A Continuing Bad Connection (4)

“It’s just a bunch of goblins, isn’t it?”

“Even so, if their numbers are large, we can’t let our guard down. Stay alert.”

One by one, people started gathering in and around the village. These were the adventurers who had decided to join the subjugation team.

True to their nature as adventurers, they had all sorts of appearances, and their spirits, expressions, and perceived strength varied.

If there was one common point, it was that they were overflowing with enthusiasm because they had come to fight of their own accord. The tension was also less because goblins weren’t considered particularly strong magical beasts.

Looking at the bustling atmosphere alone, it seemed more like a hunting competition or festival rather than going to war.

The villagers generally welcomed them. Although there was a possibility that some of them might cause trouble, it was an opportunity for many villagers to provide necessary items or food and make a fortune.

“What should we do now? What if those people really kill uncle?”

“Then are you saying that Uncle Kai really became corrupted and brought the magical beasts here?”

Of course, there were those who didn’t like them. Ian, who was watching the adventurers helplessly, bit his lip at his friend’s words.

“But there’s no way to cure the curse of corruption. No one can heal it…”

Thomson, one of the group, muttered in a gloomy voice. Ian couldn’t refute that far.

The curse was like a kind of natural disaster. If it really struck, praying and hoping for luck was the best one could do.

Even those who had hope were now losing it one by one and on the verge of giving up.

‘I can’t give up.’

Only Ian was gritting his teeth and holding onto a thread of hope. If the best he could do was struggle desperately, he was willing to do so. If a miracle was the only hope, he was willing to hope for a miracle.

He believed that was what he had to do.

“Look over there, Ian. The Guard has arrived too.”

Meanwhile, the Guard, who would form the core of the subjugation team, also entered the village fully armed.

Unlike the disorganized adventurers, the Guard, armed with unified armor and weapons, was marching in orderly fashion, showing military-like dignity.

“I didn’t expect you to come here too, Professor. You seemed busy with other research.”

“Sometimes, focusing on something else is good for clearing one’s head. As it happens, one of my disciples has created something.”

At Captain Lakum’s words, Renia, who was riding in a carriage beside him, smiled, twitching her fox ears that protruded from her head. The reason she had come to this place where a war with goblins would take place, leading her team, wasn’t actually that serious.

It was to use the magic detector, a magical tool made by her assistant and disciple, Neru.

“A device that can detect the magical power of magical beasts. Is that really possible? It’s a device that adventurers who try everything to find traces of magical beasts would go crazy for.”

“It’s not just simple magical power. It’s a device that detects negative magical power like forbidden, unrestored artifacts, or the curse of corruption. It’s an invention devised from a guiding device used by humans in the mythical era…”

“I-I see. It looks like we’ve arrived.”

As Renia was about to explain something in detail, Lakum, sweating nervously, pointed to the village with his hand. The wide road that the carriage could enter was now ending.

Renia, who hadn’t planned to keep riding anyway, got off with her disciples and looked around.

“For now, I don’t smell their disgusting scent around here. Neru, is the device working?”

“It’s operating normally. However, as you know, the detection range is short, so we’ll probably have to move with the Guard.”

“I didn’t expect it to have a shorter detection range than my nose.”

She clicked her tongue and turned to look at her disciple holding something. The disciple, struggling with it, scratched his head sheepishly at her comment that the detection range was shorter than her nose.

Of course, this was unfair to the disciple if compared to her nose, which was particularly developed among beastkin.

“May we go together? We have enough strength to protect ourselves.”

“Of course, Professor.”

When she smiled, holding her staff, Lakum nodded. Rather, if a mage like her helped, the mission would become easier, so Lakum had no reason to refuse.

“Lin, prepare for reconnaissance. This is a mission we don’t need to drag out.”

He instructed his junior and adjutant to start the mission while carefully packing something.

Soon, a group of people led by Lakum, with a sword at his black waist and holding what he had packed in his hand, attempted to enter the forest for reconnaissance.

‘That’s a gun too. A rifle. By the way, why is that fox here again?’

There was someone watching this scene from the window of a second-floor house. Isilia, recognizing the all-too-familiar sight of the rifle, which she had even fired herself, snorted.

* * *

“The Guard plans to use the adventurers to distract them, while they themselves will be the main force to raid their stronghold.”

That night, Patrick shared the information he had painstakingly gathered using his connections with his companions.

Lina was sitting on the bed, listening with a tense face, while Isilia was sitting in a crooked posture with one leg draped over the armrest of a rocking chair, yawning.

“The goblins won’t sit still, so there’s a high chance that their stronghold we confirmed will be empty.”

“That’s very good then. Let’s pretend to fight and then slip away to go there.”

Isilia smirked as Patrick, who had ample experience participating in such large-scale subjugation operations, scribbled on paper and explained the general situation that would unfold.

“Are you not planning to tell the subjugation team about that goblin called Kai?”

Patrick glanced at Isilia. In fact, Isilia had told her companions about the goblin Kai that she had heard from Ian and his friends last night, but hadn’t informed the subjugation team.

As a result, the subjugation team only knew that there was one commanding entity leading the goblins.

“What do you think? About whether a magical beast that has fallen to the curse can return to its original state. And if it does return to normal, can you accept that person?”

“That’s beyond common sense. But…”

Patrick swallowed dry saliva, avoiding Isilia’s eyes that were faintly glowing red in the dimly lit room illuminated by a single lamp.

It was known that no being could resist or escape the curse that had been passed down since ancient times.

However, the elf girl in front of him now was no ordinary elf. Patrick, who had directly witnessed what happened with the werewolf, couldn’t give a definite answer.

“For now, I’d like to see it return to normal. It would be a person who has experienced something no one else knows.”

Finally, he shook his head. He thought it wasn’t a problem for an ordinary adventurer like himself to worry about.

Isilia’s expression became even more enigmatic seeing this.

“You’re planning to save that goblin, aren’t you?”

When the meeting was over and it was time to go to bed. Lina, lying in bed together, spoke to the small back turned away from her.

“I’m thinking of trying it out. My thoughts will depend on the results of that test.”

As Lina expected, Isilia was planning to use her power on Kai. If it really works, it would mean more options.

‘Getting involved with the Tower again at this point.’

Of course, her mind wasn’t fully made up yet. Getting entangled again with the past connection she thought was completely severed when the Tower collapsed first required considerable determination.

“You can do it.”

“Thank you for believing in me.”

Lina, who couldn’t possibly know such circumstances, encouraged Isilia. She smiled slightly hearing that encouragement.

“I should be the one encouraging you. I said we’ll pretend to fight and slip away, but are you confident? You might end up really fighting goblins tomorrow.”

Isilia turned around and looked at Lina. At her mention of tomorrow’s fight, Lina’s cat ears twitched greatly.

“Of course, don’t worry. I’ll protect you, so you just need to act. They won’t be able to lay a hand on you.”

“I-I’ll definitely do that much.”

Lina’s assigned task was just to act for others to see. Anyway, Isilia, who could move the earth spirits, had many ways to help Lina discreetly.

It’s something she could definitely accomplish if she trusted Isilia.

And Lina firmly believed in her.

It wasn’t simply because Isilia was strong, or because she was her superior.

It was all the aspects that she had shown, sometimes seeming much more adult-like and sometimes childlike similar to her appearance, and the experiences shared with her.

‘Isilia is a good person.’

Lina believed in herself who had directly experienced that.