Volume 3 Chapter 6 Breakthrough
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The goblins we watched over were all defeated.
Of course, Lena and I also came out completely unscathed. Even while fighting two goblins at once, she didn’t even breathe hard once. That showed me her body was in perfect condition.
Though honestly, I wasn’t worried about that. I’d seen her do countless moves in training that proved she had natural talent. What I worried about more was her mind.
”Lena, how do you feel? Are you dizzy or anything?” I asked.
She hurried over, cheeks flushed with excitement.
”I’m fine! Did Lena help you, Sir Soyuz?” she asked, her eyes shining like a loyal dog proud of its master.
”You fought really well. Lena’s amazing,” I said, placing my hand on her cheek and stroking it. The adorable slave blushed happily, her face full of quiet joy. She really looked like a dog.
She didn’t seem scared or hesitant about facing her first monster. Instead, she seemed pleased she followed my orders perfectly.
That meant she wasn’t afraid of fighting. If anything, my praise made her even more motivated.
”Please order anything. Anyone who stands against Sir Soyuz will be cut down by Lena.”
I didn’t feel uneasy about that, but still, I was careful.
”Well, I’m glad you seem okay for now. But like I’ve said before, this is a fight for life. I’ll always put your safety first. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
”Yes! Leave it to me!” Lena said with a big smile.
Her breath was heavy, and behind that, I could see her burning determination. A dangerous aura was spilling out from her.
Hmm, is this really alright?
This kid wants so badly to be useful to me that she often pushes herself too hard. It’s a bad habit. In everyday life, it’s not a big deal, but in battle, it could be dangerous. If I’m in danger, she might throw herself in harm’s way to protect me. She’s too eager sometimes.
After thinking about it, I decided to change how I fought.
I pulled Lena close and gently rubbed her back, careful not to make it awkward.
”Lena, listen. This body is mine now. You can’t get hurt. Only I can touch you.”
I kissed her forehead softly and whispered, maybe just biting her ear gently.
Honestly, I still blush secretly at what I say, but this kind of ‘attack’ always works on her.
”O-O-Okay…” she responded immediately, her face melting into something soft and mysterious.
If you just heard that, it might sound crazy, but I’m starting to understand how to handle her.
* * *
After a little cuddling, we returned to exploring. Our adventure had just begun.
”We’re going in now. We don’t know what’s inside the cave, so don’t get separated from me. The enemy won’t always come from the front. Stay alert and watch everything around us.”
”Yes,” Lena answered obediently.
I stared into the darkness ahead, with Lena quietly behind me. There was no sign of danger yet. We probably wouldn’t be attacked the moment we entered.
The cracked rock guarded by goblins was almost certainly the entrance to their colony.
”Magic light.”
I whispered the spell, and a soft white orb appeared in front of me. Using it as a guide, I stepped inside.
The thick stench of monsters hit me immediately—death, rot, and something foul. No doubt this was the goblin colony.
The magic light illuminated a straight tunnel stretching forward. There were no side paths. The light didn’t reach the end, meaning this place wasn’t natural. There had to be traps ahead.
Usually, normal goblins weren’t much to worry about, but these seemed different. I couldn’t underestimate them. I had to treat this like facing a human enemy.
As expected, halfway through the tunnel, arrows started flying from deeper inside.
I cast “Defense Shield,” tracing runes in the air with my left hand. A circular magic shield formed, and I pushed Lena behind me, moving quickly down the path.
The space at the end of the tunnel would be their ambush point, so we needed to act fast.
Luckily, Lena’s two daggers worked better than a longsword in these tight spaces. We wouldn’t fall behind.
”Lena, I’m charging in. Watch out for arrows. When we reach the room at the end, we fight immediately.”
”Yes!” she nodded.
If we were experienced adventurers, a few hand signals would be enough, but that would be too much for Lena right now. Honestly, just trusting her to fight was enough.
”All right, let’s go!”
With my sword in my right hand and shield raised in my left, I charged forward.
Just as I expected, arrows began to rain down.
A shortbow couldn’t break my shield, and once I closed the distance, goblins with bows were no threat.
I pushed forward—but then, a goblin swung its staff down at me.
I threw my sword aside and held the shield with both hands.
In the next moment, a fireball the size of a human head burst from the staff and flew straight toward us.
It exploded on my shield, shattering my magic barrier with one blow.
Damn!
My hair singed from the blast, the smell of burning filling the air with a crackling sound.
I never thought goblins could use magic. That was a mistake.
”Sir Soyuz! Are you hurt!?” Lena shouted from behind.
I checked—she was unharmed. Relief washed over me.
”I’m fine! I’m charging in!”
Without my shield, I ran full speed and kicked the goblin casting the spell away.
Momentum carried me into the room. It was about twenty steps square, with five or six goblins inside—some with bows, others with staffs.
Without hesitation, I drew a dagger and slashed the closest enemy, throwing poisoned darts at others.
The poison only caused numbness and slowed movement, but it was effective.
As I planned, Lena moved behind me, her two daggers cutting through goblins like a whirlwind. The poisoned ones were easy targets, like dolls in her hands.
I focused on killing those who could use magic, because once they started casting fireballs in the tight space, neither of us would escape unharmed. The biggest threats had to go first.
Lena fought with a precision and courage that seemed like she’d done this before, taking down goblins steadily while I secured the room.
Soon, blood stained the floor, and only Lena and I stood. All six goblins were dead.
* * *
”These goblins are really strange. Their intelligence is too high.”
I looked down at the last goblin’s body. He still gripped a staff used as a magic focus.
I’d heard rumors of goblins who could use magic, but this was my first time facing one.
Their coordinated arrows and three goblins launching a suicidal attack at once—it was all too clever.
”Are goblins supposed to be dumb monsters?” Lena asked, inspecting the room casually.
”Yeah. Goblins usually act on instinct. They don’t have tactics or magic,” I explained.
”So, these goblins are abnormal?”
”That seems to be the case. But it’s not unheard of. The guild has reports of smarter goblins and magic users, though I’ve never seen one until now.”
An unusually strong goblin.
Understanding this secret was part of the job made me see why this task required an intermediate level or higher.
”I see… why do things like this happen?” Lena asked seriously.
”I don’t know much about monster ecology yet. But if we figure this out, it’ll be valuable info for humans.”
Lena’s expression grew serious, wanting to earn more credit for the discovery. She looked so cute in that moment I almost wanted to hug her—but I held back.
…It seems I’m starting to be quite fond of Lena too.
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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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