On the bopping wagon, Fallace and Audrey were talking about swordsmanship the morning after the auction. Konstantin was preparing to smoke some holy cush.

  "Melian, do you want to try the cush again?" Konstantin said, excited.

  "I think I'll pass this time, but wow, that plant really puts you in a good mood." Melian said nonchalantly.

  "Well then... may God bless this joint!" Konstantin said to alleviate his tiny embarrassment.

  "You're smoking again Konstantin, do you have to smoke every day?" Audrey exclaimed, worried.

  "Haha, Audrey, you sound just like mother Maria. In fact, it was old knight Nicholas that introduced me to cush. He was really worried for me during a period when I wanted to throw my life away. I know it's a bad habit, although it, coupled with my faith, saved my life, so it's a give and take relationship." Konstantin mumbled while smoking.

  Audrey turned red and apologized for being ignorant towards him, but Konstantin reassured her that it was fine. Fallace was sitting in a corner, still thinking about Soshi.

  "A entire day has passed, and it seems you still haven't stopped thinking about her." Konstantin said, sitting down near Fallace after finishing his blunt.

  "How did you know?" Fallace asked, embarrassed.

  Konstantin answered that it was just a feeling.

  "We can all in one way or another understand how Soshi's feels. I think leaving her was the right thing to do. The monstrosities she saw were unfit to be witnessed by the eyes of a young girl."

  Time progressed, and soon, the sun would set in the horizon. Fallace told the others about his dangerous confrontion with John Jester and how Soshi helped him.

  What caught Audrey's attention was the strange sensation Fallace described feeling when his arm was chopped off. An energy that rippled throughout his body, he was struck with incredible power that rivaled that of the ogre with just his bare hands.

  Audrey seemed to recollect that she felt a similar ripple or wave coursing through her when Clause Frudou was struck down by her sword. Could John Jester be a user of the energy knights us? Audrey told them about it, and the only one knowing more was Melian.

  That energy was in the study of life called spiritual residue. An energy that develops in parallel as a rest product when the soul creates lifeforce. In large amounts and guided, it has devastating destructive power. However, it is not as flexible and can't compete with magic in even raw power.

  When asked by Audrey if she knew how to use that power, Melian scoughed and proclaimed it to be entirely useless. Her curiosity did not waver, as when Audrey managed to use it that one time, it felt incredibly empowering. If Audrey could replicate it, she could have the raw power to slash a house in half at the tip of her blade.

  "Quiet, everyone. I see a small group of green goblins." Melian said silently.

  "What are they doing?" Audrey whispered to Melian from the back side of the wagon.

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  "They seem to be crossing the road carrying something, I think we should wait this..." Melian said as she got interrupted by Konstantin walking forward with a cold face.

  "Encantation, Evangelion arrow!" Konstantin exclaimed as magic power filled within him.

  The glowing arrow flew the over 500 meters long distance in around 10 seconds, piercing the skull of one of the goblins. As soon as the goblin fell to the ground, the other goblins noticed and ran barbaricly towards the wagon, leaving their their big bag.

  They were incredibly fast runners, and Melian warned the party of their speed being similar to Fallace's. Audrey and Fallace drew their blades and Melian her staff. Konstantin had already equipped his hammer doing so the instant after casting Evangelion arrow.

  A group of 4 Goblins quickly approached and moments before attacking 2 split off one to the left and on to the right. The other 2 rushed forward with razor claw like daggers. Audrey and Konstantin moved forward in front of the donkeys facing the assault with their weapons.

  Melian and Fallace moved to the sides to handle their respective goblins. Their quick slashes pushed back Konstantin, who was on the defensive. Meanwhile, Audrey was able to disarm the other one with a powerful counter, sending the dagger flying. However, she struggled with hitting the goblins as he ducked and dodged, managing to kick Audrey to the face several times as he weaved through her attacks.

  Regardless of how dense she may be, Audrey adapted by catching a coming flying kick. Stopping the goblin in the air with her hand and then repeatedly smashing him towards the ground until he was knocked unconscious.

  Before Audrey delivered the finishing strike, Konstantin was already standing brutally victorious. As he was repeatedly blocking the goblin's quick slashes, Konstantin was also waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. In just a moment, a predictable slash came towards Konstantin, which he reacted to with a blitzing swing the goblin didn't notice. Striking him in the side of the jaw and crushing the skull in a single hit, it sent the almost headless body flying upwards.

  Fallace left side of the wagon was able to out dual the goblin without even the slightest use of magic. By rapidly blocking the barrage of slashes and then ending the fight in just 4 swings. In comparison to Roberto and John, the goblin wasn't more than insignificant dust. Fallace finished the fight by blitzing the goblin's blocks and slashing of his legs and arms, making it fall and consequently unable to fight. The ferociousness in which he acted surprised himself a little, perhaps an innate abhorence for monsters, has developed in his body. After the encounter with the ogre, his bloodlust has only grown.

  On the other side, Melian kept her calm and confident demeanor. She intended to end the fight quickly without using the explosion spell. Because at this range, they would be caught in the uncontrollable explosion radius, and engaging using martial attacks was also not an option. Due to her non combat, trained body, she stood no chance facing the goblin physically.

  "Encantation arctic wave blast!" Melian shouted as magical energy surged through her hands.

  A blast of continuous extreme cold ice emerged, capable of freezing water in a fraction of a second. The goblin reacted by quickly shifting to the side of the beam that flew towards the ground, missing its target. The goblin taunted Melian by laughing and making various annoying sounds. He jumped left and right to make her lose her temper before landing, preparing to go on the offensive.

  However, he noticed that he couldn't feel his legs. Looking down, he witnessed to his horror that the ice that hit the ground had spread onto his legs while he was fooling around.

  "I win, encantation fire particle blast!" A small sphere of pure concentrated fire formed in Melians right hand and then flew towards the goblin burning his skin.

  The goblin desperately reached out to the ice, but before it melted, he was already burnt to a point of no return. Audrey wasn't surprised that Konstantin killed his goblin, but what caught her off guard was how he repeatedly smashed its dead body on the ground. It was a mess that was created by intense emotions, Audrey could feel it, and she didn't like it.

  The group then tied the only surviving goblin to the rim of their wagon. Konstantin stepped away from the wagon after checking frantically on their belongings. Everyone followed Konstantin silently. Technically, they started the conflict.

  "Konstantin, what if the goblins are innocent and we just killed them for nothing?" Audrey asked.

  "Audrey, I want you to know that regardless of what they were doing, it doesn't change that they are goblins. Monsters that would remorselessly kill humans without a second thought. Feeding on and torturing us is what they desire."

  Audrey still felt bad about it regardless of the fact that Konstantin said it was justified. Fallace was too shocked by Konstantin's coldness to speak.

  "Konstantin isn't attacking first still going too far?" Melian said.

  "Let make a bet. If the goblins don't have anything dead on them in that bag over there, then I won't repeat the same deed." Konstantin replied coldly.

  When the group went to investigate, they found a skin bag connected to a small log. Fallace cut it open, and his face scrunched as it felt the smell.

  Konstantin took a look inside and then turned around to the wagon without muttering a single word. Audrey and Melian saw some rabbits, a deer, and a man. A human body that looked like it once belonged to a hunter was in that bag rotting away, unlike the freshly killed animals.

  "Hey!" Konstantin screamed in fury as he saw the tied little goblin had freed himself and was now running away.

  He quickly took chase, leaving the others behind. Audrey yelled for Konstantin to wait, but he had already run quite far from the high road. Traveling west Konstantin would soon enter territory that slowly transitions into swampland.

  Melian then checked the wagon and saw dirty saliva on the rope.

  "The goblin must have pretended to be unconscious and bitten through the rope while we were distracted. I knew they were flexible and had strong jaws, but that the goblin had enough strength to chew through the rope sure was a surprise after the beating you gave him, Audrey." Melian reasoned.