Chapter 270 - 243: A Judgment

Chapter 270: Chapter 243: A Judgment

"This is the residential area," Shire said, pointing to the stone houses ahead and the goblins coming and going as he explained to Uncle Musa beside him.

Musa had already removed the transformative Magic Necklace, revealing his true appearance. The item piqued Shire’s curiosity; if his sister Vivian hadn’t been the one to give it to him, he would have been tempted to ask Uncle Musa for it directly.

"In such a short time, you’ve built up such an impressive operation, Young Master," Musa observed with great interest.

Back in the reception room, after their "family reunion," both were overcome with emotion at the changes in each other. However, Shire’s optimistic attitude gradually infected Musa. After Mary brought them hot tea, they sat down again and began to recount their experiences from the time they were apart.

"It’s not that impressive," Shire said, shaking his head with a smile. "After all, I have to survive. The forest is full of dangers, and now that I’m a goblin, anyone could kill me."

"But that might not be the case anymore." He gestured around them. Goblins were poking their heads out of some of the stone houses, watching them curiously. The sun had long set, and it was time for them to sleep, yet their chief had brought back a stranger.

"I heard that old guy Valentine escorted the corpses of two giant creatures to Plantagenet City a while back," Musa asked with a frown.

"Yes, that was my handiwork," Shire said nonchalantly. He then walked ahead to lead the way. "Let’s talk more in my room."

Musa nodded and followed, constantly surveying his surroundings. The sights along the way completely upended his worldview: Skeleton Warriors and Wriggling Claws frantically stirring bubbling cauldrons; the houses of little goblins hanging on the walls, emitting a faint blue glow; Fulus sitting around a square table playing cards; and all the goblins peeking and craning their necks.

The Young Master had told him there were two places he couldn’t be taken: one stone chamber housed several Brain-Eating Monsters, and another, larger one was a "pigpen" for Shape-shifting Monsters.

He even saw a Unicorn lying on a mat of weeds, which amazed him. The Unicorn paid no mind to his approach. Shire, however, just said with a hint of disdain, "Don’t mind Big Golden Fur. He’s a real pain when he’s woken up."

Musa was shocked by the many things happening in this underground Fortress. In his youth, he had led men to clear out Skeleton Warriors and goblins a few times. Those creatures had been cunning, vicious, and greedy. But now, it seemed Young Master Shire had completely subjugated them, taming them to a great extent.

Oh, and there was also a village of Centaurs living on the surface above the Fortress.

Musa took it all in and couldn’t help but sigh to himself. ’If only these were all humans, how great would that be.’

"If they were all humans, this opportunity probably wouldn’t have fallen to me," Shire said in a lighthearted tone. "Uncle Musa, it’s precisely because they are goblins and Centaurs that I have a chance to rise."

"Rise?" Musa stopped. He saw Shire standing beside a stone house, making a welcoming gesture.

Soon, the two were sitting at a solid wood desk. Shire smiled and said, "Uncle, it’s a bit spartan in here, so let’s skip the tea. Seeing you again is cause for a real drink, but the Naga Prince made off with all the liquor."

"The Naga Prince?" Musa repeated. ’It seems the Young Master has made quite a few connections in the forest.’

"Yeah," Shire nodded. Bai Mao and the others were probably asleep by now, so if he wanted hot water, he’d have to go to the mess hall and boil it himself. He had considered buying some insulated glass bottles, but those were products of alchemy and a bit pricey. The Goblin Race’s funds needed to be managed carefully for now, so he had to give up on the idea. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. My current situation really only leaves me with two paths."

Looking into Uncle Musa’s eyes, Shire held up two fingers. "To survive, I have to rise. The only other option is death."

Uncle Musa nodded. He now understood why Vivian always said her brother’s trail led to him "wandering the forest." He had originally assumed Shire was hiding in the Nightmare Forest as an Adventurer. Now it seemed he was indeed hiding in the Nightmare Forest, but as the one being hunted *by* adventurers.

He knew the survival conditions of goblins and had heard the term "Ear Cleaner." He immediately understood the two paths Shire mentioned without needing to think. "You’re right, Young Master. It’s advance or perish."

"Of course, I only came to realize this after becoming a goblin," Shire said with a shrug. "At first, I just wanted to survive. Survival itself was a victory. But then, as my Goblin Race grew larger and larger, I realized I might be able to live a little better."

He pointed to the wall behind Musa, where a wooden map was hanging. He’d had One-Eyed carve it. That fellow was no longer content with carving fine lines on small wooden boards; he had started carving little figures, recording some of his experiences. When Shire saw this, he immediately encouraged him to continue his creations. He even tasked One-Eyed with creating a wooden map based on the one for his own Domain. "That’s the area I can control right now. As my power gradually grew, I suddenly felt like I might have a chance to turn the tables."

Uncle Musa turned to look carefully at the map on the wall. It was crude, but the general outlines were visible, and various locations were marked. "Turn the tables? Young Master, are you saying you want to take back Torch City?"

"Yes. It belonged to the Merlot Family in the first place," Shire nodded.

"But this alone isn’t enough to confront the Fran Kingdom," Musa shook his head. "We are all well aware of the Kingdom’s strength."

Shire grunted in agreement. "But for thousands of years, no one has truly understood what exists in this forest. Or rather, people have tried, but they all failed for one reason or another."

Uncle Musa looked at Shire, now a goblin. Shire had already told him that he had woken up to find himself turned into a goblin, lying in the grass at the edge of the forest. He had heard of a type of Dark Magic, a Curse Technique that could turn a person into a goblin. Such a curse was powerful and extremely difficult to deal with.

"But I am a goblin now. As long as I can unify all the powers within this forest, I might not lose to those kingdoms," Shire said with a confident smile.

Musa had seen maps before; he knew how vast the Nightmare Forest was. If someone could truly unify the entire forest, they would indeed have the power to stand as an equal to the great kingdoms.

"Then what is your plan, Young Master?"

"First, I’ll build up my strength and wait for internal strife within Fran," Shire said, his eyes narrowing. "When the time is right, I will settle the score with them."

"Them? The ones who plotted against the Baron, against our family?"

"Yes," Shire nodded.

"You’ve already figured something out, Young Master?" Musa asked.

"A little," Shire said with a smile.