But there wasn’t really anything I could do about that right now.
Tomorrow, more shelters would be built, and eventually the rest of the clan would also get to sleep sowhere far more comfortable than tents.
This was only the beginning.
"Alright then, get so rest, all of you," I said while looking toward Caius and the others. "Tomorrow, we’ll be working nonstop, so prepare yourselves."
"Yes, Chief," they responded almost in unison.
After that, I gave a small nod before finally turning around and walking away from the area.
Honestly, by my standards, today had been an overwhelming success.
I woke up with garnets in hand.
Prevented a battle that could’ve easily turned disastrous.
Gained several valuable new mbers for the clan.
Successfully integrated both groups together through the tournant.
And sohow, against all odds, the day had even ended in a surprisingly festive atmosphere instead of bloodshed or tension.
A massive win overall.
Still, despite everything going well, I could feel the ntal exhaustion settling into now that things had finally cald down.
Today had involved nonstop thinking, negotiations, tension managent, observation, planning, and social interaction almost from beginning to end.
At this point, I didn’t even want to think anymore.
I just wanted to get back to bed, lie down beside Zarah, and fall asleep.
I headed back toward my quarters afterward, but partway through the settlent, I noticed Talia walking alongside several female goblins.
They were carrying bundles of blankets, pillows, and extra clothing in their arms while heading in the direction of the newly constructed shelters.
I imdiately narrowed my brow.
"Where are you going with all that?"
Talia stopped after hearing my voice before turning toward .
"I thought to give them so blankets for convenience."
The mont the words left her mouth, I shook my head.
"Take them back. They’re comfortable enough already. They’re sleeping inside an actual building while the others are still in tents. They don’t need all this too."
The female goblins imdiately obeyed after hearing my decision, quickly turning around with the supplies still in their hands.
But unlike the others, Talia didn’t move.
She remained standing there, staring directly at .
"What?" I asked after noticing the look she was giving .
Talia narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Aren’t you being petty right now? You were the one who allowed them to build the shelters, weren’t you?"
I stared at her for a second in disbelief.
"Petty? Did you just call petty?"
"Then what else would you call it?" Talia replied without backing down. "How can you get jealous over the outco of a decision you made yourself?"
Jealous?
That wasn’t what this was.
If anything, what I felt was closer to guilt than jealousy.
The goblins who had followed from the beginning had slept through cold nights in tents, fought beside , bled beside , and helped build everything this clan currently possessed from almost nothing.
Yet now, the newcors were already sleeping inside solid stone buildings while many of the others still lacked even basic comforts.
That feeling sitting in my chest wasn’t jealousy.
It was the uncomfortable realization that I still hadn’t done enough for the goblins who had been with from the start.
Of course, Talia wouldn’t understand what I was actually thinking.
But that wasn’t even the point anymore.
The point right now was sothing far more important.
I glared.
"How dare you call petty?"
Talia raised a brow, completely unmoved.
"Are you not petty?"
I opened my mouth to deny it. And imdiately failed.
Because unfortunately...I was, in fact, a petty person...goblin.
That was, admittedly, one of my many flaws.
Still, that wasn’t the issue here.
The issue was the sheer audacity she had to say it directly to my face without even pretending to fear a little.
I pointed at her repeatedly, struggling to co up with an actual defense.
"You..." I started before narrowing my eyes. "Watch yourself."
That was the best I could co up with.
If I weren’t so exhausted, maybe I would have thought of an actual argunt.
I turned and began walking away before she could continue the conversation any further.
But instead of stopping there, Talia followed after while still holding one of the blankets tightly against her chest.
I glanced at her with a frown.
’What did she want now?’
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke as we continued walking through the settlent beneath the dim nightti lighting.
Then Talia finally broke the silence.
"Aren’t you forgetting sothing important?"
I imdiately narrowed my brow.
"What are you talking about? What exactly did I forget?"
Talia shook her head slowly, looking genuinely disappointed in .
"I was right. You really do not value ."
I imdiately stopped walking and turned toward her fully.
"What kind of conclusion is that?" I asked with visible disbelief.
"And what exactly did I even do to make you feel that way?"
Talia shrugged lightly.
"I don’t know. Maybe because, despite knowing what I can do, you never ca to check on my work. Or because you still haven’t inford about the crystal I told you I needed."
She paused briefly before adding the final part.
"Or maybe because you still haven’t made an official mber of the clan."
I blinked once. Then frowned.
"I haven’t made you a clan mber?"
Talia simply stared at .
And that blank look on her face imdiately made sothing click in my head.
I pointed at her in shock.
"No, I did. Right?"
Talia said nothing. She just continued looking at with the sa expression, which sohow made the situation feel even worse.
And slowly, realization began creeping in.
...Oh.
I actually never did.
I imdiately opened my status interface and pulled up the list of clan mbers.
Then I checked it carefully from top to bottom.
Once. Twice.
There was no na called Talia anywhere on the list.
Not before Caius and the others. Not after them either.
My eyes slowly widened.
How the hell did I actually miss that?
"That’s why I said you do not value ," Talia said with visible annoyance after seeing my reaction. "I could’ve left for another clan at any point, and you probably wouldn’t have even noticed."
"Don’t overreact. Soone else would’ve noticed you were gone. I’m sure of that."
She snapped.
"That’s not the point!"
I blinked once at the sudden frustration in her voice before looking at her properly again.
Then, after a brief pause, I spoke more carefully.
"But you wouldn’t actually do that, would you? Leave."
Talia didn’t answer.
That silence imdiately bothered far more than it should have.
Because if she truly intended to deny it outright, she would’ve done so imdiately.
Instead, she stood there holding the blanket against her chest while avoiding my gaze for the first ti since the conversation started.
I slowly narrowed my eyes and asked again, this ti more slowly, my voice deeper than before.
"You wouldn’t do that, would you?"
Talia turned her face away slightly after...
User Comments
0 comments from readers