33.Goblin Leader Battle

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Part 1

Iris

A little ahead of me, the two of them kept on cutting through the goblin horde. Perhaps frightened by the difference in strength, the goblins gradually, gradually retreated, opening the distance between them and me, who was waiting somewhat behind them.

Mumbling, I chanted in my mouth a whisper.

Done. Waiting for my chance… Now!

“’Consecrated Field’!”

I struck the small figures that jumped at me from behind with the magic I had just completed.

The goblins had penetrated deep into the area of effect and fell to the ground, unable to raise their voices and groaning in pain and discomfort.

“Don’t let them get away!”

“Of course!”

Immediately, Reiji-san, who should have been at the frontline, slipped in between me and them… the goblins, and slaughtered them one after another.

The goblins, after confirming that the surprise attack had failed, immediately turned around and fled, with Saul-niisama in hot pursuit, sometimes sending out restraining magic as he ripped them apart.

We couldn’t afford to miss this chance. They were aiming to kidnap me, a “female”… and we were going to turn the table on them.

Using myself as a bait, we dared to create an opening and annihilate those who were lured out. The strategy we took worked, and we were steadily increasing our results.

Well, actually…

A little while ago.

““No way!””

The two of them firmly rejected my proposal.

“B-But we can probably deal with them in one go with this…”

“I know, but I can’t afford to put you in danger.”

“Agreed, it’s the last thing I want to happen.”

My proposal was simple… using me as a bait.

From the engagements with the goblins so far, I knew for a fact that they were targeting me… in other words, a female. I didn’t want to know the reason for that, though.

The mercenary company we were working with consisted of mostly men, and the only woman we saw was Philias-san. And the goblins, under their advanced leadership, were cleverly concealing themselves and launching surprise attacks, and I thought that if this continued, they would eventually wear down our allies. The longer this went on, the worse it’d become for us.

More than anything else, the sun was slowly setting now… soon the goblins would be at their active time of day, and that’s why I made that proposal…

It was immediately met with strong opposition from both of them, and here we are.

“I admit that’s a good plan, but…”

“Isn’t it going to be terrifying to you?”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

Yes, I was remarkably free of anxiety right now. Because.

“I trust you two will protect me no matter what happens, am I right?”

I smiled with unquestioning trust at the two, who were now back in their element.

“…You know, I’m never going to be fully on board with this plan.”

Nii-sama, still slumped over, blurted out as he added something onto the paper.

“Neither do I… But it’s frustrating that there’s no doubt it worked.”

Reiji-san looked at the addition with a difficult expression on his face. What we were looking at is a copy of a map of this neighborhood that was borrowed from the mayor.

“Here, here, and here. These are the locations of the prior engagements…”

“And this is the direction they’re running off to.”

The map, on which we had written down the results of several previous attempts, indicated each time where we had been engaged and the direction in which the goblins had attempted to flee after their failed surprise attack. After several iterations of gathering information, we were able to confirm the direction.

“…This must be the place.”

“I think so too.”

“It’s probably right.”

Three fingers pointed to the same single spot. Their escape route led them to… one of the pioneer villages in the area, now abandoned with no inhabitants. There was also a small mine site there where ore could be mined for a time, although everything soon dried up, so they should have no trouble finding a place to hide.

“Curses! It REEKS of gob smell in here… Ack?!”

On the way to the objective location, the sound of people’s angry voices drifted in on the wind. At the same time, there was the sound of something hard crashing against each other and the noise of a struggle.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yeah, looks like they’re already engaged… at a great disadvantage, too.”

…We were supposed to scout the main camp over there and wait until the rest of our forces arrived, but this changed things a lot.

As a battle broke out in the abandoned village, Saul-niisama, who’s quick-footed, carried me, who didn’t have much in term of mobility, as we rushed to the front.

We hid behind a tree so as not to be noticed by those who were engaged in battle. Ahead of us, we saw a mercenary with a bow, who seemed to be protecting his two sword-wielding wounded comrades.

“…That guy looks familiar.”

Saul-niisama muttered grumpily.

Yes, the archer with ash-gray hair was the very person who had grabbed me by the chest back in the mess hall. And ahead of him were goblins with bows camped out on the roof, and…

“What the hell… that’s a High Goblin.”

“It must be the leader…”

They were not just dealing with goblins. A higher species of goblin… enhanced by witchcraft, with blood-red shading all over its body and a steel-colored muscular body, probably larger than Reiji-san’s.

The two of them turned to look at me, a “What should we do?” question visible in their eyes.

To be honest, we didn’t exactly have the nicest start with them that morning. But the way the archer protects his comrades with his back to them, desperately shooting arrows to the bitter end, it’s…

“Let’s save them. We’re allies.”

Without hesitation, I said it out loud.

“…Gotcha. What’s the plan?”

I’m sure that they had no doubt that I’d answer that way, and so we immediately began discussing strategy.

“I’ll take the archers on the roof.”

“Need some help?”

“Not really, it’s not that big of a deal.”

Saul-niisama smiled wryly. He unsheathed his sword, flapping the wings on his back and releasing himself from the yoke of gravity.

“I’m already used to it. Even with the system assist, I’ve moved my body around a lot. Once I get the hang of it, it’s easy. I’ll leave the High Goblin to you.”

He didn’t ask whether we could do it or not.

With a swing of the wings on his back, he soared high into the sky.

“…That guy never ceases to amaze me. Alright, let’s go, Iris. I’ve got your back.”

“Yes!”

We, too, jumped out from behind the trees where we had been hiding. Reiji-san was quickly getting ahead of me at an unbelievable speed. And Saul-niisama had already reached the top of the first building.

…He’s really wonderful. Saul-niisama was completely different from the one crying into my chest on that night, freely flying through the air and attacking the goblins on the roof.

The goblins, unprepared for the sudden and unexpected attack, were kicked to the ground before they could react.

I looked back down and saw that Reiji-san had already reached the abnormal form of the High Goblin and had begun to engage it.

Reiji-san deflected the blow from the High Goblin’s giant sword just in time, causing it to bounce off its original trajectory, slamming into the empty ground beside him.

“?!?!?!?!?!”

The leader’s eyes were black and white at the presence of Reiji-san, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

“Yo, looks like ‘mere goblins’ are what’s kicking your ass right now. Mind if I lent you a hand?”

“You! You’re the brats from earlier…!”

The mercenaries grew agitated for a moment, but then they remembered their current situation and dropped back, dragging the injured men with them. And I’d finally caught up.

“Let me heal you, ‘Area Heal’!”

As soon as the staff touched the ground, a soft light enveloped their injured bodies, quickly erasing their injuries.

“Woah…”

“Amazing…”

In fact, the wounds were closing so fast that they were at a loss for words… I suppose I should learn some common sense about the healing arts in this world after all of this calms down. But now it’s not the time for that.

“If any of you can stand up, please do. Reiji-san will hold back the enemy leader… so please, protect me.”

Enemy shadows were pouring out from the surrounding area. With Saul-niisama and Reiji-san having their hands full, I was not capable of defending myself. So I asked the mercenaries to do it.

They were amused, though, because they didn’t expect me to bow to them that honestly.

“…Tch. I’m just doing this for the job, not you.”

The archer from this morning was the first to make his move. He fired an arrow at the closest opponent. Then he fired his next arrow without even checking that the first one that went straight between its eyes. I couldn’t help but gawk at his archery skills.

“…Thank you very much!”

“Now you’re just noisy, kid! It’s common sense to protect the healer on the battlefield, stupid!”

The arrow that was released with his angry voice shot through another goblin’s brow again.

“Power”. “Haste”. “Concentrate”. “Regenerate”.

Loaded with every conceivable enhancement magic I could think of, they promptly eliminated the enemies approaching me, amazed at their own increased abilities.

I was out of breath from the continuous support, and a small bottle was quickly offered to me.

“It’s a nuisance when a healer runs out of magic. Drink it up.”

He bluntly shoved it to me, then quickly readied another arrow and shot down another goblin closing on us.

…They must be pretty good at their job, I thought, as I drank from something that looked like a magic potion.

He opened his mouth to speak again as he continued to shoot arrows next to me.

“We’re the new recruits in this company.”

I was a little surprised at his words. Walter-san and the others must have some pretty high standards if even the recruits were this skilled.

“I was pretty cocky back in my hometown, you know. No one there could match me in hunting. I thought I could beat anyone with a bow. But when I got carried away and enlisted in this company, I found that I was just as good as anyone else here. Somehow I passed the entrance exam, but inside I was rotting the whole time.”

He continued his monologue as he nonchalantly fired his arrows.

“…Sorry for badmouthing your companions earlier. And also for scaring you. You are afraid of men, aren’t you?”

Just like that, he blurted out an apology. I looked at him with a pout.

“The name’s Weiss.”

After telling me this, he moved away from me without a second thought.

“Hey, where did you run off to, bastard?!”

“Just shut up and focus!”

Noisily, they returned to the line of battle. Even from behind, I could see his ears turning reddish, and I couldn’t help but smile despite being in a place like this. I felt something warm filling my heart.

Reiji-san, on the other hand, was showing no danger in the fight.

The high goblin seemed to have the advantage in physical ability, especially in strength and instantaneous force, but Reiji-san, on the other hand, was completely outmaneuvering his opponent.

Reiji-san, who was originally the heir to a sword dojo, received a lot of training when he was still a kid, so much that he often came to me complaining about it. Back in Japan, I could follow his movements with my eyes, but after coming here, it’s impossible for me to do that after he gained a new body with extraordinary physical capabilities.

The High Goblin, too, was hardly able to keep up with him, and Reiji-san continued to attack it almost unilaterally.

“Damn, this asshole is nothing but tanky as shit!”

Reiji-san swore. The sword he’s currently using, which is an intermediate-level piece of equipment, couldn’t cut through the iron-like skin of the High Goblin. He could always have used the “Sword of Destruction Arsley”, but he’s hesitant because of the side effects.

At the very least, his attack managed to leave cracks on the skin of the High Goblin, and when he switched to repeatedly stabbing at the crack, the “Consecrated Weapon” enchant sent shock through it, making a violent sound and staggering the huge body of the High Goblin.

After a good dozen or so of those stabs, the wound on the High Goblin’s abdomen cracked open, and blood gushed from it.

A fierce look appeared on Reiji-san’s face. The High Goblin took an unsteady stance and hastily swung down its huge sword, while Reiji-san prepared to deflect the blow.

CLANG!

With an inhumanly loud sound of metal crashing against each other, the High Goblin’s sword flew upward. An opening, albeit momentary, was created.

A bluish-white light illuminated Reiji-san’s sword as he took a stance for a stabbing attack.

But the High Goblin was starting to move again. Its sword, which had somehow managed to regain its stance, was brought down from a great height…

Now!

“Solid Ray!!”

Its swing was blocked by my barrier of light, and with its arm stuck in that position, the High Goblin was now effectively defenseless.

“You’re already dead!!”

Reiji-san pierced his sword, which was covered with a blue, shining fighting spirit, deeply into the High Goblin’s body at godlike speed. The enormous amount of fighting energy from the sword rushed into its soft interior, and no matter how hard the surface skin is, there is no way to resist the explosion that bursts from within. Its huge body convulsed, blood streamed from its eyes and nose, and it collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud.

Just before it did, Reiji-san made a quick swing of his sword to shake off the blood and gore, and Saul-niisama, who had just swept away all the archers on the roof, swooped down beside him. I ran up to them and held up my hands, each hand on either side of mine, and our hands overlapped with a clatter.

“Alright boys, all that’s left is cleaning up the stragglers, let’s go!”

Weiss-san and the others, who said they were new recruits, had already begun chasing the fleeing enemies, hoping to take down the remaining goblins. Yes, our job here isn’t over yet. We, too, began to follow them.

…Something felt off.

Even though their leader was no more, their escape did not seem at all to be desperate… no way!

“Wait a moment!”

A chill ran down my spine. I activated “Eagle Eye”, a vision enhancement magic.

…There it was.

Somehow, I managed to see something in the distance, something very huge that had not been there a moment ago. It looked familiar. I think it’s a raid boss that’d been around since the very first level cap… Around it, in the trees, on the cliffs, small figures are stirring that should not have been there a moment ago. It’s like…

“…A feigned retreat?!”

The name of the tactics in my memory came out of my mouth.

“What?!”

“Holy shit, back off…!”

Two of the mercenaries had also noticed the new enemy presences and started panicking.

A trap that is completed when the decoy draws the opponent into harm’s way. The goblins could even devise such a tactic?!

But we’re one step too late, and even those of us in the rear had already stepped into range…!

“Ruuuuuuun!!”

My cries echoed in vain.

A gigantic goblin, four meters in height… which was actually a raid boss back in the game, the “Goblin General”… as soon as it swung its hand down, all of the goblins around it made some kind of wind noise all at once.

We looked up at the sky and saw countless little shadows… countless arrows raining down on us.

Instantly, Saul-niisama held me close and thrust his shield onto the ground. Likewise, Reiji-san held up his greatsword like a shield to hide me.

…A few steps ahead of us, the mercenaries were about to expose themselves to the rain of arrows, with nothing to protect them.

…Once again, lives were about to disappear before my eyes. But this time, it’s not even the enemies’, they were people, one of whom I finally had a decent conversation with a while ago…

Before I could think, my body, my mouth, was moving.

Until now, we had been saving “Protection”, which had a long recast time, only for me, and “Wide Protection” wasn’t used. Reiji-san and Saul-niisama had been fighting without any cover this whole time.

But now…

“That which rejects all malice, the light protecting us all, manifest yourself…”

The chanting, different from that of the system normally used in this world, flowed easily out of my mouth.

“……Huh?!”

“Stop, don’t use ‘that’!”

“…’Wide Protection’!”

The chanting was completed entirely by reflex, as a result of my usual habit of memorizing it in my body so that I could use it on the spur of the moment. Immediately after, countless arrows rained down on us. Under normal circumstances, it is a saturation attack that one would not expect to survive so well.

But not a single one of us was injured by the arrows. Because a thin film of glowing white light covered all of us.

The world was enveloped in a shining golden glimmer. Countless feathers fluttered in the air in a blessed light enveloping all living things.

Yes… this is the Lightwing’s special magic, which only I could use, and only when I had my wings out.

“What the?!”

With shocked expressions and voices, the mercenaries turned around to look at the light behind them.

At last, I’d exposed myself to the public.

I felt uneasy at the thought of having done something irreversible.

“Are you kidding me…”

“The Lightwing…?!”

Their gazes were directed at the dazzling, shining wings on my back.

Part 2

Iris

Despite being exposed to a hail of arrows, everyone was unharmed.

It was only a matter of time before they turned toward me and saw the unusual light on my back.

“What the hell are those wings?!”

“I’ll… I’ll explain later, now come with me if you want to live… Hurry!”

They finally came to their senses and rushed toward me awkwardly at the sound of my half screamed voice, which I barely managed to squeeze out while being impatient with the wings of light I had exposed to the surroundings.

“Frankly, I don’t feel comfortable helping you guys… ‘Force Field’!”

Starting from Nii-sama’s shield, a barrier appeared around us. Immediately afterward…

“Kyah?!”

“Kuh… This is really scary up close, isn’t it…?”

Countless arrows rained down on the barrier violently. The sight of the arrows bouncing off one after another just a dozen or so centimeters from the tip of my nose was irresistibly terrifying.

While we were able to defend against the arrows at the moment, my and Saul-niisama’s magical power couldn’t last forever, and it would run out in the not-too-distant future. It’s still more than a minute until I could use “Wide Protection” again, and I’m not sure Nii-sama’s magical power, which was rapidly decreasing due to the intense attack, will last until then. Not to mention…

Our fears were soon realized. The leader-type High Goblins, who had been standing by the General’s side, began to walk toward us. Of course, there was no way they would wait for us to run out of magic, and their hardened and reinforced skin probably wouldn’t be affected by the rain of arrows, unlike ours.

“After the next rain of arrows stops, it’s all or nothing time. Saul, take Iris and retreat first.”

“Reiji-san?!”

“…Understood.”

“Nii-sama, why?!”

I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I raised my voice, but their eyes did not waver.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to die. As long as you’re safe, you can always put me back together, right?”

“But…!”

Reiji-san patted my head, perhaps trying to reassure me. I looked around and see Weiss-san and the other two nodding their heads in agreement with him, though with a hint of sadness in their eyes.

This is the right choice,

Painfully, I tried to nod… but that moment never came.

“Second squad, open fire on the enemy right flank!”

Suddenly, a female voice reached my ears. From the forest behind me… Philias-san gave the order to the mercenaries dressed like magicians accompanying her, and several fireballs were released into the group of archers on the right.

They landed with a thunderous roar.

If I recall correctly, they were “Lava Bomb”, an intermediate-level magic. Some of them landed right in the middle of the enemy line on the right side of the cliff, turning the dozens of goblin archers into cinders, and melt the surrounding bright red from the high heat. It was soon followed by a volley of fire arrows, further disrupting the enemy formation, and starting fires one after another.

“First squad, ready to charge down the enemy left flank! Everyone on me, we have a princess to rescue!!”

The confusion hadn’t abated when a group of six armed men, led by Zeltis-san, carrying two long swords, drove deep and deep into the enemy position on the left flank like a sharp wedge. All the goblins trying to intercept were mowed down by the onrushing tide, and even those who escaped were quickly exterminated by the second squad, who was closely following the first from behind.

One of the enemy vanguards had been annihilated.

“Awesome… so this is the strength of the real-deal mercenaries who make a living by fighting, huh…”

The situation was reversed in the blink of an eye, and Reiji-san, who was in a posture to protect me, muttered to me in dismay. Before I knew it, the rain of arrows aiming at us had become sparse.

“…Alright, we’ve caused enough of a ruckus here. The enemy leader should be coming here soon enough. Everyone, fall back and regroup!”

At the sound of Zeltis-san, who returned with ease after cutting and clawing his way through the spearheads of the enemy, Saul-niisama, Reiji-san and everyone else, including the mercenary recruits, came to their senses and retreated, with me still being held by Saul-niisama.

“Off you go then, brother. Lenny, Diaz, prepare your flashiest magic. The rest of you are authorized to use explosive arrows… There’s no need to aim properly, we just have to intimidate and distract them! Now get ready!”

The three mercenaries with bows behind Philias-san then fired arrows, each with bulging tip. The arrows flew in an irregular trajectory, barely reaching the enemy lines, right in front of the archer goblins…

Once again, there was a thunderous roar.

The arrows exploded upon impact, spewing flames everywhere, and the normal goblins, who were by nature cowardly, began fleeing in confusion. The rain of arrows aiming at us stopped completely.

As we were about to leave, fireballs exploded again behind us, swallowing the field of vision between us and the goblins in flame and dust. Philias-san, already escaped using the dust as a smokescreen, waved her hand toward us, her tied up blue hair wagging like a tail.

“It’s good to see you alright, Iris-chan and the two handsome companions! Ah, almost forgot about you, brother!”

“You totally did it on purpose… Well, thanks for covering me anyway, Philias, bye!”

“Hey, wait for me, idiot!”

As usual, we were left with a stormy pair who seemed to have no tension in their banters even in such a situation.

“My beautiful princess, I’ve come to save you from this crisis as promised, if you could give me the honor of- Ouch!!”

Zeltis-san took my hand (I was still in Saul-niisama’s arms, by the way) and tried to put his lips on the back of it again, but Reiji-san, for some reason, slapped his hand away with a grim expression on his face.

In the midst of this somehow awkward atmosphere, a carefree voice could be heard.

“Hello there. Looks like you’ve been doing much better in the short time I’ve been away. When I was still a new recruit like you, I broke out in cold sweat all the time.”

The person who said that… Walter-san turned his gaze toward our back.

“I think I can guess what happened. Did these new recruits carelessly started the battle by going where they weren’t supposed to go?”

Weiss-san and the other recruits, who had not said a word since a few minutes ago, stare at Walter-san and clenched their fists in frustration.

“In your haste after success, you broke off and charged in on your own. If you did end up putting your allies in danger, you’re going to be heavily punished…”

“…We have no objection. It was all our own fault.”

As if driven by remorse, Weiss-san spoke up on behalf of them.

“Um, they…”

As I fearfully tried to vouch for them, my head was suddenly rubbed by a large hand.

“I know what you’re trying to say. By the looks on these guys’ face, it looks like they’ve had a valuable setback, so they’ll live to see another. Don’t worry, I ain’t kicking them out of the company just yet.”

Everyone around me was relieved to hear him say that with a broad grin on his face.

“But I’m not letting them off that easily either. Your punishment shall be peeling vegetables for a week! Got it?!”

“Guh?!”

“Oh, no…”

They immediately became teary-eyed. When it comes to the meals of a mercenary company, the amount of work involved must be very hard.

I’m sorry for your loss.

“Well then… That leaves us the matter of ‘these things’ on your back.”

“Ah.”

Uh oh, I could feel Saul-niisama and Reiji-san seething with anger beside me.

“Just let me handle it. I’ve got a promise to keep with an acquaintance of mine, after all. Trust me, I won’t do anything to hurt you.”

“Acquaintance?”

“Easy there. You’ll know the answer in time.”

He gave me a vague smile in response to my question, tapped me lightly on the head, and turned to the mercenaries who had slipped past me and were watching the developments behind me.    

“Listen up! These young people have been entrusted to me by a friend of mine, therefore they’re our guests! Especially, this adorable young lady is to be protected at all costs! Naturally, treat this information with the highest confidentiality, you hear?!”

Walter-san’s booming voice echoed throughout the battlefield. The volume of his voice was so loud that I involuntarily covered my ears.

“Anyone dissatisfied with this decision is hereby dismissed from the company after signing a Geas with me that you can’t speak of this matter! Effective immediately!”

Philias-san followed in a matter-of-fact manner.

A Geas is a type of magical contract used for important matter, and if the contents of the contract are violated, a painful punishment will be imposed, depending on the caster’s ability.

In the game era, this magic was not available to players and only appeared by name in the lore.

…No one raised an objection.

They were just checking the condition of their weapons and waiting for the moment when they would clash with the enemy.

“Haha, of course no one would refuse the honor of protecting such a beautiful flower in this sordid place, am I right?!”

“Nice motivation speech there, chief!”

“I mean, who wouldn’t want to fight to protect such a pretty girl at least once?!”

“That’s just how we are! I wouldn’t want such a cute girl being scared of me all the time, you know!”

Zeltis-san’s loud speech was met with equally loud cheer and approval from the mercenaries around us. Saul-niisama, who was still holding me in his arms, and Reiji-san, who was standing as if protecting me from the surroundings, both gawked at the harmonious atmosphere.

These people, they’re going to fight to protect me… protect us.

This made me feel warm in my heart. Everyone in the town had been so kind to me. I couldn’t thank Mrs. Miranda and the mayor enough. But this was the first time people are pledging to protect us. It was like a light that I, no, we, who had spent our lives in this world tormented by anxieties that weighed much heavier than we were aware of, could finally see.

I was moved to tears, and soon Saul-niisama and Reiji-san followed suit.

Walter-san looked at the three of us with kind eyes, as if he was watching over a relative’s child.

After meeting up with the third squad, led by Walter-san, the three of us, Weiss-san and his two comrades formed a squad of our own. Now there’re four squads in total, numbering twenty four people. As we regrouped, a group of goblins led by the Goblin General, who had also regrouped after the chaos, reappeared in front of us. The difference in strength, in terms of simple numbers, was probably five times greater.      

“Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“Yeah, just leave it to us. We ain’t gonna lose.”

The mercenaries passed me from behind as I was assigned to the tail of the formation as a full-time healer and support, each of them verbally encouraged us and headed for the frontline. So let me do all I can to repay them. Fortunately, there was no longer anything that needed to be covered up here.

Six golden wings appeared on my back as I renewed my resolve.

Everyone around me gasped in awe.

“The all-encompassing light, bestowing knowledge… Manifest yourself!”

A halo appeared with a shimmering geometric pattern, centered on my wrists.

“’Spell Extension’! Now, everyone!”

Spells flowed from my mouth one after another.

“Strength Enhancement”

“Instantaneous Force”

“Accelerated Reflexes”

“Heroic Fortitude”

And finally “Consecrated Weapon”.

The strengthened support spells I activated one after another, as they passed through the halo of my hands, were diffused as if looking through a kaleidoscope and spread throughout the battlefield, increasing the mercenaries’ physical strength.

“Oh, this feels great!”

“With you by my side, I don’t think I will lose!”

One after another, the mercenaries rushed out with reliable smiles on their faces and light steps.

“O Princess, this sword shall bring you victory! Please watch after me!”

“Just forget what this idiot says already! But rest easy… and leave it to your big sis, alright?”

Especially these twins, who ran off with such vigor that they left everyone else behind. They were really strong, as I felt earlier. Both their current leg strength and dexterity were on par with Reiji-san and Saul-niisama…!

The leader-type High Goblins had entered combat with Zeltis-san and Philias-san, who were leading the charge. Following them, the crony High Goblins and the rest of the mercenaries were about to engage each other.

And as expected, arrows started raining down from above them. The goblins were willing to shoot even their own allies, thinking that the High Goblins would only get itchy at most.

“That which rejects all malice, the light protecting us all, manifest yourself… Wide Protection!!”

The light that spread like a ripple across the battlefield centered on me envelops my surrounding allies as a protective coating of light. The next instant, arrows came down upon us in a downpour, however…

It’s the goblins who’s going to bleed.

The goblins had expected to see us lying on the ground covered in blood, but there were none. On the contrary, several High Goblins were pierced by the blades of the mercenaries, who took advantage of their carelessness to charge through the rain of arrows, and crumbled to the ground.      

“…! (pants heavily)”

The series of spell I cast greatly reduced my magical power, and I breathed heavily, propping up my staff to support my exhausted body. Then, Walter-san appeared from behind me and offered me a small bottle of potion.

“You did well. In the meantime, thanks to you, young lady, we have the upper hand in the war, so rest while you still can.”

I took the potion, which was opened and handed to me, and swallowed its contents frantically. There was still work for me to do, I didn’t have the free time to sit here all worn out… I still didn’t have the experience of supporting a front line in a situation where I am the only healer.

“…Well then, I’ll be on my way now. Philias will be in charge of the rest as planned.”

Walter-san, along with only a few escorts, all wearing some kind of camouflage cloak, headed toward the enemy backline… where the goblin mages maintaining the support magic were located. It is a very dangerous role as they cut deep into enemy territory… but they all had a certain confidence in their eyes, and none of recklessness.

“There’s no telling what tricks these things have up their sleeves… Sincerely, stay vigilant, I’ll see you later.”

With that, they ran out without a sound and disappeared into the forest.

…Even at this very moment, the enemy was closing in. I sensed among them, a strong bloodlust, and a spine-chilling bestial desire hidden within. The “Goblin General” was looking in my direction. It’s only natural that I would catch its eye, since I had been scattering my support magic with such flamboyance. I don’t think I need to explain the bestial desire, it’s for my own good.

The feeling of being locked on by the enemy made my heart throb. Even though it was the earliest raid bosses in the game, this was a reality that operates by different laws than the game, and we were not yet as capable as we had been then. We couldn’t afford to let our guard down for even a moment.

As my immediate escort, Reiji-san, who was waiting a short distance in front of me, drew his greatsword and Saul-niisama held up his shield.

This battle, had only just begun.

Part 3

Zeltis

A hail of arrows loomed in front of us. It was a chilling order to be told to charge head-on into it. But the protective magic we wore on our bodies certainly had its effect, and we took the fortuitous chance of finishing off a few of the higher species on the other side, who had been caught off guard, with our first surprise attack, and the tide was now tilting in our favor.

These higher species, who would normally take several people to finish them off with difficulty, were torn to shreds like paper, and the enemy line was broken.

The scene around us was as if it was being played in slow-motion. I wonder how much our physical capabilities had been enhanced, but what would normally have been a tough fight, was easily overturned.

The role of our first squad was to hit the enemy as quickly and hard as possible. For this reason, the elites of the company were chosen for this role, and I was honored to be entrusted with its leadership as its cut-throat leader.      

First, we took the head of the enemy commander. The commander of the other side was, as far as I can tell, the Goblin General, an oddly shaped giant that appeared very rarely in decades and was treated as a disaster among people, and the High Goblins serving as its entourage… that was how they were called, anyway. Two of these things were in command of the enemy units deployed on the right and left flank, respectively… and I’d deal with one of them.

From there, I took the initiative and cut deeper into the enemy line, and the others would break open the cracks further. As usual, this time was no different. But there was nothing that can stop me now. With the blessing of the “Princess’” support magic, my body felt incredible, and as I moved in to engage one of the enemy leaders, my comrades were already tearing apart the enemy rank and file troops.

More importantly, the thought of that lovely princess with her divine wings fluttering in the background, praying for our victory and safety, lifted the spirits of this usually grimy male-dominated company.

And above all, the existence of her healing arts, which was, to put it bluntly, out of this world. Normally, healing arts were used to enhance someone’s regeneration ability and heal their wounds over time when out of combat. However, her healing light immediately restored us to a combat-ready state, even if we were injured, without even having to leave the frontline.

People with such power did in fact, appear from time to time, but they were usually revered as “Saint” or “Saintess” and were usually placed under the Church’s protection, but her healing arts were still a league above theirs. And she could even apply it to multiple at the same time from a remote location.

She had been strictly ordered not to push herself too hard because she was showing signs of fatigue, but her presence alone allowed us to have some mental leeway, which was a great advantage over the usual safety margins that are inevitably required to avoid being incapacitated on the battlefield, and as a result we were eliminating the enemies at a much faster pace, reducing the injuries we might have gotten.

“Kuku, kuhahahaha!!”

I felt my face relaxing in pleasure, but I couldn’t help it. Yes, I’m very happy right now.

It was only by chance that I saw her that day, when I was still very young, in a room in a secluded place.  

I happened to sneak into the room, which my father had strictly told me to stay away from, out of mischievousness and a bit of rebelliousness due to the period I was going through, and was just staring at her mysterious profile, which did not seem to belong to this world, illuminated by the blue moonlight.

The well-defined profile of that Highborn girl, despite her young age, was as immobile as a doll in these circumstances. It’s hard to believe that she is just a village girl, and if you touch her, she looks as if she would fleetingly melt and disappear. I don’t think that’s the word I would use for a young girl, but it was just so beautiful.

On this day, for the first time in my life, while I was on the path to becoming a knight, chronically thinking that I was going to take over my parents’ house, I wanted to serve this person of my own volition, and I did so.

I was told that my father had kidnapped her from somewhere. The moment I heard this, I was unable to forgive my father for selfishly trying to poison a young girl with his venom, and from that moment on, I began to act out of a childish sense of justice.

A snitch to my uncle, who was a knight of integrity. Taking advantage of the fact that I wasn’t suspected because I was a child, I gathered the necessary information one by one and passed it in confidence, some of which caused my father to lose his title. Yes, I sold my parents for her sake without any hesitation.

I might have lost my status, my promised future, everything, but if it freed her from bondage and made her less of a plaything to others, that would be fine by me.

It was later discovered that her identity was truly that of the princess I was supposed to serve. I wept, too, at the fact that the road to becoming her knight was already closed to me, branded as the son of the man who had tried to plunder it, but I still had no regrets.

After losing my status, I turned to the sword skills I had cultivated up to that point, and joined the ranks of mercenaries with my sister, who for some reason went out of her way to accompany me. After repeatedly moving from one battle to the next, Captain Walter recognized my talents and took me into his company, which I’d stayed in ever since.

I had already given up on her, thinking that I would never meet her again. However, by chance, in a town where I happened to stop by, that dream, which should have been rotting away, suddenly knocked on the door of reality.

Ah, I must be on cloud nine right now.

Her appearance remained the same even after seven years? Barely an issue.

She was the supposedly extinct Lightwing race? Oh please, I’d wish to pledge my sword to such a person!

The Captain was considering her protection, so we should be walking the same path for now. However, should the paths diverge, I was willing to abandon everything again for her sake, if she wished so.

My childhood dream, which should have faded into unreality, was now revived before my eyes, and nothing shall stand between me and my happiness!

“Curse the misfortune that befalls you, for you face me in combat!”

Feeding off my overflowing thoughts of loyalty, a fierce fighting spirit rushes to my right sword and becomes so cold that it brought down frost on the surroundings, and with my flaming left sword, I repelled the enemy’s blow… the High Goblin was now awkwardly exposing its bare torso.

No matter how hard the skin was, if it kept getting scraped off, it would eventually be penetrated. All this time I had been preparing for this moment.

“Espinas Azul!!” (TL: “Blue Thorns” in Spanish)

My sword thrust deep into the enemy’s flesh to the base without any resistance.

“…Scatter!”

In the next instant, all the fighting spirit in the sword turned into ice ivy inside the enemy’s body, tearing its body to shreds from inside out and leaving a grisly flower of ice in the aftermath.

There was no time to bask in the afterglow of victory. The quicker I get the job done, the less work she has to do.

I kicked the ground and ran toward the enemy leader on the other side of the battlefield, who was crossing sword with my sister, Philias…

(Narrator: Little did Zeltis know that his technique is very similar in nature to the one used by the one accompanying the girl he called his beloved princess to slaughter the same enemy just a while ago.)

Philias

“Ahaha… You’re a tough nut to crack, you know what?”

I let out a grumble as I crossed sword with the enemy leader. After all, it was also assuming command while holding the other in check like me. I even wanted to praise it.

Fortunately, I could still deal with my opponent so long as I was committed to staying on my feet.

Originally, we, the second squad, were a unit of mainly wizards and archers who were intended to cover our allies, and we borrowed several members of the Captain’s third squad, who were acting alone, to maintain the front while the second squad was allowed to cover the rest of the battlefield.

Yes, our job was to stall the enemies. We didn’t have to win, if we could hold them off here so that our enemies didn’t run off to somewhere else until my brother’s first squad tore through the enemy left flank and got to us…

“Philias! I’ll take care of it, you go back to the princess!”

“So fast?! You’re done with that side already?!”

This idiot brother of mine swooped in and started slashing at my opponent like a strong gale. The enemy left flank, which had been my brother’s responsibility, had lost its leader and was beginning to crumble into tatters, and my brother’s men were in charge of clearing it out. From what I could tell, it should have taken a little longer, but wasn’t this too fast?!

But when I looked at the joyful color that perhaps only I would understand on his normally calm but unreadable profile, I understood what’s going on.

He’s… he’s overjoyed. After longing for it all this time, he was finally reunited with his “Princess”.

I could picture in my mind’s eye that little girl, so expressive and lovely, so different from when I saw her only at a glance many years ago.

I, too… wanted to protect that girl. If it were that cold and expressionless girl, I wouldn’t be able to protect her at any cost like my brother, but if it were that expressive girl now, I would want to protect her too. Her anxiously shaking eyes were like those of a small animal, which made my cute-loving heart flutter violently, and to tell the truth, I wanted to hug her and rub my cheek against her soft and smooth cheek at that time in the mess hall, but I held back with all my might.

For some reason I couldn’t understand, that girl aroused the desire to protect from others. I had a faint suspicion about that, but I also thought it’s okay because she seemed like a good, kind-hearted girl, not a bad one. It would be like wanting to protect a small kitten, yes.

Oops, I must concentrate on the task at hand. I noticed that the arrows from the rear had already stopped. Apparently, the Captain had already taken care of that side. I’m sure he would join us soon.

“Second squad, provide covering fire for the first squad, then join them after cleaning up the stragglers! I’ll go with the third squad to take care of our guests! Let’s go!”

Under my command, arrows and magic were launched against the enemies who tried to chase after the retreating third squad. After confirming that they had safely retreated, I followed behind them and ran.

Walter

“…Phew, is that all you’ve got, goblins?”

I look around at the enemy rear-guard unit, which had stopped moving. Once we had penetrated this far, they were not a serious opponent.

In addition to the goblin mages, we took out most of the archers in the enemy backline. Now we could go back to check on these kids…

“…Hmm? What on earth is that?”

An unnatural object peeked out from the crude costume of one of the enemy’s corpses. When I picked it up, it felt like a lump of clay… Oh, no.

“Those beasts, how did they get their hands on this kind of thing…?! Hey, all of you, we’d better move out fast!”

I returned the way I came at full speed, kicking the ground as fast as I could.

I didn’t know who taught the goblins to use “that”, but it had thrown a massive wrench into our battle plan, which was otherwise running smoothly as long as each of us fulfilled our roles.

“Stay safe…!”

Iris

Had I already depleted half of my magic power?

I gasped and struggled to get oxygen into my lungs, trying to regulate my ragged breathing.

I could feel my stomach churning from all the mana potions and water… I’d drunk so much of the stuff that it hurt. My stomach must be bloated right now, it’s a horrible feeling.

I’d been using “Eagle Eye” to get a bird-eye view of the battlefield, and dispatching recovery magic to those about to be injured above a certain threshold. But to have a single person handle such a large number of people at the same time, while maintaining buffs and counting their effect times and recasts, put a huge load on me both magically and physically, and my overworked head was beginning to scream slightly.

If there was solace to be found, it’s the fact that the arrow fire from the enemy rear guard had ceased completely as half of the enemies began to rout. I watched the battle unfolding as I caught my breath.

From the sky above, the “Chain Bind” released by Saul-niisama entangled the Goblin General’s arm, which was about to swing down its huge sword, and stopped it midway. But the chains would only hold it back for a short time.

“Reiji!”

“No need to tell me!”

Reiji-san’s sword, fully charged with his fighting spirit, thrust into the empty, armor-clad torso.

“Damn, that’s still not enough?!”

The released fighting spirit became an explosion that shattered a piece of the Goblin General’s armor and burnt the skin beneath… yes, only the surface. This particular technique of Reiji-san’s was only effective if it caused an internal rupture.

The Goblin General’s face contorted in glee as it saw Reiji-san stiffen in a posture with his greatsword outstretched, and a rocky arm, sword free, was swung down.

“Don’t you dare ignore me!!”

With a yell, Saul-niisama dove from above and landed beside Reiji-san like an arrow, then immediately unleashed a sword flash at a sharp angle.

“Perish!! ‘Lightning Vapor’…!!”

Dazzling lightning sparked from the tip of his sword, scorching the Goblin General’s entire body, causing it to fall back a few steps.

…?

Did the Goblin General just… use itself as a shield to protect the goblins behind it from Saul-niisama’s lightning attack?

“…Wow, not only are those two not budging an inch, but they’re also pushing that thing back somehow?”

I was brought back to my senses by the voice of one of the mercenaries who was serving as my escort.

Yes, the two of them were switching places at a dizzying pace, alternating their attacks without pause to fill in the gaps, and slowly pushing back that huge body.

…However, their opponent’s durability was still fearsome, and no matter how many attacks they made, they had yet to strike an effective blow. Our task was to keep this enemy mastermind, the most dangerous being on this battlefield, sewn up here. In the meantime, Zeltis-san and Philias-san would sweep the surrounding area before finally joining the fight themselves. In the game, it was a raid boss, and this existence, which appears only once every decade or so, was a threat that required a force of that magnitude to deal with in this world.

Weiss-san’s arrows shot through the goblins who were looking for an opening behind the tattered General… The reason those two were able to concentrate on the General was probably because the enemy goblins in the background were not able to make any unnecessary distractions. I thanked him only from the bottom of my heart so as not to interfere with their role.

Perhaps realizing that they were at a disadvantage, the enemy tried to retreat with the rest of the horde. However, the third squad led by Philias-san was already approaching behind them.

“GRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

The Goblin General, seeing this, roared and slammed the ground with what appeared to be some kind of magic.

“Ugh!”

“Ack!”

In desperation… or at least, that was what I thought at the time, the Goblin General fired off its magic… From the look of it, it resembled “Spark”, an elementary-level spell. Electric shocks spread over a wide area, filled with goblin corpses.

Although not very powerful, it caused the mercenaries’ vanguard, including Reiji-san and Saul-niisama, and even the third squad who was just about to regroup with them, to fall on their knees, numbed by the shock.

“Reiji-san?! Nii-sama?! Let me cure you… ‘Rest Fi-…?”

Since I was outside the area of effect, I started chanting a cure spell to break the paralysis… At that moment, by sheer chance, my eyes met with those of the Goblin General’s… its face was contorted with glee.

“…?! That which rejects all malice, the light protecting us all, manifest yourself… Wide Protection!!”

With a fierce and unpleasant premonition running down my spine, I reflexively switched the magic I was using, ended the chanting, and activated the “Wide Protection” I had been saving. This forced spell cancellation and subsequent use of another one violently disrupted my magical power, further diminishing the remaining amount. My vision turned shaky.

“…! All hands, defensive posture! Those with shields, stay in front…”

Philias-san, who noticed my condition, quickly sent out instructions, and the mercenaries immediately reacted and tried to respond, or so I thought.

At the same time, a blue light rose from the bosom of the surrounding goblins’ corpses, their loin cloths, and the backs of their clothes. It looked just like the color of the lighting strike I just saw…

Please, make it in time…!

Without grasping what was happening, I gazed at the spreading light of “Wide Protection”, as if praying. The light enveloped Reiji-san and Saul-niisama, ran through all the mercenaries, and reached the tail end of the mercenary group, where Philias-san was.

It was at that moment…

…A flash that burned my eyes and a deafening boom filled the space immediately in front of me, the place where everyone was fighting.

When the hot wind that was beating all over my body subsided, I finally looked up and saw the debris, still pouring down over and over.

The earth, which had been gouged out and blown away to expose its bare surface, was a completely different sight from what it had been just a few minutes before.

Just now…

“…Explosives?”

Yes, those goblins weren’t merely carrying gunpowder, they were loaded with explosives.

I could only mutter in dismay at the devastation of the surroundings.

“Damage report!”

Perhaps due to the earlier shockwave, Philias-san, who was giving instructions, her voiced seemed so far away.

When the goblins’ remains exploded all of a sudden, most of the mercenaries that was just now rushing in, the third squad led by Philias-san, were engulfed in flames, while Saul-niisama and Reiji-san were hit by a direct blast at even closer range, unable to get out of the way… Yet, they somehow made it in time, apparently because of Nii-sama’s “Invisible Shield” and my own “Wide Protection”.

The ground remained clean only around them, and both of them were still in one pieces, still somehow trying to raise themselves up.

Although we received extensive damage… everyone was still alive!

“I’m going to heal you now-”

“Quit it! Just run!”

As I hurriedly tried to heal everyone, Reiji-san yelled at me with a sharp voice.

The moment I looked up-

“…?!”

A goblin came flying like a cannonball and landed smack dab onto my “Protection”.

The weight and the impact of the speed at which it was thrown by the Goblin General’s muscles caused me to roll several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop.

“……Ugh…”

This was not the time to fall down, there were many people who still needed treatment. I tried to stagger back up on my powerless legs, but couldn’t, because of the mind-numbing shock from the impact, and my sense of equilibrium that had gone haywire after rolling around so much. Still, I had to get up quickly. Everyone was still in danger…

However, as I struggled to raise myself, I heard a clicking noise behind me, as if something like a metallic pin was being removed…

“GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, KID!!”

“…Eh?”

Weiss-san frantically called out to me.

When I looked up, I saw the goblin that had just been thrown at me, hurriedly taking something out of its clothes and trying to throw it away. In its hand was a white, clay-like object… with a cylindrical thing embedded within, emitting light…

Then the goblin threw that white object away.

“Ah.”

There was nothing left that could be done.

In front of my eyes staring dumbfoundedly, the goblin, who somehow managed to throw away the ominously glowing clay, was swallowed by the explosion and disappeared, like a slow replay.

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!”

A shouting figure jumped in.

The feeling of being held by someone and pulled to the ground… I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

The next moment, a flash of light engulfed me… engulfed us both.