Chapter 309 The Great Wall

With the goblins freshly scrubbed and dressed in clean clothes, their transformation from neglected slaves to diligent workers was nothing short of miraculous. Suzuka, radiating confidence and authority, approached Hermit with dwarves.

"Hermit," Suzuka began, her voice carrying the weight of command yet tinged with encouragement, "today you'll be working with these dwarves. They will help direct the workflow and teach you and your fellow goblins how to properly build a wall. We must get this right, so listen to their instructions and ensure everyone is working efficiently."

Hermit, his chest swelling with pride at the responsibility bestowed upon him, nodded vigorously. 

"Yes, Helen, we will do our best! We will!"

Turning to Jacob, Suzuka continued, "Jacob, I need you to join the goblins and dwarves. Your job is to use your earth magic to create a strong foundation for the wall. The base must be solid and stable. Can you handle that?"

 "Of course, Helen. I'll make sure it's done right."

With their tasks assigned, the group dispersed, each individual brimming with purpose. Under Hermit's leadership, the goblins eagerly followed the dwarves to the designated construction area. The dwarves, with their vast knowledge, began to instruct the goblins on the intricacies of wall-building. They demonstrated how to lay bricks evenly, mix magic-infused mortar to the perfect consistency, and ensure that each layer was level and secure.

The goblins watched in astonishment, their eyes wide with fascination. Despite their initial anxiety, they quickly picked up the skills, their natural agility and dexterity making them surprisingly adept at the task. Hermit, standing tall among them, directed the flow of work with newfound confidence. He moved among the goblins, offering words of encouragement and ensuring that everyone was doing their part.

Meanwhile, Jacob set to work on the foundation. His earth magic flowed effortlessly from his fingertips, causing the ground to shift and mold according to his will. The goblins nearby watched in stunned silence as he conjured solid stone from the earth, creating a robust and enduring base for the wall. Some of them, witnessing such a display of power up close, could barely contain their excitement and admiration.

One goblin, his eyes nearly popping out of his head, pointed at Jacob and yelled, "Did you see that? He turned dirt into rock! Actual rock! It's like magic!"

Another goblin, his mouth agape, slapped his friend on the back and stammered, "I... I thought that was just stories! We used to tell tales about people who could do that!"

A group of younger goblins, their faces filled with awe, clustered together and began to mimic Jacob's gestures, pretending to summon rocks from the ground. 

"Look at me! I'm making stone! I'm making stone!" they chanted, their voices filled with pure, childlike excitement.

One particularly excitable goblin, overcome with enthusiasm, started jumping up and down, waving his arms wildly. 

"We have earth wizard! We're unstoppable! The forest doesn't stand a chance!"

Others, their admiration turning into a sort of reverent devotion, began to bow repeatedly in Jacob's direction.

 "Great Earth Master! Teach us your ways!" they pleaded, their voices tinged with both awe and desperation.

Hermit, trying to maintain some semblance of order, found himself surrounded by goblins asking him endless questions.

 "Hermit! Hermit! Did you know he could do that? How did you become friends with such powerful beings? Can you do magic too?"

One older goblin, tears streaming down his face, clutched Hermit's arm and whispered, "This is a blessing, Hermit. We're blessed to have you and these incredible people with us. We've never had hope like this before."

Another goblin, still trembling from the excitement, muttered to himself, "I thought we were just gonna cut trees... now we're building walls with magic. This is... this is unreal."

As Jacob continued his work, the goblins couldn’t take their eyes off him. They cheered with every stone he created, their jubilation echoing through the clearing.

"Look at that! He’s like a god of the earth, making stone from nothing!" one goblin whispered to another, their voices tinged with awe.

For these goblins, who had endured so much suffering and hardship, the sight of such power and the promise of a better future was nothing short of miraculous. Their faith in Hermit, and by extension in Suzuka and her companions, grew with each passing moment, solidifying their resolve to work hard and build a new life under their protection.

The foundation, crafted by Jacob's earth magic, lay ready and waiting - a solid base, smooth and sturdy. The dwarves, with their extensive knowledge of masonry, were prepared to guide the goblins in building the wall. They stood, arms crossed, eyes sharp, ready to instruct and correct any mistakes.

With the foundation expertly crafted by Jacob's earth magic, the goblins eagerly set about their task of building the wall. Their enthusiasm, however, quickly led to a series of hilariously chaotic and outrageous attempts at construction, despite the dwarves' best efforts to guide them.

Under the dwarves' close watch and meticulous instruction, the goblins began to carry bricks to the foundation site. Their small, green bodies darted back and forth, each goblin eager to prove their worth in the construction effort. However, their excitement often translated into sheer clumsiness and confusion.

One goblin, in his haste to impress, tried to carry an entire stack of bricks on his back. He wobbled precariously, his knees buckling under the weight, until he tripped over a loose stone and sent the bricks flying in all directions. The dwarves winced as they watched the bricks rain down on the other goblins, causing a cacophony of yelps. 

Another goblin, misunderstanding the concept of laying bricks in a straight line, began to arrange them in a bizarre zigzag pattern. The dwarf overseeing him facepalmed and hurried over, trying to explain that walls are meant to be straight, not serpentine. The goblin nodded enthusiastically, then promptly laid the next row in a perfect circle, much to the dwarf's disbelief.

Then there was the group of goblins who, misinterpreting the instructions about using magic cement, began to smear it on each other rather than the bricks. They gleefully slapped the sticky substance onto their bodies, creating a scene more akin to a mud-wrestling match than a construction site. The dwarves, attempting to restore order, found themselves slipping and sliding in the cement, adding to the absurdity.

Despite the dwarves' best efforts to guide them, some goblins decided to take creative liberties. One ambitious goblin started stacking bricks vertically, creating a precarious tower that wobbled with every breath of wind. Another goblin, convinced that the wall needed some decore, began embedding random objects like twigs, pebbles, and even a lost shoe into the mortar.

Within the chaos, Hermit tried to maintain some semblance of order. He darted between groups of goblins, attempting to relay the dwarves' instructions and correct their mistakes. However, his efforts often resulted in more confusion. 

Instead of carrying the bricks with care, they grabbed them in heaps, some even balancing them precariously on their heads. The dwarves watched, mouths agape, as the goblins jostled and bumped into each other, bricks tumbling to the ground.

"Slow down, ye daft creatures! One brick at a time, and lay 'em proper-like!" bellowed one of the dwarves, his beard bristling with frustration.

"Oi! Watch where ye're throwin' those!" another dwarf shouted, narrowly ducking a flying chunk of cement.

Two goblins attempted to carry brick together, each pulling in a different direction. They staggered and stumbled, turning the simple act of moving a brick into a comedy. Eventually, they tripped over each other and fell in a heap, the brick landing on top of them.

One goblin, determined to follow instructions, picked up a brick and carefully laid it... sideways. Another, seeing this, thought it was a new technique and began stacking bricks vertically like a precarious tower. 

"Sweet mercy, what are ye doin'?!" a dwarf yelled, practically tearing his hair out.

 "Bricks go flat, like this!" He demonstrated, laying a brick correctly, but the goblins, with their limited understanding, mimicked him poorly, resulting in a zigzagging, uneven placement.

Despite the dwarves' best efforts, the goblins continued to invent their methods. One goblin, frustrated with the slow progress, used his head to push bricks into place, resulting in a comical scene of goblins head-butting bricks onto the wall.

Despite the initial chaos, the goblins' determination was unwavering. They formed a haphazard line, each goblin handing a brick to the next in a clumsy, yet endearing, assembly line. The bricks wobbled and teetered as they were passed along, occasionally causing a domino effect of tumbling goblins and bricks. Each time, they scrambled back to their feet with wide grins and renewed energy.

One goblin, in his eagerness to contribute, managed to get himself stuck in the mortar. His feet were firmly planted, and he wiggled and wriggled but couldn’t free himself. His friends rushed to his aid, pulling on his arms and shoulders. With a loud pop, he finally came free, sending the rescuers sprawling backward in a heap. They lay on the ground for a moment, stunned, before bursting into laughter.

Seeing the mayhem, Jacob couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. Suzuka, arriving to check on the progress, was met with the outrageous sight of goblins performing what looked like an absurdist theater piece rather than a construction project.

"Hermit, we need to get this under control," she said, trying to stifle her laughter.

 "They're enthusiastic, but we need to channel that energy properly."

Hermit, his face a mix of pride and embarrassment, nodded vigorously. 

"Yes, Helen. I'll get them to listen to the dwarves."

With Hermit's guidance and a more hands-on approach from the dwarves, the goblins eventually began to understand the basics of wall-building. Though the process was far from smooth, they started to produce results. The wall, though a bit crooked and uneven in places, began to take shape. The goblins, working in harmony with the dwarves and under the watchful eye of Hermit, laid brick after brick. As the hours passed, the wall began to grow.

By the end of the first day, the goblins had achieved a remarkable feat: they had built almost a hundred meters of the wall.

Suzuka clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. 

"You've all done an incredible job today," she announced, her voice ringing with genuine praise. 

"I’m proud of each and every one of you. Rest well tonight, because tomorrow we continue building."