The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

"A family?" After Herbert poured him another half-glass of red wine, Shire waved to Mary at the door. "Could you boil some more hot water for me?"

Herbert also turned to look at Mary, flashing a "charming" smile. Thankfully, Mary had seen plenty of strange creatures up close, so her fear of the Vampire was gradually fading.

Shire, for his part, was long used to it. 'So what if his face is a bit gray and his teeth are a bit long? It's much better than being green, short, and bald like me.'

"I'm a Vampire of who knows how many generations," Herbert said, raising his stemmed glass and sniffing the red wine. "According to my 'father'—let's call him that for now; he always had me call him 'sir'—he mostly saw himself as just a guide."

"When I was about to come of age, my father repeatedly asked if I was willing to become a Vampire. If I disagreed, he would give me a large sum of money when I came of age, and I would leave the family to live on my own." He took a small sip of red wine and paused, as if savoring the fine vintage, but more like he was reminiscing. "If I agreed, he would turn me into a Vampire. After that, I could take over the family business and, at the same time, take on the responsibility of finding the ears for Jealousy."

"Your father..." Shire began, sitting on the sofa and looking at the Vampire before him. His hair had turned completely stark white. It was a different color from the hair of Bai Mao from his own Race; Herbert's looked more ashen and withered.

"I know what you want to ask," Herbert said with a small smile. "He wasn't my biological father. No Vampire would want their own child to bear this curse. I was a beggar as a child. My village was destroyed because of the wanton acts of a nobleman. I was still young then, only five or six years old, but I managed to run to the nearest town and survive."

He looked up at something, then lowered his gaze to the goblin before him. "I'll never forget that night. Just as I was about to be attacked by a few stray dogs, my father appeared before me in a black Cloak."

"So that's how your family continues its line?" Shire looked at him, his interest piqued. 'This is definitely not what I imagined.'

"Yes. According to my father, it's been this way for many generations before him," Herbert said, slowly swirling the wine in his glass. The rich aroma filled the parlor. "And only those who agree to be turned into a Vampire can inherit the family's surname."

"So what's your family name?"

"Chenxi," Herbert said calmly. But in his eyes, Shire seemed to see a complex mix of emotions: pain, hope, and resilience.

"That's a fine name, Mr. Herbert," Shire said, offering a smile in return. 'There must be a deeper meaning to it.'

"Of course. Our family wasn't originally called this, but over hundreds, even thousands of years, the original surname has long been forgotten. Now, we use Chenxi as our name." Herbert pressed his lips together, seeming to Control his emotions. "Doesn't it sound a bit ridiculous? A family of Vampires using Chenxi as their surname."

"Uh, to be honest," Shire said, leaning back slightly, "I don't think it's a big deal. Most of us goblins don't even have family names. Our names are just labels."

"I apologize," Herbert said immediately upon hearing Shire's reply. Seeing Shire wave a hand to show he didn't mind, he smiled and continued, "This surname represents a ritual in our family. If a Vampire no longer wishes to live, they will quietly await the rising sun at dawn. Then, in the first light of morning, they are burned to ash."

Shire's brow furrowed slightly as he watched the Vampire. Herbert was actually smiling as he spoke, gazing at the red wine in his hand with an almost tender look. It was as if he were recounting an encounter with a Beautiful Person whose beauty left him utterly captivated.

"Surprised?" Herbert took a small sip of red wine. "From the moment we become Vampires, we are destined never to walk in the sun. We can only subsist on blood. And while we possess powerful Blood Magic and can live for a very long time, we do eventually grow old. The process is just incredibly long. Throughout our lives, we must constantly move from place to place. Otherwise, we'll be targeted by the Death God Church and those annoying Bounty Adventurers."

"But what no one ever realizes is that we are the Race that craves the sun the most. We too long to walk openly in the sunlight, to greet passersby, to pull candy from our pockets and toss it to the children in the street." Herbert gave a bitter smile. "But something so simple for other humans is an impossible dream for us."

"You age, too?" Shire tilted his head, studying the Vampire across from him with great interest. He had always assumed that a Vampire's form was set in stone the moment they were turned.

"Of course. We grow, and we grow old," Herbert nodded slightly. "But it takes a very long time. So long that no one wants to live that long. The feeling... it will break you. For safety, you're forced to leave everyone you care about, to lie alone and desolate in a coffin or a twin bed, your mind endlessly replaying everything you've experienced over the past decades, or even centuries."

"That solitude in the dark... it will kill you in the end." He sighed and set down his wine glass. "My father walked right into the sunlight, right in front of me. It was a spring morning, the air still a little chilly, but he took off all his clothes, spread his arms wide, and walked out. He embraced the sunlight, and with it, he embraced death."

Shire didn't speak. He just watched the Vampire opposite him calmly. He could sense that Herbert wasn't in pain as he spoke those words; instead, there was a trace of relief in his voice.

"So, I must ask for your help." Herbert slowly rose from the sofa and stepped to the side. He solemnly knelt on one knee and said gravely, "Please, you must help me find those damned ears and break the 'curse' of our Chenxi Clan."

Shire didn't answer. Instead, he glanced over at Mary, who was approaching with the hot water. She placed the kettle on the coffee table, then retreated a few steps.

"Mr. Herbert," Mary said softly, "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I wanted to say... I've had that kind of desperate experience before, too."

She glanced at Shire on the sofa. The encouraging look in his eyes gave her the resolve to continue.

"All I want to say to you now is, don't give up hope."

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