10 Years After Saying 'Leave this to me and go,' I Became a Legend - Chapter 14
Gathering the Spoils of War
After making Shia promise to keep quiet about it, I returned to Ario and Josh.
We had to kill a few more goblins on the way as we walked.
“I only just returned from the place between our dimensions.”
“It must be very hard for you.”
—Slash.
Shia cut down a goblin magician as she replied.
She did not even give them a chance to start chanting. She was impressively quick.
“They constructed a stone statue and even changed their currency. I don’t know what to do.”
“At that level, I cannot even imagine what it might be like.”
“And so I registered as a Warrior for my second occupation and started to work again.”
—Bash.
I took off the head of a hobgoblin who had jumped out from the side.
“So, that is why I am hiding it from Ario and Josh.”
“I understand! It is a secret.”
—Stab.
Shia said with a smile, then she killed a goblin general.
We slowly continued like this until we reached Ario and Josh.
“Ah, there they are. Hey. Are you two okay?”
Ario heard Shia’s voice and turned to us.
They looked relieved and started to run towards us with smiles on their faces.
“Locke, we’re the ones who were worried about you.”
“Ah, sorry to make you worry.”
I said and then looked around us.
There were about three goblins lying around. They must have been fighting while they waited for us.
“So there are still goblins over here.”
I inspected the corpses.
There were no signs of any struggle, and they were clean kills. They did well.
Josh said as if muttering to himself:
“It was a bigger pack than I was expecting.”
“They were led by a Goblin Lord, after all…”
“It’s my fault. The number of robberies was quite high, and yet my estimations of their number were too low.”
“Well, that can happen.”
Josh seemed really sorry about it.
Adventurers who could admit their faults were the ones who grew. It was a good thing.
“Now, let’s gather the spoils of war.”
“I shall help you as well!”
“Are you sure?”
Shia hadn’t accepted any goblin hunting quest.
There was nothing in it for her.
“Mister Locke, you helped me defeat a very strong enemy.”
“I see. Thanks.”
I took Ario and Josh back inside and we gathered the proof of our hunt as we made our way to the back.
The proof for hunting goblins was a small magic stone that was above the diaphragm.
So we cut open their stomachs and shoved a hand inside to take out the stones.
“This really isn’t the most pleasurable thing to do.”
“That’s true.”
Ario and Josh said as we gathered.
Little by little, we all made our way towards the back.
I had prioritized reuniting with them, instead of gathering the stones, so all of the corpses here were untouched.
“I got used to it a long time ago, I did.”
“Have you been an Adventurer for long, Shia?”
“Since I was young, my father often took me with him to hunt monsters.”
So that’s why she was so strong her age.
Hearing this, Ario seemed to suddenly remember something, as he asked:
“Locke. What was the enemy that was stronger than a Goblin Lord?”
“That…”
“What?”
I hesitated. Should we really tell them the truth?
Ario and Josh were friends and we were in the same party.
It was a common courtesy to share information about the enemies you encountered.
“It was a Vampire Lord.”
“…”
“…”
Ario and Josh gasped.
And so I told them seriously.
“Shia and I killed him. But please don’t tell anyone else.”
“Why must it be a secret?”
“Well, there are reasons.”
“Reasons, huh…”
Ario and Josh did not seem wholly convinced by this.
I didn’t really know how to explain it to them.
I could just be honest about it, but I also felt that it would not be good for them to know my true identity.
As I pondered this,
“It was necessary to kill this Vampire Lord in order to clear my tribe’s name.”
Shia offered helpfully from the side.
“So that’s why.”
“While we were able to kill him and clear our name… It would still be preferable if it were not widely known.”
Even now, it might be humiliating for some.
It wasn’t something that you would proudly want to talk about.
Ario and Josh seemed to understand this explanation.
“That’s true. We won’t tell anyone about the Vampire Lord then.”
“But, wouldn’t you have to make a report about it to the guild?”
Adventurers had a duty to report any encounters with especially dangerous monsters.
“I shall make a report of it myself, and ask the guild to keep my name out of it.”
“I see. That’s good.”
Shia really helped me here. I would have to thank her later.
As we talked like this, the last of the magic stones were gathered.
There were over 50 of them in all.
Josh muttered with a serious expression.
“Seeing how many there are… It makes me really angry at myself for underestimating their number.”
“It’s hard to estimate such things.”
I said encouragingly.
Then I turned to Ario and Josh and said with a more cheerful voice.
“It was a good thing we hunted this pack down before they could attack the village.”
“Ah, yes, it was.”
“Indeed.”
Ario and Josh nodded.
50 goblins that were led by a Goblin Lord would be enough to destroy the entire village.
“It was very lucky for all of us.”
I said, and Ario and Josh agreed.