23 Divine Cat Mee-chan is attacked by goblins in the village.

“Bang! Crash! Clang clang clang!”

Ugh, what’s all this noise outside? It doesn’t feel like I’ve been asleep for very long…

“Neiro-san, there’s a monster attack. Please wake up.”

Zeff’s voice came from outside the tent. Monster attack! I quickly got up and rushed outside barefoot.

“There’s no need to panic. Everything is under control.”

Why is Zeff so calm about this?

“But there’s a monster attack, right?!”

“Yes, but the village’s guard and our hunters are on it, so it should be manageable. Just make sure you’re dressed properly. We need to be prepared for any situation.”

“Got it!”

I went back into the tent, got dressed—just putting on socks and a shirt—and equipped my gear. I had stored all important items in Mii-chan’s bag, so there were no issues. I picked up sleeping Mii-chan and my usual bag and went to where the caravan members were gathering.

Mii-chan is amazing, being able to sleep through all this chaos.

“What’s the situation?”

I asked Banz, who was there.

“Looks like a sizable goblin horde is attacking.”

“Will everything be alright?”

“I can’t say for sure. We’re not combatants, so there’s not much we can do.”

From the nearby wooden defenses, we could hear loud banging noises from outside: thud! crash!.

“This is bad…”

Zeff’s words made me more anxious.

“Let’s call back the hunters.”

One of the caravan members sprinted off at Zeff’s command.

“Everyone, move the carts to the center of the village. Quickly, please!”

I helped move the carts, carrying a lantern. In the village center, numerous torches were lit, and the villagers gathered there.

We arranged the carts in a defensive formation around the villagers. Bam was removed from the cart and placed inside with the villagers for safety. Other carts from the village were also positioned to form a barricade.

The hunters and the village’s guards were heading towards us.

“This is bad. It’s only a matter of time before the gates are breached…”

Faren reported to Zeff, clearly worried.

“How about the guards?”

“They’ll have to hold their ground here.”

“Can they win?”

“There’s no choice but to fight. There’s no place to run.”

“Any reinforcements?”

“One of the guards left on horseback before we were surrounded. If reinforcements come, it will be before noon tomorrow.”

The village chief, standing on top of a cart, addressed everyone.

“Those who can, take up arms! We won’t see the morning unless we defeat these monsters!”

This is unbelievable… I never expected it to come to this…

Mii-chan, having woken up, looked around in confusion, trying to understand what was happening.

I was handed a weapon—a spear of sorts, which was better than nothing.

I knelt in front of a crying five or six-year-old girl, handing her Mii-chan.

“Can you help me by keeping Mii-chan safe?”

The girl, initially surprised, stopped crying and looked at Mii-chan before nodding at me. I patted both their heads, secured my bag on the cart, and stepped outside the barricade.

The village and its defenses are preparing for the battle ahead. What’s your next move as you face this impending threat?

“Mii…”

I could hear Mii-chan’s lonely meow, but I couldn’t turn around. I had no intention of dying, after all. I just waved my hand backward, a feeble attempt to reassure.

“Do you have any combat experience?”

Farren-san’s voice reached me.

“This is my worst debut battle.”

“I see… I’ll give you one piece of advice. Show no mercy to the monsters. Just focus on ending them without hesitation.”

I understand what he’s saying, but can someone like me, who can’t even kill a single insect, really do that? It’s essential to gain this experience if I’m aiming to become a hunter, but it feels like there’s no room for error. It’s strange that I’m not trembling.

“I’ll do my best.”

“I’ll try to keep them away from you as much as possible.”

A distant crash echoed through the night…

“They’re coming!”

The guards and hunters moved a little ahead of us.

Thanks to the torches and moonlight, I could see the shadows of the monsters running toward us. From the top of the carts, arrows were fired, and I could see the monsters fall.

With the battle beginning, what’s your next move as you brace yourself for the fight?

The chaos of battle rages around you as you face off against the goblins. The air is filled with the sounds of combat—clang of metal, shouts, and the occasional roar of a monster.

The magical fireballs from the torches are taking their toll on the goblins, but their power is depleting the flames’ strength. Despite their effectiveness, it seems their usage isn’t very practical as they diminish the light source. The women of the “Shining Holy Sword” party are shouting to use oil to keep the flames going.

Meanwhile, the goblins are approaching from multiple directions, creating a desperate situation where the defense lines are thinning. Your previous position was relatively secure, but now the goblins are closing in, and the battle lines are shifting.

As a goblin approaches within five meters of you, it is struck by an arrow, but it continues to advance with a menacing glare. Your body freezes, paralyzed by fear. It takes someone shouting at you to break the paralysis.

“Do it! Finish it off or you’ll die!”

The command snaps you out of your daze, and your body moves almost instinctively. You manage to stab the goblin with your spear, and it collapses. The spear breaks, but you’ve done your part.

A voice encourages you, “Well done! Stay alert!” You realize, with a strange sense of detachment, that you are the one who fought. It’s almost as if you’re observing yourself from a distance. Your emotions are muted, which, in this moment, is strangely helpful.

Another goblin appears before you, and you’re left without an arrow to assist. You quickly assess your options, grabbing a small knife and a dagger from your waist. You throw the dagger, aiming to distract, though it flies over the goblin’s head. As the goblin focuses on the thrown dagger, you use the opportunity to close the distance and take it down with your small sword.

In the midst of the fight, a translucent panel appears in front of you. You don’t have time to analyze it right now; survival is your priority.

Amid the chaos, what are you planning to do next? Will you continue fighting, try to find a safer spot, or maybe look for any possible reinforcements?