After a full night’s rest, we ventured out as soon as dawn broke and followed the Goblins’ trail from yesterday to locate their lairs. With our keen sense of smell, we picked up the trail even if their tracks disappeared at regular intervals, while the Werecat warriors fortified their defenses and proceeded carefully behind us. Since we were focused on tracking their scent, we left it to them to take care of any monsters we encountered.

Various scents remained near their living spaces.

If one was at a certain distance from the lair, then they would be able to smell the different scents mixed in the air.

Thus, after less than half a day’s travel with a brief lunch break in between, we found the Goblin’s lair before sunset, but… just as I suspected, not a single soul was left.  

Their base of operations was a place that followed a tributary flowing in the vicinity of Lucua village, and at some distance from there, several burrows were dug into the sloping interior of the depression formed near the river. 

“Gurua, guruuon…” (Chief, it looks like they escaped…)

“Guruh!” (Tsk!)

However, it was troubling that among the scents we picked up, one belonged to a human female.

It might be a captured adventurer or something, but it meant that they had a way to breed.

The Werecat warriors grouped themselves in three’s and checked each burrow, but they all came up empty-handed.

“Sir Wallace, there’s nothing here.”

“… Looks like they gave us the slip.”

“Archer, can’t we chase them?”

I shook my head sideways at Liz who cutely tilted her head.

Kobolds have an excellent sense of smell, which means that we are highly sensitive to the different scents in the air. However, it does not mean that we could pick up scents from far away.

Of course, it is highly effective when we could pinpoint a location like the Goblins’ dwelling space, but the four of us and a dozen or so Werecat warriors couldn’t chase after the Goblins when we did not even know which direction they went. In the end, it was clear that we had to use human-wave tactics if we wanted to go after them…

“Aavaa, garuuu…” (Archer, this is…!)

“Kuon.” (Big brother.)

I understood right away what my sister and the others were trying to say. Judging from the lair’s layout and the way it was dug, there was a high chance that our brethren, in other words, Kobolds, originally lived here.

It’s hard to tell with the thick scent of the Goblins,  but there were also places where the faint scent of dogmen lingered. So they drove out our brethren from this village and made it their base of operations, huh…

(We could move the settlement here in case of an emergency, but… it’s also a place that was once attacked.)

As I thought about it, I looked around and saw that the Werecats had started making preparations for camping under Wallace’s orders. The black-haired, cat-eared gentleman came over in my direction as soon as he noticed my gaze. With that appearance, it was hard to believe that he was already a father in his late thirties.

“Mr. Archer, I was thinking we should make camp today, but only if it is alright with you? We’re fine traveling after the sun sets, but everyone seems exhausted from all that walking already.”

“Won.” (Sure.)

In addition to my response, I nodded so that Wallace could get the message. After Buster and Dagger went out to procure dinner, Lancer and I sat at the entrance of one of the lairs and watched the Werecats’ encampment.

“Kuruaan garuuoaan?” (I wonder where the guys that originally lived here went?)

“Guruoh, woguu wauaoan…” (Yeah, they could’ve headed to the east or north for all we know…)

From here, the Werecat’s village of Lucua is in the west, while the Elve’s territory is in the south, so they have no choice but to go further east or to head north. 

(If they headed north, I hope they don’t get in trouble with the other guys…)

“Ah, there you are. Archer, can I have a minute?”

Liz came over, her tail swinging out of her pleated skirt. As she crouched down in front of us, I automatically took out my slate pencil from the leather pouch on my waist.

“What is it?”

“Well, it’s about the reward we talked about at the start, but…”

Come to think of it, we did talk about that…

Although her species interacts with humans, their village is still located in the middle of the forest and maintains a certain distance from the people. They are an existence that serves as a middle ground between humans and demi-humans, so to speak. 

As Liz looked at me with upturned eyes, I thought for a bit and started to write.

“I would like you to provide skilled support to our settlement.”

“You want skilled support?”

“I would like to borrow some tools for agriculture, carpentry, and blacksmithing, and a few werecats who have skills in those areas.”

“Archer, those are things out of my capacity…”

With a troubled expression, she flattened her ears and looked down as she was at a loss for words.

“Then ask Wallace about it. That guy understands the price of risking one’s life to fight.”

“Mmmu, I’m also a soldier, so I understand it too, that’s why I was worried about what you were going to say”

“Well, I’m sorry to have to ask you to do this in the absence of the village chief, but please take care of it.” 

It might have been to our advantage that the person-in-charge had fled to Wyald village to ask for reinforcements. Thanks to that, Wallace, the head of the warriors, currently headed Lucua village.

We fought together, so he would consider my request.

Anyway, inviting a blacksmith was a problem since there was no way to procure iron ore for them to use. However, the Steele river was named as such because of its “iron” deposits, so we should be able to get some fine quality iron sand. 

However, once we started blacksmithing, we would need charcoal, which would lead us to cut more trees in the forest. Well, as long as it’s only for our own use, then it would be no problem, but… as one of the beasts that live in the forest, we must not forget to be considerate towards nature.

We returned to the village of Lucua the next day and received some of the farming and carpentry tools, and a small amount of iron ore. Accompanying us back to the settlement were Joseph and Grimer, who would instruct us on how to handle the tools, and Barrack, who was actually a Blacksmith’s son.