While Rondario-san and the others gathered to discuss their future plans and how they would divide the money, I stepped out of the makeshift fort, saying I would keep watch.
「Ladarion! That is enough! I will take over the lookout!」
I shouted to Ladarion, who was digging a trench.
「Understood」
She stuck the shovel into the mound of soil and shrank down.
「I will go from that side, so take the opposite direction. We will meet in the middle」
I pulled a Benelli M4 from my Aport Pouch and entered the mountain.
I sensed no goblins, so about fifteen minutes later Ladarion arrived. I could sense Rondario-san and the others, but not Ladarion. That was why she had to come find me.
「Go take a shower and eat while you can」
She probably had not eaten much at lunch. We would sleep outside tonight. If she bathed now, she would last until tomorrow night.
「Understood」
Once Ladarion returned to the Sefuti Home, I climbed a tree, summoned a canned coffee, and took a break.
「Hm? The presence of goblins is getting restless」
They were outside my detection range, but I could feel the stir of their presence.
「This strong presence… what is it?」
Not a king. About three times the strength of a normal one, but nowhere near what you would call a king. More like the boss of a pack.
「So, there are goblins that form groups. How troublesome」
I could handle small clusters on my own, but if ten or more came at once, I would have no choice but to flee. If I did not plan something, I could end up being hunted instead.
「They are not heading this way yet, but they probably will not stay quiet」
Even goblins could understand they were being hunted by Rondario-san’s group. If they ran away, that would be fine. But if their leader thought they could not afford to look weak and decided on a night raid, I would be up all night.
「Well, with Rondario-san and the others, we should be fine. Still, I should tell them about this」
I focused on the presence of the goblins beyond my detection range, and about an hour later Ladarion returned.
「Did something happen?」
He noticed I was up in a tree, returned to his normal size, and asked.
「There is a goblin pack. They might attack us tonight. Bring the MINIMI and the P90. Two ammo boxes too. Ladarion, I want you to cover us with the Benelli M4. Bring the night vision goggles. Also bring the ammo we already bought. I will be the one using the Aport Pouch」
「Can I bring cake?」
「Yeah. Bring as much as you want」
Ladarion let me down and I started preparing.
While he went back and forth between here and the Sefuti Home carrying equipment to the makeshift fort, I summoned canned food, opened it, and scattered it around.
Even I found it strange, but my intuition about goblins had become unusually sharp. I had never been this perceptive. The useless goddess probably did something.
Well, I had no way to know the truth. Even so, I would use it. This time I had the Expendables-like adventurers with me. Even if hundreds rushed us, it should not turn into the same struggle as the last time.
It was evening by the time I had finished spreading the cans and returned to the makeshift fort.
「Did something happen?」
Just like I could sense Rondario-san’s presence, they had learned to sense mine. They must have felt something unusual from the way I moved. Ladarion would not answer them because he was extremely shy.
「It is still far so I cannot be sure, but I sensed goblins gathering. It feels like there is a large one controlling the group. They might come here」
「That is probably a Hoglus. A higher specie of goblin」
「Hoglus? A higher specie?」
No way, something like that exists? Nobody told me that. Explain things properly, useless goddess.
「You did not know?」
「A goblin is a goblin. King or child, they are all targets for extermination. I never cared about differences in size or appearance」
「That sounds like something someone who specializes in hunting goblins would say」
They were nothing more than forced words of resentment without a shred of pride in them.
「So, what are the traits of a Hoglus?」
「Most of them have red skin, but the higher types turn red-black and grow to nearly twice the height of one」
「The king was three times the size, so that makes it about two meters tall」
It really sounded like fighting a gorilla. An assault rifle might not even work.
「I heard a rumor that someone defeated the Goblin King. Was that you, Takato?」
「The one who finished it off was Ladarion. I only managed to immobilize him」
Thinking back, if I had let Ladarion carry the gas cylinder out, we would have gotten even better results. I want to scold my past self for not thinking that far.
「Just cornering one is already abnormal. If a king stands, it becomes a disaster. An ordinary town would fall in a single night」
「We only managed it because Ladarion was there. More importantly, let’s plan to intercept them. This time the group is led by a higher type. With Rondario-san’s team and us, there shouldn’t be any problems」
We had two frontliners, a roaming fighter who could disrupt the enemy, and a rear guard with bows and magic. With me and the giant Ladarion added in, even two hundred of them shouldn’t give us trouble.
Ah, the boys were there too. Well, they could handle the lights.
「Rondario-san, please take command. I’ve never led a large group, so I’ll follow your lead」
「I think you’re more suited for it, Takato, but fine. I want to hunt more goblins anyway」
Of course, we would move to support them.
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