Chapter 201 - 173: Leader of the Centaurs
[Forest Whisper: You can occasionally hear whispers carried by the breeze in the forest, which will contain news about you.]
"This has been activated?" Shire opened his eyes, snapping out of his thoughts. "Does that mean... all these Centaurs are my subordinates now?"
He called up his status panel again.
[Tombstone Artifact: Shire Merlot]
[Race: Goblin (Human)]
[Danger Level: 0.5, Useless]
[Subordinates: 308/319]
[Personality: ???]
[Status: Advanced Transformation Curse (Negative), Heart of the Brave (Positive, Recovering), Mother Tree’s Blessing (Positive), Blessing of the God of Earth and Life (Positive), Newborn Ant Queen (Positive, Growing)]
[Title: Leader of the Forest South Group]
’Hm? The count is up to 319,’ Shire noted with a quick glance. ’The Title has changed, too. The Forest South Group... isn’t the same lively organization it once was.’
’This is great. My life is really going places... probably straight to jail.’ He gave a wry smile, then immediately snapped back to reality and hurried forward to help Evita up.
"You’re their Clan Leader," Shire said calmly, his tone carrying a hint of gentle refusal. "I’m just the leader of the goblins."
"No," Evita said, shaking her head. "Your actions have shown me just how difficult it is to be a proper Clan Leader in this forest. My father may have appointed me as the Centaurs’ Clan Leader, but I know I’m still a long way from being qualified."
She reached for the golden Beast Tooth Necklace at her chest, intending to take it off and give it to the goblin before her. "The forest is full of danger. If a race is to survive and prosper, it must have a wise and powerful leader."
"No, no, no, you should keep the necklace. After all, your father left it to you," Shire said, quickly stopping her when he saw what she was doing.
Evita hesitated at the goblin’s words. The Beast Tooth Necklace was a precious memento, and she truly was reluctant to hand it over to Shire.
"Keep it," Shire reiterated. "A true leader doesn’t need a piece of jewelry to prove their status." He walked to the Centaur maiden’s side, clasped his hands behind his back, and puffed out his chest, surveying the Centaur Race before him.
"I’ve already discussed it with everyone," Evita said, readjusting her necklace. "We all agree to accept you as our leader."
Shire didn’t turn his head at her words, instead continuing to gaze at the Centaurs before him. They had formed a large semicircle, and the goblin stood at its very center.
"I never expected to become your leader," Shire said calmly. The development had taken him by surprise. "I’m just a goblin, and you are all Centaurs."
"Height isn’t the measure of a leader," a voice said from the side. It was the Centaur Oreco, watching Shire with a faint smile.
"You have a point," Shire nodded. ’He hadn’t expected to accomplish so easily what the Earth Goblins had failed to do. But then, the Evil Throat Army had wanted to enslave the Centaurs, whereas he had merely helped them rebuild their home and trade with them.’
"However..." He thought for a few seconds before declaring loudly, "I can be your leader, but not your Clan Leader. The Centaurs have their own Clan Leader, and that is Evita Golden Mane! I will not enslave you. I will do everything in my power to support you, to help you live better, safer lives. If the time comes, I will lead you to build a legacy in this forest. And one day, I might even lead you out of it to see the world beyond!"
"Leader!" Upon hearing Shire’s words, a few of the younger Centaurs began to pump their fists and cheer. Soon, all the Centaurs had joined in the roaring celebration.
Some of them had heard tales of the outside world, while others had been told of past events by the little goblins. Back in their old village, they had few iron wares or quality tools. If not for Shire, many of them wouldn’t be wearing Armor or holding heavy bows with metal Arrows.
These young Centaurs dreamed of one day leaving the forest to see the outside world—to witness snow-capped mountains and behold the great, rolling waves of the ocean.
After a few rounds of cheering, Shire raised his hand and motioned for silence. Once the Centaurs had quieted down, he spoke loudly again. "Now, you must assist Evita in building your new home. The materials are still being processed and will be brought over bit by bit. The battle has caused considerable damage to this area, so you all have a lot of work ahead of you."
’I’ll need these Centaurs’ help to explore the vast northern region in the future. I can recruit some of them as guides then.’
Then, Shire turned to Evita beside him. "I’m going to find Shan Xi Ao and the others now. I see some of your people are injured; they need to receive treatment as soon as possible. The battlefield also needs to be cleaned up. Centaur Clan Leader, you have a lot to do."
With that, he gave a smiling wave and strode toward the fortress entrance.
Evita watched Shire’s retreating back, her expression of admiration turning into one of resolve. "Let’s begin, everyone. We have a lot to do. Oreco, take some people to clean up the battlefield. Check if any Earth Goblins aren’t quite dead yet. Stab each one a few more times to be sure."
"You," she pointed to another Centaur, "lead all the wounded to the fortress gate to await treatment from the little goblins. Make sure to triage their injuries. The rest of you who are uninjured, come with me to check the wooden houses and deer pens for damage."
The Centaurs roared their assent and quickly split into groups, beginning to carry out Evita’s orders in an organized manner.
Meanwhile, Evita led her people to inspect the various structures they had built, even dragging out a number of hiding Evil Throat Army goblins from within.
’Just as I thought, there’s a lot of damage.’ She looked at a collapsed section of a fence. The Big-horned Deer that had been inside were gone. ’The goblins must have frightened them, causing them to break through the fence and flee into the forest. Luckily, a few of the other pens are still secure.’
The thought of how long it would take for her people to recover only strengthened Evita’s resolve. When she had first proposed making Shire the Centaur Clan Leader, nearly everyone had objected for the same reasons: "You were appointed by the old Clan Leader, and besides, he isn’t even a Centaur!"
But Evita silenced them with a single sentence: "With Shire as Clan Leader, our people will live better lives in the forest."
Without Shire’s help, they would now be slaves to the Evil Throat Army. Without Shire, they would not have succeeded in their revenge. Without Shire, even if they had escaped, many of them would have died.
Finally, Evita’s earnest analysis had made all the Centaurs realize the stark reality of their future. And so, they had all agreed to her proposal.
"We’ll just have to repair it as quickly as possible." Evita heaved a log onto the railing, then looked at the Big-horned Deer huddled in a corner in the distance. "Looks like we’ll be eating smoked fish for a while longer."
She subconsciously reached for tools in the saddlebag on her flank, but the feel of the cloth reminded her she was still on the battlefield.
’This is Evil Throat’s old cloak,’ Evita realized as she felt the saddlebag. Her hand, rummaging inside, brushed against the coarse fabric of the cloak and touched something hard.
"What’s this?"