Chapter 317 Free to Dream

After Hermit finished his passioned speech, the goblin slaves stood in stunned silence, their expressions blank and bewildered, their minds struggling to grasp the reality of their newfound freedom. They exchanged looks of disbelief, their eyes wide and mouths agape, murmuring and whispering in hushed, confused tones.

"Did he really say... we're free?" one goblin whispered, his voice quivering with uncertainty.

"Free? What does that even mean for us?" another goblin murmured, his eyes darting around as if expecting a trick.

A particularly scrawny goblin clutched his chest, his breath shallow.

 "I don't understand... No more beatings? No more torture? How can this be?"

"How can it be true?" another goblin questioned, his face twisted in disbelief. 

"We've been slaves our whole lives."

"Where do we go? What do we do now?" a goblin with a hunched back whispered.

"Is this a dream? Will we wake up back in chains?" a wide-eyed goblin muttered, his hands trembling.

The whispers grew more frantic, tinged with both hope and fear.

 "Can we really leave? What if it's a trap?" one goblin speculated, casting a wary glance around.

Another goblin shook his head, his voice tinged with skepticism.

 "We've been lied to before. Why would this be any different?"

"I want to believe," a young goblin murmured, his eyes glistening with tears.

 "But I'm so scared."

"What if evil goblins catch us trying to leave?" an older goblin croaked, his voice raspy from years of suffering.

Within the murmurs, a sense of cautious optimism began to emerge. 

"Maybe... maybe this is our chance," a goblin said hesitantly, his eyes filled with fragile hope.

"Could it be real?" another goblin whispered, clutching the hand of the goblin next to him. 

"Could we finally be free?"

"But where will we go?" one goblin fretted, wringing his hands anxiously.

 "We don’t know anything outside these walls."

"I heard monsters and wild beasts lurking beyond the farm. We’ll be eaten alive!" a grizzled old goblin rasped, his eyes clouded with fear.

A small, trembling goblin clung to his friend. 

"What if we’re just swapping one prison for another? What if the outside world is just as cruel?"

"And what if evil goblins come after us?" a particularly anxious goblin piped up, glancing around nervously. 

"They’ll hunt us down and punish us even worse than before!"

"We’re too weak," a gaunt goblin murmured, looking down at his frail limbs. 

"We can barely move, let alone travel far."

"Freedom... it sounds too good to be true," a middle-aged goblin said, shaking his head slowly. 

"We’ve only known suffering. How can we believe in something we’ve never seen?"

"What if we’re not meant to be free?" another goblin wondered aloud, his voice heavy with resignation.

 "Maybe this is our fate, and trying to escape will only bring more pain."

"How will we find each other if we get separated? We’ve always been together in misery. What if we lose each other in freedom?" a young goblin asked, tears welling in his eyes. 

"I’m scared. Scared of what’s out there, scared of the unknown." a tiny goblin confessed.

The murmuring and whispers gradually began to change in tone as the goblins started to process Hermit's words. The disbelief and confusion slowly gave way to a cautious, burgeoning hope. Their eyes, once filled with fear and skepticism, began to sparkle with the possibility of a new future.

One goblin with a scar running down his cheek was the first to break the confusion.

 "We are free. We can leave this place."

Another goblin, older and hunched with age, straightened up as much as his frail body allowed.

"Free," he repeated, the word tasting strange yet sweet on his tongue.

 "No more beatings. No more suffering."

The realization spread like wildfire through the group.

 "We can go anywhere we want!" a goblin shouted, his voice cracking with excitement.

"We can find the open plains we dreamed of!" another exclaimed, her eyes shining with tears of joy.

The goblins began to cheer, their voices rising in a sound of joy. 

"Freedom! We are free!" they chanted, their cries echoing across the barren landscape that had once been their prison.

Hermit watched with a mixture of relief and pride as the goblins embraced their newfound freedom. Some hugged each other tightly, while others danced and jumped with a joy they hadn't felt in years. Laughter, a sound so foreign and rare in their lives, began to fill the air.

For a few agonizing minutes, their nut-sized brains whirred, trying to comprehend the miracle that had befallen them. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, understanding dawned upon them all at once. A wave of realization swept through the crowd, and the goblins erupted into a frenzy of joyous chaos.

Squeals and screams of elation pierced the air as they surged forward, surrounding Hermit in a wild, happy mob. They jumped and bounced, their meaty ears flapping as they celebrated with abandon. Their grubby hands reached out, lifting Hermit high above their heads, their combined strength turning the frail goblin into a triumphant figurehead.

"He's our hero! Hermit saved us!" they shouted, their voices a cacophony of gratitude and joy. They tossed him into the air, their cheers growing louder with each ascent and descent. Hermit's eyes widened in surprise, then filled with tears of happiness as he realized the depth of their appreciation.

Up and down he went, like a leaf caught in a whirlwind, the goblins' laughter and cheers a symphony of relief and elation. Some of them danced in circles, their clumsy movements full of raw, unfiltered joy. Others hugged each other tightly, their eyes brimming with tears as they finally allowed themselves to believe that their nightmare was over.

The scene was one of pure, unadulterated celebration. Goblins tumbled and rolled on the ground, playfully wrestling and shouting praises to Hermit. Their laughter echoed through the forest, the complete opposite of the silence that had once been filled with their cries of pain and suffering.

Even the hatchlings joined in, their tiny voices adding a sweet, innocent note to the gleeful chorus. They clambered onto the backs of their older kin, their eyes shining with admiration as they watched Hermit soar above them.

In that moment, Hermit wasn't just their leader; he was their savior, their beacon of hope. And as he looked down at their upturned faces, full of trust and adoration, he knew that he would do anything to protect them and ensure their freedom.

As the goblins continued to celebrate, Suzuka and her team watched from a distance, their hearts warmed by the sight. But there was no time to celebrate. Suzuka instructed Hermit to spread the word among his fellow goblins. 

"Tell them to grab their belongings and get back to our town. We need to move, now. If we quick enough we will be back before the dark."

Hermit, still riding the high of his fellow goblins rescue, nodded fervently. He scampered off, shouting instructions to the other goblins.

 "Friends! Pack up! Grab everything you can! We're going to a new home!"

The rest of Suzuka's team sprang into action, helping the goblins gather their meager possessions. It was a chaotic flurry of activity as the goblins, still dazed by their sudden freedom, scrambled to collect their belongings. Some gathered twigs and sticks, fashioning makeshift bundles, while others fashioned baskets to carry the precious eggs from the hatchery.

With the hatchery emptied of its eggs and safely placed in secure baskets, everyone was ready to move out. The goblins, laden with their pitiful belongings, formed a ragtag crowd. Despite the urgency, there was an undercurrent of excitement; they were finally leaving behind the nightmare of the breeding farm.

But before they left, Suzuka had one more task. She ventured into the chambers of the master goblins, a place filled with the remnants of their greed and cruelty. Rummaging through the piles of junk, she collected all that was of some value. Small treasures, crystals, and other items of worth were quickly stored in her item storage.

With her small hoard of treasures secured, Suzuka rejoined the group. 

"Alright, let's move out!" she commanded, her voice carrying over the crowd.

The journey back to Suzuka's town was filled with a mix of urgency and relief. The goblins, though weary, moved with a newfound sense of purpose. Suzuka and her team kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, ensuring the safety of their precious cargo.

Finally, they reached her lands. Suzuka watched as the goblins entered, their eyes wide with awe. She knew there was still much work to be done, but for now, she allowed herself a moment of satisfaction. They had rescued another group of goblins, and each successful mission brought them one step closer to their goal.

As the goblins settled into their new environment, Hermit approached Suzuka.

 "Master Helen, thank you. From all of us, thank you."

Suzuka smiled, placing a hand on Hermit's shoulder, her touch gentle but firm.

"We're just getting started, Hermit. There's still more to do, more goblins to save. But for now, let's get everyone settled. Rest for the night because early in the morning we are going to raid the last of Timbo's mentioned farms."

Hermit let out a premature squeal of excitement and joy, "Yeeeeep! More fellow goblins! It's like a dream! Thank you, Master Helen, thank you!"

With that, he launched into a sprint so fierce that he tripped over his own clumsy feet and smashed his face into the ground. But he didn’t care about his painful fall. He scampered to his fellow goblins, tears of happiness streaming down his face. With joyous squeals and open arms, he hugged and peppered his fellow goblins with warm embraces and kisses. The goblins, now seeing Hermit as their savior and leader, responded in kind, their tiny hearts overflowing with gratitude and relief.

The celebration among the goblins was heartwarming and chaotic. They danced in a circle, some holding hands, others clumsily trying to mimic the dance steps. Their laughter filled the air, a symphony of pure, unadulterated joy. Some goblins playfully tussled, while others simply sat and marveled at the stars, free to dream for the first time in their lives.

Timbo, meanwhile, was carried to Silvia's tent. His body, a tapestry of bruises and broken bones, was gently laid down on a soft bed of leaves. His broken limbs were straightened, and his bones were realigned with meticulous care. The herbal paste was smeared over his swollen, brutally beaten body, the soothing concoction beginning its healing work immediately. He drank several healing potions, the magic within them working to speed up his recovery.