Yennefer frowned as she stared at the unholy sight before her eyes.
A naked goblin…
"Was the stripping part really necessary? I don't want to be ogling goblin butt throughout my journey." She complained, giving Eliron a side-eye.
Eliron glanced at her. "Huh? Of course it is necessary, this is the walk of shame, remission for all his sins."
"I have never seen a goblin this terrified of an elf." Artie said as she stared at the monster, her face expressionless.
The monster was staring at Eliron as though he was the devil himself, which made her wonder if it had anything to do with what he had said to it earlier.
Yennefer held her nose in disgust. "It even stinks, why don't we kill it already?"
The goblin didn't seem to have understood their discussion all through, but at the mention of the word 'kill' it shrieked back in fear, its eyes pleading.
Eliron sighed. "We can't kill it, not yet at least…"
"Why?" Yen asked.
He smiled as he went down to his knees, staring right into the goblin's eyes.
"Because this little guy is going to tell us where—damn, it actually stinks…"
Eliron got back to his feet and took several steps back. The goblin smelled like its only bathing routine was rolling around in shit.
"You see, I told you!" Yennefer glared at the monster. "Let's just kill it and toss its body into a river, we can cut off the ears though, I hear they are valuable…"
The goblin's eyes widened and it went down on its knees, hands clasped as though it was pleading.
Eliron stared blankly at Yennefer. 'That wasn't a very angelic thing to say…'
"Like I said we are not killing it, he's going to lead us to their base."
Yennefer clicked her tongue, while Artie seemed skeptical.
At that moment, Ash walked up to them with some items in his hand. A thick rope and a leather strap. "My lord, I've gotten the things you asked for."
Eliron happily accepted it and bound the little goblin, tying the strap around its waist and tying it to the rope.
Ash stared at him for some seconds, confused as to what was happening. "May I ask what you are doing, my lord?"
"Hmm? I'm making his work easier for him…"
"What work…" he asked, a little confused.
"Well, pulling the cart of course." Eliron answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
The whole camp went silent…
They all knew how nasty goblins could be, but if someone were to see their lord strap him to the front of the carriage, naked, and force him into hard labour, they would undoubtedly think they were the villains.
Ash was taken aback for a second. He stared at the gargantuan carriage, and then back to the little goblin that was barely up to his waist.
Then unexpectedly—
"That is brilliant, my lord!" He shouted, surprising everyone.
Eliron chuckled and tapped his shoulders fondly. "At least someone gets it!"
Now it was time for the most important part…
'I heard right, didn't I?'
There was something strange that happened when Eliron caught the goblin.
Initially, his words sounded like rubbish, but the final thing he said had been in a completely different language.
'That was Spanish wasn't it??'
He had even responded, and the goblin seemed genuinely surprised.
Did the author use Spanish as one of the goblin tongues? Or was it just some strange multiversal effect?
Eliron had no idea. But he was sure that he had indeed heard Spanish. And after years of taking Spanish classes, he was already on a conversational level.
"My lord, how do you plan on getting information from it?" Ash raised his sword. "Shall we beat it till it complies?"
The goblin shook vigorously as it was subject to Ash's hostile gaze.
Eliron waved his hands dismissively. "Don't worry, I've got this…"
He squatted down once more, the offensive stench washing over him.
Then he smiled at the goblin.
"Ilévame a tu casa…
(Take me to your home…)"
The goblin's eyes widened when he heard Eliron speak his language, but even with its current situation, the goblin shook his head vehemently.
But that was until Eliron completed his statement—
"…O comeré a tus hijas!"
(…Or I'll eat your children!)
The goblin's eyes grew wide, genuine fear brewing within it.
Eliron was not sure if it had gotten everything he said, but it had clearly heard enough, because it practically ran in the direction of its home, pulling the carriage with all its might, but failing.
The old horse glanced at him, giving the little goblin the nastiest side-eye known to mankind before it began walking, the carriage moving a little faster than before.
"Alright, let's get going—"
Eliron paused when he realised that everyone was staring at him.
"What?"
Realising that no one was going to ask, Ash spoke up, asking the question that was on everyone's mind.
"My lord, do you by any chance speak… goblin?"
It was the most absurd thing he could have ever said, but they had all just witnessed him say strange words to the beast not once but twice.
'No wonder they are staring at me like I have performed a miracle…' Eliron mused.
Only Yennefer didn't seem to care, she was the only one that knew that they had been reincarnated into a novel after all…
Eliron put on his most brazen face and said: "Well… I read it in a book."
Just as he finished speaking, Artie burst into gentle laughter, one hand covering her face as she tried to suppress it but failing to do so.
For a moment, Eliron paused. He had seen Artie laugh before, but most times, her laughter was almost mechanical, as though she was doing something she felt was right for the moment.
But now, she actually seemed… normal.
Artie smiled and stared at him.
'It is strange…' she thought.
There was definitely far more to his new discoveries. From suddenly being able to build a carriage, to even speaking in the goblin tongue...
But somehow, he didn't even care to hide it and gave the most absurd excuses he could think of.
'He could have at least thought of a better lie…'
Yet, somehow, Artie was enjoying this new turn of events. He was nothing like the timid boy he once was, actually, he was not like anyone else…
He was refreshing.
She smirked as she began walking towards the moving carriage. But once she got to him, she paused and whispered.
"You never seem to amaze me, Eliron…"