We went back into the room just as the voices of several villagers reached us.
"Should we evacuate the village?"
"No. We can still get rid of them."
"But…!"
"We could organize a surprise attack. First we finish off the bigger one and then…"
The conversation stopped dead.
The villagers had just noticed our presence. Their faces, until then filled with worry, changed completely as soon as their eyes landed on Goliath.
"Oh, you're back! Hehe! I thought you'd rest a little longer," one of them commented.
"Yes, after thinking about it, we think we went too far with so many questions," another added. "We should have let you rest."
One of the women tilted her head slightly, showing an apologetic expression.
"We're sorry for bothering you, Lia…"
Goliath raised both hands nervously.
"No, don't worry! I'm the one who should apologize! Everyone has been very kind to us and we still haven't done anything to make it up to you."
I stopped for an instant.
"We?"
I slowly lowered my gaze to my body.
I was still practically naked, with Goliath's shirt covering my groin.
My improvised skirt of leaves had finished falling apart quite a while ago, leaving me with clothing that could hardly be considered decent.
"You really are… an angel," one of the village women murmured, bringing her hands to her chest as she contemplated him with tenderness.
I rolled my eyes.
"Please, someone get me out of here…"
I was starting to get tired of that spectacle. However, there was something that had caught my attention much more than their endless compliments.
"By the way, what did you mean by evacuating the village?"
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The villagers exchanged somber looks. Some lowered their heads, while others pressed their lips together, as if the question had brought with it a reality they preferred to keep hidden.
For a long moment, no one responded.
Finally, the eldest of them stepped forward.
"Since Lia has just arrived, we didn't want to frighten her with our problems… but I suppose it's better that she knows."
The others nodded slowly.
The old man took a breath before continuing.
"For several months now, a troll has settled in one of the mountains near the village."
I narrowed my eyes.
"And, for a few weeks now, we've begun to spot goblins in the surroundings," another villager added. "We fear that their den has expanded and that they're starting to invade our territory."
I nodded calmly.
It was exactly what could be expected.
If the main nest wasn't eliminated, the goblins would continue multiplying and expanding their territory. The troll, for its part, represented an even greater problem. Sooner or later, its presence would end up affecting the nearby communities.
It was the usual cycle of monsters: expand, conquer new territories, and eliminate any threat that stood in their way.
Basically, they weren't so different from humans.
I had no intention of getting involved in the problems of a village I barely knew.
Our goal was to find a safe place to rest, get some decent clothes, and continue on our way.
Nothing more.
"We requested help from the adventurers' guild, but…"
The old man's voice faded.
One by one, the villagers lowered their heads.
"Of the three groups they sent, none have returned."
The silence that followed was much heavier than the previous one.
Hopelessness had taken over the room. I could perceive it in their faces, in their trembling hands, and in the way they avoided looking at each other.
Those people knew perfectly well what that meant.
If no one managed to stop the monsters, sooner or later they would have to abandon their homes. Everything they had built over generations, their lands, their memories, and the life they knew… they would have to leave it all behind.
And, to be honest, I could understand their worry.
But understanding it didn't mean it was my responsibility to solve it.
"Not my problem."
I crossed my arms mentally, trying to ignore the discomfort that was beginning to settle in my chest.
"We'll stay a few more days, rest, and then…"
"Count on us!"
For a few moments I went blank.
I slowly turned my head toward Goliath.
"What the hell did he just say?"
The boy had stepped forward with a radiant smile, as if he had just offered to help an old man cross the street instead of facing monsters that had already finished off three groups of adventurers.
The villagers didn't seem to have understood his words either.
"What do you mean, Lia?" one of them asked, bewildered.
"We'll take care of the monsters! We'll finish them off, hehe!"
Goliath raised his thumb with confidence.
The villagers exchanged doubtful looks.
"But, Lia… I don't want to be rude, but I don't think you're capable of something like that," a woman admitted cautiously. "It's too dangerous."
Goliath didn't seem offended. On the contrary, his smile widened even more.
And then, to my absolute horror, he jumped toward me and wrapped both arms around my waist, hugging me as his face buried itself in my abdomen.
"Of course we can! My master and I will do it together!"
I stood completely motionless.
For an instant, I didn't know how to react.
"What are you doing, idiot?!"
Goliath had just cheerfully jumped onto a sinking ship and, to make matters worse, he had dragged me with him!
But the worst part wasn't that, it was the villagers' looks.
All of them turned toward me.
They examined me from top to bottom, pausing on my height, my shoulders, and my robust build.
Little by little, their expressions began to change.
Some nodded, as if they had just understood something important, and others exchanged hopeful looks.
And then I understood.
"Wait a moment…"
"These people think I'm the strong one?"
I lowered my gaze to my own body.
It was true that my new appearance was quite large and robust. At first glance, anyone might think I possessed considerable strength.
However, the reality was different. My stats could barely compare to those of an ordinary goblin.
The only one who had any real chance of defeating those monsters was Goliath.
And that same idiot had just presented me as his battle companion!
"If you two are companions, perhaps we have a chance…" one of the villagers murmured.
"The man seems quite strong," another commented.
"No, I'm not!"
"But…" a woman intervened, watching Goliath with concern. "Wouldn't it be too dangerous for Lia? What if she stays here, safe with us, while her companion takes care of the monsters?"
The others began nodding immediately.
"That's a good idea!"
"Yes! We can't allow such a delicate girl to risk herself that way!"
"Exactly! We should protect her!"
I looked at them in disbelief, my mouth practically open.
"But what the hell is wrong with you people?"
"How have you come to the conclusion that I'm the strong one and Lia is the damsel in distress?"
If they sent me alone against that troll, the most likely outcome was that I'd end up dead before I had the chance to regret it.
And now they intended to leave the real fighter of our group out of the battle!
I was about to intervene when Goliath stepped forward.
"Never!"
His voice echoed through the entire room.
The chatter disappeared instantly.
Goliath squeezed me tighter in his arms and raised his head, looking at the villagers with a determination I hadn't seen from him since we met.
"I would never abandon my master! If defeating the troll means we must die together, I'll do it with a smile!"
I was left speechless.
For the first time, there was no trace of his usual playful attitude. His eyes shone with extraordinary intensity, and his expression conveyed a resolve so firm that it seemed impossible to make him change his mind.
He wasn't joking.
He was truly willing to risk his life for me and, apparently, the villagers had reached the same conclusion… though in a rather peculiar way.
"Oh… what a beautiful girl with such a pure heart!" one of the women exclaimed, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Willing to die alongside her companion! Now that's loyalty!"
"And to think she hasn't even hesitated to offer her life for him!"
Tears began to stream from the eyes of several villagers.
"Why are they crying?"
I felt one of my eyelids begin to twitch.
I slowly clenched my fist.
That situation was spiraling out of control in a way that not even I, after everything I had lived through, could have anticipated.
I turned my head toward Goliath, ready to give him a look cold enough to freeze hell.
But I stopped.
His eyes were still shining with that overflowing enthusiasm. His entire body seemed to radiate an unshakeable determination, as if he had just found a reason to fight.
It was an expression I hadn't seen from him since I met him. The desire to protect others.
For Goliath, that wasn't a simple mission or an opportunity to demonstrate his strength; it was the right thing to do.
I let out a long sigh and rolled my eyes.
"Damn it…"
How was I supposed to refuse after seeing that expression?
Besides, if I let him go alone, he would surely end up doing some other crazy thing.
I brought a hand to my face and rubbed the bridge of my nose.
"I think… we can help them with their problem."
The room went silent for an instant.
Then the villagers' faces lit up with a hope I believed had been lost since the beginning of that conversation.
Goliath, for his part, raised his head and gave me a smile so radiant that I almost regretted my words.
"Anyway…"
"I suppose it doesn't hurt to remind those monsters who once ruled this continent."
Although, of course, I would have to make sure Goliath was the one doing most of the work.