Today’s earnings came to 850,000 yen. Yeah. As usual, it’s the kind of number that makes you feel like humanity is on the brink of extinction.
「Why are there so many of them?」
Killing more than two hundred in a single day is clearly abnormal. If there isn’t some kind of reason behind it, then it’s straight toward human extinction.
That said, I don’t have the leeway to dig into that mystery. All I can do is keep exterminating them. I can only hope that none of the Demon King’s subordinates are pulling strings behind the scenes.
「Village chief, I’m sorry, but please take care of disposing of the goblin bodies」
「Of course. Leave it to us. Cleaning up bodies is no trouble at all」
Hearing that is a relief. With these numbers, it’ll probably take a day or two.
「I’m thinking of heading closer to the city tomorrow. Are goblins causing trouble over there as well?」
If we wipe them out all at once, there’s a risk that goblins from elsewhere will flow in. A few dozen also fled toward the city side. The mountains are dangerous, so I’m thinking of attacking from the city side next.
「Yes. Marcuri will be close to harvest season soon, so they’re probably debating whether to hire adventurers」
Marcuri? What kind of crop is that?
「Are there villages over there?」
「No villages. There are about five small settlements scattered around」
So near the city it’s clusters of settlements, and once you get about ten kilometers out, proper villages start forming, I guess.
「I’ll send some of the young ones to spread word about you, Takato-sama」
「Is that alright? You’ll still have the bodies to deal with」
「It’s no problem. If the goblins decrease, autumn will be much easier for us」
With that, I decided to accept the village chief’s kindness and let him spread the word.
We got into Pioneer No. 2 and headed home.
When we arrived, Kainzel-san and Ladarion were already back, unloading their gear.
「Looks like you cleared quite a few as well」
「Yeah. Seriously, where do they keep coming from? It’s frightening to think humanity hasn’t already been wiped out」
It seemed Kainzel-san was thinking the same thing as me.
「There must be some cause, but we have no way to investigate it. For now, let’s focus on goblin extermination」
「Yeah. We should earn what we can while we can」
「Agreed」
There’s no point in overthinking when we have no means to act. We just do what we can.
「Let’s wash off the sweat and then have tomorrow’s meeting. Ladarion, bring some hot water」
Bisha and Mebi’s house was still under construction, but the bath area was already finished. It was nothing more than a tub with a roof and walls, but it was more than enough to wash off sweat.
「Maybe I’ll have Gorg build me a sauna too. I’d like to use it after work」
Perhaps because of sauna culture, Kainzel-san says he feels fresher sweating it out in a sauna rather than taking a bath.
After showering and preparing dinner, I headed to Kainzel-san’s house, where we held a meeting over beer.
Well, it mostly turned into a drinking session, but that counts as drink-communication. Share good alcohol, understand each other better, and build the energy to live for tomorrow.
We wrapped things up around eight and returned to the Sefuti Home.
「Takato, you smell like alcohol. Take a shower」
It seems the child Ladarion doesn’t understand the appeal of alcohol. She grabbed me around the waist and shoved me into the unit bath.
「If I don’t build private rooms soon, I might get kicked out of the Sefuti Home」
I washed off the smell of alcohol under a hot shower and felt refreshed.
「Takato-san. Today, the merchant Dyne-san stopped by and placed this order」
Miriel handed me a piece of paper, but I couldn’t read the writing. What does this say?
「Miriel, can you read this? I don’t know the characters used around here」
Seriously, that useless goddess. If you’re going to handle language, you should have made me able to read the writing too.
「You can’t read Continental language?」
Continental language? So, this place is a continent.
「Ah, come to think of it, I never told you, Miriel. I was brought here from another world by that useless goddess. She told me to exterminate goblins」
You probably heard the announcement from the useless goddess, but I never told you whose voice it was.
「T-Takato-san, are you a hero!?」
「Ladarion said the same thing, but I am not a hero. I am a goblin exterminator. Besides, are heroes really summoned by that useless goddess?」
「Ah, no. Not the useless goddess. The Light Goddess, Marisa-sama, sends the Light’s Guide. Out of respect, we call them heroes」
So, she is different from the useless goddess? Ah, now that I think about it, I remember hearing something about an unrelated god spreading their influence.
「Anyway, I am so weak that I would never be chosen as a hero, so I am being forced to exterminate goblins. I am just a cowardly man. I am not someone to be revered」
Even if I were strong, I would refuse to be a hero. I do not want to be revered. I was just an ordinary man who only wanted to live a normal life.
「Sorry about that. You have powers that would not be strange for a hero to have, Miriel, yet you ended up becoming the companion of someone like me」
If you were with a hero, divine power might have restored your lost legs. All I can do is give you medicine. It feels like I stole you away from that path.
「No! I am glad I became your companion, Takato-san! Rather than following a hero I do not even know, I am proud to be your companion!」
That is probably just the suspension bridge effect. Someday, that feeling will fade.
「Yeah. Thanks. You do not need to force yourself. More importantly, can you tell me what this says?」
Before the magic placed on Miriel disappears, I should master this so-called continental language.
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