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Goblin Slayer - Volume 1 - Chapter 3




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Chapter 3 - Guild Girl's Reflections

“Help us! You gotta help us! Them gubbins done come down to our village!” 

“Filing a quest? Please fill out this form, sir.” 

The farmer clutched the paper so tightly it crumpled, and Guild Girl pulled out a fresh sheet. This was nothing unusual at the Adventurers Guild. She dealt with half a dozen people like this before breakfast. 

Adventurers were busy during the day, so they mostly visited the Guild Hall in the morning or evening. Those filing quests, however, were not so predictable. 

The battles among the gods had gone on so long that monsters were a familiar part of the world now. When a village was attacked, a nest of terrible creatures would inevitably be found in some nearby ruins or the like. The man before her that afternoon was just one more in a parade of people who showed up at their wits’ end. 

“If this goes on, gods know what’s gonna happen to the poor cows! And our damn fields? The gubbins’ll light ’em up…” 

The farmer’s hand quaked as he wrote. Each time he made a mistake, Guild Girl was ready with a new quest sheet. 

Yes, each time—each time monsters appeared, each time they attacked a village, the adventurers would come. Be it dragons, demons, giant eyes with their unholy names, or sometimes even a crew of heartless outlaws. 

All who stood among the age-old enemies of those who have words: the Unpraying. 

Granted, this was a dubious term, since it included priests serving the Dark Gods. And most numerous among the Unpraying were—you guessed it—goblins. 

“We ain’t even got no young ladies for ’em to carry off!” 

Guild Girl narrowed her eyes, trying to make sense of letters that crawled like worms across the page. They were hardly legible. This was the most talented scribe the village could muster? 

Somehow it was always these tiny frontier farm towns the goblins went after. Were the goblins really targeting the villages on purpose? Was it just because there were so many villages—or so many goblins? As far as Guild Girl was concerned, such questions were above her pay grade. 

“It looks like the paperwork is in order. Do you have the reward with you?” 

“Sure enough. Say, is it true the gubbins take a girl sometimes and get to know her, then eat ’em?” 

“There are cases where that has happened, sir.” 

The farmer was noticeably paler as he took out a sack. Guild Girl accepted it without a waver in her perfect smile. It was terribly heavy… 

The sack was filled mostly with copper coins, a few silver ones shining among them. There wasn’t a single gold coin in the bag. 

Guild Girl took a set of scales from underneath the counter. The value of the coins would be measured against an established weight. 

“All right, I’ve confirmed the amount,” she said after a moment. “You’re all set here.” 

She doubted whether the reward would even come to ten full gold pieces. Barely enough to hire a few Porcelain-rank adventurers at Guild rates. Take into account the processing fees the Guild charged for acting as an intermediary, and the farmers might actually be in the red. 

But that mound of coins—some covered in dirt, some in rust, new and old pieces thrown in together—had meaning. 

Someone who didn’t understand that meaning could never become a Guild receptionist. 

“Don’t worry, sir. Some adventurers will be by within a few days to slay your goblins.” No matter how she felt inside, her smile never faltered. The farmer nodded with relief. 

He was probably picturing a monster hunter in resplendent armor, gallantly fighting off the goblins. Guild Girl knew better. She knew that was not who would show up. The adventurers who would find their way to that village would be Porcelain-ranked. Total beginners. 

Most of them would be wounded in the battle. If things went poorly, they would die. There was even a chance that—worst-case scenario—the village would be destroyed. 

So, while it might have been simply to make everyone feel better, all rewards were paid at the end of the quest. 

There was no end to goblins. A proverb held that “each time a person fails, a goblin is born.” They had only their numbers going for them. They were the weakest of all the monsters that might attack a village. Even trolls were no comparison. 

Goblins had only the wits, strength, and physical size of small children. Then again, that’s another way of saying goblins were every bit as smart, strong, and quick-witted as children. 

Goblin slaying paid a pittance. Experienced adventurers avoided it like the plague. 

Absolute newcomers were the only ones they could send. 

They might be wounded, they might die, but they would kill the goblins. Even if the first party to go in was wiped out, the second or the third would come through. 

Yes, the goblins would be driven out. Then the state wouldn’t have to get involved. The state had bigger things to worry about: demons, general chaos. 

“Well, miss, I sure am hopin’. Sure am hopin’ you can help us.” 

Bureaucratic procedures finished, the farmer left the Guild building, bowing his head repeatedly in thanks. Guild Girl watched him go with a smile, holding back a sigh. 

“This is the third one today…” 

Send three parties of fledgling adventurers to their deaths, or let three villages be destroyed? Just thinking about it made her stomach knot. It hung over her like a cloud. 

Of course, Guild Girl tried to explain things to all the rookies. She told them about the danger, even recommended other quests they could take. 

But no one ever wanted their “adventure” to be killing rats in the sewers. 

The experienced adventurers, for their part, were quite happy hunting down the creatures that lived in the mountains, far from any human habitation. 

Very few adventurers who took on a goblin-slaying mission returned unscathed. 

Mostly it was starry-eyed adventurers just starting out who took those assignments. The rest had just a modicum of experience. The Guild was forever troubled by its inability to produce a solid core of goblin fighters. And there simply were no accomplished adventurers who would willingly take on the immensely dangerous goblins. 

“Well,” she said to herself, stretching out across the counter, “that’s not quite true.” The cool, polished countertop felt good against her flushed forehead and cheeks. She understood it was not befitting either her upbringing as the daughter of a decent household or her station as a desk clerk at the Guild, but even she had to relax once in a while. And there were no visitors to see her just then, anyway. 

I wish he’d hurry up and get here… 

And at just that moment, the bell jangled as the door of the Guild opened. Guild Girl bolted upright. 

“My dear Guild Girl, I have defeated some brigands!” 

A spear-wielding adventurer came bursting through the entryway. The twisting expression on his face hardly looked happy. Behind him, a witch entered with mincing steps, her hips swaying as she walked. She met Guild Girl’s eyes. 

Witch winked at her apologetically. Guild Girl put that perpetual smile back on her face. 

“Oh my, that sounds very tiring. Could you make your report, please?” 

“Well, let me tell you, it wasn’t easy! They were encamped right on the main road!” 

“Oh my, that sounds very tiring. Please tell us all about it in your written report.” 

“There had to be at least twenty, twenty-one bandits holed up in there, and I took on every one!” 

“Oh my, that sounds very tiring. Maybe you should try a Stamina potion.” 

“…Yes, please.” 

“Here you go. Thank you for shopping with us!” 

The items the Guild sold on behalf of the merchants who frequented the place were, understandably, not of exceptionally high quality. The Stamina potion, for example, was not a proper magic potion but a brew of a few different herbs. 

But it worked. There was no harm in keeping one on hand or even in actually drinking it. And the profit the Guild made on such items could be put to all sorts of useful purposes. 

I’m never putting my face on that spot again, though, Guild Girl vowed to herself as, with a placating smile, she watched Spearman lean on the counter right where she had been lying a moment before. 

That was when the bell rang a second time. 

“Oh!” 

“Ugh…” 

The figure that appeared in the doorway made Guild Girl’s face light up and Spearman give an unconcealed cluck of his tongue. 

His stride was bold and unconcerned, somehow threatening violence. 

He wore stained leather armor and a steel helm. His gear was cheap—pathetic even. 

No one in the Guild Hall had to look at the silver tag around his neck to know who this was. 

Goblin Slayer. 

“Welcome back! Are you all right? No major injuries?” 

“None to speak of.” 

Her pasted-on smile opened into a laugh like a flower bursting into bloom. As Spearman stood by with a choked expression, Goblin Slayer nodded and said: 

“It was a small nest, but there was a hob there. Troublesome.” 

“I would love to hear all about it. Please have a seat, rest… Oh! I’ll put on some tea, too!” Guild Girl ran like an excited puppy into the back office, her braid bouncing. 

Goblin Slayer sat easily in a nearby chair, and he happened to glance at Spearman. For the first time, he seemed to realize Spearman had fixed him with a cold glare, and with a soft “hmph,” Goblin Slayer said, “I apologize if I interrupted something.” 

There was a long pause. Then Spearman replied, “No, you didn’t. I’d already finished making my report.” 

“I see.” 

The spear-wielding adventurer kicked a chair with a venomous grunt. On the bench facing him, Witch, who had watched everything, was waiting with a smirk. 

“Brigands, you say? …If we hadn’t taken that road, we wouldn’t have made a copper today.” 

“Oh, well, excuse me! So what if I wanted to brag a little?” 

“Even if you say that…,” said Guild Girl, her red lips creasing. 

“So nothing. I think I recall my spells helping a bit, too…?” 

“…I know they did.” 

“Aww, the Frontier’s Strongest can’t get pouty…” 

Spearman crossed his arms sulkily. Witch, watching him fondly, gave a pleasant laugh. 

Guild Girl snorted as she listened and mentally stuck out her tongue at them. 

She knew, of course, that keeping bandit gangs under control was perfectly worthy work. And she knew Spearman, a Silver-ranked adventurer, was renowned by the name “the Frontier’s Strongest.” 

So she didn’t take him lightly, and she certainly didn’t mean to brush him off. She really didn’t mean to. It was just that—well, there are adventurers whose strength was their only claim to fame, and then there were those who went out of their way to take on the work nobody else would do. 

How can I not treat them a little differently? 

It wasn’t just personal preference. For sure. Probably. 

 

She set down the pretty clay mug with a tap. Steam rose from the light brown tea within. 

When he drank it, Goblin Slayer appeared to be simply pouring the liquid into his helmet. He paid no heed to the fragrance or the flavor. Or the fact that the leaves were from her personal stock, which she’d gotten from the Capital and mixed with a bit of Stamina potion to create a unique brew… 

“Um, anyway, welcome back!” Guild Girl said as sweetly as she was able. This was how he always was, so she tried not to be bothered by it. “I know you’ve been partied up with someone lately. Your first solo in such a long time must have been difficult.” 

“I always worked alone before. I can manage.” He set the cup down with a nod. She was pleased at least to see there wasn’t a drop left. 

If nothing else, he’s never said no to my tea. 


“I see,” she commented eagerly. 

Well…it wasn’t that there was nothing to complain about. 

She was genuinely happy that he was mentoring that Priestess, whom Guild Girl had given up as hopeless. And she felt better just knowing that he had a companion in arms now. 

But just him and a girl, all alone in some dungeon…? I don’t know… 

The one thing that gave her hope was knowing that he had always been more about work than women, and his friend was a devout cleric. 

Assuming I haven’t misjudged them. 

Well, it was a little late to worry now, anyway. How long had he been living out on that farm? 

In fact, Priestess had been off at the Temple for three days, claiming something about religious duties. Supposedly, she would be back to rejoin Goblin Slayer today or the following day… 

Guild Girl smiled to herself. It was just like him to keep taking on quests by himself in the meantime. 

“Something wrong?” 

“Oh, no. Just…don’t get yourself in trouble, all right?” 

“If by getting myself in trouble I could kill some goblins, I would do it and not count it as a loss.” 

He was calm and, as ever, utterly focused on the slaying of goblins. 

As she filled out some records, Guild Girl stole a glance at his helmet under the guise of looking at her paperwork. Of course, she couldn’t see his expression. And yet… 

How long had it been since she’d met him? Five years almost? She had just finished her training in the Capital and been officially assigned to this building. 

He had shown up at the Guild suddenly, a beginner himself then. She was fairly sure that, at the time, she hadn’t thought anything of it. 

But whenever she couldn’t move all the goblin-slaying quests, there he would be. 

He always came back from those quests. And he always finished the job. Every single time. 

He never showed off his strength or bragged about his accomplishments. He simply did what had to be done, again and again, until he eventually reached Silver rank. 

He didn’t take unnecessary risks; he was always kind, if quiet. It was worth the long, anxious waits for his return. 

He hasn’t changed his equipment since we met. But that’s just another way of saying he’s familiar. 

Guild Girl realized the fond memories had caused her mouth to curl up in a smile, but she didn’t try to hide it. 

“Oh, you really are always such a big help.” 

“Am I?” 

“Oh yes!” 

There was a pause. “I see.” 

Guild Girl licked her thumb and paged through her papers, looking, as usual, for any goblin-related quests. 

Yesterday he had killed goblins. Today he had killed goblins. There were plenty of beginner parties doing good work, too. And yet the goblin-slaying quests never ended. They got at least one every day. Maybe as adventurers multiplied, so did the goblin nests. Or maybe more goblin nests meant more adventurers. 

“Why are goblins always attacking our villages?” Guild Girl asked idly. It would be easier if it were the lizardmen, you know? Then, at least the only difference would be culture. “Maybe goblins just enjoy attacking people.” She thought she was just making conversation. Goblins were something they had in common. In fact, she was half joking. 

“The reason?” he said. It’s simple. After a pause, he continued, “Imagine that one day, your home is suddenly attacked by monsters.” 

Guild Girl straightened up and put her hands on her knees. She focused on her ears. She was ready to listen. After all, it wasn’t often that he took it upon himself to talk. 

“Imagine that one day your home is suddenly attacked by monsters. 

“They swagger into your village like it belongs to them. They kill your friends, they kill your family, they loot your home. 

“Imagine that they assault your sister. They torture her, they rape her, they kill her. They desecrate the bodies of your family, do whatever they want, cackling all the while. 

“And you see it all from where you’re hidden, trying not to breathe. 

“How could you ever let that go? 

“So you get a weapon, you train yourself, you learn, you grow. Everything you do is to help you take revenge. 

“You search them out, hunt them down, you fight, you attack, and you kill them and kill them and kill them and kill them. 

“Sometimes things go well, and sometimes they don’t. But each time you ask—how will I kill them next time? What’s the best way to kill them? Day after day, month after month, that is all you think about. 

“When you get a chance, of course you test every idea you have. 

“And when you’ve been doing all that long enough… 

“…You start to enjoy it.” 

Guild Girl swallowed heavily. 

“Um, is that…? Are you…?” 

Was he still talking about goblins? She wasn’t sure. 

Maybe—the thought flitted at the edge of her mind—he was talking about himself. 

But before she could voice this speculation, he continued, “Some fools think they’re being magnanimous by saying we should spare the young ones.” Don’t they realize the goblins steal livestock to keep those children fed? 

Shaking slightly, Guild Girl nodded. She understood what he was saying very well. 

Porcelain rankers and young people wanting to be adventurers came all the time, brimming with confidence. “I fought some goblins when they came to my village one time. They’re small-fry. I’ll be fine.” 

The ones these village tough guys “fought” were no more than a few goblins, smoked out easily and set fleeing. Do that once or twice, and it left people thinking they ought to become adventurers. 

The goblins that survived these encounters, on the other hand, would learn and grow. They were known as Wanderers. Many of them eventually settled in new nests, often as chieftains or guards. 

After that, fights with them were determined less by strength than by luck. 

“That’s how things usually go, anyway,” he said shortly. “In other words, I am to goblins what goblins are to us.” 

Guild Girl caught her breath, lost for words. What could she do with this torrent of emotion? No, first…first, there was him. 

Good grief. She let her breath out. “Well, excuse me, but…” 

“Yes?” 

Before pity, before sadness, before sympathy: “We’re the ones who give you your quests. So by your logic, what does that make us?” 

“Erm.” 

Why do I feel so angry? 

She pasted her usual smile on her face and tapped the counter with a finger. 

“Are you comparing us to the Dark Gods? That’s terrible. Am I really that scary?” 

“…That’s not what I meant.” 

“That’s what it sounded like.” 

As she smacked the counter again, he gave an intimidated groan. 

“How can the Guild keep up its reputation with talk like that going around?” 

Another groan. 

“I’d like to avoid that. Maybe it would be better if I didn’t offer you quests in the future.” 

A long pause. “That would be a problem for me.” 

“Wouldn’t it, though?” 

Somehow his frank use of the word problem seemed very boyish. 

Her fixed smile felt like it was about to shatter. 

“Somebody has to do these quests, and you’re doing them. You should be proud of that.” 

She wagged her finger as if to say, If you aren’t, it’ll reflect on the Guild…and me. 

It was true, after all. She was responsible for him as an adventurer. And what was more… 

“You’re a Silver-ranked adventurer.” 

This time, it was Goblin Slayer’s turn to fall silent. 

True, she couldn’t see his expression behind his helm. But after five years, it didn’t mean she couldn’t guess how he was feeling. 

Finally, he said, “And…where are the goblins today? How big are the nests?” 

“All right, all right.” 

I guess I’ll let him off…this time. As she giggled to herself, Guild Girl’s fingers flew through the pile of quest papers. She pulled out three sheets, then picked one. It had been there for a few days—a goblin-slaying quest, of course. 

“This one’s up in the northern mountains. Near the village there’s a—well, a castle, sort of. A mountain fortress.” 

“They’ve made their nest there?” 

“Yes. We already have victims, too. The filer’s sister was kidnapped, and…” She sighed as she flipped the paper over, though she knew it was bad form. “Some well-meaning adventurers who passed by went to rescue her, but they haven’t returned.” 

“…It’s too late,” Goblin Slayer said calmly, coldly. “Considering how long the trip will take, they’ll be lost before I get there.” 

Nonetheless, he stood. As ever, there was no sign of hesitation. 

“We can’t leave it. If we destroy the nest now, maybe there will be no more victims.” 

“…Right.” 

Right, that was it. That was why he was the most valuable person on the frontier. 

There were those who could battle a powerful monster. 

But how many could keep going back to the fight? 

Many had been saved because of him. He was doing a real service to the world. 

At the very least, he saved me. 

So she would do what she had to. What she could. 

“All right. Good luck, my Goblin Slayer!” 

She would help him walk with his head held high. 



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