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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Goblin Guides
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The only drawback was that it was still tough to produce something like sword aura or sword gang.
I could probably mimic sword aura, but it would be softer than the real thing and far less efficient.
Even so, it was an absurd situation where there was no reason to lose against actual sword aura.
After retrieving the prison key from the corpse, I started unlocking the cells one by one.
However, the prisoners inside didn't emerge easily, as if they harbored some fear of me.
"Berus's son?"
When I spoke to a young dwarf trapped inside with a dazed expression, he looked up at me with wide eyes.
"What are you all waiting for? Come on out. You need to get back to your families."
I spoke calmly and moved on.
Only after I stepped forward did the prisoners begin slipping out of their cells one by one, glancing around cautiously.
"Tch, intruder... Graaaah!!"
"U, uwaaaah!! Monster! It's a monster!!"
"Spare me, please! Gahk!"
As we exited the underground, the interior of the dilapidated building came into view.
The knights stationed there were mostly just Aura Users at best.
In other words, low-grade knights.
It meant they didn't need much firepower to guard them.
Most of the prisoners were ordinary folk anyway, and this was a hidden location.
There didn't seem to be any reason to station high-grade forces like Experts or above here unnecessarily.
What if we got caught?
So what? There wouldn't be a shred of evidence left.
"Y-Young Master."
At that moment, a woman who had escaped from the prison approached me cautiously. She ran a flower shop and was the wife of the man managing one of the count's family businesses—an apothecary.
According to the report, her husband had been acting like he was bewitched, trying to terminate the contract and shut down the business.
With his wife held captive, of course he'd show some visible distress.
Melissa probably couldn't learn the details because he was keeping quiet to protect his family's lives.
At least one thing was certain.
Tibel's schemes to undermine the family businesses wouldn't bear fruit anymore.
"Does anyone here know the way back to the territory?"
This forest wasn't the Demon Realm Forest under heavy surveillance by the count's territory.
Since my vision had been blocked on the way here, I didn't know the path down from the forest.
I wondered if any of the others might know the way...
"We're sorry. Hardly anyone comes this deep into the woods."
It seemed no one knew because it was so remote.
Maybe I should have left one alive after all.
That regret didn't last long. It wasn't even worth worrying about in the first place.
"It's fine. I can ask someone who knows the paths well."
"Someone who knows the paths well?"
I turned my head toward the forest.
Then, small monsters with green skin began emerging from the woods one by one.
"H-Hiiiik!? Goblins!!"
I waved off the terrified reactions from the territory residents.
"Don't be scared. They're our navigators."
Goblins.
One of the lowest-tier monsters, and by far the most numerous among all monster kinds in existence.
With their exceptional breeding rate and decent intelligence, they even possessed the smarts to understand human speech to some degree.
They couldn't craft items or set intricate traps themselves, but they were quick on the uptake, able to steal things or figure out how to use them.
In terms of raw danger, they weren't that high.
Sure, they were clever, but their physical abilities were severely lacking.
Plus, only a portion were truly smart—the majority were idiots.
So how should one interpret a goblin wearing rags that covered its privates?
There was only one answer.
This one had raided humans and stolen their stuff.
If a goblin deep in the forest had human goods, the conclusion was simple.
It had ventured down to human settlements before, stolen items, and fled.
And right now, that was a pretty important issue for me.
-Kieeeek!!!
The goblins charged fiercely at me and the exhausted territory residents, showing no fear.
There were ten of them in total.
Considering the number of rescued residents, it was manageable, but the thieves clutched rusty daggers.
Moreover, the residents were utterly drained, so without me, they probably wouldn't have escaped unscathed no matter what.
"Y-Young Master!"
"Wait behind me."
The dagger I'd used underground was already too damaged to wield.
I wasn't channeling aura stably like with sword aura; I was just forcibly wrapping it around the overflowing power, so a low-quality blade couldn't hold up.
And I couldn't turn back now to fetch a spare.
No teeth? Use the gums.
I lightly loosened my wrists and explosively activated aura throughout my body.
Boooom!!!!
I slammed a nuclear knuckle into the head of the goblin trying to stab me with its rusty blade.
It was the classic striking technique, Single Strike.
Splat!!!
With a gruesome sound of flesh exploding, the goblin's head burst open, spraying crimson blood.
I spun my body like a wheel, channeling centrifugal force to boot the next goblin like a soccer ball, sending it flying.
Thwack!!!
The heavy kick crushed its face and launched it away.
With two down in an instant, it was only natural the rest hesitated.
"You lot, leave one. That one—the smartest-looking one."
As I pointed at a specific goblin, they rolled their eyes, sweating bullets.
"The rest die. Why bother looking around?"
Bam!!!
It didn't take much time to massacre the goblins.
Most bolted in panic, so catching and killing them took longer.
Monsters I'd hunted countless times.
If you counted sheer numbers fought, no other monster came close to goblins.
"My god..."
"Was the Young Master always this strong? I don't think so..."
"He reminds me of the Count back in the day."
Some residents who vaguely knew me stared in disbelief, unable to accept it easily.
Of course, no one outright asked why I was so strong.
I rarely ventured out, so I didn't have many close acquaintances, but from the moment I'd massacred those knights underground, the residents had felt a twinge of fear toward me.
-Ki... Kiiik...
The goblin I'd singled out first was the sole survivor, trembling and slumped on the ground.
I slowly pointed at the rags it wore.
"Where'd you get that."
At my question, it rolled its eyes before frantically trying to strip off the rags and hand them over.
Born thieves, it must have thought I wanted the rags.
Of course.
Crack!!
-Keeeek!!!
A strategic nuke dropped on its head as a matter of course.
"Trying to show me your filthy rags? Where'd you get it from?"
I wasn't asking expecting an answer. I'd seen plenty of goblins at the Sword Hall, and handling them was simpler than expected.
Keep hammering one point home, beat them until they got it, and they understood surprisingly well.
I didn't know if these shared the same species or habits as those at the Sword Hall, though.
"This."
-Kiieee...
Smack!!!
This time, I slapped it clean across the face.
"Where'd you get this? Lead the way."
Smack!!
"Not getting it? Don't worry, a few more hits and it'll click."
Smack!!!
Under the relentless beating, the goblin's teeth were mostly shattered, leaving it unable even to wail properly.
It was so bad that...
"Y-Young Master. Th-that, ouch... N-never mind."
...even the residents were looking at the goblin with pity.
Getting on my nerves?
"I'm the one who came to rescue you all."
"W-Well, at first we thought you were captured too..."
"What, so should I have left you behind?"
The residents backed away quickly, gauging my mood.
"No! How could we interfere with what the Young Master is doing? Who's the fool questioning you?!"
"Yeah, who is it?!"
After saying it themselves...
I turned back to the goblin, which desperately racked its brain.
Its eyes lit up, and it reached out to stop me before struggling to its feet.
-Kiik... Kiii...
It pointed toward the far side of the forest, as if saying it would guide the way.
Its gaze was filled with fear of another beating.
"See? Told you it understands."
"Y-Young Master, I've seen goblins a few times, but never like this..."
"If you put your heart into it, anyone gets the message. Next time you're lost, look for goblins wearing weapons or rags. Those are the ones who've raided humans before."
"P-Pardon? Uh, sure..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Cascadia Territory was surrounded by massive walls.
This was because one side bordered a forest teeming with extremely dangerous beasts under the Border Count's management.
The forests on the other sides were ordinary, but that one perilous area justified the Border Count's position in defending the kingdom's borders.
It was also why nobles could maintain forces beyond the norm.
Of course, the count's current military strength was laughably pathetic.
The gates of the count's castle served different purposes, and the one currently guarded by Hanson and his junior was particularly quiet.
"Yawwwn... So damn boring."
"Senior, it's still better than the south gate, right? This one's dead quiet."
"Kid, you know how many merchants passed through the south gate daily? Sure, it's slowed down lately, but one shift there lines your pockets nice."
The south gate was the main entry for merchants trading in the count's territory.
Naturally, many slipped cash to the guards for quicker entry.
Merchants saved time, guards got fat wallets and smiles all around.
Time was money for them, after all.
"But here? Not even an ant in sight. While the others earn pocket change, we're totally screwed."
"Still better than the Demon Realm gate."
"Yeah, that one's a nightmare, heh heh heh."
The territory's tense atmosphere lately had made guard duty exhausting.
That's when it happened. The junior guard peered toward the distant forest and tilted his head.
"Senior, aren't those people over there?"
"What're you talking about? No one's exited through this gate today."
The guards from the previous shift had confirmed no one passed either, so people emerging from that forest shouldn't have been possible.
"No, really! Look!"
Hanson narrowed his eyes and stared into the distance.
Incredibly, there were indeed people.
Not one or two, but over a dozen.
Realizing something was off, they gripped their weapons in alarm.
"Hey! Go ring the bell! Intruders!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Wait! Hold up!"
As the junior rushed to sound the alarm, Hanson stopped him while watching the approaching group.
"Huh? Why?"
"Just wait."
Hanson stayed silent, observing for a while.
Soon, the figures became clear, and their voices carried over.