「Ten o’clock direction, two hundred!」
I called out the direction and distance.
「Got it!」
He had spent many years in battle so he learned the concept of clock directions and judging distance in no time.
But the farm roads weren’t well maintained and there were many narrow paths, so the Pioneer could only take certain routes.
「Four o’clock direction, three hundred!」
It was desperate to flee so the direction and distance changed every few seconds.
「Takato! Let Ladarion finish it! We’ll drive it toward her!」
「Understood! Ladarion, you’ve locked onto its heat, right?」
「I have. I memorized its scent too」
As expected of the great hound Ladarion. (That’s a compliment.)
I stopped the Pioneer. Once Ladarion jumped out I hit the accelerator. While giving directions to the high rank species’ position we drove it toward Ladarion.
After fifteen minutes of herding it, the creature finally fled in Ladarion’s direction. Twenty minutes later Ladarion brought it down.
We headed over and stopped the Pioneer near the fallen high rank species.
「…So, there are goblins like this too…」
It walked on two legs yet its body looked as if it had evolved for four-legged running. Its claws looked like they belonged to a dog.
「It’s probably a goblin called a Maanu」
「Maanu?」
「I’ve only heard rumors but it’s said to be a goblin specialized for running that kills and eats human children」
Goblins were truly a menace. Unpleasant as it was, I understood why that useless goddess lamented them.
「For now, let’s take it to the road and show it to the farmers」
Showing our results helped them understand who we were and what we were doing.
We carried the Maanu to the Pioneer, tied a rope around its legs and headed back to where the farmers had been.
「This thing!」
When we showed it to them one of the men started striking the Maanu with a stick. W-what!?
「It ate Roys’s child」
An older man explained as I froze in surprise. That made sense. Hitting it was understandable.
「Does this kind of damage happen often?」
「Every year. But this year eight kids were eaten」
So the rumors were true.
「Do you all live in a nearby settlement?」
「Yeah, from Borscht Settlement」
Borscht? Who named these places? The previous surveyors? They could have chosen a better name.
「Can you guide us there? Tell us about the goblin damage. We make our living exterminating goblins but their ecology and habits change from place to place. Knowing the goblins of this land makes extermination easier」
I said all that to earn the trust of the settlement and build a cooperative relationship. Trust was important.
「Yeah, understood. I’ll guide you.」
「Please bury that goblin right away. Make sure it can’t be dug up」
I left the Pioneer to Kainzel-san and walked with the farmers toward the settlement.
Borscht Settlement was small with only about eight homes and around fifty people living there.
Once the men gathered I listened to the stories of goblin damage.
Most of it was complaints about the margrave and curses toward the goblins but I understood well enough how severe the damage was.
「Aside from the Maanu it seems they’re normal goblins」
If several of those monsters were around it would ruin our efficiency. The ideal was taking out as many small fry as possible.
「Who is the representative of this settlement?」
「That would be me」
It was the older man who had told me a child was eaten earlier.
「We plan to exterminate around forty goblins. Could you lend us some men? Goblins emit a scent to call their allies when too many gather in one place. The correct way is to bury them right after they fall」
I wasn’t sure if they emitted scent after death but being eaten by other goblins would be a problem. Burying them immediately was best.
「You can kill forty!?」
「If we have plenty of people digging we can kill even more」
There were more than two hundred in my detection range. Seriously, how many of them were there?
「Is that really true?」
「Goblin extermination is our line of work. If we kill many we profit. If we don’t we waste our effort. That’s all there is to it」
I shrugged at the older man.
「…How many do you need?」
「There are quite a lot nearby. If we spread out and move separately the three of us can kill a hundred. Four or five men per person would be helpful」
It strayed from the original plan but with people burying the bodies we could spread out and kill many more.
「All right. I’ll inform the other settlements and gather people」
「Then we’ll exterminate a few until noon. Could you send one or two men with us?」
There was still about an hour left. Instead of waiting we could clear out the nearby ones.
「U-understood. Anyone free, help them. Bal, Sanil, Yoshia, go to the other settlements and gather people」
At the settlement chief’s command the men began moving.
「Ladarion. Kainzel-san. We’ll exterminate until noon. Turn on your radios」
We probably wouldn’t move beyond radio range but it was safer to set a time. I had already given them wristwatches and taught them how to read them.
「Yeah, understood.」
「Got it」
「Keep your distance from each other and stay safe」
We equipped ourselves and spread out in three directions.
Leave a Reply