As Ron followed Klade onto the construction site, he saw that the entire trading post was already beginning to take shape.

A perimeter of wooden walls served as fortifications, their tops studded with sharpened stakes. These walls also outlined the trading post, enclosing a large open area in the middle.

Directly opposite the main gate, with its back to the mountain, the goblins had used wood and stone to erect a single-story, flat-roofed building to serve as a great hall and a temporary lounge. They had even hollowed out part of the mountain to expand the interior space.

"This was originally supposed to be two stories," Klade said, scratching his face in slight embarrassment. "But you know, the only ones here who know anything about construction are the goblins. It collapsed, we rebuilt it, it collapsed again... so in the end, we had to temporarily abandon that plan."

"However, we did manage to carve out three full floors inside the mountain: two above ground-level and one below. We’re using the bottom one as a storeroom for now."

Klade then pointed to a row of thatched huts on the left. "Over here, we built a stable, just like that Priest woman suggested. But since we don’t have any horses right now, ’wolf den’ might be a more fitting name."

"’Priest woman?’" Ron took a moment to process this before realizing Klade meant Victoria. "You built all this based on her advice?"

"Yes," Klade nodded. "She’s very popular with the goblins now. She saved a Hunter during the attack on the Lizardman lair the other day. Word spread quickly, and now she’s held in high regard among them."

The earth goblin seemed a little sheepish as he continued, "About her... I have a proposal. Could she join my army? I’m short a Marching Priest, you know."

’The only thing this army *doesn’t* lack is goblins,’ Ron grumbled internally.

"You’ll have to ask her yourself. If she’s willing..."

Even without seeing Klade shake his head and sigh, Ron knew. Someone like Victoria would never abandon her duties to join someone else’s cause, let alone agree to spend all her time with a bunch of goblins.

"Let’s put that aside for now. This way. This is what I wanted to show you."

Klade led Ron past the stables. On the mountainside behind them, Ron noticed another small cave had been carved out, about the height of a person. A thoughtfully placed flap made of tanned Lizardman hide served as a door.

"They think you’re a Priest, so they insisted on building a private room just for you. But if you ask me, a Mage should indeed have his own workshop."

"Thank you for the kind gesture," Ron said with a smile. He lifted the flap and went inside. The room was practically bare of furnishings, but it was piled high with all sorts of medicinal herbs. Some were already dried, while others were still fresh, their roots caked with dirt.

The most plentiful among them were Cave Algae and Gray Shadow Leaf—the very herbs Ron had once used to stabilize injuries.

"Remember that competition you told them about?" Klade saw Ron’s confusion and couldn’t help but laugh. "Seeing who can chew the most and who can endure the bitterness has become a daily routine for the goblins now. That’s why they’ve gathered so many of these two herbs."

"Delaford is still the champion. He’d already won twice before, and now his record is a full seven victories!"

Klade had no problem with this. On the contrary, he was more than happy to see a competitive relationship among his "soldiers."

It didn’t matter to him whether it was a friendly or a hostile rivalry, but a competition that didn’t create casualties and could even treat the injured was, of course, even better.

"As long as you’re all happy..." Ron didn’t know what to say. ’These goblins actually took what I said seriously!’

’Especially that Delaford fellow... Well, he’s probably just being driven by his competitive spirit, forced into a situation he can’t back out of.’

"Any other news recently? For instance, any sign of Ming Datiss?"

"The Hunters haven’t found him yet," Klade said after a moment of thought. "That Elf is extremely cunning. After we left the Lizardman lair that day, the Hunters picked up a trail nearby and followed it. It turned out to be a trap. Three of them were nearly buried alive in a mud pit."

"As for other news..."

Klade was about to think further when a goblin rushed in, shouting and yelling at him.

This goblin was a child, not yet an adult, and couldn’t speak the Common Language. He was reporting to Klade in the goblin tongue, and Klade’s expression grew strange.

"What’s wrong?"

"It’s from the direction of Fromm," Klade said, looking at Ron in confusion. "Xiaoliu says a female, about as tall as we are, came running from over there. But she was too weak and collapsed on the side of the road."

"If our gatherers hadn’t found her in time, she would have been a snack for a wild boar."

"’About as tall as us?’" Ron’s heart skipped a beat. ’Could it be one of the two Half-Elves I know?’

’But why would they come all the way out here instead of staying safely in town? The trading post isn’t even finished yet. Didn’t Lavinia say they would wait for word before coming?’

"Take me to her!" Klade relayed Ron’s words to the little goblin, who immediately trotted off. Ron followed at a brisk walk, keeping pace with him.

In a tent outside the construction site, Ron saw the Half-Elf Priest who had just regained consciousness. Her face was pale as she cupped a cup of water Victoria had given her, taking small sips.

"Buni?"

Ron stared at her in disbelief. "What are you doing here? Where’s Lavinia?"

’Even if it had to be one of the two Half-Elves, Ron had thought it would most likely be Lavinia. He never expected it to be her.’

Ron shouldn’t have mentioned Lavinia. At the sound of her name, the tears welling in Buni’s eyes burst forth like a broken dam, and she could no longer hold them back.

"Lavinia... Lavinia went outside the town to gather herbs, and... and she was taken!"

"What?!" Ron was shocked. "Tell me everything. Who took her? Why?"

"Ever since you left," Buni sobbed, her face a mess of tears, "the town guard couldn’t replenish their numbers after that big battle. Some outlaws from the West must have heard the news, because they’ve been gathering and loitering outside the town for days. They even launched a couple of probing attacks, but the guards managed to fight them off."

"But Lavinia has to go outside the town to gather herbs to make a living. I told her not to go, but she wouldn’t listen. And now... she was captured as soon as she left the town."

"I tried to ask Mayor Viktor for help, but he said the garrison is too depleted to send out troops. I’m just a Priest, so there was nothing I could do. In the end, I remembered you... Please, I’m begging you, you have to save Lavinia!"