Chapter 269 – Re: Wire

Day 5 (Cont)

"Hah Hah! Rou! That was amazing. I knew how cool and smart you were, but you're also super strong!" Mi said excitedly. She had tackled him from behind and was giving him a bear hug for some reason.

"Mi? What are you doing here?" John asked, letting the fire die on his sword, the last elder dead at his feet. He had almost struck her on reflex, but his rage abated quickly enough that he caught himself in time. She had nothing to do with the sins of their elders. 

"I followed you. When the ground shook, Sui rushed from the cave calling your name, so I went with her. When you went into the cave, I followed you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She said, blushing slightly. "I guess I had nothing to worry about. Is that a magic sword? And where did you get clothes like these?" She said, a big smile on her face as she played with his collar. 

"No... I just funnel magic into it, and I found them in the storeroom. You... don't care that I just killed the elders?"

"Not really. That one liked to hit me with his cane; he kept saying my dark hair was unnatural. I thought it just made me pretty."

Unnatural? I don't exactly have a large sample size to go by, but so far, only the female goblins have hair, and other than Aqua, they were all grey or white.

"You look quite cute with that pixie cut." He said absently, idly patting her head while scanning the room with True Sight. He couldn't see any more goblins other than the younger ones, and the only magic items he found so far were back in the storage room.

"Pixie cut?"

"Just the name of that hairstyle. Thank you for looking out for me... I discovered something I didn't like, and the elders needed to pay for it."

"What was it?"

"The way our mothers were being kept. They were living in filth and being raped to make more children."

"Jii said something about that... what was it... Our race does that because female goblins have a hard time getting pregnant, so our hunting parties go and capture human women along with supplies so we can grow our race." She said, looking up at him thoughtfully. "He said it was okay because humans burnt down our villages and drove us to live in caves as far away from their civilization as they could."

Oh, goodie... a medieval world where rape, pillage, and murder seem to be the norm. Except instead of humans doing it to each other, it's different races. Though with these passive racial skills, I would have a hard time believing goblins didn't start this. 

"Well, that changes today. I don't know what the truth is, but we won't be hunting or raping humans any longer... unless they come and attack us. Even then, it will be a quick death, not... that." He said, then placed his hand on his forehead. "God, now that my blood isn't pumping as hard, I'm ready for a nap- Huh?" He said, confused as a number was displayed on the back of his eyelids.

[Level 59/100] 

Huh? 

He moved his hand back and forth a couple of times, then checked his stats to confirm. He had gained a lot of levels by killing those goblins, though the levels didn't really do much to his hard stats at all. 

I wonder what Substance X will do in this world? I'll have to try it later.

"Are you okay? You spaced out there for a moment."

"Hmm? Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about what to do next."

"Can you teach me how to do magic?"

"I'm not sure, but we can try sometime. Let's go back to the others. I need to go help Sui, but I want to check on them first."

She released him from the hug, and the pair of them left the main cave and walked over to the sleeping area. Most of the goblins were poking their heads out of the cave, apparently scared and confused at the new structures that had risen within the glen. He couldn't blame them; the mansion almost looked like a small fantasy castle. 

Raised up on the new escarpment, the stone mansion was 'T' shaped, though much shorter and wider ‘tee’. There was an archway in the vertical part of the tee that led to a courtyard and to the building's main entrance. The roof had a few cylindrical towers, and many areas that looked like parapets, though he was sure they were more decorative than functional. It was meant to be a whimsical fantasy in real life, not an actual defensive fortification. 

Closer to them was another building labelled "staff and visitors" when he had moved them around on the screen. While still grey stone, it was more normal-looking than the mansion, just a big L shape. The two were connected by an underground tunnel, which he had extended to the other side of the glen, leaving a fairly large field between them. 

There was also a large garden shed that he dropped directly onto the ground between them, though to call it a shed would be a disservice; it was at least 1,500 sq ft and had two garage doors you could drive cars into.

I know I was lucky and had money in my last life, but this... this is just excessive. That shed has more space than all these goblins have been living in. 

"Rou... what happened? What are those stone things? Are they monsters?" Kichi asked as they stepped into the cave. He was holding a stick and looked ready to defend them from the stone monsters.

"Hah, no. They are not monsters, but our new home." John said, patting the slightly larger goblin on the shoulder.

"Home? You mean we no longer live in a cave?"

"Well... you are free to sleep in here if you want... but let's save that for later. I need to show you how things work inside of it... and you will be expected to keep it clean... unlike this cave."

"What's wrong with cave?"

"Someone took a crap in the corner last night instead of going outside to start. We won't be having any of that inside the house, else I'll start kicking asses." 

"Oh... Are you leader now?"

"I planned on it. Why? Did you want the job?"

"No, you kick Kichi's butt. I tried to snap rabbit horn like you did, and I can't. Needed to use rock."

"Well, stick with me big guy, and help me keep everyone in line, and I will teach you how to kick butt too," John said, slapping him on the shoulder. He was a little slow, but was eager to help with the hunt yesterday. Especially after they killed the first rabbit, and he got a taste of real meat.

"Okay, Rou!"

He then activated his Guide of the Sage Quirk and spoke loudly to all the goblins. "Listen up! Things have changed here. Jii and the other goblin elders are dead. I killed them for how our mothers have been treated. Now, we have a big day ahead of us, and you will all need to go hunt and gather things in the forest so we can survive and take care of our mothers as they recover from their mistreatment. I want you to rest here until dawn, then come out to the big stone castle across the clearing. I will have orders for you then."

"Who made you the boss?" A voice shouted from the back. John looked at the goblin, though there was nothing really distinguishing the male ones at this time. Five others nodded beside him.

"I did. Got a problem with it?"

"Yeah! You're younger than me! I should be the new leader."

"Really? Well, you can stay in this cave and eat grubs then. Anyone who follows me, I'll teach you to hunt, to fight, and to be able to take care of yourselves. I can teach you how to grow your own food, to live so you are not worried about your next meal, and many other things."

"Bah! Lies! I'm older and stronger. I'll beat you and take those clothes!" The goblin shouted, then charged at him. 

John just sighed and casually brought his foot up to the goblin's chin when he got in range, knocking him out cold. "Anyone else? Good. Get some rest, and I will see you at dawn."

"Umm... Rou? What's a mother?" Kichi asked him, apparently not phased by the attempted assault.

"The woman who gave birth to you... the one who gave you life." John said, coming to the realization that a mother might not be something goblins understood with their innate knowledge. "You should give them love and respect." 

"Oh... I never thought about that... okay. Can I meet her?"

"That... that I don't know yet. Now, rest up and come meet me later, okay?" John said, deflecting the question for now. Would the women even want anything to do with these goblins? And even if they did, how would you even tell whose kid is whose?

John and Mi wandered through the mansion in search of Aqua and the survivors, surveying things as they went. It was huge on the inside, with cathedral ceilings that seemed impossibly high. Though, since he was only half his original height, his perspective was a bit skewed. It was obviously well-appointed, with beautiful hardwood floors and walls, expensive-looking furniture and decorations scattered throughout. He hoped the house had an autoclean function like Xiaolin's castle, or else he would need a dozen people just to keep it clean. 

They finally found the stairs leading downward and followed a hallway until they came upon a set of double doors that seemed to lead to the baths. He knocked on the door and cracked it open. "Anyone in here?"

"TK! Quick! Come and help me!" Aqua shouted from inside. John rushed in to... not what he was expecting. 

The room was very spacious, with a large pool occupying over half of it. The other half was covered in deck chairs and massage tables. Many of the women were seated on those chairs, staring vacantly off into space, while Jean and a few of the other who were mobile were wiping them down with rags and buckets of water. The two remaining pregnant women were lying on massage tables near the door, moaning in pain, with Aqua and a couple of other ladies helping them. 

"What's the matter?" He said, stepping up to the table.

"They are giving birth at the same time. I can't handle both, and none of the other women are healers. Can you help Lina while I stay focused on Pellia here?"

"No problem." He said, stepping up to the other table. While he had never assisted in a live birth, he had watched three of them and had some training back to when he was an EMT so long ago.

Lina was a petite woman, only about a foot taller than he was, with pale white skin like the rest of the captives. She had a dusting of freckles on her cheeks, with a cute nose and soft brown hair that was tied back. Thankfully, someone had cleaned her already, so she was just covered in sweat. 

"You doing okay, Lina?"

"Yes... It's not my first one... I just feel a little weak, is all."

"Well, just call me TK, and I'll help you as best I can. I might only have one arm, but I do have some healing magic. May I touch you?"

"Do what you need to... hah, gods... why couldn't you have come sooner?" 

"Well... this body was only born 5 days ago... and I could barely move for three of those."

"Right. Hah, I forgot... time was weird living in the darkness of that cave. Hah, I don't even know how long we were down there. They would just... take us in the dark, then when we had our babies, they would take them. Oh gods... it was..."

"I get it. You're safe now. I killed the remaining old goblins who did it." He said, activating his Healing Hands, and rubbed her large belly.

"Oh... that feels nice." She said, then looked over at him for the first time. Her soft brown eyes, which had almost looked dead earlier, had a spark of life in them again. "Thank you... Thank you so much for saving us... We had given up hope that we would ever be rescued."

"My pleasure... now... I'm going to wash up quickly and-"

"Clean!" Aqua called out from the table beside him, hitting him with her skill. "There! All done. Praise me later!" She said, then turned back to the moaning woman in front of her. 

I really should have learned that when I had the chance. Next time.

"Thanks! Now, Lina. Let's deliver this baby." He said, shrugging off his jacket. It was going to be a long day.