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Chapter Text

Awakening from deep slumber, the young ten year-old boy who had been put to bed by his older sister was confused when he saw her standing over his bedside with an oil lantern held in her hand. "Mhmm…? Nghh… W-What are you doing in here?" The young boy stuttered out with a tired and confused voice, as he was suddenly pulled out of bed by the light-brown haired teenager. "Vivi, w-why did you-"

"-We need to leave, Ren; please, come," Vivi interrupted while sounding calm like usual, despite clearly having a panicked undertone that carried a sense of urgency behind her words. Pulling her younger brother by the hand without waiting for him to even get his bearings, Vivi took only her small satchel that contained the bear necessities: a folded map, a compass, one hunting knife and a small roll of wire with a basic fishing hook packed neatly beside it.

And as he was pulled out through the back entrance of their small kitchen, it was then that the boy finally recognized the distinct sound of blood-curdling shrieking, which only became more audible as they finally left their cottage. With his muscles tensing up as the color from his already pale face faded in fear, the young boy was jolted back to his senses the moment his left foot lost its balance; causing him to tumble forward, and forcing his sixteen year-old sister to turn around to help him up.

Past the oil-fed flame within her lantern's glass chamber, it was then that Vivi noticed from the corner of her vision a ghastly sight that made her eyes widen in terror. The three Qin sisters— who she had grown up with and all of which were beautiful and ran their farm independently after their parents' demise— were being dragged out of their burning cottage by their hair; bare naked, with cuts and scratches all over their defiled bodies.

Muttering a quiet apology for not being able to rescue them from the nightmarish fate that was certainly awaiting them, any sense of being stealthy came to an immediate halt the moment Vivi suddenly noticed that the goblins within the group pillaging had taken notice of her and her younger brother. "G-Get up, NOW!!!" Vivi shouted with her heart racing and her knees buckling, tightening her grasp on her younger brother's hand, as she dragged him behind her as she made a mad dash toward the double doors of their small run-down barn.

Stricken with horror, the young boy watched as the horde of green monsters came sprinting towards them with their bloodied weapons drawn, and vile-deprived smiles across all of their green faces. Feeling the blades of grass and patches of dirt beneath the backsides of his legs, the young boy didn't even register that his sister had thrown him into the barn until he heard her shutting the barn doors close behind them.

'How… How the hell did this even happen…? Weren't the guards supposed to keep them out? How did they get past them?' The young boy thought to himself in his panicked state of mind, as he stared up at the triangular ceiling high above him, as he laid on a thick patch of scattered hay. Hearing his sister whimpering loudly, the boy finally snapped out of his near-catatonic state before sitting up to gaze upon her.

The shoddy lock that she had been neglecting to replace due to a lack of coin had broken off almost immediately upon trying to secure the double doors, and with a small group of deprived goblins trying to crack open the double doors to their barn like a greedy safecracker trying to get into a bank's compromised vault, Vivi did the only did she could think to do. Pressing her back up against the doors while digging her heels into the loose floorboards, Vivi— regardless of the soul-crushing dread she felt washing over her very being— put on the bravest smile she could muster up on her teary-eyed face, as she locked eyes with her terrified brother.

"R-Ren… L-Listen to me- ngh…!" Vivi articulated clearly, before grunting as she pressed more of her weight against both doors that were being pried open with the weapons the goblins were carrying; their daunting laughter carried a perverse tone in their shrill voices, as some were even as bold as to squeeze their fingers between the gaps. "Agh…! G-Go under the false floorboard; w-where I keep our savings…! D-Don't come outside, okay?!" Vivi instructed with fears beginning to take over her calm demeanor, as she felt multiple dirty-fingernails claws tauntingly into her clothes and exposed skin, causing her to bleed, as the goblins showed just how eager they were to get a hold of her.

Sobbing violently while struggling to fill his lungs with enough air to speak, the boy's limbs felt heavy under his control as he clumsily scrambled up to his feet; his body feeling foreign to him, as he heard the wooden doors crack and splinter behind his sister. "V-Vivi…!" The boy stammered out, as he took a step toward his sister with one tiny hand reaching out for her. 'What do I do, what do I do, WHAT DO I DO?!' The young boy thought to himself, as he took another step toward his sister. 'The doors are breaking… They're already grabbing her… I can't stop them… I can't…'

More concerned with the preservation of her younger brother's life than hers, which she already saw as doomed, Vivi let out a horrified gasp as she watched through her brown eyes as the he began to inch closer toward her. "R-Ren?! W-What are you doing?! H-Hide already; I-I can't hold them off for much longer! P-Please; d-do it for me!" Vivi begged out desperately, before yelping as she saw from the corner of her peripheral vision as the head of a copper axe split into the door, just a few inches to the left from where the back of her head was at.

Tightening his fist into balls, the young boy's light brown bangs covered his eyes as he lowered his head toward the hay-covered floor below him. "N-No… No, I… I-I c-can't, Vivi! I-I can't!" The boy protested in a scared voice, while feeling too overwhelmed to notice the glowing rune that was beginning to form around him on the floor; it's dim and barely noticeable cyan light becoming more noticeable to his sister with each passing second, as his juvenile mind began finding a way to accept the fate before him. 'Help… Someone help… Please… Anyone… Help us… I… I don't want us to die.'

With seconds left before the goblins would come flooding into the barn, the emotional barriers that Vivi mind had placed on itself in an attempt to remain calm before her younger brother came crumbling down; leaving behind a heartbroken and damned girl, who began violently sobbing out a prayer to whatever god was merciful enough to come to their rescue. Shutting her eyes as their expected doom came closing in, all Vivi could think to herself was about how she should have just hid her younger brother inside their house while she still had time, instead of trying to hopelessly escape in the middle of a goblin raid.

In that moment as the splintered double doors finally broke apart, time seemed to come to a stand still for the young boy as he raised his face up from the barn's floor, and away from the nearby blinding light that was radiating from the circular sigil underneath his feet. The world around him became obscured in darkness, making it that much harder for the boy to see the still image of the goblins trampling over his sister. Standing before him and the frozen moment captured in time was a petite girl with long snow-white.

Most of her face was obscured by a pastel-blue mask that looked to be made of the same metal that was used in her sleek-bulky armor that covered only her upper-half; leaving her petite legs covered in only thigh-high white stockings and minimal armor that only covered the sides of her legs, and the high-heeled boots that she had. The glowing cyan-markings that she had etched over the laminated layer of her mask and armor were all similar in design to that of the rune beneath him.

Although the boy couldn't see through her mystical face-mask, there still was a small part within his terrified and confused mind that knew that she was staring at him with sympathy within her eyes. "... The memories of my past summons elude my immediate recollection, as such thoughts only remain dormant within my subconscious… But even so, I'm confident to say that I have never been summoned by a mere child before; especially one who's in such a dire situation, such as yourself," the stranger spoke in a youthful sounding voice, despite seeming mentally mature when she spoke.

The boy— awestruck by the breath-taking elegance and powerful presence that the young-looking woman before him carried with her— wanted nothing more than to speak to her; to ask her one of the many questions that were swarming around in his panicked mind. However, given the fact that the goblins had already broken into their barn and were certainly going to ravage him and his sister if time were to resume as normal, the boy felt more compelled to ask the white-haired girl for help; to beg her for salvation. However, all that the fear-stricken boy could do in that moment was tremble silently, as his body refused to cooperate with what his mind wanted it to do.

Despite having fears that the elegant and knightly girl would abandon him for his lack of words, the boy felt hope beginning to resonate within him as he watched as two highly advanced and sleek weapons appeared over her armored forearms. Duel-wielding a set of arm-swords that had large decorative-silver blades that extended past her small wrists, the young woman turned her back toward the boy so she could instead face toward the onslaught of goblins that were beginning to slowly unfreeze as time began to resume once again.

"... You're not only a human, but a naïve child at that… And though you are blinded by your youth, you'll do well to heed my orders, as it's an absolute that the weak must obey the strong," the girl said in a serious and stoic voice that was low in pitch, as she bent her knees to lower herself closer to the barn's hay-covered floor. "Your "Mana" reservoir… It is abysmally small… I won't be able to maintain his corporal form effectively… I'll have a two-meter radius to manifest myself around you, and even then I'll only be able to remain physical for extremely brief moments of time…"

"... That human over there? She's just out of my reach… Right now, your perception of time is returning to the rate that it once was," the white-haired knight explained, before turning her head toward her large-armored shoulder; so as to stare back through her glowing mask, to where the terrified youth was looking back at her with a widened gaze. "My first order to you is for you to run as fast as your legs can carry you. Go forth, and bring me to those wretched creatures, so that I may lay waste to them."

Flexing his fingers involuntarily through breaths of air that were growing more rapid and shallow with each time he exhaled, the boy's eyes focused on the twenty goblins that were slowly beginning to quicken in their movements; one half of them crowding over the broken double doors that were the only thing separating them from reaching Vivi's body, while the other half of the goblins were storming toward him with cruel lust in their vile eyes. 'Scared… I feel scared… And yet… And yet, this feeling that I have… What is it? Why do I feel like… Empowered?'

Looking away from her shoulder, the girl with white-hair returned her focus toward the incoming group of ravenous goblins that were tunnel-visioned on getting their hands on the boy. "Make no mistake, you might hold the title of "Master", but you are but a child; a child that has no experience to command me in this battle, or any battle for that matter. Do as I say, boy… That's an order," the white-haired woman said in a cold-calculating voice, as she mustered as much "Mana" from the young boy as she could; her senses christened, as she mentally mapped out her plan of attack.

'... "Master"? Where did that even… No. No, it doesn't matter right now. I… I gotta do what she says; she might be our only chance to get out of here alive, and I can't ruin that! Not for Vivi's sake, I can't,' the young boy thought to himself, as he finally felt the composure he needed to gain control of his body. 'I'm still scared out of my mind, but… Doing nothing is a whole lot scarier than doing something about it, so… Here goes nothing, I guess,' the boy thought almost sarcastically to himself, as he let out a trembling breath as he lowered himself toward the floor; just like how the mysterious woman was doing before him.

With his head lowered slightly, the boy's light-brown bangs obscured his eyes, but allowed him just enough vision to see where he needed to run toward. And as the sigil beneath his feet flickered away with its dying light fading out of existence, the boy could feel his heart racing inside of his chest as tightening his trembling fingers into defiant fists. "... That's fine," the boy muttered under his breath, before clenching his jaw as he forced his legs to sprint toward Vivi as fast as they could carry his small body.

The four goblins who saw a mere child charging toward them like a cornered animal brought a twisted smile to their crooked-mouths; sadistic amusement filling their detached heads, as none of them saw the flickering afterimage of an armored girl appearing before them. The armed goblins who had been bringing up the rear soon found themselves sharing the sudden decapitation and dismemberment that their comrades in the front had gone through. Left as nothing but dying heads that watched in their final moments as their bodies dropped toward the ground one-by-one, the group of twelve goblins had been dealt with before the young boy's foot even touched the floor.

Despite the goblins being unable to keep up with how fast the mysterious girl was able to appear in-and-out of their dimension, the feeling growing within the boy that gave him the strength to move had allowed him to catch glimpses of the white-haired knight's merciless grace. 'She's fast… Really fast… How did I even see her do half of that stuff?' The young boy thought suddenly to himself, as he watched her begin brutally slaughtering the goblins that were crowding on top of his sister with her two magical arm-swords.

Even though she possessed an almost child-like innocence on the outside, the white-haired knight's brutal demeanor in battle betrayed her appearance. Tightening her pink lips to bare her teeth at her enemies, the girl was hacking and slashing the goblins while letting out angered grunts each time her blade cleaved through their green flesh and bones. 'This won't stand! Nothing about this makes any sense! This child… He CLEARLY lacks the capacity to summon a servant… So how? How did I get here with him, in this… W-Whatever this world is supposed to be?!' The white-haired girl thought frustratingly to herself, until she had dispatched all twenty-eight goblins that had attempted to assault the boy's sister.

Knowing that her master lacked any ability or knowledge to properly control her, the white-haired girl faded back into the boy's body, so as to replenish what limited mana she had to work with, as he finally reached the splintered doors. "Vivi…! Vivi, y-you're okay…! You're okay, heh…!" The boy muttered with tears beginning to leak out from the corners of his surprised eyes, as an anxious smile softly found its way across his quivering lips.

Almost as stunned as her younger brother was, Vivi needed a moment to get a hold of her bearings before finally regaining control of her violently-shaking limbs. "W… W-What h-happened, Ren…? How did you even…?!" The older sister stuttered out, as pushed herself up from beneath the two broken doors, as her younger brother helped her by pushing each splintered door off of her scratched-up body. 'What even happened? One moment I was preparing myself for the worst, and then the next…?! Dear gods above!' Vivi thought to herself, as she suddenly let out a shocked gasp the moment she finally noticed all of the carnage that coated the floor and walls of their rustic barn.

Staring down at her quietly sobbing brother with fear and confusion in her beautiful brown eyes, Vivi had a bewildered expression on her sweat-covered face as she slowly raised her trembling finger up to point at all the spilt blood and mutilated bodies that laid around them. "R-Ren…?! W-Was this… Was this YOU?! If so, t-then… Then h-how did you actually manage to k-kill these things all by yourself…?!" Vivi asked with a cathartic feeling washing over her. 'I'm thankful to be alive, but… I just don't understand how he could have done something like this. He's just a kid, and isn't even carrying a weapon! I just- W-WHAT THE…?!' The teenager's thoughts suddenly shifted, as she let out a surprised yelp the moment she saw the white-haired knight appear in front of her brother, within a flash of cyan-light.

"In the name of the Round Table, I order you to step aside at once…!" The girl commanded with an authoritative voice that sounded stoic, as she gestured for Vivi to do as she was told by raising her right blade up to shoo her away.

"Ehh?! W-Wait, I-I don't know what's going on here…!" Vivi uttered out in a fearful and confused tone. Immediately backing away from the sharpened tip of the cyan-glowing blade that was being waved in front of her face, Vivi raised her hands up to her chest as a way to signal that she was of no threat. "W-Who are you, a-and where did you come-"

"-I have neither the time nor desire to answer your questions, human! Scurry to safety while you can!" The white-haired knight interrupted with the best noble voice she could muster, before immediately turning her back to the utterly perplexed teenager to stare back at her master's timid and stressed face. "You and I are going to have a long discussion after this… But for now, you'll do as I say, when I say… Do you understand me, child?" The girl asked, as though she were talking to a subordinate that was obligated to follow her commands.

'I can tell she doesn't respect me, and I don't even think she likes me very much; seems like she's only tolerating me for the time being… But even so, she's everything that we need to rescue as many people as we can, so…' The boy's thoughts trailed off, before he snapped back to the reality of the situation before him. "... Yes, Dame Knight; I-I understand," the boy replied while trying to sound as brave as he could; earning himself a mildly surprised yet pleased smirk from the white-haired girl.

"Hmph… I see you were raised with proper manners, child. Now christine your resolve, for I'll need you to deliver me to those who are in need of rescue," the white-haired woman said with a nod, before her body was dispersed into several large cyan-glowing orbs that were immediately absorbed into the boy's body. "Now let us make haste; for every second we waste idling, another life is taken by those vermin," the girl spoke directly to the boy's conscience, as he once again felt invigorated with strength that he had never experienced before in his short life.

"Of course, just… H-Hold on real quick… P-Please," the boy muttered in an apologetic tone to the white-haired girl taking refuge in his very soul, before stepping forward quickly to where his sister was staring back at him with her jaw agape. "Vivi, a-are you-"

"-W-What in the world was that girl, Ren…?! Is she some sort of spirit?! W-Why is she here, a-and why is she-"

"-Vivi, I-I don't know! I-I really don't know what's going on… But… B-But what I do know is that she's strong, and fast… And that she's the only hope that everyone here's got," the boy said, while trying to return the favor to his older sister by trying to be the calm one in the situation. Lowering his head to the floor, the boy narrowed his eyelids as he tightened his hands once again to ball fists by his sides. "... I… I need you to stay hidden in that crawl space… The one you tried to get me to climb into," the boy said, as he gestured over with his head toward the aforementioned hiding spot.

Feeling dread coursing through her already shaken-up body, the brown-haired teenager's eyes grew wide as she slowly shook her head at her younger brother. "R-Ren, you… Y-You aren't making sense right now… D-Didn't that knight say that she was going to save the village, I-I think…?! S-So then, w-what are you trying to insinuate…?" Vivi asked with a nervous smile growing across her face, as she heard more women screaming in the near distance, just outside the walls of their damaged barn.

"She can't go past two meters from where I'm at, so… So I'm going to circle around the barn, so she can kill all of the goblins, or whatever else is destroying our village. I'll expand outward; make a safe perimeter around you, and then go from there…?" The boy said aloud with a slightly uncertain tone in his voice, as he was merely repeating the words that the white-haired girl was speaking to him, and him alone. "Y-Yeah? Yeah, yeah… That's what I'm gonna do… That's what I have to do, so… J-Just stay here, okay…? Please?" The boy asked in a stressed and desperate tone, as he smiled anxiously at his older sister while beginning to walk past her to get through the empty door-frame.

'He… He can't be serious. It's a bloody war zone outside, and he expects me to just LET him put himself at risk, while I'm here waiting and hoping that he doesn't die out there, or WORSE?!' Vivi thought to herself, while slowly shaking her head as she watched as her younger brother brushed past her arm. Spinning around to where his back was facing her, the panicked older sister felt her protective instincts kick in as she reached out desperately with one hand to grab her younger brother by the back of his shoulder.

Even though he couldn't see it for himself, the boy did what the white-haired girl inside of him commanded him to do. Avoiding Vivi's pleading hand without needing to see where she was reaching out to grab him. Turning around quickly while walking backwards, the boy gave his stunned sister an apologetic smile before uttering out the words "I'm sorry," before turning back forward and sprinting out of the barn faster than he had ever ran in his life; leaving his sister behind in the barn, as his lungs were filled with the wretched stench of copper in the air, and scorched flesh.

Remembering the goblins who had sexually assaulted the Qin sisters next door, the boy crossed through his property and was able to use his newfound stamina and agility to catch up to the group of goblins, who were in the midst of sharing their young captives with another small group of their raiding kin. Although he was disgusted and horrified to see the vile sight of seeing his sister's friends getting pinned down and taken advantage of near a burned-down house, the unbridled rage and bloodlust he felt from the sickened girl inside of him gave him the willpower needed to willingly run towards the group of forty goblins; some of which turned their attention toward him, while letting the others breed the unwilling sisters.

Clenching his jaw shut as he watched as several of the goblins began pulling back sharpened arrows from the drawstring of their wooden longbows, the boy was reassured by the enraged servant that he wouldn't have to worry about them. With no better choice but to trust her, the boy was relentless in his advance toward the large group of goblins, and felt his heart skip a beat as he watched as the arrows came soaring toward him at high speeds.

Making good on her word, the white-haired knight repeatedly blinked in-and-out of existence, parrying each arrow with the blades of her arm-swords with ease. Sensing that some of the goblin archers had seen an extremely brief afterimage of her, the servant smiled to herself as she saw the once-cocky creatures stare at her master with confused and even nervous expressions on their disgusting faces.

The relief that the boy felt from surviving the arrows was short-lived, as he noticed that the goblins who had been ignoring him were suddenly turning their attention away from the sisters, after the goblin archers had called out to them in their own twisted tongue. 'That's right… Focus on me, not them,' the boy thought to himself, as more-and-more of his servant's righteous anger began to rub onto him.

Compared to the fear and shock he felt upon witnessing his servant slaying the goblins within his barn earlier, what the boy felt during the short time it took for the white-haired knight to chop the large group of goblins up into bloody chunks could only be described as satisfaction mixed in with righteous sadism. And with how fast his servant was able to appear in intervals between slashes and parries, all the Qin sister had seen throughout witnessing their next-door neighbor rescuing them were flashes of disorienting cyan light.

The eldest of the three sisters helped her siblings up from the ground; wrapping her arms around their bruised and bloodied bodies, and embracing them with tears in her eyes, as they all sobbed violently. Not knowing if they were coherent enough to speak, or even hear what he had to say, the boy used what time he could allot to tell them about his barn, and about how they would be safe there while he made his way throughout the rest of the village. Although the boy wanted to make sure that they got there safely on their own, since he questioned whether or not they would make it there on their own, the servant ordered him to loot a dagger from one of the many dismembered goblin bodies before reminding him how urgent it was that they secure the perimeter around his barn.

Having never left the village before in his life, and after spending countless hours with his best friend playing make-believe with her since they were four years-old, the boy was able to mentally keep track of where the barn was, as he followed the direction of where the nearest goblin group was. Although he had the best intentions of saving as many people as he could, the cruel truth of the matter for the boy was that most of the slaughtering of the men had already been done by the goblin army; meaning that all the survivors he managed to rescue were all young women and even children, who had already been assaulted several times over.

The more innocents she had seen defiled and in agony, the harder it was for the servant to restrain herself. Although she wasn't a stranger to bloodshed by any means, the white-haired knight found what the goblins within the boy's world were capable of to be unforgivable, and worthy only of death. Luckily for her, she had the insight to predict that she would eventually burn through her master's minute source of mana. However, what the servant hadn't predicted was that she would run out of the magical energy she needed to manifest her physical form when two arrows were shot at him.

"Dodge to your left!" The white-haired knight ordered, and watched from within the boy as he tried to do as he was told. Unfortunately, fatigue was beginning to creep up on the ten-year old boy, as his depleted magical source left him unable to benefit from the stamina that the servant's presence was providing him. After having had a hand in slaying nearly three-hundred goblins without being harmed, the boy's eyes went wide as a hot-searing pain shot down his left.

"AAAAGHHHH, NGHHH!" The boy wailed out in pain, as he stumbled forward with the dagger still held tightly in his right hand. Even though he was in agony, the servant's authoritative voice was enough for him to push his pain aside, in order to regain his composure and balance. Using his momentum from where he was about to fall, the boy did as the servant instructed, and dug his heel into the ground before spinning around to where the arrows had come from.

With two arrows planted into the back of his left shoulder, the boy's mind was flooded with encouraging words that gave him the resolution to sprint toward the group of goblins that had managed to successfully fire their projectiles into his body. More alert and aware of his fatigue, the boy only suffered a few cuts from the arrows he had barely managed to dodge with the help of his servant's acute battle sense.

When he finally closed the distance with the two goblin archers, he found himself struggling to fight his stronger opponents; both of which were swinging their own short-swords at him, while all he had going for him was dwindling stamina, muscles aches, and the a white-haired girl barking orders to him. Having a few close calls, including getting the left side of his cheek nicked good with the edge of a dagger, eventually the boy successfully managed to slay his first two goblins with his own hand.

Slashing open the jugular of one goblin, the boy made sure to avoid getting kicked down by the other green-skinned archer before lunging forward. Plunging the dagger deep into the other goblin's stomach until the hilt of his weapon was pressing up against the screaming creature's abdomen, the boy let go of the bedded weapon to pick up the other goblin's dagger from the ground; using his second-acquired weapon to stab the screaming creature in the crotch, before pulling it out to repeatedly plunge it into its throat.

Covered in the blood of his enemies, with his own crimson-liquid trickling down from the back of his impaled shoulder, the boy felt woozy and began to lose his balance as he gasped for air. 'I'm so tired… How many of them are left?' He wondered, as his sweaty fingers made it that much harder for him to keep a grip on the bloodied weapon in his hand.

"Remain diligent and resilient, child; you have done exceptionally well so far. You have but one more group of degenerates to slay… A hobgoblin that's waiting outside the entrance of your village. He has a group of goblins with him, and they're all waiting to get their hands on whatever refuge would dare escape from their defiling claws. Make your way there, and put an end to them," the servant instructed with uncertainty in her voice, as even she was unsure whether or not her master had it in him to accomplish such a task. "Now pick up a bow, and fill the quiver with arrows… There's work to be done."

Within the crowded barn, Vivi found herself taking on the role as a shepherd to those who her brother had managed to rescue. Surrounded by those she had called her neighbor, Vivi was doing her best to stay preoccupied in order to not succumb to the overwhelming amount of despair from the crying women and children on her property. Traveling throughout the nearby ruined cottages and farmhouses within her property's nearby vicinity, the sixteen year-old girl felt oddly both satisfied and uncomfortable from all the mutilated goblins that she encountered while scavenging for supplies to bring back to her barn.

Pulling a small wagon behind her on the dirt road, one that she had filled with healing herbs, food and blankets, Vivi stood in the middle of an eerily quiet intersection; surrounded by dying fires and macabre sights, as she stared off past the fading smoke and out toward the direction of the village's main entrance. '… I don't understand how or why that spirit is fighting for you… But then again, you made it blatantly obvious that neither did you…'

'… There's nothing more right now that I hate right now than the cruel fact that you're the one who's having to put yourself in danger like this; even just the thought of losing you shudders me to my core,' Vivi lamented, as she lowered her head down with tears softly dripping down from the corners of her watery eyes. "Ren… Wherever you are… Please… Please, just… Just don't die; p-please…"

Outside the crumbling walls of the devastated village, two of the forty goblins who were posted outside its main gate; both small creatures were screaming profanities at each other, while standing over the slaughtered sheep that they were arguing over. Pulling out their small knives and threatening to slay one another, the green humanoid creatures were moments away from lunging at one another. That's when the two of them froze in fear, as they heard the lumbering steps of their superior coming toward them.

Screeching in fear, both goblins tried abandoning the sheep for the sake of protecting their own lives, but that's when one of them was lifted up by their neck. Cowering, the surviving goblin fled the scene; leaving the other impish creature at the mercy of the annoyed and hungry hobgoblin. Standing at six feet tall, the muscular and fatty monster sneered at the screaming goblin whose throat he had in his hand. "… You annoying little shit… I'm gonna give you something to scream about, whelp," the hobgoblin said in his native tongue, before opening his vile mouth as wide as his jaw could manage.

Knowing what was to come, the goblin pleaded for its pathetic life as the larger creature shoved the top of its head into his gaping maw. Like a feral creature, the goblin could only helplessly kick and claw at the hobgoblin's massive hand, as it felt his jagged and rotting teeth crushing its forehead. Soon enough, the goblin's screams came to a sudden halt as the hobgoblin then chomped down on its forehead, biting off its entire frontal lobe, before spitting it out on the ground.

Cackling sadistically, the hobgoblin grinned a bloody smile at the seizing creature in its hand; shaking it back-and-forth like a doll before tossing it aside like a piece of trash. "Haha! Ah! There, much better! Now, now, now…! Where did that other little shit g-GUWAH?!" The hobgoblin shouted out with more surprise in his voice than pain, as he stumbled back from how hard the sudden arrow had penetrated his left eyeball.

Rolling back with the momentum, the veteran war chief instinctively got low to the ground to grab the mutilated sheep. Using the slaughtered lamb as a makeshift shield, the hobgoblin began barking out orders to his small army of three-foot pillagers; alerting them that they were under attack, and that they were to find where the archer had shot the arrow from within the burning village. Using his one good eye while taking cover behind their large wagon full of supplies and armaments, the hobgoblin managed to protect himself from where the second arrow was fired using the wool and flesh of his makeshift shield.

"Gotcha, fodder… NORTHWEST! THE ARCHER IS NORTHWEST!" The hobgoblin shouted from the top of his lungs, as he threw the dead sheep aside to begin rummaging for what he needed from their own previously gathered supplies. As his small army of reinforcements flooded through the main gate to begin searching for their hidden assailant, the war chief ripped the arrow out of his eye socket; howling furiously as his optic nerve made a loud snap, the moment his eye came out with the arrow still embedded through its obsidian tip.

"Damn humans… There's always one that tries to be a hero… No matter, they'll die just like the rest of their soft-tender kin," the hobgoblin muttered cynically to himself, as he popped the cork of a minor health potion before gulping down its red-substance. Letting out a sigh of relief as the pain from his eye socket slowly disappeared, the hobgoblin could feel his missing eye growing back slowly as he began arming himself with his own personal gear that he had brought along.

"… And here I thought we were only up against a pathetic lot of spineless farmers, ripped for the picking," the hobgoblin mused to himself, as his frustration slowly grew into excitement. Arming himself with a large rectangular shield, a durable black falchion, and makeshift suit of crimson-steel armor that he had fashioned from the unfortunate adventurer who had underestimated the strength of his clan of goblins.

Firing the second to last arrow he had left in his quiver blindly into the direction that his servant had ordered him to, the boy felt his body sweating purposely as he heard the battle cries of the remaining thirty goblins spinning toward his location. "They're coming… Are you sure this plan will work, Dame Knight…?" The boy asked quietly with an unnerved expression on his face, as he got up from the haystack he had been taking cover behind, before sneaking off into the deceased village chief's bloodied two-story home.

"Have faith in me, child. Has my strength and sense of battle direction not proven itself worthy to you?" The white-haired knight asked rhetorically within the boy's consciousness, as the many small footsteps of the incoming goblins drew closer, and closer. Waiting until they were on the other side of the dirt road that separated the village elder's ransacked home and the burned down cottage where the goblins were swarming through, the servant ordered the boy to draw his last arrow and take aim at the closest goblin within their vicinity.

'This has to work… Please let this work,' the boy thought with his heart racing, as he held his breath before firing the arrow at an unsuspecting goblin, who like every other one had been investigating the wrong property. Remaining still as his sweaty fingers held the grip of his scavenged bow, the boy swallowed back the lump in his throat as all of the goblins across the street turned their attention away from the deceased creature, and all directly on him. There was a moment of calmness that was shattered with a collective shrill cry from the goblins, as they immediately began sprinting toward what they figured to be easy prey.

Following the voice in his head, the boy was scrambling back into the two-story home of their village elder, who lay dead next to his mutilated family within their bloodied-defiled living room. Careful not to trip on any of their dismembered limbs or parts, the boy walked through the thick piles of dry compost that his servant had ordered him to pour through out the floors of the home; an act that was only made doable, due to the village elder having been stockpiling the previous fertilizing material for their crops.

Picking up a decorative boat-in-a-bottle from where the elder's living room table was at, the boy chucked it at first goblin who stormed into house; enraging it, so as to cause the vile creature to rally up the forces of its kin to chase up through the compost, and up the stairs leading to second story. Having a difficult time treading upstairs with the sounds of cackling several feet behind him, the boy narrowly avoided being grappled by the hordes of goblins as he tossed himself into the mostly clean bedroom that once housed the elder and his wives.

Skidding across the wooden floorboards, the boy immediately scrambled up on his feet toward the window; a sight that swayed the attention of the goblins away from the lit candle that had been resting loosely on the edge of the opened door that had been kicked upon the boy diving through the door frame. With how carelessly the goblins had been rampaging through the dried compost, none of them had even thought of anything suspicious due to having been tunnel-visioned on getting their hands on the boy; and planned oversight that cost all thirty creatures' their lives, as their nitrate-oxide covered bodies were all engulfed in an inferno.

Feeling the heat of the flames from within the burning home blowing against his back, the boy dived out of the opened window and felt his stomach turning as he descended down onto the haystack that his servant had earlier commanded him to strategically move near the front of the two-story cottage; letting out a grunt, as he safely landed onto the soft pile of dry pile of straws. Rolling over on his back, the boy got up onto his feet while basking in the orange light of the blazing fire within the village elder's home; watching with his heart racing and his fingers tightened around the handle of his dagger as goblins who were engulfed in flames scurried out of the inferno.

"The use of improvised explosives, such as this "dust bomb" I've shown you how to utilize, aren't normally used by those who've taken to the code of chivalry; such methods would be seen as too underhanded and destructive for most knights to use, especially those who are members of the legendary "Round Table"," the servant explained in a stoic voice, as the boy watched as each goblin who had managed to escape the initial blast of fire dropped dead onto the front yard; one-by-one, they felt. "… Fortunately for us, a child such as yourself in such a desperate situation isn't hindered by any code of honor. Now… Let's see what you can from their bodies to help us prepare for the final stretch; the fire is a beacon that will surely call upon the hobgoblin."

"Yes, Dame Knight…" The boy muttered with a shaken look on his cut-up and dirty face, as he cautiously yet swiftly approached each and every scorched goblin corpse that had managed to escape the destructive fire within the house before him. 'There's a chance that they could either just be in shock, or are pretending to be dead… I better ensure that they're really dead, before I got searching them,' the boy thought to himself, while doing his best to desensitize himself to the gruesome act of repeatedly scrambling the melted brains of each corpse; reminding himself of what dirty deed done by the dead goblins around him.

With the hobgoblin still within her two-hundred meter radius of detection, the white-haired knight instructed the boy what to take with him, and what to leave behind; centering his limited arsenal around the strategy of battling against an already durable-tanky monster who was dawning high-defense gear. Due to the lack of invisible strength that goblins had, none of them carried any two-handed weapons that would have been able to combat an armor-plated opponent; something that the servant figured to not be too much of a loss, as she herself doubted that the ten year-old boy would have been able to use such weaponry efficiently, even with his enhanced strength and abilities that her presence alone was providing him.

"The hobgoblin is the last enemy you must face… He's closing in, and is armed with a basic long-shield, suit of modified armor made out of a material I'm unfamiliar with, and is carrying a sturdy falchion. He will undoubtedly be your most formidable opponent… And it seems as though none of the gear laid out for us would do anything against him," the servant said with a mildly frustrated tone in her voice, after realizing that the goblins who had came after there were only equipped with iron daggers, wooden clubs and jury-rigged bows with brittle-obsidian arrowheads.

Disheartened while already being in an extremely stressful situation, the boy disappointingly dropped the blacksmith-hammer that he had looted from the goblin corpse by his feet, as he began scanning his clouded surroundings for any strategic vantage points. "Tch, ngnhh…! Damn it…! It's not like I can run away from that thing; not without risking the possibility of him running into the barn…! Is there even anything that I can do against something that hobgoblin, if he's got good gear?!" The boy asked with an exasperated tone, while tensing up as he heard the distant sound of heavy footsteps rapidly approaching him, over the creaking sounds that the burning house was making behind him.

"Anything is possible, child; don't be disheartened… But with that being said… The odds certainly are stacked against you in such a match up. However, we still have one option that we have up our sleeves," the servant said with an unphased voice, which seemed to somewhat ease the boy's mind. "Go grab that bow and quiver of arrows over there, I have an idea," the white-haired servant instructed; much to the confusion of the boy, who regardless of his own reservations still made his way over to where she wanted him to go.

"I… I thought I heard you mention that none of the weapons here would be able to penetrate his defenses," the boy mentioned nervously, as he immediately slung the quiver over his small chest; equipping the makeshift wooden bow in his right hand, as he sprinted around the burning house to take cover from behind the blazing structure's blinding light.

"You heard correctly, boy. But you're not going to use that bow to kill him; you're going to use it to lead the hobgoblin away from the refugees… Back to where their war wagon is parked, just outside the village's entrance," the white-haired servant instructed, before beginning to feed more commands to the young boy, who was completely trusting his life within her guiding hands.

Storming closer toward the stacking black smoke that his nocturnal vision had spotted since his sensitive ears had first heard the sound of sudden combustion taking place where he had ordered his goblin army to search. From behind his elongated visor that was built into his crimson-metal helmet, the hobgoblin inhaled the crispy-aroma of blistered and scorched goblin flesh; causing the enraged creature to drool hungrily, while growling in disdain. "Smells like dried cow shit and cooked meat… Must have been a trap devised by the archer," the war chief guessed to himself, before finding himself coming to a slow stop once he reached the ruined house that was across the dirt-road from the burning house that had led him there in the first place.

Raising his large shield in front of him, the hobgoblin cautiously approached the front yard of the crumbling structure in flames; unable to detect the smell of humans nearby, over the overwhelming stretches in the immediate vicinity. "Fools… All of you… I knew you were all pathetic excuses for soldiers; always prioritizing getting your little dicks wet, over what was truly important," the hobgoblin muttered bitterly, as he raised his armored foot over the head of one burned goblin, before stomping down at turning its skull into a pile of disintegrating ashes.

"Heh… No matter. I'll slay the rest of the humans here myself; including that archer… Man, woman, child; it makes no difference. I'll take the spoils for myself, and find more humans to breed with later," the battle-hungry goblin mused to himself, as he tightened his grip around the leather handle of his falchion; a smirk growing behind his helmet, as his ears detected the sound of footsteps from the ruined house he had passed by behind him. "… Found you," the hobgoblin muttered triumphantly under his foul breath, as he spun around on one heel just in time to block the arrow that he knew was coming for him; after hearing the pluck of the draw string when it was released.

Parrying the arrow by bashing it with his large shield, the hobgoblin let out a war cry as he looked through the eye-slits of his helmet; glaring vengefully at the ten-year old boy who was staring back at him with an anxious expression on his blood and dirt stained face. "RAGH! That's the last mistake you'll ever make, HUMAN!" The hobgoblin roared out, before using his powerful legs to carry him quickly toward the retreating child.

Having expected the chase to be extremely short-lived, the hobgoblin was genuinely surprised to see how fast the child he was chasing was able to run ahead of him; always just a few meters out of reach of his black-steel blade. 'Is this even a human child that I'm chasing?! I don't see pointy ears, or anything like that! Is this some sort of spell it's casting?!' The hobgoblin thought suspiciously to himself, as the two of them ran through the burned-down ruins of one cottage.

Chasing the child through what had once been a living room, the hobgoblin stumbled after the boy had suddenly spun around to throw fire a perfectly aimed arrow directly into the small slit of his helmet; the arrowhead blocking his few, which gave the boy an opportune time to run slightly more ahead of the enraged hobgoblin. "That little fucker…! I'm gonna kill it… I'M GONNA KILL THAT LITTLE SHIT!" The rampaging hobgoblin thought, as he snapped the arrow's wooden base off in his armored hand, failing to remove the piece of sharpened obsidian that his fingers were too big to properly pull out from where it had gotten lodged.

Lunging forward with his falchion in hand, the hobgoblin was moments away from cleaving his blade into the skull of the boy, but was foiled when the ten-year old suddenly slammed the front door shut behind him; causing the armored hobgoblin to be covered in splintered soot, as he stumbled out onto the burned grass of the abandoned front yard. The brief moment of losing his balance was all the boy needed to fire three arrows into the eye-slit of the hobgoblin's helmet; causing the furious creature to scream in annoyance, while obscuring more of his already limited vision.

'One hit… All I need to do is get one hit in, and it'll all be over for that little human…! No matter how skilled it is, it's still a weak-little child; so breakable,' the hobgoblin thought with determination in his head, as he tried to regain his composure while raising his shield up to protect him, as he began chasing the boy out through the large-stone archway that served as the village's only entrance and exit. Assuming that the child was going to try to run away from him, the hobgoblin dropped the shield and falchion in his hand.

'Your luck runs out, human… And look at that! It's heading straight for the wagon; where my light ballista is… Good luck trying to lift it, human,' the hobgoblin thought victoriously to himself; a crooked smile spreading across its vile lips, as he watched as the boy tried his best to pick up the aforementioned artillery.

With how heavy the two-handed projectile weapon weighed, which didn't even include how much strength it took to reload it with one of the many bolts that were stored within the leather straps attached to the base of its stock, the boy quickly gave up on trying to use the armor-piercing weapon as he heard the metal plating of the hobgoblin's armor clanging against one another. "Crap…!" The boy muttered under heavy breath, as he quickly began desperately searching for an alternative item he could use.

With seconds left to spare, the boy used his dagger to tear through the massive burlap sack that was closest to him, and grabbed a handful of random consumables before leaping off of the wagon; just in time to avoid being grabbed by the lunging hobgoblin.

Determined to skewer the child and leave him to die a painful death, the hobgoblin only gave chase once he had retrieved his ballista from where the boy had been digging around through his deceased army's assorted goods. "That's right, human… Run away from me! RUN, AND DIE LIKE A COWARD!" The hobgoblin roared out through his helmet, as he loaded a bolt before taking aim through the weapon's iron sights; locking onto the boy, who had stopped in the middle of the field to take aim at him, using the last arrow he had left from his quiver.

What was meant to be a quick process to align the shot ended up becoming nearly impossible with the four arrowheads obscuring his vision. Frustrated to the point that he was growing increasingly less concerned with his own sense of preservation, the hobgoblin swore in his native tongue as he swiftly pulled his crimson helmet off before throwing it on the ground near his boots. 'Enough of this… It ends here,' the war chief thought cynically to himself, before quickly taking aim and firing a bolt straight into the boy's center of mass; impaling him in the side of his abdomen, while flinching as he heard the drawstring of the boy's bow pluck one last time.

'… Eh? With how well that boy's been firing his shots, I thought he'd land his shot… And yet here I am, unharmed,' the hobgoblin thought to himself with a sense of relief, after having checked his ugly face for any wounds that he might have sustained. Grinning victoriously, the war chief chuckled sinisterly as he began loading another bolt while marching over to where he had last seen the boy's body, before it fell into the obscuring tall grass. "Hehehehe…! The same will not be said for you, human child… Far be it," the hobgoblin spoke sinisterly out loud, while thinking of spots where he could shoot the ten year-old, just to prolong his suffering.

Drawing closer, the hobgoblin savored the sickly smell of copper in the air as looked over the boy's bleeding body; cackling to himself, as he used his leg to part the tall blades of grass, so as to allow him a better visual of where he could shoot the boy. Thinking that he had already won, the hobgoblin's arrogance was what the boy had been counting on.

Quickly with stamina and agility that the lumbering creature wouldn't have thought possible from someone like him, the boy rolled backwards from the blood-soaked mud he had been laying on; throwing his dagger skillfully mid-roll toward the flinching hobgoblin. Clenching his jaw shut tightly, the boy felt his heart skipping a beat the moment he heard the firing mechanism of his opponent's rifle-ballista going off; sighing in relief, as the bolt never left from the hobgoblin's heavy weapon.

Confused as to why his bolt never shot, it was then that the hobgoblin realized that the boy hadn't been aiming for his body when he threw the knife at him. Instead, the ten-year old had managed to successfully cut the draw-string of the ballista before the firing mechanism could allow the tension to launch the bolt out. 'Sneaky little bastard! How the hell did that human even… I-Impossible…!' The hobgoblin's thought with a gasp escaping his parted lips, as his eyes drew away from the empty glass vial on the grass that laid next to an eaten apple core; gazing up in confusion and shock at the boy, who was standing up right with a menacing arm-sword attached to his forearm.

Taking a practice swing, the boy watched with a cold look on his dusty-rose eyes as the hobgoblin took a fearful step back away from him, as soon as the arm-sword's silver blade became enveloped in a bright cyan-light. "… I never knew that apples could replenish mana before, but then again, I never knew I had mana in me to begin with… I guess that makes sense why witches are obsessed with them, even though the effect they have is minor…" The boy spoke out loud for his servant to hear, before narrowing his eyelids as he raised his servant's powerful sword up toward the intimated hobgoblin. "Your kind wouldn't have use for mana-potions, so it would have been wishful thinking hoping that you'd have what I'd need to end you…"

"… Three-hundred and forty-six. That's the number of goblins that your army was made up of, and now they're all gone. So that only begs the question, huh jerk?" The boy asked rhetorically in a voice that sounded menacing for what a ten year-old was capable of producing. "… Who's left to save you from what I'm about to do to you?" The boy asked in a vengeful tone, before leaping forward into the air; thrusting the sword straight into the hobgoblin's head, before he had a chance to counter the boy's attack by grabbing him mid-air.

Screeching in agony as the left side of his brain was pierced with the energy-infused blade, the hobgoblin managed to shoulder bash the boy away. Howling ferally, the hobgoblin immediately went into "flight-or-fight" mode, and with his remaining brain cells his body chose to flee towards where he had dropped his helmet. 'Braaaainnn hurrrrrtttttt… Meeetal on muh heaaaddduhhh…' The hobgoblin's damaged brain thought to itself, as he limped as quickly as he could toward where he last remembered dropping the helmet; completely flabbergasted and panicked upon discovering that it had moved.

With a slowed reaction speed, it didn't dawn on the hobgoblin that the boy had shot his arrow at his helmet earlier; purposely making it roll underneath the nearby wagon, as it was all a part of the servant's grand scheme. Due to the apple only having provided enough mana for the boy to use his servant's weapon for a few brief moments, he took advantage of the hobgoblin's slowed movements and caused by his brain damage.

Too exhausted to give a long-winded speech, all the strength that the boy had left inside of his aching muscles and sore body was reserved for his finishing move for the night. Wielding the hobgoblin's dropped falchion with both of his hands, the boy let out a defiant battle cry as he sprinted toward the incoherent monster. Sliding underneath the hobgoblin's massive arm, as the monster attempted to use what reflexes he had left to defend himself, the boy dodged the attack before springing up from the ground.

Leaping up six feet into the air with his black-sturdy blade held over his shoulders and behind his upper back, the boy let out another battle cry as he swung the falchion down as hard as he could; using his downward momentum and enhanced abilities to bury the blade deep into the top of the hobgoblin's head. Having cleaved the hobgoblin's entire skull and jawbone into two, similar to the way someone with an axe would chop a wooden log, the boy released his grip from the handle in order to free his hands.

Diving downward to roll along the ground to break his fall, the boy stumbled up to his feet and spun around with his heart racing inside of his heavy-breathing chest; his dusty-rose eyes gazing as the still body of the armored hobgoblin seized up, before plopping down onto the ground like a rag-doll. "We… Ngh…! W-We did it…! We a-actually did it, ahhh…!" The boy gasped out with sweat pouring down every inch of his body, as he hunched over with his hands gripping his burning thighs; his mouth and throat were both dried, as the thought of drinking a cool cup of water sounded divine to the exhausted youth.

"I… I have to admit, child: you exceeded my expectations. But it takes a certain kind of talent to accomplish the orders I've been giving you; perhaps there's more to you than I thought," the white-haired knight mused with a intrigued tone in her voice, as she watched from a third-person ominent view as the boy tried taking a step forward, before suddenly collapsing underneath his fatigued legs. "Your sister and the rest of the survivors will undoubtedly search for you and the rest of the village once they feel safe enough to do so… In the meantime, I understand that you're tired, and you certainly have earned your right to rest…"

"… But not yet, child. There's a chance that they won't be able to find you out in the tall grass. Your last order is to crawl for me, boy; crawl towards the main archway, so that they may find you and administer care to you as swiftly as possible," the white-haired servant commanded with some empathy in her voice, as she watched with anticipation as the boy reached out with one hand.

Digging his fingertips into the dirt, the boy could only whimper in pain and discomfort as he pulled himself over twenty meters out of the tall grass; the muscles in his arms feeling as though they were on fire throughout the entire ten-minute endeavor. It was only once he had dragged himself through the dirt did the boy's body finally give out to absolute exhaustion; succumbing to it, as he laid face-down on the ground, as the last raging fire within the village began dying out.

Having given every ounce of strength in his body, the ten year-old boy skin was covered in a cold sweat, as his abdomen where he had gotten shot radiated with sore-pain; the minor healing potion had only done so much, and with his adrenaline running dry it wouldn't be long until the agony of his somewhat healed injuries forced him into unconsciousness.

Closing his heavy eyelids shut as his mind began to drift, the boy couldn't help but to wonder why he was suddenly hallucinating the sight of a young petite woman with long-auburn hair, sinking down into an endless ocean with oxygen and light fleeting from her limp body. Not being able to stay lucid long enough to come up with his own conclusion, the boy fell into a dream-like state as he became unconscious within several seconds.

"…Before me stands the "Holy Grail". I slowly extend my hand and place it on the core of the "Moon Cell"."

"… The instant I make contact with it, I am drawn inside the Holy Grail… To be more accurate, I am absorbed into it like water being absorbed into a sponge."

"… In the short time before I'm erased from existence, my consciousness is immersed into the Moon Cell… I can see everything that exists within it: every day piece of information, every observation, every conclusion."

"… The sheer volume of information and ideas stored in the Moon Cell forms an intricate collage that no human could decipher, though I sense a pattern… And throughout humanity's peaceful stagnation and wars that bring forth its eventual destruction, the Moon Cell will continuously and silently record what it sees; all without ever taking action."

"… But now is not the time to get emotional; I must tell the Holy Grail what my wish is."

"… "Input Complete"."

"… "Corrupt system data: Unable To Process Input"? "Error: System Failure. Execution Override. Restarting System"? That… That cannot be correct… Why didn't that work? Was this… Was this all for naught? A cruel ending to wipe the slate clean? Were all my struggles truly meaningless in the end?"

"… I can feel myself breaking apart into virtual particles; scattered into a bleak empty void around me, as the bright water-like environment I found myself in is deleted within an instant. Complete annihilation, and yet I remain slowly breaking apart, piece-by-piece…"

"… It's cold. I'm so cold… Is this what it's like to die? I thought I would have been more accepting of my sacrifice, but as I see my consciousness fragmenting into photonics particles, my memories begin to die with them."

"… I wanted to die remembering them during my final moments… Nero… Tamamo… Archer… Gilgamesh… BB… It's getting harder and harder with each passing moment to remember their faces. What… What relation did I even have with them? Who are they, and… Where am I? What is this…?"

"… "Searching Directory"…? "No Host Found: Searching Multiversal Database"…? "Host Located: Connecting to Host"…? "Peer-To-Peer Connection Established: Data Transfer Initiated"…?!"

"What…? What does any of that mean? W-Why is my head hurting?! It hurts so much…! Is there anyone there?! W-Why isn't anyone answering me…? Please, I'm… I'm scared; I don't know where I am! It's so hard to think with all this static in my head!"

"… Such despair."

"… If anyone can hear me… Please… Please help me if you can."

Chapter Text

After a night of deep sleep and dreams that felt too real to be excused as fabricated thoughts that his tired mind had pieced together after his fight, the ten year-old boy was stirred awake by a cautious finger repeatedly tapping against the tip of his nose. "Guh…?! What the hell is- Oh," the boy muttered with a perplexed and annoyed tone in his groggy voice, as he found himself looking up into a curious pair of large apricot-colored eyes that belonged to the red-headed child kneeling down beside his head.

"Good morning, "Goblin Slayer"! Mother Mary told me to get you up out of bed; so that's what I came here to do!" The chipper six-year old announced with a bombastic smile across her soft-pink lips, while beginning to suddenly rub her small fingers across the confused and tired boy's face.

Frowning and feeling grump, the boy narrowed his eyes as he watched as she gazed intriguingly down on him with a sense of curiosity and wonderment on her face. "What are you even- k-knock it off already!" The agitated boy snapped with a flustered look on his face, as he brushed the girl's small hand away from, before immediately sitting up from the bedding he had been laying on.

Pouting her bottom lip out with an amused look in her eye, the red-headed girl chuckled to herself as she scooted herself closer toward the boy, so that she was kneeling down directly beside him on his right-side. "You're kind of a grumpy kid, ain't ya? That's okay, I think I would be in a bad mood too if I smelt as badly as you did, haha!" The girl giggled, as she pinched her nose shut playfully to gesture to how badly the boy stunk from the previous night.

Before the boy could think of a comeback, it was then that he was reminded of the fact that his mind had an unexpected stowaway within it. "Normally, a child as free-spoken as her should be reminded what her place is with a swift, but fair, smack on the rear… However, I don't think such a disciplinary action would be appropriate if you were the one to deliver it… That, and she very much has a valid point: you are in need of a bath, child," the white-haired knight spoke within his consciousness; causing the boy to suddenly become self conscious of how filthy he was.

'Wait?! I'm STILL wearing these crappy clothes?! Ugh, I feel disgusting right now…!' The boy thought to himself with a distraught expression forming on his blushing face, as one purposeful whiff of his bloodied and compost-covered shirt caused his eyes to begin watering up slightly. "Aw man, this sucks… Wait, hold on a sec…" The boy muttered quietly to the girl beside him, as he shifted his gaze from the green blanket that had been covering his lower body, before beginning to take notice of the large room that he had awoken in.

Cramped with similar beddings that took were placed neatly around the crowded bunk beds that were placed in rows within the large room he was in, the only indications that the boy had to know that he was safe were the religious artwork placed onto the white-painted walls he was surrounded by, along with various furniture that was meant to be a resting area over by a dedicated corner of the room he was in.

With his surroundings brightly illuminated from the white-light radiating from the small glass-blown lanterns strung up together across the ceiling above— a unique phenomena and decoration that the boy had never seen before in his life— he was able to recognize some of the more catatonic children as those who hr had rescued the night prior. "… Hey kid, uhh… What, umm… What is this place?" The boy asked curiously, while trying his best to reaccounts the moments from last night, before he had passed out from exhaustion.

Giving the boy a double take, as if though she wasn't sure whether or not he was joking with her not, the six year-old girl blinked a few times at him before smiling once again. "Hehe! Oh, wow…! You sound like you've never been to an orphanage before; must be nice, huh?!" The amused girl with red hair asked, which caught the already confused boy off guard.

'Crap… That came out wrong,' the boy thought to himself with a single sweat drop appearing on the side of his sore cheek, as he lowered the tops of his eyelids while turning to face back towards the young girl. "T-That's not what I meant…! Besides, my parents are gone too, so it's not like all that much different from anyone else here," the boy argued in a quiet voice, while the six year-old continued to grin happily at him.

"Pffftt! Yeah, okay; sure! Let's go with that, haha! Cause every kid in this joint defeated an army of goblins on their own too; totally relatable, hehe!" The girl snickered sarcastically while shaking her head to herself, appearing as though she was trying to calm herself down. "Hehe, ahhhh… Anyway "Stinky", let's get you up and at 'em'! Imma take you to the church's bathhouse and let you wash all that crap off of ya, mmkay?" The girl said enthusiastically, as she stood up from the floor and while fixing the knee-high skirt of her beige-colored casual dress, before extending her hand down to offer it to the mildly embarrassed boy.

Unable to argue with the young girl, the young boy begrudgingly took her hand before being caught off guard by how strong the six year-old was for a child her size. Up on his feet within less than a second, the boy turned his head one more time away from the girl to scan his surroundings, before looking back at her with a pair of concerned eyes. "Thanks for the help, uhhh…?"

"Scarlet! Scarlet LeFay!" The red-headed girl introduced herself with a playful bow, as she lifted the sides of her skirt while kneeling down momentarily. "How about you, "Goblin Slayer"? What's your actual name, huh?" Scarlet asked, while receiving a questioning glance from the boy, as he turned his head forward to meet her smiling face once more.

'… That's the second time she's called me that name. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it,' the boy thought to himself and his servant.

"It's a fitting name, "Goblin Slayer"; one that's accurate, might I add," the white-haired servant mused with an approving tone in her voice, while the red-haired girl stared expectantly at her master. "I take it it's your first meaningful title, so my advice to you child is for you to wear it like a badge of honor; after all, there's a lot of power behind a name that's given to you."

'Uh… Okay? If you say so,' Goblin Slayer replied back to his servant within the sanctity of his mind( shaking his head softly, as if to gesture to the confused girl standing before him that he had been lost in thought. "Sorry about that, Scarlet, I was just, uh… Thinking about stuff, that was all," Goblin Slayer apologized with a soft smile across his lips, and watched with relief as the girl's smile returned.

"Yeah, I figured as much, hehe…! I mean… Just look around us, Goblin Slayer: the kids from your village were miserable and weird since they got here," Scarlet mused with an uncomfortable tone in her voice; unable to really grasp the situation thoroughly, but the look on her face made it clear enough that she understood that something horrible took place in the neighboring village. “I mean, granted that’s normal around these parts, but like… I’ve only seen those sorts of faces from those who’ve gone through the worst of the worst.”

"Y-Yeah, it was, uh… It was pretty bad yesterday, actually…" Goblin Slayer muttered back agreeingly, as he felt his stomach turning with dread and disgust; shivering at the mental glimpse he took of all the vile acts he caught the goblins doing with the children, before he could rescue them from their attackers. "But anyway… My name is "Ren Ashta", and my sister's name is "Vivian Ashta", but she goes by "Vivi" for short… Do you think you can help me find her, after we get washed up, Scarlet? You seem pretty familiar with this place," Goblin Slayer mused, after having politely asked Scarlet his question.

Instead of giving him an immediate response, the red haired child grabbed him by the hand; giving it a reassuring squeeze, before walking through the aisles of bunk-beds and floor-laid bedding, to where the stairs that would lead them upstairs were located on the opposite side of the large-crowded room. "Heh! Yeah, of course; I'll help you find her later, for sure!" Scarlet replied happily, as she and Goblin Slayer got up to the top-step of the stairs; walking into a medium-sized room that was decorated to be a reading area that led into the church's white-painted hallway.

Escorted through the halls of the chapel, Goblin Slayer had passed through the busy kitchen within the back of the holy building; getting a glimpse at all the nuns and clerics preparing ingredients for what smelt like beef stew. With his stomach growling, Goblin Slayer did his best to ignore his hunger pains while being led through the main worshiping area by Scarlet, who took him out through the church's front courtyard and around the large white-painted building, until they were in the grassy back area of the chapel.

Walking along the stone pathway toward the several rectangular buildings that were lined up behind the rather impressive village church, Goblin Slayer was explained which buildings were which, before being taken into the children's bathhouse; located directly behind the women's. Before stepping through the heavy-duty wooden door into the windowless white bathhouse, Goblin Slayer managed to realize that the church was built on a medium sized hill that overlooked the entirety of the homes within the walled-off village; including an area down by the river that cut through the village, that had many tent-houses erected near the waterway.

When asking about it, Scarlet told Goblin Slayer that the "tent-city" was where the teenage and adult women refugees from his village had been assigned to sleep; claiming that they were only meant to be temporary housing, until the church could help each and every family get back on their feet. Comforted by the thought of those who he once called his neighbors being taken care of by those who the red-headed girl made to sound benevolent, Goblin Slayer took a glance up at the beautiful blue sky and frowned to himself as he noticed the rising white-smoke from the far distance.

Together, Goblin Slayer and Scarlet were able to fill an empty and smooth wooden tub with enough hot water from the boiling iron vat of liquid that was being magically heated in the corner of the room by a light-purple flame. Handing the boy a wicker basket with a bar of soap, two body towels and a single body scrubber, Scarlet followed Goblin Slayer toward the edge of the bathtub before beginning to pull her raggedy dress off of her petite body; much to the boy's confusion and embarrassment.

Averting his eyes away from her bare chest, the boy's cheeks were immediately turning pink as he raised a hand up to block the corner of his peripheral vision from accidentally catching a peak at the young girl, as she tossed aside her beige-colored dress before beginning to slide her underwear down past her slim thighs. "I… I thought this bath was intended for me?" Goblin Slayer asked nervously, and let out an uncomfortable whine as soon as he heard Scaret's loosened panties fall to the linoleum floor.

Liberated from her clothes, Scarlet tilted her head with a confused smile on her face as she saw just how prudish the boy was being with her. "Yeah, it was! But I thought it would make sense if we could both get cleaned up before breakfast! Hope that isn't a problem; cause you're sure acting like it is…!" Scarlet said half-jokingly, while laughing to herself as she climbed up the step-stool that was placed beside the large tub of hot water, before easing herself inside. "Ahhhh…! Come on in; the water is fine!"

Reluctant to join the eager girl in the bath water, was thinking about making an excuse as to why he couldn't hop into the water with her, but it was then that his servant once again intruded his thoughts. "Why do you hesitate, child? You are an extension of me, and shouldn't feel intimidated by another child that's even smaller than you are… You had no problem running head-on into groups of disgusting goblins; I don't understand how this is a problem for you," the white-haired knight mused; making the boy feel all that much more self-conscious about the situation than he already was.

'It's weird, okay! This is WAY different from last night!' Goblin Slayer protested internally, while slowly lowering his hand from the side of his face. 'This might not be as bad as fighting a bunch of goblins, but like… I don't know! She's a girl, and I've never even seen a girl naked before— not even my own sister by accident— so…! Yeah…! It's weird,' Goblin Slayer repeated himself within his thoughts, as he continued to avoid looking at Scarlet while clumsily taking off his dirty garments of clothing as quickly as he could.

"You're overthinking this, child… Just get in the water and wash the filth off of your body. And remember to make do with the niceties; you cannot afford to burn your bridge with her," his servant reminded, after having become disinterested in her master's personal struggles.

'Uh… Yes, Dame Knight,' Goblin Slayer replied silently to his white-haired knight, before gathering up the courage to climb up the step stool. Sinking his exposed body into the pool of hot water, it took Goblin Slayer time to slowly adjust to the heat of the bathtub before finally letting out a sigh of contentment. "Ahhh… That's much better…" Goblin Slayer muttered with his eyelids closed softly, as he rested his back against the opposite side of the tub where Scarlet was seated.

Splashing around as she got up from her spot, Scarlet chuckled amusingly to herself as she wadded over to the center of the bathtub. "Hehe, hey Goblin Slayer, you forgot to bring the basket up here," the young girl announced to the relaxed boy, as she leaned over the edge of the wooden tub to pick the wicker basket up off of the floor; wiggling her hips to splash around more in the hot water, before pulling the wicker basket up and setting it on the edge of the wooden tub.

Frowning slightly with his brows furrowing downward, the boy opened one eyelid out of curiosity of why the girl was making so much noise in the water, before immediately shutting his eyelid closed; after accidentally getting an eyeful of her little round bottom as she turned around to make her way back to her spot with a bar of soap and a small pink-colored scrubber. "… I don't understand why you keep calling me that, Scarlet. I already told you my name, didn't I?" Goblin Slayer asked rhetorically, before begrudgingly leaning forward to begin getting the top of his head wet.

Shrugging her small shoulders while getting the luffa suddy, Scarlet continued to rub the bar of soap against the pink scrubbing fabric before leaning forward to hand the bar over to him. "Sorry about that, it's just that the name sounded really cool when I heard Mother Mary talking about you earlier," Scarlet explained after apologizing half-heartedly, while watching curiously with an intrigued look in her apricot-colored eyes as Goblin Slayer began to scrub his somewhat messy hair with the bar of soap.

Arching an eyebrow while still keeping his eyelids shut, Goblin Slayer submerged his head into the hot water before coming back up for air; his light-brown hair obscuring his eyes, as he let out a concerned sigh. "A nun was talking about me…? Is that…? Is that a bad thing?" He asked quietly in a low voice, to which Scarlet shook her head playfully at.

"No, not at all! Mother Mary was talking a bunch of good stuff about you; about how blessed and stuff everyone in your village were that you were there to save them," Scarlet replied enthusiastically, while softly scrubbing the luffa in circular motions against her flat chest; giggling to herself, as she felt her pink nipples hardening from the strange stimulation she was giving to herself. "You're practically a hero in Londobell! That's the name of our village, by the way; just so you're not confused, hehe!"

"Londobell…?" Goblin Slayer muttered to himself. And while the red-headed girl was absentmindedly playing with her body in the midst of scrubbing the grime off of her skin, her words made him once again think of the horrific sights he had encountered while ridding his village of their green-skinned raiders. "Anyway… I really don't know about all of that, Scarlet… I didn't really end up saving them in time to prevent the goblins from hurting them, so… Not sure if that makes me much of a hero."

Shaking her head lightly at the doubtful boy, Scarlet began scrubbing her head as she watched the frown grow across his soft lips. "You're being too grumpy with yourself…! Just because you didn't do as good as you wanted, doesn't make you any less of a hero in my book…" Scarlet reassured with a slightly smitten smile forming on her blushing cheeks, as she washed the back of her ears and neck. "And besides… From what I overheard last night while I was helping give out blankets to all of the refugees, the women who could talk normally were saying a bunch of good things about you!"

Being too mentally exhausted to argue against Scarlet's comforting words, Goblin Slayer took solace in her eye-witness account of what some survivors from his village had apparently said about him. 'At the end of the day, I guess going through all that terrible crap and being able to eventually recover from it is better than the alternative…' Goblin Slayer mused to himself, as he softly opened his eyelids; letting out a quiet sigh of relief, once he realized that he couldn't see Scarlet's bare body through the soapy surface of the water she was mostly submerged in. "Thanks… That actually kind of made me feel a little bit better."

Nodding her head with a sweet and excitable smile across her pink lips, Scarlet's hand breached out of the surface of hot water to give Goblin Slayer a small thumbs up. "Good! There's already enough sad kids here as it is, Goblin Slayer; no need for you to be one of them, hehe, eh…" The red-headed girl said half-jokingly; her smile diminishing a bit, as she and the boy sitting across from her both took a moment to read the room around them.

Tightening his frown after seeing most kids taking baths around him being either catatonic or sobbing to themselves quietly, Goblin Slayer exchanged uneasy glances with Scarlet before letting out an elongated sigh under his breath. "Yeah, no kidding…" The boy muttered quietly with a sympathetic look in his dusty-rose colored eyes. "It seems so miserable here… How are you so upbeat, compared to everyone else?"

Shrugging her shoulders again while her lips relaxed into a soft smile, Scarlet thought about her answer before finally knowing that to say. "I dunno; I never really thought about it before, but… I think knowing that this isn't forever, and that there's more outside of this orphanage really gives me something to look forward to when I grow up! Like, I really,REALLY want to join the "Adventurers' Guild" when I turn thirteen!" She said with an enthusiastic tone in her cute voice, as she watched curiously as Goblin Slayer began using the bar of soap to wash his body underneath the surface of the bubbly water.

Curious as to what she was talking about, Goblin Slayer raised an intrigued brow at her before asking her "What's the "Adventurers' Guild"?"

Letting out an over dramatic gasp, Scarlet's eyes shot wide open as she covered her gaped mouth with one hand, before slowly lowering it back underneath the water. "Are you being serious right now…?! How the heck haven't you heard of the Adventurers' Guild?! They're the guys who the King puts in charge of with giving out quests and rewards; and don't tell me you haven't at least heard of what an "adventurer" is…!"

"Uh, no; I know what an "adventurer" is… My best friend and I pretend that we're adventurers whenever we play together. Or at least we used to; not so sure if she's ever going to move back to the frontier. once her uncle finds out what happened to our village," Goblin Slayer spoke aloud to himself, more so than to Scarlet, while silently being thankful that his best friend hadn't been there during the goblin raid. "But to answer your question, ummm… I… I've never really left my village before, so aside from books I've never really known much outside of farm-life, so… I guess it never occured to me that being an adventurer was an actual job; sort of just thought that adventurers were all make-believe, and only existed in stories."

Blinking a few times at the boy across from her with a blank look on her face, Scarlet needed a few moments to try to understand Goblin Slayer's logic before finally opening her mouth to speak. "So, like… I'm guessing you believed in goblins before your village got raided by them, so… You're telling me that you were fine believing little green guys who stole and did bad stuff, but you never actually believed that people got paid to go out and slay monsters or bad guys…?" Scarlet asked with a dumbfounded expression, as Goblin Slayer softly shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean… Isn't that why knights and mercenaries exist? To protect the kingdom from threats like that?" Goblin Slayer argued without knowing just how naive he appeared to the younger girl, while silently thinking to himself 'Or at least that's how it's supposed to go… Those crappy guards who were supposed to be guarding the front gate sure did suck at protecting us.'

Taking in a deep and silent breath to fill her small lungs up to their max capacity, Scarlet began to go on a long winded tangent about how important the Adventurer's Guild was to helping the kingdom; stating how the brave adventurers were there to involve themselves in important matters in which the King couldn't spare his stretched-thin army to handle for themselves. Scarlet told Goblin Slayer about how her parents were both adventurers when they were alive, and about how important the guild was to her since her mother and father both sacrificed themselves to close a gate to Hell, back when such a portable had been opened up in the "Mythril Mountains", to the West of the kingdom's capital.

The bath water had gone lukewarm by the time Scarlet's lesson with who the Adventurers' Guild were had come to a closure, and luckily by then both children were properly bathed. It was only when he saw the girl pulling herself out of the wooden tub and an accidental glimpse of her small round cheeks did Goblin Slayer realize something concerning. "… Where are the towels at, Scarlet?" He asked with an embarrassed look coming over his flushed cheeks, as his body remained submerged underneath the surface of the somewhat cold water.

Unashamed of her naked body, but having long since picked up on the fact that Goblin Slayer wasn't used to being exposed in front of others, a mischievous grin grew across Scarlet's pink lips as she turned around to lean herself against the side of the wooden tub where he was still submerged in. "They're hanging outside on a clothesline, Goblin Slayer~…! If you come with me, I'll show you where to get one, hehe…~!" The girl teased with an amused look in her apricot-colored eyes, as her cheeks began to become rosy as she saw the color in Goblin Slayer's face intensify.

"Uh…?! C-Could you just, uh… Go get me one, and bring it back here for me please? I… I don't think it's appropriate for someone my age to be walking around the church grounds without something on," Goblin Slayer said with an anxious look on his face, while feeling his racing heart sink into the bottom of chest as Scarlet shook her head at him in a silly manner.

"No sire, Bob! You've gotta get our towel just like the rest of us here!" Scarlet said with a sassy look on her face, as she pointed a finger towards the blushing boy.

Searching the room for something to cover himself in, it was then that Goblin Slayer noticed that every other child who was sharing the tub with someone else had their towels folded nearby them, on top of the step stools they used to get into the bath water in the first place. "… But everyone else brought a towel with them," Goblin Slayer pointed out nervously, which did nothing to sway Scarlet's insistence.

"Well you ain't one of them, pal! Now come on, you're gonna catch a cold sitting in there like that," Scarlet teased half-jokingly, and waited with an excited look in her amused eyes as Goblin Slayer begrudgingly stood up from the wooden tub; earning a snicker from her, due to him having a hard time getting out of the bath with how he was covering his genitals with both hands.

One walk of shame out of the bathhouse and a few various looks from some of the nuns ranging from shock to intrigument later, Goblin Slayer was brought over to an outdoor laundry area that wasn't too far from where the bathhouses were located. As soon as he finished drying himself, he immediately wrapped the towel around his lower half while waiting impatiently as Scarlet took her sweet time drying herself off; seemingly busting herself with trying to make conversation with him, while barely using the white towel to absorb the dripping water from her bare skin.

Despite having had a good laugh at Goblin Slayer's embarrassment, Scarlet decided to take it easy on the extremely blushing boy once she had her harmless fun at his expense. Wrapping the towel around her body to cover her flat chest and her hairless nether regions, Scarlet had Goblin Slayer follow her back into the church through its back entrance; taking him into a large storage room, before helping him with finding a set of clothes to wear from the donation boxes.

Finding himself a pair of dark-tan trousers, a white t-shirt with medium-length pale-blue sleeves and some underwear, Goblin Slayer made sure to put on a pair of wool socks before sliding his covered feet into a pair of leather boots; tying the laces of his footwear around his shins, before getting up from the wooden floorboards. 'Much better,' the boy thought to himself, as he began using his fingers to comb his wet strands of hair, while making sure to avert his gaze from the girl, until she had finished putting a new dress on her underwear-covered body.

Stretching her arms above her shoulders while smiling brightly, the six year-old girl stared at the dressed boy with an excited gaze in her apricot eyes. "Well, that was probably the most fun I've ever had bathing with someone! Usually the kids I try talking to either ignore me, or act kind of mean. So thanks for putting up with me, Goblin Slayer; you and I are totally gonna be friends now, right?!" Scarlet asked with sparkling glimmer in her hopeful eyes, while Goblin Slayer frowned slightly as his stomach growled quietly.

"What…? Oh, uh… Y-Yeah, that's fine," Goblin Slayer replied with a distracted tone, as he let out a quiet whimper from the hunger pains he was having. "Say, uh… You mentioned something about breakfast earlier, right? Do you think that uh… Maybe you could help me get something to eat, please?"

Nodding her head while winking playfully at the hungry boy, Scarlet walked over to Goblin Slayer before happily taking his hand into hers. "Don't think I forgot about getting you some grub, Goblin Slayer; I bet putting the hurt on all those gross goblins gave you quite the appetite, huh~?" The red-headed six year-old mused playfully, before beginning to once again talk Goblin Slayer's ear off as she led him through the hallways of the church, to where the large banquet area was.

Once inside the spacious room that looked to him to have once been used as a conference area, Goblin Slayer was gobsmacked at the sheer amount of sides that were being served along with the main course: beef stew. With the nuns being in charge of serving portions of food out to the refugees of his villages, along with the natives of Londobell who were all dressed nicely in their church attire, Goblin Slayer took the sight in before being pulled forward by Scarlet, who took him to where the start of the line was.

It was only once he was surrounded and placed into a position where he needed to speak to the curious villagers from Londobell did Goblin Slayer realize just how famous his heroic deeds had made him overnight. Being either constantly met with disbelief and awe from those who couldn't wrap their heads around how a ten year-old was able to seemingly single-handedly defeat an entire goblin raiding party on their own, the novelty of being a small-time celebrity wore off by the time he had finished walking through the serving line.

Beginning to feel claustrophobic from how many villagers were having their communion within the large banquet room, Goblin Slayer told Scarlet that he was going to eat his breakfast outside, to which she told him that she would be eating inside with her two best friends: "Marina" and "Yang". Seeing her two aforementioned friends waving for her at one of the many sofa within the lounging area of the banquet room— one of them being a curvy looking brunette who was beginning to develop her breasts, while the other girl had dark blue hair, and seemed to be more of reserved— Goblin Slayer felt the need to make sure that Scarlet made it safely to where her friends were seated at, before excusing himself past all the adults who hadn't gotten a chance to look at the locally famous child.

The moment Goblin Slayer stepped out of the banquet room, and through the also crowded courtyard, he found himself feeling a weight lifting off of his chest; allowing him to take a deep and therapeutic breath of fresh air in, before finding a nice spot underneath a shaded tree to bring his plate of food over to.

Plopping down near the visible roots of the weeping willow and into a nice soft patch of grass, Goblin Slayer turned positioned himself so that his back was facing toward the direction of the hustling-and-bustling church; staring off down toward the blue river in the distance, where the many tents that were housing his surviving neighbors stood out amongst the beautiful cottages that weren't too far from where they were.

Alone with his own thoughts, Goblin Slayer kept his large plate on his lap while sitting crisscrossed; his frown disappearing the moment he heard a familiar hum coming from behind him. Feeling the air fleeing from his lungs, the boy remained breathless as he listened to the soft footsteps from behind him draw closer, until they came to a stop once they were right beside him. "… V-Vivi?!" Goblin Slayer finally spoke out in a hoarse whisper; filling his breath with the familiar scent of his older sister, as he looked up and over his shoulder to be met with the proudest look he had ever seen on her beautiful and warm face.

"Good morning, Ren; your new little friend told me that you would be out here…! Or, should I start calling you "Goblin Slayer" now too, hmm~?" Vivi asked with a playful tone in her voice, before letting out a soft gasp the moment she noticed the first of many tears beginning to leak out from the corners of her brother's cathartic eyes. Without even having to ask, Vivi could tell that the sight of her safe and well taken care of after the horrific night had triggered the ten year-old who had been trying to suppress the mental fatigue he had been carrying on his small shoulders.

Instead of making a fuse or being overly coddling toward him, Vivi instead made her lips curl back into a comforting smile before carefully taking a seat beside her quietly crying brother. Setting her plate and bowl on top of her lap— with the skirt of her dress protecting her skin from how warm the ceramic dishes were— Vivi wrapped her arm around her brother's back to slowly pull his upper body towards hers; leaning his head against her shoulder, before planting a loving kiss on the top of his head.

Chapter Text

Kneeling down at the edge of the river down past the hill where the massive village church sat on top of, Goblin Slayer stared back at his watery reflection with a distraught look on his scarred face, as he reached up with one hand to carefully trace the healed slash wound that he had gotten from the night prior. 'Look at the bright side… It could have been a lot worse. At least I have all my parts intact; that counts for something, right?' Goblin Slayer mused to himself, before looking further down toward his abdomen.

Pulling up his secondhand shirt, Goblin Slayer's dusty-rose eyes fixated at the large-noticeable scar where he had been shot with a bolt; cringing to himself, as he remembered just how painful it was when he got skewered by the fast-moving projectile. With his mind drifting away from reality, as he recalled more-and-more of the horrors he had bore witness to during that fateful night, Goblin Slayer didn't even realize that his sister was sitting down behind him until he noticed her hand reaching around from behind him.

Feeling her brother flinching as she traced his deep scar with one careful finger, Vivi let out a soft sigh of concern as she peered her head over the top of her younger brother's shoulder to look down at his abdomen. "I… I cleaned you up as much as I could… But I didn't have anything to get rid of those marks on you, Ren. Tell me… Does it still hurt?" Vivi asked quietly near Goblin Slayer's ear, as she couldn't help but to gently massage his abdomen where he had gotten shot.

Letting out a relaxed sigh as he felt his older sister resting her chin on top of his shoulder, the boy couldn't help but to smile fondly as he enjoyed how closely Vivi was pressing her warm body against his from behind; giving him the same peace of mind that a normal child his age would get from a security blanket. "No… No, it doesn't… Not anymore, at least," Goblin Slayer said in a reassuring voice, as the last thing he wanted for his beloved sister was for her to worry about him, on top of everything else she was dealing with.

Having very little coin to her name, with nothing more than a few bits of silver and copper she kept inside her flowery coin pouch, Vivi, much like everyone else from her destroyed village, had very little means for outright buying a new life for herself and little brother. Although the church she had come to volunteer at since she arrived there the night prior was providing her with the bare necessities she and her brother needed to get by, she wasn't getting paid by them, and thus was stressing over trying to find work within Londobell.

Not wanting to make their financial situation more stressful than it needed to be, Vivi smiled softly as she planted a kiss on the side of Goblin Slayer's scarred cheek before speaking once again into his ear. "Well, it goes without saying that a brave hero such as yourself is deserving of a reward for going above and beyond the call of duty… How about I take you out to the market, and get you a little sweet-treat for saving my life, hmmm~?" Vivi asked with a slightly playful tone, before making her younger brother laugh as she buried her face into the nape of his neck to tickle him with her kisses.

Although he had been stoic and stressed ever since the goblins had came to destroy everything that he had grown up with, hearing his sister making kissing noises as her lips brushed back and forth against his slender neck was what finally made Goblin Slayer laugh; making him feel like an innocent kid all over again, as he began playfully trying to push Vivi away from him. "Pfffttt! Hahaha, ah! Okay, okay! I give, I give~!" The tickled-pink boy cried out through fits of laughter, as he and his older sister soon began play-wrestling with one another.

Holding Goblin Slayer close to her so that her breasts were pressing up against his back, Vivi wrapped her arms around his abdomen and chest as she rolled over to the side; interlocking her legs around her brother's squirming legs, as they both landed on the soft grass. Reveling in their playtime, Vivi proceeded to begin aggressively rubbing her fingertips against her howling brother's exposed sides and underneath his lifted shirt; tickling blindly all over his body, while blowing raspberries against his neck, covering it in her warm-sticky saliva.

With how much enjoyment she was getting out of making her little brother squirm playfully underneath her hold on him, Vivi couldn't help but to share the feeling of carelessness as her problems seemed to be nonexistent within the moment of fun she was sharing with her beloved brother. That all came to a disruptive end when the two siblings heard the sound of a woman clearing her throat behind them, followed by them noticing the shadow her large and voluptuous body was casting onto them.

Pulling her lips and tongue away from the hickey she had accidentally left on the base of her brother's neck, Vivi wiped the saliva off of her lips onto Goblin Slayer's shirt. "A-Ahhh! M-Mother Mary…! I-I do apologize; I wasn't expecting to see you so soon!" Vivi apologized with an embarrassed smile forming on her bright-pink cheeks, as she quickly got off of her brother before picking herself up off of the ground; brushing the blades of grass off of her simple beige-colored dress, before looking up at the six-foot tall woman who towered above her and her brother.

Dressed in white holy gowns that were fitted with a cleavage window that showed off her plump-mature breasts, Mother Mary's slightly wrinkled lips were curled into a soft and amused smile, as her light blue eyes fell upon the teenage girl. "And I apologize Ms. Ashta for interrupting such a moment between you and the heroic young man I've heard so much about," Mother Mary said in a kind and sweet voice, as she glanced over at the curious gaze Goblin Slayer was giving her, before turning her focus back to his older sister. "I came by to check in on you and the rest of your village… These certainly must be troubling times for all of you, dear child."

Brought down by the head nun of the church's words of solace, Vivi lowered her head slightly as her lips curled back down into a solemn frown, as her eyelids closed half way. "… As grateful as we all are for you and the rest of Londobell taking us in when we needed it the most, Mother Mary… Yes, it… It's certainly going to be a struggle for all of us to bounce back, especially having lost everything… And that’s not even taking into consideration of everyone’s mental health," Vivi said quietly with a saddened tone in her voice, to which caused the mature woman standing across from her to place a hand down on top of her slender shoulder.

Looking down at the grief hidden behind the sixteen year-old's brown eyes, Mother Mary continued to smile down warmly as she softly raised her other hand to gently brush her fingers through Vivi's brown bangs. "I have prayed to our Earth Mother, and she has heard of the trials and tribulations… And has spoken to me," Mother Mary said in a sultry voice; inspiring hope within the teenager.

"She… She actually said something? W… What did she say?" Vivi asked in a quiet voice; almost too afraid to know the answer, as her heart started racing within her chest.

Smiling even more as she gently squeezed down harder on the teenager's shoulder, Mother Mary seemed to be beaming with joy as she opened her red lips to speak. "Earth Mother spoke tremendous news to me, indeed child! For you see, none other than your own brother shall be the champion of your people, for She has said that he will be the one to bring fortune upon your village!" Mother Mary spoke enthusiastically; being loud enough to earn herself some curious and hollow stares from the aforementioned survivors who were still standing around catatonic after they had all been violently assaulted.

Watching as both his older sister and the mature nun turned their focus onto him, Goblin Slayer felt his heart skipping a beat as he couldn't but to feel uneasy from the sheer amount of pressure that the blond-haired woman had all of suddenly placed onto him. "Oh, uh… A-Are you sure the Earth Goddess was right when she said that? I mean, uh… I'm like, ten years old," Goblin Slayer asked with a nervous smile spreading across his face, as a single bead of sweat began dripping down the side of his flushed cheeks; his eyes doing their best not to gaze upon the curvy and busty mature nun, whose breasts were larger than he had ever seen before from any woman. 'Don't look, don't look, don't look,' Goblin Slayer kept trying to tell himself, as he struggled slightly to maintain eye contact with the grinning church woman.

Laughing at what she figured to be the nativity of a child, Mother Mary shook her head softly at Goblin Slayer as she lowered her hand from his sister's shoulders to comb her fingers through his head full of light-brown hair. "Hmhmhm~! Of course She's right, young man; the Earth Goddess is as benevolent as She is flawless in Her judgment! So that is to say that She makes no mistakes, Goblin Slayer," Mother Mary said in a righteous voice; speaking highly of the goddess, while Vivi turned to look at her with a concerned look on her face.

"Mother Mary, uh… Is it possible that Earth Goddess was referring to my brother being some sort of… "Chosen One" when he… When he becomes of age?" Vivi asked respectfully; wanting to voice out her own concerns, while being respectful to the religious figure who was the one providing them with food and resources.

Although her smile was wavered by the teenager's words, Mother Mary simply nodded her head while continuing to stand by her goddess' word. "I understand your concern, Ms. Ashta, but it is not our place to question Her plan. Have faith in Earth Mother, for She shall not forsaken us if we place our trust in Her loving hands," Mother Mary reassured once again, reaffirming her own faith, while casting away the doubt that the two siblings had towards Earth Mother's answer.

"… If you two wish to seek clarification from Her, then I would suggest that you two make your way to Her altar inside the church, and speak to Her directly through prayer," Mother Mary advised, as she looked back down at the boy whose hair she had been combing her fingers through; carefully pulling her hand away from the top of his hand, before softly stroking the side of his scared cheek with the back of her hand. "Speaking of which, young man… Tonight after dinner, I would like to invite you up to my quarters to speak to you in private about this "white haired knight" that I've heard very little about," Mother Mary requested in a warm voice, as she retracted her hand from Goblin Slayer's blushing cheek.

'She wants to ask me about you? What am I even supposed to say? I don't even know your name; much less anything about you other than that you're my servant… Even then, I still don't know what that means,' Goblin Slayer silently vented to the aforementioned spirit, while simply smiling back uneasily at the expecting holy woman.

"Tell her that you're willing to answer her questions about me, in exchange for a mana potion, or something else equally or greater than in potency. Otherwise, we owe her no explanation as to what or who I am," the white-haired knight instructed her master, to which he relayed over to the holy woman; wording it far more politely to her, than how it was said to him.

Noticing the questioning look that his sister was giving him, along with the disapproving stare that the mature woman was looking down at him with, Goblin Slayer swallowed back the nervous lump in his throat as shrugged his shoulders softly. "I'm sorry, those were her conditions; not mine…! If I knew more about her, I would have just told you! I would NEVER hassle a nun," Goblin Slayer explained, while emphasizing to his servant about how he was against the idea that she was having him barter with a woman of the cloth.

"I see… Very well then, I shall acquire the necessary means to replenish your mana, young man. As for now, I must speak to the rest of the refugees here; check in with them, and see what I could do for them to make them feel more comfortable while staying here in Londobell," Mother Mary said with her smile slowly returning to her red lips. "Farewell Ashta family, and remember: tonight's dinner is shrimp gumbo, and it'll be served an hour after sunset," the extremely well-developed woman said in a warm voice, before turning around to begin walking back in the tent-city where the two siblings were living at as well.

Unable to help himself or his curiosity, Goblin Slayer's dusty-rose eyes fell down to the mature nun's backside; his eyes widening with surprise, from how juicy the grown woman's bottom mounds were through her white dress, as the curvature from their round silhouettes left little to the imagination. '… I was always under the assumption that nuns were supposed to be modest in appearance. Then again, if that's her body, that's her body; nothing wrong with looking like that,' Goblin Slayer mused more so to himself than to his servant, who in turn felt obligated to give her two-cents to her master.

"I would remain wary of all of those who hide behind the deceptive veil of false righteousness, child… And from what's been ingrained into my restrictive memory, it is voluptuous women who dress as nuns that you must be the most cautious of," the servant explained to Goblin Slayer, while being unsure herself of how or why she had a deep seeded distrust of Mother Mary, despite her appearing otherwise fine. "But I digress… Continue on with your day, as I continue on with mine. If you require me for whatever reason, summon me."

'…Summon you? How do I ever… Wait, where are you going?' Goblin Slayer asked internally to the white-haired knight, who seemed eager to leave the boy's soul.

"To the “Moon-Cell”. Despite what you might have been led to believe, I have my own life to live that's separate from yours," the white-haired knight explained bluntly, all without giving Goblin Slayer much to work with.

'… So like, you're pretty much just going back home for a bit then?' Goblin Slayer inquired with an uncertainty in his thoughts. 'And I can just… Summon you back when I need you… But, uh…?! H-How do I even do that…?!'

"You need but only call for me, and I shall come to your aid," the servant replied with a sense of self-importance in her stoic voice, before following up with "From this point forth, you may address me as "Fairy Knight", as others seem to have taken a liking to addressing you by your own given alias, "Goblin Slayer"."

'… Is there a reason why you're not just giving me your actual name?' Goblin Slayer asked with a self-conscious feeling developing inside of his chest.

"Yes, I have my own reasons, but enough of that... Now cease with these endless questions, for I have grown mentally fatigued from having to babysit you," Fairy Knight stated, while making it blatantly obvious with just how much she wanted to take a break from him. "Farewell Master, I hope that your time out with your sister in the market proves itself to be quite an enjoyable experience for you."

'Oh, uh… Thanks, Fairy Knight. And I hope that you have a good time doing, uh… Whatever it is that the "Knights of the Round Table" do in their spare time… Oh! Wait; what's the "Moon-Cell"?' Goblin Slayer tried asking at the very last second, but the lack of response in his cleared mind made it apparent that Fairy Knight had already departed from his soul.

Before the ten year-old boy could delve too deep into experiencing how surreal it was to have his thoughts and feelings to himself once again, the hand his sister was waving slowly in his face caused him to finch, as he was snapped back into reality. "Hello? Ren… Are you… Are you okay? Were you talking to that knight again?" Vivi asked curiously, while somewhat feeling worried that it took more than a minute for her to break her brother out of his trance-like state.

Gaining his bearings, Goblin Slayer licked his dried lips before curling them into a gentle smile, as he looked up at his sister's inquisitive eyes. "Y-Yeah… Yeah, I was, but… Not anymore, at least for now; she sort of went back home, and told me to "call for her" if I needed her back," Goblin Slayer said to his sister, after having sounded a little spacey during the beginning of his explanation.

Nodding her head softly at her younger brother's response, Vivi's eyes traveled away from Goblin Slayer's smiling face, until they were focused on the top of his right hand. "I see, I see… I suppose that more-or-less explains that red symbol you've got there, doesn't it?" His older sister pointed out, while nodding down to gesture at the glowing red rune that hadn't been there before Fairy Knight's departure.

Unaware of what she had been referring to until he himself had a look at the back side of his raised hand, Goblin Slayer's eyes narrowed as he studied the red symbol etched onto his skin. "Interesting design… Looks like a tribal tattoo, but just in one small spot… I hope it isn't permanent," Goblin Slayer muttered with a slight bit of dread in his voice, as he lowered his marked hand down back to his side; stuffing it into the side pocket of his trousers.

"Hmmm… Neither do I— we’ll have to monitor it whenever we can. In the meantime though, you and I have still a date together down at the market; I just have to reward my brave hero, after all~!" Vivi said playfully with an endearing soft-smile across her lips, as she offered her hand down towards Goblin Slayer. "We really should get going, Ren; the market closes at sunset, and even then it wouldn't be wise to wait to arrive there during their closing hours… Usually, that's when all the good stuff's taken."

Although he still felt left out in the dark by his unusual circumstances and newly acquired power that always left him with more questions than answers when trying to understand it, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but want to push those overwhelming feelings aside, as he looked up into the sweet and tender gaze of his dearly beloved sister. Quietly exhaling out through his nose, Goblin Slayer's smile returned softly to his lips as he slowly reached his marked hand out of his pocket to place it within Vivi's silky-smooth palm.

"Y-Yeah… Yeah, let's go," Goblin Slayer said with a bit more confidence in his voice, as his smile grew from the sight of his sister visibly becoming joyful upon seeing his attempt at being more positive, in spite of their somewhat unfavorable circumstances. "If it's fine with you, Vivi… I think I'd like to use my gift to buy you something, instead of using it for myself," Goblin Slayer said in a soft-stoic voice, as and his older sister walked hand-in-hand along the beautiful sparkling waters of the natural river that led them towards the market square of Londobell.

Although she wasn't at all surprised by her little brother's selfless behavior, Vivi nonetheless found it to be sweet as they walked through the soft blades of grass, while the therapeutic sound of running water of the stream beside them filled their hearts and ears. "Oh? Is that so… Such a gentleman you are…! And do tell, what makes me deserving of your gift instead of yourself, hmmm?" Vivi inquired playfully, as she didn't really expect much of an answer out of him.

"Because I love you," Goblin Slayer said with a genuine look of affection on his face, as he turned his head up and over his shoulder to see the wide-eyed and emotionally-touched expression.

Feeling her heart melt as she gazed down into the beautiful smile of her across her brother's lips— a smile that she couldn't help but to compare to same energy one feels when gazing out into a calm and serene lake within a gorgeous forest— Vivi squeezed down softly on her brother's hand when she suddenly realized the love-mark she had accidentally left on the side of his neck from earlier. Blushing to herself, Vivi turned her gaze forward while reflecting on how she had managed to leave a hickey on her own little brother.

What were meant to be innocent thoughts soon escalated into becoming impure fantasies, as the feeling of being deeply loved mixed in with remembering just how touchy she had been with him began to open up some repressed feelings she had always had about her younger brother. Just as Vivi was beginning to imagine what it would be like to play wrestle with Goblin Slayer while his front was facing toward hers— thinking about how she would reach down to grope his crotch, while sliding her tongue into his small mouth as her free hand explored his developing body— she quickly snapped herself out of her dirty thoughts, just as she felt her womanhood beginning to tingle with warmth.

"And I… I-I love you too, Ren; more than you could ever know…!" Vivi spoke softly with her cheeks full of color, as she paused for a moment in the midst of their walk to turn toward Goblin Slayer. Gently lifting his chin up, Vivi planted a loving kiss on his lips and held it there for a few seconds; relishing in the moment, while disguising her way of satisfying her dark desires behind an act of loving affection. Feeling her heart fluttering as she pulled away from her brother's smiling lips, Vivi found herself feeling a strange sense of lustful pride at the sight of seeing how much drool she had left on her oblivious sibling's mouth.

'That'll have to do… At least for now,' Vivi told herself, as she and Goblin Slayer both turned forward to continue on with their way to the marketplace; the older sister completely unaware of the same sort of satisfaction her brother had gotten out of that kiss, especially since he had began feeling strangely after not only seeing Scarlet's naked body, but after having been sexually fascinated with the tall-plump nun who was old enough to be his mother.

Chapter Text

While the market square down within the heart of Londobell wasn't by any means the same in size and variety as found in the Kingdom's capital, "Pathway", the village's own business lot full of vendors who sold both local and imported goods were impressive in size and quality; the market square of Londobell rivaling those found in most towns. Passing by and occasionally pursuing the tents of the various merchants and traders who were there to sell their products to the villagers, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to wonder why there were so many food vendors and farmers there trying to sell their crops and groceries.

Explaining to her little brother about what she gathered from the large village while she had been volunteering to help out in the church, Vivi went on about how Londobell wasn't a typical village like theirs, where the locals mostly grew food and raised livestock for the sake of survival and selling what little they could spare. According to Vivi, Londobell had originally been a small and very poor village centered around their church, and in order to prevent the village from failing due to its isolation within the valley of the mountains, the church brought in educated men and women to transform the impoverished community into a agricultural tycoon; a tycoon that focused solely on dairy farming.

Focus on distributing their goods throughout the kingdom, as Londobell dairy had been able to build up a reputation as being the best tasting and longest lasting in the business, people from other impoverished regions began flooding into the growing village to seek work in both cheese and milk processing. When asked if she had seen the factory and farm where most of the villagers came to work, Vivi couldn't help but to laugh before telling her younger brother that the "Londobell Processing Plant" wasn't inside the village, but was a few kilometers outside its gates.

Having always been interested in the world outside of his humble village, Goblin Slayer was both thoroughly satisfied and entertained after having heard his older sister's scoop of the large village's briefed-through history. When asked whether or not she would be getting a job there, Vivi gave a disappointed look to her brother before replying with the unfortunate news that there was already a large list of other applicants who were waiting to hear back from the "hiring department", as she put it, and thus wouldn't be getting a job working with them anytime soon; a concept that was both new to her and to Goblin Slayer.

Being aware of their current status, which hadn't been much lower than their previous state back when they were barely scraping by in their last village, Goblin Slayer would have lied if he would have said that he didn't consider the thought of stealing something nice for his sister from one of the many jewelry vendors who were selling their gold necklaces and rings surprisingly well. The temptation certainly was there as were several opportunities, and yet Fairy Knight's words of wisdom prevented him jeopardizing the opportunity he and sister had been given at a second chance.

'It sucks seeing everyone else being able to buy whatever they want, and as much as they want, while Vivi and I are pretty much stuck window shopping… Everything's so expensive here; I don't think we're even going to be able to afford a used book here at this rate,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself while feeling disheartened, as he stood underneath the cover of a maroon canopy belonging to the book vendor whose goods his sister was browsing. With how invested his older sister was with reading through the first chapter of one particular spicy novel.

In an attempt to prevent himself from not becoming more frustrated at how helpless and out of place he and his sister felt amongst the upscale village and its overpriced market, Goblin Slayer turned around from the shop keeper's table full of books to begin distracting himself with the abundance of sights to see. From people-watching to just taking in the hustling scenery around him, it was then that Goblin Slayer noticed a party of older teenagers standing before a large wooden sign that was propped up by two sturdy pillars underneath its edges.

Curious as to what was so captivating to them, Goblin Slayer felt compelled to take a gander at the sign for himself. Grabbing onto a handful of her skirt from his sister's knee-high dress, the boy gave it a tug and looked up at the bright-red cheeks that were on his older sister's embarrassed and aroused face. "Uh, mmm? Ah…! I-Is something the matter, Ren?" Vivi asked, while attempting to mask the perverted tone in her voice with a wide smile.

Feeling something once again stirring at him as he held the gaze with his blushing and beautiful older sister, Goblin Slayer swallowed back the lump in his throat as he felt his own cheeks beginning to burn. "Vivi, uh… D-Do you mind if I go over there to check out that sign? It's not that far from here, and I can just call upon Fairy Knight if something happens," Goblin Slayer reassured, after having rambled on too much, just like any nervous boy his age would have done in his shoes.

Holding the precious book that she had grown attached with closely to her chest— stifling in a whimper as she felt her hardened nipples brush against its hard-back cover— Vivi looked up over to the aforementioned sign where her younger brother was pointing at with a raised finger, and watched as the group of young teens began wandering off from the larged post. "Hmmm… Yes, that's fine, but… Don't talk to any strangers, and don't wander off from sight, understand?" Vivi asked protectively— thinking to herself for a moment, while still locking eyes with her cute brother's dusty-rose eyes, before suddenly and carefully kneeling down to get down on his eye-level. "Now before you go… How's about you give me another kiss; j-just like the one we had earlier…~?"

Although he had kissed his older sister many times before in the past, there was something different about the way she had asked for one that time around. Feeling his heartbeat growing quicker while a strange sensation radiating within his groin began to cause his trousers to grow tighter— an apparent sight that his sister's curious eyes almost immediately picked up on, as there appeared to be a shocked yet excited expression forming over her smiling face in that moment— Goblin Slayer took a nervous step forward before slowly leaning his face forward; his quivering lips puckered out, as his mouth was met with his sister's.

Unlike before when they had been play wrestling, Goblin Slayer's lips remained planted on Vivi's for more than a mere few seconds, and felt the tightening sensation within his underwear increase as he felt his older sister's hot breath blowing down on his face from her nose. It was then that Goblin Slayer felt Vivi nervously moving her lips against his— starting off as timidly as first, before slowly building up to her creating a large enough opening in between his lips for her to slide the tip of her tongue into.

Surprised by the strange feeling of getting his mouth filled with her lustful tongue, Goblin Slayer made a muffled whimper that reverberated against Vivi's wet-slimy mouth-muscle; causing for his sister to let out a lustful throaty-moan that was kept quiet by their joined-together lips. Locking eyes still with his smittened older sister, Goblin Slayer felt her hand reaching up past the back of his head before feeling we her fingers grabbing a handful of his light-brown hair— allowing her to hold him still, as she twirled her tongue around his; wrestling it sensually, just as they had done with each other by the river side.

With her heart racing and her loins aching for her younger brother, Vivi watched through half-closed eyelids while feeling as though she were in a dreamy trance, as she slowly pulled her tongue out of her brother's mouth while finally breaking their nearly two-minute long make-out session; a taboo act that had gone unnoticed by everyone but the woman running the shop, who couldn't help but to enjoy the dark-passionate sight that reminded her of a scene from one of her own erotic novels she was selling.

'Oh Earth Goddess above, this is so arousing! And what’s this? My own little brother seems eager for more?! It's so dirty, I know… But that's only half of the allure!' Vivi thought lustfully to herself, while watching with pride as she saw all the thick saliva that was bridging the gap between her lips and her's. "I… I know what I want as my "gift", dear brother… And it isn't anything we're going to find from a vendor," Vivi whispered quietly in a sultry voice; smiling as she felt her panties growing moist, as she and her brother continued to gaze into one another's eyes. "Go on ahead and check that sign out, Ren, and then return to me… I shall finish up here, and when you come back… Well…! Y-You'll see what I mean later~…!"

Nodding his head while in a haze-like trance, Goblin Slayer— much to his sister's pleasure— didn't even bother wiping Vivi's left over drool from his lips or chin, and instead gave her a smittened smile of his own, before turning around to make his way through the passing crowds of shoppers, toward where the sign was posted. 'That was… Strange, but sort of actually nice. Like, it made me feel good, but left me craving something else… Made me want Vivi. Is that… Is that wrong though? To… To love your own sister, in a way that a man loves a woman?' Goblin Slayer wondered to himself; feeling dirty, but at the same time excited as he looked around him while in a foggy and blissful daze.

Before getting in front of the sign to read the several listings posted on it, Goblin Slayer was suddenly snapped out of his conflicting and lustful thoughts the moment he spotted one individual within the crowd of villagers who caught his attention the moment he saw her physically phase through a family; none of the children or parents, or anyone else nearby even seemed to notice her existence, as the young woman with long lavender-colored hair seemed to be searching for something in particular.

Narrowing his eyes and almost forgetting about what was on the sign completely, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to watch as the strange woman wearing a black long-coat over her white-collared shirt wandered through the crowd, and toward his general direction; his already aroused mind immediately noticing how large her plump breasts were, before taking a look down to see her juicy pale-thighs that were the absolute territory between her short black miniskirt, and her long black leggings that went up past her knees. 'She's… Certainly out of place, and in more ways than one… Oh crap, she's looking at me,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself with a feeling of confusion and worry building up in his chest, as he felt himself tense up the moment the aforementioned young woman was staring back at him with an intrigued expression on her beautiful face.

Immediately looking back toward the post to pretend that he didn't notice her, Goblin Slayer could feel a bead of sweat forming on the side of his cheek as he tried to focus on the many posted papers that were pinned to the wooden board before him; his heart skipping a beat, as he felt the unmistakable feeling that someone was standing right beside him. "… I know you saw me kid; don't try to act slick now," the young woman spoke with an amused and sassy tone; her smile audible through her pleasant voice.

Cursing mentally to himself, Goblin Slayer wandered if he really was going to have to summon Fairy Knight to his aid, as he slowly turned toward his side to be met with the half-cocked grin on the mysterious woman's confident face. "I'm sorry, I… I didn't mean to stare; staring is rude," Goblin Slayer apologized with a soft smile across his face, before attempting to turn away from the strange woman to look back up at the job postings; something that he wasn't able to do, as he was then immediately pulled back by her, so that he was forced to face toward her again.

"There's no reason to be apologetic about noticing your surroundings. I'm sure if anyone else was able to sense me like you could, they would have probably been staring at me too," the woman stated with a perplexed and upbeat voice, as she leaned down closer toward the nervous boy to analyze him with her violet eyes. "… What's with the boner?" The young woman asked with an uncomfortable smile on her lips, as she pointed down at the boy's visible erection.

With how vulnerably emotional he was from just beginning to explore his own sexuality, Goblin Slayer became flustered as he turned his body slightly to the side. "Stop pointing at it…! It's not even a "bone"; it's my "private part"," Goblin Slayer protested with a scowl, and watched as a look of sudden realization crossed over the young woman's cute facial features.

Beginning to appear as though she was growing sorry for having hurt the ten year-old's feelings, the short young woman— who looked no older than his own sister— took a step back before giving the boy a quick standing-bow at the waist. "Forgive me, I usually not this crass towards those who I haven't formally met yet. How’s about we start over— get this conversation started on the right foot?"

Already distrusting of the young woman who was suddenly trying to get to know him, Goblin Slayer frowned slightly while still scowling back at the unphased girl's cute-bombastic face. "… I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," he murmured to the girl, and once again turned away from her. Feeling her eyes practically staring down at the top of his marked hand, Goblin Slayer felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him as he looked from the corner of his eye to see her smile slowly disappear into a more serious look.

"Normally I would absolutely agree with that sentiment, but that little crest you've got on your hand tells me you're not exactly a stranger… Not to me, at least," the young woman said with an accusatory tone in her voice, as she reached down to grab a hold of Goblin Slayer's shoulder.

Flinching, the boy's immediate reaction was to pull himself away from the lavender-haired girl, but quickly found out just how strong she was when he failed to slip away from her. "What are you doing…?! L-Let go of me…!" Goblin Slayer whispered in a hushed and panicked voice, as he already was noticing that he was getting strange looks from those who were passing by him. 'They can't see her, can they…? Everyone probably thinks I'm either playing pretend, or just flat out crazy…! This might escalate if I can't convince her to leave me alone,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, as he weighed out his options. "W-What do you even want from me…? I'm just a kid; I can't help you…!"

Appearing unrelenting in whatever pursuit she was after, the young woman was at least being gentle enough to not hurt the ten year-old, as she slowly knelt down to get on his eye-level. "Listen to me, kid: that mark on your hand? It's called a "Crest", and they're unique in the way that no two crests can ever look the same, nor could it be possible to have duplicate magic circuit readings… Not unless… H-How did you get it? And don't lie to me; I'll be able to tell if you're trying to deceive me," the woman stated in a firm voice, as to enforce that she was serious, while trying to not scare the boy outright more than she already had.

Wanting to return to his sister without creating much more of a scene than he already was, with people who were walking by him thinking that he was talking to himself or an imaginary friend, Goblin Slayer did his best to summarize the last twenty bizarre hours of his young life, that had led him into the iron hold of the girl's impossibly strong grip; with the lavender-haired woman's interests becoming peaked, once he told her about his strange vision, before he had passed out from exhaustion. Finally letting go with a cathartic and confused expression on her face, the young woman slowly let out a sigh before standing up from where she had been squatting.

"So… You're just as lost about this whole situation as I am… Terrific," the young woman muttered sarcastically under her breath, as she raised her head up toward the sky while facepalming with an exasperated groan escaping through her parted lips. "Alright… I'll be taking a second closer look at the Moon-Cell's archived data of the incident, and try to match the time my friend disappeared to the time in your universe where you became a "Master"… You, on the other hand… All you need to do is remain perfectly safe, and refrain from dying until I get this whole mess figured out."

'There's that word again… "Moon-Cell"," Goblin Slayer lamented, as he tried his best to understand what little information he could from the mysterious woman's response to his account of what had happened to him. "I've heard Fairy Knight mention the "Moon-Cell" before… But I didn't get a chance to ask her about it," Goblin Slayer whispered quietly, while turning toward the board to avoid raising suspicion of who he was talking to. "… What does that mean? What is the "Moon-Cell"?"

Needing a moment on how she would word her answer, the woman with lavender hair and large breasts tapped her finger repeatedly against her lower lip, before finally coming up with a way to answer his two inquiries. "I haven't seen any computers within their area, or anything else like that sort, so I'll try to explain it the best I can… Imagine a ball of magic, capable of holding a near infinite amount of information inside of it, and it constantly adds more information inside of it, by constantly recording everything that takes place on Earth… It can send information out through particles of light; specifically, photon particles, which can be manifested into physical forms and carry information inside of them, given enough power…"

"… Now imagine that there's a multitude of worlds playing out within that ball of magic; where time never truly passes, and only other beings who are made up of magic can enter it. Very complex, yes? Now imagine all of that, and in the center of the magic, there's a core… A core that controls it all, and gives the magic and every being made of its information, sentience, and life… The core is capable of granting whoever is able to reach it through its own set of rules any wish they want… That's what the "Moon-Cell" essentially is, and its reached here when your world isn't even a part of its structure," the young woman explained with a perplexed look forming in her violet eyes, as she lowered her back down to stare down into Goblin Slayer's curious side-eyed gaze, while his body was still facing toward the billboard sign.

"I… I still don't understand why you're here, or why this crest is important to you… I don't even know your name," Goblin Slayer said in a quiet voice; once again finding himself stuck with more questions than answers, as he looked away from her to begin searching through the odd jobs posted on the wooden board. "What am I… What am I even supposed to do? Does this summoning thing mean that I'm destined for something, or… Or what? What do I do?" Goblin Slayer asked with a hint of desperation in his voice, as all the words on the various postings began to appear as an amalgamation of scribbles to him, as his brain was still preoccupied with processing the woman's description of what the "Moon-Cell" was like.

"… Look kid, I'm not sure what your people do when unpredictable situations come up like this, but I can assure you that I didn't come here to dictate your life, nor did I come here to tell you about some nonsensical prophecy that you're "destined" to see through. No… Now, if you really want to help me to help you, then simply avoid dying for the time being," the woman stated once again, as she looked away from Goblin Slayer to stare off into the hustle and bustle of the afternoon market. "This is your life, Ashta; it's not mine to control… For now, just go on with the rest of your day, like you would have before we met; if I need you, I'll find you— trust me, I’m good at that."

Expecting to hear at least a "goodbye" or "farewell", upon hearing the sound of what could only be described as crystals chiming with distorted beeps and boops that all synchronized to create an electronic sound that lasted for less than a second, Goblin Slayer spun his head toward where the mysterious lavender-haired woman had been standing, and nearly felt his heart skipping a beat the moment he was met with his sister's inquisitive smile.

"You've been standing there for a while now, Ren… What's on this board that's been intriguing enough to captivate your attention away from me for this long, hmmm~?" Vivi asked with a playful and kind voice that had a hint of sexual frustration behind it, as she stood up from where she had been squatting to read the job listings and other local papers that had been pinned onto the board. Her demeanor changed when all of a sudden her eyes came across one particular job advertisement that seemed to be calling out to her.

Hearing his sister letting out a gasp as she took a step back to take a double look at the help wanted sign before her, Goblin Slayer lowered his eyelids and frowned softly as he asked "What is it? Is something the matter, Vivi?"

Gobsmacked without any oxygen left in her lungs to speak, all the overly excited teenager could do was smile widely at her younger brother as she reached up with one hand to begin repeatedly tapping the job listing that had brought her so much hope. When she finally found her voice, the usually reserved teenager suddenly let out a high-pitched cheer, as she bounced up and down with excitement; unintentionally giving her younger brother a hypotonic look at her medium-sized breasts bouncing up-and-down with her, underneath her dress.

"B-Bookkeeping! T-That's the job I've been studying for using father's old books this past year! I-I can't believe there's an actual opening position for it, OUTSIDE of a city!" Vivi replied with her dwindled hope having been reignited once more into a strong flurry of light inside of her. "And… A-And they're doing interviews right now for it! F-For a place called "The Mortar and Pestle"…! Wait… Wait, I remember seeing a store sign that had that name written on it; we passed by that place ten minutes ago, let's get there before I miss my chance!" Vivi exclaimed with determination fueling her enthusiasm, as she grabbed a hold of Goblin Slayer's hand before practically tripping him as she pulled him behind her.

"B-Bookkeeper…? Why did dad even get books for that?! Wasn't he just a priest?!" Goblin Slayer asked, while fumbling with his footing until being able to match the speed of his older sister's brisk pace; a task that was far more difficult, now that Fairy Knight wasn't there to embed his physical attributes with her own power.

And while Vivi was explaining to her little brother all about how priests and priestesses have a lot more responsibilities than just preaching the word of their god to the masses, including bookkeeping as one of them, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to be distracted as he caught himself fixating on the visible silhouette of his older sister's bouncing asscheeks, that moved and swayed each time she took another long-step in her tight-fitting dress. Worked up from the feelings of arousal he had earlier when he and his sibling practically made out within the bookshop, Goblin Slayer's thoughts on the Moon-Cell and of the mysterious other woman began to be pushed aside in favor of more unusual thoughts of lust that were filling his adolescent head.

Chapter Text

To say that fate itself had begun smiling down on the Ashta family as of recent would have been an understatement. Not only were the two siblings able to make it just in time to the "Mortar and Pestle" alchemy and herbal remedies shop before the cut off time for interviews, but Vivi was able to walk out of her new place of employment with a well-paying job and even a hire-on bonus for the owner having felt sympathetic toward her living situation. Although it wasn't enough to make a down payment for a cottage in the village for their own home, it was enough to put down as a security deposit in order to rent one of the cottages that were being leased out by the "Londobell Dairy Factory".

With a purse full of gold coins and a job that she needed to be up and ready for in the morning, Vivi's euphoria that she was feeling made her all that much more excited to celebrate her new opportunity with her younger brother, who was in turn happy for his beloved sister. Unlike the village where they had come from, Londobell had its own taverns that were open past market hours, and there so happened to be a room available for them to rent for the night at a modest price. Holding her younger brother's hand as if she were his maternal figure, Vivi stood in line at the bar counter to wait their turn to order an actual treat that she had wanted to give to Goblin Slayer earlier that day, but lacked the coin before getting her hire-on bonus.

Manning the well-decorated and stocked bar, with all of its polished oak shelves and laminated countertops stood a tall burly man with pale skin, muscular arms and not a single strand of hair on his bald head. Despite appearing intimidating at first glance, when Vivi and Goblin Slayer approached the "Tavern Keeper", the middle-aged man with his five o'clock shadow and thick-burly eyebrows smiled warmly down at the older sister with a respectful demeanor.

"Welcome to "Cattlemen's Tavern"; I saw that you've already talked to the receptionist in the front… How'd she do?" Tavern Keeper inquired politely, as he handed Vivi and Goblin Slayer both separate menus for them to look at what they were serving.

Smiling back pleasantly at Tavern Keeper, Vivi looked up from the menu while allowing her younger brother to read through what the tavern was serving that night, before saying "She was very welcoming when we came inside, and really had quite a lot of positive things to say about this place… Said that this establishment was renown for their barbecued steaks."

Appearing to be staring off past Vivi to stare over in the direction of where the receptionist was at, there was a proud yet stoic smile that came across Tavern Keeper's grizzled face. "Good… You're the sixth customer I've asked that question to, and the sixth one who's given me that same response… Must mean I taught her well," the burly man spoke with a mildly emotional voice, as he let out a content sigh while looking back at Vivi.

"Oh? Is she a new employee? I just got hired today myself; so hopefully people will say the same about my work ethic when I start tomorrow morning at eight," Vivi mused after asking her question to Tavern Keeper, who gave her a nod of approval.

"Congratulations, young lady; with the way Londobell keeps growing in population and with job opportunities, I feel as though this place will rival the capital in no time— if it hasn’t already~," Tavern Keeper mused with subtle enthusiasm in his deep brooding voice; while giving off the impression that he had been a resident of the large village for quite some time. "And no, ma'am, she ain't my employee; she's my daughter," Tavern Keeper informed with a sense of fatherly pride in his voice, before he began going on a tangent about how Cattlemen's Tavern had been a family business that he had inherited from his father, back before Londobell had become the village that it was that day.

By the time Vivi had humored the business owner's long story and paid for the recommended sampler platter to share with Goblin Slayer, there was a long line of impatient customers who were all relieved when the two siblings stepped out of line with their table side placard. Walking past the bar area and into the cozy dining hall, Vivi led Goblin Slayer along the cobblestone floor and through the wood-paneled walls of the restaurant area, until the two of them found a nice round table with four seats over near the lounging area that was furnished in front of a roaring hearth fire.

Having been taught to carry himself in a chivalrous manner when in the company of women, Goblin Slayer pulled the dining chair out for his sister to sit on and waited for her to take a seat on it before pushing it in toward the edge of the polished-oak table. "Such a gentleman…!" Vivi complimented with an approving-bright smile on spreading across her pink lips, as she watched as her younger brother circled his way back over to the opposite side of the table where she was sitting at; pulling his own chair out, before hopping onto its maroon-colored cushion to begin scooting himself closer to the edge of the table.

"Sure thing, Vivi; it's the least I can do for you!" Goblin Slayer replied back with an eager look on his face, as he took a moment to soak up the sights of the busy tavern; gazing at all the artwork and props hung up on its beautiful walls, while finding himself enjoying the music that the group of bards were playing near the fireplace. "I don't think I've ever been to a place like this, have I…?" Goblin Slayer asked with a sense of astonishment in his quiet voice, which made his older sister giggle as she nodded her head at him.

"You have, but that's when you were only three years old, and even then the tavern father and mother took us to wasn't exactly all that impressive; not anything fancy like this one, at least," Vivi replied with a sense of nostalgia filling her up, and let out an elongated sigh as she thought back to what life was like for them when they were well off enough to go on holiday trips; with their father being a priest, and their mother being a medicine woman. 'Things haven't been easy since they've passed away, but hopefully things can go back to normal when I start getting paid,' Vivi thought to herself, as she once again found herself feeling blessed with how much her new job was willing to start her off with.

Unable to recall that aforementioned memory, Goblin Slayer frowned slightly as he crossed his arms over the edge of the table. "That probably explains why I don't remember it… I don't even really remember much about those days, or even about mom or dad… Do you think they would be proud of me right now?" Goblin Slayer asked with a growing smile, as part of him already knew the answer that his sister was going to give him.

Knowing that he was fishing for praise, Vivi chuckled softly as she lowered her left elbow on the table top, so as to rest her chin on top of her upturned palm. "Considering that you're only ten years old and have already got yourself a power that many could only dream about, AND you've fought an entire goblin army off, WHILE saving me and almost every other woman and child in our village? Hmmm… Yeah, yeah I'd say so, Ren," Vivi said with a slight bit of a playful sarcasm in her voice, while raising an amused and knowing brow at her brother to silently let him know that she knew what he was doing.

Feeling his cheeks heating up, Goblin Slayer's smile became bashful as he laid his chin down on top of his crossed forearms. "I was just asking, that was all…" The boy murmured with a slightly embarrassed tone in his voice, as he gazed up with his dusty-rose colored eyes to stare into the beautiful chestnut colored eyes of his older sister. Wanting to change the subject and to catch his sister up to date about what was going on with him, Goblin Slayer told Vivi about the large-breasted woman with lavender hair who he had approached, after she had caught him watching her as she phased through people who weren't even aware of her being there.

Although her younger brother's recent summoning power had been the grace that she and the rest of her village needed to survive the onslaught of goblins the night prior, Vivi couldn't help but to feel protectively worried about hearing Goblin Slayer retelling her about the interaction he had with the mysterious woman, and soon enough she became both intrigued and confused at the concept of the Moon-Cell that he had tried to explain to her. "So… That's where Fairy Knight is at right now? In some different world that exists within the Moon-Cell? The Moon-Cell, that… That doesn't even exist in our own reality… D-Did that I get that right?" Vivi asked with uncertainty in her voice, to which Goblin Slayer nodded his head to.

"She… She never really went into specifics. But anyway… I'm fairly certain that apples have mana-restoring properties inside them… So technically speaking, that would mean that apple-juice would pretty much just be a poor-man's version of a lesser mana potion, wouldn't it?" Goblin Slayer hypothesized, to which his sister nodded before giving him an apologetic look.

"I suppose so, but… I think the only thing they have here that contains apple juice is hard-cider… And I'm not sure if you drinking alcohol is a good idea; especially since you've got that meeting with Mother Mary later on tonight," Vivi replied back, while reminding Goblin Slayer why they weren't eating full course meals at Cattlemen's Tavern, despite finally having enough coin to afford to splurge there.

"Shoot… I guess you're right… Oh! Maybe they've got some apple filled pastries, or something else? May I go back to the front to see if they got something like that, please?" Goblin Slayer asked with a pleasing look on his dark-red eyes, which tugged on both his older sister's heartstrings and purse strings.

Letting out a playfully defeated sigh, Vivi rolled her beautiful brown eyes with an amused smirk across her pretty pink lips, as she reached down into her dress to take out her flowery purse. "Okay, okay… Here, take these," Vivi prompted, as she reached her arm over the table to drop several silver coins into her little brother's eager palm.

"Thank you, I'll be right back!" Goblin Slayer said with a bright smile across his face, before scooting his chair outward and hopping off it. Spinning around to lightly jog through the various patrons of the tavern— all of which were confused and annoyed to see a child running around unsupervised— Goblin Slayer could faintly hear his sister lecturing him from afar about how he was prohibited from purchasing anything alcoholic, as he traversed through the hallways of the large establishment to make his way to the back of the ordering line.

Luckily for his sake, the line of customers went by fairly quickly, and soon enough the young boy was standing across the bar counter from the burly man from before. Raising one thick eyebrow while giving Goblin Slayer a fatherly smile that only a parent could possess, Tavern Keeper handed the excited child a menu before letting out a quiet chuckle. "Back again so soon, eh? Let me guess: you and your sister want something to snack on while my boys are getting your sampler plate ready?" Tavern Keeper inquired in a friendly manner, while watching as Goblin Slayer flipped through the menu.

"Kind of…" Goblin Slayer replied back in a distracted voice, as he silently read through his options. "I… I don't really see anything here on your menu that has just apples, other than your hard-cider— but my sister said I can't have alcohol, so… Do you have anything made with a lot of apples that's not on the menu, by chance?"

Perplexed by the boy's question, instead of just dismissing Goblin Slayer's odd request, Tavern Keeper took a moment to think about what he had in the kitchen that wasn't on the menu. "Hmmmm… Apples, you say? Well… I know my wife's side business is selling bags of homemade herbal tea, uh… I can go get you a cup of it real quick, if you don't mind waiting here for a minute; that's if you're interested in it, of course," Tavern Keeper offered, which seemed close enough to what Goblin Slayer wanted for the boy to nod at.

"Yes please, that'll do just fine! But… How much for a cup?" Goblin Slayer inquired, as he placed his handful of silver coins down on the table top.

Despite his large-gruff appearance that was intimidating to many, Tavern Keeper found himself unable to accept the boy's coin; especially after it dawned on him that he was more than likely one of the refugees who had come from the village that he had heard got attacked by goblins. "Eh… Keep your money, young man; the first cup will be on the house," Tavern Keeper insisted, as he raised his hand up politely to gesture for the boy to scoop his coins back up in his hand.

Blinking a few times in silent disbelief, Goblin Slayer remained wide-eyed with his light-brown bangs obscuring his dusty-rose colored eyes, before finally registering that he was about to receive a free drink. "Wow, I… I don't know what to say, except for… T-Thank you," Goblin Slayer said with a soft-appreciative tone, that only made Tavern Keeper all that much more proud of his decision.

Letting out another throaty chuckle, Tavern Keeper made a quip about how saying thank you was always a good way to respond to acts of kindness, before stepping away from the front counter to power walk into the back of the kitchen. Within a minute, Tavern Keeper came walking back behind the counter with a glass mug filled with warm apple tea. "My wife insisted that I use some cold water to make sure that you don't accidentally burn yourself now, so sorry if it ain't piping hot like your usual cup of tea," the burly man apologized, as extended the mug full of cooled-off tea to Goblin Slayer, who in turn gratefully took it from him with both his hands wrapped around the glass mug,

"Thank you, sir! This means a lot to me!" Goblin Slayer said with a sweet smile forming on his curled lips, and managed to get a few feet away from the bar counter before immediately backtracking to where he had been standing moments before. "Oh, by the way, uh… My name's "Ren Ashta", and that was my sister "Vivine Ashta"… Ah, and I go by "Goblin Slayer" too; that's kind of a new nickname for me, so I'm still getting used to it," the boy introduced himself; earning himself a surprised eyebrow raise from the burly man.

"Oh? So you're the brave young man who I've heard my usuals talking about… I have to admit though, young man… I wasn't expecting "Goblin Slayer" to be a child— looking at you now though, I can’t help but think that the whole story might be a little too far-fetched for me to believe at face-value— if I'm being perfectly honest here," Tavern Keeper admitted, which Goblin Slayer didn't take any offense to.

"Well, I didn't really do it all on my own… You see, it's kind of complicated to really get into… Oh! Here, I'll just show you!" Goblin Slayer said enthusiastically with an idea forming inside of his head, before immediately raising the bottom of the large glass-mug up to the raised ceiling; gulping down the entirety of the apple within less than ten seconds. Smacking his lips while savoring the taste left behind on his tongue, Goblin Slayer felt the crest on his hand tingling as his body began to replenish its mana pool from the active ingredients within the apple tea.

"… Oh wow, this is refreshing, sir; my compliments to your wife, this is some really good tea," Goblin Slayer complimented with a genuine look of satisfaction on his face, before raising his hand up to his chest to show the shocked Tavern Keeper his glowing red crest. "Okay sir, are you ready to-"

"-Actually, young man… I think I believe you now; there's really no need for you to frighten my customers with whatever you got going on inside of you," Tavern Keeper interjected with an uneasy smile across his grizzled face, while still talking respectfully to Goblin Slayer, so as to not hurt the ten year-old's feelings. "No offense kid, I'm just trying to run a safe business here is all. You get that, don't you?"

Having already mentally prepared himself to prove his worth to the friendly man before him, along with anyone else within the tavern who was actually paying attention to him, Goblin Slayer slumped his shoulders with a look of understanding disappointment written all over his face. "I… Oh, uh… Y-Yeah, yeah; I, uh… I get it… S-Sure, I'm sorry about that," Goblin Slayer quietly muttered, while beginning to feel embarrassed about how overzealous he was to show off his newly acquired power.

"There's no need to apologize, young man; it's understandable that someone your age would be rather excitable, given if what I've heard of your accomplishments are true, of course," Tavern Keeper consoled, while still holding onto a healthy amount of skepticism. "Just some friendly words of wisdom to you, Goblin Slayer: always remember to stay humble with your fortune, and to only use your apparent powers only when necessary; not only will people think more of you if you're modest about your magic summoning powers, or what have you, but it'll certainly keep you grounded to who you are as a person," Tavern Keeper lectured the young boy, all without sounding too overbearing or bossy.

"… Just think of it this way: what if you were some kid down on their luck, and suddenly you're forced to be in the same room with some lucky kid who's got all sorts of magic powers and is showing them off in front of everyone; that wouldn't make you feel good, now would it?" Tavern Keeper asked, after finishing his lesson off with a hypothetical scenario that Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to relate to; as he more or less had always been the aforementioned kid, who was by all means ordinary to a fault.

"I… I see what you're saying now… But it's fine if I use my powers to help kids like that, right? Err, n-not just kids, but like… You know? People who are down on their luck, and need someone there to lift them up? P-People, like the ones who used to live in the same village as I did…" Goblin Slayer muttered in a hollow voice, as he found himself suddenly having an epiphany about what Mother Mary had told him earlier; about how the Earth Goddess claimed that he would be the one to help the refugees of his fallen village get back up on their feet.

Seeing the look of realization washing over the awe-stricken boy's face, Tavern Keeper once again felt a sense of fatherly pride for the young orphan as he gave Goblin Slayer an approving nod. "Oughta boy; now you're getting it…! Now… How's about you hand me back that mug so I can clean it off? Your sampler platter should be on its way out of the kitchen soon enough, I reckon," Tavern Keeper said in his usual gruff yet friendly voice, as he reached out and carefully took the empty glass mug from Goblin Slayer's outstretched arms. "Thank you very much. Alright, now run along now, young man; you shouldn't be keeping your beautiful older sister waiting alone for too long, otherwise some clown's gonna try and swipe her from ya," the burly man quipped playfully; completely oblivious to the kind of tension there was between the two siblings.

Dreading the thought of his older sister being swooned by someone else, Goblin Slayer gave Tavern Keeper a stern nod before running back into the dining area, but not before thanking the older gentleman for his advice and hospitality. And just like Tavern Keeper had predicted, it wasn't too long until their ceramic platter full of various chops of steak came out to their table. Explaining to his older sister about his positive interaction with the tavern owner over delicious mouthfuls of juicy steak, Goblin Slayer made sure to show Vivi the way his crest was glowing gently in a crimson light; adding to the already existing mystique behind the unique symbol on the back of his hand.

By the time their pre-dinner meal had been consumed, both siblings were feeling more than satisfied with each other's company; especially after they had just finished having a discussion about the importance of ensuring that they did what they could to help those who were less fortunate than themselves. Proud of the kind of person her younger brother was quickly growing up to be, Vivi smiled amorously at the way Goblin Slayer's dusty-rose eyes were practically lighting up at her as he looked up into her cheerful gaze.

Taking a glance over at the large mechanical clock that was mounted over the wall near where the other patrons were warming up near the hearth's gentle fire. "We've still got an hour before we need to make our way back up the hill to the church… I think that's more than adequate time for me to show you that "gift" that I've been meaning to give you since the bookstore~…!" Vivi whispered quietly from across the table, as her cheeks began to turn a deep shade of red, while her younger brother's face became visibly perplexed.

"Gift…? Wasn't THIS the gift?" Goblin Slayer asked naively, as he gestured with one hand at their immediate surroundings; making sure to emphasize how fancy he thought the place was, by signally most to where the band of bards were still performing near the beautiful brick-made hearth.

Giggling softly at her brother's response, Vivi shook her head before beginning to clarify what the gift that she had in mind actually was. "This certainly is a treat, isn't it? But no, I was thinking about sharing something a little more… Personal, and intimate with you, Ren… A gift that no other woman except for your own sister should give you before anyone else does," Vivi said with her heart beginning to race inside of her chest, as just the mere thought of actually getting to fulfill her dark fantasy excited the sixteen year-old.

More confused than he already was, Goblin Slayer tilted his head toward his shoulder while trying to imagine what apparent lesson his sister was seemingly so eager to teach him. Closing his eyelids shut while humming quietly to himself, it slowly dawned on the boy, as he recalled the strange sensations he felt when he and his older sister had shared that French kiss while under the canopy of the book vendor's shop. "Oh… Oh, you're talking about uh… T-That," Goblin Slayer alluded to, while his cheeks began to turn red as he began remembering how much he had enjoyed feeling his sister's tongue wrapping around his, as her saliva shamelessly coated the outside of his mouth and inside of his cheeks.

Feeling only that much more stimulated once she saw the look of embarrassment and realization form on her younger brother's bright-red face, Vivi giggled softly to herself as she began to grow excitedly nervous about what she was getting herself and him into. "What you felt, Ren… It's to be expected, and… And it's certainly nothing that you should feel ashamed about… After all, other than your little friend, I’ve been the only female you've had in your life… It's only natural that you and I would have a particular bond that others might… Might not be so accepting of," Vivi said quietly, while knowing fully well that the type of relationship she craved from her own sibling was frowned upon.

"Oh… I-Is that so…?" Goblin Slayer asked in a quiet, hoarse whisper, as he was trying to wrap his head fully around what his older sister was trying to talk to him about. "I have to admit, this is all… Hard for me to understand. I don't even think I really know what you're talking about, b-but I think I might…? Is this all about how we… Y-You know? K-Kissed earlier, like how grown ups sometimes kiss…?" Goblin Slayer stammered out, as he himself was trying his best to articulate the sheer amount of uncertainty and confusion he had bubbling up inside of him.

Pushing the empty platter to the side, Vivi reached across the cleared table to take Goblin Slayer's marked hand into hers; gently rubbing the back of his head where the crest was, as to reassure him that with her, he had nothing to be self-conscious about. "These feelings… They're certainly scary to talk about, aren't they? I know it was scary for me when I was going through what you're going through right now, and it certainly wasn't easy for me… Which is why I'm going to teach you a very, very special lesson that you can't tell anyone else that I taught you, okay Ren…?"

Furrowing his thin brows slightly, Goblin Slayer swallowed back the lump in his small throat as he felt her gently squeezing down on his dominant hand. "… Will it hurt?" The boy asked worryingly, which earned him a soft chuckle from his older sister.

"Hmm~…! No, actually; quite the opposite, in fact… What I'm going to show you and do to you little brother is going to be an eye-opening experience for you… Once that you may or may not want me to do to you, again, and again throughout our lives together," Vivi reassured with her stomach beginning to feel as though it was tying itself in knots; as the thrill she felt from knowing what was to happen shortly between them.

Trusting his older sister that he wouldn't have much to worry about, and that he would be perfectly safe under her watchful eyes, Goblin Slayer began finding himself more drawn to what Vivi was trying to show him as their shared "gift". "It… It'll feel good? W-What do you mean by that?" Goblin Slayer asked with a nervous yet curious tone in his voice, while watching with his heart fluttering as his sister's gentle smile became wider with a lustful glimmer in her beautiful chestnut-colored eyes.

Subtly slipping off one sandal and letting it fall quietly into the ground beneath their table, Vivi bit down on her lower lip as she looked around the dining area within their vicinity to make sure that no one was paying attention to them. Once the coast was clear, she turned back to her perplexed brother to lock eyes with him as she slowly raised her leg up underneath the table. "Please be quiet; and I'll show you what I mean," Vivi said in a cautious and promiscuous voice, and kept her eyes focused on Goblin Slayer's expression as she raised her bare foot up to gently spread apart his slender thighs. "Now please… Slide your trousers and underwear down, but only to your knees… Good… Just like that…~!"

Letting out a quiet gasp as bewilderment and nervous-excitement filled his racing heart, Goblin Slayer's eyes widen and his lips parted as he felt the warmth of his older sister's warm sole pressing gently up against his package; the heel of her foot rubbing against his hairless balls, while the way she was moving the rest of her foot up-and-down against the bottom of his growing erection stimulated Goblin Slayer unlike anything else he had ever felt before. Involuntarily tightening his grip on her hand, Goblin Slayer quickly raised his left hand up to muffle himself as he felt Vivi's toes curled down onto the tip of his fully erected member; the red-hot expression on his pleasure filled face was all Vivi needed to know that she had her little brother in the palm of her hand.

"Makes you feel like you've got butterflies swarming around in your stomach, doesn't it…~? The way my foot feels on your private part, and the friction between us is making you feel like there's a fire ignited inside of it, huh…~? It feels wonderful for you; I can tell…~!" Vivi said in a sultry voice; dirty talking to her brother, while also educating him on how best to describe the sexual stimulation she was giving him underneath the table. "And that… That's just a fraction of what I can do to make you feel that way, Ren… I imagine you're more than ready for that lesson now, aren't you~?" Vivi asked rhetorically, as she gave her little brother a few more strokes with the bottom of her foot and toes, before bringing herself to pull away from his fully erected member. "Now please… Pull up your trousers and underwear before anyone gets any ideas of what I just did to you; we can't have our reputation tarnished here…"

Still taken aback by the new sensation that he had just experienced, Goblin Slayer's mind was somewhat hazy as he couldn't help but to find himself craving more of his older sister's lustful touch on his throbbing member. "W-What…? Oh…! Oh, y-yeah; sure thing, Vivi," Goblin Slayer stuttered out with his usually pasty-colored face having become as red as a ripe tomato, as he reached down with both hands to do as his sister asked of him. "You were right…! W-Whatever that was that you did, Vivi… I-It felt really weird, but… But it was really good at the same time."

"Ah, just like how your dear sister said it would feel, huh little brother…~?" Vivi asked with a slightly smug look on her own bright-red face, as her panties began to grow moist yet again; the seed she had planted into her little brother's mind blossoming right before her eyes, as she slid her foot back into her sandal on the floor. "Now then… Unless there are any objections from you Ren, I'd like to take this "lesson" upstairs where our room for tonight is," Vivi said with a lustful tone in her voice, as she reached down into her dress' built in pocket to pull out the key to their rented room.

Mystified and deeply craving for more of what his older sister had to offer to him, Goblin Slayer was smiling like an excited-nervous idiot as he hopped out of his chair; scooting it back into the table, before quickly racing around to pull out his Vivi's seat for her. "I'm… I'm ready for more, Vivi…~!" Goblin Slayer said in a quiet whisper of his own, while sounding flustered to his older sister as she managed to contain her excitement enough to not immediately leap off of the dining chair.

Bowing down while lightly lifting the sides of her dress like a proper lady, Vivi stepped to the side with her heart pounding inside her chest as she waited for her younger brother to scoot her chair back underneath the table for her. Looking down to her side to see Goblin Slayer's alluring dusty-rose eyes gazing up at her with a nervous-excitement written all over his gentle smile, Vivi was reminded of the fact that she didn't just find her younger brother attractive over some dark taboo she had developed from having been exposed to it from the three incestuous sisters who she grew up next to; far be it, as the genuine love she and him shared had already embedded her mind with deep feelings for him, far before she had gone through puberty herself.

Taking his loving hand into hers, Vivi gave Goblin Slayer a gentle squeeze before walking alongside him as they made their way through the dining room and back to the bar area; the two siblings smiling and waving at Tavern Keeper, as they took the stairs up past his counter to where their rent room awaited for them to defile it with their taboo cravings of lust and romance.

Chapter Text

Author's warning: This lemon contains incest, cherry popping, along with the obvious age factor. Skip this chapter if it's not your cup of tea.

'Click,' the door had been locked tightly; leaving the two siblings alone in their modest bedroom that was furnished with a singular queen-sized bed in the center, and a dresser with a copper candelabra placed on top. Standing face forward toward the wooden door, Vivi took a moment to listen in for any other noises coming from outside their rented room to gauge how well the sound-proof insulation was; her alert eyes adjusting to the low light of the flickering wax candles that illuminated the bedroom in a gentle orange light, as she remained silent with the only thing audible being her own breathing and heartbeat.

'Other than some light thudding coming from the room above ours, I'd say that this room is otherwise sound proof… Which means I won't have to worry about trying to keep him quiet,' Vivi thought to herself, while feeling anxious as she slowly turned around to see Goblin Slayer sitting down at the edge of the mattress with a look of nervous-excitement written all over his trusting face.

'… In a perfect world, I would be trying my hardest to shield him from the perversions that this world has within it… But this is a lesson that he needs to learn from someone who won't judge him, such as I… The truth is that this world isn't perfect, and neither am I,' Vivi lamented to herself within the sanctity of her own mind, as she smiled gently back at her younger brother to ease his nerves. "… Are you ready to begin our lesson, Ren?"

Nodding his head with a smitten look of enthrallment in his anxious gaze, Goblin Slayer instinctively grabbed handfuls of fabric from the comforter he was sitting on top of as he replied by saying "Yeah… Yeah, I think I am, Vivi… W-What are you going to do first?"

Taking in a deep breath into her lungs after hearing her younger brother's curious and soft spoken question, Vivi felt her cheeks growing even warmer as she slowly made her way over to where he was seating; stopping once she was directly in front of his knees, before turning around to present the straps of her dress to him. "Before we begin, it's important to understand our anatomy, Ren… Specifically, I… I want you to undress me, and tell me what you like about my body as you take each article of clothing off," Vivi instructed in a kind and loving voice, as she scooted closer to allow Goblin Slayer easier access to the leather straps that we're keeping her beige-colored dress secured to her athletic body.

Even though he had been trying to prepare himself to step out of his comfort zone, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable as he begin fumbling with the top knot of Vivi's dress, that was a part of the leather corset that was attached to the rest of her outfit. "Uh… S-Sorry, uh… I-I think I got it, it's just… Tight, is all," Goblin Slayer apologized with a soft whimper escaping his closed lips, as he finally managed to control his trembling fingers well enough to undo the first of many knots.

Being extremely patient with her brother who she was trying to groom into becoming the man he was quickly flourishing into, Vivi merely smiled as she felt him beginning to work on her second and third knot. "It's alright, Ren… Just take your time, and… And don't be afraid of this; go at your own pace," Vivi reassured comfortingly, before beginning to notice that her words were beginning to stabilize Goblin Slayer's fidgeting fingers; giving him the dexterity to finish undoing the rest of her corset's straps.

Staring directly at the pasty skin of his sister's exposed upper back, Goblin Slayer took a moment to study the black straps of Vivi's bra; taking notice of the hooks that kept it fastened around her body, while the corset and dress began to peel off of her upper body. "Okay… N-Now what?" The boy asked while anticipating what his next set of instructions would be.

"Next… Next, I want you to unhook my bra, and then help me out of my dress; you should always help cloth and uncloth your woman, whenever she and you are looking to become intimate with one another," Vivi advised, as she still wanted to ensure that her brother was chivalrous above all else, while in the bedroom. Feeling his fingers brushing up against her bare back, Vivi let out a relaxed sigh as she felt him fiddling with her bra; needing a few attempts at trying to understand how the hooks worked, before finally freeing her from her restrictive article or underwear. "Ren… What does this make you feel? Helping me out of my clothes?"

Gingerly pulling the short sleeves of her dress down to allow Vivi to free her arms out of them, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to find himself studying every large muscle in his sister's arm; years of hard work on their farm by herself had given her a strong and toned physique, which made the muscles in her shoulder bulge as she moved her arm back down to her side. "I feel… Slightly dizzy, but not in a bad way… My face and ears are feeling warm, as is my private part… I can't help but feel the need to touch you, Vivi," Goblin Slayer confessed, while doing his best to articulate his own interpretation of what he thought lust felt like to him.

Silently giggling to herself, Vivi let out a sultry sigh as she slowly turned around once the upper part of her dress was hanging from her waist; her black bra falling onto the floor beside where they had sat their footwear, as she watched Goblin Slayer's eyes widen the moment her medium-sized breasts were out only less than a foot away from where his bright-red face was. "Hmmhmm~! What you're feeling right now is called "arousal"; it's what happens when you see someone or something that triggers your body to want to get all touchy-feely with… Tell me, Ren… Do my breasts also make you feel "aroused"~?" Vivi asked seductively with her heart fluttering for her younger brother, as she reached up to softly shake her c-cup sized tits for him.

Feeling his trousers tightening as he watched the mesmerizing mounds bounce up-and-down before him, Goblin Slayer's legs shifted on the edge of the mattress as swallowed back the lump in his throat once more. "Y-Yeah, I… I think so… They're very, uh… Round, and… Nice to look at," the hormonal boy muttered in response to his older sister's inquiry, as he began eyeing her erected little pink nipples, before glancing down momentarily to take a gander at his visible six-pack; another sign of just the kind of hard-labor his sister was used to doing.

"Oh… And… And what if I were to tell you that they're even nicer to grab a hold of~?" Vivi said in a soft voice; her eyes lighting up with excitement and the corners of her pleased lips tightening, as she let go of her own boobs to reach forward to grab a hold of her brother's hands.

Remembering the way he felt intrigued about the buxom and tall nun who had interrupted him and his sister from wrestling a little too close to one another, Goblin Slayer wondered to himself as to why he felt so drawn to Vivi's soft and sizeable bossoms; a shaky breath of excitement escaping his throat, as his older sister lead his hands to where her hardened nipples were.

Feeling his older sister's nipples brushing up against his palms, Goblin Slayer felt his heart skipping a beat as he heard Vivi letting out a muffled moan of pleasure from her closed smile. "Does… Does this feel good to you?" Goblin Slayer asked with baited breath, as he began to grow bold enough to squeeze his fingers down on his older sister's plump breasts; his erected cock throbbing inside of his trousers, as he fondled Vivi with his curious grasping hands. "Does this… Arouse you, as well?"

Closing her eyelids softly, Vivi arched her back while biting down on her luscious bottom lip; nodding to her younger brother, as her submissive nature began to unravel itself to Goblin Slayer. "Mmmph~! Y-Yeah, Ren~…! Ooh, mmmhhh…! C-Could you… C-Could you suck on one of them for me, please…? I… I've always wondered what it would feel like to have someone else do it, other than myself…" Vivi admitted, after having practically begged for her younger brother to fulfill one of her many sexual fantasies for her.

Not wanting to disappoint his gorgeous older sister— whose athletic build and perky breasts were both doing wonders for his developing libido— Goblin Slayer leaned forward to bury his face in between her gorgeous cleavage; an urge that lead to him smothering his face into her left boob, as he made his way toward her rock-hard nipple. 'There's some sweat on her skin, and yet… And yet it doesn't make me feel grossed out; I sort of actually kind of like it,' Goblin Slayer lamented, as an idea quickly developed in his excited mind; leading to him to stick his tongue out, so that he could slowly lick his wet oral muscle from the bottom of Vivi's areola, and up until his lips were wrapping around her entire pink nipple.

Whipping her head back and letting out a gasp of pleasure as she felt Goblin Slayer's teeth pressing down gently against the bottom and top of her tit, Vivi let out an elongated sigh as she slowly lowered her face back from the direction of the ceiling; burying her nose into the top of her brother's head full of light-brown hair, as she reached down to begin pulling the rest of her dress down her toned hips. "Ooooh, gods…~! Mmm, good boy, Ren; s-suck on my tit, j-just like that, mmphhh~…!" Vivi cooed out in between soft pants of hot breath, as she wiggle her legs out of the dress before letting the rest of her outfit fall to the wooden floats boards below.

Feeling his older sister's strong arms wrapping themselves around his body to not only embrace him, but to also stuff his warm drool-filled mouth with more of her medium-sized boob, Goblin Slayer let out a throaty whimper mixed in with a moan as he began to feel Vivi kiss the top of his head, as though it were his lips. With the only garment left of his pale-skinned and athletic sister being just her wet-black panties, Goblin Slayer took the liberty to reach out with his freed hands to begin exploring his older sister's toned body.

Hearing muffled explanations of what the name of the body part he was touching from his fully aroused sister, Goblin Slayer started his journey of Vivi's strong and slender body by rubbing his hands down along the sides of her abdomen; stopping at her love handles to squeeze his fingers down on them, and felt his cock twitch excitingly the moment he heard his submissive sister letting out an involuntary high-pitch scream of euphoric pleasure.

Fueled by his lust that was beginning to grow more-and-more addictive to him as he flicked his tongue against his sister's erected nipple inside of his mouth, Goblin Slayer's hands lowered themselves down even more past Vivi's hips; caressing her thighs while hearing her muffled moans grow louder, before reaching around as far as his arms could extend. Remembering the longing he felt when he saw his sister's shapely mounds bouncing up-and-down while he was being dragged right behind her in the marketplace, Goblin Slayer pulled Vivi closer to him by grabbing handfuls of her muscular ass; leading the submissive teenager to follow his touch.

Lifting her mouth off of the top of his head, Vivi climbed onto the bed; lowering her younger brother onto the mattress, so that he was directly underneath her, while she hovered over his smaller body. "R-Ren…! I-I want you to wrestle with me, just like how we did earlier…! E-Except I want you to face me this time… T-Touch me, make me feel good, baby brother~…!" Vivi begged with a sensual tone in her usually kind and soft spoken voice, as she continued to hold herself over Goblin Slayer, who was still squeezing his fingers and thumbs into both of her toned asscheeks.

'My private part is starting to get the inside of my underwear wet… Wonder if that's normal,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, before beginning to think of a way to pleasure his older sister the way she wanted him to. 'She said to wrestle her like earlier, but just to be facing her this time… Maybe if I lower her down on me, if that'll do something…' Goblin Slayer wondered, as he reached around her thighs to grab a hold of Vivi's black panties, pulling down on them to bring her hips down on his, while accidentally slipping them down her strong-muscular legs.

Letting out a surprised gasp as an excited opened-mouth smile formed across her pink lips, Vivi waited with baited breath to see where her younger brother was going with his exploration of her toned body, as she felt her panties sliding down her thighs and falling down all the way to her knees. "Mmmm~…! Q-Quick learner, aren't you…?" Vivi mused proudly, as she decided to help her younger brother by taking her left leg out of her panties, allowing her to spread her thighs wider for him, before eagerly pressing the wet outer lips of her womanhood down on his bulge.

Tensing up with his eyes once again widening, Goblin Slayer's involuntary cry of pleasure was muffled by his older sister's tit stuffed into his gaping mouth. 'This feeling…! It's… It's amazing! Oh, wow…! Whatever's she doing right now, it's freaking awesome!' Goblin Slayer thought euphorically to himself, while beginning to mimic his older sister by grinding his hips against hers; as she wiggled her dripping-wet pussy around his covered erection, as to get in between her tender vaginal lips.

Biting down on her lower lip harder, Vivi arched her back involuntarily as she felt the precum-soaked fabric of her younger brother's large bulge pressing up against her enlarged clitoris; the friction from the moist texture stimulating her, as she began to bounce her hips up-and-down on Goblin Slayer's pelvis. "Ahhh, oohhh~! D-Don't forget to give my other nipple some attention too, little brother; g-gwuah~! She's getting jealous of you "kissing" her "sister", mmmph~!" Vivi scolded in a seductively submissive voice, as her fingers dug deep into the top comforter sheet of the bed that was beginning to squeak loudly underneath them.

Abiding his older sister's request, Goblin Slayer turned his head to the side while getting his erection ridden by her; panting and moaning quietly to himself, as he plopped the saliva-covered nipple out of his mouth. Taking a moment to stare at the large hickey he had left on her bouncing left tit, Goblin Slayer reached down from her strong lowered mounds to grab a hold of her jiggling right breast; opening his jaw, as he filled his mouth with her previously neglected nipple.

Edging towards the feeling of being overstimulated, Vivi's eyes widened as she let out a loud gasp of air; her brown eyes rolling into the back of her sockets, as she felt her younger brother greedily begin to succle on her other sensitive nipple, all while the she felt his hands reaching back up to grab a hold of her lower cheeks. "J-Just like that Ren, gwuaahh~! Nnnghhh, gods…~! Make love to your sister's cunny; use her like the whore that she is- ahhhh~!" Vivi moaned out without the mental concentration to filter out her profanity; her sex-driven mind filled with the memories of all the erotic novels that she had read over at her friends' house that helped kickstart her taboo cravings.

While his older sister was content with rubbing her sensitive clit against his covered erection, Goblin Slayer was discovering that the clothes he was still wearing were getting in the way of him being able to share the same amount of pleasure that his sister was having; an observation he made when Vivi had accidentally pulled his trousers down past his thighs, while having been bouncing her hips up-and-down against his.

'My underwear… If they take them off, it should make me feel better down there; maybe it'll feel just as good as it did when she was rubbing her foot against it earlier?' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, while completely oblivious to the risks that having unprotected sex could lead to. Horny and craving to expose his cock out for his sister to make feel good, Goblin Slayer momentarily let go of the sex-crazed teenager's plump-muscular asscheeks to reach down underneath her toned-sweaty body, so as to shimmy his underwear and the rest of his trousers down past his thighs.

Aggressively thrusting her hips against her younger brother's, Vivi's ears were filled with the springs of the mattress squeaking underneath their combined cries of pleasure; her mind was clouded by lust, to the point that she didn't even think twice when all of a sudden the cock she had been grinding her clit against slipped upwards toward the entrance of her virgin pussy. An involuntary scream of shock and pain filled the bedroom from Vivi, as her teary eyes grew wide the moment she had unknowingly penetrated her virgin pussy with all eight inches of her unusually endowed little brother; an excruciating sensation mixed in with raw pleasure radiated up her groin, from her broken hymen.

Clenching her jaw close while tightening her grasp on the handfuls of comforter that she had been holding onto, Vivi felt her heart drop in her chest the moment she felt Goblin Slayer immediately halting his thrusts. 'Shit… I didn't think this through! I forgot how all those authors wrote in their eroticas about how painful it was for the main character to lose her virginity! Damn it, I should have known better; especially with Ren!' Vivi scolded herself, while resisting the urge to give into how much pain she was in, as she felt trickles of her blood seeping out of her deflowered womanhood, and onto her oblivious brother's cock that was still buried balls-deep inside of her.

"V-Vivi?! A-Are you okay?! Did… D-Did I hurt you…?!" Goblin Slayer finally asked, after using the same technique from earlier to slide his older sister's nipple and breast from his mouth.

Refusing to allow her broken hymen to traumatize her younger brother— especially since he was in a vulnerable state, and was completely trusting of her that she knew what she was doing— Vivi let out a shaky breath as she forced herself for push past the intense soreness she felt inside of her bleeding vagina. "Ahhh, uhh…?! N-No! No, Ren; quite the opposite, actually! That was a scream of pleasure! A-And I-I meant what I said earlier: I-I want you to grab me by my hips or buttcheeks, and thrust your hips against mine while your penis is inside me," Vivi instructed after consoling her brother that she was fine with him fucking her deflowered pussy.

Bracing herself for more pain, Vivi clenched her eyelids shut and kept her jaw shut tightly as she lowered her body down further onto Goblin Slayer; smothering him between her sweaty cleavage, and letting out a throaty whine as she felt his hands blindly reach around her thighs to grab back onto her bare asscheeks. "C-Come on baby brother… Give that cock to your naughty older sister~…!" Vivi whispered out in a sultry voice; her love for her brother filling her with the strength to go on, as she reached around his upper body to wrap her muscular arms around his torso.

Inhaling humid breaths of air that filled his nostrils with his sister's intoxicating aroma, the skin-to-skin contact he felt with Vivi as his cheeks were smushed together by her perky titties were all that Goblin Slayer needed to be motivated once again to continue making love to his beloved older sister; that; and the way her toned ass reverberated as he groped and smack her bottom cheeks were also what reignited the lust he felt previous in his loins. Sticking his tongue out, Goblin Slayer licked up between his sister's breasts as he raised his knees up while Vivi spread her thighs even more to begin straddling his hips at a better angle; the unconditional love she had for him fueled her resolve, as she buried her face into the top of his thick head of hair.

Bucking his hips against hers, Goblin Slayer immediately knew that he absolutely was addicted to the way her warm-hot pussy felt around his member, as he pumped his throbbing eight-inch member in-and-out of her deflowered teenage cunny. Hearing a guttural whimper escaping from his sister's throat as she tightened her arms around his body, Goblin Slayer was beginning to pant humid breaths of Vivi's boob sweat as he began to carefully bite down on both sides of her inner cleavage; leaving trails of hickies and bite marks all over her pale skin, as he began thrusting his throbbing cock faster and harder inside of her aching pussy.

Having prepared herself to endure nothing but discomfort until her brother finished inside of her, Vivi was finding herself beginning to enjoy getting her teenage cunt fucked silly by Goblin Slayer, as the pain from her broken hymen began to transform back into mind-breaking pleasure. 'The pain's still there, but it's strange… The way his cock keeps rubbing against my inner walls… It reminds me of when I massage a bruise; it stings, but it's soothing in all the best ways,' Vivi lamented to herself, while beginning to drool shamelessly all over the top of her younger brother's hair; the springs inside the mattress beginning to once again squeak loudly, as she raised her hips up to bounce up-and-down on Goblin Slayer's twitching cock while he thrusted his member inside of her.

Achieving synchronization in the way they were fucking one another like rabbits, the room became flooded with humidity and an cacophony made up of their combined moans and grunts; both siblings beginning to work up a new layer of sweat over their bodies. Relishing the way her little brother's balls would slap against her vaginal lips each time she lowered herself down on his thrusting cock, Vivi had practically given up on trying to make her living fantasy seem like a lesson in sex-education, and instead was losing herself to the sexual pleasure that she and her brother were sharing with one another.

Clouded by sexual stimulation, Vivi's diminishing judgment brought forth her most repressed thoughts; as each time she felt the tip of Goblin Slayer's large cock ramming against her G-spot, Vivi found it harder to not think of her little brother as her new boyfriend. "Ooooooh, g-good job, baby…~! Oh g-gods, Ren~! Don't stop, d-don't you dare stop, nghhwuah~!" Vivi cooed out with her vision going crossed-eyed, as she felt herself reaching closer-and-closer to her release.

Hearing wet 'plamph, blamph' noises coming from his sister pouring-wet pussy, the tightness Goblin Slayer felt all around his eight-inch cock as Vivi's deflowered walls began to contract around his girth sent the boy spiraling into a world of pleasure; his nose and lungs filled with his older sister's intoxicating sweaty-musk, as he began to feel an all new feeling forming inside him. Beginning to grow light-headed in between his older sister's jiggling breasts that are covered in his love-bites, Goblin Slayer knew something was coming as he felt Vivi's arms and thighs crushing his body, with how tightly she was embracing him.

"Ooohh, ohhh gods~! B-Baby, baby I-ahhh~! I-I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna-nghhhh-GWWUAHH~! AHHHH, AHHHH, NNYWAHHH~!" Vivi's high-pitched voice moaned out incoherently with her tongue flopped out past her bottom lip, before beginning to scream with a mind-altering euphoria as her contracted vaginal walls tightened even more around her brother's twitching cock; holding his member in place, as they exchanged bodily fluids within the sanctity of her well-fucked pussy.

Stifling in grunts mixed in with moans into his sister's perspiring breasts, Goblin Slayer's fingers began to leave scratch marks down the sides of Vivi's toned ass cheeks as the boy achieved his very very orgasm; cumming deep inside his own older sister, shooting his white-hot ropey loads past her cervix, and coating the inside of her fertile womb with his seed, as he felt her hot-watery vaginal fluids pouring down his member and trickling down his hairless balls. Leaving a large wet spot of their combined juices on the comforter beneath where his bottom was, Goblin Slayer remained underneath Vivi's hot-warm body, gasping for air just like she was, as the two of them refused to let go of one another.

With how close their bodies were pressed up against one another, the two siblings were eventually able to match one another's breathing without even putting any thought into it, and soon were coherent enough to begin coming down from their intense session of what was supposed to be educational "experimentation". Despite having her wits back, the feelings of her longing to be a wife and a sister to Goblin Slayer left Vivi feeling submissive to her well-endowed brother. Instead of letting him lay down on her, since she was both taller and weighed more than him, Vivi cuddled up against his side; resting the side of her face against his warm chest, while still holding him close to her body.

With about twenty minutes left to spare before they both needed to begin making themselves look presentable to partake in the dinner being held by the church, Vivi decided to actually finish what she originally set out to do when she first brought Goblin Slayer up to their rented room. Going over in detail about what exactly happened within their bodies throughout the duration of their love making, Vivi made sure to take advantage of the fact that they were both still naked to point at both their bodies to give Goblin Slayer a visualization of which body part was called what, and what sexual function it served.

Feeling more than satisfied with his experience losing his virginity from the same teenager whose virginity he had taken in turn, Goblin Slayer and Vivi made pillow talk about what they both taught Mother Mary would want with him in private; his older sister taking the opportunity to half-jokingly assure her younger brother that he should be prepared for whatever sexual favor that the nun would ask of him.

Chapter Text

The shift in their relationship dynamic mostly stayed relatively the same for the Ashta siblings, with Goblin Slayer and Vivi still treating one another as siblings as they hurriedly made their way to the church to help out with serving dinner; a few jokes and the respect the younger brother had for his older sibling was still present. Truly, one of the only major differences that had spawned from their intimate session within Cattlemen's Tavern was that two siblings had become sexually active with one another; going as far as talking about what else they wanted to try in the bedroom.

Having no time to further discuss such lewd and incestious acts with one another, the two siblings were separated once they arrived at the church; with Goblin Slayer being tasked with Scarlet to help set up the dining hall with the rest of the able-bodied and sound-of-mind orphans, while Vivi was strapped with an apron so she could assist in the kitchen. While his sister was chopping up vegetables to put into the beef teriyaki bowls that the church was going to serve to the hungry, Goblin Slayer was deep in thought as he began placing silverware utensils from the bin he had in one arm onto the table; self-conscious thoughts of shame began bleeding into his uneasy mind.

'What happened in that tavern was really, really something else; I don't think I could have ever imagined that sex with Vivi would have felt that great… Then again, I never put much thought into sex in general; not before today, that is,' Goblin Slayer lamented silently, as he finished placing the utensils down on both sides of the empty white-cermanic plate, before stepping left and making his way toward the end of the adult's banquet table.

'It's scary to think that what we had together is going to change because of that… I hope it doesn't make us grow distant, or even ruin the relationship we had before… Was it a mistake taking things that far? Should we have stopped before even stepping foot in that room together? I feel dirty, I hate it… I wish… I wish I didn't have all these weird, confusing thoughts going on in my head right now…' The emotionally drained boy thought to himself, as he felt nothing but confliction inside of his hormonal head; all the while unknowingly being approached by a trio of girls who had spotted him from across the large-spacious dining room.

Standing over at the edge of corner of the eighty foot-long banquet table that was the intended for the adults to gather at, Goblin Slayer was finished placing down the silverware on both sides of the last plate he needed to set up when he turned to where the red-headed was standing near him with a familiar smile spread across her pink lips. "Oh… Uhh… H-Hello again, Scarlet. Are these the girls you went to lunch with?" Goblin Slayer asked in a gentle voice, while shaking off the remaining negativity left behind by his brooding thoughts.

Nodding her head with plenty of energy in her, Scarlet took a step back and raised her arm up from the elbow tucked near her side, as she pointed a thumb back at the timid-looking girl with dark-blue hair and purple eyes on her left, who was wearing a light sky-blue dress underneath a large white cloak that came equipped with a hood fitted with decorative cat ears; appearing over all to have been from a well-off family, same as the taller brunette child who was standing on the other side of Scarlet.

"This here is "Marina Chymes"! She's the daughter of your sister's new boss, so like… That technically means she's your boss too! Isn't that right, Marina?" Scarlet asked with a scandalous-looking smile on her playful face, to which earned her a head shake from the aforementioned child.

"Umm… N-No, sorry…" Marina replied in a quiet voice, as she gave a small wave at Goblin Slayer, concluding her introduction, as she didn't seem all that interested in sharing more of her life story with him.

Hiding her awkward grimace behind an exaggerated and wide-eyed smile that she flashed apologetically to Goblin Slayer, Scarlet chuckled quietly before letting her raised arm drop down to her side. "Uh, she's usually like that; don't take it personally… Oh, and uh… This is "Yang Buddica"! Her family works as supervisors for the dairy, and she's teaching me how to use a sword the right way!" Scarlet announced proudly, after addressing Marina's cold demeanor.

Appearing closer to his age than her friends' age, Yang kept her eyes softly narrowed at Goblin Slayer as she walked past Scarlet to get right in his face; standing slightly taller than him, while only less than a few inches away from his confused face. "So… Heard you're some sort of prodigy, or something. Took on an entire army of goblins all by yourself, huh?" Yang asked with a heavy amount of skepticism in her voice, frowning down at Goblin Slayer, with a look of distrust in her scowling emerald green eyes.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm a prodigy by any means; I just got lucky with the whole “summoning” thing," Goblin Slayer truthfully replied, as he raised his right hand up to show her his glowing crest. "I'm still trying to understand it all myself, but just know that I don't think I'm better than anyone else for having gotten this power… Right now, all I can think to do with it is find a way to help those who were a part of my village get back on their feet," the boy said humbly, as Tavern Keeper's lesson about being modest came to his mind.

Remaining silent for a brief moment, Yang studied Goblin Slayer's facial features and glowing crest on his hand, before her abrasive expression lightened up. "… Given the way Scarlet was talking about you earlier today, I was expecting you to be self-centered. I'm glad that it was a misjudgment on my part," Yang said with a smirk forming across her lips, as she raised her hand to offer it to Goblin Slayer. "Sorry to hear about what your village went through by the way; I can't imagine what I'd do if that happened here."

Using the hand with the glowing crest on it to shake hers, Goblin Slayer took in a slow breath as he stared up into her green gaze. "Thanks… Yeah, it was… It honestly was a nightmare. I wish that I could have prevented it from happening in the first place, but… It wasn't meant to be, it would seem," Goblin Slayer mused with a saddened tone in his voice, as he finally addressed the part of him that was spiteful towards the fact that Fairy Knight didn't come to his rescue until the very last moment.

Feeling his hand slipping out of hers, Yang nodded her head respectfully before taking a step back to give the boy some breathing room. "Still… You saved a lot of people last night, Goblin Slayer; I was there volunteering at the church with my dad when we saw all your neighbors marching into Londobell… For that alone, you should be proud that you were able to make a difference," the brunette girl said in a proud voice, and locked eyes with the ten year-old as she smiled back gently at him.

Happy to see that her overprotective best friend had quickly warmed up to the boy she spent hours talking about, Scarlet fist pumped the air excitedly before hopping up once to get closer to where Goblin Slayer was standing. "Hey, so like, since we're all done with setting up the kids' table, and you're pretty much done with your chores…! C-Can you show us that girl you fought those goblins with?! Oh please, oh please, oh PLEASE!" Scarlet begged with an over dramatic flare to her voice, going as far as dropping down on both knees, before interlocking her fingers together as she shook her closed hands together in front of her chest.

Immediately put on the spot, Goblin Slayer's eyes widened as his face became flushed as he began noticing all the other children around him who were beginning to come toward him to see what all the commotion was about. "I… I mean… I guess, but… I'm not sure if, like…" Goblin Slayer murmured under his anxious breath, as a small bead of sweat formed on his scarred cheek; his dusty-rose eyes looking back-and-forth at all the intrigued children, who were all beginning to quietly pressure him by adding to Scarlet's begging.

"Is he magic, or something?! Is that why his eyes are red like that thing on his hand?!"

”PICK UP THE FOX!!! PICK UP THE FOX!!!”

"Isn't that just the kid who killed a bunch of goblins? What's so impressive about that?"

“GRAND CANYON!!! GRAND CANYON!!!”

"I wanna see something cool!"

“Who invited Dave again?”

Receiving loud questions from all around the dining hall about the children wanting to see him perform magic for their entertainment, Goblin Slayer was beginning to feel overwhelmed by all the voices around him, and was considering retreating elsewhere to clear his mind when all of a sudden he saw one girl who he recognized from the night prior.

Covered in bandages that hid some of the bite marks and scars she had all over her pale body, a small girl who wasn't any older than five approached him from the crowd; the left side of her head wrapped up in cloth, while her face hid behind her long orange hair. All of his attention was focused on her, as she stood a mere few inches away from him before softly speaking. "May I… M-May I thank the girl who got those goblins off of me and my mom…? I… I want to tell her how grateful I am to be… T-To be alive right now," the orange-haired girl spoke in an emotionally distant voice, despite seeming genuinely appreciative when talking about what Fairy Knight did for her.

Thinking back to how he had spoken about how part of him was disappointed with fate's timing, hearing one of the many children whose lives he had spared from a worse situation at the hands of the now-mutilated goblins made the ten year-old boy feel momentarily asphyxiated; the fact that he was being told directly by someone who he thought he had failed took the air from his lungs, and left him speechless as he stared past her long orange strands of hair, and into her pretty blue eyes that were staring sweetly back at him.

Looking away from the survivor, Goblin Slayer stared at the back of his hand with a thoughtful look in his eyes; gauging the risks of summoning Fairy Knight within the large dining hall in his head, before thinking of a compromise that would appease both his worries, and the children surrounding him. "… Follow me outside to the courtyard; I'll try to see if she'll agree to saying hello to you all," Goblin Slayer announced with a small smile across his lips, while secretly feeling his heart racing inside of his chest as he gestured for the children to follow him; earning himself a howl of excitement that was started by Scarlet, who trailed less than a foot behind him with her two best friends at her side.

Glancing up at the beautiful ivory and gold clock that was mounted above the front entrance of the church's main worship hall, Goblin Slayer mentally took note of the time and decided to allot himself ten minutes to give what the children behind him wanted. Feeling a shepherd leading a flock of sheep, Goblin Slayer made his way underneath the twilight sky toward the large stone fountain in the center of the church's front courtyard; taking a step onto its bottom circular seating-area to make sure that his youthful audience could see him.

Pushing past the stage-fright he was feeling bubbling up inside him, Goblin Slayer addressed the crowd of children who were all focused on the glowing crest on the back of his pale hand; telling them all the story about how he had gotten his servant in his dire time of need, and about what he had done to slay the goblin army who had invaded his village. When he was done telling the children his tale, Goblin Slayer used the same analogy told to him by the mysterious woman who had visited him earlier in the market; doing his best to explain what he knew about the Moon-Cell, before finally coming time for him to summon his servant.

Having gotten so wrapped up in his storytelling, Goblin Slayer was trying to come up with an exciting way to call forth Fairy Knight, as to entertain the children who he remembered seeing so catatonic and depressed earlier that day. However, just the mere thought of thinking about how he would go about summoning his servant was all it took for the the cyan-glowing rune from before appearing over his head; catching Goblin Slayer off guard, while causing his audience to roar out in childish screams of excitement and sounds of awe as Fairy Knight emerged from above the portal.

Levitating in the air above where the spiraling circular-rune was disappearing into a fading cloud of illuminated particles of pixels, Fairy Knight remained calmed and visibly expressionless as she stared out at all of the excited and nervous juveniles beneath her; past the cold-blue steel mask that she wore over her eyes and nose. "… Did you summon me for the purpose of executing these children, child?" Fairy Knight asked with a cold voice; masking her disdain for the act of child murder behind her stoic voice.

Going wide-eyed at the question, Goblin Slayer immediately began shaking his head violently while crossing his arms back-and-forth out of a desperate attempt to deny Fairy Knight's inquiry. "N-NO! N-NO, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT DO THAT! WHATEVER YOU DO, D-DON'T DO THAT!" Goblin Slayer screamed out loud with a panicked tone in his voice; his actions and high-pitched voice amusing a majority of his child-audience who were just under the assumption that the two of them were joking around to be funny.

Letting out a soft sigh of relief as she floated down beside Goblin Slayer's side, Fairy Knight did her best to smile at the cheering crowds of children who were all shouting their questions at her, and kept herself facing forward as she began to speak directly to her master. "… What is the meaning of this? Did you summon me away from my knightly duties, for the sole purpose of inflating your ego?" Fairy Knight asked with an accusingly undertone to her nearly emotionless voice, as she started to wave half-heartedly at Scarlet, who was screaming her lungs out to get her attention. "Has no one taught you a lesson in grace and remaining humble, child? Or shall I need to be the one to drag you somewhere in private, and teach you the hard way?"

Having seen firsthand the kind of damage that the white-haired knight was fully capable of physically doing onto others, Goblin Slayer immediately tensed up and felt the color draining from his face as he nervously smiled back at some of the children in the front who were trying to get his attention. "Uh…! N-No, it's not like that…! It's just that, uh…! E-Everyone here was really excited to meet you, and uh, well…! I-I thought since some of them are the kids who we saved, and that the rest were pretty much all miserable I would…! Y-You know…?! H-Have you come here to, uh… S-Spread some cheer, or something like that; I don't know, a lot of them are orphans like me… I thought it would be nice…!" Goblin Slayer nervously stuttered out with sweat beginning to pour down the sides of his face, as he suddenly felt Fairy Knight reaching behind him with one arm, to firmly grab him by the back of his neck.

"Child… Have I ever given you the impression that I am someone who's "nice", or exists to "spread cheer" onto others?" Fairy Knight asked calmly, while digging her armored fingertips deep enough into the back of Goblin Slayer's neck to cause him to begin whimpering in discomfort.

"N-No, Dame Knight, not at all; especially right now…!" Goblin Slayer quickly replied with a trembling smile forming on his quivering lips, as he winced in pain as his servant's disapproving grip grew tighter. "S-Sorry, uh… Y-You don't have to be anymore; they just wanted to see you was all," Goblin Slayer said, as he really didn't want to further anger the annoyed servant anymore than he already did.

Rolling her eyes behind her armored mask, Fairy Knight released her tight hold on the back of his neck, allowing her arm to fall back to her side, while hearing a sigh of relief escaping from her master's parted lips. "Don't be ridiculous; I'm already here. Besides… If what you say is true about these children, then… I suppose I could forgive you for inconveniencing me this time around; for their sake. Just… Just don't make this a habit, child," Fairy Knight scolded, before immediately instructing Goblin Slayer to begin wrangling up the children in an organized line around the water fountain.

Donning her two gorgeous arm-swords and casting a spell to cause her silver blades to glow beautifully in a spectacular cyan light, Fairy Knight would call forth for one child at a time from the line Goblin Slayer managed to form from all the screaming and wild children. One-by-one, Fairy Knight would give each child about a minute to speak with her, and despite how she spoke to Goblin Slayed in private, the white-haired knight was very soft-spoken and kind to each little boy and girl who came up to her; filling them with inspiration and hope, before hugging them and sending them back inside the church.

Having lost track of time, it wasn't until Goblin Slayer saw the last girl who happened to be the orange-haired survivor finish speaking to Fairy Knight for a full five minutes before suddenly realizing that he had spent nearly an hour outside; disrupting the church's dinner, and more than likely causing the other women who were in the kitchen to blame his sister for the whole "meet-and-greet" disruption.

Low and behold, Goblin Slayer's predictions ended up becoming true when Mother Mary herself came outside once the peppered child with orange hair and bandages came walking back into the church with a smile; feeling motivated by Fairy Knight's words to turn her traumatic experience into empowerment, while the buxom nun came walking over to where he stood. Frowning with a disapproving look in her blue eyes, Mother Mary opened her mouth to begin scolding Goblin Slayer about holding up dinner for those who needed to eat and got a few words out before becoming utterly speechless when she gazed past the ten year-old to see the masked face of the white-haired knight herself.

"Ashta, is that… Is that who I believe it to be…?" Mother Mary asked in a taken aback voice, as she immediately straightened her back and fixed her posture underneath the hidden gaze of the boy's visibly expressionless servant.

Having fully prepared himself to get an earful about the blond woman in tight white cloth, Goblin Slayer took a moment to switch gears mentally as he looked up past Mother Mary's plump HH-cup sized bosoms to do his best to read her astonished expression. "Y-Yeah— I mean— y-yes ma'am…!" Goblin Slayer quickly corrected himself, which luckily Mother Mary didn't seem to notice as she was still entranced by the elegance and mystifying aura that the white-haired knight and her sleek glowing armor gave off from her child-like stature.

Walking past Goblin Slayer like a moth drawn to a flame, Mother Mary made her way closer-and-closer to the water fountain; a child-like smile spreading across her slightly wrinkled red lips, as she basked in the cyan-colored light that the servant was cascading from her body like a beacon. "She's so beautiful… H-Her name, Ashta; what do I call this angelic creature?" Mother Mary inquired with a child-like excitement in her voice, as she slowed her pace down to continue walking while looking over her shoulder nervously at Goblin Slayer.

Looking away momentarily from the older nun's stare to exchange looks with his servant, the white-haired knight gave her master a subtle nod of approval before watching as he turned back to meet the woman's gaze once more. "She… She goes by "Fairy Knight". You… You should approach her and ask if you can speak to her, before you start asking her questions; it's part of her "power-dynamic thing"," Goblin Slayer advised half-jokingly; smiling back playfully at the half-serious scowl he was receiving from his servant who easily overhead him and his quip about her.

Unable to distinguish whether or not the ten year-old was joking, Mother Mary carried herself with a submissiveness as she approached Fairy Knight; kneeling down and hanging her head low when she got within a meter of the stone-fountain ledge that the servant was still using to stand on. "Oh Dame Knight, I am Mother Mary: the shepherd of this humble flock of lost souls who gather here for sanctuary… I beg of you to lend me your ear, and pray to Earth Goddess that I am worthy enough to take up your precious time!"

Even though Fairy Knight was more than accustomed to seeing fairies and humans alike throwing themselves on the ground to surrender to her greatness, the caliber of Mother Mary's dramatic pleas were too much, even for her. Out of showing respect for the older woman who was still a fraction of how old she actually was, Fairy Knight was able to restrain her chuckle behind an amused smirk; trying her hardest to remain straight-faced, as she looked over to Goblin Slayer before lowering her gaze back down to where the nun was beginning to bow down on the cobblestone grounds of the courtyard.

"Ahem…! O-On your feet, Mother Mary; you have my full attention, so use it wisely," Fairy Knight instructed with an authoritative tone in her stoic voice, after needing to clear her throat to fight away the last of her contained laughter. "You may speak now," Fairy Knight permitted, after waiting for the middle aged woman to get back up from the ground.

Unsure whether or not the discussion the two females were going to have was meant to be private, Goblin Slayer stood awkwardly out underneath the starry night sky; his body illuminated by the lamp posts that circles around the inter-middle circle of the entire courtyard. Sticking his hands into his side-pockets, Goblin Slayer took a few paces ahead before coming to a stop once he was within eavesdropping distance of Mother Mary and Fairy Knight's conversation.

"Fairy Knight, I come before you as a woman of Earth Mother… While I have… N-Never questioned my faith to Her, I must admit that the only true form of communication I've ever had with Her previously consisted of interpreting Her miracles; many of which have… Have only come to my attention through outside sources," Mother Mary confided quietly; unknowingly receiving a questionable stare from the ten year-old who she didn't even realize was listening in on her conversation.

Nodding her head, as she herself was never religious and hadn't felt the need to worship a higher power since the beginning of her existence, Fairy Knight tried to imagine what it would be like for someone who was as devout to an invisible goddess as Mother Mary was; taking into account that most mortals believed in such deities out of a form of seeking answers to questions that weren't ever meant to be known to them. "I see… And what would you have me tell you? You would have me falsely confirm the existence of your goddess?" Fairy Knight asked genuinely, despite unintentionally sounding disrespectful as she stared down behind her armored mask at the middle aged woman.

Shaking her head while still tilting her head down to continue to show submissiveness to the servant, Mother Mary swallowed back the nervous lump in her throat before speaking once more. "N-No Dame Knight, I do not seek such a thing; my belief alone is strong enough in Her to remain faithful. I only bring Earth Mother to your attention, as She to me directly for the very first time in my fifty years of life… She… She spoke of the dawn of a new era… One where She would be changing our doctrine Herself, and that She would be more directly involved in our day-to-day lives, and that we would need to prepare ourselves for… For the arrival of a … A moon."

Enough though she hadn't any interest in whatever it was that she figured that Mother Mary would want to discuss with her, Fairy Knight's hidden indifference immediately shifted the moment she heard the nun mention the word "moon". "I see… And tell me, Mother Mary: Is there any significance to moons, or any other celestial body that's a part of any religion practiced within this known world?" Fairy Knight asked with a slightly deeper voice, as she was beginning to take whatever it was that Mother Mary's goddess had said more seriously.

Along with his servant, Goblin Slayer's heart dropped the moment he overheard Mother Mary confessing to Fairy Knight about what Earth Goddess had told her to be ready for. 'A moon? It… It has to be… She must be referring to the "Moon-Cell"… I wonder if that woman I met in the marketplace has anything to do with this,' Goblin Slayer pondered to himself, as he remembered hearing about how the Moon-Cell possessed an intelligence of its own.

Having been unsure of what she had been told the other night, Mother Mary explained to Fairy Knight that while the moon they had reverence to those who practiced arcane arts, the nun clarified that their moon wasn't worshiped nearly as much as it was studied by the astrologists within the "Clock Tower", which was located in the Kingdom of Pathway's capital. "… Earth Mother told us that She would be arriving on the dawn of the seventh day… She is scheduled to come within six days from now to our village, Dame Knight," Mother Mary informed cooperatively, as she could tell that the news she brought forward to the servant was beginning to stress out the white-haired knight.

"… Six mornings from now, until… I-I see… And tell me, Mother Mary: Did this "Earth Mother" mention anything about what her true name was, or what the name of the moon was that she spoke of?" Fairy Knight questioned with a thoughtful tone in her voice, giving as little information about what she suspected to the nun, while also forming several plans of action in her head as she waited for a response.

"No Dame Knight; She only told me that She would reveal Herself to Her followers on the sixth dawn… I apologize if I offended you by not answering your questions sufficiently; if it means anything to you, I can offer you more information if and when She chooses to speak to me again," Mother Mary offered willingly, which did little to quell the bewilderment and anxieties that the servant was silently feeling behind her stoic expression that she hid underneath her armored mask.

Thanking the mature nun for her cooperation and service, Fairy Knight concluded their conversation by being the one to remind Mother Mary about the late-night dinner that had been delayed by her and her master. And although the woman of the white cloth had more questions that she wanted to be answered, she held back her curiosity as she thanked Fairy Knight for her time before offering her to join them for beef teriyaki bowls; a dish that the white-haired fairy wasn't all too familiar with.

Unable to tell the exact reason as to why Mother Mary had changed her tune with him as she cheerfully thanked him for the opportunity to speak with his servant, Goblin Slayer knew right then-and-there that there was an ulterior motive behind the buxom nun's change in attitude as she began walking beside him through the courtyard, and back inside the church. Having a feeling that something would come up later once their dinner had concluded and it came time for Mother Mary to speak to him in private within her quarters, Goblin Slayer tried not too hard to let it worry him as he joined Scarlet and her two best friends at the children's banquet table.

Despite the ominous news that had be revealed in private out in the courtyard on that very night, everyone else who was blissfully ignorant to the "coming of the moon" feasted within the dining hall; the children laughing and fanatically talking about their experience with speaking to Fairy Knight, which was a far cry from the usual quiet sobs and otherwise miserable experience that had become all but a rarity for the church.

While Fairy Knight was seated with Mother Mary up at the head of the adults' banquet table, where his sister and the surviving villagers sat at, Goblin Slayer was quiet for the most part while eating his bowl of rice and sauced-grilled beef cutlets; mostly just idly listening and nodding while Scarlet and her friends discussed theirs plans to form their own party for when they became old enough to all join the Adventurer's Guild. Being invited several times over to be a part of their theoretical team, Goblin Slayer continuously agreed to join the trio on adventure in the future; giving them his word that he would help them when they needed him by their side.

When everyone had finished eating their extremely filling and surprisingly delicious meals, the children began approaching Goblin Slayer once again to chat his ear off, while the adults at the other banquet table were doing their best to respectfully speak to Fairy Knight; the majority of the survivors who could speak thanked her and her master for rescuing them when they did, while those who blamed the duo for not doing more remained silent within their seats. Over all, that particular dinner filled with camaraderie and good food ended up the best dinner experiences for not only the Ashta twins, but for almost everybody within the dining hall; even for those who were only there to support the community, such as Marina and Yang's families who were well off and just wanted to be there for their church.

When all was said and done and it came time to gather up dirty dishes and begin cleaning the tables and floors, Goblin Slayer was pulled away from the rest of the children by none other than Mother Mary, who placed her warm hand on top of his shoulder while smiling down at him with her red lipstick matte lips. "Ashta… Let us go upstairs to have that discussion. I believe I might have something to offer that will interest you and Fairy Knight in the meantime," the mature blond woman spoke inconspicuously; making no one else the wiser, as she and escorted the ten year-old boy out of the dinning hall with his brave servant following behind him in a diligent manner.

Climbing up the wooden staircase located in the back corridor past where the room leading into the basement orphanage was, Goblin Slayer followed Mother Mary through the borderline claustrophobic-inducing steps; Fairy Knight's glowing cyan-light illuminating the area around him, which made gawking at the big beautiful woman's fat ass jiggling underneath her skin-tight white robes all the more easier for him to do, as he watched the buxom nun's thick-curvy legs move each time she raised a foot up to carry herself up another step.

No longer a stranger to the world of sexual intimacy, all Goblin Slayer could do was think about all the things he could do to a mature woman of Mother Mary's extremely voluptuous size; hyper fixating on thoughts that involved burying his face between Mother Mary's robust ass cheeks, before realizing how devious he was being. Blushing and beginning to feel ashamed of his hormonal thoughts, Goblin Slayer shook the unholy thoughts out of his head as he and Fairy Knight entered into Mother Mary's large and cozy quarters.

Chapter Text

Surrounded by beautiful oak walls that were covered in beautiful tapestries and shelves full of books that contained various religious paraphernalia, Mother Mary's cozy and well-decorated quarters was illuminated by the gentle orange light shining from the crackling-fires dancing around within her cobblestone hearth, and by the majestic moon-light that shined through the large bay-side window that resided above the carved headboard that was a part of the buxom nun's king-sized bed. From what Goblin Slayer could tell as he took his seat on the silky-red velvet sofa that was positioned to face toward the calm flames of the hearth, the wealthy villagers' donations were funding Mother Mary's comfortable lifestyle quite well.

Unable to tell the reason as to not Fairy Knight was choosing to remaining standing by the armrest he was using to lean up against instead of just taking a seat beside him, Goblin Slayer felt comforted knowing that she appeared to be relaxed with the way he could see her staring peacefully at the dancing flames that were only less than two meters away from them; the cobblestone chimney above the hearth venting the smoke away from the room, leaving only the tranquil aroma of burning logs behind in its wake.

'I wonder if dad ever got to live like this at some point in his life… Vivi mentioned that we used to go on family holidays all the time, implying that we were at least more well-off than most. Makes me wonder how much of the donations actually go towards worthy causes, and how much of it goes into their purses,' Goblin Slayer pondered to himself, as stared up at the small golden-statue of Earth Goddess displayed on one particular shelf, next to a complete collection of arcane encyclopedias.

Upon hearing the sound of gentle humming and footsteps coming from behind him, Goblin Slayer looked over his shoulder and over the backrest of the comfortable sofa to see Mother Mary walking toward him in nothing but a white-silky nightgown; her large and immaculate breasts covered in a lacy bra, while her somewhat chubby belly was covered by a see-through veil that draped down all the way to her naval cavity. Eyeing down past her child-bearing hips to take notice of her white-silky panties that fit snuggly to her chubby thighs that were larger than his entire head, Goblin Slayer found that even though the older woman had visible cellulite and stretch marks that covered her voluptuous legs, she was by all means more sexually appealing than he thought she had any right being.

Barefoot and feeling extremely comfortable in the warm room with the blushing child, Mother Mary adjusted her reading glasses with her delicate fingers before combing her aged fingers through her thick strands of blond-and-silver hair that covered her forehead and went just past her muscular shoulders; decades of involving herself with the physical chores needed to be done in her church gave the thick nun a strong-physique that was hidden underneath the cellulite and tasteful amount of fat she carried on her matured body. With how breathtakingly gorgeous the six-foot tall woman looked as she smiled down at him while tracing her affectionate fingers behind the back of his hair, Goblin Slayer found himself pitching a tent in his trousers as he locked eyes with Mother Mary.

As she made her way around the sofa to take her seat beside the flustered boy, the large woman raised her left arm up to rest it behind Goblin Slayer's upper back; scooting him closer to her, so that the right-side of his body was pressed up against her plump thigh. Gently wrapping her fingers around his shoulder while feeling the boy using her large-wide thigh to rest his forearm on like an armrest, Mother Mary smiled alluringly at the red-faced adolescent; her piercing blue-eyes behind her glasses staring fondly into his dusty-rose gaze. "Ashta, why are you tense? I understand that my presence can be slightly intimidating, but rest assured that you can be your… Oh, I see why you're so warm," Mother Mary trailed off, after noticing the large-throbbing erection that the boy was sporting underneath his trousers.

Upon realizing what the buxom nun had been referring to, Goblin Slayer felt a wave of panic wash over him that caused him to immediately cross one leg over the other while his head was still resting against the side of Mother Mary's pillowy-soft bosom. "I… I don't know what came over me, Mother; please, uh… P-Please forgive me," Goblin Slayer asked with an anxious tone in his quiet voice, as he took in a trembling breath while beginning to wallow in shame.

Noticing the dismay that the young child was feeling, Mother Mary swallowed the lump in her throat as she finally pried her eyes away from the boy's obstructed crotch. "It's… It's n-nothing to be ashamed about, Ashta… Every boy goes through certain stages throughout adolescence… If anything, I'm… I'm flattered that someone as young and handsome as yourself would be attracted to someone who's… Well… Who's got this sort of old and worn-out body," Mother Mary said with a sense of self-deprecation in her voice, as gestured down toward her overweight body with a nod of her head.

With the sense of chivalry that had been instilled into him by his older sister outweighing the embarrassment he felt in that moment, Goblin Slayer turned his body around underneath Mother Mary's arm to face toward her, so as to look up into her pale-blue eyes. "Don't say that about yourself, Mother Mary: you're extremely beautiful, and that's something that the test of time could never take away from you," Goblin Slayer protested in a sincere voice, while furrowing his eyebrows slightly up at her to display just how serious he was.

Looking down into Goblin Slayer's dusty-red eyes, Mother Mary had a thoughtful look on her slightly wrinkled face as she found herself entranced by the boy's determined gaze. 'That's odd… Usually every boy or even girl who's going through puberty fixates their growing lust onto the younger nuns; those who are fresh out of college, and who are blessed to still have their youth and perfect perky-bodies. Ashta is either trying to show me his sympathy, or… Or perhaps he's genuinely attracted to this old body of mine?' Mother Mary thought to herself; smiling slightly at the idea of someone like him having the hots for her, as she usually looked as being undesirable to those younger than her.

Raising a hand over his head, Mother Mary affectionately ran her fingers through his strands of light-brown hair before lowering his chin down on the top of her soft breast, so that she could plant a kiss onto his forehead. "Hmhm~! My, my~! You're the first to call me beautiful in over three decades, child! I'd say you just made my evening all that much more sweeter than it was," Mother Mary admitted with a smittened smile forming over her red lipstick-matte lips, as she raised her hand up from his shoulder to lower the side of his head deeper against to top of her melon-sized boob; gently caressing other side of his cheek, while feeling him beginning to nervously sink deeper against her plump body.

Unsure whether or not it was his hormones speaking, or the fact that the buxom nun was beginning to fill the hole within him that had been left behind by his mother, Goblin Slayer could feel his heart racing inside his small chest as he boldly rolled his head downward, so that he could muffle his face into the top of her juicy tit. "… Is it a sin to find myself feeling content with being the only one who gets to call you beautiful…?" Goblin Slayer asked with a slightly muffled voice; his lips brushing up against the soft-silky fabric of her white lacy bra, as his nose remained pressed into her bare skin.

Widening her eyes as she began to realize where the conversation was heading, Mother Mary had managed to stifle in a soft whimper after having felt Goblin Slayer's mouth move against her thin-layered bra; her fat nipples hardening, as the buxom nun felt a sinful sensation stimulating throughout her mature body. "I… I would say "no" to such an inquiry, Ashta; as Earth Mother is the goddess of love and fertility," Mother Mary said softly, as she allowed Goblin Slayer to lay with his face pressed down into her breast while beginning to relax her body against the backrest of the sofa; her pale eyes glancing up at Fairy Knight, who seemed to not be paying any mind to what to what they were doing or even saying.

Listening to the crackling embers that the servant was so fixated on watching in silence, Mother Mary gently lowered the side of her cheek against the top of the boy's head; letting out a sigh of comfort, as the two of them embraced behind the warmth of the hearth's dancing flames. "You're very mature for your age, Ashta… I wonder if you've always been like that, or… Or is it because of what you went through?" Mother Mary mused, after finally breaking their relaxing duration of silence with a solemn voice.

Although it felt like a lifetime ago when he and his best friend would their imagination and sticks to play pretend with one another during the day when her family came to his old village to barter with the locals, the truth of the matter was that it had only been less than two days since Goblin Slayer still had his childhood innocence intact. Feeling more at ease in the mature woman's motherly presence, the ten year-old proceeded to open up to her about how differently he felt after that fateful night; going into detail about how the sights of mutilation, rape, burning corpses had caused should have had a more deeper impact on his psyche, but for whatever reason his sanity was still mostly intact.

"I… I haven't told this to anyone else— not even my sister— but… I feel as though there's something… Wrong with me… I… I haven't felt like myself ever since… Ever since I first met her," Goblin Slayer said quietly, while knowing fully well that Fairy Knight had turned her head slightly in his direction upon hearing him speaking of her. "Before she came to me, I… I was petrified with fear; just like any other kid would have been… Now? Now I… I want to destroy the ones who would wish to bring me harm… Mother Mary, have I… Have I gone insane?" Goblin Slayer asked with a pleasing look in his dusty-rose eyes that lacked any fear in them, as he rolled over and repositioned himself so that the back of his head was laying against the buxom nun's bare thigh.

Knowing what she knew about him as well as having been around a plethora of traumatized children— all of which had displayed varying symptoms of mental illnesses— Mother Mary stared down thoughtfully at Goblin Slayer, with an empathic glimmer behind her wise eyes. "Ashta… I would be lying if I were to tell you that you're perfectly sane. I mean, for Heaven's sake child, what sort of boy your age willingly runs towards an army of rapists and murderers that outnumber him about four-hundred to one?!" Mother Mary asked rhetorically with a dry laugh coming from her, which actually caused Goblin Slayer's lips to curl into an amused smirk.

"Heh, hehe… W-Well, if you put it that way then… Yeah, I guess that pretty much answers that inquiry, doesn't it?" Goblin Slayer quipped back half-sarcastically, as part of him felt an ounce of dread spreading throughout his stomach; the thought of coming to terms with the fact that he didn't come out unphased from the incident saddened him. "I guess… I guess I'm crazy then… That explains a lot, actually; now that I think about it."

Shrugging her shoulders softly while flashing him an endearing smile, Mother Mary chuckled quietly as she leaned her head down to plant another kiss on the boy's forehead. "Maybe so, Ashta; maybe so… But then again, what sort of sane person could ever hope to thrive in a world that's as cruel and beautiful as the one you and I were born into?" The mature woman mused, while feeling a spark of joy in her heart the moment she saw Goblin Slayer's smile fade, as a look of realization came over his youthful face. "If you weren't supposedly "crazy" enough to have gone up against overwhelming odds in the first place, then you and your sister wouldn't have survived that night…"

"… The truth of the matter is that this world needs crazy people to protect the rest of us from the evil that no sane person would ever have the courage to willingly go up against. That's why Earth Mother must have chosen you to be Her champion, Ashta; because you're the only one who's absolutely insane enough to accomplish the impossible tasks that She needs done," Mother Mary teased playfully half-seriously, as she continued to giggle softly alongside Goblin Slayer, as she brought out the inner child within him by peppering his forehead with gentle kisses.

Knowing that she couldn't have him over for long, Mother Mary raised her head up from Goblin Slayer's face so that she could look up at the large hanging clock that was mounted onto the wall near her reading nook. "I enjoyed our private conversation and getting to know you more personally, Ashta… Before I send you back downstairs to your dear sister, I'd love it if you were to give me a few minutes to search through my closet… I'd like to bestow to you a parting gift; just something for you to remember me, and the love Earth Mother has for you!" Mother Mary said excitedly, as she helped the boy off of her lap; giving him a small peck on his lips, before carefully getting herself up from the sofa to make her way over to her bedroom.

Still sporting an affectionate erection that never went away while he was within the buxom nun's hold, Goblin Slayer turned around on the soft-comfortable sofa to admire Mother Mary's bombastic backside, as he noticed her swaying her hips with each step she took forward. 'I… I've got to keep coming back up here after supper! She's so nice, sweet and so-so soft! Her breasts and thighs felt like pillows! And her body…! I just… I just want to- Hey, what the hell?!' Goblin Slayer cursed mentally to himself, after getting his lustful thoughts knocked out of his head by a rolled up bundle of paper that Fairy Knight decided to smack the back of his head with.

Not even bothering to wait for Goblin Slayer to voice out his disapproval for her actions, Fairy Knight practically shoved the rolled-up parchment paper she had taken from Mother Mary's private desk into his chest, the moment the adolescent spun around on the sofa to face her. "Focus, child; this is more important than you ogling an overweight middle-aged woman who's past her prime," Fairy Knight said bluntly, and remained unphased as Goblin Slayer stared up at her with an offended look on his face.

"… You need to stop looking down on people so much; the only person who's making you miserable is yourself," Goblin Slayer scolded with a scowl on his face, before rolling his dusty-red eyes as he unrolled the parchment paper in his hands. "Whatever… Hey wait… W-What am I even looking-"

"-Did you not read the top of the paper, child? It's clearly a notice from the Adventurer's Guild, as written within the header," Fairy Knight interrupted with her own scolding voice, as she waved her hand forward to gesture for her master to continue reading the body paragraphs of the notice letter.

'Dear Mother Mary of Londobell, it is with a heavy heart that we at the Frontier Branch must inform you of the current status of your outgoing quest. We have sent our last willing party of adventurers out to the Mythril Mountains to clear out the goblin stronghold that have been not only attacking Londobell's supply chain, but have been pillaging neighboring villages as well. As of the labeled date stamped below, we have received no response from the gold-ranked party that we had dispatched two days ago. Like the others who had gone missing before them, we here at the Adventurer's Guild can only assume that the worst fate had fallen upon them…'

'… We have already sent a courier to Londobell to provide you with a fully enclosed refund, as well as an extra twenty-percent difference, as our way of providing our most sincere apologies. King Amon Mangastar has been made aware of our inability to complete your quest, and will be sending an army of soldiers to clear out the goblin fortress. Expect to hear more from his liaison within two-to-three months. Again, we are deeply sorry for not being able to satisfactorily provide a better solution to your village's dilemma; please exercise extreme caution while heading East-bound…'

'… We hope to do business with you in the future: The Adventurer's Guild, Galahad Frontier Outpost,' Goblin Slayer finished reading to himself, and flinched as the parchment paper was quickly swiped from him by Fairy Knight, who proceeded to roll it back up before stuffing it into her suit of sleek-glowing armor.

"You told her that you've changed since you've met me… And now, I shall tell you what I noticed when I came to you," Fairy Knight said quietly, while keeping track of Mother Mary, who she sensed was still buried deep into her old storage containers that had been collecting dust on top of the shelves of her closet. "What I saw before I came to accept you as my master was a weak, sniveling little-coward, who absolutely deserved to die in that barn. Too weak to do anything else, but just stand there indecisively; sobbing pathetically, while he despairingly waited for his sister to be defiled and murdered before his very eyes," Fairy Knight quickly vented to the gobsmacked boy, who wasn't expecting to hear such toxicity coming from the white-haired servant's small mouth.

"As a Knight of the Round Table, I shall see to it personally that these child-raping degenerates are sent back to the nine circles of hell where they belong. The only question that I have for you is this: what are you going to do, child? Try to live a normal life with every other weakling who's content with their pavilion lifestyle? Or are you going to back up everything you told her about being insanely fearless, by rising up above the rest of those failures who were all too weak to finish that mission?" Fairy Knight asked rhetorically with as much passion and hype in her stoic voice that she could portray; her facial expression never once changing beneath her armored mask, as she took a step forward until she was about an inch away from the tip of Goblin Slayer's nose.

“It’s… It’s so blindingly white here; an infinite vast nothingness that’s swallowed me whole. I can’t help but to think back to the Abrahamic story of God’s reluctant messenger being swallowed whole by a sea creature that He Himself commanded…” 

“Just like Jonah, I’ve been praying for forgiveness for… For however long I’ve been here— time seems so absent here, to the point where I can’t even keep track of the passing seconds without second guessing myself when I reach approximately around “twelve”…”

”Absolved of mercy it would seem, I can’t help but to wonder what I’ve done to deserve this damnation. Is this Hell? It must be— absent of stimulation of any kind, and left with only my own fragmented memories… Left to forever question my own sanity, and never be comforted with the knowledge of the outcomes that followed my sacrifice…”

”… It feels like I’ve died for nothing, and I must keep telling myself that isn’t the case— no matter how hard that’s been thus far.” 

“…”

”… If… If anyone’s listening to my woeful voice, then… Then please, I beg of you… Give me the peace of knowing that I’m not alone, and that this isn’t my eternal punishment.”

”…”

”Help me… Please… Please God, somebody help me.”

Awakening from the a deep slumber, Goblin Slayer had been getting cuddled from behind by his older sister when all of a sudden the both of them jolted out of the bed the moment they heard the loud sound of feet shuffling into place beside them, followed by the distinctive sound of blades clashing together. "What the hell…?!" Goblin Slayer murmured in a bewildered and panicked voice, as he looked over at the edge of the bed to see the back of Fairy Knight's head full of white hair, as the servant stood between him and where the mysterious woman from the market was, in front of the door to their rented room.

Pressing her back to the headboard of their mattress, Vivi lowered her gaze down at Fairy Knight with confusion and anxiety coursing through her veins, before looking up in the general direction of where the lavender haired woman was standing before their only exit. "W… What's going on, Fairy Knight? What are you… What are you doing?" Vivi asked with an uncertain tone in her voice, as her brown eyes began to scan the room; unable to see the young woman wearing an incredibly short black skirt that revealed the white panties she wore over her partially exposed crotch.

Keeping her eyes narrowed behind her armored mask, Fairy Knight kept one of her forearm swords raised up towards the amused girl standing across from her, preparing for anything, as she kept on guard. "This anomaly isn't from your world, human: she teleported her while you two were fast asleep, and attempted to sneak up on the your brother when I stopped her in her tracks," Fairy Knight explained, while frowning the moment she heard the lavender-haired woman beginning to snicker to herself. "Do you find your own failure amusing, trespasser? Tell me, what's so funny about this situation?"

Shrugging her shoulders while catching a glance at Goblin Slayer turning around to whisper into his sister's ear about the selectively invisible woman that Fairy Knight had been referring to, the lavender-haired woman's lips curled upward as she finished laughing to herself. "Heh, hehe…! Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing… Except, it's just that you're so hilariously short! You look like a spoiled child who's read too many science-fantasy novels, who's trying to LARP their way into intimidating me! I mean, give me a break: it's difficult to take you seriously, especially when it looks like you're only one twenty-sided dice away from trying to roleplay me to death," the lavender-haired woman sassily roasted back with a huge grin across her pink lips; sticking her tongue out at the servant, just to really get on the other female's nerves.

Not taking so kindly to the sheer amount of blatant disrespect, Fairy Knight looked as though she wasn't about to dignify anything that had come out of the young woman's mouth with anything less than a sword to her jugular. Within less than a microsecond, Fairy Knight had attempted to chop the mysterious woman into gorey chunks, but was met with a sneering grin from the smug woman as the blades phased through her holographic body without so much as harming her. "Marvelous attempt, you angry little elf; you ALMOST jump-scared me to death~!" The woman taunted, and just before Fairy Knight could try another attack that might do the trick against her photon-particle created form, Goblin Slayer immediately sprung into action.

"W-Wait, wait, wait! J-Just hold on, alright?! T-There's no need for things to get ugly!" Goblin Slayer stuttered out with a sobering voice, as he nervously stumbled out of bed before placing himself between Fairy Knight and the mysterious woman; no longer feeling groggy, now that the whole integrity of the tavern itself, and those who were still in it were all on the line.

"… If this ingrad didn't wish for things to get ugly, then she wouldn't have gotten out of the Moon-Cell looking like that," Fairy Knight insulted back; smirking subtly as she saw the woman's large smile immediately disappearing, as an annoyed look came over her face. "And just for the record, you have the gull to cast judgment on my appearance, yet you look like a filthy whore attempting to dress like a magus."

Huffing her breath as she took a step closer and felt Goblin Slayer's outstretched hand sinking slightly into her breasts, the mysterious woman became flustered as a challenging smirk emerged from her lips. "Oh?! And that's rich coming from you, you bare-legged loli! And besides, at least I'm attractive enough to make this outfit work for me. You, on the other hand, possess the frail-malnourished body of some improvised child from a third-world country-"

"-Please, none of this is getting us anywhere… Can you just… T-Tell us why you're here, ma'am?" Goblin Slayer interrupted with a pleasing look in his dusty-rose colored eyes, as he slowly lowered his hand from the lavender-haired woman's massive covered-breasts, as he looked up at the way she was glancing down at him with a bothered expression on her beautiful face.

Crossing her love-sleeved covered arms over her robust chest, the mysterious woman let out a quiet scoff as she raised a brow at Goblin Slayer. "If you're attempting to play the role of the ignorant fool who's clueless, then allow me to stop you while you're ahead. I know you have a connection to her— been seeing her in your dreams, huh? Or at least, I imagine that's what you've been interpreting those fragmented memories as: merely just dreams, right?" The woman asked rhetorically in an accusing tone, as she didn't seem very interested in hearing the ten year-old trying to argue against her.

Narrowing his eyes at her, Goblin Slayer became perplexed as he lowered his softened gaze from her violet eyes, to down at the floor where her black dress shoes were. "… If you're talking about that girl with the brown hair and outfit on, then… Yeah, I guess so? What about her?" Goblin Slayer asked with narrowed eyes, while looking over his shoulder to glance back at the bewildered and concerned expression that was staring back at him on his older sister's face.

Awaiting for Goblin Slayer to give his attention back to her, all while she was receiving a death glare from the masked white-haired knight, who was fully prepared to strike at her at less than a moment's notice, the mysterious woman tapped her foot impatiently as the boy looked back into her furrowed eyes. "I’m not in the mood to banter on about this… Now kid, why don't you be a good boy and tell me what you REALLY know? The sooner you tell me, the sooner I can get back to the Moon-Cell to continue my investigation," the woman said with a forced smile across her face, as though she was trying really hard to coax an easy explanation out of the child.

Although Goblin Slayer wanted to be left alone to prepare for his journey, the frustrated part of him that had been growing sick of the covert nature of both his own servant and of the lavender-haired woman was preventing him from complying as easily as he did when he was approached by the mysterious woman the other day. "… No, I don't think I will," Goblin Slayer responded with a stern voice; receiving a shocked look from not only the busty woman and his sister, but even from his usually stoic servant who didn't expect for her master to be so bold.

Remaining silent for a brief moment, the mysterious woman slowly nodded her head while taking in a deep breath into her artificial lungs; slowly exhaling her breath while forcing herself to smile once again, as she swallowed back the lump in her throat before speaking again in a restrained voice. "That's… Very defiant of you to say, kid; and I can honestly respect the courage it took for you to say that… However, given how dire the circumstances are that you aren't aware of, I'm going to have to INSIST that you tell me… Otherwise, I'll have no other choice than to begin using far more "persuasive" methods of extracting information out of you; and don't think that I'll go easy on you, just because of your age," the woman threatened in a cold voice, as her fake smile suddenly disappeared; leaving behind a murderous glare on her face that caused Fairy Knight to step in.

"Bite your tongue, whore; or else I'll cut it out of your mouth," the white-haired knight threatened back defensively, as she pulled Goblin Slayer away from the intimidating woman before pushing him behind her with her sword raised up once again; despite knowing that physical attacks alone wouldn't inflict any damage to her holographic body. "As a Knight of the Round Table, you shall not-"

"-That’s enough from both of you— you two clearly know far more than you're letting on, and I’m getting tired of being expected to be an open book," Goblin Slayer interrupted with a stern expression on his youthful face, as he moved underneath Fairy Knight's arm before once again separating the opposing females by placing himself in the middle of them. "I’ve been able to excuse it for this long, due to it not directly involving anyone else other than myself… But now that this whole situation is going to affect everyone else here, I won't let this stand any longer; not if I can do anything about it."

With right arm still raised up to aim the tip of her forearm-sword towards the mysterious woman's throat, Fairy Knight shot a disapproving glare at her master as she tightened her frown. "You're speaking out of line, child… This doesn't involve yo-"

"-Clearly, it does," Goblin Slayer interrupted once again without so much as flinching underneath the servant's intimidating stare, as he stood his ground despite knowing how easily both females could put him into his place. "You two have had your turns to get your questions answered, now it's my turn… First of all, what's going to happen if the Moon-Cell comes here? What is that going to mean for the rest of us? And also, who the hell do I keep seeing every time I sleep— who is she?" Goblin Slayer asked with concern in his voice, as he turned his attention over to the lavender-haired woman.

Dropping her scowl as an expression of confusion crossed over her face, the mysterious woman blinked a few times before furrowing her brows at him. "… Are you insinuating that the Moon-Cell is capable of crossing over to your universe? Not making a projection of itself like how I'm able to do here, mind you, but… Inserting itself into this planet's orbit?!" The woman asked with a tone of disbelief in her voice, as she placed her hands onto her curvy hips. "Now, how did you get that idea into your head?"

Refusing to answer her question, Goblin Slayer remained firm in his stance as he stared back at her silently before speaking again calmly, yet assertively. "I'll answer your questions once you've answered mine," the boy stated, and watched as the lavender-haired woman rolled her eyes at him before sighing.

"Tch, fine… Okay— hypothetically speaking of course— if the Moon-Cell were to somehow bypass its own security system and perform a protocol that it would NEVER do, even WITH third-party hacking… Then the answer would be "no": it wouldn't necessarily be a threat on its own to you, or anybody else on this planet. All it would do is just record your planet's data into its archive files every twelve nano-seconds, and MAYBE, just MAYBE those with the aptitude and knowledge would be able to create contracts with the servants who reside within it. But that's HIGHLY unlikely," the woman replied thoroughly without half-assing her explanation, and waited for the boy and his servant to digest her response before waiting for what she knew to be another question from him.

"Okay… But then why is it that Earth Mother apparently told the church that "a moon" is coming in four days from now?" Goblin Slayer asked, as he gestured to both Fairy Knight and the mysterious woman to answer his inquiry.

Having been the one who had been told originally about how Mother Mary had been supposedly spoken to directly by the same goddess that had never uttered a word to her, nor any other known mortal for that matter, Fairy Knight was the first to speak as she gave a side eye glance over to the woman from behind her sleek-glowing mask. "I believe that the voice who spoke to the nun isn't the goddess who she believes it to be. Since I'm able to be here without there being a Holy Grail to go to war over, I wouldn't easily dismiss the notion that the voice that actually spoke to her truly belonged to a servant trying to deceive her. Maybe whoever's posing as this "Earth Mother" is the one responsible for this whole mess?"

Still feeling petty over the heated words that they exchanged with one another, and of the fact that the white-haired knight had tried to end her life, the lavender-haired woman shot a dirty glance over to the servant before responding. "Tch! As if! That hypothesis you pulled out of your fairy ass is as bold as it is wrong, elf," the woman smuggly stated, and chuckled softly to herself as she noticed Fairy Knight tightening her jaw after being once again called an "elf".

"Ngh… Is that so…?! And on what sacred grounds do you stand on that allow you to dismiss my theory so rudely?" Fairy Knight asked in a low voice; her stoic voice carrying an annoyed undertone to it.

"Sacred grounds? How about logic and fact? Are those grounds sacred enough for you, you pint-sized Lancelot-wannabe?" The woman shot back tauntingly, and stuck her tongue out while still smiling as Fairy Knight tried once again to cut her holographic body into pieces. "Since we're unraveling this mystery together through FULL cooperation— because we're all "best-friends" now, apparently— allow me to shed some light on the situation for you, kid," the woman said with an almost cynical look in her violet-colored eyes, as she glanced away from Fairy Knight to lock eyes with Goblin Slayer. "My name is "BB": I am an advanced AI that was created from another artificial AI that lived within one particular reality marble that served an important role during the "Holy Grail War"…"

"… A tournament-esqe battle, where masters fought with their summoned servants to fight their way to the core of the Moon-Cell: willing to be erased, both body, mind and soul, all for the chance to earn the right to have their wish fulfilled," BB explained, before momentarily pausing as her lips curled into another smile, as she raised her hand up to gently press her fingertip against Goblin Slayer's forehead. "And as fate would have it, the winner of the Holy Grail War was fragmented into photon particles that got transferred over to the ONLY other compatible host that was capable of receiving not only her crest, but ALL of her data as well…"

"… That girl you've been seeing every time you've slept, Ashta-Kun? Her name is "Kishinami Hakuno", and you have fragmented remnants of her floating around inside you; bits and pieces of her "soul", if that's easier for you to understand," BB declared with a wink, as she playfully flicked Goblin Slayer's forehead before lowering her hand back down to her hip. "According to my findings within the Moon-Cell's records of your archived brainwave activity, whenever you're unconscious there's a… Minor shift in photon activity within your subconscious. Meaning that only ONE of you can be conscious at a time; if you're awake, she's asleep and— you know— vice-versa."

Trying his best to process everything that the sassy computer AI had spat out at him, Goblin Slayer needed a moment to think hard to himself; allowing BB a chance to casually flip Fairy Knight off, before the boy could catch her in the act. "I see… And so that's the reason why you're here. You don't actually don't care about what the Moon-Cell will do here; you only care about whoever I keep seeing in my sleep."

"Yeah, pretty much," BB answered truthfully, as she gave Goblin Slayer a half-cocked smirk before shrugging her shoulders at him. "My apathy towards you and the rest of your world doesn't stem from any sort of cynicism; it's just that I really don't have any genuine reason to care about any of this," BB added, before gesturing with her hands towards the room around her. "But contrary to whatever sense of righteousness you may be feeling from casting your judgment upon me, just realize that you're no different than me in that regard: the Moon-Cell could explode and annihilate every single one of us who come from that timeline— including your own servant— and you wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it, would you?"

The way BB spoke to him while making her point made Goblin Slayer realize that she didn't need his validation to prove what she knew to be true; the silence emitting from the speechless boy spoke enough volumes to her. "I… I see your point… And if I were to assist with your efforts of restoring this "Hakuno" girl back to her true form, then… Then what happens to me?"

"Heheh, heh, hehe…! You know what? For the first time in my life, I genuinely don't think I have an answer for that," BB replied with a quiet chuckle. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you, kid: this hasn't ever happened before in any archived incident within the Moon-Cell's record; and believe me, I've looked. So honestly, I don't know what will happen to you once Hakuno-Chan is revived; all I know is that if you help me, I'll help you by doing my best to ensure that you survive the process," BB admitted, before raising her arms up from her sides to cross them over her busty chest. "But that's enough talking from me. I think I've answered more than my fair share of your questions, so now it's about time for you to start answering mine."

What came next was Goblin Slayer doing his best to retell the vision he had of Hakuno. The entire retelling of what he vividly remembered seeing and hearing while he had been sleeping would have been far less hectic, had it not been for the fact that Vivi was getting ready for work, in the midst of his conversation he was having with the woman who was invisible to her, and who she couldn't even feel for when she blindly started to reach out to where she thought BB was standing within the middle of their rented room.

Kissing Goblin Slayer on cheek and telling him how much she loved him, and how he needed to keep drinking water throughout the remainder of the day, Vivi waved at Fairy Knight and to where she figured BB was still standing before finally leaving the rented room; making sure to tell Tavern Keeper that her little brother and his "interdimensional friends" were still up there, talking.

Once he knew that his older sister had left the vicinity of the tavern, Goblin Slayer and Fairy Knight both immediately began confusing BB as she watched the two of them begin performing various acts with her still in the bedroom. "… Now listen, I am fully self-aware of the fact that I've already let slip that I personally couldn't care about whatever goal you two are invested in… But from the way you're writing that "I'll be back" note, to the way she's stuffing that blanket into that pillowcase… I can't help but feel concerned right now over Hakuno-Chan's safety," BB said with an uneasy look on her face, as she managed to use her advanced algorithm to successfully predict the comforting lie that Goblin Slayer wrote for his sister to read, which involved going on a safe camping trip with his friends from the church.

Making her way over to Goblin Slayer, Fairy Knight nonchalantly tossed the stuffed pillowcase over to him the moment he got done writing out his false letter before turning her head to address what BB had said. "As a knight of the Roundtable, both my master and this “Hakuno” maiden will be under the safety of my watchful eye. You have nothing to concern yourself with," Fairy Knight said factually, as she turned the tables on BB's inability to be harmed by walking straight through the lavender-haired woman.

Furrowing her eyebrows into a scowl, BB looked over her shoulder to shoot a dirty look at the back of Fairy Knight's head full of white hair, before looking back forward to stare down at the dusty-rose colored eyes of the boy looking back up at her. "Despite me being unable to stop her even if I wanted to, I know sure as hell that I'm more than capable of stopping you from stepping foot outside the boundaries of this tavern… So unless you can reassure me that I won't have anything to worry, I'm not letting you go anywhere, Ashta-Kun," BB said with a cocky smirk across her lips, as she crossed her arms over chest smugly; feeling confident, as she felt as though she had complete and utter control of the situation.

Considering the idea of lying to BB's face, in order to prevent her from inevitably denying him the opportunity to begin his journey up to the Mythril Mountains, Goblin Slayer decided right then-and-there to explain in detail to the advanced AI about how he and Fairy Knight were going to single-handedly clear out an entire stronghold of goblin; reassuring to her that the small enchanted amulet he was wearing underneath the collar of his his long-sleeved shirt would be able to indefinitely allow him to use his servant within a six-meter range.

Although BB had to admit to herself that was impressed that a ten year-old was able to figure out on his own how to exploit a piece of magical jewelry into becoming an infinite low-supply of mana for him to overcome his biggest weakness, the lavender-haired woman still couldn't with a good conscience allow for Goblin Slayer to leave Londobell; stating that it was still too dangerous for him to embark on such a dangerous quest by himself.

Knowing better than to attempt to dissuade BB by continuing to insist that he would be back before nightfall like how he and Fairy Knight planned to be— just like how both he and his servant had been doing for the past twenty minutes since Vivi had left to begin her first day at work— it was then that Goblin Slayer decided to bring up the very same person who the advanced AI was so dead set on saving. "And what about Hakuno? If she were in my position right now, wouldn't she do everything in her power to save those whose lives could be saved by her hands? Would the fear of death itself be strong enough to ward her away from danger, or would that only give her all the more reason to run head-first into it?"

It was in that moment that the confidence within BB's eyes vanished, as Goblin Slayer's argumentative questions began to resonate a feeling of sadness and longing from deep within her digital heart. Doing her best to hide her emotions as she silently thought back to an important event that had happened in her life, BB softly closed her eyelids shut while frowning; appearing to be arguing with herself within the confines of her artificial mind, before slowly opening her eyelids back open.

"… Hakuno-Chan was… "Is" the epitome of selflessness, and is a shining example of unrelenting determination and righteousness that every human should be striving to become for themselves… So no; Hakuno-Chan would more than certainly be following in your footsteps if she could," BB muttered to herself with a saddened smile forming across her pink-lips; one that immediately became neutral, as a sudden thought appeared within the genius mind of the wide-eyed woman. "… That only begs the question, doesn't it…? Are your actions even your own, or… Or are you nothing more than a p-puppet…?!" BB asked quietly with a sudden look of absolute excitement and joy forming on her brightened-up face, as the artificial AI's mood took a turn for the better.

Caught off guard just as much as Fairy Knight had been upon the two of them hearing what had come out of BB's mouth, Goblin Slayer held the pillowcase close to his chest as he gave the lavender-haired woman an utterly confused stare. "… What?" Was all Goblin Slayer had within him to say, which in turn caused BB to realize just how awkward she had made things become.

Forcefully clearing her throat into her hand, BB had to make an effort to mask the sheer amount of hopefully relief she had bubbling inside of her data, as she relaxed her posture and facial expressions; smiling confidently with a bit of mystique in her violet eyes, and appearing just as she had when Goblin Slayer first ran into her in the market. "Oh, nothing! That was just a figure of speech, was all; a metaphor for how strikingly similar you and Hakuno-Chan are," BB said with a convincing tone that more-or-less was able to allow for her to successfully play off how literal she actual meant it when she had called Goblin Slayer a "puppet".

With Fairy Knight quickly losing interest as she simply waited to begin their journey out of Londobell, the white-haired servant impatiently let out an annoyed sigh as she asked BB directly "Did you make your mind up, or not? I'm beginning to grow tired of hearing you two talk so much, when there's plenty of action that needs doing."

"Eh…? Uh…?! Y-Yes! Yes, I've decided that Ashta-Kun is in the right here: this is something that Hakuno-Chan would absolutely do, and as the one who cherished her the most above all else, it's my duty to ensure that her will is done… Which is why I'm coming with you, Ashta-Kun~!" BB said with a smitten look written all over her blushing face; her eyes becoming literal depictions of hearts, as the artificial AI became filled with flustering joy at the thought of being reunited with the very girl that she had been made to love and to protect at all costs.

Once again surprised by the manic nature of the confident and enigmatic AI before him, Goblin Slayer simply stared back at her cartoonish display of emotions with a blank expression on his face; slowing raising his finger up to protest, and only managing to open his mouth before immediately being silenced by BB, when she muffled his mouth with the palm of her hand. "That's my final offer, kid; take it, or leave it," BB sassed, while being completely sincere about how Goblin Slayer wouldn't really have a say in the matter.

Seeing no other option available to him that would allow him to leave Londobell to accomplish the quest that Fairy Knight and his new inner voice wanted him to see through, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to silently think to himself about how BB had called him a puppet. Hoping that it truly was just a backhanded metaphor to describe him and how Hakuno used to be, Goblin Slayer begrudgingly agreed to BB's terms and conditions before he and Fairy Knight left the room to go downstairs; getting permission from the encouraging Tavern Keeper about being able to borrow a heavy blanket from him.

Chapter Text

Unlike the lackluster ten-foot tall stone walls that surrounded his old village, the four-hundred square kilometers of Londobell's perimeter were protected by sixty-foot tall battlements; all of which were heavily armed with archers and even a considerable amount of spellcasters. Walking over the dropped draw-bridge that was thirty meters wide and about one-hundred meters long made Goblin Slayer feel as though he were in a major city more than just a mere village, and even as he crossed over the dangerous deep moat filled with trained aquatic creatures, the star struck boy found himself walking along a well-paved cobblestone road that led him directly into what appeared to be an entirely different part of Londobell.

Walking through the crowded roads of the touristy business sector that seemed to exist solely to accommodate merchants and travelers from outside the wealthy village, Goblin Slayer could hear various songs ranging from different genres being played by street performing bards at nearly every other intersection corner. For the first time in his life, Goblin Slayer found himself needing to walk only along the stone-brick sidewalk, as the roads became more-and-more crowded with multi horse-drawn carriages the deeper into the urban area he traveled into.

Feeling as though he had traveled into a different world than the rural lifestyle he had grown up in, the ten year-old boy with only the clothes on his back a large blanket stuffed into a borrowed pills was becoming overwhelmed by how tall the looming buildings were becoming, and yet he was still intrigued and mystified by just how exciting everything around him appeared to be. "This must be what the capital is like…! I can see why Londobell is such a coveted place to be; this is a merchant's paradise," Goblin Slayer mused to BB and to Fairy Knight.

Appearing surprised to hear about how awestruck Goblin Slayer was about the outside of Londobell, BB couldn't help but to let out an amused chuckle as she shook her head at him. "Considering that this world is supposedly meant to reflect the ideas of wonderment found within the pages of a fantasy novel, then yeah… I GUESS this place is impressive on its own underwhelming merit," BB said with a sassy smirk across her lips, as she continued to phase through pedestrian-after-pedestrian, while continuing to walk alongside Goblin Slayer's left side.

Even though it could be argued that she usually spoke more respectfully than how the artificial AI did, Fairy Knight remained hidden inside of Goblin Slayer's soul as she nonchalantly voiced her opinion on what she thought of the industrial sector. "All of it is an eyesore; the monotone gray colors found within every piece of architecture around us is as dull as it is depressing, " Fairy Knight stated bluntly, all while stating her observation as though it were a fact, instead of an opinion.

Feeling a bit disheartened after realizing that neither women were able to share the same sense of amazement he felt from the industrial sights and sounds of big-business all around him, Goblin Slayer decided to drop the subject all together; still silently admiring the buildings around him, and even taking a moment to appreciate the seven-story tall dairy factory that Londobell was known for when they walk by the front entrance to the road that led into the massive dairy factory.

With the hour it took for them to walk through all the grandiose sights that Goblin Slayer couldn't believe existed so close to where his village had once existed, the trio were still deep into the outer ring of shops and businesses by the time the ten year-old's hunger began to catch up to him. Needing to rest his legs anyway, Goblin Slayer and BB sat down on one of the many iron benches that were built into the edge of the sidewalks; the two of them facing out toward the caravan-filled street.

"I'm starving… I should have known better than to have skipped breakfast this morning," Goblin Slayer muttered to himself, as he sat his stuffed pillow case down on the other side of the bench from where BB was sitting with one leg crossed over her lowered knee. "Hey, do you think it's possible to summon food or water out of thin air? Got any spell for that?" Goblin Slayer asked half-jokingly, while looking over his shoulder to where BB was staring back at him with an amused look on her face.

"Unless you're planning on eating your servant, then the answer would be "no"," BB replied back sassily, before a sudden idea popped into her head. "But hey, since we're already in a heavily populated area that's rich with resources,— and I was right to think that neither of you two would have been able to plan ahead for this trip accordingly— I think it's time I teach a few tricks before we head out into the wild," BB stated, while not really giving Goblin Slayer a choice in the matter.

Intrigued by what she had to offer him, Goblin Slayer did his best to ignore his growling stomach as he turned his body on the bench to face her body. "What sort of tricks are you talking about, exactly?"

"Well for starters, let's start with that pillowcase you've got over there; go ahead and grab for me, and place it on your lap," BB instructed, while watching approvingly as Goblin Slayer did exactly what was asked of him. "Marvelous. Now touch it with your hand, and imagine it disintegrating under your touch; similar to the way you see my holographic body disintegrate into a cloud of glowing light particles, whenever I phase out of your world and back into the Moon-Cell."

" Ah, uh… S-Sure, okay," Goblin Slayer replied back nervously, while concentrating on imagining the pillowcase transforming to a silhouette of light-particles; his excitement sparking upon seeing it coming true before his very eyes. "L-Like this, right?!" Goblin Slayer asked, his heart fluttering inside of his chest, as his lips began to curl upward into an anxious smile.

Taking a moment to silently reinforce her own theory of how quickly the ten year-old body was able to learn from just her words alone, BB softly nodded her head while her smile became more genuine. "Precisely, Ashta-Kun! Now, think of how light travels outward from its source; like the way a torch illuminates a room upon being ignited… Now, think back to the way I described the Moon-Cell to you— how it's a massive ball of magic that stores information within it— imagine those photon particles underneath your very hand transporting themselves over to that brilliant ball of light; and envision it becoming one with the Moon-Cell!"

Much to his own excitement, as well as the astonishment of Fairy Knight and BB, Goblin Slayer was surprised the moment the defragmented particles of what was once his borrowed blanket and pillowcase vanished into thin air right before his eyes; with only a split second of an afterimage left behind in the wake of his transported object, as Goblin Slayer found himself staring down with a wide-eyed stare at his own lap where the stuffed pillowcase had once been. "That's so cool! N-Now what?! H-How do I get it back?!" Goblin Slayer asked enthusiastically; as he waited with baited breath for BB's next step.

Appearing momentarily triumphant from how well Goblin Slayer had been doing thus far, BB proceeded to explain in detail about how he needed to do the same two-step process of transforming matter into photon particles, but in reverse. However, much to her disappointment, BB soon realized after watching the concentrating boy struggling for a considerable amount of time that he wasn't able to do what she figured he'd be able to do flawlessly.

"You know what? Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I've ever taught that trick to Hakuno-Chan all the way through. Yes, that's probably it then…" BB muttered to herself with a thoughtful look in her half-closed eyelids, before calmly opening them back. "A two-out-of-three successive ratio isn't anything to scoff at; especially considering that you more-than-likely never had any formal or even informal training in casting spells, huh Ashta-Kun?"

"None at all," Goblin Slayer replied, while feeling a mixture of excitement and disappointment dwelling inside him. "Is there something I'm missing? Or… Or is it something that can only be done through practice?"

"That's precisely right, kid! Can't do everything right on your first try; luckily for us though, you've already got the most important part of the "inventory" spell down! Now all that's left for you to do is practice trying to summon that pillowcase back, while we go do a few side quests to help pay for some brunch!" BB declared with a confident smirk across her lips, as she hopped up from the bench before pulling the concerned boy up by his hand.

"Side quests…? Are we really even going to have time for that? I've already written that I was going to be back at the tavern tonight; I'm already on a tight schedule as it is," Goblin Slayer argued in a polite voice, which earned him an amused grin from the lavender-haired woman.

"Oh, my sweet, innocent, summer child… I've scanned the area within a five-hundred kilometer radius, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're definitely NOT going to make it all the way to those mountains AND back on foot; at least not all in one day," BB stated factually; crossing her arms over her chest with one sassy eyebrow arched, as she stared down at the shocked expression that was plastered on the boy's face.

"B-But Fairy Knight told me that we would be able to make it there and back within twelve hours, max! Besides, look! I can see the mountains JUST over there!" Goblin Slayer insisted, as he raised an arm up to point towards the visible silhouette of the Mythril Mountain range over the distant horizon.

"Uh huh, I see… And you thought to take travel advice from a fairy; a species that can fly… You know? Something that you lack the ability to do?" BB pointed out, which prompted Fairy Knight to step out of Goblin Slayer's soul in order to defend herself.

"If you're going to claim to be as intelligent as you'd like yourself to believe, then see to it that you get your facts straight… For I am no mere fairy; you stand before the remnant of the "Dragon of Albino", itself," Fairy Knight declared proudly in her stoic voice, as she stared through her armored mask at BB, who couldn't help but to roll her eyes at the fairy-dragon hybrid. "My plan is to take my master out in an open field, where I'll have enough room to transform into my true form. From there, we shall take to the skies and arrive at our destination within less than an hour; a slow enough speed to ensure the child's safety, while providing ourselves ample time to annihilate the goblin fortress."

Holding her chin with one hand, while sarcastically pretending to be astonished by the servant's plan of action, BB quietly scoffed before resting her fists on the side of her hips. "An efficient way to proceed with the journey, but not a well thought out one."

Scowling behind her armored mask, Fairy Knight was beginning to become more annoyed at the smug way BB was talking to her, as she opened her mouth to speak once more. "Explain to me the fault within my simple, straightforward plan. Because the way I see it, it is without flaw."

"Pffffft! Yeah, okay; sure, I'll give you a few critiques!" "Let's see…! Ah, I know! Let's start with the obvious fault in your apparently flawless logic: Ashta-Kun's mana wouldn't be enough to sustain your noble phantasma, so what more than likely WOULD happen is that you transform into the “Dragon of Bullshit” for about a minute, before going back to your current " Phase One" form; giving the peasants within this dirty urban jungle enough time to grab their pitchforks and torches," BB scrutinized, as she raised one hand out in front of Fairy Knight's face; sticking one finger up, as to count her critiques on one hand. "I can keep going if you'd like; after all, I've got plenty of things to say about your idiotic plan~!"

"Y-You arrogant little harlot…! If my plan is so terrible, then PLEASE, enlighten us with your apparent wisdom!" Fairy Knight shot back in a voice that sounded more frustrated than usual.

Dropping her raised hand back down to her side, BB simply smiled back with a content expression on her face. "Now that's more like it: you willingly wanting to hear me out is definitely the smartest thing you've done so far! Hehe, I swear, you would have gotten him killed by now if I didn’t come along…" BB mused smuggly; taking enjoyment out of the way Fairy Knight was beginning to growl lowly at her, while visibly becoming heated. "Anyway… Ashta-Kun, you need to be listening to this: I'm going to tell you how we'll be proceeding with this endeavor," BB announced with a borderline pompous voice, as she immediately turned her back to Fairy Knight, so that she was facing toward Goblin Slayer.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable after watching the two females argue for the second time that day, Goblin Slayer had a small bead of sweat forming at the side of his scarred cheek as he sulked at the realization that his plan to destroy the goblin stronghold wasn't going to go as quickly as he had hoped. "Uh… Y-Yeah, sur- Ow?!" Goblin Slayer yelped with a surprised look on his face, as he reached out to instinctively cover his backside. "W-What was that for?!"

Holding the collapsible metal-wand that she has summoned from her own pocket dimension— the same very blunt tool that she had used to whack the ten year-old on his ass— BB slowly tapped the end of it against the upturned palm of her other hand; staring down at him with a look of superiority. "Disciplinary action, Ashta-Kun; it's what's going to keep on happening until I whip you into becoming a star pupil! From this point forward, you will address me as "BB-Sensei"; it's an honorific in my culture, one that you'll be using to respect me as your " teacher"," BB explained, while grabbing a hold of the tip of her metal wan to begin gently wobbling it.

Although Fairy Knight wasn't above physically disciplining children, she wasn't necessarily a fan of the fact that BB— out of all people— was the one who spanked her master. "Refrain from getting overzealous with that pathetic little toy you call a weapon… He is my master, and thus if anyone holds the right to discipline him, it is I," the white-haired servant declared, which was ignored by BB for the most part.

Lowering his hands from his backside while feeling on edge with the presence of the metal wand, Goblin Slayer nervously swallowed the lump in his throat before saying "Y-Yes, BB-Senpai."

Satisfied with herself, BB continued to play with the metal wand in her hand as she began instructing Goblin Slayer of where he needed to go; using her holographic-avatar's photonic particles to guide him through the streets of Londobell's business sector. With Fairy Knight back inside his soul, Goblin Slayer was able to go unnoticed as he stood in line to get assigned an odd job from one of the many temporary-employment centers that were scattered across Londobell.

Since no one else could interact or sense her, BB was able to tutor Goblin Slayer while he practiced on how to summon his blanket back from the Moon-Cell. When quietly asked where his blanket actually was, BB told the ten year-old that she was allowing him to use her own reality marble to store his items; specifically, she told him that she had his stuffed pillowcase near her feet, back in her bedroom within the Moon-Cell where she actually was. With how well of a quick learner he was, thankfully Goblin Slayer was finally able to get the hang of learning the "inventory" spell through-and-through; enthusiastically storing and recalling his blanket in-and-out from BB's bedroom, until she got annoyed with and ordered him to stop.

Once he got to the front of the line where it was his turn to be assigned an odd job, Goblin Slayer had already garnished the attention of those within the office building; whispers emerging from those waiting behind him, as well as the clerks around him, as they wondered to one another about whether or not he was the same boy who had apparently defeated an entire army of goblins on his own. Believing that he was going to be getting a high-paying job based off all the talk of him going around in the large office space, Goblin Slayer was mildly disappointed once he was handed the contract that tasked him with delivering groceries to a greater slime who wrote her name down as "Slime Girl".

Seeing how the job paid fairly well, and that there weren't any other jobs that the clerk behind the desk was willing to give him, Goblin Slayer accepted his task with a humble-grace. Even though Fairy Knight was embarrassed about having to be the servant of a "delivery boy", she more-or-less was still supportive of Goblin Slayer for showing the drive needed to work an honest living.

Wanting to make the most of their time, BB began teaching the basic fundamentals to "magic", which the AI woman described as being the highest class of " mystery"; which in her words referred to a sliver of power that came from the metaphysical source of all power that existed in all multiverses. Goblin Slayer learned about the " Swirl of the Root", which housed its own realm where servants came from: the " Throne of Heroes".

When asked about how servants were summoned in the first place, BB went on a tangent about how "magic" no longer existed in her universe, and that they could only emulate it with technology using photon particles; calling the practice of it " magecraft", which was a significantly weaker version of " magic". Going back to the curious boy's question, BB told Goblin Slayer that the Moon-Cell was able to emulate the " root", and thus possessed its own " throne of heroes" that it used to hold the same kind of heroic spirits that would normally be found in the actual " throne".

When Goblin Slayer arrived at the well-stocked grocery store, Fairy Knight caused him to receive stares of awe from the other shoppers, who were all stunned to see someone like her holding the metal shopping basket for him, while he began going down aisle-after-aisle with the shopping list found within the contract in hand. Continuing with her lesson, BB praised Hakuno for being a quick learner of "magecraft" herself, before bringing up a question that she had for the ten year-old orphan.

"Ashta-Kun, you know how I told you that "magic" no longer was accessible from where I'm from? Well, my question to you is in regards to your lineage: were either of your parents mages by chance? I'm only asking you because it wouldn't make sense for the Moon-Cell to see you as an exact recipient to carry on Hakuno-Chan's magical circuitry if your parents weren't magic-wielded themselves," BB inquired, as she stood beside Goblin Slayer while they waited in line to be checked out by one of the many cashiers who were manning the checkout counters.

Furrowing his brow while trying to think about what he knew of his parents, Goblin Slayer shrugged his shoulders as he watched Fairy Knight begin to hand the nervous cashier girl all of the items she had been carrying within the metal basket. "My mother was sort of an alchemist, but… I don't think she dealt with the magic-aspect of it; she was more of a herbalist than anything else… And as far as my dad goes, uhhh… He was just a regular priest, if that counts for anything," Goblin Slayer replied, as he tore off the bottom part of the contract that served as a prepaid voucher, before handing it up to the bewildered cashier.

Multitasking by having her avatar emote an expression of deep-thinking, while in actuality being busy with organizing all of the groceries that Goblin Slayer was teleporting to her home onto her kitchen counter, BB thought of a few possible explanations as to why the ten year-old was capable of using magic and magecraft at the same time. Once she had finished with her task within the Moon-Cell, BB "logged" back into her avatar's consciousness; taking it off "auto-pilot", in order to announce a theory she had come up with when she was putting away a glass-jug of milk into her retro-era refrigerator.

"Perhaps one of your ancestors was a magus? From what I've researched, it's entirely possible for magic to skip over a generation before being inherited. Do you know anything about your grandparents, or anyone who came before them?" BB inquired, to which she was met with disappointment when Goblin Slayer shook his head at her.

"I hardly know much about anything when it come to my own parents, Sensei-BB; I'm sorry to say, but I don't even know the names of my grandparents, much less whether or not they were even mages," Goblin Slayer said, as Fairy Knight transformed into a cloud of photon particles that inserted themselves back inside the boy's soul.

Figuring that only meant that she would have to do a little bit of digging on her own time, BB thanked Goblin Slayer for answering her inquiry before proceeding to quiz him while they traveled outward from the outer rim of Londobell. By the time that Goblin Slayer had managed to prove his comprehension of the basic fundamentals of "Thaumatrical Theory" to BB, the trio were finally outside of the heavily urbanized business sector; finding themselves in a more rural area that was comprised of traditional cottages and farms that were built around separated orchards, out in the green pasture that Goblin Slayer was far more familiar with personally.

With BB essentially being his personal GPS, Goblin Slayer spent about forty minutes in total wandering down dirt-road after dirt-road— passing through fenced off fields of tended grass that all had free-ranged cows grazing on its bounty— before finally coming across a particularly unique archway, that looked to have been made out of carved wood pieced together by a translucent blue gel material. "… "The Slime Farm"… I guess this must be the place, huh?" Goblin Slayer mused a slightly amused grin on his face, after having read the large sign that was glued onto the very top of the whimsical structure.

Walking down the dirt path that lead to the white farmhouse that was at the end of the road, Goblin Slayer found himself intrigued by the sentient blobs of slime that all appeared to be under two-feet tall; the childish part of him giggling quietly, as he watched the goofy looking creatures jiggle each time they hoped onto a new patch of grass to consume minerals from the dirt. Once he finally arrived at the front yard of the three-story farmhouse, Goblin Slayer climbed up the wooden porch steps before making his way over to the door; summoning the groceries from BB's kitchen counter, before setting them neatly down beside his leg.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable from how anxious he was from the thought of being greeted with an unpleasant shut-in, Goblin Slayer took a moment to gather his composure before knocking politely on the red-painted door; slowly exhaling his worries away in one breath, before lowering his arm back down to his side as he took a step back. Feeling Fairy Knight begin to slowly drain his continuously regenerating mana while still inside of him— knowing that she was preparing herself to strike if necessary— Goblin Slayer stood beside a genuinely curious BB, as the wet sounds of "plamp, plaff" drew closer from within the house.

Opening the door, there stood a five-foot tall blue-translucent slime monster, who had the form of a short-stacked female elf with cartoonish proportions, and blobby hair that looked as though the greater slime had tried styling it to partially cover what was supposed to be her forehead, while the rest of it drooped down the front of her shoulders, and to the midsection of where her back was. All-in-all, the sentient slime with her dotted eyes and curved-derpy smile looked as though it had its facial features drawn onto it with an ink pen; which wouldn't have been unbelievable to Goblin Slayer, since the female slime looked uncanny in every aspect.

Wearing absolutely no clothes since she had no genitals, nipples, or even internal organs to hide, the unnatural-looking female kept smiling silently at Goblin Slayer for a few good awkward minutes; causing him to feel uncomfortable underneath her beady-eyed stare, until she finally parted what he figured was supposed to be a mouth in order to begin communicating with him. "Good day… Are those… Groceries for… Me?" Slime Girl asked through intervals of silence, while sounding more-or-less like how a human or elf would talk.

Snapping out of his trance once Fairy Knight pointed out to him that he was staring at her for too long, Goblin Slayer smiled uneasily at Slime Girl before nodding his head softly. "Y-Yes ma'am; I'm from the "Londobell Hiring Temp Agency"… Did you need me to carry these inside for you?" The ten year-old offered, while silently hoping in the back of his mind that the derpy monster girl would decline his offer.

Unfortunately for him, Slime Girl seemed bubbly with joy when she heard him; her eyelids closing softly, while her goopy mouth opened wide enough for her to begin accidentally leaking her blue liquids down her chin. "Oh joy…! I can't…! Believe that…! I'm finally…! Having a…! Guest over…!" Slime Girl cheered out in her unusual manner of speaking; her gooey body beginning to reverberate with excitement, as she took a step back with her stubby legs that melted to the floorboards where her feet would have been.

Sensing her master's reluctance, the servant who wasn't a stranger to exotic creatures and monsters— almost exactly like the ones found within Goblin Slayer's own world— Fairy Knight spoke up from inside of him. " Greater slimes are unusual creatures, and yet even so I've yet to ever encounter one that was capable of speaking common, let alone being capable of providing hospitality… It would be best if you were to show her your utmost respect; I sense that she's rather lonely," Fairy Knight said, while making sure to let Goblin Slayer know that she expected him to be a good house guest.

Looking for an excuse to step away from her holographic avatar, so she could do something else to entertain herself on her computer, BB pretended to care about Slime Girl by telling Goblin Slayer "Give her a chance; she might share some of her food with you, if you're nice enough to her~!" And with that being said, the lavender AI told Goblin Slayer that she would be back later, and that would still be keeping an eye on him while she binged watched one of her favorite shows.

Watching the holographic avatar disappear into a cloud of photon particles, Goblin Slayer looked back up at the dripping-wet monster girl, who was embarrassingly needing to wipe her smiling mouth constantly with her forearm. Taking in a deep breath, the boy managed to put a smile onto his face before kneeling down to gather the groceries up from the porch; thanking Slime Girl for letting him in, as he heard her closing the door behind them.

Chapter Text

Escorting Goblin Slayer through the first floor of her house— through the entry room, down the white-painted walls of her decorated hallways— Slime Girl waddled over to the side of the archway leading into the kitchen; allowing for the ten year-old boy to walk inside first, before slowly following behind him with a happy expression plastered on her smooth-gelatinous face. "Thank you… So much… For being… So nice… To me," Slime Girl said slowly with gratitude in her voice, as she watched Goblin Slayer walking across the white-tiled floor of her fancy Victorian-styled kitchen. "Most people… Don't ever… Want to… Come inside… My house… Because I'm… A slime…"

" I see… Sorry to hear about that, ma'am," Goblin Slayer replied, as he continued to walk toward the center of the kitchen, carrying all of the heavy groceries within his small arms. Placing the parchment-covered wrapped vegetables and fruit onto the wooden kitchen island counter, beside where he had set down all dozen bottles of "Londobell Milk", Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to feel slightly uncomfortable with the way Slime Girl was watching him putting her groceries away. Given her black cartoon eyes that had simple eyelashes and even simpler eyebrows plastered on her round face that was attached to the rest of her blue-translucent body, the ten year-old boy couldn't stop finding the short-stacked greater slime more uncanny than goofy-looking.

'She looks like a chubby bowl of gelatin that’s trying to be feminine… It's sort of cute, in a weird way,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself while giggling quietly to himself, as he began patiently listening to Slime Girl's slow-pattern of speech, in order to know where she wanted him to specifically place the groceries onto each individual shelf inside of her ice box. Completing the mundane task within seven minutes, Goblin Slayer closed the wooden doors to Slime Girl's ice box before turning away from the wooden appliance; feeling an odd sense of mild dread coursing through him, after noticing that the greater slime was blocking the only exit out of the kitchen, save for the window that was above the washstand placed in between the kitchen counters.

Standing on the other side of the kitchen island, where he had placed the groceries before storing them into the wooden cold box that was now behind him, Goblin Slayer smiled uneasily at the uncanny grin that the excited monster girl was giving him; waiting awkwardly for about five minutes, expecting her to talk before finally taking the initiative to engage with her. "If… If there's nothing else you need assistance with-?"

"-Would you… Like to… Join me… For brunch…? I'm making… "Isicia omentata"… Or "hamburgers"… As modern… Common translations… Call them," Slime Girl announced, while interlocking her goopy-stubby fingers together while nervously awaiting for her house guest's answer.

Although he was rather famished, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to feel confused as to how Slime Girl was proposing to make hamburgers, when he didn't see any meat inside her ice box earlier. "Uh… Sure, but… What sort of meat would you be using for the patties? If you don't mind me asking," Goblin Slayer inquired, while still doing his best to remain cordial with the anthropomorphic slime creature. "As far I've seen, you've only got vegetables in there."

Needing a brief moment of time to register Goblin Slayer's question, Slime Girl began unnaturally laughing once she understood the point he was trying to make; doing her best impression of a school girl giggling to sound cute in front of her house guest. "HAEHAE— HEEEEEEE— HAEHAE— HEEEEE— HAEHAEEEEE~!" Slime Girl bellowed forcibly with her cartoon-beady eyes growing into large hollow circle-outlines; her short-stacked gelatinous body jiggling violently, until she suddenly stopped her terrifying laughter without any warning. "Silly little…! Human child…! I don't…! Use meat…! In my…! Cooking…!"

"… I made… Black beans… Yesterday morning… Let me… Show you," Slime Girl said, as her eyes went back to being black dots with eyelashes and thin brows over them. With her curvy thick legs reverberating each time she took a clumsy step forward, Slime Girl accidentally bumped her hip against the stunned boy as she made her way past him, stopping once she got to her ice box, where she proceeded to open it by its handle using her sticky fingers. "See, look…! Beans…!" Slime Girl said proudly, as only her upper half turned around one-hundred and eighty degrees to show Goblin Slayer the glass container filled with black beans she had in her hands; her bottom half still kneeling down and facing toward the ice box, as a single tendril of goo shot out of her thigh to shut its wooden door close.

And from there, Goblin Slayer was invited to take a seat at the one of the wooden dining chairs that Slime Girl had tucked underneath the rim of her oak table; placing the glass container of beans down on her kitchen island, before going back inside her ice box to pull out a glass container of milk. "So, child… What is… Your name…?" Slime Girl asked curiously, as another tendril shot out from the back of her goopy hair to extend backwards to where her cabinet full of glass cups were; opening it and fetching one without needing to look at what she was doing.

Hearing the cabinet door shut while watching as his hostess placed the sturdy looking glass cup down on the cabinet to begin pouring milk inside of it, the ten year-old boy placed an elbow down on the table, in order to lean the side of his head against his raised hand. "My name's Ren Ashta, but lately people have been calling me "Goblin Slayer", so there's that," Goblin Slayer responded with a somewhat bored tone; one part of him still feeling bummed over the disappointment he felt over his hunch that he wouldn't be going out on any actual adventures that day.

Capping the top of the glass bottle without managing to get any of her goop inside of the container, Slime Girl's cartoonish eyes sparkled as she once again showed off her stretchy body by extending her arm several meters backwards with the milk in hand. "Ooooo…! A celebrity…! I've read…! About you…! In the…! Morning newspaper…!" Slime Girl said in what sounded like it was meant to be a starstruck voice, as she blindly placed the milk back into its proper shelf, before closing the appliance door as her rubber-like arm snapped back into place. "Defeated an…! Entire army…! Of goblins…! By yourself…! Hard to… Imagine that… A child… Did that…!"

Watching her dump the beans out of their container and into a glass mixing bowl she pulled out from the kitchen island's bottom cabinet, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to smirk softly as he let out an amused chuckle. "Heh hehe… Yeah, so I've heard," he replied playfully; expressing to her that he had gotten used to hearing that about himself, as he watched her pulling out a mashing utensil to begin using it on her beans.

"I can…! Only imagine…! And by… I… Mean literally… This is… The longest… Conversation I've… Ever had… With anyone… In a… Very, very… Long time," Slime Girl expressed with a bittersweet smile on her face, while beginning to form the mashed beans into patties with her bare hands; too focused on her task to notice the sympathetic look she was receiving . "You see… I run… My own… Business… Merchants travel… From all… Corners of… "Nova Korinthos"… Come to… My farm… To buy… My adhesive… Gel product," Slime Girl explained slowly, all the while having been gathering the vegetables and seasoning she needed to make her dish; pausing momentarily, once she placed all the items onto the countertop of the kitchen island.

"Silly me…! My apologies…! You probably…! Do not…! Know what…! "Nova Korinthos"…! Is, huh…?!" Slime Girl mused aloud with an admittedly cute look on her round face; her blue cheeks turning a dark shade, as she smiled to herself while taking out a large knife from her drawer. "What I…! Meant to…! Say was…! "Pathway Kingdom"…! Forgive me…! Dear child…! I have…! Been around…! For quite…! Some time…!"

Watching the greater slime beginning to pull out even more knives from the drawer— holding all twelve of them with different hands that she had grown out of her short-stacked body— Goblin Slayer found himself giggling softly under his breath, from how amused he was to see Slime Girl using all her extra appendages to skillfully chop all of her ingredients at once; slicing and dicing the vegetables into fine slivers, all within seconds, and without ever needing to look at what she was doing.

Not wanting Slime Girl to do all the talking— especially since she was the one making him food, and clearly struggled to string together sentences— Goblin Slayer asked her what "Nova Korinthos" was, to which the greater slime explained to him that it was the name of the empire that controlled almost all of the supercontinent that Pathway Kingdom was a part of: Zemuria. "Although I… Nor any… Non-humans were… Allowed within… The cities… Of the… Imperium Empire… The many… Innovations in… Art and… Mathematics were… What first… Sparked my… Interest in… Human ingenuity…"

"… I was… Just a… Lesser slime… Born within… The pond… That I… Have in… The back… That was… When I… Saw my… First human," Slime Girl reminisced, as she scooped up all of her finely chopped ingredients before placing them into a glass bowl; carrying it with her over to where her wood-fire stove was. "A human… Child too… It's been… So long… But I… Believe he… Looked almost… Exactly like… You… Red eyes… Light messy… Hair, and… He had… Pale skin… Just like… Yours," Slime Girl recalled vaguely with a nostalgic smile on her smooth-gelatin face, while allowing the large iron-cast skillet to warm up as she poured some olive oil inside of it.

Hearing the oil beginning to sizzle while staring at the back of Slime Girl's head full of goopy hair, Goblin Slayer smiled softly with a bit of guilt eating away at him from the back of his mind; beginning to feel bad for having judged the greater slime when he first saw her, only realizing that now after he realized how lonely she was. "Really? What was he like?" The boy asked; wanting to feed into Slime Girl's sense of nostalgia, which elicited a pleased jiggle from the short-stacked monster-girl.

"It's been… So long… Since I've… Talked about… Him… But I… Will try… My best…" Slime Girl mused with a slightly apologetic tone behind her excited voice, as she lacked a clear enough memory to give a detailed explanation of who her first human she interacted with was like. "The boy… He would… Come to… My pond… Covered in… Bruises… He used… To cry… By the… Shoreline… He would… Just wail… And wail… His anguish… Would scare… Most of… The lesser… Slimes off…"

"... Once he… Stopped crying… He would… Spend hours… Staring at… The pond… At the… Moon's reflection… Wading within… The water's surface… Until one… Day, he… Stopped coming," Slime Girl said with a twinge of sadness in her gentle voice, as she placed two veggie patties into the sizzling skillet; coating them both with a thin layer of her own gel, so as to hold their shape as they cooked. "Those of us… Who were… Evolved enough… To have empathy… Went searching… For him… We found… Only a house… Empty, and abandoned… Not too far… From where our… P-Pond was… He must have… Lived alone… Poor child… It was so… Sad…"

Infatuated with the savory aroma from Slime Girl's kitchen that was filling the kitchen, Goblin Slayer felt comforted by how welcoming the greater slime's home felt; however, it was when the monster-girl mentioned there being an abandoned house not too far from the aforementioned pond did something click inside of the boy's head. "Is… Is this the same house that you found abandoned back then?"

Nodding her head slowly, Slime Girl used her wooden spatula to flip both patties in order to cook the other sides; stilling facing toward the stove top as she did so. "It used to be… That was… Centuries ago… I've been rebuilding it… Expanding upon it… Ever since… I finally took on… This form…" Slime Girl explained, before softly telling Goblin Slayer about her old days of going out into the old empire's capital, "Genesis", where she would disguise herself in a suit of armor, pretending to be an adventurer that completed quests for the ancient Adventurer's Guild. Upon mentioning that she had been an adventurer in her past life, Slime Girl began to listen to Goblin Slayer talking about how he never used to think "adventurers" were an actual thing, and thus began answering all of the questions he had for her while she extinguished the small flames underneath her stove top.

"During the… Imperium Era… The Adventurer's Guild… Used to be called… The "Bracer's Guild"... They haven't changed… Since the early days," Slime Girl stated, as she placed the cooked veggie patties onto their own plates; serving them on top of a bed of lettuce and tomatoes, before walking back to the dining table to set Goblin Slayer's plate down in front of him. Sitting down across from the boy, the translucent-blue woman began going over how each person looking to join the guild had to fill out a "character sheet" with one of the clerks who worked behind the front desk; describing the small dog-tags that one got with their title etched onto it. The material of the tag would indicate the rank of the adventure, with the possible ten ranks ranging from the starting rank— porcelain— to the highest rank available: platinum.

"Think of it like… How you got assigned a… Job from the "Londobell Hiring Temp Agency"... The Adventurer's Guild essentially acts like a… Third-party business that accepts a finding fee from those who seek help with… Needing someone to complete a request; oftentimes being… Civilians, and sometimes even directly… From the government themselves," Slime Girl finished explaining, while watching with excited stars in her eyes as Goblin Slayer happily ate her cooked dish with nothing but interest inside of his dusty-rose colored eyes.

Thanking her for the delicious meal, and for telling him all about the basics of what the Adventurer's Guild were, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to notice just how much more talkative she had become since he first came to her doorstep. 'She's starting to speak in longer sentences… I wonder if she was only speaking like that earlier because she was rusty when it came to having conversations?' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, as he noticed the nostalgic way that she was looking into his eyes; silently admiring them, while thinking to herself as she took a small bite from her own veggie patty.

Before Goblin Slayer could even come up with something to say, just in order to break the silence in the kitchen, that's when Slime Girl let out a longful sigh as the bite she took quickly dissolved inside of her gelatinous head. "I cannot understate just how strikingly similar you look to him… Those eyes… Longing for love, and to be loved… To be cared for…" Slime Girl spoke slowly with a soft tone within her voice, except that time it was because of the way she was beginning to get choked up as she continued to lock eyes with Goblin Slayer. "... You two have so far been… The only two humans I've seen with naturally colored eyes like that…"

"... But I digress… I'm certain that a child your age isn't interested in hearing about an old slime's glory days… Instead of just telling you about myself, will you allow me to show you a relic of my past…? You certainly would find it to be most exciting…" Slime Girl offered; closing her goopy eyelids happily, after seeing Goblin Slayer's head nod with childhood curiosity and intrigue.

Getting up from the table, Goblin Slayer took the dishes from the table before heading over to the washstand to clean them off; receiving compliment-after-compliment from the grateful monster girl, who mused to the boy about him being the first human who had done anything out of the goodness of their heart for her. Once he had finished drying off her plates and even the skillet that he had washed, Goblin Slayer dumped the dirty water out of the basin into the receptacle built into the nearby wall that led into the outdoor waste bin.

Pulling the dining chair out for the happy greater slime, Goblin Slayer followed behind the short-stacked jiggling woman as she led up out of the kitchen, and up the flight of stairs leading into the second floor of her large farm house. Traveling through the white-painted hallways of her home, Slime Girl lead the ten year-old boy into the oak-paneled walls of what she called her "trophy room"; watching proudly as Goblin Slayer took a gander at all of her collected treasures that she had found within her centuries of life. Opposite to the door, there was a wood mannequin standing near the decorated wall. Wearing grubby looking leather armor and chipped chainmail that resided underneath a damaged steel-plates of armor, the set of old armor was fitted with an intriguing metal helmet that had vertical slits where the face visor was; the two white keratin stubs on the side of the intricately built helmet were once horns, as Slime Girl told him.

Although the full suit of armor was ragged and looked as though it had literally been through centuries of battles, everything from the makeshift scabbard on its hip, to the torn red-plume that was attached to the upper-back of the helmet resonated something within Goblin Slayer; eliciting deja vu from the child, even though he knew for a fact that he had never seen such a suit of old armor before in his life.

Noticing how fixated her house guest was on what she used to disguise herself as a human long ago, Slime Girl stood silent for a while as she stared into the black-abyss behind her old helmet's vertical face-guard; taking a moment to think back on all the times it served her. "I used to wear that all the time… But once the empire was broken up after so many civil wars had caused it to crumble in on itself politically… I no longer had a reason to wear it, as the royal family who founded Pathway Kingdom granted me this land; a reward for having fought for them, once the leader of that rebellion promised to unite the area… Under the promise that elves, dwarves, and every other species of non-humans would be welcomed in his future kingdom… So long as they co-existed peacefully, and followed the laws of the land…"

"But now… Now my armor is but a mere relic of a bygone era; a remainder of how far the world has come since then… It's too large for you to wear, Goblin Slayer… But since you are young, and have so much promise behind those eyes of yours… Allow me to give you a parting gift," Slime Girl said with a soft sigh escaping her mouth, as she brought herself to part with her old possessions. Removing the leather belt and her old scabbard from the waist of the wooden mannequin, the greater slime melted her lower legs into the floor once she got behind the stunned boy; measuring out the belt, before carefully securing it around his waistline.

Staring down with a fascinated look in his eyes, Goblin Slayer reached to the leather pouches that were a part of the utility belt; brushing his fingers along their aged material, as he heard Slime Girl's gelatinous body sloshing around, as the monster-girl reformed her mass into a pair of curvy legs once again. "T… Thank you, Slime Girl, I-"

"-It's "Grace"... My name is Grace; I earned that name from Pathway's first King, who gave it to me for being his army's "saving grace"," Slime Girl politely interrupted with a fond smile across her slightly derpy-looking round-face, as she waddled past Goblin Slayer toward one of the few wooden chests that were laid out in a row, near where the set of armor was. "And do not thank me yet, for what is an adventurer without his own sword…?" The greater slimed mused, as she took out a short-sword from the chest; carrying it over to Goblin Slayer, before lowering her hands down to offer it to him.

Already having been stunned by the greater slime's act of generosity, Goblin Slayer was astonished at the weapon being gifted to him; his eyes marvling the solid-gold triangular-guard and pommel, and at the blue-grip around its handle. "Sl- Grace… I… I don't know if I can accept something like this… It's… It's a lot to give to someone, isn't it?" Goblin Slayer asked rhetorically, as he eyed the short-sword's wide blade, while Slime Girl continued to hold it out for him to take.

"Perhaps you're right… If taking this as a gift is too much for you to accept… Then how about you accept my sword as part of a deal; that way, you'll have earned it…? An accord, if you will," Slime Girl stated; playfully raising her eyebrows up-and-down at the curious look that Goblin Slayer was giving her, as he tried to look up past her plump breasts to see her cartoonish face.

"... What sort of deal are you talking about?" Goblin Slayer asked with a mild tone of caution in his voice, as the greater slime hadn't given him any reason to completely think of her as having an ulterior motive behind her genuine sense of kindness.

"The deal is simple… Every once in a while, I would like it if you were to come back to visit me again… I can pay you to deliver my groceries to me directly, instead of writing letters to the temp-agency like usual… That way, you and I can be… F-Friends…?" Slime Girl suggested with a bashful look coming over her darkening cheeks; as she suddenly felt herself becoming vulnerable at the thought of being rejected by the ten year-old.

Seeing nothing wrong with visiting Slime Girl whenever he had freetime, especially since he had come to know her as someone who would be more than a good fit for him to befriend personally, Goblin Slayer was about to accept the monster girl's half-serious terms and conditions when all of a sudden BB appeared beside the translucent woman. In order to not alarm the soft-spoken slime that there was someone literally standing right beside her, Goblin Slayer did his best to maintain eye-contact with her as BB quickly caught on to what he was doing.

"My apologies for being away for so long; I got caught up watching "Matt Patt"," BB explained half-heartedly, while not caring much that she knew for a fact that neither Fairy Knight nor Goblin Slayer knew what she was referring to. "Anyways— it doesn't matter— I overheard what was going on through my computer's speakers and thought now would be the best time to tell you about a little something called "fast traveling"," BB announced with a smile, before side-eyeing Slime Girl before shrugging.

"But uh, it's pretty fair to say that neither I nor you have the time for me to go over what "quantum entanglement" is… So instead of me trying to teach you about math, why don't you just let me do all the work from my end, and just focus on asking Grace over here if she would be willing to let you take up residency within one of the unoccupied bedrooms she's got inside her house?" BB instructed, while at the same time more-or-less ordering Goblin Slayer to do what she said.

Sighing softly through his nostrils, Goblin Slayer took a moment to close his eyelids to meditate; the boy needing a moment to silently complain to himself about how ironic it was that he was called a "master", but yet felt more like a mere pawn, between the amount of commands he had to take from BB and Fairy Knight. "... Grace, forgive me if what I'm about to say oversteps any boundaries, but… How about instead of occasionally visiting you once in a blue moon, I… I-I instead just move into one your bedr-"

"-DEAL," Slime Girl practically shouted with an overzealous voice; beads of hot-gel trickling down her smooth-round face, while grinning as she extended her arms down to the point that Goblin Slayer had no other choice but to take her sword from her. Gazing down at the sword in hands while listening to the ecstatic monster girl cheer about how her days of living in isolation were coming to an end, Goblin Slayer tested the scabbard on his hip by placing his new blade into it before suddenly being dragged out of the room by Slime Girl.

No longer needing to speak in intervals, the excited greater slime began rambling about all the things she had always wanted to do, but never got to do them since she lacked any friends to do various activities with. From talking about Goblin Slayer possibly helping her expand her business by lending her hand by helping her bottle up more gel, to going on a tangent about possible vacation destinations, Slime Girl was more than thrilled to give the ten year-old boy the bedroom right beside her's; reassuring the overwhelmed child that he was more than free to climb into bed with her at night, if he ever got lonely.

With a safe area available to them, BB took the liberty to establish an invisible portal made up of photonic particles within the walk-in closet of Goblin Slayer's new bedroom; explaining to him that only he would be able to see it, and that it would only activate upon her command. Having a feeling that BB had purposefully created a fast-travel point that she alone had control over, for the sake of her restricting his travel without her, Goblin Slayer silently thanked the advanced AI for her help.

Being told that the portal would allow him to travel back to the tavern, as well as any more future fast-travel points that she had plans to create, BB once again flexed her authority and control over who she saw as Hakuno's living vessel by telling him that she would only let him go back to the tavern after he had indulged more of Slime Girl's social-cravings; explaining to him that he needed to reassure her that he wasn't using her, when in fact that's exactly what BB was doing to her through him.

Chapter Text

WARNING: This chapter has lots of sex, and it's a lot spicier than the last one. So grab your celery stick and orange juice, and try not to jump through the screen because HERE WE GO!

Once Goblin Slayer explained to Slime Girl that he was going to be living with both her and his older sister back within Londobell's through means of "fast-traveling", the hospitable monster girl caught on fairly quickly to his bizarre explanation of photon particles being transferred to one point and back. The first few hours they spent together was composed of playing board games, her showing him the large selection of books she collected throughout her lifetime, and of course showing the boy how to extract raw gel from the domesticated lesser slimes that fed on the algae she had growing in the large pond she had towards the back of her property.

While using the large syringe to extract the blue substance from the docile blobs of goo, and storing said product into glass vials that Slime Girl kept inside the large shed she used as a laboratory, Goblin Slayer had to remind his hostess of him needing to get back to the temp-agency with her written password on the contract; so as to prove to the agency that he actually accomplished his task. Although she was sad to see him go, Slime Girl managed to restrain her urge to find an excuse to keep him on the farm with her, and instead wrote down her password onto the contract using a black ink pen.

Promising to come back soon, Goblin Slayer was given a packed meal for the road consisting of a peanut-butter sandwich and an apple by the nurturing monster-girl. Allowing her to plant a wet-sloppy kiss on his lips, the ten year-old boy resisted the urge to immediately wipe the lower part of his face off after the blushing greater slime pulled her gelatin lips away from his mouth; again, offering to share her bed with him when he decided to sleep over next time, before seeing him off as he left through the wooden archway, leading into the backroads of the outside rural area of Londobell's massive village.

By the time Goblin Slayer collected his payment at the temp agency, all of the shops that he wanted to visit had already closed; save for the twenty-four hour bodegas, which BB warned him not to buy from. Still wearing the same hand-me-downs that had been given to him from the church's donation closet, Goblin Slayer was considering getting himself a new outfit as he eyed all the closed storefronts he passed by, while walking through the evening streets of Londobell's business sector. Using BB's resourcefulness to keep track of time, Goblin Slayer was just barely able to be one of the last parties of verified residents to come back into the walls of Londobell's residential area; avoiding needing to pay for an overpriced hotel for the night, just like all the unfortunate villagers who arrived at the entrance too late.

Waiting in line to pass through the second security check, Fairy Knight and BB both pointed out to him that they were having the residents check in their weapons with them before being allowed back in. Not wanting to part with his short-sword, Goblin Slayer was encouraged by both women to use his "inventory" spell to good use; meaning by the time the ten year-old boy arrived at the checkpoint to be patted down for contraband, his newly acquired sword was already safely placed within BB's reality marble.

Already enjoying his new magecraft spells, Goblin Slayer walked through the illuminated cobblestone-roads of Londobell; taking note of the stark contrast between the quiet residential area and the hustling-and-bustling streets of the business sector. Knowing that his older sister would be volunteering at the church to help in the kitchen again, Goblin Slayer headed up the inclined path along the side of the large green hill where the large holy structure sat on top of.

Not wanting to show up to dinner smelling sweating from all the walking and physical labor he had done that day, Goblin Slayer snuck through the back entrance of the church, making his way into the donation closet, before picking out a new set of clothes to wear. Deciding to pick up a white turtleneck shirt, a pair of black trousers with a thin red-checkered line pattern to them, Goblin Slayer made sure to teleport a few more pairs of clean socks and underwear for BB to store into her closet for him, before finally leaving to closet with the outfit he planned on changing into after a quick bath in hand.

Trying not to avoid any suspicion, Goblin Slayer was clinging to the dark areas of the hallway as much as he could; BB using her limited control of the Moon-Cell to transfer to him live radar-data of his surroundings to his brain directly, as he slunk out of the church and into the bathhouse. Crossing through the back grassy area of the church, and toward the separate bathhouses that were built past where the clothing lines were, it was when Goblin Slayer got to the door of the building he needed to enter did he realize that it was locked.

"I… I don't think breaking church property is a good idea… BB-Senpai, is there a spell you can use to unlock this door, without damaging the lock?" Goblin Slayer asked quietly, while looking up over his left shoulder at the aforementioned AI woman.

Looking over her slender shoulder to stare down into the boy's dusty-rose colored eyes, BB frowned slightly as she shrugged at him. "I mean… Technically speaking, there is a spell that exists that would allow you to unlock this door, but… Since I'm only a projection and can't interact with anything that you don't transfer over to me," BB explained, before playfully grinning at him as she let out a chuckle. "Hehehe… Hypothetically speaking, you could just teleport this door over to me, and I would be able to pick the lock myself once I'm able to interact with it inside my reality marble… But then again, that absolutely defeats the whole purpose of you not wanting to damage church property."

Brainstorming along with Goblin Slayer and BB, instead of scheming her way into finding out a way to get her master access to the bathhouse, Fairy Knight decided to finally voice her opinion. "Since it appears we are at an impasse, and your juvenile methods have failed us AI, we shouldn't be hiding ourselves from those who have submitted themselves beneath us… No, we should find that head nun, and demand for her to relinquish the key to the bathhouse; less she faces our wrath," Fairy Knight declared with confidence in her voice, as she still firmly believed that the strong held power over those who couldn't fight back against them.

Grimacing at the thought of scaring the woman who had acted so motherly towards him, Goblin Slayer frowned as he shook his head at the servant inside of his soul. "Whatever happened to not burning our bridges…? Besides, I'm sure if I just explain to Mother Mary that I want to freshen up before supper, I'm sure she would be more than willing to open the door for me," Goblin Slayer argued, which made BB want to bring up a question herself.

"If you felt that way already, then why did you even want to do this whole "cloak-and-dagger" bit in the first place? I thought we were helping you because you weren't allowed to take a bath before dinner," BB spoke up with one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed over her busty chest; giving the mildly embarrassed boy an inquisitive glare, while waiting for an explanation from him.

Suddenly finding the grass beneath his feet to be interesting, Goblin Slayer averted his gaze from BB's violet eyes as dug the ball of his foot into the ground bashfully. "I… I don't know… There were a lot of people in the kitchen, including Vivi… I didn't want to look dumb walking in there, and telling them that I needed to take a bath," Goblin Slayer explained timidly with a nervous look on his blushing face; feeling self-conscious, as BB simply remained still before finally shrugging her shoulders.

"Hmmm, I suppose I could see why you chose not to be more direct with your approach; given that scenario, you probably would have at least gotten laughed at by some of those girls in there," BB validated, as she was already feeling second hand embarrassment from Goblin Slayer, who she sometimes forgot wasn't actually a developed teenager like how her "Hakuno-Chan" was. "Well this was a waste of time… There's nothing else for you to do now, but to do the "walk of shame" back into the church, and ask Mother Mary to unlock the door for you, like she's your chaperone."

Picking up what was left of his shattered pride, Goblin Slayer unenthusiastically made his way back into the church; not carrying if anyone else saw him, as he begrudgingly made his way into the busy kitchen. Making eye contact with his perplexed sister, Goblin Slayer flashed Vivi an embarrassed look before being able to get the curious head-nun's attention; pulling her away from the oven, and having someone else take her place as she stepped out of the kitchen.

"Ashta, you've arrived back from that sudden camping trip your sister told us all about… I take it from the looks of it that you had quite the outdoorsy experience, yes~?" Mother Mary asked with an amused smile across her aged face, as she knelt down to get a better look at the blushing boy; not noticing that her massive breasts were at his eye-level.

Watching her with his trousers beginning to tight up, Goblin Slayer remained still and felt a twinge of excitement when Mother Mary leaned in closer toward his face; her warm breath blowing down on his sweaty face, as she reached her hand up to lick her thumb before using it wipe away a smudge of dirt from his forehead. "Y-Yeah, uh…! I…! I-I need you to come into the bathhouse with me," Goblin Slayer stuttered out nervously, before realizing that what he said could be taken out of context. "I-I mean! Y-You know?! F-For a bath!"

Having already gotten the impression from last night that the ten year-old boy was infatuated with her since their intimate private meeting inside her quarters, Mother Mary couldn't help but to giggle softly at the way Goblin Slayer was blushing madly before her; finding the child's stuttering words and clear attraction to her to be more endearing than anything else. "Hmhmhm~! My, my~! It certainly does sound urgent, my child…! Come, you and I shall break away from the rest of the church, and freshen up… In private~!" Mother Mary flirtatiously said to the fully aroused boy; feeling giddy and rebellious, as she and the boy who was a fraction of her age snuck off through the back of the church.

Wearing her white hood and skin-tight robe that had a reverse boob window to allow for her under cleavage to breathe, Mother Mary found herself feeling young again as she reached her left arm down to grab a hold of Goblin Slayer's hand; interlocking her fingers with his, as they made their way to the bathhouse that was meant for children only. "Here child, give me but a moment… There! Let's get inside before someone notices us~! Hmhmhm~!" Mother Mary playfully said, as she led the blushing boy into the dimly lit bathhouse before turning around to lock the closed door behind them.

Immediately noticing how steamy it was inside the bathroom, with how long the magical flame underneath the tank full of water had been warming up the room, Goblin Slayer reluctantly let go of Mother Mary's hand before turning to gaze up at the older big-beautiful woman. "It's rather humid in here, isn't it? Y-You shouldn't let those robes get soaked up with sweat, Mother Mary…! Maybe… M-Maybe you should take them off? T-That way, you can w-wear them for dinner?" Goblin Slayer asked with a lustful and embarrassed look on his bright-red face, as he hid his eyes behind the cover of his thick bangs.

Fanning herself off with her hand, Mother Mary knew that a tall woman of her weight wouldn't fare well in such humid conditions, and would undoubtedly sweat up a storm like how Goblin Slayer said she would. "Hmhmhm~! I do believe that there is an ulterior motive behind your suggestion, my child~! But even so…! I can't argue with your logic…! V-Very well, Ashta; let us get undressed togethe-?!"

"-Actually, uhhh…! C-Can I, ummm…! C-Can I t-take your clothes off for you, M-Mother Mary?! I-I really would like to do that," Goblin Slayer boldly interrupted with a nervous smile spreading across his curled lips, eliciting a wide-eyed stare from the six-foot tall woman, who immediately began blushing as she once again found herself giving into the boy's desires.

"W-Well…! W-Who am I to deny Earth Mother champion the right to bestow his attention onto me…?!" Mother Mary mused half-jokingly, as she began to take into account just how much shorter the child was compared to her extremely voluptous stature. "Shall I… Shall I kneel down for you, my child? Would that assist you with your… E-Endeavors~?"

Although Goblin Slayer was tempted to just go on ahead and have the plus-size nun get down on his level to make the job easier for him, the boy couldn't help but to find himself drawn to the long white-skirt that clung tightly to Mother Mary's large-juicy thighs. That's when an idea entered his head; a devious idea that Goblin Slayer wasn't sure if he himself came up with it, or if he had been influenced to think that way. "N-Not yet, "Mommy Mary"; I-I want you to stand still for me…!" Goblin Slayer whispered lustfully, as he saw the way the mature nun became visibly taken aback by the nickname he had called her.

"M-Mommy Mary…?! I-Is that how you wish to see me, my child?! As your m-mommy, and…! A-And as someone who you desire~?!" Mother Mary asked with a flabbergasted expression on her voice, while feeling herself becoming even more aroused as she watched the horny child making his way over to her front, grabbing a hold of the bottom of her skirt. "Ahhh~?! S-Shouldn't you start with some other article of clothing, my child~?! I-Instead of going straight for my- UWAAHH~?!"

Allowing for the long-skirt to drape down over his back, Goblin Slayer caused the mature woman to let lit a sudden cry of surprise and pleasure from the way he grabbed a hold of the sides of her cellulite-ridden thighs, before burying his face into her crotch. Immediately feeling Mother Mary instinctively reaching down to grab onto his skirt-covered shoulders for support, Goblin Slayer could feel how tensed she was under the grip of his fingers as he closed his eyes softly; inhaling the aroma of sweat and vaginal musk straight from the nun's black pantries, and becoming intoxicated by her smell as his cheeks were getting smothered between her thick inner thighs.

'She smells like perfume mixed in with the way Vivi smells after a long day of work… So warm, and humid between her legs! I love breathing her warmth in; it's like a warm embrace to my senses from my sweaty sister, each time I inhale her musk!' Goblin Slayer thought lustfully to himself; burying his nose against the fabric of her silky panties, while nuzzling it with to the point where her graying pubic hairs were coming loose from the sides of her panties' middle gusset.

Arching her back and tightening her grip on the boy's shoulders, Mother Mary's legs trembled as she submissively opened her warm thighs wider to allow Goblin Slayer to explore more of her mature womanhood with his face; her loins quivering each time she felt the tip of his nose press down through her panties' silk fabric, and up against her throbbing clitoris. "Uwahh~! I-If I am to be your mother, t-then you are my son~! A-And if that's so, then, mmmmph~! T-Then let me say that M-Mommy wants you to lick her hairy pussy, my child~! P-Please my child~! E-Explore my body to your heart's content, guwaah~…!" Mother Mary pleaded sensually; letting out a lustful gasp as she felt Goblin Slayer's excited fingers reach up to pull her panties to the side.

With the way Mother Mary was beginning to lean forward while putting more of her weight into his shoulders to support her, Goblin Slayer revealed in the way he could feel the mature woman's bare-belly pressing down against the top of his head from underneath her white robes, as he took a deep inhale through his nostrils of the nun's exposed vulva. Feeling her thick bush of unshaven hair tickling his fingertips, Goblin Slayer could feel Mother Mary's pale skin beginning to build of a glistening layer of sweat that was getting into his face, as he gently folded her vaginal lips back to behold the fifty year-old woman's untouched pussy; her throbbing clitoris yearning for his mouth, as was her tight-little hole.

Thinking back to the other night when Vivi had him spread her pussy open so he could look at it while she explained which part did what, and how he could please her in more than one way, Goblin Slayer slowly stuck his out as far as he could last his bottom lip; making it flat and wide, as he lowered his head down to press it against the bottom of Mother Mary's dripping-wet pussy. Feeling the woman's nails digging deeper into his shoulders— even with the white fabric of her skirt providing him with some protection— Goblin Slayer was instantly hooked on the salty-sweet flavor of the mature nun's hairy pussy; savoring each inch of his mommy's cunny, before taking his time with finishing his lick off by pressing his tongue hard against her sensitive-twitching clitoris.

Locked in the steamy bathhouse with a ten year-old boy who was slurping her pussy up like an ice-cream cone, Mother Mary was building up more of a sweat underneath her white-tight robes by the moment; one hand reaching up from Goblin Slayer's shoulder, so that she could caress the back of his head while pushing him even deeper between her sweaty thighs. "Mmmhhh, uwaahh~! Y-You naughty little boy~! Making your d-dear old mommy quaking in her shoes l-like a timid little schoolgirl~! Ooooooh, uwwahh~! W-Well then…! T-Two can play this game~!" Mother Mary moaned out with a mischievous look on her face; her hands reaching up to adjust her eyeglasses, before lowering them down to lift her own skirt up.

Seeing a thick trail of saliva mixed in with vaginal fluid bridging the gap between his bottom lip and the older woman's glistening-wet pussy, Goblin Slayer was confused as he was disappointed to have Mother Mary's fiery loins pulled away from his face. The void he felt for his mouth to be on the plump woman was quickly filled once again, as Mother Mary got down on her knees before leaning in to plant her thick-luscious lips against his; her strong arms reaching up underneath his shirt, as she pulled away momentarily to take his dirty shirt off, before going back to locking lips with him.

Using the lessons he had been taught by his older sister, Goblin Slayer decided to show his submissive mother figure that he was in charge of her by reaching around with both hands to pull her white-hood off; tossing the holy garment aside, so that he could control Mother Mary's head movements by grabbing handfuls of her blond-and-silver jaw-length hair. Wrestling her lips and overpowering her mouth with his, Goblin Slayer heard a high-pitched and muffled moan reverberating within the submissive nun's throat, as he slid his tongue into her mouth; making her taste her own savory juices, as she sucked on it while letting him lick the roof of her moist mouth.

With how impressive the ten year-old was with pleasure her thus far, Mother Mary felt more than the need to prove herself to the boy who had given her the honor of being his "mommy"; especially if it meant the difference between what they had going for them was going to be a one-night fling, or a long-term relationship. Sucking on his tongue while massaging his lips with hers, Mother Mary delicately reached down past her massive-bust to where Goblin Slayer's lower-half was; skillfully feeling around, before slipping her slightly wrinkled fingers underneath the waistband of his trousers and underwear.

With her mouth currently occupied with her child's lips and tongue, once Mother Mary had pulled Goblin Slayer's pants and underwear all the way down to around his ankles, the plump woman decided to prepare her hands by rubbing her fingers and palms against her already serviced snatch; using the boy's slick saliva and her own sticky fluids to create her own organic lubricant. Eliciting a muffled gasp from her lustful child's throat, Mother Mary used her right hand to begin slowly caressing the bottom of Goblin Slayer's eight-inch throbbing cock; using her left hand to begin massaging the boy's hairless balls, while causing him to squirm underneath her touch by softly pulling and squeezing down on his testicles, as she continued to rub her their combined fluids onto his large shota-cock.

Wanting to explore the woman's body as she began to tighten her grip around his cock, Goblin Slayer reached around the back of Mother Mary's head to grab more of her hair with one hand, while using his left hand to begin fondling her plump-juicy tit; squeezing his fingers down onto where her erected nipple was covered, as he began thrusting his hips in conjunction with how she was stroking his cock. Breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth for her to inhale his exhaled breath, Goblin Slayer soon had to finally break the kiss with his mommy, as she suddenly lowered her legs further down on the ground; leading the tip of his throbbing-wet cock into the entrance of her reversed cleavage window.

"Mmmmm~! My, my~! You were so handsy with your mother's tit, my child~! If you wanted them so badly, all you had to do was ask your dear mommy, sweetheart~!" Mother Mary dirty-talked with a nurturing and lustful tone coming from her saliva-matted lips; smiling proudly up at the blushing boy's face, as she noticed the way her red lipstick had gotten smeared all over his lower face. "Here, my child~! Use that large cock of yours to make love to your mommy's big-fat milkers~! Plow them; use her plump-old body to satisfy your growing libido~!"

Seeing her reaching up with both arms to squeeze her big breasts together using her elbows to sandwich his cock between her sweaty cleavage, Goblin Slayer stared down into Mother Mary's blue eyes; seeing past her digging eyeglasses, as he continued to grab a hold of a handful of hair. "G-Good girl, mommy… You're such a helpless damsel for your own son… Get used to looking up at me; you're mine to use now," Goblin Slayer said in a deeper voice than usual; surprising himself, as he didn't intend on saying any of those domineering words to the blond-busty woman.

Fortunately for him though, Mother Mary was ecstatic to be put in her place by him, causing her to alluringly stare up at him while biting down on her bottom lip, as she began to move her closed-together breasts up-and-down the length of his throbbing cock. "Uwahh, mmmm~! Y-Yes my son~! M-Mommy's your property, dear~! She lives to service you, because she's a dirty deviant who loves getting bred and humiliated by her own son,Nngwaahh~!" Mother Mary cried out with an animalistic lust in her growling voice, as she watched amorously as Goblin Slayer began to thrust his cock upwards; his cock rubbing back-and-forth between her plump and sweaty-hot tits, all without ever leaving the comfort and sanctity of her warm cleavage.

Feeling his balls smack repeatedly against the underside of the cock-hungry nun's perspiring breasts, Goblin Slayer looked momentarily down from the lustful look on Mother Mary's bright-red face to take note at the hot-sticky wet spot his precum was making through the top of where her robes covered the top of her bosoms. "Aahhh, ahhhh~! Gods…~! I-I love how soft and overweight you are, mother…~! It's like…~! Mmmm, it's like every part of your perfectly plump body is breedable…~!" Goblin Slayer complimented; transforming the older woman's insecurities into prideful traits, as a sudden idea of how she could get the rest of her robes off came into mind.

"Mmmm~! Is that so, my child?! How about I test that sentiment; see how far you're willing to go to prove your point~?!" Mother Mary challenged, as she pulled her large juicy breasts away from Goblin Slayer's slicked-up member; the bottom of her cleavage dripping with precum and beads of sweat, as she rolled down onto her back while skillfully managing to throw her robe off in one go. Pretending her entire body for the lustful boy's display with only her parted panties and pre-cum-stained black bra to cover her chubby curves. Covered in a thick layer of glistening sweat that made her cellulite and stretch-marks shine underneath the dim glow of the fairy lights strung above across the ceiling, Mother Mary felt more vulnerable than she ever had as she presented to her lover every inch of her jiggling-plump body.

"Use me, my son…~! Use your mother; every inch of her…~! Make love to her in every way you can imagine, baby~… M-Mommy needs her child~…!" Mother Mary cooed with hearts glowing inside her pale-blue eyes, as she felt her heart palpitating as she watched the well-hung boy slowly make her way toward her absolutely submissive body.

Starting with none other than Mother Mary's curled toes and smooth soles, Goblin Slayer grabbed the plus-sized nun's feet before raising her legs up and repositioning them to press together; creating a hole between the arched of her feet, and held them together as he slid his cock between the sweaty bottoms of her large feet. Looking down at the six-foot tall woman's visible camel-toe through her wet-panties, that were practically being swallowed by her chubby belly and her even thicker thighs, Goblin Slayer let out a moan of ecstasy as he began thrusting his hips back-and-forth; getting a firm footjob from the submissive nun, as his balls were rubbed and nestling on the tops of her heels.

Watching lovingly with her pussy leaking more vaginal fluids out past the soaked fabric of her panties' crotch area, Mother Mary was curling her toes around the tip of her son's beautiful shota-cock; massaging it, while following his eyes as she watched them gaze up at the rest of her tastefully overweight curves. "Haa… Haa… Nnf…! Th-That's it sweetie! K-Keep going! I-I want you to bathe mommy in your own special way~! Wash away her filth with your seed, child~!" Mother Mary pleased with a sultry look in her alluring gaze, while panting as she turned her feet more inward to give more of her soles to Goblin Slayer to rub his cock against.

Mesmerized by the way Mother Mary's HH-sized cup breasts were bouncing and reverberating each time he thrusted his cock forward and up-along the soles of her shifting feet, the perfect combination of strong muscles that Goblin Slayer could see underneath the lays of soft-fat that the older woman had over her thick-voluptuous body was sending the boy over the edge. "Mmmm~! Gwuah~! Ahhh~! Nghh-GWAAH~!" Goblin Slayer cried out through passionate moans, he arched his back while he finally shot his first load all over the mature woman's soft-warm feet; coating the bottoms and tops of them in his thick-viscous; standing still and catching his breath as Mother Mary carefully lowered her cum-coated feet from his still-throbbing cock.

"My, my~! Nobody else but Earth Mother's chosen would be able to hold such stamina~! What a lucky mother I am, to have a son who can make love to me whenever he desires~!" Mother Mary cooed with a fulfilled smile spreading across her blushing face, as she opened her legs apart to allow Goblin Slayer to stumble his way over to her. Thinking that he was going to kneel down between her warm-chubby thighs to penetrate her virgin womanhood with his throbbing member, the middle-aged BBW was caught off guard when he instead saw her child sitting down over her panties to begin straddling her hips instead.

"Every inch of you is breathtaking, mother… And I mean every inch," Goblin Slayer said with a red-face, as he heard Mother Mary gasp the moment he reached down to lift the apron of her belly fat up. Once his eight-inch cock was pressing up against the underside of the overweight nun's hanging tummy, Goblin Slayer dropped Mother Mary's excess body fat; allowing it to smother his throbbing dick, before reaching down to grab the woman by her large-jiggling love handles.

Hearing Goblin Slayer grunt and moan under his panting breath each time he thrusted his cock back-and-forth underneath the warm-sweaty under fold of her belly fat, Mother Mary's mind was at a loss; as she couldn't fathom for the life of her as to why anyone would find what she considered to be her worst feature attractive enough to have sex with it. "Mmmm, uwaahh~! Y-You make me feel so beautiful, my child~…! I-I belong to you, my son; use your mother's big, pathetic body to dump your seed onto~! Make love to her folds, and cum inside my navel~!"

"Y-Yes, mommy~…!" Goblin Slayer grunted out with sweat pouring down from his brow, as he pulled his dick out of the BBW's warm under-tummy; leaving behind a trail of left over semen behind, as he climbed further up the six-foot woman's plump body before laying his chest parallel on top of her sagging fat tits. Feeling Mother Mary's strong-curvy arms embracing him and pulling his upper body deep into her soft-pillowy breasts, the raw passion the two taboo lovers felt when their their lips collided once again was amplified the moment Goblin Slayer's member was swallowed up by Mother Mary's squished-together belly fat; the tip of his throbbing cock leaking precum into her belly button, as he straddled his legs around her robust waist line.

Hearing muffled cries of pleasure from the tickling sensation and deep insertion she felt from the tip of his cock going in-and-out if her deep navel, Goblin Slayer was shamelessly moaning into Mother Mary's warm-slimy mouth as he thrusted away into her folds; the mature woman's cellulite and stretch marks pressing down on the girth of his throbbing cock, embracing it tightly, just as the older woman did with her young-lover. Both their minds were growing hazier with lust by the minute, and soon the two of them were tensing up and twirling their tongues together as the boy finally shot his loads of hot-white sticky strands into her navel, and all over ther stomach.

Hearing a wet "plop" sound echo out in the bathhouse as Goblin Slayer pulled the tip of his still rock-hard throbbing cock out of the plump nun's tummy, the ten year-old gathered his remaining stamina as he stood up over the woman's body; admiring how he had managed to cum all over her flattening stomach and feet, before carefully stepping around her to make his way over to the pair of lips that he had passionately wrestled with his own. "Ahhh, ahhh~! Y-You're a really good kisser, mommy… Let me give you something else for you to kiss~…" Goblin Slayer uttered out while panting, as he slowly lowered himself down toward the plump-woman round face.

Warming the sides of her flustered cheeks with his inner thighs, Goblin Slayer turned around so that he was facing towards Mother Mary's cum-covered feet and belly; his sweaty balls resting on the woman's nose, forcing her to breath in his boyish musk as he leaned forward over her massive milkers while sliding all eight-inches of his length past her warm tongue and into her gullet. Feeling himself expanding Mother Mary's throat, the coughing and gagging motions the older woman was making as he began to thrust his hips against her plump lips felt tingling on his upper member; the way her tongue continued to twirl and wrap itself around his cum-coated cock reinforced the idea within him that the six-foot tall nun had truly submitted herself to him, and to him alone.

"Mmmmm…~! That's it mommy; milk your son, like how I'm about to milk you~…!" Goblin Slayer commanded in a domineering voice; moaning and grunting as he continued to throat fuck the woman who had become addicted to his cock. Feeling Mother Mary's lips wrap themselves tightly around the base of his member while her tongue guided his throbbing shaft back-and-forth inside of her stretched-out throat, Goblin Slayer could tell by the low whimpers and moans Mother Mary was making in between gagging noises that she was getting intoxicated from his prepubescent scrotum, the same way earlier that he was practically getting high off of her sweaty and hairy womanhood.

Getting serviced by the thick nun with breasts later than his entire body, Goblin Slayer had to use both hands to lift Mother Mary's left tit up from the way it was sagging down from her plump body. Making good on his word to milk her, Goblin Slayer raised the horny nun's tit up, so that he could bury his face down at the top of her large and fully erected nipple; practically inhaling the thick nipple into his mouth; slobbering all over her sweaty tit, as he lightly kept her pink nipple in place with his teeth before beginning to suck on it.

Hearing only the sound of her own gurgled-moans and gagged-whimpers, Mother Mary reached up past her child's slender hips to grab handfuls of his toned ass; groping him like the perverted degenerate that she turned out to be, well feeling completely in-love with the boy who was showing her the time of her life by making her his property. Slurping up and digesting every drop of precum and semen off of Goblin Slayer's immaculate dick, filling her lungs and nasal cavity with his musky aroma, the final transformation that the cock-crazed BBW MILF needed occured when she felt her nipple beginning to swell up as she experienced the odd sensation of getting her breast milk sucked out of her, by the very boy who she knew she needed to adopt as her own.

The warm-nutrient filled goodness of Mother Mary's milk sloshing around in his mouth as they drained one another felt euphoric to them in every since; a perfect homeostasis of taboo lust had been achieved, when Goblin Slayer began to whimper and moan into his newly acquired mother's breast. Shooting ropey loads of his veril seed down past her sticky-throat, and straight into her belly, while Goblin Slayer was blissfully drinking from the plump blonde's massive mommy-milker while cumming all inside of her mouth, Mother Mary found herself baptized from the inside-out when all of a sudden she felt her child's warm-semen blasting out of both nostrils, as well as leaking out from the corners of her cock-filled lips; causing the excess white fluid to spill all over her intensely blushing face.

Instead of fighting her son's flood of love, Mother Mary welcomed Goblin Slayer's fluids with open arms, as she began to regulate her breathing while feeling his semen still coating the insides of her nose and mouth. 'This child is the miracle this world desperately needed… I will do everything in my power to ensure that I remain in his heart, and that he remains with me as we enter Earth Mother' kingdom together… To be underneath him, and be bred by him for all eternity, and to be cherished… What more could I ask for?' Mother Mary thought to herself, while being jolted out of her thoughts the moment she felt Goblin Slayer's eight-inch cock pull out from her mouth.

Unable to speak immediately, due to her throat still recovering from having been expanded and coated in the boy's seed, all the degraded nun could do was watch as Goblin Slayer stumbled past her semen-coated belly; turning around to face her, before kneeling down between her sweaty and cellulite-ridden inner thighs. "W… What sort of, ahhh… W-World would we live in…? If you went around calling yourself a mother… If that weren't even true…~?" Goblin Slayer muttered out with an intense look in his dusty-rose colored eyes, as he grinned lustfully at the choked-up woman.

Scooting himself closer as he raised Mother Mary's legs up to her body, Goblin Slayer paid no mind to the fact that he was laying in his own semen as he got on top of blond woman's overweight belly; putting the virgin woman into the "breeding position", before reaching down with one hand past his own thigh to guide the tip of his throbbing member past the warm-dripping folds of Mother Mary's vaginal lips. "Brace yourself, mommy… This will hurt you…" Goblin Slayer whispered with an almost apologetic tone in his voice, as he felt the nun's plump six-foot tall body squirming uncomfortably as he fed more-and-more of his cock into the BBW's hot-wet pussy.

'Nghhhh! With all the different positions we've been in, I should have expected that penetration wouldn't be no easy feat!' Mother Mary thought to herself, while masking her pain with seething breaths and low whimpers; completely tensing up her older and chubby plump-body, as she laid there on the floor as she felt Goblin Slayer's balls pressing up against her taint. 'He's deflowering me… Oh thank you Earth Mother, that You've allowed me to keep my body intact for none other than Your chosen champion to finally be the one to make me a woman! Although… Earth Mother, I believe that your champion strives to make me MORE than just a woman; he seeks to have me bear your prodigies~!'

Reaching down to maintain his balance, while being supported by his new mother's raised arms, Goblin Slayer was once again interlocking his fingers with Mother Mary as the two of them stared deeply into one another's longful gaze; the mature woman keeping him safe by wrapping her large-warm legs locked behind lower back, as he felt her soft-motherly body jiggling each time he thrusted his hung-shota cock back-and-forth inside her tight-MILF pussy. The intimacy shared between them as he took his time pumping his dick inside her welcoming hole made it so that the two of them couldn't classify what they were doing as anything less than making love to one-another.

'This feels so different from bedding Vivi… Not better because I prefer Mother Mary's plump features of Vivi's muscular-slim body… But… I think having access to both of them is what makes this so much enjoyable; I can have the best of both worlds, and never have to travel far to find release,' Goblin Slayer reflected to himself, as he smiled lovingly at Mother Mary before telling her how he wanted to be together with her; confessing his feelings about how made his little family feel that much more complete than how it used to be, before suddenly being told by the infatuated older nun about how much she loved him, and that she would do her best to step up to the roles as both his mother-figure, and as his submissive mommy-girlfriend.

With their hearts throbbing inside their chests, and their loins getting close to reaching their final orgasm for their session, Mother Mary tightened her fingers around Goblin Slayer's own; pulling his upper-half down against her lactating breasts, before passionately pressing her lips against his, as the two of them whimpered and moan through muffled cries of pleasure as they shared their climax together. Drooling into her mouth, as Mother Mary's tongue was wrapped around his, Goblin Slayer felt an eruption of warm vaginal-fluids busting all over his cock and balls; causing him to feel his mommy's warm liquids dripping down his inner thighs, as he emptied his massive loads of cum deep past her cervix, and straight into her mature womb.

Even after he had came deep into her fertile pussy, Goblin Slayer couldn't help himself as he continued to pound his cock inside the overstimulated BBW's creamed-cunny; causing the exhausted fifty-year old woman to begin sobbing tears down her cum-coated cheeks, as the sex-drunk adolescent continued to breed the overweight MILF with his ample supply of stamina. "I-I can't stop, mommy~…! Y-Your vagina feels too good~! Mmmmm~! Nnghhh, uwahhh~!" Goblin Slayer moaned out in apologetic gasps of pleasure, as he relentlessly pounded the larger woman's creamed slit; the symbol on his hand glowing brightly, as he felt the mature nun's body continue to thrash, while still trying her best to keep him from slipping out of her overstimulated body.

Doing her diligent job as the mother of her goddess' champion, Mother Mary fought past her tears and trembling body that was high-off pleasure, in order to hold on lovingly to Goblin Slayer's hands; watching him with tearful and proud eyes, as she watched as her already sizeable belly expanded slightly as her passionate-child dump another fat load of their future children into her overstuffed womb. "Uwuwhaha, ahhhh~…! It's okay, my son…~! Y-You are safe here…! A-Annnnnnd, nnghhh~! I-I am your wife, a-and your mother~! I-I love you, my c-child~! It… It is my duty as both of t-those things—Sssaahhh~! T-TO GIVE TO YOU MY BODY—UWAAHHH~!"

The motivation she felt from declaring her love to the boy that she felt spiritually connected to was what Mother Mary needed to regain her composure for a bit longer, as she felt more of Goblin Slayer's near-endless supply of hot-white love flushing the inside of her womanhood. "I-I AM YOURS~! M-MAKE LOVE TO ME AS LONG AS YOU WISH, M-MY CHILD~! I-I AM Y-YOURSSSS—SSSNNGGG, GUWAAHHH~!" Mother Mary shrieked out with a wide-eyed look forming over her cum-and-sweat coated red-face, as she began losing consciousness shortly after she squirted all over her child's divine cock for the second time.

Unable to control her muscles, the fatigued and mind-fucked BBW collapsed with her arms laying limply outward to her side; her legs being supported by Goblin Slayer's weight, as the sex-ravenous child continued to plow his own adopted mother's overfilled cunny. And for the next two hours, Mother Mary's dreams were filled with bliss and fulfillment; visions of her presiding over the rest of Goblin Slayer's faceless wives, as Earth Mother Herself showed her the future of hee champion's harem, all while the impregnated cougar continued to get her unconscious body bred by him, until he finally passed out from exhaustion as well.

Chapter Text

Awakening to the feeling of getting his shoulder aggressively shooken from behind, Goblin Slayer felt groggy as he turned his head over his bare shoulder; squinting his tired eyes at the smug grinning face of the blushing managerial AI, who was leaning from the waist over him from behind, with both her fists resting on her hips. "Top-of-the-morning to you, Ashta-Kun~! Hate to be THAT person, but it's four o'clock in the morning right now. We've got to get you and your new "mommy" up-and-at-em'! That is, unless you want a group of already traumatized orphans walking in on you and their precious "Mother Mary" laying in this— admittedly sexy— position," BB chuckled, while referring to the way Goblin Slayer was still laying face-down on top of the six-foot woman, who he had glazed on the inside and outside with his semen.

Blinking a few times while groaning exhaustingly, Goblin Slayer slowly looked away from the way BB was playfully raising her eyebrows up-and-down at him, and instead looked past his new mother-figure's plump breasts and chubby stomach to stare off into the direction of where her head was laying down on the bathhouse floor. 'Last night was unforgettable… Although, in hindsight I'm not really sure why I felt the need to go so hard on her… Was it because I felt close to her, or…?' Goblin Slayer thought tiredly to himself; his flaccid cock that was still buried inside of her cream-filled womanhood hardening within her vaginal cavity, as the memories of their passionate romp began to appear in his groggy mind.

Just as Goblin Slayer was beginning to do his morning exercises in the form of thrusting his hardened member back-and-forth inside of the whimpering unconscious-nun, he was interrupted the moment BB smacked him in the back of the head with her metal wand. "Ow…?! W-What did I even do…?" Goblin Slayer whined out in a groggy voice; sitting up between Mother Mary's spread out thighs, as he began rubbing the back of his head with one hand; sounding like the child that he really was underneath all his volatile lust and determined drive.

"That was aimed more so at your servant than you, Ashta-Kun… Come on out of his soul, Melusine; you're not fooling me in the slightest!" BB scolded with a half-cocked smirk spread across her pink-lips; her back straightening up, as she and Goblin Slayer watched as the servant's photon particles exited from his body.

"… “Melusine”…? Is that what her name’s been this whole time…?" Goblin Slayer asked quietly with an intrigued look on his eye, as he lowered his hand from the back of head, watching as Fairy Knight's visible photon particles transformed into her corporal form.

Gazing through her armored visor back at BB's accusatory stare, Fairy Knight's pale cheeks were— for the first time since Goblin Slayer met her— a deep shade of pink. "If you're accusing me of hiding behind a mere child, then you're as stupid as that smug-arrogant expression on your face looks," Fairy Knight said in a slightly flustered voice, as she tightened her small gauntlet-covered hands into balls that she held down with her straightened arms.

"Ohhh~? Getting defensive now, aren't we~?" BB teased back with an even more smug and condescending look coming over her face, as both she and Fairy Knight began having an argument with Goblin Slayer caught in the middle of it.

"Hardly; I have no reason to be defensive about my performance last night. I provided my master with the reinforcement he needed to last as long as he did, and guided him on how to properly dominate a woman," Fairy Knight declared, as she reached over to place her hand right on top of Goblin Slayer's head of matted light-brown hair. "While you were more than likely furiously masturbating to a child breeding a grown woman, I was basking in his ecstasy; sharing the pleasure he felt, as we deflowered Mother Mary, and bestowed upon her a future child to carry on his legacy."

BB's eyes immediately shrunk into two black dots, as her smug smile faded immediately after hearing Fairy Knight's counter accusation; her mouth opened slightly, as she struggled to form the words needed to protect her ego. "I… I don't masturbate… T-That's weird," BB uttered out with a nervous voice; beads of sweat beginning to form at her brow, as her programming emulated human behavior too accurately for her to convincingly lie well enough to the doubtful servant.

"I don't believe you, but I also don't care enough about this moronic conversation to pursue the matter further… So whatever," Fairy Knight said while rolling her eyes behind her armored face-mask, before tapping Goblin Slayer on the head; so as to grab his attention. "… And for the record Master, you have the right to address me by my true name; so I do not feel the need to refrain yourself from calling me "Melusine". Do I make myself clear?"

"Uh… Y-Yes, Dame Knight; I… I-I understand," Goblin Slayer replied in a calm-tired voice, before raising his arms up to stretch while letting out a satisfying yawn from his gaping mouth. "Ahhhh… So, umm… You were the reason why I had all those urges and… And why I couldn't help but to keep making love to Mother Mary, even when she passed out from how hard I was going?" Goblin Slayer asked with his cheeks becoming a deeper shade of red, as he looked up at his servant, while still balls-deep inside of his adoptive mother's warm-wet cunny.

"But of course, and rest easy, for there's no need to thank me more for my service; your lustful moans and hot breaths, filled with ecstasy, were more than enough to express your gratitude to me for my support," Fairy Knight replied; expressing her sense of pride within her own actions once more, while BB continued to blush furiously while scowling at the servant from across where Goblin Slayer was still kneeling between Mother Mary's plump-sweaty thighs.

Unable to help but to smile joyfully, Goblin Slayer had a perverted expression on his flushed face, as he let out a quiet chuckle. "Heh, hehe… T-Think you could help me do that, but with my sister next time?"

"Oh, absolutely I can, Master," Fairy Knight replied casually without missing a beat; smiling softly down at the excited ten year-old, while BB's avatar nearly choked on her own tongue after hearing what the two of them said to one another. "We shall bless her with your child, Master… If she hasn’t already received such a “gift” already, that is."

Now completely red in the face, BB began stomping her foot repeatedly against the tile floor; steamy fuming out of her ears, as she thought back to when she first walked into Goblin Slayer cuddling up against his sister's front-side. "S-So that's what you two were doing in bed together…! W-Whatever; it doesn't matter! We need to focus back on the matter at hand," BB insisted, while trying to distract her own perverse mind from imagining the sight of Goblin Slayer blowing his load into his own sixteen year-old sister's virgin pussy. "Let's get you and your "mommy-girlfriend" cleaned up and out of here, before six o'clock…!"

Thinking that he was exhausted from his intense session with the nun, Goblin Slayer soon discovered just how fatigued Mother Mary was, after he had tried getting her up by gently shaking her shoulders. With the remnants of Fairy Knight's photon particles still inside of his soul— along with the way he was naturally attracted to the plus-size mature woman with HH-cup sized tits— Goblin Slayer had to fight off the temptation to go another round with the unconscious MILF, as he watched Fairy Knight effortlessly lift her lightly-snoring body up from the ground.

Needing to take on the role of the supervisor, the managerial AI had Goblin Slayer prepare the empty tub by having him fill it with hot water from the magic broiler in the corner of the bathhouse, while Fairy Knight left the steamy structure in order to fetch Mother Mary fresh-new clothes from her private quarters, inside the church; leaving the peacefully sleeping woman resting comfortably in the wooden tub, sitting up, so as to not risk her accidentally filling her lungs up with the water her adopted son and lover was pouring into the tub.

From within her reality marble, BB sorted through the donated clothes that Goblin Slayer had transported into her walk-in closet; picking his outfit out for him, before summoning it into her avatar's holographic arms. Together with the help of Fairy Knight, BB was able to speed up the bathing process by scrubbing Goblin Slayer's nude body by hand, while his servant got the task of cleansing the nun's overweight body from all the sticky-strands of her master's love that coated her insides, and her outside.

When all was said and done, Goblin Slayer and Fairy Knight were able to escort Mother Mary out of the locked bathhouse, through the quiet halls of the sleeping church, and into her private quarters; helping her out of her white robes and into a her skimpy white-and-black nightgown; the same one that she had on, when she and Goblin Slayer had their first intimate moment with one another. Trying to come up with points to BB as to why he should be able to undo her hard work by making love to his new sex-partner in the privacy of her own bed— especially since what she had on was essentially just lingerie— Goblin Slayer quickly lost that argument when the advanced AI used her metal wand to smack him on the head; disorienting him long enough for her to easily drag his horny-self out of the sleeping nun's quarters.

Looking to find a way to blow off the remaining libido that Fairy Knight's possession had caused him as a side-effect, Goblin Slayer's sex-craved mind considered the idea of awakening his older sister in the middle of her sleep, just to allow him to make love to her. This, as one would predict, didn't go over so well with Vivi, who awoke to him opening the wooden door to their rented room in the tavern. Before he even had the chance to express his lustful feelings that were plaguing him, Vivi stood up from their bed to begin berating her little brother for being gone for so long; all while just wearing her beige bra and panties, that loosely covered her partially exposed vulva, and the tops of her pink areolas.

Demanding to know where he had been since she saw him leave the kitchen with Mother Mary, Vivi found herself somewhat unsurprised when Goblin Slayer came clean to her about what transpired between him and the leading nun within the steamy confines of the bathhouse; his young age showing itself to her, everytime he repeatedly begged for his older sister not to tell anyone else about the taboo "mother-and-son" relationship he and the older woman had with each other.

At first, Vivi needed a few moments to dwell on the revelation that her little brother had revealed to her; the mental image of imagining her ten year-old sibling passionately making love to what essentially was his new mother disturbed her at first, but that feeling of discomfort didn't last long, thanks to her own incestious fantasies that led her to corrupting Goblin Slayer in the first place. While polygamy wasn't frowned upon by their society, Vivi had a surreal moment when she realized that she had become the first woman to be unknowingly recruited into her own younger brother's newly-developing harem.

"So… What does that make me to you then, Ren? Am I your sister, girlfriend, wife, or…? Or what?" Vivi asked with a tired yet accepting voice, as she plopped her toned bottom down on the edge of the mattress; smiling nervously at Goblin Slayer, who stood inches away from her knees with a visible erection trapped within the crotch area of his gray jeans.

Even with temptation flowing through his mind— clouding his judgment with thoughts of showing his sister how much he loved her with what was inside of his pants— Goblin Slayer shared the uneasy-tension with Vivi about what their future would look like together, now that they had crossed several lines that they couldn't ever come back from. It was a conversation that the two siblings had more-or-less been avoiding, as it was far easier to mask such complicated emotions with affectionate sex and comforting kisses.

Resisting the urge to look away from his older sister's beautiful brown eyes that stared deeply back into his gaze, Goblin Slayer felt the sensation of butterflies swarming around within his abdomen as he stood there trying to think of what to say. "… Y-You know what? Why is it that you and I feel so… E-Embarrassed about what others would think of us, when… W-When both of us could have as well died during that goblin raid, and not a single person who would be so quick to judge us would have given us a thought?" Goblin Slayer asked rhetorically with a slight scowl forming on his face, as he heard Vivi letting out a quiet gasp as he reached down quickly to take her calloused hands into his own. "I… I just want to live my life the way I choose to, and what I choose is to have you as my older sister, and as a wife, Vivi… I-I mean… If that's fine with you, I mean…" Goblin Slayer muttered with an apologetic smile across his blushing face, as he didn't want to overstep whatever boundaries that they had hadn't broken already.

Processing her younger brother's words inside her head, Vivi let out a throaty laugh mixed in with a sigh; her brown eyes practically filled with glowing hearts, as she gave his clammy hands a reassuring squeeze. "I've had a lot of boys and even girls from our village try to court me before; there were even some creeps who were older than me who tried getting me to marry them for what little wealth that they were trying to flaunt around with," Vivi said with an amused look on her face; smiling even more when she felt Goblin Slayer protectively tightening his fingers around hers, making her feel valued and claimed by her own little brother.

"I only say that because not a single one of them ever got my mind off of you, Ren… I've always fantasized about being… Well… Owned by you; staying home and living that easy-traditional wife's life, knowing well that you would always come home to take care of me, as I take care of you in different ways… Ways that scratch that dirty itch I've always had for you," Vivi said with a sultry voice, as her expression became more lustfully-submissive as she gently let go of her little brother's hands, so as to reach down to teasingly massage the bulge in his pants with her strong palm. "Besides… Who else is more capable of protecting me against the evils of this world, other than you, Ren~…?"

Staring down at the way Vivi was slowly rubbing her hands up-and-down against his twitching erection, Goblin Slayer let out a quiet moan with his eyelids half-closed, as he pushed his hips forward to grind his trapped member against his older sister's palms and fingers. "Then… T-Then let's make that fantasy a reality, Vivi… To Hell with everyone else would turn their backs to us," Goblin Slayer declared with a "Devil-may-care" attitude that was growing on him from the way BB and Fairy Knight carried themselves proudly.

Licking her lips as she skillfully unzipped and unbuttoned Goblin Slayer's pants, Vivi chuckled softly to herself with a feminine tone in her submissive voice, as she lowered her little brother's pants and underwear down to around his knees; freeing his glorious eight-inch cock, that was throbbing for her. "Let's not be so cynical, Ren… After all, I know you better than anyone else; you're the kindest person I know," Vivi said with an amorous tone in her voice, as she slowly began to use one hand to stroke her brother's large member, while using her other hand to fondle and massage his hairless balls.

Reaching down to clasp her athletically-strong thighs in his small hands, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to smile embarrassingly at Vivi's words; softly chuckling along with his older sister, as he reached around her busy arms to carefully roll her beige panties down her toned hips and legs. "Mmmmhhhmm~! F-Forgive me… I-I might have gotten a little carried away with that," Goblin Slayer admitted, as he watched with excitement bubbling in within his rapidly beating heart as Vivi leaned down to spit a large wad of saliva onto his cock; rubbing her organic lubricate all over his shaft, and getting it ready for her as she kicked her panties off of her ankles, and across their rented bedroom.

"Don't overwork yourself over that, "dear husband"; such energy is better spent on more… Pleasurable activities," Vivi mused flirtatiously; feeling her smitten heart melt the moment she saw the visible infatuation her brother had for her light up in his eyes, after she had seductively referred to him as her spouse. Scooting closer toward the edge of the bed while staring longfully into Goblin Slayer's dusty-rose colored eyes with her alluring gaze, Vivi helped her little brother with undressing herself by unhooking her own bra, before allowing him to pull the garment off from her chest.

Seeing his older sister preparing her bare body for him to make love to, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but to bury his face into the left cup of his sister's size CC bra; inhaling her intoxicating breast-aroma from all the sweat that had gotten soaked up into her soft foamy-cups— all moistened from a long day's work. Finding her brother's new habit to be arousing, Vivi bit down on her own lower lip while grinning; her right hand gliding down past her toned abdomen and toward her enlarged clitoris, as she raised her knees up while digging her heels into the mattress, and close to her firm buttcheeks.

"Mmmm~…! Hope you don't mind the smell, Ren; the kitchen got really hot earlier, and I didn't have time to bathe myself yet," Vivi dirty talked with the edge of the bedding beginning to grow wet from the vaginal juices that were dripping down from her spread-open womanhood. "But since you don't mind a bit of sweat… Why don't you taste it straight from my breasts~? A tongue-bath from my own little brother would do me good~!"

With BB and Fairy Knight purposefully standing outside the locked door of the rented room, there wasn't anyone else but his own dear sister to influence Goblin Slayer's sex-craving mind. Tossing the moist-dirty bra across the room, Goblin Slayer scooted even closer to the bed; his knees touched the side of the mattress, as Vivi's strong-slender legs slowly wrapped around his entire body to pull him closer to her. Grabbing a hold of his older sister's slim love handle with his left hand, Goblin Slayer was pressing his forehead against Vivi's; staring lustfully into her passionate gaze, as he guided the tip of his eight-inch cock into her deflowered hole.

Arching her back, Vivi raised her chin up to the ceiling while letting out soft whimpers as her vaginal walls began to once again stretch as her ten year-old brother's dick made its way deeper-and-deeper into her welcoming pussy; her arms reaching past his sides, so she could dig her nails into his back as he lowered himself onto her toned-sweaty body. "Nnghhh-gwuah~! Y-You're so big, baby brother~…! Y-You're cock is e-expanding your wife's little hole~…!" Vivi cooed out, as she reached up with one hand to grab a handful of Goblin Slayer's hair from the back of his head, guiding her younger brother's face down between her glistening-wet cleavage.

Rubbing his face into the beads of his sister's breast-sweat, Goblin Slayer wasn't afraid to use his tongue to lick in between and underneath Vivi's bouncing tits, as he got deep enough inside of her pussy to press his tip into her cervix; going past her g-spot, and feeling his balls kissing her vaginal lips as he heard Vivi let out a loud gasp of pleasure. 'Her breasts are a lot firmer than Mother Mary's… I can feel her muscles against my nose, and her sweat; Gods, her sweat…! It's way more salty and bitter than Mother Mary's…! Gods, it's like I have the best of both worlds~!' Goblin Slayer thought with a slight bit of egotism, as he panted hot breaths against the skin of Vivi's perky tits; whimpering in sensual pain, as he felt his older sister's nails clawing into his upper back.

Leaving fresh new hickies all over his sister's breasts, Goblin Slayer's groin was coated in a thick layer of Vivi's vaginal juices by the end of their hour-long session; using the last bit of Fairy Knight's remnant-essence to fill his older sister's womb with fresh new strings of his hot-white love, and falling asleep ontop of her, after she had plopped down in a hot-sweaty mess on top of their ruined sheets.

When morning came two-hours earlier, BB once again found herself needing to wake Goblin Slayer up from his deep-sleep; this time being far less gentle about it, as the sexually-frustrated AI smacked the tip of her metal wand hard enough against Goblin Slayer's denim-covered ass to leave a mark underneath his pants. Paying for the consequences of his late-night desires. Goblin Slayer had to wake up his groggy older sister, who was shocked when her little brother told her that she had to be at work within an hour.

After a frantic morning of going downstairs to use his own earned coin to purchase breakfast for Vivi while she took a fast bath in the outdoor bathhouse meant for women only, Goblin Slayer gave his sibling-wife a kiss on her lips once he got her to the front entrance of the tavern; receiving questionable stares from the Tavern Keeper's family, after some of them noticed him playfully groping his embarrassed sister ass before she walked out of the door, and toward the "Mortar and Pestle" to begin her day-shift.

Reserving his judgment, since part of him already had a sinking suspicion that the two siblings were more than just brother-and-sister, Tavern Keeper made sure to give Goblin Slayer a flagon full of freshly brewed coffee and cream before the ten year-old left the tavern to check on Mother Mary; asking the boy to bring back the silver flagon when he was done drinking the caffeinated beverage.

With BB's avatar following behind him as Melusine took her place inside of his soul once more, Goblin Slayer got an update about the time from his managerial AI assistant, and was pleasantly surprised when he learned that he was ahead of schedule. Waking up to the hot-scalding cup of delicious coffee in his hands, Goblin Slayer took a detour into the local farmer's market to do a bit of shopping before he made his way up the hill to the church.

With the brisk morning air tickling his face, the warm-comforting steam that escaped from the top-lid of his flagon each time that Goblin Slayer opened it to take a sip of coffee brought a smile to the boy's softly-blushing face. Walking through the crowds of Londobell's villagers and refugees, Goblin Slayer's display of good morning vibes gave BB an idea she thought would enhance the already content boy's shopping even more.

"Wait a second, Ashta-Kun; I've got something for you," BB said with a confident smirk across her lips; signaling for Goblin Slayer to step out of the walkway between the aisles of vendor-canopies, so as to not block the flow of foot-traffic. With one swipe of her hand, BB was able to pull up a holographic interface that was the size of a large computer monitor; seeing Goblin Slayer's intrigued gaze from the corner of violet eyes, as she quickly programmed it to be more user-friendly before suddenly pushing it over to the bewildered child, with just a flick of her wrist.

Looking down at the slightly-transparent gray-backdrop of the floating screen that was at chest-level with him, the first thing Goblin Slayer noticed was the flat-cartoon depiction of BB standing on the bottom of the user-interface; wearing the same exact outfit as the other advanced AI, while smiling back at him with the same smug expression that the boy had recently grown to associate her with. "What… W-What am I looking at, BB-Sensei?" Goblin Slayer asked with a perplexed look in his eye, while feeling amused at the sight of seeing the large-headed caricature of the managerial AI waving her tiny-stubby hand at him to silently greet him with an unspoken "hello".

"That's a control menu that's linked directly from you, to the Moon-Cell; it'll give you some easy-to-understand measurements of your mana, health, and experience! Not only that, but you'll have unlimited access to every recorded piece of archived data that's stored within the Moon-Cell's core! You'll be able to ask whatever questions you've got to "BBB", and she'll be able to help you and recommend you some fun little-things to help improve the quality of your life," BB explained enthusiastically, as she hovered over Goblin Slayer's shoulder to begin showing him several way on how to use the control menu; all without having to ask BBB, who didn't seem to like the fact that her original counterpart wasn't utilizing her.

"Oh! And here's something that you'll find pretty handy: it'll show you a list of whatever stored items you've got lingering around inside of my reality marble; that way, I don't have to keep manually transferring them back over to your universe!" BB informed with a little too much enthusiasm in her voice than she meant to have, while silently becoming offended the moment BBB started to bitterly flip her off through the holographic screen. "Agh?! The nerve of this little bitch…! Tch! D-Don't take her too seriously, Ashta-Kun; she was just an April's Fool copy of me that I thought would have been fun to make a while ago…"

"… Clearly that was a mistake on my part; because now no matter how hard I try, I literally can't get rid of her from the Moon-Cell. Believe me, I've tried," BB sighed heavily, while glaring back at her chibi copy with disdain in her violet eyes; giving Goblin Slayer the impression that the managerial AI had an ulterior motive behind her useful gift.

Making eye-contact with the four-inch tall sassy AI chibi, Goblin Slayer smiled back uneasily at her as her entire demeanor softened the moment she looked back up into his dusty-rose colored eyes. "Ummm… T-Thank you very much, BB-Sensei. I'll, uh… I'll mess around with it while I walk," Goblin Slayer said in a quiet voice, as BB let out a forced laugh as she placed her hands back onto her curvy hips.

"Ha, haha! Y-Yeah, you do that! I'm going to, uh… C-Check on you later! I've got some,uh… "Stuff" to do. You know? Like… Reviewing the Moon-Cell's changelog, and recent records… I-Important tasks, all of it; especially if it means saving Hakuno-Chan!" BB declared with her cheeks becoming flustered, as she tried to mask her embarrassment with a cocky-determined grin across her pink lips that her miniature counterpart saw straight through like a clear glass-window.

Not caring if BB was able to see her, BBB gave Goblin Slayer a crude-suggestive grin before proceeding to crassily use her hand to stroke her invisible-cock; insinuating the true purpose of why the blushing AI woman needed "alone time". Cluelessly having no idea what she was trying to imply, Goblin Slayer simply stared back at BBB with a confused look in his eyes before brushing it off all together. "That's fine then… I hope that everything goes well for you, BB-Sensei; hopefully we'll be able to unite you and Hakuno together pretty soon."

Upon hearing the genuine support in Goblin Slayer's reassuring words, BB's demeanor softened as her once cocky-smug expression turned into one of catharsis. Frowning silently as her posture relaxed, BB silently stared back at the soft and kind smile that Goblin Slayer was giving her; eliciting a soft chuckle from her throat, before her lips curled into an appreciative grin. "Heh… Thank you, Ashta-Kun. I… I hope that as well… Farewell; I'll keep checking up on you from my side," BB said with a friendly nod, as she flashed the peace sign with her free hand at Goblin Slayer, before her holographic body disappeared into a burst of visible photon particles.

With Melusine still residing inside of his soul, and with a miniature version of the managerial AI staring back at him— ready to do her part in making sure that her new user's life was made easier and better with her help— Goblin Slayer continued to stare off where BB had been standing moments ago; a sheepish expression forming on his smiling face, as he couldn't help but to reflect over how drastically his life was changing for the better.

Stuffing one hand into the side pockets of his large brown-leather bomber-jacket, that came equipped with a warm fur-collar, Goblin Slayer carried on with his much needed shopping trip; quietly asking BBB to explain to him what she had been insinuating earlier, before unfortunately taking a swig of coffee from his flagon at the same exact moment when the advanced AI chibi brought up a pornographic video of a blond woman who was moaning loudly as she groped her own breast; the camera slowly zooming her down past her toned midriff to reveal that she was pleasuring herself with a small pink-vibrator, that was being pressing up against her clitoris.

Chapter Text

Taking the final steps out of Londobell's rural farming circle and onto the crossing fields of the frontier wilderness, the morning sun was radiating its warmth onto the pasty skin of Goblin Slayer's face; the ten year-old standing at the edge of a hilly meadow, simply taking in the majestic of Mother Nature. Amongst the blades of grass and bushels of wildflowers growing along the meadows, there were small woodland creatures frolicking within the flora; from little horned rabbits to small birds picking at the dirt for worms, the frontier beckoned the ten year-old to explore what it had in store for him.

With Slime Girl's signature short sword sheathed within the makeshift scabbard on the side of his gifted leather-belt, Goblin Slayer felt butterflies once again swarming inside of his stomach as he his entire body shuddered with anxious excitement for what awaited him beyond the peaceful meadows, and within the wooded continents of the vast "Oakshire Forest" that he needed to cross, in order to progress on his journey to the Mythril Mountains.

'This is it… I'm actually going to do it…! I'm gonna go adventuring, but like… For real this time! Not just pretending, like… Like how I used to do,' Goblin Slayer thought proudly to himself, before suddenly feeling his endorphins lowering as he began to think more about his red-headed best friend that he hadn't seen since she left their village, before it got invaded. '… I wonder if she's doing okay. I hope she is… Wait, why wonder when I got BBB on my side?' Goblin Slayer mused to himself, as his spirits were lifted by the idea that suddenly came to him.

Using the hand with the glowing crest marked on the back of it, Goblin Slayer extended his right arm out before swaying it toward his left-side; mimicking the same movement he saw BB doing earlier, before opening up the holographic user-interface that she had programmed for him. The small chibi copy of the managerial AI popped up on the gray translucent screen before Goblin Slayer, silently waving her small hand happily at him, before opening up a GPS map in the corner of the menu that expanded two-hundred kilometers outward from their location.

"Oh, wow! That's…! T-That's actually really helpful, BBB-Sensei! Thank you very much, but… I, uh… I actually wanted to ask you something else," Goblin Slayer said, after showering his miniature AI assistant with more praise than she ever received back on the Moon-Cell; eliciting an ego-boost from her that led to her striking a flashy pose to him, as to show her user how amazing she felt.

Still being a kid to some extent, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but chuckle from how silly he thought BBB was being; which again, helped me feel better about having to think about something as worrisome as the unknown fate that had fallen upon his best friend. "Hehehe… I, uh… I was wondering if you could please help me figure out something… There's this girl, her name's "Molly Heim"; she left with her uncle to help sell his crops at the farmer's market, within the capital: Pathway. I just… I just wanted to make sure that she's doing okay, was all. Think you can help me, BBB-Sensei?"

Lowering her small arms as her proud smile faded into an uncertain neutral-expression, BBB stood there on the bottom of his menu-screen; a small loading icon appearing over her head full of purple hair, before suddenly Goblin Slayer received a pop-up notification that appeared to him in the middle of the screen. "The Moon-Cell could not find anyone by the name of "Molly Heim" within your two-hundred kilometer radius. As of now, it can only archive what's within that two-hundred kilometers parameter," Goblin Slayer read quietly to himself, while noticing from the corner of his eye that BBB's mouth was moving as well; indicating to the boy that the words within the notification were coming directly from her, and not by any automated response.

"Oh… Well, that's gotta at least mean something, right? I mean… She's not anywhere near us, so… So she and her uncle probably did make it to Pathway after all… Right?" Goblin Slayer asked optimistically, to which BBB fed into by giving him a reassuringly cocky smile as she extended her arm out toward him, to give him a confident thumbs up. "Yeah… Yeah, I think so too!" Goblin Slayer said with his smile returning to his lips, as the excitement he felt for his first journey was reignited within him. "Okay… Are we all ready for this?"

Shifting the floating rectangular-menu over to the lower-left side of Goblin Slayer's field of vision, as to allow him to have a constant visual of the GPS map she had displaying on the right-hand side of the screen, BBB made a cartoon music-player appear in her hand before plugging its white earbuds into her ear canals; giving Goblin Slayer a cocky nod, before choosing a song from the Moon-Cell's wide selection of archived music to play for the three of them.

Having no memories of ever being exposed to fine arts in general, the concept that there were songs that went beyond the confines of mere secular music and religious chants was still something that the fascinated ten year-old was getting used to. Allowing himself to move around to the beat of the catchy song BBB had picked out, Goblin Slayer unsheathed his blade as Fairy Knight appeared behind him.

"You appear to be in good spirits, Master. Good, your first adventure will be remembered by you for the rest of your days… For your sake, I hope that you'll be able to look back on this experience, and remember it fondly," Fairy Knight said in her usual stoic voice, while still smiling underneath her facial mask as her signature swords appeared over her slim forearms. "As your servant— and more sacredly, as a knight of the Round Table— I shall protect you with my very life; you have my word," the white-haired knight promised with a determined tone to her voice.

Feeling assured by not only the presence of his own guardian fairy, but by the fact that he knew how deadly she was in a fight, Goblin Slayer used his left hand to reach underneath the collar of his black turtleneck shirt. Fishing out the golden chain of the enchanted necklace he had clipped around the base of his neck, Goblin Slayer gave the religious pendant a tug to ensure that it wouldn't fall off. Satisfied with Mother Mary's gifted pendant, thinking fondly of her as he tucked it back underneath his black turtleneck collar, Goblin Slayer stretched his legs and arms before finally beginning his journey; practicing the passive "reinforcement" spell that Fairy Knight's presence allowed him to utilize, so as to increase his stamina and to give him the means to travel at a quicker pace.

Kicking up patches of grass and dirt in the wake of his moving feet, the way that the cool wind of the morning breeze blew against his face invigorated Goblin Slayer; making him feel that childish spark of ecstasy, as the endorphins within his veins flowed throughout his small body. Running through the vast hilly-terrain of the meadows, Goblin Slayer's heart immediately began racing inside of his chest the moment he noticed five red-dots appearing on the holographic map, floating along the lower edge of his vision.

Slowing down a bit, Goblin Slayer's lackadaisical attitude quickly changed into that of paranoia and anxiety; his fingers tightening around the handle of his short-sword. 'What does that say…? Five lesser slimes?! Does that mean that all lesser slimes like the one on Grace's farm AREN'T all docile?!' Goblin Slayer wondered to himself, while finding it a little upsetting that he would have to be slaying the same race of goofy-looking monsters who he first encountered as being peaceful, algae eating livestock; livestock, who would let him pet them, and even played with him while he had been helping Slime Girl yesterday.

'Okay, okay; focus…! These aren't the same kinds of slimes as the ones on the farm; they're dangerous, and see me only as food! This is it! It's me or them, and I'm not dying to something that looks like it belongs on a dessert plate!' Goblin Slayer thought to himself; bracing his resolve, as he charged toward the group of three-foot tall blobs of translucent green slimes. Already recalling his experience from when he fought the goblin army after his mana had been depleted, Goblin Slayer was fully equipped with a strategy as he sprinted down the incline of a grassy hill; his eyes locked onto his first target, as he prepares himself to leap off from the side of the hill, in order to use his sword the cut the first slime into two.

All that preparation ended up being for nothing, as the moment he got within six-meters of his enemies, Fairy Knight moved past him at light- speed, effortlessly splattering all five slimes right before his very eyes. "W-Wait, but I was going to- Oh, SHIT!" Goblin Slayer yelled out with a surprised look on his wide-eyed face, as he immediately tripped over his own feet after being distracted from Fairy Knight stealing his thunder. Falling down the remaining length of the hill-side, Goblin Slayer closed his eyes-shut as he tumbled against the meadow-floor; ruining his leather jacket completely, as he rolled straight through the gelatinous remains of the slimes.

Feeling dizzy and covered in blades of grass and green-globs of gel, Goblin Slayer had flopped over onto his back by the time his uncontrollable tumble had come to a halt. Groaning under his breath, Goblin Slayer narrowed his eyes as he raised a hand up to shield himself from the blinding light of the eight o'clock morning sun. Once he saw Fairy Knight blocking the sunlight as she loomed over him by his side, Goblin Slayer allowed for his raised arm to drop down to his side.

"I take it that your plan didn't go according to the one you had in mind… Perhaps you and I should use this opportunity to practice communicating battle plans with one another," Fairy Knight suggested, before kneeling down to help Goblin Slayer up onto his feet. From there, the two proceeded to have a discussion with one another about when it would be appropriate for Goblin Slayer to fight on his own; as the two agreed that Fairy Knight surpassed anything battle-wise that the boy would be capable of doing on his own.

Even though Goblin Slayer's pendant gave him a passive mana-regeneration buff that allowed Fairy Knight to exist in her corporal form indefinitely, most of her more powerful abilities were inaccessible to her, due to his low mana pool. Since she could only travel within a six-meter radius of him for the time being, Fairy Knight told Goblin Slayer that it would be ideal if the two of them were to find a ranged weapon for him to use; as the short-sword, in her opinion, served him no other purpose than to exist as a last-resort effort to protect himself, incase by some chance they were attacked by multiple enemies that she couldn't destroy as quickly as she had done thus far.

Although it was a little disheartening to be told that he wouldn't do a lot of the fighting himself, Goblin Slayer tried to cheer himself up by changing his outlook on the situation. Deciding to utilize BBB mostly as his way of supporting Fairy Knight and himself, Goblin Slayer didn't feel so powerless or disappointed with himself by the end of their discussion; with Fairy Knight reinforcing his importance by telling him how helpful that would be for her, since BBB seemed to only take orders from him.

Knowing that he more than likely would only get hurt if he were to be absolutely neglectful of his surroundings— seeing how his tumble down the hill was what ended up giving him his first bruise of the journey— Goblin Slayer used his limited magecraft skills to transfer his dirty jacket to BB's reality marble before continuing on his way through the remainder of the meadows; using the playlist that BBB had on to enjoy his walk through the outdoors, while Fairy Knight slaughter every dangerous monster that had made the mistake of targeting her vunerable-looking master.

Chapter Text

Past the meadow's beautiful field of majestic grass and tranquil bushels of wildflowers, Goblin Slayer was walking toward the edge of the Oakshire Forest; not really paying attention to where he was going, as he was more engrossed with managing his inventory than anything else. With BBB having been there to help him identify potentially valuable organic resources and items were left over from the mangled remains of the monsters who Fairy Knight brutally slaughtered in cold-blood, Goblin Slayer was scrolling through the holographic-screen; softly mumbling to himself, as he read the short description of each stacked item that his advanced AI assistant was able to transcribe for him, after having using her own magecraft abilities to analysis the structure of each valuable able that she had recommended him picking up.

""Honey syrup: dropped from "Berga Bug"; an organically processed substance, used in cooking"... "Antidote: dropped from "Egg Snake"; used to cure poison and venom statuses. If consumed prior to being poisoned, you'll be protected against venomous and poisonous attacks for ten minutes"," Goblin Slayer read to himself, while listening to some relaxing-ambient music being played to him by BBB; who, when asked, told the ten year-old that the song in question was from a playlist she made that had been composed of her favorite soundtracks, all from a video-game that was about mining and crafting.

Scrolling all the way down to the bottom of his inventory-menu, Goblin Slayer was slightly bummed out by the estimated value that he would get from selling his items to a merchant. Unsure whether or not he was getting better at navigating through the floating-menu, or if BBB was simply making it easier for him by tailoring it to his liking, Goblin Slayer was finding it easier-and-easier to utilize the incredibly helpful tool that BB had bestowed upon him before her departure. So when the relaxed ten year-old noticed a blue circle popping up on his GPS-interface, part of him already had a feeling that he knew why the marker looked different than the typical red-circles he had been seeing thus far on his map.

"…Dame Knight, would it be too much if I were to ask you to conceal yourself? It's nothing against you; I just don't want you to scare whoever this person is up ahead," Goblin Slayer respectfully requested, which wasn't exactly what Fairy Knight wanted to hear, but she understood his reasoning well enough to not argue with him.

"Very well; that's fine. However… Know that I will not hesitate to intervene accordingly, if they raise their arms to you," Fairy Knight cautioned, before becoming fragmented into a cloud of glowing particles that were absorbed into Goblin Slayer's body; leaving him alone, with the only visible means of defense being the short-sword that he slid back into his scabbard.

Even though Goblin Slayer was more than aware of how unsuspecting he looked without Fairy Knight hovering around him, he still didn't want to come off as threatening to the green-haired elf that stood near the dirt read that led into the Oakshire Forest; with the fact that she was nose-deep into what looked like an map, the boy knew that any sudden alert would cause her to reach for the wooden bow she had tucked in her armpit. Clearing his throat so as to not accidentally have his pubescent voice crack, Goblin Slayer raised his cupped hands up between his lips to amplify his voice, before finally taking in a deep breath and shouting "H-HEY THERE!"

As he walked down the last grassy hill that needed to traversed downward, in order to get to the small section of flatland that seperated the meadow from the edge of the woods, Goblin Slayer managed to see the pale-skinned elf's long-pointy ears twitch at the sound of his voice before the female elf lowered her map, as she turned around to face toward his direction. Furrowing her thin brows, the petite woman in question began tucking her rolled-up map into her large-leather pouch that she had attached to the back of her belt; her minty-green eyes focused on Goblin Slayer, as she looked at him with a wary narrowed-gaze.

"What's a human-child doing out here by themselves? You… You are alone, right?" The elf asked with a cautious tone in her distrusting voice; her sharp-eyes looking upwards at the top of the hill, before scanning the rest of her visible surroundings. "… I swear to the gods…! I-If this is some sort of trick-"

"-N-No, no— it's nothing like that. I'm out here by myself, just trying to get through the woods is all," Goblin Slayer replied back with his hands raised up in a surrendering fashion; again, doing his best to ensure that he wouldn't be mistaken as a threat.

Still appearing skeptical of the boy's attempt at reassuring her, the elf kept her green eyes locked onto him as her long-point ears perked up, carefully listening to her surroundings, for any sounds of breathing or footsteps that would alert her if she was being lied to. After about a minute of silence with her gloved finger up to gesture at Goblin Slayer to remain quiet, the petite elf let out a deep sigh as her slender shoulders finally relaxed.

"Ughhh… Alright human, I'll grant you the benefit of the doubt for now… Just… Just don't make me regret it," the elf murmured quietly, before her gaze lowered into a perplexed expression as she suddenly found herself questioning the scenario altogether. "Wait, wait, wait; hold on for a second… Wait! W-What the hell is a human-child out here on the frontier by themselves?! You stupid-dumbass kid, don't you know how dangerous it is out here?!" The elf asked in a condescending tone, as she slung her bow into its leather sheath she had strapped behind her back; her fists resting on her hips, as she raised a brow at him.

'Wow, she's… Rude,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, while shifting his gaze away from her stare, in order to see BBB nodding her head agreeingly at him. "Uh… T-Thank you for your concern and all that, but… Rest assured, I'm doing more than fine out here; I might not look it, but I'm more than capable of handling whatever's out there," Goblin Slayer said with an uneasy smile on his face, while still being eyed at by the disapproving elf standing before him.

"Uh huh; yeah, sure. Those are some "famous last words" if I've ever heard them spoken," the elf sassed back, as she lowered her arms while straightening her back up. "Tch, whatever… I didn't come all the way out to the middle of nowhere, just to play chaperone to some little ragamuffin… Okay, I'm going to leave now, alright? Good luck not dying, human-child; after all, your kind's pretty susceptible to doing that when you're alone," the elf said dismissively, soundly forcibly apathetic to the way Goblin Slayer's situation looked.

Raising a confused brow at the minty-green haired elf, Goblin Slayer took a moment to check out the way her brown booty-shorts clung snuggly to her toned buttcheeks, after she had turned her back on him to begin walking down the dirt path that led into the heart of the Oakshire Forest. '… I guess all of that apathy was just a facade. I can’t help but wonder why she bothered pretending not to care in the first place,' Goblin Slayer wondered to himself, as he was easily able to see through the elf's attempt to seem indifferent about his safety; with the way she was purposefully walking slow, and constantly looking over her shoulder at him, it was obvious to the boy that she was was having a truly difficult time doing what she thought was abandoning a helpless child.

Looking down at the floating holographic-screen that only he, Fairy Knight and BB could see, Goblin Slayer exchanges glances with BBB before being gestured by the two-dimensional AI to proceed with the path she had planned for him. Shrugging his shoulders, Goblin Slayer began listening to the quiet music that was being played for him by the lavender-haired chibi, as he made his down the dirt road and under the thick-brush of the treetops; the light of the sun barely breaching the leaves of the oak trees surrounding both sides of the dirt path, as he unintentionally followed behind short-petite elf, who in turn looked relieved after seeing him beginning to trail behind her at a distance.

Stopping in her tracks before they got too far into the woods, the elf spun around while staring at the ten year-old with annoyance in her green-eyes. "Okay, it's now evidently clear to me that I'm not going to be able to continue on with my quest with you following me like a lost pup… Alright human-child, I'm going to take you back to Londobell; let them be the ones who find you new caregivers, or whatever you need," the elf declared with a forced-begrudging look on her face; pretending to sigh in defeat, as she rolled her eyes to herself while crossing her arms over her flat-chest.

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. Don't worry about me, I'm not trying to burden you with my company; it just so happens that we’re both on the quickest path to reach the Mythril Mountains, so I'm just taking it for the same reason as you," Goblin Slayer clarified with an appreciative look on his face, and didn't pay much mine to the way the elf's expression dropped into a confused look of shock; instead, he chose to focus on using his fingertips to navigate through the advanced map that he had pulled up on his menu-panel. "Let's see… "Matterhorn"… That's the village that you're heading to as well, yeah?" Goblin Slayer asked, as he looked up from his map to see the bewildered look the elf was giving him, as she tried to make sense as to why it looked as though he was moving his fingertips in the air for seemingly no reason.

"Uhhh… Y-Yes, that's actually where my next stop is… B-But that's pretty far for a human-child to travel there on their own; it's about twelve hours from the edge of Londobell to there… There's no way you'd make it by yourself," the elf stated, as she began to reveal her true concerns about the boy's safety; unable to mask her worries with any more false bravado. "L-Look, kid… I-I don't know why you're trying to get there by yourself, but… Y-You understand that I can't let you go any further, yes? Letting a child get themselves killed isn’t a very good trait to have in my line of work— and an even worse consequence for my reputation," the elf said more so to herself than to Goblin Slayer, as she began walking toward him with deep exhalation of breath, escaping through her slightly parted lips.

Sensing Fairy Knight preparing to strike, Goblin Slayer began to panic as he thought about how he could avoid the confrontation altogether. "S-Sorry, but I can't let you stop me from reaching Matterhorn; whether you approve of that, or not," Goblin Slayer insisted with an apologetic tone in his voice, as silently asked his servant to divert their shared mana over to him; the color glowing within his irses matching the way his magic crest was shining in a crimson-light, as his passive-buff became amplified with the power of his servant.

Freezing up with the look in her eye of utter confusion and fear of the unknown, the green-haired elf could watch with her jaw agape as she watched as Goblin Slayer's small body became enveloped in a glowing cyan-aura. Just as she thought about pulling her bow out to draw back an arrow from the quiver she had attached on her hip, the elf was forced to raise her forearms up to shield her eyes from the cloud of dirt that exploded outward from where Goblin Slayer had been standing; letting out a yelp the moment she felt something sprint past her, fast enough to cause her to stumble backwards from the sheer-power of the wind left behind in the wake of magecraft-using child.

Leaving the concerned elf behind in the dust, Goblin Slayer at first felt victorious from the mental high he felt from performing the newest spell that BB's "April Fools" copy had managed to quickly teach him: "Quantum Dash". Although the quick burst of lightspeed was exhilarating, the moment Goblin Slayer's feet stumbled onto the ground while trying to regain his balance, the excitement the ten year-old felt coursing inside of him quickly faded as he looked around at where his spell had spat him out to; or at least he tried, as the treetops had become too thick for any sunlight to reach the forest floor.

Left in complete darkness, with the glowing cyan-aura of Fairy Knight's essence fading away, Goblin Slayer did his best to keep his composure as he began navigating through his menu-panel. "It's… Rather hard to see out here, isn't it…?" Goblin Slayer murmured under his breath; trying best to make light of the unnerving scenario he was in, as he listened to the sounds of birds chirping and crickets rubbing their legs while waiting for his inventory to come up.

"Error: Insufficient mana required to access Moon-Cell. Try again in approximately twelve minutes," the pop up notification read, after Goblin Slayer had tried accessing his items, in order to pull out an oil lantern to illuminate his surroundings. A chill ran down the unnerved boy's back, but he remained calm as best as he could.

"That's… Worrisome. Dame Knight, could you… Could you come out please? I would, uh… I would feel more secure, that way," Goblin Slayer explained with a nervous and quiet chuckle, as he remained perfectly still while hoping to see that familiar cloud of photonic particles coming out of his soul.

What the dreading child got instead was another pop-up notification that read "Warning: Insufficient mana required to sustain servant. Please wait until your mana regenerates above the minimum requirement necessary to summon your servant."

Without the protection that Fairy Knight was able to provide for him, Goblin Slayer immediately felt every bit of confidence within himself disperse at that very moment; his heart beginning to race as he forced his trembling fingers to navigate through the menu, in order to check on his status. '"Mana: Negative Seven-Thousand, Two-Hundred Photons, out of One-Hundred"… If it's going to take twelve minutes, then that means my mana's roughly recovering at six-hundred photons per minute… That's not very fast… At least, I think? I still don’t know how all of that works. Ugh... Casting that spell was a mistake…' Goblin Slayer thought to himself with sweat beginning to bead down his forehead, as he forced his shaking head to reach down his waist.

Checking the pouches that were still attached to Slime Girl's old leather belt, Goblin Slayer could hear his heartbeat pounding away inside of his chest over the sounds that the woodland critters around him were making; his eyes staring into the bleak-abyss in front of him, as his holographic-menu did nothing to illuminate the pitch-black area he was stuck within. Alone and feeling vulnerable, all Goblin Slayer could think of while desperately searching for anything within his belt to help him out his plight was the night that his village got invaded; more specifically, the hopeless despair he felt, before Fairy Knight had come to his and Vivi's rescue.

No longer feeling as brave as he had been feeling since the night he defeated the goblin army, along with its warlord hobgoblin leader, Goblin Slayer's self-doubt began blossoming within his terrified mind. "S-Shit…!" Goblin Slayer muttered worryingly under his breath, recoiling his hand back, after accidentally scooping up a glob of left-over gel that had been left over from when Slime Girl had touched the leather-belt. Although the first instinct he had was to wipe the gel off of his fingers, through the dread he felt in that moment Goblin Slayer suddenly got an idea.

Kneeling down on the forest floor, Goblin Slayer could hear himself involuntarily whimpering and breathing becoming more shallow, as he blindly felt around for a sturdy stick near the dirt path, in order to create a makeshift torch using the long-lasting and highly flammable slime-residue on his fingers. Even though he was scared out of his wits, Goblin Slayer did his best to maintain his composure; a balancing act for him that became far more difficult for him, the moment he heard every woodland creature who had been inhabiting the area with him all become silent, after the sound of a nearby twig snapped.

Frozen with fear and becoming wide-eyed, Goblin Slayer held his breath as he heard the sound of a ghastly whimpering becoming audible from where the twig had snapped several meters away from him; his hand becoming desperate, the moment he regain enough control to continue searching for a way to create his own source of light. That's when Goblin Slayer felt a sickening sensation growing within him, as even in the dark he felt the eyes of the entity looming over him piercing through his very soul. Any hopes the boy had that what he was experiencing could be excused as just his imagination getting the better of him vanished the moment he heard the sound of a young woman's ghastly voice beginning to speak in a haunting voice.

The voice echoed unnaturally as it murmured barely-audible whispers that got muffled by the heavy tension within the darkness, its breathing sounding painful to Goblin Slayer, as his shaking fingers finally found a broken off-piece of a branch that he needed. The voice sounded hollow with how eerily quiet it spoke; making Goblin Slayer second guess himself each time he thought he heard the last whispered end of its maddening rambles. The feeling of impending doom felt asphyxiating to the ten year-old, as his trembling fingers wiped as much gel off of them as he could get off into the tip of the broken branch.

'Come on, come on, come on…!' Goblin Slayer thought frantically to himself; his eyes widened in the dark with sweat pouring down his brow, as he felt the presence of the entity draw closer to him.

The unknown entity continued to murmur its saddened-incoherent woes in the dead silence, sounding as though it was coming from less than a foot away from where Goblin Slayer's ear was. Feeling cold air brushing against the side of his face, the ten year-old began to smell the sickly-sweet stench of decaying flesh infiltrating his senses as the dark and malevolent presence drew closer to him; the sparks flying off of his short-sword's blade showing flashes of ghostly-white skin within less than a foot away from him, as Goblin Slayer repeatedly collided his weapon against the side of the half-buried rock that he had found while searching for the branch that he was trying to ignite.

Avoiding looking at the bloodied teeth that filled the ungodly open-mouth smile of the white-skinned face that was grinning at him without a body to call its own, something deep within Goblin Slayer screamed at him to avoid looking into the unnaturally large eyes that were glaring into his very soul; the flames at the tip of his burning torch illuminating the area around him, as he slowly reached down with his right hand to grab the handle of his sword.

There was no guarantee that his futile attempt at catching the monster off guard would work, let alone the chances of his sword actually being capable of physically contacting the entity all together. But even so, Goblin Slayer forced himself to keep the pale-skinned being's face within his peripheral vision the entire time he was staring down; appearing to be frozen with terror, as the entity's human-like jaw started to unhing. Seeing the rows-and-rows of bloodied teeth through the light of his torch— revealing to him the monster's lamprey-like maw— Goblin Slayer waited with his heart pounding in his chest, as he prayed that the perfect opportunity to strike would present itself soon.

Quickly pulling his short-sword out, Goblin Slayer heard the monster screeching in agony in its shrill-fear cries, after he rammed the blade of his weapon through the roof of its nightmare-inducing mouth, and straight through its brains. Avoiding making direct contact with the wailing monster's haunting eyes, Goblin Slayer knew better than to risk having the nocturnal entity follow him if he were to run away; so instead, the boy proceeded to begin violently scrambling the inside of the white-faced monster's brains, by twisting the blade and repeatedly ramming it in-and-out at different angles.

With his sword-bearing arm covered in pitch-black blood that looked more like ink than anything else, Goblin Slayer watched as the entity's dying body began dispersing into the musty air around him; it's physical body becoming nothing more than a pile of dust on the floor, as Goblin Slayer stumbled back with his heart racing inside of his chest. Alert with the fingers of his left hand wrapped tightly around the base of his makeshift torch, Goblin Slayer held his right-hand around the handle of his short-sword; his dusty-rose eyes scanning through the thick flora and close-knitted oak trees that were on both sides of the dirt path that he was standing in the middle of.

With the unknown entity slain, Goblin Slayer felt an invisible weight being lifted off of his chest as he took a shaking breath of air into his burning lungs; nearly gasping for breath, as the woodland creatures around him began to once again fill the heavy silence that had been within the air moments ago. "W-What the hell even was that thing…?!" Goblin Slayer murmured stressfully under his breath, as he took a moment to gather his composure and regain his bearings.

'Okay… Okay let me just… See what's around; find an area secured enough for me to wait there, until my mana is out of the negatives,' Goblin Slayer thought strategically to himself, all while trying to calm his nerves down as he scoured down the dirt path; his eyes search vigilantly through the darkness, with only his dying torch to keep guide his way. With nothing but his own wits and sense of direction, the ten year-old wandered through the Oakshire Forest; completely at the mercy of fate, as the green-haired elf who was coming up from the far-rear wasn't the only thing looking for Goblin Slayer in those woods.

Chapter Text

Five minutes. All Goblin Slayer had to do was survive for five more minutes, before his mana would be fully restored; allowing for him to re-establish his connection to the Moon-Cell, in order to have access to his servant and AI assistant once more. Step-by-step, the sheer amount of paranoia the boy felt underneath the darkness of the heavily wooded area was astounding; unable to discern whether the incoherent whispers and muttering voices he heard coming from the large bushes along the dirt road were real or an illusion, Goblin Slayer proceeded blindly down the unoccupied road with his fingers wrapped firmly around the leather handle of his sword.

'This is the longest five minutes I've ever spent waiting in my life… Wait, what the hell was that?!' Goblin Slayer thought dreadfully to himself, as he stood still to extend his torch outward toward the heavy flora that covered the bottom trunks of all the oak trees, just left of the path. Using only a dying flame to guide him, the dim light of the embers he had at the end of his makeshift-torch allowed the boy to see dark writhing masses that looked to be within the shapes of ovals; all of which were separated from one another by an arms length, as the haunting whispers grew louder and more intense by the second.

With how hard he had been focusing, Goblin Slayer almost found himself getting distracted with trying to get a better look at all the shapes within the bushes that seemed to just refuse to fully emerge from their hiding spot. However, the paranoid and alert boy was able to bring himself to turn his head from the odd sight, and what he found approaching him from behind caused a chill to run down his spine. Spinning around and stumbling backward, Goblin Slayer saw what looked like the green-haired elf from earlier; smiling unnaturally wide with her lips stretching out from ear-to-ear, as her bloodshot eyes seemed far smaller than he remembered them being.

Letting out a shaking breath of relief, Goblin Slayer took a moment to shine his torch back at the bushes where he heard the whispering come from; not only were the black-writhing masses gone entirely, but so were the incoherent and ghastly murmurs as well. ' It's quiet… The animals and bugs aren't making noises anymore… And the way she's looking at me… Wasn't she shorter? ' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, while slowly looking back toward where the elf woman had been standing; flinching and letting out a gasp, as he stepped away from the seven-foot tall being, after realizing how much closer it had gotten to him.

"You, uh… Hehe, heh…! Y-You really startled me; these woods are already creepy enough, you really shouldn't be sneaking up on me like that," Goblin Slayer said with a nervous laughter, as he felt his skin crawl upon looking up into the elf's small-beady eyes, before his eyes began to water the moment he caught a whiff of the foul-rotting stench emanating from the pale-woman's disheveled body; her exposed skin caked in dirt, as were her oddly textured pieces of armor and clothes that consisted of an outfit that looked similar to one she had on earlier.

Seeing rows of reddened teeth within the elf's mouth as she slowly opened her jaw to speak, Goblin Slayer anxiously averted his watery-gaze from her bleeding gums as he checked the status of his mana, from the menu he still had up near the front of his hip. "… W-What's…? What's a human-child….? D-Doing out here…? By t-themselves…?" The uncanny woman asked in a voice that sounded slightly off, compared to the voice that the already paranoid and terrified boy could recall from not too long ago.

"W… Why are you asking me that again? I… I already told you where I was going," Goblin Slayer pointed out with his once sinking suspicion now flourishing into full-scale dread, as he no longer could excuse the white-skinned elf— with all of her uncanny resemblance to he remembered her looking— as anything less than another monster that was dwelling within the forest with him.

Just as he was about to raise his short-sword to take a swing at the uncanny monster, he was caught off guard the moment it used its nearly five-foot long arm to aggressively smack his weapon out of his hand; disarming him, before using the same movement-speed to grab him by his shoulder tightly with its other hand. Still holding the torch, Goblin Slayer's widened eyes saw the unnaturally long fingers the mimicking creature had; with its digits being as long as his forearm.

Immediately thinking back to the white-faced ghostly monster who he had encountered less than seven minutes ago, Goblin Slayer's insides were writhing in dread as he did everything in his power to avoid making eye-contact with the monster, as it extended its rubbery neck down to get within inches of his face. "You… Understand… That I can't let you… Go any further…" The monster spoke again; sounding as though it was trying less to mimic the way the actual elf sounded, as its deep-guttural voice was more prevalent that time around.

Cringing as he heard its scratchy voice echoing out of its elongated throat, while hearing its bones pop and skin stretch as the creature's jaw began to stretch downward large enough to fit his entire head, Goblin Slayer's knees were shaking as he finally to the opportunity to dispose of his dying torch. Just as the creature pulled him closer to its gaping maw to bite his head clean off, Goblin Slayer thrusted the burning torch into the back of its throat; the flammable gel reacting to the monster's saliva, as its low flames were reignited into an inferno that filled the shrieking monster's insides with cleaning flames.

Completely not expecting to have its insides filled with an organic napalm concoction, the skin-walker began to violently flail and convulse; throwing Goblin Slayer several meters away down the dirt path, as it tried desperately to douse its internal flames by shedding its skin. Although the landing did hurt— as his knees and hands were scrapped against the pebbles along the path— Goblin Slayer was able to brush off his minor injuries to scramble up onto his feet; watching with adrenaline pumping through his veins, as the seven-foot tall monster without its skin began flailing its arms in jittery movements.

Going against his body's self-preservation instincts, Goblin Slayer picked up the short-sword from the ground before forcing himself to come closer to the skin-walker. Leaping forward with his blade cocked-back, Goblin Slayer attempted to stab the burning mass of writhing flesh in its chest, but was sent flying backwards after the creature accidentally swung its melting arm outward in his direction; the wind getting knocked out of him, as he tumbled backward where he had landed just moments ago.

Laying on his chest, Goblin Slayer lifted himself up by his forearms and watched while gasping painfully for breath as the burning skin-walker began clusimily sprinting at him; its gelatinous flesh melting off in clumps that felt onto the ground, leaving it only as a burning skeletal frame by the time that it got close enough to lift the terrified child up from the ground. Seething in pain from the bow hot the flames were that came out from its remaining insides, Goblin Slayer stared down at the empty eye sockets of the burning skull that was staring up at him; the skin-walker's jaw falling off of its scorched tendons, as he let out one final blood-curdling shriek, before collapsing into a pile of bone-fragments and ash.

Having been lifted above the shoulders of the seven-foot tall monstrosity, Goblin Slayer's fall was far more painful than the last two had been; the sides of his body covered in red-skin, after the burning skin-walker's skeletal hands had grabbed him. Using his elbows and heels, the breathless child crawled backwards away from the flames that crackled from the pile of remains before him; Goblin Slayer's eyes staring past the blackened smoke, to where the dim orange-light of the dying fire revealed more white-faced and uncanny monsters emerging from the bushes.

Cursing while still struggling to fill his burning lungs with air, Goblin Slayer was filled with despair after seeing that he was still a minute away from being able to have enough mana to summon Fairy Knight to save him. With time not on his side; and his sword too far away for him to reach, Goblin Slayer fought against his fatigued body to get up off the dirt road; once again going against his better judgment, as he stumbled toward the pale-faced monsters that were using their unnaturally long black-legs to come lumbering out of the bushes toward him.

Stumbling forward as he ducked underneath a nearly twelve-foot long arm that had multiple joints underneath its writhing black skin, Goblin Slayer's fingers almost dropped the handle of his sword, after he managed to pick it up while beginning to run back toward the way he came. Getting out of reach from the fading light of the dying fire, Goblin Slayer began to weigh his options as he noticed through the darkness a disturbing sight. Sprinting on all four of its grotesque limbs was another skin-walker, who was smiling widely at him with its bloodied teeth and pale face, as it rushed toward him like a twitching spider.

'Twenty seconds… Twenty seconds isn't enough, ' Goblin Slayer concluded to himself, after briefly taking his eyes off the monster up ahead, in order to check how much longer he needed to regain enough mana to reconnect his soul back to the Moon-Cell. Remembering how easily the last skin-walker was able to disarm him with how unnaturally long its arm was, Goblin Slayer had a feeling that the monster that was now less than a meter away from him was anticipating that he would desperately try swinging his sword at it.

Playing into the skin-walker's anticipation, Goblin Slayer raised his sword over his shoulder, pretending that he was going to be foolish enough to swing his sword at it. Timing the movement of its hard-to-see arms accordingly, Goblin Slayer instead kicked his feet down in order to slide underneath the monster's out-stretched arms, flaying its torso open, as his body slid underneath it along the dirt path. Much like its fallen kin, the skin-walker began flailing and screaming as its pitch-black insides gushed out of its butterflied body; unintentionally kicking Goblin Slayer in the back, and sending him fall face-first down on the ground, after he had attempted to roll back up on his feet.

Hearing multiple heavy footsteps rushing toward him from the rustling bushes while he was laying flat on his stomach, Goblin Slayer's blood froze as his mind immediately began imagining how gruesome his end would be; his terror surpassing the feeling of helplessness he felt during the goblin raid. Just when he heard the whimpering moans of the hungry skin-walkers sounding as though they were crawling above his head, Goblin Slayer recoiled as their perverse groans were all replaced with blood-curdling shrieks of pain; all of which quickly came to an end, within less than a few seconds.

Holding his breath, Goblin Slayer listened to the sound of heavy masses of flesh splattering on the ground, and the deafening silence that came after it. All at once, the terrified and traumatized felt relief the moment tranquility and peacefulness returned to the woods; the birds and insects striking up their mating calls, as the evil presence that had been lingering since his first monster encounter disappeared soon after he heard a familiar and comforting voice clearing its throat.

"… On your feet, Master. You're safe now, for I am with you now; you have nothing to fear," Fairy Knight spoke in a gentle and reassuring voice, before slowly getting down on one knee to rest one hand on the back of Goblin Slayer's shoulder.

Feeling his remaining terror and panic melting away underneath his servant's comforting touch, Goblin Slayer finally began breathing regularly again, as he continued to lay on the dirt path until finally gathering his composure enough to be helped up by Fairy Knight. "I… I shouldn't have been so careless… That was… A living nightmare," Goblin Slayer uttered out with his nerves still shaking, as he stood up on his feet while looking over his left shoulder to be greeted with Fairy Knight's stoic expression; her pale face illuminated by only the cyan-light gently glowing from the marking along her armor and mask.

"Although I couldn't intervene any sooner, I was still able to see you in action, from within your soul… I… I am impressed with what I saw, Master; for a child your age, you survived far longer than any other human would have in that scenario," Fairy Knight complimented with a barely noticeable tone of pride in her voice, as she gave the boy a small pat on the back before lowering her slender arm back down to her side. "With that being said… Refrain from ever experimenting with spells while on the field again— such practices should be exclusive to appropriate training areas that I approve of beforehand."

Nodding his head with an ashamed expression on his face, Goblin Slayer felt disappointed with himself as his eyes lowered away from the gentle-glow of Fairy Knight's armored mask. "… I'm sorry," he apologized with a disturbed feeling course through him— his body shivered while he kept going over in his head about how close he had gotten to being mutilated to death.

Although Fairy Knight wasn't usually one to excuse the behavior or mistakes of others, the white-haired loli could tell that scolding her master wasn't necessary. So instead she raised her hand back up to reassuringly pat him on the back of the shoulder, before beginning to speak after sighing softly. "… These things happen, Master. What's important is that we move on stronger, and more knowledgeable about how to proceed from here-on-forth," Fairy Knight stated factually, before lowering her hand back down from Goblin Slayer's shoulder.

Allowing her master to continue to process his emotions and to do some further self-reflecting, Fairy Knight used the extended blades weapons fastened around her slender forearms to proceed chopping down the surrounding trees; scaring away the woodland creatures who stuck had been sticking around, all for the sake of giving Goblin Slayer the light of the sun, so as to further comfort him and to make him feel that much more safer.

Standing still with cascading rays of solar light warming up the cold-sweat that he had worked up from fighting to stay alive in the darkness, Goblin Slayer was brought out of his deep thoughts by the sound of light-hearted music being played to him by the apologetic AI that was looking back up at him from his menu-panel; bowing down on the ground, so as to surrender herself to his mercy. The pop-up notification that appeared in the center of the holographic screen read "Forgive me, Ashta-Kun. I shouldn't have shown that magecraft spell, knowing that your mana would have fallen into the negative numbers; especially when I knew that there were possible hostiles still within these woods."

'… She and BB-Sensai must be more similar than they want to admit; both of them so far have done things that end up not going their way, just because of their more human-side,' Goblin Slayer mused to himself, as he slowly reached his hand down toward the screen to gentle pet the top of BBB's head; watching as she raised her chin from the non-existent floor, before smiling back at him with a relieved look in her cartoon-eyes. 'They're both more intelligent and resourceful than I could have ever imagined someone being, and do operate on some sort of math-logic… But they've still got hearts or souls of some kind; that might be the reason why I forget a lot of the times that they aren't even really people.'

Finally able to raise the corner of his slightly-trembling lips into a relaxed smile, Goblin Slayer looked away from the sentient AI character before beginning to watch as Fairy Knight stood beside him; feeling joy returning to him, after seeing the usually stoic servant softly beginning to grin back at him. Before he could thank her again for saving his life and for making an effort to comfort him afterward, Goblin Slayer heard a bing coming from his menu-panel. Looking back down at the floating holographic screen, it was then that the boy saw the elf's green-marker pop back onto the GPS-map that BBB had placed on the upper-right corner of his user-interface; signaling to him that she was within a thirty-meter range of his vicinity.

Peering through the darkness underneath the nearby-remaining treetops where the light of the sun was leaking under, Goblin Slayer was far less on edge than he had been previously when he was alone, as he waited for the cautious figure in the near-distance to come out from the shadows. Approaching him with an arrow pulled back while her large wooden bow was aimed away from him, the petite elf with mint-green hair from before had a shaken expression on her face as she cautiously emerged out of the darkness and further into the light.

"You're… Y-You're that kid from earlier, r-right? Like… Like ACTUALLY him, this time?!" The elf asked with a pleading tone in her voice; her flat chest repeatedly rising-and-falling, as she tried her best to hide just how scared she was.

With Fairy Knight back at his side, and with BBB silently reassuring him with a nod that the woman who was getting closer to him really was the same girl who he met outside of the Oakshire Forest, Goblin Slayer was calm as he smiled gently at the shaken elf girl. "Yeah… Yeah, it's me… Don't worry, I'm not one of those… "Things" that have those weird black bodies and white-pale faces," Goblin Slayer said to describe them, as he never heard of anything capable of shapeshifting that matched the terrifying image of what the skin-walkers looked like.

Holding on their well-valid skepticism, the elf continued to get closer ever so slowly toward Goblin Slayer; her emerald-green eyes focusing themselves on the barely-armored fairy that was staring back at her with a stern-stoic expression hidden behind her sleek-mask. "… I thought you told me that you were traveling alone earlier. Is she… Is she with you?" The elf asked cautiously, and nearly recoiled the moment she saw Fairy Knight take a step between her and the boy who she had been addressing the question to.

"He is my master, and he is under my protective eye; do not ask questions that you are not prepared to hear the answers to, high-elf," Fairy Knight answered on behalf of Goblin Slayer; unsurprisingly to the boy, she knew the specific variation of elf that the girl with minty-green hair belonged to. "I advise you to act accordingly when you're around him… I'll be watching you, even when you can't see me from within him," Fairy Knight warned, which made the already on-edge woman immediately relax the string of her bow.

Giving Fairy Knight a dirty look and being too prideful to say anything about it, the green-haired elf turned her attention over to Goblin Slayer while still keeping her long-bow in hand. "Okay, hear me out: I say that you and I travel together for the remainder of our journey through these damn woods. We'll be safer having each other's backs that way, since there's still twelve more hours worth of walking we have to get through before even reaching the outskirts of Matterhorn," she reasoned with a serious expression on her face, as the last thing she wanted was to spend another minute alone within the cytoid-infested woods by her lonesome.

Thinking back to how Fairy Knight informed him about how important it was for him to have the means to attack outside of her six-meter range around him. Goblin Slayer eyed the elf's beautifully hand-crafted bow before quickly making up his mind. "I… I think that would be a great idea. Oh, by the way, my name's Ren Ashta, but you can just call me "Goblin Slayer" if you're not into the whole name-thing. And what can I call you while we're traveling together?" Goblin Slayer asked as politely as he could; sticking out his hand to offer it to the green haired elf, who simply stared at it before realizing what he was trying to do.

"… Oh! You're doing that thing humans do, huh? "Shaking hands" I think is what it's called…!" The elf girl chuckled with an amused look on her beautiful face, as she stuck her leather-gloved hand out beside Goblin Slayer's before confidently getting the gesture wrong by shaking her appendage awkwardly near his opened palm. "I am Arthemis Maiven; I go by "High Elf Archer" by those who are with the Adventurers' Guild," High Elf Archer revealed, as she retracted her hand away from the astounded boy who gazed back at her with a look of wonderment within his dusty-rose colored eyes.

The impact of finally coming across an actual adventurer who was a member of the supposed guild he had heard so much about was significant to Goblin Slayer, as the feeling it elicited reminded him— despite the changes he had gone through— he was still him; that same happy and adventurous boy who got lost within the pages of his sister's books, and always had a sense of adventure within him.

Chapter Text

Four hours of treading through the pitch-black forest with little-to-no conversation had passed, with every attempt Goblin Slayer made at asking High Elf Archer a question about the Adventurer's Guild brushed off by the paranoid woman, who ended up using every single arrow within her quiver by the time they finally emerged out of the outer-rim of densely-populated flora; the treetops lessening-and-lessening, until finally they were able to once again see the blue sky above without any obstructions.

"Oh, thank the gods that's FINALLY over…!" Goblin Slayer heard High Elf Archer gasp out in an exasperated voice, as he looked over his shoulder to see her hunched over in the tripod position; her head hanging low and her arms straightened, as she supported her small upper-body by holding onto her own knees. "I was starting to worry that we'd have to spend the entire journey traversing through those forsaken woods…"

Even though Goblin Slayer had grown desensitized to the sight of the uncanny skin-walkers who Fairy Knight had been slaughtering left-and-right throughout their endeavor, he absolutely agrees with High Elf Archer's sentiment. Letting out a quiet chuckle as he made eye-contact with the petite elf, the moment she lifted her chin up from the grassy ground of the forest floor, Goblin Slayer gave her a relieved smile of his own before looking away from her to gaze at the beautiful scenery that laid before them.

Almost as though they had been rewarded for having survived the trip through the Oakshire Forest's terrifying defense, the large crystal blue lake that sat at the base of the large bear-head shaped mountain just a few kilometers away from them was breathtaking; especially considering the the way the rocky formation seemed to be staring up majestically into the cloudy blue-sky, as the sun above broke through the gentle overcast to shine its warmth down onto the glistening waters of the beautiful lake.

With clusters of trees growing in patches along the valley floor of the forest, Goblin Slayer checked his map before letting out another sigh of relief. "Whatever those things were back there must be what's keeping any invasive monsters or people out of this natural haven… All that's out here are just your run-of-the-mill woodland creatures; the worst thing we might run into is a curious black bear," Goblin Slayer announced excitedly, before sheathing his sword into his hip-scabbard; watching his new companion begrudgingly do the same, as she slung her long-bow over her back.

"I'm going to trust that you know what you're talking about, "Orcblog", because if that's the case then I don't see why we shouldn't find a place to rest for a bit; gods know that I'll need time to fashion some arrows from whatever materials I can scrounge up from around here," High Elf Archer muttered that last part to herself, before beginning to stretch her arms and legs, as Goblin Slayer glanced curiously back at her.

"… "Orcblog"? What's an "Orcblog"?" Goblin Slayer asked curiously, while beginning to walk alongside High Elf Archer as they began making their way toward the shoreline of the glistening-blue waters of the massive lake within the open distance.

"Oh, "Orcblog" is what "Goblin Slayer" translates to in elvish tongue; I could have sworn that I've already told you that earlier, but then again I might have just THOUGHT that I did, but never actually got around to saying it aloud to you," High Elf Archer explained while shrugging. "Honestly, with how traumatic that whole thing was with us getting stalked the entire time by those terrifying entities, I'd honestly be surprised if I ended up NOTgetting any nightmares tonight."

"No kidding, heh…Those weird things reminded me of the sorts of monsters you'd find only within the pages of a horror novel," Goblin Slayer quipped back, while looking up at a large bee-hive that was hanging down from the large branch of the pine tree that he and High Elf Archer were walking underneath; that cluster of flora being peaceful and well-lit, in comparison to the pitch-black wooded area that was behind the both of them. "So… "Orcblog" means "Goblin Slayer", huh? What about my real name? Is there an elvish way of saying it?"

Giving the intrigued boy a side-eye glance with a mildly amused grin across her pink soft-lips, High Elf Archer let out a throaty chuckle as she and Goblin Slayer walked out of the pine-tree inhabited area, and back through the tranquil field that made up a majority of the valley floor. "That's not how it works, Orcblog. There's no elvish translation for "Ren" or "Ashta", similar to there not being any other way of spelling my name… But if you're asking how I'd pronounce your name in my native language, then it would sound something along the lines of "Gore-Rhen Ash-Star"," High Elf Archer said with a whimsical look in her green eyes, as Goblin Slayer gave her a astound look of awe.

"Wow…! Is that really how you'd pronounce it…?!" The boy asked with a wide smile across his face, before suddenly finding himself confused when the green-haired elf began snickering at him.

"Fwuahaha! Nah, I just made that up on the spot, Orcblog; your name wouldn't ACTUALLY translate to anything in elvish! It's still just "Ren Ashta"," High Elf Archer admitted while still laughing to herself, as Goblin Slayer's smile wavered for a brief moment before finally joining in on the fun.

"Heh, hehe…! That was pretty funny… Say… Since I've got your attention now, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me asking you a few questions about the Adventurer's Guild," Goblin Slayer brought up, as he changed the subject with a hopefully look in his dusty-rose colored eyes; the light of the afternoon sun reflecting within his pupils, as the content elf looked down into his gaze while the two of them continued to walk down the lightly wooded-area.

"Well, I'll certainly do my best to answer whatever questions that I can, Orcblog. Just keep in mind though, you're not exactly within the presence of a high-ranking adventurer here," High Elf Archer said with a slightly embarrassed expression forming over her smiling face, before reaching up to pull back the collar of her brown cloak that she had draped around her neck; carefully pulling out her fragile tagged necklace from underneath her green sleeveless tunic.

Recognizing that material of High Elf Archer's tag as being porcelain, Goblin Slayer's excitement slightly wavered after realizing that the petite woman was a beginner-leveled adventurer. "Oh… You must have just joined recently… Is that why you don't have a party?" Goblin Slayer asked bluntly, which caused High Elf Archer's eyes to widen as a gasp escaped her parted lips.

With her cheeks becoming a deep shade of pink, High Elf Archer furrowed her thin eyebrows as frowned nervously as she immediately shoved her tag back underneath the collar of her tunic and cloak. "Uhhhh…?! S-Sort of…?! You see, ummmm… A-After you get through the paperwork process, you're able to start getting assigned a quest in the main front lobby. That's usually where newbies congregate in order to either get recruited by more experienced parties, or form their own parties with other porcelain-ranking adventurers…"

"… And well, you see… I had an especially difficult time getting anyone onboard with joining me on one VERY specific quest that I… That I felt as though had more importance than the rest of the other quests that were seen as more desirable," High Elf Archer explained with a more somber expression taking the place of her previous look of embarrassment.

Thinking back to the written-message that the Adventurer's Guild had mailed to Mother Mary, Goblin Slayer recalled reading the part of the apologetic message that mentioned missing adventurers, and it was that his brain made the connection. "… No one else wanted to go up to the Mythril Mountains with you, because none of them must have wanted to share the same fate as the others who tried clearing out that goblin stronghold… Isn't that right, Arthemis?" Goblin Slayer asked, while watching as High Elf Archer stared back at him with an inquisitive look of her own.

"H… How would you even know about…? Wait… Wait, is that why you were so adamant about making it to Matterhorn?! You're planning on clearing out that old castle by yourse- Actually, never mind; coming from YOU, I shouldn't be surprised to hear that," High Elf Archer muttered, after remembering just how capable Goblin Slayer was with his servant by his side. "I have to ask though: what reason could a child like you have to take on that task? It's not like you'd be getting any sort of reward for it; no offense, but it's not like anyone would actually take your word if you were to tell them that you cleared out that stronghold all by yourself."

Although Goblin Slayer was admittedly having a great time of his life by being able to live out his earlier childhood fantasies, the scarred boy never forgot the reason why he chose to complete the quest; especially not after he had been earlier inspired to do so by his servant. "… My old village— before my older sister and I moved to Londobell— was destroyed by a goblin raiding army; an army of three-hundred and forty-seven that I, and Fairy Knight, defeated by ourselves. I've seen first-hand the atrocities that those vile things are capable of, and the devastation that their victims are forced to endure afterwards…"

"… This stronghold is the central nest for the goblins who inhabit the Frontier. For whatever reason, they're getting more desperate for supplies and for women to force themselves upon… If I can destroy their most fortified nest, then that should be enough to force whatever's left of their kind into a state of disarray; when I bring that stronghold down to the ground, only then will they know what it's like to have their home taken away from them," Goblin Slayer finished saying with a dark-intense look in his unnaturally glowing-red eyes; his crimson irises matching the same color as the shining crest on his right hand, while beginning to return to their natural color as his deep-seated rage began to wear off.

Taken aback at what she had seen and heard, High Elf Archer became silent as she continued to walk alongside Goblin Slayer; noticing the approving soft-smile across Fairy Knight's pale lips, which made her assume that the violent servant was influencing the child into taking after her vindictive behavior. "I mean… At least your intentions aren't selfish; most of the adventurers who were accepting the quest before I joined wanted to complete the quest for its handsome reward. Or at least that's what I heard, since they stopped offering a reward for it by the time I was registered into the guild," High Elf Archer explained.

' There's no reward being offered…? Oh… That's right; the Adventurer's Guild refunded Mother Mary her gold. I guess that makes sense why no one wanted to join her… After all, who wants to risk dying without there being anything to entice them into doing so? ' Goblin Slayer mused to himself, as he and High Elf Archer broke out of the small pine-tree infested area, before beginning to walk along the grassy-gravel, toward the shoreline of the breathtakingly gorgeous blue lake that was practically calling for him. "If that's the case, then… Why are you wanting to clear out that stronghold? Are you trying to get promoted to obsidian-rank, or something like that?"

"Hmhmm~! No, it's not like that. You see, I'm actually more-or-less after the same thing as you are," High Elf Archer replied, before her tone began to grow more somber as Goblin Slayer noticed her expression slowly brooding. ""Indoris Nerevar"… He's commonly just referred to as " Dark Elf" by humans, because dark elves in general avoid making contact with the surface world; all of them prefer to live in their underground cities… Anyway, to put it lightly, my kind and the dark elves don't see eye-to-eye on most things— especially when it comes to their destructive religious practices— but the one thing our people both unanimous agree about is that Indoris Nerevar must be slain.”

Intrigued by what she was saying, Goblin Slayer cocked his head slightly to his shoulder as he asked "Who is Indoris Nerevar, and what does he have to do with you needing to go to the Mythril Mountains?"

"Everything; he has everything to do with us both going there," High Elf Archer replied scornfully, as just the thought of the dark elf made her hands tightened into closed fists. "Don't get it twisted: the Frontier's goblin infestation needs to be stopped, but the only reason they're even occupying that stronghold is because of Nerevar. He's the one ordering the goblins to go out to villages, so he could have them drag the children back to that damn castle he took over…! Our scouts have been doing everything in their power to figure out why he's kidnapping children; goblins usually just eat or violate humans that age, and they never have a reason to keep them alive… He's up to something foul, I know it."

Mentally digesting the words High Elf Archer told to him during her brief response, Goblin Slayer quickly realized that despite the horrible atrocities that the goblins committed against the children of his old village, not one of them had been killed during their raid. "That explains why only the adults and older teenagers were killed… By the way, do you have any guesses as to why he would be taking children to the stronghold?"

"Well, the obvious assumption is that he's using the children for some sort of ritualistic sacrifice; since dark elves aren't exactly above spilling the blood of kids, in order to appease the Chaos God that the dark elves worship. But not all dark elves are like that; some of them are able to escape the cult-like indoctrination process of their childhoods, and are able to be a part of human society just fine," High Elf Archer explained with a slightly begrudgingly tone in her voice, as she crossed her arms over her flat chest. "From what I've heard passed down from my family about Nerevar, he never worshiped any god… So with that being said, I don't have the faintest of clues as to why he's kidnapping children, and why he only started doing this a week ago…"

"… But then again, I couldn't care any less about whatever delusional-motivations he's using to justify himself; as far as I'm concerned, he's a dead man living on borrowed time," High Elf Archer muttered hatefully, as she narrowed her green eyes while staring blankly into the glistening waves of the massive body of fresh water before her. "… You're not the only one who's suffered from Nerevar's careless pursuits. However, you and I can ensure that the people of your village are the last of his victims. What do you say, Orcblog? Shall we continue to travel together, even after we reach Matterhorn?" High Elf Archer asked with a hopeful expression beginning to flourish across her beautiful face, as she turned her gaze from the lake to stare down into the inspired eyes of the child; who's resolve became amplified by her words alone.

Although Goblin Slayer was very much enthusiastic over the fact that he was getting closer to fulfilling another childhood fantasy of his, which was to be the leader of his own party of adventurers, the self-conscious boy who didn't want to seem too childish in front of the beautiful elven woman. So instead of expressing any sort of excitement over High Elf Archer's proposal, Goblin Slayer thought about how Fairy Knight would have responded and tried mimicking her cool-stoic style when he barely curled his lips into a small smirk; remaining calm and collected on the surface, as he gave the perplexed elf a single nod before saying in a deepened voice "… That’ll be just fine."

Chapter Text

Now that they weren't in the elevated rim surrounding the Oakshire Forest— a hostile environment that the two of them dubbed as "The Dark Hunting Grounds"— Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer were able to freely roam the vast valley floor that made up the majority of the forest's inner landscape. Since High Elf Archer needed to create a surplus of new arrows before leaving the inner sanctum of Mother Nature's tranquility that was the Oakshire Forest's peaceful valley floor, she and Goblin Slayer circled around the clean-glimmering waters of the lake; the two of them making small talk, as they headed toward the base of the two-hundred foot " Grizzly Peak"; the large hollow rocky formation in the near distance, that was in the shape of a grizzly bear looking up toward the sky majestically.

The original idea that High Elf Archer had in mind was to collect bundles of sturdy twigs that she and Goblin Slayer would shear from the over abundance of trees surrounding them, before sharpening whatever small rocks that they could collect from Grizzly Peak, so as to make those into arrowheads. High Elf Archer's crude idea to create her own surplus of arrows began to crumble, after Goblin Slayer innocently asked how they were going to keep the sharpened rocks connected to the wooden shafts they needed to be stuck on.

Cursing in her native tongue, High Elf Archer began to slow her pace down as a frustrated expression formed on her elegant face. Signaling for Goblin Slayer to halt alongside her, the minty-green haired elf began to thoroughly search through the leather pouches that were attached to her belt. Eventually, after about ten minutes of cursing up a storm while getting more upset with her fruitless search, High Elf Archer gave up while feeling upset with herself. "Orcblog… I…I don't think I actually ever packed a spool of thread with me, like how I thought I did; I must have overlooked that before I left the Frontier Outpost… D-Damn it! I don't even know how the hell we're going to be able to make arrows at this point; not unless you've got some weird magic-spell for that, or whatever it is you're capable of…!"

"It's called "Magecraft": it's basically just magic, but more science-based," Goblin Slayer replied, while trying to simplify its explanation, all without confusing the already annoyed elf. "And, uh… Yeah, let me see what I can do here," Goblin Slayer muttered, as he raised his holographic menu up from where he had it floating in front of his hip; bringing the user-interface up this eye-level, before using his fingertips to enlarge the menu by stretching out the sides of it.

Now to High Elf Archer, all she saw from her perspective was Goblin Slayer intently staring at nothing, while simultaneously swiping and poking the air as he quietly read to himself. "… What exactly is it that you're doing? Getting in-tune with Earth Mother, or doing some weird mumbo-jumbo crap that's like…? I don't know; unlocking some sort of "arcane realm", or something else like that?" High Elf Archer asked with a slightly cynical tone in her voice, which made her crack a smile as she saw how well Goblin Slayer took her sarcastic quip.

"Hehehe…! N-No, it's like that… All I'm doing right now is just doing some reading," Goblin Slayer replied, as he continued to read the instructions that BBB had written to him through a long pop-up message that came with picture examples, and highlighted notes that she had added onto the web-browser-like window. "Through something called "Structural Analysis", my friend named BB-Sensei can take whatever items that are stored within my inventory, and break them down into something that's called a "molecular structure", and use whatever, uh… "Elements"— from something called the "Periodic Table"— to pretty much create anything that's within the Moon-Cell's archives… It requires me to enter "build mode", which is… Which is done by… "Augmented Reality"…?" Goblin Slayer read aloud with a confused expression on his face; one that was trumped by the dumbfounded look on High Elf Archer's face, whose jaw was hanging open.

"I… I don't know what…! W-What?! W-What did ANY of that even MEAN?!" High Elf Archer stuttered out, while trying to grasp her mind around the instructions that not even Fairy Knight really seemed to understand herself.

Instead of admitting that she was just as lost as they were with trying to decipher what most of the words that BBB was using to simplify an already complex procedure, Fairy Knight remained calm and collected as materialized beside Goblin Slayer, as she prepared herself to give her master her advice. "As much as it pains me to say this… It would be in our best interest to contact the managerial AI to show you how to enter this "builder mode" that this "little character" seems to be adamant about you doing," Fairy Knight suggested, which made BBB cross her small arms over chest in disapproval; visually annoyed at the thought of having her other self involved with their endeavors.

Unlike Fairy Knight and BBB, Goblin Slayer genuinely enjoyed the aforementioned AI's company, and thus a soft smile formed on his face as he thought about once again seeing the scandalously dressed woman, with her long lavender hair and visible white panties that her miniskirt couldn't keep hidden. "That's a great idea, Dame Knight! Now all I've got to do is, uh… BB-Sensei? C-Can you hear me, or- Oh, there she is!" Goblin Slayer said excitingly, as he turned to face the empty spot beside him where a cloud of pixelated photon particles began to form into the shape of the enigmatic woman in question.

Wanting to make a grand entrance— even though she was fully aware of the fact that, aside from Goblin Slayer, the only two other beings who could perceive her didn't like her as a person— BBB gracefully stepped forward out of the dispersing particles of light that she formed out of; waving her metal-wand as though she was the "Fairy Godmother" from the classic Disney film that she wanted to watch with Hakuno, the lavender-haired woman gave a smug look toward Fairy Knight, before coming to a stop once she was standing directly in front of the happy ten year-old.

Behind the facade of a sweet and purposefully-disarming smile, BB had an unnerving tone behind her glowing-purple eyes as Goblin Slayer watched as her fingers tightened around the black handle of her collapsible metal-wand. "Ah! If it isn't the child whose carelessness almost cost the life of MY Hakuno-Chan! Perhaps you've gotten too comfortable without my supervisor? Allow me to correct that behavior, BEFORE I teach you a lesson in entering augmented reality; like how you SHOULD HAVE DONE earlier with that “spatial transport” spell that you called a "quantum dash" spell~!" BB said with a fake cheerfulness, as Goblin Slayer watched dreadfully as she reached down toward his shoulder with her left hand.

Knowing what was to come, Fairy Knight immediately sprung into action by picking her master up from where he had been standing; lifting him up over her small body, before immediately turning around to begin sprinting away from the enraged AI. "Do not fear, Master; for I shall protect you from her wrath," Fairy Knight said reassuringly in her calm voice, before promptly letting out a confused gasp, upon feeling Goblin Slayer getting pulled from her grasp.

Even though BB couldn't be touched by anyone other than Goblin Slayer, the fact remained that she alone had enough physical strength of her own to begin playing an aggressive game of "tug-of-war" with Fairy Knight, as the two females fought to have custody of the ten year-old. "LET GO OF MY STUDENT, YOU LOSTBELT-BITCH; HE NEEDS TO LEARN HIS LESSON THE HARD WAY!" BB shouted with a crazed look in her eyes, as she fully intended on beating Goblin Slayer's bare ass, black-and-blue with her metal-wand.

From several meters away, all High Elf Archer could do was spectate the bizarre sight through widened eyes; unable to see or hear BB, all that the elf could make out was that Goblin Slayer had a terrified expression on his face, and that Fairy Knight was visibly struggling to pull him away from seemingly nothing. That's when she noticed that Goblin Slayer's pants and underwear were slowly being pulled down to the point of being bunched up around his thighs; exposing his large flaccid dick to her, before she began to hear him grunt and whine in pain, as his entire body physically recoiled each time BB managed to connect her metal-wand to his bare asscheeks, which caused Fairy Knight to shout threatening words at the managerial AI in between their struggle.

'Holy shit…This kid's fucking weird,' High Elf Archer thought to herself, while watching the scene continue to unfold before her eyes, until finally Goblin Slayer's pants and underwear were pulled back up and he was finally let go of. Unable to snicker after seeing how brightly red the embarrassed boy's face was, High Elf Archer simply assumed by the way his eyes were turned toward the side that he was being followed by whoever had spanked him for five minutes straight; presumably while getting heavily lectured at, with his exasperated his watery eyes looked to her. "Heh… Are doing alright there, Orcblog?"

Utterly humiliated and embarrassed, Goblin Slayer swallowed the lump in his throat as he tried his best to avoid making direct eye-contact with the beautiful elf, who he figured wasn't going to take him seriously after she had been there to witness him getting punished by his overbearing AI teacher. "Y-Yeah…! Y-Yeah, I'm fine… Let me just… Learn how to build you some arrows, or whatever…" Goblin Slayer muttered in a low voice, as he stood still so that BB could finally begin tutoring him.

After an hour of practice and being tested on how to perceive the world around him through a modified user-interface that made him see the world through the holographic lenses of "virtual reality", Goblin Slayer learned that by stretching out the menu to the point that it covered his entire view-point, he was able to enter "augmented reality". Being able to see the world as it was— with the exception that everything around him either had a white silhouette, or was covered in a checkered-white grid— Goblin Slayer would be able to have BB and or BBB create anything for him, so long as he had the resources within his inventory for them to molecularly construct whatever item he chose from the secondary menu he had floating before him.

Even though Goblin Slayer didn't have an sort of tools that would have been necessary to chop down trees, shovel through the Earth, or mine through hardened metals and rocks, Fairy Knight was more than capable of breaking down whatever raw material he needed to make smaller, in order to have an easier time transferring them into BB's near-infinite reality marble. Even though he didn't necessarily need High Elf Archer to know what he was doing, Goblin Slayer still wanted her to be a part of what he was doing, so he made sure to explain to her in detail what he was doing while she followed closely behind him, as she watched his servant chopping the nearby trees into small pieces of logs.

Through BB's instructions, Goblin Slayer made sure to collect an ample supply of wood in order to have it for later uses. And even though Fairy Knight was able to chop a tree down into sizable logs within less than a blink of an eye, Goblin Slayer still needed to move around in order for his servant to reach the trees within the limits of her six-meter range. By the time that Goblin Slayer gathered enough pieces of wood to begin having Fairy Knight break down the rocks at the base of Grizzly Peak into more raw material that his AI women needed to build items with, two hours had already passed; meaning that the sun was on its way to setting over the peaceful valley.

Having never imagined that her quest to kill the dark elf responsible for slaughtering so many of her kind would involve fetching loose pieces of raw material off of the ground, High Elf Archer was distracted throughout the entire time Goblin Slayer was mining rock and exposed veins of precious metal that Fairy Knight broke down into ores. Collecting ores that ranged from copper to silver, to giving the appreciative ten year-old literal handfuls of sand and gold-dust, High Elf Archer was rationalizing their mundane tasks as an important step towards reaching their goal; reminding her constantly that she needed arrows, and that Goblin Slayer was still her best bet of defeating her dark elf target: Nerevar.

Managing his inventory by viewing the quantity of resources that were at his disposal, Goblin Slayer was using one of the bullseye oil lanterns that he had retrieved from BB's reality marble; using its focused light to illuminate the inside of Grizzly Peak's inner cave system, as he and High Elf Archer carefully walked along the natural stone walkway that allowed them to explore the inner workings of the unusual rock formation, all without needing to step foot into the rushing rapids that went through Grizzly Peak, and led out of it toward the massive lake within the center of the Oakshire Forest.

With Goblin Slayer having an extremely detailed map of the Grizzly Peak's underground labyrinthine of tunnels at his fingertips, the ten year-old was able to navigate through the surface level of the cave system, and soon enough he and High Elf Archer were entering through a hidden entrance that had been concealed by a large boulder that had fallen off from the ceiling of the one opened area within Grizzly Peak's cave system; just past the rushing rapids that made the entire inside of the two-hundred foot tall rock formation smell like river water.

The deeper the two descended underneath the Earth's crust, the more they started to notice the strange phenomena of the way the tunnels sounded like grizzly bear growls; as the sound of the rushing rapids flowing through the inside of Grizzly Peak, where it changed into bear sounds as it reached their underground location. Paired with the darkness, and that she was trusting her safety into the hands of a literal child, High Elf Archer was growing more-and-more anxious with the fact that the hollow walls around them were amplifying the artificial bear growls that was triggering her body's flight-or-fight response.

"Hey… Orcblog," High Elf Archer called out in an uneasy voice, while at the same time trying her best to not allow for her fear to show, as she saw through the dim light that the bullseye lantern was shining off the nearby rocky walls to see Goblin Slayer coming to a stop several feet ahead of her; turning his head over his shoulder, so as to meet her anxious gaze with a patient smile on his face.

"Yes, Artemis?" Goblin Slayer asked in a calm demeanor; once again noticeably being influenced by the way Fairy Knight spoke, whenever High Elf Archer would occasionally hear the white-haired servant speak.

"It's… It's a little difficult for me to see back here, and I'd rather not use up any more of my night-vision potions, if it can be helped… Is there anything that you can do to fix how dark it is in here?" High Elf Archer asked, while still doing her best to hide how uneasy she was.

Not being limited by the close-quarters of the cavern interior, BB phased through the rocky wall behind where High Elf Archer was standing; greeting Goblin Slayer's eyes with an amused grin on her sassy face. "In case it wasn't obvious, what she meant by that is that the sound from the rapids reverberating down here is giving her anxiety… But don't worry; we've got it covered," BB said with a soft chuckle, before she and the miniature version of her began transforming the interior of the cave.

Noticing that his resources were being depleted via the secondary menu floating at his chest's level, Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer watched in awe as sparking clouds of photon particles began forming along the walls and ceiling of the cave, before slowly transforming into mounted torchlights and hanging fairy lights; all of which illuminated the entire inside of Grizzly Peak in a cozy and dim orange-glow. Even the artificial bear growls came to an end, all thanks to the two managerial AI women crafting a sound-proof door that separates the surface level cave housing the powerful rapids, and the tunnel system where Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer resided.

Feeling far less claustrophobic now that she and her companion had a better grasp of their immediate surroundings, High Elf Archer was letting out a withheld breath through her slightly parted lips, as her mind was registering the miraculous sight of what she had just witnessed happened within less than a second. "I… Wasn't sure what I was expecting, but… It certainly wasn't that…! Wow… I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before; they're so intricate, yet simple in their design," High Elf Archer mused with an astonished tone in her voice, as she reached up to gently hold one of the glowing glass-orbs that were strung-together by a silicon-covered copper-wire, which was powering the conduits of each bulb.

Being in the same boat as High Elf Archer, Goblin Slayer was perplexed by the electric light-bulbs that were attached to the dangling wires above, and was equally mystified by the fact that the torches were actively burning; despite appearing as though it wasn't using any oil or flammable substance to keep the flame active. "Yeah… Yeah, this is all rather unusual, isn't i- w-what the…?!" Goblin Slayer immediately uttered out with a surprised look on his wide-eyed face, as his head immediately whipped around from the direction of the torch he had been inspecting; his frantic eyes staring past the slender shoulder of the bewildered elf, who turned around to see for herself what had caused him such alarm.

Standing behind High Elf Archer, the almost five-foot tall girl with stark-white skin had a white-static aura enveloping her silhouette; her entire dull-gray body glitching while struggling to retain its sharpness, similar to a defective CRT television. She stared back at him with hollow pitch-black eyes, which seemed to have barely visible white-glowing pupils in the center of their void-like gaze; conveying a sense of solemn-solidarity, as well as uncertainty. The outfit she wore looked as though it was supposed to be a brown student-uniform with a blue-ribbon tied into a bow underneath the collar, while the girl's petite legs were covered completely by black stockings; or at least that's what Goblin Slayer could make out, as all she appeared grainy over her dull-contrasting form, on top of her corporal form already being unstable.

Staring off into the direction that the ten year-old boy was fixated on, High Elf Archer squinted her eyelids while wondering whether or not there was anything actually there; believing momentarily that the dim light from the surrounding furnishings prevented her from possibly seeing what was entrancing Goblin Slayer. "… Are you…? Seeing something that I'm not? Like, some sort of invisible thing; kind of like whatever it is that you keep tapping your fingers at, or that one girl you keep mentioning… BB, right?" High Elf Archer asked with a curious look on her face, as she calmly turned her head away from the unsettling entity, to instead look back into Goblin Slayer's unsettled and distracted stare.

Needing a moment to find his words, Goblin Slayer swallowed the lump in his throat as he felt his heart racing inside of his small chest; his blood growing cold as he watched the unnerving girl open her mouth to reveal a pitch-black void past her lips, similar to how her eyes appeared. "Uhh… Ummm… I… I guess so…? I'm uh… I'm looking at this… Girl, who's standing behind you, and uh… I… I don't think she's supposed to be there," Goblin Slayer said with a nervous tone in his voice, before going into detail about how strange the entity looked to High Elf Archer.

Upon hearing the description of the entity behind her, High Elf Archer immediately made her way over to Goblin Slayer, standing behind him, so that he was between her and the glowing figure that she figured to be a ghost of some kind. "Gods, this is so freaking creepy… W-What is it doing now? Is it just… S-Standing there, looking at us, or…? O-Or what?!" High Elf Archer stammered out; beginning to feel fear coursing through her body, as the thought of being followed by a ghost with no known intentions was making her feel unsafe.

Hearing Goblin Slayer shakingly telling High Elf Archer what the entity in question was doing, BB and Fairy Knight exchanged concerned looks with one another after failing to see for themselves what the ten year-old was supposedly seeing. Wanting to inform Goblin Slayer, BB walked over to him; obstructing his clear-line-of-sight of the odd phenomenon, as she stood right in front of him with an inquisitive look in her violet eyes. "I'm finding it odd that neither Melusine nor I are able to see what you're describing, Ashta-Kun. Furthermore, I'm not even detecting any sort of energy signal here that would suggest anything paranormal… Although, I think I may have a hypothesis as to what's happening right now," BB mused with a longful sigh escaping from her lips, as she crossed her arms over her ample chest.

"I'm not superstitious in the least bit, which is why I believe that what's happening right now is that you're able to see Hakuno-Chan by processing her through "Quantum Ghost Imaging". All that means is that you're looking at her from the combined perspective of two different layers, capturing an image through two different receiving photon particles that have never interacted directly," BB explained with terms she thought as simple, before realizing from the tone of bewilderment in Goblin Slayer's uneasy expression that told her that her explanation was still too complicated for him.

"Let me put it this way… Because your eyes are receiving information from both augmented reality AND what's actually in front of you. the two different kinds of light sources are creating a constant flash in your optic-nerves; meaning that what you're seeing is just the image of her "ghost"," BB reiterated with a disappearing smile across her frowning lips, as after she was done teaching her lesson to Goblin Slayer, the AI woman was left wondering if Hakuno was suffering inside of the ten year-old's body. 'If her fragmented data is pieced together enough for her to retain her form, then… Then does that mean she's lucid? What is she experiencing? Is she… Is she afraid? I wonder if… If she feels abandoned by me? Betrayed, even…?'

Seeing the thoughtful look in BB's saddened gaze took Goblin Slayer away from his spiraling thoughts, as for whatever reason he didn't just feel terrified after seeing Hakuno's ghost image, but rather he felt an overwhelming amount of hopelessness, despair, and fear-inducing isolation that shook him to his very core. That's when the ten year-old flinched intensely, after being forcibly spun around by Fairy Knight, who was staring back at him through her sleek-armored mask. "The dim-lighting isn't helping you, and neither is hyper focusing on matters outside of your control… Let's instead concentrate on what we came here to do, and then find somewhere for you two to rest."

Seeing Fairy Knight attempting to ease Goblin Slayer's nerves down by reminding him coldly of the goal that they had made High Elf Archer want to step in as well. "She's right, you know; I think it would be for the best if you and I were to settle down by the lakeshore for the rest of the night; get a hot meal inside of us, and rest our feet for a spell," High Elf Archer mused, while smiling upon seeing how her enticing words were beginning to pull Goblin Slayer out his negative emotions.

"The… The lake?" Goblin Slayer repeated with a quiet voice, while blinking softly as he looked over his shoulder to meet High Elf Archer's emerald gaze and pretty-pink smile.

"Yeah, the lake! Just imagine it: the full moon dancing along the gentle surface of the water, while countless stars twinkle across the cosmic sky… All of us relaxing underneath those stars, while munching on something warm and filling… Doesn't that sound like an ideal way to end our night, after all that we've had to endure?" High Elf Archer askew rhetorically, after having painted a tranquil image in Goblin Slayer's hazy minds as he continued to slowly ground himself more-and-more into reality, and away from those creeping thoughts of dread that Hakuno's "ghost" was causing him to experience.

Envisioning himself lodging underneath the moonlight resting on reclining chairs that he and High Elf Archer would be laying on, while on top of a dock attached to a house that he planned on building got Goblin Slayer thinking more clearly; clearly enough to have the sudden idea to exit augmented reality, by shrinking the holographic panel back down to its original small size. Hesitant to test whether or not that would have worked or not, when Goblin Slayer finally managed to bring himself to look past BB and High Elf Archer's bodies, he ended up letting out a quiet sigh of absolute relief, after seeing that the unsettling ghost had vanished.

Relying on BB to communicate with Fairy Knight— as to where she needed to use her powerful strength and unrelenting blades to mine into veins of valuable raw materials— Goblin Slayer focused on keeping his mind away from lingering thoughts by making conversation with High Elf Archer once again; asking her for input as to how they should build the lakeside manor that he planned on using their gathered materials for, which led to the two of them planning out a late-night swim session with one another, after their ideal house would be constructed and furnished by the Moon-Cell.

Through his imagination, Goblin Slayer envisioned standing beside High Elf Archer behind the wooden posts that would serve as his guard rail for around his lakeside dock; electronic outdoor lighting illuminating the edge of the water, while allowing him to stare deeply into the smiling face of the beautiful elf who was beginning to stir up some feelings within him. Daydreaming seeing High Elf Archer in nothing but her swimsuit, or whatever else she had on to wear into the water, Goblin Slayer idly followed behind where BB was leading him and Fairy Knight; the crotch area of his pants beginning to tighten, as he imagined the green-haired elf having a trim and athletic body underneath her light armor she wore.

Realizing how similar in shape that she was to his older sister— albeit she had a flat chest and slightly less muscles than Vivi— Goblin Slayer had managed to gather enough glances at High Elf Archer's bubble-butt that he saw so clearly from how snug her brown short-shorts were; with the hormon-drive boy's most favorite part of her not being too far from the elf's juicy bottom-mounds: her exposed soft-shapely thighs. Invigorated to retire for the night in their future lakeside house, Goblin Slayer did everything in his power to speed along the gathering process as much as he could; finally being able to let go of the lonesome feelings of despair and sorrows that he had gotten from seeing the "ghost" of the NPC rebuilding herself inside of him.

Chapter Text

Once Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer had collectively spelunked through the vast-cavernous tunnels systems found within deep underground Grizzly Peak, they had gathered more than enough materials to last them the rest of the journey; at least according to BB's analysis, they did. The sun was beginning to set as Goblin Slayer once again, and reluctantly, enlarged his holographic menu in order to enter augmented reality; enveloping the valley in orange and purple hues, while he begin using refined wood and stone materials to build the foundation of the large water-side manor.

Making good on his promise to allow his new companion to have a say in the matter, Goblin Slayer made the effort to alter and change the foundation of the manor whenever High Elf Archer wanted to request an alteration in the architectural design; making BB and BBB's workload more tedious, yet neither of them complained too much about it. With Fairy Knight keeping guard at all times, High Elf Archer had fallen into a state of complacency, which allowed her to completely drop her guard as she got more involved with helping Goblin Slayer with placing the furniture and decorations that he was creating; having him stick to a post-modern woodland-cabin theme, which involved dark-green fabrics, white-painted walls and polished-wooden floorboards throughout a majority of the five-story tall house.

When twilight finally began to set over the Oakshire Forest, the group collectively had finished constructing and furnishing the three-hundred meter long docking-wharf that extended out from the back-patio, of their raised manor that was accessible through the two conjoining grand staircases that led up to the front porch of the beautiful house; a house that was fitted with luxurious appliances and modern technology that left the two adventurers speechless and stunned at what they saw.

While High Elf Archer was marveling at the genius plumbing system that was kept purified by the micro-treatment system that BB had built underneath the long-wooden dock, in one of the many restrooms that were built within the five-story tall manor, Goblin Slayer was sitting down in the brown treated-leather reclining chair that was facing the cozy cobblestone-fireplace that was built into the wall of his living room, opposite of where he was at; his dusty-rose eyes focused on the gentle flames that were dancing inside the fireplace, as his impoverished mind struggled to comprehend his newfound fortune.

Slowly looking away from the stress-relieving fireplace that was warming him and the rest of the living room up in its basking beauty, Goblin Slayer looked up into the relaxed expression that was on BB's smiling face; gratitude glimmering in his eyes, while the ten year-old boy still found himself feeling cathartic about the managerial AI's involvement in his life. "… Words aren't enough to describe how grateful I am for everything you've done, BB-Sensei. I wish that I… That I had more to offer to you than just my gratitude. I wish… I wish there was a way for me to bring Hakuno here; to unite her with you," Goblin Slayer said thoughtfully, which elicited a joyless chuckle from BB.

"Hmmhm…! If only things were as simple as that, Ashta-Kun," BB quipped with a solemn look behind her violet eyes, as she placed her hand on top of Goblin Slayer's head full of light-brown hair; playfully messing it up with her fingers, before slowly retracting her hand from him. Appearing conflicted as she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out of BB'a mouth as she kept her jaw agaped before slowly closing her lips shut; momentarily averting her gaze from Goblin Slayer's curious stare, before suddenly shifting her attention back to him with a saddened smile across her lips.

"It… It makes me uncomfortable having to have this discussion with you, but… But with all the uncertainty that we're feeling about whether or not the Moon-Cell will actually make its way to this particular universe… I think I might need to consider the possibility that… That I may never see Hakuno-Chan again," BB confided, as she took in a deep brew of air before slowly exhaling it through her nostrils.

Even though he was still technically just a kid, Goblin Slayer knew that BB was entrusting him with allowing him to see her more vulnerable-side, which made him all the more willing to help talk her through her problems. "I see… And what makes you think that, BB-Sensei?"

Needing a moment to gather her thoughts, BB began massaging the sides of her forehead with her thumb and index finger at one time, covering her closed eyelids, as she did her best to keep her emotions in check. "It's just… It's just that I… I look like at everything through the scope of mathematics— optima and hope without data are just wishful thinking, and I think I’m starting to realize how badly I’ve turned a blind eye to all of this," BB confided through an exasperated voice, as she slowly lowered her hand to reveal a frustrated frown on her lips. "You see… Statistically speaking, the odds of us getting through this aren’t on our side. This particular timeline of yours could be deemed too different from what the Moon-Cell is willing to accept within the parameters of what it considers to be an “acceptable amount” of similar human-imagination, and it could either freeze this timeline with a " quantum time-lock", or just sever this timeline from the "root" altogether, and make world this just another "lostbelt" timeline that ceases to exist."

Digesting the words that BB had told him, Goblin Slayer silently stared off into the gentle-glow of the orange-flames that are dancing slowly inside the cobblestone fireplace; his mind coming up with a rebuttal to BB's existential crisis, before finally looking back up into her eyes to begin speaking. "I see… Those possible outcomes do sound pretty scary, don't they? But even so… I don't think you're scared of dying; you don't seem to strike me as that sort of person," Goblin Slayer said aloud with a thoughtful look, before slowly reaching up to gently grab a hold of the AI woman's hand. "You hold no attachment to this world, timeline, or even this universe; whatever happens here won't affect you, not while you're inside the Moon-Cell. Which means that isn't actually about my world: this is about Hakuno, isn't it?"

Like a deer caught in the headlights, BB's eyes widened as she stared back down at the reassuring smile that Goblin Slayer was giving her; his kindness unraveling her, as guilt immediately began spreading through her digital body. "Ashta-Kun… You're a good kid— truly, you are— I’ve grown to respect you enough to refuse to weave you a beautiful lie, about how I'm able to see you in the same light as Hakuno-Chan… When in reality that's just not the case… At the end of the day, I can't see you as anything more than just Hakuno-Chan's temporary vessel; a temporary vessel whose happiness and growth is important to me, because some part of me still wants to believe that some part of you is still her…"

"… The truth of the matter is that if I knew without a shadow of a doubt that killing you would bring her back to me, then… Then you'd already be dead," BB admitted with an apologetic look in her eyes, as she watched Goblin Slayer's smile slightly waver from the harsh truth that he already knew beforehand. “Hmhmm… That’s probably something you weren’t expecting me to say just now, was it?” 

Matching the sarcastic playfulness of the brutally honest AI woman with a half-cock smirk of his own, Goblin Slayer let out a soft chuckle as he shrugged his shoulders. “Uh, hehe— kind of? I mean, that’s something that you’d absolutely say to me… Plus, I mean… I’d have to be blind to the reality of our relationship to not have already picked up on that by now.”  

"Trust me, I’m not blind to how cruel of me that is to say that to you— especially considering that you’re still a child— but… The dedication that I have to her has been literally hardcoded inside of me, so as to override anything that might prevent me from accomplishing my purpose,” BB explained with a saddened look in her violet eyes, and even though her anxieties were still present, she couldn’t help but to slowly begin to feel more calm the longer she spoke to Goblin Slayer. 

“Your purpose…?” He asked back with a curious look coming over his empathetic face, as he reached up with one hand to gently hold the bottom of his chin, while using his other hand to support his elbow. “You’ve always seemed to be rather free-willed when it comes to decision making, BB-Sensei— and forgive me for saying this, but… You’re also the most opinionated person I’ve ever met. What purpose have you’ve been given that’s seeming to trouble you?”

Flashing an amused grin at her student for the way he had described her, BB’s eyes slowly drifted away from his and down toward the floor as the corners of her lips began to curl downward as well. “I… I was created for the sole purpose of protecting Hakuno-Chan at all costs— a destructive love created from selfish mediocrity. That's why I'm worried about the fate of this timeline for all the wrongs reasons. So long as Hakuno-Chan's fragmented data is inside you, then whatever fate befalls upon you, befalls on her by extension— that’s the sole reason why I… Why I feel protective of you, and I hate that about myself," BB explained, while still finding it hard to maintain eye-contact with Goblin Slayer, despite knowing that he was completely understanding of her strange predicament. "I… I can only hope that you don't think any less of me, after telling you all of this. I've come to respect you too much to continue withholding the truth from you, Ashta-Kun— I would have just kept my mouth shut, if that wasn't the case."

Carefully choosing his words before speaking them, Goblin Slayer gave BB's anxious hand a warm-soft squeeze before slowly letting out a breath of withheld air from his small lungs. "Thank you for your honesty… I know that it wasn't easy for you to unveil all of that just now, so I really do appreciate it. I… I might not know exactly what you're going through right now— since I can’t get into your head, like how you and Melusine have access to mine— but even so, I… I think I can relate to what you're feeling."

Closing her eyelids shut while silently chuckling cynically to herself, the skeptic inside of BB was telling her that there wasn't any conceivable way that a mere child would be able to understand the complex dread that she was experiencing, but the human side of her that had developed since being influenced by Hakuno and Goblin Slayer's kindness told her otherwise. "Hmhmhm…! I'm having a hard time believing that, Ashta-Kun! Which— knowing you and your determination— I suppose that just means you’ll have to have a pretty damn good explanation to convince me otherwise~!"

Unable but to softly laugh alongside BB and her sudden playfulness towards the serious topic, Goblin Slayer chuckled with the corners of his lips slightly curled into an empathic smirk as he continued to gently hold onto to the managerial AI's soft hand; feeling her fingers squeezing back down onto his hand, as to provide comfort to him as well. For the next fifteen minutes, Goblin Slayer went into detail about the feeling of despair and hopelessness that he had experienced on the day that the goblin army invaded his village; unaware that High Elf Archer had accidentally stumbled upon his vivid retelling of the traumatic event, and was standing alongside Fairy Knight in the entrance hallway as Goblin Slayer began to open up more-and-more about the horrors that he had survived through.

Unraveling his trauma while allowing himself to remain emotionally vulnerable with how safe he felt in that cozy living room, it wasn't until Goblin Slayer got to the end of his firsthand account of that night did he finally realize just how much it had impacted him. He hadn't been dwelling on the details of that night on purpose, but now that he has time to reflect on the fear and horror he felt from witnessing young women and children getting raped, as the men of the village had their mutilated remains scattered across the burning landscape that had once been their home, was breaking through the emotional walls that Goblin Slayer's mind had built to protect not only his sanity, but the sanity of the already terrified and lonesome girl living inside of him.

Feeling tears of agony and anguish softly flowing down his scarred cheeks, Goblin Slayer's attention drew away from the words of solace that BB had attempted to say after having processed the disturbing information that the traumatized ten year-old had told her. Instead, the young boy's wide-eyed gaze focused on the glowing-white silhouette that was enveloping the glitching corporal form of Hakuno, who he saw hunched over with her face buried in her hands, as she was kneeling down between him and the active fireplace.

Unable to hear her cries of anguish, Goblin Slayer once again was struck with the feelings of isolation and bitter-hopeless despair that he felt when he last saw Hakuno's ghost. 'Wasn't the only reason why I saw her earlier was due to some sort of optical illusion? How am I seeing her now, when I'm not even in augmented reality?' Goblin Slayer asked himself, while still silently feeling his tears streaming down the sides of his face, as the three other women within the living room area began to notice the all-too familiar mannerisms that he was displaying.

Immediately feeling as though a dagger had punctured through her chest, the overwhelming amount of heartache that BB felt in that moment made it near impossible for her to even utter a word; her violet eyes beginning to tear up, as she used her avatar to stare into the direction where Goblin Slayer was looking. "… Was I… W… Was I w-wrong…? Is… Is that… H… Ha…" BB tried saying the name of her beloved out loud, before choking on her own words as her voice began to crack as her face started to contort into an expression of utter sorrow.

Slowly looking away from where Hakuno was beginning to lower her arms down to hold herself as he finally got a good look at her face, Goblin Slayer gave BB's trembling hand another comforting squeeze as he looked up into her watery-eyes. "… Hakuno's kneeling down in front of the fireplace right now… She's wailing right now; I may not be able to hear what her cries sound like, but even so… I can't put into words how I'm able to, but… But I know why she's crying; she feels alone, forgotten, and filled with despair," Goblin Slayer explained with an empathic voice; feeling sorry for BB, after seeing the usually bombastic and confident woman beginning to fall apart before him into a blubbering mess.

Without another word, Goblin Slayer stood up from the recliner with his hand still holding BB's; confusing the crying AI woman, as he began leading her toward where Hakuno was on the floor. "W… W-What a-are you d-doing…?!" BB choked out with a confused and heartbroken tone; her saddened voice barely audible through her quiet weeping.

Waiting to speak, Goblin Slayer guided BB over to the front of where Hakuno was still hunched over on the wooden floorboards of the living room; moving her into position, so that she was down on her knees while leaning forward with her arms outstretched into a hug. Taking his seat beside where Hakuno's ghostly frame was being held by BB, Goblin Slayer wiped his tears on the sleeve of his black shirt before looking BB straight in the eye as he began talking to her.

"Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed with sorrow, the world often seems like it's coming to an end, and what I crave the most during those times is to be held by Vivi… I figured that you and Hakuno could comfort each other," Goblin Slayer said from the heart, as he heard BB letting out a quiet gasp as she stared back at him with widened eyes and with her jaw slightly agaped. "From here, to eternity… No matter what fate awaits for this world, or for you or Hakuno, there's nothing that can ever take away the love you have for her… So hold her close, and don't ever let go of her; show her how much she means to you," Goblin Slayer said with a gentle smile across his lips, as he carefully took the exact position that Hakuno's ghost was in; becoming the medium for her to receive BB's embrace, as the AI woman broke down and immediately began sobbing violently into the nape of their neck.

Filled with uncertainty and desperation, BB tightened her arms around the ten year-old as doubtful thoughts began to fill her skeptic mind. 'I see where the sentiment of this is coming from, but why am I letting myself get worked up over this? I trust him, granted, but I can't see what he sees; what's even the point of doing this? It's, by all accounts, impossible for me to make contact with Hakuno-Chan… Especially considering that I'm not even the one doing the…?' BB's thoughts trailed off, as all of sudden she had an uncontrollable urge to look up from the collar she had been crying into.

Unsure as to why her programming had prompted her to look up, BB's question was immediately answered the moment she laid eyes upon the familiar and adorable face of her beloved, whose corporal body was no longer plagued by digital distortion or analog glitching. "H-Hakuno-Chan…?!" BB whispered in a hollow voice; sounding almost afraid of speaking too loudly, as some part of her didn't want to scare away the beloved teenager from her arms.

No longer seeing Goblin Slayer there, but instead the teenager who she had been created to love and to protect, BB studied every detail within Hakuno's expression; from the way her bloodshot eyes were staring right through her, to the way she appeared just as equally perplexed and astonished as she did in that very moment. Attempting to speak quietly to her did nothing, and likewise BB couldn't understand or hear the words that Hakuno was trying to say to her; an impasse within in their communication left them with a void inside their hearts, one that was mended when BB lovingly reached her trembling arms up from behind Hakuno's upper back, so as to carefully lower the side of teenager's face down on top of her chest.

Nuzzling the top of the phantom's head, BB planted a kiss on Hakuno's head full of long-luscious locks of brown hair before slowly letting out a cathartic sigh. "I… I have no way of knowing whether or not you can hear me, Hakuno-Chan— but I’ll speak regardless… I miss you, and… And ever since you and I were separated, I’ve had time to self-reflect on what you and I had, and… And I’m beginning to realize that… That I love you, and I’m making that decision from my own freewill— not because of what I was programmed to feel. I… I know we'll be together again one day; I'll… I'll make sure of it, no matter what it takes… I… I promise you that— fate be damned," BB whispered in a raspy voice— losing track of time as she continued to hold the phantom image of the calmed teenager down, until Hakuno's image slowly faded away; leaving behind Goblin Slayer, who the managerial AI continued to warmly embrace into her large breasts, as night began to fall over their little paradise on the lakeside.

Chapter Text

Submerged underneath the surface of the moonlit lake, Goblin Slayer felt an odd sensation of deja vu flooding his senses as he sunk deeper, and deeper into the water; oxygen bubbles floating up past his body, as he watched them past his floating bangs as they all rose up towards the full moon above. Asphyxiation began to make his breathless lungs burn, thoughts that weren't his own began emerging from within the deep recesses of his mind as time itself felt frozen underneath the dark waves of the lake.

' … Before me stands the " Holy Grail". I slowly extend my hand and place it on the core of the " Moon-Cell".'

' … The instant I make contact with it, I am drawn inside the Holy Grail… To be more accurate, I am absorbed into it like water being absorbed into a sponge. '

' … In the short time before I'm erased from existence, my consciousness is immersed into the Moon-Cell… I can see everything that exists within it: every day piece of information, every observation, every conclusion. '

' … The sheer volume of information and ideas stored in the Moon-Cell forms an intricate collage that no human could decipher, though I sense a pattern… And throughout humanity's peaceful stagnation and wars that bring forth its eventual destruction, the Moon-Cell will continuously and silently record what it sees; all without ever taking action. '

' … But now is not the time to get emotional; I must tell the Holy Grail what my wish is. '

The trance-like state his mind had been in was broken the moment he felt a hand wrapping itself around his wrist, which caused Goblin Slayer to accidentally take in a gulp of fresh water into his lungs. Gasping in pain with his lips beginning to turn blue, the ten year-old only managed to catch a glimpse of Fairy Knight's stoic expression hidden behind her armored mask, before his blurry vision was blinded by bubbles as his servant dragged him out of the water and up to the surface of the lake.

Emerging from the rippling waters with her arms wrapped around her master's body, Fairy Knight appeared more mildly annoyed than anything else as she watched as Goblin Slayer started to violently clear the water from his lungs; his chin resting on her large armored shoulder-pad, as he began to regulate his breathing through shallow and rapid gasps for air. "You told me that you were capable of swimming on your own… Did you overestimate yourself, or was that simply a lie to impress the high elf?" Fairy Knight asked in a low voice, while momentarily looking past Goblin Slayer's shoulder to see BB and High Elf Archer standing several meters above them; the two women staring off at them with concern in their eyes, after having watched Goblin Slayer almost drown, when he plunged into the water from the edge of the long-dock that extended out from the back porch of the lakeside manor.

Taking in a deep breath while feeling his racing heart beginning to settle inside of his chest, Goblin Slayer groaned slightly with the sickly taste of lake water on his tongue, as he shook his head while still resting his chin on top of his servant's shoulder armor. "I… I-I can swim; really, I can…! It's just… It's just I… I think I was experiencing one of Hakuno's memories; when she purposefully pulled herself into some floating cube that was hollowed out, and… And it had a glowing-yellow orb inside of it— or something like that, I can’t say for certain what I saw," Goblin Slayer explained, while doing his best to describe the way that the Moon-Cell's core looked through Hakuno's own eyes, as Fairy Knight slowly let go of him.

"Oh? I see… So it would appear as though the managerial AI's hypothesis is coming true then: her beloved NPC's fragmented data is within the gradual process of restoration. The mind can only wonder what will become of her, whenever she becomes completely restored," Fairy Knight mused in her usual bored-sounding voice, while carefully ensuring that Goblin Slayer was capable of wading through the surface of the water on his own as she fully retracted her small arms from him. "As perplexing as that may be, we shouldn't be hyper-fixated on any outcome that we aren't able to control; whether or not she lives or dies is of no concern to us."

Even though Goblin Slayer had gotten used to how apathetic Fairy Knight could be when it came to empathizing with others who she didn't have a reason to care about, the ten year-old boy couldn't help but to frown at her as he raised an eye-brow at her. "That's… That's rather cold of you to say, Melusine; Hakuno means a lot to BB-Sensei. Doesn't that mean something to you?"

"Absolutely not, and you'd be wise to remember that she doesn't see you as a friend, Master; you're just someone who she's waiting to abandon, the moment she no longer needs you," Fairy Knight said aloud, while knowing fully well that her spiteful words would negatively impact the AI woman, who she refused to address by her name.

Not willing to back down from the argument just yet, Goblin Slayer softly shook his head at Fairy Knight before sighing softly. "No one's arguing the reason as to why she's stuck around us for this long, but look at this way: wouldn't you do the same, if you were in her position as well?" Goblin Slayer asked hypothetically, while noticing Fairy Knight's lips slightly tightening after she had heard his inquiry.

Motivated by her pride, Fairy Knight wanted to argue with the ten year-old about how she would have been able to keep her personal feelings separate from whatever mission she had accepted, but instead all she could do was keep her mouth agape as nothing but silence poured out of her parted lips. Swallowing back her dignity, Fairy Knight lowered her head slightly while self-reflecting for a moment before finally letting out a defeated sigh of her own.

"Perhaps I… Perhaps I was too quick to cast judgment… Given her situation, it… It would be nothing more than a self-gratifying lie if I were to claim that I wouldn't do the same if I were in her predicament," Fairy Knight admitted with a solemn tone in her voice, while her stoic expression seemed more lonely than how Goblin Slayer ever remembered it being.

'I think that question struck a nerve with her; it hit a little too close to home for her… She's not good with communicating her feelings, so… Maybe I should say something this time, instead of just letting it fly,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, before taking a moment to think about how he would word his next question. "I see… Forgive me for asking, as you don't really talk a lot about yourself, but… Did you ever have anyone important to you personally? Anyone who you've ever… Loved?"

Expecting an outburst of anger stemming from a need to protect herself, Goblin Slayer was pleasantly surprised when he instead noticed Fairy Knight's mood visibly lifting, as a small smile formed across her soft lips. "Love… As in, I still love her," Fairy Knight replied, as she took in a deep breath through her covered nose before slowly exhaling it out through her parted lips. "Her name is… Was… Lord Aurora; she was the acting head of her clan of fairies, and lorded over a cathedral city of Salisbury. She was— in retrospect— the most beautiful lie ever woven in all of Britain," Fairy Knight mused with a cathartic tone in her voice; letting out another sigh, before briefly clarifying to Goblin Slayer that "Britain" was the county that she was from, and that " Salisbury" was a fairy-populated city that Aurora governed over.

Caught off guard by the answer by Fairy Knight's response, Goblin Slayer narrowed his eyelids slightly at her as he tilted his head slightly towards his shoulder. "That's… A pretty odd thing to say about someone who means a lot to you. What's the reason why you would say something like that about her?"

Letting out a humorously throaty-chuckle, Fairy Knight smiled quietly at the curious boy before softly shaking her head at him. "There's a time and a place for everything, Master; you should enjoy your evening swim with the high elf. I'll tell you more about her some other time; I'd rather not spoil the mood," Fairy Knight said half-jokingly, before eliciting astonished gasps from Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer as she unveiled a large glowing-pair of translucent, pastel fairy-wings that emerged from her upper back; allowing her to gracefully levitate out of the water.

With Fairy Knight remaining within the six-meter radius from Goblin Slayer that allowed her to maintain her corporal form, she softly landed in front of High Elf Archer; taking a moment to remove her armored mask from her face, so as to reveal her stunning brown eyes to the speechless woman with green-hair. "… The materials that went into this needlessly large dock took me a lot of time to gather today. You wouldn't want to insult me by not making use of it like my Master did, would you?" Fairy Knight asked in her usual stoic voice, with only her mildly playfully look on her unmasked face being the one thing that reassured High Elf Archer that the servant was only playing around with her.

Unlike Goblin Slayer, who was sporting a pair of cotton underwear to cover himself up while swimming, High Elf Archer was completely naked as she stood before the two other women. Kept warm by the summer-night air, High Elf Archer chuckled uneasily as she rubbed the back of her head with one hand. Chuckling while muttering something incoherent to Fairy Knight as she awkwardly walked past the four-foot tall servant; climbing up the wooden guardrail that bordered the edge of the grand dock, until she was balancing on the top rail.

Wading near the edge of the dock like how Fairy Knight had asked him to, so as to allow his servant to bathe underneath the light of the full moon on one of the reclining beach chairs that BB had created, Goblin Slayer was able to get a spectacular look up at High Elf Archer's slender and pale body. Although she had a trim body, there was no denying the fact that High Elf Archer had a toned body that showed off her curvy thighs, and the modest roundness she had in her rear, with of course there only being barely noticeable mounds on her otherwise flat chest.

'She's the opposite of Mother Mary: she's about my height, lacks the curves that she has, and isn't abundantly feminine like her… Yet, she's still a beautiful woman by her own standards; there's an appeal to her slender body, and how her bottom is the most prominent feature she has on her… Other than her smile, that is,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, while not wanting to think himself as shallow as he felt his cheeks growing red the moment he realized that the amused elf had caught him eyeing her up. "C-Come on in; the water's fine!" Goblin Slayer called out with an embarrassed tone in his voice that he was trying to cover up, as he gestured for High Elf Archer to leap off from the side of the guardrail, like how he had done before almost drowning.

Chuckling at how dorky Goblin Slayer sounded when he tried covering up the fact that he had been checking her out, High Elf Archer smirked at him as she raised her arms above her shoulders; positioning herself to dive, while also toying with the hormonal kid by puffing out her small chest, so as to make her breasts seem larger than they actually were. 'Horny little bastard, aren't you? Hmmm!' High Elf Archer thought to him inside of her head, while feeling flattered and her ego inflating after noticing that Goblin Slayer had pulled his eyes back up to her chest; lustfully ogling at her little-pink and erected nipples, as they bounced side-to-side along with the rest of her petite breasts.

Even though the little flaunting-display of her goods only lasted a few moments before coming to an end, as she swan dived off the dock and into the water, it had been a good enough show to Goblin Slayer to elicit a boner underneath his cotton underwear; the moon light illuminating his flushed cheeks, as he waded in the water while watching her breach backup through its surface. Watching with an amorous gaze in his dusty-rose colored eyes, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but admire how elegant High Elf Archer looked as she whipped her soaking-wet hair back; the gentle glow of the moon illuminating her beautiful pale-skin, and gave her a mystique appearance as she calmly turned her head toward him to smile back at him, with her cheeks slowly turning pink the longer the two of them stared into one another's eyes.

And so, Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer broke the sexual tension between them by beginning to play water-sport games with one another; using whatever inflatable blow-up toys and rafts that he would create, while BB and Fairy Knight began to conversate about their failed love-lives as the managerial AI kept track of the time. Confessing to Fairy Knight that her biggest regret with Hakuno was never truly getting a chance to take their relationship anywhere, BB in turn was told of the servant's own shaky past with Aurora; making the conversation awkward for BB, after Fairy Knight talked about how she hated Aurora as much as she loved her, and wished that she could have brought herself to kill her sooner than she ended up doing while in her lostbelt timeline.

Needless to say, BB changed the subject immediately after Fairy Knight told her about how she had mauled Aurora to death, before leaving her to bleed out slowly as she watched her along with an organization of humans flee the timeline, before it collapsed. When asked if Fairy Knight knew what "Five Nights at Freddy's" was— to which the confused servant replied " no"— BB mentioned how she wanted to teach Hakuno and possibly Goblin Slayer about her own interpretation of its confusing lore, before awkwardly changing the subject once more.

After thirty minutes of spraying each other with water toys, and "accidentally" brushing up against one another while playfully hitting one another with inflatable weapons, Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer were both called back onto the dock by Fairy Knight, who spoke on behalf of BB, since the managerial AI couldn't communicate to the minty-green haired woman herself. Since the only fabrics and cotton they had were from the clothes that BB was scraping from Goblin Slayer's inventory, High Elf Archer and the ten year-old boy were ordered by Fairy Knight to share one towel; utterly shocking the gobsmacked elf, when she caught a glance at the size of the boy's member.

With a flustered elf who was struck with disbelief as to how a child his age could be so well-endowed, Goblin Slayer was walking behind BB with Fairy Knight protectively watching him from behind; the four of them passing by the various vacant restaurants and businesses along their left and right sides, as their storefront filled their peripheral vision with a multitude of different colors. Over the sound of the lake splashing up against the fortified pillars that were supporting the three-hundred meter long dock, the slight creaking of the heavy-duty wooden boards that made up the floor that they were walking on reminded Goblin Slayer of what he figured walking onboard a boat sounded like, which got him thinking about the possibility of having BB helping him with crafting a water-worthy vessel to sail around the unnamed lake.

'I hope to expand this estate with as many accommodations and luxuries as possible… When I'm finished clearing out the goblin stronghold, and bring their kind to the brink of extinction, I'll bring them all here to live out the rest of their lives in comfort… It's what every single one of them deserves, ' Goblin Slayer thought to himself with a bittersweet smile spreading across his lips, as he began imagining the upcoming day when he would lead a mass exodus of the survivors and orphans who were in Londobell to the newly refurbished Oakshire Forest; gifting them and his loved ones with the best possible life he could give them.

One dreamy nightly stroll along the vacant and well illuminated dock later, the group retired to the gorgeous cabin-themed kitchen that BB had recommended earlier, while Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer were building the five-story resort-like home that stuck out like a bright candle burning in the middle of of the black abyss. Since the managerial AI couldn't physically interact with anything inside the manor, save for anything had a motherboard installed inside of it, she had to show Goblin Slayer how to step-by-step prepare, cook, and serve dinner to High Elf Archer, Fairy Knight, and himself; even though the servant technically didn't need sustenance to eat, she made it a point to announce that she wanted to partake at the dinner table.

Although the refrigerator that in of itself was still mystifying to Goblin Slayer didn't have anything within its cold shelves, the ten year-old boy still was able to scrounge together a large meal by using the dropped loot that he had taken from the monsters Fairy Knight had slain along the way. Thanks to the advanced space-age technology that was available to him from the appliances that lined his black-marble counters, Goblin Slayer was able to create a family-sized serving of freshly made "Monster Ramen": a new recipe entirely that BB had thought of, which used the collected meat and harvested eggs of the strange beasts from the meadow, just outside of Londobell's outer rim of farmland.

By the end of their half-an-hour dinner, Goblin Slayer was the only one who found the taste of the ramen to be too "gamey" for his liking. High Elf Archer thoroughly enjoyed the bowl of noodles and monster meat, as she was accustomed to eating whatever she could hunt; as was tradition for all high elves from her wooded kingdom. And of course, considering that Fairy Knight was once the left hand of a primordial dragon-god in her past life, she wasn't a picky eater to begin with, with her only critique being that the broth, in her opinion, needed the blood of her enemies to give it a more savory taste.

With BB standing beside Goblin Slayer while he and the others sat down at their rectangular shaped dining-table, the group began making idle banter while letting their food digest, which led to Goblin Slayer admitting to High Elf Archer that he was polyamorous, to which the minty-haired woman didn't cast judgment towards; not even when he talked about how his own older sister was one of his two lovers, as to High Elf Archer incest wasn't uncommon amongst her own people. Not wanting to be silent about her own opinion on the topic, Fairy Knight opened up about how she wanted to breed and make love to Aurora; who she considered to be her adoptive e mother, as well as her beloved that tragically had to die by her hand.

Goblin Slayer, High Elf Archer and even BB gave Fairy Knight their condolences after hearing more of her tragic tale; the white haired servant even beginning to tear up a bit when she began to discuss how Aurora's sociopathic behavior not only made her do things that she would later regret, but how the three-thousand year old fairy lord's lies had taken the lives of those who believed her word to be the truth. Having not talked about her own trauma for so long, as she preferred to carry herself as emotionless and hardened— even when she had to lie to herself to make herself believe in it, much like how she often forced herself to believe in Aurora's lies— Fairy Knight shed a few tears while being comforted by the three others who were occupying the dining table with her; a weight seemingly lifting from her shoulders, as she thanked every single of one of them for their kind words, which even included the AI woman who usually got on her nerves the most.

And even though she was appreciative to be in the company of such understanding and supportive people, Fairy Knight still had her limits as to how sentimental she could feel before it became too awkward and uncomfortable for her to handle. "Let's… Discuss more about who this dark elf that's supposedly in-charge of that goblin stronghold... "Nerevar": that's his name, yes?" Fairy Knight inquired, while recomposing herself to once again become more outwardly stoic and serious.

Knowing the reason behind why Fairy Knight was so quick to suddenly change subjects, since she herself could relate to the same insecurities that the servant had writhing inside of her, High Elf Archer politely handed Goblin Slayer her empty bowl as the boy made his way around the table to begin collecting their dirty dishes, so as to have BB show him how to operate a dishwasher. "Uh sure, let me think, let me think… Remind me again, what have I told you so and Orcblog so far about Nerevar…?" High Elf Archer muttered under her breath; a methodical expression appearing on her face, as she crossed her arms while idly watching as Goblin Slayer left the dining room and made his way into the kitchen, which was in the next room over.

"You've told me that he comes from an underground city of dark elves, who commit malicious acts for the sake of gaining favor from some sort of deity that goes by the name or "Chaos God”. Despite your people and the dark elves having disputes with one another, both of you seek to eliminate Nerevar, as he's betrayed his own people, and is responsible for the deaths of your scouting parties," Fairy Knight reminded, as she had a significantly better memory than High Elf Archer. "According to your sources, he's been kidnapping children for less than a week now, and he's doing that with the goblin army he has under his control."

"… Oh yeah, huh? S-Sorry for not remembering; with how eventful today was, all of that slipped my mind," High Elf Archer casually apologized with an embarrassed smirk across her slightly blushing face; one that quickly faded away into a more serious expression, as she focused back on explaining to Fairy Knight about what she knew about Nerevar. Being one-thousand years old, which was considered very young for her age, High Elf Archer explained how Nerevar had once been a powerful court mage for the dark elves during the "Imperium Era"; which was around three-thousand years ago. According to what she had learned from her parents, who were the King and Queen of the high elves during the previous era, the kingdom of the dark elves had been brought to ruin by one unnamed individual who her people referred to as "Harsan", which translated to common as "Red-Eyed Man".

From what the surviving dark elves later claimed, the one-man invasion of their destroyed kingdom had been an inside job plotted by the Red-Eyed Man, and none other than their own court mage; with supposed eye-witness accounts stating that Nerevar had been openly discussing sacrilegious topics that strayed away from the dark elf worship of the Chaos God. After having taken the divine collection of unearthly items that had been given to the dark elves for their servitude to the Chaos God, Red-Eyed Man took Nerevar with him; tasking the former court wizard with using his summoned army of goblins to strategically slaughter the high elf scouts, which led to them being unprepared for when the Imperial Empire that had power all over Zemuria to almost wipe out her kind, during their genocidal conquest to annihilate all non-human populations.

"That's how my grandparents died; that was why the high elves joined the rebellion led by the Emperor's youngest son: "Alexander Pathway". That's reason why you won't see too many non-humans within Zemuria anymore; those " Imperial Bastards" are thank for that,"High Elf Archer said with a cynical chuckle, while revealing that she still held onto the generational trauma that had caused her lineage to almost die out. "Incest is only a taboo to the humans, because unlike them the rest of us had to rely on that practice to prevent ourselves from going extinct; and even then, the risk of life-threatening birth defects are what usually makes the rest of us more keen to finding a human mate to bear children with… I hope those bastards are rolling in their graves, knowing that their hateful efforts ended up backfiring on them in the end; serves them right."

Although having introspect from a non-human like High Elf Archer was fascinating to her, Fairy Knight couldn't help but to think about her master's own eyes, and about what Slime Girl had said earlier about how much Goblin Slayer resembled that other red-eyed boy who she saw thousands of years ago. "I see… And allow me to ask you another question, Artemis… Within your millennia of walking this planet, how often would you say it's common for a human to have red eyes?" Fairy Knight asked quietly enough to prevent Goblin Slayer from overhearing her from the kitchen; the servant leaning forward across the dining table, so as to gesture for High Elf Archer to do the same.

Quickly picking up on what Fairy Knight was insinuating, High Elf Archer appeared reluctant before slowly leaning against the table herself; her emerald green-eyes staring straight into the servant's brown gaze, as she hadn't put her armored mask back on since taking it off at the dock earlier. "… Humans' eye colors vary; some are brown like yours, others have pink colored irises… Red eyes, though… Those aren't natural; the only things that have red eyes are things that shouldn't be allowed to exist," High Elf Archer whispered in a dark tone, before slowly exhaling as a nervous smile formed across her pink lips. "B-But I mean… His eyes aren't COMPLETELY red…! They're more like, uh… The color of dying rose petals… E-Except when they glow; I've caught that happening a couple of times, but… I-I figured maybe they only get that way when he's using " magecraft", or whatever it's called…"

Even though she herself was considerably "lawfully evil"— at least according to the moral alignment that the Moon-Cell had listed her under— Fairy Knight couldn't help but to share High Elf Archer's wishful sentiment about how much she didn't want to believe that someone who was as kind and loving as Goblin Slayer could be as evil as the Red-Eyed Man himself. Trying to mentally think of servants who she was aware of within the Throne who also had red eyes, Fairy Knight quickly gave up on that idea when she realized that only two examples she could remember from the top of her head were Gilgamesh and Ishtar; both of which were prime narcissists who often justified their selfish and destructive acts as being "righteous".

Tightening her fingers into fists, as all she could think to be reminded of was the way she used to actively lie to herself in order to maintain the image of Aurora being perfect in her eyes, Fairy Knight slowly shook her head as she let out a deep and bothered sigh through her nostrils. "It… It's irrelevant whether or not my Master's a descendant of that individual; he is his own person, and I know without a shadow of doubt in my mind that Ren Ashta is anything BUT evil… I should know: I've been in-and-out of his soul countless times by now; I would have noticed that by now…" Fairy Knight whispered with a reassured look in her brown eyes, despite still feeling angry and saddened by the memory of how she used to be with Aurora.

Having overheard the private conversation taking place in the dining room, BB pretend to be oblivious as she finally gestured Goblin Slayer to follow her out of the kitchen; exchanging subtle glances with Fairy Knight, before looking from the archway as the ten year-old stood at the edge of the table while facing toward High Elf Archer. "I used the walk-in closet within the guest bedroom nearest to the entry hallway to place a "fast-travel" marker down at; so far, it'll let me travel to the outskirts of Londobell, and inside the tavern that my sister has been renting for a few days now. I'm going to give her one of the spare bedrooms, and she'll be able to commute to-and-from the tavern once I complete a "mana transfer" with her…!" Goblin Slayer explained, while getting embarrassed toward the end, after he had mentioned the phrase "mana transfer" aloud. "BB-Sensei told me that it would let whoever I transfer my mana to be able to freely use the fast-traveler markers up to about a week, or so… So, uh… I-Is that something you would be, uh… Interested in, or…?"

Appealed by the idea of being given the ability to access Goblin Slayer's means to instant teleportation, High Elf Archer couldn't help but still be curious as to why the boy had been getting more flustered the longer he talked his way up into finally offering his "mana" to her. "Yeah, of course I'd want that! Why wouldn't I?" High Elf Archer asked with a slight scoff to her voice, as she looked up to the red-faced boy before drawing her eyes over to Fairy Knight.

Looking her straight in the eye, Fairy Knight couldn't help but to grin slightly as she let out an amused chuckle at High Elf Archer's naivety. "What my master is too self-conscious to make clear to you is that "mana transfers" are synonymous with "making love", but with magecraft subtly included into the mix," Fairy Knight revealed; causing Goblin Slayer to lower his chin down to hide his eyes behind his light-brown bangs, so as to prevent him from seeing just how shocked the flustered elf girl was to hear that revelation. "What do you say, Arthemis? Are you still up to receiving his "mana"?"

Covering her mouth with one hand, the mortified elf immediately turned from Fairy Knight to look at the utterly embarrassed boy; her mind drifting to her recent memories of seeing his eight-inch member, while being fueled by her admiration for Goblin Slayer, who she saw as the most extraordinary and cutest person she had ever come across before in her thousand years of living. "I…! I-I… Y… Y-Yeah. Y-Yeah, actually— I’d d-do it," High Elf Archer stammered out, which led to Fairy Knight snickering quietly under her breath, while BB began laughing at her and Goblin Slayer's expense, all while still comforting the ten year-old by repeatedly rubbing her hand on his upper back.

"Hahaha! Ahhh… Oh shit— you’re serious, aren’t you?" BB asked with a sudden deadpanned expression coming over her wide-eyed face. The entire room went silent, with High Elf Archer doing her best to remain visibly indifferent about the idea of letting Goblin Slayer “dump his mana” inside of her. “Uh… J-Just so we’re all on the same page here, Maiven-Chan, so there’s absolutely no confusion to be had… In order for you to use the fast-travel points without Ashta-Kun, you’d have to let him orgasm INSIDE of you— it could be in your oral cavity, anal cavity, or vaginal cavity, but he can’t masturbate on you or in your mouth. It… It won’t work that way,” BB clarified in detail, before rolling her eyes as she looked sideways with her cheeks growing redder. “D… Don’t ask me why that’s the criteria— I didn’t make the rules, I’m just telling you how it is.” 

Tightening her shaking hands into fists that she kept underneath the table and by her sides, High Elf Archer was completely red in the face as she forced herself to maintain eye contact with the embarrassed ten year-old sitting across from her. “Y-Yeah! Yeah, I got that part! It’s…! It’s not a big deal, okay?! I-It’s just sex— it’s natural as breathing, isn’t it?!” High Elf Archer asked rhetorically with her skin beginning to grow clammy, while the nervousness she was being overwhelmed with began to unknowingly excite her in ways she didn’t understand. “It doesn’t have to weird or anything like that, Orcblog! J-Just take me upstairs already, okay?! I-I kind of just want to get this over with!” 

Seeing the madly blushing high elf crossing her slender-strong arms over her flat chest with a frustrated and self-conscious expression over her beautiful face made Goblin Slayer’s cock grow underneath the fabrics of his trousers— recent memories of seeing her bare, naked body underneath the soft glow of the moonlight flooding his lustful mind. Clearing his throat awkwardly while knowing exactly what the three women in the room were turning their eyes to stare at, Goblin Slayer let out a shaky breath as a goofy smile made its way across his flushed face. “Uh…!? O… Okay! S-Sure! W-Whatever you say, Arthemis!” Goblin Slayer said bashfully, as he got out of his chair before making his way around the table to use his reinforced strength to surprise the nervous high elf by scooping her up from her chair, bridal style.

“H-Hey! HEY!!! C-Careful! You’re like, fuckin’ four feet tall, Orcblog!” High Elf Archer shouted anxiously— her fear of Goblin Slayer accidentally loosing his balance and dropping her on her head caused her to instinctively reach up to drape her arms tightly around him.

Witnessing along side Fairy Knight as they heard High Elf Archer occasionally screaming and nagging at Goblin Slayer of being careful about going upstairs with her in his small arms, BB exchanged glances with the white-haired knight once the two of them heard the boy shutting the door of the bedroom that he had chosen to transfer his “mana” inside the headstrong elf. "… Anyway, like I was saying to Ashta-Kun in the kitchen: It all started in nineteen seventy-three, when two men named "William Afton" and "Henry Emily" opened up their first business together called " Fredbear's Family Diner"," BB continued where she left off, as she began going into the deep-lore of her favorite universe to Fairy Knight, who couldn’t give two shits about her droning on about haunted animatronics and dead children.

Chapter Text

Here’s where things start to divert from the original draft of this story! Please, enjoy! 

Drawn in by the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops hitting against the otherside of the large bayside window where High Elf Archer's queen-sized bed had been pressed up against, Goblin Slayer stood in the center of the bedroom with his eyes fixated on simple yet therapeutic sight. "... I didn't even think to check the weather earlier… Rain's always a welcomed sight, especially if you've ever worked on a farm," Goblin Slayer mused awkwardly— trying to make small talk to break the ice, as the fussy high elf woman who he had sat down on her feet glared at him with narrowed eyelids. Still pretending to be entranced by the raindrops hitting and trailing down the other side of the large multi-paneled window, the ten year-old boy suckled on his bottom lip absent mindfully, while feeling his heart pounding inside of his chest. “So, uh… H-How do you want to do this?” 

Beginning to repeatedly tap her boot-covered foot against the carpeted floor, High Elf Archer began crossing her arms over her chest while leaning forward; remaining silent, until Goblin Slayer finally started to nervously look away from the safety of the window to meet her flustered gaze. "P-Part of me wants to say “ quickly ”, b-but… T-This is… T-Technically going to be my first time doing this sort of thing, sooooo… I don’t know?! J-Just do whatever you think will feel good, I guess…!” High Elf Archer revealed embarrassingly— her defensive side hardening, as she’d already flushed skin became several more shades darker.

Quick to put two-and-two together, everything about High Elf Archer’s off-putting and abrasive demeanor became so much clearer to Goblin Slayer— a soft gasp escaping his slightly parted lips, as slowly turned away from the window to face her. “Oh… I see: you’re upset that your… That your virginity is being taken by me… I completely understand, and if you’re not comfortable with this then-”

“- Tch , enough of that sappy crap, Orcblog! I told you downstairs that I don’t want this to be weird, and I meant it!” High Elf Archer snapped with her teeth bared slightly at Goblin Slayer, who stared back at her with a patient expression as he softly nodded his head. Feeling immediately remorseful for having raised her voice to him, High Elf Archer took a moment to reel her hormonal energy back before speaking to him once again. “S-Sorry, I… I didn’t mean to yell like that. I’m a… I’m a bit nervous, if I’m being honest here… L-Look, Orcblog— I just… I just want this to be casual, but… But try to keep it meaningful, o-okay? I… I don’t want it to be TOO casual, if you know what I’m saying…”

Hearing the gentle titter-tatter of raindrops hitting against the glass of the bayside window that overlooked the blackened waters of the lake, it was only after she had gotten done giving him her expectations when Goblin Slayer noticed how close they were standing. “ Ah… Okay, uh… I’ll… I’ll do my best to… To not disappoint you then”, Goblin Slayer said with a nervous smile, before taking in a deep breath and slowly exhaling it out. The build up to their first kiss felt clumsy and awkward— like two young teenagers who only one of them knew how to kiss properly— with Goblin Slayer having to initiate it by pulling High Elf Archer’s face slowly toward him.

What started off as soft and nervous pecks on the lips escalated into deeper kisses that paved the way for Goblin Slayer to slide his tongue into the aroused elf's mouth. Hearing High Elf Archer letting out a quiet, throaty moan as she opened her jaw to take in more of his tongue into her inviting mouth, Goblin Slayer's experienced hands began to softly glide up-and-down the petite elf's toned body; his fingers beginning to untuck her green tunic from her brown short-shorts.

Retracting his tongue from her drooling mouth, Goblin Slayer elicited another moan from the fast-breathing elf as he bit down on her bottom lip; succling on it in own his mouth, as he reached the orange corset-straps of High Elf Archer's top. It was then that her nervous fingers began fidgeting with the bottom of his shirt— trying to blindly pull his shirt up and off of his body, all while he was sucking on her bottom lip. Opening her tunic from the middle the same way she peeled back his dress shirt and black formal vest to reveal his own toned body, Goblin Slayer reluctantly released High Elf Archer's bottom lip before helping her take her top off completely.

Knowing the type of body that his older sister had, High Elf Archer couldn't help but to be self-conscious as she felt Goblin Slayer's eyes gazing down at her A cup-sized breasts; something that she didn't think twice about when they had swam together the other day. "I-I swear to the gods themselves…! If you make ONE joke about my chest being an “anvil”, I’ll crush your balls in my hand, Orcblog…!" High Elf Archer warned half-jokingly, and was met with reassurance as Goblin Slayer smiled softly at her, as he leaned down to run his tongue in between her shallow cleavage. 

Hearing High Elf Archer letting out what could be best described a cross between a cooing noise and a soft moan, Goblin Slayer found himself enjoying the taste of the pale-skinned girl's skin; the saltiness of her residue sweat reminded him that they probably all needed to shower that night, but in that moment her natural essence only enhanced the attraction he felt for her. "They're perfect as they are… Perfect, like you," Goblin Slayer whispered with his face still buried in High Elf Archer's small breasts, before leaning in closer to wrap his lips around her erect pink-nipple; his teeth gently applying pressure to it, and caused her to let out another moan as she reached up to wrap her arms around his head.

" Ooohhh…~! F-Fuck…~! S-Shut up, Orcblog— t-that was sappy as he-uwhahh,” High Elf Archer moaned out with a playful smirk momentarily crossing her pleasured face, before she began to bite down on her saliva-coated bottom-lip as Goblin Slayer gently lowered her down onto the bed. Once her back was on top of the mattress top, High Elf Archer opened her legs up to allow Goblin Slayer to lay down on top of her as he sucked on her tit, while using his other hand to fondle her other breast. The arousing stimulating she was receiving from the preteen was beginning to seep through the crotch area of her brown short-shorts; her fingers grabbing handfuls of Goblin Slayer's head full of graying hair, as she rolled her head back against the soft mattress with her eyes gazing down at the top of his head.

By the time his mouth began to move down from her stimulated breasts, Goblin Slayer had left High Elf Archer's left nipple swallows from how much he had been sucking on it; saliva trailing down from its tip and onto her small bossom, as he began to lick his way down the submissive elf's midriff. Sliding his tongue between High Elf Archer's toned six-pack, gave her abdomen a kiss before sitting up between her thighs with his fingers hooking themselves underneath the waistband of her shorts.

With the excited elf pushing her hips up to allow for him to side her short-shorts off of her curvy, toned legs, Goblin Slayer was once again met with the sight of High Elf Archer's untrimmed bushel of hair that was mostly above where her dripping-wet vulva was; being so close to the body of the unapologetically elf, Goblin Slayer could tell that the elf was a stranger when it came to shaving. Still, no matter how much hair she had on her legs, on her groin or even her arms and her pits, that didn't detract from her beautify; at least not to Goblin Slayer, who didn't hesitate to lay back on his stomach to bury his face nose-deep into her hairy little cunny.

Upon feeling Goblin Slayer's nose pressing up against her throbbing clitoris and his invasive tongue infiltrating her tight, virgin entrance, High Elf Archer let out a deep gasp as she arched her back; her eyes widened and her mouth agape, as her arms shot down from Goblin Slayer's head, in order for her to grab tight handfuls of fabric from the mattress comforter underneath them. " Uwuah— fuck~! Oh gods, fuck~! " High Elf Archer moaned out with her green eyes soon beginning to cross in ecstasy, as a wide smile formed on her red-hot face.

Getting pulled in deeper into her unwashed pussy, all of Goblin Slayer's senses were assaulted by High Elf Archer's mixture of crotch sweat and vaginal discharge, as the aroused elf wrapped her legs around the back of his neck; one hand fumbling from the mattress comforter, and onto the back of his head where she pushed him even deeper into her all-natural snatch. Practically having to breathe in her pussy, Goblin Slayer lust and admiration for the petite elf allowed him to push through the endeavor; remaining determined, even as the inside of his mouth and the entirety of his face became marked by her notably strong musk.

" Mmmm, ooohhh~! Ahhhh~! O-Orcblog, O-ORCBLOG~! " Goblin Slayer heard High Elf Archer gasping out through lustful growls and panting; an impressive feat in of itself, considering that his ears were covered completely by her sweaty thighs, and that he was on the verge of losing consciousness from the asphyxiation he was putting himself through. Just when his eyes were beginning to roll into the back of his sockets and as his lungs were feeling as though they were on fire, Goblin Slayer's entire face and the inside of his mouth was suddenly assaulted by the wave of discharge that exploded out of the almost feral elf's eaten-out pussy; the elf's vaginal juices gushing through his nostrils and down the back of his throat, as she kept his head trapped in between her toned thighs, before suddenly going limp after she had reached the end of her climax.

Under the impression that she was gassed out and that she would need a moment to collect herself before going any further, Goblin Slayer found himself being surprised when he felt himself being pulled up almost less than a second later. Gasping for breath as High Elf Archer pulled his body on top of hers, the room seemed to be spinning for Goblin Slayer as he had his breath taken away from him when the beautiful elf led his lips to hers; her tongue twirling around his mouth, before sliding into his while he was still trying to take a breath in between making out with her.

Enjoying the combination of her partner’s saliva and her own sweaty-orgasm, High Elf Archer still had one hand clutching onto the back of Goblin Slayer's head full of graying hair; keeping him still and preventing him from breaking away from her mouth, as her free hand felt its way down the preteen's body, until finding where his buckle was. Once Goblin Slayer was able to somewhat compose himself while being locked into a passionate kiss with the growling elf, the boy was able to gather enough of his wits to assist High Elf Archer with undoing his slacks; skillfully pulling each leg out its respective pant, before immediately pulling his underwear down his toned thighs.

Even if he wanted to, High Elf Archer was refusing to let go of the back of his head, and this Goblin Slayer continued to allow the aroused elf to begin pulling his tongue into her greedy mouth, as he blindly kicked his underwear off of his left ankle. Bottomless, much like his sudden sex partner, Goblin Slayer reached down with one hand to guide the tip of his throbbing eight-inch cock in between the hairy folds of the horny girl's sloping wet pussy; his saliva mixed in with her vaginal juices helped as a natural lubricant, that made it much more enjoyable for High Elf Archer as she endured the process of being the third female that Goblin Slayer had deflowered.

Tightening his muscles as he felt the nails of High Elf Archer's free hand clawing into his upper back, Goblin Slayer winced while enduring the pain he felt with how hard she was biting down on his bottom lip as he expanded her vaginal walls inch-by-inch, until finally her hairy pubes were nuzzling up against his hairless balls. Panting and moaning along with his feral partner, Goblin Slayer was oddly aroused with the way High Elf Archer was sucking up the trickles of blood that were dripping out of the bite mark she left on his bottom lip; his back arching like hers, as he felt her beginning to dig her nails into another spot on his back.

' She's… She's doing that on purpose… She's marking me, ' Goblin Slayer thought to himself the moment he realized that none of the deep claw-marks High Elf Archer was leaving behind on his body were done unintentionally. While the new hardcore fetish was new to him, Goblin Slayer at least found it endearing with the way that the elf was trying to claim him as hers, and that passion alone was a turn on for him. Having not a lot of time to think too deeply on their relationship, the shift in dominance left Goblin Slayer feeling mentally whiplashed when all of a sudden the growling elf aggressively rolled him onto his back; establishing herself as the top, as she lifted herself up on her knees, while Goblin Slayer's legs were raised up against her sweaty body.

The capabilities of his flexibility were put to the test when High Elf Archer began thrusting her hips against his; mounting him in the Amazonian position, with his calves resting over her toned shoulders as she rode his cock harder than he had ever felt before— the lustfully drunken woman seemingly getting enjoyment from the pain she felt from her broken hymen, as she shamelessly bleed onto her mate while causing him to whimper with how hard her vaginal muscles were contracting around his cock.

Laying flat on his back as he felt droplets of High Elf Archer's drool and sweat pouring down on her, Goblin Slayer was having his hands tightly gripped by the domineering woman as she stared down at him with an intense look in her emerald green eyes; her mouth opened wide in a feral grin, as she grunted and moaned in between thrusting her hot-wet snatch up-and-down against the preteen's cock. 

Not daring to break eye contact with the possessive elf girl, Goblin Slayer felt his hands shaking in hers as a knot-sensation formed down within his groin— a foretelling sign that he was about to release inside of her. From the gradual shift in moans and grunts coming from High Elf Archer, and the way she was biting down on her own lip as drool trickled down past her chin as she proceeded to pound her clenching-pussy faster up-and-down his sore shaft, Goblin Slayer knew right then and there through the cloud of pleasure and pain he felt that she was about to reach her second orgasm of the night.

Tensing up as an involuntary gasp of pleasure escaped from his burning lungs, Goblin Slayer's back arched as his eyes rolled into the back of his sockets— his ears being assaulted by the shrieks of raw pleasure and primal moans escaping High Elf Archer's mouth, as her vaginal walls clamped down hard on his cock as he shot load-after-load of his veril seed through her cervix. Flooding her womb with his white-hot “ mana ” as both he and High Elf Archer convulsed throughout the duration of their shared climax, Goblin Slayer was left physically and mentally exhausted by what he thought was the end of their session.

Laying down in a pool of their combined sweat and other bodily fluids, Goblin Slayer was left seeing stars and was beginning to drift in-and-out of consciousness when all of a sudden he felt a warm stream of liquid trickling past his milked cock and balls, and all the way down to his abdomen. Through the musk of sex that lingered in the room, it didn't take Goblin Slayer long to identify what the new abrasive odor was, and why it was still pouring down from the top of High Elf Archer's hairy cunny, and onto his lower half.

Coming down from her ravenous state of mind that had been initiated by her elven body's natural hormonal response to purposefully wanting to get bred with, High Elf Archer was left feeling extremely embarrassed and self-conscious upon realizing that she had relieved herself onto the boy who she had nagged at about not making their session “ weird ”. " Aw, shit…! I-I'm so sorry, I, uhh…?! I-I didn't mean to, uh… It kind of all just, uh… C-Came out, I guess… Hope you're not grossed out by it," High Elf Archer apologized awkwardly with her face still bright red, all while still holding Goblin Slayer's hips up with his legs draped over her shoulders.

Now covered in several different bodily fluids and cuts, Goblin Slayer was still lightheaded from how overstimulating the entire rough sex had been for him, and was struggling to string together a coherent enough sentence. "It's… It's okay…! R-Really…! T-That just probably meant that you really, really liked what we did," Goblin Slayer consoled; unsure of whether or not that was really true or not, but still relieved to see the way his words seemed to comfort the emotionally vulnerable elf woman.

Smiling nervously at him with a endearing look in her green eyes, High Elf Archer let out an uneasy chuckle as she finally, and reluctantly, lowered Goblin Slayer's bottom half back onto the bed— feeling saddened that she had to pull his member out of her hairy cunny, but was satisfied to see the trail of their combined cum bridging the gap between her sloppy wet vulva, and the tip of his half-flaccid cock. “… So, uh… H-How was it? Was it… Was it good for you?” High Elf Archer asked with a flustered and nervous voice.

Finding it not only endearing that High Elf Archer was self-conscious about wanting to know if he enjoyed her like how she had obviously enjoyed him, Goblin Slayer let out a small chuckle as he looked up into the sheepish eyes of the woman who was still topping him. “That… That was intense. But… But in an amazing way, Arthemis— thank you,” Goblin Slayer said reassuringly with gratitude in his calm voice, after having praised High Elf Archer for her ferocity in the bedroom. 

Although she wouldn’t admit it, hearing Goblin Slayer’s affirmation and seeing the way he was looking up at her filled High Elf Archer with emotions that conflicted with her original intentions. “ Mhmm… Yeah, I was pretty good, wasn’t I? Don’t worry, you did great too— I guess~!” High Elf Archer said with a playfulness in her voice, as her smug smile broke into giddy laughter the moment Goblin Slayer began to chuckle euphorically at her quip. Smacking her lips with her mind still hazy from all the endorphins that were flowing rampant inside of her petite body, High Elf Archer stumbled off of Goblin Slayer’s body before beginning to pick her clothes and armor-pieces off from the floor— bending over at the waist, and smiling smugly over her slender shoulder at Goblin Slayer, as she presented her toned ass cheeks and sloping-wet pussy to him.

“Now that I’ve got your “ mana ” deep inside of me, I’m going to go get washed up so I can fast-travel to the nearest night-market to get stocked up on supplies— might as well test it to see if BB was telling the truth about the whole “ mana transfer ” thing, or if she just pulled it out of her ass,” High Elf Archer mused with a nervous laughter, and quickly pushed that thought to the back of her mind as she nodded her head toward the direction of her private bathroom. “Wanna come with, Orcblog? I think I’ve got something in me, if you’re in the mood to get “ extra wet ” in the shower, heh ~!” She said half-jokingly, while actually not being opposed at all to the idea of relieving herself some more with Goblin Slayer’s cock back inside of her. 

Needless to say, Goblin Slayer was out of bed faster than a bolt of lightning. Feeling brave, the ten year-old boy used his immense reaction time and speed to smack both of High Elf Archer’s presented buttcheeks with one hand— causing her to involuntarily moan with a shocked expression crossing her reddened face, as he picked up his clothes quickly before dashing past her to get a head start on turning on the shower. “ Don’t make it weird, Arthemis…! ” Goblin Slayer snickered playfully, as he prepared himself for the flustered green-haired woman’s vengeance— hearing her footsteps fastly approaching, before suddenly getting tackled and pinned against the wall to begin sensually wrestling with one another as the hot water ran beside them. 

Chapter Text

Considering that he was the only one in the household who not only had the knowledge to work the advanced appliances within the kitchen, and as well as the physical form to do so, Goblin Slayer had made sure to have BBB set an alarm for him to wake only him up at six o'clock in the morning; being careful slip out of the arms of his loving sister who had come to stay over for the night, after he had introduced her to High Elf Archer during their late night post-sex shopping session. Closing the bedroom door behind him, Goblin Slayer began walking downstairs to get a head start on making breakfast.

Goblin Slayer was planning on taking a morning shower with his older sister before he the rest of his party would have to leave the "Grizzly Peak Estate"; as he decided to address it while cooking eggs and bacon. While the food was cooking, Goblin Slayer began pouring the fresh coffee beans he bought from Tavern Keeper into an automated crusher; after he had explained to his sister about how he wanted to move her to the new lakeside house that he was planning on giving to her, and the rest of his previous neighbors.

Since BB was undoubtedly residing within her reality marble— as she wasn't anywhere within the five-story manor from what Goblin Slayer could tell— the ten year-old not was left alone in the kitchen with only the chibi version of the aforementioned managerial AI to keep him company; other than of course Fairy Knight, who was doing her best trying to flip all of the eggs that were cooking within the large frying pan on the stovetop.

Explaining his extremely lucid dream to both BBB and Fairy Knight, Goblin Slayer told the two women about how he remembered being paralyzed in his sleep; having an out-of-body experience that transported him into an endless void of blinding white-light, where his only comfort there was Hakuno cuddling up against him from behind. Relaying what the NPC had conveyed to him throughout the entire surreal experience, was pouring four cups of freshly brewed coffee into the white ceramic mugs he had also managed to purchase form Tavern Keeper the night prior; adding cream and sugar to each mug, before needing to step in to save the eggs that Fairy Knight had accidentally began scrambling with the spatula he had previously given to her.

Half-heartedly commenting on how awful Hakuno's situation sounded, Fairy Knight wasted no time beginning grabbing a mug of coffee for herself; using her small hands to bring its smooth rim to her lips, and drinking the piping hot liquid with zero hesitation as she watched idly by while Goblin Slayer began turning her scrambled eggs into omelets. Letting out a content sigh while smiling widely, Fairy Knight continued to discuss more about the topic as one-by-one, each person of the continually growing household began coming into the kitchen to investigate the savory aroma of freshly cooked eggs and bacon, while the brewed coffee beans brought the sleepy women over to the mugs that beckoned them over to the kitchen counter.

Breakfast was overall rather pleasant, and once the four of them finished their meals Goblin Slayer made sure to show both Vivi and High Elf Archer how to operate their own shower, within one of the numerous bathrooms available inside the five-story homestead. Getting to see both women's naked bare bodies was an added bonus for Goblin Slayer's eyes to reap, but seeing the excitement and relaxed expressions on both Vivi and High Elf Archer's faces was its own reward. Feeling comfortable bathing with either woman, Goblin Slayer decided to accompany his older sister in her own shower stall; getting up close and personal, while lathering one another's body with soap from the farmer's market.

What was supposed to be an innocent, playful experience underneath the cascading hot water quickly escalated into Vivi using her strong arms to lift Goblin Slayer up off of the shower floor and against the white tiled wall; pressing her breasts against his chest and feeling his eight-inch throbbing cock pressing up against her abdomen, as the two passionately lock lips while he wrapped his legs around her curvy waist. Not too long after he had lifted up from the floor to begin licking the inside of his sister's mouth, Goblin Slayer felt Vivi slipping her hand in between their pressed-up bodies; which led to her lustful fingers wrapping themselves around the girth of his cock.

Sucking on each other's tongues while his older sister was jerking him off, soon escalated into her getting on her knees in front of him; her younger brother still pressed up against the tiled wall, so that he was standing up on his own two feet. And as he grabbed handfuls of her brown hair, she began deep-throating all eight-inches of his member; her lips wrapped firmly around his shaft, as she grabbed a hold of his hips while moving her head back-and-forth. Kissing her little brother's balls each time he thrusted his hips forward.

Gasping while moaning, the reverberations of his older sister's own throaty gags and whimpers felt amazing on Goblin Slayer's cock, while his heart fluttered at how pleasurable it was to have Vivi's luscious saliva-coated lips dragging back-and-forth on his shaft, all while her tongue massaged the base of his throbbing members. Just like how he was able to quickly pick up on skills, Vivi had practiced blowing her brother's cock enough times to really begin getting the hang of it; getting it to the point that it was leaking strands of hot-wet precum down her throat and lips, as she plopped it out her sticky mouth.

"Could my handsome little brother spare any more of that "mana" of his, to his dear older sister~? She's… D-Desperate to have his phallus back in her sheathe, where it belongs~!" Vivi cooed lustfully, as she turned around while walking on all fours; lowering her face down into her crossed arms, while lifting her shapely cheeks up by the balls of her feet. Bouncing her ass up-and-down to shake her toned buttcheeks at her little brother, Vivi was giggling deeply with her face blushing like mad as she began backing up against her little brother's crotch; letting out a shamelessly cry of pleasure as she felt him grabbing onto her toned ass cheeks, as his entire member was swallowed up by her cock-hungry pussy.

Feeling his balls getting soaked with his older sister's vaginal juices as her throbbing clitoris rubbed up against the bottom of his testacles, Goblin Slayer groped Vivi's beautiful buttcheeks before giving the right cheek a hardy smack; causing his sister to whimper in pain-and-pleasure, as she arched her back for him. "Ooooh, mmmm…~! V-Vivi~…! You're so tight and wet…~!Nnngh~!" Goblin Slayer moaned out through lustful whimpers, as he gave Vivi's red buttcheek another hard smack while pounding her dripping wet slit.

Getting into the rhythm of his thrusts, Goblin Slayer and Vivi were immediately stopped by Fairy Knight, who pulled back the mosaic-glass door of the shower, to reveal herself standing outside their stall with her mask once again absent from her blushing face. Watching as Vivi clumsily crawled away from brother— becoming more red in the face after watching her master's eight-inch member leaving a thick trail of pre-cum as it exited his older sister's pussy— Fairy Knight waited for the two siblings to collect what composure they could gather from that embarrassing situation, before raising one arm up to gesture at her non-existent wrist watch.

"Unless your intention for this morning are to be late to your third day on the job, I'd advise that you make haste; your shift starts in twenty minutes," Fairy Knight advised with a straight-blushing face, before stepping aside to make room for the bewildered teenager to fumble out of the opened shower door.

Moving with urgency while still in shock about being caught taking her own little brother's cock into her fertile womanhood, Vivi awkwardly pulled two of the cotton towels that she and Goblin Slayer had purchased from Tavern Keeper; quickly drying her hair before wrapping it up, before doing the same to the rest of her toned body. "I… Uh…?! T-Thank you, Melusine…! Umm… I-I guess I'll see you back home tonight, huh? You said that all I need to do is step into that one particular spot on the ground, and then your invisible friend will instantly take me to-and-from our rented room?" Vivi asked with her cheeks still red, as she tried to focus on not feeling exposed as she poked her head back into the shower to be greeted with her little brother's flustered expression.

"Uh…?! Y-Yeah! Yeah, just… Y-You remember which bedroom to go through for the fast-point here, r-right? It's the… It's t-the one near the-"

"-Near the entryway, yes; I recall," Vivi awkwardly interrupted with an apologetic smile on her face. "Thank you for everything you're doing for all of us, Ren… Please come home safely at a decent hour tonight; I'd like to pick up where we left off, and… And I'm certain Mother Mary wouldn't mind spending some quality time with you in this lovely home you've built for the orphans as well," Vivi chimed adoringly, before giving Goblin Slayer one last loving kiss on the lips before hastily throwing on her outfit and running out of the bathroom.

Watching Fairy Knight calmly turning around to shut the door before hearing the lock click, Goblin Slayer let out a mildly disgruntled sigh, as he pressed himself up against the tile wall while the shower head cascaded its warm water down on the top of head. "Thank you for reminding us of the time, Melusine… Time comes for us all, doesn't it?" The ten year-old mused with a slight of sarcasm in his voice, as he raised himself off of the wall to begin scrubbing his handfuls of soap on his scalp.

Walking back to the opened door collid the glass shower stall, Fairy Knight's brown eyes gazed up and down hungrily at her master's slim and toned body; her face growing hotter, as she struggled to maintain her collected demeanor. "It's… Not ideal to be deprived of your climax, Master; I understand that. But you accept the reason behind why I had to interrupt you though, yes?" Fairy Knight asked, while watching as Goblin Slayer lowered his head down underneath the center of the cascading hot water; rinsing out the suds from his scrubbed hair and scalp.

Hoping that his wet bangs and the soapy water that was pouring down from his head would be enough to hide his burning cheeks, Goblin Slayer stared down at the white shower floor, so as to avoid making eye contact with his servant. "I-It's not a big deal or anything, Melusine… I-I do appreciate what you did, and uh… S-Sorry that you had to see that," Goblin Slayer apologized quietly, as he stood up from where he had been bending over; his face still crimson, as he finished giving his body one last rinse.

"… Technically speaking, Master: I've been present for every time you've had sex, with the exception being the first time you and your older sister took one another's virginity," Fairy Knight pointed out with her cheeks still flushed with pink, as she watched Goblin Slayer turning off the water valves, so as to end his shower. "… But that's neither here nor there; you and I have a quest to finish up; one that needs to be completed, before the possible arrival of the Moon-Cell," Fairy Knight declared, while recomposing herself as she waited for Goblin Slayer to take the bath towel that she had taken from the metal rack to her left.

'I wonder what will happen if and when the Moon-Cell comes… BB-Sensei had a pessimistic view on what she thinks will happen, and she's the most knowledgeable one in regards to it… If the Moon-Cell carried with it such an omen, then maybe it's best to focus on that instead of that goblin stronghold,' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, as he dried his light-brown hair with the large towel, before beginning to dry the rest of his small and toned body as well. "… Melusine, have you considered that maybe it's better if we just… Pause this quest for the time being, and just focus on preparing for whatever's coming in three days?" Goblin Slayer asked, as he awkwardly walked around Fairy Knight, to put the towel back on the rack; freeing his hands, so he could begin putting on the outfit he had folded and prepared on the bathroom counter.

Faced with the discussion of planning, Fairy Knight was able to further focus on the objective at hand, which allowed her to mostly keep her mind clear of lustful thoughts as she watched her master change into his outfit, right before her calm and intrigued gaze. "Isn't it obvious? The primary goal of accomplishing this quest wasn't to waste time, or chase after any sort of glory; it was to prepare ourselves for what's to come, and as a way for me to gauge your developing abilities and character," Fairy Knight retorted, as she crossed her small arms over her armored chest. "Think about it: within the span of three days, you've learned a handful of vital magecraft spells, gotten a grasp on our battle synergy, and you've built up the nerve to take on impossible odds… Experience is the best tool for learning, and you're living proof of that."

”Hmmm… Is that so?” Goblin Slayer asked with an unsure tone in his voice, while beginning to dress himself— starting with his underwear, before making his way to his socks and pants. “Well… Your guidance hasn’t strayed me yet so far, so… If you think what we’re doing is for the best, then… Then I will too,” Goblin Slayer said trustingly, before slipping on his shirt as both he and Fairy Knight stepped out of the bathroom to begin the next part of their quest— fully prepared to leave behind the home they built together within a span of a meaningful day. At least, for the time being.

Chapter Text

The city of Matterhorn— first constructed at the base of the colossal " Mythril Mountains ", during the end of the Imperium Era— had become a fairly quiet place, and a cozy one at that. Founded as a mining town to assist with the Imperial Empire's military efforts to weaponize themselves against all enemies in different forms, Matterhorn became a crucial victory for the Pathway resistance during the " Great Civil War " that marked the end of the Imperial Empire's reign. Through Matterhorn's mining campaign, Alexander Pathway— the leader of the revolutionary resistance against the Imperial Empire— was able to rebuild the torn roads and destroyed structures within his new found kingdom; being blessed enough with the Mythril Mountains' seemingly endless bounty yo be able to send foreign aid, to the other newfound kingdoms and countries who were developing in the ruins of their supercontinent: Zemuria.

Matterhorn's history was built by those who worked hard for the good of others, and it carried on its previous generations' honorable legacy by serving as a quiet mountain city that continued to be invaluable to the Pathway Kingdom by providing minerals and precious metals to all of the land. To say that Matterhorn was a merchant haven for those from neighboring and far-off nations would have been an understatement, for that cozy city that resided amongst the snowy-alpine forests below the mountains was a keystone for Zemuria's entire economy.

And just like the merchants who had come to seek their fortune within the towering walls that surrounded the secure economic center of the entire supercontinent, there sat an adventurous teenager with beautiful twin-tails made up of honey-colored strands of hair; her golden eyes daring and confident, as she entered one of the many supply stores that specialized in selling products relating to mountaineering.

Wearing thigh-high black boots with white fur around their top sleeves, similar to her long-sleeved and black gloves that she wore underneath her black blouse that she had underneath her stylish and expensive short-jacket and white-collared cloak, the teenager's extravagant fashion was radiating with a sense of entitlement; in other words, she fit right in with the rest of the young nobles who came to Matterhorn to use their family's inherited to make a name or a brand for themselves.

The shop owner— a large-burly man with bushy blond hair and a beard, who had eyeglasses on his button nose—smiled genuinely at the young teenager while standing behind the artisan-crafted checkout-counter where he had been sitting. "Good afternoon, young lady, welcome to "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna"! I am Oaken, and how may I be of service to you on this fine day, hmmm~? " The shopkeeper asked with a flamboyant voice and accent that sounded as though he was singing; an exotic and pleasant intonation that was found within the native residents of Matterhorn, who learned to speak in that cadance and voice from the generations who came before them.

Needing to stifle in a chuckle from how amusing she found the seven foot-tall man's soft spoken voice and accent, the blond teenager who wasn't any older than fourteen raised a hand from the golden handle of her elegant and decorative rapier to clear her throat before speaking. "Yes, as a matter of fact I'm in need of your wares. Tell me Oaken: within your store's inventory, do you possess a sled, three stacks of firewood, an axe, keratin oil, a lantern, and an ample supply of provisions in the form of rations?" The slightly demanding teenager asked with an ambitious look on her smiling face, as if her voice alone was meant to rally the shopkeeper to fulfill her needs.

Having expected the honey-blond teenager to have asked him something along the lines of inventing in his business, or simply ordering en masse like the many other well-off entrepreneurs traveling at Matterhorn, the realization that she was coming to him as a paying customer instead of a potential business associate came off as a genuine shock to the burly pale-skinned mountain-man. From there, the shopkeeper called one of his employees over to escort the noble teenager around the large store; compiling the supplies and rations within the further backseat of the six-person sled that the teenager had chosen specifically.

Once the beautiful and somewhat entitled teenager had spent a better-half of an hour bossing the young employee, she returned to the counter to check out with the shopkeeper. Just as the experienced businessman had suspected, instead of pulling out a coin purse to fish out a handful of gold coins, the smug-looking teenager whipped out a leather-bound booklet from the inside of her fashionable black jacket; prompting him to return a knowing smirk to her, as he took out the inkwell and beautifully gold-crafted quill that he used to sign documents with nobles and merchants alike.

"Private checks~? Oooooo , I knew you were a noble the moment I saw you, young lady; you carry yourself like one," the shopkeeper jeered playfully, as he watched the teenager pull out a small dagger to use skillfully to tear one blank check from her booklet.

Uncapping the glass top of the inkwell, the teenager rolled her eyes while scoffing as she began to fill in the blank check with the amount she owed to the man. "Please, I'm so much more than some spoiled brat! You bask in the glory of the next platinum-ranked adventurer to be accepted within the guild; so remember the name " Noble Fencer ", for you shall hear songs of praise in my name!" Noble Fencer declared with an ambitious-arrogance written all over her face, before silently cursing after noticing she had accidentally written the title she went by within the Adventurer's Guild, instead of her actual name.

The shopkeeper could feel his heart skipping a beat as he flinched back the moment Noble Fencer showcased her electro-kinesis by vaporizing the void check in her hand, before immediately cutting out another blank note to begin rewriting her information correctly into the dotted lines. "A-An a-adventurer…?! From the g-guild?!" The shopkeeper stammered out while still feeling on edge, as he used his trembling hand to cautiously take the filled check from the smug teenager, who had a mean spirited smirk on her lips as she saw how uneasy he was, knowing that she could vaporize him just as easily as she did to her shoddy paperwork.

"You heard correctly, good sir: my party and I have traveled all the way from Altair City, within the Calvard Republic! We've come to do what Pathway's guild members were unable to accomplish: we seek to annihilate the goblins within the Mythril Mountain stronghold, and begin the domino effect that shall lead to their extinction!" Noble Fencer declared righteously; filled with inspiration from her own words, while the native of Matterhorn gave her a look of worrying dread as he meekly placed the check into the magically warded safe that was within the shelf of his counter.

"… I was under the impression that the guild had suspended that particular quest. Yes… Yes, I even recall receiving a parchmen from Londobell's church about the unfortunate news… Perhaps you were unable to receive word of the recent news, due to traveling through the Eastern Desert? That's the only way to-and-from Calvard and Pathway, yes?" The shopkeeper mused, while trying to politely inform Noble Fencer that the quest was a lost cause, and that she wouldn't be receiving a reward for her efforts from Londobell.

Shaking her head while rolling her golden eyes at him, Noble Fencer proceeded to reach behind her to pull out a folded parchment paper that she had been keeping between her lower back, and the waistband of her burgundy skirt she wore over her black leggings. "The grandiose payment in of itself was never the appeal of the quest to me; my interest relies solely on the glory that'll come to me, when word spreads through Zemuria about how I, Relena Bernkastel, eldest daughter of the Bernkastel House, did what no one else— not even the legendary platinum ranked adventurers themselves— could have accomplished!" Noble Fencer declared self-righteously with an over inflated ego, as she dramatically tossed the folded pamphlet of the aforementioned news of the quest up into the air, before slicing-and-dicing into fine ribboned-shreds. "If nothing else, the quest being canceled due to it being considered too perilously for anything short of an army elevates its infamy; meaning that victory shall be all the more sweeter when my party and I claim it for ourselves!"

The man had a soft spot for theatrics in everyday life, and the teenager's words— no matter how self-indulgent they were— had moved him in a way that got him visibly excited. "Oh, very nice! You and your fellow adventurers must be unsung heroes; so selfless, and of course heroic…! Tell me, Noble Fencer: what rank are you and your companions?! Gold-rank, or perhaps aspiring silver-ranking veterans?!" The shopkeeper asked frantically; feeling too giddy to notice the way Noble Fencer's smile wavered.

With her once proud posture faulting into that of an uncertain poser, Noble Fencer was quick to regain her composure as her smile and stance returned to its normal-prideful appearance. "You have the honor of being the first person within Pathway Kingdom to know my title, Oaken! I'm a legend in the making; the genesis of my legacy begins with this quest! And as for my very, very loyal companions… The gods as my witness, I stand before you to exclaim to the heavens above that they will surely be only MILDLY disappointed when they hear that they will gain NO financial gain from this perilous quest before us! As soon as I get back to the makeshift camp we were forced to erect along the beaten path with these much-needed supplies, we shall continue on with our journey toward glory!"

"… Which brings me to my next request, Oaken of Matterhorn!" Noble Fencer continued; her pre-triumphant voice softening, as her confident smile became slightly embarrassed as she grinned wider with a worried look in her golden eyes. "The gods, uh… T-They must be challenging my resolve today, as I consider myself one of their most powerful warriors… With that being said, uh… Along with the news of my quest no longer being honored by the guild, I've come to discover that there are no reindeer left for immediate purchase today, so… Until tomorrow morning, I won't actually be able to transport these supplies to my companions… C-Can I pick the sled up in the morning? P-Pretty please?!"

Unsure whether or not she had smoozed the shopkeeper up with her charismatic charm, or if it was merely the fact that he was a genuinely good person who wanted to do his best to support her, Noble Fencer was able to walk out of the supply shop with a promise that her purchased goods would be kept safe, and available for her to pick up whenever she was ready to take them.

Keeping up her confident appearance, Noble Fencer made sure to walk with a strutting step as she made her way down the wooden stairs leading up to the front of the shop; keeping her head held up higher than it had any right to be, as she crossed the street before beginning to finally sulk her shoulders slightly, only once she knew she was completely out of the supply ship's immediate vicinity. ' That was… Utterly humiliating… I couldn't even give him a straight answer… Who would have known that having to resort to blabbering in order to avoid sounding pathetic, only makes one more pitiful than they already are? ' Noble Fencer mused cynically to herself, as she dragged her boots behind her while passing through the busy crowds of pediatricians; blending in the hustle and bustle of the late-afternoon foot traffic, as she passed by shopfront-after-shopfront.

' I suppose it doesn't matter now; what's done is done… But my damaged pride is the least of my worries. Most of them only agreed to come along with me because I promised them all that I would finance whatever provisions we would need to see this quest through… I can't imagine that any of them are going to want to continue on toward that stronghold; not when there's no monetary reward waiting for them, ' Noble Fencer thought dreadfully to herself, as she got a sickening feeling writhing in the bottom of her abdomen. ' The obvious answer is to deceive them from the truth, but… How would I be able to live with myself if any of them died chasing after a lie I told them? I… I can't have that. I'll just… I'll just use the sled and its supplies to get us back to Calvard; it's better to take our losses now and live to see another day afterward. '

Although it was demoralizing to come to terms with her decision, it was one that Noble Fencer knew to be the morally right choice to make. Feeling cathartic— since now she had an actual reason to hold her head up high now— Noble Fencer let out a heavy sigh as she continued to make her way through the crowds of friendly pediatricians; the snow lightly falling on top of her honey-colored twin-tails, as she proceed to make her way toward the welcoming doors of the tavern that she had seen earlier.

Having had a nippy nose, flushed ears and cheeks from how cold the brisk mountain air was outside, a sigh of relief almost involuntarily escaped Noble Fencer's cold lips after her body was enveloped in warmth from the multiple fireplaces and hearth that were placed around the two-story tall tavern and inn. True to the reputation of Matterhorn's famous hospitality, the hostess who greeted the fourteen year-old immediately offered to take Noble Fencer's white cloak, so as to hang it up inside the nearby storage-room within the lobby itself.

After the long trip on foot down the mountain, Noble Fencer gratefully handed the hostess her cloak before signing her name on the bottom of the waiting list. Resting her legs and feet, the teenager who was exhausted both physically and mentally crossed her arms over medium-sized breasts while getting cozy up against the back wall; her heavy eyelids fluttering as fires of the hearth that was built in the center of the lobby made her feel relaxed, as the gentle music being played by the band of bards from the first-floor bar room soothe her feeling of restlessness.

As her mind began to drift off into slumber, Noble Fencer light snoring was cut to an sudden halt the moment she was jolted awake by the the shriek of the hostess, followed by the sounds of every able bodied man and woman within the lobby getting up from their seats. "B-BLOODY HELL! I-IT'S HIM: T-THE RED-EYED MAN! H-HE'S FINALLY FUCKIN’ BACK!" The hostess screamed out from the top of her lungs; a look of absolute terror filling her widened eyes, as she pointed a shaky finger over at the confused ten year-old who was standing beside an equally bewildered high-elf, and a protective white-haired knight who looked like a child herself.

One seven-foot tall man who Noble Fencer assumed to be a high-ranking adventurer— due to him being dressed from head-to-toe in heavy-steel plated-armor— approached the trio with his full party of companions, and took out a mighty golden claymore that he was wielding with just a single hand. All voices coming from the native residents within the tavern came to a hushed whisper, as everyone else but Noble Fencer watched with bated breath, as the armored man towered over the seemingly unphased child with dusty-rose colored eyes.

"In situations such as this, it is unwise for anyone to lose their composure. While you appear to be nothing more to a child of man, I've had enough encounters with possessions and shapeshifters to know better than to allow myself to be fooled by such disguises," the armored man explained in a deep-foreboding voice; his face through the three downward slits of his metal visor hid his facial features, which in of itself should have unnerved the still confused child who he was addressing.

Blinking a couple times, the boy nodded his head awkwardly at the hulking armored man before finally beginning to speak. "I… I'm sorry you feel that way?" The boy replied with a slightly uneasy smile forming on his lips, before shrugging his shoulders softly. "I'm just as confused as you are about all of this commotion. I don't know who or what the " Red-Eyed Man " is; all I know is that I saw a sign outside that was advertising a special on barbecued turkey legs, and I wanted to get in on that."

Nodded his head slowly, the armored man slightly lowered his weapon back down toward the floorboards as he reached up to rub his plated finger and thumb up against the bottom of his face-plate. "Understandable, for my companions and I have been drawn by the allure of reasonably-priced turkey legs as well… Still, as a paladin of the Supreme God, it is my duty to see to it that there's peace amongst the common… And for that, I require more information before I cast judgment upon you," the armored man declared; much to the annoyance of the white-haired knight standing beside the much more patient-looking boy.

"I mean… If it'll calm everyone's nerves down, then uh… Yeah, I think it would be in everybody's best interests if someone could explained what's going on here," the boy proclaimed cooperatively, which prompted the hostess to meekly volunteer herself to shed light on the situation; ensuring the stand behind her podium, and far away from where the boy was standing.

According to what the woman had to say, the reason behind her and several other people's cries of terror were due to an urban legend that every man and woman who was born in Matterhorn knew from their childhood. "Five-hundred… Five-hundred children, all snatched up from the safety of their own homes… Five-hundred little lives stolen from their grieving families… Many of us are still left with the burden of what that monster's done," the hostess said with a hollow tone in her accented voice; many around the room joined her solace by showing their own ways to mourn their own losses.

“The legend of the “ Red-Eyed Man ” has been told again, and again around these mountains and woods for generations now. Everyone in Matterhorn’s had ancestors taken by him in the dead of night— that fear’s lived in our homes for centuries now…”

“Long ago, there came a traveler to Matterhorn— one who supposedly had crimson red-eyes, long jet-black hair, and skin as pale as the moon. According to what’s been passed down by those who had seen the Red-Eyed Man— back when he came to Matterhorn, when it was still just a mining town— he dressed like a noble, and carried himself properly, and yet… And yet there was an unexplainable uncanniness to him— it was said that everything about him was out of place, especially the way he always supposedly always smiled…”

“Everyone’s ancestors all remember him claiming to be a “ salesman ”, who had come to town looking for business. No one knew where he stayed, where he ate, or anything like that— he was always in the shadows, like a phantom. It wasn’t until the first child was found murdered in their own bedroom did people claim that he became even more elusive afterward. Our ancestors weren’t dumb, nor were they the kind of folk to sit on their asses and pray for divine intervention— the men began going out in groups to find and kill the Red-Eyed Man, as it was blatantly obvious that he was the one to blame…”

“The harder our families fought to protect themselves and to find him, the more common it became for children to end up dead in their own homes. It got to the point where families began to leave Matterhorn, but because of the war against the Imperium Empire, many of the men had to stay behind— by decree of King Alexander. But it didn’t matter— no place was safe for them. Wherever those who left went to escape, death would follow them and spread throughout the land like a plague…”

“Ever since then, the murders have lessened and lessened, but have never gone away. Just when word of him begins to die out— when the fear of having a young child killed in their own home becomes seen as improbable— it’s then that he returns… It’s been less than a decade since the last killing, and we fear that it’s only a matter of time until the Red-Eyed Man comes back— he always comes back.”

Silence loomed over the waiting room, with the only audible sound being the combined breathing of the tavern's patrons, and the soft crackling of the fire, as though the flames themselves had been diminished by the suffocating melancholy within the air itself. Noble Fencer, taken aback— just like the half-elf who stood beside the shocked boy— was absolutely mortified at what she had heard, and felt righteously angered for the injustice that had happened to the people of Matterhorn.

' Dear gods… That’s terrible. It’s horrific that these people have been conditioned to live in constant fear that their child’s the next one to be murdered… Just how many people have gotten away with such deplorable acts, all because these people blamed it all on some urban legend? ’ Noble Fencer thought to herself with a sickening feeling twisting away at her stomach, as she looked away from the hostess who had been telling the story of the Red-Eyed Man to look toward the direction of where the boy and his high elf companion were standing.

The boy was silent, and had a hollow look in his dusty-rose colored eyes as his minty-green haired companion finally broke the silence with an angered voice. "Enough, is enough! He isn't the " Red-Eyed Man ", so quit whispering about it! His name is " Ren Ashta ", and he goes by " Goblin Slayer "; " Orcblog ", to those of you who speak elvish," the half-elf announced in protective voice, as she tried humanizing the child standing beside her to those around them. "He didn't come here to cause any problems here! In fact, he came here all the way from Londobell to clear out that stronghold on the top of the mountains; just like his name implies, his only interest is in slaying every last one of those green-skinned bastar-!"

"-Londobell? You mean that village that produces dairy products? The same lot who refuse to change their title from that of " village ", so as to avoid paying the taxes that come with being classified as a " city "?" The armored paladin interrupted, as his rebuttal alone was enough to begin forming new opinions on the already disliked child. "Ah… That makes sense now. Londobell sent a lamb to the slaughter in the form of this pitiful child— in an attempt to rally up the sympathy of those willing to come along to fight his battles for him— all for the sake of clearing out that stronghold, so that the dairy tycoons could transform that fortress into a cold-storage facility… What an underhanded, and needlessly desperate method to further their business toward the East."

Snapping out of his trance-like thought process, Goblin Slayer narrowed his unique eyes at the armored man who was spinning together a spiteful tale that painted him as a pawn, and Londobell as a village of greed itself. “… That’s the most far-fetched thing I’ve EVER heard someone say! All of you’ve got to be the dumbest people on the face of this planet to even THINK that obvious BULLSHIT made a lick of sense!" Goblin Slayer argued back in an outraged voice— accidentally insulting everyone who was native to Matterhorn in the process. "No one’s ever cared about my eyes before… So why am I getting crap for it JUST now?"

Although she herself was absolutely loyal to him, Fairy Knight couldn't help but to vocalize the answer to Goblin Slayer's question that she figured to be obvious. "It's your thick bangs, Master; unless someone's actually paying attention to your facial features, it's quite hard to see your eyes through all that brown-hair that covers them up," Fairy Knight explained with a voice that sounded indifferent to those listening to her, while Noble Fencer and everyone watched as she nonchalantly lifted Goblin Slayer's bangs out of his eyes; giving everyone who was pouring into the lobby from the tavern itself a better view of his dusty-rose colored irises.

Feeling more self-conscious about his eyes, Goblin Slayer's cheeks were growing a shade of pink as he quickly raised his hands up to gently move Fairy Knight's hand away from his bangs; allowing them to fall back down, only because his servant purposefully moved her hand from his face on her own will. "I… Okay, that’s a questionably far point— but still! It’s not my fault that my eyes happened to look the way they do! I mean, t-they’re not even THAT red to begin with!" Goblin Slayer protested, after having gotten a bit riled up.

Giving the seven foot-tall Paladin a dirty glare, High Elf Archer immediately hooked her arm underneath Goblin Slayer's armpit; pulling the surprised child close against the side of her slender body, before giving everyone else around her a defiant stare as well. "I know what it's like to have your home forever tainted from the actions of those who are evil; to have neighbors and family members heartbroken from having those they loved taken away from them… But that doesn't excuse how you treat my friend. I thought Matterhorn was supposed to be home to the most selfless and kind people in all of the Pathway Kingdom… Guess that's just an urban legend too then, huh?" High Elf Archer asked rhetorically with a disapproving tone in her voice; causing the natives of Matterhorn who had rallied up against Goblin Slayer to lower their heads in shame, as guilt for what they had done and said began to eat away at their hearts.

"Whatever… We don't need any of you; we can make our own tavern, and serve ourselves just fine," High Elf Archer declared with a defiant tone, before excitingly shaking Goblin Slayer as she turned her head over her shoulder to smile down at him with a rebellious look on her beautiful face. "How about it, Orcblog? Do you think BB-Sensei can make a copy of this place outside of Matterhorn? I can hunt some wild turkeys for us, and you can make whatever you want using those fancy machines I saw you use at the lake house!" High Elf Archer suggested, while beginning to pull Goblin Slayer out toward the exit of the tavern.

With how softly Goblin Slayer spoke, Noble Fencer was unable to hear what he said in his response to High Elf Archer. What she did see however was Goblin Slayer using his free hand to tap away at the air beside his hip, before nodding at his green-haired companion as she and Fairy Knight left the unwelcoming warmth of the tavern's lobby, so as to embrace the free-chilling air outside. Once the trio had left, murmurs began to erupt amongst the room, with some patrons already beginning to vocalize their own theories about Goblin Slayer being connected to the Red-Eyed Man himself.

That was when all of a sudden Noble Fencer saw the armored paladin turning around to beckon his companions closer to him; the six-man party forming a circle near the dying embers of the hearth they were all crowding near. Unable to keep her mouth shut, Noble Fencer immediately stood up and asked "Where the hell do you think you're all going?!"

Turning his fully covered head over his massive steel pauldron to look over at the fourteen year-old who had put the spotlight on him and his five other companions, the paladin's invisible glare made Noble Fencer feel uncomfortable as the two of them stared at one another. It was then that finally the seven foot-tall man replied to her in his intimidating voice by saying "I have made my judgment," before looking away from Noble Fencer, as he led his companions out into the cold outside.

Standing there frozen to the spot, the honey-blond teenager was absolutely shocked from the implication made by those few words spoken by the paladin. ' Does… Does that mean him and his party are actually going to kill him?! He's just a kid, and over what?! Some paranoid story coming from some middle-aged woman working at a tavern?! In what world does that validate murdering a literal child?! Hell, the six of them wouldn't be any better than the Red-Eyed Man! ' Noble Fencer thought angrily to herself, before turning her gaze to the room full of grown men and women. "Is no one else really going to do anything about that?! It's obvious that those assholes are going to try to kill him! Doesn't that piss anyone else off?!" The teenager demanded with a furious righteousness in her golden eyes.

That's when a man, who was with Noble Fencer could only figure to be his spouse, meekly stood up with an uneasy look on his face. "W-What if… What if that man was right? What if… What if that child really is some sort of second-coming of the Red-Eyed Man? Surely it's no coincidence that someone like him returned to Matterhorn, out of all places to go?" The man reasoned, which only made Noble Fencer arch an eyebrow at him while glaring judgmentally at him and his female partner.

"… Absolutely disgraceful. I can't believe that I actually gave a damn about what anyone in this place thought about me," Noble Fencer muttered spitefully under her breath; just loudly enough for the whole room full of silent patrons to hear. Shaking her head to herself while sporting a methodical expression on her face, Noble Fencer furrowed her thin eyebrows before suddenly raising her head up while approaching the hostess, who was shaken up after having to relive through the trauma she had once thought was all behind her.

Flinching after feeling the honey-blond teenager's hand momentarily clamp down on her shoulder as she passed by, the middle-aged woman immediately felt guilt and self-hatred bubbling inside of her as she tried to maintain eye-contact with the younger female who was now standing right in front of her. "I… I'm sorry…" The woman uttered out with tears trailing down her cheeks, while bracing herself to receive the blame she thought she rightfully deserved.

Instead of casting her judgment onto the woman for having caused the commotion in the first place, Noble Fencer gave her a firm stare before finally patting her comfortingly on the shoulder. "No you’re not… None of you are.” Leaving the tavern while donning her elegant ivory-white cloak over her petite shoulders, Noble Fencer took to the streets to begin using her hunting tactics to trail after the adventurers who were planning on taking the life of the boy who she needed to speak to for herself.

Chapter Text

Isolated in the fields that seldom housed any living trees to speak of, Goblin Slayer wrapped himself up entirely in the same heavy blanket that he had taken from the Tavern Keeper in Londobell; his weapon visibly inaccessible, as he followed the path through the dead-wooded area, via his holographic map. Hearing the ice crunching underneath the sole of his leather boots with each step he took, Goblin Slayer let out a frosty breath as he tightened the blanket around his small body— showing no signs of caution to the unseen woodland elf, who had been tracking him since Goblin Slayer left the tavern. 

Disgusted with what he thought he had to do, the tan-skinned elf steadied his aim on the back of Goblin Slayer's head— muttering to himself how sorry he was that he had to do what he needed to do. Positioned high above the woods, crouched down on a sturdy branch, the woodland elf held his breath and brazened his resolve before finally letting go of the tail-end of the arrow; watching through keen eyes while praying to Supreme God that the boy's death would come quickly, and painlessly. Having aligned his shot carefully, the woodland elf was astonished when he saw from afar as his arrow was redirected the moment it came within six-meters of where the boy was walking; the velocity of the arrow coming to a sudden halt by a blinding flash of light that interrupted its course entirely, as though an invisible force had smacked it away from Goblin Slayer.

A few more moments passed after the woodland elf had been thunderstruck by what he had just witnessed, before finally the archer was able to regain his focus. Deciding to test whatever it was that was guarding Goblin Slayer from his arrows, the woodland elf began hopping swiftly from tree-to-tree— using his own magic to create magical homing-arrows that were left suspended in the air, as he worked hard to ensnare the child within a trap. Within only less than ten seconds, the woodland elf had create nearly two-hundred magical homing-projectiles that were on locked onto several different parts of Goblin Slayer's body; once he was at a safe distance, the woodland elf kept his steady gaze on the ten year-old as he raised his magica indigo-glowing hand up over his shoulder.

Upon lowering his hand down from the air, the woodland elf had released a volley of magical arrows that were cutting through the chilly air of the woods at speeds faster than sound itself— sacrificing any stealth he had, as multiple, miniature sonic-booms erupted in the snowy fields. Half-expecting some sort of magical barrier being created to block all his arrows altogether, what instead happened was that the woodland elf caught a glimpse of Goblin Slayer's dusty-red rose colored eyes beginning to burn brightly with a crimson-light, moments before the boy turned around toward where he was as the homing-arrows were fired.

With the magic crest on the back of his hand glowing just as intensely as his eyes were, Goblin Slayer's agility and dexterity were exponentially enhanced by the reinforcement magecraft that endowed him with a large fraction of Fairy Knight's powers— allowing him to leap up to dodge through the homing arrows while creating a trail of kicked-up snow behind him, as he headed straight toward where the mortified woodland elf was perched by air-dashing. Seeing the homing arrows all circling around to begin trailing behind the unfathomably fast boy, it didn't take long for the woodland elf to realize Goblin Slayer's plan.

Refusing to get pierced by his own volley of magical-projectiles, the woodland elf quickly retrieved a short-distance teleportation scroll from his leather belt— using his nimble fingers to skillfully unroll it in record time, before suddenly disappearing just as Goblin Slayer got within seven meters of where he had been perching. Reappearing several hundred meters away from the tree-top he had been on, the woodland elf for a moment thought that he had lost Goblin Slayer. That feeling of relief changed upon him looking over his shoulder, to see in the distance the plentra of magical homing-arrows that were heading toward his way. 

Questioning to himself how Goblin Slayer knew where he had teleported— all without needing to seemingly search for him to begin with— the woodland elf began firing arrow-after-arrow toward the oncoming child; hoping to distract him from his female mage companion, who was setting up rune-spells within the snow between them from a safe distance. Considering that all of her trap-spells were invisible, the female mage had been anticipating that Goblin Slayer would have set at least one of them off, with how fast he was heading toward her woodland companion. However, she was shocked to see that not only was Goblin Slayer able to evade each-and-everyone of her traps, but he had changed his course and was now heading straight toward her location, despite the invisibility spell she had casted upon herself.

Realizing that she was his new target, the female mage tried holding still for as long as she could— hoping that he didn't actual see her, and that she was just assuming the worst— but just when he got within four meters of her, the ginger mage immediately raised her hands up to cast a magic-barrier spell around herself; absorbing the entirety of the woodland elf's volley of magical-projectiles, and thus expending every inch of her mana in the process. Knowing that she would be in a vulnerable position, the female mage attempted to defend herself with her dagger, while using her other hand to quickly uncap the blue-mana potion she had grabbed from underneath her purple-robes.

Attempting to predict the movement of where Goblin Slayer would come from, the female mage was caught off guard when all of a sudden a powerful rope appeared out of seemingly nowhere around her. Letting out a confused scream as Goblin Slayer grabbed one end of the rope to begin binding her wrists, legs, and ankles together, the female mage accidentally dropped her dagger just as the boy finished tying the knot in between her cleavage— the mage being pacified through bondage, before falling onto her side in the snow to watch as the boy hastily picked up her dagger from the snow.

Dodging several more arrows that had been fired at him, Goblin Slayer spun around while raising the dagger up-and-over his shoulder— skillfully throwing it directly at the woodland elf, and incapacitated him by having the dagger pierce through the dominant eye that the archer had been using to target him. Blinded in one eye with warm-blood began to gush out of the corners of where the silver-blade was stuck inside of his boney socket, the woodland elf remained perched on the tree; trying his damndest to ignore the searing pain radiating from his busted eye, while using his only remaining good eye to assist him with aligning his next shot.

Before he could even reach down into his hip-quiver to pull out another arrow, the woodland elf was intercepted by High Elf Archer— who proved herself the better marksman by firing twelve arrows all at once; each of them landing into the woodland elf's back, which caused nerve damage that sent the small man tumbling down five meters from the branch he had been perched at.

Drinking down the mana potion that he had picked up from the braided binded mage, Goblin Slayer made his way across the snow-ridden ground to knock the paralyzed woodland elf out by smashing the now empty bottle against the back of archer’s head— making sure to not trip over the elf's petite body, as he next began advancing toward the direction of where the armored paladin was storming toward him from the distance. Waking past tree-after-tree, Goblin Slayer surprised the assassin who had been camouflaging himself along the trunk of one particular trunk by quickly disarming the chain-blade from the six-foot tall man's hand, before using his reinforced strength to judo-throw the bewildered assassin over his shoulder— several meters away.

Planning on activating a cloak-spell that would hide him far better than a mere invisibility spell would, the assassin was able to use his incredible acrobatic skills to quickly recover from where he had been thrown— skidding on his heels through the snow, and landing just in the center of one of the many runes that the female mage had casted earlier. Exploding into a ball of fire that enveloped his entire full-body suit with magical blue-flames, the assassin began screaming while attempting to drop and roll through the snow to extinguish the flames that were eating away at his clothes and skin— completely unaware that Goblin Slayer had been wrapping his entire body with the chain of his own blade.

Knowing better than to assume that an assassin wouldn't be able to break free from any sort of binding, Goblin Slayer was able to use his holographic screen to identify the concoctions of the vials of poison that the assassin had on his belt— stealing one particular glass filled with green liquid out through the chains around the man's body, before force feeding the assassin its contents. Once he had finished poisoning the man with his own vial, Goblin Slayer decided to go the extra mile by knocking the retching assassin out by shattering the empty glass-vial against his bare forehead.

From nearby, High Elf Archer found herself being ambushed by a eight-foot tall anthropomorphic shark woman in cladded armor, who was roaring out a battle cry while making a beeline toward her with a two-handed cleaver-sword. Attempting to fire several arrows at the woman proved futile, as not only was the armored hide on the mighty berserker durable enough to make the arrowhead explode into shrapnel off of her rubbery-scales, but the shark woman was surprisingly fast on her feet on land and was able to block them with her large weapon. Cursing under her breath, High Elf Archer managed to duck and roll off to the side just in time to avoid being cleaved in half from the top-down.

Before she could get up on her feet, High Elf Archer was blindsided by the shark woman's powerful tail— which flung the petite elf several meters away after being hit when her berserking opponent swung it at her sideways. Knowing better than to try the same method of attack more than once, High Elf Archer tried firing an arrow directly into the shark woman's blue eyes— her heart sinking down into the bottom of her small chest, as the muscular woman skillfully deflected the shot, before using her elbow to bash through High Elf Archer's raised bow.

Even though the brunt of the shark woman's mighty brute force was absorbed by her now-broken longbow, High Elf Archer still got the wind knocked out of her when her opponent's elbow made contact with the middle of her ribs. Stumbling backwards while trying to regain her balance, High Elf Archer let out a loud gasp as she was forced to nose dive out of the way at the very last second— narrowly avoiding being cut in half from the midsection by the shark woman, but in turn landing flat on her face in the snow.

Before the green-haired woman could crawl away from her, the shark woman pinned High Elf Archer down against the snowy ground underneath her large foot that was now on top of the smaller woman’s slender back. Raising her nearly two-meter tall blade up, the berzerker was moments away from completely severing High Elf Archer's head from her neck in one-swift motion. But before the shark woman could even swing her powerful sword down, a massive bolt of lightning shot out through the forest— bursting its energy through the nervous system within the shark woman’s large-muscular body, before sending her body flying backwards and through several trees.

Having expected to be saved by someone else completely different, High Elf Archer was pleasantly surprised to see the same teenager with honey-combed twin-tails and piercing golden eyes from the tavern sprinting toward her with her rapier raised in hand; flashing a cocky grin at her confidently, before quickly leaping over her body to begin engaging with the fifth member of the paladin's party of experienced gold-ranked adventurers: a dark mage who had been levitating toward them with several floating magical-swords he had conjured up from Hell itself.

Once she had come to a halt, Noble Fencer raised her rapier up to momentarily blind the dark mage with a blast of electricity— giving High Elf Archer plenty of time to pick herself up from the snow, before then picking up the spare longbow that BB had quickly spawned by her feet for her. Together, the two women wordlessly began cooperating with one another to engage in combat with the dark mage— parrying the razor-sharp edges of his fiery swords that he was telekinetically swinging furiously at them, before finally High Elf Archer was able to shoot through his defenses by plunging an arrow deep into his chest. Although the fatal wound greatly slowed down the powerful dark mage, the light-skinned man underneath the blackened hood still continued to put up a strong fight against the two women— engaging in combat with them, while his armored leader of his nearly defeated party stood before the ten year-old off to the distance.

Staring down at Goblin Slayer through the slits of his face-shield, the armored paladin gripped the handle of his claymore with one hand tightly. "… You claimed innocence back in the tavern, and yet you stand before me as a child who's defied that in which is possible. Boys your age aren't capable of inflicting the destruction you've bestowed upon my comrades; even if you aren't the Red-Eyed Man, your existence still proves itself troublesome… In the eyes of the Supreme God— juxtaposed with the innocence that children should have— you are nothing more than a wolf in sheep's wool," the paladin wordly said in his low-brooding voice; ignoring the cries of pain coming from the dark elf, as the arrow in his body became electrified the moment Noble Fencer shot a bolt of lightning into its shaft.

Throwing the same blanket he had been keeping over his body with one hand, Goblin Slayer unsheathed his short sword before getting into battle-stance. "… I have no idea what you just said," Goblin Slayer admitted out loud, while still trying to sound stoic like how Fairy Knight spoke. "Hey… You aren't going to win this fight. So instead of throwing your own life away over some stupid urban legend, why don't you just… Take what’s left of your friends, and head back to Matterhorn? Get them healed up, before doing whatever it is that you six came there to do in the first place," Goblin Slayer suggested with a pleading look in his glowing-red eyes; the same very pair of eyes that had attracted the unwanted attention of the armored paladin in the first place.

Although the merciful offer would have been accepted by almost anyone within his predicament, the armored paladin continued to grasp the handle of his golden claymore; tension filling the air, as High Elf Archer, Noble Fencer and the wounded dark mage spectated the scene unfolding from the near distance. "… Supreme God's judgment is unyielding as it is uncompromising. His word is final… It has to be this way," the armored paladin said in an accepting voice, fully preparing to die while upholding his dogmatic beliefs, as he raised his sword over his armored shoulders to swing it down toward Goblin Slayer.

That's when Fairy Knight appeared out of Goblin Slayer's soul— intercepting the armored paladin's sword by effortlessly disarming him with her dual-wielded forearm-blades, before leaping up to deliver a powerful roundhouse-kick that shattered his orange-plated chest-piece and sent the man flying backwards through several dead trees. Standing in front of Goblin Slayer with a bored expression on her face, Fairy Knight stared at all the splintered trees that were in the wake of the armored paladin’s collision. "One can't help but to admire the level of dedication that he has toward his cause… It's too bad that he fought against us, instead of with us," Fairy Knight mused with an unbothered voice, as she looked away from the path of destruction.

With the armored paladin's unconscious body nowhere to be seen— as his servant had launched the large man too far for him to spot him over the horizon— Goblin Slayer was left with a bitter taste in his mouth, as he stared back at Fairy Knight with a disappointed look in his fading-red eyes. "… Thank you for going easy on them and not killing any of them— it’s bad enough that things had to come to this," Goblin Slayer said with a melancholy voice, before his eyes finally returned to their usual dusty-rose colored hue, as he slowly averted his gaze down toward the snow by his feet. "… They had good intentions: they wanted to protect those who were afraid, and who had felt helpless without a protector. I wish we could have resolved this mess with words, instead of with needless violence."

Blinking her eyelids a few times, Fairy Knight shrugged her shoulders while letting out an amused chuckle from her soft voice. " Heh… But where would have been the fun in that? Besides, if anything I think you went far too easy on these weaklings— death would have been more deserving than your mercy," Fairy Knight mused, with her sharpened canines showing, as she opened her lips to smile a toothy grin at the conflicted ten year-old. "… Those who aren't able to defend themselves are— and always will be— at the mercy of those who are stronger than them. Those who defy us will learn to kneel before us, or die taking their fictitious, meaningless hubris with them to their graves."

Having forgotten that Fairy Knight was once the left-hand of a primordial dragon-god, as well as an evil knight who found pleasure in brutally slaying those who were her enemies, Goblin Slayer was left wide-eyed as he stared back at his servant in silence— not even noticing BB, until she came between him and his servant. 

"Allow me to be the voice of reason and reassurance here," BB said with a comforting smirk, as she placed a hand down on Goblin Slayer's left shoulder— looking him straight in the eye, as she parted her pink lips to speak. "That was… An admirable display of tactics and skill, Ashta-Kun, and you shouldn't feel too bothered that Melusine-San stepped in at the last moment to steal your thunder. There’s not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that you would have won that fight— if only your bloodthirsty servant showed some self-control every once in a while," BB explained in a sweet voice, all the while throwing shade at Fairy Knight, who was glaring back at her the moment the managerial AI turned her head over her shoulder to meet the servant's menacing gaze.

' … I mean, at least they’re making an effort in trying to comfort me— now that I think about it, how could I ever expect a " managerial AI " and a draconian-fairy to be able to relate to a ten-year old like me? ' Goblin Slayer thought to himself with a quiet, elongated sigh; shaking his head softly, while smiling endearingly at the two bickering women, who were beginning to argue about whether or not Fairy Knight should have intervened at all. ' Still, maybe they have a point… If that girl didn't show up to save Artemis when she did, I wouldn't have had time to go easy on that shark woman… Holding back definitely has its drawbacks, that's for sure.' 

Wanting to check up on High Elf Archer, and greet the mysterious teenager who's character profile was showing up on the holographic screen of his menu, Goblin Slayer took a moment to look down to read that Noble Fencer's vaguely archived information that the Moon-Cell had been able to record since Fairy Knight first appeared to him, three days ago; skimming through enough of it to get a general feeling of the kind of girl she was, as he jogged through the snow field, to where the two female were approaching him.

"I hope everything's fine; I'm sorry that I couldn't have gotten to you before she did," Goblin Slayer apologized with a concerned smile on his face, before coming to a stop once he got in front of where High Elf Archer was standing. Checking her vitals and overall condition through his holographic interface, other than a couple of small bruises she gotten during the skirmish she had with the shark woman, High Elf Archer’s on-screen vitals showed that she was completely healthy— Goblin Slayer was even treated to a thumbs-up of approval from BBB, who smiling cutely back at him from the corner of the screen. 

“… After the kind of unwelcoming greeting we got from the tavern, I didn't think anyone would have come to our aid… Words can't express just how thankful I am that you were able save my friend‘s life," Goblin Slayer said with an appreciative tone in his voice, while displaying a tranquil sense of calm-collective kindness in his voice— closing out of his holographic screen that only he could see, before turning his attention toward Noble Fencer.

Still standing before him with her arms over her flat breasts, High Elf Archer let out an uncomfortable laugh as she shrugged her slender shoulders before also turning to look at Noble Fencer with a slightly-embarrassed smirk. " Hehe, ehh… I-I mean, I'm glad you showed up when you did, and all, but… Your assistance wasn't necessary; I would have handled that overgrown fish just fine on my own," High Elf Archer proclaimed, while trying to save face.

Letting out a chortle while grinning smugly at the blushing elf, Noble Fencer raised a hand up to fix her honey-comb blond bangs while rolling her eyes at High Elf Archer. " Heh… No need to be stubborn about admitting that you needed my help. If anything, you should feel honored being the first damsel in distress that I've rescued so far in my career! You'll look back on this day fondly, I'm sure of it," Noble Fencer said with a snide smile; leaning in a bit with her eyebrows raised, while stifling a laugh as she saw High Elf Archer's fake smile drop into one of utter offense.

"… Did you just call me a " damsel in distress "?" High Elf Archer asked with a deadpan tone in her voice; one that sounded as though she was on the cusp of wanting to punch the somewhat arrogant teen straight in her snickering face.

" Hahah, hehe… ! Yeah, I did…! Why, whatcha gonna do about it, Princess~?" Noble Fencer jeered jokingly; giving it some time to soak up the look of absolute bitterness High Elf Archer was silently giving to her, before finally breaking the tension by busting out laughing. "At ease, high elf! I'm only playing with you! There's no need to justify yourself: I was there to witness how great you were, before you got overpowered by that shark-thing. Plus, I wouldn't have been able to neutralize that dark mage on my own, had you not slowed him down with that arrow in his chest," Noble Fencer said reassuringly— trying to eliminate whatever tension she could from their tense interaction, all while Goblin Slayer stared at them with Fairy Knight standing a few meters behind him.

Needing a moment to register what just happened, High Elf Archer let out a fake laugh as she continued to narrow her eyes at the cheerful and prideful teenager, who was standing beside her. " Hehe , yeah; whatever… Anyway, we really do appreciate the help you've given us, but since it's no longer in Orcblog and I's best interest to show our faces back in Matterhorn, him and I are going to need to start building our own shelter to hunker down for the night, so if you don't mind… We'd really appreciate it if you took your leave," High Elf Archer said, while making it clear to Noble Fencer that she didn't want her around them.

Motivated even more to stick by Goblin Slayer's side— especially since she knew that it was irritating High Elf Archer— Noble Fencer flashed another smug grin at the glaring woman, before turning her head forward to greet Goblin Slayer's uncomfortable, nervous smile. "I apologize if I came off as rude in any sort of way; it's the adrenaline talking, not me," Noble Fencer said with an apologetically soft-chuckle— momentarily turning her head over to High Elf Archer, so as to shrug her shoulders at her before turning her attention back to Goblin Slayer.

' She's kind of full of herself, isn't she? But even so, her heart's in the right place… And you know what? It's kind of alluring in a way; that kind of unapologetic confidence is attractive… She and Artemis both have that going for them, ' Goblin Slayer thought to himself, while blushing slightly the moment he realized just how beautiful the fourteen year-old girl was, with her still-developing breasts and hips having quite the amount of curvature in them; all of which was foretelling of the voluptuous woman that Noble Fencer was destined to be, in the future.

"It's… Alright. Usually I'm on edge after these sorts of encounters too… So I get where you're coming from," Goblin Slayer said, as he continued to smile softly at the attractive teenager, all the while being completely oblivious to how jealous High Elf felt in the moment.

Nodding her head, Noble Fencer showed her swordsmanship off by flashily twirling her rapier around, before sliding it back into the sheath she had on her hip. "Perfect, I'm glad you and I are on the same wavelength then! So allow me to make my motivations clear from the start; so I don't come off as having some sort of ulterior motive," Noble Fencer said, before playfully raising her arm up, so as to lean it on top of High Elf Archer's shoulder.

"My name is Relena Bernkastel; I usually just go by my Adventurer title, " Noble Fencer " though. Anyway… I heard “ Princess ” over here mention that you had a vendetta against goblins earlier. If that’s so, then I think I've got a " side-quest " for ya, that might intrigue you and your friends here," Noble Fencer offered, while gesturing toward Fairy Knight and High Elf Archer, before recovering as the green-haired woman gently pushed her elbow off of her shoulder— earning herself a side-eyed glare from the high elf, while gaining Goblin Slayer's interest as he felt something violent resonating within him at the mentioning of goblins.

Chapter Text

The conversation between Goblin Slayer and Noble Fencer of what she had to offer to them commenced shortly after BB was able to recreate the tavern that they were all vilified from. Inside the brand new tavern that was built far from Matterhorn, High Elf Archer and Fairy Knight were sitting on each side of the ten year-old, while the teenager with honey-blond hair sat across from him at the beautiful-carved oak table they were occupying within the dining area. With the six pacified members of the gold-ranked adventurers who had attacked them locked up in the outdoor prison-shed that BB had made to house them separately, Goblin Slayer had a clear enough mind to rightfully think over the side-quest that Noble Fencer had offered to him.

"Relena… Forgive me if I sound judgemental, but… Why on Earth did you leave the rest of your companions behind in front of that cave? Wouldn't it have been to have taken them to Matterhorn with you?" Goblin Slayer questioned, which made Noble Fencer lower her gaze slightly.

Sitting down with her legs raised up and the heels of her expensive leather-boots resting on top of the edge of the wooden table, Noble Fencer remained silent for a brief moment before smacking her lips softly to herself. "I… I'd hate for you to be under the impression that I'm careless when it comes to the lives of others; that same thought did cross my mind when I was last with them. I mean, I actually did bring that point up to my party, but it was pretty much unanimously agreed upon that the goblins would chase after us if we were all to leave for Matterhorn together— the less of us that were there to keep them trapped inside that cave, the higher the chance that those staying behind would be overwhelmed," Noble Fencer explained, while expressing a worried look of her own that was hidden behind the uneasy smile she had across her lips.

Leaning forward to rest her elbows down on the table on her side, High Elf Archer arched a single eyebrow toward Noble Fencer. "Ironic how instead of trapping goblins, it was your party who ended up getting trapped instead— if the lives of others weren't on the line, I'd call you all a bunch of morons who lack foresight," High Elf Archer said with a smug smiling across her lips, as Noble Fencer's eyes raised up to glare into hers with a shocked expression on the teenager's face. "Whoopsies, guess I ended up saying it anyway~…! How careless of me~…!" High Elf Archer chuckled meanly, while getting satisfaction from the way Noble Fencer was visibly getting angered.

Opening her mouth to let out a rebuttal, Noble Fencer paused while silently reflecting on the situation— analyzing her options, before finally letting out a deep breath as she sank back into her chair with her cool returning to her. " Huh… You know, that's awfully brave of you to say, Arthemis— considering the fact that you're pretty much hiding behind a literal ten year-old," Noble Fencer shot back with a sly grin forming on her face. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d kick your elf-ass right now for talking to me like that.”

Narrowing her eyes back at the agitated teen who was smirking back at her with a daring look across her golden eyes, High Elf Archer stood up from her chair with her fingers tightened into gloved fists. “I’d like to see you try that, you arrogant little bit-”

“-Can you two stop going at each other’s throats already? It’s getting rather annoying now,” Goblin Slayer interrupted as he stood up from his own seat— gesturing for High Elf Archer to sit back down in her own chair with one hand, while signaling for Noble Fencer to relax in her chair. “You two can bicker all you want after we save those people, and clear out that goblin cavern. Until then, can you two just… Play nice? Is that too much to ask for when there are lives on the line?” Goblin Slayer asked rhetorically— voicing out more of his frustration, while steering the conversation back on track. 

Although it pained her to back down from a challenge, High Elf Archer swallowed her pride as she silently sat back down on the chair. Resting her arms along the armrests of the wooden dining chair, High Elf Archer raised her head up toward the tall wooden ceiling of the dining area to take in a deep breath, before proceeding to slowly exhale it through her nostrils. Calmed down for the most part, High Elf Archer reluctantly looked back down to make eye-contact with Noble Fencer, who appeared as heated up and begrudged as she was. Neither of the two women apologized for their behavior, but the looks they subtly exchanged with one another were all that was needed for them to make a mutual truce that they wordlessly agreed upon in that moment. 

Although it was apparent that no amount of words were going to reasonably smooth out the tension between High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer, Goblin Slayer knew that it would have to do for the time being. “Thank you… Now that we’re all in a more cooperative environment, how about we use that anger inside of us for some good? I say we take a moment to get ourselves situated, and then brave the cold to save Relenas’ friends before something happens to them. How about it— does that sound fine?” Goblin Slayer asked with a slightly patronizing tone in his voice, due to having to be the voice of reason despite only being a child. 

Rolling her eyes and biting her tongue, Noble Fencer blew a huff of air out through her lips as she crossed her arms over her chest— her legs being lowered one foot at a time, as she sat up straight in her seat. “Yes, that’ll do just fine,” Noble Fencer said while flashing a small daring smile at Goblin Slayer, before letting out another sigh as she rose up to her feet. “It’ll only be two or so hours until the sun begins to set, and the cave’s so far off the beaten path… I’ve purchased a sleigh with some supplies on it back in Matterhorn, but I don’t have a reindeer to pull it… Think you could make do with that, Ashta?” Noble Fencer asked with an inquisitive look on her smirking face, as she put one hand on her hip while using her other hand to adjust her voluptuous honey-colored twin-tails. 

Holding his chin with one hand while beginning to formulate a plan, Goblin Slayer began weighing out his options as High Elf Archer silently got up to her feet as well. ‘ With BB and Melusine on my side, I’m certain that I would do just fine. But… But taking into account the needs of the girls and of Relenas’ party members… It might do good to be prepared for anything, ’ Goblin Slayer thought to himself— deciding that it wasn’t worth coming unprepared to their rescue, if it meant he didn’t have anything to help them when he got there. “I can’t show my face in Matterhorn, so you two will have to travel together there and back by yourselves. But when you do bring those supplies back, I’ll be able to “ magically ” store whatever you have for us to take with us Relena— that way, we won’t need anything extra to carry it all,” Goblin Slayer explained, as he noticed both women frowning at the same time. 

Grimacing at her proposed task, High Elf Archer gave Noble Fencer a side-eyed glance before darting her emerald-green eyes back at Goblin Slayer. “Can’t I just fast travel there and back on my own? It’d make sense to do that instead, wouldn’t it?” High Elf Archer countered with a raised brow— hoping to get out of having to travel with the teenager who she had come to see as being an arrogant brat. 

Considering High Elf Archer’s idea instead, Goblin Slayer turned to look over at where BB was still sitting down at the table— giving her a questioning look, so as to prompt her to weigh in on the situation. Shaking her head nonchalantly at the Goblin Slayer, BB shrugged her shoulders at him before explaining to him, “You never had me make a fast-travel point while we were in Matterhorn. I can’t create them wherever I want. Either you would, or whoever you transferred your magic over to, would have to physically be somewhere for me to get the exact coordinates of where the fast-travel point would have to be set at— otherwise I would just be taking a shot in the dark.”

Nodding his head to acknowledge what the managerial AI had just told him, Goblin Slayer turned back toward High Elf Archer to shake his head at her proposed idea. “We never got the chance to set a fast-travel point when we were there, but… But from what BB-Sensei told me, if you went there with Relena to pick up the supplies together, BB-Sensei could set a fast-travel point there for you and then you two could just come back here that way, instead of hauling that stuff back on foot,” Goblin Slayer explained, while giving the two women an apologetic smile before adding, “I know it’s not what either of you were hoping for, but… I think that’s the best option we’re going to get.”

Knowing that the condolence was aimed mostly at her, High Elf Archer did her best to make the best out of what was to come, and gave Goblin Slayer a look of gratitude before letting out her disappointment with a quiet sigh. “Thank you for trying Orcblog. And try not to worry about us while we’re gone— I think it goes without saying that Relena and I know what’s at stake here. Isn’t that right?” High Elf Archer asked with a frown across his lips, as she looked over toward where Noble Fencer was beginning to walk away from the table. 

“But of course I know… Come now, time is of the essence,” Noble Fencer said with a disappointed look in her eyes, as she stood near the front entrance of the tavern with one hand resting the hilt of her rapier. 

Alrighty feeling  her patience wearing thin, High Elf Archer kept her composure as she picked her bow up from beside her chair. “I’ll be right there… Oh, Orcblog! Almost forgot to ask, but… What are you going to do while we’re gone?” She asked curiously, as the thought of what someone like Goblin Slayer would do with their alone time hadn’t crossed her mind up until that point. 

Growing quiet as High Elf Archer stood before him with a perplexed look in her eyes, Goblin Slayer momentarily averted his gaze from her as he furrowed his eyebrows with a reluctant expression coming over his pale face. “I… I have to… I have to take care of the adventurers in the shed outside. I can’t leave them there forever, and… And I certainly can’t risk them following us to plan an ambush against us— especially if there’s a possibility that there’ll be injured people with us,” Goblin Slayer explained with a worried look in his dusty-rose colored eyes.

Having expected the ten year-old to have filled his spare time with either devious or childish endeavors, the last thing High Elf Archer expected to hear from Goblin Slayer was him implying to her that he would be placing himself in a difficult situation while they were gone. “Oh, I… I see… Forgive me for needing to ask this, but… You’re… You’re not going to kill them or anything drastic like that… A-Are you?” She asked nervously, while clearly being uncomfortable with the idea of Goblin Slayer ending their lives. 

Becoming immediately anxious with the question, Goblin Slayer swallowed back the lump in his throat as his eyes became widened. “I… I really don’t want to do that, no… I… I was thinking that I could reason with them, and… And clear things up, so they won’t have a reason to do anything against us when we let them go,” Goblin Slayer replied quietly with a sudden feeling of nausea causing his stomach to do flips inside his abdomen. 

Too relieved by his answer to notice the way Fairy Knight was staring at him with a cold look in her eyes from behind him, High Elf Archer let out a sigh before nervously laughing off her worries with a big smile across her face. “Oh thank the gods for that! You know, for a second I actually thought you were insinuating that you were going to take their lives! They might have tried to kill us, but they’re still adventurers just like us— they’re just misinformed, I’m certain you’ll be able to make peace with them just fine,” High Elf Archer reassured with an appreciative look on her face, before ruffling Goblin Slayer’s head full of light-brown hair. “Okay then, I’ll leave you to it Orcblog… I’ll see you hopefully by sunset— be safe,” she said, and planted a small peck on his forehead before begrudgingly joining Noble Fencer out of the tavern.

Left alone with only Fairy Knight and BB for company, Goblin Slayer made his way over to the nearest window to watch as the two women began making their way out into the snowy fields— the two of them slowly down, as Noble Fencer reached into leather pouch attached to her belt to retrieve her map of the area. Holding the cloth curtain back with one hand, Goblin Slayer felt anxious about the two women going out by themselves, so he looked away from the window to stare over his shoulder at BB, who was looking back at him with a knowing smirk across her face. 

“Hmm… You want me to go with them, don’t you?” BB asked with a playfully smug voice in her voice, as she anticipatingly got out of her chair. “Neither of them will see or hear what I have to say, and I can’t do anything other than spawn whatever we’ve got in our inventory… But you know that already.” 

Tightening his lips together with a humorless chortle escaping his nostrils, Goblin Slayer nodded his head at the lavender-haired AI woman, who stood there beside the wooden table where they had all previously been seated. “It would make me feel better if you were there to watch over them at least… Maybe you could create an emergency fast-travel point for them, if they get into a troublesome situation?” Goblin Slayer asked pleadingly with a hopeful tone in his voice.

Nodding her head back at Goblin Slayer’s request, BB shot him a confident and reassuring look before making two finger guns at him. “Sure thing, Ashta-Kun! Just know that I wouldn’t do this for anyone else that wasn’t Hakuno-Chan!” BB said endearingly, while still making it obvious that she was extremely serious about what she said. “Have fun killing those people we’ve got locked up in the shed! Knowing what a sweetheart you are, I’m sure you’ll make it quick and painless for them all!” BB said supportingly, before her avatar dispersed into a cloud of pixelated photon particles— leaving behind an uncomfortable child and his eerily quiet servant to deal with the six adventurers that they were technically holding as prisoners. 

Tightening his fingers nervously with the fabric of the curtains still in his grasp, Goblin Slayer felt his chest tightening up with a looming dread weighing down on it. “She… She was just joking, right? There’s…. There’s no way she actually expects me to literally freakin’ MURDER six people… R-Right, Melusine?” Goblin Slayer asked with a vulnerable tone in his voice, as he turned his attention desperately toward the white-haired servant, who had been silent about the matter ever since it was brought up.

With Goblin Slayer seeking reassurance from her, Fairy Knight blinked a few times at her master with a stoic expression on her face before finally opening her small mouth to speak. “… I think you’ll make the right decision, Master,” Fairy Knight said coldly— not wanting to say anything more than that, and remained indifferent as she saw the visible dread worsening in his dusty-rose colored eyes. “Come Master— there’s work that needs to be done by you, and you alone.” 

Anxious and confused by what Fairy Knight had said, Goblin Slayer took a shaky breath into his aching lungs before slowly exhaling it out through his nostrils. “W… What does that mean, Melusine?” He asked, while a part of him already knew what his servant’s response was going to be. 

Looking her master in the eyes with an almost apologetic look in them, Fairy Knight remained silent for a brief moment before letting out a solemn sigh. “I am your knight, Master— I will spill the blood of anyone who dares to put you in harm’s way. But even so, there’s… There’s some battles that not even I can fight for you,” Fairy Knight said with a heavy heart, despite her voice sounding as flat and calm as it usually did. Staring in silence at the terrified look in Goblin Slayer’s dusty-rose colored eyes, Fairy Knight broke her stoicism by smiling joylessly at him with a saddened expression on her youthful-looking face. “You and I both know how this will have to end, Master… When the time comes, and your options have inevitably run out, you’ll… You’ll have to be the one who takes their lives— not me. It’s… It’s important that you do this now while I’m with you— there might come a day where I won’t be there to save you, and I need to know that you’ll be capable of defending yourself by any means necessary… Even if that means taking a person’s life— no matter how much they beg and plead for you not to.”

Author’s note: Okay campers, this is where the old parts of the story begin to differ plot-wise. I won’t be reusing anything else from the old version of this story. New lemons, more slices of life, and more Ren Ashta being Ren Ashta (ie, learning to become Goblin Slayer through trails and tribulations).

Noble Fencer’s party members will be different too I think. Wizard and Wizard Boy, along with Fighter won’t be introduced until the second act of this story— after the Moon-Cell arrives in their universe and timeline. Might make OCs to add to Noble Fencer’s party, or just mention them and have them leave them after being told they aren’t getting paid for the quest. Of course, there’s still going to be all the prisoners that Goblin Slayer will have save, and take back to the Oakshire Forest to give them a place to stay.

Sword Maiden/Bishop will be included afterward, while the story’s still in its first act. She’ll be the last of the “doomed” party who were the last ones the Adventurers’ Guild sent out, before closing the quest for good. She’ll more than likely being the sole survivor, and having evaded the goblins by hiding within the Mythril Mountain fortress itself. 

Anyway, that about does it for now. Next chapter will be about High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer arguing and bonding, while Goblin Slayer has to try to persuade all six of the adventurers to leave, and to not follow them for the rest of their journey. Otherwise, he’ll have to kill them to protect his companions, and those who will need to be saved by him.

Chapter Text

Unlike Noble Fencer— who had come prepared to travel through sub-zero rocky terrain of the mountains— High Elf Archer was covering herself only what Goblin Slayer was able to create using what little tailoring supplies he had in his inventory. Needless to say, the black-leggings that she had on underneath her beige booty shorts were only doing so much for her. In order to keep warm the best she could, High Elf Archer had her arms wrapped around her lightly-armored chest with her brown cloak tightened over her— its hood covering her head, as her entire body shook with how cold she was. 

Hearing the sounds of her unwanted companion’s teeth chattering together, Noble Fencer gave the green-haired woman a side-eyed glance before darting her eyes forward. “So… Seeing how you didn’t come fully prepared for this sort of weather, what exactly was your plan for getting through the “ Mythril Forest ”?”

Raising an eyebrow at Noble Fencer for several different reasons, High Elf Archer scoffed under her breath as a condescending smirk formed across her ice-cold lips. “F-First off, t-there’s no s-s-such t-t-thing as t-t-t-the “ M-Mythril Forest ”— y-you just p-p-pulled t-t-that out of nowhere! T-T-The f-forest’s c-c-called “ Aurora’s Somber ”,” High Elf Archer corrected smuggly through her chattering teeth, as she tucked her petite body up tighter in her cloak before finally addressing the annoyed looking teen’s inquiry. “I w-was p-packing l-lightly f-f-for the j-journey… I-I w-was o-originally g-g-going t-t-t-to p-purchase a n-new set of a-armor w-when I g-got t-to M-Matterhorn… N-Never g-got the c-chance t-t-to d-d-do t-t-that.” 

Although High Elf Archer’s persistent bratty attitude was getting on her nerves, Noble Fencer couldn’t help but to feel more sorry for her rather than irked by her. So instead of giving High Elf Archer sass back to perpetuate the bickering, Noble Fencer decided to go the extra mile to ignore the other woman’s sass, and to continue the conversation towards a better direction. “Well, you’re in luck then Arthemis: the store we’re heading to doesn’t JUST sell winter clothing and mountaineering gear, but they actually have an indoor sauna that’ll most definitely warm you right up!” Noble Fencer informed with a knowing smile coming across her own playfully smug face, as she watched High Elf Archer’s facial expression lighten up the moment she mentioned a sauna. 

“A s-s-s-sauna?! W-What k-kind of s-s-shop h-has a-a-an indoor s-sauna?!” She asked with a flabbergasted look on her pale face, as all could imagine in the back of her head was de-robing herself before sitting down in an enclosed room filled to the brim with soothing steam. 

Shrugging her fur-insulated cloak-covered shoulders with a small chuckle escaping her lips, Noble Fencer proceeded to cup her bands over her nose and mouth to blow hot air into her palms to warm herself up. “Heh! It’s Matterhorn, Arthemis— everyone and their grandma there owns a sauna themselves. Hell, there’s a sauna built into the shed outside of the tavern Goblin Slayer made— he’s probably gonna let our “ prisoners ” warm up in it, before he lets them go home or whatever,” Noble Fencer mused, as she raised her hands from her mouth to make air quotation marks with her gloved fingers— emphasizing the word “ prisoners ”, as she didn’t view them that way. 

Unlike the optimistic teenager, High Elf Archer wasn’t as confident as Noble Fencer was about the decision Goblin Slayer would have to make, and it showed when the green-haired woman’s excited expression slowly turned into one of solemnity. “… I-It would be f-for t-the best if… If Orcblog c-could l-let them g-go h-home, y-yes,” High Elf Archer said in a quiet, reluctant voice— her tone being immediately noticed by the golden-eye teenager with honey-colored twin-tails. 

Blinking a few times in silence as she looked over her shoulder to see the way High Elf Archer was staring ahead at their path with a distracted and even despondent look in her emerald green eyes, Noble Fencer eventually broke the silence by letting out a soft chuckle. “ Heh… You actually think that kid’s capable of killing someone? Let alone, SIX people?!” Noble Fencer asked rhetorically.

Shocked to hear the blond teenager’s dismissal of what Goblin Slayer was capable of— despite him being only ten years-old— High Elf Archer let out an amused sigh as a smile slowly crept over her trembling and icy lips. “D-Did y-you n-not s-see w-what h-he did t-to them— w-what h-he was a-able t-t-to d-do, e-even w-without M-Melusine?!” She asked with an almost astonished voice, as she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

Keeping to her words, Noble Fencer casually nodded in response to High Elf Archer’s question before preparing her rebuttal. “Absolutely, I did— he’s certainly one-in-million, that can be said. But no, the reason why I don’t think he’ll kill any of those adventurers isn’t because I think he’s incapable of doing so— far be it, if he really wanted them dead, then it would have already been done,” Noble Fencer mused with relaxed smirk across her face, as she and High Elf Archer continued to walk along the snow-dusted path with evergreen trees surrounding them on both sides of the road. “What I meant to say is that Goblin Slayer’s a very creative kid, and a kind hearted one at that. He won’t have to kill any of them, because I think he’ll come up with a better alternative than that.” 

Knitting her brows together as she found what Noble Fencer said to have made sense, High Elf Archer couldn’t help but to feel a bit more hopeful after hearing the teenager’s confident explanation. “… You know, for a moment there I was thinking you were going to say something cheesy and worthless, like “Oh he would never kill anyone”, or “ I can feel it in my heart ”— because believe me, he’s not a pacifist by any stretch of the imagination,” High Elf Archer admitted, before she and Noble Fencer shared a laugh together as the lights of Matterhorn became visible just over the horizon— the pine needles of the trees surrounding them bordering the window of just how close they were to their destination. 

And while High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer continued to pass the time by engaging in conversations about themselves and of him, Goblin Slayer was pacing out in the cold with just his leather armor and black-feathered collar to keep him warm— the sky’s purple hues foretelling of the inevitable twilight that would be falling over the snowy wonderland. Staring down at the footsteps his leather boots had indented into the thick blanket of snow under him, Goblin Slayer felt his brain pulsating and his heart pounding inside of his small chest while contemplating on what would be his best approach to the complex situation that was laid out before him. 

‘ What am I even supposed to do?! I can’t just go in there and kill them— that would be wrong, wouldn’t it? But then again, are they even going to accept reason, when I maimed them?! More than likely, they’ve already made several plans on how to kill me, so… So what then?! Do I just… Leave them here, and let nature take its- n-no, absolutely not! That would be just as bad as killing them— if not even worse! ’ Goblin Slayer thought stressfully to himself— his moral dilemma causing him a great amount of stress, as he came to a stop before pressing his back up against the wooden shed-door. Closing his eyelids and feeling his strained eyes burn softly, Goblin Slayer took a deep breath of the cold mountain air before slowly sighing. “… There’s… There’s not a doubt in my mind that they’ve been conspiring against me this whole time— plotting against me, waiting until my guard’s down to strike me when I least suspect it.” 

Nodding her head with an empathetic look in her brown eyes, Fairy Knight stood calmly like a stoic stature several feet away from the entrance to the shed where the six adventurers were being kept in shackles of BB’s own creation. “Yes… Chances are that’s exactly the situation we’re faced with. I would be wary of Dark Mage and the Female Mage— well experienced magi are one of the most powerful threats one could ever go up against,” Fairy Knight advised, before quickly adding onto her caution by saying, “And of course, the Black Assassin and Wood Elf Archer are formidable, as are the Shark Berserker as well as the… You should just assume that they’re all going to attack you, Master… Here, bring this inside with you.”

Opening his eyelids upon first hearing the sound of metal latches being popped open one-by-one, Goblin Slayer was momentarily taken aback when he saw that Fairy Knight was offering him her entire forearm module where her arm-blade would extend out of, and past her hand. “… You’re giving me an “ Arondight ”? Can I… Can I even use it, without you being inside my soul— or whatever it is that you do?” Goblin Slayer asked with an intrigued and slightly intimidated look in his dusty-rose colored eyes, as he carefully picked up the surprisingly light-weight weapon module from his servant’s gloved hands.

Seeing how her master technically never had to put on an Arondight module over his forearm before by himself, Fairy Knight smiled softly as she took a few steps forward before assisting him with latching it around his right forearm. “You should be able to use its most basic function, which is to make the metal blade come in-and-out of it— but that’s really all you’re going to need it for. My Arondights can break through any weapon, and any spell with their blades alone— that should be more than enough for you to defend yourself, if the situation calls for it,” Fairy Knight explained calmly, before taking a step back once she had gotten the weapon secured around her master’s small forearm— watching with pridefully with a stoic expression, as she watched Goblin Slayer quickly figure out how to use the Arondight module.

Retracting the decorated platinum-like blade back into the cold-steel blue module that extended just past his elbow, Goblin Slayer did his best to appear grateful as he lowered the Arondight down beside his thigh. “Thank you, Dame Knight— if only this was to be used against goblins and other monsters, and not against… Misinformed people, whose hearts were in the right place,” Goblin Slayer mused solemnly, and made eye contact with Fairy Knight before turning his back to her— so as to face toward the wooden door before him. “…I… I-I don’t want to do this, Melusine… I… I feel like I’m going to throw up…” 

Understanding her master’s internal pain and disgust as what he would more than likely have to do, Fairy Knight gave Goblin Slayer an apologetic look with her saddened brown eyes as she let out a soft sigh. “I… I know. I’m sorry Master— it has to be this way. If… If I am to fall, I… I need to know that you can protect yourself— that you can watch over yourself, when and if that day comes before I can see you live out the rest of your life,” she said, before a heavy blanket of silence fell upon them— the two of them remaining still, as the icy winds of the northern temperatures blew unforgivingly against their faces. “… Now go— this is a time sensitive issue.” 

Taking one last look over his shoulder to wordlessly make eye contact with his protective servant, Goblin Slayer held her gaze for what felt like several long minutes before finally looking away and proceeding to open the door to let himself into the well-illuminated shed. In place of the usual gardening equipment and general tools that one would find in a large shed, there sat the six adventurers with their wrists chained behind their back and connected to the sturdy wall itself— each of them on their knees, their ankles also tied with only their underwear on to ensure that they had no equipment to accessible to them.

Even though their injuries had been patched to the best of his party’s abilities, there was no gratitude in any of their eyes— only hatred, fear, and anger towards him. It was then after their initial response of glaring at him did the six adventurers begin to realize the weapon that he had attached around his forearm— some of their fear beginning to intensify, while Armored Paladin and Shark Berserker merely became more hardened and stone-faced upon coming to their own conclusions. “So… You’ve finally made the decision to slaughter us with our hands tied behind our back? I knew my suspicions were right about you— you truly are a monster worthy of being slain yourself,” Armored Paladin said bravely without any fear in his voice— the extremely muscular pale-skinned man with a graying bearded face staring at him boldly, as nothing but the isolated shed and the steam escaping from the active sauna and into their chamber kept him and his companions from freezing to death.

Although Goblin Slayer wanted to lay down his arms and beg for the vindictive adventurers to listen to his pleas, he remembered the warning that Fairy Knight had given him while she was walking alongside him out of the copied tavern— about how dangerous it was show any weakness, when one was to attempting to have leverage in high-stress negotiations. So instead of hoping that they would believe him, Goblin Slayer’s mind was slowly formulating an ingenious plan that called for him to answer Armored Paladin’s accusation by ejecting the blade out of Arondight— causing the other four adventures to flinch, upon seeing the nearly meter-long blade sticking out past Goblin Slayer’s small wrist.

“… Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. That all depends on how cooperative you and your companions are willing to be,” Goblin Slayer said in the coldest voice he could muster— once again finding himself needing to take a page out of Fairy Knight’s stone-hearted demeanor. “I’m not here to argue with any of you: know that all of this is your fault, and could have been avoided entirely had you used your words instead of your need to enact violence,” Goblin Slayer said with his eyelids narrowed— some of his actual frustration leaking into his voice, causing him to sound more intimidating than he usual did, even for a child. 

Sticking to his own values, Armored Paladin let out a gruff breath through his slated nostrils before speaking to his captor. “I will not fall for your deception, and I shall not try to deceive you either. Allow me to be frank with you then, “ Crimson Child ”: I am the one who ordered your assassination, my companions were following my orders like the good soldiers they are. Absolve them of my guilt, and do with me what you see fit.” Armored Paladin said sternly, with an authoritative manner of speaking— so well in fact, that the part of Goblin Slayer that was still a little boy felt immediately intimidated by the older man’s voice. 

“… You are in no position to make demands from me, Sir Knight,” Goblin Slayer said respectfully, while establishing boundaries to ensure that the six of them knew that he, and he alone, had all the power in their predicament. “In an ideal world, I would give you your equipment back and tell you to be on your merry way back to Matterhorn… But we both know that the moment I free even one of you, you’re all going to attempt to have some sort of… Retribution against me? And for what? Because I defended myself? Because you all lost to a literal child?” Goblin Slayer asked rhetorically— his voice getting more and more upset, as it soon dawned to him just how undeserving he was of their wraith. “You know what…? Maybe I really should just end you all right here, right now— who’s to say that you won’t try this again with another child? A child who’ll be defenseless against you monsters?” 

With that having been thrown back in their faces, the emotional weight behind Goblin Slayer’s words cut deeper into the adventurers than any sort of weapon would have. Out of the six of them, it was the tall and muscular anthropomorphic shark body-builder who seemed the most outraged by the insinuation made on her behalf. “N-Nah, that’s bullshit kid! I-I didn’t even TRY to hurt you— if anything, my plan was to capture you to question you! It’s this religious DICKHEAD who told everyone else to have you killed, not me!” Shark Berserker protested with a shaken look in her blue eyes, as her jaw-length, messy dark blue-hair swayed each time she vigorously shook her head.

Remaining strong in spite of his companion having just turned on him after referring to her as “ loyal ”, Armored Knight kept his piercing eyes locked onto Goblin Slayer as he began to speak toward her. “Zarshya, I don’t expect you to understand the values of those who are on land. But know that I am a paladin of Supreme God’s heavenly army here on Zemuria. His Will is of my mine, and I-”

“-No, FUCK YOU Jerry, and FUCK the “ Supreme God ”! If your phony-ass deity had any power to begin with, then he would have been able to save us from your dumbass!” Shark Berserker spat back disrespectfully, this time crossing the line that the religious man saw as too far. 

Whipping his head over his bulky shoulder to meet her narrowed glare, Armored Paladin bared his teeth at the eight-foot tall anthropomorphic shark woman with righteous fury in his green eyes. “You wretched beast! If my wrists weren’t shackled, I would chop you up and serve you on a silver platter for your blatant heresy!” Armored Man shouted angrily— startling not only Goblin Slayer, but everyone else who wasn’t Shark Berserker.

“Shut your ass up, “ Fish Bait ”! You know what?! Fuck it— I knew there was a reason why always hated you!” Shark Berserker shouted with an enraged tone in her tomboyish voice, before turning her attention back up at Goblin Slayer’s confused and uneasy eyes. “Hey kid! Unlock my shackles! Do that, and I’ll fuckin’ eat that dickwad so you don’t gotta get your hands dirty! I’ll even take you up on your offer— no tricks or strings attached!” The large-breasted shark offered with an insistent look in her blue eyes, as she smiled widely to reveal her rows and rows of sharp teeth— teeth that she wanted more than anything to use to rip the man beside her into bloodied ribbons.

‘ Well… At least I’ve got ONE person telling me that they’ll leave me alone, but… But wouldn’t letting them go be just as bad as killing that guy myself? Hell, that’s assuming that this isn’t a trick, and she won’t lunge for me with those teeth the moment she gets an opportunity to, ’ Goblin Slayer thought to himself, making his decision before letting out a quiet sigh as he stared down at the angrily-pleading eyes of the muscular shark woman. “I’m sorry, but no— I can’t take that risk. Besides, there’s no need for this to end in bloodshed; you can better than that,” Goblin Slayer said respectfully, which caused Shark Beserker to become stunned at his response.

“Risk?! Me?! Kid, I already told you; I wasn’t gonna hurt you! Tch ! Risk… You want to talk about risk?! Carl the “ Assassin ” and Vorgi’e the “ Wood Elf Archer ” are almost out of their shackles— Jerry over here was just trying to distract you so he could buy them time to free themselves!” Shark Berserker revealed with spite in her voice— cementing her disloyalty to her companions, and causing Goblin Slayer to whip his head over toward the two aforementioned party members' location.

Just like that, Goblin Slayer’s senses became in-tuned with his surroundings— time seeming to slow down, as something within him alerted him of what was about to transpire. Had it not been for the gift of precognition that he was still learning to become better at listening to, Goblin Slayer wouldn’t have had time to react when Shark Berserker lunged at him the moment she broke free from shackles when she saw him looking away from her. In that moment, Goblin Slayer’s reflexes scream at him to side-step out of the way, and for him to plunge the tip of his Arondight straight through her exposed chest— with only her tight sports-bra to protect her heart from his deadly weapon. However, within that slowed moment of time, it was there that Goblin Slayer realized that she wasn’t lunging at him with her jaw open, her hands outstretched for his neck, or anything that would indicate that she was trying to hurt him at all— it was just like how she said, about her having no intentions of ever harming him. 

Using his lightning fast reflexes, Goblin Slayer commanded his Arondight to retract its blade before choosing to get tackled straight through the door of the shed— not without knocking the wind out of Shark Berserker's hybrid lungs, by delivering a abdomen crushing punch with Arondight’s bulky module that made the eight-foot tall woman immediately lose her balance and breath. Not unscathed from the anthropomorphic shark woman’s “ Hail Mary ”, Goblin Slayer had the air knocked out of him as well, but yet was able to protect himself with a reinforcement spell that he had casted on himself before ever stepping foot into the shed as a precaution. 

Laying flat on his back with his face smothered in between her thinly-covered breasts, Goblin Slayer could taste the salt water in his mouth from the perspiration that had soaked Shark Berserker's dark navy-blue sports bra— her rock-hard six-pack crushing down on his pelvis, due to their size difference making her torso alone enough to lay down on most of his body. Goblin Slayer didn’t know what prompted him to stick his tongue out to lick in between Shark Berserker's sweaty bra— all he knew it that the intrusive thoughts had won, and that he had caused the muscular woman to let out a confused yelp the moment she felt his warm tongue licking up between her barely covered cleavage.

Revitalized by the excitement he got from that act alone, Goblin Slayer not only surprised Shark Berserker when he suddenly got up onto his feet with her heavy body grappled over his shoulders, but his act of reinforced strength alone was enough to cause her five party members to stare in shock at what the ten year-old was about to do. Lifting her flailing body up over the top of his head— stretching his arms up as high as they would go— Goblin Slayer had a sudden epiphany as he grabbed the back of her finned neck with one hand, while using his other hand to tightly grasp her muscular ass cheek. ‘ I get it… It’s all so clear to me now… All I have to do is beat the absolute shit out of these six people so badly that they’ll be too scared to ever cross me again…! Maybe violence WAS the answer this whole time! ’ 

Filled with determination and already beginning to mentally map out how he would dispose of them after they were within a few inches of their lives, Goblin Slayer’s veins were pumped full of adrenaline and mana as he body slammed all six-hundred pounds of Shark Berserker's muscular body against a nearby tree— splintering it from the bottom-up, as he watched as her unconscious body plopped down on the snow. “Okay… THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE OVER!!! PREPARED TO GET YOUR ASSES KICKED!!!” Goblin Slayer shouted with Fairy Knight watching him with a surprised look in her brown eyes, as he whipped around before dashing straight toward the terrified adventurers— the servant watching proudly from the sidelines, as her master proceeded to beat the ever loving shit out of them. 

“You did good Master— you did good,” Fairy Knight said in a soft voice— smiling fondly at Goblin Slayer, as he kneed Armored Paladin’s mouth hard enough to shatter his front teeth in one hit, before proceeding to backhand smack Black Assassin with the back of Arondight’s chassis hard enough to break his jaw in several fractures. Listening to the sound of bones breaking and pleads of mercy that were ignored by the rampaging ten year-old, Fairy Knight let out a content sigh— becoming at peace with her master’s progress, even as he stomped down hard enough on Female Mage’s ankle to break it, all while he simultaneously knocked Dark Mage’s and Wood Elf Archer’s heads down together with both hands. 

Chapter Text

Plopped down on her toned bottom with warm steam rising up from between the large spaces along the moist wooden bench she and Noble Fencer were both relaxing on, High Elf Archer had her back slouched up against the unpainted wall behind them— her chin raised slightly, as every muscle in her petite body felt more relaxed than they had been in a long while. Breathing in the humid air that was flooding into their enclosed room— with only the gentle light of the burning rocks underneath the pot of water illuminating the sauna in a dim-orange glow— High Elf Archer let out an elongated sigh through her parted lips as she absent mindfully ran her fingers down the length of her chest. Feeling her nipples getting hard from her caressing touch alone, High Elf Archer let out a lackadaisical giggle as she turned her head over her shoulder to stare curiously at Noble Fencer, who looked deep in thought with her eyelids closed shut, and her fingers interlaced behind her head.

“… If you don’t mind me asking Relena, may I be as bold as to ask what’s weighing on your mind?” High Elf Archer asked in a relaxed, sultry voice, to which prompted the honey-blond haired girl in question to slowly unveil her eyelids before shifting her golden eyes towards her— all the while still facing toward the direction of where the door out of their rented sauna was. 

Not answering at first, Noble Fencer simply smirked reassuringly at High Elf Archer’s borderline sleepy expression— getting a throaty laugh at the way the petite woman was swaying slightly in her seat, before finally breaking the silence. “ Heh… Falling asleep there, are you now? Better start waking up, or else you’ll have to stay behind while Goblin Slayer and I will have to take the glory of the rescue mission all to ourselves~!” Noble Fencer teased in a dramatic voice, and felt the corners of her lips curl even more upward upon seeing High Elf Archer cracking an amused smirk back at her. 

“Fwahaha…! I’m not sure how much “ glory ” there is to be had in sending a kid to do most of the work for you— but hey, to each their own,” High Elf Archer quipped back, and joined Noble Fencer in a hearty laugh before segueing the conversation back on track. “But no seriously, what were you thinking about?”

Noble Fencer’s amused smile wavered upon hearing High Elf Archer once again inquiring about what she had been thinking about, yet the fourteen year-old managed to play it off by chuckling quietly as she slowly closed her eyelids back shut. “… Do elves not believe in the sanctity of privacy? Or is being nosy a trait that’s exclusive to you amongst your kind?” Noble Fencer asked sarcastically— making sure to lift one eyelid open momentarily, just to signal to High Elf Archer that was only joking. 

Catching onto the playful comment, High Elf Archer huffed a warm-humid breath out as she rolled her eyes at Noble Fencer. “What can I say? The long ears makes us elves naturally up in everyone’s business— eavesdropping for us is as common as aging poorly is to you humans~,” High Elf Archer said with a smug tone, which caused Noble Fencer’s entertained grin to return to its full glory as the sassy teenager immediately came up with a rebuttal to use.

“Oh yeah; you’re old as hell, aren’t you~?! Huh “ Grandma ”~?” Noble Fencer teased back, which caused High Elf Archer’s eyes to slightly bulge in her sockets upon hearing her quip.

“… “ Grandma ”? Psh! As if! Give it thirty years, kid, and we’ll see who “ Grandma ” is by then~!” She shot back with a wide-grin across her pink lips, as she turned around on the bench to face towards the snickering teenager. “Okay, okay— jokes aside, if you’re not going to open up about why you’ve been silent and brooding since we got in here, then could you at least let me know? I’d hate to make you feel as though I’m pressuring you into saying something that you’ve actually got boundaries on,” High Elf Archer conveyed reassuringly— smiling more warmly towards Noble Fencer than the humid steam that they were breathing in. 

Slowly dropping her facetious “ Devil-may-care ” attitude in favor of a more serious and troubled expression, Noble Fencer managed to continue smiling back at High Elf Archer— not out of habit, but as a way to express her gratitude towards the elf. “I… I appreciate you saying that, Artemis. It’s… It’s nothing THAT serious, it’s just uh… I don’t know, I’m sort of feeling like a… Like I’m, uh… Kind of like I’m… Like I’m kind of a failure, to put it bluntly— I don’t think there’s another way of saying it, really,” Noble Fencer chuckled dryly, before her smile slowly disappeared. 

The once jovial feeling in the room that had been accompanied by a sense of camaraderie vanished, and left behind in its wake was an uncomfortable tension that made it impossible for either woman to loosen with any amount of humor. Lifting her back from the wall to straighten herself up, High Elf Archer leaned forward toward the vulnerable teenager with an engaged look in her emerald eyes, as she then asked Noble Fencer, “And why do you think that, Relena?” 

Not answering immediately at first, the fourteen year-old teen had to rehearse her response several times over in her head. Furrowing her brows and frowning as she repeatedly made changes to what she was going to say, once Noble Fencer was satisfied enough with her planned out answer she looked back at High Elf Archer before saying, “Because failing is the one thing that I’ve managed to continuously succeed in. Everything else hasn’t gone my way, and… And I don’t think it ever will at this rate— maybe I’m just cursed, who knows?” 

Not daring to dismiss the way Noble Fencer felt— as doing so would have invalidated the impact her problems were having on her— High Elf Archer nodded her head softly at the honey-blond teenager, and carefully selected her words before speaking them to her. “I see… Does this have to do with the quest being voided, or about how your companions are out guarding the entrance to that cave?” She asked, which garnished her a humorless throaty-chuckle from the teenager, who took in a long breath before slowly exhaling it out through her small nose.

“ Ha… If only it were those two things,” Noble Fencer muttered under her breath quietly, before taking a moment to silently dabble in some self-reflection. “You see, uh… T-The people who I left behind, back in the Mythr- I mean, back in “Aurora’s Somber”, they… They aren’t actually my, uh… My party members, or even adventurers from the guild; they’re actually a band of mercenaries that I used my family’s wealth to PARTIALLY pay for— I’ve just referred to them as my party members, because uh… Because I… I didn’t want to accept the fact that I’m… I’m not the “ hero in the making ” that I envisioned myself as being,” Noble Fencer admitted, before lowering her gaze toward the dimly-lit floorboards. “I mean… When’s the last time you’ve read about a heroine needing to pay shady mercenaries, using her coins she stole from her family’s vault?” 

Surprised by the revelation, High Elf Archer’s wide-eyed stare said it all as she felt her jaw hang open slightly in shock. “You… You stole from your family? W… Why? Why didn’t you just join up with some other like-minded adventurers? You said you’re from the Calvard Empire; that place is almost six-times the size of the Pathway Kingdom, you shouldn’t have had trouble joining a party with that many people living there,” High Elf Archer mused with a perplexed look in her emerald green eyes, as not only was she disapproving of Noble Fencer’s act of thievery, but she saw no need for it to begin with.

Shrugging her bare slender-shoulders at High Elf Archer, Noble Fencer momentarily cracked a barely noticeable smirk at her before her lips went back to being a frown on her beautiful, doll-like face. “That’s what I thought while joining the ranks of the guild as well, but… By the time I actually did register, the only quests that were offered to me were… Lackluster, to say the least,” Noble Fencer said with some of her privileged upbringing making itself known, as she let out a scoff before elaborating what she meant by her offered quests being “ lackluster ”.

“I trained my entire life up until this point to become the best out the academy my father enrolled me into— I learned an entire book full of destruction magic, spent countless hours pouring my sweat, blood, and tears into becoming the best fencer in the entire history of the “ Clock Tower ”, and for what? To be told that I would have to essentially become the guild’s “ errand girl ”, until “ something else ” came up?! No! T-That’s not right, Arthemis— I didn’t give up my entire childhood, just to be grouped in with the mediocre crowd of people who took up being an adventurer only for alcohol money! No, I-I deserve BETTER than that!” Noble Fencer shouted defiantly with her bottled up frustration finally coming out, as her hands flew forward from behind her head, before she slammed both her fists down against the wooden bench she and High Elf Archer were still seated upon. 

Breathing in deep breaths with an intense look present in her golden eyes, Noble Fencer could feel her heart pounding inside of her chest with each long breath she took as she took a few moments to collect herself. “I… I know how selfish that sounds— believe me, you wouldn’t be the first to call me out on it, but… Y-You asked, and… And that’s just one of the problems that have been weighing down on my mind for a while now… I do apologize for losing my composure there, Arthemis— it was immature of me to yell like that,” Noble Fencer apologized with an embarrassed yet still bothered look on her face, as she raised her eyes from the floor to meet High Elf Archer’s surprisingly understanding gaze.

“Thank you for apologizing, Relena… And… For what it’s worth, I… I completely know where you’re coming from,” High Elf Archer said empathetically, as she scooted over toward the perplexed teen until their thighs were but a bare few inches away from making skin contact. “Much like yourself, I come from nobility as well, so… So I understand what it’s like to live in a household where your desires are catered to. I spent centuries— literal CENTURIES— perfecting my marksmanship; preparing myself the best that I could to one day raise up to become the hero in my head that I thought my people needed. And just like you, I was met with a severe amount of disappointment when it came to the roster of available adventurers who were willing to join me on this quest. Either they were too naive and “ green ” to be anything but a future burden to me, or they would just flat-out reject to accompany me to the Mythril Mountains— they said I would get myself killed, like everyone else who tried to complete the ONE quest that I sought to complete,” High Elf Archer explained, as the disappointing experience was still fresh in her mind. “You haven’t said it yet, but… From the sounds of it, it seems as though you more-or-less joined the Adventurers’ Guild for the same reason as I did: to be the “ hero ” who lives a life of excitement, and whose exploits are forever immortalized in the pages of history itself.” 

Appearing guilty of High Elf Archer’s assumption made of her, Noble Fencer flashed an embarrassed grin as she nodded softly at the petite woman. “ Heh… Either I become a successful adventurer who makes a name for herself, or I inevitably join the “ family business ”, and become the president of the mercantile company my father currently runs,” Noble Fencer replied back with a reluctant look in her eye. “I’ve… I’ve seen what being in that position does to a person. I’m grateful for the life I’ve been given, but… I’ve seen how rapidly my father’s aged since he took over the business from my grandfather. Wasting away behind a desk, never seeing the world beyond the scope of your responsibilities— seeing life pass you by, just outside the window of an executive office? Hmmm… No. No, that’s… That’s not the kind of life I want to live— if you can even consider that a “ life ” worth living in the first place.”

High Elf Archer— immature as she could be for an elf her age— knew that there was a lot more to the career Noble Fencer’s father inherited than what the understandably naive teenager had to say about. But rather than arguing with the blond teenager that she was oversimplifying her father’s duties, High Elf Archer instead chose to share an anecdotal experience with Noble Fencer to have her look beyond her youth-limited horizons. “I’m guilty of still thinking that way too, except it’s about my older sister, “ Athena ”. You see, she’s the “ Queen of the High Elves ”, which means that most of her schedule is crammed with royal duties, overseeing the duties of her earls, and maintaining positive relationships with Pathway. Growing up with her for as long as I did allowed me to experience second-hand just how exhausting and stressful it was to be a queen— especially a queen that has limited resources to work with, seeing how my people are still feeling the negative effects of the Imperial Empire,” High Elf Archer explained— sounding engaging to Noble Fencer, who was listening to every word spoken by her while leaning forward to focus intently on her.

“… But even so, it’s then that I dig deeper into the position she’s in, and I always am reminded of the sacrifices she’s made to give not only me the life that I have, but the lives of those who rely on her as much as I do,” High Elf Archer expressed, while seeing the connection being made behind Noble Fencer’s golden eyes. “It’s not an easy life she lives, and her position is not one that I alone envy. I can live my life the way I want to, as you have the right to do so as well. It’s just… It’s just important that we don’t forget that those people in our lives who we see tied down to their responsibilities are still our loved ones, and we should take solace in knowing that we’re the reason for them to keep on going,” High Elf Archer said wisely— giving the fourteen year-old girl who was still learning some food-for-thought. 

Knitting her brows together, Noble Fencer tightened her lips into a frown as her golden eyes glanced away from High Elf Archer’s beautiful face. “Y… Yeah, that’s… That’s one way of putting it all into perspective, now is it…?” Noble Fencer murmured mostly to herself rather than to High Elf Archer, as slowly her thoughtful expression transformed into one of resoluteness. “ Hm… I guess… I guess we all have our responsibilities to those who depend on us— it’s just a matter of being willing and able to accept that then, right?” Noble Fencer asked rhetorically, while seeming to already know the answer to her own question. “I’ve… I’ve been putting this off for long enough— it’s time I face the consequences of my actions,” Noble Fencer said with a determined look in her bright, starry golden eyes, before proceeding to stand up from the bench with her backside out for High Elf Archer’s sudden viewing pleasure. 

Unable but to help herself when the opportunity presented itself, High Elf Archer’s curious eyes took a moment to eye the fourteen year-old’s curvy bottom— her cheeks becoming a dark shade of pink, as she found herself fixated on just how juicy her cheeks were, and how enticing it look to see all the small beads of moisture trickling down along its robust surface. Letting her intrusive thoughts take over, High Elf Archer smiled deviously while biting down on her bottom lip as she readied her hand back— excitement blossoming in her nether regions, as she felt Noble Fencer’s left buttcheek reverberate under the touch, the moment she spanked the confused teen hard enough to elicit a surprised gasp from the wide-eyed girl. 

Chapter Text

Washing themselves off at the bath house that was next door to the indoor sauna, High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer together began their shopping spree— the two of them using their own family wealth to purchase new winter accessories for the elf. Wearing durable black-colored thermals that covered her arms and legs completely, High Elf Archer was able to re-use most of her old outfit, but with added protection against the sub-zero temperatures that would greet them further up the path. Switching her inadequate cloak for a white-fur lined one that came with a hood to insulate the heat to her head, the last addition to High Elf Archer’s survival gear was a green scarf that could be used as a mask to cover her mouth and nose.

Although Goblin Slayer’s black-fur insulated leather armor that BB had transmuted for him out of his collected resources within his inventory did in fact keep him warm, the truth of the matter was that it was questionable at best whether or not it would be enough to keep the ten year-old warm when they reached the peak of the Mythril Mountains. Unfortunately, no one in Matterhorn sold child-sized sets of armor meat for sub-zero temperatures, so High Elf Archer proposed the idea that she and Noble Fencer would simply buy the raw materials, and have their managerial AI ally craft a custom set of armor for Goblin Slayer instead. 

By the time the two had finished their shopping spree, the stars were beginning to twinkle in the late twilight-sky. Thanks to their large expenditures made at “ Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna ”, the shopkeeper was more than willing to provide the two noble women with a private space in the back of his store to set up a fast-travel point— the idea of having what were essentially two princesses being able to come-and-go to his shop whenever and wherever made the bearded man giddy with excitement. The back of the trading post had rows-and-rows of shelves filled with back stock, and in the furthest recesses of the small warehouse High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer found a perfect spot for BB to create a green-glowing tune along the wooden floorboards— right beside a small break area that the shopkeeper had for himself. 

With Noble Fencer standing behind her with the rope of the sleigh full of supplies in hand, High Elf Archer couldn’t help but to feel exclusive with the way she was able to remain calm as she heard the teenager behind her let out a gasp the moment the rune on the floor began to emit swirling turquoise particles of light around its circular circumference. “I… I have no idea what sort of magic that is— it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before… What are they?” Noble Fencer asked with an astonished tone in her voice— sounding exactly like how High Elf Archer herself spoke, when she first asked Goblin Slayer about what a fast-travel point was.

“They’re called “ photon particles ”— they’re essentially bits of light that can transport and receive information from one point to another. Pretty much what happens is that we both step into the circle together, and then the “ magical circuits ” or whatever within that rune scans us. And because you’ve got me with you, it’ll allow us and our cargo to be teleported to whatever other fast-travel point that its connected to,” High Elf Archer explained with the best of her knowledge— shooting the perplexed teenager a look over her shoulder, before softly chuckling as she stared into her golden eyes.

“… N-Not to sound uneducated by any means, but… What the hell’s a “ magical circuit ”?” Noble Fencer asked with a confused tone in her voice— her eyebrows knitted, as she did her best to make sense of the information she had been given. 

Needing a moment to think about how she could properly reply to Noble Fencer’s question— as she herself was still learning the concepts of magecraft that Goblin Slayer himself wasn’t all too sure about it either— High Elf Archer thought back to the ten year-old, and suddenly knew what to say. “You know that glowing red-thing that Orcblog has on the back of his hand? That’s called a “ magic crest ”, and is also made up of “ magical circuits ”. It’s kind of like a… Like a magical converter that’s made up of photon particles, and serves two purposes: one is to transfer mana into spells, and the other is to link him to some weird realm or something called the “ Moon-Cell ”… Which is another thing entirely on its own,” High Elf Archer chuckled, after having done her best to give the intrigued teenager the best simple explanation she could think of. 

Grasping her chin with one gloved hand as she gently tapped the side along her jawline with one finger, Noble Fencer slowly nodded back at High Elf Archer while grinning at her with interest. “Huh, I see, I see… Tell me more about this “Moon-Cell”— I’d love to hear more about wh- W-WOAH?!? ” Noble Fencer suddenly shouted with a surprised tone in her voice.

And as just the honey-blond haired teenager pulled her trusty rapier from its hilt, High Elf Archer had already drawn her longbow out and had six arrows pulled back along its drawstring as she hopped backwards from the fast-travel point that she hadn’t been paying attention to. Fully prepared to engage in combat with whatever had prompted Noble Fencer to draw her blade, High Elf Archer was milliseconds away from rapidly firing her entire quiver full of arrows the moment she saw the six adventurers from earlier falling forward toward them. 

Had it not been for the sight of Goblin Slayer standing over the adventurers who laid face-first before him, then both women would have impulsively attacked the six men and women who already looked as though they were one hit away from death. Lowering her rapier as High Elf Archer did the same with her own weapon, Noble Fencer’s surprise grew into a feeling of nervous uncertainty and confusion as she took a second look at the six adventurers who were groaning and whimpering in pain several feet away from her. “W-What the hell?! Goblin Slayer, did… D-Did you do this to them?!” The honey-blond teenager asked with a disapproving look in her eye, as she carefully knelt down beside the heavily-bandaged and splitted Female Mage, who was struggling to keep her eyelids open and was just muttering incoherently under her breath.

Not proud of what he did, Goblin Slayer seemed completely understanding of Noble Fencer’s reaction, and remained calm and stoic as he watched her ensure that every one of the adventures who he had beaten to a pulp were still alive and stable. “This is what it had to come down to, unfortunately. I offered to make peace with them, but they weren’t exactly interested in that, so… I did the next best thing, after that shark woman there tried attacking me when I wasn’t paying attention to her,” Goblin Slayer explained, but was still disheartened the moment he realized that Noble Fencer was still visibly against what he had done.

Having looked into the cleaned-up mouth of the unconscious leader of the party, Noble Fencer closed the lips of the toothless man before glaring angrily at the now worried-looking boy. “Clearly they weren’t a threat to you, Goblin Slayer— so why did you hurt them THIS badly?! You know that they’re all going to have to retire from adventuring now, don’t you?! They’re NEVER going to recover from this— not without a LITERAL miracle on their side!” Noble Fencer exclaimed, as she got up from the floor before gesturing with her hands down toward the rest of the crippled adventurers. 

Although she herself thought that Goblin Slayer might have gone too far as well, High Elf Archer decided to play devil’s advocate while trying to be the voice of reason as well. “Now wait, hold on Relena. Yes, Orcblog probably didn’t need to break almost every bone in their bodies, and yes you have every reason to feel upset about seeing fellow adventurers in this sorry state, but… Technically speaking, we did critically wound a couple of them ourselves, and just like how he did the first time, it looks like Orcblog properly treated their wounds,” High Elf Archer pointed out, but to which Noble Fencer found to be inarguably true upon finishing her check up on the other adventurers.

Darting her eyes toward High Elf Archer, Noble Fencer’s fierce temperament began to subside as her shoulders began to slowly relax. “Y-Yes, I… I see that, but… But they’re one of us, Arthemis— they’re adventurers, and “ gold-ranked ” at that! It’s just…! I-It’s just a shame to see them like this, and… And it’s awful that things ended up this way for them,” Noble Fencer said solemnly, as she took in a quiet breath before sighing softly. Looking away from High Elf Archer, she flashed the green-haired woman an appreciative smile before turning to meet Goblin Slayer’s crimson gaze. “I… I’m sorry. I knew you didn’t want to have to kill them, so… So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m upset not at you, but because things didn’t turn out the way I was expecting them to either— call me a fool, but I was hoping that you’d be able to solve this complicated situation through words alone.” 

Feeling slightly better about himself, now that Noble Fencer wasn’t glaring at him or accusing him of being overly aggressive, Goblin Slayer felt a weight being lifted off of his chest the moment he saw an apologetic smile forming across the teenager’s pretty pink lips. “It’s fine, and… And yeah… Yeah, I… I was hoping I’d be able to talk them down, but… But it wasn’t meant to be, I guess,” Goblin Slayer mused with a humorless chuckle escaping his lips, as he let out a breath of withheld air while taking a moment to stare at his handiwork. “ Uh… For what it’s worth though, they shouldn’t be like this for long— give or take a year with some proper care back home, they’ll be capable of working to provide for themselves and families in no time.”

Nodding her head, Noble Fencer’s smile grew momentarily after hearing Goblin Slayer’s reassuring words. ‘ At least he thought about the long term consequences of his actions… Poor kid, I shouldn’t have yelled at him like that— after all, at least he was able to resolve this issue without killing any of them. That’s a testament to who he is, surely, ’ Noble Fencer thought approvingly of Goblin Slayer, but still remained saddened as she stared back at his concerned expression. “This… This isn’t your fault— I overreacted, and that’s entirely on me. With that being said, there’s a likely chance that they’ll tell the Adventurer’s Guild about what you did to them, so… So just be prepared for that,” Noble Fencer advised with a heavy heart, as the look on Goblin Slayer’s face after she had told him that made her feel all the more guilty for having lost her temper in the first place. 

“I… I guess I’ll have to cross that bridge when I get there. Maybe, uh… Maybe it won’t matter if whoever’s in charge of the Adventurers’ Guild learns about what I did? That might give me a chance to give my side of the story… If or when that day comes,” Goblin Slayer said hopefully, as he stared almost pleading at the two women. “I mean… What’s done is done, and all that matters now is that these jerks aren’t going to cause us any more trouble for the time being… Anyway, it’s getting late, and we really do need to be heading out to rescue your party members,” Goblin Slayer said— switching the subject for his sake, as well as for the sake of the two women who were worried for him, as well as themselves. 

Before Noble Fencer went on to reveal to Goblin Slayer about the truth on how her “ party members ” weren’t actually “ party members ” to begin with, she made sure to give the shopkeeper a heads-up about the six-adventurers who would need to be taken to the nearest monastery— so as to be placed in their infirmary. Due to the shopkeeper’s value of his financial ambitions, he promised Noble Fencer and High Elf Archer that he would “ take care ” of their problem by making up an elaborate story of how he had stumbled upon them in the woods— telling the two women that he would take responsibility for patching their wounds up, and that he would paint the six adventurers as being too traumatized for anyone to take whatever they say too seriously.

With an ally on their side, the trio felt genuinely relieved about the complicated situation. In good spirits for the most part, and wanting to keep whatever streak they had going for them, Goblin Slayer stored everything that the two women had purchased separately and together into his inventory, and was able to give his leather armor more padding and insulation from the changes made to his outfit by BB. Once they had fast-traveled together back to their isolated tavern home within the outer edge of Aurora’s Somber, the trio wasted no time in setting up their lanterns before braving the elements that awaited for them within those snow-ridden woods.

Taking the lead with Fairy Knight in the back to watch over them, Goblin Slayer made sure to fastened the black half-mask that BB had crafted for him around his lower face before opening up his holographic interface to navigate through the dark and eerie terrain— keeping an ear open for Noble Fencer, who used her own map to coordinate with him where the goblin-infested cave that her hired mercenaries were guarding was at. Holding his short-blade now that he had given Fairy Knight her Arondight back, Goblin Slayer was having BBB constantly scan the area for any unusual activity that would warrant their immediate attention, as he turned his head over his leather-padded shoulder to meet Noble Fencer’s curious stare.

“Shouldn’t… Shouldn’t you be focusing on the path ahead? Or, uh… The lack thereof?” Noble Fencer asked half-playfully, while watching from her peripheral vision as Goblin Slayer successfully led them around several clusters of trees, all without ever having to look where he was going. Blinking with a dumbfounded expression on her face, Noble Fencer was at a loss for words at what she had just witnessed, and all that came out of her mouth was a confused and unintelligible, “ Eh-wha’— Huh?! ”

“Pretty cool, right? I’ve been getting better and better at following BB-Sensei’s instructions— sometimes I don’t even really have to look where I’m walking,” Goblin Slayer said with a proud tone in his voice, and stared expectantly at Noble Fencer— waiting for her to give him her approval. 

Furrowing her brows with a smirk forming across her lips, Noble Fencer let out a low throaty-laugh as she realized where the sudden attention-seeking behavior was coming from. ‘ Seeing first hand what he’s capable of and how mature he can be, sometimes it’s hard to believe that he’s still just a kid at the end of the day… In spite of being a godsend, I wish I never had to meet him like this, ’ Noble Fencer thought bittersweetly to herself, while still finding it unfortunate that he was having to do things that no child his age should be experiencing.

“Wow! That’s impressive, Goblin Slayer! Seems like you’ve got a lot of useful talent at your fingertips… Say, what are your plans after all of this is said and done? Are you going to go back home, or go back to school?” Noble Fencer asked endearingly, while trying her best not to sound condescending— catching Goblin Slayer’s child-like smile vanish, as he turned his head forward. 

“That’s… That’s certainly a question that’s been weighing on my mind as well, Relena. The truth is that I don’t really think I’ll have much time for school— not until at least next year, at the earliest,” Goblin Slayer replied honestly, as he fiddled around through the menus on his holographic interface— scrolling through the list of songs that BBB was silently suggesting to him, as she continued to keep an eye out for trouble while BB herself was leading him from the comfort of the Moon-Cell.

Upon hearing Goblin Slayer’s response, Noble Fencer instinctively frowned while trying to lean over his shoulder to see what he was doing with his fingers— confused at first to see what appeared to be him simply tapping away at the air in methodical fashion. “Oh? And why would that be? Do you have plans in order already?”

“Kind of, yeah. You see, my village was destroyed by an army of goblins who came to raid it. My sister and I got out fine, but… The same can’t be said about what happened to the rest of our neighbors,” Goblin Slayer said with sadness in his voice, as the traumatic event that he had been trying not to dwell too much about was still fresh in his resilient mind. “None of the men made it, and the women and children who survived, well… I think a part of them died that night as well, and they… They aren’t in any position to take care of themselves. They need help, so… So what I’ve been thinking about lately is expanding on this property that I built in the middle of the Oakshire Forest— it’s not that far from Matterhorn, and is close enough to Londobell that I can move the orphans from there as well…”

“… I already have an idea of what I could build for them. First off, I’m going to have to build more homes for them, and then I’ll have to secure a reliable food source and water from the Grizzly Lake— hopefully none of which should be too difficult,” Goblin Slayer explained with an ambitious mindset, before proceeding to go further into detail about how his end game for his construction plans within the Oakshire Forest was to transform its safe area into a massive amusement park where the refugees and orphans could live happily in— spending a good amount of time describing to Noble Fencer and High Elf Archer about all the inspirations he had gotten from the research and suggestions made by BBB, who helped him after he had asked her how he could make his future sanctuary the “ happiest place on Earth ”.

Although it was beautiful to see how passionate Goblin Slayer was about giving happiness to those who have been devastated and left miserable the most, the sad reality behind the veil of good intentions he had left Noble Fencer silently distraught. ‘ It’s… It’s wrong— it’s all so wrong. Children shouldn’t be burdening themselves with the responsibilities that those in power are supposed to handle themselves… This shouldn’t fall on you… I… I have to do something about this— I won’t let this be just his problem, I’ll make it mine as well… It’s about time I start growing up, ’ Noble Fencer thought to herself with determination igniting her righteous heart. 

But before Noble Fencer could pledge her dedication toward helping Goblin Slayer’s selfless cause, it was then that the boy’s ramblings of a “ Magic Kingdom ” were interrupted by High Elf Archer— who had been emotionally touched by the boy’s plans, just as much as the blond teenager had as well. “O-Orcblog, when… When the time comes, I… I would be honored if you were to allow me to help you achieve that… That dream of yours,” High Elf Archer said with a shaky voice that she was trying to cover up behind a smile, as Goblin Slayer looked over his shoulder once more to meet her teary-eyed gaze. “You’ll… You’ll need plenty of manpower to provide protection and care to that many people, so… So if you would allow it, I… I can get my older sister to move the high elves to the Oakshire Forest— that way you won’t have to do so much all by yourself, and… And you’ll be able to have a life, outside of caring for those who are in need of help.” 

Having not expected to be offered any help from either women, especially being offered to essentially have an entire population of extremely-skilled elves to assist him, Goblin Slayer needed a moment to process what he had just heard come out of High Elf Archer’s smiling mouth. “Are… Are you sure? I… I didn’t say any of that to make you feel guilty— I’m sorry if I did,” Goblin Slayer apologized preemptively, which only pulled at the two women’s heartstrings even more. 

Laughing drily as her water eyes began to leak tears down the sides of her covered cheeks, High Elf Archer shook her head at Goblin Slayer before half-playfully blurting out, “Don’t be an idiot, Orcblog— of course you made me feel bad! How was I NOT supposed to feel bad after hearing all that sappy shit come out of your mouth?!” 

What followed suit was genuine, good-hearted laughter from the two of them, while all Noble Fencer could do while still following behind Goblin Slayer was to think of ways how she could help the boy with his goals, similar to how High Elf Archer was able to. And with how much ground they had to cover, the honey-blond haired teenager figured she would have at least a few hours to think her plan over, as the three of them continued to make conversation while occasionally fending themselves off from whatever unfortunate predator of the night would underestimate them.

Chapter Text

Any traces of light that had been emanating from the already distant sunset had vanished completely by the time Goblin Slayer’s group had gotten within the vicinity of Noble Fencer’s band of hired mercenaries— leaving behind a black canvas in the sky that was beautifully covered in a blanket of cosmic lights and stars, which made it all the more easier for them to spot the dancing flames of their campfire through the desolated woods. Having been passing the time for the majority of the journey— ever since they departed from their isolated tavern to finally begin the rescue mission in the first place— Goblin Slayer had been more enthralled with discussing his grandiose plans to create what essentially was his own kingdom with Noble Fencer and Half Elf Archer, and had almost forgotten all about the mercenaries until finally the group could see their tall silhouettes from around twenty meters away. 

After having been attacked several times by a variety of grown men and women, upon seeing their grizzled features from the glow of the campfire— as all six of them turned their heads towards them with their weapons drawn— Goblin Slayer couldn’t help but to feel wary of the armor-cladded mercenaries, who were all wearing light-metal armor that were all adorned with padded isolation on the outside. “They… They don’t look particularly happy to see us, Relena… Are you certain that these men can be trusted?” Goblin Slayer asked quietly, as he continued to approach the mercenaries’ camp with one hand resting the hilt of his short sword, as Fairy Knight brought up the rear to make her presence known to the six glaring men. 

Immediately picking up on the negative tension that was quickly worsening by the passing second, Noble Fencer sped up her pace so that she was in front of Goblin Slayer and Fairy Knight— the mercenaries’ glaring eyes turning to her, as some of them even bared their teeth towards her direction. “Hey uh… Let me do the talking, at least for now,” Noble Fencer whispered back towards her companions, as she feigned a confident smile on her lips for the mercenaries to see. “G-Greetings, “ Black Dogs ”— I’ve returned with supplies, and reinforcements!” Noble Fencer announced charismatically— feeling as though she were a lamb walking into a den of hungry lions, as she lightly jogged into the center of their makeshift camp, while her three companions followed suit with their eyes narrowed at the gruff looking men in their late thirties.

The largest man of the six who had his muscular six-foot tall body covered in black plates of padded-armor looked away from Goblin Slayer, High Ed Archer and Fairy Knight, and instead darted his brown eyes over toward the five-foot tall teenager— who was standing near the campfire just a meter from where he was holding his repeating crossbow. “Bernkastel… Who are these children? Why did you bring an elf with you, and where are the munitions you’ve promised to provide?” The dark-skinned man asked in a deep, gravely voice, as he slowly hovered one finger over the trigger of his twenty-shot crossbow. 

Noticing the Black Dogs’ leader itching for a reason to use his advanced crossbow, Noble Fencer remained unsuspecting as she gestured with a finger over at Goblin Slayer. “He’s the only child amongst them— both women there are older than all of us here combined. And as far as supplies go, that kid has then stored in a little pocket dimension of some kind— don’t let his appearance fool you, he’s a powerful magus,” Noble Fencer explained, and was already thinking of something else to say upon noticing that the man before her seemed unimpressed with her vague description of the boy’s feats. “Just to give you an idea of how spectacular this kid is “ Heavy Arms Dog ”, I’ll have you know that he took on an entire army of goblins pretty much by himself, and took out six gold-ranked adventurers who went rogue on him… Twice,” Noble Fencer added with a smirk forming over her lips, as she raised two fingers up before practically shoving her hand in front of the doubtful looking man.

Letting out a low growl as he looked past Noble Fencer’s gloved hand, Heavy Arms Dog took another glance at Goblin Slayer and eyed him up before looking back at Noble Fencer with disbelief in his brown eyes. “… And did you see these feats for yourself? Or were those all just hearsay?” The dark-skinned man asked in a condescending voice, as Noble Fencer lowered her fingers from in front of his face— a sassy expression still on her beautiful face, as she put both hands on her hips. 

“For your information, I absolutely did. Well, I saw him defeat the gold-rank adventurers in person once, and saw the outcome of the second time afterwards. But after everything I’ve seen “ Goblin Slayer ” capable of, there’s not a doubt in my mind that he can do whatever he sets his mind out to do,” Noble Fencer said confidently, while feeling daring as she heard the other members of the Black Dogs begin muttering amongst themselves. “Besides, I didn’t pay you to question the validity of my word, Heavy Arms Dog— I paid you to do a job. So enough of this pointless conversation— give me the pass down of what happened while I was gone,” Noble Fencer commanded in an authoritative voice that carried with a sense of entitlement, as she frowned with an impatient look on her face at the spiteful looking older man. 

Tensions between the two were thin, and all eyes focused on the two as Noble Fencer and Heavy Arms Dog silently locked eyes with one another for what felt like longer than it actually was— neither appearing to be interested in showing any signs of weakness, especially the honey-blond teenager. After a few more moments of intense silence had passed, the mercenary leader finally broke eye contact as he let out a sigh while turning away from the teenager— gesturing with a nod over to the largest of the tents that had been set up several meters away from the crackling campfire. “There is one thing that warrants your attention… Come, I’ll show you;” Heavy Arms Dog said, as he waited for Noble Fencer to follow alongside him towards the flap-entrance of the small tent house.

Not moving a single foot forward, Noble Fencer straightened her back with one hand resting on the golden hilt of her rapier— staring back challengingly once again at Heavy Arms Dog, who stared back at her with a confused look on his brown eyes. “… Come on, let’s check it out friends— let’s see what the man has to show us. You too High Elf Archer, and Fairy Knight,” Noble Fencer called out while still locking eyes with the dark-skinned man— her smug smile growing, after noticing the annoyance on his face. “They’re my friends— they’ll be coming with me wherever I go. That’s not up for discussion.” 

The corner of Heavy Arms Dog’s left eye twitched as his finger lowered against the metal trigger of his repeater crossbow, and after shooting the fourteen year-old a murderous glare the man needed a moment to recompose himself before once again speaking. “Even the elf? Hmmm… So be it, Bernkastel,” the mercenary leader said in a flat voice, before signaling for his men to guard the ten entrance as he walked alongside Noble Fencer and her three companions. “… Ladies and children first,” Heavy Arms Dog grumbled, as he held the left tent-flap open for the four others to come into the well-lit tent— peaking outside with one hand still gripped tightly around the handle of his repeater crossbow, before closing it behind as he looked over to see Noble Fencer and her friends making their way past all the unpacked bags that laid on the tarp beneath them.

With her newfound friends by her side, the four of them drew closer toward the single iron-cage that sat on the yellow tarp-covered floor. Confused as to why there appeared to be a two foot-tall paste-blue slime monster— the two black-lines above where its eyes would be furrowed at them like eyebrows, as it seemed to meet their curious gazes. Tightening her lips as she turned away from the caged monster, Noble Fencer stared at the dark-skinned mercenary before asking him, “… Is there a significance to this slime? Or was your wish to have me look at what you and your men caught while I was gone?”

Already annoyed with the honey-blond teenager, Heavy Arms Dog ignored her attempt at cracking a joke with him, and merely made his way toward her as he remained stone faced. “You were taking too long to make a simple supply run, so the boys and I decided to do some recon work into the cave— laying down traps, rigging the cave entrance to collapse with explosives, if need be,” Heavy Arms Dog reported, before continuing to speak. “We just got done tying the last of our bombs around the final weak spot of the cave, when all of a sudden this thing starts trying to speak to us. It mentioned having a good-standing relationship with those strange-looking goblins we chased down earlier, so I captured it and locked it up to interrogate it… But that's not the only thing we found inside that cave.” 

Moving away from her friends upon seeing Heavy Arms Dog taking a step toward one of the many large backpacks that laid stuff in the corner of the tent house, Noble Fencer kept her hand resting on the hilt of her weapon as she watched him kneel down to retrieve a glowing blue crystal-shard from the nearest opened bag— catching a glimpse of even more similar glowing gems stuffed inside the backpack he had taken it from. “… What am I looking at? Is it sapphire?” Noble Fencer asked with a wary tone in her voice, as she eyed the palm-sized gem that the mercenary leader showed no signs of handing over to her. 

“No Bernkastel, this isn’t the kind of precious gem that you and the rest of your kind are familiar with… No, this is something else entirely— something far more valuable than sapphires, or even diamonds for that matter,” Heavy Arms Dog mused with a power-hungry grin forming on his face, as he delicately brought the blue-glowing shard closer to his face— basking in its gentle light, as he tuned into the low-vibrating hum that was emanating from the gem. “What I’ve got here is-”

“-“ Photonic Crystals ”: it’s what the Moon-Cell is made out of. Clusters of data that are so tightly packed together, that they’re able to transform light into solid matter,” BB finished explaining to Goblin Slayer, as she stood behind him with one hand resting on his shoulder. “They work by enclosing light, and regulating it through nano structures. Photonic crystals can manipulate “ photoconductivity ” using those nano-structures, and refract the light inside them to transfer photonic particles from one place to another— it’s how I’m able to project this avatar to you, and how Melusine got here in the first place.” 

With Goblin Slayer and Fairy Knight having been the only ones in the tent house capable of hearing BB’s true explanation of what the gems were and what they did, High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer were left to go off of what Heavy Arms Dog told them. Crossing her arms over her breasts with her golden eyes still fixated on the photonic crystal that the mercenary leader seemed entranced by, Noble Fencer raised a single brow before speaking. “So… You’re calling them “ magic ores ”? Not exactly the most creative name you could have come up with, but… Whatever. What makes this worth its weight in gold then?” 

Darting his brown eyes momentarily away from the crystal shard in his hand to give Noble Fencer a dirty glare, Heavy Arms Dog once again growled under his breath with how irritated he was getting with the fourteen year-old girl. “Were you not paying attention to me, when I explicitly told you that the slime monster is the one who called them “ magic ores ”?” Heavy Arms Dog asked with a seething voice, which only made Noble Fencer want to be all the more sassy and disrespectful towards him. 

“No, I heard that part; what I’m trying to wrap my head around is the fact that you CHOSE to go along with that name… Anyway, now that you’re in a better mood than you were when we first got here, there’s something I’ve got to tell you,” Noble Fencer confessed with a bit of excitement in her voice, as she was feeling happy to see the six moody men leave her alone.

And while Noble Fencer was catching up Heavy Arms Dog about how the Adventurers’ Guild had voided the reward for clearing out the Mythril Mountains’ stronghold, Goblin Slayer had gotten done whispering the correct information over to High Elf Archer when all of a sudden the two of them were interrupted by a slightly raspy and childish-feminine voice asking them, “Wait guys, is this “ Moon-Cell ” thing a bunch of magic-ores pieced together, or is it an actual super computer that’s made FROM magic-ores…?” 

Initially shocked from having heard the slime monster whisper to them in a far more coherent manner than how Slime Girl did, Goblin Slayer along with BB and Fairy Knight were more taken aback by the fact that not only was the slime monster intelligent enough to quickly piece together information from what it had overheard, but its otherworldly knowledge set off several alarms within BB’s head. “ What the-?! Did… Did that chunk of jell-o just… Just ask if the Moon-Cell was a super computer?! How the hell does it even know what a regular computer is?!” BB asked with a flabbergasted look on her face, before immediately tapping Goblin Slayer on the shoulder to gently push him closer to the cage. “Ashta-Kun, ask that thing how it knows what a computer is— this thing could possibly originate from the Moon-Cell!” 

Giving one look over his shoulder to give BB an unsure expression, Goblin Slayer did what he was asked to upon turning his head forward to face the slime monster— being sure to keep his voice down, as to avoid being overheard by the mercenary leader who he instinctively had no trust for. “Hey… How do you know what a “ computer ” is…? No one should know what that is here,” Goblin Slayer asked in a whispered voice.

Jiggling their gelatinous body once to acknowledge what Goblin Slayer had said to them, the slime monster then whispered back to the boy, “Yeah, that’s pretty much the impression I got too since I’ve been here… But hey, I’m just as surprised as you are— I didn’t think that kind of technology existed here…”

“It doesn’t… Who are you…? You… You don’t seem like you’re from here,” Goblin Slayer pointed out, after having quietly asked his question to the friendly slime monster. 

“I’m… I’m not from here, and as far as my name goes…? Uh… I’ve been going by “ Rimuru Tempest ” for the past couple of days, so… So you could call me that then— everyone else down in that cave’s has,” the slime monster replied back, before further  asking Goblin Slayer, “What about you…? Do you have an actual name, or like… Do you just go by a title, or something…? It kind of seems like none of the humans actually have their own names here…” 

“Everyone has a name in Zemuria— it’s just people who’ve earned titles wear them like a badge of honor, so they usually just got by that rather than their actual name,” the ten year-old boy explained— almost forgetting about why he was there in the first place, due to having gotten to wrapped up in his conversation with the talkative slime monster. “My title’s “ Goblin Slayer ”, but my actual name is-”

“-Wait, YOU’RE here to SLAY the goblins too….?! Jesus Christ, kid…! Does EVERYONE want goblins dead for some godforsaken reason…?!” Rimuru exclaimed in a hushed whisper, as a few thick droplets of what they could assume were meant to their sweat flew off of the slime monster’s translucent body. M

Opening her eyes wide with an amused chuckle escaping her lips, an intrigued look formed in BB’s violet eyes as she crossed her slender arms over her massive breasts, “Oh? What do we have here? Not only does this thing know what a computer is, but they know who “ Jesus Christ ” is as well? Hmmm… They must have been a magus at one point, specifically one from another universe. There’s no data on them that I can find within the Moon-Cell’s archives, so… Whatever this thing is, they’re certainly an anomaly that’s worth investigating— that’s for certain,” BB mused, before getting more brooding as her fingers tightened over Goblin Slayer’s shoulder. 

Kneeling down behind him— so that her chin was inches away from touching his shoulder— BB brought her lips close to Goblin Slayer’s ear, as she stared intently at Rimuru. “Ashta-Kun, I’ve been nothing but cooperative and supportive since I teamed up with you… Now is the time that I get to finally ask for something in return—  a favor that I can’t let you refuse,” BB said in a serious voice— letting Goblin Slayer’s confused mind adjust to the changing shift of her tone, before proceeding to further speak into his ear. “I need you to free this slime monster from its cage, and then I need you to confiscate the photonic crystals from the six mercenaries— kill them if you have to, but we cannot allow these opportunistic men to keep something as useful as the photonic crystals.” 

“I… I see… I’ll see what I can do, BB-Sensei,” Goblin Slayer whispered back to the managerial AI with furrowed brows, as her sudden command had caused the distracted ten year-old mental whiplash. Squinting his eyelids while trying to remember what he was about to say to Rimuru, Goblin Slayer took a moment to regain his composure before leaning his face in closer toward the metal bars to speak to the slime monsters. Before he could even get one word out, Goblin Slayer suddenly caused everyone’s eyes to shift toward him as he stumbled backward with the insides of his nose burning. 

Turning to Goblin Slayer to hold him still, High Elf Archer’s concern grew the moment she saw the trail of dark-crimson liquid leaking out of both of the ten year-old’s nostrils— her heart racing as panic took hold of her. “O-Orcblog! H-Hey! Hey, w-what the hell happened?! Why is your nose bleeding so bad?!” High Elf Archer asked with a desperate tone in her voice, as she immediately reached into her shorts pocket to pull out a handkerchief that she pressed up against Goblin Slayer’s nose. 

With Noble Fencer and Fairy Knight crowding around the two to see what had happened to Goblin Slayer, Rimuru remained still in his cage as the sound of Heavy Arms Dog cackling under his breath made their slime blood boil angrily. “Those assholes took a few magic-ores and grounded them up to powder… It’s covering the cage, and whatever they did to them made it so it absorbs mana… That’s why I haven’t been able to get out of here,” Rimuru whispered with a dark voice, as their nonexistent eyes glared vindictively towards the mercenary leader. “Try having him flush it out with some saline water— that might… H-Hey…! Hey, uh… Y-You’re fading, ma’am— you’re fading…!” 

With the attention having been put on him mostly, it wasn’t until he and the women heard Rimuru’s suddenly confused and panicked voice did Goblin Slayer, Noble Fencer, and High Elf Archer notice what was happening to Fairy Knight. Just as Rimuru had said, Fairy Knight’s corporeal form was breaking away into tiny fragments that were being absorbed back into Goblin Slayer’s body, with the mildly concerned expression on her face being very foretelling of the fact that she wasn’t in control of what was happening to her. “Oh… I guess those photonic crystals really are absorbing your mana, Master… If that pendant of yours isn’t counteracting the powder’s effect, then…” Fairy Knight’s voice trailed off, as her physical form disappeared before she could finish saying her thought. 

There was a heavy silence in the air as the trio turned around toward the mercenary leader, who had a smug look on his grizzled face. “Huh, I guess there might have been some truth behind what you said about that kid, Bernkastel— guess he really did have some magic in him,” Heavy Arms Dog mused, while all five of his men came into the crowded tent house one-after-another. Outnumbering Noble Fencer and her two companions who he had felt she had been hiding behind, the Black Dogs stood imposingly over the trio— establishing an unspoken dominance over the situation, as Heavy Arms Dog made his hand flat before gesturing at Noble Fencer in a militaristic manner. 

“Alright, so here’s what’s going to happen, Bernkastel: since my boys and I don’t have reason to proceed with this voided mission, we’re going to take you back to Calvard with us— I’m sure “Big Daddy” will be grateful towards us for returning his bratty-bitch with “rebellious-princess syndrome” back to his castle, where she belongs,” Heavy Arms Dog said insultingly, as he gestured with a nod for two of his men to get ready. “You and the kid are going to stay here with my boys “Snoop Dog” and “Guard Dog” posted outside the tent— they’ll keep you safe, and prevent any of you two from getting into trouble.” 

Furious from having not only been insulted, but essentially getting the position of leadership taken swept up from under her, Noble Fencer had her eyes narrowed as she began to pull her rapier from its scabbard. “Don’t you DARE talk to me like- EUAK?!? ” Noble Fencer wretched, before immediately falling to her knees while wheezing, after Heavy Arms Dog had smacked her face with a small bag of pepper from his belt— causing her eyes to water up and her lungs to burn, which gave two of his men plenty of time to quickly subdue her before cuffing her wrists behind her back and forcing her to sit down on the ground. 

Dazed from the tiny particles of mana-draining crystals that were causing him to bleed from his nose, the rush of armed mercenaries felt like a blur to Goblin Slayer as he and High Elf Archer were swarmed by five six-foot tall men. Unable to cast any spells or see clearly enough past his teary eyes to do much, it wasn’t long until Goblin Slayer had his small wrists tied behind his back with rope— their weapons stripped from them and casted aside, while he watched beside Noble Fencer as High Elf Archer was shoved toward the flaps of the tent house.

With the calibrated crosshairs of five semi-automatic crossbows, High Elf Archer had her hands raised over her shoulders as Heavy Arms Dog circled around her with a spiteful glare in his eyes. “ Tch…! W-What the hell do you think you’re doing?! What’s the meaning of thi- G-GAH?! ” High Elf Archer tried demanding, but was quickly silenced and sent tumbling down on the ground the moment the mercenary leader smashed her face in with the butt of his crossbow— breaking her nose and causing her to bleed profusely, before pressing the tip of his cocked arrow against the back of her head. 

“Can’t STAND your long-eared cretins! You all smell like shit, yet think you’re all of legend! Here, let me remind you how the world outside of Pathway thinks of YOUR kind!” Heavy Arms Dog spat out with a hateful look on his face, before quickly losing his temper and delivering a rib-breaking kick to the side of High Elf Archer’s small body— causing her to collapse onto the ground, and forcing to wheeze painfully with blood trickling down the back of her throat. 

Adrenaline began pumping through Goblin Slayer’s small body, and rather than trying to use bravado to demand that the armed men leave High Elf Archer alone, the ten year-old instead chose to take action by using Heavy Arms Dog’s show of force as an opportunity to save the minty-green haired woman instead. Knowing that time wasn’t on his side, Goblin Slayer immediately tucked his knees into his chest while looping his tied-up wrists under his feet. Hearing the shifting metal of cladded boots moving closer to him, Goblin Slayer knew that he had been spotted. With no options left except to give up and leave High Elf Archer at the mercy of the elf-hating mercenaries, Goblin Slayer acted out of desperation as he quickly dove toward Rimuru’s metal cage.

“ OPEN FIRE!!! ” Goblin Slayer heard over the faint sounds of High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer both attempting to scream for the six mercenaries to not hurt him, as he blindly fumbled with the cage-door. The first bolt struck him in the lower back, the second one planted itself into his shoulder— after the third one hit him in the back of the head and caused the left side of his body to go limp, Goblin Slayer stopped bothering to keep count of just how many times he was getting shot. Feeling his entire backside soaked with blood that was quickly dripping down the sides of his body and onto the yellow tarp below, it became harder-and-harder for Goblin Slayer keep his eyes open as he laid motionless on top of the toppled over metal cage— every inch of his body growing numb and cold, as his ears failed to hear the mercenaries behind him scream in agony. 

‘It’s cold— really cold… Is this what it feels like to…? Did I even do anything, or… Or was this all for nothing?” Goblin Slayer thought to himself, as his vision began to fade— the world around him seemingly becoming devoid of sound entirely, as he stared blankly at the growing white void that was swallowing what was left him up slowly. ‘I… I guess that’s it then, huh? I guess… I guess my dream of helping those survivors dies with me then? Oh well— I guess this isn’t so bad… I’m tired… I’m really tired. I think… I think I’m going to rest now. Just… Just for a bit…’

Chapter Text

After having cheated Death time-and-time again, Goblin Slayer had finally found himself in an unwinnable situation that his loyal servant couldn’t save him from. Sitting down with his upper thighs raised up to his chest while his arms were wrapped around his shins, Goblin Slayer had his forehead pressed in between his knees— shielding his eyes from having to stare at the stark-white void that engulfed him from every direction. ‘ … I feel like I’ve been here for days. Has it really been that long though? It’s hard to tell— time doesn’t really feel like it has any meaning here… It’s kind of like I’m stuck in a permanent state of sleep-paralysis— the moment I try getting my groundings, everything just slips away from my sluggish mind. ’

With his mind clouded in the same way one’s memory would be when trying to recount a dream that seemed always out of reach for them to recall, Goblin Slayer wasn’t able to feel bored or any amount of existential distress from his circumstances— seemingly stuck in a constant loop of indifference and exhaustion, causing him to feel almost completely apathetic as he did his best to reflect on his short-lived life. ‘ Everyone’s gotta die someday— at least my death was quick; the same can’t be said about those who I used to call my “ neighbor ”… But even so, I wonder what I could have accomplished… Would I have been able to make their lives worth living again, or are some scars simply too deep to patch up with the feeling of joy alone? ’

‘ … Oh well— it was never meant to be, I guess. There’s no point lamenting over what could have been… What I was…? What I was thinking about just now? Something… Something to do with, uh… Remembering something. Uh, what was it, what was it…? ’ Goblin Slayer thought to himself with furrowed eyebrows, as he tried his hardest to recall what he had just been dwelling on— a constant cycle of forgetting that made it all the more impossible for him to ground himself, let alone be able to keep track of what passed as time within the white void that ensnared him. 

Goblin Slayer would have gone on eternally stuck in a confused and forgetful mind set— never being able to hold a thought long enough to make too much sense of his damnation to actually suffer from it— had it not been for the break from the monotony of his lonely afterlife. Breaking the loop of his repeating thoughts, Goblin Slayer was snapped out of his eternal trance by the quiet sound of white noise buzzing from all around him. Lifting his face out between his knees with a tired look in his pale eyes, Goblin Slayer took slow notice of the translucent geometric-shapes of various neon hues that were glitching in-and-out of the white void surrounding him— the humming static emitting from the anomaly vibrating what felt like his insides, as it began to engulf him in its flashing lights.

Swallowed up in its RGB cloud of disorienting lights that seemed to shift whatever reality he was trapped in with its volatile nature alone, Goblin Slayer soon found himself unable to see any trace left behind of the white void— even after the reality-shifting anomaly had eventually cleared away and disappeared completely. Still under the mind numbing effects of the void that he had awoken in, the part of Goblin Slayer that was able to process the oddity around him knew better than to remain sitting down on a patch of grass that had manifested around him. ‘ This… This is…? Familiar, yet… Yet, why? ’ He thought confusingly to himself, as he gazed underneath the light of the full moon above to take notice of the wooded forest that he now found himself in the middle of. 

By all accounts, he knew that the sight alone of seeing yew tree after yew tree in all directions shouldn’t have been enough on its own to elicit a sense of deja vu— as he had been to several wooded areas since the start of his journey— but yet, he had a sense of familiarity with the forest around him. Picking himself off of the ground felt like a monumental task in of itself, as each deliberate movement he made felt as though he was wading upstream against an opposing river of ice-cold water. With only the moonlight seeping through the green leaves and white branches above him, Goblin Slayer was uncertain of which direction to take, as there was no sense of direction for him to go off of. 

As though the situation wasn’t bad enough on its own, Goblin Slayer’s lethargic mind hadn’t picked up on the faint sounds of children whispering from shifting flora around him— his pale eyes barely catching a glimpse of several pairs of glowing white eyes staring at him from the shadows of the woods, before he saw small silhouettes turning around to silently run somewhere else into the forest. ‘ … I’m not alone. They’re… They’re afraid of me? Hateful, even… But why— what did I do? Who are they? WHAT are they? ’ Goblin Slayer’s hazy mind thought to itself, as he put on foot in front of the other— stumbling slowly like a shambling zombie with its rigamortis-inflicted corpse dragging its movements down to a crawl.

“H… Hello…? Who… Who are you…? Is… Is anyone out there s-still…?” Goblin Slayer called out in a hoarse voice that didn’t feel or sound like his own, and instead reminded him of the way a proper noble would speak in a slow, elegant and methodical cadance. Not sure where else to go, Goblin Slayer kept his ears open while following the direction of the moon itself— the branches and thorns of the forest floor flora inflicting pain onto what could count as his body, all while the sounds of the children’s whispers became more coherent and audible the deeper he went into the woods. 

“ They’re back… ”

“ Will they let us go…? ”

“ They’re trapped with us… ”

“ Help us… Please, help us… ”

“ Awake, but not alive… ”

“ Haven’t we suffered enough…? ”

“ They watch us… Are they here to mock us…? ”

“ Please release us… ”

“ We miss our families… Please… Let us see them again… ”

“ I just want it all to end… I just want to die… ”

“ Stolen lives… ”

“ How many more have to die…? ”

“ Their eyes… ”

“ Did they come here to join us…? ”

Even in his clouded mind, Goblin Slayer still felt chilled to the bone from what he was able to decipher from the saddened and fearful voices that filled the darkness of the woods in lieu of any sounds of life that would normally be heard in a forest at night. Motivated to escape being within earshot of the grieving voices that cried out for him to show them mercy, Goblin Slayer felt desperation and fear gripping his very soul as he shambled through the darkness, with only the light of the large moon above him to guide his path. And no matter how hard he wanted his plan to work, for him to find answers within the horrors of the eternal forest that was riddled with pain and torment of those who saw him as the monster, the moonlight had failed to deliver Goblin Slayer toward any sign of salivation. 

The realization of how hopeless his situation was repeatedly pushed into the deepest recesses of Goblin Slayer’s determined and dread-filled mind, as the thought of falling into the same despair as those who were wandering through the same woods as him terrified him. ‘ I won’t give up, I won’t give up! I… I CAN’T give up! No! NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! ’ Goblin Slayer screamed internally at the rational part of him that was begging for his unrelenting side to accept defeat. Time had lost all meaning, and just like when he first had appeared in the white void that had engulfed him in its infinite light, the dark moonlit yew trees that surrounded him in its labyrinthine structure forced Goblin Slayer’s clouded mind to begin repeating maddening thoughts over-and-over again in his head. 

Unable to give up the slightest chance of there being hope for a way out of his seemingly new eternal afterlife, Goblin Slayer continued to search through the forest— his spirit was constantly having rebuilding itself as it was being torn down by all the hopelessness and sorrow that seemed to be growing sadder and more spiteful with each passing whisper. 

“ We’ve been waiting for you… ”

“ Child murderer… ”

“ You shouldn’t have come back here… ”

“ Monster… ”

“ What did we ever do to deserve this damnation…? ”

“ They’ve taken another one… ”

“ Disgusting… ”

“ Blood on your hands… It won’t ever wash off… ”

“ Leave that child alone… ”

“ We will not let you take another one… ”

Surrounded by spirits who had become vengeful with whatever could pass as “ time ” in those woods, Goblin Slayer’s ankle was grabbed by what felt like a tiny hand that gripped his ankle tight enough to cause him to trip. Helpless and stuck in his own mental anguish brought onto him by a mad state of denial, Goblin Slayer could only lay flat in his stomach as more and more small hands began to grab a hold of him with their cold touch. Incoherently muttering to himself about how he was going to escape, and how he couldn’t afford to accept defeat, Goblin Slayer was completely unaware of what was transpiring around him as he was slowly dragged deeper into the whisper-filled woods— his fingers clutching desperately at forest floor, as he left behind dugged up handfuls of dirt and grass in the wake of his drag marks. 

In the aftermath of their ambush, High Elf Archer had her gloved palm pressed up against her broken nose— her broken blood vessels having finally stopped bleeding, as she stared at all the death that lay before her bloodshot eyes. Each wheezing-breath she took with her broken bottom-left ribs brought her a great amount of discomfort, and yet High Elf Archer continued to mourn the loss of the ten year-old who she had only known for almost two days. The impression that the ten year-old had left on her in such a small period of time felt far more significant than those who the nearly one-thousand year old elf had known for decades, and the thought of Goblin Slayer’s selfless dreams never being brought to those who would have had their tragic lives changed for the better is what really twisted the figurative dagger that had pierced High Elf Archer’s broken heart. 

With the minty-green haired elf silently staring longfully at the bloodied corpse that was being held in her unrestrained arms, Noble Fencer knelt down on the floor with one knee on the ground as she propped Goblin Slayer’s upper body up with one gloved hand behind his limp head— her golden eyes staring apologetically into his now brown eyes: any and all traces of his dusty-rose irises now faded in his fixated and glassy-eyed stare. “This… This is all my fault. I… I shouldn’t have brought you two up here with me,” Noble Fencer whispered remorsefully with disappointment and guilt on her face, as she let out a deep sigh while gently using her other hand to close Goblin Slayer’s eyelids with her gloved fingers. ‘ I always do this… I always drag others into my own problems… It should have been me. ’

Although it hurt to speak, let alone breathe, High Elf Archer watched Noble Fencer give Goblin Slayer a soft kiss on his forehead and waited until she laid him down onto her spread-open white cloak that she had placed in the center of the blood-splattered tent. “You… You aren’t allowed… T-To blame yourself for this… D-Don’t disrespect his… H-His sacrifice like that,” High Elf Archer scolded through agonizing wheezes, as she stared intensely back at Noble Fencer, who had momentarily looked up from Goblin Slayer’s lifeless body to lock eyes with her. “He… He saved your life… My life… We… C-Can’t let that go to waste… We can… M-Mourn for him… Mourn for him… When this… When this is all done,” High Elf Archer said with a determined voice, before breaking her gaze in order to stare up past the armored hand that was being offered to her. 

Just as stoic as she had mostly been, Fairy Knight’s eyes were as dry as they could be— seemingly unaffected by her master’s death, as she helped High Elf Archer up onto her feet. “I take it this isn’t the first time you’ve lost a comrade, Arthemis— not many are able to say those words, and actually abide by them like you are,” Fairy Knight mused with a hint of a proud smile on her face, as she slung High Elf Archer’s toned arm behind her shoulder to begin supporting her as the elf applied pressure to her broken ribs with one hand. 

Nodding her head solemnly as the white-haired servant began to walk alongside her toward the stash of remaining supplies that the mercenaries still had in their dwindled stockpiles, High Elf Archer quietly replied with, “Unfortunately, yes… I’ve seen… T-Too many elves die… B-Because of Nerevar… That’s why I… I have to keep going on… S-So I can make sure that… O-Orcblog, and… And everyone else didn’t… D-Die for nothing,” all while having help from Fairy Knight as the two of them searched for healing items.

Again impressed with the woman’s show of perseverance, Fairy Knight gave High Elf Archer an approving nod while knelt down beside her— hearing the sound of Goblin Slayer’s body being wrapped up in the teenager’s blood-stained cloak from over her shoulder, as the question that had been on her mind since vacating her master’s departed soul continued to confuse her with no end in sight. ‘ How is it possible that I’m still here? Ashta’s dead, and his soul isn’t even residing in his body anymore, so… So what am I still doing here? ’ Fairy Knight thought to herself with narrowed eyes, as she set aside all the vials of potions that weren’t of any use to High Elf Archer’s current situation. ‘ A servant without a master— I have never heard of such a thing being possible outside of the throne… The managerial AI truly was onto something: something’s wrong with this world— terribly wrong. ’

Although it was a grizzly act, no one was batting an eye at Rimuru as he finished absorbing whatever mana they could squeeze out of the six mercenaries who they had brutally slain— their gelatinous body disintegrating the droplets of blood and torn pieces of flesh into raw mana, as they reluctantly turned around to see Goblin Slayer’s wrapped up body placed in the center of the tent. ‘ Humanity’s just as capable of being cruel here as they were back home… This is terrible— just  absolutely terrible… It’s unacceptable is what it is, ’ Rimuru thought angrily to themselves, as righteous fury filled every fiber within their slime body— causing his eyebrows to furrow even more, as he hopped up into the air, before turning around to face Noble Fencer. “… Are there any more of them?” 

Being just as distracted and spacey with her own thoughts as everyone else around her was, it took Noble Fencer’s mind a few moments to register that Rimuru’s question had been directed toward her, and thus it took her a minute before finally stringing together a response for them. “ Um… Not them per-say— they’re the last of the “ Black Dogs ”— but… Y-Yes, there’s more like them back in Calvard,” Noble Fencer said in a hollow voice, before beginning to explain to Rimuru about the mercenary army that the six dead men were contracted under. “They’re called the “ Jaeger Corps ”: they’re an elite organized army themselves, but they often outsource “ smaller missions ” to approved units.” 

“I see… And how are they like? Would they be supportive of this sort of disgusting behavior? Is this beneath them, or an advocated idea? A status quo against non-humans?” Rimuru further questioned, while sounding more angry the longer they dwelled on the injustices done by the Black Dogs. 

Tightening her lips as she fought with her own distracting thoughts to focus on the question at hand, Noble Fencer took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled before replying to Rimuru by saying, “Zemuria in general is… Not the kindest to those who weren’t born as a human. Pathway Kingdom is so far the only progressive country that accepts any and all who are peaceful. So… If what you’re insinuating is that these sorts of atrocities are what’s common within the Jaeger Corps, then… Yes. Yes, you’d be correct.” 

There was a long pause from the pastel-blue slime monster, and the only sounds coming from within the tent were High Elf Archer’s wheezing breaths over the noises the glass vials were making as she and Fairy Knight finished sorting through their available supplies. Dwelling on the new information they had been told, Rimuru decided to not press the matter any further and chose to instead turn their attention toward what really mattered at the moment. “It’s… It’s getting late out here, and… And this isn’t a good place for any of us to bunker down in, so… So please, may I take you three into the cave? It’s safe, and there’s plenty of food and drink to go around. And… And there’s a tomb, deep inside the cave. It’ll… It’ll be a respectable place to lay him to rest.” 

Immediately opposed to the offer, Noble Fencer narrowed her eyes at Rimuru as her hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of her rapier. “Yeah right— I’m sure there’s quite the burial site that the goblins have inside their filthy cave! You’re either joking right now, or trying to lure us into some trap— either way, you’re crazy if you’re expecting us to willingly place our safety into the dirty-green hands of a bunch of three-foot tall rapists!” Noble Fencer spat out with anger within every word she spoke, as blue sparks of powerful magic-lightning began to engulf the platinum blade of her raised rapier. 

Stunned at the sudden turn that the conversation took after their offer, Rimuru’s gelatinous body tensed up as they felt Fairy Knight immediately spinning around to unveil the blades of her Arondights toward him, all the while High Elf Archer was finishing downing the last remaining droplets of the health potion she had finally found in a large backpack. “N-Now everyone j-just wait a second! I-I think that there’s a m-misconception here! The goblins inside that cave, t-they’re not bad people at all! They’re just like you: they all have families with lots of children, and haven't EVER done anything as vile as what you just described! N-No, no in fact it’s the other way around! They were all terrified of the black dogs storming into their cave— plundering the magic ores they harvest and sell for supplies! They hid their women and children out of fear of what the humans would do to them! Trust me: they’re NOT what you think they are!” Rimuru shouted in defiance in their feminine voice, while being half-surprised that none of the women in that tent had interrupted their long-winded ramble by killing them in the midst of their speech. 

Tension was in the cold air as the three women exchanged perplexed glances at one another— their weapons still drawn and ready to strike the surrounded slime monster at a moment’s notice. Clearing her throat while still getting used to not having shards of bone pressing against her left lung, High Elf Archer raised an eyebrow at Rimuru as she held her arrow back on her bow’s drawstring. “W… Women? What are you talking about…? You’re… You’re talking about captured human and elf women, yes? The same ones they use as breeding cattle?” High Elf Archer asked in an angered voice, before suddenly being caught off guard by the way Rimuru’s slime body reverberated in shock.

“ EW?!? WHAT THE HELL?!? ARE YOU JOKING?!? T-THAT’S AN ACTUAL THING HERE?!? ” Rimuru shrieked with outrage and disgust in their voice, and began to look extremely distressed with the way they would constantly jiggle while sounding as though they were hyperventilating. “T-That’s FUCKED UP!!! I… I will not STAND for that, and neither will the goblins in that cave! That’s it! Come on, we need to talk to Veldanava! He’ll know what to do!” Rimuru called out with determination in their voice— practically forgetting altogether about how close they still were from getting the life crushed out of their slime. 

Before either Noble Fencer or High Elf Archer could challenge Rimuru once again, Fairy Knight broke her stotism the moment she heard the slime mention the name “ Veldanava ”. Lowering her blades slowly with a wide-eyed expression on her pale face, Fairy Knight walked over to Rimuru with a look of familiarity and confusion reflecting back in her brown gaze. “How…?! H-How do you know that name?! Answer me!” Fairy Knight demanded in a voice that sounded uncharacteristically desperate for someone who was as proud as she was— causing both Noble Fencer and High Elf Archer to slowly lower their weapons as well, as the two gave each other confused looks. 

Relieved to have common ground with someone else who was still alive in the tent, Rimuru looked up into Fairy Knight’s desperate eyes with his thin eyebrows raised up at her. “Veldanava and I are pretty close! He’s the one who gave me the name “ Rimuru ” and helped me get most of my memories back when I first got here— him and I have been practically family, ever since like four days ago! Why? Do you know him? It sounds like you do,” Rimuru mused, as Fairy Knight subtly glanced at the two other women in the room before giving the slime her answer. 

Glancing away from Rimuru’s non-visible eyes and instead choosing to stare thoughtfully at Goblin Slayer’s wrapped-up remains, Fairy Knight fell into silence as her heart began beating anxiously inside of her small chest. “I… Y-Yes. Yes, I know him very well— he was a good dragon… “ Was ” being the keyword of that sentence,” Fairy Knight emphasized with an exasperated voice, as she swallowed back the lump in her throat. “If any part of him is still alive in that cave, then… Then please. Show me— just know that I’m obligated to protect the well being of the women, by any means necessary.” 

“Trust me, no harm will come to you or your friends— so long as you’re peaceful,” Rimuru replied back in a friendly, yet stern voice. “I don’t want to rush any of you, so… Take your time finishing up with what you need to do here— I’ll show you the way when all of you are ready,” Rimuru added with a slower and less excitable cadance— showing respect for the three women, as all eyes slowly made their way over to the center of the tent. 

Wordlessly and without waiting for anyone to make the first move, Fairy Knight quickly scooped Goblin Slayer’s white-cloak covered body into her arms— carrying her deceased master bridal style in her deceptively powerful arms. “There’s no point in prolonging this— we’re on a schedule, ladies. Like Artemis said: we can mourn on our own time,” Fairy Knight said in a almost emotionless voice, all while refusing to make eye-contact with either High Elf Archer or Noble Fencer— the muscles in her pale face tightening up, as she forced herself to remain straight face with Rimuru looking back at her with sympathy— the slime seeing right through her facade.

Chapter Text

“… Hello? Are you…? Are you there?” A soft spoken voice asked, as Goblin Slayer’s dreary mind slowly began to break out of its hazy state. Awakening to the sensation of floating with his face and chest bobbing gently up-and-down out from the rippling surface of what he could presume to be a body of water, what greeted Goblin Slayer were not a pair of eyes or a face of any kind, but rather the sight of the full moon. Staring up at the distant celestial body with a sense of clarity in his head that made everything about seeing the moon crimson-red instead of its gentle-white color all the more surreal than it would have been otherwise, Goblin Slayer remained frozen with every muscle in his body tensed up— causing him to immediately begin sinking underneath the surface of the water. Instincts are what took over, which caused Goblin Slayer to begin immediately flailing his limbs beneath the crimson-light surface of water. 

Having never learned how to swim, Goblin Slayer’s heart should have been pounding inside of his chest as he stared wide-eyed past all the rising bubbles, where an outstretched arm was breaching the water to reach down toward him. But yet, he felt nothing inside of his chest— no burning in his lungs from a lack of oxygen, or any signs of his veins constricting from a flight-or-fight response that his body should have gone into. Expecting for the hand to forcibly grab him either by his throat or by one of his flailing limbs, Goblin Slayer braced himself to put up a struggle at any second. But when that anticipated moment of would-be abduction never came, the ten-year old boy’s arms and legs slowed down to rhythmic and controlled strides— Goblin Slayer feeling still on edge yet curious, as he found himself staring fixated on the outstretched hand that was being offered to him just a foot above where his face was. 

‘ ... It’s waiting for me to take it? It looks so… Inviting, ’ Goblin Slayer thought to himself while feeling cautious, as he slowly reached up with his right hand to take the gentle hand into his own— his legs flutter-kicking underneath him and his left arm performing a small breast stroke to maintain his balance, as he helped whoever was pulling him out of the water by using his crude-technician to swim up towards the crimson-lit surface. Again, Goblin Slayer’s expectations were broken the moment he was pulled up onto a dock that was constructed out of a wooden planks, and despite being completely naked he didn’t feel cold at all despite being dripping wet, he didn’t feel a bit chilly underneath what should have been a cold night. 

Laying on his shins and elbows with his soaking-wet bangs hanging down past his forehead, some part of Goblin Slayer felt reluctant to raise his head up from the wooden boards— the mental exhaustion he felt was fatiguing, but yet he carried on. Taking in calming breaths more so out of habit rather than as needed, Goblin Slayer used his hands to push his upper body up so that he was sitting up on his knees and the balls of his bare feet. Unable to see because of his soaked bangs covering his hands, Goblin Slayer wasn’t sure who he should have been expecting to see kneeling down before him on one knee.

Met with dazzling brown eyes of a young teenager whose fair complexion and long auburn hair were tinted dark-red from the light of the unholy moon above, Goblin Slayer was at a loss for words as he looked his saver up-and-down— her black leggins and matching brown skirt and blazer that made up her school uniform were all foreign to him, which made him only come to one sensible conclusion. “You… You’re from the Moon-Cell… Aren’t you?” Goblin Slayer asked in a quiet voice— the stillness in the eerie air over the sound of the rippling pond behind him made Goblin Slayer wary of who was listening to his voice, as it took only once sideways glance to realize that the two of them were surrounded by the same sulking trees that he had been ambushed in.

Seemingly unsure of how she should answer his inquiry, the teenage girl gave Goblin Slayer an uneasy smile as she thought silently for a brief moment of time, before finally nodding her head slowly up-and-down. “Y… Yes… Yes, I am,” she said in a saddened voice, before going quiet again— the two of them breaking eye contact during that period of silence, until finally she built the nerve back up to return her gaze to him. “Do you… Do you recall who I am? Or rather… Would it be more appropriate to ask you instead “ Do you know WHAT I am ”?”

Squinting his eyelids ever so tightly towards her, the spaciness Goblin Slayer felt as a side effect from the newfound clarity he felt in his mind forced him to focus harder than he normally would have had to, in order to recall an unfamiliar face. But not matter how many times he tried remembering who she was, the young boy could only draw blanks. “... I’m sorry, but no— I don’t think you and I have ever met before. You do look like my sister though… I don’t know if that means anything,” Goblin Slayer replied with a solemn voice, as he began to think about his blissfully unaware sibling. “I… I never got to say goodbye to her.”

From the corner of his eye, the teenager across from him moved her hand out half-way in the space between them, and held it there after having heard the solemn tone his voice carried with it. Hesitant to touch the boy out of a sense of timidness, the teenager awkwardly retracted her hand back and placed it on her raised knee, as she stared back at him with an empathetic stare. “It’s hard, isn’t it? Some feel despair, others are fueled by righteous anger… Look around you: these cold and uncomforting woods are filled by those who’ve had the rest of their lives stolen from them as well,” the teenager stated, and kept her eyes on Goblin Slayer as he began to do as he was told.

Slowly standing up on his feet, Goblin Slayer felt an overwhelming sense of vulnerability that grew with each passing pair of glowing white-eyes that began to appear to him within the crimson-shadows of the forest around him. Recalling the hateful words spoken to him by those who had pursued him when he was the most lost he had ever been, Goblin Slayer felt nervous as he slowly circled back to face the teenager, who in turn met his worried gaze with a cathartic look. “W… What’s this all about? Who are they, and… And where are we?!” Goblin Slayer asked fearfully with his entire body trembling— much like how any child in his position would try to do, despite being petrified with terror.

Standing up from the dock, the teenager with auburn hair looked down into Goblin Slayer’s eyes with a conflicted expression on her face— one part of her wanting to comfort the scared child, while the other part of her knew better than to give into that urge. “I… I wish I had all of the answers to give you, but… The plain and simple truth of it all is that I can only tell you what I’ve theorized from my own investigation and speculation, and nothing more,” the teenager said first and foremost, before proceeding to answer Goblin Slayer’s frantic questions to the best of her knowledge.

“All of what is around us was built by design— not from a force of nature, but of someone’s creation. The trees that surround us are “ yew trees ”: in Celetic belief, they’re thought to symbolize death and reincarnation— the red-berries that grow from their pined branches are poisonous. This forest, it’s… Endless— no matter what direction I tried exploring in, I would always wind up at this pond,” the teenager explained, before slowly raising her chin to look up into the horrifying moon above them. “The moon wasn’t always red like that— it was what you’d expect it to look like, but granted it was always in that position. No stars in sight— only the silver eyes of the children who are trapped in this forest accompany it…”

“... I’ve spoken to the children here, and have taken account of how many there are,” she said with her voice becoming more quiet, as she looked away from the moon to gaze over Goblin Slayer’s shoulder. “All of their ages range from newborn to preadolescent. While I investigated this begotten land with the intent of finding a way out, they remained dormant— sulking the woods, without hope to be found in any of their spirits… That was, until you must have come here. Time has no meaning in whatever separate universe this is, so I can’t recall exactly when you first arrived— all I know is that I awoke from a sort of trance that I had unknowingly fallen under, and… And I think they did too— all of them did,” the teenager said, before directing Goblin Slayer to look over his shoulder at where her finger was pointing down at the edge of the dock. “I watched them push you into that pond… They wouldn’t let you out of the water— no matter how much you struggled… When you stopped moving and went limp, that’s when the moon turned red… I… I don’t know what that means— certainly no good can come out of it, I’m sure.” 

Digesting the information he had been fed, Goblin Slayer wrapped himself in his arms as the muscles in his face tightened up— his eyes staring down at the wooden planks beneath his feet. ‘ Dammit… Why aren’t I trying to do anything?! I should be trying to use BB-Sensei, or call upon Melsuine to help me figure out what to do! I… I don’t get it! Why am I so… Scared? It all makes me feel so… Helpless… I hate it, ’ Goblin Slayer thought bitterly to himself, as he wondered to himself where his bravery had gone. Just when Goblin Slayer didn’t think it could get much worse, it wasn’t long until his eyes began to get watery— the sensation of tears trailing down his cheeks, and the unrelenting fear of the unknown and what fate had done to him began to cause him to cry in shame.

Seeing Goblin Slayer raising a single hand up to shield his face from her as his other hand held his elbow up right and close to his chest, the teenager took a few awkward steps closer toward the ten year-old before slowly pulling him into a hug— her hand softly massaging the back of his neck, as she listened to his cries grow louder with his cheek resting against her breasts. “I… I am so, so sorry for whatever tragedy led you here… It isn’t right— none of this is right,” the teenager said with a shaky voice of her own, as she let out a tearful sigh while pulling Goblin Slayer closer to her body underneath the ominous crimson moon above. “I’ll… I’ll find a way out of here, for all of us…”

With her lips only inches away from the crying child’s forehead that she held comfortingly in her small arms, the teenager with brown hair looked out past the edge of the pond, to where more-and-more pairs of silver eyes were gathering at, within the shadow of the crimson moon. “I… I-I may be powerless to change your fates! B-But even so, I…! I-I’ll shelter you all— every single one of you who were taken too soon, I…! I can’t give back any of the things you used to have— your friends, your families, your homes, your lives— but… But none of you will have to do this on your own— not anymore!” The teenager shouted in a righteous and protective voice— no longer feeling afraid of the children around her, as she watched them all approach her as though she were a beacon of hope.

Still holding Goblin Slayer close to her, the teenager waited until all three-hundred and seventy-five spirits finished gathering around her from the depths of the endless forest of death surrounding them, and glanced around at all their pleading eyes of light as determination burned within her. “I’ll save you… I’ll save all of you.” 

Chapter Text

Making “ plopping ” sounds each time their slimy body made contact with the cavern’s rocky and cold ground, Rimuru led the trio of women deeper-and-deeper through the labyrinthine cave system— the light of Noble Fencer’s sparkling rapier helping guide their path. “My apologies about the lack of lighting; all of the magic-ores that were stolen were the really the only sources of light that we had down here. You know, other than the goblin village, that is— they’ve got lanterns, and torches here and there, but even then it’s not much,” Rimuru explained, all while still bouncing from one spot to the other.

Waving her gloved hand out, High Elf Archer smiled slightly at the back of Rimuru’s translucent body— the blue and white flickering lights of Noble Fencer’s magical lightning dancing along the surface of their slime. “We’re not here to impede on their way of life… I mean, the goblins who live here, they’re… They’re able to see fine in the dark still, much like the ones that the rest of us are used to, I presume?” She asked, while following beside Noble Fencer as Fairy Knight walked silently behind them— having not uttered a single word since leaving the mercenaries’ tent with the body of her master wrapped up in her arms. 

“Yes! But trust me when I say that’s about where their similarities end— no way would any of them would STAND for those sorts of crimes to be committed against anyone else,” Rimuru emphasized once more, while leading the ground around a bend in the cave system that led them down a path that overlooked an underground waterfall— the splashing of cascading water echoed in the spacious tunnel, as they walked alongside the canal that led the water further into the cavern. “You know, I… I think I might have said it already, but… My worldview here is extremely limited— I’m not from this universe… I think it’s a universe, at least?” 

Being the most knowledgeable one there who was in the mood to converse with the hopping slime monster, High Elf Archer gave the confused blond woman a reassuring nod, before turning her head forward to face the back of Rimuru’s pastel blue body once more— taking a moment to glance over at the flowing water that was gently streaming down the canal, just several meters down from the edge of the cliff on their right-hand side. “Melusine isn’t from this world either… She’s from Britain— Salisbury, if I’m not mistaken?” High Elf Archer said with an unsure tone, before looking over her shoulder to look back at Fairy Knight, who gave her a nod before turning her head forward once more. “Yeah, it was Salisbury… Does that sound familiar to you by chance, Rimuru?”

“Uh… N-No, sorry— it doesn’t at all. But Britain does; I know where that is!” Rimuru replied back enthusiastically as one could while still in the presence of a group of women who were still silently lamenting over the death of a child. “I’m uncertain whether or not I’m from the same universe as Melusine, but maybe they’re similar?” Rimuru mused, before suddenly getting a bright idea. “Oh! You know who might actually know about all of that stuff? Veldanava might! After all, Melusine said she knew him, so chances are he probably remembers her too!” 

Nodding her head along with High Elf Archer, Noble Fencer followed behind Rimuru as they turned into the entrance of another tunnel along the smooth-rocky wall that was alongside their left side— the sounds of water flowing from the underground canal echoing more-and-more, the deeper they walked down the sloped path. “That would definitely help clear things up… I myself am still trying to wrap my head around all of this magic-science, inter-dimensional mumbo jumbo…” Noble Fencer chuckled half-sarcastically, before becoming quiet as a creeping thought entered her somewhat distracted mind. “Rimuru, if you wouldn’t mind me asking… Just how powerful is Veldanava? What would you compare him to?”

Humming while thinking of an accurate way to describe the aforementioned dragon, Rimuru slowed down the pace of his hops as they approached a fork in the road that split off into three other directions. “ Hmmm… He’s not exactly omnipotent— he made that clear from day one— but he sure does know a lot! So he’s knowledgeable, and capable of crossing dimensions and even traveling to other timelines and universes; at least that’s what I’ve been told. Aside from all that jazz, he’s actually the one who made the multiverse we’re occupying! So technically speaking, he’s pretty much the closest thing to a benevolent god that we’re gonna get,” Rimuru replied optimistically— thinking that their answer would inspire hope for what Veldanava would be able to achieve for them. 

Upon seeing the first torch of several to be mounted via iron casting along the side the inner walls of the tunnel Rimuru chose to lead them down, Noble Fencer remained quiet while contemplating the information she had been given by the friendly slime monster. “Surely… If he’s as powerful as you’re describing him to be, then… He can resurrect Goblin Slayer then? I mean, that would be a trivial task for any divine being worth their salt, wouldn’t it?” Noble Fencer argued, while noticing an uncomfortable feeling within the slime monster’s slowed-down movements. “After all… If he supposedly created the world we live in, then… Then this is his responsibility, isn’t it?” 

“I… I-I don’t know really, to be honest… But I mean, I know where you’re coming from though— trust me, I’ve heard that same argument plenty of times myself,” Rimuru replied, while thinking to themselves of one famous philosopher who questioned the same thing as Noble Fencer. “I guess we’ll just have to find out, now won’t we?” Rimuru asked, as they led the three women toward a guarded entrance where the tunnel began to expand into a large, spacious area— the stone walls built several meters high where a wooden draw-bridge was constructed in the center of them were occupied by two-foot tall goblins, all of which held their makeshift bows down upon recognizing the slime monster. “Everyone! I’m back! Those mercenaries who stole from us were taken care of— they won’t be coming back anytime soon, that’s for damn sure!” 

Standing behind Rimuru with caution visible in their eyes, High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer stood their ground with their weapons lowered as one small goblin out of the many who were manning the walls of the entrance leaped down onto the cavern ground— his soft facial features being vastly different from the grotesque long-nosed and pimpled-skin goblins they were all used to seeing. Short with child-like features, light green-skin and sharp canine teeth, the long-eared and big-button nosed goblin that approached them carried with him a sense of airheaded importance to himself— as if though he considered himself to be a hotshot, despite his goofy and non-intimidating appearance. Holding a big wooden club with both hands behind his neck, the goblin with eyeshadow and a silver-mohawk made his way over toward Rimuru— giving the slime a friendly head nod, before looking up to eye the three women with mistrusting eyes.

“That’s awesome to hear, Tempest, but uh… What’s the deal with them, eh? They’re your dates, or something?” The goblin asked in a slightly obnoxious voice, before getting startled from the way High Elf Archer and Noble Fencer’s eyes widened with shock towards his direction. “W-What the hell are you two looking at?! Haha…! Uh…?! W-What, is there a ghost here, or something?!” The goblin asked with a forced laugh, while he and the rest of the gate guards instinctively began searching frantically for what could have made the two women look towards him with visible terror in their eyes. “Ugh! Come on, just spit out already ladies! You’re starting to freak me out here!” 

Hoping up in the air in order to turn themselves around, Rimuru looked up to see what had gotten the goblins all worked up. It took a moment for them to put two-and-two together, and upon realizing why the two women seemed visibly taken aback by his green-skinned comrade, the slime monster couldn’t help but to snicker as their eyebrows curled up with amusement. “Oh, I see…! Hehe… ! They didn’t think any of you were capable of speaking “ common ”! They probably just assumed you to speak some other language,” Rimuru said informingly, before making the effort to hop back around to face the perplexed goblin. 

Stumped upon hearing what the slime monster had told him, the goblin furrowed his eyebrows as placed the tip of his club into the ground— resting his crossed forearms over the bottom of its cloth-wrapped handle. “Uh… What OTHER language would we speak?! They call it “ common ” for a reason, HUR-DUR-DURRRR !” The goblin spat out obnoxiously— making sure that expressions of disbelief of the two women’s faces turned into looks of annoyance.

Standing up for the women, Rimuru furrowed their thin eyebrows before scolding the goblin by saying, “Now don’t be mean to them, okay? They’re going to be our guest tonight! Besides, they… They’ve been through a lot tonight— go easy on them, okay?”

Hearing Rimuru’s voice turn from patronizing to sympathetic caused the goblin with the silver mohawk to raise a brow at the slime monster. “Went through a lot, huh? Now what sort of hardships are we talking abou- oh. That’s what you’re talking about ,” the goblin said with his eyes widening and his muscles becoming tensed up, after finally noticing the bloodied cloth-wrapped body that Fairy Knight was carrying behind the two annoyed-looking women. “ Aw man, uh…?! C-Crap, I…?! S-Sorry about that— I wasn’t trying to be rude or nothin’… It’s just as the captain, it’s my responsibility to ensure that this place is kept safe… Humans and elves aren’t exactly all that hospitable to us, ya know?” The goblin stumbled out with an apologetic look on his goofy face, as he smiled uneasily at both Noble Fencer and High Elf Archer. 

It was then that High Elf Archer let out a begrudged sigh, as both she and Noble Fencer put their weapons away. “That’s fair, I guess. I mean, goblins sort of have a terrible reputation on the surface… Never thought I’d be speaking to one myself, but… Here we are,” she said while shrugging her shoulders, while still visibly trying to grasp how overwhelming her night had turned out to be. “Might as well make do with the formalities then… Ahem… My name is Arthemis Maiven: I am the princess of the high elves within Pathway Kingdom. And who do I have the… W-Who is it that I’m speaking to?” High Elf Archer said with a slightly condescending look in her emerald eyes, as she stuck her gloved hand out to offer a handshake to the confused looking goblin that stood still in front of Rimuru. 

Staring up at the leather-gloved hand that was hovering above the slime monster’s body, the green skinned creature blinked slowly at it before darting his cartoony eyes up at the now perplexed expression upon the elf’s beautiful face. “… I’m a goblin? I… I thought that was pretty obvious, miss. Oh, and what’s with the hand? Are you… Expecting me to put something in your palm? Like… Food, or something?!” The goblin asked with raised bottom eyelids, while lowering one hand into the side pocket of the fur-lined leather jacket he had on— rustling in there, until pulling out a dead mouse by its pink tail. “I was gonna save this for a snack later, but I mean if you’re hungry then-”

“- GUH?!? N-No! No, I’m…! I-I’m good, thanks!” High Elf Archer replied frantically, while hiding her disgust for the offered treat behind a forced smile. 

Interjecting herself into the conversation, Noble Fencer finished watching the goblin shrug her shoulders at her before stuffing the mouse carcass back into his pocket for later, before speaking up. “I believe there’s a misunderstanding here… What she meant to ask for was your name,” Noble Fencer clarified, but was met with an even more confused look on the goblin’s face. Furrowing her eyebrows with her hands grabbing the sides of her hips, the honey-blond teenager bent over Rimuru to get face-to-face with the nervously sweating goblin. “… Your name? Do you have a name that we can call you? You know, like how you just called Rimuru by their last name: “ Tempest ”.”

“ … O-Oh! Ooooooh , you meant THAT ! Alright, okay— I see now, sheesh ,” the mohawk goblin said while rolling his eyes, before taking a small step back while dragging his wooden club along the ground. “ Some space, yeah…? And to answer your question ladies… Nah— we ain’t got no stinking names here. We’re just goblins— ain’t no reason for us to have names. It’s not like any of us are going to be alive long enough to be remembered like that,” the goblin said with some cynicism in his face, as he frowned with a sideways glance away from the surprised looks on both Noble Fencer’s and High Elf Archer’s faces. 

Looking down at Rimuru— who jiggled once, as a large bead of sweat flew off of their translucent and pudgy body— Noble Fencer raised a brow at the slime monster before asking in a low voice, “… Why is it again that you think that this “ god-dragon ” is benevolent again, Tempest? Because from the sounds of it, he couldn’t give a dead pocket-mouse’s ASS about what happens to his supposed “ creations ”,” which caused a slight commotion amongst the goblins who had heard her speaking so poorly of Veldanava. 

“Hey now, lady— watch your tone! That’s no way to speak about the “ Storm Dragon ”! After all, he’s the one who gathered us here after our home was destroyed by a bunch of YOUR kind, like… A thousand years ago, or some crap!” The goblin scolded with his elbows balancing his wooden club against the floor— all so he could raise his small fists defensively at the unamused teenager.

“Oh? And where was he when that happened, huh? If he, or any other god for that fact actually gave two shits about what goes on here, then wouldn’t ONE of them have intervened by now? I mean, at least ONCE to protect their worshipers?!” Noble Fencer argued, which got even High Elf Archer looking at her with disagreeable eyes. 

Raising his finger at her, the offended goblin shouted back at Noble Fencer, “The Storm Dragon works in mysterious ways! You, nor any one of us could even BEGIN to grasp the meaning behind each and every one of his actions!” 

“You’re right: I can’t see why he’d allow for literal children to be raped and murdered on a daily basis— that REALLY must be beyond my comprehension, huh?!” Noble Fencer raised her voice defiantly, before invoking the rest of the goblins who were posted behind the one she was arguing with to begin shouting counter arguments at her— each of them accumulating to the basis of blaming mankind for the world’s problems, and not their revered dragon.

In order to break up the shouting match before it could escalate into something worse, Rimuru leapt high up into the air before casting an elemental spell that caused an explosion of fire to disorient both the goblins, and the two out of the three women who were standing behind them. “Okay, that’s ENOUGH!!! Let’s REEL it in, guys! Arguing over religion isn’t why I brought them here! They’re our guests, and they’re going to be spending the night with us, okay?! As soon as the storm is cleared up— hopefully by tomorrow morning — then they’ll be on their way! Alright?!” Rimuru shouted loudly— ensuring that everyone could hear them in the now silent cavernous entrance hallway. “Now let us through— the one in the back needs to speak with Veldanava! She’s a dragon just like him, and wants to have someone important to her buried in the tomb.”

There was an intense period of silence that followed suit, with not even a whisper spoken along the battlements of the stone-built walls separating the goblin village from the rest of the cave system. Staring down at Rimuru with begrudged and narrowed eyes, the goblin with the mohawk let out a heavy sigh before turning his head over his slender shoulder to gesture for his men to lower the large drawbridge down to the ground— opening their entrance for their unwanted guests, as per the slime monster’s instructions. “… I’ll go get a tent situated for them, and have my guys tell the village elder that we’ll be having them over for the night,” the goblin said with a defeated look on his goofy face, before turning around to begin reluctantly barking orders at the goblin guards. 

“Thank you! And on behalf of them, I apologize for their behavior; humans can be… Pretty outspoken sometimes,” Rimuru called out with a sincere appreciation in their voice, before turning around to look up at Noble Fencer with a disapproving expression on his eyebrows. “Try to be on your best behavior, please… Anything you guys do here is a reflection of me, and I don’t want to be held accountable for anything rude that you do… No more crap-talking Veldanava— at least not while you’re here,” Rimuru scolded, while watching as Noble Fencer became visibly defensive, before slowly coming to her senses as her annoyed expression melted away into a look of begrudged remorse.

“You’re right… I don’t know what came over me, really— I’m normally fine when it comes to not disrespecting others’ beliefs… I suppose I’m just projecting is all, so I’m sorry for my outburst, and for causing a stir,” Noble Fencer apologized with a bothered look in her golden eyes, as she began to follow behind Rimuru as they began hopping a slow pace through the fortified entrance— taking the trio of women into the massive opening within the cavern, where the ceiling was as high up as fifty meters above their heads. 

“I get it: you’re dealing with a lot right now— you all are… It’s water under the bridge, Relena. Just… Just know that Ashta-Kun’s thinking about you all right now, wherever he may be… So try not to give him any reason to worry, alright?” Rimuru said, while being empathetic to the boy who was beginning to garnish the curiosity of those within the goblin village— the sight of onlooking goblin children, mothers, and other non-threatening looking green-skinned creatures catching the attention of the women, as they followed the slime monster towards the center of the impoverished village, to where they could unload them before beginning Fairy Knight to the tomb where Veldanava was waiting for them. 

Time within the hallowed grounds of the forest that they called their new eternal imprisonment might not have had any meaning, but that didn’t stop the teenager from filling the passage of it with inspiring stories of her past lives with the three-hundred and sixty five spirits who gathered around the crimson-moonlit pond. Sitting crossed legged with Goblin Slayer seated on her lap and her arms wrapped snugly above his waistline, the brown-haired teenager told the souls of the victims about her time spent within the Moon-Cell— explaining to them all how she started off with no recollection of her past, and how even without a clear memory of who she used to be, she pressed onward in the face of danger and of uncertainty for the sake of pursuing a distant hope that she wasn’t even sure existed for her or not.

Having met many servants within several different timelines, the teenager spoke fondly of four in particular. There was a blond woman who was dressed in red, and who had an ego that was as big as her love of the arts. She spoke amorously of one particular kitsune-woman with pink hair— one who had declared her as her wife, and even managed to elicit several rounds of laughter from her child audience, after retelling some of the more outrageous and sillier exploits that she and the Japanese fox-girl had gone through together. Hope was inspired as was their sense of justice, after the teenager told the children of the unnamed servant who went mostly by either “ Archer ”, or by his preferred title: “ The Hero of Justice ”— the spirits of the murdered children couldn’t help but to feel warmth resonating with them all, after the teenager finished her tale of the white-haired tan-man by reassuring them all that if he were there in their universe, Archer wouldn’t rest until he avenged them. 

Not many children seemed to favor the blond servant who wore a suit of golden armor that the teenager told them about, with some even rolling their silver eyes upon hearing his own preferred title: “ The King of Heroes ”. Despite holding no punches when it came to really painting a clear picture of just how narcissistic and arrogant the red-eyed servant’s ego could be, the teenager reassured the children that at the end of the day that the aforementioned servant meant well, and would have made it his mission to put their souls to rest, just like how Archer would have as well. Having been silent with a lost look in his eyes, it wasn’t until the brown-haired teenager began describing a certain lavender-haired AI woman did Goblin Slayer’s spacey-clear mind begin working itself out of the exhausted trance he had been in thus far. 

Experiencing a jarring sensation that could be best described as a feeling of vertigo, Goblin Slayer’s eyes slowly began to widen as realization dawned on him. Staring back at the unnerving reflection of the blood-red moon that danced along the surface of the pond, Goblin Slayer swallowed back the lump in his throat as he began to adjust himself while still sitting in the center of the now confused teenager’s lap. Stopping her story— against the wishes of the spirits who had become engrossed in her tales— the brown-eyed teenager turned Goblin Slayer around slightly, just enough so she could make eye contact with him— even though his stare was still fixated on the reflection of the crimson-colored moon. “Is something the matter, Goblin Slayer? You seem-”

“-Hakuno Kishinami… Your name’s Hakuno Kishinami,” Goblin Slayer interrupted— his quiet voice sounding slightly frantic, as he finally was able to remember the name of the teenager who had been the single motivator for BB to have helped him. “I… I’ve been able to remember everything else up until this point, but… For some reason, I just… I just couldn’t figure out who you were exactly… Not until… Not until you started to remember who you were as well,” Goblin Slayer added with a wary voice, as he saw the look of existential confusion that popped up behind Hakuno’s eyes, the moment she began reflecting on what he had said to her.

“I… I don’t understand why that’s… W-Why does that mean anything? I mean… My memory’s been fine so far— clearly I knew what you were talking about when you mentioned the Moon-Cell… D-Didn’t I…?” Hakuno mumbled with an uncertain look in her voice, as she began to grow uneasy with the more she tried thinking back to her time before Goblin Slayer appeared. “N… No… No wait, I… I… I didn’t… I… I was just… White… White… White everywhere, and then… And then I saw… That boy,” Hakuno mumbled nearly incoherently to herself, before falling into silence— repressed memories beginning to awaken in her once shattered mind, ones that grew more terrifying the longer she stared back at the seemingly glowing red eyes that were staring back at her. "... Darker, and darker... And darker."

" …Before me stands the " Holy Grail" . I slowly extend my hand and place it on the core of the " Moon Cell" . "

" … The instant I make contact with it, I am drawn inside the Holy Grail… To be more accurate, I am absorbed into it like water being absorbed into a sponge. "

" … In the short time before I'm erased from existence, my consciousness is immersed into the Moon Cell… I can see everything that exists within it: every day piece of information, every observation, every conclusion. "

" … The sheer volume of information and ideas stored in the Moon Cell forms an intricate collage that no human could decipher, though I sense a pattern… And throughout humanity's peaceful stagnation and wars that bring forth its eventual destruction, the Moon Cell will continuously and silently record what it sees; all without ever taking action. "

" … But now is not the time to get emotional; I must tell the Holy Grail what my wish is ."

Absorbed into the core of the Moon-Cell just as much as its knowledge had been absorbed into her, there was a certain peace of mind that Hakuno felt as she floated freely within its oceanic-like void— the ripples of all possible timelines memorizing her, which left her completely oblivious to what was about to happen next.

Just before she could finish using every fiber in her digitized being to input her wish into the massive supercomputer that she had seemingly conquered, it was then that she was taken out of her tranquil mindset when all of a sudden she felt something tightening its grip around her neck. With her eyes having been closed with how calmed and intune with the Moon-Cell she had been, Hakuno’s eyelids shot open just in time to see the rippling tides of information all around becoming nothing more than blurred lines, as her digitized form was ripped out of the Moon-Cell’s very core.

Immediately grasping at the gloved hand around her throat, Hakunko instinctively began struggling to free herself as she was pulled down from the geometric opening of the reflective casing that had been holding the glowing orange orb that she had been transported to moments ago. Floating above the emerald sea of liquid where the Moon-Cell’s core was hovering over, Hakunko gritted her teeth and stared bewilderingly into to bemused and sadistic red-eyes of the black-haired young man that was smiling back at her with his hand still gripping her throat— holding her up in front of him, while sporting red formal attire that covered the black vest and white collared shirt he wore underneath the duster he had on.

“Congratulations my dear, on another job well done… Your services will no longer be required,” the Red-Eyed Man said sarcastically with a throaty chuckle— admiring the look of utter confusion and fear written behind Hakuno’s widened eyes, before suddenly throwing her to the side as though she were nothing but a soiled piece of fabric to him.

Although the green water-like substance that made up the seemingly endless battleground that housed the Moon-Cell’s core broke the impact of her fall, the pain she felt where the black-haired man’s hand been around her throat left her feeling breathless— a sensation that shouldn’t have been possible, in a place where the need of oxygen wasn’t required to begin with. Coughing violently while gasping for air that wasn’t ever there to begin with, Hakuno was able to prop herself up from the floor on her knees and one hand— her free hand nursing the phantom pain left behind by the mysterious man, was was in turn paying no mind to her and instead fixating on the core of the Moon-Cell.

Arms raised up to bask himself in the glory of what he saw as his accomplishment, the Red-Eyed Man took a moment to breathe in his victory as he gently closed his eyelids while standing before the floating cube. “It’s been… So long, since I’ve first started this journey— I don’t expect you to remember who I am, or what I am; just know that you’ve been a good puppet to me… And that should mean something to you— whether you realize what’s going on here, or not,” the Red-Eyed Man said in a self-conceited voice, before slowly turning around while opening his eyelids— revealing malice behind his crimson eyes, as he stared down into the angered and puzzled eyes of the teenager who was slowly getting up onto her feet.

“Y… You’re right about one thing: I don’t know who in the world you are. But then again, my memory hasn’t been the most reliable tool at my leisure thus far— so as far as I know, you perhaps ARE telling the truth,” Hakuno said in a challenging voice— her eyelids narrowed with her mind on high-alert, as one-by-one her allies began to manifest themselves by her side. With her four servants and AI companion appearing around them, followed by the lavender haired woman’s five creations being summoned behind the Red-Eyed Man. “... What I do know though is that I have earned my victory, and that you pose a threat to the future of mankind… So stand aside, or you WILL be destroyed.”

Showing no signs of worry, the Red-Eyed Man simply smirked back at Hakuno while sticking his hands into the pockets of his trench coat— an arrogant aura causing his body to be engulfed in a crimson glow, as slowly the battlefield around them began to swallowed up in a vast void of pitch-black darkness. “Eager as always, aren’t you? Hmph! I expect no less from my dear little puppet… Well then? What are you all waiting for? A bloody invitation?” The Red-Eyed Man asked mockingly, as he whipped his hands out of his pockets to put his arms out tauntingly— waving his closed-together fingers back-and-forth, as if to invite them all to attack him at once. “Oh, how I’ll miss these moments… The underdog and her galley of comrades, all coming together for one last HOORAH!!! A final battle, one that’ll put their capabilities all to the test…”

“... Except this isn’t Wonderland, my dear; you are no Alice— there’s no waking up underneath the shadow of a garden tree. No happy ending— not for you, not for me… Not yet, that is,” the Red-Eyed Man mused with an ominous tone in his relaxed voice, as Hakuno and her ten allies soon took notice of the millions of distant red-eyes that began to peer at them from all around the black void they were now forced to fight within. “Go on… Hit me with your best shot— you may yet to surprise me.” 

Chapter Text

All eyes were on Hakuno, as she stared back at the grinning man standing before her and the core of the Moon-Cell— the coveted power within the “ Holy Grail ” just out of her reach, as she and allies prepared themselves to strike back at the mysterious man with crimson eyes. Tightening her hands into fists, the brown haired teenager gritted her teeth with her eyelids narrowed as she took a battle stance— the glowing light of her magic crest burning on the back of her hand, as she telepathically strategized to the rest of her team what she wanted done. ‘ I have no intention of prolonging this fight more than we have to… Gilgamesh, please summon Enkidu— opening the gates to Babylon should be more than enough to end this. ’

Completely confident in his abilities, Gilgamesh had his arms crossed over his golden breastplate with a smirk across his own lips— one that could rival the sheer amount of arrogance that was written all over the Red-Eyed Man’s own expression. “ Hmph! Very well, I’ll do what you ask— just know that I’m doing this out of my volition, as you may hold the title of “ Master ”, but it is I who holds the true title of “ King ” here!” The blond man exclaimed, as his entire gauntlet shined with crimson-red light while waving it out in front of him.

And as the blond servant’s faithful companion manifested themselves from the growing pile of clay that he had summoned from the pitch black ground, the other blond servant who wore a pompous red dress rolled her emerald-green eyes at the Mesmopotain man. “ Umu…! You certainly aren’t humble about your title— that’s for sure,” she called out with an amused look on her face, as the aforementioned man shot her a dirty glare. 

“Bite your tongue! I won’t be slandered by the same emperor who played a damned violin while her capital city BURNED in flames!” Gilgamesh spat back, and darted his eyes back towards his target only after he had gotten his satisfaction out of seeing Nero’s negative reaction from his insult. “Now then, where was I…? Ah yes, I remember now,” Gilgamesh said quietly, as he felt his confident smile returning while focusing every bit of his attention back on the Red-Eyed Man— a beacon of golden light erecting from behind him, as Enkidu stood by his side like they always did. “Before I add you to the list of many others who I’ve vanquished, I’d like to know who it is exactly that I’ll be having the pleasure of slaying.” 

Even as the nearly three-hundred meter tall slit of golden light that stood behind Gilgamesh and his allies began to expand outward, the Red-Eyed Man remained unphased and seemingly in control as the handles of millions of weapons began to poke out from the ethereal gates of Babylon. “And of what use would it be to reintroduce myself to you? You’ve used this “ Noble Phantasm ” on me in countless other timelines, “ King of Heroes ”— explaining to you my motivations and as well as my plans would be an utterly pointless endeavor in my eyes,” the black-haired man argued politely, while paying no mind to the way his challenging words were getting underneath the blond-haired man’s skin. “Now then… Please take your turn, so the rest of your party may have their opportunity to attack me as well.” 

Narrowing his eyelids at the Red-Eyed Man, Gilgamesh scoffed under his breath as he reached out over his large golden shoulder plate— wrapping his armored fingers around the decorated handle of his favorite weapon, “ Ea ”, before pulling it out as Enkidu aimed the rest of his armaments directly towards their opponent. “ Tch! I shall see how well your bravado holds up in the face of utter destruction… NOW PERISH, YOU MONGREL!!! ” Gilgamesh roared out in a battle cry, as both he and Enkidu sprinted alongside the millions of light-speed projectiles that were being volleyed at deadly precision. 

Holding her forearms up to shield her eyes as the black void they were in began to become disoriented with the reality-destructive effects that Ea had on the battlefield, Hakuno had her eyelids squinted as she watched as each weapon fired from Babylon was exploded into clouds of golden light the moment they made contact with where the Red-Eyed Man was standing. ‘ I’ve never seen Gilgamesh use two Noble Phantasms at once! I didn’t think such a thing was possible! I… I wonder why he saw the need to do so? He normally doesn’t even fight like that… ’ Hakuno thought to herself, as she watched thousands of golden-glowing portals open up from all around where the Red-Eyed Man was getting bombarded— Enkidu’s “ Chains of Heaven ” flying out of them, and straight into the rumble. 

Everyone of her companions watched alongside her— each silently expecting to see nothing left behind in the wake of Gilgamesh’s and Enkidu’s combined attacks— and every single one of them were left wide-eyed and in shock, as the golden light of the bombardment settled. Standing perfectly still without an ounce of damage anywhere on his person, the Red-Eyed Man appeared visibly sympathetic while still grinning at Gilgamesh and Enkidu, who were standing in front of him with utter confusion written all over their faces. “That was… Quite the spectacle, now wasn’t it? Kudos to you, “ King of Heroes ”— you’ve proven yourself worthy of that make-believe title once again,” the Red-Eyed Man complimented with pity in his deceptively calming voice, and let out an amused throaty-chuckle as he watched Gilgamesh take a step back the moment he made on step towards him. 

“ Impossible…! How…?! H-How is it that you stand before me?! The “ Chains of Heaven ” have been able to bind even the most difficult to pacify gods before, and “ Ea ” erases all that it cleaves through!” Gilgamesh protested, while at a complete loss as he and Enkidu began to feel something foreign bubbling up in the pits of their stomach— something that none of them had ever experienced before: true fear. 

“ Hmph , that all sounds overcompensating to me… Know that I’m only going to answer your inquiry for Kishinami’s sake— the rest of you, I couldn’t care much less about, I’m the grand scheme of things,” the Red-Eyed Man said aloud, before once again surprising everyone as he reach forward and pulled Ea out of Gilgamesh’s hand by its crimson glowing blade— its reality destroying properties having no effect on him, as he casually tossed it to the side like a used toy. “There are no such things as “ divine beings ”, “ Hero of Heroes ”… Gods are as fictional as everything about you is, Gilgamesh. You never passed any trials, never had exploits with the so-called gods… You never even existed outside of an idea. You alone are based on a fictional character that was written by the scribes of Mesopotamia— pushing their religious beliefs onto others through stone tablets. Mankind trying to explain the unexplainable.”

For the first time that he could remember, Gilgamesh was at a loss for words— he couldn’t believe what he was being told, yet at the same he was juxtaposed by the deep-rooted feeling within him that prevented him from completely dismissing the grinning man’s accusations. “… Why do you stand there, and speak of such… Accursed words to me, when it’s more than apparent that your power… That your power succeeds mine?” Gilgamesh asked in a quiet voice— his breathing becoming audibly louder and more intense, while instinctively standing in front of Enkidu to protect them from the unknown threat that his opponent posed on all of them.

Giving the blond servant a mildly perplexed stare, the Red-Eyed Man gently closed his eyelids and let out a soft chuckle before opening his eyes to reveal pity behind his glowing-crimson irises. “Perhaps you weren’t paying attention when I told my dear that my explanation was to satiate her unspoken curiosity, and hers alone… But to add to what I’ve said thus far— as to erase any vague reasoning that her artificial intelligence might be conjuring up— the truth of why your attacks are useless to me is simply because you’re all just amalgamations of ones and zeroes: photonic data projected by the crystals that make up my own very creation,” the Red-Eyed Man announced proudly, and took a moment to soak up the visible bewilderment and terror that each of Hakuno’s allies had on their faces— including the teenager herself. “I’ve said this before to you all in every possible timeline there is now, and each time I’ve announced it you all have this look of… Utter despair on your faces. Seeing that always reminds me of just how well of a job that I’ve done in ensuring that each and everyone of you is as real as you imagine yourselves to be— it’s only when the facade is broken are you reminded of WHAT you all are.” 

Despite being angrily afraid of the man who even his most powerful attacks did nothing to, the defiance within every fiber of Gilgamesh’s being called upon him to invoke his wrath upon the Red-Eyed Man. “Y-You…! Y-YOU ARROGANT BASTARD!!!” Gilgamesh shouted with fury in his voice, as he sprinted toward Ea and picked it up off of the pitch-black ground before beginning to slash unrelentingly at the Red-Eyed Man— not allowing himself to become undeterred, even as Ea’s blade would have no affect, as it bounced off of the black-haired man’s body each time it made contact with him. “I…! I-I AM THE KING OF HEROES— THAT’S WHAT I AM, AND WHAT I ALWAYS WILL BE!!! Your pathetic attempts at deterring my spirit are MEANINGLESS!!! Why should I care what you deem me as?! Why do YOU get to decide what’s real and what’s not?! And w-why aren’t you DYING?!? DAMNIT, JUST DIE ALREADY!!!” 

Though servants all had an infinite supply of stamina that kept them going— up until their corporal bodies would begin to fail from taking too much damage— the way Gilgamesh was beginning to gasp for breath as his furious swings began to finally slow down and become more strained made Hakuno realize what the sadistic Red-Eyed Man was doing, and that shock her to her core. ‘ He’s… He’s not trying to hurt us— not in the traditional sense of the word, no… No, he’s… He’s trying to break us from the inside out… He’s weaponizing despair itself, ’ Hakuno communicated to her team, as all of them watched with sinking feelings as Gilgamesh lost his balance while swinging Ea one last time— accidentally dropping it, as he stumbled forward before falling into the arms of his clay-made companion.

Kneeling down in their white flowing tunic, Enkidu wrapped their slender arms around their armored friend with one gentle hand holding the back of his head full of spiky golden hair. “You gave it your all, my dear friend… There can be no victor in this battle, I’m afraid,” the androgynous entity said in a solemn voice— smiling regardless, as they did their best to comfort the drained servant with their back turned toward the Red-Eyed Man. “I shall remain by your side, friend… No matter what fate has in store for us.” 

With everyone watching with bated breath, the Red-Eyed Man’s smile wavered as he stared down at the green-haired clay being with a distracted glimmer in his crimson-red eyes— seemingly remembering something in his own head, before finally focusing his attention back on the task at hand that he was advancing toward at his own pace. “Fate… Fate simply doesn’t exist, False Lancer… One can rely only on their own will to deliver themselves,” the Red-Eyed Man said quietly, while walking past the two Mesmopotians to confront the rest of Hakuno’s group. “One… Two down, nine more to go. Who shall I battle against next? Is it you, Saber? What about you, Caster? Or shall you—the “ Hero of Justice ” himself— be the one to fall before “ Truth ” itself?” The Red-Eyed Man asked in an almost mocking voice— smiling enigmatically at the three other servants who were standing alongside with Hakuno, as the light of Babylon faded more-and-more until its doors shut close behind them.

Being the most curious out of the group herself, Tamamo felt her heart racing as she awkwardly waddled ahead of her companions— her fingers rapidly pressing against one another, as she approached the Red-Eyed Man with visible anxiety written all over her blushing face. “ Mikoooon…! S-So, uh…? ! A-Are you gonna, ya know, ermmm…?! I don’t know… K-Kill us, orrrrr… O-Or what…?!” The pink-haired kitsune woman asked meekly, and flinched before immediately retreating behind Nero the moment she heard the black-haired man chuckle at her nervously asked question. “ Erm?! I-If you’re going to hurt me, t-then you’ll have to go through NERO first!” 

To say that Nero felt betrayed would be inaccurate, as Tamamo’s willingness to sacrifice them for her own safety wasn’t exactly unexpected. Instead, all the blond woman could do was turn her head over her golden-pauldron that resided over her shoulder to give the apologetical-looking kitsune a dirty stare, before sighing heavily as she brandished her fiery-orange blade with both of her hands in its handle. “ Umu…! Why, if Hakuno weren’t here with us, I’d lash you onto a cross for throwing me to the wolves like that!” Nero spat out annoyingly, while doing her best to accept her unavoidable fate with pride— not wanting to end up broken in spirit, like Gilgamesh. “I watched my empire crumble in my last days with a smile on my face… What makes you think you can break me?!” The blond woman demanded in a challenging tone, as she raised her oddly curved sword up— preparing to strike at the Red-Eyed Man, even though she knew it wouldn’t really do anything meaningful. 

Raising an unimpressed brow at the defiant emperor, the Red-Eyed Man let out a quiet sigh before shaking his head condescendingly at her. “… Knowing who Emperor Nero was, and what he looked like on top of his… Questionable decisions, you’ve been amongst the many whose appearances and demeanors juxtapose the historical figures who you’re all based off of,” the Red-Eyed Man mused more so to himself than to than to his opponent, before casually smacking Nero’s firey sword out of her hand before it even had a chance to strike him. “I will give the real Nero credit though: most of his notoriety wasn’t deserved— such as the supposed fidel he played during that fire that took place in Rome; that was just a lie that snowballed into common acceptance… Now, was there anything else you’d like to try on me? Or are you ending your turn?”

Although she had been anticipating her own defeat, the way he spoke down to her like she was a child that was beneath him stung Nero’s pride greatly. Still, out of a fear of losing her fighting spirit like how Gilgamesh had, the blond woman gathered as much of her fallen pride as she could, and begrudgingly crossed her arms as she furrowed her eyebrows. “… There’s not much else I can do other than surrender, now can I?” Nero muttered frustratingly, before stepping to the side to force Tamamo to face the black-haired man next. “Your turn, Tamamo… Please, for our sakes try not to embarrass-”

“ -I-I SURRENDER!!! ” Tamamo cried out with a comedic expression of defeat on her face— the oversized sleeves of her kimono falling all the way down to her slender shoulders, as she raised her hands above her head to submit to the Red-Eyed Man. 

Becoming deadpanned as she stood by while the Red-Eyed Man casually moved along to where No-Name was standing ready for him, Nero groaned as she finished the rest of her sentence but uttering out, “Us… T-Try not to embarrass us… Or not.” 

“Don’t blame her— she’s been the wisest out of you lot so far,” the Red-Eyed Man said on behalf of the kitsune— giving Nero a snide smirk, before turning his head to where the white-haired servant was staring back at him with a stone-cold expression on his handsome face. “Ah, Emiya Shirou… I believe this is the part where you realize the futility of trying to use physical attacks to harm me, so instead you’re going to have a “ battle of wits ” with me, aren’t you?” 

Blinking once at the Red-Eyed Man, Shirou exhaled slowly out of his nostrils before finally opening his tanned lips to speak. “… You’ve made it abundantly clear that we’re destined to lose this fight— that in every timeline, you’re the one who declares victory. By that logic, you already know what I’m going to say… So why would I give you the satisfaction of arguing with you, when there’s no hope of us winning?” Shirou asked methodically, and just when everyone except for the Red-Eyed Man thought he was about to stand down, it was then that the white-haired servant asked aloud, “Isn’t it pathetic that you feel the need to gloat over your supposed superiority, even when talking to us is just an utter waste of time? It’s not like any of us are going to remember this happening, isn’t that correct?” 

“You’d be correct, if your opinion or anyone else’s mattered to me,” the Red-Eyed Man shot back without missing a beat, as he stood before the angered and on-guard servant with a look of superiority on his face. “My desires exceed any sense of necessity, for I have none. Time is mine, and mine alone— I can waste it away, for there is no consequence to me for doing so. I speak to interact with you for my own entertainment— nothing more than that. My reasons are completely self-fulfilling— I am subjected to no one’s expectations.”

“So you say… If all of that is true, then what even is the point of all of this? What is it that you’re trying to accomplish? Why build the Moon-Cell?” Shirou asked with some of his frustration leaking into his voice, as he no longer saw a point in trying to appeal to any sense of ego that the Red-Eyed Man would have. 

Taking pride in himself, the black-haired man gave the servant a sneering smirk before turning around to begin walking toward BB and her five creations— his hands behind his lower back, as he casually strided over to them. “Time… Time is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things— it only truly applies to those who are subjected to one singular timeline. So with that in mind, I want you and your master to know that like the both of you, I too existed at point not as the monster you see before you, but as a mere mortal human who had aspirations for a better future— just like any child would,” the Red-Eyed Man announced calmly in a soothingly deep-voice— remaining unphased as he saw BB flying toward him with her metal wand held tightly in her gloved hand. 

Tanking the projectile blast of energy being fired directly at him from the violet-portal of photonic energy that BB had summoned midair during her descent towards him, the Red-Eyed Man stood still with a mocking look on his face as the managerial AI along with her five daughters began using everything at their disposal in an attempt to harm him. “My parents died long before I could remember them… My mother was a medicine woman, and my father a priest— good people, from what my older sister told me,” the Red-Eyed Man said with a sudden look of nostalgia crossing his face— softening the look in his eyes, even as he did the impossible by grabbing BB’s wrist while she was in mid-air. 

Being an advanced AI whose body was only an avatar made out of carefully comprised data, BB’s anatomy was whatever she chose it to be; which is why she was equally as confused as she was in pain, as she felt for the first time in her artificial life what it was like to have every bone and tendon in her arm broken in one twist. Uncharacteristic as it might have been of her, BB’s eyes widened with artificial tears pouring down from them moments before her gaped mouth finally let out a blood-curdling scream— causing everyone, including even Gilgamesh himself, to look up reinvigorated fear as it donned on them that the Red-Eyed Man wasn’t above inflicting pain to them. 

Finishing up with BB by ripping her metal wand out of her contorted hand, the Red-Eyed Man stabbed the managerial AI in her stomach before paralyzing her from the waist down by ramming the blunt object deep into her lower spine— shoulder-bashing her forward, and watching with a thoughtful look as the lavender haired AI woman began bleeding all over the endless black floor she laid on. “My childhood dream was to be an adventurer… I was born in what you’d consider a “fantasy world ”— Dungeons and dragons… I had only my older sister, and the promise of seeing my dear friend return to me after she and I had a heated argument over her leaving the village with her uncle… All of that was taken from me, the night my village was raided by a band of goblins… If any of you were capable of having an imagination, you’d understand what became of us,” the Red-Eyed Man said with malice in his deep voice— his eyes glowing red from the memories of seeing what had become of his older sister.

Standing over BB with one boot placed over her back, the Red-Eyed Man turned his back toward her creations— paying no mind to the looks of shock on Hakuno and her companions’ faces, as the managerial AI’s five daughters were atomized by the volley of crimson-beams that were fired at them from vast sea of floating red eyes that inhabited the black void around them. “My sister died protecting me… Her sacrifice would have been all for naught, had it not been for the work of an old rhea who had rescued me… Hardships were what made me into who I am, and shaped my ambition of becoming an adventurer to that of wanting to commit genocide toward all goblins,” the Red-Eyed Man mad said with a soft chuckle, as he watched the five servants reluctantly rushing toward him with their weapons in hand— each of them knowing of their imminent defeat, as he watched Gilgamesh charge headfirst in the lead. 

“I had become “ Goblin Slayer”… And my journey toward achieving my dream led me down a path of enlightenment: the goblins weren’t my bane, no… No, the ones behind my suffering had been a group of adolescents who saw my universe as nothing more than a playground for their imagination. When I learned of who my true enemies were, I vowed their destruction as well— took fate into my own hands, and cut the strings above my head to achieve the impossible,” the Red-Eyed Man said grimly with a sinister sparkle behind his eye. With a snap of his fingers, the black-haired man locked eyes with Hakuno to read her reaction as he made her five servants disappear right before her eyes— showcasing even more of his power, and confirming her suspicions that he had been holding back the entire time.

“Imagination is what shapes universes into what they are, my dear. Imagination is what gives birth to life— it's the source of all creation. It shapes fate, shapes the endless possibilities that comprise the vast multitude of multiverses… It’s infinite, for the only “god ” to truly exist is imagination itself,” the Red-Eyed Man said with a twisted chuckle escaping his lips, as he extended his arm out toward the terrified teenager— telekinetically pulling her throat into his hand, as he raised her above his shoulder once more. 

“The Moon-Cell wasn’t made for you, or for humanity… It was made to allow me access to the source of imagination itself: “The Root of the Swirl ”… Photonic particles can only carry me so far, but souls? Souls… They transcend all of time and space— they are the medium of imagination… They’ll be how I get her back— how I’ll get to see them all again,” the Red-Eyed Man said with a somber tone— remaining silent as a slit of blinding white-light emerged from directly behind the panicked teenager. “Forgive me… I have to remind myself sometimes that you aren’t really HER… You were only made of her image— a placeholder, for when I find HER… Yet, no matter how many times I tell myself that, it… It never gets easier.”

Unable to do anything except struggle pointlessly as she felt the portal of light opening up behind her beginning to tear off pieces of her defragmenting body into its endless white void, Hakuno struggled to form even a single coherent sentence as not even her memory was spared from the Red-Eyed Man’s attack on her entire being. Losing her artificial consciousness midway throughout the agonizing procedure of getting her entire existence scrambled and corrupted, Hakuno wouldn’t gain consciousness again until what remained of her had been locked away in a void of nothing— an endless realm devoid of existence. With only a corrupt memory to guide her in the endless abyss of light she had awoken in, Hakuno’s lingering thoughts carried on with what she could remember— her eyes see constant glimpses of what the core of the Moon-Cell looked like, as she began to wander aimlessly in the white void she had been transported to.

" …Before me stands the " Holy Grail" . I slowly extend my hand and place it on the core of the " Moon Cell" . "

" … The instant I make contact with it, I am drawn inside the Holy Grail… To be more accurate, I am absorbed into it like water being absorbed into a sponge. "

" … In the short time before I'm erased from existence, my consciousness is immersed into the Moon Cell… I can see everything that exists within it: every day piece of information, every observation, every conclusion. "

" … The sheer volume of information and ideas stored in the Moon Cell forms an intricate collage that no human could decipher, though I sense a pattern… And throughout humanity's peaceful stagnation and wars that bring forth its eventual destruction, the Moon Cell will continuously and silently record what it sees; all without ever taking action. "

" … But now is not the time to get emotional; I must tell the Holy Grail what my wish is ."

" … " Input Complete ". "

" … " Corrupt system data: Unable To Process Input "? " Error: System Failure. Execution Override. Restarting System "? That… That cannot be correct… Why didn't that work? Was this… Was this all for naught? A cruel ending to wipe the slate clean? Were all my struggles truly meaningless in the end? "

" … I can feel myself breaking apart into virtual particles; scattered into a bleak empty void around me, as the bright water-like environment I found myself in is deleted within an instant. Complete annihilation, and yet I remain slowly breaking apart, piece-by-piece… "

" … It's cold. I'm so cold… Is this what it's like to die? I thought I would have been more accepting of my sacrifice, but as I see my consciousness fragmenting into photonics particles, my memories begin to die with them. "

" … I wanted to die remembering them during my final moments… Nero… Tamamo… Archer… Gilgamesh… BB… It's getting harder and harder with each passing moment to remember their faces. What… What relation did I even have with them? Who are they, and… Where am I? What is this…? "

" … " Searching Directory "…? " No Host Found: Searching Multiversal Database"…? "Host Located: Connecting to Host "…? " Peer-To-Peer Connection Established: Data Transfer Initiated "…?! "

" What…? What does any of that mean? W-Why is my head hurting?! It hurts so much…! Is there anyone there?! W-Why isn't anyone answering me…? Please, I'm… I'm scared; I don't know where I am! It's so hard to think with all this static in my head! "

" … Such despair. "

" … If anyone can hear me… Please… Please help me if you can. "

Chapter Text

Absolved of her corruption, the influx of memories had left Hakuno feeling a surreal sensation that could only be best described as the whiplash one would feel in the aftermath of surviving a terrible catastrophe. Frozen where she was knelt down on one knee, the look of horror reflected behind her chocolate-brown eyes as she stared into to oblivious gaze of the ten-year old before alerted not only him that something was wrong, but the hundreds of child-souls who surrounded the crimson-lit pond they were at.

Getting third-hand anxiety from the sheer amount that was radiating from the teenager’s terrorized expression, Goblin Slayer blinked his eyelids softly a few times before finally gathering the sense needed to articulate his concerns vocally. “K… Kishinami? W… What are you doing? Why do you look so… Afraid? ”

Unbeknownst to those who were around here, the moment she heard Goblin Slayer utter out the word “ afraid ”, it was then that Hakuno’s vulnerable mind was assaulted with flashing memories of her past lives— once-repressed memories that all originated from every timeline that she had to spend enduring the trails laid out for her within the godforsaken Moon-Cell. Whimpering while flinching, Hakuno instinctively raised her hands up to shield herself while stumbling backwards from Goblin Slayer; guilt immediately followed her, as she quickly lowered her hands back to her side.

Closing her eyelids, Hakuno used concentrated meditation to calm herself down— taking in slow breath after breath, exhaling out all of that she could from the painful memories that had caused her to nearly lash out at the confused ten year-old. 

“K… Kishinami? Is… Is there something wrong?” Goblin Slayer asked with a deeply concerned voice, as he along the rest of the Red-Eyed Man’s victims inched closer to inspect Hakuno’s facial expressions— each of them watching as she slowly opened her eyelids, before softly smiling as she raised her head up.

Shaking her head gently, Hakuno reached her hand up over the top of Goblin Slayer’s head— gingerly playing with his messy strands of light-brown hair, before letting them gently slip past her thin fingers. “I… I wish I could tell you all that wasn’t true: to tell you that nothing is wrong, and that all is right in the world. But… To be told such a beautiful lie— to hide all the pain and emptiness inside? How cowardly… How cowardly I would have to be, to do such a thing…” Hakuno mused poetically, as the small amount of tranquility she felt above the clouding sea of distress her well-trained mind was keeping at bay allowed her to continue to speak in an almost angelic manner— keeping the peace amongst the children, even as her words had their attention. 

“The truth is… The truth is that I when I moments ago gazed into your crimson eyes, I was able to recall everything that transpired up to this moment: my many deaths, and the deaths of my friends that I experienced firsthand, all of those memories are now vivid to me,” Hakuno explained, as she slowly retracted her hand from the top of Goblin Slayer’s head. “… You’ve heard of the Red-Eyed Man by now: the urban myths that have been spread throughout the world that these children once called their own?”

Thinking back to what he had heard of the aforementioned “ boogie-man ” of Zemuria, Goblin Slayer took a moment to reflect on his experiences before speaking. “Yeah, I have… I sort of thought all those stories were simply events in history that were blown out of proportion…” Goblin Slayer admitted, which earned him a soft and saddened laugh from Hakuno, who lowered the tops of her eyelids gently over her gaze.

“ Hmm~! Perhaps what you’ve heard truly was overly dramatized; after all, human-imagination is certainly vast and colorful, isn’t it?” Hakuno mused sweetly with an empathy in her voice, as she gently caressed the side of Goblin Slayer’s face. “… But I’m afraid that only those who have souls can connect to the source of all imagination. You and I, well… We’ll never know what that’s like.” 

Taken aback by what Hakuno meant when she said that in such a sorrowful yet compassionate way, Goblin Slayer’s eyebrows once again became knitted as he fell into a brief moment of silence. “I… I don't get what you’re talking about, Kishinami…?! W… What do you mean “ you and I ”?! What are you trying to say!” Goblin Slayer asked with the feeling of his heart sinking into his chest, as all Hakuno could do was remain calm as she continued to smile apologetically at him.

“You and I— all three-hundred and seventy-five souls that are here with us— we all have one thing about us that connects us all here: we are all victims of the Red-Eyed Man. For what other reason could unite us all here together?” Hakuno proposed.

“I… I don’t know. I… I guess that makes sense, but… But what about me? I… I haven’t ever met him before, so how does that work then?” Goblin Slayer asked with a perplexed expression on his face. 

“… Forgive me for what I’m about to say, for I only have a theory to offer to you,” Hakuno said preemptively, before collecting her thoughts as Goblin Slayer awaited to hear what she was reluctant to say. “Souls, they’re… They’re similar to photon particles: both carry inscribed data, and are the essence of existence… Neither can be seen with the naked eye, but… That’s where their similarities end. Souls are made of the same mana that’s found only in the source of all collective imagination: “ The Swirl of the Root ”.”

“The Swirl of the Root…? What is that? Is it tied into the Moon-Cell, or something like that?” Goblin Slayer asked— trying to engage with Hakuno to the best of his knowledge. 

Shaking her head softly, Hakuno gestured for the ten-year old to gaze upward into the starless sky— at the Crimson-Moon that hung overhead. “The Moon-Cell is composed of super-compacted photon particles that are so heavily condensed that they’re able to take on the forum of solid matter… By means of quantum entanglement— having light anchored from one exact photon to another—  the Moon-Cell can create objects and beings that can interact with separate environments; whether would be in the real world, or in a simulated world such as a “ reality marble ”…”

“… However… What do you suppose would happen if one were to successfully re-create the process of quantum entanglement; not by linking two particles together, but instead link a soul to a collective mass of photon particles: two copies that match together so perfectly, that not even the Swirl of the Root is able to tell the difference?” Hakuno asked with her smile slowly fading away, as she could tell from the dreadful look within Goblin Slayer’s eyes that he was beginning to understand what she was alluding to. 

“A… A-Are you… A… Are you trying… Trying to say t… That I’m… I’m not… I’m n-not actually…” Goblin Slayer trailed off, after trying multiple times of stringing together a coherent sentence. Tears were once again welling up in his dusty-rose colored eyes— tears of anguish that tickled down his pale cheeks, and onto the fingers of Hakuno as she gently wiped them away with a sympathetic hand.

‘ I’m not actually me?! Who am I then?! WHAT am I?! Am I like her? Like BB-Sensei?! What the hell is going on here?! ’ Goblin Slayer wanted to demand from Hakuno, but couldn’t bring himself to vocalize it. ‘Damnit! Stop crying! Stop crying, goddamnit! Why am I crying like a damn child?! I’m not a kid! I’m Goblin Slayer! I’m an adventurer, I’m…! I’m…! ’

‘ … I’m not even a real person… No… No, that’s not true! THAT’S NOT TRUE— THAT’S NOT TRUE!!! THAT CAN’T BE TRUE!!! ’ Goblin Slayer thought to himself with defiance reigniting the flame in his heart— into what he had thought was his soul this entire time. 

Stepping forward to comfort the devastated boy by wrapping her arms around him, Hakuno went wide-eyed and froze when she saw the way Goblin Slayer was glaring at her. “You’re wrong! YOU’RE WRONG!! !” The defiant boy shouted with desperation in his crying eyes— his teeth bared at the teenage girl, while the irises of his eyes began to glow a bright red.

Remaining patient and calm, Hakuno remained standing where she was at— a chill running down her back, as all she could be reminded of while staring into Goblin Slayer’s glowing eyes was of the way the Red-Eyed used to glare at her. “… Ashta-Kun, I understand-”

“-NO!!! NO YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!!! SO STOP LYING TO ME!!!” Goblin Slayer screamed back with rage in his voice— his statism gone, as the feeling of fight-or-flight he had coursing through his very being took a hold of his senses. “I…! I-I can’t be fake— I just can’t be! I have a sister— a sister who loves me, who cares about me! Friends! People who rely on DAMNIT!!! Dreams— DREAMS!!! I… I have dreams… I…! I…!” Goblin Slayer choked out— the menacing illumination in his eyes fading away, as the spout of anger he felt slowly turned back into heartache.

It was only when his shouting had come to an end did Goblin Slayer realize the terrified look behind Hakuno’s watery eyes that she had been trying her hardest to keep hidden from him. Clarity for what he had just done felt like a dagger piercing his heart— the figurative blade twisting and turning, as he gazed upon all the souls of the children who were cowering in his presence. With his eyes stinging more than they ever had, Goblin Slayer swallowed the lump in his small throat as he raised a single hand up to wipe his rampant tears away the best he could— his eyes returning to their normal state, as he stared pleadingly into Hakuno’s. 

“ It’s… It’s mine… It’s my body… M-My thoughts— my soul… Please… P-Please don’t… D-Don’t take that away from me— don’t let that be true… ” Goblin Slayer whispered, as he stood with his head lowered as he wrapped his own arms around himself.

Standing in white silence— unable to bring herself to tell the devastated child such a beautiful lie— Hakuno too lowered her head; her hand clamping over his quivering lips with her other arm held close to her stomach, as she softly looked away from Goblin Slayer with her artificial heart tearing at the seams. It wasn’t until Hakuno noticed the all-too familiar figure who had appeared behind Goblin Slayer, over at the edge of the wooden dock, did she finally utter out a word that would break the white silence.

“B… BB-Sensei…?”

 in the universe that Goblin Slayer considered his home, Noble Fencer was sitting beside High Elf Archer at one of the many long-wooden tables that were placed within the “ dining area ” that sat in the middle of the ramshackle village that the goblins called their home. While the smell certainly wasn’t all that pleasant, with just how many goblins were seated around them, the slightly pungent fragrance in the air was a far cry from the putrid smell that the two women both associated with what they learned to be “ dark goblins ”.

Seated across from the white-haired village elder who had been educating them on their history, the Goblin Elder had finished explaining the difference between his race, and the race of the disgusting goblins who were infamous for raping and murdering anything up on the surface. “Thousands of years ago, we inhabited the forests of Zemuira: kept mostly to ourselves, with the except of occasionally sending a few caravans out to trade with trusted merchants— that’s how we kept ourselves supplied, without having to resort to more desperate means for survival,” the Elder Goblin explained, while High Elf Archer hungrily munched away at the rice-ball filled with shrimp, that had been served to them alongside a bowl of udon soup.

Having long-since finished her surprisingly delicious meal, Noble Fencer sat upright and proper on her wooden stool as she leaned in closer toward the edge of the table with an intrigued look in her golden-eyes. “I assume the catalyst behind your people’s downfall resided with the war that took place all those centuries ago?” Noble Fencer mused, to which the Elder Goblin responded with a saddened head nod.

“With the fall of the Imperium Empire, we all assumed that our livelihood would only get better, as King Alexander Pathway was the first human ruler in Zemuria to accept those who weren’t of his kind to be assimilated into society… Little did we know however, that the East-Coast of Zemuria had already been occupied by a race of goblins who had originated from the depths of Hell itself… Their reputation had tarnished ours, and when subsequently the Western-Kingdoms were rebuilt from the ashes of the Imperial Empire, they carried out their hatred for our kind— the only difference was that their technology had increased during the arms race they had with Pathway Kingdom, as had their drive to clear those who weren’t human out of their lands,” Elder Goblin explained with a solemn gentleness on his wrinkled face, while the captain of the goblin army who had let them in earlier sat by his side— generational trauma visible on his seething face, as he glared down into the contents of his nearly-emptied bowl of soup.

“Do you two know just how friggin’ insulting it is to be grouped up with those awful goblins…?! To have your entire life confined beneath the surface, out of fear for not only your life, but the possibility of leading the outside world into the ONE sanctuary we’re forced to call “ home ”?!” The Goblin Captain vented with frustration written on his goofy facial features— his slender and small body tensing up, as he slammed his balled fist down on the table hard enough to shake his bowl. “The only ones who get to leave the cave are those who go out to trade with merchants  desperate enough to give us the time of day… And even then, there’s been too many times where the people we sent out never come back… It never gets any easier telling their loved ones when that happens.”

Placing a comforting hand on top of the younger goblin’s shoulder, the Elder Goblin turned his head to give Goblin Captain an empathic look before slowly turning his head to turn his attention back to the two women sitting across from him. “Life for us… Hasn’t been easy. If it weren’t for the “ Star Lord ” Himself, this cave would have been explored long ago by the mining companies of Matterhorn. His magic is what hides our village— makes it impossible for anyone to wander into it, without Him wanting them to find us… But even so, the lack of abundant resources we’ve had to survive off of has made it difficult for our women to replenish the population we once had.”

Swallowing the last bite of her rice-ball, High Elf Archer licked up the rice-vinegar from her fingertips before using the cleaned hand towel she had been given to wipe her hands off— a curious expression on her face, as she opened her mouth to speak. “The “ Star Lord ”? You’re talking about Veldanava, right? I thought he went by “ Storm Dragon ”?” High Elf Archer asked somewhat sarcastically— showing skepticism in what she had been told about the aforementioned dragon, who had supposedly brought life to their universe. “My friend and I have been getting mixed signals about him… Maybe you can clear some things up for us?”

Having done this time-and-time again with young goblins who had their own questions about the dragon who they worshiped as their one and only god, Elder Goblin nodded his head compliantly before replying back by saying, “Speak your mind, young lady: I will provide the answers you seek, to the best of my abilities.”

Showing her appreciation towards the elderly goblin for being so willing to answer her questions, High Elf Archer gave Elder Goblin a smile before frowning slightly once again. “Thank you… Now my first question to you would be about Valdenava himself… If he’s so powerful, then why hasn’t he done more for your people? You’ve worshiped him for so long, and he’s supposedly benevolent— you’d think he’d be more proactive about improving your living conditions.”

Smiling faintly at High Elf Archer, Elder Goblin let out a soft sigh before replying to her question, “I’ve heard that question and others like it so many times by now— you aren’t the first to ask that, and certainly won’t be the last to either,” and paused before going on to explain, “Veldanava was originally known as the “ Star Lord ”: the eldest true dragon out of a family of five siblings who inhabited this space in the outerverse, before using His power to bring existence into it. Before the fall of the Imperium Empire, we had always worshiped his youngest sibling, “ Veldora ”, who had gone by the name “ Storm Dragon ” by those who worshiped him…”

“... Veldora was the one who had been protecting them, back when they used to inhabit the parts of the forests that the Empire dared not to traverse,” Valdenava reminisced with a saddened look on his majestic blue-scaled face, as he sat on the cavern floor of the large, spacious area that served as the quarters for him to inhabit, Exhausted and ridden with remorse and guilt, the “ Star Lord ” sat with his tail curled around his semi-translucent body— his slitted eyes looking down upon Fairy Knight and Rimuru, who both stood before him as his ethereal form blocked them from accessing the deepest part of the underground cavern that existed in his own pocket dimension.

“My brother, he… He was a boisterous dragon who used his power to hide away his insecurities, and his awkward nature. He by no means was a saint, but he didn’t deserve the fate that awaited him… None of my family did,” Valdenava uttered out with ghostly tears beginning to trickle out from the corners of his glowing-white eyes, as he stared down at Fairy Knight with a saddened smile. “Since the death of my wife, the traces of my dwindling hope felt as though they had vanished… I didn’t think you’d ever answer my call, Albion… If only our reunion hadn’t been based on such a tragedy, I would be more joyful right now.”

Tightening her fingers over Goblin Slayer’s wrapped up corpse, Fairy Knight felt her muscles tightening up and her heart sinking inside of her chest, as she diverted her attention from the eyes of her relative to that of the boy who she held in her arms. “The feeling is mutual, Star Lord, and… And if I had only heard the call in the first place, I would have came here sooner… Maybe then I could have helped you protect your family… Forgive me.”

“I hold no resentment towards you, Albion— in fact, part of me is glad you didn’t follow the rest of us when the eternal reach of the “ Swirl of the Root ” had come to claim our home as its own. Knowing your tenacity, I fear you would have shared the same fate as the rest of immediate my family— dying in a battle that they knew they couldn’t win,” Veldanava said with a heartbroken look in his eyes, as the nearly fifty-meter tall dragon became misty eyed for but a fraction of a second, before regaining his composure as his gaze fell upon the boy in Fairy Knight’s arms. “… Is it true, Albion? About what they called him?”

“Valdenava took up the mantle of “ Storm Dragon ” after we had settled down in His own pocket dimension… He’s done his best to provide for us, but… For the sake of keeping a low profile, He hasn’t used His magic more than He absolutely has needed to… For if the Red-Eyed Man knew where he was, He would surely bring an end to us all,” the Elder Goblin explained with a grim tone in his voice that had caused those who were listening to become uneasily quiet— just there mere mentioning of the one who had murdered their first dragon-god made the goblins around them feel sick to their stomach.

Becoming irritated from what she had heard of the Red-Eyed Man and of Veldanava, Noble Fencer couldn’t help but to let out an annoyed groan as she crossed her arms over her breasts, while leaning forward to prop herself up by her elbows on the edge of the table. “Why would the “ Red-Eyed Man ” be interested in the big guy to begin with though? Like… His shtick is child murder, isn’t it? Granted, that alone is terrible, but like… What does he have anything to do with your people and with Veldanava?” Noble Fencer asked in a slightly exasperated voice. “I can’t help but to think that the Red-Eyed Man’s just everyone’s strawman to blame for their misfortunes.”

Empathetic to the way the honey-blond teenager thought in regards to the man who had brought them near the brink of extinction, Elder Goblin nodded his head softly before letting out another tired sigh. “One would assume such a thing, wouldn’t they? Why, it’s far easier to blame an infamous figure of one’s tragedies, than to accept the bitter truth behind their downfalls? But dear child, if that were the case then our problems would have been answered long ago,” the old goblin mused, before making even Noble Fencer’s blood run cold with the way he proceeded to look her dead in the eye as he uttered out, “The greatest feat of the Red-Eyed Man isn’t that not even Fate itself can stop him, no… No, what’s truly terrifying about him is that he can do all of that AND murder your loved ones, all while the world still questions whether or not he ever existed at all…”

“... Not even gods themselves are absolved of the world’s problems like that— even after they’ve been slain, beings like “ Earth Mother ”, “ Chaos God ”, and “ Supreme God ” are still the ones who receive praise and damnation from those who still pray in their absence,” Veldanava said with a tired voice, all while knowing fully well that Rimuru was now staring at him in a different light— a light that revealed the ugly truth that he had been keeping from the slime monster.

“I… I don’t understand… How…? H-How could someone go from wanting to avenge their sister’s death by slaying goblins, to murdering literal kids?! And gods?! GODS?!? HOW?!? ” Rimuru asked with an horrified voice, as they struggled to grasp everything they had been told by the dragon who he had equated to the Abrahamic God he had heard of, back when he was a human.

“Sheer determination, my dear friend: the love he had for his sister had given him will-power that was powerful enough to defy Fate itself… The more he loved, the more he had to lose, as those he had called his friends died one-by-one throughout his time spent as “ Goblin Slayer ”,” Veldanava explained with empathy in his voice, as he thought back to the day he had first met with the black-haired man. “Left alone with age beginning to take its toll on him, the moral restraints that he had put on himself to prevent himself from ever “ crossing the line ” began to disappear, as the realization dawned on him that he hadn’t been any closer towards achieving his impossible goal since when he first started his journey down his path of goblin-genocide…”

“... His loved ones were the only ones who were holding him back, and without them he sought more drastic means of achieving his goal… Gaining immortality through vampirism allowed him to survive the passage of time, while he sought to gain knowledge of the dark arts to provide him the answers he sought. Eventually, his pursuit of knowledge to destroy the goblins led him to enlisting the help of a traitorous dark elf, who gave him the artifacts of the Chaos God to help him learn more about what lay beyond the veil of this world…”

“... That’s when Goblin Slayer made contact with the one being in the vast multitude who blamed Fate just as much as he did for its downfall as well,” Elder Goblin retold with anxious growing in his heart, as he remembered the story that Veldanava had passed down to his ancestors, of how the man who he had been helping had finally become corrupted by an evil that been the catalyst for the true dragons’ demise, ever since it appeared in their origination universe.

“The “ Crimson-Moon ” is what it called itself… It told Goblin Slayer that Veldanava was to blame for the misfortunes of his world— told him that his life, and the ones who he had loved, were nothing more than figures on a board, meant to be manipulated by those who toyed with our existence like a board game… Goblin Slayer worked for the Crimson-Moon, under the false promise that it could inherent his soul to become “ whole ”… Not even Veldanava knows what happened after Goblin Slayer soul-trapped the accursed being into a crystal of some kind.”

While High Elf Archer was disheartened from what she heard— especially after having just been told that the Earth Mother had been dead long before she was even born— Noble Fencer had an easier time accepting the truth that she had always figured in the back of her mind. “You know what…? That actually makes a whole lot of sense— the gods being deader than dirt would explain the absence of miracles,” Noble Fencer mused with a cynical smirk across her lips, before letting out a dark chuckle as she raised her boots up to rest her heels on the edge of the wooden table. “Good riddance is what I say to that— if the Red-Eyed Man did one thing right during during his wretched existence, it was that… Still, I’ve got to say that it is kind of weird that Ashta took up the name of “ Goblin Slayer ” himself… Do you think that was a coincidence, Artemis?”

Distracted with her own dreadful thoughts, High Elf Archer had her face buried in her palms with her elbows resting against the table when she groggily looked up from her hands to stare at Noble Fencer with a confused expression on her pale-face. “W… What? Oh, uh… I-I don’t know, Relena— I would imagine that Orcblog wasn’t the first person since then to have taken up that mantle… Lot’s of people have had their lives destroyed by goblins… Err, I mean… Had their lives destroyed by “ DARK GOBLINS ”...! S-Sorry,” High Elf Archer apologized, as she gave the goblins sitting across from her a mentally-exhausted smile to express her sincerity.

Shrugging her shoulders as she glanced away from the way High Elf Archer buried her face back into her palms, Noble Fencer let out another cynical chuckle as she looked up past the strung-together candles above the entirety of the dining area. “I don’t understand why you’re all so bummed out… A world absent of gods? No masters to answer to? You know what that sounds like to me? Freedom… Freedom to live our lives the way we want to… What’s not to rejoice about that?”

Being the most outspoken of his people, Goblin Captain leaned over the table with one finger pointed outward toward Noble Fencer with an enraged expression on his otherwise goofy face. “ T-THAT’S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY, ISN’T IT?!? YOU’RE A HUMAN, NOT A FRIGGIN’ GOBLIN!!! THEY DIDN’T CALL HIM “ GOBLIN SLAYER ” FOR THE HELL OUT IT, LADY!!! ” The mohawked goblin shouted with tears of frustration and fear in his eyes, as the entire dining hall fell into silence while Noble Fencer stared back at him with a sudden look of guilt crossing her beautiful face.

Despite being on the same team as her, even High Elf Archer felt the need to speak up to her companion— once again pulling her face from her palms, just so she could reveal the tears she had been holding back to Noble Fencer, as she turned her head to face her. “R-Relena… He kills children for sake… If the one thing that created our universe or whatever is afraid of him, then why…? W-Why aren’t you…?!”

Utterly confused at what they had just heard, Rimuru felt their figurative heart tearing itself apart as they shook their gelatinous body in protest. “Unbelievable…! You HELPED him?! Even after he betrayed the Crimson-Moon, you actually HELPED him KILL the higher-beings who you trusted to do the crap you couldn’t be bothered to do yourself?!” 

Though Rimuru was heartbroken from the revelation that Veldanava had been the one who had led Goblin Slayer down the path in the first place, no one hated the Star Lord more than himself, so he felt as deserving of the way the slime monster who he considered to be his own younger siblings spoke to him with disgust in their voice. “... He had defeated the Crimson-Moon, and sought to bring a level of peace for those who I had failed. I thought I was different, that him and I were brothers… That’s why I chose to be the new “ Storm Lord ”: I thought maybe by being the goblins’ protector, that he would leave them alone, and thus leave my family be…”

“… How naive I was to ever believe such as beautiful lie,” Veldanava whispered quietly with his eyelids closing shut— the overwhelming remorse he felt causing his entire body to shudder, as he thought back to the horrors of seeing his family massacred. “I… I couldn’t protect them. I couldn’t protect those children… I fear as though I will not be able to protect the goblins either, for I can feel it: Fate has warned me, my time is almost over… He’s coming for me, he’ll be here soon— I’m the last name he has on his list.” 

Silence fell afterward, as both Rimuru and Fairy Knight exchanged nervous glances at one another; both dreading what the Star Lord was bringing himself to say, as the mighty dragon took in a deep breath before exhaling. “That’s why I reincarnated you from your world, Rimuru: you will inherit my power, and to protect those who I cannot defend. You are my successor, for this world was always yours to inherit,” Veldanava said with resolve in his eyes, as he raised his elongated neck up as high as he could, with what pride he still had left. 

Caught off guard by the sudden news being dropped hard onto them, Rimuru’s gelatinous body jiggled nervously as a giant sweat droplet formed on the side of their slimes surface. “H-Hey! I-I didn’t sign up for THAT!!! That’s a helluva lot to ask from someone, isn’t it?! I-I mean just like… L-Look at me! I’m a friggin’ ball of jell-o, for Christ’s sake! What the hell am I gonna do against someone who not even YOU can defeat?!” Rimuru demanded, and rightfully so. “What makes you think that I even stand more of a chance than YOU do?!” 

“Because Rimuru, you ARE Goblin Slayer— it was you who thought of him, for you are who is responsible for the true creation of this world!” Veldanava revealed with a mighty voice— causing Rimuru to become frozen where they sat, as Fairy Knight raised a confused brow at her superior. 

“Star Lord… What do you mean by that? Was it not you who created this world?” Fairy Knight questioned, before adding, “Therefore, wouldn’t that mean that you created Goblin Slayer? Or at the very least… Set the figurative pieces up to have him exist?”

“Confusing, is it not? No Albion, I did not create Zemuria the way that the goblins believe that I have,” Veldanava replied with a solemn voice, as he craned his neck down— so as to be at the same eye-level as the slime beast. “I am your canvas, you are the artist— none of this would have come to existence, had it not been for your imagination, Rimuru.” 

Almost at a loss for words, all Rimuru could utter out with how bewildered they felt was a mere, “ W… What…?! ”

“Think back to your childhood, brother: remember the times you spent with those who you would invite from school to partake in your own devised adventures— adventures that would play out on a simple board game that you yourself created from hand,” Veldanava said knowingly, while giving Rimuru a moment to think back to their past life— back when they were just a regular kid with black hair, and had only their imagination to entertain their friends. 

Spiraling slowly into a sense of nostalgia, Rimuru’s nerves began to calm down as they remembered what it was like to use their free time at school to construct his own board game and figurines in the school library— the hours they spent in the computer lab typing away on their keyboard, just to get their home-brewed campaigns to be as perfect as their creative mind could weave them to be. “… It was just my older sis and I living in her apartment. She had to drop out of school to support us after our parents passed away, and… And we didn’t have a lot of money to spend…”

“… I still remember hearing her crying behind her closed door; you see, I…I told her that I wanted to get into Dungeons and Dragons for my birthday, and… And when that day came, I had told her that I hated her for not giving me what I wanted— I told her that she was a failure, and I was ashamed to be her brother,” Rimuru recalled with sadness in every word they spoke— their demeanor completely changing, as droplets of slime began to trickle down where their eyes would be. “She… She made me my first board, my first figurines, and even wrote the campaign herself…”

“… I felt so bad about what about I had said to her— I wanted her to be happy again, to see her smile, and not ever have to cry; so long as I could do something about it,” Rimuru reminisced with a heavy heart, before lightening up slightly as their mind turned toward what he did to improve his situation. “The next day, I brought my friends over to play the game she made— they loved it, and so did I! You two should have seen the look of joy she had on her face, when I told her how all the kids at school wanted to have her make them their own home-brewed Dungeons and Dragons sets! She couldn’t do it because of work, so I began recreating the stories she would tell me over dinner! Started to host more games at our apartment, and became super popular at school because of her! I’m telling you, those were the happiest days of my life— I’d give ANYTHING to experience them again!”

The childhood excitement that was palatable from Rimuru’s voice slowly diminished as the slime monster became suddenly reserved— dread flooding into their heart, as the joyful memories they had began to turn dark. “… I had to stop inviting people from school over, once she became too sick to look after all of us. She… She had cancer, and because of how busy she was with work, she… She wasn’t diagnosed until it was already too; it was already at “ stage four ”, and had already spread to her brain,” Rimuru said in a quiet voice— taking longer periods in between speaking, as solemnity began to take hold of them.

“After she… S-She went to heaven, I… I got put into the foster care system… Neither of my older brothers on my father’s side wanted anything to do with me, so… S-So uh… I began getting passed around from foster parents to foster parents; some of them were nice, some of them were… Were monsters,” Rimuru said in a vulnerable voice, as their body shivered at the memories of what some of the men who were in charge of fostering them did to their body as a child. “I-I… I became something that would have broken my sister’s heart… I had so much hatred, sadness, and pain inside of me, and no one to listen or care about it— Vivi was the only one who ever did love me, after all…”

“… I… I poisoned my sister’s adventures with horrid, horrid changes: I ruined what was supposed to be her legacy to me, and perverted them all with my corrupted thoughts,” Rimuru said, as they began to bridge the similarities between his flourishing memories, and of the description of the outside world that both Noble Fencer and High Elf Archer has told him of. “… Those who I called friends distanced themselves from me, and soon enough I just… I just stopped caring about playing those sorts of games, and focused only on my education…”

“… I couldn’t find joy through make-believe, so I… I figured maybe that living what was left of my life in the real-world could be my only chance at happiness… That never happened,” Rimuru stated cynically, as their unwanted memories of their past life came to a closure. “The happiness I felt was when I jumped in front of a co-worker who was about to be stabbed by some asshole with a knife— I thought I would finally be reunited with Vivine… But look at where I am now; stuck in the hell that I created— the one that YOU decided to bring me back to,” Rimuru said with contempt in their voice, as their furrowed brows narrowed at Veldanava.

“Is that why you conveniently didn’t help me to remember all of that shit up until now? Because you KNEW that I would have HATED you for bringing me here!? ISN’T THAT RIGHT?!?” Rimuru screamed with frustration and anguish in their voice that only grew with the way Veldanava remained calmly quiet. “Unbelievable… Aren’t you going to SAY something?! Acknowledge me, goddamnit…! Don’t just stare at me like that; like I’m just another FUCKING FREAK!!!”

Even without a pair of physical lungs, Rimuru was able to emulate the act of hyperventilating as their body would rapidly expand and shrink while they made audible breathing sounds. Only the sound of the slime beast whimpering and breathing heavily could be heard within the spacious tomb, and the tension wasn’t broken until finally Fairy Knight spoke up. “The goblins… The ones who rape and pillage these lands… They’re an allegory, aren’t they? They’re the cancer that took your sister— the mutated cells that keep coming back, no matter how many times the doctors would try to rid them from your sister’s body.” 

Unable to respond to Fairy Knight’s words through words alone, all Rimuru could do was grow quiet as they did their best to move their slime body to nod at her. “I… I never saw it that way, but… I… I guess that makes sense, doesn’t it…? After all, I… I did make goblins more troublesome than anything else in those altered versions of Vivi’s campaigns— they were always my character’s greatest foe, even when the world couldn’t understand his motives, or the way he was,” Rimuru muttered with the wheels turning in their head, as Fairy Knight’s words helped ground him back in the world that he did indeed expand upon. 

Looking away from the white haired servant, Rimuru gazed back up at Veldanava, who was still patiently waiting for the slime monster to accept his offer— an offer that he couldn’t afford to have declined. “I… I’m sorry for lashing at you like that— I shouldn’t have done that… But I will correct you on one thing though: it’s about that metaphor you made,” Rimuru said with a more courteous tone in their voice, before taking a deep breath to recompose themselves. “You are the hand that drew this world, I am the paint that gave it color… But Vivine is the artist, she is the muse, the genius behind it all; this world is her legacy, and I’m the one who messed it up in the first place… And it’s my duty to put it all back how it used to be— it’s what Vivine would have wanted.”

Upon hearing the resolve within Rimuru’s voice return, Veldanava applauded the slime monster’s determination with a formal bow— the bottom part of his massive head pressing down against the cavern floor, so as to bestow upon them his highest honors. “Thank you, brother… I am forever in Vivine’s debt, as I am in yours… I give to you what’s left of my magic through one final name— one that shall bestow upon you the power of the stars themselves, ” Veldanava declared with a thunderous echo that roared within the caverns walls of the tomb, as Fairy Knight stood by and watch in awe as the dragon’s body began to leak out a white-glowing cloud of light that was gently absorbed into Rimuru’s slime body— engulfing them in its brilliant light, as a powerful hum that shook the very foundations of the universe itself erupted for all to hear.

During that transition of power, the entirety of Zemuria stopped what they had been doing; those within the goblin cave outside of the tomb fell into a deafening silence, as the one divine booming sound caused them to be flooded with an overwhelming sense of astonishment and awe. 

When the last trickles of Veldanava’s light faded away, Fairy Knight turned to look at where her superior had once stood at an impressive fifty-meters tall— a fraction of the size he had once been, back in his prime. There in his place stood a white-haired man, one who had not a single strand on his face, and one who instead had a head full of gorgeous regal white hair— his royal gowns faded, and a permanent tired expression plastered on his mature facial features. In his human form, Veldanava smiled gently at the beautiful and androgynous higher-being that had inherited the last of his power. 

Slender and feminine, angelic in every sense of the word, Rimuru had pale skin, and golden-yellow eyes that reminded Fairy Knight of Noble Fencer’s. With long-flowing pastel-cyan hair that reached all the way to the bottom of their back, and a warm-comfortable fur-lined shirt that they wore along with their dark leather jacket and trousers— truly taking on the appearance of the daring adventurer his older sister had always dreamed of him to be. 

Feeling the joy he thought he would never get to experience ever again, Valdenava smiled even more warmly at Rimuru— the excitement and thrilling expression on his successor bringing him comfort, even as both they and Fairy Knight began rushing over to him as he fell back onto the ground. Sitting on his behind with one knee raised, Veldanava’s breathing began to become labored, and yet he kept smiling at Rimuru as his corporal body began to slowly disintegrate into ash. 

“ S-Star Lord…!? Star Lord!” Fairy Knight shouted with panic on her voice, as she carried Goblin Slayer’s wrapped body with her as she knelt down before the dragon she once looked up to as a leader— her brown-eyes widened in terror and sadness, as she felt his hand falling apart while he was trying to comfort her by caressing her gentle cheek.

“Do not mourn my death, Albion— this is for the best… The Red-Eyed Man most definitely heard my power being released into this universe, and will certainly come to investigate it… But before that happens, you will be gone; all of you will,” Veldanava explained with his smile still present on his face, as he wiped away the blackened tears that were trickling down the cheeks of the beautiful draconian fairy. “Hear my plea, Albion, for I have one last final mission for you to accept.” 

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Fairy Knight fought back the torrent of tears that were welling up behind her bottom eyelids, and nodded firmly toward the dying dragon. “Speak it, Star Lord, and it shall be done,” Fairy Knight whispered with a heavy-heart, while becoming perplexed when she saw Veldanava extending his trembling arms out toward Goblin Slayer’s wrapped body. 

“Promise me… Promise me that you’ll protect them when I’m gone… Give me the peace of knowing that you’ll protect them from him… Let my family’s sacrifices mean something, Albion— I beg of you,” Veldanava pleaded with his own blackened tears beginning to trickle down his quickly aging cheeks, as his once mighty body began to grow frail and old by the passing moment. 

Feeling Rimuru’s soft hand clamping down on her shoulder to comfort her, as they made their way over to her side, Fairy Knight gave them a saddened look of appreciation before looking back into Veldanava’s crying gaze. “… This world will live on: you have my word.”

Closing his eyelids as he let out a relief breath of air, Veldanava did his best to regain his composure when he finally opened his eyelids back up. “Thank you, Albion… And thank you too, Rimuru… Now please, hand me the child— I made a vow to stay with these children, until the very end; I have no intention of breaking that sacred vow,” Veldanava said with warmth in his voice, and remained patient as Fairy Knight stood there with her master wrapped up in her arms.

Quietly whispering a prayer under her breath, Fairy Knight softly kissed Goblin Slayer’s covered head and hugged him one last time before handing him over to Veldanava, who gingerly took the boy’s body into his protective arms before laying his back onto his lap. “Farewell, my dear friends… Perhaps we’ll see each other again, when you and your sister come up with a brand new adventure to breathe life into, my brother,” Vendavana said with a calm, and loving tone, and gave Rimuru one last nod before letting out a sigh. “But until that day may come, you are to gather everyone here, and take them with you… Carry on your way to the Mithril Mountains, for it will be there on its peak that the Moon-Cell shall rise in lieu of the morning sun— and with it, he shall be there… Be ready for him,” Veldanava said cautiously, while holding the back of Goblin Slayer’s head up with one hand, as he watched his two legacies reluctantly leave his side. 

Once alone with the bodies of the children who he couldn’t protect from the world he had brought into existence through the taint imagination of a trouble boy who had lost the love of his life, Veldanava continued to sit there in the darkness of the tomb— awaiting his fate, and facing his certain demise with stotism. “This world that has bloomed from the love that one sibling had for another, left to corid by a child who had been corrupted by the evils of what mankind had done to him… And yet, this world refuses to die: it cannot die, for the love that it was built on cannot die,” Veldanava spoke wisely, and remained calm even as the body in his grasp sat up from his lap. 

Looking up with a smile spread across his face, Veldanava watched as the body beneath the cloth grew larger into the statue of a full-grown man— its white-gloved hand connected to its dark-red sleeve poking out from beneath it, before the black-haired figure inside ripped it off of his own body. A pair of crimson eyes stared down upon the dying dragon— not a word spoken more between the two, as the Red-Eyed Man watched cathartically as Veldanava disintegrated into a pile of dust.