Chapter 5: Succession

Having recovered from the springburn sickness, Noah and Tin set out early on a beautiful day. Summer was approaching, so the mornings lost much of their chill, though everyone paid for it in sweat later in the day. Instead of roaming through the woods to hunt monsters, they had a specific location in mind. Noah had heard rumors of an abandoned mine, now taken over by goblins.

A hive, a nest, a colony; whatever it could be called, it spelled trouble for the village. Goblins ate and bred like rats, so if they managed to find a good place to dig in, they could bolster their numbers in very little time. This mine had been infested and flushed out repeatedly, but the goblins always found a way back in.

The pair were following one of the maps Noah had bought, with several pieces of advice written down that he had received from other adventurers. It would take a day to reach the mine, so they exercised restraint and avoided fighting monsters whenever possible. Hopefully, this mine would be a great source of revenue in scavenged weapons, meaning it would be best to travel light and not gather along the way.

They arrived at the mine early in the morning of the following day. Finding a safe place to set up camp had been burdensome, for this was the territory where the goblins roamed. The mine delved into the base of one of the small mountains, originally a bountiful operation. Numerous cabins and sheds once stood around the entrance, now reduced to rotten kindling. A wooden shack stood around the entrance to keep the rain out some time ago, but it was just a rickety skeleton now. The handful of goblins stood guard behind barriers of scavenged materials and equipment.

Noah and Tin were hiding nearby, scouting the entrance. “You wait here and I’ll take out the guards. I’ll wave you over when it’s all clear.”

“Yes, Master.”

Noah concealed himself and advanced towards the mine. He counted seven goblins in total. One was on the shack’s roof over the entrance, perched like an owl with a bow in hand. Two more were sitting on the wooden walls at the camp’s perimeter. The remaining four were at the entrance, though they were busy eating.

Noah went for the one no one would notice, the sniper above. He approached the entrance without fear, invisible and inaudible to the goblins keeping guard, but that would change. The only way to the sniper was to climb up onto the roof of the shack, but it was so weathered and fragile, it looked like it couldn’t support more than the weight of one goblin. However, it was worth taking the risk. He reached the side of the shed and began the climb, using the mossy cliffside as a secondary ladder to help minimize the weight he put on the old wooden boards.

His illusion concealed traces of his influence, like footprints, leaving mana sticking to whatever he touched like an invisible flame. That said, there were limits. If he ended up ripping a board right out of the wall, his illusion wouldn’t be able to conceal it. It could obscure traces of his activity but not replicate objects.

The climb was challenging. The shack had frayed over the years and riddled his hands with splinters, while the hard clay on the cliff crumbled and made it difficult to get a solid hold. Regardless, he managed to climb up onto the roof, though it was like thin ice, and if he broke through or snapped any of the beams, the goblin would feel it, even if he couldn’t hear it. Noah pulled a rock out of the cliff and threw it into the foliage in the distance. The goblin perked its head at the noise, and Noah closed in and stabbed it in the back with his short sword. It died before it could even voice its pain.

Noah left it sitting there, climbed off the shack, and then snuck over to the two goblins sitting away from the entrance. They looked bored as could be, struggling to stay awake. Noah approached the first one and dispatched it with his knife, striking the base of the brain stem. The wound was small, and the goblin simply went limp, never feeling a thing. He draped its body over the barrier, looking, to its friends, like it had merely dozed off. Noah similarly slew the other goblin without creating any noise or disturbances.

Finally, he approached the entrance, where the four were chewing on venison. He stood over them, the sun passing through him perfectly and its rays illuminating their meal. He selected his longsword for this, even doing a few practice swings to figure out the reach and force required. Once satisfied, he gave a mighty slash, beheading all four beasts at once. Their bodies dropped to the ground, and Noah released his spell, then waved Tin over.

She searched the corpses and cut off their right ears as he stood guard. Most monsters had some body parts that could be sold, like their hides for clothing or their meat as food, but aside from collectors of grotesqueries like skulls and other things to put on display, very little of the goblin was sellable.

However, since they were such a nuisance, their species had an ongoing bounty. The local baron would pay adventurers for every goblin they killed; their right ears were the proof. The goblins also sometimes carried valuables, such as weapons, candles, and even coins. Tin searched them all, and whatever goods she collected went into her backpack.

“Ready to go in?” Noah asked.

Tin nodded. “I’ll follow you wherever you lead, Master.”

From her pack, she drew a lantern and lit it. Noah would lead, but she would provide the light. With this arrangement, he couldn’t simply disappear and leave her at a safe distance while he picked off the goblins one by one. Instead, he needed her beside him so he could see what he was doing and defeat the goblins drawn to the light.

They entered the mine and shuddered from the stench. This was the first time Noah or Tin had seen a goblin nest, so the smell was new to them. It reeked of sewage and rotting meat.

“This air might be toxic. Tell me if you start feeling dizzy, because if one of us loses consciousness, we’re both doomed.”

They delved into the mountain with Tin lighting Noah’s way. Remains of the goblins’ meals lay everywhere, picked down to the bone. The scavenging beasts would take their finds to their den, sweeping the forest clean of animal corpses.

They soon came upon the first branch chamber, about the size of an average bedroom. Inside, several female goblins and younglings were sleeping atop a mountain of pelts. Of course, it wasn’t good sport to kill such prey while they slept, but this was an extermination job, so things like honor held no meaning.

“It would probably be better if you didn’t watch this,” Noah whispered to Tin. “Look away and listen for anything approaching.”

She did as ordered, keeping the lantern’s light focused on the chamber while averting her eyes. Noah drew his short sword and began stabbing the monsters in their sleep. He’d go straight for the head each time so they would die without making a sound. He was steady, methodical, taking them out one by one, with none of his victims even suspecting a thing. It was unnervingly easy, and when finished, he harvested their ears.

“Master!”

Noah ran out into the tunnel as a goblin charged from deeper within, armed with a wooden spear. Noah pushed Tin out of the way of its spear, then sliced off its head. Another two, hearing its cry, came running at them.

The first swung at Noah with a large dagger, but he stepped out of its range and kicked the goblin in the chest, nearly sending it flying. The second blocked the swing of his sword with a wooden club, but he forced it against the wall and drove his knife into its chest. Then, leaving it to die, he returned to the first, struggling to breathe, and ended its life with his sword.

“Master,” Tin said, handing him a damp rag.

Noah used it to wipe the blood off his hands while she looted the corpses. He then paused, smelling something that stirred within his memory. It was a scent he experienced only in dark timelines and the most brutal fights for survival. It was wafting throughout the mine from directly ahead.

They moved further down the tunnel, finding it expanded into a larger room that forked out. A bonfire burned in the center of the chamber, over which the corpses of humans and animals cooked. Goblins were jumping around and squealing in delight and hunger as the dripping blood sizzled in the flames. Human flesh cooked over a fire, it was the kind of smell Noah could ever forget.

Tin gasped in horror at the sight, and one of the goblins spotted them and squealed something in their bestial language. The goblins turned their attention to Noah and Tin and began to approach, armed with the blades used for butchering their food. They chanted the same squeal, probably something like “more meat!”

“Tin, stand back.”

Noah summoned his clone and sent it running to the right side as if to flank them. The goblins paid no attention to the fact that their prey seemingly split into two and focused on the movement of the clone. With that opening, Noah attacked from their exposed side with his longsword and beheaded three of the beasts. The goblins, sensing the deaths of their comrades, turned their attention back to Noah and swarmed in.

He kept them at bay with wide swings while leaving his left side open to taunt them. One by one, they tried to attack from the apparent blind spot, but he would dispatch them before they could reach him. Any that got in close enough to attack found their weapons blocked by Noah’s shield, and then his sword would slash at them from below and split their stomachs open.

After losing half their ranks, they began to retreat behind the bonfire. As this was their den, they didn’t show their backs and instead tried to ward Noah off with shrill screeches. Though stupid, they wouldn’t fall for the same tricks as the others. Noah cast both spells and left his clone behind while sneaking past the goblins and attacking from their blind spot. He slaughtered three before the remainders noticed, but as they couldn’t see him, they could do nothing but scream in confusion. They made it too easy for Noah to finish them off. Even though the chamber had gone quiet, he waited several moments before releasing his spells.

“All clear.”

Tin went to work, gathering up valuables. The blades might be worth something to the blacksmith, but they’d have to wash the dried blood off them first. As Tin searched the goblin corpses, Noah checked the pockets of other bodies waiting to be cooked, and one caught his attention.

It was a young man, still warm with his wrists bound. Noah checked his neck, and while it was weak, he found a steady pulse. Noah had gotten to know many people around the town in the past month and learned to recognize others. He often saw this boy with Beth and Mira, carrying a sword and dressed as an adventurer. They frequently ate together at the Old Wineskin. Noah assumed they had recruited him to join their party.

He showed signs of training and hard work, but while there were calluses on his hands, there were also healing blisters from wielding a sword. He looked like a farmer that had stumbled into the adventuring profession.

“Tin, I found a survivor.”

He retrieved a health potion from his pocket and poured it down the boy’s throat. He soon woke up and looked around, struggling to see. Even with a bonfire nearby, this wasn’t exactly the best place to wake up in.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in a goblin den. I’m guessing they must have struck you in the head, giving you a nasty concussion. I gave you a healing potion, so your vision should probably clear soon. Hold on, I’ll cut you loose.”

He severed the boy’s bonds and helped him to his feet. For a moment, he seemed back in good condition, but as he looked around, he began to panic, and Noah had to catch him before he could fall back down. Either this was entirely new to him, or he realized how close he was to one of the most gruesome deaths.

“Calm down, everything is fine. I’m Noah and this is my subordinate, Tin.”

“Did ... did my father send you? Are you here to rescue me?”

“Your father? No, we’re just here to kill goblins and steal their loot. How did they capture you?”

The boy seemed able to stand upright on his own, so Noah let him go, though he was struggling to remember. “I ... was being trained in hunting by a local adventurer that my father hired, a man with a red bandana. I had just shot a boar with my bow ... then I felt a massive pain in the back of my head and blacked out.”

“Your father, is he a noble?”

“Yes, Ivan Fault. The baron in charge of the town. I’m Oath Fault, the next head.”

“Well, Oath, we’ll help you get back to town as soon as we’re done with this mine.”

“This mine? What are you talking about? We have to get out of here! The goblins will be arriving any second!”

“I just finished taking care of a good number them, see?” Noah pointed to the bodies of his victims. “I’m confident in my abilities. Besides, it took a lot of effort to get here, so we’re not leaving until our pockets are filled with goodies and we can barely walk. Tell me, do you have any talents? Can you use magic or any weapons?”

“I ... I have some skill with a sword.”

“Some, huh? So best case scenario, I can expect you to hold off a goblin that might sneak up on us from behind.” Noah took off his backpack and forced it into Oath’s hands. “Otherwise, you’re my new pack mule.”

“You can’t be serious!”

“You have to pay off the potion I used on you, and consider it a down payment for us getting you back to town. There is food and water in the bag, you can eat while you walk. Tin, give me a sword.” She handed him a chipped hand-and-a-half sword, taken from one of the goblins, and he gave it to Oath. “And I’m renting this to you, unless you would prefer to go unarmed. So, what do you say? Either do some work, or I can knock you out, steal your clothes, and sell them to cover the cost of that potion. Which is it going to be?”

“Fine, I’ll help you,” he muttered.

“Smart choice.”

The three proceeded deeper into the mine, with Noah taking point. Every few minutes, goblins would attack, desperate to defend their home. Noah dispatched each of them with a flurry of slashes and stabs, leaving Tin to collect the goods. Oath was understandably nervous, leaving him unable to touch the slain beasts, so Tin ended up doing most of the work and just putting the finds in his bag. At least he wasn’t complaining. Noah eventually tasked him with collecting goods found in the tunnel, while Tin stuck to looting corpses.

“I’ve seen you with Beth and Mira at the inn. Aren’t you an adventurer like them?” Noah asked.

“I used to be a farmer. I just started fighting monsters recently, so I’m still not used to it. But this is incredible. I’ve never seen someone kill so many goblins singlehandedly.”

“My master is a great warrior!” Tin beamed.

“Well I can see how they might be able to get the drop on someone if they ambush with superior numbers, but when you face them head on, it’s like fighting a group of ugly, feral children. Oh, speaking of which, I see another breeder.”

The sight before them was nauseating, as what appeared to be a big green pig was nursing a litter of pint-sized little gremlins. While the male goblins went out into the forest to hunt and gather, the females tended to the younglings. The newborns were only half a foot tall but would reach full size in just six months, hence their voracious appetites. Noah dispatched the breeder and stomped on the younglings, much to Oath’s horror.

“They were just babies! They couldn’t even fight back!”

“They wouldn’t have been babies very long. In just a few months, they would be roaming the forest, killing whoever crossed their path and dragging them back here to be devoured. You and Tin are carrying packs full of the possessions of their victims. I’m not judging them for doing as nature commands them to, I don’t think them to be wrong or evil. I’m simply dealing with a threat before it can become a threat.” A thunderous roar made the three teens cover their ears and wince. “What the hell was that?”

“Master, I think it might be a hobgoblin,” said Tin, “otherwise known as a goblin chief. They’re a rare breed. I hear that only one out of ten thousand goblins can grow to become a hobgoblin. They’re much bigger, smarter, and stronger than a regular goblin and can even learn magic.”

“We need to get out of here, right now! It’s heard the deaths of the younglings and is coming for revenge!” Oath exclaimed

“Perfect. He’s probably hoarding the best stuff. Let’s go.”

“This is insane! The regular goblins may be weak, but hobgoblins are stronger than humans in every way!”

“Your issues are duly noted. I’m going after that chief, and if you run, you’d better hope that he kills me. Let’s go.”

Oath turned to Tin, hoping she might speak up, but she was completely relaxed. “You can trust my master. He is strong and skilled.”

Noah set off towards the noise source, but they needn’t travel far, as their foe came to greet them from the mountain’s depths. He stood over six feet tall with a far more muscular form than the lower goblins possessed. He was undoubtedly stronger than most humans, and could probably kill a bear with only his hands. The chief was also better protected, wearing the looted armor of numerous slain adventurers. Looking over a pair of boar-like tusks protruding from his mouth, he glared at the intruders with indescribable hatred.

“You will suffer for the deaths of my kin!” he snarled.

“Huh, so it really is smarter. Oath, you remember your job, right? If any other goblins come, you have to deal with them.”

He didn’t bother waiting for a reply and stepped forward with his longsword in hand. The chief was armed with the same type of sword, though with a larger blade. It would likely be used against cavalry on the battlefield, killing both riders and their horses with one slice. The chief thundered towards him with his sword raised high.

His speed surpassed that of a human, and with the strength he was probably wielding, Noah didn’t want to try his luck by blocking. Instead, he sidestepped when the cleave was made and attempted a sideways swing toward the goblin’s head. He raised his hand, blocking with a metal arm guard, then forced him back.

The goblin immediately closed the distance to make the same sideways swing Noah had, and with the sword’s greater length, he didn’t have the time or room to get out of the way. Noah closed in to intercept, blocking the attack before it could build up power.

Sparks flew off their blades as Noah’s sword halted the goblin’s. The goblin released one hand from the hilt of his sword, using what little momentum he had left to swing at Noah. He avoided the backhand by a hair’s breadth and countered with a punch to the Adam’s Apple. The goblin staggered back, wheezing in anguish, but without dropping his defense. His pain tolerance was remarkable.

Noah gave him no time to recover and went on the offensive, slashing and stabbing at the goblin while he did his best to block. In moments, he had regained his dual-hand grip and was able to fend Noah off. He raised his sword for another cleave, but Noah’s eyes caught a distinct glow along the blade.

“It’s using magic! You have to dodge!” Oath shouted.

Noah’s instincts had already told him the same thing, but while he could get his body out of the way, his sword met the goblin’s blade head-on and snapped. The beast’s weapon buried itself in the stone ground, shaking the entire cavern, and Noah rolled away to avoid any barehanded attacks like before. He got to his feet, examining his weapon and the enemy’s. The speed and strength of the goblin’s swing had increased, as well as the durability of his sword.

It must have been warrior magic, something he heard of while gathering info in Clive. Warrior magic was the ability to activate weapon skills that would improve their capabilities in battle, such as cutting deeper and withstanding more force without breaking. He had witnessed magic a few times during the last month and had become familiar, but this was only the second time since he arrived that he was fighting against a magic user. It would be best to finish this fight while he was unharmed rather than continue pushing his luck. On the other hand, Oath hadn’t seen his magic, and he wanted to keep it that way. He’d just have to work harder with his physical abilities.

The goblin charged with his sword slightly raised to either block or attack. It wasn’t glowing like before, but his last attack had shown that he could harness his magic in a fraction of a second, so Noah couldn’t risk being in the way when the next swing happened. Noah readied himself, still holding his broken sword. Finally, he came within the goblin’s range, and the sword swung diagonally toward his neck.

Noah bolted forward, anticipating when the goblin would be committed to the move, and swung his broken sword toward the goblin’s wrists. The feint made his foe pause for the briefest moment, and that moment was all Noah needed to draw his short sword and clip him across the stomach.

The wound was severe, having used the inertia of the goblin’s charge to overcome the wall of abdominal muscles and slice deep into the organs. The goblin staggered with his guts spilling onto the ground, and Noah finished him off before he could regain any of his strength. He took a deep breath and listened for any attackers hiding nearby.

“Clear.”

“Well done, Master,” Tin said while bowing. Beside her, Oath was in a daze.

As Tin went to work removing the goblin’s armor and checking for personal possessions, Noah examined the sword used. It was a good blade, undoubtedly sturdy, but his original longsword had the maximum allowable weight and size, and anything greater in either category would hinder his movements too much.

Oath approached him. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“I’ve studied various styles and forms of combat throughout my life, including archery and swordplay, mostly out of boredom or for exercise, and I’ve had plenty of experience killing. Your father pays people for every goblin people kill, correct? Will I get extra if I bring him the head of their chief?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell him myself. He’ll want to know about this.”

“Master, I found something.” He turned to Tin, who was holding up the hand of the goblin to show him the ring on his little finger. She presented the ring to Noah, and he could immediately feel its magic.

‘Huh, a magic ring found in a goblin tunnel. What could possibly go wrong?’

He took a closer look under the light of Tin’s lantern and found a crest depicting a shield with a swan on it. It was the national symbol of Uther. There was also something written on the band with a foreign substance. “Oath, what do you make of this?”

“That’s the ring of an Utheric knight! Anyone caught wearing one without being knighted can lose their hand as punishment!”

“I heard of those guys. They train at some noble school. Why so steep?”

“The ring is gold, but is inscribed with a rare metal called avenium, which can imbue objects with very high-level spells. I once heard that a sword with avenium runes can hold more power than the ten best steel swords. Knight rings are inscribed with a spell that creates another world where items can be stored.”

“How many items?”

“I heard it can store up to the same weight as the one who caries it, but you only feel the weight of the ring.”

Noah put on the ring and channeled some of his mana into it, suddenly feeling like he had just put his hand into a stuffed bag. He could touch the objects within, but only his hand was visible. He felt a small bottle and closed his fingers around it. The ring acknowledged Noah’s selection and materialized the bottle. It was full of a yellow liquid, probably some potion, or it could just be olive oil.

“This’ll come in handy.”

“Just wearing that ring is a serious crime!”

“What ring? I don’t see a ring,” Noah replied as he stowed it in his pocket. “See? No crime is being committed. Now shut it, we’re not done yet.”

The rest of the day was spent in those dark tunnels, searching for goods. By the time he had faced the hobgoblin, most of the other goblins had already been killed, so there was little resistance. They found the bulk of their prize in the lowest chamber, where the hobgoblin appeared to have been sleeping.

The goblins were excellent thieves, stealing whatever they could get their hands on, with travelers being their favorite targets. As a result, there were weapon stashes, bags and barrels of food, ropes and chains, clothes and armor, plenty of tools, and a small fortune in coins. He even found the armor and sword of the knight that the goblin chief had killed. This haul was better than Noah hoped, and while they couldn’t carry all of it, the ring helped collect the best pieces.

When they finally stepped out of the mine, the sun was setting. There could still be goblins in the woods, making their way to the mine after a day of hunting, so the trio wasted no time getting a safe distance to make camp. A tree, nearly as thick as a school bus, offered them shelter. They bedded down at its base, with its raised roots acting as walls and a fire warding off anything that might try to attack during the night.

Dinner was traveler’s rations, the traditional food for anyone camping in the wilderness. While he ate, Noah examined all of the items in the ring. There were numerous potions, spare sets of men’s clothes, some tools and knives, rations, and a few gold coins.

He looked closer at the armor and sword the knight had been using. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do with the armor. Minus some plates he could use on his arms and legs, it was impractically heavy for his fighting style, and considering how steep the punishment was for wearing the ring, getting caught with it would probably be a bad idea. Hopefully, the blacksmith would be willing to buy it.

The sword, on the other hand, was a definite prize, albeit illegal to carry. It was a longsword like Noah’s broken one, but with an ornate guard and handle and a line of runes going up the blade. Like the ring, he could sense the magic imbued, but it failed to react to his mana. At the very least, it would serve well as a backup in similar fights. If he figured out how it worked, it could serve as a trump card.

“So how long have you been an adventurer?” Oath asked.

“Several years. Why?”

“I was just making conversation. You said you studied several different schools of combat. Who taught you? Where did you get your lessons?”

“The town I grew up in, there were plenty of former adventurers willing to pass their skills on.”

“And your parents?”

“I haven’t seen them since I set off from home to make my fortune.”

“So, do you—”

“I suggest you stop for a moment and ponder why I’m not asking you questions about your life or trying to get to know you.” Noah glared at him, unblinking. “Think hard.”

Oath wisely closed his mouth.

They set out at dawn the next day, wanting to escape the forest as soon as possible to avoid danger and reach the shops before closing. However, it would take them most of the day to return to Clive, and that was without all the weight they were carrying, so they had to try and keep a good pace. By around midday, they reached a large open pasture, but before they could cross it, a grievance was made.

“I can’t go any further!” Oath exclaimed.

“Master, please forgive me, but I too am at my limit.”

“Well we’ve made considerable distance, and I believe it’s about lunch time. Sure, let’s stop here for a break.”

Tin and Oath settled at the pasture’s edge under the shade of a tree and prepared lunch. While they worked, Noah walked through the field to ensure there weren’t any predators in hiding. It was when he reached the center that he stopped. Something about the area didn’t feel right to him. There were lots of prints from man, beast, and horse, but he wasn’t seeing any established trails. His suspicions were answered when a sound reached his ears. It was not the rustling of grass or the growl of a wolf, but the neighing of horses. He looked into the distance and saw four men on horseback break free of the forest and gallop towards him with their swords drawn. They were bandits, lying in wait to ambush whoever or whatever crossed the field.

“Tin, take Oath and get back into the forest, deep enough that you can’t even see me!”

Tin didn’t understand, but when she heard the horses in the distance and the hollering of the approaching men, she hurried to her feet and dragged Oath into the woods. With them out of the way, Noah faced the oncoming enemies.

“Thanks for the horses,” he said as he brushed his hand over his eyes.

He was rendered invisible while he sent off his clone, running to the side with its illusionary sword in-hand. It drew the men’s attention, and one of them tried to take it out with his bow. Noah controlled the clone like a puppet on strings, and while it moved, he put the knight ring on his finger and activated it, materializing his own bow and an arrow. It took him a moment to aim and release, striking the archer in the chest and sending him tumbling off his horse.