Chapter 131 : The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (15)
Chapter 131: The Days Toward the Rostingia Marcher Lordship (15)
“The beast possesses a powerful recovery ability just like a troll!”
The mage Agpiel shouted from the rear. Well, truth be told, Shatien had already noticed to some extent even without being told.
“Raaaaargh!”
BOOM!
“Guh-ack!”
“Shoot, Knight!”
The giant hobgoblin, who had gone berserk at the sight of Shatien, was neutralizing the elven knights without even caring about the spear lodged in its abdomen.
It meant a wound of that magnitude did not even bother its vitals.
Even as it brushed away those around it and pulled out the spear stuck in its belly alone.
-Squelch.
-Ssh-sh-sh-shk. Sh-shk. Ssssss.
The sight of the piercing wound healing rapidly was so vivid it was as if the injury had never existed.
‘Truly terrifying regenerative power.’
Shatien thought that as he closed the distance with the hobgoblin.
“How do I deal damage to its recovery? Mage Agpiel!!!”
“You need powerful poison or fire!”
“Mm...!”
Indeed, it seemed there was a reason why the knights of the monastery over there were lighting sacred fires. Of course, it did not seem like it would be of great help to Shatien right this second.
“Still, its skin is not as tough as a troll's, so you just need to inflict damage faster than its regeneration!”
“That is quite a comforting piece of advice!”
Shatien let out a smirk and applied strength to his sword hilt.
Before he knew it, he had arrived in front of the giant hobgoblin.
“Step back! Quickly!!”
“But Sir, by yourself...”
“Hurry! Eek.”
-Whirrrrrr.
Perhaps he showed an opening while speaking, as the hobgoblin's iron club swung straight toward his head.
The heavy, chilling sound of the air ripping was enough to make his spine tingle for a moment.
Surely, if he were to be hit even by mistake, he would be crushed regardless of defense!
But Shatien actually saw an opportunity in that.
‘It only has strength. And it is slower than I thought.’
If one had overwhelming power, technique was not needed. One just had to tear everything down. Therefore, the movements of apex predators with great strength like that hobgoblin tended to be crude and linear.
And what that meant was,
-Whoosh.
-CRASH!
It meant that the actions were large and full of openings, just like the attack just now.
“Hyah!”
Shatien gnashed his teeth and focused his mind.
-Flash!
-Zip. Zip.
-Slice!
Several sword strikes unfolded within a single breath.
“ROOOOOOAR!”
The hobgoblin, who had sustained injuries across its entire body in an instant, wailed and expressed its pain. Long sword cuts were made on the hobgoblin's shoulder, thigh, and abdomen from the attack just now.
‘Shallow!’
Indeed, befitting a creature with recovery comparable to a troll, the wounds began to mend very quickly.
Shatien clicked his tongue.
‘Fire is not needed for no reason huh.’
If one cut it and then seared the wounded area with fire, it would not recover; without fire, there would be no way to deal with that persistent recovery.
But could it really endure metal being lodged deep inside its body?
Shatien immediately implemented the answer he had come up with.
“Grrrrr!”
-Woooosh!
As soon as the hobgoblin, wailing in pain, swung its iron club, Shatien dodged it again and immediately inflicted a wound on the beast's body.
But this time, it was slightly different.
-Snap.
He neutralized one arm by cutting the exposed armpit with the sword.
-Whirrrrrr.
He then moved his feet to gain momentum and pushed his sword straight into the rib area of the defenseless abdomen.
Thrust! The metal pierced straight through the hobgoblin's torso.
“----------------!!!”
A bizarre and ferocious scream echoed out. The hobgoblin tried to take revenge on the arrogant human with more hatred and rage than ever before, but the sword lodged inside its body was the problem.
-Thud.
It blocked the movement of the muscles and instead caused the hobgoblin to tumble onto the ground.
“Graw! Graaaargh!”
-Thud. Crash!
The hobgoblin went on a rampage.
It seemed to be trying to prevent any approach by any means necessary. Shatien saw that and hurriedly shouted to an elven knight.
“Sword!”
“W-What?”
“Hurry! A sword!”
“U-Understood! Sir Knight.”
Issuing an order between knights, and even asking for a sword which was like a knight's very life, made no sense, but the elven knight had seen the level of that incredible swordsmanship just now.
“Here it is!”
The elven knight, as if possessed, pulled his sword from his waist and handed it to Shatien.
Clang!
‘Hm, it is a good sword.’
Shatien lunged at the hobgoblin immediately after that short appraisal.
“Beast! Your opponent is right here.”
“Groaaaarrrrgh!”
-Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
At the same time, the hobgoblin, who had regained its posture before he knew it, began to charge at Shatien with all its might, full of rage. Since it would not work by fighting, it was a movement as if trying to crush him using its body mass.
But the more it did that, the easier it was to deal with.
-Swift!
Shatien, who easily turned his body to avoid the body slam, swept the ground with his sword and cut the hobgoblin's heel.
-Thud.
The hobgoblin, whose Achilles tendon was severed, immediately tumbled onto the ground. And Shatien thrust the sword into the hobgoblin's torso once more.
“Sword!”
“Y-Yes! Here it is!! Sir!”
One time.
“Swoooord!”
Two times.
Three times....
As it was repeated, swords began to be lodged continuously into the hobgoblin's torso.
And finally.
-Booooom!
Only after swords were lodged throughout its entire body did that giant hobgoblin finally collapse to the ground and stop moving.
“Haha... do you know? That there is a sport called bullfighting in the Kingdom of Aragon to the west of the continent? What you did was exactly like a matador. It was quite a brilliant way of dealing with the opponent.”
* * *
Once the hobgoblin acting as the leader fell, the remaining goblins were nothing.
“Kiyooooot!”
“Let's kill them!!!”
Several enraged elven knights and squires, along with the mercenaries of the main force who arrived late, slaughtered the goblins like a mad storm.
Thanks to that, the knights of the monastery, who were making a stand behind the crude walls of the village hall, could not help but be delighted.
“My goodness! It was truly an incredible battle. I have heard much talk, but I did not know you would show such movements.”
“It is nothing. I am worried that my mediocre skill may have instead offended your eyes. I am merely sorry that I could not come to support you quickly.”
“Huh. Such modesty! I shall spread word of your battle far and wide. I promise in the name of God!”
The knights of the monastery said that while showing very deep goodwill toward Shatien.
“Thank you?”
Of course, Shatien tilted his head slightly at the excessive hospitality. Did not the knights of the monastery usually dislike knights like himself? Claiming they were barbaric and excessively materialistic. But this was Shatien speaking while only knowing one side of the story.
“Heh heh. No matter if they are people of the monastery, they are also knights who polish their swordsmanship. Think of the achievement you showed, young knight.”
“Ah!”
Indeed, the battle with the hobgoblin had been quite a sight. Just as the mage Agpiel said, it was worth them being so excited and pleased.
Of course, the truth was different.
‘A knight who suddenly appeared within the sacred fire and fought while bathed in a cluster of light.’
‘Is that not truly a revelation?’
‘And with such rare humility to boot....’
In a way, from their perspective, it was something that unfolded in a truly fateful, divine revelatory situation.
They had fallen into trouble due to a goblin ambush after being prideful unlike monastery knights, and were in danger of annihilation with the appearance of the giant monster hobgoblin, but then a single knight suddenly appeared and struck it down with a holy sacred fire (?) at his back.
In many ways, strange misunderstandings (?) had piled up.
Of course, it did not seem like Shatien or the monastery knights would be clearing that up for each other.
“By the way... this hobgoblin.... it is a bit unusual.”
Mage Agpiel muttered while looking at the hobgoblin fallen behind them.
“What is strange about it?”
“Its size is too big. It has the form of a hobgoblin I know, but this is the first time I have seen such a giant one. Perhaps it is a monster strengthened by a special method?”
Then the monastery knights beside them also nodded and added their words.
“That is correct. Usually, a hobgoblin is bound to be unable to use its strength against blessed sacred fire or holy water, but it instead resisted intensely. Furthermore, it displayed strength beyond imagination, so several comrades...”
It was not for nothing that the monastery knights, who even brought holy water and sacred fire, had retreated to the village hall.
They had also stepped forward to try and catch it like the elven knights, only to be heavily defeated.
“By the way, what brings the knights of the monastery to this place? This clearly is not the domain of the Church?”
“Ah, that is...”
The knights of the monastery broke into a cold sweat and fumbled without being able to answer. No matter how much the clergy of the Church or people of the monastery performed relief activities without caring about the nobles' opinions, this one crossed the line.
Even if they were called monks of the sword of the monastery, were they not practically an armed force? Furthermore, they had come down from the neighboring bishopric with which relations were not good.
This was a situation that could potentially lead to a serious conflict.
Of course, Shatien did not want to drag the current situation into something that serious.
“Aah! Would the Church have directly ordered this? Most likely, the monastery knights just heard of this matter by chance while moving to practice and came here. Is that not so?”
“Ahem. That is correct.”
“While we were practicing.... We heard the very pitiful stories of the villagers who fled and moved voluntarily. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Bishop.”
“Good heavens... I am sure that is so.”
Mage Agpiel snorted at the excuse that did not even hold water, but the elven knights seemed otherwise.
“Oh! I thought you were just musty monastery bookworms, but is this not truly honorable!”
“Indeed! You were also knights!”
“Brothers! I welcome your noble action that knows a knight's honor!”
“If a problem arises from this matter, I shall gladly testify before Count Joberham. Truthfully!”
They had become quite impressed and began to welcome the monastery knights with bright faces.
“Good grief.... honestly, these tin cans whose very heads have turned to iron.”
Thanks to that, Mage Agpiel clicked his tongue in absurdity. Since the very people who should be the first to create a justification were acting like that.
Of course, Shatien, he…
“Well, what does it matter, Mage Agpiel? Ehehehehe. Isn't it fine if the outcome is good?”
“What do you mean 'fine if the outcome is good'?”
“Seeing this bizarre hobgoblin anyway, it does not seem like the subjugation will be an easy task; wouldn't it be better to properly mobilize the monastery knights this time?”
“......”
Then Mage Agpiel let out a deep sigh in a different sense.
“It seems you really need to have a bit more knightliness about you.”
“Wha...?”
Wait, what was wrong with him?
Shatien felt unfairly accused.
* * *
The next morning.
As soon as the sun rose, Shatien immediately summoned the mercenaries.
“There are too many goblin corpses right now. Since their nature is close to darkness anyway, if this much death piles up, the mystery of darkness might begin to stir.”
It was because of Mage Agpiel's warning. Even if it were not for that, if corpses rot, infectious diseases are bound to spread. Since blood and contaminated flesh were prone to ruining drinking water sources, there was an urgent need to clean up to properly rebuild the village.
Furthermore, there might be goblin attacks toward the village for the time being, so preparations had to be made even for defense.
“Preparations are complete.”
“If an attack comes in the future, you just need to use this barrier to repel them.”
“Good.”
Therefore, Shatien felt satisfied while looking at the wooden fence that had been built around the village before he knew it.
With this much, he would be able to sleep soundly at night and go out to subjugate during the day.
“An ambush will come at night, so make many bonfires. It is hard to fight if it is dark.”
“Yes! I shall prepare them in advance.”
While they were on standby, waiting for a goblin ambush after finishing all such preparations.
“Mm....”
One day, two days.
And even after three days passed, the goblins did not budge.
“Um.... those bastards are not coming to attack?”
“????”