Gauss walked on the country path with mixed emotions.
Soon, the young man responsible for guarding the gate led him to the village chief’s house.
This is also the basic process of many commissions near villages.
After leading the way, the young man saluted them, then returned to the gate.
Recently, demons seem to have become more active.
So much so that even such a small village can organize its young and strong men to form a fixed armed team to defend against small groups of monsters that may wander by.
"Please sit, gentlemen."
This time, the village chief looked only about thirty years old.
Gauss could see from his expression that he seemed to recognize him, or had heard of the image of "Goblin Slayer."
The expression of anxiety that was originally present relaxed a lot due to their arrival.
The name "Goblin Slayer" indeed brings peace of mind to ordinary villagers.
Additionally, the village chief glanced at the indigo plaque with a radiant badge in front of Gauss and his companion, and felt even more assured. Professionals undertaking a task meant for bottom adventurers couldn’t be more reliable, could they?
After learning the approximate location of the goblins from the village chief,
Gauss and Serdur took a short rest and then set off.
After leaving the village, Gauss was still discussing the matter with Serdur.
"Feels like someone is pushing things from behind."
"But isn’t it a good thing?" Serdur didn’t pay much attention to it.
Even if he became a member of the Goblin Slayer squad, to some extent, like a decoration, what does it matter?
"Many people want a nickname known to others, but don’t have one."
But at least, you must be Black Iron Level before you would be given a nickname, right?
Moreover, it must be someone with a distinctive trait or an adventurer who has completed certain events.
So, many nicknames are either linked with various demons or associated with skills, events, and locations.
For example, Necro Scourge, Wheat Ranger, Rock Ring, Ether Devourer, etc...
Bronze Level adventurers rarely get nicknames, so those who do should count themselves lucky.
Riding on the chocobo, the reins shook, and the gold tassel moved forward, carrying him out of the village.
"It should be near here."
According to the village chief’s somewhat vague account, the goblin lair is in a valley nearby.
The two of them searched for quite a while before discovering this place.
Gauss couldn’t help but think about Aaliyah again.
With her around, Aik could probably find this place from high above quickly.
After all, specialization comes with expertise.
However, the terrain before them was a little more complex than expected.
The low hills intertwined, and the valley was filled with ravines and gullies of varying depths. Rather than a valley, it was more like a wasteland eroded and fragmented by rainwater and wind.
They delved along a ravine that seemed to be the main one.
As they went deeper, the sides featured severely weathered tawny rock walls, standing just a few meters high, but jagged stones and thorny brambles obscured their sight, increasing the difficulty of exploration.
The valley’s interior was dimly lit, with the rock walls blocking most of the light, while the air was filled with a mix of rotting plants, feces, and a strange stench.
"There are indeed signs of monster habitation."
Wearing the [Spirit Bracelet], Gauss’s eyes glowed slightly and quickly noticed various residues and footprints on the ground.
"Seems not just one type of monster..."
He guided the chocobo to the rock wall, reached out to touch it, crushed a few brittle pieces, and with a gentle grasp, they turned into flowing fine sand in his palm.
"Looks like Magic Missiles can’t be used later; Serdur, pay attention to avoid collapsing these rock walls on both sides and burying us inside," Gauss reminded.
When executing a commission, not only must the commission target be considered, but the site terrain also requires extra attention.
Every year, countless adventurers fall from heights, drown, or are buried alive in caves.
Sometimes, Gauss sees human corpses by the water, under cliffs and waterfalls.
"Okay, captain."
The two continued to cautiously advance.
After controlling the noise and carefully exploring several forks,
suddenly, Serdur stopped sliding.
Its tongue flicked agilely a few times in the air.
"Hiss—"
"Captain, there’s a monster ahead."
Its snake tongue enables it to sense scent molecules released by monsters from a distance, ignoring terrain obstructions.
"Understood."
Gauss nodded.
"Can you smell what monster it is?"
"Let me think... this stench... it must be a Kobold."
Mission intel also recorded that other kinds of monsters might be lingering in the valley, but compared to goblins that love harassing humans, some other monsters are relatively docile.
"Let’s approach," Gauss suggested.
Serdur wasn’t surprised.
Over time, he roughly knew some of Gauss’s habits.
For instance, his determination to eradicate demons and monsters whenever possible, not sparing any encounters.
Unlike other casters who stand behind the team, Gauss prefers charging in and personally killing monsters.
So except when showing off his impressive combat ability the first time, afterward, he mainly assists.
If it saves some trouble, Gauss doesn’t mind, as he is also eager to take on more work.