I’m not Goblin Slayer Chapter 078

The entire caravan, including all personnel, numbered around fifty people, with approximately 15 guards among them.

In his opinion, a few dozen goblin “bandits” shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with.

However, after listening for a while, the caravan’s caution still surprised him.

The caravan decided to set up camp and wait, hoping to encounter other caravans later. Then, they would gather the guard teams from multiple caravans to clear out the road-blocking bandits.

If they didn’t encounter any, they would rather risk economic losses and take a detour.

But after a brief thought, Gauss could understand why they made such a choice.

Both the caravan manager and the guard captain were essentially high-level employees of the merchant guild, so it was naturally impossible for them to take too much risk for their salaries.

Not to mention if it was merely an even match on the surface, even with a slight advantage, everyone was unwilling to take the initiative, unless there was a clear advantage.

After Gauss collected enough information, he returned to the carriage he was riding in.

He was neither a merchant guild employee nor a temporary hire, just an outsider who had paid for his fare. Even though he was a “distinguished” spellcaster apprentice, he had no standing to speak on matters concerning the safety of the entire caravan.

Moreover, he didn’t have the ability to kill dozens of goblins by himself, even though he had many special attack buffs against goblins.

So what else could he do but keep reading?

Time passed bit by bit. Just as Gauss thought the caravan should be preparing to detour to Wormwood Town.

Suddenly, the rattling sound of wheels grinding on the road came from far behind.

“Stop!”

A team of tall, large-horsed knights guarded a luxurious, covered beast carriage, slowly stopping behind the caravan.

Upon finding their path blocked, a tall male warrior, clad in exquisite silver chainmail, immediately dismounted and came forward to negotiate.

His steps were steady and powerful, subtly revealing a composed demeanor of someone long accustomed to being in a position of authority.

Perhaps seeing the man’s extraordinary bearing.

The caravan manager’s attitude immediately softened. He bowed in apology and patiently explained what had happened ahead.

Gauss leaned by the carriage, observing, curious about the further development of the situation.

Suddenly, the male warrior not far ahead seemed to sense something, abruptly turned his head, and his sharp gaze looked towards the direction of Gauss’s carriage.

Their gazes met.

Gauss, who was originally watching the show, suddenly felt his heart skip a beat.

“Professional?”

That one glance immediately made him feel a discomfort throughout his body, as if he had been targeted by some ferocious beast.

The magic power within him also quietly circulated, as if a protective mechanism had been triggered.

Although physically a little uncomfortable, Gauss did not look away. Instead, he stubbornly met the man’s gaze for two seconds. As if confirming their identities, they both smiled and nodded before simultaneously shifting their gazes.

What he didn’t know was that the chainmail-clad man not far away also felt his heart skip a beat.

Gauss’s presence subtly posed a threat to him, a feeling identical to facing those professional mages and warlocks.

His originally arrogant demeanor unconsciously reined in a bit.

When out and about, facing strangers of unknown background, it was always best to be as friendly as possible.

Gauss, retracting his gaze, looked back at the caravan behind them.

The number of people in that caravan was not large, less than ten. The central carriage was clearly much more luxurious than the other vehicles.

Apparently, the man who came to negotiate this time was just one of the guards. He vaguely felt there were several others of similar strength in the caravan.

“Are they also going to Wormwood Town?”

Gauss knew that the “road-blocking bandits” ahead probably had nothing to do with him anymore.

The caravan behind them alone would be enough to easily deal with them.

“The professionals are only serving as guards. I wonder who is sitting in the middle carriage? Could it be a noble?” In this era, commoners had very few opportunities to interact with nobles.

Therefore, Gauss’s memories regarding nobles were scarce.

He recalled that most nobles resided in large cities, and even if their fiefdom was in a small town, they would often entrust it to relatives or trusted officials to manage.

Noticing several veiled gazes, Gauss quickly averted his eyes.

Indeed, there were many professionals.

To have so many professionals lower themselves to serve as guards, the person in the carriage must have an extraordinary identity.

The subsequent developments were as Gauss had expected.

The caravan behind them only dispatched three people. Less than ten minutes later, they rode back. The knights’ armor was still clean; only the bloodstains remaining on the horses’ hooves proved that the three had been in combat ahead.

The caravan yielded the road for the caravan behind to pass first.

After the caravan had been gone for some time, they then set off for Wormwood Town.

A crisis, which was originally neither big nor small, instantly vanished into thin air due to the arrival of a mysterious caravan.

After the caravan traveled for about ten minutes, Gauss finally saw the tragic state of the “road-blocking bandits.”

On both sides of the road, roughly fifty or more goblin corpses lay strewn across the muddy ground.

Crimson blood soaked the earth, emitting a strong stench while also dyeing the originally brownish-yellow soil a deep dark brown.

“Professionals are indeed powerful,” Gauss couldn’t help but exclaim upon seeing the battlefield.

Only three people were dispatched. Even if the horses’ speed was faster than the carriage, the round trip would still take an estimated ten minutes. This meant that the actual time they spent killing these fifty goblins might have been only a mere one or two minutes?

The gap between him and them was indeed significant. Gauss believed that even three of him would not be able to kill fifty or more goblins with such efficiency. Moreover, seeing that the three returned without much dirt on them, it was clear that the battle was very effortless for them.

At this moment, his desire to become stronger grew even more intense.

He felt a sense of admiration, “A strong person should be like this.”

He also wanted to become such a strong and free person, coming and going like the wind.

It was already past noon the next day when the carriage Gauss was riding in arrived near Wormwood Town.

He had been in the carriage for a full day.

The inspection gate at Wormwood Town was stricter than at Grayrock Town.

Carriages entering the town lined up, one by one, for inspection. After an hour of waiting, it was finally the turn of the caravan Gauss was with to be inspected.

As a passenger, he also needed to undergo questioning and identity checks.

Fortunately, presenting his adventurer’s badge saved him a lot of time.

Upon entering the town, Gauss immediately felt a strong, fresh herbal scent in the air.

On the streets, mules carrying herbs had copper bells tied around their necks, their jingling sounds startling sparrows. Herb caravans unloaded their full cargo boxes, moving them into shops one by one.

Pharmacists in raven-black cloaks hurried through the alleys, while a young girl sat at the front of a shop, slowly grinding herbs in a stone mortar.

Visibly, at least 60% of the shops on both sides of the road were involved in herb-related industries.

Unlike the dusty Grayrock Town, this was a green town.

“Big brother, do you want a Wormwood Town guide? It’s only 20 copper coins. All the information you need is inside.” A child unknowingly approached Gauss, holding up a stack of small booklets and vigorously promoting them.

His sharp eyes seemed to instantly recognize Gauss as a first-time visitor to the town.

“Guide?” Gauss looked suspiciously at the small booklet in the child’s hand.

He could afford 20 copper coins, but he was somewhat doubtful if the content inside was what he needed.