Chapter 48 The Watch Duty

(There. Go over there, Hobu) (Lyan)

Following Lyan's words, the hobgoblin changed his direction and went in the direction Lyan mentioned. Lyan is currently watching over his shadow hobgoblin as he ordered him to explore the perimeter.

(Ah... Instant Noodles, are the best...) (Lilith)

Lilith's sleep-talking sounded inside Lyan's mind.

The spirits inside the grimoire's space are currently sleeping after getting full from eating the instant noodles they found inside Lyan's room. Lilith, Griselda, and Arturia slept in the living room, while the others went to their respective rooms.

Since he's currently on the watch duty, Lyan decided to observe from the hobgoblin's sight as the hobgoblin explores the perimeter to prevent himself from getting bored.

*Rustle!* *Rustle!* *Rustle!*

Rustling sound appeared from the bushes.

The hobgoblin stopped its tracks because of the rustling sound. With his sword ready, the hobgoblin slowly approached the source of the sound.

*Whoosh!*

A small silhouette jumped out from the bush, but the hobgoblin respond swiftly.

*Slash!*

He cleanly cut it, but when they saw the corpse of the silhouette.

(Just a rabbit, huh...) (Lyan)

Lyan is hoping to find the other goblin assassins that he saw on his way since the fact that they didn't encounter another goblin assassin slightly bothered him.

(Hm... I wonder if some of the spirits could cook. If there is the instant noodle inside the master room, then there must be some seasonings inside the kitchen cabinets as well. They should be able to cook a delicious meal if they could use them) (Lyan)

(For now, just store the rabbit meat inside the backpack, Hobu. Let's continue watching over the perimeter. I guess it's time for us to go a little bit further from here. I guess we might find the things we want to find in the south) (Lyan)

Following Lyan's order, the shadow hobgoblin sprinted to the south. Lyan observed the shadow hobgoblin's sight with extra focus, but suddenly-

*Tap!*

!?!?

Lyan opened his eyes in surprise because of a sudden finger tapped on his cheek.

"Huh?" (Lyan)

The sight of a girl with blazing crimson hair, staring at his face with an amused smirk.

"Blazing Lioness," Lyan uttered her mercenary name.

"Heh. Emilia is fine. I thought you were sleeping, so I thought of doing some prank," (Emilia)

"Doing a prank while covering your presence stealthily? Seems like you have a lot of energy, Blazing Lioness," Lyan replied with a smile.

If she didn't cover her presence, Lyan would have noticed her getting near him. Even though he's getting absorbed in observing the shadow hobgoblin's sight, he is still has his awareness wary of his surroundings.

(But to think that she could easily approach me unnoticed... If she was an enemy, I would have been dead now, wouldn't I?) (Lyan)

Emilia let out a chuckle.

"Well, you'll definitely notice if I didn't do so, right? And you could just call me Emilia. Your name is Lyan, right? Can I call you that?" Asked Emilia.

At the first glance, you might think that she's a rough woman since she dressed like so, her wild blazing crimson hair gave her an aura of wildness as well, and added by the fact that she's a strong mercenary, Lyan couldn't help but think that she's a rough woman. But it turns out that she isn't as rough and vulgar as the other mercenaries. She's more like a military person rather than a mercenary.

"I humbly refuse, Blazing Lioness. You can just call me Evocatore," Lyan replied as he continue to close his eyes.

The night watch duty is assigned by drawing lots. The ones that got chosen are Lyan, Emilia, and the cloaked guy, William.

"Playing hard to get now, aren't you? Anyway, Lyan," Emilia proceed to call Lyan by his name rather than his mercenary name.

"Ignoring my consent, huh..." (Lyan)

"How did you sense the goblin champion when we were about to get ambushed back then? Are you capable of using detection magic? Or are you using a magic item that allowed you to use detection magic or something?" (Emilia)

Lyan squinted at her and saw that her face really seems to be curious about it. Lyan closed his eyes back, and he replayed the scene inside his head.

"I sensed his gaze," (Lyan)

"His gaze?" (Emilia)

"Yeah. After I killed the shadow hobgoblin, I sensed a gaze that filled with intense murderous intent aimed at me. A strong grudge and malice is directed towards me, and since I'm sensitive towards those, I sensed it rather easily," (Lyan)

The sight of the goblin champion's bloody eyes flashed through Lyan's mind.

"It's looking at me with a stare that looked like it's avenging something. If it's mad because we're attacking their lair and killing its brethren, it should be directing his murderous intent towards everyone, but just me specifically. But it didn't. Its murderous intent is focused towards me alone," (Lyan)

(Those eyes... It's more like the eyes of a person that is staring at the guy who killed his family. If perhaps... Perhaps that it's the sibling of the goblin champions I killed at the lair that I subjugated together with the Madam and the others, and he's somehow watching me killing the two goblin champion variants with some kind of method, it wouldn't be strange for it to hold a grudge to me like that, wouldn't it?) (Lyan)

"Hm~ I see... No wonder... But really, the smile on your face when you're clashing your sword with the goblin champion's ax is really cool, you know? You look like a battle maniac," (Emilia)

"Did I smile?' (Lyan)

"Yes, you did. I saw it as well," William joined the conversation.

"I see... I guess I got slightly excited. And what are you two doing? It seems like our distance had shortened quite a big deal already," Lyan commented on the sitting position of William and Emilia.

At first, they are sitting at quite a distance from each other with the campfire in the middle of them. But now, the two of them are sitting right beside Lyan.

"Isn't it fine? Are you perhaps scared of girls, Lyan?" Asked Emilia teasingly.

"I'm glad if a beautiful woman wants to sit near me, but I don't find having a man sitting close to me as pleasurable. Could you please distance yourself a bit?" Lyan said towards William.

"Now, now. It's a little bit cold, so it would be better if we sit closer, right?" William replied indifferently, refusing to make a distance.

"Cold, huh... Hm?" Lyan noticed that Emilia is still using her mercenary attire. She only has a thin cloth covering her, and some light armors covering her shoulders and chest. Her stomach and her thigh are exposed to the air.

"Aren't you cold?" Asked Lyan to her.

The temperature in the forest when it's night is quite low, even Lyan could feel the cold even though he's wearing his cloak.

"A bit, but I'm fine. It's bearable. Or what? Are you perhaps want to share your cloak with me or something?" Asked Emilia teasingly.

"Hm. That's work as well, but I brought something. Here, use this," Lyan threw a blanket towards her face.

"A blanket?' (Emilia)

"Yeah. It should work quite fine. I'm already comfortable using my cloak, so you can use it," (Lyan)

"Oi. There's nothing for me? You've scored enough points with hearing already, what about me?" William commented on his actions.

"Why should I score points with you? And you already have your cloak as well anyway. There is the campfire as well, if you're cold then you can just get closer to it," (Lyan)

"So you're the type of guy that only kind to women, huh. You just have your image dropped inside my mind," (William)

"Yes, yes, whatever. It's not like I want you to have a good image of me inside your mind anyway. Man up and bear with it, would you?" Lyan let out an exasperated sigh as he folded his arms.

"Tch! What with that different treatment? Just wait. I'll have your head hanged in the gallows for this insolence of yours," William uttered under his breath as he sulked.

"Pfft! What with you two?" Emilia laughed at the interaction between both of them.

They continue their conversation together for a while, and after another hour, it's finally time for them to change their shift with the other mercenaries.

The three of them went to the passage to enter the goblin's lair, but as they approached the passage-

"Mnh! Ahn~" "Ahn~ Nnh~"

They could hear moans from inside.

(Seriously? Someone is doing it there?) (Lyan)

"Hey... Am I hearing things...?" William whispered.

"No. You definitely hear it right," Replied Emilia in a small voice as well.

The three of them took a peek inside the passage that leads towards the goblin's lair, and the view of three naked people entered their sight.

*Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!* *Pound!*

"Ahn~ More~ More~" "Me too~ Me too, leader~"

The sound of flesh colliding, and women's seductive moans could be heard.

(It's Lichia's ex and the two girl members of the Crimson Talon...) (Lyan)

____________________________________________________________________________

Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Gold-ranked Mercenary

Money: 49,722,600 Elnes

Weapon: None

Equipment: Black leather cloak, One-handed Sword

Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin, Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem