Light Novel Volume 14

'''Goblin Slayer! Volume 14' is the fourteenth light novel of the Goblin Slayer'' series.

Official Synopsis

 * Goblin Slayer has been acting strange lately—to the point where he, of all people, proposes that he and his party embark on an adventure! At his urging, the group travels north across snowcapped mountains to a country of darkest night where they encounter an indigenous epic, a completely different language and culture, and the proud chieftain who governs it all with his beautiful wife. The inhabitants, meanwhile, claim that ghosts lurk in the sea to the north and that no ships return to port…Just what awaits Goblin Slayer and his companions in this new land?

Chapters

 * Chapter 1: To What Shall we Compare the Heart?
 * Chapter 2: Over the Misty Mountains
 * Chapter 3: The Faraway Princess
 * Chapter 4: Game of Thrones
 * Interlude: Of How the World Keeps Turning Even If You Can't See It Yourself
 * Chapter 5: Vikings
 * Chapter 6: Deep Rising
 * Chapter 7: Honey Moon
 * Chapter 8: A slice of bread, a Knife, and a Lamp

Chapter 1
In the Guild Tavern, High Elf Archer vents her frustrations that Goblin Slayer seems troubled by something for a while now to Cow Girl, Priestess, and Padfoot Waitress. The ladies make reference that he's been softer, more understanding, and his last couple major adventures have been quite out of the ordinary for Goblin Slayer like saving the Earth Mother Temple's grape harvest and going to the Desert Kingdom in summer, going off on a quest with Heavy Warrior and Spearman in Fall, and finally making a Mock Dungeon in the beginning of Winter. The girls decide he either needs a break if he's tired, which would leave with with Cow Girl for quite some time, or to take him on a real adventure if he needs a lift to his spirits.

Back at Blacksmith's shop, Goblin Slayer helps Guild Girl with her shopping like he promised, even asking the smith how the Scrawny Girl was doing, who was doing fine. After some banter and Goblin Slayer picking a ribbon for Guild Girl, even recognizing her usual ribbon color, Goblin Slayer decides he wants to go "Over the Northern Mountains" shocking both Guild Girl and Blacksmith. Guild Girl, amazed, even teases she may actually have a way for him to go "on an adventure" perking his interests.

Assembling his Party, Goblin Slayer shows the the quest them much to their fascination that he would ask for this, and quickly, High Elf Archer, Dwarf Shaman, and Priestess agree to go. Lizard Priest is at first apprehensive, but refuses to be bent by fear of the cold and agrees to go; Priestess even revealing the Earth Mother has gifted her with a new Miracle. Going over the quest, the party learns that the Vikings of the North had joined the Kingdom and were hoping to create an Adventurer's Guild; Guild Girl had granted them the quest because they are such a diverse Party and would be an excellent "show piece" of a Party.

Later, Priestess prepares her Winter equipment and wash it with the help of Padfoot Waitress, being amazed at the Wolf-Girl's immense strength. Club Fighter, Supreme God's Cleric, and Harefolk Hunter soon arrive with their own laundry and hear of Priestess's new quest and liken her to a Gold-Ranked Adventurer for performing a quest for the Royal Court. Taken aback, Priestess begins to lose herself in the idea of being Gold-Ranked as Harefolk Hunter asks Priestess to deliver a letter and a Troll Fang to her village along the way, showing off her Party's recent accomplishment.

At the farm, Goblin Slayer informs Cow Girl and her Uncle that he will be going away for awhile up North, even asking Cow Girl permission to go, much to the Farm Owner's humor. Cow Girl, of course, gives him permission, even laughing that he felt he had to, only asking him to bring back a souvenir that wasn't an animal this time.

Chapter 2
Three days after leaving the Harefolk Village, Goblin Slayer's Party find themselves clinging to an icy cliff side in the middle of a snow storm. As they shuffle along slowly but surely, they find a cave to seek temporary refuge from the storm. Resting, Priestess reveals her new Miracle which creates a purifying space free from the outside world to keep the group warm while they rest. Weighing their options, Goblin Slayer reveals his master had trained him in these mountains and there was an alternative route in the mountain itself which the group agrees to try.

Inside the tunnels, the Party find an old abandoned Dwarven Fortress, crawling with larger than average, but no quite Hobgoblin level, Goblins looking for a fight! After an extremely long chase through the ruins, The Party finds their way to an old Dwarven Bridge, one that Dwarf Shaman aims to collapse as soon as they get enough Goblins on the bridge. With Goblin Slayer and Lizard Priest protecting the Party, Dwarf Shaman collapses the Bring sending all the larger Goblins into the dark depths.

Outside, the Party is temporarily blinded by the twilight upon the snow, but wearing snow googles, High Elf Archer is able to lead the Party down the mountain to a village. Coming upon the village, the Party is shocked to see the village is being raided by other Vikings, women are being taken, but the women are happy!? Lizard Priest explains to the culture shocked party that in Viking customs, not only is being raided and raiding part of the territory, but "Bride-Taking" as such is a sign that a strong warrior values you as a woman of "strong marriageable features" even mentioning that his race have practiced this as well. While Priestess and High Elf Archer are beyond culture shocked, Goblin Slayer walks up to the defenders who have repelled the Raiders and announces himself as an envoy from the South. Though Priestess is terrified, an an extremely beautiful woman steps forth acknowledging herself as a leader of the Village and welcomes the Party, even inviting them to her home, much to Priestess's shock.

Chapter 3
The Húsfreya shows the Party around, despite the village being apart of a battle only moments ago, even mentioning the seax blade Goblin Slayer pick up in the Dwarven fortress seems to be an old, special one earning him a lot of respect from the Vikings who are taking note of the Party members, especially the "Álf" (High-Elf Archer) and the "Dreki" (Lizard Priest). The Party meet the Chieftain, who reveals himself to be from the Kingdom like them, and begin their greetings with each other, most of which only continue to cause Priestess to fall into more and more culture shock from the Vikings' strange customs to their choice of worship in a Chaos affiliated Goddess.

As a feast is being prepared, the Húsfreya takes Goblin Slayer, Priestess, and High Elf Archer on a tour of the village, specifically to the port so Goblin Slayer can inspect a winch crane. To their surprise, the Húsfreya arrives to give them the tour and explains more about the Northern culture even explaining the Goblins are called "Orcs" in this region and are even less of a concern given the strong warrior culture in the North. High Elf Archer makes note that she noticed the Chieftain's right arm appeared to be damaged; the Húsfreya confirms this but denies help from Priestess, explaining she has ways to heal her husband.

Later that night before the banquet, the Party are all given their own drinking horns as custom and are given a seat of honor across from the Chieftain and the Húsfreya. As they are offered drinks, Priestess realizes the drinking horn are designed so they cannot be put down until the drink is finished, so worried about her own drinking abilities and trying not to offend the locals, accepts goat milk. Her acceptance of milk causes Lizard Priest to ask for milk as well so High Elf Archer trades her horn with him causing the Vikings to believe they are married due to their customs, Priestess attempts to diffuse the situation but decides to keep quiet less she causes an incident.

During the Feast, things go well, with the Vikings being impressed with Dwarf Shaman's drinking abilities, Lizard Priests tales from his warrior culture, and even Goblin Slayer stating he once battled one hundred Goblins at one time. Later, the Chieftain starts to drunkenly lament that everyone in the capital calls his wife the "One-Eyed Bear" much to his sadness, so much so he wants to take her to the capital to prove otherwise.

Priestess takes her leave of the Feast to get air and meets the Húsfreya outside; as they converse, Priestess compares the Húsfreya's stunning beauty to the Sword Maiden. As the Húsfreya reveals she is practicing her "common speech" so she can converse with the people of the Capital, as she's aware her husband really wants to take her there. As the two comment on just how small but also large the Four-Cornered World is, they go to a sauna to continue their conversations. Through their conversations, Priestess begins to understand the Vikings' culture a little better and their chose of worship thus lessening her previous culture shock. As the two converse, the two ladies stare into the aurora-filled skies filled with wonder.

Chapter 4
The next morning, Priestess makes it known that she would like to present the Viking Chieftain with a gift, specifically a gift of healing for his damaged right arm. The Chieftain is understanding, but reveals that his wife had already began the healing of his arm, just in a much more painful way than Priestess' miracle, so he requests instead that Priestess heal a prisoner captured from the previous raid the day before. As she obliges, the prisoner is questioned by the Húsfreya for why his clan attacked without provocation to which he admitted that his clan needed resources to battle a problem he didn't want to reveal. Goblin Slayer is able to swiftly decipher the man's problems: Goblins.

Amazed that Goblin Slayer already knew, the prisoner reveals that Goblins, while never a problem here in the Northern Regions, have been trying to raid his clan via ships multiple times now. His clan grew concerned about these ships, despite the Goblins' inability to properly use the ships. However, every warship they sent out never returned, meaning a Sea Devil had been protecting the Goblin Nest. This caused his clan to decide to raid for some new resources to try and handle the situation rather than let the other clans realizes Goblins were giving them trouble. Hearing all this, Goblin Slayer makes it clear he plans on wiping out these Goblins immediately.

At a War Council, the Vikings decide how to approach the Sea-Devil problem, but wonder what to do about Goblin Slayer's party given they are outsiders and shouldn't get involved despite wanting to. Goblin Slayer suggests some sort of test to prove themselves and Dwarf Shaman notices a board game on the tables and requests it be the test for them. The Húsfreya agrees to these terms and Goblin Slayer immediately volunteers Priestess to challenge her, much to her shock and the rest of the assembly's amusements.

Priestess is then presented with a board game with red and white pieces called "Hnefatafl" where players had to use their pieces to capture the opponents King or have their King escape the board. Priestess is instructed by the Húsfreya about the rules, the rest of her Party question whether sending in Priestess was a good idea, to which Goblin Slayer reassures them she is the best to send in. Sometime passes and a few games have been played, but Priestess hasn't one a single game, but she hasn't given up nor has her enthusiasm died down as the Húsfreya also hasn't lost her patience with her novice player. Overtime, High Elf Archer gets frustrated and wants to play to and demands a viking play her, which starts a domino effect of more and more players getting their own games out to play against each other and the Party. On the outskirts with the Viking Chieftain, Goblin Slayer announces he's won as he's gotten all the Vikings to accept his Party to which the Chieftain admits he did. With this, Goblin Slayer makes it clear he will kill all the Goblins.

Interlude
Back further South in the Capital City of The Kingdom, Female Merchant attends a private council with The King, who begins talking about the recent "never ending" troubles plaguing the world with his sister. As he begins to grumble about his paper work, he admits to Female Merchant about of much paperwork has been created thanks to annexing the North into the Kingdom. The revelation of the Viking Chieftain was actually born in the North but raised in The Kingdom thanks to his father escaping a blood feud and fleeing with his family to The King's family is revealed.

Female Merchant becomes shocked and confused when the King explains that the Viking Chieftain is technically his and his sister's "Uncle" despite being close to the same age, due to his father having taken Viking Chieftain's older sister as a mistress. The revelation of the need for heirs "through any means" actually makes Female Merchant finally question why every other member of the Royal Court like to leave her and the King alone all the time.

That all aside, Female Merchant, The Princess, and the Silver-Haired Maid have to reign in the King when he makes a comment that in order to deal with the Forces of Chaos in the North, action from Adventurers is needed; meaning he wanted to go to the North personally to deal with it.

Chapter 5
In the Viking Village, Goblin Slayer and the party prepare to go into battle with the Vikings, and Goblin Slayer chooses to leave the Dwarven Sword he found in the Mountains but takes Dwarf Shaman's advice to get it treated. As they prepare, the Party starts to wonder why Goblin Slayer has become so attached to the sword when that is so out of his character.

Out on the open frozen sea, the Vikings find the Goblin Vessel and make battle with the Goblins who have turned a wrecked abandoned Viking vessel into their own floating nest. Using slings to hail rocks and stones on the Goblins as they haphazardly throw pieces of their own ship at the Vikings, High Elf Archer stands in the crow's nest firing arrows. A lucky axe throw nearly strikes out at Priestess, but Goblin Slayer grabs it in midair and flings it back at the Goblin. Priestess discovers that the Goblins have captured "Dormouse" Padfoot women, prompting Goblin Slayer to ask Dwarf Shaman for Water Walk so he can race across to the ship and save one woman the Goblins were throwing into the sea.

His rescue successful, earning much respect from the Vikings, encouraging the Viking Chieftain to order a boarding to make battle with the Goblins. As the battles break into boarding and slaughtering the Goblins, Goblin Slayer rescues the rest of the Padfoot women with Priestess. Priestess spies the Goblin Leader as a larger than average, but not quite Hob or Champion, wearing a bear pelt like a Viking Berserker, the look of which was not lost on the Vikings who took offense.

Beneath the waves, the commotion from the battle awakens a Sea-Devil, one that is hungry. As it rises up, the beast begins to be causing chaos among the fighters quickly devouring the Goblins that had fallen into the Sea, and eyeing up everyone else.

Chapter 6
As the Sea-Devil rises it's tentacles from the depths, attacking Goblins and Vikings alike, the Viking Chieftain asking Goblin Slayer if he had a plan to get him close enough to strike the beast. Goblin Slayer formulates a plan to use Dwarf Shaman's Water Walk to force the Sea-Devil to the surface so they can strike its main body. Lizard Priest creates a pair of Dragontooth Warriors to act as the Viking Chieftain's guards as they race towards the Goblin Ship that is above the Sea-Devil's main body. As they charge through the mess of tentacles and ships, the Party realizes Goblin Slayer has yet to throw his new Viking Sword away much to their confusion, as throwing his weapons has always been his style.

On the Goblin Ship, the Berserker Goblin wields an enchanted axe that they found with the Bearskin pelt and sees Goblin Slayer charging at him. Preparing to do battle with the Goblin Slayer, the Berserker Goblin doesn't realize that Goblin Slayer had thrown his upgraded Southern-Style Throwing knife and cut off his arm with the axe, disarming him literally. Goblin Slayer makes note these are weapons meant for throwing unlike the rest of the large Northern styled weapons as he claimed the enchanted axe and kicked the mortally wounded Berserker Goblin into the sea. With the path clear, Dwarf Shaman casts Water Walk on the Sea-Devil and rises the mass of tentacles and teeth to the surface.

Surfaced, the Viking Chieftain charges the Sea-Devil and begins hacking away at the great titan with his greatsword much to his wife's and soldier's great admiration. The Húsfreya quickly casts a Lightning Armor miracle unto her husband greatly increasing his already grand raw power as he hacked away at the beast's face. Goblin Slayer, seeing an opening, prepares a Molotov on the Goblin Ship as Priestess casts Purify on the ship, turning the Goblin Ship into a Holy flaming ship on a crash course with the Sea-Devil. The combined assault destroys the Sea-Devil as it sinks back to the bottom of the sea.

Victorious, the Vikings celebrate their Chieftain's great victory, recovering the captured Dormouse Padfoot women, who either choose to make their way home but most stay with the Vikings as new brides. As Goblin Slayer returns the borrowed sword and enchanted axe. For his "trade", Goblin Slayer only requests that, in the future, the Vikings treat Adventurers as what they are, not thieves, but as people who "go on Adventures". This touching moment is broken as High Elf Archer kicks Goblin Slayer in anger for throwing a Molotov onto the ship despite it all being "Priestess's idea", earning him more kicks for "corrupting dear little Priestess" much to the Assembly's humor.

Chapter 7
In the Frontier Town, Cow Girl takes a break from her chores and notices Goblin Slayer coming up the road with a cart full of souvenirs from the North. She greets him happily and politely teases him about hoping he didn't bring another animal home this time, which he did not.

Inside, Goblin Slayer tells her all about the trek across the mountain, battling the Goblins or "Orcs" in the Dwarven Fortress, the Vikings, battling Goblins at sea, battling the Sea-Devil, and finally how Priestess was being considered for a promotion. As he tells her the story in his usual short bursts, Cow Girl notices the beautiful short length sword, the Seax from earlier, that Goblin Slayer brought back. Goblin Slayer explains he had the sheath made for it, polished it up, and brought it home as a decoration which Cow Girl suggest he display it in his shed.

Lastly, Goblin Slayer reveals that after he described his home style to the Vikings, living with Cow Girl and her Uncle, the Vikings gifted them with special mead with specific instructions that he is to drink it with Cow Girl. Cow Girl, confused and unfamiliar with alcohol, only wonders aloud why the Viking insisted so hard on how the two drink the mead, but the two shrug and suggest drinking some during dinner; both of them unaware of the Viking custom of only a Husband and Wife can drink from the same cup.

Chapter 8
Back on the Northern Mountain, in what is described as either years or moments later (more accurately only a short time had passed), The Girl trips into a snow bank on the mountain and curses her bad luck, not realizing the snow back had saved her from falling off the mountain to her death. As she gets up and continues on her way, she laments she already ate the loaf of bread she got from the Harefolk Village as she was now hungry.

However, as she continues her path, she see the Viking village in the distance and hurries to her destination meeting a Viking guardsman along the way. Seeing her, the Viking recognizes she is an Adventurer and welcomes her to the region as he lets her continue on her path. Excited, the Girl confirms to him and herself, that she is indeed an "Adventurer" with pride.

Trivia

 * High Elf Archer makes reference to how the "Age of Ice" had wiped out all of Lizard Priest's ancestors and patron Gods: The Dinosaurs. An obvious reference to the theory that the Ice Age had completed the extinction of the Dinosaur race in real life.
 * Throughout the story, Priestess makes numerous references to not seeing any "horned helmets" among the Vikings, this is a reference to the real-life misconception that Vikings had horned helmets.