Morning sunlight filtered softly through the sparse canopy of Goblin's Grove. The air was crisp, the soil damp, and the chirping of unfamiliar birds echoed faintly in the distance. It almost felt like a peaceful village morning—if not for the ten hungry goblins standing in front of me with hopeful, pleading eyes.
"Alright, today... we start farming," I declared.
Godon raised his hand high, shouting something in goblin tongue, and the others cheered after him—though some were too weak from hunger to make any sound at all.
We selected an open patch of land near the center of the grove, where the soil looked fertile and the trees were less dense. This would be our very first field.
But the moment we started digging, the problems began.
Crack!
The wooden hoe we made the night before snapped in half after hitting a small rock. The leaf-woven water bucket leaked before even reaching the field. One of the goblins tried to dig with his bare hands, then suddenly bit into the dirt thinking it was food.
I let out a deep sigh.
"This isn't going to work…"
Kang Minho sat on a nearby boulder, watching one of the goblins use a stick like a spoon to scoop dirt.
"I told you yesterday," he said, chewing gum lazily. "If you're serious about farming, buy real tools. Metal hoes, proper buckets, a sickle or something. You really want to start a goblin farming revolution with twigs and leaves?"
I looked at my empty hands, then at the goblins—still struggling with broken tools but somehow trying their best. They were weak, yes, but their spirits were strong.
"…You're right, Minho," I admitted. "I need to get proper farming tools."
"Going to a market?" he asked.
I nodded. "There's a secondhand market near my parents' house. They sell used farming tools. If I'm lucky, I might get a full set."
I started listing in my head:
Two small metal hoes.
A hand sickle.
Two iron buckets.
A small shovel.
Some rope and burlap sacks for harvesting later.
The real problem… I was nearly broke.
"I'll have to use the last of my porter savings," I muttered. "Hope it's enough…"
Before leaving, I turned to Godon. He didn't understand my words, but he looked at me like he did.
"Watch over the others, alright? I'll be back soon."
Godon nodded solemnly, puffing out his chest proudly like a soldier on guard duty.
I turned to Minho. "Please keep an eye on them too. If anything happens—"
"I can't cook for 'em," he cut in, "but I'll teach them how to squat properly when they poop."
I laughed despite myself. Then, with a heart full of worry but a mind full of determination, I opened the portal back to the outside world.
The goblins waved their tiny hands at me. Despite their hunger and frailty, there was something shining in their eyes now—hope.
"Wait for me… Soon, we'll be real farmers."