--Alex's Point of View--
"Alex, are you all right?"
"…Ah. I was just lost in thought."
It was Mr. Hex who called out to me—I hadn't even realized how far my thoughts had drifted.
"Stay alert. We're already inside the forest."
"Yeah… sorry about that."
He warned me as we entered the forest near Canos.
Ahead of us was the knight commander, riding a horse and clad in full plate armor.
I hadn't had the chance—or the interest—to look at his face.
Surrounding him were ten soldiers, each equipped with swords, shields, and heavy armor.
Next to me walked Mr. Hex, Mr. Lim, and two other farmers whose names I had forgotten.
We were ordered to carry supplies for the knights.
Mr. Hex had told me the purpose of this mission: to locate a goblin camp rumored to be hiding somewhere in the forest and kill them.
If we were lucky, we'd find it quickly and the job would be over in a day.
If not it could take much longer.
As we walked deeper into the forest, I began to take in my surroundings.
It was my first time entering these woods. Only adventurers or soldiers ever dared to venture in, too dangerous for someone like me, a farmer, to step foot here.
But despite the danger, the forest was breathtaking. Towering trees stretched high above us, their thick canopies filtering the sunlight. Lush plants and vines grew wildly in every direction, making the forest feel alive.
Suddenly, I heard a scream from up ahead.
"Ahhhh!"
One of the soldiers collapsed, a jagged arrow protruding from his skull.
The knight commander barked an order.
"We're under attack! Battle formation!"
The remaining nine soldiers instantly drew their swords and raised their shields, forming a tight circle around the commander.
"Hey! What about us!?"
Mr. Lim shouted in fear.
An arrow thudded into the dirt just inches from his foot.
"....I'm out!!"
Mr. Lim and the other two farmers panicked, bolting blindly into the woods. They had no idea where they were going, leaving only Mr. Hex and me with the soldiers.
Without hesitation, Mr. Hex rushed forward, grabbed a shield from the fallen soldier, and pulled me close.
"Stay close to me!"
He raised the shield just in time, arrows rained down on us in a deadly volley.
"Rrweerrghh! Rwaahhhh!!"
A chorus of savage roars erupted as a swarm of goblins burst from the treeline, charging from all directions.
They were armed with crude daggers, rusted swords, and makeshift clubs made from broken wood and bone.
I recognized them instantly.
I remembered these creatures as clearly as daylight.
Dark green skin. Small, twisted frames. Disfigured faces with long, crooked noses and pointed ears.
Filthy rags clung to their bodies, and their eyes gleamed with wild, savage fury.
My hands trembled, not with fear… but with rage.
"Ahhh—help me!!"
One of the soldiers panicked as the sheer number of goblins overwhelmed their line.
There were at least thirty of them, rushing in from every side.
I watched as the knight commander drew his sword in a flash, cutting down a goblin that lunged at him.
He dropped from his horse and fought side by side with his men.
Mr. Hex was already in motion. He had picked up a sword and swung with precision and power, his stance, his movements… he fought like someone trained for battle.
I was still frozen, watching, when one of the goblins lunged at me.
Instinct took over.
I shoved off the ground and slammed a fist straight into its face.
Crack.
Its skull caved in under the impact.
I ducked a swing from another goblin, twisted, and drove my foot into its ribs.
Snap.
It flew backward.
Warm blood splattered across my hands.
And something inside me snapped.
My blood boiled. My vision blurred.
I moved without thinking, tearing through the goblins one after another.
My knuckles bled. My breath was ragged.
But I didn't stop.
I grabbed a goblin's crude weapon and turned it against them, slicing through flesh, hacking through bone.
Blood poured like rain.
Screams echoed through the trees.
My eyes stayed locked on the goblins. One by one, I struck them down, until none were left standing.
Then, I felt the weight of silence.
Everyone was staring at me.
Mr. Hex. The knight commander. His men.
All of them watched in disbelief.
I glanced around and finally saw what they were seeing.
I stood alone, surrounded by the butchered remains of goblins.
Their green blood soaked my clothes, my hands, my skin.
I heard someone among the soldiers mutter under their breath:
"Is this guy really… a farmer?"
====================
The mission was completed as we returned to the village in silence.
The knight commander and his soldier part way with me and Mr.Hex when we arrived at the village.
I noticed Mr. Hex didn't say a word to me. It seems like he is still processing wheat he saw inside the forest.
I bowed quietly to him and made my way to the labor guild to clean myself and change my clothes, then I went to collect my reward for today.
After that, I returned home.
A small house at the edge of a golden wheat field.
"Big brother!"
A soft voice called out from a distance.
It was my sister, Lis. She stood outside the hut, waving both hands with a warm smile.
"I'm back," I replied, smiling as I walked toward her.
I gave her a gentle pat on the head and stepped inside.
"Oh, you're back!" my grandmother called from the kitchen, where she was cooking something over the stove.
I placed a small pouch, payment I received from the Labor Guild, on the table.
Lis's eyes lit up with surprise.
"Woah! Big brother, five silver coins! What did you do today?!"
"Umm… I escorted a knight commander. That's all," I said.
"Wow… my brother is really amazing!" she said, grinning cheerfully.
Meanwhile, my grandmother brought over a bowl of warm food and placed it in front of me.
"Thank you for your hard work," she said with a gentle smile.
Normally, working in the fields earned only about ten copper coins a day, barely enough for oats, millet, and a few vegetables.
But today, I helped escort a knight commander… and received five silver coins.
Enough for my grandmother and sister to eat comfortably for the next two or three days.
My sister was already sitting beside me, reading one of her books.
As I looked at her, I realized how much she had grown—how beautiful she'd become.
Her long blonde hair shimmered in the evening light, and her bright blue eyes, so different from mine, were full of life.
She is fifteen now.
She loved reading and studying. Almost every day, she spent her time at the church, learning and helping the nuns.
She was always cheerful, always teaching me something new.
I had never learned to read or write. Ever since we came to this town, I had worked as a farmer to support her and Grandma.
Farming was stable work. That's why I never thought to change it. The pay was low, but looking back, it had already been ten years since I started.
Compared to Lis, I had no big dreams.
I just hoped she would have a bright future…
That one day, she could leave this village with Grandma and live a better life.
"Big brother? Is something wrong?"
Lis looked up from her book, noticing I'd gone quiet again.
"Ah… it's nothing," I replied with a faint smile.
I quickly finished my meal and made my way to bed.