The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 205: The Chattering Goblin

Vol 2 Chapter 205: The Chattering Goblin

Outside Valley City, the harbor by the riverbank was bathed in the summer wind, bringing a touch of dampness and heat.

A merchant ship made of white teak slowly docked, its gunwale sinking under the weight of cargo, waves lapping against its edges, the air carrying a faint fishy smell.

Thick wooden planks were lowered from the ship's side, and then workers stepped onto them to unload the cargo, leaving piled footprints on the boards.

When the unloading was nearly done, a young man wearing a coarse cloth vest, with a greatsword on his back, leaped from the ship and stood on the dock.

He had thick, dark eyebrows, skin with a bronzed hue, and a charred scar on his shoulder that looked like a burn mark. Not long after he disembarked, a short goblin cautiously followed him down the ship.

He was about 1.2 meters tall, with large ears, dark, wrinkled skin, and he warily surveyed his surroundings before walking over to the young man.

"Mick, is this the hometown you mentioned?"

"This isn't it yet. We need to travel south for a few more days to reach Scorchstone City."

"This place doesn't look very wealthy. I haven't seen a single well-dressed woman on the road." By 'well-dressed,' he probably meant clothes made of velvet, silk, or other high-end fabrics."Regas was never a very prosperous country to begin with. Don't get any funny ideas either. If you get caught, I won't be able to bail you out." Mick shook his head.

"Tsk, I wouldn't mess up in a small place like this." As he spoke, a flash of cunning passed through his eyes.

"Let's go. First, we'll do as you said and visit your hometown. After that, you have to come with me to the Ruined Stone Cave. That's where a great treasure is buried."

"Yes, yes, a great treasure."

Mick didn't have much faith in the goblin's talk of treasure, but he also knew this guy valued his life highly. If that place was truly dangerous and didn't offer sufficient reward, he definitely wouldn't risk his neck to go there with him.

The man and the goblin left the dock, walked through the streets, and headed towards an inn in the city.

Goblins, according to legend, were a race created by a powerful Named One in ancient times. Unfortunately, with the fall of that Named One, their race lost the protection of a higher being. Their ugly appearance made them disliked by other races, and they had always existed on the fringes.

Of course, this didn't mean the race had no merits. They were small in stature, possessed Dim Vision, were less prone to illness even in filthy environments, and often gathered in the sewers of large cities or were used as slaves in mines. Occasionally, there were rumors of goblins forming their own villages in the wilderness.

Their small size, ability to see in dim light, and nimble fingers gave them a natural advantage on the Paths of thieves and assassins. Because of this, many people viewed goblins as potential thieves and swindlers, holding a poor impression of them.

They themselves didn't resist this prejudice; they even considered being able to deceive people and steal things as a sign of intelligence, making one an object of worship and envy within their tribe.

Goblins were rarely seen in Regas. The climate here was too cold for their survival, and the beasts of the mountains and wilderness also preferred to prey on these weaker-than-human creatures.

After staying one night, Mick and this goblin continued their journey. They bought two donkeys to carry their luggage, and the goblin rode on one of them.

Along the way, this goblin chattered incessantly, complaining. He said he was a descendant of the noble Goblin King Kairuen, a prince of some underground goblin tribe. It was only because they were subjugated by humans back then that he had no choice but to flee and wander in a foreign land.

If Mick helped him recover the treasure left by Goblin King Kairuen, he would gain endless wealth and great power, return to his homeland, and become the king of the underground world. Mick, in turn, could become the glorious Chief Warrior in his kingdom, bathe daily in a pool filled with gold coins, and have eight young goblin maids serving him every day, and so on.

Mick had always been half-convinced and half-skeptical about these claims. This goblin most likely did come from underground, but he wasn't necessarily a descendant of some Goblin King. And the treasure he knew about—who knew how many versions it had passed through? Perhaps there was nothing left there anymore.

The two had met during a temporary exploration adventure. That expedition had gone terribly wrong, with many teammates dying in ambush traps. The two of them, however, had cooperated in the critical situation and fought their way out.

Compared to the relatively simple and honest Mick, this goblin was much sharper and more cunning. During that crisis, he had directed Mick to avoid many dangers, while Mick's formidable combat strength had allowed their two-man team to survive the peril.

Since then, the two had become permanent teammates, but their temperaments were vastly different, leading to constant bickering. For instance, the other party strongly disapproved of Mick traveling thousands of miles to return to his hometown to keep a promise.

"I'm telling you, you're only in your twenties and already a Second Tier warrior. There's absolutely no need to go back to that poor, remote corner to meet friends. They'll probably live out their whole lives there and won't be able to help you in the future."

"This trip isn't just costing money, it's wasting so much time. With that effort, you could have bought yourself a good set of armor. Look at you, still wearing that ragged vest. No wonder no pretty women try to seduce you." On the road, the goblin started chattering again.

"When I was your age, I'd already slept with who knows how many beautiful goblin women. Those dark, smooth little hands and bodies, hehehe~" He then reminisced about the old days.

"But then again, if you got obsessed with women, you probably wouldn't be able to hold your sword steady. For the sake of our great undertaking, you should endure for now, until we find the treasure left by my ancestor."

"In the future, if anyone comes to subjugate the underground world, you'll be the gatekeeper general, smashing them to pieces. The men can all be slaves, and the women you can keep for yourself. Ah, those days, just imagining how good they'd be is unbearable~"

"Let me tell you, there's a kind of green mushroom underground. Grind it into powder, bake it with flour, and the taste is truly amazing, better than top-grade beef. I used to eat eight of them every day."

"But you can't eat too many either. Good things should always be saved, just like that little girl goblin I liked. I usually only played with her before bed."

"Sigh, shouldn't think too much about the good days, otherwise the present feels too difficult."

"Hey, why is this donkey walking so slowly? Did it not eat any grass?"

"I saw a deer run through that forest. Can you catch it? That's our dinner."

"Deer meat is a bit tough. We still need to find some water. Would it be better if we boiled it?"

"It would be nice if we could have a dancing girl perform tonight. I used to love spending nights in the taverns of Monbar City. There were always pretty dancing girls swaying their bodies. Let me tell you, those dancers are also very snobbish. If there weren't any distinguished guests that night, they'd just sway a bit and leave. But if a few rich people, generous lords showed up, who knows how many layers of clothes they'd be willing to take off."

"Sigh, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. You're still a virgin, right? That big-eyed girl from our last team was clearly interested in you. You, fool, missed who knows how many opportunities."

"Don't blame me for not reminding you back then. Who told them to exclude me? If you really got together with that girl, wouldn't I have become an outsider?"

"These mountains and wilderness are really boring. Just thinking about following you back to your hometown and then having to repeat this journey, I feel uncomfortable all over, like losing a whole gold coin in a tavern."

The entire way, the goblin's mouth never stopped, as if not talking was torture for him.

Fortunately, Mick was long used to it. Apart from occasionally grunting in response, he spent the rest of the time acting as if he didn't hear, letting the other party converse with the air.

At night, they camped in the mountains. At the break of dawn, they continued their journey. After two days like this, Mick finally arrived beneath Scorchstone City and laid eyes on this old haunt he hadn't seen in years.