Chapter 449: Chapter 349: The Grand Commander’s Phase Two

Captain Byron huddled behind a large tree, nervously peeking out to watch the fight in the middle of the square.

Squatting beside him were several goblins, whispering to each other in a language he couldn’t understand. Though Byron couldn’t make out a word, he saw that they were all gripping wooden clubs and stones, as if waiting for their leader’s command to spring into action. This gave Byron pause. He looked around and, seeing no stones nearby, settled for a branch as thick as his wrist, which he picked up and held tightly.

Gripping the branch seemed to ease his tension, giving him a small sense of security.

The goblins beside him continued to chatter in low voices. Then, one of them pulled out a bag and took out several plump, white grubs, passing them out to the others. They kept talking as they chewed. To Byron’s surprise, the goblin turned, nudged him, and offered him one of the wriggling, lively white worms with an unintelligible grunt.

Byron didn’t understand goblin speech, but he got the gist. He gave an apologetic smile, waved his hand, and refused the "kind offer."

He kept his eyes on the square but cast sidelong glances at the goblins. These little green monsters were completely different from what he’d been led to believe. He found his current situation utterly surreal. If someone had told him in the past, ’One day, you’ll be squatting next to a bunch of goblins to watch a fight,’ he would have slapped them across the face and demanded to know why they were cursing him.

And yet, reality was just that bizarre.

The goblins beside him were still muttering to each other, munching on the white grubs like they were bar snacks. It gave Byron a disoriented feeling; he felt as if he were back in Yangjiao Town with a group of drinking buddies, squatting outside a tavern to watch some drunks go at it.

"So these are what goblins are really like?" Byron muttered to himself.

He’d already been intrigued when he spoke with Shire earlier. It was true: no one else ran this waterway. The round trip was fast, with no dangers to worry about. And with so many goblins, the volume of trade, as their leader had said, would be enormous. With his single ship, he could make a fortune in no time—not to mention having an "exclusive berth" back in Yangjiao Town.

Besides, Shire had been so confident when he’d laid it all out. In Byron’s eyes, the goblin’s small frame had practically glowed with conviction. The words, the suggestions... it had all sounded incredibly feasible.

’Should I have a serious talk with the crew about this?’ Byron murmured.

This was a golden opportunity, a chance to expand the shipping business. Byron hadn’t always wanted to be a captain. He had originally studied acting and dreamed of joining a theater troupe. But unfortunately, news of his father’s death had forced him to take over the family cargo ship ahead of schedule.

After all these years, the ship was still the same old Retire When You Have Enough Money—a completely ordinary cargo vessel, the kind you could see anywhere on the Darren River, with no extra fittings to speak of.

The crew was the same, too—a mix of old and young, from recent hires to old sea dogs who were getting on in years but still hung around the ship to earn their keep.

Byron never drove away the "unqualified" sailors. At first, it was because they knew the ship inside and out, how to pilot and maintain it. Later, as he grew familiar with them and learned of their hardships, he abandoned the thought entirely.

’If we ran this route exclusively, it would be great news for everyone,’ Byron thought, pursing his lips. One of the younger sailors had mentioned wanting to go home to care for his sick mother. But if the ship took a transport contract to Black Lion City or another port, the sailor would have only two choices: quit the job to look after his mother, or be gone for days, only able to return when they finally got a contract for a shipment back to Yangjiao Town.

But if they signed a long-term contract with the goblins, they could run this waterway exclusively. A round trip took only two days. There would be no more idle waiting for contracts. Crew members with personal emergencies could even take a couple of days off, since they’d have a permanent berth at the Yangjiao Town docks.

’Could that blessing from the Holy Order Army Commander actually be coming true?’ Byron mused, smacking his lips. ’I thought he was just messing with us with that casual little tap.’

CLANG! The continuous sound of blades clashing in the center of the square pulled Byron’s thoughts back to the present. ’I hope the goblins will be okay,’ he thought. ’That Grand Commander looks tough, but there are so many goblins. They should be able to handle her.’

’After the fight is over, I’ll have a proper talk with the crew and get them on board with this,’ he decided with a slight frown, his mind made up. He didn’t even realize how much his own feelings had shifted; when he first arrived, he had been vehemently opposed to even meeting with goblins.

「...」

CLANG! Diana’s Vortex Slash drove Little John back. She dodged Caocao’s hammer, only to be knocked aside by a blow from Red Eyes.

But she was clad in the Dwarven Steel Armor of the Holy Order Army and protected by Guardian Magic; an attack like that was not enough to injure her.

A faint, multicolored radiance now shimmered around Diana as various protective enchantments activated in unison, allowing her to confidently withstand her enemies’ attacks.

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