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Chapter 5 – Cheat Knowledge That Makes You Stronger! ~VS Goblin Edition~

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“TRANSLATOR: Anargya”

“EDITOR: GhostApe”

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ーAt the time of the tutorial…… That day, I can only stand there and look at Cordelia getting injured.

The reason the goblins attacked my village was purely because they wanted to plunder for food…… or that’s what I think it is.

…… and.

Cordelia has an oracle to be a Hero already.

However, she was only 12 years old.

It was certain that her occupation was a Hero, so her future growth was in the realm of monsters.

And her status was certainly amazing compared to normal people.

But……she is still 12 years old, she hasn’t had her full-scale growth yet, in terms of status.

In terms of her ability, a middle-aged veteran who was just enjoying the glory of the Adventurer’s Guild and his past was still somewhat better.

The number of goblins…… was probably about over a thousand.

ーThey have great numerical superiority.

The adults pushed everything to the hero, to her, to bear the brunt.

All of them were just hiding and trembling in the village church.

The other party was, after all, a small fish species……a goblin.

If they involved the surrounding villages…… if all the adults responded with hoe and sickles and supported Cordelia better……the whole village would have been able to drive the goblin away.

ーBut the adults didn’t choose that.

They entrusted everything to the Hero of the Oracle who was just a 12 year old girl, and stayed in a safe space.

Then, among the countless corpses, she fought like a lion as she struggled with a sword that is covered with blood and fat.

She could escape from the goblins anytime with her physical ability.

But she didn’t do that.

In the back alley of a building, with her backed against a wall.

Foolishly, she……was being pushed back by the violent chain of attacks, becoming more and more tattered, while protecting the trembling boy behind her.

ーThat’s right, that boy is……me, who was late to escape.

No one came to help even if I cried.

There is also no way of fighting back.

But, Cordelia is getting injured in front of my eyes.

Many times she looked at me and said,

「Lute!? Are you still alive!? It’s okay now, because…… I’m here! I’ll get rid of all of these guys so……! I’ll help you if something happened to you so…… please call me out loud!」

She is spilling blood from all over her body, and her face is pale.

And I am unharmed.

Honestly, that part was the most…… painful.

Yes, I…… far from helping Cordelia, even on a battlefield…… well I can’t fight anything in the first place.

ーAt that time, I knew the sin of helplessness for the first time.

Countless wounds

And a tragedy.

Cordelia’s vermillion hair has become even brighter because it’s covered with blood including her own.

Nevertheless, they have numerical superiority.

Finally, she ran out of stamina and she fell on her knees.

The goblins surrounded her and are gradually coming closer.

She was fighting the goblins until the last minute, but she finally reached her limit.

She took a straight hit from a spear.

Then……her right hand, she received a wound that would last her a lifetime and she collapsed on a spot.

And when I thought she would be killed afterwardsー

ーA dragon appeared.

Then, Cordelia and I were helped by that dragon.

That is, the end of the story.

Then, this time…… when the dragon helped us, I will have him take me to the dragon’s village.

Therefore, I will have to follow last time’s path as much as possible.

If I helped out Cordelia with the goblin army……the dragon might not come.

ーFrankly, it’s troublesome.

That’s why this time…… I pretended to be late to escape when the goblin attacked.

And I got lost in the alley surrounded by buildings.

Then, when I’m in a pinch surrounded by goblins, as if she was aiming for it, Cordelia appeared with her hair swaying.

The event after that is just like the last repeat.

Cordelia is cleaning up the approaching goblin with tremendous momentum.

However, as she is unfamiliar with combat, she gradually runs out of stamina and MP without being able to grasp her own pace.

Now, I know exactly why.

ーThere is too much waste in her movement. And to be honest, she is foolishly overusing Physical Strengthening. Unlike me, Cordelia’s MP is very limited……so she needs to save MP as she is in a long battle against many enemies.

I’m grinding my teeth while looking, but I can’t help her.

Because she won’t die even without my help.

Yes, she is somewhat wounded, but…… she won’t die.

It would be far more troublesome if I make a bad move and change history here.

「Kyaa……!」

The tip of a goblin’s spear grazed Cordelia’s cheek.

Cordelia screamed as she bled a small drop of blood.

「Youuuuuuu!!」

A sword flashed at the abdomen of the goblin.

The goblin, whose abdomen was cut open, collapsed while its guts spilled out.

She swung her sword.

A goblin collapsed.

She swung her sword.

A goblin collapsed.

She swung her sword.

A goblin collapsed and an arrow flew at her.

She avoids it with a short hair’s breadth, but a small wound is carved on her skin.

How long has it passed since the battle started?

Like last time, she is full of wounds.

Breathing raggedly, she called out to me, who was just looking at the situation from the corner of the alley.

「Lute!? Are you still alive!? It’s okay now, because…… I’m here! I’ll get rid of all of these guys so……! I’ll help you if something happened to you so…… please call me out loud!」

She is spilling blood from all over her body, and her face is pale.

And like last time, I’m not injured at all.

Thenーa myriad of slashes. And a tragedy.

Cordelia’s hair turned even more bright red, covered with blood including her own.

After all, they have numerical superiority.

And finally, her stamina…… no, to be exact, her MP ran out.

Suffering from MP depletion, she become incapacitated and she fell on her knees.

The goblins surrounded her as they gradually came closer.

If I leave it as it is, Cordelia will take a direct hit, but…… a bit later, the dragon will come to help.

Therefore, I just desperately endured the scene while biting my lips.

ーLeave it as it is.

If I change history strangely here…… and the dragon didn’t come to help, it would be disastrous.

The wound that Cordelia will receive at this time is not so deep. There was a ridiculous amount of blood, but…… there is no difference that she will survive.

So, it’s fine.

There, a goblin jumped out diagonally to the right of Cordelia.

That is……so I thought.

Yes, I never forgot itーa lifelong wound on Cordelia’s right hand.

I bit my lips again, and it tasted like blood.

ーJust leave it as it is. Cordelia won’t die.

But……or so I thought.

That……the wound this time……the scar of the big wound she is going to receiveーshe is always worried about her old scar being seen, and she will always wear long sleeves in the summer.

The one girl that is on her knees.

I thought about her lonely struggles abandoned by the adults.

She involuntarily became a hero, worshiped……and her life monitored.

And now, she can’t even move because of blood loss and MP depletion.

When I thought about that, her back looked terribly unreliable.

ーIt looked like the back of a 12 year old girlーa tiny little back that was taken for granted.

Thus, I asked myself why I wanted to become stronger.

Is it to become a hero?

ーCertainly, this is a part of it.

Is it to become a member of the group of heroes led by Cordelia?

ーCertainly, this is a part of it too.

But, that is not it. Those are not what I really wanted. That is not the case.

What I really wanted isー

ーTo stand next to her, to build up an equal relationship…… On top of that, to be someone who can protect her.

Before I noticed, my body had already moved.

ーSkill: Physical Strengthening, activate.

ーSkill: Body Strengthening Technique, activate.

ーSkill: Oni Gate Method, activate.

Just for what…… has I been silently sharpening my fangs? Right now, it’s for moments like right now isn’t it?

ーIsn’t that right? Lute Macklen……no, Ijima Ryuuto!

ーAhh, no mistaking it.

I smiled bitterly at myself.

Then, I grabbed the head of the goblin that was trying to attack Cordelia.

「Oi, you……just who do you think you are trying to touch?」

I said as I did a body blow to the solar plexus of the goblin as it was.

The goblin then vomited its gastric juices while letting out a strange high-pitched voice, before collapsing and fainting from agony.

ーNow, I’ve done it.

But, this is fine, I think.

If I cleared up the goblin swarm here, the dragon might not appear.

However, If I let Cordelia cry hereーthat’s putting the cart before the horse.

ーThat’s why, this is fine.

「Oi, Cordelia? You have done your best best yourself until now…… Leave the rest to me.」

「Lute……? You…… will fight the goblin? A villager……like you?」

I then proceed to steal Cordelia’s sword.

「It’s true that I’m a villager.」

「Then run away…… it’s fine! It’s fine to leave me here so…… just run away from this place!」

「It’s okay.」

「But, you are just a villager……」

「I might be a villager. But, I’m not an ordinary one.」

「……?」

「I amーthe strongest villager on land.」

I look at all the goblins around.

「To prove that, I won’t let any of them escape, okay? Then……well, you guys heard it earlier…… You guys, see? So……with whom’s permission…… are you trying to touch Cordelia with?」

I held the sword up.

The number of goblins in front of me…… Is the total number about 500?

I used to only be able to sit down and tremble.

But, I am not what I used to be.

This is the second time…… I passed this 12 years ago.

ーI don’t feel like succumbing to fear.

And behind me is Cordelia…… the position has been reversed from last time.

Made aware of that, I raised my voice as hard as I could.

「ーCome…… Come here and let’s settle this at once!」

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