Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

”Good day. I believe I should address you as... Warlord?”

Ron offered the flattery tentatively. Earth goblins were born for war and had a strict, clear military hierarchy, from the highest-ranking Warlord to the lowliest soldier.

”First of all, it’s already afternoon. Secondly, I am Klade. Captain Klade.”

The earth goblin leaned back on his ”throne”—a pile of leather, bones, a few Gemstones, and precious metals—and looked down at Ron from the top of the steps.

Although he tried his best to appear majestic and fierce, Ron could tell he had quite enjoyed the comment.

’Warlord Klade... that has a nice ring to it...’

Klade snapped out of his brief fantasy, speaking in fluent Common Language. ”You’re the one who just popped out of nowhere, aren’t you? I hear you came to question my decision? And you said that my plan would get us all killed without a grave?”

At this, Klade’s ferocious nature resurfaced. He would never allow a soldier to question his judgment—let alone a captive!

”Yes,” Ron said, looking him straight in the eye. He knew he couldn’t show the slightest hesitation now, or the slaughterhouse would become his tomb. ”I imagine you don’t have a Priest or a scholar here to point this out to you, do you?”

”You’ve hit the nail on the head. We haven’t produced a single Priest,” Klade admitted openly. ”Are you a Priest, then? Or some kind of scholar?”

”I don’t study theology, but I am indeed a scholar,” Ron nodded. ”I hear it hasn’t rained here in a long time, and that even the rivers have run dry.”

”Drought,” Klade summarized concisely.

”And your Hunters are finding it harder and harder to find prey?”

”Famine. But we still have some food, so I’m preparing to migrate north to find a new stronghold before our supplies run out.”

”Then allow me to be blunt, Captain Klade: in the north, you will find nothing but frozen deer herds and Hunters starved to death. Because neither this drought nor this famine is a coincidence.”

”If you’re willing to listen to a long-winded explanation, I can explain the principle behind it. But I’m guessing you’d prefer the simple version.”

”No,” Klade said, raising a hand, his yellow eyes glinting with cunning. ”I want to hear the principle.”

”Or perhaps you’re not a scholar at all, just trying to trick me to save your own skin?”

’He’s surprisingly sharp...’

Ron felt a headache coming on, but thankfully, he really did have something up his sleeve.

”The principle is simple. The previously warm climate caused the northern glaciers to melt,” Ron explained with ease. ”Ice is water, freshwater to be precise, with a different salinity than seawater.”

”When large amounts of glacial ice melt into the ocean, it lowers the seawater’s salinity. This drop in salinity causes a drop in density, which in turn disrupts the warm current that flows to this region.”

”Normally, this warm current carries immense heat, raising the temperature and humidity over a large area and promoting the growth of all living things.”

”So, you can imagine what sort of changes would occur if a current like that were to suddenly disappear.”

”It would...”

”It would bring a drastic drop in temperature,” Ron interrupted Klade, answering his own question. ”Cold and drought would follow. According to the literature I’ve read, this has happened before in history. The northern regions near the Pole saw temperatures drop by nearly ten degrees in just three years, while areas further south saw a drop of four to eight degrees. And mind you, this isn’t a seasonal change; the average temperature for the entire year will fall.”

”In these low temperatures, plants that rely on a warm climate will have delayed growth or fail to sprout at all. Deer and rabbits will have no grass to eat, and the Hunters who prey on them will inevitably starve to death—unless they freeze into popsicles in the biting cold wind first.”

”I’m finished. Can I have a drink of water? Oh, right, I forgot. You’re out of water.”

”So you’re saying... things getting warmer is making things get colder?” Klade looked at Ron in disbelief. ”That’s outrageous!”

”In simple terms, yes,” Ron said with a slight smile. ”As for what’s outrageous, don’t you think my sudden appearance in your stronghold is a bit more outrageous?”

”That... No! I don’t believe your judgment!” Klade shot to his feet. ”What warm ocean current? We’re who knows how far from the sea here!”

”Besides, the prey is clearly migrating north. Are you saying we should go in the opposite direction?”

”So you’ve decided to die with your prey, Captain?” Ron retorted.

”Or maybe you’re not really a captain, and you have no desire to become an Earth Goblin Warlord. Perhaps you’re just... I don’t know, a Deer Shepherd?”

”I’ve pointed out the potential risks, yet you’re still determined to march to your death?”

”No, of course I’m going to become a Warlord,” Klade wavered. ”Fine, we won’t go north. But where should we go? Stay here and starve or die of thirst?”

”I can’t just tell you that,” Ron said, shaking his head. ”Otherwise, wouldn’t my only remaining value be as food?”

”I can show you the way, but you have to let me live. It’s a deal. Agreed?”

”I knew you wouldn’t be so kind,” Klade said, his huge mouth splitting into a grin. ”But I don’t agree.”

”You should be more aware of our current predicament than I am. If you’re just a guide and can’t do anything else, your value is less than the flesh on your bones.

”You’ll have to offer something more valuable to trade for your life.”

”What if I told you I can make Potions?” Ron was not flustered at all, playing his trump card as if he had anticipated this. ”On the road during a migration, no one can be sure what you’ll encounter. Your army doesn’t have a Priest, so the value of a doctor should be worth more than my weight in meat, right?”

”And there happens to be a witness right here who has seen my abilities.”

Geology was just an elective, an amateur hobby. Pharmacy was Ron’s true profession.

If he remembered the D&D campaign rulebook correctly, a single Healing Potion was worth a full fifty Gold Coins, and a member with the right skills could reduce the crafting cost by half!

Goblin society was far less developed than that of humans, Elves, or Dwarves. To them, Ron’s skill would be even more precious!

”You mean—you’re serious?!” Just as he expected, Klade looked at Ron in shock. ”You really have this skill? Delaford?”

”Yes, Boss! He just picked some bitter grass and healed my Big White!” Delaford hastily testified.

”My skills don’t stop there,” Ron said with a slight smile. ”You can bring me some better herbs and alchemy tools, and I can prove my words on the spot.”

Compared to the matter of geology, Ron was quite confident in his own profession—even in a Goblin Nest lacking proper laboratory equipment!

”We don’t have those kinds of stores,” Klade mused for a moment before finally compromising. ”Alright! Given your earlier explanation, I’ll tentatively believe that what you’re saying now is also true.”

”You can live, and you will determine the direction of our future migration. But if I find out you can’t heal at all—”

Klade strode up to Ron and bared his fangs, his foul, hot breath blasting Ron in the face. ”I’ll flay you alive and eat you raw!”

”A wise choice,” Ron said, meeting Klade’s gaze and breaking into a genuine smile at his own survival. ”But before we begin the migration, I have a small favor to ask.”

”Speak,” Klade said, staring intently into Ron’s dark eyes.

”I’d like to ’borrow’ the Half-Elf from your prison. I need her to guide me to other nearby settlements to purchase supplies and gather information. At the very least, I need a map, one that covers a large area.”

”No!” Klade refused flatly. ”It looks to me like you’re just trying to escape, and with another captive? Don’t even dream of it. My patience is very limited.”

”What if I’m willing to take a goblin who speaks the Common Language along to supervise us?” An idea struck Ron. ”We’d look like a battered Adventurer Squad. The goblin can wrap himself up well; no one will recognize him.”

”If the Half-Elf and I try to run, we’ll be killed immediately—and as you can see, I very much want to live.”

”Hmm...” Klade pondered. ”Alright. If you’re sincere, then I can make a merciful exception, just this once. I can even give you some coins for trading.”

”As for who will guard you... Delaford, your Common Language is good. You’ll be in charge.”

”Don’t worry, Boss, I’ll definitely keep a close eye on him!” Delaford pounded his chest.

”As for the Half-Elf, go find her yourself. Unless she’s eager to be turned into feces, she’ll agree with you.”

As he spoke, Klade dragged a battered wooden chest out from behind his ”throne.” He opened it to reveal it was filled with all sorts of coins.

”Go on, grab a handful. Captain Klade, the future Earth Goblin Warlord, permits you to use his treasure—for the good of me and my army!”

Ron scooped up a double handful of Copper Coins, Silver Coins, and a few Gold Coins. He asked Klade for a cloth pouch, filled it, tied it shut, and then gave the earth goblin captain a sincere smile.

”To survival!”