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Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: The Only Good Goblin Is One That’s Never Seen

Re-written date: 7 / 13 / 2025

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Chapter 53: The Only Good Goblin Is One That's Never Seen

The figure emerging slowly from the darkness made the already eerie atmosphere inside the cave even more unsettling. The goblins, sensing danger, immediately raised their bows and loosed an arrow toward the man.

But in the dim, narrow cave, the man—completely clad in armor—swung his sword with practiced ease and deflected the arrow mid-flight. In the same motion, he raised his shield and bashed away a goblin that lunged at him from the shadows.

How many times had he drilled this movement? How many battles, how much repetition, were needed to hone such precision?

As the priestess stood frozen in place, trembling and unsure of what to do, a voice echoed from within the knight's helmet—

"One."

With that, the Goblin Slayer rammed the torch in his hand straight into the face of the goblin that had attacked him. The creature's howling ended abruptly, its charred corpse slumping to the floor.

In the distance, the archer goblin turned to flee—but in that moment, the priestess instinctively moved to block its path. The goblin hesitated.

That was all it took.

The dying goblin's dagger, still clutched in its burning grip, was driven right into the temple of its confused ally.

"Two."

The next goblin dropped, its skull crushed. Just like that, the ambush was over.

It was a battle without honor—dirty, brutal, and swift. And it was over in seconds. The Goblin Slayer, his armor stained with blood and filth, slowly pulled his short sword from the twitching corpse of the last goblin, its blade caked in gray matter.

Nearby, the priestess watched, trembling. Even though he had just saved her life, the figure before her didn't feel like a hero. To her, he looked like something far more terrifying than the goblins themselves.

"Um… e-excuse me… who are you…?"

Unable to hold back her fear any longer, she spoke. Her voice was barely more than a whisper, lost in the cold silence of the cave.

And then, from beneath the helmet, came a simple reply.

"Goblin Slayer."

Not a dragon-slaying hero. Not a knight from some noble order. Just a man who kills the weakest monsters.

In any other context, that title would've sounded laughable. Silly, even. Almost everyone who heard it would probably chuckle.

But here and now, in this place soaked with blood and darkness, the priestess couldn't laugh.

Because standing before her, as if summoned by vengeance itself, was the real thing.

The Goblin Slayer.

With that scene wrapped up, the crew began prepping for the next setup. While the set was being rearranged, Edward played back the footage they had just filmed for the gathered crowd of rowdy adventurers.

Even though the cave was just a messy set built inside a repurposed tunnel, the moment the footage began playing, the rowdiness fell away.

What they saw on the screen was no longer just acting—it was a battlefield.

The adventurers who had been on set during the filming could hardly believe the difference between what they'd seen live and how it looked through the camera lens.

Even Saeki, who had read the script a dozen times and starred in the scene himself, couldn't help but mutter a word of awe. Under the careful arrangement of angles and lighting, the blending of blood and fire was even more striking—burned into the mind like a nightmare.

When Goblin Slayer slowly marched into frame, his steps heavy and deliberate, everyone watching felt it: that breathless fear of death, the relief of survival. It was as though they, too, had been trapped in the scene's horror.

Filming this movie was already a brand-new experience for them—but watching the footage of something they had helped create, and seeing it come to life like that, gave them a kind of pride they couldn't quite explain. It felt even better than slaying a hundred goblins.

Preparations for the next scene began almost immediately. Most of the props used earlier were left in place, ready for use again. Deeper within the cave, the crew had already finished modifying the environment just as Edward had asked.

As for the performers—Edward was now completely reassured. Any doubts he'd had about their acting were gone. Whether it was the suggestion spell helping them along, or if these really were just roles that matched their personalities, it didn't matter. Their performances felt natural and compelling. The only hiccup so far had been a single goblin going rogue and losing control, but even that had been managed quickly.

With everyone reset to their positions, it was time to film the second half of the scene.

Led by Goblin Slayer, a seasoned veteran whose every move seemed measured and precise, the priestess followed him deeper into the cave. This time, even he didn't rush in carelessly. Only after laying a few traps and discussing their plan did he finally take his first careful step forward.

The priestess stood behind him, tightly gripping her silver staff. She whispered a prayer under her breath:

"Great God of Light… please grant us Your divine radiance, and guide us through this darkness..."

Because the world of this story centered around a dominant, church-based faith, Edward had revised the script accordingly. He had no interest in creating a fictional new religion—especially one that might upset the real Church if word got out.

Better to keep things grounded. Safer, too.

As the Priestess released her divine magic, brilliant holy light flooded the chamber. With the radiance at his back, Goblin Slayer charged straight into the ambush set by the goblins in the stone cavern hall. Under the glaring light, the goblins' twisted faces became clearly visible.

There were six ordinary goblins in the hall, one large goblin, and—seated on a crude throne, wearing a skull atop its head—a single goblin shaman capable of casting magic.

"Six regulars. One brute. One shaman. That leaves eight."

The sudden flood of light sent the goblins—creatures born of shadow and filth—into a panicked frenzy. Only the goblin shaman remained unfazed, lifting its staff high and chanting a spell in an incomprehensible tongue.

But within seconds, Goblin Slayer hurled a throwing spear with unerring precision. It pierced the shaman's chest, silencing it mid-chant. The creature let out a final screech as it toppled from its throne.

Without wasting a heartbeat, Goblin Slayer turned on his heel and dashed back the way he came—leaving the confused and now panicking goblins behind.

The scene spanned half the length of the cave system, and it was brutal to shoot—not just technically, but physically as well. Yet Saeki, the actor playing Goblin Slayer, pulled it off flawlessly. He was a seasoned adventurer himself, and the trials depicted in the script weren't mere fiction to him. He had faced them all before, in reality.

In this moment, Saeki didn't just play the part of Goblin Slayer—he became him. So much so that even the veteran adventurers watching the shoot were holding their breath.

His performance left no doubts. As a Sword Soul and a silver-ranked adventurer, Saeki's skill, stamina, and lethal precision were all on full display. Even those who had once questioned his suitability for the role due to his withdrawn personality now looked on with respect. After all, strength like this was rare even in the North, where the adventurer guilds were packed with elites.

The only thing anyone found odd was that none of them had ever heard of him before. But there was a reason for that. Saeki had erased his past so thoroughly that even his name was a pseudonym.

Eventually, after the last goblin in the cave had been slain, Goblin Slayer and the Priestess reached the deepest chamber. There, Goblin Slayer casually lifted a wooden plank that had been deliberately hidden.

Beneath it was a makeshift goblin storeroom, filled with stolen valuables—and four trembling goblin children cowering in fear.

"We got lucky," Goblin Slayer muttered. "These things breed fast. Give them a bit more time and there'd be fifty of them attacking human villages."

He gripped his club tightly as he stared down at the goblin young.

"...Even the children?" the Priestess whispered.

But the moment she said it, she already knew the answer. What surprised her was how calm her voice sounded—how numb her heart felt. Had the horrors of reality begun to dull her feelings?

"Of course," Goblin Slayer replied, his tone flat, as if stating a universal truth. "They never forget. The ones who survive grow smarter. They'll come back for revenge."

Raising his club, he added, "There's no reason to let them live."

"...Even if some of them are... good?" she asked hesitantly.

"Good goblins?"

He actually paused, as if momentarily baffled by the idea—then gave his answer, swift and certain:

"If there are any, they're the ones who never show themselves."

And with that, the cave was drenched once more in blood and fire.

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