I blocked it on instinct.」
When he showed me, his arm was swollen and red, so I sprayed it with a cooling spray.
「Are you a mage or something?」
「Not a mage. I’m a goblin exterminator. This is just a tool that stores cold air. Here, take it. When your arm starts to feel hot again, press this part and spray it over your arm. Anyone else injured?」
「Nah. Daz protected us, so we’re fine.」
「Good to hear. If you can walk, let’s get back to the road. There are goblins all over the place. They might not attack now, but if they see weakness, they’ll come for you.」
That’s just the kind of vile creatures they are.
「Ah, what about that boar over there?」
He pointed to the boar that had probably been taken down by the red goblin.
「Oh right! The boar!」
The boys, noticing the downed boar, tied up its legs. Looked like they planned to bring it back alive.
Just like in those manga scenes, they fastened its legs to a thick branch and two of them hoisted it onto their shoulders.
「Aldo, lead the way. Daz, you take the rear.」
I walked alongside them on the right as we made our way toward the road.
「You’re carrying it back like that? Wouldn’t it be better to just take the meat you can carry?」
「We’d like to, but the request was for one live boar. Pain in the neck, but we have to haul it whole.」
So being an adventurer’s a tough job too, huh.
After a while, the forest ended and a grassy field spread out before us.
Didn’t look like anyone was grazing animals or planting crops here. Probably just a buffer zone.
Hauling a boar that must’ve weighed seventy or eighty kilos was rough work. They walked about a kilometer, rested, then walked another kilometer before stopping again.
Why was I tagging along again? Still, I stuck with them and kept watch while they rested.
「H-hey, do you have anything to eat? If you do, could you share a little?」
「Yeah, sure.」
I handed them four calorie bars I’d bought but never eaten.
「This is so good!」
The boys looked thrilled. I didn’t think it tasted bad, but it wasn’t ‘that’ amazing either. Even Ladarion had tried one and said he didn’t want any more.
「Then you can have the rest.」
If I didn’t give them out now, they’d probably sit in my bag until they expired.
「You sure? We don’t have any money.」
「Don’t worry about it. Just eat. But don’t choke, there’s no water left.」
I only had what was left for myself, so I couldn’t spare any more.
「There’s a river not too far ahead, so it’s fine.」
Sure enough, after finishing the bars and walking for about five minutes, a small stream came into view.
The boys dropped the boar and their gear and immediately stuck their faces into the water. Were they seriously drinking it straight? No boiling, no filtering? Are people in this world just built tougher or what?
The boys drank from the stream without a care, completely ignoring my concern. If I did that, I’d definitely end up with stomach trouble.
「I’m not from around here, so I don’t really know the area, but is the town still far?」
「Since we’re carrying the boar, we’ll probably get there around noon.」
So, about ten kilometers away then? If that’s the case, even after shopping, I might still make it back to Lasagna Village by evening.
As we started walking again, wheat fields came into view.
For being the frontier, this was surprisingly rich land. In addition to the wheat, there were other crops, and fenced-off areas where livestock that looked like water buffalo were being raised.
「There are goblins around.」
I noticed some hiding in the grass between the fields. Even showing up here? Just how much of a menace are these things?
「Boys, this is where we part ways. Be careful on your way back.」
We’d reached a crossroads, so it was time to say goodbye.
「Th-thank you very much!」
「Yeah. Always make sure to greet people properly and express gratitude. Adults will trust you more that way.」
That was some old-man advice right there.
Once I’d put enough distance between us, I returned to the Sefuti Home and switched out my Benelli M4 for the SCAR-H sniper configuration.
Two magazines should be enough. I slipped one into each cargo pocket.
After checking the surroundings outside, I stepped out and searched for goblin presences hiding nearby.
「There’s quite a few… Is this place really safe like this?」
I couldn’t see them with my eyes, but there were definitely several goblins hidden in the grass. If kids played out here, they’d get snatched for sure.
「They’re about a hundred meters away. Two or three shots should do it.」
No one else around. I set my backpack down as a rest and laid the SCAR-H, my sniper setup, on top of it.
Peering through the scope, I adjusted the focus, but I wasn’t really using my eyes; I was sensing their presence through the lens.
When a goblin’s presence took shape, I squeezed the trigger.
「Hit. Next.」
There were two of them there. I shot the other one as it froze in shock.
Half an hour until noon. Once the magazines run dry, I’ll call it a day.
I moved positions and continued eliminating goblins hidden among the grass.
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