I Am Not Goblin Slayer
Chapter 51: Tavern and Explanation

The drunkard near the doorway instantly sobered up. A chilling sensation rapidly spread through his mind, accompanied by overwhelming fear that drained all color from his face.

Gauss maintained his grip on the man's wrist without letting go. He didn't harbor much resentment toward this drunk - what could you expect from someone completely inebriated? The only reason he kept holding on was because the man's legs had turned to jelly, trembling like wet noodles. If Gauss released him now, the drunk would collapse to the floor.

"Try to stand steady. I'm letting go now," Gauss said calmly.

"Yes, sir!" 

The drunk shuddered violently when Gauss's emerald eyes swept over him, as if an electric current had passed through his body. As Gauss released his grip, he couldn't help but shake his head internally at how the man trembled like a frightened chick.

Did he really appear that terrifying? When he'd washed his face earlier, he'd thought his features looked rather refined.

The tavern had fallen completely silent.

The Night Owl Squad paid no attention to the unusual atmosphere. Exhausted from a full day's work and having narrowly escaped from ghouls without actual combat, they were still covered in cold sweat. All they wanted now was to deliver their report, take a bath, and get some proper rest.

"Brave adventurers, what happened here?"

Tavern owner Harvey emerged after being notified, instinctively frowning at their disheveled state before quickly forcing a smile.

"Let's discuss this inside, boss," Levin suggested.

The tavern remained eerily quiet, with nearly every patron in the main hall watching them intently. Discussing their recent encounter publicly would likely cause unnecessary panic.

The group followed Harvey into a private room. Only after they left did hushed whispers gradually fill the tavern again.

"So terrifying..."

"They look like serial killers."

"Shh! Keep your voice down - they might still hear us."

"..."

Inside the private room, Levin and the others recounted their entire experience to Harvey.

"You're telling me a ghoul is prowling near the village?!" Harvey gasped after hearing their story.

While ordinary monsters could be handled by villagers with some casualties, even without professional adventurers, creatures like ghouls exceeded what normal humans could confront. Though the village had trained militia, they stood no chance against monsters several times stronger.

The only silver lining was that, if the adventurers' report was accurate and there was only one ghoul, the situation might not be immediately dire. Solitary monsters rarely attacked human settlements.

"That's correct."

"Do you think... your group could handle that creature?" Harvey ventured cautiously. Even if attacks were unlikely, having such a dangerous predator nearby would make peaceful sleep impossible.

"Do we look capable of killing a ghoul? We're lucky to have escaped with our lives," Levin admitted with a bitter smile, seeing no shame in the truth.

Harvey examined their condition with his experienced eye. Unlike ordinary villagers, as a former manager of a large merchant guild, he recognized their "ferocious" appearance actually indicated utter exhaustion. Normally, adventurers would have cleaned their gear properly rather than returning covered in blood and gore.

"My apologies, that was presumptuous," Harvey sighed, realizing how ridiculous his expectation had been. Even well-trained low-level adventurers couldn't possibly match a ghoul's strength.

"I'll convene with other leaders tomorrow. If confirmed, we'll likely repost the ghoul elimination quest through the Adventurers Guild. Thank you for the warning. Regarding the Water Ghost extermination mission, after verifying the situation tomorrow, I'll prepare an official incident report for you."

Harvey stood up, his face slightly green from enduring the group's overwhelming stench in the enclosed space. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly moved toward the door.

"After your ordeal, please stay overnight at our tavern and freshen up." 

Without waiting for their response, he hurried ahead. "We have baths in the back - I'll have servants prepare hot water."

The group exchanged glances but ultimately followed, unable to refuse the offer now that safety had returned and they could no longer tolerate their own fishy, foul-smelling state.

The night passed uneventfully.

Next morning.

Gauss awoke in a soft bed, surrounded by gray-brown stone walls where extinguished oil lamps hung. The low oak beams were blackened by smoke, and sunlight filtered through narrow window grates to cast dappled patterns.

He lay still for a while until fully awake, then sat up and stretched leisurely. "Haven't slept this well in ages."

Pressing down on the coarse wool blanket - its worn edges revealing yellowed cotton stuffing - he noted it still surpassed his usual linen mattress. "Luxury corrupts easily," he mused.

As he dressed and equipped his leather armor, Gauss noticed his movements were noticeably smoother, with none of his usual awkwardness when tying back fastenings. This tangible improvement reminded him that increased Agility affected all aspects of life, not just combat efficiency - even his weapon training would likely benefit.

Emerging from the tavern, he found the others gradually waking. They exchanged morning greetings in the main hall as servers brought breakfast.

"How much reward do you think we'll get this time?"

"Who knows? We couldn't even collect all the Water Ghost materials yesterday."

"Getting robbed by a ghoul - a first in my life."

Over breakfast, they discussed yesterday's events. A night's sleep had eased their tension, leaving only regret over lost potential earnings.

"With Harvey's incident report bearing the merchant guild's seal, we should still receive full mission payment," Levin reassured them.

"Our only real loss is those Water Ghost materials."

"And our promised bonus - wonder if that's still happening," Daphne sighed. She'd been saving for a magic stone staff core, and any reduced income pained her.