Ian and the members were suddenly surrounded by the goblins that had appeared.

An urgent situation, surrounded by goblins from the front and back in a cave with no place to escape.

Watching the goblins that had swarmed out in an instant from wherever they had been hiding, Rin muttered.

’There really are goblins here....’

’It was strange how there were no signs of animals.’

With goblins looking ready to pounce at any second right in front of them, everyone chatted nonchalantly.

The time when they would be scared of something like a goblin had long since passed.

In fact, Rin felt a slight sense of welcome seeing a goblin after so long.

Among the group, only the three from Anne’s party, who still found goblins burdensome, were clinging tightly to Ian’s side with slightly frightened faces.

Additionally, Lia also had a poor expression, but her expression had been like that ever since they set out on the expedition.

Mika, who had been sticking close to Lia’s side as they were both back-row classes, noticed that Lia had discovered the trap first and asked.

’How did you know there was a trap?’

’Because of the footprints....’

Lia, having been asked, answered hesitantly while pointing at the floor.

’They were made recently, and these kinds of marks usually happen when things hide in a hurry to prepare an ambush....’

’Oh.... Someone from a hunter background is definitely different.’

I’m not... a hunter.

Lia muttered only in her mind.

It was a typical stereotype that all archers came from hunter backgrounds.

Since she had been active alone, she simply had no choice but to memorize all traces of monsters to travel safely. She had never actually learned hunter techniques or anything of the sort.

However, Lia couldn’t bring herself to correct Mika’s misunderstanding and just kept her mouth shut.

For the record, she had taught herself the bow somehow because getting close to monsters was too stressful.

’...But, if you see something like that, tell us in advance next time!’

’Hic! I’m sorry....’

’Wait, Mika. Don’t bully the newcomer.’

’I wasn’t bullying her!’

At Mika’s words, Lia shrank back with a frightened expression.

Mika made an aggrieved face after Lia’s remark, but looking at the two from the side, it was an undeniable case of bullying.

In the meantime, Ian was looking around the inside of the cave, searching for something.

Only regular goblins had come out to surround them, and the leader was not yet visible.

In a den like this, there was usually a leader who commanded the pack.

And no sooner had that thought finished than a new goblin appeared from the depths of the cave.

A goblin wearing slightly longer cloth than the others and holding a staff.

Even at a glance, it looked different from the other goblins.

It was a Goblin Shaman, the leader of this goblin pack.

Not just Ian, but the other members also discovered the Shaman appearing from within and turned their heads.

’That must be the leader.’

’Looks like a mage.’

’Be careful, it looks like it’ll use magic!’

’Well, it’ll use something. It is a mage, after all.’

Everyone whispered while looking at the Goblin Shaman.

Mage-type monsters were usually easy to recognize because they dressed like a mage for anyone to see. The only problem was what kind of magic they would use.

If you know what the magic is in advance, it’s easy to deal with, but conversely, if you are swept away by it without knowing, it’s a major disaster.

Perhaps not liking that relaxed attitude of the enemies, the Goblin Shaman let out an unpleasant noise and raised its staff high.

Inside the dark cave, the staff emitted a small light.

Watching that scene closely, Ian muttered softly.

’It’s a curse.’

’A-A curse?!’

Tanya, who happened to hear those words from the side, shouted in surprise.

’Master said it’s a curse! Be careful!’

’What?!’

Everyone was startled by Tanya’s shout and reflexively ducked their bodies.

However, there was no way a curse could be avoided simply in that manner.

The black light flowing out from the Shaman’s staff hit Rin, who was at the very front.

’Kyaak!’

’Rin! Are you okay?’

Rin curled her body. The voices of the members calling Rin’s name urgently from behind could be heard.

’...Eh?’

However, immediately after the light of the curse swept past.

Rin tilted her head with a puzzled look and raised her head hesitantly.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Agility Decrease]

- [Agility -5] during combat

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kikikik.

As if asking ’how’s that?’, the Goblin Shaman’s sneering laughter could be heard.

’Rin? What’s wrong?’

’No.... I don’t feel anything at all.’

Rin asked while looking back at Tanya with a puzzled face.

’I thought it was a curse?’

’Master... said it was a curse, I think.’

Tanya said while stealing a glance at Ian.

Instead of Tanya, Ian gave Rin the answer.

’What the goblin just fired is a curse.’

’Eh.... It feels completely different from the curse I was hit with before.’

’The curse you get in the Labyrinth and the curse a mage uses are a bit different.’

To be precise, what one receives in the Labyrinth is erosion, and the side effects that occur as it accumulates are the curses of the Labyrinth.

Originally, ’curse’ referred to the debuffs of Shamans or Dark Mages like this.

But since Dark Mages weren’t exactly a popular class for party members and were hard to even see, the term ’curse’ naturally came to be occupied by the curses of the Labyrinth.

In fact, it was a bit sad to see Dark Mages being scolded for being confusing when they talked about curses on the bulletin boards, eventually having to attach a ’Dark’ tag separately.

Anyway. A curse cast by a Shaman of this level was bound to be mediocre.

Soon after, the Shaman’s staff glowed again, and this time the light stretched out toward the goblins. This time, it was enhancing the ally goblins with a buff.

’...Shall we take them?’

Rin, who had lost her energy after getting tense for nothing, glanced back at Ian and asked.

Ian was about to nod, but then he spoke toward Lia, who was standing quietly beside him.

’Try fighting together now.’

’Yes?’

A flustered Lia replied to Ian in a dither.

’I, I’ve.... only ever shot at things standing still from far away....’

Lia’s gaze turned toward the members who had just rushed out.

Everyone was moving here and there, taking positions and running quickly while exchanging signals.

To aim and hit an enemy amidst that.

Lia’s face turned pale white.

’W-What if I hit someone?’

’There’s a barrier, so it’s okay even if you make a mistake.’

Under Ian’s urging, Lia had no choice but to lift her bow.

’E... Ei.’

A single arrow shot out barely with a lack of confidence.

However, Lia’s Archery was C-rank. Of course, it was on the lower side for an archer, but even at that level, there was no way she would miss and hit an ally.

Contrary to her hesitant appearance, Lia’s arrow flew accurately toward the Goblin Shaman.

Ke-ek!

With such a death cry, the Goblin Shaman fell.

And the rest of the goblins, realizing the enemies were far stronger opponents, all began to flee.

The goblins that had filled the cave disappeared entirely in an instant.

’Whew....’

’Good job.’

’Y-Yes, Nyehet!’

While Lia was letting out a sigh of relief, she was startled and answered when Ian suddenly spoke to her.

Since she wasn’t used to conversation, she perhaps wasn’t used to praise either; Lia, her face turning bright red, bowed her head deeply.

After the goblins disappeared, Ian and the members, having finally regained their composure, took some time to examine the inside of the cave in detail.

A cave where goblins gathered to pray and even a Shaman was present.

There certainly seemed to be something, but nothing special was visible inside at all.

’The back is blocked. There’s nothing much.’

’Isn’t there something like a secret door?’

’Would a goblin den even have something like that...?’

Rin, who had gone to check the depths of the cave, returned quickly and answered.

She had tried to look for a deeper spot, but the path was blocked, so there was nowhere to enter.

The members, who hadn’t found anything in their respective spots, gathered one by one and sat down.

’Is this the end?’

’I don’t see anything special....’

...A wild goose chase?

Everyone had such a thought in their minds while resting and chatting.

It was something that happened occasionally. A case where anyone would think there was something, but it turned out to be a fruitless search with nothing there.

This time was clearly a situation where something seemed to be present, but it must have been just a simple abnormal behavior of the goblins.

At that moment, Ian, who was slowly looking around, spoke toward Rin.

’It’s that.’

’Yes? What is?’

Rin looked around in confusion, but nothing could be seen nearby.

’The thing you’re sitting on right now.’

’This rock?’

Rin quickly got up.

It was a flat rock that was just right for sitting.

Having heard the story and looking closely, it did seem like it wasn’t a natural rock.

Everyone brought their torches close to it and observed it.

’Uh.... It doesn’t seem like just a rock. What is this?’

’Is it... a statue?’

Lia muttered after observing the stone lump for a while.

If you stepped back a bit and looked at it as a whole, it did seem to be some sort of human-like form.

However, because it was too old and unmaintained, there were many damaged and worn-down parts. It was difficult to guess what its original appearance might have been.

’The goblins were gathered here because of this?’

’It’s probably because of this sacred statue.’

’A sacred statue...?’

Ian nodded.

In the bases of monsters that live in packs like goblins, there were occasionally cases where these kinds of objects were placed.

Statues or artifacts with special abilities.

Since these were classified as furniture items, one could receive various effects if they were moved and placed at the base.

...This thing?

At Ian’s story about moving this to the base, everyone looked at the statue with dubious faces.

It was Ian’s incomprehensible sensibility that flared up occasionally.