79 Chapter 79 (2/2)

Erit brought her dainty hands to her face and stifled a laugh in a reserved yet alluring manner.

”Pfft... Master, you're making a funny face.” Erit could no longer hold back her laughter as Aerwyn's expression suddenly changed to bewilderment.

”How do you expect me to trust you after this?” He asked.

”The moment you looked at me with eyes full of suspicion, doubt was already in your mind, I simply decided to show you how silly it was. If nothing else, you can trust in the fact that you're the only being in this world who can give me what I desire. In the meantime, all I can do is prove to you that I am deserving of your trust and generosity.”

Surprisingly enough, Aerwyn was actually relieved by this result. As Erit said, he couldn't be entirely sure that he had control over her. By claiming that their interests align, then at least if she wasn't under his command, she would still be an ally as long as her interests were taken into account. Still, Aerwyn couldn't help but wonder that her answer, despite being a tad extravagant, was precisely what he wanted to hear.

If she had truly claimed she wanted nothing, he would've been far more suspicious of her since it was now clear that at least Rorik and Erit both had a troubling amount of free will. The thought that Erit was still somehow manipulating him gave him a chill. Much like the question of whether or not she was under his control, it was an endless loop of doubt that wouldn't get him anywhere.

”Very well.” Aerwyn declared, to which Erit simply revealed a smile. She didn't say a word as she walked past him and went below deck.

Aerwyn avoided saying too much, fearing that a threat might widen the rift between them and only push Erit towards betrayal even if she was telling the truth. He would give her a chance as Aerwyn didn't see anything for Erit to gain by betraying him at the moment, but nevertheless, he would remain wary of her.

As Rin and Ren came running over to him, Ardin came into sight downriver, and now he had to deal with the next matter of concern. The broken harbor could only fit half a dozen ships at best, and without a port, the ships required a suitable place to land, such as a beach that wouldn't damage the bottom of the ships.

There was a small area a couple hundred meters north of Ardin that was suitable for landing, but it could only fit one or two ships at best. The rest would have to continue south and find their own, but unfortunately, that would keep him from immediately marching north to claim more ships. At least, Aerwyn had already dealt with the goblins in the surrounding areas, so even if the ships were left unattended, they wouldn't be at risk of being stolen or destroyed, at least he hoped.

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Aerwyn reached out to the captains of each ship through the darkness, ordering the other three merchant ships and two of Earl Abery's to dock at the harbor while directing the rest to find locations as close to Ardin as they could find. By the time he was finished sending out orders, his ship had docked, and the undead were already unloading the loot from the ships.

The surrounding area around Ardin appeared empty despite the nearly six hundred elves living there that had escaped from Lyr. Aerwyn assumed they were probably hiding, believing the ships to be another human attack. Joined by Erit, Rin, and Ren, he made his way to the only functioning gatehouse in the city and was met by Frakki.

”How are my goblins?” Aerwyn asked as he walked into the empty city.

”G-great one, I'm afraid seventeen were lost before I arrived. It appears the others sacrificed them for food. The good news is that they were all males, so the females were successfully able to give birth. I've already taken a count of the newborns, there are three hundred and forty-six, with three females that have yet to give birth.”

”Perfect. How long until the females can breed again?” Aerwyn was giddy about the news. His goblins would make up the bulk of the labor required to turn Ardin into a regional power within the Forsaken Lands.

”I-i would say t-two weeks maybe three if taking the side of caution.”

”Ok. Before we head back north, I'll be leaving Bon, his disciples, and Kabba here with you and Jinn to help out. In the meantime, help Tylin get the elves situated as they'll be joining us for the time being. Also, I want to add two hundred of the newborns to the breeding program as soon as they're able.”

”Great one, there is one problem... Goblins require a substantial amount of food during their growth period and-”

”That's fine. I'll leave the spiders to you, they can't row so they'll be little help with the ships anyway.”

”Yes, great one.”

As they walked through the empty city, Aerwyn could see makeshift tents and structures surrounding his broken spire in the city square. What started as one elf peeking out from a tent quickly spread, and by the time Aerwyn arrived at the square, a few hundred elves were outside sending curious looks his way.

”This is a good opportunity to make yourself known among the elves of Lyr, master... Perhaps a simpler approach might work better than your speech on the ship.” Erit giggled, poking fun at him as if nothing had changed between the two.

”...I was planning on it.”