Chapter 235: Chapter 235

235 Departure

Furthermore, Ester didn’t mention a word as she caringly rubbed the slightly damaged Elsir. Ester felt sad after the only memento of her parents not only got damaged, but she couldn’t connect with her blade.

Ester didn’t know Elsir was in a dormant state and would remain for more than one year.

“Gobu?”

“Gobi?”

Two goblins questioned.

“Ester... W-what are you doing? Do humans like their food cold?” Iris asked the same questions the goblins staring with a puzzled frown had. Some goblins agreed and nodded.

“Vincent told me how freezing the food or covering the meat in salt will make the food last longer. But to be honest, I don’t know much because I never had enough food to preserve.” Ester informed.

“Gobbo!”

“Gobe!”

.....

“Goba!”

The goblins rushed over to Ester. They got down on their knees and started to beg as if she was their goddess. Ester flustered and ended up agreeing to freeze the bear meat, but only until she couldn’t anymore. Her mana didn’t completely regenerate after a night’s sleep.

The goblins hurried and went to tell the others. It didn’t take long to see a swarm of goblins slicing every piece of meat they could cut from the grizzly bear and great grizzly bear.

The two children Iris called trouble makers approached Ester with a smile. One of the two raised their hand and revealed a yellow jewel-like stone. It was the Earth Core Ester that forgot to extract while helping Lupa skin the bears.

“For me? Thank you.” Ester received the Earth Core and saw the two children looking at Iris with a pair of expectant eyes.

Ester giggled and took out two small pieces of cloth. “Here, wear them like your big sister. But remember to take them off if you feel too hot. The weather is warm.” The moment Ester extended her hands, the two excited goblin children swiped the cloth from her hands and wrapped them around their necks.

Iris blushed and stuttered, “B-big s-sister? I have no friends.”

“I know a person who only asked to be trusted, but he didn’t think those around him would think differently. Isn’t it quite similar? That person didn’t know those around him would fall in love. As for you. You don’t understand how these two children look up to you. ” Ester chuckled. She mentioned Vincent and how he acted in the past.

The two goblins understood Ester and nodded. They first hugged Ester and then hugged Iris before running away to show their new scarf to the few goblin children helping their parents.

Iris noticed Ester smiling at her. She blushed and averted her gaze. The moment Iris saw her father, she slightly nodded once and ran to her father.

Ester giggled and thought Iris was a fun and cute company to have, but ironically, Ester forgot how it was her that hid behind trees out of sheer embarrassment a couple of weeks ago. It was as if she was trying the leave the embarrassing past behind.

A few hours later, Lupa pulled the damaged two-wheeled cart with Vincent and the frozen bundle in her white wolf form. Ester offered to give Iris more time with her father, but Iris decided to go before it became more difficult to leave.

Iris waved her father and the tribe one last time. She turned around and closed her eyes. Tears started welling in her eyes, and soon, one tear after the other slid on her cheeks.

“Lupa, we can go. Iris has made her decision. We can only support her from now onwards.” Ester said.

Ester kept an eye on Iris, and after they walked far enough, she said, “Lupa, can you please stop for a moment. We need to look after our new sister.”

Ester turned around and suddenly embraced Iris, causing her to fluster from the sudden pair of arms holding her warmly.

Ester gently patted Iris’s back and said with a reassuring voice, “Iris, it’s okay now. Acting tough will not always make everything feel fine. Here, Iris, use my shoulder how you see fit.”

Iris tried her hardest to hold it in as much as possible, but a single tap was all it needed for the waterfall to wet Ester’s shoulders with tears.

*Waaah* Iris cried.

“There, there. Let it all out.” Ester gently patted Iris’s back and comforted her.

*Woof* ‘Why didn’t she cry in the cave? I don’t understand what humans and goblins think. Her father is alive, so why is she crying?’ Lupa thought.

As a wolf girl who didn’t experience a departure from living parents, Lupa thought crying should be left when departing after her parents die, similar to what she experienced at a young age.

After a while, Iris stopped and calmed down.

Later, the harem resumed, with Ester leading the way and Lupa pulling the cart with Vincent resting inside. Ester used the map and guided everyone in the correct direction while taking care of Lupa and Iris simultaneously.

As for Iris, she quietly followed without uttering a word unless asked. Iris became less open than before.

*Day 62*

*Day 63*

*Day 64 – Morning*

In the morning of the fourth day, Vincent squinted open his eyes. He felt sore, yet his body wasn’t in pain. He could slightly move his limbs, unlike the first time Overload tore his muscles so much that he became paralyzed.

Vincent noticed he was in a familiar bedroom. As his senses started returning, he felt a hand touching his arm. The hand was shaking for some reason.

Vincent slowly turned his head and saw a unique-looking goblin he had never seen before. However, the moment he took a better look, the light gray skin color with a reddish hue and a pair of unique mesmerizing jewel-like purple eyes, Iris flashed in his mind.

“Iris... is it you?” Vincent asked.

“Yes, it’s me... you finally woke up...” A tear crept into her eye as Iris became happy.

“Don’t be sad. It will ruin your cute face. It’s not like you didn’t hear my voice for a long time, hehe.” Vincent tried to calm Iris down.

Unbeknown to Vincent, he was taken care of by Ester, Lupa, and Iris for three days. Even if Vincent understood where he was, the new Iris was currently on his mind.

[Rise and shine, sleepyhead. You finally woke up after three days.]

[Three days of VIP massage treatment by a combination of herbs Iris created. In fact, Iris was preparing to massage you right now. Heh...]

[You could have enjoyed a great massage if you left your eyes closed. Watching Iris fluster every time she saw your naked body was priceless. Boo, boo, you party pooper.]

“Three days!” Vincent became so shocked that he couldn’t help but loudly blurt out.

*Thud, thud, thud... bam!*

“Vincent! You opened your eyes!” Lupa entered the bedroom the moment her ears picked up Vincent’s voice.

Ester, Tula with Plow in her arms, Lenn, Renn, Yula, and Ben, entered the bedroom next. Vincent felt slightly nervous, being the target of attention in the crowded one bedded bedroom.

Lupa, “My mate. I was waiting for you to get up. Let’s talk rewards.”

Ester, “Glad to see you’re awake again.”

Lenn and Renn, “Good morning, teacher.”

Tula, “Yey. Big brother is up.”

Plow, “Vincent Vincent. Lupa says lies.”*Pho*

Yula, “I heard you have been like this for three days. I’m glad you opened your eyes.”

Ben, “Good to see the main star is awake. But why do I feel jealous for some reason?”

Vincent didn’t know whom he should look at because everyone talked at the same time. He felt a headache as the ruckus rang in his eardrums.

*CLAP!*

Yula caught everyone’s attention and said, “Vincent just woke up. Why don’t we go downstairs, and I make a nice cup of tea? Let’s leave these fine young girls to talk with Vincent. ”

*Pho* “Yula Yula. Plow is also a girl. Plow wanna stay too.”*Pho!* Plow didn’t want to be left alone again.

“But mommy...” Tula pouted.

Yula lifted Plow from her daughter’s arms and said while placing the small blue fox on the bed, “It’s not like Vincent will leave without saying goodbye to my cute daughter.”

Yula turned her gaze toward Vincent and continued, “Or would he?”

[Wow. Is Tula’s mother one of those people who need to be placed in our do not piss off category?]

“Ahem, don’t worry! We will meet with you downstairs after I learn what happened. ” Vincent responded.

Yula nodded and asked for her children to follow her. Ben went downstairs with them, but not before he winked at Vincent and secretly raised a thumbs up.

Vincent, with Plow happily resting on his stomach, Ester, Lupa, and Iris, remained in the room.

Lupa wasn’t great at explaining, and it became even more impossible as she and Plow locked their gaze upon each other.

Iris didn’t try either. She shyly hid behind Ester. It was a familiar scene where the past Ester would hide behind Lupa.

Ester started explaining what occurred after he fainted. How he had to be placed on the cart and taken in the cave, and how Iris tried her hardest to create a pain-relieving and restoring combination of herbs.

Then Ester continued with how Iris changed because of Vincent’s blood and how she became a hobgoblin, but with one horn on the right side of her forehead. Ester informed how Iris’s father never knew goblins could have a horn. It was unheard of.

Vincent looked at Iris and thought she had become much prettier than the average human.

Iris looked thin and fragile, but Vincent didn’t mind her outer appearance because he saw firsthand how much selfless courage she had hidden inside her.