The Maid and Her Princess [On Hiatus]

The Last Goblin and the Pit (Goblin Eschaton 6)

VI.

The cage's thick branches came apart in Madoka's fists easily like bread loaves. She cared not for the mess she caused to fall upon the dirty captives. Arudite sputtered, while Ilalune stood tall and dusted herself off quietly. Soon, a girl and her slave stood in debt to a Royal and her maid. Madoka eyed the Truth Guild girl with a cautious glare.

"So?" Madoka sighed. She could sense Audrey peering from behind her at the odd pair before them. "Now what?"

"A level 2 researcher?" Audrey muttered. "That's a little plain..."

The so-called level 2 researcher's eyes were bright enough to reflect the green mossy giant trees above and below, with a foggy haze glossing over them like hot breath staining a window. She was studying them, with a bit of discomfort, as if they were predators. Madoka was not one to be the face of a show, so she glared back at the woman. Arudite quickly rubbed her eyes, and the maid watched her pull at something shiny beneath her robe. A small jade broach held her cloak together tightly, but kept her body protected.

Perhaps she was a Noble. The robes and her aura were probably more ornate than their own clothes beneath all the mud and grime. The details, it seemed, would be extracted soon enough, she supposed. Madoka narrowed her focus again.

The researcher fished out simple glasses that were dirty like the rest of her. Their lenses glinted like water sprayed in the twin moonlight. The traces of golden, geometric Knotting strands did not disturb its frames and indicated that it was not some kind of magical device. The circuitry simply returned to their usual patterns in the air after swirling around the researcher. Madoka chastised herself. Of course, people wore glasses all the time.

The slave, Ilalune, cleared her throat impatiently for Arudite to conjure up an answer.

"Huh? Oh, yes! Right!" The Truth Guild member pushed up her glasses with a muddy hand. "Those trolls left me in quite the state. My dear friend here, she is a powerful warrior on her own but we were caught by surprise."

Ilalune shrugged.

"Trolls?" Audrey asked.

"Caught us while we secured this nitwit and stole the Bureau device I was planning to use on it," She stomped a tough boot on the goblin's head. "Now, we're up one nitwit and down one magic pendant."

Pain.
Survive.
Must tell the others.
Surface too dangerous!
Disturbance, evil!
It wants our eyes.

Thoughts from the goblin surged through Madoka, but it remained still and quiet. The mental image of a massive dark crater flashed in her mind. That must be the disturbance. She decided to leave the creature be. It knew to stay silent, much like her.

"Wait a minute," Arudite inspected them closer. "I know you two! The unusual copper rank heroes from the reports! Ah, it must be fate that I got my hands on those things, and now I get to meet you! It's much more exhilarating to see you both, my heroes!"

"Heroes? Eheh, no," Audrey told her. "We simply were investigating the rumbling and got lucky."

"Lucky?" The researcher laughed heartily. "It takes a party of Gold rank adventurers to handle a single troll and yet, you managed to slay all three effortlessly!"

Her head tilted and her voice lilted, causing her hood to fall down and reveal long purple hair. An exquisite and unique hair color, Madoka recalled only two of her fellow commoner maids had such a color. This woman was not a Sovos nor a Cherish woman. No scales, no tail. Perhaps she was a Narm like they were, Madoka thought.

Audrey looked at the massive corpses. They were tall and silent as forgotten ruins now, their stench filled the covered woods like rotten food in a scullery. Not like it fazed the maid. Madoka guessed they were different in some regards. Ogres had nasty greenish skin and three eyes, while these monsters had thick and burlap brown hides with two eyes. They had one giant horn instead of multiple ones like the ogres as well.