40: Chapter 40 The Belated Dungeon Quest

The girl's face flushed even deeper, and just as she was at a loss for what to say, "Uh, thank you for stopping those two from arguing; that saved this humble monk a lot of trouble." Suddenly, a massive figure loomed over the group, putting an end to the dispute between the Dwarf and the Elf Girl.

This person's physique was so towering that one had to look up at him, his entire body covered in scales, exhaling a sharp, foul-smelling breath. This man, who nearly made the receptionist blurt out a "Wow!!", was a Lizardman. He wore very rare traditional clothing, and beneath his neck, besides a silver tag marking his status as a veteran Adventurer, hung a string of curious amulets. The Lizardman Monk pressed his palms together in a rare gesture, bowed to the receptionist, and then bowed to Mia and her group to express his gratitude.

"My companion caused a scene, I am truly sorry."

"Ah, not at all! Adventurers are all very energetic people, so I'm already used to it!"

Mia pointed to the receptionist and said, "This beautiful lady is very familiar with the Goblin Slayer, so you can consult her if you have any specific questions. If you must ask us, we will tell you everything we know."

"Oh, I see!" The Lizardman Monk widened his eyes, flicking his tongue out repeatedly. It seemed he was smiling. The receptionist, facing this menacing grin, remained unfazed, displaying great professionalism.

"...Then, miss, where is the Goblin Slayer?"

"Uh, he left three days ago to exterminate Goblins... because all the suitable quests were taken by Mia, so he went a bit further this time." As she spoke, she looked at Mia apologetically.

"Oh... I see, he lives up to his name. Hmm? Are Mia and her companions also skilled at dealing with Goblins?" The Lizardman Monk looked at Mia, who stood barefoot as if she were at the center of a stage no matter where she was in the guild, and was momentarily dazed.

"Mr. Monk, you don't need to feel inferior for being captivated by Mia; almost everyone here feels the same way as you. I think the Goblin Slayer should be returning soon."

"I appreciate the compliment. I think, as you say, if I stop being an Adventurer, perhaps I could be a Dancer at the guild." Mia teased the receptionist with a giggle.

The receptionist stole a glance at the guild entrance. Despite her worry and slight complaint about the Goblin Slayer—that it was rare for someone to help him clear out Goblins and he didn't even know how to take a break—she was certain he would return.

Just then, an Adventurer pushed open the door, ringing the bell as he walked in, and the receptionist's eyes instantly lit up with a sea of stars...

[Dungeon Quest Issued: Infiltrate the Goblin Slayer's party and ensure the survival of the Goblin Slayer during subsequent adventures. The upcoming adventures will not entirely overlap with the original work; powerful, additional enemies will appear. Good luck!]

[Survival Rate Prediction: 99.9% → (Detected potential to challenge top-tier combatants within the dungeon) ↓ 55.5%]

Three days is enough time to do many things, including getting mixed in with the protagonist's party. In the Goblin Slayer world, which hangs under two moons, two moons—one red and one blue—shone down upon the endless wilderness.

Seven Adventurers sat in a circle, looking at first glance like a campfire party on an outing. On the windless night, smoke rose straight into the sky, and not far from the fire was the forest where Elves lived. The Dwarf Taoist had originally wanted to clear a space in the forest to build a fire, but was scolded out of the forest by the Elf Girl, who told him that if he accidentally started a fire, she would find a hundred Elves to shoot a thousand holes into him...

To maintain the duty of a priestess, Mia sat upright. However, Tuaner, like a lazy cat, lazily burrowed into her arms, making Mia feel the awkwardness of not being able to keep up the act.

The first to speak was the Dwarf Taoist, "Hmm, let's talk about something, like why everyone became an Adventurer? I did it to taste delicacies from all over the world, as you can probably tell. What about you, Long-Ears?"

"I suppose I yearned for the outside world?"

"This humble monk seeks to accumulate merit and ascend to become a Dragon."

Everyone's gaze turned to Mia, "I... my reason is quite simple, to survive?"

"What do you mean? If I understood you correctly, do you mean that if you didn't become an Adventurer, you would die?" The Elf Girl asked, puzzled.

"I suppose that's about it..." Mia recalled the events of when she possessed this body, it felt like only yesterday.

"I am my master's little pendant; whatever she likes to do, I follow. That one over there is my big doggy, he doesn't have a say..." Tuaner's cheeky voice came from Mia's arms, followed by the sound of a flick to the forehead, and some whimpering mutters...

Mia bowed her head to Ryan Nephalem to apologize. Ryan Nephalem grinned and looked up at the sky. Hmm, the twin moons kept him in a stable werewolf form; he didn't have to worry about losing any combat power.

"I am indeed a follower of Mia; a saintess must have a knight to protect her, right?" Ryan Nephalem leaned on the handle of his two-handed hammer, lounging against his shield, and lit a hand-rolled cigarette, offering one to the Dwarf Taoist as well.

"But why would a priestess have retainers? I just feel that Mia and Tuaner are so beautiful that even the two bright moons in the sky don't compare to their charm, so, they probably aren't any ordinary priestess, right?" The Dwarf Taoist, being knowledgeable, was just about to continue when a skewer handed over by Ryan Nephalem was shoved into his mouth.

"Just eat your food. As expected, a Dwarf's greatest joys in life are gossip and forging..." Ryan Nephalem lowered his head and continued roasting food over the campfire—fish skewers and such, oh right, and grilled vegetables too. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at the Goblin Slayer and noticed that the Goblin Slayer was also gazing at Mia and Tuaner.

Mia's face turned red. "Act, keep acting!" Tuaner's inner monologue was about to burst out.

"As the leader, do you have any questions?" Mia said to the Goblin Slayer, "To rephrase that previous question, why do you hunt Goblins?" A deep baritone voice came from beneath the Goblin Slayer's helmet.

"Wow, he actually said more than five words in a row! Mia, he must have taken a liking to you! I'm going to duel him!!" Tuaner, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, entered a combat stance.

On the other hand, everyone was pricking up their ears to hear the secret while sharing their snacks. The Lizardman Monk was busy too; he called everyone to drink the meat soup he had just brewed and handed the Elf Girl a small bowl of clear soup full of bean sprouts. "This is the plant resurrection technique that Mia taught me!! It uses seedlings grown from the beans we usually eat. Try it."

The Elf Girl happily drank two bowls of bean sprout soup, and her gaze toward Mia changed—from the initial Envy and jealousy, it transformed into admiration.

Mia slowly and methodically ate the cheese that the Goblin Slayer had brought out, and her mouth inevitably got a little bit of the sticky substance on it. "You asked me the reason for hunting Goblins just now?" The Goblin Slayer raised his helmet, gazing at Mia, waiting for her to continue.

"We have an old saying in the East: 'A thousand-mile embankment can be destroyed by an ant's nest.' It means one should not ignore the danger of something just because it is small. Actually, this principle is exactly the same as a line you once said that I really admire." Mia reached out and swatted away Tuaner, who had stretched her head over to lick the corner of Mia's mouth. "That is, before the world is destroyed, Goblins will first destroy the village!" After finishing, Mia stared at the Goblin Slayer. A moment later, a snort came from beneath the helmet, which then turned into laughter, wild laughter...

[Goblin Slayer considers you a like-minded companion. Reputation increased to Respected. Current Reputation (Like-minded)]