Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

”You... really killed those Ghost Witches?”

Perhaps it was because their own research—and that of their esteemed dean—had all been for naught thanks to Ron, but Shiva and Gordon were deeply skeptical of his claims.

Shiva even tried to cite a few rare cases to convince Ron that Ghost Witches weren’t easy to kill and that his group likely hadn’t gotten them all. But this argument was quickly shot down by Elden, who ordered the ”excellent student,” still attempting to protest, to go back to his room at once.

Gordon, however, was more restrained. He didn’t confront Ron directly. Instead, he hounded him after the dinner, peppering him with questions, trying to find proof or inconsistencies in his fragmented answers.

By comparison, Ron was getting so annoyed by the incessant questions he actually started to think, ’Shiva is easier to deal with than Gordon!’

”What condition were their bodies in when they died? Were they bloated? Or—”

With a dark expression, Ron snapped his fingers. Gordon instantly choked, as if a hand had clamped around his throat, unable to utter another sound.

”Honestly, I can tell these two are your students,” Ron sighed, looking at the slightly embarrassed Dwarf. ”Ever considered adding a class on social skills to the curriculum, alongside diet and Arcane Magic? Just so they learn not to be so... relentless?”

”We have considered that, actually,” Elden replied, surprisingly, with a straight face. ”But the faculty in charge of academic affairs felt that the students already have a heavy course load. It wouldn’t be wise to add to their academic burden.”

”But you’re right. The students have too little exposure to the outside world—to matters beyond their textbooks. They do need that kind of education... but we’re getting sidetracked. Our main purpose for this visit is to study the Ghost Witches of the Delusional Land.”

”I already told you, there are no Ghost Witches here for you to find.” Ron frowned. ’The Dwarf’s fading sickness seems to have gotten a little better. Is he still the same as before?’

”Didn’t you just say it yourself? That the Ghost Witches of the Delusional Land weren’t completely wiped out? That one of them hid from you?” Elden removed the cigar from his mouth and looked up at Ron. ”I intend to hire you and your companions to help us find her.”

”After all, the academic community knows very little about the preferred hiding spots of Ghost Witches. It’s a subject worthy of research.”

It had to be said, this version of Elden was far more worldly than the last. His words alone weren’t enough to convince Ron’s group to undertake the thankless task of scouring the wilderness for a single Ghost Witch. However, the tangible offer he presented next convinced Ron that Elden Academy’s research was, in fact, both reasonable and necessary.

”So what exactly did that old coot offer that makes this trip so necessary?”

「The next morning」

Delaford, who hadn’t been at the dinner, received Ron’s summons. He gathered the necessary supplies for the adventure and prepared to set out. While he wouldn’t question Ron’s decision, the Goblin Hunter was extremely curious about the price the Dwarf, Elden, had named.

”A pre-written contract. He must have planned this before he even arrived.” Ron was packing arrows for his shortbow into a quiver. ’As my abilities have grown, so has the amount of gear I need to bring with me. The days of just grabbing my pack and heading out empty-handed are long gone.’

”He proposed that Elden Academy would prioritize sending their graduates to us. The academy will also cover forty percent of their salaries.”

”Those ivory-tower bookworms?!” Delaford was instantly disgruntled. ”He would’ve been better off just giving us some Gold Coins!”

Just then, Aive walked by, dragging her new tower shield. Overhearing him, she reached out and rapped the goblin on the head. ”Are you an idiot? The students from Elden Academy are all Casters. Do you have any idea how much it costs to hire one!”

”That Dwarf is using us as a training ground, but we need those Mages. Any kind of development requires a lot of Casters. We’re making a killing on this deal!”

”The price is a bit steep, though. We’ll probably have to spend the next few weeks slogging through a damp, treacherous swamp.” Silvia was feeding a Night Howling Hound. ’These creatures can hunt for themselves, but it’s important to reinforce our bond now and then. Especially since we’re asking them to track down a relative of their former masters.’

When it came to shopping, Silvia and the girls differed greatly from Ron. The girls preferred to browse through nearly every shop, while Ron liked to make his purchases with a clear goal and then leave. In the swamps deep within the Delusional Land, however, everyone favored a quick and efficient trip.

After all, that kind of aimless searching was mentally exhausting.

But something else caught the Vampire Descendant’s attention: the extra items Ron had prepared. ”Benefactor, haven’t you brought too few arrows?”

”I don’t know much about archery, but Delaford usually carries two quivers, right? That’s forty arrows in total. And you’ve only brought... a dozen?”

”And that’s not all—he’s got the wrong size arrows,” Delaford added with a laugh. ”Ron, you use a shortbow. These are too long. It’ll mess with your draw and your aim. Here, swap them out. I’ve got spares.”

Ron glanced at the quiver Delaford offered, then back at the fletched arrow in his hand. The Hunter was right; his arrows were few and ill-suited for his bow. If he were a conventional archer, he would have taken Delaford’s advice.

’But was he a conventional archer?’

”Thanks, I’ll take these too,” Ron said, accepting Delaford’s quiver with a smile. ”But my own arrows are just as important. They’re custom-made. I had Sibach start on them right after we got back from the labyrinth, and then I did the finishing work myself. This is the entire stock I’ve managed to build up so far.”

”Enchanted them with a spell?” Silvia teased. ”Please don’t say it’s Light Magic again!”

It was a well-known fact that Ron’s progress in the art of Enchantment was slow. To date, he had produced very few combat-ready creations. The trading post’s lighting systems, on the other hand, were becoming increasingly comprehensive.

”Well, I’ll have to keep that a secret for now,” Ron said with a smile. He secured the custom arrows where they would be easiest to draw and slung the shortbow—also crafted by the carpenter Sibach—over his shoulder. ”But I can give you a hint: they can, in fact, provide light.”