Volume 3 Chapter 5 Lena’s First Battle
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Several days had passed since I began training Lena.
Bit by bit, she was getting stronger—almost too fast.
They say people from the southern regions are born with excellent physical potential, but even so, Lena seemed… different. Like something else was awakening in her.
And even now──
”I did it, Sir Soyuz! Look, I really did it!” Lena called out, her face shining with joy.
I had thrown ten practice darts—blunted, of course—with serious intent. Some were aimed straight, some twisted with feints in my movements and eyes. I even threw three at once from strange angles.
But she blocked every single one using only her wooden sword.
…I scratched my head, a faint sigh slipping out.
Am I losing confidence here?
Still, her growing skill made her feel dependable. With this kind of ability, she could hold her own on the journey. If she kept improving, I might not need to protect her at all…
In fact, I might even be able to trust her with my back.
But.
That’s only if Lena can actually fight.
Being able to move is not the same as being able to fight.
That difference is like the space between earth and sky.
I needed to find out soon—how far she could go.
* * *
”So, Ms. Mel, got any requests?” I asked as we stepped into the Adventurer’s Guild.
Mel clicked her tongue, clearly irritated, but still began flipping through the request papers.
”Hmph. This one should work,” she said, handing one over.
The parchment read: Goblin Subjugation – Intermediate Rank or Higher.
Perfect.
”Ah, yeah. This is exactly what I was looking for. You always get me, Ms. Mel. Thanks, love you,” I said with a teasing grin.
”Tch. Say that again after you’ve used that sweet mouth for something useful, idiot,” she snapped, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, brat, this job isn’t a joke. Don’t let your guard down just ’cause you’ve got a woman tagging along. You’ll die.”
”No worries,” I replied, waving a hand. “I’ve got this.”
Even for goblins, the request listed an intermediate rank minimum. That meant they weren’t ordinary ones.
Which honestly made it all the more appealing to me.
Mel let out a sharp breath, then gave me a side glance. “And kid, flirting with other women right in front of your girl? Pretty gutsy. She’s practically sparking over there.”
”…Huh?”
A cold shiver slid down my back.
I turned—and froze.
Lena stood behind me, her eyes wide and glassy. A gentle smile hung on her lips, but tears streamed down her cheeks without stopping.
”Ah, no, Lena. That was just a figure of speech, alright? You get that, right?” I asked in panic.
But Lena only kept smiling, her gaze distant.
”It’s fine, Sir Soyuz. I’m just your slave, after all. Please go ahead and cherish someone more important than me.”
The gem on her collar swayed with a soft chime.
”No, seriously, that’s not what this is! There’s nothing between me and Ms. Mel, I swear!”
Behind me, Mel sighed in exasperation. “Ugh, just take your drama outside already.”
”Right! I’m going!” I yelped, grabbing Lena’s arm and rushing out of the guild.
* * *
After spending three long days traveling—and calming Lena down along the way—we finally arrived at the forest marked on the quest.
Somewhere within, the goblins had built a colony.
These colonies act like nests. Once the numbers swell, they raid nearby human settlements in force. The only way to stop them is to destroy the nest early—before things spiral out of control.
Speed was the key in goblin suppression… or so they say.
Still, even with the ‘intermediate or above’ requirement, this felt too open-ended.
There was a good chance more threats were hiding in there.
We made our preparations at the base of the mountain.
This would be Lena’s first real battle.
She practiced her swings carefully, repeating each motion with focus. Her hair, tied up in a tail, danced lightly with her steps.
In both hands, she now held daggers—two broad blades just short of short swords.
We’d tried different weapons, but this style seemed to suit her best.
”Lena. Is this your first time fighting monsters?” I asked as I tightened my belt.
”Yes,” she said, nodding. “Actually… it’s the first time I’ve ever had to fight anything. As a slave… I never had that right.”
…I see.
It made sense. Lena had lived as property. Fighting was never part of her world.
That’s why this moment was so important.
No matter how talented she was, she needed to prove it in battle.
Movement alone isn’t enough. She had to raise her weapon, face an enemy, and strike with true killing intent.
Without that, no amount of speed or strength would save her.
The enemy this time—the goblin—was perfect for a test like this.
They look almost human.
A twisted reflection of us.
If she could cut one down, then she could probably face other humans too.
If she couldn’t… then she wouldn’t survive this life.
Of course, I wasn’t saying she needed to become some ruthless killer.
But she needed the resolve to protect herself.
When I rescued her, I had to kill five people to make it happen.
The question was, could Lena do the same, if it came down to it?
This mission would answer that.
”Alright,” I said, glancing at the trees ahead. “From here on, we’re on the battlefield. Enemies can appear at any time. Stay sharp.”
”Yes,” Lena replied, her voice calm and steady.
I drew my sword and turned to her.
”Last check, Lena. Can you fight?”
Lena looked at me without hesitation and nodded.
”Yes. I will do everything I can to be of use to you, Sir Soyuz.”
Her voice was clear. Her eyes, firm.
Loyalty filled her gaze—unshakable, pure.
”Good. But listen, Lena. This is life or death. You strike, and the enemy dies. You hesitate, and you die. Never overextend. Never take reckless chances. Understood?”
”I understand,” she said, though her voice trembled slightly.
I could only hope my words had reached her.
Because real battle waits for no one.
* * *
We kept exploring the forest for a while.
”I found it. There, over there,” I said.
Beyond the trees was a small clearing, and deeper inside, a crack in the rocks looked like the entrance to a cave. Around it, seven goblins armed with swords and bows were on alert. They formed a fan-shaped formation—one on the far left holding a bow, six wielding swords or clubs, and a notably larger one in the center carrying a spear. That must be their leader.
The open space was about three hundred steps wide and deep—not very large, but with bows involved, it could get tricky. Still, I trusted Lena, who could easily block my thrown darts. She’d be fine.
”Listen up, Lena. I’ll charge at the spear wielder. You stay hidden just behind me on my right. When I engage with my sword, you take out the goblin with the bow. I know you can handle goblins, but keep yourself safe first. Got it?”
”Yes.”
”Alright, let’s go.”
After she nodded, I broke into a run.
”Gyaa!?”
The goblins were caught off guard by the sudden attack but quickly took up surprisingly skillful defensive stances. The goblin with the bow fired an arrow at me while the others scattered. The spear wielder waited, aiming straight at me.
I glanced back and saw Lena positioned perfectly just behind my left side, exactly as I had instructed. That meant I didn’t have to worry about her getting hit by the bow. I knew her speed well—she’d manage this easily.
There were only seven of them. If she hesitated, I could handle the rest alone.
”Lena! I’m counting on you!” I shouted.
”Yes!”
I increased my speed and deflected the arrow with my sword. Behind me, Lena let out a surprised sound but moved as planned, targeting the goblin with the bow. Good—she should reach it before it fired again.
”Ugh!!”
The spear-wielding goblin lunged at me. Its spear was sharp and it fought like a skilled warrior for a goblin, but I was faster. I twisted my left side to dodge with just a small movement, then closed in and stabbed my sword into its exposed belly before it could pull back.
”Gyaaah!!!”
The goblin screamed and collapsed. I kicked its useless body aside, drew my sword, and turned to Lena, who was fighting a goblin with a bow. She cut the bowstring with her right-hand dagger, then quickly slashed the goblin’s neck with her left dagger held in reverse grip. The goblin dropped silently.
Lena was more decisive and precise than I expected for her first battle. She defeated the goblin without hesitation.
”If she keeps this up, she’ll be fine,” I thought.
”Good job, Lena! I’m leaving those two to you!”
”Yes!”
With her confident reply, I charged toward the three goblins on the right. They weren’t waiting to be cut down—they knew they couldn’t win, so all three attacked me at once.
They split firmly to left, right, and front, swords at their waists, charging at the same time. It was a suicidal move—if any of them killed me, it didn’t matter. These goblins, like the spear wielder earlier, were far from ordinary.
”Heh…” A smile slipped out despite the situation.
After years as an adventurer, fighting like this was addictively thrilling.
These goblins were oddly strong. Why? Could the answer lie in that cave?
But first, could I even survive against these three? This was fun. Really fun.
One goblin charged straight at me.
”Shh!”
I stabbed my sword into the ground, freeing both hands to draw a dart from my waist and throw it at the goblins on either side.
”Pigi!?!”
”Gii!”
The two goblins with pierced eyes didn’t stop charging but lost their vigor.
I drew a dagger and stepped toward the goblin on my right, circling around its blind side, then slit its throat like Lena did. I spun to avoid the goblin in front, stabbed its back, and kicked it toward the last goblin on the left.
I grabbed my sword from the ground and slashed down both goblins. They screamed briefly before falling lifeless.
I hadn’t expected fighting goblins to be this intense.
The world was full of strange things—that’s why I could never quit being an adventurer.
Yes, strange things like the girl dancing right in front of me. A beautiful brown-skinned girl twirled gracefully, slashing goblins one by one with daggers in both hands.
Notes:
• Lena – Female. A young slave girl in her early teens. Her appearance is emaciated with brown skin, long black hair, and grotesque scars across her face, including one that blinds her left eye. She wears a black collar and tattered clothing. Her relationship to the protagonist is that of a rescued victim. She is silent and appears to have endured severe physical and emotional abuse.
• Mel – Female. The receptionist at the Adventurers Guild branch in Verdaine. She is a woman of a certain age with long, messy blonde hair. Her relationship with the protagonist is casual and slightly teasing. She is laid-back but observant.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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