Hero’s Mentor 2 (Patreon)

Hero’s Mentor 2

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Commissioned by Patreon Special

Wordcount: 2500

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[The following is the start of my transcription regarding the Chosen Hero’s journey. It is recorded several weeks after the defeat of the Demon Lord. 

I shall begin by iterating what I already know, which is in regards to the origin of the Chosen Heroine herself

The night where she begins her adventures would not have happened, if a request had been sent earlier. Everyone in the village had been aware of that goblins were about. The creatures stole food to strengthen themselves. Goblins did not sow grain nor herd animals. Of course, they would hunt if necessary, but if there were a village with poor defense, which had plenty of food, goblins will choose to inflict harm upon the local populace. 

Thus, the Chosen Hero’s village was beset by Goblins in the dead of night, as rain fell tumultuously, and they plundered and killed. 

The Chosen Hero’s childhood would’ve died that night, alongside her second family, thus rendering her to a past much like other heroes in myth and legend. Powerful due to their drive to not be hurt again. Seeking to protect, but due to having no one to protect them before. Driven to defeat the darkness, not out of duty, but out of refusal to be defeated themselves.

Such were the tragedies that I studied, such a history was not to be her own, due to the actions of Goblin Slayer. Thus, I am intrigued by how the two came to be. I wish to learn more about my companion, as well as her teacher, and how the creation of a Hero who has defeated every challenge she’s faced soundly and without issue came to be. Those in the future will surely appreciate this work, as it will allow Heroes who rise up to face the Demon Lords in the future the advantages which they require. 

Still, the Chosen Hero can be less effusive with her praise towards her savior.

It was quite difficult to transcribe the Hero’s story about her past, how she learned, and how she came to be, whilst removing all fantasies and aggrandization regarding the man known as Goblin Slayer. 

I will simply have to do so at a later date. 

My following recording takes place at an inn. It is after a day of easy labor. The Chosen Hero takes care to deal with any immediate threat to the location in which we stay, before choosing to rest for the evening. We eat lightly, in order for an easy night’s slumber and an early-morning’s awakening, as we are not fatigued by the day. Fatigue and hearty food can dull the mind, so it is an appropriate time to ask.]

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Hmmm, I don’t really remember much about that night, besides what I told you. It was just an ordinary night at the orphanage, but I guess that was what the Goblins wanted. If no one was on guard, then they had the element of surprise, and that usually decides the fate of every fight! It’s always better to have that on your side, and if it’s not, well you have to fight as hard as possible and hold nothing back!

That’s why I have a few hidden weapons on me, tee hee!

But, yep, the Goblins held the advantage in every way that night. Really, it’s great that everyone decided to run away. Even if it was raining, houses can still burn if a torch is thrown inside, and Goblins are the cruel sort… so if they can’t enter someplace, they’ll burn it! It was good that a lot of the villagers ran into the forest, since Goblins are small and they can’t run as fast as adult humans.

Kids, though?

We were pretty out of luck, so all we could do was hope that they didn’t find us in the orphanage.

There wasn’t much to loot there, so there was no reason for Goblins to come, but like I said: Goblins are cruel.

After they drove off the villages into the dark, rainy night, they looked for victims to turn into livestock. Either for eating or making more of themselves. We were being cared for by the Church, and the Sisters weren’t going to run away, so I guess they wanted to take the orphanage for meat and muscle.

Oh, that’s pretty grim, huh?

Well, my teacher told me avoiding the subject is letting Goblins strike fear into you. It’s okay to be afraid, he told me, but not terrified. I’d be pretty terrified, if I couldn’t think of what they did, right?

Anyway, that was how it was.

It was us in our orphanage with just our caretakers.

The Goblins were trying to find a way past the barricades, but the Sisters were very, very smart1 They propped up all they could find against the doors, while holding fast all the windows with rope, then they had us all go in the attic. If we went into the basement, we wouldn’t have a chance against Goblins, and there was only one entrance, too! 

And, since it was raining, they couldn’t set the roof on fire!

It was a great plan.

But, even though one good arm could’ve killed every Goblin that tried to come in… but there wasn’t one present. 

No one knew how to fight.

So, everyone was scared when they came in.

They talked in their strange language, while they searched the orphanage. They took everything they could, broke what they couldn’t, and sometimes they yelled for no reason. We had to keep quiet the whole time, as they tried to make us cry and tell them where we were, but in the end everyone managed to hold on.

Maybe, if it went on for the whole night, and if they brought those who they captured into the orphanage, it would’ve been different.

It didn’t last the whole night, though!

Because, my teacher arrived!

Back then, he was pretty new too. He was just Porcelain. A normal Porcelain doesn’t stand a chance against twenty Goblins, but my teacher’s amazing! He managed to get the numbers of the Goblins from those he met on the road, then he picked off each one he could find looting in the village, before coming to the Orphanage!

[The Sword Saint speaks here. She mentions the lack of courage and bravery on Goblin Slayer’s part. Many would agree with her. However, the Chosen Hero only tilts her head questioningly, completely unfazed by the assertion, and seeking to address the issue.]

Huh?

It’s not brave to not try and save the Orphanage first?

But, if he didn’t deal with those Goblins outside first, he’d have been flanked! Or, worse, he’d have had them attack him from behind, while he was doing his best to focus on his front! Maybe, now, he’d be able to beat that challenge… but that would still be too dangerous. If you can make a fight easier for yourself, you should, especially when others are counting on you to succeed. If he died quickly saving us, because of Goblins he could have killed earlier, we’d have died to the Goblins that killed him!

[The Chosen Hero smiles when the answer is accepted. The answer is sufficient in regards to tempering the thoughts of the Sword Saint.]

Besides, don’t you think it would be crazy for a single man to fight twenty things at once? Even fighting five battles against four foes is pretty crazy, especially if they’re right after one another! So, it’s only natural that he wouldn’t risk it.

It was just like that time we were going into our first Dungeon, where it was filled with loads of enemies, right? We took them on group by group, using the tunnels to our advantage, and so we easily won, even though we were outnumbered so badly. My teacher didn’t have spells, companions, or even that good of armor back then, so he really had a fight as tough as ours, and he managed to win all by himself!

[The Sword Saint is fond of teasing the Chosen Hero. If allowed to continue, she will tease the Chosen Hero to speak about her teacher for hours on end. While it is good chatter to hear during long journeys, I elect to interrupt the Chosen Hero and place her back on track. Once dispatching the Goblins outside, how did Goblin Slayer destroy the monsters that were scouring the orphanage en masse?]

Oh? That’s easy! He set snares outside, then led them into ambushes! The orphanage was surrounded by trees, and Goblins never expect to be ambushed, so after they tripped or were surprised, he swiftly dealt with each one! He hid a lot of times, covering himself in mud even, but in the end the Goblins were all killed.

The Sisters had to take care of him afterward, though. He was pretty wounded in the end. He only rested and let them treat him when men from the next village came. They were pretty shocked to find that Goblin Slayer came and saved all he did by himself. I was really glad that no one blamed him for being late or anything! That happens sometimes, since Goblins are almost everywhere.

[I pursue the subject the next evening. This time it is after defeating a local quest and a day’s journey. The Sword Saint is asleep at this point, incapable of teasing the Chosen Hero, thus I am able to ascertain information from her that she would not normally relinquish. I write this while we sit together in an inn’s empty common room, enjoying the hospitality of our hostess, as we arrived late in the evening and hadn’t been able to eat supper.]

How I feel about Goblin Slayer-san, huh?

Well… I want to save him, just like he saved me, if that makes any sense?

At first, he told me to go away when I chased after him, so that I could fight beside him. I mean, we’re only a few years apart, but he’d trained longer. 

[Until this point, the Chosen Hero has not made any mention of the Goblin Slayer’s teacher. Who taught the man responsible for raising the Chosen Hero? Was it necessary to search that individual out, too? Our current journey was to see the Chosen Hero to the frontier, where she can resume traveling with her teacher, so I will meet her teacher. However, what of the presumed first in the line of succession in teachers and pupils? Would it not be prudent to acquire that individual’s knowledge for posterity, too? Thus, I inquired in regards to the individual.]

Teacher’s teacher, huh? Well, he didn’t talk much about him, but when I asked, he told me it was Rhea who wore a Goblin’s face as a mask. 

Or, was it a mask of a Goblin on his face? 

But what really matters is if you need to find him, right? 

Hmmm, I don’t think so. Goblin Slayer-san’s very nice in the way he teaches. He’ll make sure to keep you safe, even if it means hurting your feelings and making you hate him. His teacher was much meaner, since he had him learn or die. 

[At this point in time, the Chosen Heroine speaks whilst we partake in our late, evening meal, at the behest our hostess to consume it all before it gets cold. I take notes in the midst of eating, while the Chosen Heroine mentions how Goblin Slayer was trained. I shall note them all here to verify with the man himself at a later date:

-He was forced to learn how to swim in an icy, underground lake. Then, he would swim against the current of a river to reach the other side. It seems to focus on ensuring he manages to keep calm, as well as train his body, and endure hardship whilst continuing to fight.  The Chosen Hero mentions wanting to try it, but being prohibited by the Goblin Slayer from doing it in icy waters. He trained her using a lake and a river and only after ensuring she knew how to swim, whilst keeping a rope upon her waist in his grasp.

-He learned how to dodge by evading balls of snow weighted by rocks, as well as falling icicles within a cave. It seems that the boy went in the far north after his family was taken, and found a teacher within the lands where winter is heavy. Is it because Goblins find it difficult to survive in the snow, as there are few animals to hunt, and few villages to pillage? I can only speculate in regards to the efficacy of the training. I will consult the Sword Saint in regards to how effective it is.

-Much to the Sword Saint’s chagrin, he was left untaught in regards to weapons, save for the basics. He is adequate in most, though apparently skilled in managing to throw them at enemies, but has no specialization. His teacher did not teach him how to use anything in particular, perhaps due to the nature of Goblins being a waste to use powerful weapons upon. It begs to question how he trained the Chosen Hero in how to use her sword, though given how extensive the training the Sword Saint gave her, it may be nothing beyond the basics. I will confirm this at a later date.

We finish our meal, bathe, and retire to our rooms for the night after this.

The following is a transcription of the Chosen Hero’s words as she is fatigued, shortly after explaining the lack of specialization in training.]

Even though he’s strong, my teacher’s always worried that he’s not strong enough, or that he’ll get too overconfident. So, he uses what he can pick up, or what Goblins won’t be able to use that well. I would be happier if he decided to do things more safely, but he only cares about killing Goblins.

[The following note will be erased before review, let alone publishing: the Chosen Hero proves herself to be rather cute at this moment. For a split second, as she holds her pillow against herself and in her nightgown, she worries fretfully and with a face tinged scarlet. I must find a way to convey this through subtext at a later date, but for now this shall serve as a reminder.]

I really wish he’d change a little, even though he’s already amazing. I was doing my best to try and get him to be safer, but it usually never worked. He always only protected himself so that he could kill more Goblins the next day. If he could go into caves without wearing any armor, with just his weapons, he would.

I really hope that he’s safe now and that he’s okay.

At least, I want to thank him for saving me and my family that day.

[It is fortunate that I managed to catch those last words. They were whispered on the edge of consciousness, just before sleep. I will have to revise my notes, but it is pertinent that I convey those feelings into my writing in the future

In the future, there will be many more Demon Lords and many more Heroes. 

As strange as she is, I want more of those chosen by the gods to be happy, cheerful, and filled with hope for the future, as she is.]