Goblin Slayer - Volume 9 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Wandering Goblin Slayer

“Be sure to take care of yourself,” he said. “You’ll get frostbite.” 

“R-right…” Flustered, she put her hand under her clothes, then finally had a chance to look around the tumbledown building. It stopped short of something one could call a house. The remains of a house, perhaps, like a skeleton lying in a field. That was what it made her think of. 

But it still had four walls and a roof, if only just, and would keep out the elements. It wasn’t warm by any stretch of the imagination, but they could hardly hope for better. 

“We’re lucky it’s snowing.” Goblin Slayer peered through a hole in the wall. 

Outside in the white night, eyes shone like glowing flames. The goblins seemed perfectly able to be out and about despite the chill. However, they lacked a certain spring in their step; their movements appeared sluggish and disinterested. 

These creatures called goblins always hoped that others would deal with the consequences of their own indolence. They couldn’t help it if it was cold and snowing outside; how were they supposed to work in these conditions? Nobody would notice a little slacking, anyway. At least, not right away. 

“It’ll help disguise your scent as well.” 

The brief remark made Cow Girl blush abundantly. “D-don’t look, okay?” 

“I won’t.” Goblin Slayer turned around, toward the inside of the room, the clink-clink of her belt unfastening audible behind him. 

Most of the house’s contents had been stolen, but there might be something left. A thorough search was essential. These were goblins, after all. They weren’t known for looking very carefully. 

“…Hey,” Cow Girl said softly, accompanied by a rustling of cloth as she dried herself. “…Don’t laugh, or…think I’m pathetic, or…” 

“I won’t,” he answered, rifling through a battered chest of drawers, carefully, so as not to make a sound. Then, as if he had decided this was not enough, he added, “My teacher taught me that, long ago.” 

“Your teacher…?” 

Yes. Goblin Slayer nodded. The great master who had exceeded him in every possible way. “‘When the going gets rough, ditch any heavy-as-shit items and be ready to run.’” 

“‘Shit’…?” 

“My teacher’s words,” he said brusquely. “Apparently, it’s proof that you haven’t given up.” 

Ignoring Cow Girl’s embarrassment, he pulled a pair of moth-eaten gloves from the chest. Given that her jacket had been blown away as they ran, this was as good a find as a top-quality magical coat. 

Goblin Slayer tossed the clothes to the girl behind him as he said, “Your body, at least, if not your heart and mind.” 

“…” 

“If your body hasn’t given up, the rest is only a matter of effort.” 

Cow Girl was left speechless. Goblin Slayer could hear only some shallow breathing and, once or twice, an mmm sound. She was probably wiping away the sweat and the last traces of her accident during the goblin attack. 

He focused on one corner of the room, pulling his dagger from its sheath in a reverse grip. “And those who laugh at that are know-nothing idiots, I’m told. While those who try to force their way through hopeless situations are fools lacking the good sense of when to run away.” 

“…And what if you die trying?” 

He drove the dagger into the ground, and almost immediately felt something hard. He began to dig it out. As he expected, in place of a wooden chest, there were several jars buried underground. Most were useless after all the months and years they had spent there, but they could scrape the mold off the dried meats and they would probably be edible. 

“You’re a moron.” 

“…Oh.” 

Fine. Cow Girl’s voice was so thin, it caused Goblin Slayer to turn around slowly. 

She had finished drying herself off and had put her underwear and a shirt back on; she had hung her pants on a piece of scrap wood and was holding a blanket. Goblin Slayer went and sat down beside her immediately, offering the meat, from which he had scraped the surface. “Eat. It’s better than nothing.” 

“…Right.” She nodded, sitting down heavily next to him. She slid her soft body closer to him, then spread out the blanket so it covered them both before looking down to hide her rapidly reddening cheeks. “I don’t, uh…smell or anything, do I?” 

“Doesn’t bother me.” 

“…So you’re saying I do.” 

Sigh. Her breath turned to fog and floated away. 

The cold was almost difficult to bear. Small shivers began to wrack her body. 

“…Are you all right?” 

“…Yeah.” The voice that answered Goblin Slayer’s question was small. It seemed to him to sound weaker each time he heard it. 

Cow Girl chewed restlessly on the tough meat. Goblin Slayer, for his part, pushed some of the food through his visor, chewing as he went through his item bag. He was all too aware that they couldn’t light a fire. But there was no reason not to do something for Cow Girl. Unfortunately, a Breath ring couldn’t counteract cold that didn’t originate directly from snow. So then… 

“Drink this.” 

He held something out to her: a stamina potion. Cow Girl looked at the sloshing liquid and blinked. 

“Are you sure…? Medicine is expensive, isn’t—?” 

“I bought it so it could be used when it was needed.” 

“…Thanks.” She drank it down noisily, then let out an audible breath. “…Mmm, that does warm you up, doesn’t it?” She nodded and even smiled, though it might have been a show for his benefit. Then she passed him the bottle (“Here!”) and he took it (“Yes”). 

The bitter liquid seemed to heat her body from the inside out. 

“You can sleep if you like. It shouldn’t be cold enough to kill you yet.” 

“…That’s not very reassuring.” 

“I’m joking.” 

Cow Girl’s smile grew strained. Goblin Slayer ignored it and looked outside the shack once again. To escape, or to wait for rescue? 

We could probably last for several days. 

They might be trapped in the snow-imposed darkness, but he doubted it would be difficult to evade the goblins’ searches. Even if the monsters could go about during the day as well as at night, it would still be just as cold, and there would still be just as many places to hide. 

Even if his primary objective had to be getting the girl beside him home safely, he didn’t think there would be a problem. 

Of course, we can only do what we can. 

With that, conversation ceased. He detected only a fleeting softness and warmth each time she shifted. The quiet sound of her breath, her chest rising and falling. Goblins gibbering outside, their feet crunching in the snow. But all of those things felt far away. 

Finally, Cow Girl’s eyelids drifted shut. She slumped slightly, leaning against Goblin Slayer. And then… 

Thump! An impact turned everything upside down. 

“Heek…?!” As Cow Girl sat up suddenly, Goblin Slayer was already getting ready to fight if he had to. He was looking around vigilantly, weapon at the ready, his stance low, and his eyes fixed on— 

Cow Girl saw it, too. 

A huge, blackish-blue body. Horns growing out of its forehead. A mouth that emitted a rotting odor. A massive war hammer in its hands. 

Cow Girl, her eyes wide with amazement, squeezed out a voice that was barely a whisper. “What…is that…?” 

“I don’t know,” Goblin Slayer said shortly. “It doesn’t appear to be a goblin.” 

With a thump, thump, each step shaking the ground, the thing came closer. Goblins surrounded the creature as if drawn to it. 

I see—so that’s their leader. 

“That monster looks vaguely familiar,” Goblin Slayer said, then started watching the creature’s movements carefully. What had it been called? 

“Grah! Haven’t you found the adventurer yet?!” the creature howled in a semi-articulate voice. It gave one of the nearby goblins a kick. 

“GOBG?!” 

“Goblins! Argh, useless…!” it spat as the goblin rolled through the snow, then crawled on all fours, begging for forgiveness. 

The monster sat itself down on what was left of the cart, setting the hammer down beside it so hard that it seemed like it was slamming it into the ground. “…Bah, fine. You lot have soup for brains. Wouldn’t understand even if I spelled it out for you.” 

“GBOR…” 

“I said ‘fine.’ Just hurry up and find him. First squad that gets their hands on those two can do what they like with the girl.” 

“GROGB! GOBOGR!” 

“Got it? Then get going!” 

The goblin ran off, shouting the leader’s instructions to the others in a high-pitched voice. Goblin Slayer clicked his tongue to see the excited bustling among his enemies. Goblins were driven by fear and lust. And this giant knew how to use both to rally his troops. 

Fearsome indeed, Goblin Slayer concluded. 

Evidently, neither escape nor waiting would be easy. 

“Um, h-hey…?” 

The shivering of the girl beside him had become more violent. Goblin Slayer stretched out his hand, took hold of her, and gently lowered her to the ground. “…Sleep.” Unable to find any other words, he touched a hand to his sword, then repeated quietly, “Sleep… Tomorrow will not be any easier.” 

“…Right.” Cow Girl nodded, then obediently closed her eyes. She dozed off a little, but otherwise she couldn’t bring herself to slumber. 

Goblin Slayer slept with one eye open, alert at all times. 

He had to; there was no other choice. 

§ 

“Someone you love is dying. And you can see a goblin running away. Which do you choose?” 

“I don’t know.” 

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he felt a blow to his head. His master—his teacher—had struck him with an ice ball. 

He was thrown to the floor of the dark, icy cave, but he could no longer distinguish between cold and pain. He jumped to his feet and looked around, hoping to avoid the next strike, but as usual, he could see no sign of his master. 

“Ah, damn shame, that! Your little friend dies in front of your eyes! And the goblin gets away!” 

And that’s the end! In the darkness, his master, still invisible, gnashed something between his teeth. The nuts he had sent the boy out onto the frozen plain to collect. The boy had learned that even deep in the mountains, surrounded by snow and ice, there was a surprising amount of food if you knew how to look. 

“Pfah, I ain’t sharin’! You want some, go get them yourself! These’re mine!” 

Yes. He nodded. 

He was used to his master’s capriciousness, but it had never occurred to him to steal the food. He hadn’t even imagined it. 

After all, his master had taught him to be honest and upright. 

“Hrmph,” his master grunted, letting out a belch. “I guess it’s a little better than saying you’d do both.” 

“Can’t I?” 

“You damn well can’t!” 

Something wet slapped him in the face. The shell of one of the nuts, spit out by his teacher, perhaps. He wiped it away without a word. He didn’t want it to turn to frostbite. 

“That would only show you didn’t understand what the problem was about. If you won’t face reality, then you’ll die sooner than later! Worthless and helpless, them,” his teacher grumbled, then spat another shell at him, this time straight at his cheek. “One thing, though,” his teacher added, and although he was still invisible, the boy could hear him smirking. “There’s a piece of the answer there.” 

“A piece?” 

“Yeah—only a dumb son of a bitch would let things get that bad to begin with!” An otherworldly cackle echoed off the walls of the cavern. The sound of crunching turned to chewing. Mushrooms, probably. 

After a moment’s thought, he responded. “But what should I do if it does come to that?” 

“What do you mean, what?” 

A blue-white light sliced past his nose. The blade of a dagger, the tip grazing his cheek, just close enough to draw blood. 

Suddenly, he was eye to eye with the rhea, whose pupils burned in the dark. The old creature guffawed. “You do anything—if it’s someone you love!!” 

§ 

“Mmm, er…” Her sleep had been so light it was no surprise she had trouble waking up. The night was long, and her dreams were short. She had been roused by the feeling of something moving beside her. “You’re awake?” 

“Eep…!” Cow Girl sat up quickly, covering her lower half with the blanket, then putting both hands over her mouth. Then she realized she didn’t know why she had done it, and blinked. 

Where was she? This wasn’t her room. And he was here. Dressed like he always was. 

“………Mmm. Good morning.” 

“Yes. Good morning.” 

Right, right. She nodded as her brain finally caught up with reality. They were still in that dilapidated shack, everything just like it had been when she had gone to sleep. She shivered, then took a quick look outside. 

There were no goblins in the snowy field beyond, at least as far as she could tell. 

Thank goodness. 

Her ample chest settled as she exhaled in relief. 

As for him, he was checking his equipment, looking just like he did when he inspected the fence on the farm. His cheap-looking metal helmet was there, as well as his grimy leather armor, the sword of a strange length at his hip, and the small round shield tied to his arm. 

Cow Girl sat and watched him, then cleared her throat. “…What’ll we do today?” 

She couldn’t bring herself to ask, What do we do next? 

“Hmm,” he grunted before providing an answer. “Whether we’re going to escape or wait for rescue, we need another place to sleep.” 

“Can we stay here?” Cow Girl looked around. “They didn’t find us yesterday.” 

His answer was blunt: “Then they will find us tonight. We need additional food, as well.” 

“Food…” Cow Girl thought back to the dried meat she had eaten the night before. She didn’t feel like she had eaten anything at all. 

Our lunches… 

If only she hadn’t dropped them, they could have been eating them now. 

She looked silently at the ground, and however he took her reaction, he said quietly, “I’ll search now, while the goblins are asleep. You wait here.” 

“What? I’m not waiting anywhere,” she instantly retorted. Cow Girl herself didn’t know why she had said it. He could hardly be expected to understand. 

“Why not?” 

I just blurted it out! was hardly something she could respond with. Instead she mumbled “Um, uh,” and looked for an answer. Her eyes went this way and that, but she didn’t find anything in the room. Nor outside in the snow. Cow Girl put a hand to her chest. “I—I mean, if the goblins found me by myself, I would be completely helpless…” 

That was true, and it was quite a logical argument if she did say so herself. At least for something she had made up on the spot. 

And also…I just don’t want to be by myself. 

She couldn’t deny that. She squeezed her hands in front of her chest, looking up at him. 

“…Well?” 

“…” He grunted softly. 

She understood as much about this situation as she could. At least, she thought she did. So this time, she felt she couldn’t force the issue. If he said no, she intended to leave it at that. 

“…Sorry.” 

“Ah…” As I suspected. Cow Girl shook her head. “No, it’s all right… Don’t worry about it.” 

“One hiding place is harder to find than two. I miscalculated earlier.” 

“…Huh?” Cow Girl had been about to say I’ll just wait here, but now she cocked her head. 

“And you’re right; having you with me would allow me to deal with anything that comes up.” 

“…You mean I can go with you?” 

“We have to hurry,” he replied, not answering her directly. “Time is short.” 

If there’s anything you need, bring it with you. 

With that instruction, he turned his back on her; Cow Girl looked around frantically. First there was the blanket she was wearing now, the one he had tossed to her the day before. She draped it over her shoulders in place of a coat, but now she felt the chill on her legs. 

Oh! 

She blushed and quickly grabbed her pants. She shoved herself into them—hips, butt, and all—and pulled her belt tight. He didn’t seem to be paying any attention to her. She hoped it would stay that way. 

“Uh, and, uh, a weapon…” 

“You don’t need one,” he said curtly. “If we find ourselves in a situation where you need a weapon, you’d be better off running away. We don’t want anything that might weigh us down.” 

“Er, right…” 

The words weigh us down brought to her mind the conversation from the night before. She was glad her pants were dry. She wasn’t sure how she would fare with just a single blanket, but she wasn’t going to argue with him any further. 

“Let’s go.” 

“…Okay.” 

She didn’t like it; honestly, didn’t want to admit it. But he, her friend of so many years, was Goblin Slayer. 

§ 

“I knew there would be a night watch,” Goblin Slayer grumbled as they slunk from shadow to shadow through the ruined village. 

On the orders of the ogre (not that he would think of it by that name), some sleepy goblins were standing watch. Goblin Slayer came up behind the nearest one and slapped a hand over his mouth before slitting his throat. 

There were endless nooks and crannies in which to hide a body. Or one could simply bury it in the snow. The trail of blood, too, would soon be hidden by the blizzard. So snow wasn’t all bad. 

“Let’s go.” 

“R-right…” Cow Girl glanced toward the corpse, then followed after him uncertainly. “…What kind of food are we going to look for?” 

“We can’t expect that this village had provisions.” The appearance of the meat from the previous night had left him with no other conclusions. If there had been any other edibles to find, the goblins had probably consumed them already. 

He observed the little devils from behind a drift of snow. It was a simple fact that the white darkness of the blizzard was on the goblins’ side. Humans were unable to see in the dark, and they were vulnerable to the cold. Cow Girl, just behind him, was draped in her blanket, but she was still shivering violently. He turned his helmet slightly, and could see that her skin was bluish, the color of her lips poor. 

No use in going hunting. 

The strain on her would be too great. And the chance of being spotted by the goblins too high. 

No. He shook his head, correcting himself: the chance of being spotted by the goblins was too high, and the strain on her would be too great. He must not get those two confused. He would be in danger of making the same mistake as earlier. 

If he got his priorities wrong, it could lead to her death. And often, with goblins, it didn’t stop with death. 

“…Do you remember the lingonberry?” Goblin Slayer asked, carefully keeping his voice passionless. 

Cow Girl made a sound of confusion first, but then she said, “Yeah,” and nodded. “Bearberry, right? Small and red. They used to grow just outside the village.” 

“Some of those berries may be left.” 

They would look for those. Goblin Slayer looked up at the sky. The gray clouds, thick and heavy and dark, continued to spit snow. The wind was gusting, and there was no change in the amount of snowfall. No sign of birds anywhere. But if there were any… 

“If you see any birds, they should signal the presence of berries.” 

“All right… Birds it is,” Cow Girl answered seriously. “Lingonberries… Anything else?” 

“Rock tripe.” 

“Rock tripe…?” 

Goblin Slayer considered for a moment, then gestured awkwardly. “A flat, black mushroom.” 

“Oh, I get it… Okay. I know what to do,” Cow Girl said, and she smiled. 

What with the cold and the fear and the tension, maybe smile wasn’t the right word. But Goblin Slayer nodded. “Yes,” he said, and his voice shook a little. “We’ll have to be careful of our surroundings as we work.” 

It should have gone without saying. But he felt he had to say it. 

§ 

They couldn’t build a fire to melt the snow; nor could they use the well, which the goblins were guarding. They got water from a frozen lake at the edge of the village. 

“…Way to figure this out.” 

“Snow accumulates following the lay of the land… And if there’s a well, there must be a water source. Though this one was probably used for irrigation.” As he spoke, he drew his dagger and plunged it into the ice, scraping away at it. “The goblins wouldn’t notice something like this.” 

While he worked, it was Cow Girl’s job to keep a lookout. She scanned around, hugging her blanket-clad shoulders and shivering. “If only we could’ve used the well, huh?” 

“I’m sure the goblins are thinking the same thing.” 

We have no choice. With that, he continued working the dagger, and before long, he had gouged a small hole in the ice. He reached in to check the water. It was clear and looked pure. 

“You don’t think it’s contaminated or something?” 

“Since there used to be a village here, I doubt we have to worry.” He nodded, then drew a thin, black straw from his item bag. He put one end in the water and the other in his mouth and sucked on it; once the straw was full of water, he let it drain into his waterskin. He placed the skin in a small depression in the snowbank that he’d dug for that purpose, and the flow of water continued naturally. 

Cow Girl, who had kept one eye on the work and one eye out for trouble, cocked her head curiously. “Is that straw some sort of magic…?” 

“It was formed by running tree sap into a pipe and letting it harden,” he explained. “I simply set the waterskin lower than the water level.” 

Water flows downward. The explanation was that simple, but he wasn’t good at explanations. 

“Huh.” Cow Girl crouched beside him, looking doubtful. He was silent, one hand on his sword as he scanned the area. 

Cow Girl let out a soft breath. She wanted to be near him—not quite desperately, but close. She was sure that if she got too far away from him, she would die. 

But I don’t want him to think of me that way. 

She let her feelings flow out into the frozen air along with the fog of her exhaled breath. How easy it would be if she simply clung to him, left everything to him—much as she was doing now. 

But if I did that, everything would really be over. 

At least it would for her, however he might feel about it. 

“You know a lot of different things, huh?” The words came tumbling out of her; she couldn’t stand the silence, just looking at him and the scenery in turn. 

His response was brief. “I’ve studied.” 

“Huh,” Cow Girl said. She hugged her knees to ward off the cold, drawing them into her generous chest. “You’re awfully smart.” 

“…No.” It was almost a grunt, and he shook his head. She couldn’t see his face behind his visor, but she got the sense that his eyes were fixed on the waterskin. “My teacher often told me I was an idiot.” 

“Your teacher told you that?” Cow Girl blinked. This was surprising. She certainly didn’t believe anything of the sort. 

She slid closer to him, shifted so she was looking into his face. It was the same cheap-looking metal helmet as always. 

“He said I don’t have any imagination,” Goblin Slayer continued. “So I’ll die quickly.” 

“Die…?” Cow Girl found herself lost for words, and she scrambled to find them again. “But…you’re alive right now.” 

She’d be in so much trouble if he wasn’t. Words like quickly repulsed her; she didn’t even want to think about them. 

“So, he said, don’t try to do things no one can do.” 

“Because you sure as hell can’t do ’em.” 

“You think you’re smarter than everyone?” 

“You’re a garden-variety idiot, and you can’t do nothin’ more than garden-variety things.” 

“Huh…” Cow Girl pursed her lips. She wasn’t amused. She felt like a “teacher” she’d never even seen was making fun of him. “…If I’d been there, I would’ve told him off for you.” 

“But he also taught me that the answer is always in my pocket.” 

“Sorry…?” The words were like something out of a riddle, and she didn’t immediately understand. She cocked her head again, and he smiled—or at least, she felt like he did. 

“Think as hard as you can, then do what you can do…is what I think it means, anyway.” 

“‘What you can do’…” 

“Anything.” 

“Anything…?” 

“That’s right.” 

He took the waterskin and gave it a shake. A sploosh emanated from inside. Satisfied that it was full, he traded it for an empty one. The water started collecting again. 

“Drink.” 

“Whoa!” He tossed the brimming waterskin to her, and she caught it gently against her chest. 

“And eat. There’s much to do yet.” 

“Sure, right.” Cow Girl nodded and opened the handkerchief full of the lingonberries they had collected on the road. Tasty or no, it was a far cry from a boot full. 

“…What’ll you eat?” 

“I have this,” he said, and he shoved the tough, black rock tripe through his visor. He chewed noisily, but the stuff really didn’t seem appetizing to Cow Girl. 

And he’s eating it raw… 

“Hrgh,” she grunted, but then she said, “Okay,” and took half the remaining mushrooms from him. And with a “There!”, she pushed half the lingonberries toward him. 

“Er…” 

“Let’s share!” 

From her voice, it was clear she wasn’t going to argue. She took his silence for assent and began to eat the rock tripe. 

She thought she understood the situation. Their luck hadn’t turned by any stretch of the imagination. But the water was cold, the mushrooms were hard, and the lingonberries were bittersweet.