the old ma couldn't see the goblins, they're too far away. meanwhile, he has to worry about ensuring the party remains as discreet as possible or else they'll get caught and shooting an arrow into the air (as far as the old man could see) doesnt translate to being sneaky
instead, mc shouldve spoken up, saying that e had very good eys and saw the goblin king from afar and domed him
My remark was meant to be sarcastic toward the old man.
"I saw something which you
didn't. That's why you hired me", because yes, just firing a bow into the air for reasons you don't understand may be startling, but hardly counts as sneaky. If anything, Archers are supposed to have keen eyesight, in fact, reknowned for it. If an Archer actually takes the time to shoot something, better to ask what he was shooting at than stubbornly complain about what he did.
Since it may not even be clear to the old coot, we can also add, "we'll pass the bodies of the Goblins I shot over there at <landmark>. If we can spare a minute, I'll recover my arrows."