Goblin Slayer - Volume SS1.01 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Middle Phase

Cow Girl stood by the door to her room. She took a deep breath in, then let it out, her chest rising and falling. 

The sun sent its rays streaming through the window, and she could hear a rooster crowing mightily. She was up earlier than usual today, dressed and ready to go. Everything was set. All she needed now was her resolve. 

“O-okay…!” 

She clenched her fist in a show of determination, then turned the doorknob and opened the door. 

“G-good morning! The sun’s up! …Erk.” 

She burst into the room as brightly as she could—only to find it empty. 

A “neat room” sounds like a nice idea, but it’s easy to be neat when the only things in a room are a bed made from a pile of straw, and a chair. 

The blanket was folded neatly on the straw pile; it showed no sign of having been used. 

Cow Girl scratched her cheek in embarrassment. It seemed she had completely missed him. 

“I guess he went out already…” 

Or had he not yet come back? 

She settled her shapely bottom on the straw pile and heaved a sigh. He left at random times and came back at random times. She hardly ever saw him. 

“…There are so many things I’d like to talk to him about, though.” 

The way things were, it was as if they really were just renting him a room. 

“Are adventurers that busy?” 

She didn’t know. 

She lived right down the street from a town that hosted a branch of the Adventurers Guild, yet she didn’t know anything about them at all. 

There were too many things she didn’t know. Why was that? Here she had been, living in this town for five years. 

It’s because I never go out. 

Cow Girl bit her lip and stood up. She quickly smoothed out the sheets where she had disturbed them, then she flung the door open and barged into the kitchen. Determination starts from the feet up. 

Her uncle was just putting some tobacco into his pipe, relaxing for a moment after breakfast. “Well, you’re up early,” he said, looking at her. 

“Uncle, do you have any deliveries to make in town today?” She blurted the words out, feeling like if she talked about anything else at all first, she might lose her nerve. 

“Hmm. Well, yes, I do…” He seemed slightly taken aback by his niece’s forcefulness. His chair rattled as he nodded. “Why do you ask?” 

“I’m going with you!” 

You had to start with the first step. Her uncle stared wide-eyed as Cow Girl clenched her fist in determination. 

§ 

“Uggggh…” 

The new Guild girl gave an exhausted sigh and pressed her forehead into the counter. Around her was a mountain of paperwork. They were all requests for adventurers brought in that day. Some, Guild Girl had written down herself, while others were from other employees. 

She grabbed a random page near her head and saw the inevitable words: goblin slaying. 

It was enough to make anyone sigh. 

“Hey, now, don’t slack off!” her coworker said, giving her a rap on the head. 

“But…” 

Her coworker was also a cleric, and she always seemed alert. Guild Girl couldn’t help feeling jealous. She assumed her coworker would at some point officially be given the position of inspector, as well. 

As for herself, Guild Girl didn’t feel it would be possible for her to petition the gods earnestly enough to evoke a miracle. 

“There are so many goblin quests here, we’re never going to get through them all.” 

“‘So many’? I’d say there’s about as many as usual.” 

“Well, that’s true, but…” Guild Girl pursed her lips and straightened the stack of papers. 

The proverb held that every time a party of new adventurers was formed, a goblin nest appeared. Goblin-slaying quests were so common and so endless that they could even give rise to popular wisdom like that. 

There were plenty of quests that dealt with bandits, or trolls, or lamias, or harpies. But broken down by monster type, goblin quests seemed to Guild Girl to be by far the most prevalent. 

“Just let the newbies handle them,” her coworker said. 

“I could, but…” Guild Girl listlessly picked up a pen. “There aren’t any promises it would work out for them.” 

“They have to take responsibility for themselves.” 

This time, she gave Guild Girl a gentle smack on the cheek, eliciting a little yeep! 

“Okay, so I won’t go that far. But risk is part of adventuring, isn’t it?” 

“True…” 

“We just take the quests, assign them to adventurers, and if they succeed, we give them their rewards and our trust. Right?” 

“I guess so.” 

Well, as long as you understand. Her coworker promptly turned back to her own counter. 

The Guild was already bustling with adventurers who had come seeking work. There wasn’t time to sit and chat. 

Guild Girl flipped through the pages she had yet to post on the bulletin board and sighed once more. 

This reward is barely enough… Not that a village like that can afford to offer much more… 

There were requests from destitute places, farming villages, pioneer towns. They were offering every coin they could scrape together, and it was still pocket change to experienced adventurers. 

As a result, the work often fell to newly minted monster hunters, those with the lowest rank, Porcelain, or the ninth rank, Obsidian. They might fail, but the goblins would still be eliminated. The second, or perhaps the third, party would destroy the nest. 

Part of what made an adventurer good at their job was the ability to pick quests that matched their strength, gear, and party composition. They were ultimately responsible for their own success or failure. The Guild didn’t have the resources to coddle every last dreamer who showed up to register. 

It’s a way of weeding them out, I guess… 

But if that was true, then it became a question of whether they could let the lawless and the violent continue to flourish. 

Whoever she picked, though, she was still sending someone off to face their doom. 

Maybe I’m in the wrong line of work. 

Still unable to get her emotions under control, Guild Girl tried to force a smile onto her face. Just in front of her was a massive adventurer, presumably come to find work for the day. He shoved his face close to hers. 

“Yo there. Got any troll-slaying quests? Now, there’s a way to earn a quick buck.” 

“I’m very sorry, there aren’t any trolls today…” Guild Girl frowned, and she flipped through her papers. A dim hope flashed through her mind. “Perhaps a goblin quest…?” 

“Goblins?” The hulking adventurer was unimpressed. “Goblins don’t pay, and they’re no fun. Let the Porcelains handle ’em.” 

Just for a second, Guild Girl bit her lip. It was about the reaction she’d expected. She couldn’t—and shouldn’t—force the matter. 

“I’m sorry, sir…” 

She was just bowing her head apologetically when a voice broke in. “Goblins?” 

Guild Girl had no idea how long he’d been there. The adventurer shuffled out from behind the huge man, his voice low and mechanical. He wore grimy leather armor and a steel helmet with one horn broken off, along with a small, round shield on his arm and a sword of a strange length at his hip. The equipment all looked thoroughly used, suggesting he had been through several adventures already. 

Guild Girl had dealt with him several times and already recognized him. How could she not? The shock she’d received when he came back from soloing that goblin nest seared him into her memory. 

But she had never known him to jump into a conversation like this. She blinked several times. 

The question came again: “Goblins?” 

“Er, yes.” It was all Guild Girl could do to nod her head. 

“I see,” he whispered dispassionately. “If there are goblins involved, I’ll go.” 

“Oh-ho, lookit little Porcelain boy here,” the big adventurer said, glancing dubiously at the armored boy. “Didn’t you take on a goblin-killing quest the other day?” 

“Yes.” He nodded. “I did.” 

The huge adventurer just let out a breath and nodded disinterestedly, but then a smile came over his face. “Well, that works for me. I’ll take this one, then.” He glanced at the papers on Guild Girl’s counter and grabbed one. “Get rid of the wizard on Firetop Mountain? Sounds good.” 

“Er, yes, sir! I understand he’s in an underground maze, so please be careful.” Guild Girl took care of the quest acceptance with a certain measure of urgency. She had to explain the reward, outline the quest content, and then make sure the adventurer really wanted and accepted the quest. Then her part was over. 

Recently, she had finally started to feel accustomed to the routine, and this time she was somehow able to fill out the paperwork without a hitch. Phew. A sigh of relief. 

“Goblins or giant rats are a good way to cut your teeth,” the big adventurer said as he left. “Good luck, kid.” 

The adventurer in the helmet watched him go without much interest, then turned back to the counter. 

“So, the goblins?” 

Yikes… 

For a moment, she found herself set back on her heels: deep within that expressionless steel mask, she could see a glowing red eye. 

Guild Girl shook her head to clear it. She had to get the smile back on her face. 

“Are there no goblins?” 

“N-no, there are…” She couldn’t help smiling a little, for real, at his reaction. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to focus. “We have goblin-slaying quests. Several of them, in fact.” 

“I see. So there are goblins.” 

What’s with this guy? 

She didn’t know the answer, but even as she looked at him in perplexity, she pulled several papers from the pile of quests. 

She had encountered a wide range of adventurers, both during her training at the capital and since being assigned to this town. Some were strange, some had their particular obsessions, some were full of themselves. A whole panoply of personalities. 

But he’s…different somehow. 

“E-er, so here’s one to start with. Goblins took some village livestock and injured the young man on guard…” 

“I accept.” 

He nodded, his response instantaneous. He didn’t ask about the reward but made to take the paper from Guild Girl’s hand, almost as if he were going to steal it. 

“Two or three of them?” 

“Um… May I explain about the reward?” 

“Yes.” He didn’t sound all that interested. 

“Hmm,” Guild Girl said, frowning just a little. “I need you to listen to me, or I could get in trouble myself.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yes, it is.” She nodded, putting on a serious face. She was dealing with someone who was used to a little fighting. If there was a dispute about the reward, it was the Guild girls who were standing in the line of fire. Even back in the capital, they had emphasized how important it was not to appear intimidated. 

“Trust and goodwill,” she said. “This is a job, and we are paying you, so please complete it to the best of your ability.” She raised her pointer finger as if offering a lesson, but the truth was, Guild Girl herself didn’t completely understand what she was saying. “And think about this: without a reward, you couldn’t pay your rent or buy food or equipment, could you?” 

Hence, she added a comment about the reward to the best of her understanding. It wasn’t anything revelatory; it was the sort of thing anyone would have known. But he lapsed into thought, until finally, a soft grunt came from inside the helmet. 

“…In that case, I will listen.” He nodded. Guild Girl put a hand to her chest in relief. 

Thank goodness he went along with me. 

This wasn’t the first time she had worked with him. Each time, he chose goblin slaying. 

Maybe it was because he was a beginner. She was still surprised that he hadn’t formed a party, but regardless, he was a big help to her. Even then, though, she knew that someday his rank would increase, and he would go on to fight bigger, more powerful monsters. 

That’s just how things are around here. 

“Thank you for your continued patronage!” 

He was going to walk out that door and, quite possibly, into the jaws of death. This might be her only chance to express her gratitude. 

She bowed, her braids bouncing, but he only cocked his head. It was almost as if he couldn’t fathom why she was thanking him. 

He seems surprisingly…decent. 

The passing thought was a little flippant, and she let it go as she launched into her explanation to this increasingly familiar adventurer. 

§ 

“Hey, he went that way!” 

“Yikes, h-he’s gonna get away!” 

“Surround ’em, that’ll make it easy!” 

“But don’t let down your guard. Goblins are monsters, too!” 

The party of four adventurers was putting their weapons to work on the twilit outskirts of the village. 

“Don’t think I don’t know it!” 

Their leader had only just registered as an adventurer the other day. He swung his two-handed sword mightily, jumping into the fray. 

“GROORB?! GOORBGBORG?!” 

A goblin with an armful of vegetables gibbered and ran, screaming as the sword took him. The vegetables dropped on the ground, splitting open, but then, so did the goblin. His innards splattered among the produce. The adventurers’ leader looked away with distaste. 

“Guess nobody’ll be having those for dinner…” 

“Look out! Over there!” There’s another one! It was the voice of their ranger girl. Her ears were somewhat pointy: she was a half-elf. 

She was pointing to where a goblin was charging into the forest, carrying a lamb. 

“Gnomes! Undines! Make for me the finest cushion you will see!” 

The half-elf had some communion with the spirits of the four directions, even if not as much as a full elf. She grabbed the canteen at her hip and poured water out of it; it danced and splashed on the ground. 

Guided by her almost singsongy words, the water merged with the spirits of the earth, forming mud and catching the goblin’s feet. 

“GROORB?!” 

The Snare spell stopped the creature cold. The lamb struggled out of his arms and ran away. 

“Hah, you’re mine now…!” Another warrior approached, lifting an ax. His body, rippling with muscles, looked like the side of a cliff. He was a dwarf. 

The blade of his ax smashed into the goblin’s skull, sending brains everywhere. The monster gave one great spasm and died. A splash of the creature’s blood got in the dwarf’s beard, but he only laughed aloud as he braced himself against the corpse and pulled out his weapon. 

“We’re even on kills now!” 

“Just you wait. I’ll win next time,” the leader shot back. He shook his sword to get the blood off, then put it back in its scabbard. He kept the blade at his hip, because he had found that with the sword across his back, he couldn’t get to it quickly enough when he needed it. 

“You will be relieved to know that no one appears to be injured,” said their monk. The bald-pated follower of the God of Knowledge placed a grateful hand to his chest. 

The party had been on several adventures, but they had all involved investigating ruins. This had been their first field battle. Driving off a handful of goblins wasn’t that big a deal, but they were still glad not to suffer any wounded. 

“What about you, sir?” the monk asked. 

“No problems,” he responded dispassionately. 

“He” was an undeniably pitiful-looking adventurer. He wore a steel helmet with one horn missing, grimy leather armor, and a small, round shield strapped to his arm. In his hand was a sword of a strange length, the blade currently buried in a goblin’s brain. 

“One,” he said, giving the blade a ruthless twist and severing the spinal column with a sickening crack. 

“You took two. Three all together.” 

“Right. The vegetables are a loss, but at least we got the lamb back. That’s well and good.” 

“Ain’t it?” the leader asked with a smile, eliciting agreement and a grin from the half-elf girl holding the small animal. The lamb squirmed as if it might get away from where she held it against her small chest, but despite her thin arms, she gave the animal no chance of escape. 

“Geez. What I wouldn’t give to be where he is. Why d’you suppose he’s so upset?” 

“What you wouldn’t give?” the girl said, confused at first, but then she figured it out and exclaimed, “Why, you!” and puffed out her cheeks. 

“Sorry, sorry,” their warrior-leader said. The half-elf’s expression softened immediately, and she stroked the lamb’s head. 

The dwarf shook his head at the sweet little scene. “Well, that’s goblins for you.” Ax resting across his shoulders, he gave a disinterested snort. 

“I see,” he said. He put his boot on the goblin’s corpse and pulled out his sword, then used the tip to roll the body over. The creature was brutally thin, its rib cage prominently visible. A disgusting stench rose up from its filthy form. 

“It doesn’t appear to come from a nest,” he said. 

The monk ran a hand across his bald head as he looked at the body. Then he began to poke at the corpse gently with a finger. (Perhaps he was more used to such things than the others?) 

“I agree,” he said. “This creature is severely malnourished. Terribly thin. Perhaps a vagabond, or a Wanderer?” 

“A ‘Wanderer’?” He shook the blood off his sword and sheathed it, turning his one-horned helmet toward the monk. 

“Like a bear with no den, the word describes a goblin with no nest.” 

“Is there anything else?” 

“Er…” The monk touched his head again, then shook it. He had a strained smile on his face. “I’m afraid I don’t know that much about goblins.” 

“I see.” That was all he said before the helmet returned to gazing at the goblin body. 

The leader watched him with interest, then slapped a friendly hand on his shoulder. “You’re doing goblin slaying to get money for equipment, aren’t you?” 

The next quest’s going to be a little tougher was his advice. 

“Is that so?” was all he said. “Is it goblins?” 

“Hell no,” the leader said, looking confused. “The quest is to explore a mine.” 

“Yeah, I heard they stopped getting gold out of it,” Half-Elf Girl said. 

“The suspicion is that there’s a monster down there,” Dwarf Warrior added. 

Elves and dwarves had been known to have a contentious relationship ever since mythical times, but maybe the same didn’t hold true with half-elves and dwarves. 

The dwarf squinted beneath his big, bushy eyebrows and eyed their companion. “Gotta say, I never expected to run into another adventurer.” 

It was fair enough: the goblins that were now rotting in the sun had probably been attacking any nearby villages without much thought. So one village requested their extermination, and a party accepted; another village requested defense, and a lone adventurer took them up on it. 

It didn’t really matter, so long as everyone could get their reward. 

“This has to be more than just chance,” the party leader said affably. “This guy and I registered on the exact same day, after all!” He gave the armored adventurer another hearty smack on the shoulder. “Hey, you’re solo, right? How about you come with us on our next—” 

“No,” he said curtly. “Goblins.” 

Then he drew his dagger. As if it were no big deal, he sliced open the stomach of one of the monsters, like a hunter skinning his catch. 

Half-Elf Girl choked a little, while the monk frowned and said, “Sir, what are you doing?” 

“Investigating,” he replied calmly, not interrupting his mechanical movements as he pulled out some organ or other. “I don’t know much about goblins, either.” 

The party looked at one another as if they had discovered some unidentified being deep in a labyrinth. They could hardly be blamed for collectively deciding to move along. 

He spent the entire night in that field, making sure no goblin reinforcements arrived, and then went home. 

§ 

“Wh… Whoa…” Cow Girl nearly felt dizzy at all the activity. 

They were at the Adventurers Guild—and there were so many adventurers there. It was after noon, and the crowd had thinned somewhat, but to Cow Girl, the confusion was still overwhelming. 

People of every race, class, and age group, carrying every conceivable type of weapon, wandered around the lobby. She had seen dwarves and rheas in passing on the street, but elves she had heard of only in stories. Cow Girl was left blinking by the beauty of a passing elf girl. 

She knew it was rude to stare, but she did anyway, maybe because she felt she would never have a chance to get any closer to an elf than this. 

“All right then, I’m going to go make the deliveries. Just wait here quietly.” 

Her uncle’s words brought her back to herself, and she quickly nodded and said, “Oh, uh, r-right!” 

Her uncle headed for the reception desk, leaving Cow Girl standing there. That was when she noticed it. 

They’re looking at me. 

Maybe she was somehow unusual, or just looked out of place, but passing adventurers kept stealing glances at her. She felt a flush run up her cheeks; she squeezed her eyes shut and kept her face down. 

I knew I shouldn’t have come here… 

She fidgeted uncomfortably, finding herself unbearably embarrassed. When she finally peeked out from beneath her bangs, she spotted some benches, apparently a waiting area. 

That would be a good place, Cow Girl thought. She would know right away when her uncle came back. 

She worked her way over to the seats, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible while also trying to appear as if she was used to this. Her nervousness made her hands and arms unwilling to move; she had no idea what to do with her sense of embarrassment. Somehow, though, she made it to the benches, sat down, and breathed a sigh of relief. 

Thank goodness no one talked to me. 

Placing a grateful hand to her burgeoning chest, Cow Girl finally got a proper look around the Guild. On a whim, she tried looking for him but saw no sign of that armor and helmet. 

Still, though… Look at all the people here. 

“Gawd, that was a real mess.” 

“It’s all because you insisted on using that gigantic thing in such a small space. You should take a page from my book.” 

“Forget about Mister and Miss there. What’s our next quest?” 

“You could stand to learn a thing or two yourself. But anyway, um, I think it’s investigating some mine. A big group effort.” 

“I hear slimes or something keep showing up there.” 

Cow Girl watched the party’s animated discussion without really meaning to. The warrior carrying the giant sword—a broadsword, really—across his back seemed to be in charge. 

Would he gather companions to himself like that one day? Or maybe he already had a party to go with him on his adventures. 

And if he does… 

Then, she had to admit, she would feel left out. Just a little. 

“Is something the matter?” 

“Eeyikes!” 

The unexpected question made Cow Girl jump. She looked up, trying to calm her pounding heart, and saw a concerned-looking staff member. 

The young woman appeared to be perhaps a little older than Cow Girl. Her braided hair made her look grown-up. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I certainly didn’t mean to startle you…” Her shapely eyebrows furrowed. 

“Oh, no, I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to be so startled!” Cow Girl gave a wave of her hand. “Er, uh, my uncle—” Now she was embarrassed again. “Um, that is, you see…” She looked down, her face bright red. 

She was completely tongue-tied. Was it the nervousness or the touch of panic? 

She took a deep breath. The staff member waited politely for her. Then Cow Girl managed to say, “I’m from the farm…” 

“Oh!” The staff member’s face brightened. “Thank you for always bringing us produce!” 

“Uh, and—and so…” 

Why didn’t I ever talk to more people? 

It was too late for regrets. She would have to work with what she had. 

If she couldn’t speak now, she felt, she would never be able to speak. She would never be able to do anything. 

Come on, tongue, work! 

“I’m going to—to start coming to help my uncle, so, uh…!” 

She forced her voice out as powerfully as she could but found herself short on words. She knew what she wanted to say but couldn’t quite figure out how to say it. 

Even as Cow Girl struggled to talk, the staff member smiled broadly. “Certainly. We look forward to working with you!” 

The words were a godsend. “M-me too…!” Cow Girl blurted out, and Guild Girl, still smiling, gave her a perfect bow. Then she walked away, the gentle curve of her hips and bottom swaying as she moved, leaving Cow Girl to let out a breath. 

She’s such a lady… 

Did men prefer girls like…like that? 

After a very long moment, Cow Girl closed her fist gently and whispered, “I’ll just have to do my best.” 

§ 

When he walked through the door of the Guild, silence descended immediately. 

He entered the building at a bold stride, his boots covered in gruesome dark stains. The adventurers standing around could smell the reek rolling off him, and with every step he took, they turned to one another and whispered. 

“Wow. So that’s the guy…” 

“They say he dissected a goblin. Maybe he wanted to sell its liver somewhere.” 

“Goblin slaying on his own? That’s gutsy…” 

“This is his second or third time, right? Isn’t it about time he moved on from goblins?” 

Apparently, the other adventurers, who had come back first, had been spreading gossip. 

The outcome of an adventure was news that traveled quickly. But even so, he was very conspicuous. Part of an adventurer’s job was to stand out. 

“If he’s got scout or ranger abilities, or maybe fighter levels, I could see inviting him with us.” 

“Ugh, pass. I don’t want anyone chopping up any monsters in front of me.” 

“Is he even human? He looks too tall for a rhea…” 

“Is he a he? Are you sure it’s not a woman?” 

“No, I’m sure he’s a man… Wanna bet on it?” 

“You’re on.” 

Each adventurer looked at him with a different emotion: curiosity, suspicion, interest. But all of them whispered. 

He, however, didn’t even slow down but marched up to the reception desk. 

“Now, I’ve just gotta make my report to my dear receptionist and— Yeek!” The spear-wielding adventurer found his mood suddenly spoiled. He gave the armored man a pointed glare but jumped out of the way. 

The person in the armor didn’t spare a glance at Spearman but continued ever forward. Had he interrupted something? No, he hadn’t. 

Spearman worked his mouth open and shut as if he wanted to say something, but Witch gently tugged on his arm to silence him. 

I’ve got to admit, he does sort of look like an undead when you first see him. 

Guild Girl had been watching everything. 

She took a deep breath. She put a hand to her chest (of which she was secretly quite proud) and took another. She made sure she was smiling. 

“Welcome back! How did the quest go?” 

“Goblins appeared,” he reported, then went quiet. Guild Girl’s smile took on a frozen quality. 

“Erm…” Scritch, scratch. She dipped the quill pen in a jar of ink and made a few notes on a piece of paper. 

Wh-what do I do now? 

She turned to the next counter looking for help, but her coworker appeared to be busy with another adventurer. In fact, his appearance had caused many of those waiting in line to drift elsewhere. 

A-anyway. I just need to fill out the paperwork, that’s all… 

“How m-many goblins were there?” 

“Three. They had no weapons.” 

“Right, then. Three, no equipment. Got it.” 

That was in accordance with the quest description, which claimed that three or so goblins had shown up. 

Guild Girl focused on writing as neatly as she could, the pen scratching along the report paper. 

“……” 

The entire time, the steel helmet faced resolutely in her direction, with no sign of moving. 

H-he’s making it hard to work…! 

She wasn’t exactly embarrassed or shy, but she was having trouble enduring the situation. 

Anyway, as quest completion reports went, “killed three goblins” left something to be desired. 

Guild Girl strengthened her determination as if she were facing a dragon, then confronted the strange adventurer. 

“How did y-you defeat them?” 

“Another party had already taken up a quest. They eliminated two of the goblins, and I one,” he replied with an uncommon lack of embellishment. Guild Girl blinked, thrown off her rhythm. 

Okay, then… She asked the next question with hesitancy in her voice: 

“Is there anything else…?” 

“Else?” 

“You know, uh, anything you noticed, or anything else you did?” 

He paused for a moment, then said softly, “I watched for a full night. But I saw no evidence of reinforcements.” The steel helmet tilted thoughtfully. 

Guild Girl gave him a questioning look, whereupon he added, again quietly, “The other party’s monk suggested they might have been Wanderers. Goblins who have lost their nest.” 

“I see, I see…” 

Huh. As Guild Girl kept her pen moving across the paper, her expression began to soften. The boy was reticent and a little odd. 

What a strange guy. But hey, if you ask him a question, he’s sure to answer. 

He did the job he was asked to do. And he returned after completing it. 

Guild Girl asked him one probing question after another, nodding and writing as he answered. 

“Let me make sure I have this right, then. You accepted the quest and arrived at the location, whereupon you encountered three goblins.” 

“That’s right.” The steel helmet nodded. It made Guild Girl think of a bobblehead doll, and she smiled. 

“You joined up with another party that was already there on another assignment. Together, you all slew three goblins. You detected no indication of reinforcements.” 

“Correct.” 

“In that case, the quest is complete. Good work!” 

The smile Guild Girl gave him was not one of her pasted-on expressions. It came over her face very naturally. 

Looking over her notes, Guild Girl opened the safe in the prescribed manner and took out the pouch of reward money: the reward for goblin slaying. Money the people of that village had scrimped and saved to offer. 

It might weigh less when she converted the coins, but that didn’t take away from the emotions the money embodied. 

She placed it on a tray and set it on the counter. He stared at it for a moment, then nonchalantly picked up the money. 

“Just like I told you, right? You take a job, you do the job, then you get a reward.” 

Hmph! She made a triumphant little sound and puffed out her chest (of which she was secretly quite proud), holding up her pointer finger as if offering a lesson. 

“That’s an adventurer’s responsibility—his trust and goodwill.” 

Her coworker gave her a weary look as if to ask what she was blathering about, but Guild Girl paid her no mind. She was happy that the boy before her had slain the goblins, that she had paid the reward, and that their business was successfully concluded. 

In her mind’s eye, Guild Girl could still see the worried farmer standing at the reception desk. What a relief this would be for the villagers. 

How wonderful that she had been a small part of it. That she had been able to send him out to— 

“So. Do you have any goblin quests?” 

“…Sorry—?” 

Guild Girl had just been straightening some papers on the desk and thought she had misheard. 

“Goblins.” The steel helmet looked directly at her. 

From the next desk over, Spearman was looking at them incredulously. 

Is there something wrong with this guy? 

She couldn’t keep the thought from passing through her head, and no doubt she wasn’t the only one. Adventurers all over the Guild had been keeping one ear on the conversation, and now they stared agape. 

Guild Girl swallowed. She thought it sounded awfully loud. Her voice shook as she said, “G-goblins…?” 

“Yes.” There was no quaver as he answered. Did he see the ripple of uncertainty in her own expression? The helmet tilted slightly and he said, “I will accept a reward.” 

Was that his way of saying he understood how things worked now? Or was he trying to imply that what he decided to do was his business? 

There were the novices who went out to slay goblins, and all the people who came by each day to request adventurers to slay those goblins. 

There were the ones who never came back, and all those who refused the quests. 

And then there was the one person who both accepted the quests and came back. 

Guild Girl bit her lip for a long moment, but then let out a breath. 

This was simply the way things had turned out. 

If they were going to ask him for help, they would have to help him in return. Guild Girl dipped her pen in her inkwell again. 

The Guild was no charity, but there was no reason not to help an adventurer. 

At least, there shouldn’t be, right? 

“Goblins?” 

“Yes, we have several goblin quests.” 

Although he may not have noticed how she was feeling, she didn’t have to force herself to smile at him. 

So it goes. A natural smile would have to do. No, that’s not enough. 

“Could I ask you to be a bit more proactive in your report next time?” 

“Erm…” 

She found herself at the mercy of a steel helmet whose thoughts she couldn’t read. In that case, she had a thing or two to say to him. 

“Is it true you dissected a goblin?” 

“I did…” 

“Well, perhaps you could avoid actions that are likely to be misunderstood by civilians and other adventurers.” Her smile didn’t falter as she spoke. 

“Erm,” he grunted. 

Is he actually at a loss? 

Guild Girl wanted to have just a little more fun. And honestly, she was curious. 

“Why in the world would you do something like that, anyway?” 

“To learn.” 

“Learn what?” 

“About goblins.” 

Guild Girl couldn’t understand why a person would be so fixated on goblins. 

Goblins, goblins, goblins. Guild Girl rolled the barrel of her pen against her temples. 

“Please don’t do that in the future. At least, not when it could cause misunderstandings.” 

She added “As I’m sure you’re already aware” with a smile tugging at the edges of her lips. 

§ 

Cow Girl awoke to a sound sometime before dawn, while the sky was still a dark blue. 

“Hr…nn…” 

She squirmed in her bed, until just her head was poking out from under her blanket, and looked out the window. 

Sunrise was still some way off; it was that numinous moment between full dark and dawn. Even the roosters were still sleeping. 

Yet, she was sure she had heard something. Footsteps. Faint but…bold, nonchalant. 

“Is he…home?” 

Being careful not to make any noise that might wake her uncle, Cow Girl slid out of bed. 

Traces of nighttime still hung in the air, clinging to her bare skin without mercy, making her shiver. 

She pulled on an ill-fitting undershirt and lit the wick of a candle. She crept quietly into the hallway and began walking hesitantly through the silent house. 

She was already well on her way when she was seized by the fear that she might be wrong about the noise; she picked up a piece of firewood and held it in one hand. 

“Um, uh…” 

Finally, she arrived at his room. The door was shut tight; she swallowed heavily. She knocked gently, reluctantly, on the door, then she opened it a crack and peeked in. 

“Welcome…home…?” 

There was no answer. In fact, there was no sense that anyone was inside. 

The bed still showed no sign of having been used. The blanket was folded neatly. There were hardly any belongings within. 

Cow Girl took a careful step into the room, stirring up a thin layer of dust on the floor. 

“…He’s not here?” 

But then the faint sound came again. It could have been nothing more than her imagination, a phantom of hope, but she was sure she heard it. 

Inside the house—no. 

“Outside… Maybe.” 

Come to think of it, didn’t he say he would borrow the shed…? 

The shed was ancient and had long gone unused. Could that be where the sound was coming from? 

Cow Girl raised the collar of the shirt that was all she had on over her bare skin, then stepped out the front door and into the night. 

Immediately, she was caught by a whistling dawn wind that felt like a knife on her skin. It was supposed to be spring now, but the gust felt like a last gasp of winter. 

The candle guttered; Cow Girl hurriedly sheltered it with her hand and blew on it. 

Maybe it’s not quite proper, being outside dressed like this… 

She dismissed the thought; it wasn’t as if there was anyone there to see her. 

The shed rose as a shadow against an ultramarine sky. The roof and walls were full of holes, and with the wind whipping through the grass all around, it looked deserted. 

I guess I’ve never actually been in there… 

She had the sense that the shed had always been like this, ever since she had come to the farm five years earlier. Had she gone into the shed when she was exploring on her first day here? 

“Oof…” 

Maybe she really had imagined the sound? Cow Girl took a step back. 

There was no one there. There couldn’t be. She had been crazy to come out here alone. The shed looked like a place that would attract goblins. 

Goblins: “the little devils.” 

She had never seen the monsters, but the thought of them caused her to shake her head, her hair flying from side to side. 

She put her hand gently to the door, then pushed it open with a creak. 

“Hey… Are you…here?” she murmured, but there was no response from the dim interior. 

She looked around the shed, blinking, then brought her candle inside. 

“…?!” 

She immediately caught her breath. 

There he was, over in a dark corner. 

Was he dead or, perhaps, a ghost? The candlelight revealed a seemingly ruined suit of armor. One horn was broken off the steel helmet; the leather armor was grimy, and the wearer had a round shield strapped to one arm and a sword at his hip. 

He was crumpled in the corner of the abandoned building. Her heart pounded. She could detect the prickling metallic odor of the steel, mixed with a faint stench. She was used to it from working on the farm: blood and gore. 

Cow Girl’s expression stiffened. She crouched and approached him, looking him in the face. 

“Hey—hey, are you okay?! Did you get hurt?!” 

“……” 

He gave no answer. 

The helmet moved awkwardly, facing toward her. Inside the visor, she thought she could see a red eye. 

“No,” he said quietly and then slowly stood. “I didn’t.” 

Cow Girl, overwhelmed, fell backward on her bottom. Now she was looking up at him, and in a minor panic, she rushed to cover the front of her shirt. It was a little late for that. Her cheeks burned. 

“Er, ah, um…” 

“I was merely resting.” 

The voice sounded faint and strained. Was it because he had just woken up? Cow Girl wondered vacantly. 

He picked up a canteen sitting in a corner of the shed and drank emphatically from it. Who knew how long the water had been in there? 

Cow Girl, still pressing a hand to the front of her shirt, got unsteadily to her feet. 

“Resting? You mean—?” 

Here? 

The place was in such bad shape it could barely hold off the elements. There was no bed; he was just slumped on the ground. 

And he was resting? 

“I can sleep even with one eye open.” 

That wasn’t really an answer. At least, not the answer Cow Girl was hoping for. 

As she looked on, dumbfounded, he tightened the previously loosened straps of his armor. 

“Now I’ve had my rest.” 

“You’ve had…what…?” 

She took note of his equipment at a glance: sword, shield, armor, helmet. She didn’t know much about adventuring, of course, but even to a layperson like her, it was obvious that he had just gotten back from an adventure and hadn’t even changed out of his equipment. 

She tried to speak, but her throat constricted. She clenched her hand in front of her generous chest. 

“Where…? Where are you going?” 

“Goblins.” That was all he said. The rattle of his items and equipment sounded in the dim shelter. 

Cow Girl realized the candle in her hand had burned out, but she didn’t think she could relight it. 

Now I see. 

With him back, she had selfishly thought that things had started to change. But she was no different than she had been five years ago, and… 

…he isn’t, either. It’s still that day for him. 

What should she do, then? Cow Girl clenched her fist harder. 

His equipment was already settled. All the pieces were there, the straps were fastened, and he was carrying his item bag. 

“Ah…” She opened her mouth to say something, but he passed by her at a bold stride without speaking. 

She spun around, but he was already out the door, which creaked as he left. 

His back was growing farther and farther away. Once again, he was about to go somewhere, alone. 

Cow Girl simply couldn’t stand the thought. All the muscles in her face worked as she shouted, “I’ll be waiting for you!” 

A memory broke on her like the dawn. 

A childish fight. Tears welling in her eyes, then in his. 

Morning. Riding in a carriage, her parents seeing her off. Looking back from her seat. No sign of him. 

The words she meant to say to him when she got back. The place she could never return to. 

She couldn’t go home. She hadn’t gone home, and she never would. 

No, that wasn’t true. She was sick of thinking that way. 

“I’ll be waiting, so this time—this time—” 

I want you to come home. 

She didn’t know if he heard her or not. 

She thought she saw him glance back, but it must have just been her imagination. 

Surely, it was a trick of the morning light that made her vision blur, making it impossible to tell.