Goblin Slayer II – 11 – Domain of Restraint and Darkness

Goblin Slayer tends not to deviate from what’s on its tin: slaying goblins. This season has featured some enjoyable exceptions, from High Elf Archer’s sister’s wedding to the various non-goblin jobs they’ve taken on. But this week we get back to the bread-and-butter. The princess has been kidnapped, and they’ll need to slay a lot of goblins to rescue her.

Sword Maiden and Noble Fencer, two women who have seen enough goblins in their lifetimes, see the Slayer’s party off, and when they reach the wagon the princess was riding, evidence indicates she was not maimed, so they believe she’s to be a sacrifice. Once the party reaches the fortified mountainside town, they sneak around it to reach the entrance to a dark and foreboding dungeon.

While Priestess notes that this is the first official dungeon of its kind she’s been in, the basics are the same: stay vigilant, keep count of how many goblins are around (lots) and make sure you have the tools you need to defeat them. Slayer advises restraint: no spells or potions unless absolutely necessary. They need to save their best for the boss.

Lizard Priest and Dwarf Shaman are fine hacking away at the goblins beside Slayer while Elf Archer shoots them and Priestess stands by. When she apologizes for not being that much help, they remind her a priestess, particularly a back-liner, shouldn’t have to swing a weapon. Her job is merely to stay safe and ready for when things get tough.

Goblin Slayer decides to use a gate scroll he must’ve borrowed from the temple to suck a bunch of goblins in and spit them out at a predetermined destination: in his case, the sky. That proves advantageous for the Hero’s Party, who were dispatched to investigate the object from the heavens that landed in the Holy Mount.

This object turns out to be very similar to The Thing from The Thing (my favorite version being John Carpenter’s remake): whatever it encounters first, it mimics. And that happens to be the goblins Slayer sucked into the gate scroll. This makes the monster easy pickings for the Hero’s Party, who are disgusted by the eldritch abomination before them but soon realize … it’s not that bright.

We also another instance of that sweet, sweet Hero Party’s battle theme, my favorite Suehiro Kenichiro piece in the series.

While the Hero’s Party fights atop the mount, the Slayer’s party descends in an elevator, and make their preparations. Archer hears at least 10 and possibly 20 goblins shifting around, and also smells incense, which Lizard Priest notes is needed for a ritual. The incense may be poison, so Priestess suggests casting Holy Light just as they rush out of the elevator.

Dwarf casts light across the ritual chamber, allowing Slayer to quickly assess the strength and composition of the enemy, and then he and Lizard get to slayin’. The Princess’ robes are a bit torn but she otherwise seems to have avoided having unspeakable things done to her. However, it’s not merely a Goblin Shaman who has her in his clutches, it’s a Goblin Priest, who is even able to cast Protection over the sacrifice altar.

As Slayer and Lizard continue carving through goblins and their blood splatters on Priestess, she realizes that throughout the chamber are strategically placed corpses of adventurers bleeding into specialized channels, all leading to the altar. It’s definitely a bloodletting ritual, with the Priestess as the main sacrifice.

Before the Goblin Priest can accomplish whatever he set out to do, Priestess puts an end to it by casting Purify, changing all of the spilled blood into water and casusing the Goblin Priest’s Protection veil to fall. Everything is going according to plan, with Priestess saving her miracles for when they were most needed.

With all his underlings slain, the Goblin Priest holds the Priestess up as a last-ditch hostage, only for Slayer to confidently stride up to him and kick him hard in he balls, then bash his head in with a goblin’s club. The Priestess is now safe, having endured a far briefer and less horrific ordeal than either the Sword Maiden or Noble Fencer. Hopefully she isn’t emotionally scarred for life, and this can be a teachable moment for her not to go rushing into adventures on her own.

Goblin Slayer II – 10 – The Princess and the Priestess

The Princess of the Holy Capital yearns to leave the confining palace and go on an adventure like her brother. When he returns from an adventure of his own, she decides she’ll make her move and sneak out. Since we know what happens to naive folks who rush headlong into adventures, this probably won’t end well for her.

She sneaks out the same day Goblin Slayer and his party arrive, and Sword Maiden enthusiastically offers her Temple for their accommodations. She’s also delighted to escort Slayer to the library, but Dwarf Shaman insists they have a meal first. As Slayer, Dwarf and Lizard eat, Slayer shares with them some Big Questions.

He admits he had fun with the sea battle and the escort mission, but wonders if he’s neglecting who he fundamentally is: a goblin slayer. Dwarf assures him that just as steel must go though balance cycles of heat, striking, and cold, so to must people. Lizard adds that most people don’t have a firm calling, but it is perfectly okay to simply live and die while worrying and hesitating.

Priestess pays a visit to the Wizard’s grave, admitting to Archer that she wasn’t with her long enough to know her too well. When Archer sees Priestess is acting so serious for one so young, she takes her by the hand to do the opposite of serious. More specifically, they head to the capital’s lavish bathhouse.

Whlie there, Archer notes that Priestess is still wearing chainmail, which holds a great deal of sentimental value (as Slayer complimented her in it). Priestess also notices a female soldier seemingly watching her, but doesn’t let it keep her and Archer from having fun bathing together.

When Archer runs off stark naked to the saunas, a blonde, blue-eyed girl joins Preistess in the bath, and has a lot of questions about her adventuring and in particular the equipment she uses. Priestess can tell this girl is curious, but delivers a warning about being prepared that perhaps isn’t stern enough.

Priestess returns to the changing room to find her robes, chainmail, and staff are gone. In its place she finds the clothes of the soldier, who left the Priestess’ money pouch. When next we see Priestess she’s wearing the soldier’s clothes, and I thought for sure that Slayer would compliment her anew, since she looks very cool.

Alas, Slayer is holed up in his room sharpening a blade. The Sword Maiden pays him a visit with a book for him to study, telling him he can’t let girls cry as Priestess is crying; they typically want comfort from someone close. Slayer acknowledges this, and as Maiden turns to leave, says “Things end up lost,” then mentions specifically his father’s dagger he was meant to inherit, but ended up lost.

Sword Maiden says she’ll bring it up at the royal counsel at the palace the next day. His Majesty holds court as his advisors report on the “flaming stone from the heavens”, the possibility of having to summon the Hero and her party, and a strange new religion worshipping the “God of Wisdom.”

When it’s Maiden’s turn to speak, she gives some general big-picture report on the state of the world, but then gets extremely granular in reporting the theft of Priestess’ clothes and staff at the bathhouse, then declaring her believe that all goblins should be destroyed, creating some sweat beads on her colleagues’ faces.

Her mention of the theft connects to an urgent report given by a messenger of a young woman in holy robes being given a ride on a merchant’s wagon, only to be attacked by goblins. The merchant got away in order to get help, but the girl was taken by the goblins … and that girl is none other than His Majesty’s little sister, the Princess.

Needless to say, this is very bad for the Princess. She’s lucky she wasn’t assaulted on the spot, but there’s no chance in hell she’ll come out of this entirely unscathed either physically or mentally; not with what looks like a high-ranked goblin pope-looking mfer in charge.

His Majesty is loath to send his army out there, as the scandal of the princess stealing a priestess’ robes and getting captured by goblins will hurt the kingdom’s standing. He and the other advisors turn to the Sword Maiden to take care of this matter, as she is both capable and trustworthy.

The mere mention of having to deal with goblins absolutely petrifies the poor Sword Maiden, so it’s a good thing Slayer and his party are right outside the meeting room, heard everything, and are ready, willing, and eager to go. Time for Goblin Slayer to get back to doing what’s on the tin.

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha – 08

 

With Maou away to renew her license, Yuusha tries to use Maid Ane to fill in for her, using the magic ring. However, the young merchant isn’t fooled. Yuusha takes him to Gate City, demonstrates its value, and offers to sell it to him in exchange for showing him something that “cannot be expressed in loss and gain.” Onna-kishi wants Yuusha to officially knight her, and he assents. A messenger from the Holy Capital informs the Winter King the Crimson Scholar (Maou) has been branded a heretic and must be arrested. The King goes to Yuusha, who will give the church Ane, disguised as the Scholar, then rescue her later.

Kings and Politicians are just another kind of merchant: peddling influence and resources. But they are driven by a desire for power, total victory, and the destruction of their foes. But true merchants understand there can be no business if there’s no one to do business with. Thus, every gain comes with a loss, and a balance is maintained. This is what Maou and Yuusha want: not for the demons or humans to defeat and rule over the other; but peaceful coexistence. This is already happening in Gate City, which Yuusha shows to the merchant to prove it’s not just a pipe dream.

The soldiers are gone, but the merchants remain, and they dont’ care if their business partners are demon or human. The city is offered to the merchant in exchange for his help in finding that elusive place beyond loss and gain they’re searching for. Onna-Kishi also moves forward: even if Yuusha will never be hers, she wants to be his; their quiet little knighting scene is wonderfully presented. This is just when her former charge, the church, has made a move against Maou. Were she in the human world, she’d probably let herself get arrested as part of a scheme. But she’s indisposed, so the hero must improvise.

Rating: 8 (Great)