Light Novel Volume 9

'''Goblin Slayer! Volume 9' is the ninth light novel of the Goblin Slayer'' series.

Official Synopsis
''Goblin Slayer joins Cow Girl on what was supposed to be a typical delivery expedition only to be ambushed by a horde of goblins. And what's more, this ambush appears to be the work of the Unpraying! Meanwhile, Goblin Slayer's party continues adventuring in his absence. Per a handout from Apprentice Cleric, they head for the snowy mountains to the north, a region locked in a perpetual winter under the control of an ice sorceress...''

- Yen Press

Chapters

 * Chapter 1: A Premonition of Destruction
 * Chapter 2: Wandering Goblin Slayer
 * Interlude: Of Before an Adventure Starts
 * Chapter 3: Fleet of Foot
 * Chapter 4: Assassin in the Ruined Village
 * Interlude: Of How Goblins Are Unsuited for Command
 * Chapter 5: In the Cave, a Monster’s Shadow
 * Chapter 6: Rings in the Pocket
 * Chapter 7: The Cave of the Ice Witch
 * Chapter 8: Goblin Slayer, Into the Maelstrom
 * Interlude: Of Just Before the World Was Saved Somehow
 * Chapter 9: Finally, to Daily Life

Chapter 1
In a snowy environment, Goblin Slayer kills goblins while escorting Cow Girl to a ruined village. As the cackling of goblins echoed, Cow Girl grasped what it meant to venture into goblin territory.

Before then, the rest of Goblin Slayer's party ate with Heavy Warrior's party, Witch and Spearman at the Adventurer's Guild. Priestess learned that Goblin Slayer was out delivering provisions to villages along with Cow Girl, and that they won't be back for a few days. She then asked Guild Girl to let her borrow the Monster Manual again, which she began reading. At the farm, Goblin Slayer decided not to have his companions travel with him as the delivery was not an official quest. Both Goblin Slayer and Cow Girl then set off thinking that it just a delivery, and not an adventure. Not long on their way, the two were suddenly ambushed by a group of goblins. Goblin Slayer promptly took Cow Girl's hand and fled while the goblins occupied themselves killing their horse. Goblins gave chase, but were shortly dealt with. Not wanting to risk another ambush trying to go to the frontier town, the two were forced to seek refuge in a ruined village. Now back to present events, Cow Girl grasped what it meant to venture into goblin territory.

Back at the guild, the rest of Goblin Slayer's party become bored and could not decide what to do in the absence of their leader. Is is then that Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric announce that they would be promoted to Obsidian rank, but a handout from the Supreme God telling Apprentice Cleric to head to the northern mountains prevented them from celebrating the good news. The party volunteers to help them venture into unknown territory, agreeing to evenly split the reward.

Chapter 2
Thanks to the snowy weather, Cow Girl and Goblin Slayer are able to hide in the remains of a house as goblins continue to hunt for them. When Goblin Slayer tells Cow Girl that he won't look down on her, he is reminded of his teacher who told him not do so and to run away if things get rough; if he failed to accomplish that, he would be a moron. A sudden impact directs their attention to a large ogre in charge of the goblins, who grew impatient over not having found Goblin Slayer. Unable to escape or wait the enemy out, Goblin Slayer and Cow Girl decide to sleep until tomorrow.

In a flashback, Burglar tells a young Goblin Slayer a scenario in which a loved one was dying and he can see a fleeing goblin, and asks him to choose between saving the loved one or pursuing the goblin. Goblin Slayer is unable to choose, and Burglar strikes him with a ball of ice declaring that the person dies and the goblin gets away. Burglar does admit it would've been better than saying to do both, as it would've shown he didn't understand the problem. When Goblin Slayer asks what to do if something like that would happen to him, Burglar answers that he should do anything if it's for a loved one.

The next morning, Goblin Slayer tells Cow Girl that they are bound to be found where they are now, and will need food as well another place to sleep. After waiting until nighttime, the two sneak out to pick lingonberries and rock tripe outside the village, and gather water through a hole gouged in a frozen lake. Cow Girl and Goblin Slayer then begin eating, though the former did not find the food appetizing.

Interlude
The princess reports to her older brother, the king, that the Temple of the Earth Mother is suspecting that the unusually long winter was not simply bad weather, but a natural disaster. Female Merchant comments that the winter will have an effect on commerce, as the longer people hoard resources and refuse to sell, currency and provisions will stop circulating and therefore create a famine. Since sending in the army was both expensive and unreasonable, the king decides to have an adventurer deal with the problem. Female Merchant points out one adventurer suited for the task, but admits that they are unusually stubborn and may not accept. In response, the king suggests that in the contract, promise the adventurer one treasure that they want upon completing the quest.

Chapter 3
The adventurers make their way to the mountain, though are forced to endure a harsh blizzard. The cold weather Dwarf Shaman makes mention the Ice Gods, a race of giants who ate those who invade their territory, and the Ice God's Daughter who was an excellent cook among them. When High Elf Archer declares she will snipe any giant on sight, A girl with long white ears states otherwise, and that doing so would bring them a lot of trouble. As Harefolk Hunter begins guiding the adventurers, she tells them that the Ice Witch is responsible for the harsh winter. She explains that their kind occasionally falls victim to sasquatches, but this winter has proved particularly long and harsh, and the sasquatches have been hunting them every day in honor of the era of winter. The hare-people have the choice of offering food to them, but are then forced to starve to death as they die when they don't eat every day. When the group then reaches the village, Priestess points out a pillar in the shape of the sword with scales in its center, indicating the Supreme God's influence had reached this place. Not long after Harefolk Hunter's mother invites the group to eat, the adventurers are alerted by a trio of sasquatches announcing their presence through song, but are unable to arrive fast enough to save a hare-boy from being crushed by a sasquatch's foot. The group becomes momentarily confused with what to do, but Priestess is able to come up with a plan.

Priestess comes out to challenge the sasquatches, which they condescendingly take humor in. She elaborates that they will decide who will be the first to knock a leaf off a tree without touching the opponent, and is she loses, she belongs to them. However, right before the sasquatch could take a second step, Priestess throws a sling to take a leaf off and knock the sasquatch unconscious. Dwarf Shaman and High Elf Archer confine another sasquatch and sink the ground beneath him, resulting in the sasquatch landing on his head. Struck with fear over the loss of his brothers, the last sasquatch flees the scene. Harefolk Hunter asks Priestess if she as a priestess was comfortable using deception; in response, Priestess states that she didn't touch them and therefore followed her rules.

Chapter 4
Cow Girl and Goblin Slayer manage to hide in a ruined storehouse, but are soon detected by the goblins. To evade the goblins, Goblin Slayer has Cow Girl throw a knife at a tree to distract their attention long enough for them to hide in a nearby well without them noticing. The two are able to breathe underwater thanks to Breath rings.

Cow Girl admires that he is working hard to save them both, to which Goblin Slayer replies that his teacher could have thought of a better solution. Cow Girl tells him that his teacher isn't here, and that he was the one rescuing her; she then apologizes for being a burden, but Goblin Slayer replies that she isn't. After the two decide to nap, Cow Girl asks Goblin Slayer if he wants to go home, and Goblin Slayer responds that he does.

Interlude
Still unable to locate Goblin Slayer, the ogre's frustration increases. He recalls the hero killing several of the Demon Lord's generals, as well as the lost battle between the armies of Order and Chaos. The ogre had fled to the mountains refusing to admit defeat, which was when he met a dark elf who told him that the adventurer who murdered his brother lived in the western frontier. Although the ogre knew he would become a pawn of the dark elf, he dismissed it to have a chance of avenging his brother. He overhears a dying woman screaming nearby, and decides to make an example.

Chapter 5
The adventurers immediately head to the northern mountain, arriving outside of the sasquatches' cave. Dwarf Shaman notes that the ice and snow sprites have not made any effort to welcome the sprites of spring, so it is unlikely spring will ever come. He speculates that an exceptionally powerful sprite user or a notable wizard may have enough power to manipulate the seasons. Priestess begins feeling as if she were forgetting something, and dismisses Dwarf Shaman's suggestion that she wants to make Goblin Slayer proud. The group ventures close enough to watch a sasquatch report the death of his brother and be rebuked by a woman of white skin and hair. Priestess briefly takes interest in a glinting object near the altar, and deduces it must be what they needed to obtain. The woman preaches that she put the spring sprites to sleep and stole a treasure of the hare-people, which also piques her interest. One of the sasquatches asks if resurrecting the Demon Lord will bring them eternal winter, to which the woman declares that they will eventually destroy the demons after gathering enough strength. Before Priestess can think of a plan, High Elf Archer alerts her that the woman, the Witch of Ice, did not cast a shadow.

Harefolk Hunter speculates that the treasure the Ice Witch mentioned is her father's arrow. Long ago, a messenger of the Supreme God came to her village with the arrow along with medicine, implying that Harefolk Hunter's father later went carrying these items to save the village only to perish in the process. Lizard Priest figures that since the name Witch of Ice indicated she was a spell-caster, the arrow had to have been analyzed and sealed away. When Harefolk Hunter mentions that the medicine was needed along with the arrow, Dwarf Shaman conveniently takes out the aforementioned ingredients. Apprentice Cleric then decides to use the Seeking Candle they used before to locate the arrow. Harefolk Hunter asks the group if they really thought they can do it, and Priestess confidently replies that they were adventurers.

Chapter 6
In another flashback, Burglar takes Goblin Slayer to the aftermath of a goblin attack to make him understand his emotions were worth nothing. He then gets Goblin Slayer to tell him what use he would make of the corpse he was sitting on, as a way of teaching that imagination was his greatest asset and he decides what is useful or not. After Goblin Slayer tells Burglar his words are useful, the rhea violently shakes his head and throws him to the ground, though it somehow made him very happy.

Peeking his head out of the water, Goblin Slayer saw that the ogre had crucified other adventurers in an attempt to lure him out. Goblin Slayer and Cow Girl prepare to exit their hiding spot, and the former promises Cow Girl that the enemy will not escape alive.

Chapter 7
Priestess casts Holy Light at the Ice Witch's forces, signaling the rest of the adventurers to attack. Lizard Priest, High Elf Archer and Dwarf Shaman hold off the sasquatches with relative ease while the remaining adventurers go look for the arrow. The Ice Witch promptly deploys giant rats, but they are little match for the rookies. They eventually find both the medicine and the silver arrow hidden inside a chest, but are then assaulted by a freezing wind. Priestess suddenly finds her self nude and thus extremely vulnerable to the effects of the blizzard. Goblin Slayer appears to comfort her, but when he softly mentions that he was more concerned with her than the goblins, Priestess promptly casts Minor Heal. "Goblin Slayer" turns out to be the Ice Witch, who had put Priestess under an illusion. As she was a Non-Prayer and a vampire, the Minor Heal miracle sends her writhing in pain long enough for Harefolk Hunter to shoot her with the silver arrow. The dying Ice Witch desperately attempts to kill Priestess, only to be finished off by Apprentice Cleric's Holy Smite.

The sasquatches cease battling upon hearing the sound of Holy Smite, and after seeing the young adventurers leave the inner chamber, realize the Ice Witch was killed and flee the battle. Before leaving, the adventurers decide to take the sasquatches' drums and return them to the harefolk to have them purified.

Upon approaching the abandoned village, they discover smoke rising from it, leading them to speculate that goblins may be inhabiting it. Rookie Warrior, Apprentice Cleric and Harefolk Hunter promptly go to alert the harefolk, while the others decide to deal with the abandoned village.