Chapter 281 Sliding Panel
After Kelly knocked, the party waited patiently for a response. After a while, they heard strange noises approaching from beyond the door, like scraping, as if something with claws was getting closer.
A few seconds later, they heard someone arrive at the door. A panel slid open, revealing predatory golden eyes with vertical slit irises. "What do you want?" they asked curtly, getting straight to the point.
Daniel spoke up for the group, adopting a commanding tone as he approached the door. "We are adventurers ordered to assess the safety of this," he paused before continuing, "this building."
"Heh," the person chuckled, "In all my years, this place has never looked or felt pleasant," they said dispiritedly. "You can look around outside, but not inside. If you want to see inside, you'll need permission. If you try to force your way in, be warned that we will have no choice but to get the knights."
"I agree to your terms, beastkin," Brian said confidently, knowing that no harm would come to his party while he was between them. With Kelly back in the group, he felt comfortable acknowledging the beastkin's race.
The beastkin behind the door seemed startled, quickly sliding the panel back, scurrying from the door, and unsheathing a weapon, preparing for an attack. However, no such attack came. Instead, Brian turned and left the front door, making his footsteps intentionally loud to ensure he posed no threat to the beastman.
When he returned to his party, he said, "It's fine. They'll warm up to me eventually. I don't think we need to finish this today. Let's come back here after we complete our other quests." Brian whispered to Liam, "Don't forget to place a tracker."
Aleshia was confused by the predicament but decided to follow along. A few minutes later, they reached a gate leading to the outside. The party agreed on a battle formation, with Stella at the front, Brian behind her, Kelly in the middle, and Aleshia and Cecelia at the back.
After deciding on their plans, the party began collecting monster parts for Aleshia's quests. Along the way, they encountered several goblins and easily defeated them. Liam scouted ahead, guiding the group. Eventually, they stumbled upon a goblin encampment. Stella entered a frenzy, swinging her blade with great force, while Brian supported her by drawing the goblins toward himself using a mysterious spell. At the same time, he shielded the party from the goblin archers, as Cecelia retaliated with a mix of their arrows and her own.