I'm not a Witcher anymore.

It was still dark.

The eastern sky was tinged with a cold white, and the mist in the mountains and forests drifted along the ground, obscuring the path leading up the mountain outside the village.

The grass was damp, and when you stepped on it, the soles of your boots sank slightly into the soil, leaving a trail of dark marks.

Two birdsongs occasionally drifted from the depths of the forest, short and hollow, quickly dissipating into the mist.

Outside the longhouse, everyone was already ready.

Valeria stood at the front, her light armor neatly fastened, her longsword and kite shield hanging in convenient positions.

She first checked everyone's equipment before turning her gaze to the foggy road at the village entrance.

Ravenna carried a short bow on her back.

She didn't sleep long last night, but she was still wide awake this morning, with no sign of sleepiness in her eyes.

Hill stood to the side, his shawl pulled tightly shut, his cane resting steadily beside him.

Lucy carried the medicine bag on her back, her fingertips touching the opening of the bag to confirm that the bandages, medicine, and holy symbols inside were all in place. Although her expression was tense, her breathing was very even.

Zig stood slightly to the right of the group, his gaze passing over the village entrance and looking at the mountain silhouette, which was mostly obscured by fog.

"Let's go."

As soon as she finished speaking, footsteps suddenly echoed through the village.

Everyone turned to look.

Emerging from the morning mist was the old hunter.

He barely slept all night.

His face was dark and bluish-black, and the old scar on his face stood out even more in the morning light.

But the person was neatly dressed, with a hunched back and steady steps.

He went back last night and thought about it over and over again. Just as dawn broke, the person arrived.

Two villagers were following behind him.

Both were around thirty years old, with broad shoulders and strong hands honed from years of hard work.

Each carried a rope and a water bag on their back, and held a hastily carved wooden spear in their hand.

Ravenna raised an eyebrow slightly as she recognized the person who had approached.

The old hunter walked closer and stopped.

"Let's go too."

He didn't even bother with any preamble.

"I didn't sleep a wink after I got back last night. I thought about everything I needed to think about. I know exactly how to get up the mountain on that hunting trail, which side of the stronghold is near the water, and which slope is the hardest to climb."

"We're not here to cause trouble."

"If we manage to rescue them, someone will have to carry them down the mountain. If any of the five girls are seriously injured, you will all be tied down."

"Besides, if we really run into that group of goblins in the mountains, we can't just stand by and watch. Having a couple more people to help hold them off is better than having you protect people while being distracted."

Valeria remained silent for a moment.

"You can come with me."

The old hunter was about to speak when Valeria raised her hand to stop him.

"But there's one thing you should remember."

"Once we're up the mountain, everyone will follow my instructions. If anyone tries to do things on their own, I won't lead them any further."

The old hunter held his bow, standing ramrod straight.

The two villagers behind him nodded, their expressions tense, showing no sign of backing down.

The morning mist drifted slowly past his shoulders, making his scarred face appear even drier and harder.

He solemnly agreed.

"Okay. Once we're in the mountains, whatever you say, we'll do."

……

The mountain road was relatively flat at first.

The ground beneath our feet was mud and withered leaves soaked with dew, heavy underfoot, and occasionally leaving half a boot print.

The higher you go in the mountains, the more unpleasant the smell in the forest becomes.

The air was thick with the smells of damp mud, decaying leaves, wild animals, and a faint, fishy stench.

Zieg initially only caught a faint smell, but after walking past two low bushes, the scent became more pronounced.

It wasn't the rotting of dead objects, but rather the stench of dirty fur mixed with old blood, left unwashed for a long time and trapped in dampness.

"We've reached their usual haunt."

The old hunter's voice was very low.

"Be extra careful ahead."

No one answered.

Ravenna stopped without warning.

She placed her palm next to a damp tree root, and waved her other hand behind her back, signaling everyone to stop.

Zig stopped walking and looked down where Ravenna was pointing.

There are footprints in the mud.

It wasn't big, it was messy, the toes were spread wide apart, but the edges were very fresh, obviously it had just been stepped on not long ago.

There was a clump of low shrubs nearby, bent over by the weight of the weight, with half a piece of gray cloth that had been torn apart hanging from its branches, the corner of the cloth stained with mud.

Ravenna raised her hand, picked up the piece of cloth, smelled it, and her expression darkened.

"It's not something the hunter owns."

She handed the piece of cloth to Zig.

Zieg took it and glanced at it.

The fabric was coarse, but the edges were fine, like something a village woman would tear off from her undergarment.

The old hunter saw it too, and his old scar on his face seemed to be pulled by something, so he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.

At that moment, Hill suddenly looked towards the woods on his left.

There's something there.

As soon as she spoke, a rustling sound of branches and leaves echoed through the woods.

It's not the wind.

The next moment, Ravenna had already turned around and drawn her bow.

With a twang of the bowstring, an arrow pierced through the thin mist and pierced the green head that peeked out from behind the tree on the left.

The goblin didn't even have time to utter a sound before it plunged headfirst into the bushes.

A sharp shriek suddenly erupted from the gap in the forest ahead, and a dozen or so short figures darted out from the mountain path, followed by several men carrying thick ropes and wooden spears.

They have come down from the mountain again to hunt.

"Move closer!"

Instead of retreating, Valeria took a half-step forward, turned her body to the side, and used two old trees that were very close together by the roadside and half a fallen log at her feet to forcefully narrow the momentum in front of her.

The shield edge suddenly rose, colliding head-on with the first goblin charging at them.

The creature gripped a sharpened wooden spear tightly in its hand. The shield struck its chest, and its entire short body was thrown off the ground. The muffled sound of bones breaking was mixed with its distorted screams, making one's teeth ache.

The two goblins behind it practically leaped up by stepping on its body.

One tried to squeeze past Valeria on her left, while the other raised its rusty dagger high, aiming straight for her exposed shoulder and neck.

Facing the pincer attack, she stood firmly as if nailed to the ground, thrusting her shield outward to force the one on the left back, and then swung her longsword in her right hand, slashing diagonally upward.

The sword's edge grazed the shield, slicing through the goblin's jaw and half his face.

Blood gushed out suddenly, splattering onto the tree bark and leaving a glaring crimson stain.

Four goblins silently emerged from behind the tree roots and bushes, clearly intending to create chaos in front of them and sneak up on Lucy and Hill from the sides and rear.

The one at the front had a rough cloth bag hanging from his waist and a lasso in his other hand, and he lunged forward with a sinister grin.

Sieg was already standing a little to the right of the group, and when he saw the goblins come out, he immediately went to meet them.

The two villagers who were going up the mountain with them instinctively raised their wooden spears, gritted their teeth, and took half a step forward to block Lucy and Hill.

"Don't come any closer!"

But before the words were even out of his mouth, Ravenna's arrow had already arrived.

The arrow pierced its throat, and the goblin clutched its neck and collapsed to its knees, only managing to squeeze out a long string of thick, bubbly blood.

As it fell, Zieg had already cut inside.

The steel sword was drawn with only a very short metallic tremor.

Before the first one could even react to the sound of its companion falling to the ground, he pierced its chest with a sword and it fell backward violently.

The second one pounced even faster, its wooden stick sweeping horizontally, nearly hitting Zig's ribs.

Zig did not retreat. Instead, he shifted his feet and cut into the wood, his body grazing the stick.

The goblin swung its club, but missed. Before it could retract its arm, the left side of its neck was completely exposed.

Zig swiftly slashed his steel sword across, cutting open its throat.