I Can See Evolution Paths

Chapter 19: First Failure

Arthur smiled while Gruk was still staring.

The Elder almost looks afraid to ask. "Wait... Are you willing to help us?"

"Yep." Arthur immediately points at Vedas who froze. "Vedas is willing to help you." He patted the Goblin Warrior’s shoulder twice. "Isn’t that, right?"

Every goblin in the settlement turned toward him. Vedas visibly trembled and his grip tightened around his spear.

Then, very slowly, he nodded. "...yes."

The reaction was immediate.

Several Goblins sagged with relief.

One nearly collapsed, another covered their face and one began crying.

Gruk closed his eyes and then bowed his head. "Thank you," he said as voice quivered. "We thought all hope was lost."

Vedas looked completely overwhelmed.

Before anything else could develop, Athena spoke without looking up from the section of sky she had been examining. "We have two hours."

Everyone turned.

She was looking at her uniform. "The Entrance Exam ends in two hours. When the time expires, the instructors can pull us back through the uniforms."

Arthur looked at her. "Will they come find us first?"

"No."

"No?"

Mithra shook her head. "They’ll teleport us out."

Arthur blinked. "They can do that?"

Mithra nodded. "The uniforms act as a connection point. They’ll just use it to lock onto us and then teleport us out."

Arthur stared at the fabric and then he looked at the village.

Then at Gruk.

Then at Vedas.

"We have two hours." He nodded. "That’s enough."

Vedas looked concerned. "But... Arthur."

"Yes?"

"That doesn’t sound like enough."

"It’s enough."

"It definitely isn’t."

Arthur only smiled.

Vedas sighed. "...Right."

A small sound from nearby pulled Mithra’s attention. She walked over to where a goblin child was sitting with one arm held against its chest at the angle of something that hurt. Silver light gathered around her fingers.

The light moved across the injury and left the skin underneath looking the way skin was supposed to look.

The child stared at its arm.

Arthur perked up. "Mithra has special powers?"

Athena blinked. "Huh?"

Arthur pointed at Mithra going over to heal another goblin. "That."

Athena looked at him. "You didn’t know? We can all use our beasts’ skills."

Arthur froze. "...We can?"

Athena nodded. "It costs magic, but yes–"

Arthur immediately closed his eyes and then felt a light shine over his hand. He instantly thrust into the ground and pierced through the ground.

"It worked! Armor Pierce!"

Athena blinked. "Y-You actually tried!"

Arthur nodded. "How could I not? Vedas skills are so amazing."

Vedas trembled when he heard those words before looking away.

Arthur smiled even wider, making Athena give him a weary look. "...why are you smiling like that?"

Arthur held his chin. "I’m imagining possibilities."

Athena sighed. "...that’s worse."

Vedas looked horrified.

A moment later Athena tilted her head at Arthur. "You’re from a small town."

Arthur blinked. "How did you know?"

"You keep discovering things every city child learns at twelve."

Arthur scratched his cheek. "...That explains a lot. So why are you here?"

"My teacher found evidence of ruins older than the Empire."

Arthur’s eyes widened. "Really?"

Athena nodded. "They aren’t on any map."

Arthur chuckled. "You gave up a major city ceremony for that?"

"Of course." She looked genuinely confused. "How could I give up the chance for discovery? Don’t tell me you don’t find all of this interesting?!"

"I do." Arthur smiles. "So they’re hiding something."

Athena grins. "Exactly."

Arthur immediately looks toward the forest. "I want to see them."

Athena laughed. "I thought you would say that."

Arthur looked toward the endless forest. "So there are ruins even explorers haven’t mapped yet..." His eyes sparkled. "I can’t imagine what they’re hiding."

Athena smiled. "Neither can I."

Arthur laughed. "Then we’d better find them before someone else does."

Athena beamed at him before scribbling more stuff in her notebook.

He glanced at Vedas who had a tired look on his face and spoke. "I like her."

Vedas looked at Athena. Then at Arthur. Then back at Athena. "...The world only needed one."

Athena looked genuinely offended. "I’ll pretend that wasn’t aimed at me."

Arthur laughed before looking around the Goblin settlement. "So many stories..."

Athena blinked. "What?"

Arthur smiled. "My mom always wondered what the village for other races looked like." He looked around again. "I can’t wait to tell her I finally saw one."

Athena looked at him. "I’m sure she would love it."

Arthur grinned. "I just need to figure out how to make it into an entertaining story."

"I can help with that."

"Athena you are a lifesaver!"

"I know."

...

Word had spread through the settlement that Mithra could heal.

Soon, Mithra had a crowd of Goblin children around her. Melo wasn’t doing much better as the children loved her tails. Vedas stood nearby and watched them quietly.

Arthur appeared beside him. "You’re looking at her like she stole something."

"She didn’t."

"Then why are all the Goblins around her?"

Vedas frowned. "...I don’t know."

Arthur with a teasing smile asked. "Jealous?"

Vedas flinched before saying with a straight face. "...no."

Melo looked at him.

Arthur looked at him.

Both stare.

Vedas couldn’t take it anymore and muttered. "...maybe a little."

Arthur nodded. "Then do what she did and go interact with them. You are their hope, of course."

"...fine."

Ten minutes later.

Vedas gathered the settlement.

As soon as he stepped into the center of the village, every Goblin looked at him and Vedas smiled. Maybe this wouldn’t be so difficult.

He cleared his throat. "We’re going to rescue the goblins who were taken," he said. "I need volunteers to come with me."

Silence.

The atmosphere changed instantly as the Goblins paled. One took a step backward, another lowered their head, and a third turned around.

Then one ran.

Then another.

Then another.

Within seconds, the crowd completely dispersed and soon, Vedas stood alone.

Vedas blinked. "...What?"

He tried again and they ran away faster.

The third time someone saw him walking over and immediately hid inside their house.

Vedas slowly sat down. "...I’m starting to think I’m bad at this."

Arthur walked over to him with Athena and Athy who were sitting on her head. Before tapping Vedas on his shoulder.

Vedas yelped. "...Arthur? Are you here to help?"

"Maybe." He chuckled before saying. "They remind me of you when you were still a Goblin."

Vedas blinked. "You mean... scared?’

Arthur flicks Vedas forehead. "Shy~ How could my partner be scared of anything? You weren’t like Cassian’s followers."

Vedas eyes widened.

Athena’s lips twitched.

Athy’s beak twitched.

Arthur continued. "You were so scared that you run away and hid. You wouldn’t even listen to me."

Vedas slowly nodded. "...I hid under the chair."

Arthur crouched. "Do you recall what I had to do to get you to follow me?"

Vedas furrowed his brows "... you had to–"

His eyes widened.

Arthur smiled and nodded. "I had to help you with your problem, and make you believe that things will be better if you follow me."

Vedas’ eyes widened more as he muttered. "... You told me if I wanted to prove those who laugh at me... that they were wrong. I should follow you... And you believed me when none of the others did..."

Arthur nodded and before pointing at Mithra. "Do you see Mithra?"

Vedas looked to see Mithra was sitting near the wall with four goblin children around her. One child excitedly explained something while Mithra listened with a smile. The other three were waiting for their turn with the patience of creatures that trusted their turn would come.

"She’s helped them and now they trust her."

Vedas lowered his head. His hand slowly tightened around his spear. "I didn’t do any of that... All I did was expect them to help me..."

"If I did the same thing?" Arthur asked with a smile.

"I would have ran away."

Arthur nodded. "So don’t ask them to believe in you."

Vedas blinked. "...What?"

Arthur smiled. "Give them a reason."

Vedas looked at him. "That’s it?"

"Don’t underestimate yourself." Arthur started walking. "You figured out what matters. The rest you’ll work out."

...

Arthur continued walking away with Athena following.

Athena says. "Are you sure that’s enough?"

Arthur grins and speaks. "Don’t look down on my partner, he will succeed. What we need to do now is gather info on the Hobgoblin."

"That’s true."

Arthur listened carefully to every hunter. Every answer created another question. Every story pointed toward another mystery.

"No wonder mom wished she could never stop traveling."

Athena blinks. "What?"

Arthur smiles. "Every place hides another mystery." He clenched his fist. "How are you supposed to stop?"

"I had a feeling you would understand. It’s why I wanted you to follow me."

Arthur laughed. "I hope you keep sharing more stuff like this with me!"

"Sure." Athena smiled.

...

The afternoon passed in information-gathering.

Arthur and Athena continued moving through the settlement speaking with hunters and scouts and anyone who had direct knowledge of the Hobgoblin.

One of the hunters led Arthur to a house with one wall split clean open.

Athena adjusted her glasses. "Something forced its way in."

Arthur touched the cut. "...The Hobgoblin?"

A goblin nodded with a shiver. "To get to one of our hunters, they slashed through the wood."

And then they learned, the Hobgoblins ruled the region and lived near ancient ruins. Everyone who challenged them had died. Every Goblin went quiet whenever it was mentioned. But when Arthur heard that, he simply thought that’s where they were going next.

One of the hunters suddenly stopped talking and his eyes drifted toward the forest. "..."

Another hunter noticed and then another.

Silence spread.

Arthur frowned. "What?"

Gruk’s expression darkened. "...Listen."

The settlement became completely silent.

Far away...

A horn echoed through the forest that sounded like a hunting call. Every Goblin immediately froze. One mother grabbed her child. Several hunters instinctively gripped their weapons.

Then...

Nothing.

The horn never sounded again.

Arthur looked around. "What was that?"

Gruk answered quietly. "...The Hobgoblin."

A Goblin whispered, "...They’re choosing who dies."

Arthur frowned. "What?"

Gruk answered quietly. "Every time the horn sounds... They’re deciding which beast tribe to attack."

Nobody spoke after that.

Vedas seeing their reaction tried even harder to gain their trust. In the first five minutes he was able to make some of them pause but they still ran away. And he even had one of the older goblins start moving to him. But they were dragged away by their Goblin wife.

After twenty minutes, he hasn’t been able to convince a single goblin. And now there was less than two hours left.

[Requirement 2]

[Gain Loyalty of 10 Goblins: 0/10]

Arthur glanced toward Vedas and saw a little goblin walking towards him with a nervous look.

The tiny Goblin child looks at him. "Chief?"

Vedas look up. "...Yes?"

The child hesitates. "Can... Can you really beat them?"

Vedas blinks before smiling softly. "Of course, I can. You don’t need to worry."

The child’s face lit up before she hugged him tightly.

Vedas froze.

Nobody had ever run toward him before.

He very carefully placed one hand on the child’s head. "I’ll protect you."

The little Goblin nodded so hard its ears bounced and then she ran off quickly. Vedas stood up before slapping his face and walking over to the next group of goblins.

Arthur smiled at the sight of Vedas regaining his motivation, that was the most important thing in this process.

"HELP!"

A scream tore through the settlement.

Arthur’s smile disappeared and he looked see a bleeding goblin scout rushing through the streets. He reached the center of the settlement before collapsing into Gruk’s arms.

The scout’s eyes moved past Gruk and then landed on Vedas. The scout eyes widened in shock and then hope. "Chief," he said, working to get his breath under control.

The village froze.

He hadn’t called for Gruk but instead for Vedas.

The scout forced the words out. "Some of them are close." He swallowed. "They’re coming again."

The settlement went quiet.

Goblins stepped back from doorways. The children near Mithra pressed closer to her. Gruk’s hands tightened on the scout’s arm.

Silence.

Vedas clenched his spear.

For a moment, nobody moved and then Vedas stood up. The hesitation that had been sitting in his posture all afternoon was gone.

"I won’t let them hurt anyone else!"

Arthur laughed. "That’s my partner."

Vedas sprinted toward the forest.

The entire settlement froze.

Watching him go.

One Goblin stepped forward and then another. Soon the whole village stood at the edge of the settlement. Nobody followed or called out. They simply watched their Chief disappear into the forest.

None of them looked away.