Light Novel Volume 13

'''Goblin Slayer! Volume 13' is the thirteenth light novel of the Goblin Slayer'' series.

Official Synopsis

 * The dungeon exploration contest—a famous test of survival in an underground maze filled with deadly traps; the stuff of legends. And now the Guild wants to use this test to train rookie adventurers! A certain silver-ranked adventurer is drafted to oversee the competition while Guild Girl takes a surprising liking to setting the traps. But as preparations commence and an aspiring adventurer takes up her sword, the shadow of chaos looms just out of sight...

Chapters

 * Chapter 1: I Wanna Be an Adventurer
 * Chapter 2: Dungeon Master’s Guide
 * Chapter 3: I Don’t Care, I Still Love Adventures!
 * Interlude: Of How Starting Stats Are Not That Important
 * Chapter 4: I’m Not Afraid of Any Deathtrap Dungeon!
 * Interlude: Of How There’s More to It Than Just Lobbing Fireballs and Slinging Lightning Bolts, but It’s Still Good If You Can Do Those Things
 * Chapter 5: A Professional Goblin Slayer
 * Interlude: Of Starting with Saving the World
 * Chapter 6: I Still Wanna Be An Adventurer!

Chapter 1
Deep in a Goblin Cave, Goblin Slayer and his Party begin clearing out the Goblins that reside within having been hired by the neighboring village. In a smaller crawlspace, Dwarf Shaman discovers evidence of a possible unaccounted hostage and as Lizard Priest stands guard, the Party clean of the rest of the Goblins and recover a deceased woman who was a bard. As they finish their mission, the cave begins to collapse forcing the party to escape.

Outside, Priestess reveals she found a small pouch filled with gems and diamonds, much to High Elf Archer's delight. However, Dwarf Shaman reveals the gems are too small to be worth anything. Deflated, High Elf Archer demands Goblin Slayer take her on a real adventure next time. Their revelry is disrupted when Priestess also discovers a scroll in the bag, much to Goblin Slayer's delight who claims it. With the adventure concluded, the Party returns to the town with the deceased woman, who is laid to rest in peace thanks to Priestess and Lizard Priest.

Chapter 2
Back at the Guild the next morning, Guild Girl had call Goblin Slayer and his party into the second level meeting room, including Priestess who realized this was more confirmation that she was no longer a rookie or beginner anymore in the Guild's eyes, making her happy. Guild Girl had come up with an idea of using the Winter Festival to create a mock dungeon for prospective Adventurers to try and tackle before they officially sign up in the Spring, or for Rookies to get some practice in. With her intent announced, Guild Girl recalls how Goblin Slayer promised to help her in preparation for the Winter Festival and requested that Goblin Slayer try being a Dungeon Master.

At the Farm, Cow Girl and her Uncle took stock of the winter preparations as Goblin Slayer returned and informed the pair he was going to be helping Guild Girl during the Winter Solstice Festival this year; leaving Cow Girl to understand that Guild Girl wanted her "turn" with Goblin Slayer this Winter. At night, Goblin Slayer got to work trying to plan out what he would do with the encouragement of Cow Girl and her Uncle, but he admitted to himself while alone he had no idea what he was doing. However, as he started to plan a "dungeon" out, his imagination began to run with a great deal of plans.

The next day, Goblin Slayer's Party escorts Guild Girl to the old ruins that were near the Frontier Town that she chose as the sight of her mock dungeon. As the party begins to clear it of any dangers, Guild Girl begins to explain how she envisions the dungeon; a hard, educational, but still "fun" experience for prospective would-be adventurers that were thinking of signing up in Spring. Goblin Slayer, Dwarf Shaman, and Lizard Priest began to plan for a traps with Guild Girl and Priestess keeping them on the "Tough but safe" route as High Elf Archer playfully complained about the men's predilection for a little too much danger. With the traps decided, monsters needed to be chosen as well, and naturally, Goblin Slayer nominated "Goblins".

Chapter 3
A few days later in the Frontier Town, a boy from the a neighboring village questions how it is possible for such a Girl could ever become an Adventurer as she eyed the Adventurer's Guild, mentioning everything she has going against her. Dismissing her, the Girl with a longsword too big for her, eyes the open competition for the Dungeon Exploration with intrigue. Inside the Guild, the parties of Heavy Warrior and Club Fighter begin to make plans for the coming Winter to very different results. In another corner of the Guild, Half-Elf Warlock announced to her party, including Axe Warrior, Middle-Aged Monk, and the new Elf Scout with too much pale make-up, that she had been hired by the Guild to help with the mock dungeon. Realizing they all could volunteer and make some much needed money for the Winter, they decide to ask her to see if the Guild could get the rest of them hired to help as well. Though annoyed as usual, Half-Elf Warlock agrees but silently makes a note that Elf Scout talked about Elves as if she wasn't an Elf herself to her confusion.

At the Reception Desk, Priestess was requested by the Temple of the Earth Mother to take care of a representative from the Temple's capital, which made her very nervous. Inspector insures her all will be right, even though Priestess doubts she could be so famous as to warrant a visitor from the Capital and wonders allowed if they had mistaken her for Goblin Slayer. As she is reminded that she was a "Middle Ranker" now it was indeed possible to achieve some level of fame, Sister Grape shows up escorting her guest: The Princess! Princess makes it clear that she didn't runaway again, and she had been sent on official Temple business but admitted her brother wasn't aware. Before leaving to return to the Temple Sister Grape bids them to have fun on their inspection and mentions allowed how the two look identical to the point of looking like sisters, though Priestess and Princess cannot see it themselves.

In the Mock Dungeon, Goblins Slayer and Guild Girl go over essentials, traps, and other issues that they are preparing for when it opens. As they converse, High Elf Archer is ahead with Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest as they make more "safe" traps; she is also chastised by Dwarf Shaman for using her superior hearing to spy on Goblin Slayer and Guild Girl's conversations as Priestess and Princess arrive. The group welcome the pair as they wonder who made these ruins and for what purposes; the theories being as varied as the group itself, ranging from a quickly build fortress to an old temple from the Age of Magic.

Later that night at the Dear Friend's Axe Tavern, Heavy Warrior meets up with Spearman and Goblin Slayer, and they extend their greetings to Centaur Waitress, who's happy to see the three getting along. During the meal, Goblin Slayer asks the pair to play a TRPG with him as Dungeon Master, much to their shock. Goblin Slayer explains his circumstances about being the Practice Dungeon's "Dungeon Master" and wants to run some "practice" runs for it with veterans like them. The duo surprisingly end up getting into the game as they prepare their characters, a Dwarf Scout for Spearman (who is reminded that the Race and Class don't usually mix) and a Elf Warrior for Heavy Warrior. With everything chosen, the pair challenge Goblin Slayer's dungeon, but the results are not revealed.

Interlude
In the blacksmith shop of the Guild, the Blacksmith hears someone enter his shop while he napped and quietly noticed the intruder was the Girl, looking at all his equipment. He took time to note how "low end of the middle" she was, complete with her longsword that weighed her down to one side, her small stature that caused the sword at her side to scrap the ground, and her meek demeanor.

Just then, Witch and Spearman enter the shop and also take notice of the Girl, and though Spearman tries to be friendly towards the rookie, he only succeeds in intimidating her further. Witch comforts her by giving her advice on her current goal of wondering whether or not she should by a helmet, worried people would laugh at her. Spearman orders her to "do as she liked", trying to impart wisdom in his own crass but helpful way as he and Witch go to, but warmer equipment for their coming adventure.

Blacksmith chimes in and gives the pair some Winter equipment and asks them to send his Apprentice back to him unless he's "getting lucky" with Padfoot Waitress since he's been missing all day trying all her latest recipes. Spearman and Witch leave as Blacksmith looks back to the Girl, still unsure of herself, and reminds himself that even pros like Spearman and Witch were once "Low end of the middle" in his expert eye when they started as well.

Chapter 4
With the coming of Winter, the Winter Festival and Mock Dungeon Competition had come; Cow Girl awakens to find Goblin Slayer already hard at work for his mock dungeon in his shed. Cow Girl inquires how he's doing but upon sensing his doubts, she beings to lift his spirits, even polishing his armor. She is then shocked to hear Goblin Slayer actually wanting to look like a Adventurer of his Silver rank and hoping he doesn't have to battle Goblins today. Elsewhere, Guild Girl was getting ready herself for the day and prepared to help Goblin Slayer with their Mock Dungeon.

At the mock Dungeon, Half-Elf Warlock continuously makes many fake Goblins with her magic, much to her annoyance, which is only increased with Elf Scout informing her Axe Warrior and Middle-Aged Monk had ditched them to bring them food from the festival. Half-Elf Warlock continues to gripe about her annoyances as Elf Scout playfully teases her. On the outside, Priestess and Princess take their time to look around the Festival and enjoy the spectacle, Princess runs into "friends" of hers from the capital that are about to take the mock Dungeon. Seeing this, Priestess suggests that Princess joins her friends to try the Mock Dungeon as she goes on to run things in the background, to which she agrees. Alone, Princess asks The Hero and her incognito party "what kind of danger is the world in now?"

Elsewhere, Guild Girl and Goblin Slayer prepare for the opening of their Mock Dungeon when the Girl, now wearing a brown protective cap, steps forward requesting to join the competition. Guild Girl takes her name and Goblin Slayer notes she was wise enough to buy a lantern which causes her to shyly run off after her registration was complete. Guild Girl then explained the rules and began the Mock Dungeon, and rookie Adventurers began when called; Veteran Adventurers already inside with their traps and riddles handing out little gemstones as proof of completion of certain tasks. The Girl begins and falls for a trap, but she pulls herself up and earns three small gems lifting her spirits. Later, the Girl runs into the Goblin Puppets and despite her weaknesses, is able to succeed, but a surprisingly strong and rough Goblin puppet causes her to lose her gems. But upon killing it, she's able to collect herself, find her gems, but accidentally goes into a secret passage none the wiser.

At an administration section used for first-aid, Guild Girl and Goblin Slayer oversee the event, and suddenly, Axe Warrior arrives to inform them of an incident. In a hallway, Elf Scout had discovered a Goblin corpse, an actual Goblin! Half-Elf Warlock had explained to Goblin Slayer how corpses to her puppets should work, a Goblin tooth the catalyst used to make the puppet, should be all that was left. Elf Scout reveals she discovered the secret passage this Goblin used and Goblin Slayer, angrier than usually, even shocking Guild Girl and Priestess. Guild Girl orders the area cordoned off, and at Goblin Slayer's urging, is told to keep the event going and the Goblin presence quiet. With Guild Girl formally requesting, Goblin Slayer prepares to hunt in the secret passage alone.

Interlude
Elsewhere in some far off ruins, Spearman and Witch search for "some medicine that grants immortality", though they both doubted such a thing existed, and they still pressed forward for whomever their client was. All the while having their usual chit-chat about magic and such going from room to room on their "date".

Chapter 5
Goblin Slayer began the hunt in the secret passage and after examining a Goblin he killed, found they were well fed and appeared to have similar weapons, possibly meaning the Goblins had a forge or suppliers somehow which troubled him. On the outside, Inspector and Half-Elf Light Warrior approached Heavy Warrior and Female Knight about the sudden incident, and the two agreed it was smarter to keep things quiet to avoid a panic, especially now that they learned only one contestant was unaccounted for: The Girl. In the first-aid station, Priestess and Guild Girl give aid as she silently spreads the word to the other veterans to be ready and be on the look out, waiting for Goblin Slayer's return.

Down in the depths, Goblin Slayer continues his hunt for the Goblins, finding things more complicated now that he was alone but still managing. However at some point, Goblin Slayer's pouch gets ripped open, causing him to lose all his important items and leaving him with only Guild Girl's purse.

Down the cliffs of the cave, The Girl wept a little at how pathetic she must look, she believed she may have taken a wrong turn or something, but she had found plenty of items and equipment on the ground (revealed to be the items from Goblin Slayer's bag that had fallen) and continued on, believing she was on the right track. Forward, she used his Southern-Style throwing knife to wound an 8-foot snake and found herself before a coffin with a compartment for a large wand that had been lost. Suddenly, a man's spirit appeared and began to taunt her; believing this was part of the Mock Dungeon, The Girl asked for the gem in his hand. The Man revealed he used to be a man, but had thrown away his physical body to become a Fire Spirit, and killed the giant snake to show her his power.

Up on the cliffs, Goblin Slayer was in battle with the Goblin that had stolen the Fire Spirit's Magic Staff, so Goblin Slayer dubbed it the Fire Goblin, who kept blasting fire spells at the Adventurer. Goblin Slayer uses Guild Girl's sash as a sling to continue slinging stones at the Fire Goblin trying to finish it off. Eventually, after a meteor somehow falls in the distance of the cave, the Fire Goblin's manic movements causes the staff to slip out of it's hands, giving Goblin Slayer the opening her needs to kill the Fire Goblin.

Down below, the Fire Spirit continues to mock the Girl who begins frantically using Goblin Slayer's lost items to fight it off, still thinking it is all apart of the test. After she creates on opening by throwing a pepper bomb, the Girl finds the Scroll Goblin Slayer found at the beginning of Winter and uses it, much to the Spirit's horror, revealing it is the Star of Maula a Meteor Spell. The Scroll succeeds in killing the Spirit, the Girl believing everything was an elaborate light show and as she gets up, she discovers a sparkling chunk of Black Onyx! All the while, above, Half-Elf Warlock and her team wondering who was crazy enough to use a Meteor spell in an enclosed space.

Goblin Slayer makes a rope out of the Goblin clothes and is able to get down to the Girl who was looking for a way up the cliff. Startled by Goblin Slayer, she had shown him the Onyx she had found, and he congratulated her for her "victory". The two begin to leave as the Girl opens up to him, explaining all she had been through and how she left the last "Facilitator" was very "rude" to her. Realizing she really thought she was still in the mock Dungeon, and not having actually stumbled off the path, into a Goblin Nest, and somehow managing to slay a Fire Spirit, Goblin Slayer elects to keep her ignorant instead of telling her the truth. Either way, she had succeeded based on her abilities as an Adventurer, and that was more than enough.

Interlude
Deep within the mountain, Hero and her party including The Princess, had begun battle with Jupiter's Ghost, once a sorcerer's apprentice who cast a Other Self spell as a shortcut to power, only to become a flesh-eating blob. It was hidden away in the mountains feeding on anything that came close, in the current situation, a nest of Goblins.

Annoyed that all her adventures ended with her having the fate of the world in her hands, the Hero proclaims after this mission, and she wants to take on a simple quest with her friends. Sword Saint agrees, but reminds her they must save the world now in order to go on a simple quest, as the quartet finish the beast off.

Chapter 6
After the event, Spearman had celebrated with the Hero who was still in her "Spear-Girl" disguise with her party, stating she had "failed" the Mock Dungeon and only found an empty sarcophagus. Spearman laments to her that he also failed his recent quest with Witch as she smiled at The Princess and Hero seemingly knowing more about them, than even Spearman did, but keeps it to herself.

Outside the Guild, the Boy from the outside villages returns to the Frontier Town with his father and sees the Girl again, but this time, as a full-fledged Adventurer. Though he is astonished at her newfound rank and confidence, he attempts to talk down to her again, but is mixed with genuine fear for her. Not deterred, The Girl simply nods, shows off her new Onyx pendant, and goes on to the sewers for her first Quest. She silently thanks everyone who gave her advice, Witch for helping her in the armory, Guild Girl for suggesting the sewers, Club Fighter and his party for their expert advice on the sewers, the Blacksmith who bought her worthless gems and suited her up with armor and perfumed oil for her lantern, and especially the Goblin Slayer who gave her the advice to "stay calm" as she marched forward to Adventure. The Author then goes on to reveal this was the start of her legend, she would be known far and wide, she was a new Hero in the Four-Cornered World.

In the Guild, Goblin Slayer had thought back on the Mock Dungeon, how the Girl, the only one of all the participants to recognize him after the event, would surely become an Adventurer. All the while, he wondered what of him, still just slaying Goblins when others went on to adventure, lived their lives, and such. He then got up to thank Guild Girl, her bag having been valuable aid to him, but instead of his usual one word answers, he endeavored to hold a conversation, and offered to go with Guild Girl to replace everything he used, much to her happiness.

Still, he grabbed a Goblin Slaying Quest, went to his party, and prepared for "Adventure".

Trivia

 * During their TRPG session, Heavy Warrior reference to "Gray Mouser" a magic wielding Rouge sword-and-sorcery hero appearing in stories written by American author Fritz Leiber.
 * It is revealed that Spearman isn't exactly aware that the young "rookie" Spear-Girl that he talks to is The Hero; Witch, however, once again seems to be in the know, but keeps she it to herself. This is a revelation, because Spearman had gone to Hero before (again disguised as Spear Girl) in Light Novel Volume 10 for information.