Goblin Slayer - Volume 5 - Chapter 4.1

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Interlude – Of Those Who Were Waiting

“Yikes! Cold! It’s cold!” Despite her yelp, Cow Girl looked quite happy as she pushed open the door of the Guild. “There’s even snow falling!”

It’s winter, all right! With those words, she came into the Guild’s waiting area, brushing the white powder off her clothes. The few adventurers inside were sitting on the long bench, warming themselves by the fire in the hearth. The small number was partly down to the time of day—and partly to the simple fact that not too many people wanted to go adventuring in winter.

It was cold, it wasn’t easy to camp out, there was snow, it was dangerous—and, oh yes: it was cold.

Stories spoke of barbarians from far beyond the northern mountains who were not the least bothered by cold like this, who claimed that this was the season when weak civilized peoples clung to what was warm.

As Cow Girl walked through the balmy room, she let out a breath. Most adventurers, eager for money as they were, saved up from spring through fall so that they could pass the winter without working.

That didn’t necessarily mean, though, that the adventurers here now were just bad at saving. Adventurers might rest in the winter, but Non-Praying Characters didn’t: goblins, fallen spirits, and monsters were still abroad.

Then, too, there were ruins whose gates opened only in the season of snows, and hidden treasures to find. Those undergoing harsh training, explorers, or adventurers of races not susceptible to the cold didn’t stop their work simply because it was winter.

In fact, a dearth of adventurers meant more quests to go around during the winter—something of which we’ve spoken before.

“It certainly is winter, indeed,” said Cow Girl’s friend Guild Girl, picking up on the words the farmer had muttered to herself.

Cow Girl made a sound of puzzlement to see her friend looking out the window with a melancholy gaze, her chin on her hands. “What’s wrong?” she asked. Someone passed her a menu as she spoke.

“Nothing,” Guild Girl said with an enigmatic smile. “I was just…watching the snow come down.”

“Oh…”

Drawn by the remark, Cow Girl looked out the window as well. It might be easy to miss if you were out in the middle of the swirling stuff yourself, but from inside this room it was genuinely beautiful.

Soon, the fluffy flakes would cover the town in white.

“I hope he’s okay…”

Guild Girl was only whispering to herself; she didn’t say who she hoped would be okay, or what he was doing that put him in danger.

It didn’t stop Cow Girl from putting a hand to her ample bosom and whispering, “He’ll be fine.” Then she added, “I think he’s been to the snowy mountain before.”

“Oh really?” Guild Girl said, blinking at this unexpected new information. “I didn’t know that. So he’s been there before…”

“He never did tell me what he was doing there, though.”

Everyone has certain things they don’t want to talk about. He was always taciturn, and although it sometimes made her feel a little lonely, Cow Girl was willing to live with it.

After all, there are things I haven’t told him, either.

She returned the menu with a word of thanks and tucked away her feelings into that expansive chest of hers.

“Ugh! Cold, cold, cold! That freeze is enough to hurt! I know that guy was only using his fists, but…!”

“He was…the descendent…of Frost Giants, wasn’t he?”

“That fight was too long and altogether too painful.”

The door of the Guild opened, two familiar faces entering along with a gust of wind.

One of the adventurers was a handsome man with a spear leaning on his shoulder; the other a witch whose outfit left little of her generous figure to the imagination.

They shook off the snow in the doorway, then Spearman—his hair carefully coiffed—breezily approached Guild Girl.

“Ahh. You always get back before he does,” Guild Girl said, sighs mingling with her pasted-on smile. “I’m glad you’re safe, of course.”

Cow Girl got to her feet. “Good luck with work.”

“Thanks. I’ll work my hardest.” There was a pause, then, “I don’t hate him, you know?”