Chapter 301

We talked about matters related to scouting while making our way to the Nise Yggdra Tree. Anis brought two other scouts with her, so we were a party of four in all. They were all so light on their feet. From what I heard, they mainly fought while staying hidden and using surprise attacks. We came upon several goblins on the way, and I was able to observe them in action. I was very impressed.

“That’s a good way to fight as well. Of course, you have to be extra careful and prepare, but it’s less tiring in the long run, since you trade fewer blows.”

“We don’t specialize in combat, so we have no choice but to make due through other means…”

Anis scratched her cheek awkwardly. One of the other scouts, who went by Igeldo, continued.

“We used to work as scouts in a different party. But there were too many meatheads, if you know what I mean. And we were eventually driven out.”

“Hmm…”

The other scout, Ulgio, nodded. Both these guys were pretty different in personality, but Anis seemed to get along with them quite well.

“Well, a lot of people don’t care, as long they win in the end. As for me, I want to learn as much as I can.”

“Is that why you have your own concealment set, Mister Asagi?”

“Yeah. Since I have the Presence Block skill, I thought that I might as well have a set that would help me get the most out of it.”

“Ahhh… You sure have a lot of talents.”

“It’s no wonder they call you Silvergreen…”

I hadn’t meant to boast. Regardless, it really was Jack of all Trades, Master of None that made it possible for me to acquire these skills.

Even as we talked, the three of them continued to put their scouting abilities to good use. They would find footprints in the snow and use Presence Detection to find the goblins. And they were able to hunt down their prey, all the while leaving very few traces of their own. They watched from a short distance away, carefully taking stock of everything before they planned. And they would go in for the kill in a flash. It was amazing.

“It’s really hard to chase someone’s traces…

“Oh, but it’s quite easy in the snow. After all, there are very visible footprints.”

“The grasslands are where it gets difficult. At least in forests, there are fallen leaves and trees that can leave marks. But the enemy tends to hide in the grass.”

“Besides, there is nothing to block the wind, so they can smell us easily…”

I see. I nodded understandingly, even though I didn’t really. Still, they talked about everything as if it were simple to do. At least I had Jack of all Trades, Master of None, which would allow me to practice. Observe and steal. That was my strength.

“…Ah, is-isn’t this a footprint?”

“Yes. A boar’s footprint.”

“So it’s not a goblin…”

I was finally the first to discover something, and it was just a boar. Being a scout was hard…

□ □ □ □

“This is the Nise Yggdra Tree.”

“It’s huge…”

My neck started to hurt really quickly. The giant tree that stood before me was reminiscent of the sacred trees I had seen in Japan. There was no rope tied around it, but this tree was related to the old Yggdrasill trees, which was practically a sacred tree, so perhaps they were more similar than you’d think.

“Look over there.”

“Hmm. Ah, it’s hollowed out.”

There was a hole that looked like a vertical crack going down the trunk of the tree. And around it, you could see that the snow was trampled and covered in filth from the goblins. There were also many places where the tree bark had been carved away.

Perhaps the most obvious indication of a goblin presence, was the animal bones that were littered everywhere. The goblins in this area must have been hunting for food. Hunting would be difficult if all you did was chase the animal around. Perhaps they had some kind of trick.

“Hmm… There are a lot of goblins gathered underneath the tree.”

“You can tell?”

“Yeah. I’ve had a lot of practice when it comes to using Presence Detection from above.”

Of course, it was thanks to Jack of all Trades, Master of None. Apparently, Anis and the others weren’t too good at it yet.

There was a horde of goblins below us. Maybe not exactly one thousand and five hundred-sixty, but still a lot. And there were more than a few advanced types.

“Some of the presences are really strong. We’ll die in an instant if you’re not careful.”

“…”

Ulgio flinched at the word ‘die.’

“Well, we should keep that in mind. I…I’m sure it will be fine. I’ll protect you.”

“If it comes to that, we will be counting on you.”

“Leave it to me.”

They had told me that they weren’t exactly fit for combat, and so I would have to protect them. In the back of my mind, there were definitely concerns about my body. But, it would probably be fine as long as we weren’t caught.

“The three of you, stay on guard. I’m going to take a look inside.”

“Be careful… We went inside partway as well, and there were so many.”

I nodded at Igeldo’s warning and activated Presence Block. The clothes I was wearing gave me a boost as well, and the effect was much stronger than usual.

The three were quite surprised by this, but they quickly gathered themselves and began to watch the surrounding area. I sighed in relief and headed towards the hollow in the tree.

□ □ □ □

The entrance was incredibly disgusting, so I entered it without touching anything. Immediately, all light vanished around me, and so I had to activate Nighteyes. Hmm. That was much better. I could keep going now.

The hole was really just big enough for a single adult to walk through, and then it quickly went down in a steep incline. Well, it was practically a drop. The path was hardly flat, and it would be hard to move if you were in a hurry. Considering that we might have to escape… It might be better to find a different way to get in… Well, I’d leave that to Manager.

As I descended while using Legs of the God Wolf, I started to hear something. When I perked up my ears, I heard the groaning of numerous goblins.

“Damn it…”

It sounded like I was near a busy shopping district. That’s how many were below me.

On the way, the ground became more soil than roots. Before I knew it, I was off the incline and in what looked like a tunnel. The voices I had heard must have been echoing through here.

I carefully made my way through the tunnel. Surprisingly, it did not branch out. This was actually a relief, as there was no need to worry about ambushes. I used Presence Detection to search the place, but there were no trap doors or hidden goblins.

“Hmm… This is bad.”

As I spread out the range of Presence Detection, I sensed that some goblins were coming down the tunnel. As there was just one path, we would definitely bump into each other. I could just kill them here, but I was worried if the others would smell the blood. It could just end up rousing the them.

“…”

“Grrr. Ggggg ggrr.”

“Grrll. Rrr.”

And so with Presence Block activated, I used Legs of the God Wolf to stick to the ceiling and wait for them to leave. As it would be hard to stay there for long, I thrust my sword into the ceiling and held onto it. Thankfully, goblins were rather short creatures, and so there would be enough distance between us. The others might be surprised when they saw them coming, but I’m sure they would manage just fine.

I calmed my breathing and watched them come. That’s when I realized something.

These goblins were wearing leather armor. So they were just like the goblins that had been sent to Namila Village. However, the goblins that we had killed in the area surrounding the tree had not been wearing armor at all.

Had they been thrown out because there were too many of them..?

It was very curious to be sure, but I couldn’t find an answer. It didn’t take too long for the goblins to pass me and leave the cave. I suppose they would use their claws to climb up the steep wall. Well, good luck, scouts.

Once they were completely out of sight, I dropped back down and continued on my way. This time, I moved a little faster.

After a number of turns, and descending quite a bit, the path suddenly grew wider. Up ahead, there was no visible ceiling. The underground nest must be up ahead. And so I slowly approached it and peered over the edge; I gulped.

“Well, there it is…”

That Nise Yggdra Tree hadn’t been planted here for no reason. It was likely used to hide this place. A tree of that size would be more than enough to conceal such a place.

Well, there was one great flaw. And that was the hollow in the tree. It led me straight to this place, after all.

“This is bad… You damned ancient elves. What have they left us…”

The underground of the Nise Yggdra Tree.

It was an abandoned city.