Bigger Than Expected?

“Well, it’s no wonder people call them ‘wicked.’ They truly are a nasty-looking lot.”

“Indeed. A most unsettling countenance, wouldn’t you say?”

Hans and I shared our frank impressions while staring down at the Goblin corpse sprawled on the ground.

They stood about 120 to 140 centimeters tall. Their limbs were surprisingly thin, contrasted by disproportionately large heads that gave them an unbalanced physique. Their skin was a coppery red, paired with large, upturned eyes, pointed noses, and wiry black hair. Their mouths, slit wide almost to their ears, were lined with rows of fangs. They were monsters straight out of a picture book.

“Eh? I think he’s kinda cute. Look, Gob-tchi has such a great smile!”

Mia pointed toward our newest servant, the Goblin she’d dubbed “Gob-tchi,” who was currently cackling “Ke-ke-ke-ke!” in a creepy fashion. He was clutching his stomach and looking up at Yo the Fairy as she fluttered above his head. The way his black, caterpillar-like eyebrows twitched could not be called charming, even as flattery.

“Mia, you really have a thing for the creepy ones, don’t you…?”

“Hey, are you really saying that? I love you and Paula-san, too, Sensei.”

“Knowing I’m in the same category as giant worms and Goblins doesn’t make me feel particularly great.”

While making small talk, I touched the Goblin’s corpse to see what could be salvaged. The items that landed in my inventory were, first, a White Magic Stone. Then, a Goblin Shortbow, Goblin Arrows, and a Goblin Hooked Club. The dirty rags wrapped around its waist were apparently not lootable.

The bow, quiver, and hooked club seemed to be standard equipment, as all five of them carried the same set. The small wooden bows were light; even we could probably handle them with a bit of effort. The bowstrings were made of animal sinew, and the arrows featured red fletching and sharp, horn-tipped heads. The clubs had large, sharp claws attached to the tips. I was curious what monster those claws came from, but touching them didn’t trigger a collection. It seems items that have already been processed into tools can’t be reverted to raw materials through simple touch.

“These are quite skillfully made. Mmm, even for monsters, they aren’t to be underestimated.”

As a merchant, Hans seemed to take a liking to the quality of the bow and arrows. He looked impressed, nocking an arrow to test the tension. Since they seemed functional, I had him hold onto them.

“By the way, Sir Nino, you mentioned heading toward the Goblin settlement. May I ask for the specifics of your plan?”

The Chief spoke up once we’d caught our breath, seeing as I’d finished gathering materials and checking everyone for injuries.

“Yes. Even if we want to turn this area into farmland, it’ll be difficult if Goblins are wandering around. I want to confirm the scale of their population first.”

“I see. So we’re scouting the settlement.”

“And the boss guarding the stairs to the next floor is likely there as well.”

In truth, I wanted to fill out the map systematically from the edge. However, after that skirmish, I realized that fighting archers is a massive pain. Even if the chance of success is low, it’s better to try a proactive move now.

“For now, let’s form up and head out.”

At the front were the bow-wielding Gob-tchi and Hans. At their feet were Yoru and Kuu. In the middle were Mia, acting as our artillery, and Paula, who was guarding her. Behind them were the Chief and myself—the non-combatants. Bringing up the rear was the duo of the Giant Worm and the Great Caterpillar. For our vital scout, Yo the Fairy, we used the previous tactic: she would fly up periodically to check the distance. However, flying high for long periods drains her stamina, so we had to frequently supply her with Mana-Vitality Potions.

Fifteen minutes into our trek north, the first event occurred: Gob-tchi suddenly loosed an arrow. Simultaneously, something bolted through the grass. The Goblin fired again in rapid succession. After a small shriek, a white mass leaped out from the greenery.

It was a white-furred rabbit, about thirty to forty centimeters long. A single horn protruded from its forehead. This was a Horn Rabbit, another common early-game sight. Gob-tchi dropped his bow and readied his hooked club to intercept. He dodged the horn charge and delivered a single strike to its neck, ending the fight instantly.

Gob-tchi held up the prey, its throat slit and dripping blood, looking quite pleased. Judging by his efficiency, he was well-practiced in hunting.

“Whoa, nice, Gob-tchi! You’re good at this!”

“Splendid!”

“Koo!”

Unlike me, with my city upbringing, everyone else seemed to have no aversion to the smell of blood. While Paula watched me with concern, I forced a smile and patted the Goblin’s head.

“Good job, Gob-tchi.”

“Kee-hee!”

Ouch. His hair was so stiff it actually hurt my hand. While keeping up the patting, I spoke with a more serious tone.

“But next time, check with me or Paula before you act. Understand?”

Recognizing me as the pack leader, Gob-tchi nodded solemnly. He then obediently handed over the Horn Rabbit carcass. Looking at it in my item list, it was categorized into: Red Magic Stone, Wild Rabbit Horn, Wild Rabbit Meat, and Wild Rabbit Fur. I guess there was no need to manually bleed it…

As for that rabbit horn, it’s actually quite a find. I’d been hopeful since seeing the arrowheads, but these horns are a material for Attack Enhancement Potions. Sensing from my expression that he’d done something good, Gob-tchi looked up at me expectantly. I rewarded him with some rabbit meat, which he tore into happily. Watching him eat so heartily, Yoru and Kuu stared up at him, drool trailing from the corners of their mouths. Gob-tchi looked slightly troubled, then split the meat in half and handed it to the two.

“Much obliged!”

“Koo!”

Sorry for judging you by your looks, Gob-tchi.

“Shall we take a break as well?”

“I’m for it. It’s a bit hot here, isn’t it?”

“Yes, the sunlight is stronger than I expected.”

Paula was wearing her hood, so she was likely trapping even more heat. Finding a suitable grove of trees, we decided to settle down and rest. Come to think of it, we hadn’t really rested since the fight with the Goblins.

I distributed black bread and wine that I’d Cooled Down with Blue Magic Stones to Mia and the others, and handed Labyrinth Water and bat meat to the monsters. Mizu the Giant Worm seemed to prefer the earth, tunneling around on its own. I helped Imo-tchi, who is an herbivore, up into a tree.

While helping out, I noticed fruit growing on the branches. Touching them with my item menu open, an item named Verdant-Hard Fruit appeared.

“Oh!” I blurted out.

“Is something wrong, my Lord?”

“This tree… it’s an olive tree.”

“Olive? What is that?”

The game gave it a fantasy name, but in look and content, it was just an olive. I searched my memory and realized it was entirely unknown in this world. Since it only grows inside subterranean labyrinths, its uses likely went undiscovered.

“It’s a fruit you can get oil from. Oh, I can harvest them all just by touching the tree.”

“Ho, oil? That is a peculiar tree.”

Hans, the businessman, overheard and joined the conversation with interest.

“If you press the fruit, you get high-quality oil. It’s faster to show you than to explain.”

I performed Decompose on a bunch of olives, producing a glass bottle’s worth of Jade Oil (Olive Oil). It looked like the yield was about one-tenth the volume of the fruit.

Using a Red Magic Stone, I Heat the fresh olive oil, some salt, and the Horn Rabbit meat.

“There—Roasted Rabbit is served. Please, help yourselves.”

I’d borrowed plates and salt from Ute-san in case we needed to cook bat meat. Hans carved it up with his knife, and everyone took a piece to sample.

“Ooooh, so good! What is this!?”

“Feast!”

“Kooo!”

“My, the texture is incredibly light. I’m surprised.”

“This refined, clean aftertaste… and the aroma is wonderful. Mmm…”

“Indeed, it is truly delicious, Sir Nino.”

It was a hit. In this world, “oil” almost exclusively meant animal fat; plant-based oils were nearly non-existent. The Chief started staring at the tree expectantly, but I shook my head to stop him.

“I doubt it would grow on the surface; it’s too cold.”

“…I see. That is a great shame.”

“But even the amount we can get here should be quite marketable, shouldn’t it?”

“Yes, we can expect great things from this.”

After harvesting every olive in sight, we continued north. We hunted a few more Horn Rabbits along the way and stopped at every olive tree we found until Gob-tchi suddenly pointed ahead. I thought it was another rabbit, but there was no sign of one. At my nod, Gob-tchi dashed into the grass and returned with a bouncy step, holding something up.

“Is this… garlic?”

“Indeed, that is a magnificent head of garlic.”

The Chief gave it his seal of approval. It was Labyrinth Garlic, a material for Mana-Vitality Potions. For making another great discovery, I gave Gob-tchi a clove of garlic, which he swallowed whole with delight. Apparently, he loves the stuff. When Kuu and Yoru ran over drooling and gave it a sniff, they ended up rolling away, clutching their noses. They clearly didn’t like the smell.

As we continued walking, the far wall began to draw closer. About an hour and a half later, including rest time, we finally reached the wall at the end of the plain and a place that looked like a Goblin settlement.

The distance was roughly five kilometers. A wooden fence about as tall as an adult circled the area, so we couldn’t see much of the interior. However, I could sense the presence of many Goblins.

I had Kuu and Yo the Fairy perform aerial reconnaissance. When I asked how many Goblins were there, they cutely spread all their fingers and toes, so I’m guessing there are at least twenty.

In any case, it wasn’t a number we could break through from the front. A single volley of arrows would finish us. Of course, I hadn’t planned on using brute force to begin with.

Hiding in a nearby thicket, we asked Gob-tchi to lead the infiltration.

“Alright, Gob-tchi, I’m counting on you for this.”

“Kee-hee!”

The Goblin answered energetically as I handed him a Slime Pouch filled to the brim with Labyrinth Water.