I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 34: Returning Home

There was no other way.  

Goblins, especially those from small settlements like this one, generally had iron weapons in very poor condition.  

Although it was unclear why this group of goblins suddenly decided to occupy the ruins, the vast majority preferred living near caves or swamps due to their natural affinity for damp underground environments.  

However, such living conditions also provided the perfect environment for rust to form. Iron weapons exposed to humid air for extended periods would oxidize rapidly.  

Moreover, low-tier goblins lacked rust-preventing oils or maintenance materials, so the iron weapons they possessed were all severely rusted and damaged junk.  

Gauss and the others began collecting spoils from the ruins.  

Before long, a small pile had been stacked on the open ground.  

Meva picked through it carefully. Considering the limited space on the wagon, she threw out some worthless but bulky trash.  

“These should be worth about 20 to 30 silver coins?”  

After all, a settlement of twenty goblins already had the basic ability to loot, so the accumulated spoils were quite substantial.  

Hearing Meva’s estimate, Gauss silently calculated in his mind.  

Including the mission reward, it would amount to about six or seven silver coins per person.  

By that count, he was quite satisfied.  

Although it couldn’t compare to the gains from Birch Village, that had been a lucky break.  

Normally, adventurers wouldn’t always find high-value magical items; otherwise, the price of magical items wouldn’t be so exorbitant.  

This kind of mission was a steady, safe bet. The danger level wasn’t high, and the rewards were decent for low-tier adventurers.  

If he repeated such missions ten or so times, he could afford to buy a house in Grayrock Town.  

After cleaning up the battlefield, it was already close to noon.  

The tedious tasks before and after the battle took much longer than the fight itself.  

Perhaps because the mission was nearly complete, the group’s expressions relaxed.  

Except for priest Daphne, who was treating Doyle’s minor wounds, everyone else finished maintaining their weapons and prepared to eat and replenish their strength.  

It was at this moment that Gauss noticed Meva, who had lowered her hood, revealing ears under her black shoulder-length hair that were distinctly pointed, unlike ordinary human ears.  

Maybe noticing Gauss’s gaze, Meva turned her head.  

“What’s up?”  

“What’s with your ears?”  

“Oh, this? I have a very diluted elf bloodline inside me.”  

After saying this, Meva remained silent and continued rummaging through her pack for food.  

No wonder her movements had felt especially light and agile earlier—it was the influence of her bloodline powers, Gauss thought.  

Among intelligent beings, elves were considered strong individuals: long-lived, magically attuned, with super sensory perception, innate stealth abilities, and a natural talent for archery. The only drawback was their low reproductive capacity.  

Perhaps because of this, the more average human race later surpassed them and established kingdoms on the earth.  

In the afternoon, the Night Owl Squad did not set out to return to Grayrock Town.  

First, although the morning battle was easy, it still drained some energy.  

Second, and most importantly, even if they left in the afternoon, they wouldn’t make it back to Grayrock Town before nightfall.  

So they camped in the ruins, planning to depart at dawn the next day and giving the pack horses time to rest and recover.  

In the afternoon, with nothing to do, Gauss wandered around the ruined buildings.  

The ruins were everywhere marked by mottled, broken scenes.  

Walls and buildings were overgrown with weeds, showing the place had been abandoned for a long time.  

Apart from a few buildings whose main structures remained intact, many seemed to have been bashed in, with huge holes in the roofs extending through the floors to the ground below, as if destroyed by an attack from the sky.  

The village square was similarly full of pits and bumps, resembling the surface of the moon.  

So were these ruins destroyed by humans? Or had a meteorite fallen?  

The more Gauss observed, the more incredulous he felt.  

If it was man-made, the attacker was definitely a powerhouse.  

To create destruction comparable to the artillery bombardments of his previous life’s wars—an individual from another world must be incredibly powerful.  

Thinking this, he swallowed hard.  

Along with fear came a certain longing; his yearning for reaching the professional adventurer realm deepened.  

One day, he too would be able to master such power.  

...  

The journey back to Grayrock Town was uneventful.  

Gauss smoothly completed the second mission of his life.  

He submitted the task, collected the reward, sold the spoils, and split the profits.  

Once everyone received their share of the reward, the group of “workers” eagerly dispersed on the spot.  

Although the mission itself was not difficult, the travel fatigue was hard to ignore.  

Several days without bathing left them smelling, and none wanted to linger for a moment longer.  

Gauss recounted his own reward of seven silver and fifteen copper coins and put it away in his wallet with satisfaction.  

Cash on hand: nineteen silver and thirty copper coins.  

For the foreseeable future, Gauss would need to be relatively frugal.  

He had previously spent ten silver coins on a rapier and fifteen on leather armor—considered early investments to obtain better weapons and armor for safer future missions.  

But after investing, he naturally needed to earn returns.  

He planned to follow Levin’s Night Owl Squad on missions for a while,  

to earn some money and replenish his small treasury.  

After all, making a magic wand would require at least seventy silver coins for the base material.  

Of course, he wasn’t just leeching.  

In fact, he and the Night Owl Squad benefited mutually.  

His Magic Missile spell was the squad’s trump card, playing a role similar to priest Daphne’s Life Sustain.  

Even if it wasn’t often used, their presence reassured the team during missions.  

After taking a hot bath in the bathhouse and restoring his cleanliness, Gauss headed toward the inn.  

Sophia was about to close the door when she suddenly spotted a familiar figure on the dark street.  

She immediately stopped what she was doing and reopened the door.  

“Little Gauss, you’re back? Come on in.”  

Gauss looked up and saw Sophia, her plump figure waving at him under the warm orange-yellow light, stirring warmth in his heart.  

After several busy days, seeing a familiar face again felt just like coming home.  

That said, the original owner actually had a home too, but...  

Thinking of home, Gauss, who had absorbed the original owner’s memories and feelings, felt a complex mix of emotions.  

Someday, when there was time, he’d go back and take a look.  

Pausing, Gauss calmed the sudden surge of emotion.  

“Yeah, I just finished the mission smoothly.” He forced a smile at Sophia.  

Although the process was somewhat dull, Gauss thought it wouldn’t be bad if every mission were this uneventful.  

“No danger encountered, right?” Sophia asked with concern.  

“Just a few goblins, no real danger.” Gauss replied, then caught himself and added a warning.  

“Of course, that’s not dangerous for me. Sophia, if you happen to meet goblins, be careful. Don’t underestimate them.”  

“Don’t worry, I’m not as bold as you adventurers.”  

“By the way, want some late-night snacks? My treat.”  

“Uh...”  

“Already eaten again?”  

“Well, then I’ll take some.”  

...  

The next day.  

Gauss woke up late again.  

On the second day after officially finishing the mission, a bit of laziness was reasonable.  

He only got out of bed by noon.  

Going downstairs, Sophia sat at the counter, bored, resting her chin on her hand while watching the street outside.  

The midday sun shone brightly, with shops lining the street and open-air stalls bustling with pedestrians.  

Water flowed through drainage ditches on both sides of the street, feeding moss and unknown wildflowers growing between the stones.  

Vines crawled all over the outer walls of the building opposite the inn, rustling softly in the breeze.  

“Ha—” Both Sophia and Gauss yawned contentedly at the same time.  

“Good afternoon.”  

“By the way, lunch is ready for you.”  

“Thanks a lot.”  

Today, Gauss planned to eat lunch at the inn.  

Last night’s late-night snack proved that the meager vegetarian fare was hardly filling, so he asked Sophia to add some meat dishes to the menu.  

Sophia agreed.  

Actually, Sophia was quite a good cook, but it was hard to make delicious meals without proper ingredients. She always tried to keep prices low for travelers, so she couldn’t get creative.  

Besides, someone as poor as Gauss originally couldn’t afford good ingredients.  

Fortunately, now Gauss had no problem eating some meat.  

Watching Sophia run back to the kitchen, Gauss yawned again.  

Today he planned to visit Widow’s Lane, the small shop trading magical items recommended by shop owner Grom.  

Although he hadn’t saved enough to buy a magic wand yet, it wouldn’t hurt to inquire about the details.  

Maybe there would be a pleasant surprise?  

At worst, knowing the exact cost would give him a clear goal to work toward.