Forests Don't Support Idle Goblins

Charles looked at the stunned little John in front of him and was overjoyed.

He noticed the man's dejected mood as he walked away, so he deliberately picked up his longsword and called out to him.

As expected, the other party recounted their situation.

The dilemmas of a young man are nothing more than a father in debt, a seriously ill mother, a younger brother in school, and a woman who is about to get married.

Now that the pure-hearted god of war before him has fallen into the trap, Ciel is about to bare his fangs.

Moreover, you have to be careful to reveal it, since the other party is cautious by nature.

So, the next step is to take the initiative.

"My name is Charles, what's your name?" Charles asked, looking up.

"Little John, Little John Franklin." Little John frowned slightly, seemingly wondering why a goblin would have a human name.

"So, esteemed Mr. Franklin, is the amount of funds you need large?" Charles asked, his hands behind his back, patting his back with his longsword.

"I need to……"

"It's not a big deal, Mr. Franklin, it's not a problem," Charles interrupted him.

"You can call me John." It seemed that this was the first time in his life that John had been called Mr. Franklin, and he was still a little unaccustomed to it.

"Little John, you can work for me."

"Huh?" Little John was shocked. He wondered if he had misheard or misunderstood. "Work? Here?"

"No, John, I need you to help me with some deals."

"A deal?" Little John asked, looking at the composed goblin in front of him.

"Yes, just a moment." Charles turned and went into the cave, emerging quickly in less than half a minute.

Two goblins followed behind him carrying a large bundle.

"Sell the items inside, and after you complete my purchase list, the remaining money will be your commission." As he spoke, Charles pulled a hand out from behind his back and held it in front of him, his fingers holding a rolled-up, slightly yellowed piece of paper.

"Purchase list?" John reached out and took the list, quickly skimming over it. It contained only three items: 10 kg of smoked jerky, 10 kg of hulled rice, and 5 kg of fine salt.

"You'll earn about 40 silver coins from this deal," Charles said, hands behind his back, chest puffed out and belly bulging.

Based on his memories of helping his father manage the territory for many years, he could easily calculate the price difference of goods, and even with the fluctuations in region and season, there would not be much difference.

"You mean, you can earn 40 silver coins in one go?" Little John raised an eyebrow. This income was about the same as an adventurer's trip into the forest. He didn't even realize that he had subconsciously used honorifics.

"Yes, and there's no need for fighting. We just need to meet at the location marked on the map in the morning four days from now." Charles pointed to the package, indicating that the map was inside.

"You can also provide me with some information I need, some news about adventurers."

"You mean I'm free to move around for the next few days?" John asked.

"Yes, I'm not restricting you. You can still meet with your... well, Mary. What do you think of this job?"

John did not answer immediately, and Charles waited patiently for his reply.

The human and the goblin stared at each other calmly.

A few seconds later, John broke the silence.

"You planned this from the beginning; it's a trap." He stared into Charles's eyes, his tone calm.

"Yes, that's right." Charles couldn't help but applaud the other's caution. "So, what's your choice?"

"I can too..."

"You can bring men and kill us all." Charles, hands behind his back, tapped his back lightly with his longsword and retorted, "But do you know what you've lost?"

"An opportunity, an opportunity to maximize the use of forest resources."

Little John remained silent, waiting for what would happen next.

"No one knows the forest better than us; we know where those lovely plants are."

"You can take on many gathering tasks at once, hand them over to my subordinates to complete, and after receiving the bounty, complete the purchases according to my list. The remaining money is your commission."

"During this time, you can also take on some less dangerous jobs to familiarize yourself with the forest."

"I can also tell you some things that happen in the forest, and you can use that to get benefits from other adventurers."

"Safe and efficient, isn't this more cost-effective than a one-time 3 silver coin charge?"

"Or are you willing to scheme against teammates whose true colors you can't see, only to be stabbed in the back one day?"

"You really know adventurers, Mr. Charles. If I hadn't experienced it myself, I would have thought you were even human." Little John stared at the other man, as if trying to see through the goblin's disguise.

Charles simply shrugged and gave a mysterious smile.

Both sides fell silent, with only the sound of the white-haired goblin stirring the large pot.

After a long pause, Little John asked, "Why are you helping me?"

"It's not about helping; it's just about each getting what they need."

"Why me?"

"You're a newbie, and you're in trouble."

Upon hearing this, John finally reached out and picked up the package.

"The right choice. Do a good job." Charles smiled, flicked the longsword on his back, and planted it in the ground in front of Little John.

"Alright, it's getting late. If you linger any longer, you'll be in danger alone in the forest. Go back." He pointed in a direction and said, "Remember, four days from now, in the morning."

Little John picked up his longsword and scabbard, slung his pack over his shoulder, and strode off in the direction Charles had indicated.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, as if talking to himself, "They're going to form a larger team to go into the forest."

After saying that, he strode away without looking back.

Watching the other person leave, Ciel's smile was as hard to suppress as an AK.

He knew he had temporarily succeeded in persuading the future hero, and four days later there were three possible outcomes: either Little John didn't return, or Little John did return, the difference being whether he was alone or with a group of people.

If he didn't come back, Sharl didn't care. It was just a few pieces of equipment anyway, and goblins couldn't wear them and couldn't eat them.

If he comes alone, Charles will proceed with the next assignment.

The only troublesome situation is the third one. After all, it's absurd for goblins to hire adventurers to smuggle, and people are more willing to accept adventurers exchanging their ears for money.

Therefore, Shire still needs to be wary of the possibility that John might not be able to grasp the concept.

The way to prevent this is...

"Chief, dinner is ready."

A summons interrupted Charles. He turned around and saw the white-haired goblin holding up a wooden bowl full of food in front of him.

The green broth inside was steaming, and the frog legs, cooked until their skin burst open, floated on the surface, gleaming enticingly in the light, as clear as pearls. Cracked eggshells and yellowed, curled worms were scattered throughout the soup, like stars and the moon in the sky.

A "magical" smell shot straight into his nostrils like an arrow, traveled up through his brain, and reached the top of his head, instantly blurring his vision and making his breathing extremely heavy.

"You eat, you eat."

Charles quickly refused, and at the same time took a few tubers and threw them into the ashes to bury them.

Then he sat down upwind and gazed at the three little green-skinned calves who were squatting by the pot, heads bowed, wolfing down their food.

"We need to prepare a surprise for the hero."