I Am Not Goblin Slayer

Chapter 10: Engagement

“Are we really going to start the commission mission tonight?” Bell muttered.

The group had already discussed their plans roughly while on the carriage, and according to the original schedule, they were supposed to rest in the village for the night and begin action the next day.

But this sudden turn of events had clearly disrupted the original plan.

“Two villagers have been taken away. If we don’t go rescue them tonight, it’ll be too late.” Hailier sighed. “But it’s too dark at night. The danger of engaging Goblins increases significantly.”

She was visibly distressed, fingers twisting strands of her hair over and over.

“And we haven’t even scouted the area yet,” Gauss added from the side.

“So, it’s definitely dangerous,” Mia agreed.

None of the four were experienced Adventurers.

Gauss instinctively felt that operating at night was not a good idea, as monsters always had better night vision than humans.

Logic told him they should wait for daylight, scout the Goblin stronghold, and act after gathering information.

However, if they did that—

The two victims might suffer irreparable harm.

And they had come here for the very purpose of exterminating Goblins.

He sighed inwardly. Many choices in life didn’t seem to have a right answer.

“Then let’s each decide based on our own will. Since this is an unexpected situation, whatever choice we make, we must respect each other. I’ll count down three, two, one, and we’ll all say it at once—go or don’t go.”

“Alright?” Hailier took a deep breath. Her forehead was unknowingly covered in sweat.

“I don’t mind.”

“Three”

“Two”

“One”

“Go!”

“Go.”

“Go.”

“Go.”

Though Gauss was half a beat slower, he gave the same answer as the others.

Educated in his past life, he still couldn’t harden his heart like stone.

Seeing everyone give the same answer, Hailier breathed a sigh of relief.

“But we’ll need to bring a villager familiar with the local forest to guide us, and we’ll need lighting,” Gauss said. “During the mission, our priority must be our own safety. Only then can we rescue the victims.”

Although his map nearly guaranteed he wouldn’t get lost, he knew nothing about unexplored areas, so they needed locals who knew the terrain.

Only that could minimize the risk.

“I agree.”

The group came to a unified decision and informed the villagers of their plan.

“Thank you all so much!”

“Please, brave warriors! You must save Jenny and Aisha!”

The villagers, as if having found a pillar of support, thanked the four-person team profusely.

Upon learning that a guide was needed, four men volunteered to accompany them. They were all immediate relatives of the missing women and had been the most vocal earlier in urging for a rescue.

They were already burning with anxiety. In fact, even without Gauss and the others, they would’ve gone to the Goblin lair to retrieve their loved ones.

To save time, everyone packed quickly and, holding torches, headed into the forest.

The villagers actually knew roughly where the Goblin nest was located.

The two men leading the way held torches in one hand and pitchforks in the other, moving in haste.

They were Jenny and Aisha’s fathers, their expressions grim and their steps accelerating.

The four-person team walked briskly while discussing their battle plan.

“Just like we practiced yesterday—Bell and Mia will hold the front and engage the Goblins directly. I’ll flank them and use my bow to strike from the sides. Gauss will also use magic to hinder the Goblins and create kill opportunities for Bell and Mia. He can also support with a wooden spear or dagger.”

Bell and Mia had no objections to Hailier’s plan, even though they were the ones to face the Goblins head-on and take the greatest risk.

“Alright.” Gauss agreed as well.

The group had practiced all afternoon yesterday. While the effects in actual combat were uncertain, Gauss found that the three were actually quite capable.

All three had mastered at least one basic skill of a Professional, and they could use them proficiently.

Mia’s skill was [Thrust], which allowed her to lunge forward quickly and strike enemies in front of her with both blades in a flurry of blows.

Bell’s skill was [Vertical Slash].

Though it sounded simple, when activated, his slashes became significantly stronger, making his long blade deadlier.

Hailier’s skill was [Precision Aim], which enhanced her vision and arm strength upon activation, allowing for near-perfect accuracy at close to mid range.

Plus, Gauss had Mage Hand.

Despite the group’s lack of mission experience, this rookie team was not weak.

At least on paper, their strength exceeded many bottom-tier Adventurer squads.

This was also why Gauss agreed to act.

Even seven or eight Goblins at night wouldn’t be a match for a team where everyone had mastered a skill.

As long as they each used their skills to eliminate an enemy the moment they engaged, it would become a series of one-on-one fights afterward.

“Gentlemen, we’ll leave it to you to stall the Goblins briefly. Once we finish our targets, we’ll help you.”

“Don’t worry. It’s just one Goblin—we can handle that much.”

After this brief exchange, they continued in silence.

A while later, the leading villagers stopped.

An open clearing appeared before them.

In the middle of the clearing burned a campfire, and a cave was visible in the distance.

It looked like a natural cave, about two meters in diameter, stretching into pitch-black darkness.

“That must be the place.”

Everyone gazed toward the distant cave.

The cave was pitch-black.

Lacking light, nothing inside could be seen.

After observing, Gauss waved at the others to get their attention.

He was about to suggest moving closer and using Mage Hand—

To try probing inside with its approximate 10-meter casting range.

Suddenly, a sharp shriek erupted next to him, piercing through the quiet night.

“Waa waa waa!”

The sound came from Gauss’s left side—not far away.

Focused as he was, the sudden noise startled him.

He turned toward the source and, upon seeing the enemy, cursed inwardly.

A green-skinned, pointy-eared figure emerged from the bushes, screaming loudly to alert its companions in the cave.

Damn!

The Goblins had planted a scout far away from the nest!

The sudden development made Gauss’s heart race.

And then—it was as if time slowed down.

His world suddenly decelerated. His thoughts grew razor-sharp, as if he had entered bullet time.

He drew his dagger and lunged sideways in one swift move, slashing precisely at the Goblin’s throat.

The Goblin, acting on instinct, tried to dodge—but at that moment, an invisible force activated.

Mage Hand!

A ghostly, unseen hand shoved the Goblin hard from behind.

The not-so-powerful push was enough to disrupt the Goblin’s movement.

Then, the metal edge of the dagger drew a clean arc.

The green skin split smoothly. Blood and the throat’s cartilage gushed out like mashed tofu.

Dead!

In a moment, like a reflex, his blade and spell coordination sliced the Goblin’s throat cleanly.

The loud cries turned into a dry gurgle.

“Goblin killed *1”

“Total monsters killed: 2”

*Thud!*

The Goblin collapsed, its nearly decapitated head staring at Gauss with murky, yellow eyes, as if to burn the image of its killer into its dying mind.

“Prepare to engage!”

The others hadn’t expected Gauss to act so swiftly, but now wasn’t the time to be amazed.

Bell and Mia rushed forward, hoping to block the Goblins inside the cave.

But they were a step too late.

The scout’s cries had already alarmed the Goblin group in the cave.

A series of shouts and hurried footsteps erupted from within, like angry monkeys letting out aggressive warnings.

The Goblins surged out of the nest ahead of the two.

Shadows multiplied. In the flickering firelight, pairs of red eyes burst forth.

One pair, two pairs... eight pairs... twelve... thirteen...

Trying to catch up, Gauss suddenly realized something was wrong.

He shouted loudly to the two who had fallen out of formation.

“Something’s wrong! Too many enemies!”

“The intel was wrong!”

“Be careful!”

Facing dozens of red, glowing pupils, they all felt like the cave itself was crawling toward them.

With his heart pounding, Gauss gained one more valuable experience.

That was—

Never blindly trust mission intelligence.