Translated by Lickymee
Edited by Ruzenor
TLN: Reading this on a site other sinistertranslations will earn you a slow and painful death in hell for infinity
TLN: Finally done with this part! Next part should be the final one and probably be up soon!
For some unknown reason, they didn’t meet any goblins as they walked out from the side tunnel.
Instead, what greeted them was indistinguishable pieces of human flesh scattered everywhere.
The rancid, revolting smell of blood and viscera had filled the cave.
[……Uuu, ugh, uaghhhh…..]
Upon setting her eyes on the remains of the swordsman, the priestess couldn’t hold it and started vomiting on the ground.
It was as if those times of when she drank grape wine and ate bread in the temple was many years ago.
No, if she were to think of it like that, then it would imply that the time when she was invited by the swordsman to go on an adventure was a long, long time ago.
[Nine,huh]
Goblin Slayer ignored the horrible sight in front of him and merely spoke after counting the corpses in front of him.
[Based on the scale of this nest, there shouldn’t be more than half of goblins remaining.]
Taking the swordsman’s long and short sword, he stuffed them into his belt.
He also checked the weapons of the goblins, but didn’t seem to find anything satisfactory.
The priestess wiped her mouth as she looked at him with eyes of reproach, but he didn’t seemed to have noticed.
[How many?]
[Eh?]
[Some rookies came to subjugate goblins——That’s all I heard from the female receptionist.]
[Ah, that, four persons……]
At that moment, the priestess almost shouted loudly and immediately covered her mouth with both of her hands.
[About that, there’s o-one more person……]
How could she have forgotten.
That female martial artist who used herself as bait and suffered extreme humiliation just to save them was nowhere to be found.
[Is it a girl?]
[Yes……]
Goblin Slayer held his torch near to the ground and started examining it.
There were some fresh footprints, blood stains, dirt and signs of something being dragged across.
[It seems that she was moved to the deeper parts of the cave, though it’s not certain if she’s still alive.]
Goblin Slayer stared at the few strands of forcefully pulled out long hair around his fingers as he came to that conclusion.
[Then, we have to save her……]
Although the priestess said this, she was desperately encouraging herself.
Yet, Goblin Slayer never replied her. He lit a new torch as he threw the old one into a fork in the path.
[They can see very clearly even if it’s pitch black. Just light a torch, don’t surround yourself in darkness and pay attention to any sounds.]
The priestess obeyed as she perked her ears up and listened carefully.
In the deeper parts of the cave where the light couldn’t reach, sounds of moving footsteps could be heard.
——Goblins!
They probably had noticed the light from the torch and came to investigate.
Goblin Slayer pulled out the dagger from his belt and hurled it into the darkness.
The sharp sound of something being pierced came from the darkness. Under the hazy light from the torch, a goblin collapsed on his back.
Seeing that, Goblin Slayer darted to its front and gave a fatal stab at its heart.
With his throat pierced by the dagger, the goblin couldn’t even make a sound as it died.
Goblin Slayer’s quick movements couldn’t even be followed by her eyes.
[TLN: Reported for aimbot]
[Ten.]
Goblin Slayer merely counted as the priestess peeped into the darkness and asked cautiously:
[……Can you see in the dark?]
[Hardly.]
[TLN: This is translated weirdly. It’s originally ???(Masaka),something around ‘how could it be’, yet Google Translate tells me it means ‘Surely’….kek]
Goblin Slayer didn’t bother to pull out the dagger that was blunted by the goblin’s blood and fat.
Rather, he held the swordsman’s longsword in his hands and clicked his tongue after looking at it.
He then picked up the pike of the goblin he had just killed moments ago.
The crude pike that was made from animal bones looked more like a short spear for a human.
[I’ve practiced with their throats as targets.]
[H-how many times?]
[Alot.]
[Alot……]
[You have too many questions.]
[……]
The priestess lowered her head embarrassingly.
[What are your abilities?]
[……Eh?]
The priestess didn’t understand him as she raised her head.
Goblin Slayer stared at the darkness alertly as he said:
[I meant your Miracles.]
[……I was bestowed [Minor Heal] and [Holy Light].]
[How many times a day?]
[A total of three times…I have… two left.]
She wasn’t boasting, but for a priestess on her first ever request, she was considered to be quite excellent.
First, to pray to the Gods and ask for a miracle to be bestowed——This was a talent on its self.
Secondly, the number people capable of connecting their souls with the Gods many times weren’t many. It required experienced.
[Better than expected.]
Yet, the priestess couldn’t feel an ounce of [Being praised] from the words of Goblin Slayer.
His intonation felt obligated, cold and goal-driven.
[Then, save your Miracles for [Holy Light]. [Minor Heal] won’t do us any good here.]
[U-understood……]
[That goblin was a scout. So it’s this cave.]
Goblin Slayer pointed at the dark, deeper part of the cave with the tip of the spear.
[But the scout never returned, just like the ones who had killed your companions. Because they’re already killed by me.]
[……]
[What would you do?]
[Eh?]
[If you’re a goblin, what would you do?]
This question came to her so suddenly that the priestess held her chin with the slender arms of hers and thought hard.
If I was a goblin, what would I do?
[……I would…make an ambush.]
[Correct.]
Goblin Slayer simple said.
[We’ll beat them at their own game. Mentally prepare yourself.]
The priestess nodded with a pale face.
Goblin Slayer took out a coil of rope and wooden stakes and started lining them at his feet.
[This is like a curse.]
Goblin Slayer said while staring on the things at his hands.
[Remember, it’s set at the entrance of the forked path. Don’t forget it, or else you die.]
[Y-yes.]
The priestess held her mace tightly with both of her hands.
She kept repeatedly mumbling: The entrance of the forked path, The entrance of the forked path.
Now, the only one she could rely on was this man, one who came from unknown origins and called himself Goblin Slayer.
Should this man give up, then her, the female martial artist and the village girls would be as good as dead.
At that moment, Goblin Slayer finished setting up the trap.
[Let’s go.]
The priestess hurried to catch up with him as she crossed over the rope and stepped into the cave.
The side tunnel was very sturdy, unlike one that was dug for surprise attacks.
Other than the clumps of dirt that would fall from the roof that was covered with roots, they didn’t need to fear the tunnel collapsing on them.
Yet, as the ground that was sloped downwards grew flatter the further they advanced, the priestess grew more anxious.
This wasn’t human territory anymore.
The four of them should have paid attention to all this earlier.
But now, it was already too late.
——Goblins were living things who lived underground……
Thinking about it, it was indeed true. Even if they were far in similarity with the Dwarves.
Why is it that just because they had small bodies, we didn’t take them seriously?
——Even if she regretted it now, it was already far too late……
Under the feeble light from the torch, she walked with cautious steps while peeking at the back of the man.
Not an ounce of confusion nor fear could be seen within his actions.
Could it be that he already knew what awaits in front of him……
[We’re nearly there.]
Suddenly, Goblin Slayer stopped, causing the priestess to almost trip.
Before he could turn his robot like body, she hurriedly regained her balance.
[Almost time to use [Holy Light].]
[Y-yes. I can start the prayer, anytime.]
After she took in a deep breath, the priestess exhaled and held her mace tightly.
At the same time, Goblin Slayer held the torch and short spear in his hands tightly.
[Let’s go.]
[O Earth Mother, abounding in mercy. Please grant your sacred light, to we who are lost in darkness!]
[TLN: FLASHBANG!]
Goblin Slayer immediately dashed out with force as the priestess pointed the mace at the darkness.
The tip of the mace shone brightly as the surroundings became as bright as day. This was one of the Miracles of Earth Mother.
It seems like the goblins had used the largest cave as their main hall.
The positions of the goblins with their snarling, ugly faces who were lying in wait at the large hall were all exposed.
[GAUI?]
[GORRR?!]
There were six small goblins, a huge towering goblin, and one who was sitting on a chair with a skull on his head.
Due to the sudden burst of the white bright light, the goblins who were blinded by it closed their eyes as they cried out in confusion.
Amidst the hall, there were also a few female figures lying on the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Needless to say, they must have gone through a lot of cruel treatment.
[6 goblins. 1 hobgoblin, and 1 goblin shaman. 8 left.]
The voice of Goblin Slayer which has never quivered was heard as he simply counted the remaining number of enemies.
Of course, the goblins wouldn’t just close their eyes and obediently wait for their deaths?
[OGAGO...GAROA...]
The goblin shaman who was sitting on the high throne raised the staff in its hands and started chanting some unknown incantation.
[GUAI?!]
But at that moment, the short spear in Goblin Slayer’s hands was already flying towards it.
The goblin shaman whose body was pierced by the spear made its final cry and tumbled down from its throne.
After they witnessed the horrible condition of their leader, the goblins were stunned and couldn’t react. Goblin Slayer didn’t waste this opportunity.
Goblin Slayer pulled out the long sword which belonged to the swordsman from his belt. A sharp, ear piercing sound could be heard as the blade scraped against the sheathe.
[Okay, fall back.]
[Eh? Ah, yes!]
After he said that, Goblin Slayer turned and started running.
Though she was shocked by how agile Goblin Slayer is, she still turned and followed suit without understanding what was even happening.
Behind them were goblins who were gathering themselves after being momentarily stunned by the light.
Goblin Slayer ignored the priestess who was running with all her might behind him, only to keep increasing the distance between them.
This could be due to the difference of a vanguard and a rearguard, or it could be due to the difference of amount of experience and body training between the two.
But, even though he was clad in full body armor and chainmail, with his vision covered by his helmet as well, he still managed to move with such level of agility.
When the priestess saw him jumping out from the entrance of the side tunnel, she suddenly remembered something.
[Eh, ah!]
She then jumped over the trap with much effort. At that moment, Goblin Slayer was already standing straight as he stuck his body close to the wall.
The priestess then hurriedly followed his actions and stuck herself at the other side.
[GUIII!!]
[GYAA!!]
Sounds of curses and footsteps neared, meaning that the goblins were walking up the slope.
Taking a peek, the priestess saw the one leading them was a big goblin——it was that hobgoblin.
[Again……Chant!]
Goblin Slayer issued an order to the priestess.
The priestess nodded, pointed the mace that was imprinted with the holy mark at the side tunnel, and started the chant without a moment of hesitation.
[O Earth Mother, abounding in mercy. Please grant your sacred light, to we who are lost in darkness!]
The Holy Light of the Earth Mother, who was full of mercy, once again seared the eyes of the hobgoblin mercilessly.
[GAUU?!]
The goblin who was momentarily blinded didn’t noticed the rope at its legs. It then tripped and tumbled onto the ground……
[Eleven.]
Goblin Slayer immediately dashed over, pierced his sword into its medulla oblongata, and turned the blade.
[TLN: Medulla oblongata. For those who are lazy to click on Wikipedisensei, it’s practically a part around the neck.]
The hobgoblin cried out a few syllables that were incomprehensible before twitching itself to death.
[T-The others are coming!]
Her Miracles had been used up. Continuous times of conducting prayers with her soul had now left her with a pale, white face.
[I know.]
Goblin Slayer quickly took out a small bottle from his bag and threw it at the hobgoblin’s corpse.
As it shattered on contact, the black, sticky and mud-like substance inside the bottle spilled everywhere.
The priestess had neither seen this substance before, nor had she smelled such a pungent smell in her whole life. What she had guessed was that it’s some kind of unknown poison.
[Farewell.]
[TLN: Supposed to have a degrading meaning? Original=????]
Goblin Slayer then kicked the gigantic and dirty hobgoblin into the side tunnel.
The goblins who were coming from behind saw a giant slab of meat flying towards them and immediately attacked it with the weapons in their hands.
It all happened in an instant. Thus, when the goblins realised this giant slab of meat was their supposed bodyguard, they naturally fell into chaos.
Just as they pulled out their weapons which they had stabbed hard into the hobgoblin with much effort and is now trying to wipe of the substance stuck on them——
[Twelve, thirteen.]
It was too late.
Goblin Slayer threw the torch in his hands at them.
With a sound of bang, both of the goblins and the hobgoblins were engulfed in flames.
Sharp cries could be heard as the burning goblins struggled and fell deeper back into the tunnel.
The smell of burnt meat coupled with the smoke made the priestess cough uncontrollably.
[W-what was that……]
[Petroleum. Some call it Medea’s oil, others call it gasoline.]
I bought it from an alchemist——he mumbled without much concern.
[Awfully expensive item for such a simple effect.]
[Ah! There are still the kidnapped girls i-inside……]
[Two or three bodies of goblins won’t cause a large fire. As long as they’re still alive, they won’t die.]
Apparently the goblins haven’t been completely exterminated yet——When the priestess heard what he said, she anxiously bit her lower lip.
[……Then, are we, going back, in?]
[No. When they can’t breathe anymore, they’ll come out on their own.]
The sword of Goblin Slayer was still stuck in the body of the hobgoblin. He threw it away, just like that.
He probably didn’t plan to use that sword which was covered slick with brain matter to fight.
Goblin Slayer picked up the stone axe dropped by the hobgoblin and held it in his hands.
It was just a weapon made from tying a stone to a stick. In every aspect, this weapon was nothing but a crude one.
And because it was nothing but a crude weapon, it didn’t matter how it was going to be used.
Swinging the stone axe around, he inspected the condition of it. Seems like he can wield it one-handedly.
Then, Goblin Slayer searched around the bag at his waist and took out a new torch.
The priestess came to her sense and took out some flintstones. Yet, he didn’t even glance at her.
[They never seem to think that somebody might set an ambush for them.]
[……]
[Relax.]
Goblin Slayer skillfully used the hand holding the torch to hit the flintstones while saying:
[It’s all going to end soon]
It was just as he said.
He killed all the goblins who scurried out from the smoke without even flinching.
The first one had its skull crushed after tripping over the rope.
The second and third ones was hit by the stone axe after jumping over the rope.
The fourth one had its head crushed by the stone axe. The axe had become stuck in the goblin’s head, so Goblin Slayer picked up the wooden club it had dropped.
[Seventeen. Let’s go inside.]
[Y-yes!]
As Goblin Slayer advanced into the thick smoke, the priestess struggled to keep up.
The hall was in a big mess. The burnt corpses of the hobgoblin and another two goblins laid on the floor with their faces indistinguishable anymore. As for the goblin shaman, it laid crumpled on the floor with the spear pierced through its chest.
As for the girls, they laid on the floor with their dirty bodies.
Just as Goblin Slayer said, the smoke never harmed the girls as it floated harmlessly above them.
Still, even though they weren’t dead, they weren’t blessed.
When she saw the female martial artist, the priestess instantly understood this remark.
[ugh, ueeeeee……..]
Due to her empty stomach, all she vomited up was her gastric juices.
Her throat felt incredibly uncomfortable as if it was burned. With that, tears flowed out of her eyes again.
[Next——]
Goblin Slayer ignored her as he stepped on and extinguished the small flames on the ground .
He then neared the goblin shaman whose body had been pierced by the spear and now laid with its face on the ground.
The goblin shaman never moved, and had an expression on its face as if it was surprised by his death.
On its marble-like eyes reflected Goblin Slayer who was staring at its face.
[I thought so.]
As he said that, he raised the club in his hands.
[GUI?!]
The goblin shaman wanted to jump up immediately, but had its head smashed in in the next second. This time, it was truly dead.
Goblin Slayer waved the club around to shake the brain matter on it off before saying softly:
[Eighteen. The high ranked ones are always the most stubborn.]
Goblin Slayer then clumsily kicked down the now meaningless throne.
Seeing that how the throne was made out of human bones, the priestess once again vomited.
[A typical trick……look.]
[Uh, eh?]
Rubbing her eyes and wiping her mouth, she raised her head.
Behind the throne was a piece of half-rotten wooden board that was substituted as a door.
This was a secret storeroom——no, was it really just a secret storeroom?
The priestess heard some scraping noises behind the wooden board and held her mace tightly.
[You were lucky.]
As soon as Goblin Slayer pried the board open, sharp cries could be heard.
Other than the things that they had pillaged, there were also 4 goblin children in there.
[These creatures multiply very quickly. Before long, there would be 50 of them, and they would have attacked en masse.]
Imagining of that scene, as well as the future that she probably would have faced, she couldn’t help but shudder.
Who knows, she would have been surrounded by 10 or more goblins, and become the mother of their young ones.
Staring at the goblin who had shrunk their shivering bodies, Goblin Slayer raised the club in his hands.
[……Will you, kill the children too?]
Maybe, there wasn’t a need to ask at all.
Realizing how cold the tone of her voice was, the priestess shuddered.
In the face of reality, could her heart——her own emotions, had become numb.
She had hoped for that. At least, now, that was what she hoped for.
[Of course.]
Goblin Slayer only nodded slightly.
This man, must have faced these kinds of scenes countless times.
The priestess now understood——why he called himself as [Goblin Slayer].
[They will never forget their vengeance for the rest of their lives. Not to mention, the survivors of a nest learn, and become smarter.]
Goblin Slayer raised the club in his hands casually. The goblin shaman’s brain matter were dripping off the club drop by drop.
[There is no reason to let them live.]
[…….Is there really, not a good goblin in existence?]
[A good goblin.]
Goblin Slayer mumbled in surprise, and immediately smiled coldly with a hmph.
[There could be, if we looked. But I think……]
[……]
[Good goblins are the ones who would never appear in front of a human.]
Goblin Slayer said so.
[Twenty-two.]