"Aah, aah, aah..." Diane was catching her breath after being carried in my arms.
"Am I really that breathtaking?" I asked playfully.
"You’re crazier than I thought, that’s what!" she replied, irritated.
"You’re such a drama queen. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Look over there." I pointed to the side.
"Camula seems to have enjoyed it."
"Hehehe," the demon girl held her cheeks, a delighted look on her face. "My heart was pounding just from being so close to my Master. I want to do it again."
Diane still looked sickened by it. "I don’t think she thinks in a normal way to begin with."
"Urabu, daedua hyadu!!" I heard a shout that didn’t sound like any human language.
"Master," Camula said, her eyes now focused on the tribe, "it seems we have company."
Just as she said, thanks to Diane’s desperate screams, the entire tribe of Goblins had noticed our invasion. For an Assassin, she didn’t do a very good job of concealing her presence. I looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"It’s not my fault! It’s your fault for being so reckless!" she complained.
I sighed. "It doesn’t matter. Let’s eliminate these Goblins."
The first group of monsters coming toward us consisted of five Goblins, but unlike the ones I had dealt with so far, these were ard with rudintary spears. The first, the more hasty one, rushed toward , his spear aid at my neck.
"Pathetic..." I muttered as I dodged his thrust.
That Goblin was far too slow for . Thanks to the monstrous difference in our stats, it was as if his spear were moving in slow motion. At this point, I would only take damage from a blow like that if I wanted to.
As easily as I avoided that attack, I grabbed the spear with one hand and took it from my enemy, imdiately snapping it in two. Then I turned to my Valkyries.
"Diane, Camula, you have to take down the Goblins. Otherwise, you won’t be able to level up," I reminded them.
"Ah, got it..." Diane said, her mouth agape.
"Are you impressed by my abilities?" I asked her.
"I’m more shocked than—" Her words were cut off as Camula rushed toward the unard Goblin.
"If you’re not going, I’ll take this kill for myself, Ms. Diane," Camula said as her claws struck the Goblin in a rciless slash.
After Camula finished eliminating the Goblin, she looked at Diane, and although she was smiling, I could feel the rivalry between them in the air.
While the girls stared each other down, more Goblins ca toward us, ard with spears.
"As I said before," I told them, drawing their attention, "this is a test of your abilities. I won’t let you get seriously hurt, but you won’t grow unless you deal with the problem on your own. And for that, you need to work as a team."
They looked at each other again, but in the end, quickly relented.
"Understood," Diane said.
"If it is your wish, I will gladly obey, Master," Camula replied.
"Good. Now show these Goblins what you’re capable of. Don’t hesitate even for a single mont."
Upon hearing that last command of mine, my Valkyries charged at the monsters. The nearest group had around ten Goblins. That was certainly a large number against just the two of them. It would have been a problem if not, of course, for our backup.
Two sniper shots rang out towards the group of Goblins. Two perfect shots eliminated two mbers of the group imdiately. Even from a long distance, Erina was still part of the operation.
So Goblins were so distracted by their allies dropping dead out of nowhere that they beca easy prey for Diane and her new Shadow Assassin weapons. Her speed, combined with her Fatal Slash, resulted in three more enemies being taken down.
It was good that Diane was being proactive in reducing the number of our enemies, but that last attack of hers left her in an open position for a Goblin counterattack. I held back the urge to go protect her and stayed where I was, just as I said I would.
Diane should know the risks she was taking in the middle of the battlefield, and to understand her limits, I had to let her show her true potential.
Fortunately, Diane noticed the attack coming from behind her—three spears thrust towards her, trying to impale her—which she dodged with a maneuver worthy of an Olympic gymnast.
"I’ll leave the rest to you, Camula," she said to the girl taking her position. "Don’t ss it up."
"How kind of you to give the opportunity to clean up your ss. Don’t bla if Master Rick starts liking more than you," Camula said, her attack brutally shattering the spears with their wooden shafts, her second strike slicing the goblins across their abdons.
Her attack was imbued with Poison Touch, leaving a purple mark on the monsters’ wounds. They writhed under the effects of the poison, but it was useless. Shortly after being struck, they died, disintegrating into dust.
Camula hadn’t devoured them. It seed she was taking my order seriously—to eat only when I allowed it—which, to , was a good sign. Despite her complicated personality, she was willing to obey and cooperate.
The other two Goblins in the group seed paralyzed with fear, their shaky legs trembling and their spears drawn back. They didn’t seem to know whether they should attack or run. Since they didn’t think fast enough, they beca easy targets for my sniper, who took down the two motionless Goblins within her range.
’Looks like I worried for nothing. At this rate, it won’t take long to completely destroy this village and rescue the kidnapped girls,’ I thought inwardly.
Of course, I wasn’t doing this purely out of the kindness of my heart. Those girls could very well be residents of a nearby town who were attacked while traveling. If I went there with them, I’d probably be treated as an honored guest.
’You could think a little less about taking advantage.’ The voice of a young woman I knew well echoed in my mind.
’Listen well, Brandish. The world is a cruel place, and sotis we have to use the tools at our disposal,’ I replied telepathically. ’At the end of the day, I’m still doing a good deed, so what’s the problem with being a little selfish?’
’Fine, fine. Forget my comnt,’ she replied, tired and defeated.
"Rick, get down!!" I heard Diane shout in my direction.
I let my guard down. I had taken the liberty of chatting while still on the battlefield. I thought the Goblins were far enough away from after the group had been eliminated. And I was partly right—except for the mages who fired two fireballs in my direction.
"As if I’d duck because of that," I said calmly. "I don’t have magical powers for nothing."
That’s right. In my current state, being targeted by enemy mages should be taken as a complint. Seeing how I easily dominated one of their soldiers, they judged as a greater threat and went all out, aiming for my head.
Such a complint should be answered in kind.
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