I Am Not Goblin Slayer

Chapter 273: The Female Blacksmith

Worried about alerting them, she didn’t dare explore any deeper.She had a vague feeling that if she moved any closer, she might be discovered. The air seemed to carry some peculiar magical presence, like a layer of barrier drifting and enveloping the area.

After briefly gathering intelligence, Shadow retraced her steps and marked the route that led here.

Back on the surface, she rejoined Gauss and the others;nearly two hours had passed since she had entered the mine.

“Why were you down there so long?” Gauss exhaled in relief. “We were starting to think something happened to you and were getting ready to go look for you.”

“There was a bit of an accident.”

“So what did you encounter in the mine?” Gauss hurriedly asked.

Shadow then described to Gauss and the others what she had seen underground.

“A lot of goblins. It looked like a town belonging to monsters.”

“But I couldn’t count them exactly. The environment down there is very complex, with lots of cover and buildings.”

“Interesting.” Gauss rubbed his chin and fell into thought.

For Shadow to say there were many of them and to act hesitant about continuing exploration, the underground “monster town” in the Brennan Large Mine had to be on a scale that couldn’t be taken lightly.

“We should move a bit farther away and discuss.”

Gauss led the team off the hill that offered a view of the mine below.

They set up a temporary camp and began analyzing the situation with the information they had.

Current intelligence:

First, the mine’s interior is complex.

Their simple map of the mine was already outdated and much less useful.

According to Shadow, internal passages intersected in all directions;many were newly dug by the monsters, forming a labyrinth-like structure.

Fortunately, the cavities weren’t too cramped and were at least suitable for combat, so they wouldn’t be completely restricted.

The place Shadow reached was the convergence point of all the passages — the monsters’ lair and main fortress — which had already been remodeled into a structured habitat.

Second, the information from Jon, the Adventurers Guild master of Gold-Silver Town, was also off.

He had claimed the monsters were fighting among themselves, a conclusion drawn from earlier exploration attempts organized by the guild.

So either Jon deliberately provided misleading information, or the monsters had disguised things and Jon hadn’t noticed the underground town that Shadow found.

From his observations of Gold-Silver Town, Jon likely hadn’t led very deep investigations.

Short manpower and no obvious threats probably meant they only did a surface sweep and went home.

Don’t be fooled into thinking Shadow’s early discovery of the monster base was ordinary — that was thanks to her powerful innate talents.

She could merge with shadows, making her a natural assassin and scout with a keen sense for the unknown and danger, and while scouting she could do so without alerting the lair’s inhabitants.

Her two hours of reconnaissance achieved more than ordinary wanderer-type adventurers would get after searching for days or longer.

Besides, Shadow said the entrance she found into the monsters’ lair had involved some luck;she stumbled into it by chance.

So they were facing an organized, disciplined monster group.

Also, the barrier-like magical presence Shadow felt indicated the monsters possessed a significant degree of magical capability.

“Is there a chance to use Fireball?” Gauss asked Shadow.

“Not in the tunnels — it would trap us in there,” Shadow said seriously.

“But in that large cavern, there’s enough space, though there’s also a risk of collapse.”

“That’s a problem,” Gauss nodded.

He believed his Fireball could deal terrible damage in a confined underground space.

But they would also be affected by the destruction caused by the spell.

If it caused a collapse, escaping from within would be difficult.

Although Shadow could move through solid matter, she primarily clung to the surfaces of things;when she shifted into shadow form she still needed to breathe and rest.

Carrying others while moving would increase her energy drain.

Being buried underground would make escape very hard.

“If we’re stuck underground, Fly will be seriously limited too.”

Overall, they couldn’t rush this operation.

“We need to go back to Gold-Silver Town first and prepare.”

“Agreed.”

Their preparations would be based on the original plan.

Now that enemy intelligence had dramatically changed, they naturally needed to prepare anew.

Rushing in after scouting just because it looked manageable was the kind of reckless behavior Gauss had only seen in virtual MMORPGs in his past life. They needed more thorough contingency plans and supplies.

They mounted their steeds.

Before long the group returned to Gold-Silver Town and headed straight for the guild headquarters.

Guided by staff, Gauss knocked on Jon’s office door.

“Come in.”

Gauss pushed the door open.

“Is that you, Gauss?” Jon looked up from his desk, sipping tea and reading the guild’s monthly bulletin with casual surprise.

He glanced at the time;not much time had passed since Gauss and his group left at noon.

Had they really cleared out the mine’s monsters so quickly? Even a guild-trained talent wouldn’t usually be that efficient.

“Sit down.”

Gauss and his companions settled into padded chairs.

They had come to share the intelligence they’d discovered at the Brennan mine.

Notifying the local guild in advance was the responsible thing to do.

If they succeeded, fine;but if something went wrong and they caused a problem they couldn’t handle that endangered the townspeople, they’d be sinners.

When Jon heard that there was a self-sustaining, unknown monster town in the Brennan mine, his expression immediately turned very serious.

Gold-Silver Town was neither particularly near nor particularly far from the Brennan Large Mine. If those monsters ever emerged from underground, Gold-Silver Town would likely be one of the first targets.

Having such a monster lair nearby was like having a knife at one’s throat.

“This intelligence is extremely valuable. Thank you so much!” Jon stood, visibly anxious.

He could make many excuses — stable external conditions for a long time, insufficient passing adventurers, heavy population loss — but objectively, allowing such a lair to grow near the town without acting would be dereliction of duty as the Adventurers Guild master.

“I’ll register this as an introductory three-star commission and pay you forty gold coins once confirmed. Of course, this is just for the reconnaissance;further rewards won’t be lacking,” Jon proposed.

“That’s acceptable.”

Gauss nodded. The reconnaissance had not required too much effort on their part;most of the credit belonged to Shadow.

“Thousands of monsters, and they’re in the mine. That’s troublesome,” Jon scratched his head.

Unknown numbers and a tricky layout.

If this were outside town, with formations and reliance on walls, watchtowers, and other defenses, he wouldn’t worry so much.

But penetrating a monster domain was another matter entirely.

Even if he rallied Gold-Silver Town’s adventurers, many would be reluctant to take such a dangerous commission.

In the end, he would likely only be able to recruit some soldiers.

But the mine’s layout meant sheer numbers might not help much.

He could request help from higher guild authorities, but for some reason he wanted to try on his own first.

Jon looked at Gauss and the others as if he’d found a lifeline.

This team’s strength was not insignificant.

Although he hadn’t seen them fight formally, he could vaguely feel a subtle pressure emanating from Gauss.

“Gauss, would you accept the commission to clear the monster lair in the Brennan Large Mine?”

“Of course.” Gauss nodded.

That was why he had come.

A massive huddle of monsters was something he would hardly miss even without a commission, and now there was a handsome reward on top of that — no reason to refuse.

Jon exhaled in relief at Gauss’s answer.

“How would Gold-Silver Town’s guild assist you? Manpower, resources, whatever you need, we’ll try our best,” Jon hurried to promise.

He wasn’t without discernment;he noticed Gauss’s composed confidence since entering, suggesting Gauss had a solid plan for dealing with the underground threat.

“Then we won’t waste any time.”

Gauss nodded.

“As for manpower, we don’t need low-level adventurers to join.”

“Quality over quantity. Adding too many people makes it easier to be noticed and arouses the lair’s vigilance.”

“That’s fine,” Jon agreed. “If you need, I can accompany you.”

“I’m no great shakes — just a level-six Ranger.” Jon said this with a proud swagger and a swig of bravado.

Gauss discreetly narrowed his eyes at the man’s beer belly. To be honest, this middle-aged man’s first impression didn’t match the image of a Ranger.

He’d likely gotten complacent after settling down and neglected daily training.

In short, Gauss had to prepare mentally for the possibility that Jon’s true combat ability might not match the title of a normal level-six professional.

Although he’d suspected this at their noon meeting, realizing it fully made him inwardly shake his head.

“Jon should stay in Gold-Silver Town in case of unexpected developments,” Gauss thought, but he left Jon face-saving room.

Jon seemed relieved.

“Besides me, I have another capable person I could recommend.”

“Oh? Please tell me.” Gauss nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

If there was a suitable helper, Gauss didn’t mind bringing extra hands. Additional temporary teammates might complicate command, but the priority was life safety.

“Come with me — the person should be there now. Let’s meet face to face. I can’t guarantee they’ll agree to join the commission.”

Jon hesitated, looked at Gauss, and then stood, heading for the door.

“If it’s you, kid, there might be a chance…” he muttered under his breath.

Gauss and his group exchanged glances.

Jon had looked troubled when mentioning this other person. Was the person difficult to get along with?

With that worry, Gauss and the others followed Jon.

They descended the guild stairs, passed through the tavern on the first floor, and stepped onto the street.

Jon led them through alleys and finally stopped in front of a blacksmith shop near the town’s edge.

“A blacksmith?” Gauss thought silently.

He now understood why Jon had said he wasn’t sure whether the person would want to join the commission.

A blacksmith has a steady job;even if they are a professional, many would be unwilling to take on dangerous commissions if they weren’t aiming to level up.

“Jon! It’s you again!” a deep, rough female voice exploded from inside the shop.

“About the balance for that batch of weapons your guild bought from me — when are you going to settle it!?”

Gauss hadn’t yet stepped inside when the voice preceded the sight.

Jon was promptly hurled out of the shop — quite literally thrown.

Gauss instinctively dodged as Jon thudded to the ground.

“Ay! My old back!” Jon rubbed his waist and, noticing Gauss and the others watching, turned red and hurriedly stood.

“Heh, the contract payment isn’t due yet, so there’s a bit of balance pending. No big deal,” Jon explained.

“You better not be messing with me, old man!” the voice from inside bellowed again. “I don’t care about your contract. You promised me payment this week. If you don’t settle it, I’ll go to your tavern and tear down your guild!”

Gauss turned toward the blacksmith shop entrance.

A tall, burly woman strode out.

She was solid as a wall;when she came out, Gauss felt the surrounding air tighten slightly.

She was only half a head taller than Gauss, but her broad frame alone could match several normal people’s width, giving her an overwhelmingly intimidating presence — a mountain of a woman.

She wore a leather apron pitted with small burn holes from sparks, and her bare forearms showed corded muscles with clear lines, smudged with coal dust and sweat.

Her reddish-brown hair was tied up messily, a few damp strands stuck to her temples. She was not unattractive — her features were well-defined and could be called reasonably handsome for a normal person.

Her face bore the perennial glow of someone who worked by the forge.

Now her eyes were sharp and her brow furrowed as she impatiently wiped her hands with a coarse rag.

“Jon! Stop yammering!” she thundered. “What do you want this time? Hurry up — my furnace won’t wait for you!”

“I came to recommend some people,” Jon said, pointing at Gauss and the others.

“There’s a well-paid commission right now. I wondered if you’d be interested in joining their team.”

“Get lost! I don’t have enough work in my shop as it is. You bring your people here and—”

The woman followed Jon’s gaze and blinked, momentarily at a loss for words.