“We have everything you want.” Goblin stated, rubbing his hands together. His eyes were shimmering with greed.

The goblin took us to other tents one by one, presenting us with seeds, tools, animals, and loot. Unlike the information we received from the first goblin village, which after seeing the current one I can most appropriately call a tribe, I conclude that we have more direct contact with what is beyond the mountains than what I previously thought. If this forest were as isolated as the other goblins told me, then how is it possible that these goblins not only have caught and enslaved elves, but also acquired a lot of loot which seem to be acquired at least a couple years ago judging from their state. They certainly do not look well-kept or new. Maybe I can buy some information here, which certainly has more interactions with the world.

As we kept entering and leaving the tents, I kept up my bargains to buy as much as possible at the lowest cost possible. Because I was intending to buy everything, I wanted to make our trade into a wholesale. After all, I needed everything they had to offer - things that could be collected from outside the dungeon, and things that would take time for the groups I assigned to settle outside the dungeon to collect.

After the last tent, I left the final pile of shiny stones on the floor for the goblins.

“This is all we have, thank you for your cooperation.” Goblin remarked joyously. He was surely satisfied with the trade.

“My thanks.” I answered.

I looked back at the riders I brought with me to signal the time to leave. They would need to accompany the elves and bring the stock animals with them as I cannot use my storage magic for living beings.

“There is one last thing I want to buy -” the goblin raised one eye with curiosity. After all, what is there to buy? “Information.”

“Information?”

I assume they are not familiar with information brokerage or anything of that sort. Once I have developed my own kingdom, I should also establish an intelligence service. Yes, most definitely I will.

“What information do you want?”

“Anything about what is beyond this forest.”

“Well, it might be costly.”

Costly - as in some more shiny stones. Sure, sounds like a good deal to me.

“As long as it is worth the cost.”

The goblin started speaking after a short pause.

“Well, one exit outside of the forest is through the mountains to the south, where we caught the elves. We always use that one as it is the closest one to our village. There are two other passages though: one through the northern mountains and the other one through the western mountains. If you exit from the passage to the south, it leads you to Marigold Kingdom. It is a human kingdom. They hate the monsterkind but don't really like other humanoids either. For the last couple years we frequently run into groups running from their soldiers, or the war they bring. If they are easy to catch, we catch. If they are not, we steal. There is a forest behind the mountains as well, but we do not wander too deep into it. To the north, there is another human country named Phyrria. They do not dislike other humanoids, I assume, as most of the groups we catch are going that way. To the west, there is another kingdom, different from both Phyrria and Marigold, but I do not know its name nor anything about it.”

“Do you not speak the goblin tongue? How did you learn of the names of these countries to begin with? How can I trust this information?”

“Hahahaha! such a simple question coming from someone who mastered the goblin tongue… When a slave gives birth to a goblin’s child, the child can speak both languages. We have a lot of goblins who can speak human and elven tongues. We have them translate what the slaves are saying.”

Despicable bastard.

There is something fundamentally wrong with these monsters, I cannot accept them into my dungeon like this. But… are the goblins I summoned the same? Wait… do they think that I am buying these slaves to…

I notice some of my goblins tighten their grasps of their weapons but their facial expressions are unchanged. Are they disturbed as well? Could it be that being summoned by a human defined the nature of my goblins, which under normal circumstances are vile and cruel monsters like the ones here, into something more humane? Or is it only about the culture that is passed on, about the traditions they are born into? If it is the prior, could it be that allowing them to be my citizens would change the nature of the goblins here, born on the outer world as well?

“Thank you for the information. I will pay you accordingly.”

Though I could have asked for more information, I am too uncomfortable to continue our conversation. I will take what I have already bought and leave.

I keep another pile of shiny stones and drop them out of my storage onto the floor.

“My pleasure - it was a great trade.”

“It is time to go.” I announce with a hint of relief.

I turn my back to the goblin to see others standing guard on the tent entrance. They are hugging their weapons, looking ready to slash at me at the goblin’s command.

“It was a great trade, for me. It was an unlucky one for you. I cannot give you that much, human.”

Fuck.