Ch.1818. The Path of Hardship (5)

“Please come quickly. At this rate, Lady Diolia will catch them all.”

“But… is that okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Killing goblins. It might be difficult for a man.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

As if I’m just any ordinary man.

I wish people wouldn’t compare me to the delicate men here who don’t match my appearance in this place.

I wonder how my former comrades would react if they saw me being worried about killing a single goblin.

Still, it’s nice that she’s concerned about me.

I shrugged lightly and continued speaking.

“I didn’t offer to protect you for nothing.”

“…I see.”

“Besides, wouldn’t it be strange if I couldn’t kill a single goblin with the archery skills that Sione praised?”

“If that’s the case, then fine.”

Sione, who had already returned to her formal way of speaking, got out of the carriage.

The hoarse screeching sounds in the distance suggested that Diolia had begun engaging the goblins.

Now that an Expert knight had stepped in, there probably wouldn’t be any left if we delayed any longer.

I hurriedly offered her my hand.

“Take my hand. I’ll show you quickly.”

“…Must I really hold your hand?”

“I apologize for the impertinence, but it would be easier to teach you about combat if I hold your hand.”

“Well, I suppose there’s no helping it.”

I took Sione’s hand.

It was too small and delicate to have ever wielded a sword.

I firmly grasped her small hand and hurriedly moved forward.

“A-aren’t you holding too tightly?!”

“Please excuse me for a moment.”

As we headed toward the carriage ahead, I could see Diolia’s back in the distance.

She was effortlessly cutting down the goblins that charged at her with her drawn sword.

Since goblins are pack monsters, there were still quite a few left to deal with.

I pressed myself behind a tree at a suitable distance.

Then I looked at Sione, who was maintaining an awkward posture while I held her hand.

She seems to be making a big deal about holding hands with a man.

What will she do in front of her fiancé?

I pulled Sione sharply toward me.

As she fell into my arms, I said to her:

“W-what are you doing?”

“The advantage of a bow is distance. We archers begin most battles by ambushing enemies while avoiding their gaze.”

“C-can’t we separate?”

“If we separate, we’ll be spotted. Please bear with me even if it’s uncomfortable. Now, look at that goblin.”

About the height of a 10-year-old child, with dark green wrinkled skin. An unsightly flat nose and angry eyes as if bearing all the world’s evil.

Despite that, it had pointed ears as if wanting to resemble elves, the race of beauty.

The goblin was shouting something at Diolia in the distance with its cracking voice.

“Hitting a moving target is much more difficult than hitting a stationary one. The basics are to predict the enemy’s movement and aim accordingly.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Sione’s body seemed quite stiff as she answered.

Why is she acting like this over just a goblin? Is her courage really that small?

“There’s no need to be nervous. It’s just a goblin, after all.”

“…It’s not because of the goblin.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s because you’re too close…!”

“Oh.”

“Move away a bit!”

Over something this trivial.

I thought women in this world were generally more rough-and-tumble…

What a shy person.

I moved slightly away from Sione and quietly nocked an arrow while speaking.

“…Is this distance better?”

Nod, nod.

Finally, Sione’s gaze turned toward me and the goblin.

Zzzwip.

The taut bowstring was drawn as I held my breath for a moment.

Twang!!

The sharp arrow tore through the air as it flew from the string.

For an enemy of this level, there was no need for prolonged aiming—a quick sliding release attack.

“Keeack!! Keck…!!”

When the arrow pierced the throat of the goblin charging toward Diolia, it collapsed in place, losing all strength.

After successfully killing the goblin, Diolia and the other goblins’ attention suddenly focused on me.

Three goblins began charging at me all at once.

Probably because I’m a man, I must look easier to deal with than Diolia.

Unfortunately for the goblins, I’ve even pierced the brow of their king, the Goblin Lord.

I kept my eyes fixed on the goblins as I spoke.

“Of course, once discovered, an archer must also move. Standing still and just shooting arrows without adequate protection or skill is dangerous.”

I walked slowly around, shooting my bow whenever there was no obstacle between me and a goblin.

Bang!! With the sound of the bowstring returning to position.

“Keck!!”

The goblin’s short death cry was heard.

After shooting once more and taking care of another one, I looked at the goblin that had managed to approach me.

Judging by that unpleasantly raised corner of its mouth.

It probably thinks it can toy with me now that it has approached an archer.

Unfortunately for this goblin, it approached only because I chose not to kill it.

What good is just shooting arrows? What Sione was curious about in the carriage was the single-edged sword.

The goblin swung its gap-toothed sword wildly as it charged at me.

I calmly drew my sword and in one motion slashed the creature’s right arm.

“Keeeeack!!!”

How can such a sound come from a throat?

With a scream sharper than nails on a chalkboard, it dropped its weapon.

I immediately thrust my sword into its neck, ending its life.

“Keack……”

Quite a brutal sight, but this much is nothing.

I sheathed my sword after shaking off the blood.

Sione stared at me intently after witnessing the entire process.

Her eyes held an inexplicable sympathy.

“…You’re skilled.”

“It’s just a goblin.”

“Did you receive such training before coming to the Count’s house?”

“I regularly trained in archery and sword combat against goblins.”

“It must have been very difficult for a delicate man…”

I recalled the memories of this body’s previous owner.

He was someone who struggled even to kill a single goblin.

A fragile person who would spend the entire day depressed after seeing blood.

But well.

“You get used to it eventually.”

That’s what the previous owner of this body would say, not that it bothers me at all.

As I said this while retrieving and organizing my arrows, Diolia, who had completely eliminated the goblins, came over to announce the end of the situation.

“I’ve dealt with all the goblins blocking the road. It seems the rumors about the recent increase in goblin numbers are true.”

“Good work, Sir Diolia.”

“I merely did my duty as Sione’s escort.”

After boarding the carriage, we began moving forward again.

And then I…

“…Is there something on my face?”

“No, it’s nothing. Um…”

“Yes?”

“Would you like a cookie?”

All day today, I received inexplicable consideration from Sione.

The cookie’s taste was, well, not bad at all.

* * *

It’s already the fourth day of camping at night and moving on when the sun rises.

During this carriage journey, I’ve ended up taking on all the troublesome tasks—cooking, standing watch, everything.

Thankfully, the domestic priest Ian and occasionally Diolia helped a little.

If I had to do everything alone, there would have been many times when things would have become quite burdensome and time-consuming.

As expected of the second daughter of a Count’s family.

Sione would always retreat to her carriage and lounge around after finishing her tasks.

These days have been a hardship for me.

For Sione, it’s probably just been like a fun camping trip.

With such thoughts, I was looking out the carriage window when Sione, seemingly bored with sitting and looking outside, spoke up.

Her manner of speech had returned to her original formal tone.

“We should soon reach a village where we can rest for a day.”

“A village, you say?”

“Yes, Sir Diolia informed me this morning. We should arrive at a small village by noon today, and suggested we rest there for a day to recover from our journey.”

Haah—

Sione sighed while staring blankly at the carriage ceiling.

“My body aches after traveling in this carriage for three straight days.”

“……”

It was truly remarkable that she claimed to be aching when all she did was lounge around in the carriage just as she did in her room.

If she had taken initiative like me, washing dishes and making soup, she probably wouldn’t be complaining about aches.

As I quietly stared at Sione making such privileged complaints, she looked up at me.

Literally looked up at me.

Because she was lying on the carriage floor with a blanket spread out and covered with a quilt.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Isn’t it tiring to just sit there? Why don’t you lie down on a blanket too?”

“The carriage seems too narrow for both of us to lie down comfortably… we would have to lie touching each other. Would that be acceptable?”

“Ah, well…”

Sione covered her face with the quilt.

“On second thought, I think it’s better for you to remain seated.”

“…Yes, I will do so.”

I couldn’t tell if she wanted me to sit or lie down.

I really felt like shooting an arrow at her, but somehow managed to restrain myself.

“Yawn… wake me when we reach the village.”

“Understood.”

What? You said your body aches, but you’re going to sleep again?

Well, I suppose she was someone who spent years shut in her room, eating snacks and sleeping.

I gave up trying to understand Sione’s thoughts.

At least I’ll be able to rest a bit in the village too.

As I was mindlessly looking out the window, hoping for the village to appear…

[A quest has been formed]

“For Her Safety”

“An ominous current flows from the small village you are heading to. Recently, people with fanatical beliefs in demons have infiltrated the village and have successfully established a stable presence. The people of the Sianella family, who have inherited the spirit of demon extermination for hundreds of years, are like sworn enemies to them, and the position of Count offers no protection against the rage born from their fanatical beliefs. Keep Sione Sianella safe until you leave the village, avoiding their eyes.”

“Reward: Increased bond with Sione Sianella”

“Failure: Death of Sione Sianella”

My expression darkened considerably upon seeing the words “Death of Sione Sianella.”