Goblins

Vales did not think much of Zeliel's congratulations.

He glanced at the crater blasted into the rock face, his expression somewhat complicated.

His own full-force strike would probably only achieve this much, right?

Zeliel was only a magic apprentice, yet he could already cast magic with destructive power comparable to that of an intermediate ranger?

Was that due to his class's traits, or his own personal strength?

It really left him feeling a little unbalanced...

"By the way, Zeliel... if I remember correctly, you're sixteen?" Vales asked.

"Yeah."

"You should be close to breaking through and becoming a lower mage, right?"

"That's hard to say... who knows." Zeliel shrugged.

"You will. I know it."

Vales stared into Zeliel's eyes and said seriously, "I can see your talent."

The water murmured nearby. The two of them were standing a little too close, and the atmosphere grew somewhat tense, so Zeliel was the first to look away.

"Th-then I'll take that as a good omen."

"You're the most gifted mage I've ever met. Maybe someday, I'll ask you for a very important favor," Vales said.

"What favor?"

Vales did not answer. He merely rose silently and walked in the direction of Blackstone Town.

Watching Vales's retreating back grow farther away, Zeliel could not help muttering to himself.

Why was he suddenly playing this mysterious routine...

The next day.

Early morning.

Zeliel sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyes closed as he concentrated.

Only after a while did he slowly open his eyes and rein in his aura.

He had just performed a shallow meditation. Unlike deep meditation, which required a great deal of mental energy, shallow meditation was merely a brief taste.

It could improve his focus and make his mind a little clearer.

Doing it every morning after waking up felt pretty good.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Zeliel was somewhat surprised.

Ever since moving in, no one had ever knocked on his door.

Zeliel hurriedly threw on some clothes.

When he opened the door, Auro was standing outside.

"What is it?" Zeliel asked.

"A gentleman is downstairs. He says his name is Marcus, and he wants to see you." Auro blinked.

Marcus...? Why would he be looking for me?

"Got it. I'll be right down."

Zeliel picked up the white waxwood base, strapped his rapier to his waist, and hurried downstairs in his slippers.

In the inn's lobby, Marcus was pacing back and forth repeatedly, looking quite anxious.

The moment he saw Zeliel come downstairs, he immediately came over.

"Come on. Go to the Adventurers' Association with me."

"What happened?" Zeliel was a little confused.

"You'll know when we get there," Marcus said tersely.

The Adventurers' Association.

There seemed to be an especially large crowd coming and going inside today, so packed that Zeliel could barely move.

Marcus cleared a path ahead of him, and the two of them finally squeezed their way to the commission board.

The noisy discussions made Zeliel's head buzz.

At the very top of the wooden board was a sheet larger than all the other commission notices, written in blood-red ink that made it especially eye-catching.

[Misty Cavern Goblin Settlement Subjugation Quest]

In the mountainous region at the heart of Graywood Forest, there is a small Goblin settlement. Their range of activity has steadily expanded, and they have become increasingly rampant, already threatening the safety of nearby villages.

The Association hereby issues a commission to eradicate this Goblin settlement.

Additionally.

Over half a month ago, Rod's Party accepted this mission. However, after confirmation by Association personnel and nearby villagers, we sorrowfully announce:

Rod's Party has been completely wiped out.

This mission is not only to eliminate the threat entrenched in the forest, but also to avenge Rod's Party!

The Blackstone Town branch of the Adventurers' Association hereby announces that any party which accepts and completes this mission will receive a substantial additional reward!

Commission rank:

Lower rank (three stars)

Commission objective:

Completely eradicate every monster in this Goblin settlement. Leave none alive.

If possible, collect some of Rod's Party's belongings as well.

Bounty:

According to current intelligence, the settlement possesses at least three Orc Goblins and one White-Haired Goblin, along with more than twenty ordinary Goblins.

Each Orc Goblin carries a bounty of seven gold coins, the White-Haired Goblin carries a bounty of ten gold coins, and ordinary Goblins carry bounties of ten silver coins each.

In addition, the commission will provide twenty gold coins as a bonus for this mission.

Association notes:

This is a fairly well-established Goblin gathering site. While it cannot compare to a large settlement with more than a hundred Goblins, its threat must not be underestimated.

The Association does not recommend that parties with fewer than five members accept this mission.

Furthermore, it would be best for the party to have powerful companions of at least intermediate rank. The more, the better! ```

"The Misty Cavern Goblin subjugation mission..."

Zeliel paused slightly.

He seemed to remember that the first time he came to the Adventurers' Association, he had heard someone calling out to recruit companions for this mission.

He had not expected that party to be completely wiped out...

Life really was unpredictable.

Whispers from the surrounding crowd continued to drift over.

"Good grief... an extra reward of twenty gold coins. The Association really dared to offer that much?"

"They may dare to offer it, but do you dare to take it? Didn't you see that Rod's Party was wiped out? They were all seasoned veterans..."

"I heard the only one from Rod's Party who escaped was a ranger. One of his legs was broken, and no one knows how he crawled to the edge of the forest. Anyway, he died the moment they brought him to the clinic... Pretty tragic."

"Stop looking. A mission at this level isn't something we can meddle with. Let's just honestly take some ordinary commissions."

Quite a few people had only come to watch the excitement. Once they saw the extravagant lineup of three Orc Goblins and a White-Haired Goblin, they sensibly began looking for other commissions.

The reward was indeed generous, but they had to be alive to spend it.

Zeliel glanced at Marcus.

"You want to take this mission?"

It was a three-star lower-rank mission. The Giant-winged Bat had only been one star, so its difficulty was obvious.

"I think we can give it a try," Marcus said solemnly.

"Our party definitely can't handle it. Going there would just be serving ourselves up to the Goblins." Zeliel shook his head, fully aware of their limits.

Whenever he thought of the Goblins from all those anime and films, Zeliel felt a wave of disgust.

Foul-smelling, cunning, filthy, ugly.

He did not want to die at the hands of those short green-skinned freaks. That would be way too ridiculous.

"Of course not with just four people."

Marcus gestured with his hands. "Vales has already advanced to an intermediate ranger, your magic is varied and powerful enough, and if we can find a few more strong companions, we can do it."

"Finding companions..."

Zeliel pondered for a while.

If that was the case, perhaps they really could give it a try.