"Um... are you from the Adventurer's Guild?"
The girl with short golden hair peeked timidly out of the house, surveying the aftermath.
The goblins that had once overrun their home—
—were now reduced to scattered, severed corpses.
There hadn't even been a sound of fighting.
That could only mean one thing.
They'd been eliminated in an instant.
The girl looked carefully at Shirakawa again.
No other adventurers in sight. Then it had to be him.
His outfit was unfamiliar, but the exquisite fabric spoke volumes.
A powerful adventurer—maybe even a noble?
Either way—
Shirakawa had saved her and her brother.
Had they been caught by the goblins...
Sylvie Alyssa didn't dare imagine the consequences. Even her little brother might not have been spared.
"Thank you so much... If it weren't for you—"
"No problem."
Shirakawa waved it off casually.
In this twisted world of Goblin Slayer, where gods toyed with fate by rolling dice, assigning life or death at whim...
He knew he couldn't change everything.
But what he could do—
Was nudge the story in a better direction.
He glanced over the girl again.
Unlike the refined beauties he'd seen in other worlds, this one had a healthy wheat-toned complexion from years of labor.
Her features weren't dazzling at first glance...
But when one looked closer, Sylvie Alyssa's soft brown eyes and resilient spirit made her quietly beautiful.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Sylvie Alyssa. And this is my little brother—you can just call him Oram."
She gently pulled the boy forward, bringing him before their savior.
Shirakawa didn't have any desire to act superior.
In fact, he respected Goblin Slayer.
That man who clung to vengeance and walked his path alone—he'd always admired that unwavering determination.
But now...
Having saved Goblin Slayer's sister, that fate was destined to change.
He knelt before the boy, resting a hand gently on his head.
"Listen carefully."
"Your sister was willing to face death—to shield you from monsters. That's something you must never forget."
"..."
Tears glimmered at the corners of the boy's eyes as he nodded solemnly.
Shirakawa gave a soft chuckle.
He wasn't one for lecturing, but after some thought, he added:
"Also... your fate should be in your own hands."
"If... if you hadn't been here—what would've happened to my sister?"
Oram's voice was small, but steady.
The recent horrors had clearly accelerated his growth.
He wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Most likely..."
"A horrible death. One too cruel to describe."
Shirakawa didn't go into detail about Sylvie's original fate in the source material.
But the implication was enough.
Oram looked up again.
"Can I become an adventurer like you one day? If I get strong enough... can I protect my family too?"
"Of course you can."
"Thank you, big brother."
Looking once more at the mangled goblin corpses, Oram didn't show much fear.
Instead, something firm sparked within him.
"I want to be an adventurer in the future."
"If I can be strong like you, I'll protect everyone in the village!"
"These goblins... need to be wiped out! As long as they exist, people will keep getting hurt!"
"..."
It seemed the path of a future Goblin Slayer still beckoned.
But this time, Oram's road had been widened.
What came next—was beyond Shirakawa's control.
Still, if he could make life harder for these bottom-feeding monsters, he was more than willing to oblige.
He rose to his feet and looked over at Sylvie Alyssa.
After all, goblins were the perfect XP fodder.
Just as he was about to leave—
"Wait... Adventurer, sir—what should I call you?"
"Shirakawa."
"..."
Sylvie murmured the name to herself as she watched him walk away.
That first smile, that gentle light—
It left a mark on her heart she wouldn't soon forget.
Next to her, Oram tugged at her sleeve.
"Big sis... are you feeling okay?"
"Your face is all red... did you catch a fever or something?"
---
Outside the apple tree near Sylvie's courtyard—
Lianne Viviette leaned against the trunk.
She hadn't expected Shirakawa to wipe out the goblins so quickly.
When they'd followed the villagers' directions to the scene, only corpses remained.
And Shirakawa hadn't exactly kept his voice down, so she'd overheard his words to the boy—
Her lips curved into a small, involuntary smile.
Catherine, standing beside her, looked equally surprised.
Most adventurers couldn't care less about goblin hunts—they wanted the big monsters, the real money-makers.
Some even looked down on others, thinking themselves above it all.
But Shirakawa?
He shattered those assumptions.
There wasn't even a hint of arrogance.
Catherine couldn't help but ask,
"That senior of yours... he seems like someone people would really like, huh?"
"..."
Watching her friend practically drooling over him, she jabbed her in the ribs and whispered,
"If you really like him—move fast."
"Guys like him? Strong, kind, and handsome? They don't stay single long."
"H-Huh?!"
Viviette's usually bold face flushed with a rare shyness.
She shot her friend a glare, half in embarrassment and half in flustered protest.
Then—
She quickly stepped forward to catch up to Shirakawa's departing figure.
"If you're not coming, I'll just go on ahead!"