Water Magician

Dawn the next day. The day after arriving at Avery Village.

Last night there wasn’t a welcome banquet for Niel’s homecoming in the square.

(It is a convention for reincarnation stories in another world for such celebrations … but I guess it’s not the norm …)

Ryo was the only one feeling dispirited.

It wasn’t as though Ryo liked alcohol or banquets.

He purely just expected it as a story convention.

Ryo was a man like that.

When the four went to the square, the village chief, Boulan, was talking to an old woman.

“Oh, you’re here. Etho, Amon, and Ryo. I’d like to introduce you. This is Nasu-sama, our village adviser. So-called Baba-sama.”

The moment Boulan said that, the cane held by Nasu-sama, or Baba-sama, was swung toward Boulan. Boulan twisted his upper body and avoided it with a sway.

“Why would anyone explain to guests that I’m addressed as Baba-sama? Fool. My apologies, guests. Including this Boulan and Niels, this village lacks etiquette.”

“Why me too …”

Niels was included for some reason.

“Well, let’s conduct the goblin survey for the time being.”

Boulan quickly chimed in.

Boulan may be an excellent village mayor, as he easily dismissed the elder’s rebuke.

The place was a 15-minute walk from the outer edge of the village.

“It’s pretty close to the village”

Niels said, looking in the direction of the village.

“Yeah, children sometimes come to play around here. I mean, I banned them from approaching after encountering goblins … but there are children who break the rules everywhere…”

The village mayor, Boulan, looked at Niels and commented.

“No, well, I used to do such things in the past … it’s possible … maybe … I don’t really recall …”

“You definitely did.”

Boulan nailed down Niels who was trying to gloss over the claim.

“I knew it, Niels, from young …”

Ryo folded his arms in front of his chest and muttered with a nod … no, it was louder than a mutter.

As if he intended the person to hear it.

“What do you mean you knew it? And you make it sound like I’m still the same even now.”

Etho sniggered when he heard that, and Amon smiled wryly.

Nobody could claim that ‘That’s not the case right now’.

In actual fact, Niels rarely broke the rules now, but he gave off that image after all.

The place village mayor Boulan encountered them was after about another 15 minutes walk.

There, they suddenly found more footprints that seemed to belong to goblins.

“This is … no way.”

Etho thought of the worst assumption.

That assumption was held by not only Etho but also Niels.

“A goblin nest … or maybe a village has been created.”

Adventurers commonly divide goblin settlements into 『nests』, when about 20 gather to live in a place, and 『villages』, when they congregate on a larger scale.

When Niels was speaking, Ryo suddenly looked up.

“What’s wrong, Ryo.”

“Niels … more than ten goblins are heading here. We’ll encounter them in five minutes.”

Then Ryo pointed to the south.

“That a great detection ability. Then … we’ll leave one and hunt all the others.”

Niels gave instructions immediately.

“Follow the one kept alive, find the nest, and hit it.”

Ryo confirmed.

“Yeah, I think it would have been better to investigate and gather people … but if they’re coming, we no longer have that option.”

“Hey Niels, there’s ten. Will you guys be okay?”

There was no problem with one or two, but numbers was power.

When double the number of the five people present was approaching, Boulan was a little worried.

“It’s okay because Ryo is here. Ryo, please stop them. I’ll leave the method to you.”

“Roger that.”

(I’ll try my new creation here … Kukuku)

Ryo floated an evil smile in his heart.

“Ryo-san …”

“That’s the smile when he’s planning something.”

Ryo intended to only smile in his heart, but it also showed on his face.

Seeing that, Amon and Etho muttered quietly.

He can’t keep secrets …

Five minutes later, ten goblins came out from the depths of the forest.

When all ten of them appeared in a slightly more open space, Ryo made a mental image and chanted in his heart.

(<Ice bind>)

After chanting, a string of water entwined around the goblins’ hands and feet, instantly freezing and restraining their movements.

“Let’s go, Amon.”

“Yes!”

Seeing the goblins stuck, Niels and Amon jumped out and dealt a lethal stab to each one.

After they defeated eight, Ryo undid the ice bind of one goblin.

Naturally, the unbound goblin escaped at full speed in the direction they came from.

Goblins weren’t very intelligent … it didn’t consider the possibility that it was intentionally released.

After killing all nine others, the village mayor Boulan and the four from Room 10 followed the escaping goblin.

Boulan was really surprised at the way they defeated nine of them skillfully without taking any damage.

And he was deeply moved by Niels, who he had seen since he was little but had now grown up, and his companions.

After running for ten minutes.

“Ahead.”

A small hill was visible in front of the eyes of the five people.

“There are ten on the outside. And there is something that looks like a cave. We can’t tell how many of them are inside.”

“Okay. For now, let’s defeat the ones outside first in the same way as before. Although it’s a haphazard method …”

Niels frowned and commented.

(Sheesh … this method would not be possible without Ryo. Really, a magician with water attribute is amazing.)

Despite some misunderstandings, the four switched their consciousness to continuous combat.

(<Ice bind>)

It was a one-sided trampling by Niels and Amon again.

Just as Niels defeated the tenth, he saw three goblins coming out of the cave.

(<Ice bind>)

The three goblins that came out were soon tied up by chains of ice and could not move, and Niels and Amon dealt the final blows.

Among them was a Goblin Archer, but it didn’t matter.

And then, the big game finally appeared.

Not only Ryo, but all four from Room 10 noticed its presence.

“Something big is coming. Amon, stay alert.”

“Yes!”

Niels and Amon readied their swords again.

What came out …

“Goblin General …”

Niels’s mutter was unexpected.

Three of these generals appeared in the Great Tidal Bore that took place in the City of Rune.

However, such generals rarely appear.

At best, archers could be found in goblin nests or villages built near human villages.

Even if you gave some concession, it would only be mages.

The Goblin General, unlike the Goblin Mage and others below it, has an exceptionally high individual fighting ability.

It is so strong that only a B-rank adventurer can barely manage to control it one-on-one.

E-rank Niels and F-rank Amon were not its opponents.

If it was a normal situation.

“<Ice bind>”

Ryo’s voice echoed, and even the general was trapped in ice chains, just like the goblins up until now.

Naturally, it tried to tear off the chains, but its hands and legs did not move at all.

Moreover, the general was lying on its back on the ground facing upward.

As though it was telling them to defeat it.

“Eh? What?”

Niels made a hysteric voice.

“Niels, aren’t you going to stab it?”

“Oh, yeah … stab.”

Then Niels approached the collapsed General and decapitated it.

Thus, one of the crises that were imminent for the Avery Village was removed.

“I’m glad we were able to defeat it without any sacrifices. We also obtained a magic stone from the general. And it’s quite dark. Did it stay there for a long time?”

Ryo said happily.

“O-oh.”

Somehow, Niels was walking down the road to the village, with a slightly unconvinced look on his face.

Etho and Amon were honestly happy because they obtained the general magic stone.

“Ge-Ge-General, Gob General ♪”

“Everyone together, Gob General ♪”

For some reason, they were walking while singing an improvised song.

“Niels and you guys are amazing …”

The lines of admiration that Boulan muttered in a soft voice did not reach the ears of the four.

Many villagers were gathered in the village square.

“Niels, village mayor! How was it?”

“We have safely wiped out the goblins.”

“Oh~!”

When the village mayor Boulan announced that, they cheered.

“Wow!

“You guys did a good job too.”

“Here, it’s fried wild boar meat, eat it.”

After the cheers subsided, the villagers gathered around the four and tapped their shoulders to thank them and gave them food.

“No, wait, they can’t drink. There are still skeletons at night.”

“Ahh……”

Boulan quickly stopped the villagers who rushed in and brought sake.

Although it was atypical, everyone had lunch in the open space.

“Boulan.”

“Oh, Baba-sama. The goblins have been subdued.”

“Umu, I heard. Good job. If so, it would be better to take those four to the guardian beast early in the afternoon. The guardian beast wanted to talk, right?”

“That’s right … I’ll tell the four. Let’s go after lunch.”

Such a conversation was heard by Ryo.

(Audience event with the guardian beast! There is a possibility that it will be a battle with a corrupted guardian beast …)

Ryo was unconsciously smiling.

The two who saw it …

“Ryo is planning something disturbing again …”

“Ryo-san, feels evil.”

Niels commented with a terribly disgusted face while Amon smiled as usual as he said looking at Ryo.

At that time, Etho was looking at Baba-sama.

To be precise, at the decorative string and accessory that Baba-sama attached to her staff.

(That is … the Earth Mother Goddess if I’m not mistaken …)

Etho thought while exploring his memory.

The guardian beast was located about an hour’s walk after entering the eastern forest.

“In this eastern forest, villagers are not allowed to enter the depths. However, Niels, who was a mischievous kid, went in many times and was scolded by me and Baba-sama.”

“I knew it!”

“What do you mean you knew it!”

Ryo was convinced by the explanation from the village mayor Boulan.

And Niels was not convinced.

“Baba … no, Nasu-sama, that accessory is …”

After hesitating many times, Etho finally decided to talk to Baba-sama.

“You can call me Baba. Only the guardian beast calls me Nasu now. Accessory … oh, the accessory attached to this staff? You should be able to tell since you are a Priest of the light?”

Baba-sama raised her staff a little to make it easier for Etho to see the stone carving of about 5 cm in diameter.

“Yes. Isn’t that the crest of the Earth Mother Goddess?”

“Umu, you studied hard. So the Temple of Light still teaches it …”

“Earth Mother Goddess?”

The question that Ryo muttered questioningly seemed to be heard by both Etho and Baba-sam.

“That’s right. Now there’s almost nobody left … but the elders of this village worshiped the Earth Mother Goddess.”

“The Goddess of Light and the Earth Mother Goddess, which we believe in, are gods who were enshrined as one of the seven gods. However, many things that happened over a long time……”

“Now, when you say 『temple』 or 『priest』, it is unconditionally the 『Temple of the Goddess of Light』 or the 『Priest of the Goddess of Light』. The other six gods have fallen.”

Baba-sama said with a bit of self-deprecation but also a little loneliness.

There was no atmosphere of regret or sadness. Rather it seemed to Ryo that it was closer to having given up.

“Faith is not something that is imposed on people. If it disappears, that is the reason of this world.”

Clear … that was the word that fit nicely with how Baba-sama was feeling at the moment.

Then, Ryo suddenly had a question.

“Baba-sama … In other words, can those who believe in the Earth Mother Goddess use the magic of light attribute?”

Yes, the light attribute magic … In other words, the magic of the recovery system that is the proprietary patent of 『Priests』, but is it only 『Priests of the Goddess of Light』 or can it be used by priests of other gods? That was the question he had.

“Magic of light attribute?”

“Yes, wound healing or something like that.”

“Umu, they can. But it’s different from what the priests of light use. Etho, right? Do the Priests of light chant?”

“Yes? Yes, of course.”

Etho, who received the unexpected question from Baba-sam, answered with surprise.

“Those who serve the Earth Mother Goddess do not chant. Rather, there was no such thing as chanting in the first place. From some time ago, chanting and the like began to spread as a matter of course.”

“… Yes? … Eh?”

Eto is more surprised than the previous question.

Rather, he was frozen in shock.

The sight of Etho freezing in shock was a very interesting event for Ryo, as it was rare except for when Rihya was around.

With Etho, who kept walking with his expression frozen, the party finally arrived at the cave in the depths of the forest where the guardian beast lived.