Chapter 69

As twilight approached Volsard, the goblin sightings outside the forest had almost disappeared. The goblins, which had once overflowed from the forest, had decreased in number due to the efforts of Reinhardt and his group at the city walls, Zae and his group within the swarm, and Alt and his group on the outskirts. Additionally, the goblins had stopped moving after securing food.

According to Fred, who had been on reconnaissance, several superior goblins were forming numerous groups. It seemed that territorial disputes might arise with the formation of these groups, but with the abundance of food, there were no conflicts between the groups.

The adventurers, who had just survived the first stage of the massive goblin outbreak, were taking a breather and preparing for the second stage of the attack. However, as the timing of the attack was uncertain, some adventurers began to grow impatient.

"Mr. Donovan, shouldn't we take the initiative while they are calm?"

"Would it be wise to risk being surrounded and eaten?"

"Well... that..."

"Then, what about targeting the superior goblins we can see from here?"

"If a goblin eats the magic stone of a fallen superior goblin, it will become the next superior goblin..."

"That's true..."

As an adventurer, the desire to gain fame and earn more income than others was understandable, but in a siege-like situation, achieving those goals was difficult. Still, waiting idly for the situation to change was frustrating, and it would be better for the townspeople if the situation was resolved as quickly as possible.

"Mr. Donovan, would it be alright if my familiar retrieved the magic stones from the superior goblins?"

The exact role of magic stones within a monster's body was not fully understood, but it was believed that they were involved in the circulation of mana, similar to how the heart circulates blood. When a magic stone was shattered or extracted, the monster would die. If my familiar could extract the magic stones from the superior goblins, it would not only defeat them but also prevent other goblins from becoming superior goblins.

"Can you do that?"

"Yes, my familiar can move freely in the shadow realm, so it is possible to select and extract the magic stones from the superior goblins."

"That's true. If the magic stones are retrieved, no new superior goblins will appear... Alright, go ahead."

With Donovan's permission, I was about to send Malt as a messenger, but one of the adventurers called out to stop me.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Donovan. If his familiar retrieves the magic stones, won't he end up with all of them? That seems unfair."

The one who complained was Pedel, the same person who had confronted me at the guild when I asked for the sale of the salamander.

"Besides, he just had his familiar defeat the salamander and made a lot of money. If he takes all the magic stones, the others won't be satisfied."

Although Pedel spoke as if he were representing all the adventurers, the others also looked displeased at the idea of me taking all the magic stones.

"Well... I can share the magic stones..."

"No, there's no need to share."

I tried to offer to share the magic stones, but Donovan rejected it.

"I understand why you envy Kent. A young boy who looks so unreliable can easily earn what you take years to make. But the adventurer business is about your own talent, effort, and ability. Don't rely on others! You want to share? Have you done anything to deserve it?"

No one could argue with Donovan's stern gaze.

"Look at the city walls. Who cleared the pile of goblin corpses? Who reduced the pressure from the goblins? Don't turn a blind eye to the facts. Kent has worked so hard that he deserves more than just the magic stones."

Pedel looked bitter but couldn't argue back.

"Pedel, Kent will easily surpass you... or maybe he already has. Sometimes, irregulars like him appear."

Donovan's gaze fell on me, but I didn't seek this power.

"Sure, it's frustrating and envious for those who work steadily. But pulling him down won't get you anywhere. If you want to rise, you have to do it on your own."

Pedel still looked dissatisfied but nodded and returned to his post.

"Kent, go ahead."

"Yes, understood!"

I decided to have Alt and the others retrieve the magic stones from the superior goblins. I assigned the task of retrieving the magic stones to the twenty-five undead kobolds from Alt to Nolt, and the task of monitoring the outskirts of the swarm to the five from Hart to Holt. As soon as the thirty undead kobolds dispersed, changes began to appear. The goblins' voices spread through the forest like ripples.

"Gigi... giiii..."

"Gya, gyagyaguuu..."

As the goblins started to stir in the twilight of the evil forest, the adventurers and the defense team members on standby tensed up. I had given instructions to Alt and the others, and I was prepared to give defensive instructions to Reinhardt and the others if necessary, but the ripples of noise gradually subsided.

"Master, it's done."

"Thank you for your hard work..."

When Alt came to report, I peeked into the shadow realm and saw a pile of magic stones, likely from the superior goblins. There were probably over a thousand, and I felt a bit dizzy and pressed my forehead.

"What's wrong, Kent?"

"It's just that the magic stones were piled up..."

I whispered, and Donovan smiled.

"Heh, you have a hard-working familiar."

"Yes, I'm very grateful... By the way, the goblins seem to have calmed down."

"The commotion was probably due to the sudden death of their leaders, causing confusion among the goblins. Will they attack now?"

"Probably not. They are full now, and when they are full, they... sleep?"

"Probably."

As a precaution, I sent Alt and the others on reconnaissance. The goblins were huddled together and sleeping. Although I didn't fully understand their behavior, even if they woke up, they wouldn't feel immediate hunger, and with the remains of their comrades still around, they likely wouldn't attack the town.

Still, why do the large outbreaks always come to Volsard? It would be strange if they never went to Lastock.

"That's probably due to the wind..."

"The wind?"

According to Donovan, the seasonal wind from the east blows frequently during this period, carrying the scent of the people of Volsard and attracting the monsters. Indeed, the wind was blowing from the city walls towards the forest.

"So, if the wind changes direction..."

"Yes, as the year progresses, the west wind will blow more often, and Lastock will be targeted."

Honestly, if everyone returns to their original world, I don't care what happens to Camilla and the others, but if they are all wiped out by the monsters, it would make it difficult to return. Is Reisenburg prepared for the large outbreaks?

By the time the goblins had calmed down, it was already dark, and the adventurers were served dinner. It was just a thick milk tea and some dry biscuits, but they tasted decent and filled the stomach. As with the goblins, a sudden drowsiness overcame me after eating. The situation had been tense after lunch, but with the stalemate, I couldn't help but relax.

Standing on the city walls and staring at the forest, my consciousness began to drift, and my feet wobbled. I had been moving non-stop since the irregular rescue mission in the morning, and the effects of being impaled and exhausted were still lingering. The adventurers around me were taking turns on watch.

"Mr. Donovan, when is my turn to stand watch?"

"You, go to sleep until I call you."

Donovan pointed to a pile of blankets.

"Master, we will take care of the watch and reconnaissance. Please rest."

"Thank you, Reinhardt."

The blankets were a bit rough but had good insulation. I leaned against the city wall and immediately fell asleep. Before I fell asleep, I remembered that I had forgotten to arrange accommodations for the classmates I had rescued, but the strong drowsiness overcame me. It felt like I was falling asleep instantly, and when I was woken up, it seemed like only five minutes had passed, just like when I was doing special training in the evil forest when I first arrived in Volsard.

"Master, wake up! Something's wrong!"

"Everyone, wake up! Prepare for battle!"

Reinhardt's voice woke me up, and I immediately noticed the commotion. The ground was shaking, and the cries of the goblins could be heard from the forest.

"They're coming! Not a single one can enter the town!"

Donovan's sharp voice cut through the air, which was already trembling from the ground. I didn't know how much time had passed since I fell asleep, but it was still dark, and the magical lights on the city walls didn't reach the forest. However, with my night vision, I could see the dust approaching from a distance.

"Master, the goblins are being chased by large lizards."

"Holt, large lizards?"

As I asked Holt, who had come back from reconnaissance, a fireball rose from the other side of the ground's tremor.

"Damn, it's a salamander!"

I had thought the goblins would sleep through the night and attack the town the next day, but they had suddenly gone berserk because they were being attacked by salamanders.

"Holt, how big are the salamanders?"

"About half the size of the last one."

The salamander we defeated last time was an unusually large individual, so this one was probably a normal size. Donovan, who had a moment of hesitation, seemed to be formulating a plan upon hearing it was a normal size.

"Master, it's half the size, but there are four of them."

"What...?"

Donovan's eyes widened in shock and he quickly turned his gaze towards the forest. Indeed, fireballs were rising from multiple points.

"Reinhardt, command everyone to defend the town!"

"Understood!"

"Mr. Donovan, I'll go defeat the salamanders!"

"Hey, Kent..."

Without waiting for Donovan's response, I dove into the shadows and headed towards the salamanders. Peeking from the shadows, the goblins were in complete panic. Without their leaders, the groups and swarms were in disarray, and they were fleeing in all directions.

The scene where the salamanders were spewing flames was like a disaster movie. Even a brief glimpse was enough to feel the heat. The four salamanders, working together, were spewing fireballs and chasing the goblins. The goblins, fearing the flames, were being mercilessly attacked and devoured in groups.

"Gwaaauuuu!"

The four salamanders were smaller than the one we defeated last time, but unlike the last one, which was leisurely searching for prey, these were spewing fireballs and roaring loudly, which was terrifying. Their agility, despite their large size, as they captured and chewed the goblins, was the mark of a top predator. I tried to cut the brainstem to defeat them, but their movement made it impossible to place the dark shield.

Meanwhile, the salamanders