by Kumo Kagyu
“Ahh…”
“Well, now… What’s this, sighing?” Witch, ever perceptive, immediately picked up on the little exhalation. “Today, you said something very, cute…about not wanting to go, home.” Did something happen to upset you? Witch’s eyes ran over Priestess, full of concern, and the younger girl looked at the floor as if to escape.
“No, not really…”
Not really, but… Her voice pinched, and she shook her head ambiguously.
But what can I do to be more like you?
She couldn’t possibly ask such a childish question.
She wanted to be outstanding. Beautiful and strong, giving, always mellow, knowing anything and everything, elegant and refined… That was the kind of person she wanted to grow up to be.
Like Witch—like Sword Maiden.
After everything was over, after Sword Maiden had come rushing to the city, he and she parted without so much as a word. Sword Maiden had been busy dealing with the aftermath, and Goblin Slayer had withdrawn quickly.
Was that really all right?
But something must have passed between them, something they could communicate without speaking. Even if she didn’t know what it might be.
For Priestess, though, the adventure that had begun with Sword Maiden’s quest concluded without ever really feeling to her as if it had ended.
What had she been able to do? Indeed, could she do anything?
Priestess brushed a hand over her garments, feeling the mail beneath, covering her small chest.
She wanted to be a source of strength.
That was what she had prayed for, but there were no sudden, eye-opening changes. She was still a novice adventurer with just a year or so under her belt, still an inexperienced Steel rank.
Suddenly, she was moved to glance around: She saw Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric quietly celebrating something. At a table across the way, Heavy Warrior’s party was seated, Female Knight making some bold pronouncement.
At every turn, the tavern was filled with adventurers who seemed to sparkle.
And…what about me?
“It’s…hard, isn’t it?” The words, coinciding with her thought, came spilling out suddenly and quietly.
“Hmm?” High Elf Archer said, drawing a circle in the air with her finger. “What’s hard? Tell your big sister elf.”
“I mean…getting stronger?” Priestess put a finger to her lips, thinking for a moment, and then said, “…Or maybe just growing, I guess. I was just thinking, it’s not so easy. It’s…just a little overwhelming.”
“Well, sure,” High Elf Archer said as if none of this were any surprise. “Even a tree doesn’t grow up overnight. If it did, man, that’d be a shock!”
Her words held the kind of knowledge and wisdom only an elf could have possessed, but they were expressed with a very un-elf-like attitude. The disparity caused Guild Girl to laugh, the tinkling in her voice like the ringing of a bell.
“Well, worrying about it won’t get you anything,” she said.
“Right…”
“And no one will trust you if you just go off on your own and then come back claiming you’ve done a bunch of training.”
Guild Girl must have seen others like Priestess before. Her knowing advice was so gentle and kind it made Priestess want to cry.
“Come to think of it,” Guild Girl added, “I’ve got good news. Good news for you, at least.” She clapped her hands and winked—maybe she had noticed how Priestess was feeling.
“Good news…?”
“The royal princess, I’ve heard, has converted to a devout belief in the Earth Mother. Er, not that she’s joining a nunnery or anything.”
“That’s…” Priestess, completely at a loss for what to say, looked at High Elf Archer.
The elf was all shrugs. It seemed there weren’t many people she could discuss this with.
She found an image passing through her mind, of the girls who had gone to the Temple after their first adventure. Their bodies had been mostly unharmed. It was their hearts that were most concerning. Priestess knew all too well how easy it was to break a heart, to shatter a mind.
It was no good.
She had been no good. Again.
“It seems she had a chance encounter with a cleric of the Earth Mother.”
“What…?”
Thus, these words that followed caught Priestess completely by surprise. She looked vacantly at Guild Girl, who had the look of a child sharing a secret.
“Allegedly, she said, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but I want to grow up to be like her.’”
“”
Now Priestess was well and truly speechless.
“Like her”?
Was she being too presumptuous to think that “her” was…well, her?
“Wha— What…?”
Unexpectedly, she found her vision blurring. She blinked, rubbed her eyes. It didn’t get any better. And her cheeks were so hot.
With no idea what to do, Priestess sobbed a little and let her face become tear streaked.
She had to get herself back under control. She was supposed to act cool and collected.
If that poor girl were to learn about this, it really might break her once and for all. This wasn’t the end of anything, but for Priestess, it was everything.
And yet, for some reason, the world stayed misty and the words remained stuck in her throat.
“…Hey, that’s great. That really is good news,” High Elf Archer said softly, gently. Witch patted Priestess on the back.
Guild Girl stayed silent—whether because she understood or not, it was impossible to tell.
Really and truly happy to the depths of her heart, Priestess fought to open her mouth to say something.
At that moment, the tavern doors swung open, and Padfoot Waitress went rushing past Priestess.
For adventurers, the night was still young.
§
The twin moons shone chill in the night sky.
His breath fogged, mingling with the moonlight.
Goblin Slayer walked down a small road outside town with his usual nonchalant stride.
Nothing had changed.
He had accepted the quest, gone to the location, killed the goblins, rescued the captive, and come home.
That was everything.
That was his duty.
Just like the way the dry grass crunched under his feet, he knew.
Nothing had changed up to this moment, and nothing ever would.
The road went ever on and on, endless.
Words High Elf Archer had spoken to him once upon a time suddenly came back to him.
Look only at what’s in front of your eyes.
His master had said something similar once. Though he had added, Because you’re too stupid for anything else.
Just focus on what’s in front of you, take care of it, then go on to the next thing.
Keep looking forward; move your feet. Stand up and proceed.
That way, everything in the world will be taken care of. If you don’t do it, nothing will change.
“……”
Goblin Slayer found himself thinking:
I cannot walk the same path as those girls.
Unlike Sword Maiden, standing upon those walls; unlike Noble Fencer, fighting ever on; unlike even Priestess, who always kept moving forward, Goblin Slayer did not believe in the gods. He had never properly prayed. He didn’t see the point.
But for exactly that reason, he was deeply impressed by those who could and did believe.
He felt that way about Lizard Priest, too, and Dwarf Shaman. Even High Elf Archer and Guild Girl.
He wasn’t sure what Spearman believed. Heavy Warrior, though, he was confident. Each and every one, everyone…
Goblin Slayer stopped and looked up at the heavens. Two moons hung amid an uncountable number of stars.
He grunted softly, almost a groan. Then he shook his head.
He hadn’t know
n what was right, but he knew what he ought to do. There was only one thing.
He picked up his foot, stretched it out, and took a step. Then he raised the other foot, stretched it out, and took another.
Walk. Move forward. Don’t think about whether you’ll get there or not. To keep walking, that was everything to him.
“Oh, welcome home!”
He raised his helmeted head when the voice came.
There was a warm light, not too far distant. It must have been seeping out a window.
He spotted her right away, leaning out the window, her red hair blowing in the night breeze.
“It’s dark already,” she said with a smile and a wave. “It’s dangerous to just stand there staring into space!”
He caught the scent of boiling milk on the breeze.
“Yes,” he said at length, squeezing out the words. “I’m home.”
Even though she could hardly have heard him, the girl grinned, “Uh-huh!” and nodded. “Dinner’s ready, okay? Come on in!”
“…Understood.”
He thought.
Nothing has changed.
He went on adventures and killed goblins.
That was who he was.
That was what he had chosen.
And if the result of that choice was that nothing changed?
He spent no more time thinking about it but went into the house, closing the door slowly behind him. The sound of it shutting echoed warmly through the cold night air.
Autumn was nearly past, and soon it would be winter.
AFTERWORD
Hullo! Kumo Kagyu here!
Did you like Goblin Slayer Volume 8?
In this volume, goblins showed up, so Goblin Slayer had to goblin-slay them.
I put my heart and soul into writing it, and I would be thrilled if you enjoyed it.
But look, this is Volume 8. Volume 8! I feel like I’ve gone all the way from Analand to Mampang and back.
They’ve had me put out a second spinoff, and I’m even writing the story of Ujizane Imagawa.
All this is only possible because of all the support everyone has given me, for which I’m truly grateful.
By the time this book comes out, I think you should be able to “run” in the newest version of the city shadows. Yippee. Plus, the animated version should be broadcast by the time you read this. Incredible, huh?
Pretty much anyone who wants to be an author dreams of winning a big prize, getting published, having their work adapted as a manga and then as an anime. I didn’t win any big prizes, but I’ve checked all the other boxes…I guess? I 100 percent expect to wake up in a hospital bed sometime soon. Honest.
Let me tell you about the anime: the art, plotting, music, and acting are all spectacular!
I hope you’ll take a look if you’re interested.
Anyway, on to the acknowledgments.
As ever, my thanks go out to everyone who has bought and read my books. And to those of you who have been cheering me on from the web-novel stage, I hope you keep supporting me.
To all my creative friends, thank you for all your advice and just generally putting up with me!
To my gaming friends: I managed to write another one! Thanks!
To all the summary-site admins who have given me their support, thank you once again.
Kannatuki-sensei is back this volume with yet more fantastic illustrations; thank you, Sensei!
To everyone in editorial, writing is the only thing I can actually do, so I really appreciate your saving my neck from everything else.
And to everyone else connected with Goblin Slayer in any way, thank you so much.
I plan for Volume 9 to be a story where goblins appear, so Goblin Slayer has to go slay them.
I’ll pour my heart and soul into it, again, so please do look forward to it.
Thanks, and see you again!
Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Yen On.
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