“Hmph, it’s just a bunch of goblins. Leave it to the Blizzard Heroes—we’ll take care of it.”

  At that moment, several figures clad in silver armor walked into the tavern from outside.

  A gleaming diamond badge hung prominently on their chests—impossible to ignore.

  They were a diamond-ranked adventurer party, averaging around level 60. Their strength was undeniable.

  Each was a hardened survivor, having danced on the edge of death countless times.

  The Blizzard party’s captain, Sisuel, was a young man who exuded a noble air.

  When people saw him, many raised their mugs in polite greeting.

  “So it’s His Highness Sisuel. How is the Count doing these days?”

  “Thank you for your concern. All is well.”

  Sisuel removed his helmet and replied courteously.

  Like Rodel, he was also of royal blood—his family held the rank of Count.

  “Sisuel, didn’t you only hunt high-tier magical beasts? Why are you bothering with goblins this time?”

  The tavern owner asked while pouring drinks.

  Sisuel took a light sip from the cup, then handed it to the person beside him. The wine was too low-quality for his taste.

  He replied calmly,

  “It’s because of my useless cousin. He was captured by goblins, so I’m dealing with it personally.”

  “Ah… I see.”

  The tavern owner looked embarrassed. That had been his best wine.

  But he didn’t dwell on it. After all, royalty lived in a different world.

  Just then, a more arrogant voice rang out from the doorway.

  “Heh! Sisuel, you think you can just claim this job? Then what was the point of me coming all this way?”

  An old man with white hair slowly walked in.

  He leaned on a long red crystal staff. His beard was long and pure white.

  He wore a gray, pointed wizard hat—old and battered.

  “What?! Gray Hat Wizard—Grul! He’s here too!”

  The tavern instantly buzzed with excitement.

  The Gray Hat Wizard had once been infamous as an evil sorcerer, terrifying all who heard his name. That was why he acted so brazenly.

  Somehow, he had later reformed and founded the Gray Hat Heroes party.

  When he founded it, the party was immediately granted diamond-rank status.

  A few other gray-hatted wizards followed behind him.

  Sisuel showed no anger. Instead, he remained polite—every bit the nobleman.

  “Lord Grul, it’s an honor.”

  “Hmph, spare me the pleasantries. I’m short on money—very short. If you want me to back off, pay up. One thousand gold coins and I’ll walk away right now!”

  Grul’s voice was strong and commanding despite his age.

  He behaved as if he had already cornered them.

  Sisuel gave a wry smile.

  “One thousand gold coins? That’s no small sum, Lord Grul. Can we negotiate?”

  “No negotiation. Not a single coin less. If you won’t pay, I’ll just go ask your father!”

  Grul replied firmly.

  He sounded every bit the shameless old rogue.

  Just as they were arguing, a voice came from the edge of the tavern—arrogant and cold.

  “How laughable. Just because the Sword Saint is lying low, you think you can show off? Don’t forget—the cold-blooded woman has come to Bright Town too.”

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  “Cold-blooded woman?”

  “Who’s that? Never heard of her.”

  “You idiot—don’t you even know her? Epic-rank adventurer Lucy Lina, leader of a ruthless mercenary group!”

  “Damn, even someone that dangerous showed up? I heard she’ll kill anyone for the right price—even good people. Several philanthropists have died by her hand!”

  “Shh! Keep your voice down, or she’ll slit your throat!”

  The moment that name dropped, the entire tavern fell silent.

  No one dared make a sound.

  From the corner, the cloaked man continued,

  “Hahaha… a bunch of cowardly rats calling yourselves adventurers? Go home and suckle your mother’s milk.”

  “Oh? You’re… the Wandering Hero?!”

  Sisuel finally recognized the man—another diamond-ranked adventurer.

  He wandered the world endlessly. No one knew his real name.

  The Wandering Hero seemed mildly surprised.

  “I didn’t expect someone of noble birth like His Highness Sisuel to know a lowly wanderer like me. I’m flattered.”

  “You’re too modest. So, in total… three diamond-ranked parties have arrived? Plus that cold-blooded mercenary group, Lucy Lina.”

  Sisuel mused.

  Diamond-rank didn’t mean every member held that rank.

  Usually only the leader held that rank.

  Like the Wandering Hero, Sisuel of Blizzard, and Grul of Gray Hat—these three were the diamonds.

  Their party members were mostly platinum- or gold-ranked.

  Many preferred to be the head of a lesser group than the tail of a greater one.

  Some rare teams had every member at diamond-rank, but such teams were few and far between.

  The Wandering Hero spoke again.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not here to play games with you. Goblins? I couldn’t care less. They’re disgusting to even look at.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  Sisuel asked, puzzled.

  Bright Town was quite remote within the Lionheart Empire. It took considerable effort just to get here.

  The Wandering Hero gave a light chuckle.

  “You think I just happened to wander by?”

  Everyone rolled their eyes.

  Adventurers sought out danger; they didn’t stumble into it by accident.

  “Hahaha, just kidding. Goblins don’t interest me. But Dragon Island? That’s another story. If I could slay an ancient dragon, I might even reach epic-rank myself, right?”

  His eyes gleamed with anticipation.

  Slaying goblins was beneath him compared to hunting dragons.

  That was why he came.

  And many others weren’t here for the goblins either—they were here for the dragons.

  The Wandering Hero added,

  “By the way, don’t underestimate goblins just because they’re low-tier. Sure, most are weak, but they evolve. They have no reproductive barriers and can produce stronger offspring. The evolved ones… they’re terrifying.”

  “Hmph, the kid’s got a point. I’ve lived nearly a hundred years—seen more goblins than you’ve seen women.”

  Grul’s earlier arrogance had now turned grave.

  “That race is among the most powerful in the world. They’ve existed since ancient times, the public enemy of every other species. After thousands of years of extermination attempts, they’re still here.Heh… Do you really think goblins can be taken lightly? If it weren’t for the royal family’s three hundred gold bounty, I wouldn’t bother with this mess.”

  Sisuel was humble enough to take the warning seriously.

  He grew even more cautious.

  After thinking it over, he realized the Sword Saint’s defeat wasn’t simply due to weakness.

  Various factors had played a role: the deaths in Bright Town, the dragons, the fallen royal knights, the long hours of standing guard, and more.

  It was a stain on her record, but it didn’t eclipse her brilliance entirely.

  “In that case, Lord Grul—let’s join forces against the goblins. I’ll give you the gold coins and won’t take a single share of the reward.”

  Sisuel made his decision.

  His original goal wasn’t the bounty anyway.

  He came on family orders—to eliminate the goblins and prove to Rodel’s family that they were the stronger house.

  He also hoped to prove to the king that his family outshone the Stanmonts.

  But the situation had changed.

  For safety’s sake, cooperation was wiser.

  Grul’s old eyes gleamed mischievously.

  “Hahaha! Since His Highness Sisuel is so generous, I won’t stand on ceremony! Let’s team up—even if we face the goblin leader or a goblin overlord, we’ll handle it!”

  “Aww, looks like those three hundred gold coins aren’t ours anymore.”

  “No worries—we’re just here to watch the show anyway.”

  “Our main goal was to see the Sword Saint’s humiliation, right? Mission accomplished.”

  Some sighed, others laughed lightly.

  They had come hoping to snag the three hundred gold bounty for easy prey—goblins.

  But with two diamond-ranked adventurers joining forces, there was no chance left.

  Sisuel, Grul, and the others quickly left the tavern and gathered in an open area on the street to discuss their battle plan in detail.

  “If you ask me, just go in with brute force. The Sword Saint only failed because she was held back and couldn’t act, right?”

  Grul offered his straightforward opinion.

  Sisuel remained cautious.

  “That’s too risky—too many unknowns. We should scout first, find their location, observe, and then make a proper plan.”

  “Young people these days—so cautious. Fine, you handle all that tedious stuff.”

  Grul grumbled.

  Sisuel didn’t refuse.

  “That works. Hm? Wait—”

  His gaze suddenly shifted toward the entrance of Bright Town.

  A mysterious figure clad from head to toe in rusted, battered armor approached.

  The armor covered every inch of his body—no skin visible, not even a fingertip.

  It was extremely heavy plate armor.

  Most people would struggle to take even a few steps in such armor.

  Strapped to his back was a massive broadsword.

  A broadsword—half a meter wide, one and a half meters long.

  A true giant of a weapon.

  “Good heavens… that guy’s a real oddball.”

  Sisuel muttered, but sensing the man’s strength—and the fact that he was alone—he felt compelled to recruit him.

  “Hey! Sir! Care to sit and chat for a moment?”

  The heavily armored stranger slowly approached when he heard the call.

  “What do you want?”

  His voice was deep, muffled, and commanding—likely altered by some device.

  This only piqued Sisuel’s curiosity.

  “How should we address you? Why the heavy armor—and why even hide your voice?”

  “That’s my business. If that’s all, I’ll be on my way.”

  The armored man turned to leave.

  At that moment, Grul spoke up.

  “I never expected the Goblin Slayer to show up here too. Oh wait—of course he would. Care to chat for a bit?”

  The armored man paused.

  His helmet turned slightly toward Grul.