Chapter 118 - 117: Curiosity in the Glade
Goblin Village - Two days after the arrival of the Elves
The days passed uneventfully, at least on the surface.
The elves now occupied a secluded section of the village, cordoned off by wooden stakes and a clearly drawn boundary. No one was allowed to enter, and no one tried. Whatever they were doing inside remained a mystery, and the rest of the village wisely chose not to pry.
Only Jen and Celine were allowed beyond that invisible threshold. They had been the ones who accompanied Sylra during her months she stayed here, and now continued to visit the secluded glade where the elves had made their temporary camp.
Lumberling often asked them what the elves were doing, but answers were vague. "Just... tending to their own things," Jen would say. Celine would simply shrug. Whether they were hiding something or truly didn’t know, he couldn’t tell.
He stood outside his cabin one afternoon, watching a pair of kobolds haul stones toward the forge. ’They’re powerful,’ he thought, gaze drifting toward the elf territory. ’Too powerful. If they wanted to, they could level this village in a day.’
𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
The thought unsettled him, but there was nothing he could do. He had taken them in. More accurately, they had chosen to stay.
He could only hope Sylra’s presence meant they didn’t intend harm.
To reduce the tension and fear around, he ordered the villagers to continue as usual. Farming, training, building, the rhythm of daily life continued without pause.
.....
Goblin Training Grounds - Morning
The soft hum of morning meditation filled the air, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the distant hammering from the forge. Lumberling sat cross-legged on a mat, eyes closed, breath calm and even.