──Ping. Congratulations on passing six thousand kills. You get one lottery draw.
「Do not make an announcement at a time like this!」
The extinguishing agent had faded and I barely made it down the mountain when the useless goddess made her announcement. I did not ask for that report.
I only had four P90 magazines left. Eight hundred rounds were gone in less than thirty minutes. I was not surprised anymore.
There were goblins near the river too, but they did not have the wild presence of the ones from the mountain. It felt like they only wandered in because of the smell.
「Keeping them from getting excited might be best」
It would be annoying if they gathered again. If there was no bait, they would probably leave on their own.
I had no proof, but I chose to believe that and make a tactical retreat. I was exhausted and Ladarion’s group must have been as well.
I removed the protective suit and dust mask and headed to the bridge. Onlookers had gathered, and among them were several men who looked like adventurers.
「I am Takato, a provisional adventurer. I am exterminating goblins under orders from the Guild Master. Contact the branch and tell them goblins overflowed. There are still hundreds left. Anyone who cannot fight, step back. If you get attacked, I will not be responsible!」
I shouted at the onlookers to get back and returned to the embankment.
After moving about two hundred meters, I returned to the Sefuti Home, removed the P90 gear, and switched to the VHS-2.
I drank a sports drink in one go and swallowed a recovery pill. The pain in my fingers faded.
I stuffed the empty magazines into a work bag and filled a bucket with 5.56 mm rounds. I put three two-liter sports drinks and as many chocolate bars as I could into my backpack, shouldered it, grabbed the work bag and bucket, and went outside.
I set down the backpack, sat on the ground, and loaded the magazines.
The goblin presence moved toward the mountain. There was no sign of them coming here. If I did not scatter processed meat, they would not gather.
When I finished loading the thirteenth magazine, Ladarion and the others arrived.
「Good work. Take a moment to rest」
I took sports drinks and chocolate bars from the backpack and handed them to the three.
「So, the goblins?」
Once they settled down, Kainzel-san spoke.
「Their momentum has faded, but they are still gathering on the mountain. Please drink this」
I gave each of them a recovery pill. Kainzel-san and Ladarion must have pain in their fingers, and six-year-old Marg had to be completely exhausted.
「There were adventurers around, so I asked them to inform the guild branch. If the branch knows about me, someone capable of making decisions should come」
If no one came, we would retreat as we saw fit.
「Does Margrave Koraus not act in situations like this?」
He said soldiers existed to protect the town, but early detection and early response should also protect it.
「He will almost never act. The current margrave only looks toward the royal capital」
So, it was the kind of thinking where someone in the countryside admired the city.
「It is surprising things still function. With that attitude, it would not be strange if the territory fell apart」
「It is because Mishard-sama, the margrave’s younger sister, handles the command as his proxy. Thanks to her, it has not become terrible」
「The margrave’s sister is the guild master’s wife, is she not?」
I remembered Gorg saying that.
「Yeah. Koraus survives because of those two」
Even an amateur could tell that was a dangerous situation.
「It is surprising no rebellion has happened」
If they were French, they would have started a revolution. Wait, I said that before.
「Those two handle things well enough」
They were the type who suffered constant stress because they were too capable. People who could not quit their roles had it rough. Well, I also could not quit my role.
As the three of us loaded magazines, we noticed a group approaching.
「It is good the guild master is competent」
We placed loaded magazines into the plate carriers and belt pouches, then faced the approaching group.
「I am Ride, entrusted with the Misrim Adventurers Guild Branch. You must be Takato. Wait. Kainzel-sama!?」
Ride-san turned from me to the two behind me, and when he saw Kainzel-san he froze in shock. So, they knew each other?
「It has been a while, Ride. Ten years, has it?」
His Western features made him look older than an East Asian, but he was probably in his mid-thirties. If Kainzel-san said ten years, then Ride-san must have known him back when he was still a rookie.
「It has been a long time! Why are you here, Kainzel-sama? There were rumors you had gone missing…」
「I am employed by this Takato now. We are exterminating goblins together」
「…With the Goblin Killer, then…」
Ah, so my nickname spread as Goblin Killer. That was lame. Though I would also hate being given some chuuni nickname.
「Yeah. He is young, but as an employer he can be trusted. He gives rewards beyond the work done and offers purpose」
For my part, I wanted to follow Kainzel-san and survive. I had only ever made it to line leader.
「Um, let’s handle the goblins first. They are overflowing, and we cannot leave these corpses lying around」
This was not the time to reminisce. The goblins were still gathering on the mountain.
「R-right. So, what is the situation?」
He switched focus immediately. As expected of someone entrusted with a branch.
Explaining everything would take too long, and I did not want blame pushed onto me, so I summarized the situation.
「…I see. Goblins are always trouble」
「First, gather nearby people and take care of the corpses. It will be worse if the rain starts. We will lure the goblins deeper into the mountain」
We should draw them farther inside before the whole mountain filled with goblins.
「Understood. We will do that」
「And please take care of that giant boy. He is Gorg’s son from Lasagna Village」
Six years old was too much for him. He was sleeping with his head on Ladarion’s lap.
「Gorg’s child from Lasagna Village. Understood. I will send someone to Lasagna as well」
「Thank you」
I looked at the two of them, and they both nodded in agreement.
「Once we have cleared most of it, we will head to Misrim. Well then──」
I said that and followed the riverbank downstream.
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