Chapter 25 – The Ongoing Curse (5)
“Start the operation! The guards will move as instructed, and the adventurers must not enter the operation area of the guards! We cannot take responsibility for any casualties due to friendly fire!”
At the early hour when dawn was just breaking, the head of the guards, with a rifle slung over his shoulder, shouted into a megaphone.
The collaboration between the guards and adventurers was proceeding in a rather unique manner. Multiple parties had formed a single group of adventurers, and certain areas were assigned to them to act as distractions.
The plan was that as goblins rushed in to stop the adventurers, the guards would strike them from the side.
“It’s not easy to control the adventurers. Some may not even belong to this city. It’s more efficient to just let them fight freely,” Patrick explained.
“We have to do as we’re told,” I replied.
Patrick explained the reasoning behind it, but it didn’t really register. After all, our purpose lay elsewhere, and my mind was entirely consumed by that thought.
“Adventurers, you may depart first!”
The adventurers, set to play the role of bait, were deployed first. Since the bounty amounts varied based on their accomplishments, they were all fired up.
It was as if each party was competing to see how many goblins they could kill, so it seemed better to let them act freely rather than assigning a commander to control them.
“Look over there, it’s the new guy and Patrick.”
“They seem relaxed. Are they going for a walk?”
We were indeed one of them, and perhaps that’s why others seemed to be wary of us already.
I felt the gazes directed at us, especially at me, and couldn’t help but chuckle. Although I was intentionally creating that misunderstanding, they likely saw me as a burden to the party.
“I’m sorry for giving you all a strange misunderstanding.”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
I didn’t care about the attention from others, but I felt a bit guilty for causing Rina to be misunderstood as someone who carried around a girl’s maid as a plushie.
In reality, Rina was the one I held dear.
“In this line of work, what ultimately matters are results and your life. Ignore what the idiots say. Goodness, they sure are in a hurry.”
Patrick chuckled at what we were saying.
Compared to us, who were deliberately moving slowly, others were quickening their pace. They had already started spreading into the forest and were set to engage in indiscriminate battles with the goblins, becoming the perfect bait for the guards.
“– —!”
“—!”
An undeveloped, uncharted area was filled with howls and screams, echoing all around.
As the adventurers infiltrated in large numbers, the goblins, who had already occupied the area, began to strike back.
Adventurer parties and goblin troops started fighting in all directions.
We were the same. Together with other parties nearby, we stepped into the goblins’ territory and launched into battle against a group of them.
“In large-scale missions, you absolutely must not charge ahead! You could easily get surrounded and killed. Our goal is simply to draw their attention until the guards can strike!”
Patrick shouted that we had to move together with nearby parties. The absence of control meant a degree of freedom, but conversely, it also meant that one had to rely on their own strength to overcome crises.
If one charges ahead, intoxicated by the excitement of battle, they would swiftly be beaten down by the enemies.
“—!”
Patrick began to engage the goblins charging at him. However, there was a limit to how many he could handle alone. A few goblins aimed their spears at Rina and me as well.
‘Take them all down.’
Since other adventurers around us were too busy fighting goblins, I gave instructions to the earth spirits to intervene in the battle.
It was easy to make the charging goblins fall. The rocks that suddenly popped up from the ground tripped them up and, at times, even sucked their feet in completely.
They couldn’t resist. They either tumbled helplessly or staggered aimlessly.
“Slice!”
As a result, Patrick and Rina could effortlessly cut down the goblins that were immobilized as if they were training dummies fixed in place.
By the time we handled all of them, other adventurers were deeply engaged in their ongoing battles with the goblins.
“That’s insane. Did you already take them all down? Just the two of you?!”
“Damn it, we’re bound to get attention now, right?”
These events brought yet another misunderstanding among the other adventurers nearby, but there were more urgent matters.
Hearing the noise in the distance, it seemed that the goblins and the guards had finally clashed. It was time for us to start making our move.
“Could it really be completely empty?! There must be a few left!”
“We can just kill that many.”
Avoiding the gazes of other adventurers, we swiftly began to slide toward the goblin’s base, a place we had previously scouted. There was no chance of being discovered because the earth spirits were informing us of anyone nearby.
Both the guards and adventurers were busy playing with the goblins in their respective areas, giving us the opportunity to move safely.
“—!”
Of course, there were goblins charging at us while heading in that direction, but I waved my hand and sharply shattered the large stones summoned from the earth to spray them out like shotgun pellets.
The frenzied goblins, rushing in unison, met those projectiles and collapsed onto the ground, bloodied and horrified.
“Goodness, that’s horrific.”
Patrick grimaced at the sight. Meanwhile, we arrived right in front of our destination.
“There are no goblins around here. You two hide and wait. This way, if anything happens, you can come running immediately.”
Stopping for a moment, I instructed Patrick and Rina to stay here.
“Are you really going alone?”
“Rina came this far because of me, not you. Since I promised to keep her safe, I can’t break that promise.”
Patrick sighed as he watched me untie my hair and take off my cape, but I didn’t mind.
I had enough reasons, and ultimately, it was a decision I made for myself. It might be dangerous, but I had resolved to no longer hide behind others the moment I was called to that merciless tower.
“Wait, you’re really going to strip down? Just wearing that?”
“I can’t help it. I didn’t bring too many clothes.”
To maximize my power, I took off my shoes and socks as well. Standing barefoot on the ground, I removed the maid outfit and was left with only the white blouse Rina typically wore beneath.
It was oversized, with baggy sleeves and completely covering my body. It certainly was a nuisance, but it also felt tedious to conceal my identity.
“I’m off.”
Waving my hand to flutter the blouse’s hem, I began to slide back down to the ground, leaving them behind.
The wind blew through my unraveled hair, and I could hear even more sounds through my long, pointed ears.
“Move, you foolish creatures!”
The sounds of someone shouting came from the direction I was heading—the goblins’ base. It was right in front of me.
“—?!”
“What are you?!”
As I suddenly appeared in the lair, the few goblins left behind turned their eyes toward me in shock.
While the other goblins widened their eyes in surprise and clucked loudly, one particular goblin instinctively grew wary of me.
“A goblin Kai. It doesn’t seem like you’re being forced to obey through some curse…”
I let out a slight chuckle as I surveyed the surroundings.
Properly constructed fortifications and watch towers. It was clear that the goblins had managed to assemble considerable power in a short time due to the leadership and knowledge of a capable warrior.
“What on earth are you hiding inside that place?”
Yet even with that single force, they couldn’t have achieved all of this. As I pointed to the cave, as if I knew, his brow twitched.
“I don’t know who you are, but…”
He pointed his sword at me. Regardless, the staff he usually carried likely served as a sort of authority object.
“You are incredibly cautious. My instincts tell me that I must kill you right now!”
“Indeed.”
He shouted with his blood-red eyes gleaming. Just as the werewolf had charged at me, the curse that enveloped him was extremely cautious of me, the one who could purify it.
“Kill her!”
As he shouted, the goblins around him grasped their weapons and charged at me. Clicking my tongue, I stood my ground and swung my arms, making the sleeves flutter as I overturned the earth to confront their advance.
“What a ridiculous…”
“Is this your first time seeing something like this?”
The strong shockwave I swung out spread in a wedge shape, twisting and breaking the ground.
The rushing goblins couldn’t even reach me, getting swept up in the undulating ground, and Kai staggered back, astonished at the sight of his subordinates being annihilated before his eyes.
