Goblins. Finally, we get to see the world figuring out these guys are bad news.
We open where the last volume left off. High Elf Archer has found her way to the Guild, alongside Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest. Again, these are their names. They seek Goblin Slayer, because they need help. The Demon Lords are coming to destroy the world, but right now, there’s a more immediate threat. Goblins have taken residence in Elven lands in increasing numbers and the Elves cannot act, least the human kings think them up to trickery. So this group has come, as adventurers, seeking Goblin Slayer’s expertise. They would also like him to join them in the battle against one of the Demon Lords, but, for now, he’ll only fight goblins. He accepts the task to wipe out the goblins.
One of the more interesting aspects has to come with the start of Chapter 6. Oh, but before I get into that, for those unfamiliar to manga, each chapter is typically released individually in magazines, like Shonen Jump. So, to see what happens next, you would pick up the next Shonen Jump to get the next chapter. Manga volumes are just compilations of a single series. So every book doesn’t have a chapter 1, only the first volume will. Volume 2, specifically, has chapters 5 through 9.
Anyways, Chapter 6 opens with the new party sitting down together for a meal, sharing foods of their culture and conversing about their reasons to adventure. High Elf Archer wanted to see the outside world, Dwarf Shaman wants to try the great foods of the world, while Priestess and Lizard Priest are driven by religious goals, Priestess wanting to help people while Lizard Priest wants to become a Naga. Lizard Priest shares some swamp meat and bean stew, both of which the party love, High Elf Archer shares some elven travel rations, consisting of sweet bread, and Dwarf Shaman shares dwarven fire wine, which immediately puts High Elf Archer on her butt from how strong it is. Goblin Slayer, surprisingly, shares a large wheel of cheese. They don’t say what kind, but everyone loves it, especially Lizard Priest, who calls it nectar of the gods.
I wanted to mention this scene because it, like Chapter 3 of the previous volume, is very refreshing from all the fighting. We get a brief glimpse into how these people are when not fighting and it’s nice to see.
We also learn Goblin Slayer happens to own an incredibly rare item; a magic scroll. What kind of magic scroll, he will not say, but he does mention it’s incredibly dangerous. I won’t spoil what it does now, but it’s a powerful moment when it happens.
Finally, the night ends and we get to the combat, which also goes into Chapter 7. We start getting to know Goblin Slayer’s new companions. High Elf Archer, for example, is so skilled that she can guide her arrows to hit multiple targets, shown when she fires an arrow wide at a group of goblins, only for it to turn in mid air to shoot through both goblins’ heads and then move on to kill their guard wolf. Of course, the poor girl is also quickly acquainted with Goblin Slayer’s mention of the goblins’ sense of smell, so is forced to soak her clothing, and herself, in goblin blood to mask her scent. She doesn’t really take it well.
High Elf Archer also has extremely sharp senses, as she spots a trap left by the goblins to alert them, but she manages to spot and disarm it. Dwarf Priest is also able to tell which way the goblins’ nest is, due to the foot traffic on the stone floor, which even High Elf Archer’s keen senses failed to detect. Goblin Slayer, however, guides the group in the opposite direction, knowing it’s where their ‘waste heap’ would be. Essentially, one big outhouse. But this is also where they keep their captives, as Goblin Slayer finds a single, living elven woman, just in time to stop a goblin from raping her. High Elf Archer doesn’t take this well, as these ruins are near her home. The woman could have been from there.
We finally get to see what Lizard Priest can do, as he summons a lizardman skeleton to bring the woman, and a note detailing the situation, back to the elven people for aid. All while the party continues to kill the goblins infesting this place. High Elf Archer, who had before been complaining constantly, goes into a full rage, intent on killing every goblin she comes across for the atrocities visited upon her people, but the party manages to talk her down from taking off, by herself, least she be subjected to the same fate.
Chapter 8 opens with the party finding a foe they weren’t prepared for; an Ogre. And this guy deserves the capital letter because he is a problem. Incredibly strong and powerful with magic, he seeks to eliminate the party in a hurry, but Priestess manages to use every bit of magic she has with a Protection spell to save the party. Exhausted, she cannot do so again, but it gives the party enough time to figure out a plan of attack. The party attacks, using magic and weapons, but to no avail. High Elf Archer shoots Ogre in the eye, but it simply regenerates. Other weapons do very little, or nothing, to the Ogre.
Goblin Slayer, eventually, gets hit pretty hard and taken down, but Priestess manages to get to him while the rest of the party distracts the Ogre. Once tended to, Goblin Slayer decides he needs to use the scroll. Turns out, it’s a Gate scroll. Gate is a lost magic that will open a portal to it’s destination. But a magical expert can change the destination of the scroll, which, as it turns out, Goblin Slayer paid Witch to do for him. These scrolls are extremely valuable, as they can be used to escape any situation instantly, but only once. The scroll is destroyed once used.
Goblin Slayer’s scroll has a different destination. He didn’t have it as an escape. His destination? The bottom of the sea. He uses the scroll to defend against the Ogre’s fireball, the force of the water that fires out of the scroll being sufficient to cut the fireball in half, followed by cutting the Ogre in half as well.
Goblin Slayer then shows just how one-note he is, telling the Ogre, still alive despite being cut in half, that he intended to use that scroll on a goblin nest, but it’s fine that he used it ‘against Ogre’. Ogre, insulted that this man would compare him to lowly goblins, identifies himself as the Dark God’s Hand, before Goblin Slayer impales the Ogre’s head with a longsword. Thus Chapter 9 comes to a close… sort of.
Goblin Slayer, despite getting nailed by an Ogre and the fight draining all the party’s resources, is ready to continue to kill goblins, when something remarkable happens. His party manages to talk him down. Something that, even in the first volume, he wouldn’t do. It shows great character development, as Goblin Slayer, previously a loner, is willing to look out for his companions. Priestess even admits to High Elf Archer, while they’re resting, that had he been alone, he would have continued to hunt. Continued to kill goblins, no matter how wounded or tired he was. High Elf Archer laments that he does not know what real adventure is like. To her, it’s all about discovery and learning new things. It’s about the things you see, the places you find, and even the treasure you walk away with. The book ends with her deciding she’ll show Goblin Slayer a real adventure, one day.
Volume 2 was also considerably more tame than volume 1. Sure, the violence is still there, along with the blood, gore, and even the elven woman they find is still nude, but it seems like the sex was taking a vacation this volume. Sure, the Ogre talks about doing things to Priestess and High Elf Archer and it’s still inferred the elven captive was subjected to such things, but it’s only in passing this time. And I very much appreciated getting to know our characters a little better at camp. This volume is the one that made me a fan of the series.
Still Highly Recommended, for people who can stomach the content
Still Not Recommended, for people who can’t stand the content and/or children
The Professional Protagonist 