Chương 55: First raid outside (1)

After yesterday's crazy occurrences I want to take it easy today but the higher-ups are having none of it. Navi relayed to me direct orders from the great dungeon alliance. I was to hurry up and get that raid going.

On the bright side, I have been granted some funds to equip the goblin raid group. Seems they at least realize that they are asking a lot of me.

With my funds secured I head down to Hippo's workshop. I'm greeted by the familiar heat and clanging of metal being hit by a hammer. The forge hall seems busier than the last few times I was here. Maybe I came at a bad time?

"GUY! HELLO, HIPPO IS PLEASED TO SEE YOU! WHAT CAN I HELP YOU WITH TODAY?"

Hippo is his usual loud but happy self. Seeing him somehow always puts me in a good mood.

"Hey there Hippo. I wanted to ask, do you make slingshots?"

"HMMMM. THE RUBBER TOYS OR THE USEFUL ONES?"

"The useful ones I guess."

"OF COURSE! EMPEROR VESPASIAN ORDERS SOME FROM TIME TO TIME. HIPPO ALWAYS HAS SOME IN STOCK."

"Can I buy some of them?"

"HMMM. HOW MANY DO YOU NEED?"

"I don't know, maybe twenty?"

"ONLY TWENTY? YOU CAN HAVE TWENTY! ANYTHING ELSE?"

"I don't really know what you have and what the prizes are so can I take a look first?"

"OF COURSE! BUT HIPPO NEEDS TO GO BACK TO WORK, WE GOT A BIG ORDER SO HIPPO CAN'T SLACK OFF TOO MUCH. HIPPO WILL SEND YOU ONE OF THE APPRENTICES."

Hippo runs of with booming steps and another cyclops comes to lead me around. This one is smaller and less cheery. His voice is lower and but nearly as loud as Hippo's.

I'm shown through layers of shelves and display cases for different weapons and gear but most of it would be a waste if the goblin carrying it died.

Ultimately, I decide to buy thirty cheap swords and a bunch of wooden mallets. Together with the slingshots this mostly uses up the budget of funds I'd been given for this mission. I ask them to deliver the stuff I ordered into the dungeon when I enter and the cyclops tells me he will see to it.

Now all that is left is to train the goblins to use the slingshots before it is go time.

I spend the morning trying to familiarize the goblins with their new weapons. The swords are no challenge and the mallets are self-explanatory but the slingshots prove challenging.

Swinging the leader pouch with a stone inside and releasing it at the right time to make it shoot forward takes me a while to figure out. The goblins have a much more difficult time but those with the throwing skill clearly do better.

Wait, why do I know that these goblins have the throwing skill? Navi never told me that!

I quickly open my status.

Status Guy Lv.1 Goblin instructor

Mp 10+20+0

Strength 5+20+11

Constitution 5+20+13

Speed 5+20+8

Magic ability 0+20+0

Skills:

universal humanoid language, universal monster language, dungeon map

Sword use lv. 1; enhanced stamina lv. 3; dismantling lv. 5; breathing technique lv. 2; trap making lv. 4; dagger use lv. 2; throwing lv. 3; slash lv. 1; cleaning lv. 1; instructing lv.1; camp construction lv.1; instructor's assessment lv.1

Instructor's assessment?!! Is that one of those rare appraisal skills?

Well isn't this good news. I got a new ability and can tell the skills my goblins possess. That certainly makes things easier.

As I was saying before, I hand the slingshots to the goblins with throwing skill and give the swords and mallets to the others. Some of the ones with slingshots still have the weapons plundered from the last attack of adventurers.

All in all, I have a group of fifty well-equipped goblins while the other twenty-odd will remain here. I'd rather not do this but there is no stalling. Under my lead, we head out of the dungeon and into the outside world.

Once I leave the teleportation device of the dungeon I feel like a weight is dropped on me. What's happening?

Got it. Being outside the dungeon is a bad place for monsters to be. I hope whoever planned this raid took that into account.

There is nothing to do except walk towards the village. The targeted village isn't too far away, after about two hours of walking through a forest and a grassy plain I can see it in the distance. There are around forty buildings protected by a flimsy-looking wooden wall.

The village can be entered through two wooden archways. One on our side and one on the other. A can't see a gate and the only apparent protection on this side is a group of three guards lazing about.

Around the village is an expanse of fields with what looks to be unripe grain. That certainly isn't going to be a useful food source for us. Just to check, Navi, are we supposed to occupy this area or something like that?

<Negative, you are to retreat after finishing your mission.>

Good, then I have the perfect motive for stalling. Ack, my head. I feel like someone just brought a sledgehammer down on my brain.

Wow, a verbal warning would've done it too.