Chapter 28

December 25th.

Due to the snow that has been falling for the past two days, the outside has turned into a silver world.

If it were in the original world, it would be a White Christmas, and people would be celebrating, but of course, there is no Christmas in this world.

Still, until yesterday, the atmosphere was somewhat restless as preparations were being made for the New Year.

In fact, preparations for the New Year are still underway inside the mansion.

The head maid, Molly, and her daughter Tricia, along with the newlywed Jean, are baking cookies and other baked goods.

Mother and Claire—Sharon’s mother—are chatting while knitting by the fireplace.

Kate, Nicholas’s wife, and Polly—Mel’s mother—are making soup in a large pot and preparing drinks for us.

Dan, Mel, and Sharon are reading books by the side of the fireplace.

But today, the atmosphere is different from usual.

Grandfather, Father, the head of the retainers, Walt, and Ridi are not here. Instead, people who are usually not around, like Claire and Kate, and Mel and the others, are in the mansion.

The cause was Guy’s report that something strange was happening in the forest.

Yesterday, Guy, a former adventurer, and the hunters who were patrolling the forest found what appeared to be goblin tracks.

According to his report, there is a possibility that a group of several dozen goblins is approaching the village, and Grandfather and Father decided to go on a monster hunt, leaving this morning with the village vigilantes.

Let’s go back one day.

December 24th, 2:00 PM.

Guy, who seemed to have returned from his patrol, came to Grandfather. He usually has a bright smile, but this time, his usual cheerfulness was gone. Behind him, Nicholas and the other retainers with stern expressions followed and entered Grandfather’s room.

My brother Rod and I followed them into Grandfather’s room.

Guy stood before Grandfather and Father and began to report on the strange occurrence he found during his patrol.

“I found what appear to be goblin tracks near Woodford Creek, a small stream that flows into the Black Pool in the eastern forest. It seems that a newly independent group is on the move, and there is a possibility that they are approaching the village.”

Father’s face twisted slightly at Guy’s report.

Grandfather, without changing his expression, asked Guy, “How many are there?”

“Roughly, I think there are about thirty to forty.”

Grandfather nodded at Guy and ordered the retainers to prepare for the goblin hunt.

“Tomorrow morning, I and Matt will each lead fifty men to the hunt. Hector, inform the vigilantes of this information and tell them to be on alert tonight. Walt, I leave the command of the house to you. Hector and Einos will go with Matt, and Nicholas will go with me. Guy, I’ll leave the scouting to you and the hunters…”

Following Grandfather’s orders, everyone moved briskly.

I was impressed by their actions.

(They really were soldiers. Even Nicholas looks completely different. He has the face of a soldier…)

I noticed that Ridi was talking to Grandfather.

“…I’ll help too. Even goblins can be quite troublesome in numbers. Is that okay, Gowvy?”

Grandfather seemed to want to say something but quickly smiled and said, “Alright. Ridi, come with me,” placing his hand on her shoulder.

Ridi nodded and went to prepare in her room.

I, left behind, felt my own powerlessness.

(With this body, I can only be protected. Still, seeing my family go off to a life-or-death battle makes me feel powerless. If only I were a bit bigger…)

It’s been three years since a group of monsters approached the village.

They have been careful to ensure that no dangerous monsters live within five kilometers of the village by regularly conducting hunts.

According to Guy, this time, the goblins have moved west, splitting from a group that has grown too large in the depths of the eastern forest.

The details are unclear, but it seems that the climate has been good this year, and the goblins have reproduced more than usual. With the onset of winter and the lack of food, they have split into groups, according to Guy’s assessment.

Goblins are a staple in fantasy, but I have never seen one. In fact, I have never seen any monsters in this world.

That’s how peaceful this village is.

When I asked Father, he said that goblins are humanoid monsters about 130 to 140 cm tall, with short limbs, a protruding belly, small horns on their foreheads, and greenish-black skin. They use simple clubs but are not particularly strong in combat, and even new soldiers can fight them on equal terms. The most distinctive feature of goblins is their reproductive ability, which can increase by several dozen times in a few months under the right conditions.

Occasionally, some use swords or bows, and there are even individuals who can use magic. The most dangerous are the leaders of the groups, who can set up cunning traps.

(Just like in games and fantasy novels. I’d like to see one someday.)

December 25th, 7:00 AM.

The fully equipped Grandfather and the others leave the mansion.

Grandfather and the others are clad in metal armor and armed with their respective weapons.

Grandfather is in half-plate armor, wielding his favorite bastard sword, and has a small round shield on his left hand. Father is similarly equipped.

Hector is in a breastplate and leather armor, carrying a longbow as tall as himself and a short sword at his waist.

Nicholas is heavily armored, with a breastplate, metal gauntlets, thigh guards, and shin guards, and he wields a kite shield and a broadsword.

Guy, looking like a former adventurer, is in leather armor, equipped with a short composite bow and a longsword.

Walt, who is staying behind, is in a chainmail called a hauberk. With his favorite spear in hand, he looks like a retainer following a knight.

Each of them is wearing a mantle with the Rockheart family crest, a lion holding a sword, and they are preparing briskly.

I couldn’t help but be captivated by the sight of Grandfather and the others.

(To be honest, they look cool. It’s like a scene from a movie… My brother looks completely awestruck. Well, I might look the same from the outside…)

Then, Ridi, clad in well-worn leather armor and holding a small composite bow, appeared.

I couldn’t help but approach her and speak to her.

“Be careful, Ridi. Don’t overdo it. If it’s dangerous…”

She smiled at me, saying, “You worry too much. It’s just goblins.”

Indeed, when she was with Grandfather’s party, she probably faced much bigger threats. Still, I was worried.

I guess it showed on my face. She knelt in front of me, hugged me tightly, and whispered in my ear.

“It’s okay. I’ll come back safely. When I return, maybe I’ll get a reward. Hehe…”

I felt a bit embarrassed by my excessive worry and said, looking down, “Alright. Just come back safely.”

Everyone except Walt left through the gate.

We, who were left behind, could only watch their figures as they disappeared into the snow.

Time passed slowly.

As a precaution, Mel and Sharon and the others were also at the mansion with their mothers.

Walt went to Gordon’s house to command the remaining vigilantes. The mansion’s security was entrusted to ten young men from the vigilantes.

At first, Walt intended to gather the villagers on the hill, but Grandfather rejected the idea. He instructed Walt to use Gordon’s house, the center of the village, as a base.

Still, Walt was worried about his pregnant mother and reinforced the security with ten vigilantes. He is now patrolling the village with the remaining vigilantes.

The three of them, Mel and the others, who don’t fully understand the situation, are playing happily in the mansion.

My brother and Mel’s brother, Sim, seem to understand the situation, holding training wooden swords and looking a bit worried. But when they talk about Grandfather and the others, they forget their worries and get excited about who looked cool and where.

With nothing to do and unable to play like the other children, I sat listlessly next to Mother.

Suddenly, Mother asked, “Are you worried about everyone?”

“Um, yes. It’s snowing, and we don’t know how many of them there are…”

Mother smiled and hugged me.

“It’s okay. They are very strong… When I first came here, I was always worried. In the past, such things happened more frequently…”

Mother, a commoner from a town, had lived a life free from the threat of monsters. When she first came here, she was often frightened by the frequent appearance of monsters. At that time, such hunts were more frequent, and the worst was when a group of over fifty orcs approached the village.

“…At that time, the howls of orcs could be heard even on the hill. Over ten villagers died. My father-in-law worked very hard, but even so… That’s when Guy started serving us.”

Sharon’s father, Guy, was originally an adventurer.

Eleven years ago, he and his companions took on the task of hunting a group of orcs, but it was a much larger group than expected. While his companions went to call for reinforcements, he followed the group.

When the orcs approached the village of Lasmor, Grandfather, leading seventy vigilantes, went to meet them.

At that time, the vigilantes were not well-trained—averaging level 15, compared to level 25 now—and only Grandfather, Walt, Hector, and Nicholas could face the orcs one-on-one.

It was a miracle that only about ten of them were casualties, and Guy, impressed by Grandfather’s fighting, ended up staying at the mansion and eventually became a retainer.

“…So, it will be okay this time. Your grandfather, Matt, Nicholas, Hector, Guy, Einos, and your favorite Ridi are all there. Hehe…”

Mother teased me, and Claire, sitting next to her, joined in the laughter.

“Master Zack has it tough. We have Sharon and Mel too. Lady, what will Master Zack do? Hehe…”

Teased by Mother and Claire, I quickly left the room.

(They must be worried too, but they are trying to reassure me. Still, it felt like they were really teasing me at the end. How much do they gossip about me…)

Feeling a bit distracted, I went to Mel and the others and spent time with them to pass the time.

5:00 PM.

It was completely dark outside, but there was no sign of Grandfather and the others returning.

Vigilantes were sent to relieve the others on duty, but the situation of the group that went into the forest was still unknown.

We were all at the dining table. Despite the larger number of people, the table was unusually quiet. Even the usually energetic Mel and the others were eating quietly, sensing the atmosphere.

Another two hours passed, but there was still no information from the group that went into the forest.

We children were approaching bedtime, so we headed to our rooms, but I couldn’t sleep, worried about Grandfather and the others.

(Did something happen? They can’t fight in the dark, can they? Why aren’t they back?)

Mel and Sharon were staying in my room. It seemed to be a prank by Mother and Claire.

(If they still have the energy for this, it must be okay. Still, I wish we had cell phones or radios. I didn’t realize how difficult it is to be without information…)

I got into my bed, and Mel and Sharon also got into their futons.

(Two girls in one bed. It’s almost a harem situation. Ridi would be jealous if she saw this… Still, let’s not think about it anymore)

As I tossed and turned, Mel and Sharon, unable to sleep, asked me to tell them a story to pass the time.

To distract myself, I started telling them fairy tales I could remember.

(I hope everything is okay… Ridi, please be safe…)

I seemed to be telling the story absentmindedly, not even noticing when they fell asleep.

Then, as night deepened and I was about to doze off, the first floor of the mansion became noisy.

It seemed that Grandfather and the others had returned, and Mother and the others were welcoming them.

I quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake the others, and went downstairs.

In the dining room, I saw Grandfather, Nicholas, and Ridi, who were covered in blood. She had sweat-streaked hair and a slightly tired expression, but she didn’t seem injured.

“Welcome back! I’m so glad you’re safe!”

I couldn’t help but let out a loud sigh of relief.

“Goblins are no match for us. But it took some time.”

He then called out, “Molly, Tricia! I need to clean up. Prepare some hot water!”

From the back, I heard Molly’s cheerful voice, “I’ll bring it right away!”

I noticed that Father, Hector, Guy, and Einos were not there and asked, “What happened to Father and the others?”

Grandfather, while cleaning the blood with the water Molly prepared, said,

“Matt’s group didn’t find any goblins. They were assigned to clean up.”

In a good mood, Grandfather began to recount the battle.

About an hour before sunset, Grandfather and the others were about to leave the forest and return to the village when they received a report from Guy, who was on reconnaissance, that he had found a group of goblins.

The number was thirty-five, as reported, and Grandfather judged that they could be dealt with without much time.

However, the goblins’ actions surprised him. Instead of approaching the village, they started moving away.

Grandfather considered the danger of moving in the dark forest but decided that, since they frequently entered this forest and everyone knew the terrain, it would be better to catch the goblins now. If they let them escape, the snow would erase the tracks, and they would have to search a much larger area the next day.

He then contacted Father’s group and had them move to surround the goblins.

The goblins, using light magic items, spotted Father’s group and started moving towards Grandfather’s group to avoid them.

Grandfather’s group, led by Ridi, who had good night vision, moved without lights to intercept the goblins.

The leader of the goblins seemed to be intelligent and chose to flee instead of fighting blindly.

Grandfather anticipated this and set up an ambush, but when the goblins saw them, they started to run away.

Grandfather and the others chased the fleeing goblins, but in the dark forest, it was difficult to coordinate with the goblins, who had good night vision. They ended up taking down the goblins one by one, which took longer than expected.

This time, with Ridi’s help, they managed to take down all the goblins without any escaping, but Grandfather laughed, saying it would have taken even longer without her.

“Thanks to Ridi, we managed. Well, I feel bad for Matt, but I’ll have a drink and rest first.”

Grandfather and Nicholas started to eat.

I told Ridi, “Good job. You should eat and rest.”

She squatted in front of me and asked with a look up, “What about my reward?”

(I’m in trouble. I didn’t think about it… Ah, I know)

“Alright, I’ll sleep with you. My bed is occupied by Mel and Sharon.”

Ridi laughed.

“Whose reward is that? Oh well, I’ll sleep with you.”

Mother and Claire, watching from the side, said, “Oh my…” and talked to each other, but I ignored them and sat next to Ridi.

After wiping her body