Chapter 7: A Crisis Isn’t Something to Fabricate, but to Exploit

The day after shopping with Renka, the four members of <Running Wolves> gathered at the guild to choose a quest.

“Let’s take on the goblin nest extermination quest today.”

“A goblin nest? The narrow spaces don’t suit Alwin’s weapon or fighting style, you know?”

“I know. But I want to take it.”

Alwin stared at Shinji with a serious expression. Meelis and Renka mirrored him. Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Shinji tilted his head and murmured, “Is there something going on?”

“…A lower-tier party took the request before us. They haven’t returned, so I think they failed. That party was from our hometown.”

“If possible, we’d like to… send their belongings back to their families.”

“Of course, we also want revenge.”

“I see,” Shinji nodded. Asking if there was a request form, Alwin handed him the document. Scanning it, Shinji made a troubled face, prompting Alwin to bow his head.

“This time, it’s completely personal. So if you don’t want to go, Shinji-san...”

“Idiot.”

Smack! Shinji chopped Alwin on the head, cutting him off.

Meelis and Renka gaped at Shinji’s sudden move.

“Ouch…!”

“Don’t underestimate me. I’m going too. I was just checking the details earlier. The reward is appropriate for mid-tier, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”

With that, Shinji returned the form to Alwin.

Receiving it, Alwin grinned happily.

“What’s with that? You’re so hard to read! With that face!”

“Sorry about that. Thinking is a mage’s job, you know.”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Shinji let Alwin pat his back vigorously.

“Exactly! This time, Alwin’s right!”

“Thank you, Shinji-san.”

Renka and Meelis joined in, laughing.

The heavy mood dissipated, replaced by their usual brightness. Energized, Alwin dashed toward the door.

“Alright! Let’s go, everyone!”

“Yeah! (Sure!) (Right!)”

The other three followed.

It was a challenging quest, but Alwin was confident these four could win.

After preparing in town, <Running Wolves> visited the goblin nest at dawn the next day. They dispatched a dozing guard goblin and ventured deeper into the cave.

The cave was dimly lit, its passages narrow. Renka led with a lantern, on high alert. Alwin, switching from his greatsword to a shortsword, and Meelis followed. Shinji watched for rear attacks, using his summoned spirit Fraeli to detect goblins.

At a fork, they hesitated on which way to go when Fraeli, on Shinji’s shoulder, touched his cheek and pointed to one passage.

“…! …!!”

“It seems… there’s a living human reaction ahead. No goblins, apparently… Renka!”

Reacting to Shinji’s words, Renka dashed off. Alwin and Meelis followed. Regretting his careless remark, Shinji ran after them.

The room they reached was likely a goblin breeding ground. In the corner, hollow-eyed women lay naked. In the center was another girl…

“Akane!!”

“Wait, Renka, it’s a trap!”

By the time Shinji arrived, Renka had already touched her.

Despite Shinji’s shout, Alwin and Meelis stopped too late. Shaking the girl called Akane, Renka triggered something to fall from the ceiling. It hit the ground, emitting a shrill, loud noise that echoed through the cave.

“An alarm…”

Shinji muttered bitterly. Alwin grimaced, Meelis clung to him, and Renka stood in shock. The girl on the floor, Akane, weakly mumbled, “Run… run…” like a mantra.

Shinji steeled himself. He was prepared to risk his life.

“If we run and get surrounded, we’re done for. We’ll fight here. Alwin, switch back to your greatsword and go wild as usual. Meelis, support. Renka… Renka! Snap out of it and move. We’ll hear your reflections later.”

Shinji smacked Alwin’s rear hard. Smack! The sound echoed, followed by Alwin’s “Owww!”

“It’s a group of goblins with the wit to set traps. They’ll form a group and come here. We have no time. Prepare quickly.”

“Got it! Mee! Renka! Let’s do this! You two, gather the women at the back of the room! Shinji, wooden soldiers and barricades!”

“Y-yes! Al-kun! Renka-chan, hurry!”

“R-right… got it.”

“Geez, such a demanding leader. Fraeli, I’ll leave the wooden soldiers to you.”

“…!!”

Everyone sprang into action.

Shinji pulled three fist-sized seeds from his pocket and threw them on the ground.

“Wood, guardian wood, hear the voice of flowers and aid us. <Wooden Soldiers>.”

Using Fraeli’s magic, he enchanted the seeds.

Roots burst from the seeds explosively, intertwining to form human-sized figures. Armed with clubs in their right hands and shields in their left, the wooden soldiers moved under Fraeli’s control, surrounding Alwin.

Next, he planted another seed in the room’s center.

“Grow. <Wooden Wall>.”

A waist-high root wall sprouted, splitting the room in two. Alwin and the wooden soldiers guarded the entrance side, while Shinji, Meelis, and Renka waited on the other, with the trembling women behind them.

“Alwin! No more wooden soldier seeds. No reinforcements.”

“Got it! Leave the front to me! I’m counting on you two!”

“Of course.”

“Al-kun! Be careful!”

There was no response from Renka. Glancing at her, Shinji saw her face still pale, her bow-holding hand trembling. Her strong sense of responsibility kept her from recovering from her mistake.

Why, why… I should’ve checked. I knew there could be traps. But seeing someone I knew, it all flew out of my head. Blaming herself, Renka’s mind was a mess until Shinji gently placed a hand on her head.

Her chaotic thoughts calmed with the warmth of his hand. Looking up, her eyes met his.

“Everyone makes mistakes. So, work hard to make up for it. Shoot down more goblins than Alwin.”

For some reason, Shinji’s words resonated with her. Her pallor improved, and vitality returned to her lifeless face. Not only his words but also a weak mind-influencing magic shifted her negative feelings to positive ones.

Of course, Renka didn’t notice she was under any spell. So, she nodded at Shinji with a radiant smile.

“You know my archery skills, right? Of course! Al! I’ll take down the most! Watch me!”

“What, Renka! Out of your slump already? Let’s do this!!”

“Leave it to me!”

Renka’s usual energy returned. Meelis smiled in relief and bowed slightly to Shinji.

“Thank you. I doubt I could’ve brought Renka-chan back to her senses so quickly.”

“No problem. I’m the oldest here, so this much is nothing.”

“Shinji-san, you’re so reliable. Like an older brother.”

“Hahaha, feel free to call me Shinji-nii!”

Joking, Shinji made Meelis giggle.

The desperate atmosphere was completely gone.

As Meelis and Renka began strategizing, Shinji stepped back.

“…With this, we have a chance to win, huh.”

Muttering to himself so no one else could hear, Shinji spoke alone.

It was truly a fierce battle.

Wave after wave of goblins invaded the room.

Alwin swung his greatsword wildly, slicing through goblins.

Meelis’s magic barrier constantly shielded him, deflecting goblin arrows and spells, reducing injuries.

Renka’s arrows picked off goblins trying to flank Alwin.

Fraeli’s wooden soldiers, sacrificing themselves, battered goblins and occasionally shielded Alwin, crumbling over time.

Shinji manipulated the root barricade, bending its roots into spears to impale approaching goblins, crushing them with thick roots.

They fought and fought and fought… until the goblin numbers finally dwindled, and the invasion stopped.

Alwin struck down the last goblin.

“Is it… over…?”

Covered in blood, Alwin muttered. Shinji looked at Fraeli on his shoulder. She signaled no more goblin presence.

“Yeah… no goblins nearby.”

At those words, Alwin trembled. Then:

“Woooaahhh! We wonnnnn!!!”

He plunged his greatsword into the ground and roared.

Thus, despite facing a dire crisis, <Running Wolves> successfully exterminated the goblin nest.

Exhausted, the party immediately called for rescue, and the women violated by the goblins were safely rescued. Their future, scarred deeply, was uncertain. That was now the guild’s jurisdiction.

Except for the girl Akane, who had been assaulted, the lower-tier party was confirmed dead. Alwin and the others grieved deeply and sent their belongings back home.

And so, for crushing a larger goblin nest than anticipated, <Running Wolves> was promoted to upper mid-tier.