The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

"Is this sole made of tree bark?" Shire carefully examined the shoe sample, picking at the sole with his fingernail to test its hardness and durability.

"Mhm, the shoemaker said the sole is made from the inner bark of trees from the Northern Border Mountains. It’s harder and has some elasticity," Little John explained with a nod.

Shire forcefully bent the sole a few times with both hands. "Hmm, the elasticity is decent."

’The elasticity is just passable.’ He wondered if this world had anything like rubber. While the sole was a bit stiff, it had a decent amount of flex and good durability. It was essentially usable. "Tell the shoemaker this material will do for the soles."

"The uppers are thick canvas and leather, made waterproof according to your design, Boss." Little John held up the sample shoe’s upper, tugging on it lightly to demonstrate its sturdiness to Shire.

"It does look pretty good," Shire nodded, then picked up his cup and poured its contents onto the shoe sample in his hand. "The waterproofing is decent, too."

’In my past life, I bought several pairs of waterproof hiking boots, so I know their performance inside and out. This sample can’t compare to those yet, but it seems to handle the basics.’

"How long will it take them to make two hundred pairs?" Shire set the sample down and refilled his and Little John’s teacups.

"I reckon it’ll take a long time," Little John said, taking a sip from his cup. "Chrysanthemum tea is much better with honey."

After another sip, he continued, "There’s only one Shoemaker Workshop in Yangjiao Town. The shoemaker has several apprentices, but their production capacity is very limited. However, the shoemaker did say that there are many shoemaker workshops in Black Lion City and the surrounding areas."

"So you’re saying, even if I spent all the Gold Coins our tribe has left, I still couldn’t get two hundred pairs of shoes quickly." Shire slowly tapped the edge of the table. "This production speed is indeed very slow."

"But I was thinking, if we commission this many, we could pay them a large deposit and ask him to recruit people from other places through the Artisan Association. That should be a good plan," Little John suggested with a smile.

"Would those craftsmen be willing to come to Yangjiao Town in the middle of winter? There isn’t much extra lodging here. It’s not like summer, when you can just pitch a tent," Shire said with a frown.

"No, Boss," Little John waved his hand. "I heard that because Count Valentine raised taxes, many people in the territory have stopped spending money on new things. As a result, the artisans aren’t getting as many orders."

He leaned forward and said in a conspiratorial tone, "Right now, all the artisans in Yangjiao Town are gossiping that Mary has the backing of the Church’s higher-ups and that they plan to build a huge Church School nearby. And Mary herself has practically become the leader of the artisans in Yangjiao Town."

"Oh?" Shire raised an eyebrow. Little John had told him before that Mary had gained some status in Yangjiao Town, but he hadn’t expected it to be to this extent. ’It seems the huge market the goblins represent has attracted all these craftsmen.’

’Beds and furniture, clothes and daily necessities, even the ’toy’ wooden houses for the little goblins, plus the weapons and equipment for the Centaurs—this could really create a new economic phenomenon in Yangjiao Town.’

"There are no vacant houses left in Yangjiao Town. People are even buying land to build new ones—just the simplest wooden huts. I think if you put down a large deposit, the Shoemaker Workshop would be able to recruit plenty of craftsmen from the Artisan Association," Little John said with a chuckle. "After all, when I found him, he was thumping his chest, guaranteeing he could pull in a lot of people to help finish the order."

Shire smiled and rubbed his cheeks. ’After all our recent trades for supplies, especially outfitting the Centaurs with Longbow Arrows and Vests, the tribe doesn’t have many Gold Coins left. If I put down a large deposit now, we won’t have much liquid capital. That’s not good for the tribe’s development.’

’But these shoes have to be made. I can’t have my people going out to work as the weather gets colder, only to end up with their feet covered in frostbite and having to amputate their toes.’

"Alright," Shire finally nodded. "We have to do it. The sooner they’re made, the better. Besides, these shoes would also be very suitable for Adventurers."

He glanced at Little John, who had been admiring the sample earlier, unable to put it down. If it hadn’t been made so small for a goblin’s foot, Little John probably would have tried it on right then and there.

"I’ll measure everyone’s feet in the tribe as soon as possible and give you a range of sizes." Shire picked up the sample, looking at the sole. ’In this world, they don’t have standardized shoe sizes like in my past life. Customers just go to a workshop and leave an outline of their feet, and the shoemakers craft the shoes based on that tracing.’

"Mhm," Little John nodded. ’I mentioned this to the shoemaker before, but he didn’t pay it any mind since he’s never handled an order this big. But if we order two hundred pairs to start and promise more later like the boss said, he’ll probably be willing to accept the idea.’ He then said aloud, "So... what about Caocao’s shoes?"

"That problem will have to wait," Shire sighed. ’Getting clothes and equipment for Giant Demon Caocao is a bit of a challenge right now. After all, there aren’t any three-meter-tall humans around Yangjiao Town.’

’If I rashly placed an order for equipment that large, it would definitely cause a stir and attract suspicion, maybe even drawing the attention of the Public Security Bureau.’

"If Caocao were still the height of a regular Giant, it would be explainable. But ever since I bestowed the [Blessing of the Evil God] on him, he’s in a completely different category from an ordinary species," Shire frowned. "Clothes aren’t a big deal for now, but the Armor and shoes are the more critical items."

’But revoking the [Blessing of the Evil God], while it would let Caocao wear various pieces of equipment, would be a waste of the tribe’s combat power. That Ability is just too useful. Whether it’s Red Eyes, Scarface, or Caocao, after using the [Blessing of the Evil God], they all give a thumbs-up and exclaim, "Awesome!"’

’I’ve even thought about taking some people to do what the Evil Throat Army used to do—round up the young Bear Goblins exiled by the Feathered Serpent Kingdom, try to raise them, and see if I can form an "Evil God Berserker" guard.’

"Let’s wait for now," he shook his head. "Even if we do it, you can’t be the one to talk to the craftsmen. They all know about your connection to Mary. I’ll see if I can find someone else to try later."