21. Paper-thin Innocence

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But things were never that easy.

Haruhiro, who had gone to scout out that place full of spirit, couldn't help but gulp. Then, "...You're kidding me, right?" he whispered. He hadn't anticipated this at all. "—There are more of them now...?"

On the second floor, which was more like an open balcony of that broken-down, two-floor building made out of stone, sat a goblin in plate armor trying to look important. On the first floor, wearing a helmet and chain mail, was a member of a larger subspecies of goblin, a hobgoblin.

This much he had expected. The problem wasn't inside the building, it was the two goblins outside, both in chain mail and helmets. They each carried a shield and spear with another sword at their waist. They looked like guards.

The plate armor gob wasn't sitting on the floor, it was kneeling on top of a chair. That chair hadn't been there before. It must have gone to procure it from somewhere.

He dreaded to think it, but could the plate armor gob be increasing the number of minions it had, scheming to expand its power? He wouldn't know unless he asked. Well, no, even if he asked, he wouldn't be able to find out, but if that was what was happening, it meant trouble.

Haruhiro went back to his comrades to report in. "—So, we aren't looking at two enemies. It's four now. Also, this is only my prediction, but there may be more of them soon."

"Four of them..." Merry furrowed her brow, casting her eyes down.

Yume puffed out her cheeks with a "Murrgh," while Shihoru hung her head and sighed. Moguzo lightly tapped the top of his barbut.

"What, what?" Ranta scoffed. "Are you all getting scared now, guys? You're hopeless. As servants to the great Ranta, you should be ashamed."

"Since when were we your..." Haruhiro started to say, but stopped himself. "Whatever, doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. Don't stop things halfway. You're supposed to push back there. Come up with a witty retort. You're no fun. You're just Haruhiro, so don't take away the one thing I live for."

Haruhiro ignored Ranta, looking to Moguzo, Yume, Shihoru, and Merry in turn. "Now, if we assume that I'm right and there will be more of them coming, we need to make a decision. Not right here and now, maybe, but in the near future. Do we give up, or do we strike quickly? As for me, I don't want to give up. Besides, as we are now, I'm sure we can handle four of them."

Merry fixed her eyes on Haruhiro. It was a gaze that would not permit him to look away. "What's your basis for that?"

"Moguzo's defense has improved considerably. Because it's hardened, he doesn't need to focus on defending. That's led to an increase in his attacking power, as well. Shihoru is able to incapacitate one of them with her magic. We can rely on Yume to actually hit things with her arrows now, too, and for short periods I can handle an enemy in combat using Swat. Also, we have you, Merry."

"Hey, what about me? Isn't my name going to come up? Isn't that strange? Well?"

"As for me..." Merry cast her gaze down and to the side. "...if you're going to rely on me so much, that troubles me. I'm... a priest who let her comrades die, after all."

"We let our priest die. That's why we never want to let another person die. Ever. No matter what happens. It's probably the same for you, Merry. I believe in you."

Merry didn't respond. She bit her lip, holding something back. Yume and Shihoru laid their hands on Merry's shoulders.

"Just gonna say this," Ranta pointed to himself with his thumb, "but I'm immortal, so I won't die even if they kill me. Don't waste your time worrying over silly things."

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