Chapter Fifty-three – In which Ark learns that goblins can be compassionate, and that everyone loves swinging.

Chapter Fifty-three – In which Ark learns that goblins can be compassionate, and that everyone loves swinging.

There exists a hierarchy among the goblins. Now, I don’t know the exact specifics, but being strong is a quintessential part of it. With the proven slaying of seven Black-claws, who are as I understand it the mortal enemies of the goblin tribe in this territory which is ruled by the Great Protection, my daughter Diana had shot up through the ranks practically overnight. It’s not like it was unexpected. Diana’s that capable. What wasn’t expected at all, was that their Husband and breeding slave by merit of assisting Diana had also acquired credit for the same seven kills on the Black-claws.

What does that mean? It means that I outperformed Prima, Doll, and Jewel combined, even though I didn’t actually land a single killing blow.

Now, Prima wasn’t angry at me, or at Diana for the timely rescue, but up until this moment, she has just about always been the apex of the goblin tribe’s hunters. So, it’s not unreasonable that she had felt a small bit of insecurity with this situation, and it’s also not unreasonable that I ended up on the floor of her cave, stripped of underwear as she had her way with my body, all the while making sure I knew the matter of the Black-claws was all a fluke, and that she wasn’t at all beneath me in terms of hunting.

I never doubted her skill as a hunter to begin with, but if reasserting her sense of rank and authority in the tribe over me was something she needed to do, I was going to let her do exactly that. I’m just a docile househusband, and she’s the breadwinner. I’m not about to try and change a single thing about our roles. But try as she might to extract my seed over and over, she wasn’t going to wind up with a fat belly this time either.

It was pillow talk time afterwards.

“Berry talk Husband?”

“Yeah.”

“Ark... You Husband. Not leave goblin tribe.”

“Prima, if I was going to run, I would have taken the opportunity to escape with Stella when you and Jewel were stuck up in that tree and I had been given my focus stone by the old one.”

“Human woman, Stella...”

I shook my head.

“That you’re willing to accept her here in goblin-home for now is good enough. I think the problem with Stella will be accepting what has happened to her body. That will take time.”

“Prima talk all goblins. Say Husband care all goblins. Stella change goblin, agree not kill. Let Stella join Bloodmaw Goblin Tribe. Agree not let Stella share Husband cave-hole. Vera only goblin. Little stupid next Husband. Learn stone magic, can bring hunt. Let Stella pick cave-hole. Stella hunter, give time learn goblin way.”

I’m not sure if I was being made to be Vera’s eternal babysitter or if she had been promoted to my live-in mistress. I wasn’t complaining. I happened to like Vera’s company, so I didn’t really see it as a problem either way. But Stella was being forced into moving out of the breeding room and into a vacant cave-hole where she would be treated as a goblin hunter, and given time to adjust to her new... situation.Alll latest novels at novelhall.com

This must have been a difficult decision for them all to make, but it ended with her being accepted by the tribe, and given the circumstance, I don’t think her options were going to be better than the ones presented to her.

I reached up and caressed Prima’s cheek, thanking her for being considerate.

Looking around Prima’s cave-hole, now that the fun stuff was basically over, I could see signs of a part of the wall being chipped away. Prima sure is a prideful goblin, isn’t she?

“Prima, tell me when you want me to make you a cave-hole for your strong ones. I’m sure there is a better use for your time.”

Prima glared at me.

“Prima not need Husband dig wall.”

“I know you can do it by yourself. But you can also rely on me a little if you want. Maybe I can’t make your belly fat on demand as you want, but I can at least make a nice cave-hole for you and the strong ones when they are ready to come. You told Diana a hunter has their own cave-hole, and who do you think she got to make one for her?”

Prima laid down on top of me, balling up her fist and slamming the flat of it down on my chest.

But not too hard. I didn’t feel any real anger coming from her, only... anxiety. I’m starting to think the person who wanted to have my little goblin babies more than anyone else, was my main wife.

“Want strong ones come...!”

I held my goblin wife and rubbed her back softly. I think perhaps only I was allowed to see this momentary weakness of hers. She usually has a strong front up most of the time, but in the privacy of her cave, she’s a woman the same as the rest. She wants a family of her own, not just a sister with a disability born to a different litter from the same mother. I’m also sure the seed I gave her was probably some of my best. All the goblins who gave birth to my daughters so far were considered the weakest among the tribe. I’m sure someone as strong as Prima had little need for a rush job. Our daughter or daughters were probably just enjoying marinating in alpha-goblin juices and would be plenty strong when they were ready to pop.

There was no telling this to an impatient goblin mother-to-be though. I might be a stupid Husband, but I’m not crazy. Instead, I simply enjoyed the emotional moment with Prima. Yes, a nice peaceful life is probably best for me. As interesting a world as this one is, I’m firmly rooted in the idea of family values from the life I lived before this one. I only became an adventurer in the first place due to feeling confined and going nowhere in my second life.

By the time I left Prima’s cave-hole, she had reluctantly agreed to let me help dig out the wall. She made it clear again that she didn’t need my help, but she would allow some suggestions.

She’s completely tsundere. I think I understand why anime protagonists put up with that kind of personality defect. The pussy is so on point, it just outweighs the obvious problems that come with it.

I used my newly acquired privilege that allowed me to go outside unsupervised, stumbling across my three eldest daughters doing more bone-fighting.

Fighting is good, but having fun together is better.

Upon sighting me, the three of them ran over to me and practically bowled me over. Diana squatted on my chest baring her teeth at me, while my two younger hunter-recruits pinned each of my legs down by sitting on them. I had been captured completely.

“Oh no, I’ve been defeated! ...or have I?”

I reached out my arms and began to tickle Diana’s sides, at which point she giggled and then tried to swat and pin my right arm down.

Diana was the leader type, but Orchid and Lilac were quite competitive even though they were younger. It didn’t take too long for Orchid to think of standing up, and, well, goblin-see goblin-do.

Toy had exited the cave and quickly ran over to me, nearly getting bowled over by Diana, failing to know about playground safety in the first place. The first rule of the playground is to not stand in front of the path of a swinging goblin.

“GYAHA! Husband! What this!?”

“Oh, Toy! This is something called a swing set.”

“What... do?”

“Exactly what you are seeing. You’re supposed to sit on the wood, not stand, and just... swing back and forth. It’s meant for strong ones... to keep them entertained.”

She cautiously inspected the simple frame and then sat down where she wouldn’t accidentally get in the way again.

“Big-think try make game, but not think what make. Come find Husband, see this...”

“Well, if you’re thinking of a game, why not start with the kinds of games goblins play?”

“Strike. How strong ones learn move fast, think fast, hunt better.”

Ah, that hand-slap game or hand-claw game... I saw Berry playing it with Diana quite a few times.

“Maybe think of something along those lines? Maybe a game where you have to grab something quickly while something else moves at a certain speed. It would teach good reaction time as well as coordination between the hands and eyes.”

“Why think even try make, Husband make first, better faster?”

Toy looked depressed.

“I have an idea. How about I make you a proper workshop?”

“What workshop?”

“A place with tools for making things. I’ll show you the things I know and you can decide if it’s worth making them. Also, if you learn how some things are made, you might discover how to make other things from that. Take the games I made earlier that you had fun playing; checkers and chess. They both use the same board, and one set of pieces is different to the other, in this case, a mark on each piece. There is just a small change to the pieces and a small change to the rules on how to play it.”

Toy sat there thinking. While she did I held up the two tools I used.

“Right now, only Vera and I use magic. But with this tool, you can take pieces of wood and flatten them like my stone pieces. With the other you can make a hole or carve a marking into them. With the stone pieces, they can break easily, but with wood, they will last longer. If you need wood, you can trade with Doll. You can even make better arrows for Jewel with these tools, and she might trade food for them, so you don’t have to hunt all the time. As more strong ones become born, we’re going to need more space in the cave, and they will also want things to put in their cave holes. Many will become hunters, and others may want to be makers. Both can help each other.”

“Doll, what think Husband say?”

“Doll want checkers game. Cut wood give Toy make.”

“Wood and big piece meat?”

“Toy also play checkers with me.”

“Deal.”

Toy got up from the dirt and told me to come by her cave-hole soon. She wanted work done on her cave-hole, being interested in the workshop I promised..”

I felt a body suddenly impact and latch onto my back.

It was Diana who had leapt from the swing..

“Husband!”

“What is it, my great huntress?”

“Push us!!!”

I sighed contentedly.

The joys of being a daddy.

One day... one day...