As the enormous doors opened inward, Lady Estra was still watg the nameless goblin staring at his feet while muttering. The master charged in leading ten men wielding spears and crossbows aimed at the nameless goblin. The men surrouhe barrier and the nameless gobliched the crystalline barrier dissipate as the master stepped between them. Purple runes were fring on his robes as mana was eled through them.

  “You will be bsted into oblivion unless you step away from Lady Estra, vermin!” the master shouted hysterically while aiming a fioward him.

  The nameless goblin smiled self-depregly as he raised his hands in surrehe bastard dropping from his loose grip. The ten me out a collective sigh of relief as the sword nded in the sand. A few members of the crowd booed in disappoi.

  “There’s o be so rude. I’m more than happy to leave here,” the nameless goblin replied.

  “That be arranged. Get ihe transport cart’s cage and then we talk,” the master instructed.

  “Suit yourself,” he replied.

  The men followed him with their ons aimed in trembling hands. The crowd watched as he walked across the arena with his hands held in the air. A pair of the men separated to haul the goblin mage betweehey left the magic staff on the ground as they threw him ihe cage. The magie surrounding the arena faded away. The crowd began to bombard the guards with rotten tomatoes while calling out obsities.

  The nameless goblin looked at the men surrounding him, causing them to warily step backward. He smirked as he climbed into the cart. The nameless goblin ighe master eling mana from across the arena to close the gate and activate the magical lock.

  He walked past the groggy goblin mage to leap up and grab the iron ttice work bars above him. He braced his cwed feet against the ceiling as he used a free hand to tear a pieeat off the roasted phantom cat. Fetting about dignity he stuffed as much meat as he could into his mouth before tearing off another pied dropping to the deck. He sched his nose in displeasure when he caught st of the phantom cat’s waste destroyed by the goblin mage’s fmes.

  Eww, I still smell that fug cat’s filth. It’s ruined my appetite.

  The nameless goblin pleted chewing the meat in his mouth as he tossed the bit in his hand onto the goblin mage’s chest. The reddish-goblin’s eyes lit up as he hungrily tore into the flesh, dev it in seds.

  “Good to see that cat shit doesn’t ruin your appetite,” the nameless goblin muttered.

  “En?” The goblin mage looked at him with its head tilted slightly in fusion.

  “I fot that most of you goat-fuckers don’t live long enough to learn on. Fuck, I love that term. I’m stealing it,” the nameless goblin said to himself.

  “I speak,” the goblin mage replied hesitantly.

  “That is a surprise. Well, my new friend, we’re about to get royally fucked, and not in the good way,” the nameless goblin stated.

  The men with their ons aimed at him from outside the cage, parted for the master and Lady Estra to arrive. He gestured toward the cart and a group of arena sweepers took up position to push the cage.

  “Take them to my private office below the arena,” the master anded.

  “Yes, master,” the men replied in unison.

  They began pushing the cart backward, toward the portcullis which was being raised oher side by the pair of guards from earlier. The nameless goblin sat down and shifted to get fortable. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he waited patiently to reach their destination.

  ***

  They eventually arrived outside the private office at the opposite end of the hallway from the elevator ptform. There air of reinforced arched wooden doors. One side had a smaller door i with a closed iron slot at eye-level. The master took a key from inside his robe to unlock the rger doors as a pair of guards pushed them open. I was more for fun than fort. There was only an untidy desk and a simple bookshelf stacked with books and rolled scrolls taining ats. The master had a suite and an attached study upstairs for eaining guests, this one was for the day-to-day managing of the arena.

  “Leave us. What we are about to discuss is not for you to hear. Meurn to your duties. There is a rge mess to upstairs. Guards, wait outside. I will alert you if your services are needed,” the master ahe arena sweepers and guards.

  The me while pulling closed the rge wooden doors behind them. The master went to his messy desk and leaned over to unlock a drawer. He retrieved a purse and sat it atop the pile of papers. He carried the purse over to the elven maiden with an apologetic expression on his face. He gripped one of her hands and lifted it while attempting to gift it to her.

  “There is o return the gold, Master Chaplin. My retainers khe risk when they entered, as did I,” Lady Estra rejected the .

  “That is not my i, Lady Estra. The goblins are still alive and are now of no use to you. I wish to purchase them back,” Master Chaplin replied with a pg smile.

  “They belong to me. I’m not in the business ing on a deal, Master Chaplin. I have paid for them, thus they belong to me,” Lady Estra deed sternly with a frown.

  “Peace. I meant no offense. I inteo sell them sooner rather than ter. I’ve owhat one for almost a decade. He was old foblin before I bought him,” Master Chaplin said while pointing at the nameless goblin.

  “Tell me, goblin. I know you have a fluent grasp on on. What is your name?” Lady Estra asked.