Chương 58: Chapter 54

Sobelle carried one of the corpses back to the village while cutting off the ears of all the others. She told Chael about what she found and they went back together, the chief looked gravely worried when he saw the corpse. And Sobelle had a feeling that this development was completely unlike what he expected at all.

"These are tattoos," the chief gently ran his hand across the dotted marks on the Goblin's back. He frowned, "shaman. A weak one judging by the effects of these things, they barely boosted this goblin's abilities. We might need to worry if they have a Hobgoblin or a Pudge, which they will."

"Goblins have magic?" More than anything, Sobelle was surprised to learn that greenskins had their own brand of rituals. She hadn't thought of that at all.

"I thought they were dumb?"

"Most are, but Noggs and shamans are different, they are the type of greenskins who wield magic as easily as they breathe. Some of them even possess their own wraiths, assuming they know how to make and bind one to their will." The chief straightened himself and turned to a pair of men.

"Burn this, don't bury it. We'll only get cursed if you do." Sobelle watched them go, curious what the chief meant by getting cursed. It must have shown on her expression because the old man explained shortly after, "goblin shamans use the apparitions of their victims to do their mystical biddings, and so it is a very cursed form of magic."

"Oh." Sobelle wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

"Is it both men and women?"

"Quite so." Werren nodded. His face filled with anxious worry.

"Well, there's your answer..." The chief was about to leave when he suddenly stopped.

"... Don't go into the forest and hunt any greenskins for the time being, I know that we have limited time but it is best if you do not provoke them without allies."

"You want me to wait for my father to come back?" Sobelle immediately got what the chief conveyed. And when he nodded, she scoffed. Why was he always so worried about her? She was going to be fine. Yet despite her thoughts, Sobelle agreed anyway.

"Okay, fine. I'll stay here for now, I have something else to do anyway." That being figuring out how to remove her curse. She wasn't quite sure where it was but she did know where to start; Sobelle faced her... Lover? What was the relationship between her and Chael anyway? She wasn't quite sure. And she was too scared to ask the merchant to define it.

"Can you bring me to your family?" Sobelle wasn't stupid, she knew that besides her mother and herself, no one in this village was literate enough to cast a curse. Her mother was dead and she wouldn't dare curse her own being, so that leaves the newest family that arrived here. Chael knew how to read and write, so it wasn't farfetched to think that her father did as well. This thought process would have been almost impossible if they were in a town, or somewhere with an even bigger population.

But in this tiny village? Narrowing down on the suspects was incredibly easy.

"Why?" Chael looked genuinely confused so Sobelle assumed it wasn't her. Or at least she hoped it wasn't Chael, she wasn't sure what she'd do if it was ever revealed that the girl who had been trying to get close to her was the same one who dared to curse her with bad luck.

"I don't see the need for you to meet my family."

"I just want to talk to them." How vague could she get when it came to her motives? Surely Chael wouldn't pry any deeper than this right? The merchant was a lot of things, but nosey was not one of them. But just to be sure, Sobelle provided a lie to soothe Chael's worries, "I want to know about trade routes and other things, and maybe even buy a map from your father."

"That's all?" Chael tilted her head, eyes narrowed. She was suspicious, but couldn't quite read Sobelle. She slowly nodded, "if you want, then we can go to my father for such things. But do you realize that I know about those things already? I'm kinda mad you don't trust me enough to do that."

"I also want to buy a few things for myself." Sobelle bit her cheek, she forgot that Chael must have memorized the routes for her to be so confident in preparing her own wagon of goods.

"It doesn't have to be for trade routes, you know?" Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Maybe you're right." Chael huffed. She looked left and sighed, "okay, fine. We can go and meet my father. I don't see why you think that he'd be able to sell you anything however, seeing as my half brother is selling everything we own in exchange for the worst ale ever."

"Don't say that out loud." Sobelle looked around and checked if anyone heard the merchant.

"People will be mad at you if you say that the village's ale is bad."

"Yes, I know. But it's not something I can just deny. I hate how it tastes." Chael emphasized her point by sticking her tongue out and making a 'blegghhh' sound. She then shuddered, which made Sobelle believe her. Somewhat.

"I really don't see how you can drink such things without gagging. They are revolting."

"Well, that's because I don't drink." Sobelle pointed out something that Chael probably did not know. She proved correct when the merchant's eyes widened, she hummed, smirking.

"I'm not the type to get drunk, simply put."

"Oh." Chael looked guilty.

"I thought you were, I know I am. After all, it's part of my culture." That just sounded like a reason for her to drink but Sobelle didn't mention it.

"Alcohol is a huge part of my people's life, according to my father."

"Hm, really?" Sobelle wasn't sure what kind of group that was... Actually, she didn't know any other group besides the village she grew up with.

"That's interesting."

"Not really." Chael shrugged. She skipped to a tiny house.

"We're here by the way." She knocked.

"Look, before you go in there, I want to tell you that my father isn't exactly in the right state of mind right now, so it'd be best if you don't do anything rash."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sobelle wondered how bad it could be but all her expectations burned away when she saw the state the merchant was in. The merchant, when Sobelle first saw him, was a man who carried himself with dignity and intellect. He wore clothes that looked expensive and well kept, with designs made by proper seamstresses and buttons stitched into it, the seams were smooth. Well thought out. Not a single inch of it looked worn.

Gone was that image, and in its place was a broken shell whose beard had grown far too unkempt. He had bloodshot eyes, hollowed cheeks, and cracked lips. His skin looked dry, and a foul stench wafted off his person. The clothes he wore lessened in quality considerably, whereas before he had on him linen and wool, now he covered himself in hemp. And it wasn't as well made as the ones he had before this.

"C-Chael? You're alive?" He sounded like he had lost his mind.

"Where have you been?!" He grabbed his daughter by the cheek and checked her from left to right, he failed to notice the way Chael's face contorted in disgust.

"We have been searching for you! You need to come inside and fix yourself! We need you to—""Father, I am assisting Sobelle in killing the greenskins." Chael pushed herself off her father and wiped the areas she was touched with a disgusted look.

"Have you been well? You need to take better care of yourself."

"Goblins? We took care of them—""We?" Sobelle cut him off.

"We. Did you just say we? You did not help. You only brought those things to the village."

"I..." The merchant nodded. He didn't argue with her? That was strange. That happened a lot, but he just gave up.

"Everyone blamed me for bringing those things here, but what could I have done?!"

'Ah, so he was blamed and was forced to acknowledge it.' That would do it. Men have been broken for less. No wonder he didn't argue with her. Sobelle shook her head, she didn't want to antagonize the merchant before she got him to answer her questions.

"It's fine, I do not mind." Sobelle stepped inside the house and was immediately assaulted by the gut wrenching stench of feces and urine.

"What happened here?"

"My son... He- he has been drinking. I've tried my best to take care of him and tell him that everyone is going to be fine but he hasn't recovered. He needs help, actual help. I won't get it here but he refused to leave the village and I don't know what to do." He wept and Sobelle immediately felt disgusted. Why was this man weeping? Men didn't do that. It was far more disgusting than the state of the room.

"I see." Sobelle nodded. She didn't care. Really. Let the stupid boy drink.

"Maybe he'll stop drinking once he runs out of it?"

"No, t-that can't happen." The merchant shook his head.

"My boy will only get worse if that were to happen."

"Hm... Really?" Sobelle figured that was the case. The clothes this man wore no longer screamed money after all, "how about I exchange some of the chief's ale for a curse? Can you make me a curse?"

"Yes! Yes I can! Easily!" The merchant kneeled and grabbed Sobelle by the hands.

"I can do that!"

"So you can." She knew it.

"Did someone here ask before me?"

"Sobelle? I thought we were coming here to buy things?" Chael asked after a second of shocked speechlessness.

"This was what you wanted?"

"Yes." Sobelle carefully watched the girl's reaction and [Vibe Check] told her that Chael had some knowledge of what happened. She narrowed her eyes.

"You knew this whole time?"

"I didn't want you to hurt your sister!" Chael screamed defensively.

"M-my sister?" At that very moment, it was like Sobelle's world fell apart.

"What do you mean my sister? My own family cursed me?"