Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 304

“Baron, that’s the goblin nest,” one of the team members says.

Following their lead, we walk along an animal trail for about an hour and reach a small cave, where two goblins lie dead after being shot. Several sword and shield soldiers block the entrance, cut down surrounding brush, and prepare to smoke out the goblins.

“What are they doing? Aren’t we going inside?” the Baron asks.

I explain the situation. “That’s the standard procedure for exterminating monsters that have taken refuge in their nests. First, we quietly eliminate the guards. Then, we fortify the entrance, surround the area, and keep an eye out for any escape routes. After that, we smoke the monsters out using a bonfire. The smoke confuses the monsters’ sight and sense of smell. If the smoke rises from the escape route, they’ll likely be forced to emerge. If there are poisonous plants nearby, we can mix them in to increase the effect.”

“I see. But does it really work that well? Depending on the wind, the smoke might not flow in as smoothly as we’d like,” the Baron says.

“You’re right. The weather and wind direction play a huge role in how effective this tactic is. Adventurers have to wait for the right conditions. Also, depending on the size of the entrance, the bonfire should be set a little further inside the cave. Afterward, we block as many of the other entrances and exits as possible with tree branches or other materials to direct the smoke inside,” I explain.

As I speak, I point to a pile of branches with leaves still attached, next to the brushwood. Then, at a signal from Swiberry, torches are lit and thrown into the pile of brushwood at the cave entrance.

“All right, block the entrance!” Swiberry calls out.

At his command, several soldiers rush to lean branches against the entrance, ensuring that no smoke will escape. Thanks to their preparation and the number of people involved, the cave entrance is completely covered in branches and leaves within 30 seconds.

“Impressive,” the Baron remarks. “But why don’t goblins make their entrances bigger? If they did, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Cave entrances are designed to be small so they can be hidden by branches, making them less noticeable. They can also be blocked with branches and leaves to keep out the wind and rain. If the entrance were too large, it would be easier for humans or larger monsters to enter. I think the current size strikes a balance between accessibility and safety,” I explain.

“I see. So, other goblin nests might have entrances of similar size.”

“That might be the case. Conversely, we could estimate the number of goblins inside based on the size and number of entrances.”

“That’s something I’d love to research,” the Baron says, sitting down in a folding chair brought by his attendant, scribbling something on a piece of parchment. Just as the Baron and I enjoy a leisurely conversation, the process of smoking out the goblins takes some time.

After a while, thin streams of smoke begin to rise from the cracks in the rocks and the base of the trees, where no smoke was visible before.

“Don’t confuse the air hole with the entrance! Block the air hole!” Swiberry orders.

The cave likely has an escape route, but it isn’t designed to let many monsters escape at once. The gap is narrow enough that even carrying weapons, it would be difficult for anyone to pass through.

At this point, the goblin extermination is nearly complete. The goblins have only two options left: they can either be struck down one by one as they pop their heads out of the escape route, or they can rush into the thick smoke and try to break through the human encirclement.

However, goblins are generally cowardly. They tend to fight with confidence when they’re in a favorable position, but when the odds are against them, they flee. And very few have the courage or intelligence to rush toward the source of the smoke.

We wait for about an hour, but it seems that most of the goblins suffocate from the smoke inside the cave, leaving only a few that manage to poke their heads out through the escape routes.

The group members who have been scattered around the cave begin to gather.

“But that ended so quickly. What do we do now?”

From the Baron’s perspective, he’s probably been hoping for a more action-packed confrontation with the goblins. From where he stands, it must seem like we’ve only walked to the cave and watched the smoking campfire.

He looks disappointed and asks what our plans are next.

“It ended quickly because the Sword Fangs Legion is highly skilled. With the right preparation, monster extermination can be as simple as this,” I explain with a wry smile, understanding the Baron’s feelings.

“We’ll continue pumping smoke in for a while longer, then remove the cover before nightfall and let the bad air replace the smoke overnight. The cave can be explored tomorrow morning.”

“I see. That certainly will take that long.”

“Also, we’ve captured a few goblins alive. Would you like to observe them today?”

“Yes! I’ll do that!” the Baron responds eagerly.

He jumps to his feet with a bang, a stark contrast to his earlier bored demeanor.

I can’t help but smile at his sudden enthusiasm before continuing with the plan.