Delicious treats aren't all Banyai brings. The warning about more adventurers who might be willing to challenge me is something I need to take seriously. I'm confident that I can take on any attackers who might be foolish enough to challenge me, but that doesn't mean I don't have one huge, glaring weakness. I can't always sit around ready to defend Tuiran. I know some adventurers aren't likely to attack me. Though, I have no clue where the split is between those who don't want to antagonize me, those who are indifferent, and those who actively want to hunt me.

Regardless, the answer is the same. I can't treat this as anything but a threat. But that doesn't mean I can't be reasonable about it, and I am mature enough to not go killing adventurers just for their profession. But first, I have more looting to do. It would be irresponsible for me to leave these unattended tents unrobbed.

The third tent, as pointed out by Banyai, does have a faint scent of money. I can tell because I knocked it over with my nose and the coin pouches inside are plain to smell. Aside from a small table for the pouches and a sleeping area, there's not much going on in here. Which leaves... Banyai just looted a different tent and now he's going into yet another one. I called dibs, so he has to turn over any loot he finds. And with a nudge, I make that clear, earning me a sly smile from the furry felon.

I'm curious what he'll do, so I'm gonna sit here and wait for him to finish looting the other tent. It doesn't take him long at all, and he returns to me with a sack and a blanket, placing the latter onto the ground before dumping the contents of the sack onto it. There's a decent collection of random junk, but since Banyai collected it, it must have some value. I can't feel any particular value from it, though, so I might just let my goblins have it.

With the loot dumped, he continues on to the last tent and makes quick work of it before starting to tear it down. His experience is apparent as he folds up the fabric and leaves it in neat piles to be collected. I'm not sure leaving cloth like that folded in the rain is a good idea, but I'm also not going to do anything about it.

Having a weirdo do the ransacking for me suits me just fine, especially the part where he presents the loot for me to peruse. The pile still only consists of trinkets and baubles, with a cooking pot thrown in, but even as the last of it is dumped into the pile, the only thing of note is a familiar stench of body odor. I've definitely smelled it before, but I can't place it at all.

Bringing my nose all the way into the pile of junk, I can tell that a certain knife smells of that familiar smell... Dang it! It feels like the answer is on the tip of my snout. Knife, familiar, makes me a little angry... It feels weird.

"Whose tent was this? Why does it smell familiar to me?"

"Some feller who's partial to daggers. Right good tracker, but plum terrible in a fight. Human, loner, and keeps to himself. Don't know much 'bout him, 'cept he's a Plainshold veteran."

That explains why he wanted to attack me. It is still dumb to try to make history repeat itself by attacking me again. But it does remind me that I need to be wary of rascally adventurers getting uppity and thinking about attacking us again. And I do have someone here with a lot more knowledge on the matter than I do.

"Banyai, how likely is it that Tuiran will be attacked if I leave for a while?"

"Not much, I reckon. Far as I can tell, the whole dang coalition's aimin' to put you six feet under, not just rile you up. Them chuckleheads know you're a bigger threat when you're madder than a wet hen. Can't rightly figure why they ain't tryin' to buddy up, but Turgai seems to have a sneaky suspicion."

My guess is that there are cultists among them, and that this is a case of the whole faction situation that Punchy mentioned. The cultists have a clear motivation that I'm probably getting in the way of that undead jerk's plans, but that's what he gets for being a jerk. And Merciferus' story certainly didn't make him look any better. But the fuzzy-faced feline isn't elaborating on Turgai's suspicions.

For some reason, I can't shake that Banyai here isn't quite trustworthy. Maybe it's because of how his group mentioned him attacking his group leader, but he does seem like the backstabby sort.

"Wait, were you sent here with them to backstab them?"

"You too, huh?! I ain't fixin' to backstab ever'one I meet! I've only shanked Ayra three times! That's holdin' back, I'm tellin' ya! Ayra said I'd be the best one to send 'cause they'd believe I'd switch sides, and figure I'd likely off 'em, but I didn't! I was on my best behavior, I tell ya!"

"Would you have stabbed them in the back?"

"'Course. They got gold and dumb ideas, one of which is worth stealin'."

I knew this guy was trouble... But I like that he seems to be trouble for other people and not me. The affinity for stabbing might be why he and Raya became friends so fast. That is something we should discourage in Raya, though. We can't have her stab everyone since she's much cuter walking through the forest collecting herbs.

Tempting as it is to stick around here all day to enjoy the soft rainfall, I do have to act. Waiting for them to move could lead to them changing their minds on how to approach attacking. I can't trust that they're reasonable about my goblins being non-combatants, so I don't see any way to get out of acting first. But in a more measured manner.

"Banyai, where are these missions being handed out?"

"Found ours in Arrenfret, east of here."

That's not much to go on, but a little more prodding yields more details as he describes a large city on the eastern coast. And that it's more east-southeast of here. At least I have some direction to go by, and if I stop to ask for more, I can always find out if I'm heading the wrong way.

Ooh, since my goal is to make the adventurers stop, perhaps I should apply some pressure to the locals. I don't know how much they can do, but if the locals don't see me as a threat, then they might influence the local branch leader to stop this nonsense.

Screw thinking too hard! It's time for action!

"Banyai! Fetch my pack! I'm going on a mission of my own!"

Instead of getting to work, he stares up at my face with a raised eyebrow. Can he even carry my pack? And it is in my den, where I definitely don't want people who aren't mine to go. Okay, maybe I should think a little harder than that. He doesn't even know where my pack is, so expecting him to find it without going to where it is might be a bit unreasonable. Instead, I'll leave him here and go get it myself, and then I can pick up Raya as well. She'll be good for a job like this.

"Don't make any trouble for us, Banyai."

"Well, I'll be! That there stings somethin' fierce! I ain't never gonna cause no trouble for the likes of you!"

Giving him the side-eye of suspicion, I spread my wings to head back to my den. All it takes is a firm jump and a soar for me to return to the square and land near my cozy home. Though the square itself is largely empty, which feels unusual. Though, given the weather, it's understandable.

The steady drizzle seems to keep most folks indoors, and that means fewer distractions as I snake my way into my den. Tiffy, Jeannie, and Doc are still sitting by the breakfast table, enjoying some friendly banter, but I won't be sucked into another distraction! Instead, I look around to see where my pack is. It takes a round in my den before I find it under the mural in a small alcove raised above the floor. Whoever made me a shelf needs a raise since it keeps the leather from being exposed to any water that might find its way down here.

Given my lack of actual hands and my face's affinity for being in the way on account of my neck, I'm left with only my teeth as a way to pull my pack to me. Which has to be done gently! I'd rather not ruin it the one time I actually remember the dang thing.

As my pack drops onto the floor, I get it into position, so I can get it on, starting with the strap latching onto a spine on my back. With that strap firmly in place, I can step into the shoulder loop and maneuver the other side into position. Another strap on the other side goes onto my spine and it's becoming clear that the leathersmith has done some excellent work. The pack still fits!

I'm not sure I can fasten the last parts myself. There's a latch mechanism like on a belt, but I don't have the dexterity to use one of those. But I know who- Oh, Jeannie's already by my side. She's quick to climb up the leather straps and onto my back, and within a minute, she's got it figured out and latched on securely! Excellent!

"Thank you, Jeannie."

"Any time you need my help, you just need to ask, Kira."

She's nice and deserves a nudge. Which she gets as she climbs down.

And now I'm ready for more preparations! I just need a few items to show off what we're doing here. Heck yeah! I am Kira, the great and fearsome diplomacy dragon!

Setting out once more, I set my aim on the blacksmith, since I want a couple of tools made of Dragon's Gold. I'm sure that'll go over well with the locals if they get to see what we have available. I think the main focus will have to be creating the tools locally, selling them, and having traders bring in the ore, so we don't have to do any risky mining.

That is definitely a good plan, although the potential reliance on pesky adventurers could spell trouble in the future. We'll have to deal with it then, but for now, I'll focus on walking down this mostly deserted street. There's plenty of noise around, but it's all coming from inside the houses. Judging by the voices, my goblins appear to be great hosts, having invited the visitors inside to share a meal and some laughter in these rainy times.

It is nice to not have to worry about stepping on anyone, and the path to Knotten's forge isn't presenting any obstacles.

"Kira! Wait!"

Turning my head around over the buildings results in a Raya to my face. From what I can tell, she's been running along the rooftops to catch up with me and now we're here.

"Hey Raya. How're you? Haven't seen you in a few days."

"Because you were sleeping, dummy! I wanted to make sure you knew that I didn't tell Foreman that he could use your wing, I told him that he couldn't! But he said that if we didn't want the wing to rot, he had to get to work processing it, and the people working with leather agreed, so I didn't know what to do. It felt wrong to allow it, so I told him to pay you because then he had to talk to you about it."

Geez, she sounds distraught because of what seems to be a mistelling of the events. Doc did describe the argument as surprisingly vocal, and Raya, while rambunctious and wild, doesn't yell that often. I'd reply to her, but she's latched onto my snout right over my mouth, so I can't speak without making her drop or risking chewing on her a little. And with me, a little is a lottle. Or is it? I tend to only chew a few times and then eat big chunks if I can get away with it. Which I guess is a lot in its own right. Dang it! I was so focused until I got distracted! I had a plan! A dream! A schedule of sorts!

"Kira? Are you mad at me?"

Lifting my head and pointing my snout down, I dangle Raya from my nostril so I can actually freakin' reply.

"No, I'm not. I know you have an odd little habit of collecting saliva, but that's for Joras, which is fine. I might be mad if I found out you sold it to strangers without telling me. How did you know what Doc told me, anyway?"

"I wouldn't do that. I went to see if you were awake, and then I heard him, but I didn't want to interrupt your breakfast with them. Then you left while someone talked to me, and I tried to catch up, but when I did, you were talking to those adventurers, and it sounded serious, so I didn't want to interrupt that either. But by the time I could, you left again, so I had to hurry back here."

Shouting for me would have been a very easy way to get my attention, but I appreciate having some time to socialize a little as well. It is unusually restrained behavior coming from Raya, though.

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"What's going on, Raya? You're usually fine with making your presence known."

"It's... I don't know. I tried bartering, but it didn't go that well. I'm starting to think I'm worse at it than I thought, and the people coming here to trade mostly just think I'm cute, but I don't know. It feels like you got the deals, not me. Like those fancy people from Margwen only agreed because you were standing behind me. I don't think it was me being good, but it was you being scary."

Well, this is definitely a time where I'm not gonna point out that she's probably right. The only way to get better at it is by trying some more, though!

"If you fetch your money, you can just try haggling with people for things you like. It won't always work, but every time you try, you'll get a bit better at seeing how people react, right? So you can keep at it and buy a bunch of pretty things, or treats! Especially if they're treats for me! And you can ask Joras for help. He's a shopkeeper, so I'm sure he knows a few tricks. Try to avoid threatening people, though. A threatened trader gives a good deal, but doesn't come back. A happy trader gives a good deal and gladly comes back, sometimes with special deals. But don't just be nice expecting good deals, that's not a good thing to do. You wanna be nice because it's the nice thing to do."

They are right, though; she is cute with her little horns protruding from her forehead. They're growing at a slow rate, but they seem to be going for the swept-back look, which will be terrible for wearing hats. Oh! I know!

"That mage friend of yours can help as well. Or you can ask any of the people I've brought back. I'm sure they'd be willing to help you learn the intricacies of social etiquette when it comes to dealing with all these strangers. Maybe don't ask Foreman, though. I suspect he'd give some questionable advice. But one thing is for sure, you will be able to do what you set your mind to, and I believe in you!"

She deserves a nudge as well. Which involves putting her down on a roof first and then nudging her while she's still holding onto me. It works out, but it's a little awkward. I'm not the only nudger present, as Raya rubs her cheek against my face in return.

"Thank you. I think I want to ask Joras for help. He's grumpy, but he likes me."

I'm starting to suspect that she might be too busy to join me for the upcoming outing. It does sound like a plan, though. To my knowledge, she's spent most of her life trying to survive, so now it's time to learn other life skills. We should start a school and teach our young goblins some basics, like how to balance their hoard and which people to abduct.

"That sounds like a great start. If you go home and fetch your money, you'll be ready to drag him all over town and make him grumble."

"I threw my coins into your pile, and I don't know how many... Can I take some?"

Makes sense why my hoard is growing faster than I expected if I'm getting Raya's payment as well, but...

"Are you the only one who does that? I feel like you and I are being paid a lot if it's just us doing it."

"Jeannie, Tiffy, and some others do it as well. Jeannie and Tiffy take a few coins to buy food and stuff, but I don't think it's more than they throw in."

That's fine, they're mine and my things need to be taken care of. We might have to add a lesson about ownership to the curriculum of this school we're opening. They need small hoards of their own.

And now Raya is standing around awkwardly; a clear indication that she's lost some of her confidence. She'd normally run off to get started on this new project, but she seems to be waiting for my approval. We'll have to get her confidence back, that's for sure. I much prefer it when she's the headstrong little goblin getting into as much trouble as I do.

"You don't need my permission to get started, Raya. You're strong enough on your own, you know. And it's easy to be confident around people you're familiar with, but it takes time to learn to be confident around strangers, allow yourself that time to grow."

With a nudge from me, she takes the opportunity to climb my nose and give me a familiar wide smile before jumping off me and running away along the rooftops with a shouted thank you. It feels a little too easy, so I hope she doesn't hit too many bumps while working on her newfound goals.

Now where was I?... Arrenfret! That's right. I needed some tools and ingots to show off and coax out some goodwill from the tradesfolk and regular people. Onward to Knotten's forge!

The great thing about being as big as I am is that I don't get turned around on streets like this. There's only one way to go as long as the buildings around me are intact. And they are! Point to me for not breaking everything! And I can see the plume of smoke coming from the forge, so they're most likely there; otherwise, I might have to tell them not to keep flames going unattended.

Within a few steps, the sounds of metal being hammered into shape become clear and the delightful scent of the forge permeates the rainy air. I haven't made any arrangements, so I'll have to settle for what they have available. Given how much I've heard about Dragon's Gold being valuable and whatnot, I'm sure I can entice some people in Arrenfret. Admittedly, it's not much of a plan, but with a big city, there have to be some folks interested.

"Kira! Yer lookin' snazzy carryin' that pack. Y'got any goodies? Or that's why yer 'ere? T'is a fine day fer forgin' and we got some supps ready fer sellin'! Dark skies leave glowin' metal's song easy t'hear! Jarna! Kira's 'ere! Come greet her, boy!"

I must be getting more stealthy, given the clang of metal hitting stone as Jarna's name is called. I suspect he was surprised, but his fears of me are, well, not unfounded. It was a misunderstanding, and we can be friends.

We're not quite there yet, though. His fear of me is clear as he steps out to meet me with Knotten coming behind him. I'll just get to business instead of lingering.

"I need a few ingots and some farming tools. Maybe something mages would like, if you have any. I'm going to Arrenfret to make the Guild look bad."

"Y'don' need t'do such a thing, leave 'em t'work on their own an' they'll make a mess o'things all by their lonesome. What'd those slagheads do? Send a group t'kill ya?"

"Exactly that, actually. Speaking of, what's going on with my wing? I hear you and Raya had a disagreement."

"Aye, wee lass got me noggin real good. Bruised up me cheek an' knocked some sense into me. Right she was, need ta ask yer fer permission t'use yer wing. So what'd'ya say? Might I work wit' yer leathersmith t'make a wing fer this contraption o'yours?"

"I don't want any of it leaving Tuiran. I don't trust the adventurers to not use it for nefarious purposes, and I know blood can be used for all sorts of things."

"Bah, y'ain't gotta worry 'bout yer blood. Damn elven alchemist's proven that wit' his concoction. 'Eard 'bout Lily, coulda damn well killed 'er usin' yer blood. Too fuckin' volatile before y'get fightin'. Give it ta a mage an' watch his work 'splode in his face."

I did not know that and... there was that random kid who sold my blood in Esfjord. Well, someone's in for a rude awakening. Foreman isn't done yet, it seems. He pulls out a vial of blood along with a dagger, which, given the context, I can only assume is my own. Uncorking it, he pours a few drops onto the blade of the dagger and channels magic into it.

Just as he claimed, the dang drops explode. Not enough to cause any damage to anything, but they do have enough force that Foreman can't hold his hand steady. Now I kinda want a blood mage to experiment with it, since it'd be funny if some villain cackled maniacally at having obtained my blood, only to explode.

"Dunnae know how y'did it, but y'got yer blood charged wit' more magic than I've ever seen b'fore. Wouldnae surprise if it's toxic tae magic beasties. Ain't got answers fer ye, but Jarna! Fetch some goodies fer our friend an' relax!"

Given that Joras never mentioned anything, this feels like a result of the whole overcharging thing from Esfjord. I really need to learn more about that as well, but I already have things to do, so it will have to wait.

Jarna disappears into the smithy before returning with a decent selection of delicious ingots. With a deft talon, I open the flap keeping my pack closed, but Jarna has frozen, so he's not handing over the ingots. In an act that has to be the most gentle I've ever seen done by Foreman, he puts a hand on Jarna's arm to snap him out of it and takes the ingots for me. The human mage managed to grab six ingots, each looking to be about the size of a large bottle. Which I think makes them weigh about... maybe eight or nine grams per cubic centimeter.

"What are the measurements of those ingots?"

"Seven by twelve by thirty."

And they use that weird cimurak thing, which seemed to match meters, so that's around freakin' a hundred and twenty-five kilos! Jarna is freakin' strong! What the hell, and he's a mage?! We might need him to start a gym for our guards, geez.

Foreman doesn't mind the weight either as he starts loading them into my pack, but my back is affected by the weight, causing it to droop a little. With his burden lightened, Jarna returns to the smithy, only to come back with a bunch of shovels, rakes, and a couple of pitchforks. We might have to exclude that last one, but the shovels are a great idea.

Knotten helps arrange the tools along a wall while Jarna leaves yet again, returning with handheld scythes this time. Geez, these guys have been busy. They have so many things available.

"How the heck do you guys have so much stuff?"

"Ain't sold it yet. Tradefolk comin' tae exchange ore fer ingots an' we make tidy gains."

Judging by the arrangement of tools and Jarna's strength, gains are right. These guys might be running a hustle. While Foreman loads my pack with even more things, making sure to wrap bladed implements with cloth, Knotten explains their shady business. And it turns out that they don't charge a fee for smelting the ores, instead, they take a portion of it. And the traders like this, apparently. They don't have to carry around a bunch of money and can just have a good time while they wait for their order to be ready. And if they get stopped by bandits, there's no money to steal, and what kind of bandit steals a bunch of ore? It's too cumbersome!

I approve, even if it does feel a little sketchy. And with the surplus, we can equip all of our goblins with the tools they need for their various tasks! Dragon's Gold for all of Tuiran!

By the time my pack is loaded, I've got four of each tool, six ingots, and a bucket. I'm not sure what's great about a Dragon's Gold bucket, but I'll find out whether I can find an interested party or not. I'm sure someone wants the bragging rights of having a bucket made of a rare alloy. We might end up making a different sort of enemy, though. Flooding the market with our glorious alloy could upset some folks.

Watching Knotten return to his work does bring up a worry that I have to address.

"Knotten, are you okay with Foreman taking the lead like this?"

"You kidding? 'Course I am! Haven't dealt with a customer since he arrived, and I get to work on whatever I want! It's great! Jarna thinks so too. Beardface is taking care of all that, leaving us to work in peace and teaching our apprentices without interruptions, except when you show up. Then we get interrupted."

"Well, that's too bad. I intend to interrupt your work even more in the future! Fear my disruptive nature!"

Judging by the rare grin from the grumpy goblin, he doesn't seem to mind that I show up willy-nilly asking for things. And that's good, because I have no intentions of changing that.

Closing my pack as well as I can, using my tongue to guide the tongue of it into a loop, I'm ready to get going! Moving around a little, I barely feel the weight at all, but the jingling tools haven't been fastened, so they're a bit loud.

Foreman seems to agree as he jumps up to climb into my pack with a piece of rope in hand. I can hear him rummaging around in there, and he's definitely playing around with my cargo. Some grumbling and cursing later, he climbs back out, nearly falling to the ground with a curse. I'm gonna go a bit lower, so he has easier access to the ground. Arguably harder, given how easy it is to fall.

"Loose cargo's lost cargo. That ain't going nowhere."

That's true, but I'm not sure why he needed to slap my pack. Slaps aside, I'm now ready to go! I'm gonna figure out where Arrenfret is and become the great trading dragon of Tuiran! Fear me, Guild, for I am financial disaster! Wait, no, that sounds like I'm wildly irresponsible with money. I'll work on that later.

"Thank you for the goodies. I'll be back and let you know how it went!"

With a few goodbyes, I head for the jumpable wall in the northern end of this street. I can't tell if it's evening or getting dark because it's late in the year, but either way, darkness is falling.

There are a few folks out and about, but the steady rain still keeps most inside. Regardless of the time of day, dinner time is coming around, and a delicious mix of scents wafts up from all the houses. There's a clear growth in flavor from all these traders visiting, and I love that for my goblins. I'm really looking forward to the next foodstall day, so I can try out some of what they might come up with.

I can't dwell on that, though! I have a wall to jump! Rearing up on my hind legs, I do just that, making sure to use my wings for a little extra clearance. It is preferable not to scrape my pack along the wall, after all.

Landing and making a mess of the ground outside the wall, I'm ready to go! The soft, wet soil did not help in keeping me clean, but hopefully, a flight will clear the mud from my feet.

I think I've done all I need for now, so it's time to take flight! Spreading my wings, I do just that. But I do have some mandatory messing with Lauren to do before I'm too far away.

"Bye for now, Lauren! I'm gonna go mess with some adventurers in Arrenfret!"

"You what?! Kira! Don't start shit! That's a different branch of the Guild than Esfjord!"

I expected that already, but it's good to have confirmation.

"I'll be on my best behavior. This is a mission of diplomacy, so it won't lead to an all-out assault by the Guild, I promise."

"You'd better behave, Kira."

That's a little harsh, but she feels a little amused, so I'm gonna believe that she trusts me to skedaddle instead of taking up a fight if the adventurers get too rambunctious. And that's what I intend! My goal is to make friends with the locals, not start a major conflict. That's their job, after all.

It feels good to go for a proper flight with the wind buffeting both my new and my old wing. The most notable thing about my flying is that this pack needs a redesign to be more aerodynamic. The drag from it makes me worry the straps will snap, and that definitely slows me down. I'm still fast, though, and it doesn't take long at all before I fly over a large forest that definitely wasn't there before. Plainshold used to be there, and I can still see some ruins as I fly over the ruined town.

The place has an ominous feel to it, like it's angry at me, so I'll just go ahead and ignore that for now. In fact, I might just fly a little higher because those are vines coming toward me! Freakin' plants are definitely upset with me! I didn't do anything to you, stupid plants!

Alright, new lesson for me. If the plants feel angry, they probably are, geez. I get the message, they do not want me near that place. How the heck did Plainshold become overgrown anyway? It wasn't like that when I last saw it.

Okay, pushing that to the side, I'm gonna continue east, following the main road leading out of Plainshold. Even as my flight continues, I'm not seeing much wildlife or folks traveling the road. I hope there's more life further away from the old ruined town. Of the non-aggressive type, ideally.

Watching the shifting landscape reveals small brooks, forests, and plains all over gives the area an air of peacefulness. Ooh, if it doesn't rain tomorrow, the dips in the plains here will have some fantastic-looking fog for sure.

The road I'm flying over takes me around the forest and a bit south, but it continues east. There's so much undeveloped land around here, and I love it. I might start some early nature preservation, so we don't have folks destroying everything to exploit all the resources available. Maybe I can convince a spirit or two to help me out, I'm sure those folks would love some untouched nature. Ooh, we could even grow our own forests. With my potential lifespan, I could even plant dates and eat them too! Heck yeah!

Now that I'm thinking about it, I should ask Merciferus how she deals with a long lifespan. I have no idea whether I'm cut out for that or not. I'll need my goblins to keep me company, and watching over them for generations would be a worthwhile life, for sure.

I've changed my mind, I'm going north to visit Faran so he can teach me shrinking magic. I want to share more memories with my goblins instead of just watching them from all the way up in the air.

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