Chapter 32: Back to the Goblin Village

After being completely drained, I felt it was time to move. I didn’t want us returning at night, putting everyone at risk. "Thank you so much, Nara, the food was excellent as always." "It’s my pleasure to serve you, Hero Jax. If you’d like any special dish, don’t hesitate to tell me so I can prepare it for you." "It would be an honor for me. I’ll try to hunt something different these days for us to eat. Truly delicious. I’ll take my leave now." This great beauty with pink hair spoke so sweetly it made me want to eat her up. I turned to leave when little Seraph, Karely’s oldest daughter, approached. "Leader Jax, may I ask you something?" "Of course, little one. Tell me how I can help you." "You see... I’m not a child anymore. I just came of age in the village, but my mom wouldn’t let me enlist in the squad you formed. My dream has always been to taste all the flavors of the world, and here, cooped up, it’ll be impossible to achieve. That’s why I wanted to join you on your expeditions. I can be your cook on long journeys and help carry provisions. I might not look it, but I’m very strong." "Mmmm... I understand your point, and I’d love for you to join us. In the future, we’ll be out for several full days, and food is always a big problem. But ultimately, this decision is only yours as a family. You can enlist, I won’t stop you, but first, you should let me talk to your mother. I’ll try to convince her so you don’t have any trouble." "Really...!! Thank you so much, Hero Jax, truly, truly thank you...!" Seraph threw herself at me, hugging me tightly as she cheered. Her body was small, still a flower not fully bloomed, so I simply stroked her head like she was my cute little sister. I gestured to Zyra to get going. She immediately stood up and barked the order. "Hunting party, form ranks...!" All the warriors stood, forming an orderly line, marching towards the outskirts of the village. Part of the training was maintaining discipline at all times when they weren’t resting, keeping their minds focused on the impending combat. As we marched, I heard the sound of children playing and laughing in the distance, saying, "Someday I want to be like the Hero." Cook Nara responded, "You must work very hard, in the future you’ll surely be a great Hero, but for now, make sure those plates are sparkling clean." Seeing how people have changed makes me happy. When I arrived a few days ago, everyone looked sad and disheartened, just waiting for the inevitable end. But now the children laugh and run everywhere. The girls have big smiles while helping their mothers, and all these women look full of hope. "Halt...!" "Attention...!" The hunting party stopped. Though there was a slight lack of coordination, it was truly impressive how they marched with only a little training. The archers had no bows or arrows because all weapons had been taken by the still-missing rescue party. But we had some knives and spears Tala had helped us repair. "Zyra, distribute the weapons. Tala only gave me four knives, so the warriors will have priority as the front line. The others will get a small, sharpened wooden spear." "You know how this goes... from this moment, we enter combat mode. Everyone accept the invitation." [The Hero´s Guild Hunting Party invited you to the group] [Accept/Reject] Everyone accepted. Before me appeared a nostalgic sight. Everyone’s names were listed, showing their HP, MP, and SP. "Formation...!!" "March...!!" At my command, they all fell into the spearhead formation and began to trot at a single pace. We covered the same route as before in a quarter of the time. After about half an hour, we were right outside the goblin village. This would be their first real incursion, which made me feel nervous. "Alright, everyone has practiced what we need to do. This will probably be the most difficult battle for those who have never been in combat. I want you to remember that the comrade next to you will protect your back. You must trust each other to fight without worries." The girls looked at each other, nodding slowly. I could see their hands gripping their weapons, seeking some security. In contrast, the veteran women looked calm, breathing peacefully, awaiting the order to unleash chaos. "Mages and healers still don’t have long-range abilities, so they’ll engage in close combat. Use your spears to keep enemies at bay and don’t forget to communicate. It’s important to yell if you’re in trouble, but it’s more important to listen. Due to your great training results, I’ll yield leadership to Riven. She’ll give the orders. Trust her." "We’re counting on you, Riven." "My life is in your hands." "Don’t mess up, I only have one life, old hag." All their voices blended, cheering on Riven, who would be in charge of leading the battle. "Remember, the objective is to neutralize the enemy, take their weapons, and reposition. Don’t try to chase too much. Maintain formation unless your commander orders otherwise. In combat, the commander’s judgment is the law." No one said anything, but I could see Riven breathing a bit heavily, her gaze fixed on the goblin village. "Archers, you’ll ensure no one escapes, but even more importantly, monitor the enemy’s position. Ambushes are your responsibility, and you must prevent any surprise attacks... Lyra, I haven’t forgotten your punishment, but that will come later." "The objective of this mission is simple: leave no survivors. For every one who escapes, all of you will suffer. Since you are a team, the punishment will be for everyone. How about this: if the mission is a success, Lyra will be redeemed and won’t receive any punishment for failing the previous mission, but if you fail, you’ll all have to share her punishment." "Let’s do this. Trust me, girls, I’ll lead you to victory." Like a true leader, Riven stood up and made the decision for everyone. No one contradicted her; they just nodded. "Good luck to all!"