Chapter 24

Chapter 24

24: Karaldin Eira and I organized the loot we obtained from the goblin cave overnight. The goblins seemed to have raided quite a few humans, as they had amassed a lot of loot. There was even a longsword and shield among the spoils. The reason they didn’t use them was probably because they weren’t the right size. The existence of such weapons meant that they had also targeted humans who possessed them. Well, they had raided many humans, so they probably targeted Eira’s party as well. They have some intelligence, so they must know what adventurers are.

-Clang.

As I thought about this and examined the weapons, I was surprised to find that they were in good condition. The longsword, when drawn from its scabbard, still had a sharp edge and seemed usable, and the shield was also in good condition. It seemed that the goblins had discarded the longsword because it was difficult for them to use, but it was a perfect fit for me. “Heh, lucky me. I needed a weapon anyway.” As I swung the longsword and muttered to myself, Eira slowly nodded. I tilted my head, feeling puzzled by her expression, and then I suddenly realized. “Perhaps, were these your comrades’ weapons?” “…You don’t have to worry about that. It’s yours now.” It was obvious what Eira’s answer meant. I silently picked up the longsword and examined it. The fact that only Eira and Mien survived probably meant that everyone else was dead. The truth didn’t weigh heavily on me. Adventurers are close to death, and I know that. A former adventurer who used to visit me often said that he had run away back to Lakers like a fugitive because he didn’t want to die. “Hang in there. I wish I could comfort you with better words, but I’m not very good with words.” When I said that, Eira gave a bitter smile. “I will. And you don’t need to comfort me. You saved us.” She looked at the longsword I was holding for a moment, then continued. “Use it well. It’s a good sword.” “Yes.” Even if she hadn’t said that, I had no intention of returning the longsword. Weapons are quite expensive in this world. Especially those with good performance. For me, who was working hard to sell my body just to get a weapon, obtaining a usable sword was good news. Moreover, there were exactly two longswords left, so Emily and I could each use one. Besides that, there were two daggers, one shield, one mace, three chain vests, Eira’s bow and short sword, and Mien’s staff and spellbook. There were also animal hides and the silver coin pouch I had brought. As dawn slowly broke, we put all the loot into our backpacks and completed our preparations. I wore the two longswords at my waist and carried the backpack, while Eira carried the bow on her back and the short sword on her belt. Mien, in her case, held the spellbook and chanted a spell. The mages of this world prepare to use their spells at any time by memorizing them in their spellbooks. It was a method of storing magic on vellum made from monster hides, not ordinary paper. It was a type of enchantment used by battle mages who were familiar with combat. Since I hadn’t seen magic in person very often, I carefully watched Mien memorize the spell. “…It’s, uh, embarrassing when you stare like that.” Then Mien stopped memorizing the spell and gave a wry smile. “I haven’t seen many mages, so I’m curious.” When I replied, Mien widened her eyes as if slightly surprised. “I thought Ryla had a lot of experience…” “No way. She’s only 16. She looks young, doesn’t she?” Eira answered for me. Mien slightly opened her mouth in surprise at Eira’s words, looked at me, and muttered softly. “…You must have had a hard time. Still young, and, uh, you’ve been through something like that…” Did “something like that” mean being gang-raped by goblins? It was a fresh shock, but compared to the things I’ve experienced in my life, it wasn’t that hard. “It’s okay. I’m already used to being taken advantage of. Ah, I don’t mean I’m used to goblins…” It seemed that Mien’s gaze was filled with even more pity, and it wasn’t just my imagination. I looked at the two of them as I prepared to leave the cave. A mage and an archer. If we had a vanguard, we would have a plausible party. After receiving proof that we had cleared the goblin nest, it wouldn’t be bad to form a party with them. If possible, including Emily as well. If that happens, it would be a party made up of only women, but if it doesn’t work out, we can include Charka, so it doesn’t matter.

-Chirp chirp.

As soon as we came out of the cave, we were greeted by the sunlight and the sound of insects chirping. “We really, really got out…” For me, the scenery outside the cave was no different from yesterday, but it seemed different for the other four. The two women from the village, as well as Mien and Eira, were looking at the sunlight and wiping their eyes. “It’s too early to relax, let’s go down quickly.” “…That’s right. We haven’t left the forest yet.” Eira nodded at my words and took out the bow she was carrying on her back. The ragged cloak didn’t look very good, but now was not the time to talk about clothing. Besides, the clothes we were wearing had been torn by the goblins, so all five of us had no choice but to wear rags or cloaks over our bare bodies. “Then, shall we start?” I said, looking at the compass, and the group following behind me nodded at my words. // Fortunately, we didn’t see any other monsters while descending the mountain. Since there was a pregnant woman in the group, it would have been difficult if we had encountered a wild animal like a wolf, but the feared event did not occur. After almost two hours of hiking, we descended the mountain range and arrived at the walls of Karaldin. I decided to understand why the group, except for me, burst into tears again as they looked at the distant walls. After everyone calmed down, we headed to the Adventurer’s Guild branch outside the walls. The Adventurer’s Guild branch was a little different from the guild headquarters inside the castle. Unlike the stone building of the guild headquarters, the branch had the feeling of a wooden inn. The warehouse in the back and the yard where monster byproducts were laid out further enhanced that atmosphere.

-Clatter.

As we entered the Adventurer’s Guild branch, the gazes of the adventurers inside and the women sitting at the counter all turned to us. “….” They were looking at us in surprise. That’s because two of the group were pregnant and all were wearing ragged clothes. It was fortunate that we found a spring on the way down and washed ourselves once. Otherwise, we would have been even more disheveled. We called the guild’s people, sent the two pregnant women to the lodging on the second floor, and explained the situation. “You annihilated a goblin nest?” The receptionist at the counter asked back in surprise after hearing my words. “Yes, I brought the chief’s head here…” Just in case something like this happened, I cut off the goblin chief’s head. A group of dozens of goblins doesn’t unite well without a goblin chief, so I thought it could be used as evidence.

-Thud.

When I took the goblin chief’s head out of my backpack, the receptionist looked at it carefully. It was quite a grotesque sight, but seeing that her complexion didn’t change at all, it seemed that not just anyone could be a guild receptionist. Emily, can you do this? “…That’s right. Judging by the size, it’s definitely a goblin chief. But did you really catch this alone?” “Yes. Well, I caught about a dozen goblins nearby, but they were too heavy, so I left them behind.” The receptionist looked at Eira and Mien at my words. She wanted to confirm if it was true. Eira and Mien nodded, and I had to sit at the table and write a progress report. “…Um, Eira.” “Yeah?” “Do I have to write all of this honestly?” When I pointed to the progress report and asked, Eira gave a wry smile as if she understood my words and shook her head. “You don’t have to be that detailed. Just write how you defeated them.” After I finished writing the report, I submitted it and sold all the loot to the guild, except for the necessary weapons. The receptionist read my report and flipped through the list. “Ryla Freeman…that name is not yet registered in the branch. Are you a rookie?” “Yes, I registered yesterday.” Then the receptionist looked at me with a look that seemed to say, “What is this girl?” But she quickly erased that expression and answered calmly. “A guild investigation team will be dispatched soon, so once the confirmation is complete, you can receive the reward at the guild headquarters.” She said that and turned her eyes back to the report. “And, according to this report, there’s no need to put a restriction on the request. I’ll submit it to the headquarters for now.” The rest of the conversation wasn’t very long. After listening to various things, I left the Adventurer’s Guild branch. Eira and Mien also followed me out. “What are you two going to do in the future?” When I asked, Mien answered with a faint smile. “Well, I have to look for a job again for now. I have quite a bit of savings in the bank, so I think I can live somehow.” Is she going to be an adventurer again after going through something like that? Unlike what I saw, she seemed to have a strong heart. And that was a good thing for me. I was thinking of forming a party with them. “If you don’t mind, can you take me with you when you carry out a request next time?” “That’s what we wanted to say.” Fortunately, Eira and Mien nodded at my request. Then I felt a little relieved. Even if I single-handedly devastated the goblin nest, the fact that I’m still a rookie adventurer doesn’t change. I probably wouldn’t be able to handle a request alone. // “….” I returned to the inn with a light heart, and Emily was sitting on the bed with hollow eyes. She looked at me with a blank gaze. “…?” Puzzled, I looked closely at Emily’s face, and the area under her eyes was quite dark. Could it be that she didn’t sleep? “…Ryla?” “Uh, yeah. That’s me…?” When Emily asked in a soulless voice, I nodded in confusion. Then Emily made a dejected expression. “Last night, I waited…but you didn’t come.” I was about to tilt my head at her words, but I remembered what happened yesterday. …Oh, right. Come to think of it, I said something like that. “S-sorry. Did you wait?” Then Emily was startled and answered in a loud voice. “N-no! I didn’t wait! I was just worried that something might have gone wrong because you didn’t come in without saying anything!” “…Oh, okay.” Judging by her flushed face, she must have been quite expectant. …Surely not. Maybe it’s just hysteria from not being able to sleep. “Anyway, sorry, I was out getting some gifts.” I smiled and sat next to her, then put the backpack on the floor. Then Emily looked at the backpack with a questioning gaze. “What kind of gifts?” “This.” I took a longsword out of the backpack and handed it to her. Then Emily’s eyes turned serious. “….” She silently accepted the sword and lifted it up. She turned it around to estimate the weight and made a slightly surprised expression. “It’s a good sword. How did you get it?” “….Um.” Then the conflict I had when writing the report at the guild branch came to mind again. Should I tell her honestly, or should I soften it a bit? “Wait, why are your clothes like that?” Just as I was worrying, Emily looked at me and shouted in shock as if she had finally noticed. You’re just noticing now? You’re so slow. Now that it’s come to this, I’ll just tell her honestly.

That sounds more fun. “I was dragged to a goblin nest and… you know.” “…Huh?” Emily’s expression turned blank. I gave a playful smile and pointed to my lower abdomen. “You know, that. I was thoroughly… mated by them.” “…Eh?” “But I fought and won somehow. Picked up some loot from the nest while I was at it. I got this sword back then.” Emily looked at the sword, then back at me, repeating the process. I chuckled inwardly at her flustered expression. Before I knew it, Emily’s face was as red as her hair. ———= Author’s Note ———= Thank you for the early thumbs up as always. Regarding the settings in the comments, I generally try to flesh them out in detail, but I think that’s just an additional element. I think the important things in a story are the story and characters, and then things like plausibility. And this story… is half-aiming to be an erotica, so I didn’t think it was necessary to describe detailed settings… Still, I appreciate your interest in the settings. I hope everyone has a good rest of the day.