I do not own Goblin Slayer

(All of this belongs to the one and only: Kumo Kagyu)

Chapter 1: Just A Normal Day

The Promised Adventure

Behind the Adventurer's Guild...

"Remind me why I'm doing this with you again? Goblin Slayer asked casually at one end of the Guild's backlot, looking towards the other end at Spearman, with a tilted head. This immediately got Spearman pissed, resulting with him pointing his spear towards Goblin Slayer, a visible vein taking shape on his forehead.

"Don't tell me you already forgot why we're even doing this?! For the love of… Look Goblin Slayer, I'm only doing this to prove to you, and everyone else watching us, that I'm the better warrior among the two of us, rewards be damned and all! We're just gonna spar, y'know? You and me trade a few blows, then you're gonna fall flat on your ass, and I'll be there to bask in all the glory, alright? Prepare yourself for the stinging defeat after all of this is over, you hear me?!" Spearman said with much annoyance. The sheer nerve of this guy! Making him, of all people, explain a simple sparring match.

"Oh, I see. But wasn't it you that started all of this in the first place?" Goblin Slayer said in his usual voice, riling up Spearman even more. The whole situation was strange, albeit a tad bit amusing to Goblin Slayer, as he recalled the events that led up to this moment.

Twenty Minutes Prior...

It was only an hour before noon, yet the Adventurer's Guild had already found itself wrapped in action. Right around this time, at a favorite spot in the tavern of the Guild, the crude boastings of a certain spearman had brought attention to a certain slayer. With their respective parties around the both of them, a few names were thrown, a insult or two, and one thing lead to another, which then lead to the infamous Goblin Slayer having to demonstrate his skills on the field. Sure, Goblin Slayer didn't really need to prove anything to anyone, but the people around him had inadvertently put him in the particular situation.

"Orcbolg would run circles around you!" The spunky High Elf Archer said in Goblin Slayer's defense, feeling livid that this flame-haired adventurer would have the balls to say such things to Orcbolg. There was no one in the Adventurer's Guild currently that would even come close to how cool Orcbolg looked in her eyes, and she wouldn't be able to sleep at night if she couldn't even defend his image in the slightest.

"I must agree with her! Goblin Slayer-san has more than once proved to all of us that he is, indeed, one of the most skilled warriors' here!" The shy Priestess said with a small shout, her voice sounding adorable whenever she was mad. Priestess would always get worked up whenever someone would tarnish Goblin Slayer's name, and she would not have any of it come from anyone, no matter who they were. Even if that person were the Sword Maiden herself, Priestess would not tolerate anything foul mouthed to come in the way of Goblin Slayer.

"For Gods' sake, I was only joking… Ok, maybe 80% of what I said might be the truth, but still, I'm only saying what everyone else here thinks. Sure, Goblin Slayer might be one of the big dogs here, but compared to me? Pfft, I'd be the first one holding his leash!" Spearman said with a fit of laughter, catching the scolding looks from the women in Goblin Slayer's party. For Spearman, it was always fun messing with Goblin Slayer's party, even if the big guy himself knew that what he saying was just him playing around.

Off in the distance behind the Guild's reward distribution area, a certain Guild Worker heard the ramblings of Spearman, causing said worker's face to turn into a frown, and her nose to scrunch up in a haughty attitude. It was always a turn off for Guild Girl whenever a man would continuously stroke his ego, and hearing Spearman talking about him being better than her Goblin Slayer, well, that wouldn't fly now, would it? Guild Girl was about to walk away from her station to stop the incessant bragging, before Spearman's companion spoke up.

"I know… Goblin Slayer… Is a... Stallion... Of a man... But tell me… Can you confidently… Say out loud… That he… Would beat… My leader… In a fair... fight, Ne..?" The soft spoken Witch said with puffs of purple smoke in between her words, making sure that her message would sink in on the girls that defended Goblin Slayer. She knew very well how capable the man that is Goblin Slayer was, the question was, could he really beat her leader on equal terms? As much as Witch liked Goblin Slayer, she highly doubted that Goblin Slayer would stand a chance against her leader in a fair fight, without the use of his tricks. Guild Girl could only mutter to herself, trying her best not to yell some obscenities towards Witch from across the room.

"Good heavens, if I could have a few moments with that woman, I would…" Guild Girl trailed off in her mind, staring hard at Witch for even doubting that Goblin Slayer would have trouble against Spearman in the slightest. Though, if she were being honest, she's never even seen Goblin Slayer fight. And if she were to be completely real with herself, she knows how capable Spearman is when it came to combat ability. From his multiple tales of slaying towering trolls, to ruining leagues of brigands, Guild Girl knew how skilled Spearman was. She bite her lip, now wondering if Goblin Slayer could actually match up to Spearman in the first place.

"Hmph. For being a right hand for your leader, you seem to be lacking the foresight of one, considering that you can't seem to see Beard Cutter's competence. He is more than a match for your hot headed leader, and then some." The level headed Dwarf Shaman said with a grin, and folded hands. He had an eye closed, and another opened, directed at Witch, who just smiled a knowing smile that screamed, ~excuse me?~ Over and over, the Dwarf Shaman had seen Beard Cutter perform countless miracles out of thin air. His ability to pick parts in a fight, along with his strong leadership and weird charisma, Goblin Slayer had more than proved to Dwarf Shaman, along with the rest of the party, that he was, in fact, the leader of the party. From the amount of time they've been together, Dwarf Shaman had found himself backing up Goblin Slayer for almost anything he needed, be it tactical support on the field, or advice on what kind of dish goes with what alcohol.

"Now Now everyone, let's all calm down. Both of our leaders are very competent in their own endeavors, but let's not diminish the values of either of them, understood? Both Milord Goblin Slayer, and the Consummate Spearman have valor in their own right." Lizard Priest said with a bowed head, enjoying the company that both parties were bringing. He then looked over towards Goblin Slayer with a contented smile.

For him, Lizard Priest felt like it was only yesterday that he met the man that was Goblin Slayer. Cold as winter days on the outside, while broken like a child's toy on the inside, Lizard Priest felt nothing but pity for the man in the beginning. But nowadays, it was like he was a completely different person. Although he was still mostly silent in most conversations, Goblin Slayer had grown to accept the people that wanted to be around him, and as a result of it, his behavior and personality had improved significantly. And if you were lucky enough, you would get him to talk about the antics of the people around him. Yes, times have really changed for his leader, and Lizard Priest was going to follow this man all the way to the end, or when he had achieved his goal, that being to be reincarnated as one of the great dragons of old. But even so, no one disrespected his leader and gets away with it, so Lizard Priest had an idea, one that would bring a smile to everyone.

"But if all of you are so desperate to settle this matter, why not have both of our leaders participate in a friendly sparring match? We can discuss the aftermath once it is completed, of course." Lizard Priest said with a sly smile, making everyone around the two of them to perk up at the mention of such a spar, everyone except Goblin Slayer.

"Nah, I'm not interested." Was all Goblin Slayer said, quietly eating some food he had with him. This in turn made everyone look at him, some with an annoyed expression, and others with an expectant look.

"C'mon Orcbolg, don't let this shitty adventurer talk so badly about you!" High Elf Archer said with her arms crossed, and a pout on her face. Leave it to her leader that he was probably one of the most laid back humans in the world.

"If Beard Cutter isn't up for it, then we can't really argue, Shorty." Dwarf Shaman said with a grin, happy to know that his leader isn't one to be provoked so easily. High Elf Archer could only scoff to herself, imagining the various ways she could see Orcbolg trouncing that flame-haired idiot in a fight.

"Booooo." Was all Spearman said, looking at Goblin Slayer with an all knowing smile, just getting his kicks from messing with his party. But suddenly, an idea popped in Spearman's head, coming up with a way to actually make Goblin Slayer play along with the sparring suggestion. Pulling something of interest out of his pack, Spearman then whistled for Goblin Slayer's attention.

"Hey Goblin Slayer, how about we make this a little more interesting? If you just spar with me, I'll give you this magic scroll. And tell you what, I'll give you two more of'em if you manage to beat me. But if I win, you gotta come with me on the next three quests of my choosing. So how about it Goblin Slayer, you wanna have a go at it now?" Spearman said with a cocky smirk, his smirk growing wider when he managed to get Goblin Slayer's attention so quickly.

"Where did you even find three magic scrolls to begin with?" Goblin Slayer asked Spearman, his interest finally piqued. The things he could put on those scrolls were too tempting from him to pass up, and he would automatically get a scroll for just doing the spar. So many ideas indeed, all of which involved demolishing goblins and their nests.

"They were given to me as compensation from this wizard I saved a few months back. Apparently, he didn't have enough money to pay for the reward, so he just gave'em to me. As you probably know, scrolls nowadays can't be made, only found, since magic from the olden days have a certain weirdness to'em that us living in the present can't replicate. Harder still, supposedly the material they're made from ain't your usual parchment either, making it doubly hard to recreate them. But get this, he was one of those rare wizard types that can recreate magic scrolls almost flawlessly, but each recreation takes years to make, so the value of'em kinda makes them worth it. Don't worry about their authenticity, since I got Witch here to verify their effectiveness. So what will it be Goblin Slayer, ready to work your ass off for me?" Spearman said in an arrogant fashion, now past the point of just messing with Goblin Slayer. The idea of putting Goblin Slayer down a few pegs was all the motivation Spearman needed to fight him.

And if he were being honest, he would really appreciate to have a scout as experienced as Goblin Slayer in his party. All things considered, Goblin Slayer was a special type of scout who was able to pick up, and adapt on the fly in any situation. But the best part of Goblin Slayer was that he was one to not follow orders blindly, and that he would regularly suggests ideas that would seem ludicrously simply, but extremely effective. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone, considering that he also hated that Goblin Slayer was the star attraction of almost every incident that had taken place in the Adventurer's Guild. Goblin Slayer this, and he's such an amazing guy that. All of it and more pissed off Spearman to an unnatural degree. So for him, this was a chance to reclaim some of the spotlight that was stolen from him, and he would be sure to work Goblin Slayer to the bone once he'd beaten him in the spar.

Minutes passed as both parties looked at their respective leaders with silence, secretly hoping that they would participate in the spar, and sure enough, Goblin Slayer said yes in his usual fashion, a grunt and a nod. Doing a fistbump in the air, Spearman then yelled out in the open tavern about what was going to take place in just a couple of minutes.

"To anyone that has the downtime to spend as of now! Me and Goblin Slayer will spar at the backlot of the Guild. We welcome you to see such a spectacle, but I wouldn't be too surprised of the outcome that is sure to follow!" Spearman said proudly in the air, raising the curiosities of many adventurers that were seated throughout the Guild. Catching the attention of many adventurers, soon a crowd went out towards the backlot, ready to watch a spar of the century. Such a spar between the Consummate Spearman, and the Gilded Goblin Slayer was surely a sight to behold.

Off in the distance, Guild Girl could be seen smiling a bit too hard to herself, happily waiting for Goblin Slayer's victory, and preparing herself to console a grown child of his defeat once all of this blew over. She then stepped out of her station, quietly making her way towards the Guild's backlot area, her smile never wavering.

"Do I really get a chance to watch Goblin Slayer-san beat in some respect into that privy adventurer? This I need to see…" Guild Girl said to herself, a smile forming on her face. Just the thought of seeing her beloved Goblin Slayer finally teach some respect to that know-it-all makes her smile grow all the more, and put a skip in her step. More groups of adventurers heard Spearman's proclamation, which made all of them perk their heads up.

"Hmph, Why's that spear guy wanting to throw down with Goblin Slayer? With the way that man fights, spear guy is gonna have a lot of trouble... Not to mention Goblin Slayer is a real looker compared to him... And even more so, Goblin Slayer is pretty strong, considering he helped me out on that werewolf quest not too long ago..." Amazon Warrior thought to herself after hearing Spearman's announcement.

For Amazon Warrior, Goblin Slayer was one of the weirdest, and manliest adventurers she's ever known, and she's been around the block for as long as she could remember. Always on about goblins, Amazon Warrior totally ignored him ever since he earned the name Goblin Slayer. But after the whole incident with the farm awhile back, and him taking off his helmet, Amazon Warrior had to admit that he was quite the adventurer. But to prove to herself that he was worthy of a silver tag, Amazon Warrior then asked Goblin Slayer one day to accompany her on a quest to run out a werewolf den. Lucky for her, there were no goblin quests at the time, and he went with her no problem. Things led to another, with Goblin Slayer actually killing a few werewolves all by himself, while also saving her from another one pinning her. Within record time, the both of them cleared the den with no serious injuries. After that whole ordeal and getting paid handsomely, Amazon Warrior had not only deemed him worthy of the tag, but something else developed from their short time together. And because of the sudden development, Amazon Warrior had been hounding Goblin Slayer to come with her on quests and vice versa ever since.

"To make a woman feel like this, and act as if everything were normal... How oblivious can a man get? Either way, Goblin Slayer should mop the floor with Mr. Overcompensation. Always wanted to see that big mouth Spearman be put in his place..." Amazon Warrior said softly with a laugh, getting up from where she was sitting, and making her way to the backlot. As Amazon Warrior made her way, two more adventurers heard Spearman's call, making them speak to one another.

"Did you hear that? I finally get to see some moves that Goblin bastard refuses to show me. And after all those quests we've been on too, Hehe! This should be fun to watch, care to watch with me?" Heavy Warrior said with a massive grin to his companion, already walking towards the backlot of the Guild. But as Heavy Warrior was leaving the Guild, Female Knight could only stand still, dangerous thoughts about Goblin Slayer plaguing her mind for what felt like ages now. It doesn't help the fact that the man of her attention had just so happened to give her a sweet little gift a few days ago on her birthday, that being a freshly baked loaf of bread.

"That bastard, who does he think he is, occupying this much of mind… I already have one of them to think about, I don't have the time, or the heart for two…" Female Knight finished thinking to herself, before walking after Heavy Warrior out the Guild. Her mind was full of conflicting ideas and love interests, while her face was covered in a dark shade of red, wondering why this man was such an attractor of her attention.

Once Female Knight had found herself out on the backlot, there were only three adventurers left in the Guild. All three of them could be seen wearing brown, long hooded cloaks, with one of the adventurers smiling to all of them.

"Now this should be interesting, huh?" One of the hooded adventurers said to the rest of their party, only getting silence in response.

"Hmph, you guys aren't any fun at all! Just wait up stairs if you don't wanna watch two adventurers fight it out, ok?" The same hooded adventurer said with an annoyed tone, finally taking off her cloak and throwing it to one her companions. The adventurer then walked her way towards the backlot area, leaving the two other adventurers behind. With a sigh to themselves, they both began walking up to the second floor of the Guild, the attitude of their leader not changing at all.

"This is a bad idea if you ask me..." One of the hooded adventurers said to the other one once they were on the second floor, only getting a rough grunt in return.

Present Time…

Goblin Slayer's comment made the majority of the crowd that were watching them chuckle lightly, most of them all too accustomed to his antics. This only brought more annoyance to the already pissed off Spearman, getting himself into a stance. On the sidelines, many adventurers could be seen sitting on makeshift benches, talking and chatting on who would win. Some even went as far as making a betting table on who would win the bout. Many adventurers could be seen cheering for one, while some were cheering for the other. Many among the adventurers predicted that Spearman would win, but a select few thought otherwise. Guild Girl stood prim and proper in special area of the backlot, where only Guild staff were allowed to enter. Having made herself some tea for the occasion, she waited patiently for Goblin Slayer's inevitable victory, while the rest of Goblin Slayer's party sat in the front row, talking among the other adventurers. Witch was sitting on a high stool, overlooking over the entirety of the backlot, while Heavy Warrior and Female Knight sat themselves at the steps. Amazon Warrior found herself standing right in front the whole backlot area, smiling hard when she spotted Goblin Slayer, and frowning harder when she found where Spearman was. Everyone was anticipating a good fight, and all them knew that that was what they were going to get.

Looking around the backlot, Goblin Slayer couldn't help but reach for his side pack, making sure he had everything he needed to win this spar, for magic scrolls were on the line here. Once reassuring himself that he had everything he needed, Goblin Slayer took slow, deep breaths, focusing solely on the opponent before him. Spearman wasn't a goblin, but that didn't stop Goblin Slayer from thinking. Once his plan was made, he couldn't help but chuckle lightly into the air. This caught almost everyone's attention, finding it both extremely alien, and comforting to hear a harden man like Goblin Slayer laugh like that. Most of the women hearing him laugh were caught off guard, as it was very rare to hear a laugh come off from Goblin Slayer. Most of them grew a blush, while others pictured a scenario where Goblin Slayer was more approachable, wondering if something could come from it.

"W-Who knew his laugh was that c-cute… What am I even thinking?! I already have this big lumex next to me, so why am I getting these thoughts now?!" Female Knight yelled at her self, a deep shade of crimson painting her face. She remembers it clear as day, where it was Goblin Slayer himself (The last person she thought she would get help on those matters…) that helped her gain confidence in herself, and to pursue her love interest that was Heavy Warrior. But it was that amount of care from Goblin Slayer that made herself question her love interest entirely, and she hated him for it. Not even Heavy Warrior would take the time of day to help her with subjects outside of fighting.

"C-Curse you, you goblin-crazed, anti-social, stupid, weird, cute, handsome, kind, thoughtful, compassionate…" She trailed off in her mind, the shade of red on her face growing darker with every compliment that crossed in her head. Female Knight could only shake her head, sighing to herself again as she was looking over at Goblin Slayer with hard eyes. Sure, he had more than proved he was worthy of Sliver (Soon to be Gold from the what the rumors were saying...) along with proving he was human with that oppressively handsome face, and he's absurd kindness towards everyone he met that wasn't a danger to others. Curse this man for occupying her mind for so long, even when none of it was his fault, but still. As a man, it was his responsibility to make those thoughts go away.

"T-That's a pretty cute laugh you got there, G-Goblin Slayer..." Amazon Warrior thought to herself, her face feeling oddly hot, while also finding it hard to look at Goblin Slayer for some reason.

In all her years of being a tough, strong, and independent female adventurer, she had never experienced such strong feelings before. Sure, there were the occasional times of being attracted to someone that looked nice, but for Goblin Slayer, she had felt something so much deeper than attraction. Maybe it was how well they worked with each other during that quest together, or possibly that time he saved her. But the thing made her feel so strongly to Goblin Slayer, and not to any other male adventurer were his hands. It was only for a few moments, but it was during the time he had saved her from those werewolves that Goblin Slayer lent her his hand. And by the gods, once she took it with her own, it just felt so right. After that day, Amazon Warrior found herself staring at Goblin Slayer's hands whenever she could catch a glimpse of him, and it was extremely embarrassing on her part, for her mind would then think idle thoughts of them holding hands, while beheading monsters far larger than the both of them combined.

To this day, Amazon Warrior has yet to meet a man that had hands that felt so strong, so warm, and oddly enough, safe like Goblin Slayer's. Hands could tell a lot about a person, and Goblin Slayer's was no exception to the rule, as his hands spoke with honesty, never once did they stray from the path he followed, even if that path was a futile one. But the thing with Goblin Slayer's hands were that it felt safe holding them, like he would be with you till the end, and that he wouldn't run out on you no matter how dangerous the situation became. Not that Amazon Warrior wasn't acquainted with danger, she loved it in fact. But in that moment when Goblin Slayer risked his life to help her when danger got the better of her, and then stand up with her once that danger had passed, that feeling of safety was one the best feelings she's ever felt, period.

"G-Gods damn you, Goblin Slayer! I'm supposed to set an example for being a strong and independent adventurer for the others. And yet here you are, making me think these dangerous thoughts... I'll make you take responsibility for making me so soft, you hear me?" Amazon Warrior thought to herself, her face a dark shade of pink. To feel so meek was a first for her, but she would make Goblin Slayer pay. Oh, she would make him pay alright...

"And what's gotten you so happy, huh Orcbolg? You weirdo…" High Elf Archer said to herself, a smile and blush appearing on her face. It was also a treat to see her leader act like a normal person for a change, but hearing his laugh right now made her feel good for some reason. His laugh by itself wasn't anything special, just a small chuckle in the wind, but the fact that he laughed at all made her smile brighter. One of these days, High Elf Archer promised herself she would make Orcbolg laugh for real, and on an adventure no less.

"Why is something so ordinary, feel extraordinary when you do it, Goblin Slayer-san?" Priestess said with a cute smile, her mind wondering to thoughts about seeing a Goblin Slayer without his helmet and armor, instead replaced with civilian clothes, and a strong smile on his face. The day when Priestess saw Goblin Slayer-san's face for the first time, confirmed her strong feelings for him. A bit stoic, but heavily compassionate, Goblin Slayer would make the ideal husband, with the exception of the goblin obsession.

"Stop making me fall for you, you sliver haired idiot!" Guild Girl said out loud in her mind, smiling brightly when she heard Goblin Slayer laugh in the wind. Who would've thought that something so trivial would be so important to her, especially something as stupid a person's laugh. But regardless, just hearing Goblin Slayer sound so human was a welcome treat to her. And once all of this business was done, Guild Girl had a surprise waiting for Goblin Slayer, one she knew that he deserved.

Everyone else just watched Goblin Slayer patiently, wondering what brought him to laugh so casually. For most of the majority, they never even heard Goblin Slayer laugh, so him laughing now meant something was coming. But for a certain spearman, he couldn't be more pissed. HE was he one that suggested to spar HIM, and yet it was Goblin Slayer that managed to get all the eyes on him again, just for a stupid laugh. His anger forming smoke in the air, Spearman pointed his spear once more at the goblin-brain idiot, his duplicity finally breaking his patience.

"What's so funny Goblin Slayer? Finally realizing that fighting me is hopeless?!" Spearman yelled towards Goblin Slayer, his eyes replaced with a burning fire. Goblin Slayer could only look at him, tilting his head again, chuckling lightly one more time.

"I apologize for being rude, it's nothing really. It's just that I find this situation a bit humorous, considering I'm going to obtain such invaluable items so easily." Goblin Slayer said while calming down, never breaking eye contact with Spearman, who in turn was speechless beyond measure.

"Is this really happening right now? Don't tell me this goblin bastard is really trash talking me, of all people… Oh, I'm gonna enjoy beating the shit outta him now!" Spearman said to himself, fiery passion coursing through his body. Not every day did he find himself this mad, let alone find a person able to piss him off this badly. But for this goblin bastard, he was going make him an example for anybody that would dare talk to him in such a way.

"Screw the three quests... When I win, you're gonna wish you never agreed to this spar!" Spearman said with bite in his voice, hell bent on burying this goblin bastard to the dirt under his feet. Once he calmed himself, he then focused all of his attention towards the man before him, ready to set him straight. Goblin Slayer did the same, making sure he was ready for the spar to commence.

Minutes passed before them, silence and anticipation following both of their leads. Goblin Slayer could be seen crouching down into a runner's stance, as if he were going to dash his way over towards his opponent. While for Spearman, he stood up on one leg, his other resting on the standing one. He then centered his spear to his body, closing both his eyes. His ears twitched in response, zeroed in on hearing any disturbances in the air. For him, taking a more defensive stance would force Goblin Slayer to come to him, and in turn, he would launch a swift counter attack. Both were very experienced and knowledgeable in the art of combat, and both were ready to get this fight underway.

For some reason, even the veteran adventurers caught themselves with their breaths held in, quite telling on how tense this spar was becoming. More and more time passed between the two, neither budging for the other, not until something triggered the start of the battle. As if on cue, a distance merchant bell rang off, and within a heartbeat, Goblin Slayer and Spearman began their spar.

Like a demon out of hell gate, Goblin Slayer broke into a crazed sprint, running down towards Spearman in record time, surprising the adventurers at the sidelines for his speed. Spearman on the other hand still stood there, his eyes closed, preparing himself for Goblin Slayer's first strike. What Spearman didn't know was Goblin Slayer pulling out two pouches from his side pack, whipping them at lightning speed towards him. Hearing the projectiles come at him, Spearman then opened his eyes, jumping up in the air, immediately striking the pouches out of his way. The first pouch was full of blazed flour, and once it was struck, it covered the area that he was standing in in a transparent white mist. The other pouch was packed tightly with powdered sugar, thickening the mist to be almost fog-like once it was struck. Spearman then landed onto the ground lightly, his impact leaving only a small imprint on the ground. He then tasted the air around him, which only made Spearman confused to all hell, wondering what the in the world was Goblin Slayer doing. Although he had an inkling on what Goblin Slayer's attack method was, Spearman was next to clueless on what he was planning in the long run.

"Are you planning on baking a cake while we're out here, Goblin Slayer?!" Spearman yelled defiantly in the air, surround completely by a mist of white, not sure where Goblin Slayer was. He could've sworn he heard him run towards his general area, but after striking those two pouches, it was like he disappeared into the air itself. He was then answered immediately when he heard the sound of a match being lit a few feet behind him.

"No, but you on the other hand…" Was all Goblin Slayer said, before tossing the lit match onto the white mist, causing a large explosion to swallow up Spearman whole. The blast wasn't too impressive or hard hitting, as it only covered a few feet of the backlot, and packed as much force as a couple pouches of dwarven black powder. But for the others that were watching, it was whole nother thing. Goblin Slayer had just made an explosion appear from nowhere, and for most of the adventurers watching, it was the most impressive thing they've seen done from any scout classed adventurer. Even his party found it amazing that their leader had somehow done something crazy again.

As for Spearman, he wasn't too happy about being caught in the middle of an explosion. Luckily for him, his armor was enchanted to resist the effects of any explosive/fire-based attacks. But the feeling of being rattled on all sides wasn't a welcomed one, becoming heavily disorientated as a result. Trying to shake off the tremors he experienced, Spearman was soon reorientating himself, trying to find Goblin Slayer in the process. During this time, Goblin Slayer dug into the ground with his belt fastened dagger, and buried another device he pulled from his side pack within the ground. The device was one that was both bulky and wound up tightly, making some of the adventurers wonder what Goblin Slayer had else to show. Covering it up with dirt as fast as he could, Goblin Slayer then got up, and made run for it to Spearman again.

Finally freed from the heavy tremors that plagued him, Spearman caught a glimpse of Goblin Slayer running up on him. As a response to this, he then struck at Goblin Slayer multiple times with the end of his spear once he got into range. Even with Goblin Slayer's amazing ability to adapt, even he couldn't dodge so many strikes. A few well placed blows landed on Goblin Slayer's chest, making him heave on the ground, a solid amount of air forced out of him. The people on the sidelines gasped collectively, seeing Goblin Slayer being stopped in his tracks. Looking onto the crowd of adventurers, Spearman put on a cocky smile, signifying to them that this was the end of it. Spearman then jumped into the air, forming a symbol with his hands, followed by him chanting words for a spell.

"I know you remember this spell, you goblin bastard!" Spearman shouted triumphantly, feeling absolutely vindicated, fully committing to his attack. Goblin Slayer could only try to regain his breath, but still feeling calm in the situation.

"ARANEA… FACIO… LIGATOR!" Spearman said into the air, magic spindles of steel silk coming from random areas from the ground, and wrapping themselves snugly around Goblin Slayer. Grunting from the sudden hold on him, Goblin Slayer could only wait for the right moment to act. Landing back down onto the ground, Spearman then struck a pose towards the people watching him, receiving a small amount of applause. Once the show boating was done, he then turned back towards Goblin Slayer, who stood upright wrapped in steel silk, making him smirk arrogantly.

"So enlighten me Sir Goblin Slayer? How were you going to win this match with ease, huh?" Spearman asked in a mocking tone, wishing the spar could've gone a little longer. His smirk faded though, when he heard only two words come from Goblin Slayer.

"Like this." Goblin Slayer said casually, before a brilliant flash of white light erupted from his mask, blinding Spearman, along with most of the adventurers watching completely. It was then followed by Spearman yelling countless insults into the air, dropping his spear onto the ground in the process. It was also at this time that the item in Goblin Slayer's side pouch activated, encompassing him in a bright red glow, making the steel silk that wrapped around him fall off from him harmlessly.

Taking this opportunity of freedom, Goblin Slayer then lunged at Spearman, throwing out his right arm and clotheslining Spearman squarely at his chest. This then resulted in the man being laid out on the ground, desperately gasping for air as he did. What's worse, Spearman found himself still dazed and blinded from such a powerful flash of light. After laying out Spearman on the ground, Goblin Slayer quickly lifted Spearman in a deadman's lift, and made his way to where he buried his device. Spearman could do nothing, as his mind was still rattled, his body out of air, and his vision gone. He was at Goblin Slayer's mercy, and the only thing he could do was let him have his way with him. Once Goblin Slayer was close enough to his device, he then threw Spearman onto the soft mound of dirt. Landing roughly onto the mound of dirt, what happened next were two powerful black lines of reinforced rope coming up from the ground, wrapping Spearman up just like he did to Goblin Slayer in rapid succession. Though the ropes weren't constricting him too badly, it wrapped around Spearman tight enough to where he couldn't escape at all. Once he caught his breath, Spearman could be heard swearing with all the foul mouthed words available to him. While Spearman tried to struggle against the ropes, Goblin Slayer could be heard whistling quietly into the air, slowly walking over to where Spearman dropped his spear. Never once did Goblin Slayer ever looked at the crowd of adventurers that watched him, and yet the applause that was given to him almost warranted him to turn towards them.

For Goblin Slayer to toy around with a man that was as capable as Spearman, made many adventurers respect Goblin Slayer all the more. His party rejoiced, knowing full well that this was the outcome they knew was going to happen. All the while, Guild Girl could be seen among the adventurers in the background, smiling sweetly at Goblin Slayer, just happy to see him ok. That, and the fact that he put that cocky adventurer in his place. Amazon Warrior found herself cheering heavily for Goblin Slayer, blushing heavily as she did, but never feeling any shame for it. Heavy Warrior laughed heartily, while being impressed at how Goblin Slayer was controlling the fight since the beginning. Female Knight smiled slyly, happy to know that the man of her fascination was beyond worthy of her attention to begin with.

Fully recovered from the initial punch of that flash of light, and that heinous clothesline, Spearman could only curse silently to himself, fully embarrassed that he let himself get caught in this situation. Moving himself to a sitting position, he saw Goblin Slayer walk back to him, his spear resting on his shoulders. He grew a light blush from how laid back Goblin Slayer was making this all seem, but his anger didn't subside. Once Goblin Slayer was in talking range, Spearman threw a flurry of insults, all of which just bounced off Goblin Slayer like thrown rocks against a mountain. But what happened next surprised Spearman, as Goblin Slayer placed his spear respectfully next to him, no hint of disdain or smugness coming off from him.

"Looks like I win this one, huh?" Goblin Slayer asked in his straightforward voice. Spearman looked away from him, too embarrassed to face him.

"Feh… Well it sure as hell doesn't look like I won now, does it? you goblin-crazed idiot…" Spearman manage to get out, not wanting to make eye contact with the goblin bastard in front of him. Goblin Slayer could only grunt, picking up on the hints of frustration in his voice.

"Well, you have a far longer reach then I have, so you should've acted accordingly with that strength in mind. Other than that, it was a fair spar." Goblin Slayer finally said, helping the man up to his feet. Spearman could only sigh, and finally built enough courage to face Goblin Slayer, his mind dead set on one thing alone.

"You might've got me this time around, but the next time we go at it, you'll be sorry, got it?" Spearman said with a defeated smile, knowing full well he lost this one. Goblin Slayer could only nod, and then untied the ropes that wrapped Spearman securely. Once freed, the man then went for his spear, and faced Goblin Slayer one more time.

"You gotta at least tell me what the hell that flash of light was. That thing packed a punch, actually blinding me for a while." Spearman said admittedly, wondering just how the hell Goblin Slayer was able to pull off such an attack.

A second of silence passed, before Goblin Slayer answered him by taking of his helmet, all to the gasps of the many adventurers at the sidelines. Spearman then took a closer look at a Goblin Slayer without his helmet on, for this was a very rare occasion. Indeed, he was far more handsome then he would ever expect from a man with a goblin obsession. Amber red eyes that looked extremely tried but trusting, hair as silver as the tags they wore, along with scars that dusted his face randomly. Truly, it was a shame that he always wore a helmet, but for Spearman, it was just another person out of the competition for getting the babes in the Guild.

"The device I used on you was a prototype I'm currently working on. It's a tiny packet of materials I placed on the roof of my mouth for instant use. The packet combines some bits of metal shavings, a sliver of dwarven black powder, and scrapings from a saltpeter pillar. When pressed together at a certain pressure, a blinding light is what comes out of it. I just so happen to have a small packet of my prototype hidden away in my mouth for such times to use it. By having that packet drop from my mouth, and biting down on it hard enough, I was able to create that massive light from my mouth, blinding you for as long as it was intended to. Though, the side effect of using such a method is that it burns my mouth marginally." Goblin Slayer said with a grunt, opening his mouth and pointing at certain areas, showing Spearman the cost of using such a technique. The man shivered inwardly, as he saw parts of Goblin Slayer's mouth being slightly charred and singed, making a note to himself that this man had a big set of balls on him.

"Ok, that might explain that large flash, but how did you escape my spell of binding?" Spearman asked, still trying to come up with the reasons why he lost so badly, and so quickly while he was at it. Goblin Slayer then pointed at his side pack, signifying there was something in it that helped him out greatly.

"That was from a relic I looted off from a goblin shaman I killed in a nest awhile back. It's a magical red ruby that can negate the use of a number of spells, before needing to recharge again. Just don't ask me how difficult it was to obtain it. But lucky for me, It just so happens that it was off the recharging period." Goblin Slayer said matter-o-factly, his face never breaking eye contact. Spearman could only look at Goblin Slayer dumbly, wondering how in the hell did he get something so valuable off something as plain as a goblin?

"Alright… Then how the hell do you make an explosion on me without the use of a spell, hmm?" Spearman asked, trying to find the method to Goblin Slayer's madness. Goblin Slayer then pulled out two pouches from his side pack. The man then took a closer look at the pouches, both of them containing the same substances that he had struck at earlier in the spar.

"Actually, that attack was based on an old technique used by my older sister. Whenever there were mice in our farmhouse, she would light up flour and sugar in tiny amounts, which would result in tiny blast of heat. The blasts would scare the mice from coming back. What I did was simply change the type of flour and sugar, along with the amount." Goblin Slayer said flatly, looking at Spearman with a straight face. The man in question was at a loss for words, pissed off at himself for being impressed with Goblin Slayer's ingenuity.

To think a man would have so many tricks up his sleeve. Indeed, Goblin Slayer was one of the best scouts he had ever seen, let alone known. With a small smile, Spearman held out a fist in Goblin Slayer's direction, which Goblin Slayer only looked at it questioningly. Remembering how dense Goblin Slayer was, it only made Spearman laugh at him profusely.

"Idiot, you're supposed to hit the other person's fist with your own when someone does this gesture, you weirdo." Spearman said while trying to calm himself down, his smile growing bigger watching as Goblin Slayer did as he was told, lightly tapping a closed fist at his own.

"Hmm, not bad." Goblin Slayer said, making a small smile to himself as he lowered his hand back to his side. Goblin Slayer was new to these kind of gestures, so for him to do one now was a welcomed experience.

"Well, deal's a deal, and my word is as solid as steel. Here ya go, you crazy goblin bastard." Spearman said with content, pulling out three scrolls from the back of his armor compartment. He then handed them over to Goblin Slayer without a hitch. With a grunt, Goblin Slayer then placed them within his side pack, quite pleased with his haul. With that out of the way, both Goblin Slayer and Spearman then started to walk back towards the Guild, getting showered in both praise and applause.

Goblin Slayer then pulled out one of the scrolls from his side pack, looking at the parchment with curiosity. It's only been a few times since he's handle such a delicate item, but the material itself was fascinating to him. After inspecting the scroll, he then put it back in his pack, and then turned towards Spearman, who stopped just a couple of feet away from him.

"Thank you for these scrolls, they will help me immensely. As for a way to repay you, just call me on any quest you deem worthy." Goblin Slayer said easily to Spearman, looking straight at him to show him that there wasn't any ulterior motives. Once he registered what Goblin Slayer said, Spearman grew a massive grin, all too happy to have a scout like Goblin Slayer available for him to call upon.

"Although I could say you don't need to trouble yourself, I'm definitely not gonna do that. I hope you don't regret this decision, because I'm gonna work you to the bone, you goblin-crazed weirdo!" Spearman said with a hearty smile, placing an arm on Goblin Slayer's shoulder. Funny enough, Spearman walked down the length of the backlot like he was the one that won the spar, his smile never fading.

At the sidelines, many of the adventurers were impressed of Goblin Slayer, and his skills on the field. But better yet, the females adventurers were swoon watching Goblin Slayer slowly arch up the backlot. Even though being known as the stoic type, while also sporting light scars on his face, Goblin Slayer was quite the ladies man. Lightly faded silver hair, with amber red eyes, accompanied by a humble personality, most of the female adventurers were well on their way to Goblin Slayer's side. The only thing that stood in the way of that were a select few females, all of which their eyes were saying, "back off". Some females, too intimidated by their stares, slowly walked back to where they were seated, but the others simply stared back, ready to run past the line of women. Just before a flurry of insults and punches were about to break out, one lone adventurer stood up with a certain pep in her step, ready to greet Goblin Slayer warmly. The ribbons on the side of her hair bounced in tune to her nature, bubbly and happy, and the smile she held only pissed off the resident female adventurers to their cores, as that smile was being directed towards Goblin Slayer.

Once Spearman and Goblin Slayer made it back from the backlot, the female adventurer with ribbons in her hair came up right in front of Goblin Slayer, her smile growing by the second. This on the other hand, had made the other women surrounding her glare daggers at her. But for Goblin Slayer, he had never met this woman in recent memory, yet something about her character was ringing a few bells within him. As such, Goblin Slayer could only look at the female adventurer with a tilted head, the usual response he'd give to a stranger.

"What is it you need, Miss? Does it have anything to do with goblins?" Goblin Slayer asked with his usual his voice, trying not to be rude to the woman in front of him. What surprised him next though was the way the female adventurer reacted, asking him a question instead while also laughing.

"No, you big dummy! But on the other hand, you're just what I needed in my party! A specialized scout that's also fun on the field! So what do you say to to an adventure with me?!" The female adventure asked frantically, latching onto Goblin Slayer's side when she was done talking. It was soon followed by a line of women that wanted to separate her from Goblin Slayer immediately, while Spearman looked at the female adventurer in sheer disbelief. All the while, Goblin Slayer could only say the one thing that instantly sprang up in his mind.

"Nah, I'm not interested"

What's shaking, you bacons? Chicken here with a bit a revising of the first chapter. Some name changes here, a character introduction there, and boom, you have yourself a much better beginning chapter! Hope you guys like the story, and I'll see you all in the next one!