NOVEL WEB Chapter 16
The forest was as dark as evening even in the broad daylight, with dense leaves obscuring the sun.
“Oops!”
Gis, who was walking beside me, stumbled and let out a short scream. This was the fourth time already.
“Shut your mouth. Are we advertising our location to the demons?”
A knight, unable to hold back any longer, scolded Gis. He was the knight on guard when we first reached the Knight’s Barracks. His name was definitely Boris.
“What can I do if I can’t see the ground? I’m not a primitive; can’t we just carry a torch?”
Gis’s complaint made me chuckle.
“Did you just suggest that? Why don’t you start handing out flyers to the monsters too? Fresh human meat, free delivery, and it’s a hit!”
A few knights chuckled at my words, but Gis frowned deeply.
“If you’re trying to scare me to drop my performance, it’s pointless. I know very well that goblins are low-level monsters.”
“It’s clear they’re acting as a group; we’re probably dealing with hobgoblins. Don’t underestimate them.”
“I’m not falling for that. In any case, it will just prove my Healing Ability. I’ll be the one to enter the Inner Palace as the Royal Princess’s attending physician!”
Gis boldly proclaimed. However, confidence doesn’t help much in hunting demons.
“Shh.”
Tanya, who was leading, put her finger to her lips. The five knights formed a line, gripping their swords tightly.
“Charge!”
At Tanya’s command, the knights lunged into the brush.
Hup!
Keyek!
The dull sound of striking with a sword was accompanied by a guttural scream that echoed between the trees.
After the quiet fell, we peered over the bushes to find three goblins, split in half, lying on the ground.
It was a decent display of skill, seeming to prove their title as Sword Experts.
“This is goblin territory from here on out. Stay vigilant and eliminate any threats before calling for reinforcements.”
Tanya commanded. The other squad trailing behind quickly understood the situation and moved briskly.
“Were they really a group? Do we need to be this cautious about hunting…?”
Gis tilted his head, staring at the goblin corpses. He still lacked a sense of reality.
I kicked a pile of logs lying among the goblins and told him.
“Look at this. It’s evidence they were trying to start a fire. They might have intended to camp here or were signaling their main forces after spotting us. These creatures don’t normally have the intelligence for such a mess.”
I nodded towards Gis, affirming my declaration.
“It’s solid proof that there’s a leader. Stop complaining.”
“When did I complain? When did you become such an expert on monsters?”
“That’s a fair observation. It seems you’ve been studying hard. Let’s continue.”
Tanya endorsed my comment, prompting Gis to clamp his mouth shut.
The evidence of goblins continued along the grass. The knights swiftly dispatched any goblins we encountered along the way.
Eventually, we discovered a dark cave entrance set in a cliff face.
“So, it leads here.”
“Goblins living in a cave? That’s rare.”
“Lord, we may need to use torches from here, which could make hunting dangerous. Should we proceed?”
Tanya’s question brought a moment of hesitation from my father as he consulted with the senior healers.
While they debated, I scanned around the cave entrance.
“I found something.”
I picked up an animal skull and showed it to my father.
“Is this leftover bones from a meal?”
“This isn’t rotten; it’s a tool used for carving. It’s for ceremonial purposes, not for eating.”
“For ceremonies?”
“There’s a chance a shaman is controlling the group, not just a hobgoblin.”
My statement caused a stir among the knights, while the healers seemed to be oblivious to the seriousness of the situation.
Gis asked, “A shaman? Is that a spell-casting goblin? What’s the difference?”
“There’s a huge difference! What’s inside that cave is an army of goblins enhanced by magic. Even if we send a request to the guild, there’s a difference between hobgoblins and shamans; it’s like comparing D to C ranks!”
Boris reprimanded Gis.
Tanya presented her thoughts, “While it’s not confirmed, if there really is a goblin shaman inside, we may have to endure considerable damage. Of course, our knight order has the strength to handle it. However, we can’t ensure the safety of the healers.”
The healers shrank back in fear, and my father nodded.
“The Royal Physician must heal their lord in any situation, and while it’s important to prepare for such circumstances, we can’t take unnecessary risks during the exam.”
My father made a decision.
“We’ll request the guild to hunt the goblin shaman later. For now, let’s continue with the extermination of nearby monsters.”
It was the right choice since we had non-professional healers with us. But I had noticed concerning traces, so I posed a question to my father.
“When will the extermination take place?”
“We need to issue a request to the adventurers from the guild, so it will likely take a few days.”
“By then, the abducted villagers need to be alive.”
“What did you say?”
I ran my fingers along the cave wall. Thick, sticky blood came off.
“Based on the coagulation state, it hasn’t been more than six hours. The goblins likely dragged them inside.”
“Hmm…!”
My father’s expression grew grave.
Gis rebutted my claim. “That blood might not belong to a person, right? They could have taken an animal for a meal.”
He was now stuck in a cycle of opposition for the sake of opposing. I was just praying that at least one of my statements would be wrong.
Go ahead, keep trying. Let’s see if I’m wrong even once.
―――――――――――
Diagnosis D activates.
Injury Status: Bleeding
Injury Location: Left Forehead
―――――――――――
Since the owner of the blood is a person, the diagnosis would have triggered.
It was quite convenient that the diagnosis triggers just by seeing part of the injury.
I spoke to Gis.
“As a healer, shouldn’t you at least check if this is human blood or animal blood? Look, it’s human blood. If we go back like this and miss our golden time, you’re taking responsibility?”
“W-Well…”
As I pointed my blood-stained finger at Gis, he stammered his response.
I then sought my father’s opinion. “What do you intend to do? The cave is the goblins’ territory, so it’s indeed risky to enter with this setup.”
“Hmmm. Lars the Healer, are you confident that blood is human?”
My father, only addressing me with my title due to the formal setting, seemed to consider my response.
I answered firmly.
“I am confident.”
“Understood. Tanya, prepare for entry.”
“Yes. All troops, proceed in a defensive formation. Protect the healers by positioning them towards the back to prevent ambushes.”
The knights moved busily, surrounding and protecting the healers. A few of them picked up torches.
“We’re entering. Stay alert.”
We took steps forward.
As we passed through the entrance of the cave, suddenly, the visibility dimmed, and the decreased oxygen nearly choked me.
The leading scout extended a long spear to examine the wall structure as they progressed.
Following them was Tanya, leading the main group.
…Tension permeated the air.
No one had the slightest inclination to make small talk.
Shadows flickered against the cave walls, unsettlingly alive.
This meant the torch was flickering in the wind.
Air was flowing in from somewhere. It wasn’t a blocked cave.
“Captain, we’ve reached a fork.”
“Hmm.”
Tanya seemed to be contemplating which way to go.
Should I offer a bit of help?
“Goblins living in caves always create multiple exits. It’s a precaution to escape at any time.”
“Lord.”
“But if they’re humans kidnapped from outside, they wouldn’t need to confine them to a place with exits.”
I licked the tip of my finger and pointed to the two paths in the cave. The wind was blowing consistently from one direction.
“The hostages are likely to be in the blocked-off path. I recommend exploring to the right first.”
Tanya raised her eyebrows with surprise.
“You seem quite knowledgeable. I’m impressed. Have you ever done adventurer work?”
“No?”
I’ve been through a hero party, which was painfully boring. It’s an extreme job; I wouldn’t recommend it at all.
“Then we’ll head right. Vanguard, stay alert for traps.”
As the path narrowed, we advanced slowly and cautiously.
It became difficult to maintain formation properly from this point, so we rearranged into smaller squads.
Before long, Gis pointed towards the end of the cave, exclaiming urgently.
“There it is!”
Gis rushed forward with the torch. In the corner of the cave, there were animal corpses piled up by goblins, along with two fallen humans.
“Wait! Don’t stray from formation!”
Tanya urgently ordered, but Gis was already rushing toward the downed villagers.
Their condition indeed looked dire. Their clothes were tattered, and their bodies were bruised.
There was one man and one woman; the woman was bleeding heavily from her head. It was evident from my diagnosis checks.
“I implore the benevolent goddess in the heavens! Here lies a lamb in need of mercy, waiting for a reply…”
Gis opened his holy book and began casting a healing spell.
It could be considered a show of job spirit, but it was an imprudent act in the present situation.
Kiiiik!
Keek!
The screams of goblins echoed throughout the cave at that moment.
From the darkness, a horde of goblins brandishing clubs emerged.
With their small bodies lacking hair, their threatening forms were always disgusting.
“Gah!”
Surprised by the sight, Gis stumbled and fell on his butt. The goblins were moving quickly, ready to overwhelm him in an instant.
Hup!
A bastard sword, slicing the goblins in half, was Tanya’s blade.
“It’s an ambush!”
“Everyone, assume combat position!”
The knights drew their swords and entered the fray. In an instant, the narrow cave was transformed into a battlefield.
“Wha-where did they come from so suddenly…!”
Gis trembled, flailing his hands. I smacked his head.
“Luring them with bait and laying traps is their fundamental tactic. Being small, they tend to hide in unseen caves or crevices. Get your act together.”
“Ugh, y-yes, understood!”
Gis wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and resumed casting his healing spell.
Other healers also gathered to treat the villagers.
I scanned my surroundings, assessing the situation.
The Gothberg Knights were exceptional. It was thanks to Tanya’s thorough training. Despite being ambushed, they could easily fend off goblins and proceed with the hunt.
The escort knights were diligently fulfilling their duty to protect my father.
And there was the head maid, Acella, acting as a supervisor.
…Hmm.
Even in a situation like this, her expression showed no signs of disturbance at all. It felt as if she had anticipated the ambush from her previously secure position.
Looks like I just need to take care of myself.
“Ha!”
No need to hold back, I shouted and swung my sword with full force.
Keyek!!
A goblin charging at me was struck in the head and toppled over.