Chapter 64 - v2c25 Town Adventurers vs. Hobgoblins (1/2)

—Marnell—

The greatsword the hobgoblin used approaching right before me.

「Kh!」

To avoid that and preparing for the large gap I would expose after that, I threw myself to the side and rolled on the ground.

After a beat, I could hear the sound of the greatsword hitting the ground from a distance, it was when I understood I managed to survive.

Surely by the time that hobgoblin with the greatsword came after me, I would have finished rebuilding my posture.

「COME TO GET KILLED?」

「No way…… Another one at this timing!」

……But the relief I had at that time disappeared with what came to my sight the moment I raised my head.

Standing in front of me, who was still in a bad posture, was a hobgoblin with an axe.

Yes, I was so absorbed in running away from the hobgoblin with the greatsword that I rolled right next to another hobgoblin.

「Shit!」

Realizing that, I tried to get up immediately, but it was clear I wouldn’t make it in time.

The hobgoblin was laughing as if ridiculing me and raised its axe overhead.

「Gie-!」

「Are you okay, Marnell!」

It was then, Gozzu, who had come back to the battle unnoticed, interrupted.

His sudden interruption caused a moment of confusion for the hobgoblin.

And Gozzu didn’t miss that opportunity.

「Oraaaaaaaa!」

The next moment, Gozzu’s sword smashed the neck of the hobgoblin with an axe and sent its head flying.

Seeing that, I finally understood my life wasn’t in peril anymore.

However, I realized I couldn’t afford to take my time here.

Ignoring my body that was screaming from my unreasonable movement, I stood up, turned around, and readied my greatsword.

Then, as I imagined, there was a figure of the hobgoblin with a greatsword chasing after me.

Moreover, it pointed its greatsword at Gozzu which was full of gaps after swinging his greatsword.

「Your opponent is me!」

I swung my greatsword at that hobgoblin.

Just before my greatsword reached its torso, the hobgoblin noticed my attack, though, it was too late.

「Gigiii!?」

Equipped with a greatsword that was known to have low maneuverability, the hobgoblin was unable to defend itself, my greatsword sunk into the middle of the hobgoblin torso.

「Gii, HUMAN, MUST KILL.」

Even in such a state, the hobgoblin was still alive.

Just before its last breath, it tried to reach for my face with its hand —— but before it could, Gozzu’s greatsword ran through its head.

「You saved me!」

「Likewise.」

So it reached him on this battlefield, I said my short thanks to Gozzu loudly.

To be honest, this was a situation where I should be thanking him as he helped me, but now, I couldn’t spare that much time on that.

「More importantly, the townsfolks!」

I told several adventurers, including Gozzu, to leave the battlefield to help evacuating the townsfolks.

In other words, Gozzu returning to the battlefield meant whatever the situation, it had been settled.

I asked Gozzu for the report.

「…About that, I gave up. Now they’re at the back with the injured.」

What he told me was bad news.

Hearing that, I silently bit my lips.

The possibility of not being able to evacuate the townsfolks isn’t an unimaginable situation.

After all, given the hustle and bustle of the surroundings, it seems this is not the only place where this is happening.

Moreover, we also have violent adventurers in this city.

In the current situation where we don’t know what’s happening, it’s no wonder Gozzu and the others decided it’s better to let them stay here than to entrust these townfolks to others.

Concluding that, I decided to stop holding Gozzu back.

「Alright, now go.」

「Yeah, I leave it to you. Just remember what the hobgoblin from before do when you fight them.」

「I know. I know I need to fight them seriously if I don’t want to be killed.」

After Gozzu heard my words, he said nothing more and ran to the frontline.

Looking at his back, I showed a hint of relief on my face as I thought, as long as Gozzu on the frontline, there won’t be an immediate danger to the townsfolks at least.

However, that relief was soon drowned by anxiety.

…This safety is not something we can depend on, that I know.

Seeing my comrades still fighting fiercely against the hobgoblins strengthen that belief.

The hobgoblins we were fighting currently boasting strength on the level of abnormality.

In addition to its evident intelligence, they probably were stronger than orcs from Middle-Layer, while being more numerous.

Against hobgoblins like that, it was only a matter of time before we lost.

With the return of Gozzu who was trying to evacuate the townfolks, the situation became better to some extent.