TL: Sungmin
âHmph, just a bunch of goblins. Leave it to us Blizzard Heroes to handle.â
At this moment, several people clad in silver armor walked into the tavern.
The Diamond-colored badge hanging on their chest plates was particularly eye-catching.
They were a Diamond-ranked adventurer team, with an average level around 60, their strength unquestionable.
Each of them was undoubtedly a seasoned warrior who had brushed with death countless times.
The leader of the Blizzard Heroes was named Cecil, a fairly young man exuding a noble aura.
Seeing him, many people politely raised their glasses in greeting, âAh, itâs Lord Cecil. How is the Count faring these days?â
âThank you for asking, all is well.â
Cecil removed his helmet as he responded.
Like Loder, he was of imperial blood, his family holding the rank of Count.
âIsnât Lord Cecil known for hunting high-level monsters? What brings you here to deal with goblins?â
The tavern owner asked while starting to pour drinks.
Taking a sip from his glass, Cecil immediately passed it to someone beside him, clearly unaccustomed to such inferior wine.
He then said, âItâs because of my useless cousin. He got captured by goblins, so I plan to handle it personally.â
âI see.â
The tavern owner felt a bit awkward; after all, that had been his best wine.
However, he didnât mind too much since nobles certainly had different tastes.
At this moment, an even more arrogant voice sounded from the entrance, âHa! Cecil, you think you can handle it all by yourself? Did I come here for nothing then?â
An old man with white hair slowly walked in.
He leaned on a long red crystal staff, his long white beard matching his fully white hair.
Wearing a gray wizard hat that looked extremely old and pointed, he made quite a peculiar sight.
âWhat! The Gray Hat Wizard, Gru! Heâs here too!â
The tavern erupted in excitement once more!
This Gray Hat Wizard was said to have been an evil wizard in the past, feared by many. Thatâs why he was so audacious.
But later on, for some unknown reason, he turned to good and established the Gray Hat Heroes.
When he founded his group, they were immediately granted a Diamond-level badge.
Several gray-hatted wizards followed behind him.
Cecil didnât get angry; instead, he maintained his noble courtesy, âMaster Gru, itâs an honor to meet you.â
âHmph, cut the flattery. Iâm broke, really broke. If you donât want me involved, pay up. A thousand gold coins and Iâll leave now!â
Though Gru looked old, his voice was strong and powerful.
It was as if he had already decided the outcome.
Cecil smiled wryly, âA thousand gold coins? Thatâs no small sum, Master Gru. How about we negotiate?â
âNo negotiation. Not a coin less. If you donât have the money, Iâll go to your father for it!â
Gru said firmly, looking like an old scoundrel with no respect for others.
While they were arguing, a voice rang out from the corner of the tavern, âHow amusing. You think just because the Sword Saintess is lying low, you can put on a show? Donât forget, that cold-blooded woman is also in Bright Town this time.â
âThe cold-blooded woman?â
âWho is that? Never heard of her.â
âYou idiot, you donât even know her? Epic-level adventurer! Lucy Lina! She leads the Cold-Blooded Mercenaries!â
âDamn, why are all these dangerous people showing up? I heard sheâll kill good people for money! Several philanthropists have died by her hand!â
âShh! She might slit your throat, shut up!â
The mention of her name silenced the entire tavern; no one dared to speak up.
They feared falling victim to her stealth.
From the corner, the man in the cloak spoke again, âHa, a bunch of cowards calling yourselves adventurers? Go home and drink your milk.â
âOh? You areâ¦the Wandering Hero?!â
Cecil recognized the man at this moment. He was also a Diamond-ranked adventurer.
He wandered the world, his real name unknown to anyone.
The Wandering Hero looked surprised, âI didnât expect a noble like Lord Cecil to know the title of a street rat like me. Iâm truly honored.â
âYouâre too modest. So, we have three Diamond adventurer teams here, and those Cold-Blooded Mercenaries with Lucy Lina, as well.â
Cecil pondered.
A Diamond-level adventurer team didnât mean every member was Diamond-ranked.
Usually, only one member was.
For instance, the Wandering Hero, Cecil of the Blizzard Heroes, and Gru the Gray Hat; these three were the Diamond-ranked ones, while their team members were mostly platinum or even gold rank.
Itâs said that people would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
But there were also teams where everyone was Diamond-ranked, though they were very rare.
The Wandering Hero spoke again, âDonât look at me like that. I have no intention of tussling with you, and Iâm even less interested in goblins. Those creatures are disgusting.â
âAh? Then why did you come here?â Cecil asked, puzzled.
Bright Town was quite a remote place in the Lionheart Empire, and it took considerable time to get here.
The Wandering Hero chuckled lightly, âWould you believe me if I said I just happened to wander into this place?â
Everyone rolled their eyes at him.
What did the word âadventurerâ mean?
It meant going on adventures, challenging dangers. How could it be just a coincidence?
âHahaha, just kidding. Iâm not interested in goblins, but that Dragon Islandânow that Iâm very interested in. If I could slay an ancient dragon, I might become an Epic hero, right?â
The Wandering Hero spoke with great anticipation.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Dealing with goblins, such low-level matters, couldnât compare to dragon slaying.
Thatâs why he had come here.
Besides, many werenât here for the goblins; they were here for the dragons.
The Wandering Hero continued, âBy the way, a reminder: although goblins are a low-level race, donât be deceived by their simplicity. While many goblins are low-level monsters, they can evolve. They have no reproductive isolation and can produce stronger offspring. Especially evolved goblins, they are extremely terrifying!â
âHmph, makes sense. Iâve lived nearly a hundred years and have seen more goblins than youâve seen women.â
Gruâs previously arrogant voice now turned solemn. âThis race could be considered the most powerful in the world! Theyâve existed since ancient times, always the enemy of all other races. Even after thousands of years of killing, they havenât been wiped out.
Hehe, do you think goblins can be underestimated? If not for the imperial bounty of three hundred gold coins, I wouldnât be getting involved in this mess.â
Cecil, always a humble person, grew more cautious after hearing this.
Thinking carefully, even the Sword Saintess had been driven to despair and lost her fighting spirit.
These goblins might indeed be unusual.
They had analyzed it, not just mindlessly believing the Sword Saintess couldnât handle a group of goblins.
Various factors were at play, like deaths in Bright Town, dragons, and several Imperial Knight Regiments perishing, plus long-term guarding duties, among other things.
This led to the current situation.
Though her reputation was tarnished, it couldnât completely overshadow the Sword Saintessâs brilliance.
âAlright then, Master Gru, letâs join forces to deal with those goblins. You can keep the gold coins, I wonât take any reward.â Cecil finally decided.
His original purpose wasnât for the bounty but to eliminate the goblins on his familyâs orders, proving their superiority to Loderâs family.
Indirectly, this would show the emperor that their family was far superior to the Stantmont family.
But the situation had changed. To ensure success, it was better to team up with others.
Gruâs old eyes gleamed with a sly smile, âHahaha, since Lord Cecil is so generous, I wonât refuse! Letâs join forces. Even against a Goblin Leader or Goblin Overlord, we can handle it!â
âAh, looks like those three hundred gold coins arenât for us.â
âNo worries, letâs just watch the show.â
âWerenât we mainly here to see the Sword Saintessâs disgrace? Mission accomplished.â
Some sighed, some lamented.
They had hoped to try their luck and earn three hundred gold coins, thinking it was just goblins.
But with two Diamond adventurers joining forces, there was no chance.
Cecil, Gru, and the others quickly packed up and left the tavern, finding a spot on the street to discuss their battle plan.
âIn my opinion, letâs solve this with brute force. The Sword Saintess failed because she was held back and couldnât fight properly,â Gru suggested.
Cecil remained cautious, âThere are too many unknowns. We should first find their location, observe, and then make specific plans.â
âYou young people are too cautious. Itâs so troublesome. Leave those tasks to you then.â Gru grumbled.
Cecil didnât refuse, âThat works. Hmm? Wait!â
He looked toward the entrance of Bright Town.
A mysterious figure clad entirely in rusty armor approached, covered so thoroughly that not even a finger or patch of skin was visible.
It was the type of heavy armor that offered extremely high defense.
For an ordinary person, walking a few steps in it would be strenuous.
This person also carried a greatsword on their back. Yes, a greatsword!
A weapon half a meter wide and one and a half meters long.
âMy goodness, that guy is truly bizarre.â
Cecil couldnât help but remark. Estimating the newcomerâs strength, he thought of recruiting him, âHey! Sir, would you like to join us for a chat?â
Hearing someone call out, the heavily armored figure slowly walked over.
âWhatâs the matter?â
The voice that came from the figure was deep and commanding, likely altered with a voice changer.
This only piqued Cecilâs curiosity more, âHow should we address you? Why are you dressed in such heavy armor, even disguising your voice?â
âThatâs my personal business. If thatâs all, I wonât be staying.â
The mysterious figure in heavy armor turned to leave.
At this moment, Gru spoke up, âDidnât expect Goblin Slayer to come here. Or rather, of course Goblin Slayer would come. Why donât we have a chat?â
â¦
Discord (announcements and updates!)? https://discord.gg/WvPmVkAgFC
Liked it? Extra chapters at /premium/ via Patreon!