Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 324: Battle with the Goblin King
As the Goblins surged forward, Aeris quickly erected a barrier to prevent them from surrounding the besieged adventurers.
It might have seemed late to establish one after the enemy had already closed in, but the Goblins hesitated to enter its area of effect, and their encirclement stalled.
Aeris then layered an anti-magic barrier over it.
Goblin Mages watching from a distance began chanting fire magic and launching spells toward the humans.
Their attacks struck the barrier and burst before reaching their targets. The flames instead rained down among the Goblins outside it, causing confusion throughout part of the army.
“Destroy the Goblin Mages while the barrier holds!”
One of the Royal Capital adventurers shouted, and several teams began attacking the enemy casters.
After confirming that they had responded, Aeris cast enhancement magic on the two vanguards, increasing Ankh’s and Ragune’s offensive power.
Neither needed further instruction. They charged directly toward the Goblin King.
The king held a massive sword in its right hand and a staff in its left. Evidently, it could use magic as well as fight at close range.
Ankh approached from the staff side, intending to prevent it from casting.
Ragune advanced from the opposite side with the Mirror Turtle Rectangular Shield raised to contain the greatsword.
Several unusually large Hobgoblins stepped forward to block both of them.
In the next instant, Tauro’s arrows tore through the creatures in their path. Their tremendous penetrating power killed the Hobgoblins before they could form a proper wall.
Ankh anticipated the shots and used the falling bodies to obscure the Goblin King’s view.
He plunged into the opening without hesitation and swung his modified greatsword at the king’s left side.
The Goblin King appeared to read the attack and avoided the physical tip of the blade with room to spare.
That was precisely what Ankh intended.
The invisible wind edge extending beyond the weapon sliced through the Goblin King’s left wrist and severed the hand holding its staff.
“Gah!”
The king gave a short cry.
At the same moment, it brought its greatsword down on Ragune.
She caught the blow with the Mirror Turtle Rectangular Shield Tauro had modified for her and knocked the enormous blade aside.
Without losing a moment, Ragune drove her earth-infused magic spear deep into the Goblin King’s flank.
“Gwaaaaaaah!”
The creature screamed from the terrible pain.
Tauro didn’t miss the opening.
The Goblin King had remained wary of him since the first arrow struck its shoulder, but Ankh’s and Ragune’s attacks had drawn its attention away.
Tauro pulled the Bow of Artemis to its limit and released a full-power [Light Arrow].
The brilliant projectile flew directly into the Goblin King’s chest, pierced its heart, passed through its body, and finally stopped in the forehead of a Hobgoblin standing behind it.
For an instant, the Goblin King’s enormous body seemed to fall in slow motion.
Then it struck the ground flat on its back with a heavy thud.
A heartbeat later, cheers erupted from the Royal Capital force.
“We defeated the Goblin King!”
“All that remains is the cleanup!”
“Everyone, counterattack!”
Viscount Danton’s forces answered with cheers of their own. Their morale restored, the exhausted soldiers and adventurers gathered their remaining strength and launched a counteroffensive.
This time the Goblin army had truly lost its leader. Its formation collapsed, and the creatures fled in every direction.
Once the army became a rout, its numerical advantage meant nothing.
The Goblins were crushed, securing a great human victory.
The pursuit and mopping-up operation that followed was still grueling.
If hundreds of Goblins escaped together, they could regroup and attack other settlements. The allied force therefore had to eliminate as many as possible.
Tauro and his companions cut down fleeing Goblins one after another. Aeris eventually stopped conserving magical power, switched to fighting with her staff, and joined the pursuit at close range.
The operation continued until late that night.
“Haah… Even with my increased stamina, this is exhausting…”
After everyone returned to the forward camp, Tauro was the first to voice his fatigue.
“I used enhancement magic on myself as well, but I drank far too many magic-restoration potions… And the blood and smell are awful. Tauro, please use [Purification]…”
Aeris was covered in Goblin blood and grime.
“Please use it on me too,” Ankh said. “This is more than I can tolerate.”
“Me as well,” Ragune added.
“All right. I’ll clean everyone at once. [Purification]!”
“Thank you…” the other three said together.
Freed from the stains and stench, they crawled into their tents and fell asleep almost immediately.
The following morning, the mopping-up operation resumed at dawn.
It ended around noon, and the Royal Capital adventurers regrouped with Viscount Danton’s force to confirm completion of the quest.
Goblins existed throughout the region, so exterminating every last one was impossible. The remaining patrols and scattered survivors were left to the territorial troops and local adventurers.
Viscount Danton then appeared in person.
With a Goblin King having emerged unexpectedly, he had apparently concluded that he should at least address the adventurers who had saved his territory.
“You have all done well in subjugating the Goblin army. The appearance of a Goblin King was entirely unexpected, but the Royal Capital adventurers performed splendidly. I’m told the B-rank team was particularly impressive. Thank you once again. Your rewards will be paid without fail through the Adventurers’ Guild. Now, please excuse me. I must oversee the recovery of the territory.”
After delivering the brief speech, Viscount Danton quickly returned to the territorial capital.
“I was hoping he might present a special reward on the spot. What a stingy lord,” one Royal Capital adventurer muttered.
“This was still an extension of the original quest. The guild will determine our rewards, so let’s hope it treats us fairly.”
“Exactly. The quest isn’t finished until we report back. Let’s get out of here.”
The Royal Capital teams boarded their carriages.
Silver Goblin Hunters entered its own carriage in silence. None of the confidence and swagger it had displayed at the beginning of the expedition remained.
“Then let’s board as well and return to the Royal Capital,” Tauro told his companions.
Black-Gold Wings began the journey home.