Chapter 22 – Episode 22. Astrid Fights
A mountain that seemed artificially created, the training ground seemed to use that mountain as a whole.
If there were people walking, there would be trails, or at least traces of grass and vines lying down, but there were no such things, so it was literally an unexplored forest itself.
Anyway, the one she was holding was a greatsword, so it was the longest, and since her role in the squad was the front line, Astrid stood at the forefront, wielding her greatsword, and knocked over the bushes blocking her path.
“Isn’t that really too much?”
“Sister, what is the problem again this time?”
Grabbing the stump of a fallen tree that seemed to block the road with one hand and throwing it away, Astrid looked at the grumbling Eranya.
Eranya is an elf, so I thought her activities in the forest would be free, but she wasn’t really like that, so I wondered if that woman was a real elf, but, well, speaking of an elf, I’m comfortable alone, not in a squad, so Astrid just assumed that was the case. .
“To think that I didn’t eat properly for a week, and on the last day, I was training like this. It makes no sense.”
‘… That’s right.’
Isn’t the military supposed to eat the best in the wartime system?
Astrid recalled the menus she had eaten over the past week. The menus were so simple that you could count them by hand. It came out alternately, and it was really tiring.
“Well, since they are cadets who eat well in normal times, they seem to be trying to tell us that this happens after a war. Let’s think positively.”
Astain grinned as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Looking at his narrow eyes for about a week now, I can tell whether he is laughing or genuinely laughing.
“But when this is over, today’s training is over, so let’s be patient.”
“No way. I wish a rabbit came from somewhere. It would be nice to bake it.”
Lunch is not rationed.
It was a local procurement of ingredients from the mountains, so maybe, if you were lucky, you might be able to catch even a wild beast and eat meat for the first time in a long time.
“Oh, isn’t that what the elf lady is saying?”
Bai Xian, who hadn’t said much so far, interrupted. Wearing a veil, the long sleeves and skirt were all black, so it was hot to look at, but Bai Xian didn’t seem to have much to do with sweat.
“Ah, it’s because elves don’t eat meat. If you eat it, everything will go away.”
‘The elf I imagined is very different.’
Astrid reflected on the fantasy she had about elves before coming to this world.
Tall, big breasts, a child of the forest, a vegetarian, an extremely sharp personality, and so on, none of which applied to the current Eranya.
“Oh, wait. Shh.”
Then, Eranya suddenly stirred her hand and raised her finger to her mouth.
In response to Eranya’s signal to be quiet, her squad members shut up all at once, and Eranya climbed up the tree stump next to her without even making the sound of her footsteps, leaving only small footsteps as if walking in the air. Squatted on top
‘This applies to children of the forest.’
Eranya squatting on a tree branch. Eranya looked somewhere at her, blocking the sunlight with the shade of her hand, then lowered her palms down and down under her. At that signal, her squad members all lowered their bodies and crouched down.
In that state, Erania, who was observing a little more, jumped under her.
Even though she jumped over the bush, only the slightest footsteps could be heard, and her movements were light and without much sound.
“Do you have something?”
Astrid asked in a very low voice, and Eranya pointed her finger at her.
Seven in total.
Goblin.
Seven goblins.
It was a goblin with the size of a 10-year-old child at most, and a small monster of the lower class that would not be difficult for a skilled knight.
But running in groups is a threat.
‘Does he really look like that?’
I’ve never actually seen it, but it probably has that characteristic. Astrid thought it would be no big deal if it was a goblin.
“What is the distance?”
“About 15 meters from here?”
It’s not that far away. It’s a distance where you can’t hear the sound of whispering here and there. Judging from Erania who recognized the sound from that distance, she must have been an elf.
“First… Since I’m the front line, I’ll take the lead.”
She wondered what kind of confidence she had, but she felt that somehow it would not work.
Didn’t he fight on an equal footing with Variant? At least goblins aren’t as strong as variants. Astrid whispered cheerfully, thinking that if the goblin she knew was correct, she would be no big deal.
“Still, there are a lot of numbers, because it’s seven. It would be dangerous to rush into it blindly.”
Astain seemed to have a different opinion.
“Since goblins are no match for a long distance anyway, what if I fire magic missiles to draw attention?”
“Hmm… “
Attracting attention with magic missiles, Astrid rushes in?
It wasn’t a bad idea. If the magic missile flies, the eyes will be drawn to it anyway, so even if Astrid rushes in…
“Then, let’s do this. Astain draws attention with magic missiles, and in the meantime, Cadet Leopold and I will rush in. Then, three of them up to here, in the meantime, Erana-sister, please intercept them one by one. Cadet Veracien, if it becomes something like a shield, stay in the rear and protect Astain.”
In a fight in the forest, the one who finds it first has an overwhelming advantage.
Even Astrid knew that much. But now it’s a bit tense because it’s a real situation.
We now approached the location where we could see the goblins.
It seemed that the goblins hadn’t noticed this at all, just by glancing at them. They jumped and jumped among themselves, wielding short clubs and running in place, while making odd kicks and talking among themselves, not paying attention to Astrid’s squad now.
Now, it was time for Astain to just fire the magic missile over there, but then Astrid suddenly remembered a problem.
“Astein.”
When I called for Astain in a very low voice, Astain behind me smiled.
“… Shouldn’t you memorize the magic chant?”
You need a chant to use magic.
They say that if you become a high-ranking wizard, you don’t need a chant for low-level magic like Magic Missile, but Astain wasn’t like that, so you’ll need a chant.
“… Ah.”
Astain said “Oh,” And put on a stupid expression.
There is no meaning of a surprise attack if you use a chant. When I start chanting, those goblins will also look this way, what kind of surprise is that?
“Cadet Leopold can’t help it.”
To realize this only now, all of our squad members are idiots, idiots. Including me
“I’m going to rush in, so please go in with a little time lag.”
“It doesn’t.”
Leopold’s dry voice. However, thinking that there would be no need to put emotion into her voice in the midst of the battle anyway, Astrid tightened the handle of the greatsword she was holding.
“Yaaaaa!”
“Woo-keeuk?!”
With the sound of Astrid’s running footsteps, the distance closed in an instant, and the greatsword flew into the sky.
One goblin’s head was detached and soared into the air, followed by a goblin whose neck was pierced by a three-sword, which was blown apart by Leopold’s kick.
As soon as an arrow flew through the gap and hit another goblin’s forehead, the goblin slowly collapsed, revealing the white of the goblin. Then, with Astein’s sonorous voice, a pale blue arrow flew in and blew off the goblin’s head.
Another goblin paused for a while as her head was crushed by the mace, kiek… While doing so, it collapsed.
“Sigh.”
The Greatsword once again flew through the sky. Although not sharp, its weight and reach, as well as Astrid’s unique strength, struck the two goblins at once and turned their whole bodies into chunks of meat.
“… Wasn’t the operation unnecessary?”
Astrid, three.
Leopold, one.
Eranya, one.
Astein, one.
Veracien, one.
It took less than 5 minutes to kill a total of seven goblins.
“It’s because I’m a goblin.”
Leopold, who brushed off the blood from the sharpened sword, answered Astain’s words by pushing the sharpened sword into the scabbard.
Because it’s a goblin.
Leopold said it was because the goblins were too weak compared to the Astrid squad here.
“And this is the beginning of the mountain anyway, and the place we need to go is the top of that mountain. It will get more and more difficult, so it’s not good if you relax too much.”
In an instant, the eyes of the squad members turned to Leopold.
Leopold showed no signs of agitation even though all eyes were on him at once.
Rather, he was staring at Astrid.
“Squad leader, next order.”
“Ah.”
Even Astrid was puzzled, staring at Leopold.
“Hey, let’s move. Sister Eranya, please continue to scout for her like you did just a moment ago. Cadet Leopold, please take charge of the rear.”
“All right.”
Anyway, the first fight was a success.
However, Astrid was not in a good mood.
Even though they were monsters, the fact that those who were alive just a moment ago suddenly turned into blood clots, and the fact that it was you who made them didn’t feel refreshing anyway.
