"I only just realized today how difficult it is to move an entire tribe," Evita said softly, clutching the tea in her hands.
"Oh? What’s wrong?" Shire, sitting across from her, glanced up.
"I helped a pregnant woman from my tribe give birth today. I was just there to help." Evita’s hooves tapped lightly on the stone tiles, her voice tinged with melancholy. "I held a newborn member of our tribe in my own arms. He was only so big, a little larger than a puppy, but..."
She paused, then added quietly, "If I had followed my original plan and just dragged everyone south without a second thought, he would have surely died on the road."
"I used to think my father was just a stubborn, inflexible old man, but after seeing that newborn, I think I understand him a little better now." She smiled as she heard the distant shouts and calls of her people. "He just doesn’t want anything to happen to our tribe. He doesn’t want mothers to lose their children, or children to lose their mothers."
"I have to say, for any species, migration is a brutal process of elimination. Only the strongest survive." Shire nodded. "Not to mention, you have a powerful enemy watching your every move."
"You said before that you decided to search for a path south because the Unicorn guided you. Is it possible," he swirled a finger around the rim of his cup, "that your father has also received guidance?"
"My father?" Evita stared at the goblin before her, finding it hard to believe what he was saying.
"I’m just thinking out loud. But from a leader’s perspective, you’ve already built a life for yourselves in this forest. You have your own herds of deer, your own Hunting Grounds, you’ve even found a way to cultivate tubers, and..." Shire chuckled. "You even found an underground stone chamber and raised a group of Shape-shifting Monsters."
"Without knowing if the future holds any promise, your father would never rashly abandon all that. It would be no different from abandoning the lives of his people. His only option would be to send people out to search, but those he sent out may have all met with misfortune."
"Are you saying my father... also tried before...?" Evita clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as she stared at the goblin.
"I think if your father truly wanted to stop you, that strong Centaur would have definitely dragged you back last time." Shire glanced outside the stone chamber. The Centaurs were currently being led on a tour of the entire Fortress by Shan Xi Ao. It had to be said, when it came to singing his big brother’s praises, the little goblin was far ahead of the curve.
"Now that you mention it, Big Brother Oreco definitely could have caught me." A corner of Evita’s mouth twitched. She knew he was right; that Centaur’s forest tracking ability was no joke.
"So, I think all that’s missing now is a chance to persuade your father," Shire said, setting down his teacup. "He won’t give the order rashly based on some ethereal tribal legend. You have to let him see—or let a good number of your people see—the real situation."
"But even if we go back, tell him everything, and he believes us, we’d still have to move under the cover of night. That would still cause a huge commotion and alert those Ogres and Earth Goblins." Evita shook her head, thinking Shire’s plan was flawed.
"This is you," Shire said, pointing to a wooden cup on the table. Then he placed a small teapot next to it and began his demonstration. "To the west, very close to you, is the Ogres’ camp."
"Right." Evita frowned, a look of disgust on her face. She had clearly been there, and the conditions were terrible.
"Then, based on what you said, I think the Earth Goblins’ camp should be here." Shire picked up a Little Tin Soldier, which was sitting on the table as a decoration, and placed it to the "west" of the teapot.
"They are very close to you. But what if," he dipped his finger in tea and drew a circle next to the cup, "you could get from here directly to this Fortress?"
"You mean..." Evita stared intently at the ring of water.
"You used a Teleportation Gate when you went to the Tree-man Territory, didn’t you?" Shire asked with a smile. Then, he picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip, looking perfectly composed.
"I did, but wasn’t that built by that Ghost Witch Mage?" Evita said, confused. She had indeed experienced a Teleportation Gate, and it was the first time in her life. She even thought such things must be incredibly difficult to build, perhaps something that was part of this underground Fortress from the beginning.
"They’re not hard to build. In fact, they only require simple assembly." Shire nodded, a very "gentlemanly" smile on his face. "I have several more in stock."
"So you want to build a Teleportation Gate in our village and teleport all the Centaurs here?" Evita cried out in surprise. He had only told her to go back and tell her father to pack their supplies, not that they would "migrate" this way.
"Yes. But it would mean abandoning your grass huts, and you wouldn’t be able to bring the tubers you’ve planted." Shire pointed outside the stone chamber. "There’s still a lot of space here for you to live temporarily. If the Centaurs don’t like living underground like we do, you can build your own huts around the Fortress exit once you’re settled."
"Besides, I have little goblins here who can help you plant those tubers. I imagine they’ll grow even better. And you won’t have to worry about the turmoil of migration. My people have plenty of food stored up and can help you through the difficult times."
Shire put on a "what a nice guy I am" expression. In reality, he was calculating how to bring all these Centaurs under his wing. Not only were they excellent Archers, but they could also establish a village at the Fortress entrance, which would significantly improve its security.
"It will only take one night. If you’re quick, you’ll be done in no time." He held up one finger, then added, as if it were an afterthought, "You can even bring those white stones you use to weigh down the corners of your huts."
"This plan... it seems..." Evita lowered her head and mulled it over for a few seconds. Then she looked up and asked, "Won’t the Ogres be able to come through the Teleportation Gate too?"
"No," Shire laughed. "They don’t know how to operate them, so they can’t use the Teleportation Gate at all."
"Alright, I think this plan could work." Evita nodded vigorously. She was incredibly glad to have met Shire. This method was simply unbelievable, a "migration" plan she had never even conceived of. She even felt that only the goblin sitting opposite her could come up with such an efficient and convenient way to move.
"Oh, right. I wanted to ask," Shire said, picking up the Little Tin Soldier from the table and fiddling with it, "has a Unicorn ever gone missing in your tribe’s history?"
"Uh," Evita thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I’ve never heard of such a thing. If a Unicorn is on the move, it will come to the village. It consciously guides us."
"Oh, then it’s nothing," Shire said casually. He didn’t say what he was thinking: that the Unicorn had come south to find him directly, and it might have something to do with the "Blessing of the God of Earth and Life" he had chosen earlier.
"But that’s not for certain," he muttered under his breath. ’After all, the Mother Tree was informed by ’Forest Whisper’ and sent a Tree-man to find me.’
’I’m starting to feel like this forest is alive,’ Shire thought, looking up at the ceiling. The blue, fluorescent Mushrooms were growing remarkably well.
"In that case, I’ll go find them," Evita said, putting down her teacup. "I’ll take some of my people to experience the Teleportation Gate a few more times, and then I’ll tell Big Brother Oreco about this plan."
"Good. I’ll also have my men build a Teleportation Gate for you, so you can see for yourselves how convenient it is." Shire jumped off his chair as well, preparing to find One-Eyed to get the construction started.
...
"You’re digging up tubers?" The goblin Scarface paced back and forth in the Centaur Village, his hands behind his back. He glanced at the wicker baskets the Centaurs had placed on the ground and asked casually.
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief," the Centaur Clan Leader replied cautiously, while signaling for a few of his tribesmen to pull one Centaur away. "The General ordered us to provide supplies. We..."
He paused, a look of struggle on his face. "We will certainly comply."
"Hmph," Scarface glanced arrogantly at the Centaurs. Although they were all taller than him, and could probably charge over and trample him to death, they could only swallow their anger and say nothing. The fact that the Centaur Clan Leader could only kowtow and suck up to him gave him immense satisfaction. "Bring me another Big-horned Deer. And none of the small ones."
He waved a dismissive hand, not even bothering to look the Centaur Clan Leader in the eye as he gave his assertive command. Scarface knew what these Centaurs were afraid of. As long as he had the Ogres and the Evil Throat Army at his back, he could enjoy delicious boiled deer meat, which was a hell of a lot better than boiled rats.
Finally seeing off the disgusting goblin, the Centaur Clan Leader called for everyone to continue digging up the tubers—to dig up as many as they possibly could. He then looked to the west, his eyes narrowing as the figures of the goblin and the Ogres gradually disappeared into the woods. He then walked into a grass hut. "Have you personally experienced that Teleportation Gate?"
"Yes, Clan Leader." Oreco nodded, and the few Centaurs beside him nodded repeatedly as well.
The Centaur Clan Leader thought for a moment, then took out a charcoal pencil and wrote a few sentences on a piece of paper. He then looked at Evita, who was standing in the corner.
"I’ve already told everyone to hurry up and gather supplies. We’ll try to take everything we can." The Clan Leader walked over to Evita and stroked the top of her head.
Then, Evita took out a small Copper Bell. After she rang it, a black Star Realm rift appeared in the middle of the hut, and a massive Star Realm Dog emerged before the Centaurs.
Evita handed it the slip of paper and said:
"Take this to your master. Tell him we’re almost ready."