Overlord: Start from the Goblin Lair.

Chapter 32 A Request for Help from Fromm
When Ron followed Kalade into the construction site, he saw that the entire trading post had taken shape.

Outside was a circle of wooden walls as fortifications, with sharpened wooden stakes inserted into the tops of the walls. At the same time, these walls also surrounded the outline of the entire trading post, leaving a large open space in the middle.

Opposite the courtyard gate and with its back against the mountain, the goblins built a single-story, flat-roofed building with wood and stone, which served as a hall and temporary lounge. They even opened up part of the mountain to expand the indoor space.

"We were originally planning to build a two-story building here," Karad scratched his face awkwardly, "but you know, the only people who know the most about architecture here are the goblins. We kept building it over and over again, so we had to give up this plan temporarily."

"However, three floors have been dug out from the inside of the mountain. In addition to the two floors above ground, there is also a floor underground, which is now used as a storage room."

Kalade pointed to a row of thatched huts on the left and said, "According to what the priestess said, a stable was built here - but we don't have horses now, so it might be more appropriate to call it a wolf stable."

"Priestess?" Ron reacted for a moment before realizing that the other person was referring to Victoria. "Did you build all of this based on her advice?"

"Yes," Karad nodded, "She is very popular among the goblins now. She saved a hunter when attacking the lizardman's nest that day. This incident spread quickly. She now has a high reputation among the goblins."

The hobgoblin said a little embarrassedly: "Regarding her, I have a suggestion - can I let her join my army? I am in need of a marching priest now, you know."

Your army lacks everything except goblins, Ron complained silently.

"You have to tell her about this, if she is willing..."

Ron knew without even having to see Kalade shaking his head and sighing that it was impossible for someone like Victoria to abandon her duties and turn to others, let alone stay with a group of goblins.

"Let's not talk about this for now. Come this way. This is what I said."

Kalard led Ron past the stable. On the hill behind, Ron noticed that there was another small hole about one person tall, covered with a door curtain made of tanned lizardman skin.

"They thought you were a priest, so they insisted on building a separate room for you. But if you ask me, a wizard should have his own workshop."

"Thank you for your kindness," Ron smiled, and pushed aside the curtain to go in. There was almost nothing displayed inside, but it was filled with various medicinal herbs, some of which had been dried, while others were still fresh, with even soil on their roots.

The most abundant items here are the cave algae and gray shadow leaves that Ron once used to stabilize his injuries.

"Remember the competition you told them about?" Karad saw Ron's confusion and couldn't help laughing. "Now, it has become a daily routine for those goblins to see who can chew more and who can tolerate the bitterness more. Therefore, they pick more of these two herbs."

"The current champion is still Driver. Including the previous two times, his record has been broken to a total of seven times!"

Kalade had no objection to this; on the contrary, he was very happy to see his "soldiers" in competition with each other.

Whether it is benign or malignant does not matter to him, but competition that does not cause casualties but can heal the wounded is certainly better.

"As long as you are happy..." Ron didn't know what to say. These goblins actually took what he said seriously!

Especially this guy Driver... Well, he was probably driven by his competitive spirit. "Any other news recently? For example, the whereabouts of Mindatis?"

"The hunters haven't found him yet," Karad thought for a moment, "The elf is very cunning. After we left the lizardman's lair that day, the hunters searched for traces nearby and followed him. Unexpectedly, it was a trap. The three hunters were almost buried alive in the mud."

"As for the other news..."

Just as Karad was about to think about it again, a goblin rushed in hurriedly, shouting and yelling at Karad.

This goblin was a child who was not yet an adult and could not speak the common language. He was just reporting the situation to Kalade in Goblin language, and the latter's expression became strange.

"What happened?"

"Towards Fromm Town." Karad looked at Ron in confusion. "Xiao Liu said that a woman who was about the same height as us ran over there, but she was too weak and fainted on the side of the road."

"If we foragers hadn't found her in time, she would have almost become a snack for a wild boar."

"Are they about the same height?" Ron's heart skipped a beat. Could it be one of the two halflings he knew?
But why did they come here instead of staying in the town? The trading post hadn't been built yet. Didn't Lavinia say that she would come back after she got some news?
"Take me to see it!" Ron's words were relayed to the little goblin by Kalade, who immediately trotted out, and Ron quickly followed the other's pace.

In the tent outside the construction site, Ron saw the halfling priest who had just woken up. She looked pale and was drinking the water handed to her by Victoria in small sips.

"Bunny?"

Ron looked at her in disbelief, "Why are you here? Where's Lavinia?"

Even if it really could be one of the two halflings, Ron felt that it would most likely be Lavinia, but he didn't expect it to be her.

It would have been fine if Ron didn't mention Lavinia, but this time, the tears in Bonnie's eyes burst like a dam and could no longer be stopped.

"Lavinia, Lavinia went out of town to collect herbs, and then she was captured!"

"What?!" Ron was shocked. "Can you tell me in detail? Who captured her? Why did they capture her?"

"Since you left," Boone cried, "the city was in a battle and the guards couldn't be replenished for a while. I don't know where those desperadoes in the west heard the news from. They have been gathering outside the town these days and even organized two tentative attacks, but they were all stopped by the guards."

"But Lavinia had to go out of town to collect herbs to make a living. I advised her not to go out but she didn't listen. Now, she was arrested as soon as she left the town."

"I tried to find Mayor Victor, but the answer I got was that the garrison was too weak to send out troops. I was just a priest, so I had no choice but to think of you... Please, save Lavinia!"

(End of this chapter)