Axion and Murkuk looked like they could use some help in dealing with the agitated merchant. Riva caught up with him and interlocked her arm in his. He questioningly looked at her, she gave him a challenging glare in response.

She teasingly leaned into him to playfully blow into his ear, sending shivers through his spine. His pulse quickened at the feel of her supple breasts pressed against him. He looked away from the tantalising view of her cleavage before it put him in an embarrassing situation.

Instead, he surveyed the camp, causing her to smirk in satisfaction. The bandits only had some rough sleeping rolls with a few barrels scattered around the area. Dink sniffed the air. Ignoring the scent of blood in the area.

That girl is going to make me lose control if she keeps up that kind of behaviour. I need to distract myself.

I can smell some of the barrels containing salted meat. They'll be good to eat later, but for now, I need something more practical. What’s that over there?

He went to walk across the clearing to a small cask, forgetting Riva was still attached to his arm. He turned to catch her when she stumbled, taking the opportunity to pull her close. He couldn't resist reaching around to embrace her wide hips, taking a handful of her voluptuous ass. He mischievously grinned after feeling the firmness of it.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting that!" Riva involuntarily yelped while leaping away, placing her hand on her ass over where he had pinched it.

"That was the idea," Dink said with a smug grin of his own.

He walked over to the small cask he had noticed earlier. Resting atop it was a square oil lantern made of brass, he bent down to retrieve it. Opening the shutter, he was overpowered by the scent of kerosene. Dink grunted in satisfaction at the contents while Riva frowned in confusion.

“Did you not hear me? My cargo’s on fire! Or are you so blind as to not notice the flames warming your backs?” the merchant hysterically screamed in the background.

“They heard you, stop shouting. Don’t worry, we’ll deal with your cargo in a moment,” Dink replied, carrying the lantern in his free hand.

“Finally, a man with some sense… gulp,” the merchant said, failing to complete his sentence. He turned to face Dink, his eyes went wide after discovering another Goblin standing in front of him. He dryly gulped back saliva, furtively glancing between Dink, Axion, and Murkuk. Finally coming to a stop on Riva. “Please forgive my intrusion, miss. But how did you end up with company such as this?”

“This is my husband. He will eliminate the expanding forest. I believe he can do it if Master Tavia says that he can. No one has received the mark of friendship in recent history. I don’t know how he got it, but it means that he can’t be ordinary,” Riva confidently replied.

“Hahaha! I, Maximilian Augustus, have never heard anything so naive in all my life. The expanding woods, something the combined might of the entirety of civilization and the Arcane Academy has failed to eradicate. How many generations of Woodfellers’ do you think have combated its expansion and come back wanting? Now, you expect me to believe a Goblin will eliminate it? A Goblin. Laughable. That's without considering the fact you're consorting with the beast,” Maximilian ignored his burning cargo to mock her, laughing uproariously.

Riva’s expression became indignant. She looked as if she was about to retort before Dink gestured for her to stay silent. He disengaged his arm from hers to step forward. The merchant's mouth abruptly slammed closed. He distrustfully watched Dink’s approach, nervously wetting his lips with his tongue. Dink crouched down in front of him, setting the oil lantern on the ground beside him. He placed his bloodied sword across his knees while clasping his hands together on top.

Leaning forward, Dink sniffed the side of Maximilian’s face, the proximity of his breath displacing a few strands of hair. The merchant recoiled away in horror, his eyes fixated on Dink's sharp teeth.

Dink silently sat back on his heels and unblinkingly watched the merchant. His close scrutiny caused him to shift uncomfortably until sweat beaded his brow. Finally, Dink gripped his sword hilt, simultaneously retrieving the lantern as he stood upright. He judgmentally clucked his tongue before speaking.

“Perhaps it is laughable. But so is a dealer who tastes his supply. I might be doing the world a favour by ridding it of you. So do not test me, addict. I have yet to hear of anyone taking the heads of those three Hags. Even if me killing them fails to undo the expanding woods, I'll still be satisfied after everything they’ve put me through,” Dink softly said, his intense gaze going distant. “They gambled when cursing me. They thought it would render me harmless while still upholding their bargain.”

Everyone watched him in confusion after hearing his words. Dink suddenly snapped out of his reverie, turning on his heels. He unexpectedly hurled the lantern at the burning wagon. It immediately exploded upon impact, causing the flames to surge and cover the walls.

“No, what are you doing!” Maximilian objected. Dink didn’t answer, simply swinging down his sword.

He slashed open the merchant’s bonds, freeing him. Maximilian abruptly sprang to his feet, pulling a vial from a hidden fold in his coat. He popped off the silver stopper while bringing it to his nose, inhaling deeply. Immediately afterwards, he recklessly charged headlong into the flames.

Shielding his face from the heat with an arm, he climbed inside the back of the burning wagon at a place untouched by fire. He emerged a short time later carrying a large chest. Maximilian athletically leapt down, causing the wagon to bounce from the relieved tension in the suspension.

Fucking addicts. Valuing the supply over their own lives. I've seen it thousands of times before over the centuries. Insipid is no exception.

Maximilian dropped the chest in the clearing away from the burning wagon. He hurriedly patted out small flames that had ignited in places on his coat. His face was covered in soot and his hair was singed in places. Aside from missing eyebrows, he was otherwise untouched.