novelzi Chapter 81 - 78 The Tale of the Duke’s Daughter and the goblin
Chapter 81 - 78 The Tale of the Duke’s Daughter and the goblin
Chapter 81: Chapter 78 The Tale of the Duke's Daughter and the goblin
"Now, where were we?" I said, my lips curling into a lazy smile as I closed my eyes in mock nonchalance."Oh, that's right. Why don't you girls forget about what you saw here, hm?"
The group of adventurers shivered. They knew—oh, they *knew*—that they had been entirely at my mercy just moments ago.
"Uh, yeah, that's not happening," Rea, the one with fiery red hair, said with a smirk. She held up a silver pendant with a ruby center. "See this badge? It records everything an adventurer sees. The Guild can extract the information if they have enough preparation time."
I maintained my smile, though inside, a stream of curses flowed like a raging river. Of course, they'd have something like that.
"And if the information's accurate," added Io, the human mage, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder, "then we suspect it's you guys who caused all the trouble."
"And according to the Guild," Jin, the party's tank and self-appointed voice of authority, said with a stern glare, "a group of adventurers disappeared while clearing out a goblin hideout. One of them was the daughter of a duke, no less. Surprising he hasn't sent his personal army in yet."
"A duke's daughter?" I murmured, tilting my head. The words tickled at a memory, and then—
"Oh, right! Her!" I exclaimed, snapping my fingers.
"You mean it really was you guys?" Levy, the elf ranger with green hair, asked, her head tilting in sync with her long ears.
I scoffed. "No, we're not that stupid. Let me explain. It happened about a month ago, right before you last came here..."
Time for a flashback!
---@@@@
*A Month Ago*
It all started one fateful day as I was prepping for the scouting mission towards the west that day. My focus was entirely on the task at hand until Gorn, one of the goblins, came running toward me, his voice a mix of panic and urgency.
"Boss!" he yelled. "There's a human party on the way here!"
"Humans?" I arched a brow. "What do they want?"
Gorn's face contorted in panic. "I dunno! Maybe to kill us? They do that!"
I got alarmed but was trying not to show it, I grabbed Gorn and Tink, the resident tinkerer, and headed out to investigate. As usual, I planned to leave Scar to oversee the other goblins. Someone had to keep them from devolving into chaos while I was gone.
I sighed, grabbing my staff. "Fine. Gorn, Tink, with me. Scar, you're in charge."
"AGAIN?!" Scar bellowed.
"Yes, again," I replied, waving dismissively. "Try not to eat anyone while I'm gone."
I watched as she left the goblin, who by the way we took in and named "Squeeky"
I wonder where the people in Squeeky's village went to?
---
*Back to the Present*
"...And that's what happened," I concluded with a shrug.
The adventurers stared at me, their expressions ranging from skeptical to thoughtful.
"So, you just... let them go?" Rea asked, her brow furrowing.
"Of course," I replied. "Do I look like someone who'd start unnecessary fights? The woman was protecting a child. Who am I to interfere?"
"That doesn't explain why you remember her so vividly," Io said, narrowing her eyes. "There's more to this, isn't there?"
I hesitated. The truth was, there was more to the story. That woman's mana had left an impression on me—a feeling of familiarity, though I couldn't place it. But for now, I wasn't about to share that detail.
"Believe what you want," I said, smirking. "But if I were you, I'd focus on clearing your own names before accusing others."
Rea sighed, pocketing her pendant. "Fine. But don't think we'll just drop this."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I replied smoothly.
As they turned to leave the house, I felt a pang of curiosity tugging at me.
Who was she? And why did she feel so... familiar?
One thing was certain—our paths would cross again.
And next time, I'd get my answers.
Little Theater:
Clone #3: *Whispering* "Boss, do you think they bought your story?"
Me: *Whispers back* "Of course. I'm an expert at bluffing."
Clone #5: *Eyes suspiciously* "Then why is your nose growing like that pinocchio we made for fun?"