Chapter 168 - 141: Evita’s Request
"Building huts?" Shire chuckled, but inwardly, he was already calculating his next move.
’I have to get those Pure White Stones, no matter what,’ he thought. ’But that would mean making the Centaurs migrate with them. And who moves house while lugging a bunch of rocks?’
’But they want to move to the area where the Unicorns had settled. In that case, I only have two options. One is to take my men on the Worker Ants, help the Centaurs move, and bring all those stones back in the process. The other is to expand my territory over there, try to get the Unicorns to move back in, and then I can just dismantle the White Stones and build the Centaurs better houses.’
"Yes, it’s hard to find so many stones in the forest. We need to arrange these White Stones on the ground to secure the branches and deerskin for our shelters," Evita said, gesturing as she described their huts to Shire.
’It sounds a bit like a small yurt,’ Shire thought. He nodded, then asked, "Besides the Shape-shifting Monsters you’re raising, is there anything else in that stone chamber?"
"Uh, no, nothing else. Why?" Evita thought for a moment, confirming that was the case.
"Oh, what I mean is, if you’re going to move, you’ll have to take the Shape-shifting Monsters with you, won’t you? Those creatures are a lot of trouble. Not only do they hate the light, but they’re also quite large." Shire leaned back in his chair. "If you want to move them, you’d have to carry them all out at night and transport them all the way to my territory," he said, his tone questioning. "That sounds like it would be very difficult."
"That... is a problem." Evita fell silent. She hadn’t considered that. "If there’s no other way, we’ll have to kill them all and only take the young Shape-shifting Monsters with us."
"No, that’s an even worse idea." Shire immediately shook his head and retorted, "I want to know, why are you so set on migrating?"
’The Centaur Clan Leader must have already weighed the difficulties,’ he thought. ’The logistics of the migration, the trouble of transporting supplies, the uncertainty of a new territory, and the process of building a new village from the ground up... it’s all fraught with challenges.’ As a leader of a race himself, he could appreciate the other’s many concerns.
"Following the trail of the Unicorns is our tradition, but more importantly..." Evita closed her eyes and paused. She was uncertain whether she should tell the goblin before her the whole truth, worried that he might immediately reject her people’s request if he knew.
They sat in silence for a few seconds. After careful deliberation, Evita finally decided to speak the truth. ’After all,’ she reasoned, ’I’m asking for the Goblin Race’s help with the move. If I don’t tell him the truth now, he’ll find out eventually anyway.’
"Our people have encountered an enemy, one that’s very difficult to deal with. That’s why I want to convince them to migrate here." Evita clutched her teacup with both hands, her head bowed. She didn’t dare look at the goblin across from her, appearing for all the world like a child who had done something wrong.
"An enemy? Ogres?" Shire nodded. ’If it’s just like that Ogre monster I encountered before, it won’t be too hard to deal with.’
In bestiaries, Ogres are classified as a type of lesser Giant. They are physically powerful but simple-minded, delighting in plunder and slaughter. Their tempers are exceptionally volatile; the smallest thing can send them into a rage. Once angered, an Ogre will destroy everything in its path—even other Ogres—until nothing is left for it to vent its fury on.
However, their low Intelligence is the key to defeating them, just as Shire had previously used a Stinky Ball to vanquish the Two-headed Ogre.
"No, it’s not just Ogres," Evita said, lifting her head to look at the goblin. "There are more than a dozen Ogres under their command, and among them are several Ogre Mages who can cast Magic Energy Burst."
"Those Ogres have incredibly thick hides. Our people paid a heavy price fighting them. And," she paused before continuing, "the real trouble is the power behind them."
"The power behind them?" Shire frowned.
"Those Ogres are nothing more than Mercenaries, commanded by a band of Earth Goblins. The Earth Goblins are the real problem."
"Earth Goblins?" Shire had heard of such creatures. They could be called cousins to goblins, but they were a world apart. These beings had reddish-brown skin and hair that ranged from deep red to dark gray. Their wide mouths were filled with long, sharp, yellow fangs. Below their yellow or brown eyes were large noses that could be either blue or red. The bestiaries recorded that the size of an Earth Goblin’s nose was a symbol of its mettle and power.
They possessed a boundless desire for conquest. Although their lifespans were comparable to humans, their lust for battle meant they rarely lived to old age. Furthermore, they would command other Races in battle, most commonly goblins.
Earth Goblins form small, organized, and disciplined armies, unlike the disorganized Goblin clans. They even decorate their uniforms with matching patterns and leathers. Rather than calling themselves a "Race," they prefer the term "legion" for their groups.
Within these legions, roles are clearly defined, and there is a corresponding military hierarchy, from the leading "General" down to the common foot soldier. Even the goblins in the front lines, armed with Long Spears, have their own rank and station. These Earth Goblins also train beasts to aid them in combat. Compared to the goblins who just squeal and swarm forward with wooden clubs, they are much more like a civilized Race.
"That is indeed a problem." Shire rubbed his chin, thinking for a few seconds. "How many of them are there? You must have fought them, right?"
"We don’t know their exact numbers," Evita said, shaking her head. "We’ve clashed with them twice. They are very powerful, and they command a great many goblins."
"Only goblins?" Shire raised an eyebrow. "If it’s just goblins, they shouldn’t be too hard to handle, right?"
He figured that goblins from other clans were probably the same as ever: stupid and cowardly. They would break at the first sign of casualties. Even with Earth Goblins forcing them on from behind, they would likely just fall to the ground and play dead. ’A few volleys of arrows from the Centaurs should be enough to make those goblins give up,’ he thought.
"No, these goblins are incredibly difficult to fight. They’re frenzied. Even when shot with several arrows, they still charge in for close combat." Evita closed her eyes, recalling the scene. "My best friend was stabbed to death by several goblins with their Small Knives. One of those goblins had been pierced through the torso with a Feathered Arrow, but that still didn’t stop its madness."
Hearing this, Shire’s brow furrowed. He found it hard to believe that Earth Goblins could train goblins to be like that. The words "fearless in the face of death" were not something one could associate with goblins. Yet, the young Centaur didn’t seem to be lying.
"The Earth Goblins must be using something to Control those goblins, making them forget pain, fear, and even death." Shire tapped his finger rhythmically on the tabletop. "That makes them much harder to deal with. My current combat tactics would likely be useless against them."
’If I’m going to help the Centaur Race migrate, I’ll likely have to face that enemy in the forest. But all my victories so far have been won through defending the Fortress.’
’A battle in the open field...’ Shire considered his options. ’That would be extremely difficult at this stage. Even if I used every trick I have and went all out, it would only result in mutual destruction. It’s even possible my entire clan would be wiped out.’
"So what happened then? They didn’t attack you again?" he asked after a moment of thought.
"Mm. After the two battles, the Earth Goblins sent a small delegation to persuade us to surrender." Evita stared at the tea in her hands. They had been talking for so long it had gone cold, but neither of them seemed to notice. "They presented our people with a contract of allegiance."
Hearing this, Shire raised an eyebrow. ’I can already guess what this is about,’ he thought.
"It wasn’t a contract of allegiance at all; it was one of Enslavement. They demanded we hand over the vast majority of our stored supplies, and that all the able-bodied members of our clan be conscripted into their army to fight for them." Evita sighed. "If we signed that contract, the Centaur Race would become their tools of war for generations. It wouldn’t be long before our people were completely wiped out."
"So that’s why you ran off to find the Unicorns?" Shire said with a small smile.
Evita nodded, her eyes fixed on the goblin across from her. "I’m asking you to please help us."
"This is a tricky situation." Shire processed all the information he’d gathered, calculating a course of action.
He looked up at the fluorescent Mushrooms on the ceiling, rapidly sorting through several plans in his head.
After half a minute, as Evita watched him with an expectant gaze, Shire finally shared his idea. "It’s not impossible, but it will require the full cooperation of the Centaur Race."
Evita gazed hopefully at the goblin across from her, unconsciously tightening her grip on the teacup, her eyes fixed on him.
Shire looked at the young woman before him, unable to help recalling her haughty demeanor when she first arrived at the Fortress. He chuckled softly. "We will help you transport your supplies in the dead of night. This means you’ll have to get everything packed and ready during the day, without letting the enemy find out."
"This will require your entire clan to be of one mind and prepared to act in the middle of the night." Shire’s plan was to take his men and transport the components for a Teleportation Gate over there under the cover of darkness. He would assemble it directly inside the underground stone chamber. Once the Centaurs had pre-packed all their supplies, they could be moved directly through the Teleportation Gate. When everything was done, he would disassemble the gate and secretly bring it back.
It was the best plan he could come up with for now.
"But there’s one more thing," Shire said, looking at the young Centaur across from him. "You snuck away, didn’t you?"
At his words, Evita’s eyes widened. She had no idea how he’d guessed.