Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

"So... what am I looking at?" Morty asked as he gazed at the spherical shrubbery in front of him.

The goblin gardener looked at the sphere with a contemplative look while he spoke.

"Attempted perfection!"

Morty, the sisters, and the handful of bugbears that returned to take Morty up on his offer of employment, stared at the goblin with confusion.

"Ok I'll bite. What does it mean?"

The goblin gestured once more at the sphere.

"Perfection that 'as not, nor eva be optained! We goblins are always strivin' ta be betta then we are! But we neva can! Even now there are flaws in us! Just like this sphere 'ere! No matta 'ow 'ard we try we can neva be more! Yet, we always try ta be more! But we neva can! Da more we try da less goblin we are, it goes against our nature! So dats what thi-"

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

The philosophical goblin was interrupted as a new challenger charged him. The challenger tackled the other goblin and they both struggled for the hedge shears briefly. The challenger gets the upper hand though and wrest the shears from their former owner. Opening the shears he plants them to either side of the other goblin's neck and squeeze. The philosophical goblin gasps and wheezes as he gestures to the sphere.

"Remember! Perfection can neva-"

He didn't finish though as the flesh of his neck gave out and the, now former, gardener goblin's head rolled away from its former place. The victor held the shears up like they were the greatest thing in the world before going over to the sphere and began to reshape it.

"So... what're you making?"

"Bird." The goblin said simply as the former goblin's body was hauled away, head and all.

Morty and the sisters were unfazed by the violent shenanigans of the goblins. The bugbears however were less than numb. They looked agape at the bloody spectacle and the seeming callousness of Morty and the sisters.

"What?! The!? FUCK!?" One shouted.

"Oh right, you're still here. Yeah, this is common with goblins. They'll kill each other without a second thought if it means their lot in life improves. It's better if you just ignore it." Morty answered as he led the, still shocked, bugbears on a tour.

Only a third of them had shown back up from yesterday. Which was fine by Morty, as long as they weren't swearing bloody vengeance on him, again, he could accept them not coming and working for him!

When they arrived and shown interest in his offer Morty led them on a tour. The gardener goblins were first up since they were out front. Now he led them through the manor.

"Inside we have the Red Caps, who are my officers/enforcers/overseers. We also have the house staff of greenskins." Morty said as he gestured to the various Red Caps and the short green work staff that shuffled around in their daily duties.

As he continued his tour Morty began to notice that the house staff weren't exempt from physical changes! The head butler for example. While his skin was still green it wasn't warty and bumpy like the rest of the goblins. It was smooth and clean looking, likewise his nose and ears weren't as comically large. Instead they were long and thin looking. He also began to carry himself with an aura of dignity. All the house staff did. Most noticeable of all however was the fact that he spotted several FEMALE goblins!

Or at least they LOOKED female, Morty thought. The maid goblins were increasingly looking more and more feminine. Their ears were still thin and pointed like the rest but their noses had shrunk to the point of being button or pixie like. Morty also started to notice mounds forming in the chest area of the maids. He was hesitant to call them breasts, breasts meant birthing, and the goblins didn't give birth.

Morty was beginning to think maybe the philosophical goblin may have had a point. He doubt throwing a dress on a goblin would make them female. But then how could they change, Morty thought. He followed the head butler to the servant's quarters, there he found the manor staff getting various things for their tasks. While he was inspecting them he saw several books on serving staff etiquette.

So it would seem that mental conditioning affected their "evolution" as well as physical, Morty thought as he left the staff to their duties. Though he resolved himself to put some effort in noticing the changes in the goblins in the future. Speaking of which.

The Red Caps changes weren't much different than before, though it was obvious they weren't goblins anymore. They now stood at eye level to Morty. Which meant they now stood at about 5'7. Their features were now completely different from that of other goblins. Though their eyes were still a bright yellow and their noses, normal sized now, were still pointed. Their ears were smaller and still pointed but they looked closer to that of a human than the comically large goblin.

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As he watched the Red Caps he was looking for possible females here too. But as his gaze swept over them there weren't any noticeable women. They all looked the same to Morty. Why then were there females among the house staff but not the Red Caps, Morty thought as he moved on.

His tour found itself out back where the main force of Morty's growing army was held. Tents and various training exercises were placed about. Red Cap officers/drill instructors shouted and disciplined the many troops. Firing drills, obstacle courses, general physical training.

After them were the regular army goblins, they differed little compared to the gardener goblins. Same bumpy green skin, same yellow eyes, same old goblins. Though they were only slightly bigger than the gardeners were. All in all the changes were very little compared to the others he's seen. Even mentally they weren't much better. Less likely to kill one another, but they still would.

The dragues on the other hand were a sorry and pitiful sight. They were the smallest/shortest. They were also the most abused and the most broken looking. Their ears and noses were but shriveled and droopy mockeries of their former comical sizes. Their skins were a mix of pale green and sickly bruised.

Mentally they were broken. They hung their heads low to the ground and shuffled about in their grueling tasks, while they could look at the goblin grunts, they dared not even glance in the direction of the Red Caps or Morty and the sisters. Whenever any DID look at them they either fumbled and ran away out of fear or stared right at them like they were the reaper himself come to collect them!

As Morty led the bugbears through the yard he noticed several of the pitiful things actually drop dead whenever he made eye contact with them! Which did little for the disposition of their taskmasters as this fearfulness caused several boxes of ammo and supplies to be dropped. The Red Caps wouldn't hesitate to beat a drague to a bloody pulp for such a mistake.

While the bugbears tried to aid the dragues in some way it did little, if any, good as their attempts to talk to them amounted to little more than pathetic gibbering from the dragues. Morty led the bugbears away, it was obvious that the dragues couldn't be helped. Even if they wanted to they couldn't, the very nature of the goblin creatures was that of violent, selfish, opportunism. The dragues wouldn't "rise up" because that meant trusting their fellow menials, which was a poor decision.

"And that's that! If you want work these are who your "co-workers" will be." Morty said as he waited for the bugbears to discuss among themselves. They didn't like this situation. The callous and ready violence from the greenskins and the apathy from Morty rubbed them the wrong way. But they needed money for their families and there was little work to be had in town now that the place was teetering on an economic collapse!

So with great reservation the bugbears agreed to come work for Morty, on the condition that they worked WITH the Red Caps and not FOR them! If they made a mistake they weren't going to get wailed on with a truncheon! Morty agreed and had the Colonel set up a scouting station for the bugbears. They would be tasked with scouting and surveying the nearby area for potential resources for the army as well as potential threats.

Which they technically already did when they were eyeballing the place in their bid to kidnap Morty. They said that the main threats nearby were the hillfolk. Not the regular ones further north near Jeb, but the real wackos. The fanatics that assaulted the mine with those creatures. The ones that worshipped the Crone and claimed that the town and even the mountains were hers!

Course it was hogwash to Morty. He wasn't the Morty of then, now he had an actual army! Not a ragtag wave of goblins with scraps and whatever they could find. But an army that was drilled and trained! He wasn't worried about those loony tunes attacking. On the plus side, Jeb didn't care about them! While he did say they were still family he also said that they were crazies and held little love or kinship for them!

So that was one threat Morty had to be prepared for. He didn't want to worsen his relationship with Jeb so he wasn't going to expand to the north-east. The feral Bill was still to the east of him. But from the sounds of things he's little more than a recluse, he wasn't a threat anymore.

Clive had told him before he left that him and the halflings were, roughly, to the west or south-west of him so that was out of the question. Though maybe he can talk to Clive and them about trade? Halflings are supposed to be good at farming aren't they, thought Morty.

That left Morty with the town to the north of him and the woods and the rest of the Appalachians to the south. As he voiced this the bugbears mentioned that there are supposed to be deposits of lead and iron further south. There were also plans by the town to open a quarry for stone there.

While Morty was loathed to return to mining again, his little protection racket was just barely keeping him in the black, and it was a short term solution. If what the bugbears have been telling him was right, the economy of the town was damn near nonexistent with the closure of the mine, and even the rail road going under because of it!

"Can't bleed a dead horse." Morty said. He needs to keep the town alive, he can't take control of a bunch of ruins! So he ordered the Colonel to, with the aid of his new scouts, find these deposits and set up gathering outposts. He also ordered the forest to the south cleared for future farming, either cash crops or food if he couldn't work something out with Clive and the halflings.

Having lead and iron for use would mean that he wouldn't rely on scraps and what they salvaged. Same goes for the timber and stone. All this was basic stuff that was essential for his army, and he could trade it to the parts of town he controlled!

None of it was legal of course. He tried once before to get something set up but the locals all hated him, his family was toxic now. Before, they were tolerated because of the coal mine. But since it's gone that meant that instead of a polite "no" from prospective business partners he got a "hell no and fuck off!" from them. Morty also had little hope that humans would come and work for him again. Besides, what's the point of a large, expendable, workforce if you don't use it, Morty thought.

So illegal mining and foresting it is! Not like anyone nearby could stop him, well, as long as he didn't go too far south or south-east into Virginia. State and local authorities he could handle. He could still buyoff local politicians if need be and he easily outnumbered the towns law enforcement, and could, at least, give the local National Guard a bloody nose through sheer numbers if he had to. But he was going to have real problems if the feds get wind of this!

With plans to exploit the south for minerals and timber that left the town proper to deal with. Which wasn't a big issue, though the feral goblins have been getting to be an annoyance.

"I want 'em culled." Morty told the Colonel. While he doubt they could be fully exterminated, culling their numbers would go far in boosting his army's reputation with the town and deal with a worsening problem. While none of his Red Caps have died, the little bastards have been getting more bold as their numbers have risen.

With a plan of action set the Colonel saluted and left to assign the various Red Caps and others to their positions leaving Morty alone with the sisters. Since yesterday they haven't left his side at ALL! Even when he's gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom one sister would follow him. Which was a little embarrassing, though it did result in some intimate time after.

Content with being a bit productive today Morty went back inside and to his office to do some paperwork. Both to get some work done and because the sisters would at least wait outside the door. As he sat down he rang a bell for refreshments.

After a few minutes one of the maids entered with a bottle of bourbon. The maid placed it down next to him and bowed before making to leave.

"Wait?!"

The maid stopped as Morty called and turned around.

"Yes Master?"

The voice even sounded feminine.

"Undress."

"What?!" The maid squeaked.

"I said undress!" Morty ordered.

The maid's green face blushed as the maid outfit was undone and fell to the floor. Yup, Morty thought. That's a woman. But why, when they spawn from a pool? As Morty stared, lost in thought, the maid continued to squirm and blush. After a few minutes Morty finally realized her discomfort.

"Oh!? You can get dressed now."

She quickly redressed and left. Leaving two confused ogres and a even more confused Morty.

"Why are there female goblins now?"

His paperwork was forgotten as his mind contemplated the how's, why's and implications.