Ch 45 : Meeting with the Leaders

The woodfire crackled as Old Tim and Auron sat by the campfire, their low voices blending with the quiet rustle of the night. The two beast riders sat silently in a corner, nursing their wounds while keeping an eye on the conversation.

"We just raided the goblin encampment this afternoon," Auron explained, poking the fire with a stick. "It was a bit of an accident, but we managed to rescue these victims."

Old Tim looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You and who else?"

"My friends from the academy. You already know two of them—Thyra, Ray's daughter from Noble Walnut Town, and Alice, the redhead. The other two are Walter and Eliot, friends I made at the academy," Auron replied, glancing toward the tent where his friends rested.

"So you're telling me that you and a bunch of academy brats wiped out an entire goblin encampment with thirty goblins, including a goblin champion?" Old Tim asked, his tone filled with disbelief.

Auron simply nodded.

Old Tim leaned back, stroking his chin. "Hard to believe, but since you handled those two lackeys of mine with ease, I suppose it's possible."

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention something," Auron said, leaning forward. "The goblin champion was... weird. Its body was deformed, and after I defeated it, a slimy creature with a murky aura appeared."

Old Tim sat up straight, his expression suddenly serious. "What did you say? A slimy creature with a murky aura?"

Auron nodded, pointing west. "Yeah, it came out of the goblin champion. The encampment is a few kilometers from here in that direction."

Without a word, Old Tim vanished, leaving nothing but the fading smoke from his sudden departure.

"He's fast," Auron thought, impressed. "That's got to be Tier 4 magus speed. He feels like the principal—his mana burns just as intensely."

A few minutes later, Old Tim reappeared, his face grim. "The encampment... it's scorched. There's a path of destruction there, and no trace of life remains."

"That was me," Auron admitted. "I cleared it out to ensure nothing survived. As for the abyssal creature, I think I burned it away."

Old Tim stared at him, stunned. "This boy... is he telling the truth? But he doesn't seem to be lying. If the abyssal was already injured when it fought us, and it exploded, then maybe..."

Old Tim's thoughts raced as he looked at Auron. Finally, he nodded, his face softening slightly. "You lot stay here. Don't move. I'm bringing Old Chris and Chief Moonclaw. The soldiers will come to help with the victims."

With that, Old Tim and the two beast riders vanished into the night. Auron returned to the fire, waiting patiently as dawn slowly broke over the horizon.

As the morning light warmed the camp, the victims and Auron's friends began to stir. Walter, ever cautious, grabbed his hammer and shield.

"Relax," Auron chuckled. "The soldiers are here to help."

Sure enough, a squad of soldiers approached, led by a stern-looking man. He walked up to Auron and said, "Sir Auron? The leaders wish to speak with you. Don't worry about the victims; we'll take care of them, along with your friends."

Auron nodded, turning to his friends. "Make sure to eat something. They probably brought food. I'll be back after meeting with the leaders."

Following the soldier, Auron arrived at a large tent, big enough to hold twenty people comfortably. Inside, three men with imposing presences were seated—Old Tim, a man in black metal armor, and another man covered in tattoos. Auron guessed these were Old Chris and Chief Moonclaw.

"Greetings, esteemed leaders," Auron said, bowing slightly as he entered.

"Good manners," Old Chris commented, gesturing for him to sit. "Join us for breakfast. We'll ask you a few questions while we eat, if that's alright with you."

Auron nodded, taking a seat. A plate of bread and sausages was set before him, and he dug in as the leaders began their meal.

"So," Old Chris began, "you really destroyed the goblin encampment? Mind telling us how?"

Auron explained everything in detail, from the raid on the camp to the encounter with the abyssal creature.

Chief Moonclaw leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You say you burned the abyssal. Can you show us that spell?"

Old Tim frowned. "Chief, that's pushing it a bit far."

"It's fine," Auron interjected. He raised his hand, and a small, flickering Inferno Lance of Ruin materialized, glowing with a searing intensity before vanishing.

Chief Moonclaw whistled, clearly impressed. "With a spell like that, I can see how you'd incinerate it, especially if it was already injured."

Old Chris nodded. "Makes sense. So, who's your master, boy? Someone had to teach you that."

Auron shook his head. "I don't have a master. I stumbled upon this in one of my journeys."

The leaders exchanged glances, and Old Chris waved him off. "Alright, we've got the details we need. You can go now."

Auron stood, bowing politely before exiting the tent. As soon as he was gone, the leaders turned to each other.

Old Chris spoke first. "So, what about the relics?"

The Vice Commander, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. "Everything he said checks out. The relics didn't react to him."

"What do you two think?" Old Chris asked, seeking their opinions.

Chief Moonclaw scratched his chin. "I don't think he's lying. It's possible he had some lucky encounter. Either that, or he's been possessed by the abyssal."

Old Tim shook his head. "I checked with the Swamp Enclave Academy. The boy's been taking missions every weekend with his friends. He could've had a lucky encounter during one of them."

Old Chris leaned back, sighing in relief. "As long as the abyssal is gone, nothing else matters."

With the meeting concluded, the leaders turned their attention back to their breakfast, content that the danger had passed—for now.

Auron met his friends by the carriage, where they had been waiting anxiously.

"Is it done?" Walter asked, concern etched on his face. He had been worried the leaders might have put Auron through something unpleasant.

"Yeah, it's all good," Auron reassured him with a small smile. "They just asked a few questions about the goblin encampment, nothing too serious."

With breakfast finished and their belongings packed, the group set off back toward the academy, leaving the victims in the capable hands of the soldiers. The journey was quieter than usual, the events of the previous night still fresh in their minds.

Once they arrived at the academy, they headed straight to the Trading Hall to report their mission. After providing the details, including the size of the goblin force, the presence of a goblin champion, and the number of victims they had rescued, the clerk looked up from the records with a doubtful expression.

"It's difficult to verify the authenticity of this information right away," the clerk said, tapping a quill against the ledger. "How about you come back later? We need to investigate this first."

Auron leaned forward slightly, meeting the clerk's gaze. "You can confirm it with Sir Chris, Chief Moonclaw, or Old Tim. They've already conducted their own investigation."

The clerk's eyes widened at the mention of those names, clearly recognizing their significance. "Wait—Sir Chris, Chief Moonclaw, and Old Tim? You're telling me they were involved?"

Auron just nodded, leaving the clerk speechless.

Realizing the weight of what he had just been told, the clerk quickly stood from his chair. "I need to report this to the Hall Master immediately," he muttered, more to himself than to the group, before rushing off toward the main office without another word.

As the clerk hurried away, Walter raised an eyebrow, watching him disappear. "Looks like we just stirred up something big."

Auron shrugged. "I guess we did. Let's just wait and see what happens next."