Summoned and Unwanted

“I am suggesting going to the south because I don’t have the map of the Berlucia Kingdom territory to the west of this kingdom’s territory. Additionally, the commotion the ants made in the south forced many to hunt them. Thus I stand to believe humans will go to another place to hunt and make money since the ants ate everything in their sight. Only a few small weak groups trying to make money from missed leftovers should be the worst the tribe might meet.”

“In the name of this god, I bestow the staff of leadership to the father of the goblin I chose. He will be in charge. I hope everyone can find a place without humans or ferocious beasts. Find a safe place to live. ” Vincent handled the small goblin-sized staff back to its rightful owner.

Vincent hoped this decision would lessen the chances of the goblins getting captured. He didn’t want to leave the goblin’s future to fate and hoped for the worst never to arrive.

Vincent estimates that if the goblins are caught and forced to reveal secrets because of the slave curse, his early arrival to the world will become compromised, and the twenty-five years of peace disappear.

Iris’s father knelt and received the staff. Then he got up, helped by his daughter, and said, “We. Were. Going. North. Heard. Of. Big. Caves. From. Other. Tribe. Months. Ago. But. Now. We. Listen. To. God. And. His. Plan.”

As the leader of the goblin tribe, Iris’s father agreed to follow Vincent’s advice and lead the rest to a better place.

“Ohh, and another thing, please never tell anyone of this day. Humans hunt me... Ahem, humans hunt this God as they did to the previous Goddess. Could... Huh?” Vincent was about to continue convincing the goblins to keep their lips sealed, but after he noticed all the goblins kneeling in utter respect with their heads touching the ground, a puzzled frown appeared on his face.

Even Iris’s father kneeled. All goblins apart from Iris then declared, “Promise! Never! Talk! Promise! Never! Talk! Promise! Never! Talk!” many, many times. Too many times to count.

.....

Vincent had to say, “It’s enough,” a few times for the commotion to settle a few minutes later.

‘The goblins might find it difficult to walk after spending a long time kneeling. We have work to do. Clearing the devastating view behind us is next.’ Vincent thought.

The dead goblins were still on the ground a few meters away from them since Iris was thrown quite some distance. However, because of what happened, most goblins momentarily overlooked what was behind them. Meeting Vincent and watching Iris heal in ways considered to be called miracles took all their attention.

Later, Vincent decided to help the goblins bury the dead goblins. He felt wrong for not helping sooner.

Deciding to evaluate the situation and choosing him and his girls over rushing blindly to help made his conscience guilty. More so after the goblins didn’t become hostile.

About an hour later, the dead were buried with all the goblin’s help. The corpse of the grizzly bear was taken inside the cave, and Vincent made a deal.

Vincent considered that the goblin tribe would need food for their journey to find another place to live in. Vincent decided to gift them the bear with the condition of taking its pelt and any harvestable object in their cave.

Iris’s father accepted. Vincent, Ester, and Lupa followed Iris and her father to help with processing the grizzly bear’s pelt and see if the mushrooms requested in the quest were inside the cave.

However, Lupa suddenly stopped, and the goblins following them as respectfully as they knew how became startled. They thought they angered a chosen woman from their god.

Lupa quickly dropped to the ground, and while she was on her knees and hands, she quieted, “Shhhhhh!”

Lupa lowered her head and placed her ear on the ground. She closed her eyes and concentrated all her awareness on her hearing. *Tum, tum, tum, tum* Her ears heard faintly.

The sound of something heavy approaching from afar appeared to be closing in. The ground lightly shook from heavy footsteps, but they weren’t of goblins nor humans.

Lupa waited for a few seconds and confirmed that the sound was approaching their location by the second. The sound gradually increased and the shaking as well.

“Lupa, what’s wrong?” Vincent asked. His heart rate was already rising after remembering Kazumi mention the wild boars around their current location.

“My mate! I hear the ground shake! It must be enemy!” Lupa stood up and warned loudly.

The goblins still greaving their deceased became shocked at the mention of more danger while Vincent muttered, “Oh, shit. Here we go again.”

“Lupa, what did you hear?” Vincent asked.

After Vincent took Iris as his retainer, he couldn’t let the goblins of her tribe die. Not after he learned how this goblin tribe was harmless and only wanted to find a peaceful place to live in.

Vincent was in a complicated situation. One between keeping his word to keep Iris happy or to abandon everything he declared to give her and run away with her.

Vincent raised his hand and placed it on his chest. He could feel his heart change gears and thump in excitement. His adrenaline started pumping for action, and a grin appeared on his face.

“Everyone! Pick rocks and all the sticks you can find! Then help each other climb trees and make spears! If it is the parents of the grizzly bear, then help us kill them! But I hope it’s a herd of wild boars.” Vincent instructed all the goblins to arm themselves with trowable objects.

If it was the grizzly bear’s parents, Vincent hoped the goblins could at least offer a momentary distraction, enough to land a good blow.

However, if it was a herd of wild boars, Vincent hoped the goblins could kill a few without suffering any more losses.

Vincent closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The moment he opened his eyes, he declared, “I promise to protect the tribe.”

.

[Promised Quest: Protect the Pruthi Goblin Tribe from the crisis.]

[Complete the agreed promise by protecting the goblin tribe of [Blessed Retainer] Iris from the assault of the enraged grizzly bear’s parents.]

[Quest conditions to be met.]

*Goblins alive 77/30 (Met)

*Grizzly Bears dead 0/2 (Not Met)

[Rewards]

*Reputation – Goblin Race +5

*Reputation – Pruthi Goblin Tribe +200

*Soul Synch – Iris +5

*Strength stat +3

*Agility stat +3

*Perception stat +3

.

Vincent gazed at the Promised Quest window with mixed feelings. The rewards felt too good to be true.

However, as he was reading the rewards for the third time, he noticed the condition of the quest update.

.

*Goblins alive 77/30 (Met)

.

*Goblins alive 75/30 (Met)

.

*Goblins alive 71/30 (Met)

.

[This doesn’t look like a good sign. Furthermore, the dying goblins making the Promised Quest window pop a new window must mean one thing. The runaway goblins met with the grizzly bear’s parents, and they are most likely leading them here based on Lupa’s report.]

[But let’s think positively. At least we know what is coming here. Sometimes I feel Promised Quest knows the future somehow...]

“Everyone hurry! The grizzly bear’s parents are being led by the goblins who ran away! Climb the trees now!” Vincent ordered.

Vincent rushed to the middle of the open field and started pointing at the trees like a traffic officer maintaining order.

Iris and her father went to help Vincent directing. Iris stood beside Vincent to translate at a moment’s notice while her father was beside her directing the goblins with the staff.

Ester stayed next to Lupa and took out the mudcrab shield and Elsir in preparation for combat. Ester stayed attentive over their surroundings when. *Grrrrr* Lupa started growling.

Lupa’s wolf ears twitched, and the sound she heard urged her to look up. Up in the sky was a gray dot rapidly getting bigger. The closer the gray dot approached, the louder the sound it made. It was descending on them.

“My mate, look up! Is it a fly? Is it a bird? Is it a...” Lupa squinted her eyes and focused on the approaching gray dot. “It’s a rock!” She exclaimed loudly.

Vincent raised his gaze and saw the rock Lupa announced falling on them like a meteorite. The moment the rock entered his sight, his ears were able to pick up the whooshing sound of the falling rock descending at a quick pace.

[Don’t stand there! The rock is closer than you think! You have less than a second left! Push Iris and her father now if you want them to live! The rock is landing in your current spot.]

“Overheat. ” Vincent uttered while pushing Iris and her father away with all his strength. Even if Vincent decided to ignore Iris and her father, the rock had a high chance to land on him.

.

[Overheat activated.]

[Mutation starting to alter the host...]

.

The moment his mutated blood-hardening gauntlets reached half mutation, the rock’s distance was two meters apart from Vincent. Only a few milliseconds more until it lands on Vincent’s head.

[Not on my watch!]

The blurry rock, as large as a pumpkin, slowed its descent. Immediately, darkness started engulfing all around his vision, and the noise becoming quiet.