There's a Third One?!

"Who the hell are you?!"

Was this some sort of psychological attack, and I just equated it to Penta and Zeta's provocations? Or was there really a THIRD one now?

And if that was the case...what the hell was this format?!

"Inquiry will be labeled as failure if answer is not supplied in 5."

"Ah, shit! God damn it, I wouldn't be fighting a goat in combat in the first place, let alone hand-to-hand! Goats don't even have hands, for one!"

"...Admission deemed unacceptable - core issue not addressed. Whip-based skills are sealed for this encounter."

"Wait, what?"

"Objective fulfilled: Be restricted by failing to provide Xeno an acceptable answer."

I immediately opened up my skill list - and found both Power Strike and Cross-crack grayed out, with the word "unavailable" plastered over them.

"Son of a bitch!" I cursed aloud, finally turning my attention back to the kobolds. The creatures seemed agitated, but cautious - they brandished their weapons and voiced their displeasure, but kept their distance. I had a sneaking suspicion Rockford's presence may have had something to do with the hesitation.

"That's right! I'm not alone!" I declared aloud, indicating for the stony predator to come forward, which he did without delay. The kobolds collectively took a step back, seemingly unsure of what they were even looking at.

There was no doubt in my mind that Rockford would make short work of these creatures, but I was hesitant to let him do so. Something about it felt...wrong. Maybe because they hadn't presented much of a threat, so far?

I reached out toward them with an outstretched hand.

"SCATTER!" I roared, and the kobolds' eyes flew wide with fear. Immediately they took off running, completely forgetting about the strange stone creature that may attack them as they turned their backs. Their retreat was disorganized, panicked - weapons were either clutched desperately or thrown to the wayside.

…All because I had used the Intimidate spell, of course.

"Objective complete: Use a psychological spell."

"Surprisingly effective," I muttered, getting back onto Rockford's back. "Follow them at a distance! And try not to kill me this time, eh?" I commanded, and my granite companion complied. His speed was, thankfully, not nearly as fast as before, since the kobolds were not nearly quick enough to warrant it. Although the small reptilian beings ran with reckless abandon, and initially it seemed they had all split up, I began to notice that they were all moving in a general direction eastward.

They had to be fleeing back to the nest.

I had nothing to prove this theory, but it was our best bet either way - there was no point in dealing with a small squad of kobolds when we could use them to locate the rest. And, maybe if we destroyed the nest, the creatures would simply disperse?

"Maybe I'm being a little too understanding as an Adventurer..." I thought grimly. This WAS a quest on the same level, both in difficulty and, presumably, morally, as the one about exterminating rats.

Time passed, and our pursuit continued. At first, I was impressed with the Intimidate spell's duration, considering they were still on the retreat, but I figured that it was more likely the spell had broken their morale, and they intended to regroup or, perhaps, report their findings, back at the nest.

Alternatively...this was an elaborate reversal, and I was about to run into a trap. Well, as long as it was a trap that got me closer to completing the quest, I didn't mind too much.

…Or was there a way to make sure? Perhaps it was better to play this somewhat smart, when there was still so much in the air - such as Rockford's continued cooperation.

I silently indicated for Rockford to catch up with the kobold nearest to us, who we'd ultimately decided to stick with after noticing them all heading in roughly the same direction. The creature, looking significantly less panicked then last I'd see of them, was one of the ones that had clutched onto its weapon during the initial scare, and now gripped it tightly in both hands as it ran. It did not seem to notice as we drew near.

"Time to find out if this has a max range," I muttered, reaching out with a hand. I resisted the temptation to yell out "CHARM!" as I cast the spell of the same name.

The kobold stopped, but immediately I ordered it to return home, so it took off running again - and in the same direction.

"Bingo."

I had Rockford back off significantly - now that the kobold was under my sway, I could now sense its general location, much like I could Rockford's. My theory was that Charm acted in much the same way as Tame, but actually had a finite duration, as opposed to a more permanent one, and, perhaps, worked on more targets. This theory was, admittedly, based solely on the names of the spells, and how they should more or less indicate the same things, in a practical sense. Therefore, it was an 'ideal for my situation' interpretation of it, and nothing more.

But, man, if I was RIGHT...

In short order, the kobold stopped, its task, apparently, complete. We were in some sparse woods, now, and had been for some time. It was still some distance away, however, and I was thankful for this alternate way of tracking - the last thing I wanted to do was burst into the nest right from the get-go. It was time for a plan!

…Well, I had a 'man on the inside,' didn't I?

My Charm target and I couldn't share senses, unfortunately, so my information gathering was limited. I could have it come back and share with me information about the nest - weak points, how many kobolds lay within, etc. - but there was the small detail of the creature not knowing the damn language I spoke-

Wait a minute...

I recalled the charmed kobold, who dutifully trotted out to the position Rockford and I waited after a few minutes. Hopefully, its sudden arrival and even more sudden departure would not seem strange enough to warrant investigation.

"How many of your fellows are in the nest?" I commanded, verbally.

The creature spoke a high-pitched, quickly-spoken tongue, of which I could understand, predictably, none. It could understand me, however, but I presumed this was due to the magic command, rather than my words, since the command didn't even need to be spoken to come into effect.

"I can't understand you. Can you please speak...my language, maybe?"

The kobold spoke again - different words, from before, that I could tell - but again, I could not understand it.

"One more time for me - can you tell me how many of your friends are in the nest?" C'mon, you stupid god damn voice in my-

"-teen," a shrill voice reached my ears.

"Huh? What was that?"

"Fifteen," the kobold repeated, clear as day.

"Objective fulfilled: Learn a second language."

"Haha, yes! Consistency! What a wonderfully inviting thing!"

Penta, of course, said nothing. The kobold, meanwhile, dutifully waited for its next command.

"...How easy would it be to get you to leave the nest, and this area?"

The kobold immediately darted in the opposite direction, without a word of warning.

"Woah woah hey wait, come back!" I called after it, realizing my stupidity. The little creature returned a moment later.

"What I meant was...how easy would it be to get your fellows to abandon the nest and get the hell out of here?"

"If the area proved too dangerous, they would leave," the kobold replied in dutifully robotic fashion. "If another area was found to be more advantageous to inhabit, they would leave."

That didn't really surprise me. It was basic logic, after all. I was sure that the basis of this quest - kill all or enough of the kobolds to get them to clear out - used the former as its foundation. And the later, while attractive as a non-violent solution, did not seem viable in the short-term.

But maybe, if I put on enough of a show...