Chapter 408 Trying to Play the Hero.

Suzuka’s lips pressed into a thin line.

 “He… ran off. Into the storm. But he’ll be back.”

Kaka’s eyes filled with tears, and he let out a weak, broken sob. 

“No… no… he’s gone… they’re all gone…”

Suzuka sighed then reached out, her hand hesitating for a moment before she gently placed it on Kaka’s shoulder.

 “He’s not gone. He’s just… being an idiot. But he’ll come back. He always does.”

Kaka’s sobs grew quieter, his body trembling as he tried to calm down. His eyes flicked to the nest, where the hatchlings were chirping softly.

 “The… the hatchlings… Are they…?”

“They’re fine. I fixed them up. They’re safe.”

Kaka’s chest rose and fell in a shaky sigh, his eyes closing as he tried to relax. 

“Thank you… Thank you…”

 “Don’t thank me. I didn’t do it for you. Or for him. I just… couldn’t let them die.”

Kaka’s lips twitched into a faint, grateful smile.

 “And yet, you helped them. You’re… kinder than you look.”

 “Hey now, don’t push your luck, goblin.”

Suzuka leaned against the wall near Kaka’s makeshift bed, her arms crossed.

“So, you speak a language I can understand, huh. That’s convenient. How about you tell me what happened here? Have you seen who killed all the goblins? Was it a monster? Or something else?”

Kaka’s eyes fluttered open, his gaze unfocused at first but slowly sharpening as he looked up at her. His breathing was still shallow, his body trembling slightly from the pain and exhaustion. He hesitated, his lips parting as if he were trying to find the words. Finally, he spoke, his voice weak and raspy but clear enough to understand.

“It… it wasn’t a monster... I did not see what it was, but it was… something else. Something worse.”

 “Go on.”

Kaka took a shaky breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly. 

“It came at night. No warning. No sound. Just… shadow and those glowing eyes. Shadow that moved like living things. They tore through the farm like it was nothing. It didn’t speak. Didn’t make a sound. Just… killed. Everyone.”

“Shadow? What do you mean, shadow?”

Kaka’s eyes filled with fear, his voice dropping to a whisper. 

“They, it was not solid. Not like you or me. It was… like smoke, but darker. Blacker. And it moved so fast. You couldn’t fight it. You couldn’t run. It just… took you. Tore you apart.”

Kaka’s eyes filled with tears, his voice trembling. 

“I… I was tossed into the waste pit by evil goblins before all of it started. They punished me for my mistake... Oh! The beatings, whips, and worse. I was weak. Too weak. They took my arms… my legs… left me to die. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. Not until I knew the hatchlings were safe.”

“Do you have any idea what it was? Where it came from? Why it attacked?”

Kaka shook his head weakly, his eyes closing as a tear slipped down his cheek.

 “No. I don’t know. But it wasn’t natural. It wasn’t… of this world.”

“Alright. You’ve told me enough. Rest now. I’ll keep watch.”

Kaka’s eyes fluttered open, his gaze locking onto hers.

 “Hermit… Where is he? Is he…?”

“While you were out cold, we had a… situation. A rat got into the shed. It attacked the hatchlings.”

“What? Are they—?”

“They’re fine,” Suzuka interrupted, “I took care of it. The rat’s dead, and the hatchlings are patched up. They’re safe. But there’s more. Hermit… he was here when it happened. He tried to protect them, but he… he failed. Miserably.”

 “Hermit… is he…?”

“He’s fine. Physically, at least. But he couldn’t handle it. He couldn’t protect them. He just… stood there. Frozen. Useless.”

Kaka’s lips twitched into a faint, pained smile.

 “He’s… just a boy. He’s not a fighter. He’s never been. None of us are.”

“That’s no excuse. He made promises. He said he’d protect them. And when it mattered most, he couldn’t even handle a rat. A fucking rat. Do you understand how pathetic that is?”

 “He… he tried. That’s all he can do. He’s not like you. He’s not strong. He’s just… a gobby.”

“You need to understand something. Hermit’s incompetence isn’t just a danger to himself. It’s a danger to all of us. To the hatchlings. To you. And if he doesn’t figure that out soon, he’s going to get us all killed.”

 “He… he’s all I have left. Please… don’t give up on him.”

“I’m not giving up on him. But I’m not going to coddle him either. If he wants to survive—if he wants them to survive—he needs to get his act together. And fast.”

“Please,” Kaka begged, “Go after Hermit. That boy… he’s special. Precious to me. I… I can’t lose him again. Not after we just reunited. Please, Master. Go after him.”

 “And what about the hatchlings? Who will look after them? You think you can protect them like this? You’re just a torso and a head. What are you going to do if another rat shows up? Spit on them?”

To prove his resolve, he managed to twist his disabled body, rolling onto his stomach with a grunt of effort. His stumps twitched uselessly, but he didn’t let that stop him. He smacked his forehead against the ground, using it to push himself forward, dragging his body across the rough wooden floor toward the nest liek a worm. His movements were slow and agonizing, but he didn’t stop. Not until he reached the edge of the nest, where the hatchlings chirped softly, their tiny eyes blinking up at him.

“I… I may not have arms or legs. But I still have my mouth. If another rat shows up, I’ll bite it. I’ll tear its throat out if I have to. I’ll protect them with my life. Just… please. Go after Hermit. Save my boy.”

“You’re both impossible, you know that? A useless goblin and a broken old man, both trying to play the hero.”

Kaka’s eyes filled with tears, but he didn’t look away. 

“I’m not trying to be a hero. I’m just… trying to do what’s right. Hermit… he’s all I have left. Please, I’m begging you.”

Suzuka weighed her options. Then, finally, she let out a low, annoyed growl. 

“Fine. I’ll go after him. But if he’s frozen to death out there, don’t blame me.”

Kaka’s face lit up with gratitude.

 “Thank you… thank you. I’ll never forget this.”

With a deep sigh, Suzuka stepped out into the snowstorm, the biting wind immediately whipping at her face. The visibility was as bad as ever—thick sheets of snow swirled around her, reducing the world to a blur of white and gray. The cold seeped through her armor, but she didn't care, her sharp eyes scanning the area for any sign of Hermit. He was nowhere to be seen, his small footprints already buried under the relentless snowfall.

 “Stupid goblin. Running off into this mess. What did you think was going to happen?”

The broken gates of the breeding farm loomed ahead, their splintered wood barely visible through the storm. Suzuka trudged through the snow, her boots sinking deep with every step. Outside the gates, the snow was even worse—piled up to her neck in some places, making movement nearly impossible. 

“Hermit! Where are you, you idiot?!” she shouted, her voice carrying faintly over the wind.

 “Snow is too deep for that lousy goblin to run outside the camp. He should be somewhere inside this breeding farm. I swear, when I get my hands on this wrenched goblin, he will regret crawling out from his stupid egg or whatever shit hole he crawled out from!”

 Suzuka clenched her fists, her frustration mounting. She knew he couldn’t have gone far; the snow outside the breeding farm was piled up to her neck, making it nearly impossible for someone as small as him to venture beyond the gates. The snow was relentless, and the cold was unforgiving. If she didn’t find him soon, he wouldn’t survive.

She looked down and spotted something—a faint indentation in the snow, barely visible but there. She crouched down, brushing the snow aside with her gloved hand. The footprint was shallow, already filling with snow, but it was enough. 

She followed the trail, her sharp eyes scanning the ground for more signs. The footprints were erratic, zigzagging all over the place, as if Hermit had been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Suzuka rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath.

“Of course. Of course he couldn’t even run in a straight line.”

The trail led her in circles around the breeding farm, the footprints looping back and forth in a chaotic pattern. Suzuka’s frustration mounted with every step, but she didn’t stop. Not until she found him. Finally, the trail led her back to the same shelter where Kaka and the hatchlings were. She paused, her sharp eyes narrowing as she noticed something unusual: a few barrels toppled on their sides, their lids half open.