Goblin Attack Part 1

The research isn’t progressing as usual, and it seems like I’ve reached my limit with the current situation. Alone in my room, I groaned as I practiced magic, transitioning from a passive state to actively collecting magical energy every day. I repeated this process multiple times until I was almost depleted of magical power. Despite this, I continued training to increase the total amount of magic I could hold and release, but it was starting to lose its effectiveness.

Based on the information I gathered from the Ettentraut, it seems impossible to continue the research with my current approach. I need to change my strategy, but unfortunately, there isn’t much information available on magic. Ettentraut’s phenomenon was discovered by my sister, and I don’t know of any similar occurrences.

However, I do have some idea. At this stage, it’s evident that only living creatures possess magical power, so I decided to search for other creatures that possess magical power. My indicators were few, but I targeted monsters and fairies, which are two types of creatures that possess magical power.

Fairies were a bit ambiguous, but they are close to the concept of living creatures. In my mind, they belong to the category of mythical creatures. In a different world, I think the only creatures that would be involved in magic are monsters and fairies. Although I haven’t seen any monsters yet, I’ve only seen fairies from a distance.

Encountering monsters or obtaining fairies are almost impossible. Although what I want is out there, it’s not something a child would desire.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t come up with a solid plan, so I continued my magical power training as usual.

●○●○

Six months have passed, and I have turned seven years old. While I have grown, my magic research remains largely unchanged. I spend my days pondering what to do, but I have yet to come to any conclusions.

One day, while practicing magic in my room, I gazed upon a cluster of magic forming in my right hand. I have been practicing binding magic, collecting magic, and even maintaining my magic. My limit used to be only a few seconds, but I’ve been able to gradually increase that time. Now, I can maintain it for about ten seconds.

However, even when I was able to solidify my magic, I didn’t feel much emotion about it. Manipulating magic itself didn’t have any meaning to it. At first, I released my magic with strong emotions, not understanding how it worked. But I came to realize that emotions were also a form of will, and it was relatively easy for me to release magic once I associated it with a clear intention.

Simply put, there’s always something I want to achieve and something I want to do, even if I don’t have a clear emotion. In this case, the appropriate expression might be “desire” rather than “emotion”. Of course, it’s a bit vague, but I think magic is released depending on the ratio of emotion, will, and desire.

It took quite a bit of practice to figure out the balance of those factors. But eventually, I hit a wall again. This time, it seemed like I had hit a dead end. I had no other guidance.

Perhaps I need to figure out a way to get my hands on some monsters and fairies, or at least make contact with them. As I pondered, I heard loud footsteps and voices from downstairs.

Curious, I headed downstairs. It was pouring rain outside, and the sound of the water was loud. But in an environment where concentration was key, it was better to have some noise than complete silence. At least that’s how I felt.

When I reached the living room, I saw my father standing there, drenched in rainwater while wearing his coat. Beside him were several villagers, adult men who wore the same expression of solemnity.

Mother was talking to them about something, and the situation seemed strange. This had never happened before, and I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Just then, Marie came down from upstairs, likely also curious about the commotion.

Together, we moved towards my father and the villagers, and they noticed us.

“Um, did something happen?” I said.

The adults exchanged glances, unsure of what to do, until my father spoke up.

“It’s goblins.”

“Goblins? Are they monsters?”

“Yes, We’ve had reports of several goblins in the area. It’s dangerous, and we have to defeat them. Make sure you don’t leave the house under any circumstances.”

When I heard the word “goblins,” I immediately thought of them as typical villains in fantasy stories, often portrayed as weak monsters for novice heroes or adventurers. But looking at everyone’s faces, I realized this was no game.

He turned to Mother and said, “Gather all the women, children, and elderly from the village. About thirty people in total. We’ll go to the goblin nest and take them down. Don’t leave the house.”

“Yes, I understand,” she replied, her expression suddenly hard.

The adults were clearly agitated, and I couldn’t help but feel the same way, even though I was technically an adult too. But I was still a child who knew nothing, and so was Marie, who gripped my hand tightly.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said. “Dad and the others will take care of it. And I’ll protect you, too.”

Marie had her sword at her waist, and she was undoubtedly a skilled swordsman for a child. However, she had no real combat experience, and it remained to be seen how effective she would be against real monsters.

I felt a vague sense of unease when I heard the word “monsters.” It all seemed so unreal, like something out of a game. Besides, goblins were supposed to be weak and easily defeated, weren’t they? But judging by everyone’s reactions, these goblins were not to be taken lightly.

“Alright then, we’re off to the goblin nest. It seems like there are only two of them, so we should be fine if all the men go,” Father said, perhaps to reassure everyone.

He was addressing my mother, but it was clear that he was also speaking to us. But his words only served to make me realize the gravity of the situation.

All of the men? The village had fifteen adult men in total. And all of them were going to take on just two goblins? So it was also clear that this was no ordinary threat. I quickly grasped the situation, and instinctively called out to my father.

“And Dad…”

“Theon, I’m sorry, but we don’t have time for this. We can talk later.”

“I’ll be quick. Dad, do goblins have the intelligence and physical ability to enter the second floor from the outside?”

Father looked skeptical but answered quickly.

“No, they don’t. They’re not very smart, and there aren’t many handholds or trees on the outer wall of the house for them to climb.”

“Then we’ll just stay on the second floor and lock ourselves in. We’ll try to keep the furniture and everything away from the entrance on the first floor, so even if the goblins do come, they won’t be able to get in, right?”

As I spoke, Father placed his finger on his chin and thought for a moment. Mother and the other adults next to us looked at me with surprise. Marie watched anxiously.

“Indeed… Well then, do that for us. When we come back, I’ll send a signal to the second floor so you can hear us.”

“Okay, got it. We won’t leave the room until you’re all come back.”

Father nodded leisurely and ruffled my hair.

“Counting on you, Theon.”

And with that, he immediately left with the other adults.

Marie held onto my hand. I felt her grip tighten slightly.

“S-so then, before everyone else comes, let’s board up the windows. Um, Glast gave us some nails, and we’ve some planks ready for situations like this. I, I wonder where they are?” Mother began to panic.

“They should be in the storage shed in the courtyard. I’ll go get them. Mother, gather the nails, please. Marie, let’s go.”

“Y-yes, got it. Please be careful.”

“Y-yeah.”

Both of them were quite agitated. It seemed like it would be better if I, the one who was a little calmer, took charge. Thinking that, I started to carry planks from the shed in the courtyard.

Soon after, the village’s elderly, women, and children gathered at the house, and I explained the situation and they helped out. Maron, Red, and Rose were there too. We all carried the planks and nailed them onto the windows. We also nailed a few onto the doors and blocked them with furniture so that they couldn’t be forced open. This should at least be a bit of a hindrance. I don’t know what kind of monster a goblin is, but it shouldn’t be able to enter easily.

All thirty of us who couldn’t fight gathered nervously on the first floor. Mothers hugged their children, elderly couples held hands, and everyone showed their anxiety. My mother, Marie, and I were the same, but there was still something we needed to do.

“Um, everyone. We’re going to the second floor now. Please don’t go outside until the goblin subjugation is over. We don’t have any more planks, so please put furniture in front of the door when you enter the room. Also, since there are so many of us, let’s try to have around five to seven people in each room. Don’t worry, I’m sure my father and the others will take care of the goblin subjugation.”

I spoke calmly. Perhaps the fact that a seven-year-old child was composed gave everyone a sense of relief, and they seemed somewhat calmer.

I led everyone to the second floor. There were five rooms on the second floor: Marie’s and my room, the couple’s bedroom, a study, and a guest room. The five of us, me, Marie, Mother, Rose, and Maron, went into one room. Red was in the same room as his family. I didn’t know the details, but Rose didn’t have a family and was under the care of the village chief. The village chief was able to fight, so he went to subjugate the goblins. Maron had a big family, so my mother took care of her. Red was also with his family. His family seemed to be large, so they were in a separate room.

We went into Marie’s room. It wasn’t very decorated, but there were a few stuffed animals. The curtains and sheets were in light colors or lace, giving it a girly feel. When we entered the room, we moved the desk in front of the door and sat on the bed or chairs.

It was raining heavily outside, and we couldn’t tell what was happening. This made us even more anxious.

A monster, huh? I wanted to look into it for my magic research, but it seemed too difficult. I also didn’t want to risk my life.

Maron clung to Rose while Mother and Marie sat next to me, holding my hand and hugging me. Time passed in silence. It was an unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling.

This was reality – sometimes misfortune strikes without warning. I had died that way before, and I didn’t want to experience it again. I also don’t want to make anyone else go through it.

I wanted to ask about goblins, but it would only increase everyone’s anxiety. Besides, talking could reveal our location, which was dangerous. I’m sure everyone else felt the same way, so I kept quiet and endured the silence.