Ch.19The Holy Knight Who Came to Destroy the Order (7)

After finishing our meal, we headed to the pig farm.

The pig farm was located in a remote area on the outskirts of the city.

As we approached the piggery, an incredibly foul stench assaulted our nostrils.

All livestock buildings smell bad, but pig houses have a particularly strong odor.

That’s why even in real life, pig farms are usually located deep in the countryside.

Holding my nose, I carefully selected twenty healthy-looking pigs.

The workers connected the pigs’ necks with rope to prevent them from easily escaping.

Twenty pigs and eight people.

Suddenly it feels like we’ve become a large merchant group.

I took out a large glass bottle filled with black liquid from my bag.

I thought my shoulder would dislocate from carrying this thing.

When I opened the lid, a rather peculiar smell wafted up.

“What’s that?”

“A miraculous liquid that protects pigs from beasts and monsters.”

It’s a modified potion recipe, the so-called ‘Stench Potion.’

It’s a special potion that emits an extremely strong odor to creatures with sensitive smell.

I poured it evenly over the pigs’ backs.

This should significantly reduce the chances of losing pigs to sudden ambushes.

We shared the remaining potion among ourselves, applying it to our bodies.

We focused on vulnerable areas like the neck and wrists that could be easily attacked.

After completing all preparations, we bought food for the return journey and headed out through the southern gate.

“Let’s go back now.”

“Heeeng…”

Mirella made a sad face, apparently reluctant to leave Odelin City.

“We’ll come back again someday. I’ll definitely bring you then.”

“Girl. It’s fun to come here to spend money, but if you actually lived here, it would feel exactly like Starting Village. There’s nothing to miss.”

Hearing my and Liberone’s words, Mirella slowly nodded.

“Is this goodbye then?”

Stopping at the southern gate of the city, I prepared to say farewell to Liberone.

Liberone stared at me for a moment before speaking.

“The journey back to the village with twenty pigs will likely be quite treacherous.”

“We’ll manage somehow. These pigs are our village’s hope. We must bring them back.”

“I see. Hope, you say.”

Liberone looked around at the oinking pigs.

“The Guardian Angel has descended upon a neglected village that no one cares about and is single-handedly realizing God’s will.”

“I’m not doing it alone. I’m doing it together with the villagers.”

Liberone carefully looked over me, Mirella, and the five guards.

“I sincerely hope that the Guardian Angel’s noble goal will be realized.”

“Thanks. Thank you for helping us on this long journey.”

“It’s nothing. I would have given my life for the Guardian Angel.”

“Haha. Thank you. Now return to your order.”

“Then… please travel safely, everyone.”

Liberone mounted her warhorse, Gasinante.

“Please go ahead. I will depart after the Guardian Angel has left.”

“Goodbye, Liberone.”

“Farewell, Holy Knight.”

We parted from Liberone and took the southern road.

Looking back as we walked, I saw Liberone still standing there, watching us.

Liberone, the combat NPC from the order who mistook me for the Guardian Angel.

At first, she came to our village to destroy me and the knights, but in the end, things worked out well.

Having built this relationship, I should be able to get her help again later.

Farewell, Liberone.

* * * * *

A few hours after parting with Liberone and heading toward the village, there was a small commotion.

We encountered about three goblins.

They suddenly jumped out from the roadside trying to attack the pigs, but they started retching and staggering, giving us time to rush in and cut them to pieces.

The Stench Potion had worked perfectly.

Up close, the goblins were truly hideous.

About the size of chimpanzees with tough, muscular bodies.

They had wrinkled, vicious faces like old men and protruding fangs about a hand-span long.

I don’t think they looked this repulsive in the game.

Though they’re weak creatures that serve as experience fodder for low-level players, seeing them in person made me feel I could never defeat them.

The guards were also whispering among themselves, apparently seeing goblins this close for the first time.

“It seems there must be a goblin nest nearby. Goblins never move in such small numbers.”

At my words, everyone’s faces turned pale.

“Let’s hurry. We need to reach a nearby village before sunset.”

We urged the pigs to move quickly and left the scene.

Bandits and low-level monsters like goblins are common minor events encountered on the road.

In the game, they were just annoying, but in reality, our lives are at stake.

* * * * *

“Jack! I see lights ahead!”

As we hurried along as if our tails were on fire, a welcome sound reached my ears.

Indeed, yellow lights could be seen flickering ahead.

We had almost reached the nameless village located between Reangso Village and Odelin City.

We’ll have to spend the night there.

It seems goblins are active in the area, and we alone cannot fend off goblins that attack at night.

Goblins are nocturnal with excellent night vision and can move at incredible speeds in rough terrain like this forest.

If we’re not careful, we could lose all the pigs.

Even with the Stench Potion applied, we’d be helpless against a large group.

At times like this, I regret being reincarnated as a shop owner.

How nice it would be if I had been reincarnated as a powerful hidden character with special privileges, even if not the protagonist.

Then I wouldn’t have to go through this hardship.

But what’s done is done, and there’s no use regretting it now.

Just then, the guard we had sent ahead as a scout came running back.

“There are goblins ahead…!”

“Goblins?”

“I saw their glowing eyes in the forest. There must be at least thirty of them.”

At those words, the guards looked at each other with tension.

“What should we do?”

“Even ten would be too much for us, let alone thirty. Plus we have the pigs.”

“Maybe we should go back to Odelin City and try again later.”

The guards were right.

It would be better to go back and try again after daybreak.

Originally, we had planned to reach the village before sunset, but the pigs were so difficult to control that we were delayed more than expected.

“Let’s go back. This won’t work. We need to report to the Odelin City guards first.”

Just as we were turning the pigs around, we saw Liberone slowly approaching from the northern road, riding her warhorse Gasinante.

“Liberone…?”

“Guardian Angel. It seems you’re having some trouble.”

“Why are you here…? No, more importantly, don’t go further south. There are about thirty goblins hiding ahead.”

“Goblins, you say.”

Liberone looked toward the southern road where darkness was gradually falling.

“I will take care of them. As a Holy Knight, I cannot overlook monsters that threaten travelers’ safety.”

Before I could say anything, Liberone spurred her horse forward.

“Huh? Holy Knight?!” “Liberone! It’s dangerous!”

I wondered if she would be alright alone.

My concern was unnecessary.

The situation ended in an instant, before we could even understand what was happening.

The golden glowing warhorse Gasinante and Liberone moved as if they were a single entity, slaughtering the goblins.

And now, with the holy light extinguished, the ground was covered with torn and severed goblin corpses.

Those that could escape had already fled into the darkening forest.

We all stood in amazement at the incredible sight, stupidly applauding.

Truly a Holy Knight.

To low-level monsters like goblins, she’s like a natural disaster they cannot withstand.

Liberone dismounted and dragged a still-breathing goblin by the neck toward Mirella.

“Girl.”

“Yes…?”

Mirella, who had been standing in a daze, jumped in surprise and looked up at Liberone.

“Kill this goblin.”

“What?!” “What did you say?!”

Mirella and I shouted in surprise simultaneously.

But Liberone wasn’t joking.

“Strike the goblin’s head with that club and kill it.”

“W-why me…?!”

“Opportunities to actually kill monsters are rare.”

“No, I mean, why do I have to kill a monster?”

“Because you have the qualities of a warrior. When we first met, didn’t you emit an aura? You have talent as a warrior. If you find a good teacher, you will surely grow tremendously.”

Come to think of it, at the junkyard before and considering her movements, Mirella’s abilities seemed extraordinary for someone just buffed by Vint’s Opener.

“So should I really do it?”

Mirella asked for confirmation, holding up the opener.

“Do it, girl. If you don’t kill this goblin here, it will attack humans elsewhere and cause damage to villages.”

“Ugh… then…”

Mirella closed her eyes tightly and swung down the opener.

“Aaaaargh!!”

For an instant, a red aura flashed, and the goblin’s head burst.

“Woooah!!”

The guards all exclaimed in amazement.

“Ugh, I got dirty.”

Mirella made a sad face as she wiped the goblin’s blood and brain matter from her face.

“Well done, girl. Remember this feeling.”

Liberone said indifferently as she threw away the headless goblin corpse.

That’s scary.

Anyway, I should thank her for saving us.

“Thank you, Liberone. If it weren’t for you, we probably would have all died here.”

“I told you. I would give my life for the Guardian Angel.”

Liberone said with a completely serious expression, without a hint of humor.