Chương 93: Chapter 92 The Goblin Network

Karath had heard of goblins from the elders, but their explanations had never been particularly detailed. Unlike orcs, goblins did not build permanent settlements. Instead, they wandered constantly through the mountains because they lacked the strength to establish and defend villages. They supposedly travelled in groups of ten to twenty under the leadership of a hobgoblin. Goblins and orcs both lived with in the Grimwood Mountains, but generally ignored each other as though neither race existed.

That was the limit of Karath's knowledge. He did not even know why the relationship existed. The elders could not explain it either. They simply accepted it in the same way they viewed humans as enemies.

"Thanksh for saving our T-Two." While Karath reviewed what he knew, the hobgoblin approached and offered his gratitude. The hobgoblin's speech was also shortened and slurred. Apparently, it was simply a racial trait, much like the impatient temperament of orcs. Nothing was more miserable than being tormented for something one had been born with. A short tongue was hardly a crime.

"We all struggle to survive in these mountains. Offering this much consideration is only natural. Krahahaha." Karath answered with a hearty laugh. His magic had probably been the reason T-Two was paralysed and fell into the river, but there was no definitive proof, so he decided not to mention it.

"Thank you very mush. Then we leave now. T-Four, help T-Two walk. T-Ten and T-Five, look after the children." The hobgoblin appeared ready to leave immediately after offering his thanks.

"Wait. Karath wishes to ask something before you go."

"What ish it?" Karath stared at him. He understood that the goblins' speech was a natural trait, so why did the tone still sound so irritating? He reminded himself that he was an educated man raised within a civilised society. Tormenting someone over an inborn difficulty was wrong.

"Those objects you are carrying. Can you tell Karath where you obtained them?" Several of the newcomers, including the hobgoblin, also possessed iron daggers. Every one of them was crude and primitive.

"We made them from stonesh found in cave about three daysh away." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Which direction is the cave?" The hobgoblin pointed.

"Travel that way for about three daysh." Three days away. Karath would need to send an exploration party. Before deciding, another question occurred to him.

"Why did you make knives from that stone instead of using ordinary rock?" Natural iron ore that had not been properly smelted offered few advantages over ordinary stone. Karath vaguely remembered that early iron weapons, before smelting techniques improved, had even been weaker than bronze.

"We copied weaponsh used by humansh."

"Weapons used by humans?"

"Sometimesh humansh appear near edge of mountainsh. Their weaponsh looked like same material, so we tried copying them."

"You travelled here from the edge of the mountains? How far is the outer region from this place?" That was an important question. Considering Roberto, the human Karath regarded as his teacher, encountering humanity remained extremely dangerous. Karath still did not know why humans as strong as Roberto avoided the Grimwood Mountains and described them as a forbidden land. Even so, he judged direct contact with humans too dangerous for the present.

"I have never gone there, so I do not know. Should I ashk?"

"Ask? Are there other goblins nearby who have travelled to the edge of the mountains?"

"You did not know? Hobgoblinsh can talk through hornsh even when far away." The hobgoblin pointed casually toward the horn embedded in his forehead.

"Hm?" A foolish sound escaped Karath before he could stop it. Was this creature a walking mobile phone? Perhaps something closer to a telepathic alien network. That comparison was not the important part. What mattered was the information the hobgoblin possessed. When combined with long-distance communication, its value became extraordinary. Karath needed to secure their cooperation. The goblins were not merely a fortunate discovery. They were a lump of gold that had rolled directly into his hands.

If he could recruit them, they would become enormously useful for developing Root and expanding the alliance's territory. At this point, even the hobgoblin's irritating manner of speech no longer bothered him. The creature resembled a junior employee who sounded slightly rude but worked diligently and handled every task well. The tone could create an unfortunate first impression, yet the person became more likeable with every day spent together.

"Our meeting today must be fate. Why not spend the night in our village?" Karath invited the hobgoblin to Root before it could escape.

"Ush?" The hobgoblin looked unable to understand the offer.

"That is correct. Karath invites all of you to our village."

"Orcsh invite goblinsh?"

"Yes. Do you see those fish? Tonight, we will prepare a great feast with them. As invited guests, you and your people will receive enough food to eat until you are completely satisfied." The hobgoblin's expression became complicated. Food was precious within the barren monster-infested forest. The offer clearly tempted him, but he could not understand why orcs who normally ignored goblins would suddenly display such generosity.

"Krahahaha! What is there to fear? Have you ever witnessed an orc warrior lie? If you remain suspicious, use that horn and ask the others whether such an orc warrior exists." Karath delivered the final blow by invoking the honour of orc warriors. Orc warriors did not lie. At least, that was true of everyone except Karath.

"Understood. Then we accept your hospitality." Success. The moment the hobgoblin agreed, Karath struggled to control his expression. Showing too much excitement might make the creature suspicious. Even so, he could not prevent the corners of his mouth from rising. Through the goblins' information, Karath could locate the cave containing iron ore. Since they called it a cave, it might even be an iron mine. Root could finally enter the Iron Age.

If Karath also gained access to the hobgoblins' long-distance communication ability, the possibilities became staggering. The alliance's development would explode. This would not end with improvements to one village. Weapons based upon iron and reliable long-distance communication would make territorial expansion and population growth almost inevitable. The larger territory and population would then accelerate development even further.

"A-ahem. Let us return. Warriors, gather the fish and prepare to depart." Karath turned quickly and issued orders before his grin could grow any wider.

"We follow orcsh. T-Four, support T-Two. T-Ten and T-Five, gather children." The hobgoblin issued his own instructions. T-Two, T-Four, T-Ten, and T-Five? Those names sounded strange. Could it be?

"Ahem. Karath realises introductions came late. He is Karath Bloodclaw, Grand Chief of the Orc Five-Tribe Alliance."

"F-five-tribe alliance? Orcsh formed alliance?"

"That is correct. Your names seem somewhat unusual."

"Our groupsh choose namesh according to rank."

"Then your name is perhaps..."

"T-One." Of course it was. Did that make their carrier T-Mobile?