Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Goblin
Valles didn’t seem to care much for Zelir’s congratulations.
He glanced at the crater blasted into the rock face, his expression complicated.
’Is this the extent of my full-power attack?’
’Zelir is just a Magic Apprentice, yet he can cast Magic with destructive power rivaling a Middle Level Ranger?’
’Is it a trait of his class, or his personal strength?’
’It’s enough to make a guy feel a little insecure...’
"Say, Zelir... if I remember correctly, you’re sixteen, right?" Valles said.
"Yeah."
"You must be close to breaking through to become a Junior Mage, then?"
"Hard to say... Who knows," Zelir said with a shrug.
"You will. I know it."
Valles stared into Zelir’s eyes and said earnestly, "I can see your talent."
The water murmured nearby. The distance between them was a little too close, and the atmosphere grew tense. Zelir was the first to look away.
"Well... I’ll take that as a good omen, then."
"You’re the most talented Mage I’ve ever met. Perhaps one day, I’ll ask you for a very important favor," Valles said.
"What kind of favor?"
Valles didn’t answer. He just stood up silently and started walking in the direction of Black Stone Town.
Watching Valles’s retreating back, Zelir couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
’Why’s he being so dramatic and leaving me in suspense...’
...
「The next day.」
「Early morning.」
Zelir sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyes closed in concentration.
A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes and reined in his aura.
He had just performed a Shallow Meditation. Unlike deep Meditation, which consumed a great deal of Spiritual Power, Shallow Meditation was only a brief dip.
It was a good way to improve focus and clear his head.
Doing it every morning after waking up felt quite pleasant.
Suddenly, a knock came from the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...
Zelir was a little surprised.
Ever since he moved in, no one had ever knocked on his door.
Zelir hastily threw on some clothes.
When he opened the door, Aurora was standing outside.
"What is it?" Zelir asked.
"There’s a gentleman downstairs. He says his name is Marcus and he’s looking for you," Aurora said, blinking.
’Marcus...? Why would he be looking for me?’
"Got it. I’ll be right down."
Zelir grabbed the White Wax Wood Base Material, fastened the Foil to his waist, slipped on his shoes, and hurried downstairs.
In the inn’s main hall, Marcus was pacing back and forth, looking quite impatient.
The moment he saw Zelir coming down the stairs, he immediately rushed over.
"Let’s go. Come with me to the Adventurer’s Association."
"What happened?" Zelir was a bit bewildered.
"You’ll know when we get there," Marcus said curtly.
The Adventurer’s Association.
The flow of people inside seemed particularly heavy today; it was so crowded that Zelir could barely take a step.
Marcus cleared a path ahead, and the two of them finally managed to squeeze their way to the quest board.
The noisy chatter made his head buzz.
At the very top of the wooden board, a sheet of paper larger than all the other requests was posted. It was written in blood-red ink, making it extremely conspicuous.
[Mist Cave Goblin Community Extermination Quest]
In the mountains of central Gray Wood Forest, there exists a small Goblin Community. Their sphere of activity has been expanding, and their rampant behavior now threatens the safety of nearby villages.
The Association hereby issues a request to exterminate this Goblin Community.
Additionally:
Over half a month ago, the Rod Squad accepted this quest. However, after confirmation from Association personnel and nearby villagers, it is with heavy hearts that we announce:
The Rod Squad has been completely wiped out.
This quest is not only to eliminate the threat entrenched in the forest, but also to avenge the fallen Rod Squad!
The Black Stone Town branch of the Adventurer’s Association hereby announces that any squad that accepts and completes this quest will receive a large additional bounty!
Quest Level:
Junior (three stars)
Quest Objective:
Completely exterminate all Demons in the Goblin Community. Leave none alive.
If possible, recover any remains of the Rod Squad.
Bounty:
Current intelligence indicates this community contains at least three [Beastman Goblins] and one [White-haired Goblin], in addition to over twenty regular goblins.
The bounty is seven Gold Coins for each [Beastman Goblin], ten Gold Coins for the [White-haired Goblin], and ten Silver Coins for each regular goblin.
Furthermore, an additional twenty Gold Coins will be awarded as a bonus for this quest.
Association Notes:
This is a well-established goblin settlement. While not comparable to a large community of over a hundred, the threat it poses should not be underestimated.
The Association does not recommend squads of fewer than five members accept this quest.
Additionally, it is highly recommended that the squad include powerful teammates of a Middle Level Class—the more, the better!
"The goblin extermination quest in Mist Cave..."
Zelir paused, slightly stunned.
He seemed to recall hearing someone shouting to recruit teammates for this very quest the first time he came to the Adventurer’s Association.
’To think that squad was completely wiped out...’
’Life is so unpredictable.’
Whispers rippled through the surrounding crowd.
"My god... An extra twenty Gold Coins as a bounty? The Association’s really putting up a high price."
"They can offer it, but do you dare take it? Didn’t you see the news about the Rod Squad getting wiped out? And they were all veterans..."
"I heard the only one from the Rod Squad who escaped was a Ranger. He’d lost a leg and no one knows how he managed to crawl to the edge of the forest. Anyway, he stopped breathing as soon as he got to the clinic... So tragic."
"Stop looking. A quest of this Level isn’t something we can handle. Let’s just stick to the regular quests."
Many people were just there for the excitement. After seeing the "deluxe lineup" of three [Beastman Goblins] and a [White-haired Goblin], they all sensibly started looking for other quests.
The bounty was generous, but you had to be alive to spend it.
Zelir glanced at Marcus.
"You want to take this quest?"
It was a three-star Junior quest. The Giant Winged Bat was only one star; the difference in difficulty was obvious.
"I think we should give it a try," Marcus said solemnly.
"Our squad definitely can’t do it. We’d just be serving ourselves up to the goblins on a platter," Zelir said, shaking his head with a clear sense of his own limits.
Just thinking about the depiction of goblins in various anime and movies made Zelir feel sick.
Foul-smelling, cunning, filthy, and ugly.
He had no desire to die at the hands of those little green-skinned runts. That would be just pathetic.
"Not with just the four of us, of course."
Marcus gestured. "Valles has already been promoted to Middle Level Ranger, your Magic is versatile and powerful enough, and if we find a few more strong teammates, we can do it."
"Find teammates..."
Zelir mulled it over for a moment.
’If that’s the case, maybe we really could give it a try.’
