GILF Hunter

Chapter 332 What Should We Do

The members walked along the mountain path together with Ian.

The mountainside closest to Labyrinth. They had frequented this place when they were novices, but after their ranks rose, they had no particular reason to visit, so it was a place they hadn’t been to in quite a while.

Perhaps Rin was thinking the same thing, as she was looking around here and there with a small smile.

’Anne. Are you sure you remember the way correctly?’

Tanya asked toward Anne, who was walking at the very front.

Because it was a slightly suspicious tone, Anne turned around and shouted back at Tanya.

’I told you I do!’

’But why is the path like this!’

Tanya said, pointing to the area they had just passed through.

Anne wasn’t following a proper path through the forest; she was pushing through thickets where there were no signs of human passage.

Certainly, it wasn’t a proper path.

However, Anne had plenty to say regarding this.

’It can’t be helped! To find herbs, you have to come into places like this!’

Karen and Seria, who were following behind her, nodded in agreement.

The materials Louise requested for gathering were, naturally, items difficult to obtain in shops.

There was no way such things would be blooming next to a road where people frequently traveled. Even if they were, some passing mercenary would have gathered them immediately.

Ultimately, to find those things, one had no choice but to enter deep into places where there were no human footsteps at all.

That... is true.

Feeling that the other side was also working quite hard, Tanya quietly shut her mouth.

Since they rarely went on expeditions together, there were many things they didn’t know about how the other worked on a daily basis.

However, today was an exception as the first-string and second-string parties were out on an expedition to the same place simultaneously.

The cave where the goblins were acting strangely. Since only the three in Anne’s party knew the location, they had accompanied them to act as guides.

Because the level difference was too great to travel together normally, this was the first time the two parties moved as one.

Watching Tanya and her friends bickering in the front, Rin spoke leisurely.

’Still, it’s fun since there are more people than usual.’

’Haa... What’s so fun about a mountain.’

As Rin spoke while chuckling lightly as if she were out for a walk, Mika, who was conversely covered in sweat, grumbled.

A rugged mountain path where not even a proper trail existed. For a frail mage, it was truly terrain that felt like it would kill her.

’Uh... Mika, are you okay? Should I carry you?’

’That... that’s a bit much.’

Tanya asked toward Mika, who looked extremely exhausted.

Since it wasn’t a long-term expedition today, they hadn’t brought the large backpacks they usually used, so she could easily carry someone like Mika.

Mika was very slightly tempted, but since it would be an unbearable sight for anyone watching, she barely managed to refuse.

’Shall we rest a bit?’

’Let’s rest for a moment when a suitable spot appears.’

At Lia’s question, Ian also nodded.

A few days after hearing the information about the goblins’ abnormal behavior from Anne.

After finishing the rest for Anne’s party, who had just returned from an expedition, Ian, who had completed simple expedition preparations in the meantime, set out to find the place Anne had discovered.

The problem was....

’Why are we suddenly turning back?’

’I have to remember the path in order.... I think we gathered herbs here and then went back.’

’...Is this the right direction?’

It was the fact that none of the three could recall the exact location of that place.

To be precise, they couldn’t find the location on the map.

The maps most mercenaries carried were simplified maps where only the approximate location and direction could be identified for ease of use.

In a place this close, it was easy to find the direction of Labyrinth, so honestly, there was no need to even carry a map.

Since the three didn’t travel while recording the terrain themselves, they couldn’t specify the location even if they spread out a detailed map.

In the end, they were wandering through the forest, retracing the path in the exact order Anne’s group had moved that day.

Anne, leading at the very front, said to Ian.

’Don’t worry. I remember forest paths quite well.’

After speaking confidently as if telling him not to worry, how much time had passed?

Anne, who had been moving her steps with confidence, hesitated slightly.

’...W-Where did we go after this?’

’Didn’t we go this way?’

’Back then, Seria suddenly ran because she said she’d catch a rabbit...’

Of course, the story about remembering forest paths well was based on her experiences in her home village.

An unfamiliar path seen exactly once, rather than the forest she frequented like her own home, was an exception.

A flustered Anne, Karen, and Seria. The three gathered and began to discuss hurriedly.

’...’

’Will this be okay?’

’It can’t be helped, can it?’

Since random events had so many generation points, it was difficult even for Ian to guess the approximate location.

Honestly, they weren’t very reliable guides.

But since they were in a state of not knowing the exact location at all, for now, they had no choice but to leave it to the three, hoping they would recall the path well.

’Found it! It’s this way!’

After repeating rest and mountain climbing, had they walked about an hour more?

Although they lost their way once in the middle, they were finally able to arrive safely at the place where the three had seen the goblins.

A large cave entrance.

Goblins were not visible right now, but as they had heard beforehand, junk was piled up near the cave entrance.

’It’s here!’

’They really gathered a lot of things.’

Everyone looked around the vicinity and approached the cave entrance.

Beside it, various items gathered without regard for type were piled in one place.

Since it was gathered by goblins, no items of great value were seen, but it was a substantial amount.

’Why would goblins gather something like this? They’re not even gnolls.’

’Maybe they took over a cave that gnolls were using?’

At a glance, it was behavior similar to gnolls.

However, the detailed reason could not be known by looking at this alone. The gazes of the members deliberating in front naturally moved toward the cave.

To find out something, they eventually had no choice but to try entering the cave.

’Let’s go inside.’

Everyone nodded at Ian’s suggestion and began simple preparations to examine the inside of the cave. Since it didn’t seem like it would be a very deep cave, everyone finished their light preparations and stood before the cave.

Lia took the front, Rin took the very rear. Everyone moved their steps cautiously into the cave.

’It’s quite wide.’

’The inside is unexpectedly clean...’

A few holding torches looked around the inside of the cave while lighting the vicinity.

As the flames rising from the torches lit the dark cave, the interior’s appearance was slightly revealed.

It was excessively clean for goblins to be living there, and no goblins were visible inside the cave at all. It didn’t seem like other beasts or monsters lived there either.

The members who examined the vicinity lightly spoke with puzzled faces.

’Is it not a goblin den? Why is there nothing?’

’Are you sure you saw goblins?’

’They were definitely gathered in a crowd in front of the cave...’

Anne replied, recalling the memory of that time.

Since there were so many goblins gathered, she hadn’t approached closely but had peeked from afar before slipping away.

Actually, if she thought about it well, the goblins were only gathered at the entrance and it seemed they hadn’t actually entered the cave themselves...

Anne’s confidence as she retraced her memory gradually dropped.

In the meantime, Airi, who was quietly following the group from the rear, looked around with a slightly anxious expression.

Because the expedition had been decided so suddenly, Airi hadn’t been able to finish her mental preparation before accompanying them on her first group expedition.

Compared to usual, the walking pace and rest timing were different, and it was noisy so she couldn’t focus well.

Still, perhaps because they were out on an expedition, it was a bit better now compared to the base where all attention had been focused on her.

Airi, who was only following quietly like a ghost for fear that someone might speak to her, suddenly noticed strange traces inside the cave.

Goblin footprints made in a hurry.

It was a blatantly suspicious trace.

I think I should say something about this.

Airi, having noticed the strange traces, looked at Ian’s reaction, but she couldn’t readily catch a timing to step forward and speak.

H-How should I strike up a conversation?

Is it okay for a new slave to speak up first recklessly?

There must have been another scouting person, if I point this out, maybe they’ll think I’m arrogant...

While Airi hesitated for a moment, the group set foot a little further inside.

’E-Excuse me...!’

’Kieeeek!’

Airi, who gathered as much courage as possible, shouted toward Ian.

That voice was drowned out by the monster’s cry that was heard at the same time.

With the sudden screech of goblins, the goblins who had been hiding in the shadows of the cave revealed themselves one by one.

’...I think there’s a trap!’

’They’re already out, though?’

’Hic! I’m sorry!’

Airi’s shout was heard belatedly.

Since she had been restless since a while ago, she thought she wanted to go to the bathroom.

When Mika, who was beside Airi, pointed it out with a somewhat absurd face, Airi flinched and apologized.

In the meantime, the hidden goblins continued to appear and blocked the front.

And at the rear of the group, toward the entrance, goblins that had appeared before they knew it blocked the path.

A state of being surrounded front and back inside the cave.

Ian’s group was surrounded by numerous goblins in an instant.

A flustered Anne spoke to Ian while trembling in fear.

’W-What should we do! Master!’

’...’

The numbers at the entrance were substantial, and yet, breaking through toward the inside where it was unknown what might be there didn’t seem like a good choice either.

Goblins numbering several times their own approached closely while letting out unpleasant screeches toward Ian’s group.

Ian’s gaze turned toward the goblins.

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[Goblin] (Lv. 3)

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...Hmm.

Anyway, there were quite a lot of them.

A goblin trap where they pretend it’s an empty cave, then suddenly appear and surround you when you go deep inside.

For novice mercenaries, it was a very dangerous goblin den.

There was only the minor problem that they had come here slightly exceeding the appropriate level.