Goblin Slayer - Volume 5 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Tutorial

“It went that way!” 

A voice, clear as a bell, could be heard even over the blizzard that engulfed the battlefield. 

It came from a young woman with sparkling blue eyes and beautiful, honey-colored waves of hair tied in two pigtails. She was an adventurer, but the nobility she displayed would not have been out of place at some lavish party. 

Her face, which she might have covered in makeup at some point in her life, now ran with anxious sweat despite the surrounding snow. A cuirass protected her generous chest, while leather armor cradled a waist so slim she didn’t need a corset. 

A silver sword glinted in her hand, a valuable family heirloom. It was made of aluminum, light and sharp, forged by a lightning-hammer against a red gem. 

Thrust, thrust, block. She would repeat the motions she’d learned, again and again, and the enemy would have no hope of getting near her. 

Beside her, a female warrior dove into the fray, speaking roughly but with an undercurrent of affection. 

“I know! Just make sure you don’t slip and fall on the ice!” 

“Gosh! I’m not that much of a klutz!” 

That remained to be seen. The female warrior wore only thin armor, and pointed ears peeked out from beneath hair the color of leaves in autumn. 

The half-elf brandished her thin sword; it flashed as she moved with steps like a dancer. The other girl, Noble Fencer, had chased off one enemy, and she wouldn’t miss the opening the foe’s fear afforded them. 

“ORARARARAG?!” 

“GAROARARA?!” 

First one, then two, of the ugly little creatures died, dirty blood spewing from their chests, viscera exposed to the open air. 

In the whole world, there was probably not a single person who wouldn’t recognize these monsters. Non-Prayers with dark green skin, crooked teeth, and the intelligence of cruel children. The weakest monster to walk the land: goblins. 

They were visible here and there through the blizzard, growling or dribbling drool. They wore nothing but animal pelts over their bare skin; it wasn’t clear whether this was because the cold didn’t bother them or because they didn’t know any better way to warm themselves. For weapons they carried only stone axes or clubs, along with some crude spears made from shafts of bone. 

Yet even so, they made no move to run from the adventurers. The goblins felt nothing but hostility, hatred, and lust for them. 

“They’re so pathetic, it’s almost funny,” Noble Fencer said with a cute little snort. 

“Heh-heh! Nice work, girls!” 

A voice came from somewhere, sounding easy, unperturbed by the whipping snow. 

The bright, almost innocent tone of it drew a frown from the half-elf. 

“We’re not here to chat! Get to work!” 

“Sure thing.” 

With no sign or sound for warning, a dagger appeared, sinking into the space between a goblin’s ribs. 

A backstab, straight through to the heart. The creature’s eyes went wide, and it dropped dead. 

The corpse shifted from a little kick from behind; it fell forward, revealing a diminutive rhea scout. He braced himself against the body and pulled out the dagger he had buried in it. 

But however stupid goblins may be, even they wouldn’t overlook an opportunity like that. 

“Hrgh?!” 

“GORBBB!!” 

“GROOOB!!” 

The monsters closed in, relying on their numbers for strength, waving their clubs. Giving a great yell, the rhea scout jumped backward. 

“Don’t be getting distracted on the battlefield, now!” A small but sturdy figure pushed past the scout to protect him. The dwarf wore a monk’s habit and had the look of a boulder. His weapon of choice was a war hammer. The block of metal smashed mercilessly into a goblin’s skull, sending brains flying everywhere, releasing the creature’s nasty little soul to the afterlife. 

“Well, I’m very sorry, Lord Monk!” 

“Think nothing of it,” the dwarf replied evenly, brushing an eyeball off his hammer. “Hey, spell casters. We’ve still got one or two in the distance there.” 

“Of course. I can see them perfectly well.” 

The response came from a middle-aged wizard dressed in the plainest of pure white robes. The human had an incongruous smile on his face while he stroked his own forehead as if to imply his abundant wisdom. A hand emerged from his robe, quickly forming a sign, while he brandished his staff with an expert gesture. 

“My dear noble girl, perhaps you could lend me a hand?” 

“You’ve got it!” Noble Fencer puffed out her chest and nodded. On her lovely finger was a ring that shone with a jewel, and she and the wizard spoke words of true power together. 

“Sagitta…quelta…raedius! Strike home, arrow!” 

“Tonitrus…oriens…iacta! Rise and fall, thunder!” 

The words overwhelmed the very logic of the world, and the twin spells assaulted the goblins: the wizard’s Magic Missile sent several supernatural arrows flying, while Noble Fencer’s Lightning spell thundered down on them, turning snow to steam. 

Afterward, the only goblins that remained were filled with holes or fried to a crisp. The ground had been laid bare by the attack, but the snow continued to come down without mercy. It would only be a matter of time before the earth was covered again. 

“Well, I guess that’s it,” the half-elf warrior said, shaking the blood off her blade and sheathing it. 

Rhea Scout whistled. “Aren’t you in a good mood.” 

“Can’t say I’m very happy about you letting your guard down,” Dwarf Monk said reproachfully, but the wizard broke in, “Oh, spells cure all ills. It turned out all right in the end.” 

The party, having successfully survived a random encounter with a group of goblins, once again patted themselves on the back for their battle prowess. They had cooperated well, and no one had been hurt. True, they had resorted to some spells, but still, a flawless victory. 

The adventurers’ eyes burned with a passion that resembled both hope and ambition at once. Behind them was the northern village and all its defenseless residents, who lived under the threat of monsters. Ahead of them was the mountain, dangerous and severe but majestically white and snowcapped nonetheless. Somewhere on its slopes was the entrance to an underground cave. 

It didn’t matter if they had to fight goblins. In fact, all the more reason to go. If goblin slaying wasn’t adventuring, what was? 

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Noble Fencer said boldly, her golden hair whipping in the wind. She turned to her fellows and announced, “I have a plan!”