NOVEL NEXT Chapter 80: 9
10th Hamlet
Morning had just arrived, and people had resumed their daily tasks when the troubled screams of women who had gone to the stream to fetch water rang out now across the quiet morning.
"Goblin," they shouted in horrified voices, alerting everyone.
The farmers working on their fields dropped their tools and sprinted off the farms. Children were snatched up by their parents as they ran back to their various houses.
Merlina and Kendrick, who were strolling down the streets together after distributing daily rations to the people, were horrified at the new chaotic state of the Hamlet.
"Go to your hut," Kendrick gripped Merlina's hands and warned in a troubled voice.
Merlina listened. She held the basket of canned food tightly and ran back to her hut, running past other worried people along the road.
"What is happening?" Roger, who had just gone to check on their prisoner, ran outside and asked.
"Roger, I thought you escorted the women to the stream!" Kendrick was shocked to see Roger inside the Hamlet instead of the women he was assigned to escort today.
"I already strolled to the stream to check its surroundings, and there was nothing there this morning," Roger defended himself before running forward. "We should go check it out ourselves!"
Kendrick frowned deeply, but he did not push the matter. He grabbed his sword and ran after his comrade without delay.
"Please return home safely and lock your doors. Everything will be taken care of very soon."
"Hold your boy very well."
"Granny, let me help you."
On their way to the destination, they did not forget to assist others when they could.
Soon, they crossed the farmlands and the storage house, almost reaching the border when they spotted a small group of goblins strutting arrogantly toward them.
The small group of goblins drew closer to the village with steady, arrogant steps, their grips tight and visible to the scouts' eyes. The goblins had crude bladed weapons tightly grasped in their hands. Their entire appearance screamed trouble.
"There are seven of them," Roger counted carefully.
"Seven? When did goblins start moving in such small groups?" Kendrick wondered aloud.
From his knowledge of goblins, they rarely moved in such small groups, especially on missions like taking down a Hamlet. Even though they had already gauged the Hamlet's strength to be weak, they would only attack in high numbers. The only time goblins ever moved in such a tiny group was during hunting missions within the woods.
"Are you thinking about that now?" Roger complained sternly. "Those ugly things will soon reach the border!"
Kendrick nodded softly and drew out his sword.
"I heard goblins were approaching the Hamlet," a familiar voice echoed behind them.
"Old man James," both of them called out in unison.
Old man James now wore old leather armor with the insignia of the royal family he served before the war. A sharp sword was tightly gripped in his hands.
Adorned in old leather armor and bearing the sword, he no longer appeared like a weak old man but like a knight ready to protect.
He strolled forward and stood between the two youths, who failed to take their eyes off him. He fixed his gaze on the arrogant goblins with a frown.
"They are indeed different from the ones we fought five years ago," he muttered. "For one, they look a foot or two taller, and their weapons look dangerous. They will be troublesome, truly."
He turned to the two youths. "What are you waiting for? Attack."
Kendrick and Roger were speechless for a few seconds before nodding their heads and charging toward the goblins, who were only a few seconds away.
"CHEE!"
The goblins barked out battle ready laughter and advanced.
Kendrick and Roger felt their hearts hammer as the green-pigmented goblins loomed larger and scarier in their perspective.
In just a few seconds, the distance between them shortened to a few meters, and the first round of attacks was launched at each other right away.
CLANG! CLING!
The cold clash of blades and the grunts of the goblins rang out.
Kendrick and Roger's hands vibrated uncomfortably from the clash. The force with which the goblins swung their swords was several times stronger than theirs, undeniably so.
The goblins laughed manically and swung again before they could regain composure from the first strike.
Kendrick and Roger were too slow to even react to the new attacks, as their bodies were still not done recovering from the previous strike.
CLANG!
Nevertheless, before the blades touched them, Old man James arrived and easily deflected two goblins' attacks at once.
After deflecting their attacks, he smoothly maneuvered and struck the two of them before they could swing back.
Although his attacks did not slay them, they managed to carve an everlasting wound into their bodies.
"Both of you are still weak," Old man James said, turning to them before returning his attention to the other goblins charging toward him.
Roger and Kendrick watched with amazement as Old man James went against the goblins without hesitation.
They were speechless. How could he fight like that at such an old age? Was this the same old man they assisted every day with simple lifting chores? Had he been feigning weakness all along?
So many questions flashed through their minds at that moment.
Roger's eyes glowed with a cold gaze. He had been outshone by teenagers once, he could not let himself be outshone once again by an old man, not today.
He picked himself up and launched at the goblins. Kendrick could not sit back, seeing the three engaged in action, so he went in as well.
For the next five or so minutes, the three of them fought against the seven goblins. The battle was filled with clangor, grunts, and heavy breathing throughout.
Old man James landed the finishing stab on the last goblin. It collapsed to the ground with a low thud, kicking up dust as its blood gradually formed a pool beside it.
"Ahh... this feeling." Old man James shut his eyes and savored the sensation that accompanied his victory. It reminded him of his youthful knight days, long ago.
Kendrick and Roger felt the same sensation.
Now that the goblins were defeated, they were able to discuss the abnormality of their attack.
"Why would goblins attack so early in the morning and in such small numbers? Such a thing is very unlikely," Kendrick complained.
"Who knows? Monsters are complicated," Old man James shrugged as he adjusted his leather armor patiently.
"Maybe these ones have night blindness, hehe," he joked.
Kendrick only hummed, but he knew the matter was not that simple.
Nevertheless, he did not push the matter forward, since there was nothing he could actually do about it for now.
"Old man James! Have you been hiding your strength all along?" Roger asked in a loud voice after regaining his senses from the tiring battle.
"Hiding my strength?" Old man James chuckled. "Did you guys always see me as a weak old man?"
"N-no... yes. Well, that is what everybody feels like in recent years!" Roger responded awkwardly.
Old man James was one of the main forces against the goblin horde attack five years ago, alongside a few other brave men who lost their lives in the ordeal.
In that battle, he was the most outstanding, his sword skills were the driving force that led to their victory back then.
Unfortunately, and rather pretentiously, Old man James lost strength in his legs and began walking with the aid of a walking stick.
Everyone, including his students, felt that he had grown weak indeed.
But that weak image changed today.
Old man James changed the topic with a joke as they gathered the corpses of the goblins and tossed them back into the woods.
They returned to the settlement, where the people had already begun coming out of their houses one after the other.
They were elated to hear that the goblins had been defeated, but they were more surprised at the new uniform and energy of Old man James today.
Different discussions opened up among them immediately.
Some of the elderly ones even questioned him about it, but he replied with jokes instead, covering the topic before it became serious again.
Merlina was filled with relief hearing about the victory.
But that weak image changed today.
Old man James changed the topic with a joke as they gathered the corpses of the goblins and tossed them back into the woods.
They returned to the settlement, where the people had already begun coming out of their houses one after the other.
They were elated to hear that the goblins had been defeated, but they were more surprised at the new uniform and energy of Old man James today.
Different discussions opened up among them immediately.
Some of the elderly ones even questioned him about it, but he replied with jokes instead, covering the topic before it became serious again.
Merlina was filled with relief hearing about the victory.