The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

Chapter 242: Chapter 215: Comedy Duo

The next time Little John saw Sofia, she was preparing to set off for Yangjiao Town, and this time, Little John was deliberately wearing a tricorn hat.

"Did you find out anything about that group of goblins?" Sofia had chosen to meet Little John at a coffee shop, mainly because it was quiet enough for her to lie down on the sofa and nap for a while again.

"Yes," Little John started to nod, but then he suddenly remembered Shan Xi Ao hiding in his hat and immediately froze. "I made a point to ask my Adventurer friends about it."

Across the table, Sofia gave the awkward "Medicine Gatherer" a strange look. "Are those goblins really that famous? You just ask around and find out where they are? Besides, don’t Adventurers just see a goblin and shout, ’Payday! Three Silver Coins!’ before charging right in?"

"Er, wasn’t it you who said it?" Little John laughed, covering up his earlier agitation. "To find a group of goblins that are well-hidden and can be reasoned with."

"But it came at a great cost," he said with a deliberate cough. "To get this information, I had to spend quite a few Gold Coins treating several groups of Adventurers to meals. You know, while the food couldn’t compare to what you get in Black Lion City, the drinks were the really expensive part."

Sofia nodded dubiously. The braid coiled at the back of her head had come a bit loose from her nap on the sofa before Little John arrived. Now, as she moved, the braid slowly unwound. "Don’t worry. If your intelligence proves correct, I can get you some extra Holy Water. That will certainly be good for your alchemy business."

"So, where exactly are those goblins hiding? I’ve searched the forest back and forth several times, and all I’ve run into are the kind that just go WAAAGH WAAAGH WAAAGH." Sofia propped her arms on the table with great interest. The steam rising from the coffee in front of her made her small, round face look even more adorable.

"They are indeed very well hidden," Little John said, keeping his body ramrod straight and trying not to move his neck. "But I’d like to know, why are you so intent on meeting these goblins? Is it just because they killed a Druid?"

"No," Sofia said, resting her chin in her palm. Her eyes, full of amusement, were fixed on Little John’s face, but her gaze drifted slightly upward, seeming to lock onto his tricorn hat. "Killing a Druid who defected from our Church is one thing. The main issue is that he was carrying some very dangerous things. Also, that Druid had committed some evil deeds in the past, and I need to confirm all of this myself."

"If that’s the case, then those goblins..." ’Next, I should ask about her deeper intentions and try to coax more information out of her. Once I have enough intel, I can go back and see the boss. He can decide for himself whether I should meet with Sofia again.’ Little John calculated.

"Let’s put the goblins aside for a moment," Sofia said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Why did you decide to wear a hat like this today?"

"Oh, it’s winter, you know. The weather’s getting a bit chilly." The corner of Little John’s mouth twitched. He could clearly feel Shan Xi Ao, perched on his head, nervously tugging at his hair. A moment ago, when he had been about to nod, Shan Xi Ao had suddenly yanked his hair, forcing him to change the subject to cover up his gaffe. "Let’s get back to talking about you."

Sofia tilted her head slightly, then extended a finger and flicked it toward Little John. A gust of wind immediately and gently blew the hat off his head. His face changed instantly as he slapped both hands on top of his head.

"Ah!" A shriek came from the top of his head, prompted by Little John’s action. Little John immediately yelped as well, trying to cover up the sound.

"Stop hiding," Sofia said lazily. "Not long after you sat down, I sensed a living being hiding in your hat. Don’t forget, I’m with the Earth and Life Church."

Little John lowered his hands with an awkward laugh. On top of his head, the little goblin Shan Xi Ao stood up, grimacing. Little John had used a lot of force in his panic, and it had genuinely hurt him. Rubbing his arm, Shan Xi Ao held his head high and said, "What do you want with my big bro?"

The moment those words were out, Little John could only let out a long sigh. ’It’s no use. The secret is out.’ Not that the little goblin couldn’t hide, but that their connection to Shire could no longer be hidden.

"Your big bro?" Sofia looked up slightly at the little goblin standing on Little John’s head. He had his hands on his hips in an imperious pose, though he was still grimacing slightly from the pain. "You mean your big bro is one of those goblins?"

Little John’s sigh made Shan Xi Ao instantly realize that his impulsive, indignant comment had let the cat out of the bag. He didn’t know how to salvage the situation, so he wisely shut his mouth and his posture wasn’t quite so ramrod straight anymore.

’How interesting. A goblin has actually become a little goblin’s big bro.’ Sofia thought, beaming as she sized up the two characters in front of her. One was a human Adventurer who thought he had everything under control. The other was a sneaky but kind-hearted little goblin who would even proactively join a party setting out to eliminate evil. And these two were actively and wholeheartedly sheltering an entire Goblin Race.

And this was for a "wicked" creature that the entire continent wanted to hunt down and kill.

"Sofia," Little John said, reaching up to grab the little goblin off his head and placing him on the table. His hair had been tugged several times by Shan Xi Ao, and though they had rehearsed this scenario several times on the road and in the inn, all he felt now was a sore scalp. "That goblin... he really does have his reasons."

Sofia watched Shan Xi Ao with great interest. While it wasn’t her first time seeing a little goblin, it was the first time she’d seen one in a place like a coffee shop. In her mind, these little creatures almost never appeared in such places.

At that moment, Shan Xi Ao, now on the table, stamped his feet a few times to test the table’s sturdiness. Seeing no danger, he boldly walked over to the coffee Little John had ordered. He even waved a hand in front of his face a few times, trying to waft the coffee’s aroma toward himself.

"I know. They’re goblins, after all. Afraid of contact with humans, just wanting to survive safely. That’s the first priority for any species, isn’t it?" Sofia said with a nod.

"Hmm, this aroma is a bit ordinary. Can’t compare to the rich fragrance of Golden Flower Tea," Shan Xi Ao said, shaking his head.

Hearing this, Sofia’s brow furrowed. She knew that Golden Flower Tea was a favorite of the Royal Family of Fran, and that it sold for a hefty price within the kingdom. ’The fact that this little goblin in front of me has drunk it... does that mean the goblin has come into contact with it too?’

Her intuition told her that these goblins were probably more formidable than she could possibly imagine.

"What I mean is," Little John paused, then continued, "the ’reason’ is that those notes have already been burned."

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