Lai Yi and Lis were lying in ambush at the home of a self-defense team member whose house hadn’t been robbed yet.
This time, the hiding conditions were even worse. Perhaps because the weather had improved, mosquitoes had become more active, and soon all three of them had several large bites.
To increase the success rate of the operation, the self-defense team had set several traps, so the atmosphere wasn’t as tense as the previous night. It was still early, so the three of them chatted quietly.
“Lam didn’t insist on coming along?”
The team member asked in a low voice.
“No way,” Lis scratched the mosquito bite on his face, “He’s with Brian’s group.”
“Was it really goblins who caused all the trouble in the village?”
“Hard to say. Lai Yi and the others did see creatures resembling goblins yesterday. But we’re not sure about the other houses yet.”
“Alright.”
“Hey, I heard the lord of the main city died suddenly two months ago. These days are getting harder and harder.”
“Who told you that?”
The team member’s words successfully piqued Lis’s interest.
“My cousin who lives in Eaton City. He came to Rosen Town to visit relatives recently and mentioned it.”
“Who succeeded him?”
“Apparently a bastard child…”
Lai Yi quietly listened to the two discussing gossip about the main city.
Eaton City was the small city to which Rosen Town belonged. The main city referred to Speth Main City, where the castle lord ruling over Eaton City resided.
Speth possessed the third largest territory in the entire known continent. Unfortunately, although it bordered the Great Eaton Forest, it only controlled one-quarter of the forest’s land.
Many small kingdoms established by other races surrounded its borders, leaving Speth in a rather awkward position.
Nobles placed great importance on bloodline inheritance. For a bastard to successfully inherit the throne, the story behind it was bound to spark endless speculation.
“No major turmoil is already quite good.”
Lis sighed with emotion.
“Exactly.”
The team member nodded in agreement.
The two continued chatting about various recent events in Eaton City—mainly about mercenaries arriving from different places and new policies issued by the city lord.
Apart from swatting mosquitoes, Lai Yi occasionally chimed in, making time pass relatively quickly.
Approaching dawn, with only a few hours until sunrise, there was still no movement at their ambush site. The three took turns resting, yawning continuously.
After Lai Yi’s rest, Lis lay down in the remaining warmth. He hadn’t been lying down long when rapid knocking sounds suddenly echoed through the village.
Lis sprang up from the straw mat.
“Where was it caught?”
“Seems like it’s at Keli’s place!”
Without delay, the three hurried to his home.
Torches illuminated the small courtyard, where a crowd had gathered around Keli’s house—both team members from tonight’s operation and villagers drawn by the commotion.
Lis pushed through with the other two to the front. In the center, two dark humanoid creatures were tied up.
Their hands and feet were tightly bound, leaving them largely immobile, but they still snapped and clawed at people from the ground.
“Ha! They really are goblins!”
Someone in the crowd shouted excitedly, causing a minor stir.
“What should we do with them?”
“I say we take them to the church at daybreak and distribute the reward money among everyone!”
The villagers debated animatedly.
“Take them to the Clan Elder and let him decide.”
Lis shouted.
“Right! Let the Clan Elder handle it!”
The self-defense team members loudly echoed Lis’s command.
Without waiting for the villagers to react, they deftly pushed through the crowd of onlookers, strung the goblins’ limbs onto thick wooden poles, and carried them directly to the Clan Elder’s courtyard. The spectators were also driven away by them.
“Clan Elder, Clan Elder!”
Barnett rushed out wearing his nightclothes with an animal skin draped over his shoulders, not even bothering to change.
“Did you catch them?”
“We did.”
By the firelight, he saw two goblins.
One was baring its teeth threateningly at the people around it, while the other stared at him with cold, menacing eyes. They shared the same skin tone and bore a strong resemblance.
“Where did you come from?”
Barnett asked.
The two goblins showed no reaction, as if they couldn’t understand what he was saying.
Kali thrust a knife deep into the ground in front of the snarling goblin. Its eyes widened, and its beast-like pupils contracted sharply.
“Where did you come from?”
Kali repeated Barnett’s question.
“Huff, huff… Iton.”
Mumbling indistinctly, Barnett barely managed to make out what it was saying and was somewhat shocked.
The Great Iton Forest was far from here, separated by treacherous terrain. How had these goblins managed to reach this place? Barnett recalled last year’s attack by the Magical Beasts.
Could it be that this area was no longer safe?
A cold sweat broke out on Barnett’s forehead.
“How did you get here?”
He continued questioning.
“Underground.”
“How many goblins came?”
“Ha!”
The previously silent goblin suddenly let out a threatening sound, and the other one trembled but refused to speak no matter how they threatened it.
The goblin sneered at the crowd, its eyes as cold as ice, reminding Lai Yi of a snake.
“I can help you capture the other goblins, but only if you release us.”
“Helu!?”
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.
Lai Yi frowned as he watched the goblin named Helu.
“Why would you…”
The other goblin clearly didn’t understand why its companion would say such a thing either.
They had endured countless hardships to escape the Great Iton Forest. Some had abandoned their wives, others their children, yet they had always supported each other along the way.
“Shut up!”
Helu roared.
“You know they won’t save us. Relying on them is worse than saving ourselves.”
The goblin knew Helu was right. Their kin wouldn’t rescue them, and being captured by humans meant certain death.
He fell silent, his eyes turning dark and gloomy, and said no more.
Barnett stroked his short beard, clearly pondering Helu’s words.
Goblins were notoriously cunning creatures, and he didn’t quite trust him.
“This is a profitable deal, isn’t it?”
Helu continued.
“You can earn more silver coins and won’t have to worry about other goblins harassing the villagers.”
Helu’s words struck Barnett’s deepest concern, but he kept his expression neutral. The most crucial aspect of negotiation was psychological warfare.
“I’ll also answer all your questions.”
Helu put on a fawning smile and added,
“If you don’t agree to my terms, we won’t say another word. But then the safety of the village can’t be guaranteed in the future.”
Everyone was stunned by Helu’s cunning and shamelessness. They tightened their grips on their weapons, veins bulging on their foreheads.
“I might agree, but why should we believe what you say?”
“Jielu is my only younger brother. You can keep him in the village as a hostage.”
Barnett surveyed the circle of people around him, noting their varied expressions. For the safety of the village, he ultimately agreed.
The night was deep, as if splashed with ink.
Iru returned to the cave with the bird eggs and wild vegetables he had painstakingly gathered. His wife was due to give birth in just over ten days, making it truly inconvenient to move locations.
As usual, his wife gently kissed his cheek, and the child affectionately called him “Papa.” Everything felt as beautiful as in a story.
“This is the place.”
Helu led the villagers, hiding far back in the woods.
“There are five Goblins here.”
A sinister smile curled at the corners of Helu’s lips.
Kali, along with several villagers carrying large nets woven from hemp rope, tiptoed toward the direction of the cave.
After some time, noisy sounds erupted from the cave. There were angry roars from the Goblins and desperate cries from the young ones.
Kali and the others successfully captured Iru’s family. The Goblins were tightly bound with hemp rope, trussed up like five zongzi.
Lai Yi followed the crowd forward and saw the Goblins struggling on the ground. He recognized Iru as the one he had encountered yesterday—a ten-centimeter scar marked his right arm.
Iru wriggled to shield his wife and child behind him. By the firelight, he spotted Helu, bound and standing at the front of the villagers.
“Helu!”
Rage filled his chest, twisting his expression into something increasingly ferocious.
“You maggot festering in a shit pit! I’ll kill you!”
Iru lunged recklessly at Helu, sinking his teeth into his calf. The villagers hurried forward, trying to pull the two Goblins apart.
But Iru bit down fiercely, refusing to let go no matter how hard the villagers struck him, until he tore a chunk of flesh from Helu’s leg.
“Pah!” Iru spat out the bloodied piece of meat.
“Son of a bitch! Damned freak!”
Helu howled in agony while cursing vehemently.
No one wanted to deal with this Goblin traitor. But there were more Goblins to capture, and Helu kept writhing on the ground. Kali couldn’t stand watching any longer and sprinkled hemostatic powder on the wound, wrapping it roughly with a cloth strip.
A few villagers were assigned to take Iru’s family back to the village warehouse, which served as a temporary holding area, while the others continued the hunt with the limping Helu.
They captured eight more Goblins in various locations.
This time, they arrived at a larger cave, with a Goblin standing guard at the entrance.
Helu acted as bait to lure the guard away, and all the villagers rushed in. This capture was clearly less smooth than the last—the cave was filled with strong, young Goblins, and a chaotic brawl ensued.
Lai Yi discovered that some Goblins could even use earth magic. One conjured a short earthen wall behind him to block the pursuing villagers.
The scene descended into utter chaos.
The capture dragged on for a long time, only ending as the sky began to lighten with the dawn. By the time everything settled, Helu had vanished, and the villagers no longer concerned themselves with him.
Over twenty Goblins, large and small, were imprisoned in the warehouse. Even Barnett, who had seen his share of major events, was startled by the sight.
News of the capture had spread throughout the village, and early in the morning, villagers flocked to the warehouse to gawk. They marveled at the dark-skinned Goblins with their thick limbs.
“What are we going to do now?”
Barnett puffed rhythmically on his tobacco leaves.
The long table in his living room was surrounded by the village’s influential elders.
Lai Yi and those who had participated in the capture yesterday stood behind them, all attending this village meeting.
“How about sending them all to the church?”
Someone suggested.
“There are children and pregnant Goblins among them.”
Another person said.
Everyone understood his meaning.
If sent to the church, they would at most receive two gold coins, but those Goblins would surely face certain death.
“What about selling them to the mines?”
“That’s also an option.”
But if sold to the mines, these Goblins would work until they died.
Everyone knew only illegal mines dared to purchase Goblins, and the conditions there were extremely harsh. Although they could earn more gold coins, it weighed somewhat on their consciences.
The crowd argued back and forth, their noisy dispute seeming on the verge of turning into a physical fight.
“Clan Elder, what do you think? We’ll all follow your lead!”
“Yes, we’ll all listen to you!”
The living room quieted down. Barnett remained silent, smoking one cigarette after another.
“What are your thoughts?”
He looked at the standing crowd.
“Maybe send them directly to the town mayor?”
Kali tentatively asked. Barnett shot him a sharp glare, clearly dissatisfied with this suggestion.
Haggard turned to look at his three sons and eldest nephew standing behind him.
“If any of you have ideas, speak up. It’s fine, just share your thoughts.”
“Can’t we send them farther away?”
Lam asked with a naive expression.
Haggard felt a headache coming on from his youngest son’s simple reasoning.
“What if something happens later?”
Lis questioned. Lam closed his mouth and said no more.
“I… I have an idea.”
Lai Yi pretended to be timid, mumbling as he spoke. Everyone’s eyes instantly focused on Lai Yi.
“Lai Yi, it’s alright, speak boldly.”
Barnett looked at Lai Yi encouragingly, his expression kind.
“Goblins are so skilled at digging tunnels. Why not have them dig a tunnel for us through the mountain that blocks access to the city?”
Lai Yi’s suggestion made everyone’s eyes light up. Haggard and Lis looked at Lai Yi in astonishment, as if seeing him for the first time.
“Go on, child.”
Barnett was clearly very interested in Lai Yi’s words.
“Usually when we go to the city, we have to take a long detour. Sometimes by the time we reach the town, the goods we want to sell have either soured or wilted.”
Everyone nodded. The road was indeed too long, and this was exactly the situation. Some valuable items needed to be used within hours of being harvested, or they would spoil completely—and these were often the most profitable goods.
“The Goblins only need food. If we provide them with regular food supplies without having to pay silver coins, they can dig a convenient road to the city for us. Why wouldn’t we do that?”
“What if the tunnels they dig aren’t sturdy?”
Someone asked.
“Just hire a reliable Dwarf craftsman for technical guidance.”
Lam interjected.
“What if the Goblins escape?”
“That would rely on our esteemed Clan Elder.”
Lai Yi replied. Everyone turned their gaze to Barnett.
“I believe the Clan Elder must have a better method for handling the Goblins.”
After all, flattery never hurt anyone. He didn’t want to put himself at the forefront of the crowd. Troublesome matters were better left for the villagers to resolve themselves.
Barnett looked at Lai Yi with a slightly appreciative gaze, but didn’t clarify the final decision before concluding the meeting.
Everyone returned home for meals, waiting for the Clan Elders to reconvene and determine the ultimate solution.
Author’s Note:
Iru was born in a forest filled with various dangers and adventures.
During his childhood, his parents—two hardworking Goblins—moved him and his siblings through different corners of the forest, struggling to evade attacks from Magical Beasts.
In his young eyes, the forest was the entire world.
He couldn’t understand why all the intelligent creatures in the forest bullied them, even their own kind. Nor could he comprehend why Goblins had no neighbors, only parents and siblings.
They lived in hiding, dwelling in underground caves. Active at sunset and resting at sunrise, they perpetually existed in darkness.
Iru detested this life and hated being constantly chased.
He wanted to live under the sunlight, to have a permanent home and friendly neighbors.
He shared his thoughts with his father.
His father told him that this was simply the way of life for Goblins.
His siblings also mocked him for being different.
Upon reaching adulthood, he gave himself a name—Iru.
Shortly after, his parents followed tradition and drove him away, setting him on a long journey.
Iru was destined to be a lonely and peculiar Goblin.