On the trail of the goblins

Simply walking through the forest is proving to be a significant challenge. Every step is a battle against treacherous roots, intertwining branches, and thorny bushes. Ayako was right; the entire way, I needed to stay focused, strengthening my ankles with my aura to avoid twisting them on some unnoticed root. I found myself wondering if it would be like this all the time or if the terrain would eventually improve. The humidity, the insects, everything around us seemed designed to bother us.

Hiroshi led us, wielding a machete to carve a path through the dense vegetation. His movements were precise, indicating considerable experience in navigating challenging terrains. We followed closely behind, with Ayako at the rear, ready to prevent accidents or face unpleasant surprises like attacks from creatures approaching from behind. Ayako's eyes scanned the environment attentively, searching for any signs of goblins, her senses sharp as those of a predator in its habitat.

Yuki, Kaelan, Yui, and Mei seemed to share my discomfort in the face of the natural challenges of walking through a forest.

Kaelan: "These insects are driving me crazy; it's like we've become the main attraction for all of them!"

Yui, waving her hands frantically to ward off the insects, agreed: "And the spiders! I've had to remove more webs from my hair than I can remember!"

Mei: "Oh, Yui, look, there's a spider on your clothes."

Yui: "Ahh, get it off, get it off..."

Yuki: "Hahahahaha... Whoa, what's this?"

Yuki seemed to be enjoying watching the twins' interaction until something strange stuck to his shoes, making him stop laughing and turning him into the target of laughter himself.

Ayako, overhearing the conversation as she advanced, turned with a mischievous smile, "Ah, the charms of the wilderness. If only there were something to shield you from these nuisances..."

Yui: "Hey, hey, what do you mean by that? Wait... now that you mention it, insects are keeping their distance from you. Don't tell me... Why didn't you tell us before?"

Kaelan: "Could it be... repellents, maybe?"

Ayako: "Hahahaha, exactly! You see, entering the forest unprepared as you did is a terrible idea, unless you're enthusiasts of insects and arachnids. I kept it a secret so that you'd learn the hard way never to forget to stop by an alchemist and buy some repellents before a mission like this. No need to thank me; enjoy the adventure!"

Mei: "Ah, you could have warned us earlier!"

Yui: "What an adventure! I'm starting to appreciate the comfort of the city more."

The walk continued with a slightly relaxed atmosphere, and soon the beauties and peculiarities that can only be found in nature began to reveal themselves, bit by bit. We encountered a huge green caterpillar, winding its way along, a walking mushroom with little arms and legs making its way through the underbrush, slimes bouncing in an adorable manner in small puddles on the ground, rabbits so fluffy they looked like balls of fur with ears darting across our path agile and swift, and a cluster of vegetation that moved seemingly with a will of its own.

Ayako: "Welcome to the wild, young adventurers. Here, nature is full of surprises and dangers. Stay vigilant."

We continued our journey, and Ayako suddenly stopped. Her eyes narrowed as she examined an opening in the bushes.

Ayako: "Aha! Here's something interesting. Come take a look, everyone. We're getting close to the goblin camp."

Ayako pointed to a narrow trail, with vegetation cut at a height suitable only for a human child to pass through. She whispered, indicating that this was probably the work of goblins.

Ayako: "We're on the right track; the guild folks gave us the correct direction this time. Let's proceed with caution and keep quiet."

Hiroshi, in response, lowered the machete and crouched to follow the new path. From that moment on, our steps blended with the murmurs of the forest as we followed the goblin trail. My body began to tense, showing some signs of nervousness. I need to calm down, but my heart refuses to cooperate.

We continued walking silently until Hiroshi signaled for everyone to stop. Before us, a strange totem stood tall—a wooden stake with a skull adorned with ritualistic charms. Hiroshi explained that it was a common goblin marker to demarcate territory.

Hiroshi: "We're getting close. Proceed with caution."

We followed the trail for another hour, cautious with every step. The surroundings began to reveal small signs indicating that something had passed through recently. After a few more steps, we spotted what seemed to be a small primitive platform in the middle of a tree, and on it was a green, ugly creature with pointed ears—a goblin. It spotted us, but before it could do anything, Ayako moved with surprising agility. With a gracefully executed somersault connected to a kick, the goblin was knocked out without even having time to alert the others.

Hiroshi acted swiftly, tying up the unconscious goblin.

Hiroshi: "Great, now we just need to capture a few more, and we can take care of the rest. Ayako, I'll stay and guard the kids; you go ahead."

Ayako, with a confident smile, silently advanced toward the center of the goblin camp. The goblins only noticed her presence after she was right in front of them, and she wasted no time drawing their attention to her.

The goblins, surprised by the unexpected intruder, began to recover from their shock and attacked her in disarray. Those without weapons in their hands grabbed anything they could find around them and lunged at her.

Ayako demonstrated her impressive skills, effortlessly dodging the goblins' strikes as if it were child's play. With grace and agility, she knocked out the goblins one by one, performing intricate acrobatics that seemed to defy gravity.

Amidst all this, she still found time to shoot me a playful smile before baiting the last two goblins to attack her. With mastery, Ayako evaded their attacks with a somersault, landing upside down with her hands on the ground and executing a split between them, hitting them on the head and knocking them out with precision.

The goblin camp was now under our control, and Ayako, with a triumphant air, turned to us.

Ayako: "Kaimmy, everyone, did you see that? That's how a true adventurer gets things done. Now, grab the ropes. Let's tie up the rest before they wake up."

In this way, we easily captured a group of 17 goblins, but before we had time to celebrate, Hiroshi assumed a serious expression, causing all of us to unconsciously adjust our postures. He then said:

Hiroshi: "So, who wants to go first?"

A tense silence hung in the air, and everyone exchanged glances, understanding what was about to happen. The moment had finally arrived.

Ayako, always ready to break the ice, suggested:

Ayako: "Yui, Mei, how about you start? Since you're about to become adventurers, this is a good opportunity to gain some experience."

The two glanced at each other for a few seconds, exchanging nervous expressions, and finally mustered enough determination to energetically nod at each other. They took a step forward towards the center of the clearing where the goblin village was situated.

After we all stepped back, leaving them alone in the center, Hiroshi dragged two of the unconscious and unbound goblins closer to them.

Ayako approached, holding a bottle with a mysterious liquid. The moment the bottle was opened, a strong smell filled the air, prompting me to immediately cover my nose and mutter quietly to myself.

Kaimmy: "What is this? It smells awful..."

With dexterity, Ayako placed the bottle directly under the goblins' noses, causing them to wake up in agitation. The confused and irritated goblins began to move, trying to understand what was happening. Ayako quickly stepped back towards us, leaving Yui and Mei in control of the situation.

Hiroshi addressed the twins:

Hiroshi: "Remember, this is a subjugation mission, so you know what you have to do."

Yui and Mei, despite the evident tension, exchanged confident glances and prepared to face the goblins, who now eyed the two small wooden clubs that Ayako had left in their hands. The rest of us watched with anticipation, knowing that this would be a crucial part of our training.

Before she was spotted, Mei hid behind a tent, waiting for the right moment to act. The goblins, who finally seemed to understand what was happening, noticed Yui's presence and began to grunt, brandishing their weapons to try to appear more threatening than they really were.

Yui took a step forward, pointing her spear directly at one of the goblins, who took a few steps back, keeping a safe distance from the sharp tip.

Meanwhile, the second goblin, still unaware of Mei's presence, took advantage of the situation. Circling around the nearest tent, he seemed to be planning to attack Yui from behind. However, when he got close enough, Mei leaped from her hiding spot and plunged her dagger into the goblin's back. Using this as a signal, Yui leaped forward and skewered the other goblin, who wasn't quick enough to dodge. The two goblins fell, not getting up again.

Ayako and Hiroshi congratulated the two as they celebrated, praising Mei's choice to hide and make a surprise attack while Yui distracted them.

Ayako: "Great strategy, Mei! It shows quick thinking and teamwork, essential for any adventurer."

Hiroshi, however, intervened with seriousness:

Hiroshi: "However, there was a flaw."

That surprised me, and Yui and Mei also seemed surprised as they exchanged confused looks, not understanding what he was talking about. While I wondered internally what kind of mistake they had made, Hiroshi approached one of the fallen goblins and kicked it, making the goblin awkwardly get up. Since it was discovered, the goblin began to run, holding its wound, leaving behind a trail of purple blood, but before it could get far, Hiroshi finished it with his machete and addressed Yui and Mei once again:

Hiroshi: "Remember, always make sure your prey is dead before celebrating victory."

While Yui and Mei grimaced, reflecting on their mistake, Ayako broke the tense moment:

Ayako: "Well, who will be the next to take on the challenge?"

I was scared, and I think I let that show on my face. Yuki stared at me with a look of wanting to help but not knowing how, opening his mouth several times only to close it without saying anything. As I stared at the ground, praying not to be chosen, Kaelan seemed to sense my nervousness and volunteered to be the next. I took the opportunity while he prepared to approach Ayako and timidly tugged at the hem of her garment to get her attention.

Kaimmy: "Hmm, Ayako-sensei, do we really need to... kill the goblins?"

Ayako looked at me with a serious expression, seeming to understand my concern.

Ayako: "Kaimmy, having empathy is very impoirtant, but goblins are creatures of darkness. Many naive adventurers have tried to approach and interact with them, only to be ignored and attacked without a chance for conversation. It's their instinct. Besides, never, under any circumstances, let yourself be captured by goblins. You're too young to understand what I mean by that, but you'll come to comprehend why in the future."

As I absorbed those words, Hiroshi intervened, providing a more concrete perspective.

Hiroshi: "If you need a more tangible reason, goblins are creatures that absorb dark mana just by existing. This makes their evil personalities easily surface. If they are not subdued in time and absorb enough dark mana, they can evolve into hobgoblins, which are more intelligent and robust, making them much more troublesome than regular goblins."

Suddenly, I began to understand a bit more about these creatures and the world around us. Being kind isn't always the best choice... If we let them live, it might make them even more dangerous. I guess the best solution is indeed... to kill them... before something worse happens.