In the morning, after finishing the briefing, we headed out to exterminate goblins.
Kainzel-san and his group went to Lairal Village, south of Misrim Town, while we headed toward an area closer to the city called the Mizun District.
The Mizun District apparently produces a type of bean called marukyuri. It is harvested at the end of spring and autumn, and I was told that goblin damage here was not as severe as in other areas.
I thought we might not be able to exterminate many today, but when we arrived at one of the settlements and spoke with the chief, I learned that this spring had suffered considerable damage. Hey, that is a serious breakdown in information.
「We were planning to hire adventurers this year, so it really helps that you came, Takato-sama. We have enough people right now, so please use us freely」
「Understood. Please tell me about the terrain around here」
After listening to explanations for about thirty minutes, we began the goblin extermination.
「Bisha, Mebi. Handle the north side until ten o’clock. There are a lot of goblins over there」
「Got it! We will exterminate a lot today too!」
「Yeah! Today I am eating hamburg steak!」
That enthusiasm is good, but do not let your guard down. Safety first today as well. Protect your lives.
「We are starting now, so please do not enter the area」
「Understood. We are counting on you」
I headed toward the south side.
The marukyuri beans seem to be grown by direct seeding, so they are not planted in neat rows. Because of that, movement is difficult, and I cannot use a shotgun. Even an assault rifle would likely cause too much damage.
「I will use the APC9」
I returned to the Sefuti Home and switched to a submachine gun loadout.
The marukyuri plants grow up to about knee height, so I cannot see the goblins, but quite a few are hiding. Harvest is still far off, so I wonder what they are eating.
「Well, whatever」
I have no interest in the eating habits of goblins that are about to die today. Let’s just be happy there are a lot of them and keep exterminating.
「That should do it」
After about an hour, I took down twelve. I will call that decent. Those two took down about twenty as well.
I returned to the settlement and asked the villagers to handle the cleanup.
「To hunt more than thirty in such a short time. The rumors were true after all」
How far has my reputation spread? I have only been in Margrave Koraus Territory for two or three months.
「We will exterminate more before noon, so please dig a deep pit」
In this one hour, the goblins split toward the west and south. Even on my own, I should be able to exterminate over thirty more.
「Understood. We will dig a deep one」
The village chief was full of enthusiasm as well.
After a thirty-minute break, we resumed, and by noon the three of us had exterminated eighty goblins.
「…Over a hundred in total…」
Seriously, if we had not dealt with them like this, there would have been damage again in autumn. No, the damage would have been severe. They might not even have survived the winter.
「Village chief. We are thinking of moving toward Buzz Village in the afternoon. Could you inform them for us?」
「Have you already hunted all the goblins!?」
「No. If the goblins suddenly disappear, there is a risk that others will flow in from elsewhere. It is better to exterminate a certain amount, then move on, and reduce them little by little. That way, we can eliminate more overall」
I drew a map of Margrave Koraus Territory on the ground and explained the extermination plan.
「After circling the town, we will move to the outer perimeter and steadily exterminate the goblins bit by bit. By autumn, we should be able to eliminate a significant number」
The plan is to drive them out of Margrave Koraus Territory, then go into the mountains, gather the goblins, and wipe them out in one sweep. But the future is uncertain. Plans are only plans. Even a kappa can be swept away by a river. Only the gods know how it will turn out. Or maybe not. I have failed plenty of times already.
「So the rumors about the goblin killer were true」
「Things rarely go smoothly. There are unexpected interruptions and dangerous monsters appear. It is when things are going well that we need to be the most careful」
「Indeed. We will make sure not to let our guard down until autumn」
「Yes. Disaster always comes when you least expect it」
Prepare for when that time comes. That is all we can do, so do not get carried away by highs and lows.
After the village chief left, we ate lunch, and a little after one o’clock we headed toward the settlement we had been told about.
「Hm? A flute?」
A flute-like sound drifted in from somewhere.
「A flute? I do not hear anything like that. Mebi, do you hear it?」
「Nope, I do not hear anything」
Huh? They cannot hear it? Was it an auditory hallucination? Yesterday’s alcohol is completely out of my system.
「Huh? I cannot hear it anymore. Was it just the wind?」
This is not good. Maybe I am still half-asleep. Before reaching the settlement, I should splash some water on my face to wake myself up.
I stopped Pioneer Two and returned to the Sefuti Home to wash my face with cold water.
I did not hear anything like a flute. I really must have been half-asleep. All I can hear now are birds chirping.
「Takato, are you okay?」
「Yeah, I am fine. I feel refreshed, and I am focused now. Let’s properly exterminate them this afternoon too」
We got back into the Pioneer and headed to the settlement, and in the afternoon we exterminated more than one hundred and fifty goblins. About two hundred and fifty in a single day. Combined with Kainzel-san’s group, that makes five hundred. Just how many are there? I could not help thinking that, but it is too late now. Let’s do our best again tomorrow.
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