I'm helping the goblins pack their belongings when I hear the screams. They're coming from outside. Sword in hand, I approach the cave's entrance tunnel. A female goblin comes running through it, screaming in terror.
"A demon, the macabre death, help!"
I venture outside after she enters, cautiously, since I don't know what I'll find. The goblin warriors follow me. From within the tunnel's entrance, I catch a glimpse of what's outside and let out a shout—though I immediately relax.
"Ronan!"
The shout is exasperated. I'm relaxing because there's no danger, not because I'm not a little stressed out.
This boy, really...
I finish stepping out of the tunnel. The three bears are on one side—the two living ones and the zombie that the female goblin must have been tying packages to with ropes. Ronan's there too, looking at me with a sad and solemn expression, as if someone had died. I shiver for a moment, getting lost in the depth of his eyes. His mood almost becomes contagious. But only almost. I gesture with my head toward the remains of the pit bear lying at the entrance. But not just lying there haphazardly as if someone had dragged them—in which case there would be bloody pieces on the ground and there aren't—no... lying as if the creature had comfortably reclined to welcome the afterlife.
"What's it doing here?" I'm honestly afraid to ask.
"It wanted to serve, but deserves to rest. I brought it so the goblins would find it easier to use its meat. I hope you're not displeased that it won't be part of your army."
I exhale forcefully. Wanted to serve but deserves to rest. The solemn tone in which he said it makes me feel a bit sad again. Was he able to raise this massive bear? And he dismissed it because, in its current state, it deserves to rest? Poor Ronan, he must have been truly alone as a child. Now I do feel sorry, but for him. And I already told myself that's not something Ronan deserves.
"My lady, are you crying? He wouldn't want that."
Damn. I wipe away a couple of treacherous tears and focus on not imagining Ronan as a poor child locked up and abandoned in the dark, without friends or his parents' love... He would call for help, not understanding why they no longer loved him, and no one would answer… Okay, it's not working. I clear my throat and manage to speak with a voice that isn't broken.
"Thank you." I turn toward the goblins, who have come out and are staring in amazement, especially at the bear. "Well, there you have it, now you won't have to walk to get the meat. Let's continue packing."
"The demon?" whispers the goblin woman who had run into the cave in shock.
"A zombie, not a demon, don't worry."
The woman observes Ronan with newfound reverence, and everyone hurries back to their work. I move away from him, not wanting more tears to escape. Out of respect, I owe it to him to see him as the capable and kind-hearted student he is. I truly don't understand why he has dark magic when even a poor zombie bear makes him sad.
Sure, I feel sorry for any vulnerable animal or creature too, but then again, I do have an affinity for light magic.
When everything's ready, we head toward their new home, carrying all we can. Only three warriors and two females stay behind to handle butchering the dead bears and smoking the meat. The rest of their belongings remain outside the cave because once they light the fires, the interior will fill with smoke.
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Once we reach the bears' cavern, the goblins untie the two captive animals and begin settling in. They light a large bonfire at the cave entrance to illuminate and warm the atmosphere a bit. Meanwhile, I'm playing with the bear cubs, five little creatures that have greeted me excitedly since I returned and won't leave my side. The mother bears watch me warily but don't intervene. They've accepted that I'm now part of the pack, if not leading it... The two adult bears keep their distance, observing the situation cautiously. They seem calm but remain alert.
A couple of goblin children, the smallest ones, come over to check out the bear cubs and, when I suggest it, start playing with us. They're the exception, as the goblins seem to prefer keeping their distance. They have enough on their plate getting used to the idea of living with bears under the same roof without having to fraternize with them.
Once the goblins finish arranging their belongings, Ronan meets with the warriors and the tribe's shaman to discuss next steps. This cave is enormous, so much so that it even has tunnels connecting to other caverns. That's perfect for them to organize and live in harmony. However, it's also important to thoroughly explore the cave—they don't want any unpleasant surprises in the form of unexpected residents. He also gives them instructions for rationing provisions and organizing guards at the entrance, just in case.
Yes, I know. I should be the one doing that since I have the goblin mission. But the boy has proven to be a much better strategist than me, and he seems comfortable giving orders. Well, who am I kidding... the mere idea of organizing the move, the guards, distributing the cave chambers, and other administrative tasks just makes me so lazy...
So, to ease my guilt about leaving all the hassle to Ronan, I decide to help the females prepare the food. Well, "help" is a stretch. First, while I obviously cooked back on Earth, here, as a noble, I’ve never so much as stepped foot in a kitchen. Second—and far more importantly—there’s the quintet of bear cubs who refuse to leave my side. They’ve turned it into a game of “Who’s the smartest at stealing my food?”
The worst part? They’re winning. Every time I scold one for eating something they shouldn’t, it lets out the most adorable little whimper. Of course, I can’t resist giving it a hug, and while I’m distracted, the other four take advantage and swipe something. It’s a vicious cycle, and despite all they’ve pilfered, they’re still hungry, their eyes begging for more.
The wolf pup joins the party too. It jumps from my pocket and starts nibbling on the meat pieces that I do give to it, competing with the bear cubs to see who can eat more. The goblin women watch us with a mixture of resignation and pity, seeing how the pile of boar meat and fruits keeps shrinking. They don't intervene. If they looked at me with respect before, since the shadow wolf showed itself in all its glory, they treat me almost with devotion. And the bears, from another side of the cave, don't even flinch. The wolf made it very clear to them who leads the pack.
We all gather to eat, roasted boar meat because it'll go bad first, and forest fruits. The bears and goblins relax. It seems they're accepting each other. I imagine it helped that earlier a couple of goblin children played with me, the bear cubs, and the wolf pup. These goblins... once they realize they can go around using the bears as mounts, I think they'll abandon any mistrust and become their most fervent allies.
"My lady, may I ask what you find amusing?" Ronan asks, who's been watching me eat and caught me laughing silently.
"Nothing, nothing."
I'm not telling him. It would only encourage him more with that empire idea. Ah... I need to read the notifications, but I don't want to... I'm sure there's one about the bears' loyalty and I'm just too lazy... That contract was full of obligations. Later, I'll do it later when I'm alone and no one can interrupt me. Because the first notification, that one's about combat, and yes, I'm eager to read it.
After lunch, a group of goblins takes the remaining reanimated bears and returns to the previous camp to continue with the move. The plan is to turn the old cave into a giant smokehouse to preserve all the bear meat we've acquired. It would be a waste to let it spoil since it can feed an entire tribe for months. First, they'll finish putting all the bear meat inside. Then, they'll light fires inside the cave using old wood, chunks, and splinters. The entrance isn't a huge opening like in the bears' lair, but a tunnel that seems narrow to me. Despite this, they partially cover that entrance to concentrate the smoke more. They will be working until sunset, at which point everyone will return to their new home to sleep and take the opportunity to bring the bears with their bundles and any other belongings they haven't brought yet. If they haven't finished, they'll continue tomorrow with both the smokehouse and the move.