Murkfang sat with Gribnox, eyeing the discoloration of his ear but saying nothing. He was partly to blame for it, even though Gribnox had thrown him under the bus as well. Murkfang was the one who promoted 402, so it was his responsibility to report to the higher-ups—but that begged the question of how Drekk got word of it.
Not only was Drekk's visit out of place, but it aligned far too perfectly with this goblin suddenly showing abnormal signs of intelligence. Someone had to have tipped Drekk off—someone other than Gribnox.
That meant there was a mole, someone going behind their backs to feed information Drekk shouldn't have known. But it couldn't have been Gribnox; if it were, he wouldn't have lost his ear. No—there was something else going on, something that hinted at a far bigger problem.
Murkfang didn't care too much about the mole. It was normal for goblins to put themselves first. He had made a mistake, wasn't given the chance to fix it, and was simply glad he wasn't the one who paid for it this time. That meant the blame wasn't entirely on Gribnox.
Drekk was cruel, yes, but undeniably fair. His methods were harsh, but his disrespect toward the two of them wasn't without reason.
Murkfang's thoughts drifted back to Byung. That strange medicine the goblin had given him really did ease his cough. It was a huge boost for their race—and something he had to keep under wraps. 402 had already drawn enough attention as it was.
"Hey, it looks nasty," Murkfang muttered when he noticed the pus oozing from Gribnox's ear. Gribnox only rolled his eyes at the comment.
He accepted his fate. There were times when Murkfang himself had been punished for mistakes, so this was nothing more than karma. He didn't expect an apology, nor did he intend to give one.
"I really could use a lay…" Gribnox muttered under his breath, prompting Murkfang to shake his head in disbelief.
He was practically at death's door, yet this was what he had on his mind? Still, it showed that he hadn't changed. Losing an ear wasn't the end of the world—but the infection was. Murkfang knew they'd need 402's help, though it had to be done in secret. If anyone else found out, it could disrupt the fragile balance he'd worked so hard to maintain.
-
Byung was introduced to his station, quickly realizing what his work would entail once daybreak came. Things were only going to get harder, but at least he had private quarters now—that was a plus.
It gave him not only privacy but also comfort. This place was beginning to feel less like a prison, and Byung was already planning to decorate it however he pleased.
The bed was little more than straw, something that didn't even qualify as a bed in his old world. But here, it was definitely an upgrade.
He knew he had the rest of the day to himself, but before he could do much, a knock rattled the fragile door that barely stood upright.
Byung had been about to sleep, but there was no reason to ignore it. He had to stay alert.
The door creaked open before he even reached it.
"S-Sir?" Byung stuttered, stunned to find Murkfang standing there. If memory served, he had no pending business with him.
"Come with me," Murkfang ordered before walking away. Naturally, Byung followed without complaint.
He kept his mouth shut the whole way. There had to be a reason Murkfang had chosen this hour to come.
Ten minutes later, Byung stood before a very disgruntled Gribnox. The goblin clearly hated seeing 402, but he held his tongue.
Murkfang must have convinced him. If Gribnox was willing to accept help, then this could be an opportunity—one Byung intended to seize.
He inspected the ear closely, then stepped back, one hand on his chin in deep thought.
The seriousness of his face made Gribnox nervous.
"Well? Can you fix him?" Murkfang asked.
Byung nodded but raised a finger. "For price."
They were desperate. This medicine was something new, and they had no way of knowing its true value.
"He's trying to hustle us!" Gribnox snapped, glaring at Murkfang as if to say, I told you so.
"How much?" Murkfang asked, ignoring him.
Byung didn't need to push too far. Knowledge was valuable enough on its own.
"Five… silver," Byung said.
Even Gribnox blinked at that. If this goblin really could cure him, he could have asked for much more. A gold coin at the very least. Why so little?
"Five silver?" Gribnox repeated skeptically.
Byung nodded with a cheeky smile.
"I want help you, but I need money," Byung wasn't going to go overboard and decided to practically hand it to them for free. At this price, it was nothing for them.
It worked. Slowly but surely, he was winning favor with two of the most important goblins in the tribe. His knowledge from the old world was becoming increasingly valuable in their eyes.
Murkfang smiled, then handed over a gold coin. He wasn't about to underestimate this knowledge.
But if Murkfang had so many gold coins, why was Gribnox always broke?
It only highlighted how reckless Gribnox was when it came to money. Murkfang was clearly the more reliable of the two—or at least, on paper.
"Honey. You use honey battle infection," Byung explained, but both goblins only looked dumbfounded by this.
[Ding!]
[Receive 1 gold coin. 5x Critical Hit!]
[5 gold coins received!]
[Receive at least 1 gold coin from a creature of the same race!]