Another Stupid Isekai

The day was nice, and sunny, as any other under the Arc dome. We slowly made our way to the goblin cave, not having to worry about the green toddlers because of the horde of hunters already hunting in the woods.

It felt nice, just walking and enjoying the weather. The cool breeze felt amazing on my skin. Tihana was enjoying herself too. I know because I caught her walking with her eyes closed, just feeling the wind on her face.

Back in the day, I couldn't allow myself to do something like that, but things have changed.

For the hunt, we chose similar outfits. Well... She did, since I had only a single pair of pants and a single hoodie - yes, still. She was wearing a gray hoodie and comfortable sweatpants of the same color.

After a small break, to get us each a burger, straight from my vault - where I stored them - we eventually reached the vicinity of the cave. With my blessings, Tihana killed two guards without making any sound.

- A pep talk, before we go in - I said when the crystals got secured.

- Ok - she accepted.

There was no hesitation in her reaction, which indicated that she actually accepted my authority as her teacher, and was genuinely willing to listen. Knowing her well, it surprised me, as she usually at least tried to bicker a little bit.

- So there will be a horde inside. Probably around two hundred, so you have to hit hard, and hit fast. Push them, make them stumble one over the other, so they will kill themselves for you. The cave is your friend, as the tunnel limits them from surrounding you, as they only have one direction to go. So take some ground first, and then slowly retreat, until you will completely get rid of them. Use the shield more than the sword at first. It will be easier that way. Ah, and don't break it.

When I said those words, I began taking out her new equipment from my vault. A heavy steel shield. Normally it would be too heavy for her, but with my buffs, she could carry it easily. And also a new sword. Not only did I choose a good alloy this time, but also infused it with some of my Ki, to insure she wouldn't destroy it, as she did before.

The last thing was a bulletproof vest. We decided to go with it because it didn't limit her moves as the leather armor did, which was crucial with the buffs active.

I waited patiently, as she equipped herself properly. As she was about to head to the cave, still looking at me, her face turned slightly to the side, giving me a sign that she noticed something. This made me look over my shoulder. There was a group of people walking our way. One guy was even waving at us.

- You know them? - I asked her.

She shook her head in response.

- Well... Let's hear them out - I sighed.

- You think there might be trouble? - She asked me, switching her gaze to look me in the eyes.

I snorted.

- With me around? Please, don't joke.

My words made her smile with confidence, as she seemed to be slightly worried at first.

After a moment, the group of seven Asian people got close enough to speak. Five of them had fantasy-looking gear. Two spears, two axes with shields, and one sword with a shield. This, plus fancy metal armors, with some unnecessary decorations. All looking sturdy though. One guy was in regular clothes, and just with a single glance, I knew that he was not some wimp. All of them were rather tall, but that guy was moving in a different way than the others.

The last person had the fanciest-looking equipment. His armor was reeking of gold and silver inlaid patterns. He had a halberd in his hands, with a western version of the typical dragon, climbing the back of the shaft, just behind the blade. The other end had a red ribbon tied to a ring. Golden, obviously.

- Hello - said the fanciest member of the group.

They all seemed unusually happy, but who I was to judge the people by their mood?

- Hi - Tihana said with a forced smile.

I just raised my eyebrows. Something was telling me that the situation would grow to be quite amusing, but by that point, it was still too soon to say anything for sure. Even though, the gut feeling remained.

- Are you the people who booked the cave? - he asked after the greeting.

I was about to say something sarcastic, but since I needed a few seconds to come up with something really stingy, Tihana spoke faster.

- Yes. Everything was done properly - she said.

- Yes, yes. I know - his smile got even wider. - You see... There is a new rule in those woods. The reservations are one thing, but we are another. So here it's what we are going to do. We are going inside and will clear the whole thing, and you can stick by the entrance. When we come out, we will give you some stones.

I snorted so badly, that some spit came out before I was able to stop it by covering my mouth. Then I reached to pat Tihana on the shoulder.

- Go. Handle it - I said.

Some of the guys, clearly the lackeys, laughed after hearing me.

- He is shielding himself with a girl - one of them said.

- You looked like a tough guy, and now you are sending this girl to talk with me? - asked the leader, and he briefly looked behind himself, at the others.

- Leave him alone! - Tihana growled and stepped forward.

I guess my encouragement worked. Despite all the shit-talking I received, the whole situation was too funny for me, so I was not even able to say anything, because I would burst into laughter. Fortunately, the attention of the group switched to my fake daughter since she came to the front with a mean face.

Her eyes were narrow, eyebrows frowned and the lips tightly squeezed into a fine line.

A clear indication that she was gonna go hard on them. Fine entertainment for me, since I knew what she could do, not to mention me being able to react very fast in case of emergency, so I indeed allowed her to take the initiative.