Goblin Slayer Episode 23

## The Princess's Ordeal

**The Princess's Ordeal** (王女の受難) is the twenty-third episode of the anime adaptation of *Goblin Slayer* and the eleventh episode of its second season. It aired on December 15, 2023 in Japan.

## Summary

As Hero and her Party attend a meeting with The King and the Royal Court, Sword Saint and Sage question why they were summoned as Goblin Slayer was tasked with the "Important Emergency Quest". The King instead requests they handle another Quest to which Hero excitedly accepts without learning the particulars much to her Party Members and even Royal Court members exacerbation. She is tasked with investigating the Fiery Star that fell in the North and she immediately accepts, nearly forging any reward details until her Party Members halt her excitement. As the Hero Party and Royal Court banter, King silently prays for Goblin Slayer's victory in saving his sister, The Princess.

As Goblin Slayer and his Party prepare to move on, Female Merchant helps them with all their needed supplies, grateful to help her friends in anyway. High Elf Archer then brings up the very real possibility that is already "too late" to save Princess, and wonders how Priestess is feeling given Princess is the culprit who stole her belongs (and left gems in compensation). Priestess however, admits while she is upset, she cannot allow someone to be left at the mercy of Goblins, much to Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest approval. Before leaving Sword Maiden appears and thanks Goblin Slayer for saving her from the Royal Court's request and gives Lizard Priest a map of the Dungeon of the Dead and warns them of the greats dangers of the Dungeon. Goblin Slayer leaves his research of the Goblin Mark with her, hoping she will make better use of what he found. After leaving, Sword Maiden and Female Merchant wonder of they'll ever be able to get back into the field, but Sword Maiden admits her PTSD may be far too painful for her, but Female Merchant vows to do all she can in the background until she can rejoin her friends.

During their investigation of the scene, Priestess finds her staff and with no signs of death or assault Dwarf Shaman deduces because she's a Princess, the Goblins needed her as a sacrifice. Making their way to the Dungeon of the Dead, the Party sneaks in but are immediately detected, but are able to win with another one of Goblin Slayer's Gate Scrolls (linked to the sky this time). Priestess wonders if she'll be useful but is reinvigorated when Goblin Slayer admits he has a plan for her to come.

Elsewhere, at the top of the mountain, The Hero and her Party battle an alien creature that came from the fallen star. However, its intelligence, or lack thereof, due to absorbing the dead Goblins that Goblin Slayer sent into the sky earlier, allows the Party of Heroines to easily counter and slay the eldritch horror. As they slay it however, Sage questions where, how, and why the Goblins ended up at the top of the mountain but Hero tells her to not think about it.

Back in the Dungeon of the Dead, Priestess uses her *Holy Light* to blind the Goblins as she identifies the leader as a "Goblin Priest". As the Goblin Priest casts a barrier, he orders his warriors to die against the Party, who are slaughtering them with ease. Priestess then realizes the Priest is attempting to use the Princess as a sacrifice and has wanted the wholesale slaughter of his minions to pool more and more blood in a magic circle! Reacting immediately, Priestess casts *Purify*, which turns all the blood into water and ruins the Goblin Priests plans. As all his minions die, he attempts to use Princess as a shield but he is easily dispatched by Goblin Slayer, who simply kicks him in the crotch.

## Episode Notes

* The Alien creature that Hero fights is a possible reference to John Carpenter's 1982 cult Sci-fi horror film "The Thing" starring Kurt Russel and Keith David, about a shapeshifting alien parasite that absorbed it's victims to emulate them.