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Chapter 1: Adventure Start
Section 3: Snow Giant
“You stay here! Absolutely do not move!”
Even if Toslin hadn’t told me to, that’s the only thing I can do. Goblins carrying hand-to-hand weapons were coming right for us, each of them with greenish grey skin and wearing a dirty looking hide jacket. I counted more than ten of them at a glance. I’ve seen them several times before now, but even so, that doesn’t make them any less scary.
“I, I’m saved!”
The fairy whizzed through the air, hiding behind Goldmund’s back. When our eyes met and she found me doing the same, the fairy clicked her tongue and snapped.
“You, what are you doing!? Get out there and fight!”
The sparkle in my eyes and the excited pounding in my chest at getting to see a rarely viewed fairy up close cooled down all at once. This person, has a really foul mouth.
“That, saying something like that all of a sudden, I can’t fight!”
“Huh!? Is that magic power of yours just there for decoration!?”
“Yes, that’s right! It’s a decoration, something wrong with that?”
In truth, I was born with some magical ability. A distant, distant ancestor of mine seems to have been a magician, and a neighborhood magician grandpa told me I had inherited some of that power. But that power is pretty paltry and not very useful for fighting.
“I guess there is something wrong with that! It’s not like I’m sticking my chest out and boasting about it!”
How happy would I be if I could use this magical power to help everyone, even a little? But, the reality is that a match makes a larger flame than I do.
“You two are noisy! If you don’t want to die, pay attention to your surroundings!”
When I heard Toslin’s angry yell, I turned my attention back towards them. Toslin and Rose were currently facing off against some of the goblins that were still trying chase the fairy. Toslin’s long sword sliced through the wind, tearing through one goblin’s torso. Blood gushed out and soared through the air, dying the nearby white snow red. The goblin never took another breath.
“Goddess, purify these corrupt sinners!”
Rose used her large shield to block a goblin’s rusty dagger before slamming her heavy mace down onto its head. I could hear a disgusting squelching noise even from where I hid, and the goblin ended up buried under the snow at Rose’s feet. That goblin never stood back up.
“Yosh, two nice big people here! Oi pipsqueak! You, you there! The black and white pipsqueak!”
This time the fairy was angrily yelling at Carol. How does she have such a loud voice even though her entire body is only the size of my head?
“What, I’m busy right now, so don’t talk to me”
Carol responded back a little angry, probably upset because she’s being called a pipsqueak. Right now Carol was hanging back in the wagon, checking the bowstring for the bow she had in hand.
“What! Quit doing whatever it is you’re doing and just shoot them with it!”
After plucking the bowstring a few more time, Carol nocked an arrow and drew it back.
“I’d do it even if you didn’t say anything. You’re noisy. It’s like there are two Toslins now.
“Hey! I heard that!”
Toslin’s voice cut through the clamor of battle after Carol’s senseless jab, immediately followed by a dry snap as the arrow was let loose.
“Gigi!”
The arrow hit a goblin in the center of its chest, piercing through as if it were being sucked in, and fell to the ground along with the goblin’s lifeless corpse.
“Bullseye~ So, let’s shoot off a bunch more. Toslin and Rose, watch out behind you.”
“You just watch where you’re shooting!”
While Toslin was fighting in the thick of it, Carol shot off two more arrows in succession, one of which bore itself into a goblin’s head. Rose had already killed five goblins, and Toslin had cleared away almost the same number. As for me, I’ve spent this whole time quivering while hanging on to Goldmund’s warm fur.
“Ah, shi………”
“Carol, we missed one!”
However at that time, Toslin turned around while looking like she wanted to swear, and Rose’s voice cut through. Carol had already noticed it as well though, and her bow was already drawn.
“I see it”
The snap of the bowstring rang out, and the arrow flew forward.
“Uh, um………….Hol, Hold ooooooooooooon!”
But, the arrow narrowly went past the goblin’s body and buried itself in the snow. That means, the goblin is completely unharmed and running right here…………
“Um, huh? That’s weird”
I could hear Carol’s innocently confused voice behind me, but I only had the time to do one thing. Panic.
“Kya, KYAaaaaaaaaa!”
I completely forgot to draw the short sword at my back and just clung to Goldmund while screaming. During that time, the goblin continued to rush towards me, the dagger in its hand shining from the light of the sun. Run away, I have to run away, but to where? Where do I run to?
“Goldmund!”
Rose’s sharp voice flew through the air.
“Eh!? Wai, hol…………”
Immediately after that. Goldmund moved his large body and stood over me. With the fine tipped horns jutting from his head, he bent down, scooping up the goblin’s body, and tossed it through air.
“GUOOoooooooooooooo!”
The air trembled under the normally docile Goldmund’s roar. The volume of his bellow greatly overtook that of the nagging fairy, intimidating the remaining goblins and freezing them in their tracks. There was a wet, dull thud as the thrown goblin landed on its head into the snow and stopped moving.
“Good job Goldmund! Rose, let’s clear the rest of these guys up all at once!”
“Let’s. Goddess, grant us your divine protection”
After a few more minutes had passed, Toslin and Rose managed to clean up the rest of the goblins. In the end, the few goblins left alive scattered and ran away in a bunch of different directions. I devoted my time during all of this to clinging onto Goldmund.
“You performed admirably Goldmund”
Rose walked over and started petting Goldmund’s head. Probably overjoyed to be praised by his master, Goldmund took a step forward, brushing his face against Rose’s.
“Good job. As expected of the only boy here.”
Carol jumped up on Goldmund’s back and she started patting his head too. I crumpled down into the snow after losing all the strength in my legs, not caring that my butt was getting wet.
“Haa, I was so scared…………”
Goldmund swung his head around when he heard me sigh like that and started licking my face. He’s such a brave child with clear, honest eyes. He’s level 9, the highest level among us, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to me that he isn’t scared of a goblin at all. It’s because he is always with me that I can come out with everyone else like this.
“Aha, thank you Goldmund.”
We might not be able to speak to one another, but he still thinks of me as a friend. This fact, makes me extremely happy. So in return, I gave Goldmund a kiss on the cheek.
“Now then, we saved you just like you asked. Miss Fairy.”
Toslin joined us while wiping the blood off of her long sword. At her words, all of our eyes turned to the fairy who was still hiding in Goldmund’s long hair.
“Well, I never asked for you guys specifically to save me. Don’t misunderstand here.”
The fairy finally popped her head out of Goldmund’s hair when she judged that the danger had finally passed, and she floated over in front of us using the wings on her back. We all exchanged a glance, realizing once again just how bad of a mouth this fairy had on her.
“But well, I guess your actions did eventually turn out good for me, but since I never actually asked you guys for help, I don’t feel like I need to say thanks or anything.”
“Huh, what’s with that? You’re a forest fairy aren’t you? What are you acting like this for? Is it fine for you to even leave the forest?”
“Oh? Hold on you’re an elf? You were waving around such a stupidly ginormous sword I thought for sure you were an orc. But this is perfect then. Bring me to the Goddess.”
“I refuse.”
Toslin gave an immediate response. I could feel a dangerous glow coming from behind her narrowed eyelids. The Goddess Illya resides in the Castle of Silence, north of Osnell. For the Goddess who enjoys peace and stillness above all else, not even the wind flows freely there. It is a sanctuary where only a chosen few could come and go.
“Ah? What’s that!? Aren’t elves supposed to friends to fairies!?”
“Supposedly, but you piss me off. If you need to go, go alone. We have a job to do.”
Toslin said as much before turning her back on the fairy. Elves love nature, so they apparently have a strong bond with fairies who live so close to nature.
“It’s no good, none at all. Toslin might look like this, but she has really high pride, so she’s going to get really irritated if you call her something like an orc.”
The laughing Carol suddenly had a snowball coming her way. Truly, she needs to learn when it’s best to stay quiet.
“So then, how did you end up being chased by a pack of goblins?”
The fairy frowned a little when she heard Rose’s question.
“I have no idea. I just left my village for a bit on an errand, and they were there when I came back. All my friends were gone already, and these things started chasing me.”
“Goblins in a fairy village? But nothing should be able to invade your village, not even us humans.”
“Yeah, they really shouldn’t have been there. Our village’s magic should’ve kept out any goblins. But there are people who have figured out how to undo that magic.”
“Undo it? Who would……….for what purpose?”
The fairy’s eyes turned towards Toslin.
“A dark elf. A living ghost tied to the past even after a thousand years.”
“Ah, it’s just as I expected then. Really, what a nuisance.”
Dark elves………… They were one of the races that turned their blades against the Goddess a thousand years ago. Even now they plan to resurrect the Primordial King Osnell, putting them in direct opposition to people like Rose and the church who have pledged themselves to the Goddess.
“Anyone who would needlessly disturb order must meet with an appropriate punishment. Where are they now?”
Knowing that somebody you would call a heretic was nearby, Rose’s normally cheerful smile faded and her eyes turned grim.
“Hold on Rose. We don’t have to mind these guys……….”
“I’m sorry Toslin. I do have to mind. The person or persons responsible for this have committed evil, and they will assuredly do so again. Miss Fairy, would you please guide me to your village?”
“Ha, huuuuuuuh!? You’re joking. After all that effort in running away, why would I………”
The fairy plainly refused. However, Rose shook her head not having it.
“Please. I need your power. Haven’t you also pledged an oath to the Goddess Illya? If so, then you should be familiar with the injustice of allowing evil to fester.”
Subjected to Rose’s powerful gaze, the fairy made an uncomfortable groan.
“Aaah! This is why priests are so! Fine, I’ll bring you near the village! But I’m running away as soon as I bring you that far!”
Rose gave the fairy a sweet smile as the fairy’s frilly skirt rocked and shook as she spoke.
“Ah, really……….don’t go deciding this on your own. We’ve got work……..”
As Toslin’s laments drifted off into the sky, Carol–who had been completely silent until now–opened her mouth.
“Don’t worry about that, there’s something else we have to deal with first.”
Carol’s words made Toslin frown.
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Everyone, aren’t you forgetting something? I already told you before there were a lot of light footsteps.”
“Ah……..speaking of which…….”
“I recalled what Carol had said a short while ago. That’s right. Carol really did say that. There were a bunch of light footsteps and………..
“………..one set of………heavy footsteps.”
Toslin and Rose exchanged a look at my murmur. Carol kept her eyes locked on the forest where the goblins had come from, and the fairy once again hid herself in Goldmund’s hair.
“H, Hear it…….I can hear it too!”
*BOOM*……..*BOOM*…….The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from within the forest. Whole trees were trembling and the snow clinging to their branches plummeted to the ground. And then, it appeared. Something huge peeked out from behind a tree.
“W-What is……..a golem? What’s something like that doing in a place like this!?”
A monster with a body several times larger than a goblin. Its arms were as thick as logs, and its body was nearly three times my height. The entire golem was white because it was covered in snow, no……….this golem wasn’t covered in snow, it’s body was made from it.
“And it’s a snow golem too!? Thankfully it’s not ice but……..”
“You’re kidding……… Are you saying we have to fight this guy?”
Generally, golems are monster made from inorganic matter that at one point gained temporary life. They say that golems are at least level 10, but a snow golem exceeds even that at level 12. From the time they are created, snow golems are always slowly evolving into a level 15 monster called an ice golem. That’s what was recorded in Ranroot’s Adventures: Chapter 3 at least.
So in other words, the opponent is a famous golem straight out of a fairy tale that a goblin can’t even compare to. I think we have to make a plan for what to do, but since we’re sitting here on the highway, it doesn’t look like we have any choice other than to fight it.
“There’s nothing for it. I’ll draw the enemy’s attention, so Toslin and Carol should use that opening to retreat.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! You’d never be able to escape! Carol, Iris, you two take Goldmund and head back first!”
“R-Right. I understand.”
It’s pathetic, but at times like this, all I can do is nod my head.
“Huuuuh!? What are you saying!? You guys get out there and fight! Aren’t you warriors!?”
The fairy’s head suddenly popped out of Goldmund’s fur, and she started shaking her fist.
“Noisy! Can’t you be quiet? Then Rose and I will hold him off. Sorry to stick you with the role that sucks.”
“No, if you think about it carefully, this is the right decision. For the sake of our mission, we cannot sacrifice Iris.”
The entire time we were making our plans, we could hear the earth trembling with each step the golem took towards us. Having already noticed us, the golem raised its arms high into the air and let out a roar cry that sounded something like a broken instrument. Goldmund didn’t want to be separated from his master Rose, but I pulled on his reigns and desperately tried getting him back down the way we came. But standing perfectly still beside me was Carol who just kept staring coldly at the fairy.
“I’ve been thinking, but isn’t that guy aiming for us because he’s following you?”
“Huh? O, Oi? Wai, sto………stay away, oi………..oi let go!”
Carol’s hand wrapped around the fairy’s body. The fairy desperately tried holding on to Goldmund’s hair, but no matter how small Carol is, she’d never lose to a tiny little fairy.
“You, what do you think you’re doing!?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to give that thing what it wants.”
Carol just calmly came out and said it, but the rest of us didn’t know what to say in response.
“Wha, dumbass! What’s going to happen to me if you do that!? Somebody sock this wolf woman! Oi, wai, seriously! Quit it! Oi orc woman! Don’t just stand there and watch! Stop her!”
“Alright great. Let’s do this. You have my approval.”
A vein popped on Toslin’s beautiful forehead, and she moved her thumb across her neck as if we were about to behead her.
“Then it’s all okay. One~………….Two~………..”
“You’re kidding. You’re followers of the Goddess!”
“THREE~!”
Before I could stop her, Carol chucked the fairy as hard as she could.
“GYAAAAaaaaaaaaaa!”
The thrown fairy drew a beautiful parabola through the air in the wrong direction and landed in some snow.
“Well, you’ve already run this far, so it’s fine if you just run a little more.”
As Carol clapped her hands together after a job well done and said that much with a nod, the golem really did change course and kept chasing the fairy.
“Nice, way to go Carol! Right now is the only time I will praise you! Excellent, truly admirable!”
Toslin was rejoicing while happily patting Carol’s head, but Rose and I couldn’t help to feel like we just did something really wrong.
“Was that, really okay………..really………”
“W-Well……..what could we do……….”
Our gazes all fixed on the golem’s withdrawing back as it left the highway and headed west. Even though she’s so tiny we can’t see her anymore, I’m sure the fairy is desperately flying away in front of it.
“I was just thinking, but that girl……..she can fly, so why doesn’t she just move upwards into the air?”
Toslin’s whisper reached all of our ears.
“Ah~………….”
We all simultaneously looked towards the clouds and nodded.