Robin followed without a word, his footsteps unnervingly light for someone carrying a sword nearly as tall as a goblin. Alex shot him a glance over his shoulder. He hated how calm the guy looked, as if they were out for a morning stroll and not on their way to untangle what could easily spark a bloody mess.
"Something wrong?" Robin tilted his head with a relaxed smile. "Do I have something on my face?"
Alex clicked his tongue. He couldn't stand that smug tone. "You said you'd do anything to help, right?"
Robin shrugged. "Not anything. But if it's reasonable, I might consider it."
Alex sighed. "Then apologize to the goblins."
"Pardon?"
"You scared them. If you want to tag along, they need to see that this is under control. That you're not a threat. Just... bow and say sorry. That's all."
Robin blinked, then grinned. "That's it? Apologies are easy. Pretty words and a polite angle."
Alex scowled. "Do you even feel sorry?"
"No. But I do understand optics."
They entered the goblin village slowly. Alex led the way, raising a hand to wave off the wary stares from curious goblins poking their heads out of their huts. He spoke in halting Goblin, the words clumsy but understandable: "Ekk chagga. Gruchuma zamu gruchuma. Ekk veku."
No problem. Human talk to Human. Don't fear.
Robin bowed low—ninety degrees, arms at his sides—before each hut. The act was so deliberate it bordered on theatrical, but Alex had to admit: it was working. The goblins looked confused, but not angry. Tension faded with every bow.
Through their walk along the village, Robin's eyes were fixed on Alex. As if he was an open book Robin was very interested in reading thoroughly.
At the healer's tent, Brutu stood like a wall of muscle and suspicion. The kids clung to him, their eyes flicking between Alex and Robin. When Brutu's gaze landed on the unfamiliar human, his hand shot to his tiki.
"Brutu," Alex raised both hands and knelt down. "Listen. Not enemy. Gruchuma zamu gruchuma. I'll talk to him."
Brutu didn't look convinced.
Alex tugged at his jacket, then glanced the goblin kids. It didn't take much for Brutu to understand, the humans were here because of wherever the kids got the clothes from.
"Cloth... Gresha. Drata? Did you steal?" he asked the kids in broken Goblin.
The little ringleader nodded. "Gruchuma gresha nubu. Meme Brutu gresha drat. Meme naka gresha gruchuma."
Realization punched Alex in the gut. Human no clothes. We steal cloth from new Brutu. We give cloth to human.
So it had been Toka and Nigu. Of course it was. He clenched his jaw, remembering how those two had humiliated him on day one. And now their recklessness had nearly triggered a massacre.
Robin remained bowed. Still. Silent. Watching.
Alex turned to Brutu, speaking slowly. "Banu brekka gruchuma. Gruchuma zamu gruchuma. Brekka." He explains the situation as simply as possible.
Brutu's face twisted, half outrage, half shame.
"Not all Banu," Alex added. "Deki banu. Only two."
He stood. His voice was quiet. "I'll fix it."
He walked out of the tent, rubbing his temple. Robin followed behind him.
"Robin," Alex asked, voice low. "Were any of the merchants killed?"
Robin blinked. "Not really, no. They were pretty beat up though. Also lost their cargo, so they were very angry."
Alex exhaled, relief flooding his chest. "Then this can still be salvaged."
As they walked, Alex fell silent. His thoughts churned. He berated himself—he'd accepted the clothes without question, happy just to be dressed again. Out of sight, out of mind. It wasn't his business back then. But now that things had gone south, now he cared? Now he wanted to fix it? Hypocrite.
"You're a good guy, huh?" Robin said suddenly.
Alex blinked, caught off guard. "...What brought that on?"
Robin just shrugged, smiling. "I simply felt like saying it. And I have my ways of knowing."
Alex didn't answer.
Robin continued, tilting his head. "Why not just say what you're hiding?"
"Say what exactly?"
Robin took a slow breath, looking down in thought. "Back when we ran into the goblins, I noticed they were wearing ragged human clothes. At the time, I assumed the worst. But now, hearing your story... those were your old clothes, right? So seeing you wearing that jacket... mind checking the inside of the collar?"
Alex frowned and looked. A small embroidered flower rested just beneath the seam.
"That's Fleur's mark. He puts it on everything he sells. Meaning—that jacket is from the stolen cargo."
Alex's breath hitched. "...What are you going to do?"
He thought back—Robin and his group hadn't acted malicious. It's very possible that they didn't even attack first, knowing Toka and Nigu. Alex had assumed they were here to wipe out the goblins, but... was that even true? Had he just jumped to conclusions?
Robin's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You alright? You don't have to look so intimidated. I'm not going to cut you down or anything. I'm the—"
"Robin!" Lyra's voice cut through the air like a blade. "Why are you just standing around?"
She and Luke approached, both looking less than pleased.
"Well? Did you learn anything?" Lyra folded her arms, irritation clear in her tone.
Luke stepped forward beside her. "I'm not too keen on sitting around all day while you two whisper like gossiping nobles."
Alex sighed, pushing down the growing pressure in his chest. He didn't want this to blow up any further. "Yeah. I did learn something. Come with me."
He led the trio across the village with brisk steps, ignoring the nervous glances from the goblins. When they reached Nigu's hut, Alex stopped in front of the flap. He hesitated for just a second—then ducked inside, first instinctively searching for his phone... but it's nowhere in sight. What would he do if he found it? He himself isn't sure. He looks back, motioning for the others to follow.
It was cramped and dark, but the sight inside made everyone freeze.
Wooden crates filled the space. Some half-split open. Others bearing distinct branding marks. Clothes, food, even small metal ingots spilled onto the floor in careless heaps.
Fleur's flower emblem was etched plainly into one of the crate lids.
"...Damn," Lyra muttered.
"This was where they stashed it," Alex said. "Toka and Nigu... they're the ones who attacked those merchants. The same ones that beat me down when I first got here. They think beating someone means you get to take their stuff."
"That's what goblins do, isn't it?" Luke asked, though his voice lacked its usual bite.
Alex shook his head. "No. The elder's been trying to change that. They're not supposed to attack unless provoked. Most of them follow that. But those two… they're cocky. Proud. They thought they could act on their own. And now the whole village could pay for it."
Robin knelt down beside a crate, lifting a bundle of clothes. "Still in decent condition. Fleur's not going to be happy these went missing."
Alex looked away, guilt tightening his throat. "I didn't know... No, I just didn't want to acknowledge it. I should've asked where the clothes came from. I was just grateful. But that doesn't change what happened."
"If you'd told me yesterday that we'd find a human protecting a whole goblin tribe, I'd think you're insane," Luke muttered, shaking his head. "So? You think of them as friends, huh?"
"...Yeah," Alex said quietly. "They're not just monsters in the woods. They're people. And if this gets out of hand, they'll all be treated like criminals because of the actions of two."
Robin crouched beside a crate, picking up a green, lumpy object with a skeptical look. "These are all expensive stuff... but what're these? I've never seen vegetables like these... are they rotten?" he says casually, lightening the mood of the room a little with curiosity.
Lyra gasped softly, her breath hitching as she stepped closer. Luke tilted his head, clearly just as puzzled.
"Hm? Those are gobbas," Alex said, moving to Robin's side and crouching. He picked one up and turned it in his hand. "They're fruit. If it's lumpy, that means it's good. Looks like those two were hoarding all the good gobba for themselves." Alex humors Robin, anything better than continuing the previous conversation. Maybe they'll forget about everything, take the cargo and leave? Wouldn't that be nice.
"Hah, they look funny. Are they really that good?" Robin asked with a chuckle, poking the lumps.
Lyra took a hesitant step forward, eyes locked on the gobba. "W-wait, are you serious? Are these... real gobbas?"
Robin and Luke exchanged puzzled looks, but Alex just handed her one. "Yeah. What do you mean, 'real'? There's a ton of them around. I have a hard time finding them, but the kids? They're masters at gobba hunting."
She snatches the gobba from his hand, carefully examining it. "Gobba hunting... so goblins do farm gobba? But I specifically looked around before we first arrived and didn't find anything!"
Alex takes a hand to his chin. "Hmm... I don't think they really farm it. For some reason, they have an uncanny ability to find gobba among the trees. The fruit is really scarce and spread out, so you'd have to be pretty lucky to find one. If you weren't a goblin, that is."
"WHAT?!" she suddenly yells, body jerking toward him. She grabs his shoulders with one hand while still clutching the gobba with the other, nearly shoving the fruit against his chest. "Y-You're a scholar, right?! Why are you just talking about this as if you were describing some random old man finding an apple in his backyard?!"
Alex stammered, taken aback. "S-Scholar? What—"
"Ah—" Robin interjected with a weak smile.
"Ah—" Alex winced, remembering the lie he'd told when they first met. Right. He'd said he was a scholar. Just a harmless scholar hoping to study goblins for reasons. He wasn't even sure why he thought that would work. In hindsight, it had been a desperate excuse.
The gobba slipped from Lyra's fingers and hit the floor.
Luke, who had been quietly watching while sitting on a crate, stood.
They both stepped forward.
Alex flinched, but before he could move, both Lyra and Luke socked Robin on the top of the head.
"ACK—!"
"SERIOUSLY?! AGAIN?!" Lyra growled, hands on her hips as Robin clutched his skull in pain.
"You could've told us!" Luke snapped.
"Why do we even bother asking you if you're just going to let it slide every time?!"
Robin winced. "I was curious, okay? His story was just too good."
Alex blinked, looking between them. "Wait, what just happened? Why are you yelling at him and not me?"
Lyra glared at Robin. "Because this idiot pulls this crap constantly!" she snapped, then turned to Alex, her expression softening slightly. "And you... You're still not off the hook."
He regrets speaking, taking a step back.
Lyra squinted at him, her expression a mix of frustration and disbelief. "Wait a second. Are you actually serious about the goblins being able to find gobba easily?"
Alex blinked. "Yeah...? I mean, I guess? There's not many monsters around here, so there's usually no meat to eat. Me and the goblins eat gobba all the time. Honestly, I'm starting to get tired of it."
She stared at him, stunned. "You're telling me... you've been living off gobba? As in, just gobba?"
"I mean, not just gobba. There's sometimes roasted roots or chewy moss biscuits too. But gobba's the main thing, yeah."
Lyra slowly brought a hand to her forehead. "I'm going insane," she muttered.
Alex tilted his head. "Why? What's the big deal?"
She took a deep breath and held up the lumpy gobba she'd dropped. "You don't understand. The reason there aren't any monsters around here isn't just luck. The leaves of the gobba tree produce a scent that monsters hate. They avoid the area entirely. But that's not even the important part."
She jabbed a finger at the gobba. "These things are packed with environmental mana. The lumpier, the more mana it holds."
Alex blinked. "Huh. Makes sense why the goblins said the lumpy ones were better."
Lyra ignored him and pressed on. "Goblins have almost no potential for magic, so it doesn't affect them much. But if another race with actual magical capacity were to eat fresh gobbas—and you've been eating them for days—"
She stopped herself, visibly distressed. "I don't even want to think about what you'd be capable of with actual magic training."
Alex looked down at the fruit in his hand, suddenly a lot less hungry. Is it possible? Is his luck finally improving? Will he finally get to live his isekai fantasy to the fullest?
"Isn't that just a rumor, though?" Robin grumbled while rubbing his head, a tear forming in the corner of his eye from the sting of the punches.
Luke shrugged and grabbed a gobba from the pile. "Yeah, I've heard that too. Never heard of anyone who got stronger because of it." He casually bit into it, chewing thoughtfully. "Tastes alright. I don't feel any different."
"You two are hopeless," Lyra snapped, rounding on both of them. "Of course you wouldn't feel anything. You're both too blockheaded to even sense your own mana."
Robin smirked. "Well, if you're so certain, why don't you try one?"
That wiped the smirk off her face. She stared at the fruit in her hand like it had suddenly grown fangs.
"I—I don't… We don't even know the proper dosage," she mumbled. "What if it destabilizes my mana flow? What if the mana in my body rejects it and causes a resonance collapse?"
She starts talking in weird terms Alex had never even heard before.
Robin leaned on a crate, chin in hand. "Wow. So many words to say you're scared."
Her eye twitched. "I'm being cautious, you idiot."
"Oh no, by all means. Caution is the better part of valor," he said innocently. "Or was it cowardice?"
Alex watched them, wide-eyed, gobba still in hand, not entirely sure if he was witnessing the build-up to a duel or a kitchen argument.
Lyra's nostrils flared. "You want caution? I'll show you caution." She raised the gobba and bit into it with full spite-powered fury, chewing slowly as everyone held their breath.
A long pause followed. Even the wind outside seemed to die down in anticipation.
Then she swallowed.
Nothing happened.
Everyone stared.
"…Well?" Robin asked.
Lyra blinked. "…It's kind of tart."
Another pause.
"That's it?" Luke asked, unimpressed.
Lyra stared at her hands, her arms, then patted her sides, chest, and finally her temples. "I don't feel any different…"
Robin chuckled. "Guess your mana didn't explode after all."
Lyra scowled. "Don't push your luck. Even if it didn't provide the expected effect, its properties are still great."
"...So none of you had tasted a gobba before?" Alex spoke out, eyes fixed on the gobba in his hand. It glistened under the dim light leaking through the tent flap—a light in the darkness, steady and sure. His mind raced.
They all shook their heads.
Robin was the first to speak. "Nah. Like I said, I always thought it was just a rumor."
"The reason the rumor's so strong," Lyra muttered, "is exactly because gobbas are that rare. Most people go their whole lives never seeing one. Even without the mythical mana boost, gobbas are insanely beneficial. Alchemists would go into debt just to get their hands on one."
Alex didn't say anything.
He didn't need to.
The realization hit like a freight train. Gobbas were rare. Valuable. Difficult to find unless you were a goblin. And the goblins trusted him. They gave him gobbas. They practically lived in a forest full of them.
And so, the die had been cast.
As if his four years of business school had suddenly risen from the grave to slap him across the face.
This was it.
By the time the sun began to dip below the treetops, the crates were packed neatly onto the back of the carriage.
Lyra's arms were wrapped around a large basket of gobbas, her face buried in them with a blissful grin. "So soft… so round… I could cry…" she whispered, rubbing her cheek on the bumpy fruit.
Luke trudged up to the cart with two more baskets, both filled to the brim. "...What are we supposed to do with all this fruit?," he muttered, loading them beside the crates.
Robin finished tying down the cargo, then turned to Alex, who stood at the edge of the village watching them. "You sure? We could give you a ride to the capital if you want."
Alex shook his head. "Yeah, I'm good. Still got things to do here."
Robin grinned. "Shame. Was about to invite you to join our party. I'm sure we can find some job for you washing our clothes—since you can't even beat a goblin."
"Ass," Alex muttered with a small smile. Robin really knew how to be an annoying guy.
Robin hopped onto the cart. "Well, if you ever come to the capital, drop by the Adventurers' Guild. Tell them you know me and they'll treat you well."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "What, now you're acting like you're some celebrity? Just don't forget to give that Fleur guy the apology gobbas. That's all I need. Don't want to have another group of annoying humans to deal with."
Robin laughs "Roger. Will do."
"Oh, and I'm keeping the outfit. I refuse to go back to my nudist lifestyle." Alex crosses his arms, smirking.
Luke took the reins and gave a small flick. The horses began to move. As the cart rolled out, all three turned back to glance at Alex one last time.
He raised a hand in a casual wave.
As they disappeared into the forest path, the goblins began to emerge one by one from their huts. Brutu was the first, appearing behind Alex without a sound and slamming a heavy hand against his back.
"Yippa!" Brutu bellowed with a wide grin.
Other goblins followed suit, crowding around Alex, clapping his shoulders, cheering, some even offering him more gobbas as thanks. The air was light, joyful. A crisis had been averted with just a few words and a few fruit baskets.
But Alex's gaze drifted to the training circle in the distance.
No matter how festive it felt now, he knew the work wasn't over.
The duel still stood.
Training still waited.
But for the first time since arriving in this world, he could see a future on the horizon.
[Side Quest: Befriend the Goblin Tribe] - Complete!
Acquired:
Skill - [Goblin Language IV]
Skill - [Goblin Martial Arts I]
...
"Ah, I forgot to level up [Goblin Martial Arts I] beforehand."