Goblin Slayer - Volume 9 - Chapter 2.1

Interlude – Of Before An Adventure Starts

It was easier to move in than a dress, but she was embarrassed by the way her thighs showed from under the hem when she ran. Such as when she tried to run down the hallway, which she was currently finding difficult in this unfamiliar outfit. 

She dashed down the great long hall, running across a shaggy carpet and pushing on the heavy door at the far end. “Big Broth— I mean, Your Majesty! I’ve come with a report!” 

“Ah, what is it this time? The heavenly firestone? Conspiracies by evil cults? Or maybe a dragon has landed in the front yard? Let me at him!” 

“Majesty.” The red-haired cardinal, standing beside the haggard man at the desk, forestalled the torrent of proclamations. The waifish silver-haired attendant standing by the entrance to the office shook her head in exasperation. Even the handsome young man, whom the ladies of the palace likened to a golden lion, could not hide his fatigue. 

The princess—now a disciple of the Earth Mother—couldn’t help smirking as she asked, “Everything all right?” with a tilt of her head. 

“Making it all right is supposed to be a king’s job,” the young ruler said with a deep breath. Then he looked with pride on his younger sister, who remained bright and cheerful despite the horrific experiences she’d had. 

Of course, it was probably just a front. She was just acting upbeat to keep him from worrying. But the very fact that she was considerate enough to do that was unmistakable proof of her growth. 

Or perhaps the guidance of the Earth Mother had helped. The king gave a short, silent prayer of thanks to the gods and nodded. 

“All right. Let me hear what the Temple of the Earth Mother has to say.” 

“Sure. I can’t be certain until we reconcile our calendar with that of the God of Knowledge, but…” 

“…this seems to be an unusually long winter.” 

“So you think it’s more than just bad weather.” 

“The wind blowing from the north mountain is colder than usual… And there were no signs of this in summer, either.” 

“So now it’s a natural disaster…” 

“…I’m somewhat more worried about commerce,” a soft but clear voice said as the king leaned back in his chair, making it creak. 

“Hmm?” The princess’s eyes widened with understandable surprise. 

In the corner of the room, at a desk reserved for visitors and currently piled high with papers, sat a female merchant she didn’t recognize. She reminded the princess of a noblegirl she’d seen at a ball once, many moons ago, but could it be…? 

“With everyone refusing to sell for fear of famine, simply hoarding what they have, currency and provisions will cease to circulate…” 

“…and effectively create a famine, you mean. That’s a hard knot to cut.” 

The female merchant carried on a brisk, businesslike conversation with the princess’s elder brother, the king. Perhaps she could be trusted, then. The princess glanced at the cardinal, who nodded once. 

Good, then. 

Her thinking was singularly simple: a friend of her brother’s was a friend of hers, and that was all there was to it. 

“I suppose this means we’d better send in an adventurer. We’ll need a scout. The best one we can find.” 

“I’ll have a look.” 

The conversation went so fast no outsider would have thought it was possible to get a word in edgewise, but the princess didn’t hesitate to inject a question. “Couldn’t we send the army?” 

“The army is for fighting wars, not dredging through some godforsaken sector of the northern borderland,” the king said with a half smile. 

“…And mobilizing the military would involve significant sums of money, incurring costs for everything from raising the troops to feeding them to cleaning up afterward.” The additional explanation from Female Merchant evoked an mmm and a nod from His Majesty. 

“If you start thinking you can solve any problem just by throwing the army at it, the soldiers and the people will both suffer.” 

There was no magic jar that produced a limitless supply of foot soldiers. That was where adventurers came in. That was how the world worked, how it had to work. 

“Though one does get tired, I’m afraid… Now, then.” The king looked at Female Merchant, who had turned to the bookshelf and found the current year’s register of adventurers. Would there be anyone near the capital whom they could send to the northern mountains? A skilled searcher, swift and strong and gifted in survival… 

“Sheesh, the bar can only go so high.” 

“There does appear to be one, Your Majesty, but…” A troubled look crossed Female Merchant’s face as she ran an elegant finger along the page. “…they’re very stubborn, and I don’t know if they’ll accept.” 

“Write up a contract, one long enough to fill a room if you have to, and send it to them. Promise them any one treasure they want when the quest is over, if you have to.” The king was almost desperate. “If they truly love adventuring, that ought to be enough.”