Chapter 209 Treasure Hunt In Perilous Forest

Suzuka, having successfully convinced Hermit to come out from under the bed, tossed his tattered rags toward him. She spoke with a hint of annoyance, "Get dressed already, you drama king. How will you lead your fellow hatchlings if you can't even step outside?"

Hermit, his eyes sparkling with renewed enthusiasm, dramatically stirred and sprang to his feet, as if a jolt of electricity had surged through him. 

 "Oh! That's right, Master! Hermit forgot. Hermit is a great leader now! Master, you are right, I will go! I will."

With newfound resolve, Hermit quickly dressed in his shorts and tank top, his little green form somehow looking even more joyful. He walked up to Suzuka and, in a more composed and sincere tone, asked, "Master? I finished my... my diary. Would you like to read it? I wrote down all of my life story in it."

Suzuka, expecting to find some valuable information, agreed to take a look with a hint of skepticism. She responded, "Sure, I can take a look if you want. But just so you know, diaries are not something you usually show to others. Well, at least I wouldn't be that stupid."

Hermit, unable to fully grasp the subtlety of her response, shrugged off the comment with his usual energy.

 "Oh, Master, I don't mind! I want you to know everything about me! After all, I'm your loyal servant and soon-to-be great leader of the goblins!"

In his eagerness to share his life story and experiences with Suzuka, Hermit snatched the notebook from under the bed. He scuttled toward her and extended it, his tiny hands holding the precious diary with an air of vulnerability. His voice was soft and earnest as he said, "Master Helen, this is my diary. I call it 'Hermit's Diary' I've written everything about me, my life, and the time I've spent in the perilous forest."

 She decided to play along and began flipping through the diary's pages, scanning the text with a mixture of interest and jest.

"Alright, Hermit, let's see what you've got in here, I'm sure it's filled with tales of your pitiful existence," she said with a playful smile, her eyes scanning the tiny handwriting on the pages.

As she scanned the pages, her lips curled into a sneer.

Her voice carried a playful tone as she started to read his writing aloud, "Ah, here we go. 'Day 1: Hatched from the egg, the world was scary and stinky, and I found myself on a pile of feces. I took a bite, and it tasted awful, stinking up my breath for days.'"

Hermit tried to explain, "I was just a hatchling goblin, Master. Fresh out of the egg. I didn't know any better. And we had no food, poop was all we had to eat!"

Suzuka couldn't hide her disgust, and she rolled her eyes.

 "What an excellent start to your epic diary, Hermit,"  visibly disgusted by the entry, decided to skip to day 7 with a dismissive flick of her finger. 

"On day 7, 'I was sleeping in a big turd of a monster, still recovering from my injuries. The sniffer burning stench is what keeps the beasts away and me alive.' Ew! You really like turds, don't you?"

Hermit's face contorted with humiliation as he endured Suzuka's cruel words. He remained silent, not daring to defend himself against her relentless mockery. Now he understood her previous comment, that diaries are better left for your own eyes to see.

Suzuka, seemingly enjoying herself, continued flipping the pages.

 "Ah, 'Day 14: Hermit was looking for food, hungry, beaten up by bad goblins, mouth parched, no quenchers for days.' How touching."

Her cold laughter filled the room as she taunted him further, "Uwu! How sad, pfff! Little baby. Your life is truly a never-ending series of unfortunate events."

Hermit's heart sank as he listened to her cruel words. He had hoped to share his experiences with Suzuka in the diary, but her relentless mockery had turned his heartfelt entries into a source of humiliation and pain.

Hermit's shoulders slumped as he felt the weight of Suzuka's cruelty bearing down on him. He had opened up a vulnerable part of himself, sharing the story of his difficult past, only to have it thrown back at him with mockery and ridicule.

Suzuka, seemingly satisfied, closed the diary. She tossed it back to Hermit, her voice laced with disappointment. 

"Well, Hermit, it seems your epic diary is filled with quite the... disgusting adventures. You should consider publishing it; I'm sure others would find it just as entertaining as I did."

Hermit, his spirit crushed, caught the diary and clutched it to his chest, trying to hide his pain behind a brave facade. He mumbled softly, "Yes, Master. Thank you for your... insight. I call it 'Hermit's Diary'. You can read it anytime if you want to know more about me. It has everything written about me here."

Suzuka's tone remained distant, but there was a glint of curiosity in her eyes as she asked, "I saw scribbles that resembled pictures in your diary. Some resembled a box full of coins with what looked like a goblin holding a key. Then there was a tree with some big roots and what looked like a pile of crystals. What was that all about?"

Hermit, still wounded by her earlier mockery, hesitated before responding, his voice quiet and measured.

"That... that is a box I saw at the bandit camp, Master. It was full of shiny coins, and the goblin holding the key was me. I picked up the key when one of them dropped it during the chaos when monsters attacked. I still have that key in my flesh pocket."

Suzuka's cold gaze fixed on Hermit as he continued to explain, "And the tree... it's where I've stashed all the shiny rocks I found while mining or digging caves in breeding farms. My precious treasure stash."

Despite the pain of her previous cruelty, Hermit still held onto a flicker of hope that his master might understand the significance of these entries in his diary. His treasure, meager as it was, represented a source of pride and accomplishment in his miserable life. 

Suzuka's voice had taken on a tone of fake concern as she probed Hermit about his tales of treasures and coins. Her cruel and mocking demeanor seemed to soften, but her words carried a hidden agenda. 

"A box full of shiny coins and a key, you say? And a pile of crystals? Are you sure about that? It's not just one of your dream episodes, is it?"

Hermit's heart sank as her words pierced through him, reopening the wounds from her previous mockery. He clung to the hope that she might believe him and that his treasures were real. With a heavy heart, he yelped, "No, Master! They are real! Hermit is not lying. They are real! I am not a liar! I am not!"

Suzuka, wearing a shrewd smile, continued her taunts, her voice laced with deceit.

 "Are you sure? I bet you don't even know how to find these treasures you talk about."

Hermit's eyes welled with desperation, and he cried out, "I do! I do! They are real! Hermit saw them! Hermit collected them. They are real, not a dream!"

Suzuka taunted him further on purpose to get the information from the gullible goblin.

 "Prove it, then! Or are you just talking out of your green butt, Hermit? Hmm?"

Hermit tossed his diary under the bed, back to his sanctuary. He used one hand to grab his jaw and, with a yelp, opened his mouth impossibly wide. With his free hand, he shoved it into his mouth, down his throat, all the way to his stomach. It was a grotesque and stomach-churning display.

 After swirling his hand inside his stomach, he suddenly pulled it out with a disgusting gagging squelch. His slimy, clenched fist extended toward Suzuka as he shouted, "This is the key to the box which I kept in my flesh pocket! Master, please! Believe me! Hermit does not lie! Never! Not to Master!"

Suzuka's reaction was far from impressed; in fact, it was one of sheer disgust. She recoiled from the sight of Hermit's grotesque act, her voice filled with revulsion.

 "Ew! Ew! I don't need to see this! Ew! Disgusting! What is wrong with you?! So what if you have a key, if you don't know where to find the treasure."

 Suzuka had ulterior motives, as her act unfolded. She was trying to extract information from him, her cruel demeanor hadn't wavered.

 Hermit yelped out in a desperate bid to convince her.

 "I do! I do remember where it is! Hermit has not forgotten where the treasure is! It's too precious! Too pretty to forget! To lose! Hermit knows the way!"

Suzuka continued to feign disinterest, all the while carefully listening to Hermit's words, hoping to glean the information she needed. She maintained her cold and mocking tone, "Oh, really? So, tell me, Hermit, where is this 'precious' treasure hidden?"

Hermit, still desperate to prove himself to his master, quickly began to share the details of the treasure's location, unaware that Suzuka's motives went far beyond the treasure itself. His voice quivered with a mix of anxiety and excitement as he spoke, "It's... it's hidden in a tiny cave I dug in the perilous forest. A place where the roots of a massive tree have created a secret chamber. I marked it with special stones so I wouldn't forget. The entrance is hidden, but I remember it well."

Suzuka's eyes gleamed with anticipation as she listened to his words. She knew that the treasure was real, and the prospect of finding it was too tempting to resist. She continued her act, feigning skepticism. 

"A tiny cave, you say? Hidden by the roots of a massive tree? Special stones as markers? It sounds like a fairy tale, Hermit. You are making this up. But I suppose if you showed it to me I would believe you."

Hermit's heart swelled with gratitude and relief as he believed that Suzuka was finally taking his words seriously. He didn't see the deceiving glint in her eyes as she continued to manipulate him.

 "Yes, Master! Hermit can lead you to it. We can go together! The treasure! Will be mine again, Master. I will show you the way. And we can bring it here! Under your bed into my goblin sanctuary!"

Suzuka nodded, her voice filled with mock gratitude.

 "Very well, Hermit. You've piqued my interest. We shall embark on this little treasure hunt together. But remember goblin, I have little patience for deception."

Hermit happily leaped into the air as he yelped, his tiny legs kicking mid-air.

"It is all true, Master! No deception! Hermit only tells true! 

Hermit couldn't help but feel a sense of renewed hope. He believed that by leading Suzuka to the treasure, he would not only prove his loyalty but also strengthen the bond between them. However, he remained unaware of the complex deceiving game Suzuka was playing, and the true extent of her intentions.