The night passed quietly, and morning came without incident.
Nothing happening is the best outcome, but it’s still a little sad when everything I prepared ends up being wasted. Taking down that bird net is going to be a pain.
「Bisha. I’m going to sleep for about three hours. Wake me immediately if anything happens」
I said that to Bisha after she woke up, then fell asleep almost instantly. I was shaken awake.
「──What happened?!」
I jumped up from the chair at once and raised the Glock I had been holding.
「It’s not an enemy」
Mishinie was there. Huh? Am I dreaming?
「Not a dream. I got permission from Margie-san and followed after you, Takato」
My head still wasn’t working, and I couldn’t process it. I really wanted a coffee break.
「──Alright. I understand the situation」
Once my head cleared up and after hearing Mishinie’s explanation, I finally grasped what was going on.
「Margie-san really gave permission? Is escort duty really that flexible?」
「This time is special. Luraize Company is riding on Takato’s success, after all. If you don’t come back, it would be a problem for Luraize as well. So I was sent to make sure you return safely. That’s how it is」
I see. So that’s how it is. My value is probably higher than I thought. Haha.
「So, are we hunting goblins again today?」
「Yeah. About a hundred inside the cave. Around it…… there are more than three hundred. First, I’ll exterminate the ones inside the cave, then lightly thin out the ones around it」
They shouldn’t be able to get out from the inside, and they shouldn’t be able to get in from the outside either, but did the collapse really block it completely?
「That many around it?」
「Yeah. They’re hiding and watching us」
If goblins realize they can’t win, they’ll run. But if there’s somewhere to hide, they instinctively choose to hide instead.
「Bisha. Lend me the glasses」
I borrowed the glasses from Bisha, who obediently handed them over, and put them on Mishinie.
「You see the red shapes, right? That’s showing the heat of living creatures. If you have the stamina, you can go hunt them──」
Without waiting to hear the rest, she vanished into the forest like the wind and began exterminating goblins one after another. Seriously, she’s a terrifying woman.
「Bisha. Did you eat breakfast? Mishinie says she’ll earn us some money, so you can eat whatever you like」
「I already ate this morning, so I want a hamburger for lunch」
「Alright. I’ll serve you a super high-end hamburger」
I hadn’t had breakfast yet, so I decided on some stomach-friendly amazake.
I took out the portable stove, poured rice-koji amazake (0% alcohol) into a Sierra cup, warmed it to just the right temperature, and drank it. Ah, the drinkable IV really is delicious.
「Takato, is that tasty?」
「Yeah, it is」
After my short answer, Bisha took out her own Sierra cup, poured in amazake, and started warming it.
「This is good! I like it!」
Is that so, is that so. That’s good to hear. There’s plenty, so drink as much as you want.
「I’m going to take a shower. Watch things for a bit」
When I returned to Home, Ladarion wasn’t there, and Miriel was sweeping the entrance.
「Good morning. Didn’t you sleep much? Your dark circles are pretty bad. I’ll restore your stamina」
I stood in front of Miriel and held both her hands while she restored my stamina.
I was still a little sleepy, but the sluggishness was gone. Recovery magic is seriously amazing.
「They’re planning to start once breakfast is over. The magazines are disappearing pretty fast, so it seems there are quite a lot of them」
I see. Well, they don’t seem to be gathering in groups, so it should be fine.
After telling her about our situation, I headed to the unit bath and washed away the sleepiness under a hot shower.
I only changed my underwear and switched my gear from the VHS-2 to the Scorpion. If it’s just goblins, 9mm rounds should be more than enough.
「Miriel. I’ll be back again at noon」
I said that and stepped outside.
「Mishinie’s really going all out on the extermination. I can feel her intent to not let a single one escape」
Seriously, I envy that willpower and stamina. I’d like her to share one or the other with me.
「Bisha. Can you go check on the village side? You don’t need to make contact with the villagers」
「Okay」
While Bisha went to scout, I focused on sensing the goblins holed up inside the cave.
Their presence was roughly split into two main groups. About fifty were deeper in from the cave entrance. Twelve were around the midsection. The rest seemed to be moving through what were probably connecting passages.
「Hm? One went outside」
It came out from around the midsection, then went back in. Reconnaissance?
I headed there immediately and found a crack in the rock just wide enough for a single goblin to slip through.
「Oh, the midsection group is moving」
I don’t know if goblins have a language, but the group that had been clustered in the midsection started heading this way.
With my back against the rock, I waited until they were close, shoved the muzzle into the crack, and pulled the trigger.
Because they were moving in single file, I only managed to kill the one in front. But it seemed the second and third got stuck, turning themselves into a plug. How pitiful.
Well, I can feel pity, but not guilt. I gathered some dry branches and jammed them into the crack to block it.
「Sorry. Die for my sake」
I lit the branches with a lighter.
Smoke billowed out, but some of it should flow inward. Yeah. The goblins are fleeing.
I followed that presence upward and found another crack in the rock. From deeper inside, below it, I could sense goblins.
I brought a tear gas grenade from Home, pulled the pin, and tossed it into the crack. It detonated inside.
Tear gas is heavy, so it should flow downward. After confirming it wasn’t rising, I threw in another one. Hopefully that’ll finish them off.
Good things come to those who wait. Let’s head back to the hideout, the Pioneer.
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