Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 302

The Baron is excited to be out of town for the first time, but we reach the village where the goblin hunt request originated without any trouble.

The guild has apparently sent a preliminary message to the village, but the villagers haven’t taken it seriously. When our large group arrives, the elderly village chief is shocked and frightened by the number of people, repeatedly apologizing for the lack of preparations to receive us and expressing his gratitude.

The Sword Fangs Legion, accustomed to such group activities, quickly rents an area in the village and sets up a makeshift headquarters using the tents and other equipment they’ve brought.

A tent is also set up for the Baron to stay in. Just from this arrangement, it looks as if we’re preparing for battle rather than a simple goblin hunt.

As for me, I end up attending a strategy meeting with the Baron and Jilboa, observing the monsters, and acting as an advisor for their capture.

“The request says several goblins have appeared from the forest and attacked the villagers, causing injuries. Fortunately, no one has died,” Jilboa explains.

“Hmm! So it’s a swarm! I’d like to capture at least a few of them unharmed, if possible,” the Baron says eagerly.

“Baron, capturing them unharmed will be difficult,” I warn. “While goblins are primitive, they have intelligence and will likely be able to escape simple traps.”

Goblins have claws and limbs, and the fact that they possess hands like humans makes them particularly troublesome. They can use their claws to cut ropes and disable hanging traps, which rely on rope. They often travel in groups, so even if one goblin cuts the rope tied to a tree, the trap can be disabled.

If we had metal wire like in my original world, it would be easier to trap monsters. Perhaps we could craft stronger ropes with some material from this world, but we don’t have that luxury at the moment.

“The standard tactic is to surround their nest, whether it’s a cave or another hideout, and then enter with a small group of people. If you don’t rush them and instead subdue them with minimal force, you can neutralize them. The problem is how to keep them chained…” I explain, outlining the basic strategy and the difficulties involved.

The Baron smiles and says, “I anticipated something like that! I’ve prepared some handcuffs and chains for monsters!”

He pulls out a piece of equipment with a thick chain, resembling primitive handcuffs.

“In that case, if you bind their hands behind their backs and chain their feet, they won’t be able to escape.”

Jilboa tests the chain by tugging at it, then nods confidently. “It seems sturdy enough. It might be a little rough, but it should hold for a few hours.”

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Normally, we would go straight to the goblin nest, but the Baron wants to inspect the site of the attack first. So, we split into three groups: one to search for the goblin nest, one to defend the village, and one to attend to the Baron.

Naturally, I’m in the last group.

When I ask the villagers to show me the location of the attack, the Baron crouches down and doesn’t move. He keeps writing something on a piece of parchment and, before I know it, is measuring the size of the footprints with a stick that looks like a ruler.

“What do you think, Baron? Did you find anything interesting?” I ask.

“Yes, Kenji, help out a bit!” he replies, gesturing for me to assist him in counting the footprints and measuring their size.

“Goblins don’t wear shoes. You can clearly see four toes on each foot,” I note.

“That’s right. I don’t recall any reports mentioning goblins wearing shoes,” the Baron agrees. “Hmm, I’ve heard they use weapons like clubs. Still, it’s strange they wouldn’t wear shoes. Not even sandals?”

“I’ve never observed them closely, but there may be something unique about their feet. Perhaps their soles have a dense layer of stiff hair, or maybe their skin is particularly thick. Or maybe they’re just small and light, so the burden on their feet isn’t as great as it is for humans.”

I offer a few hypotheses in response to the Baron’s curiosity.

As we continue our conversation while investigating the site of the attack, I realize that the Baron and I have established a natural rhythm in our discussions.

The reason I consider the Baron to have the qualities of a scholar is that he instinctively questions things others might take for granted. More than that, he directly addresses any questions, setting aside common sense or religious dogma, and explores them further based on observation and facts. He never dismisses any hypothesis outright.

For the first time in a long while, I’m able to engage in an intellectual exchange in this world.