Nothing happened, and time passed. We switched in the middle of the night, and morning came without incident.
That said, sleeping inside the Pioneer made my body ache. I want to sleep properly on a soft mattress soon…
「Bisha. How’s your condition?」
「I slept well and ate a lot. I conserved my strength while you were sleeping too. I can kill plenty of goblins today」
Those are very reassuring words, but hearing them from a fourteen-year-old girl makes me feel a bit sad.
「Today, we’ll push closer to Milond Fort. We might end up in combat at any moment, so stay alert. If we get separated, head back along Mishinie’s route and regroup with Miriel’s group. I’ll enter Home and provide support from there」
We held a quick meeting while eating breakfast.
「Don’t we need to head to the fort?」
「If we can, I want to. But it’s likely the fort is already surrounded by the Demon King’s army. Forcing our way in would just be dangerous. Instead, we’ll regroup and strike from both sides」
I used a nearby stone and branch to explain.
「I can only imagine a future where you do something reckless again, Takato」
「I don’t want to be reckless or push myself either. But an ordinary guy like me won’t survive unless I take risks. If there were happiness waiting at the end of escape, I’d run to the ends of the earth. But I’m being watched. I’m being forced to exterminate goblins. If things go wrong, I might even be moved to another land by myself」
I’m someone who was transferred from another world. Moving me within the same world would be nothing. Otherwise, someone should have survived ten or twenty years. Only lasting five years at best doesn’t make sense.
「I can’t run. The only thing I can do is keep exterminating goblins and stay alive」
Until the day I die.
「Don’t make that face. I may be ordinary, but I’m an ordinary man who refuses to give up. No matter what it takes, I’ll live, keep living, and survive until I die of old age. That’s why I founded the guild and brought in giants and dwarves. If you’re weak, you band together. Gather and become a strong group. That way, your chances of survival increase」
It’s likely to become even more troublesome, but even just increasing the number of contractors will raise our chances of survival. If we can make a thousand contractors, the environment will change. There should be regions where goblins and other monsters become scarce.
「If something happens, I’ll return to Home, and I can fight using it as well. Bisha, prioritize your own life. Work with the others and eliminate the threat. Make sure I can safely come back out of Home」
I looked her in the eyes and spoke to reassure her.
「…Okay…」
「That’s only in case we get separated. To survive, we have to think about worst-case scenarios」
After breakfast, I returned the Pioneer to Home and brought out the KLX.
It runs about thirty to forty kilometers per liter, so fuel isn’t a problem. I haven’t fallen, so there’s no damage. The engine sounds good. We got back on the road and set off.
After riding about five kilometers along the road, I sensed a group of goblins within detection range.
「Bisha, stop!」
I immediately cut the engine and put it into Home.
「There are detached units scattered all over」
They’re still at the edge of my detection range, so I can only make out three groups, but even then, it feels like there are about five hundred in total.
「Breaking through isn’t going to work」
The sound of the KLX would draw them in. In that case, I’ll trigger a frenzy and pull them away.
I walked around a bit, looking for a place where I could gather them together, but there wasn’t anything suitable.
「A swamp, huh」
There was a swamp about the size of a baseball field along the road.
「The dry ice strategy won’t work」
The terrain wouldn’t allow carbon dioxide to build up, and the wind was blowing from the swamp. It would be pointless.
「Hm? The goblins have spread out. Looking for food?」
While I was thinking of a plan, the three detached units split apart.
As if searching for food, they began spreading out over a wide area.
「…Alright, Bisha. We’re setting up booby traps」
I bought forty hand grenades and forty tear gas grenades and set them up on the surrounding trees.
They probably won’t be very effective, but they should at least slow them down. The goal is to trigger a frenzy, after all.
Next, while I was buying processed meat, Ladarion entered Home.
「Ladarion. We’re going to trigger a frenzy. Scatter processed meat on your side as well and do the same. Mishinie and Mebi will probably join in」
If they’ve been staying hidden, they’re likely waiting to move in sync with us. It really shows that Mishinie is a top-class adventurer.
「Got it. Also, the goblins around the fort seem irritated. They were killing any goblin that tried to leave as an example」
「A perfect example of ruling by force」
It can’t be helped when leading low-intelligence goblins, but as an army, it’s a failure. It’s on par with some country’s military. I won’t say which one, though.
「Miriel and the others left the town of Rihar this morning. They should be nearby by tomorrow night. This is the critical moment. Don’t let your guard down」
「I know. I won’t let my guard down until I regroup with you」
Ladarion has become quite reliable. What kind of growth story did she go through?
「You should have enough ammunition, but if you run out, buy it yourselves. I’ll reimburse you later」
Kainzel-san and Azur Rise should have taken down quite a number by now. Ammo shouldn’t be a problem.
「It’s fine. You focus on your own fight, Takato」
With that, she grabbed the food and left.
I stood there for a moment, stunned by how dependable Ladarion had become. Then I scattered the processed meat and went back outside.
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