Chapter 384 It's a simple errand, what could go wrong, right?

The next morning, the town was already bustling with movement as the caravan prepared to depart. The adventurers Larry had hired to guard the convoy stood at the front, checking their weapons and ensuring the wagons were properly secured. 

Near the caravan, a group of goblins huddled together, their small, green faces etched with sorrow as they prepared to send off their friend. Tears streamed down their cheeks, and their voices were soft and trembling as they whispered words of encouragement and farewell.

But a short distance away, the atmosphere was entirely different. Suzuka stood with Olivia, her golden eyes sparkling with mischief as she leaned in close, her voice low and teasing.

 “You know, if you keep looking at me like that, I might just have to cancel this whole trip and keep you here with me.”

Olivia laughed, a rich, melodic sound. She reached out, her fingers brushing against Suzuka’s arm as she replied, “No can do, love. Thomas needs me and I have to help him.”

Suzuka smirked, her gaze lingering on Olivia’s face.

 “And what exactly will you be doing?”

Olivia’s lips curved into a sly smile, her eyes narrowing playfully. 

"Well, knowing Thomas, I think he got his hands full with some quests he can't handle without me. But hey, he gets some good jobs, well paid ones. And don't worry, he is cautious man. No crazy quests leading to our demise." 

Suzuka nodded, her hand slipping into Olivia’s. 

“Yeah. Just don't forget about me while on your adventures.”

Olivia squeezed her hand, her smile warm and reassuring.

 “I won't, you have my word. I mean, who could forget all the sleeping bags we destroyed this past month.”

The two women stood there for a moment, their fingers intertwined, before Olivia finally let go with a sigh.

 “Alright, I guess I should get going. Can’t keep the caravan waiting.”

 Their boldness and affection were a stark contrast to the somber gathering of goblins nearby, who were now openly weeping as they hugged their friend and wished him well. They scurried about with last-minute preparations, and the crisp morning air was filled with the clatter of wheels, hooves, and murmured farewells.

Near the center of all the activity, a small but deeply emotional scene played out. A crowd of goblins had gathered around the volunteer, their small, green bodies pressed together in a tight, messy huddle. They reached out with their stubby hands, touching his face, his shoulders, his arms—anywhere they could, as if trying to memorize every detail of him.

They pressed against him, noses sniffling, some crying, others forcing brave smiles. One goblin clung to his arm, another patted his back. They kissed his cheeks, nuzzled their heads against him, and whispered hushed words of thanks. Their gestures—small, simple, but heartfelt—carried the weight of their gratitude and sorrow.

“You… you brave, so brave!” one goblin blubbered, his voice high-pitched and wobbly. He clung to the volunteer’s arm, his tiny fingers gripping tightly.

 “You go for us! For all of us! You hero! Big hero!”

Another goblin, his eyes streaming with tears, pressed a small, clumsily carved wooden trinket into his hand.

 “Take! Take this! It… it keep you safe! It magic! I carve it special for you!”

The volunteer looked down at the trinket—a lumpy, misshapen figure that might have been a goblin or perhaps a horse—and smiled. 

“Thank you, I’ll keep it close.”

A third goblin, his nose running and his cheeks puffed out with emotion, threw his arms around the volunteer’s waist.

 “You not die, okay? You promise! You come back! You come back and tell us stories! Big stories! About… about… everything!”

The volunteer chuckled, patting the goblin’s head. 

“I’ll come back, I promise.”

But his reassurance only seemed to make the others cry harder. 

Another goblin, smaller than the rest, tugged at the volunteer’s sleeve.

 “You… you take me with you? I go too! I help! I brave like you!”

The volunteer knelt down, his smile gentle but firm. 

“No, little one. You stay here. You be brave for me, okay? Take care of everyone while I’m gone.”

The little goblin sniffled, wiping his nose with back of his hand. 

“Okay… okay. I be brave. I promise.”

Hermit, standing at the front of the crowd, finally found his voice. His lip quivered, and his eyes were red-rimmed, but he managed to speak.

 “You… you are the bravest of us. You go for all of us. You… you true hero. We never forget you. Never!”

The volunteer looked at Hermit, his smile faltering for just a moment. 

“I’ll come back. I’m not dying, you know. I’ll be back before you even miss me. I’m sure you’ll manage. You’re all stronger than you think.”

Another goblin leaned in close with a whisper, “You… you remember us, okay? You remember we here. We… we wait for you. We always wait.”

The volunteer nodded, his throat tightening.

 “I’ll remember. I’ll remember all of you.”

As the final call to depart echoed, the goblins reluctantly began to pull away, their hands lingering for as long as they could. The volunteer straightened, his chest puffed out with a mix of pride and nervousness. He gave them one last smile, a brave smile, before turning to join the caravan.

The goblins watched him go, their little faces streaked with tears. One of them, unable to contain himself, let out a loud, warbling cry. 

“We love youuuu!”

The volunteer paused, looking back over his shoulder. 

“I love you too. All of you.”

Meanwhile, as the emotional farewell played out, Suzuka stood casually beside the carriage where David was already waiting, leaning against the wooden frame with his arms crossed. His eyes flicked over the goblin gathering with mild curiosity.

Suzuka let out a small chuckle, shaking her head as she watched the dramatic display.

 “Just look at that drama club,” she said, motioning toward the huddled pile of sobbing goblins.

 “I swear, they should be putting on plays instead of digging ditches. Who knew goblins had such a knack for theatrics?”

 “Yeah, I half expect one of them to collapse from the sheer weight of their own sorrow.”

“Jokes aside,” she said, turning her gaze to him, “I mean it, David. Make sure that goblin gets to Valerius in one piece. No fuckups. No detours. No dumb heroics. Just get it done.”

“I got it. I like my head where it is, and I know what’s at stake. Besides, the little guy looks scared enough already. I’m not about to make it worse for him. And who knows? Maybe the little guy will even enjoy himself. From what I seen, Valerius treats his… subjects well.” 

Suzuka studied him for a moment before nodding. 

“Good. Just make sure he and his eggs are fresh and unharmed when they get there. Well, I mean it's a simple errand, what could go wrong, right?”

Suzuka’s sharp gaze lingered on the goblin volunteer as he stood amidst the tearful farewells. Up close, she could see the full extent of the damage—the years of brutal mistreatment etched into his small, fragile frame. He was as wretched and miserable looking like the rest of them, perhaps even more so. His green skin, which should have been vibrant, was sallow and dull, stretched thin over bones that protruded unnaturally, probably broken more times that he knows how to count. His eyes, though trying to appear brave, were sunken and shadowed, carrying the weight of a lifetime of suffering.

His arms and legs were covered in a patchwork of scars—some old and faded, others fresh and angry. The marks of whips, chains, and worse were visible even beneath the tattered rags he wore. His hands, calloused and trembling, clutched the small trinket the other goblins had given him as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded.

This goblin, like so many others, was a product of the breeding farms—places where goblins were treated as nothing more than livestock, bred for labor and discarded when they were no longer useful. She could see the signs of malnourishment in his hollow cheeks and the way his ribs pressed against his skin. He had been starved, beaten, and worked to the brink of death, only to be revived and forced to endure it all over again.

Suzuka’s jaw tightened, a flicker of something—anger? Guilt? —passing through her expression before she masked it. She had seen this before, of course. The goblins who came to Luminesia were always broken in some way, their spirits crushed by years of abuse. But seeing it up close, seeing the raw, unvarnished truth of it, was different. It was harder to ignore.

She turned her attention back to David, her voice cold and clipped. 

“Make sure he’s fed on the journey. He looks like he’s one strong breeze away from collapsing. Don’t let him die before he reaches Valerius. I don’t need that kind of headache.”

“Relax, Helen. I’ll take good care of him. He’ll be eating like a king by the time we get there. No mistreatment, no funny business. Just a smooth, uneventful trip. You have my word. Like you said, it's a simple errand, what could go wrong.”

Suzuka’s sharp gaze lingered on the goblin volunteer as he struggled to climb into the carriage. His swollen, egg-stuffed belly making the task nearly impossible. His frail arms trembled as he tried to pull himself up, his tiny clawed fingers gripping the wooden frame with little strength. His gut, unnaturally distended from years of forced breeding, sagged heavily, getting in the way of even the simplest movement.

His scrawny legs, covered in old scars and bruises, wobbled beneath him as he tried again, letting out a small, pathetic grunt. It was clear that his body had suffered greatly—beaten daily, starved until his ribs jutted out like twisted branches, then fattened up just enough to keep producing eggs, only for the cycle to repeat. A life of suffering, reduced to nothing more than a vessel for breeding, stripped of dignity, treated as livestock.

His small, malnourished frame trembled with the effort as he tried again, his scrawny legs wobbling as he tried to hoist himself up. However, his grotesquely distended belly got in the way—swollen and unnaturally round, like a bloated sack stuffed to bursting. It hung heavily from his emaciated body, pulling him forward and making every movement a laborious task.