- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 34
Chapter 34: The Goblin Tribe
The price of adamantine was incredibly high, and the conditions for its formation were equally strict. Generally, it could only be found in super-large iron mines, and even then, it was only a possibility, not a certainty. Thor had never expected that the large iron mine he had just acquired might actually contain the potential to produce adamantine.
After a moment of stunned disbelief, a look of excitement crossed his face.
He was so thrilled that he completely ignored the content of the fifth intelligence report.
But while Thor didn’t pay attention to it, soon enough, Steve came running over.
“Master!” Steve called respectfully, his voice tinged with excitement that he could barely contain.
“What happened?” Thor asked, noticing the joy in Steve’s expression. His gaze shifted away from the daily intelligence.
“Master, we’ve discovered a group of goblins!” Steve said, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, as if he was struggling to keep his lips from drying due to his overwhelming emotions.
“What?” Thor exclaimed, now fully attentive. He immediately stood up, the words escaping his lips almost involuntarily. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, Master, it’s true!” Steve nodded emphatically. “Please, follow me!”
“Alright!” Thor responded quickly. “Let’s go take a look!”
At that moment, excitement surged within Thor as well.
Goblins—those were goblins!
Goblins were also among the lowest ranks of orcs, and strictly speaking, they were part of the goblin race. However, they were quite different from ordinary goblins. Goblins were once slaves of giants, forced to mine Kaga ore for long periods. Their extended exposure to the ore had made them surprisingly intelligent. They became renowned worldwide for their expertise in engineering and alchemy.
Human alchemy, in fact, originally stemmed from goblins. Even today, human alchemy couldn’t match the skill of goblins.
Every goblin was a born craftsman and weapon smith.
Thor could hardly believe that, compared to the sixth intelligence report, the real treasure this time was the unexpected surprise from the fifth report.
When Thor arrived at the depths of the cave and saw the strange blue-skinned creatures that looked much like goblins, a smile broke across his face that he couldn’t conceal.
The value of a large iron mine was unimaginable.
Even without considering mithril or adamantine, the iron produced alone was immensely valuable.
But selling raw iron ore versus crafting it into black iron armor were two entirely different matters.
Although Thor had established a trade route with Rajos Assad, large-scale transactions of raw materials often led to problems. The best solution was to sell to the Habus Trading Company, but the price of iron ore, under the pressure of the Habus Company, was far from high—perhaps even laughably low. It would undoubtedly result in a loss of value.
Thor had originally planned to buy some blacksmiths from the Habus Trading Company or rely on his own knowledge from his previous life to tinker with the ore.
However, hiring blacksmiths would likely be expensive. The price of skilled tradesmen in the Habus Trading Company was enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle, and blacksmiths would cost even more.
As for his own skills, though it was iron mining, the laws of the two worlds were different.
He wasn’t confident he could produce anything worthwhile.
But now, none of those concerns mattered.
Goblins were the perfect blacksmiths.
Not only could they craft black iron armor, but they could also forge silver armor—and possibly even golden armor.
“Honorable knight, we can work for you. Please, don’t kill us,” said an elderly goblin, stepping forward and bowing to Thor with a nervous tone.
At that moment, the goblins were filled with tension.
They had previously been captured by the timid goblins and forced to craft weapons.
But they hadn’t expected that the timid goblins would soon be slaughtered by humans.
They had thought about escaping, but the heavy chains on their feet had made it impossible.
Now, trapped in the cave by the humans, they were filled with fear.
They were terrified they would be killed like the goblins.
After all, they were still part of the goblin race.
“Very well,” Thor replied thoughtfully, his gaze shifting to the elderly goblin leading the group. “I can promise you safety and even food and shelter. But you must work for me.”
“How about this: You will work for me for thirty years. After thirty years, I will grant you your freedom.”
Thor’s heart skipped with anticipation. Unlike ordinary goblins, these useful creatures were worth keeping.
The best way to ensure loyalty was through a slave contract, but given the importance of weapon crafting, it was safer to treat them more gently to avoid any unfortunate incidents.
As for the thirty years—Thor believed that after living in Eagle Ridge for a while, these goblins would likely prefer to stay in a safe and stable environment.
The Northern Province was chaotic compared to human territories.
Goblins were often enslaved wherever they went.
Even timid goblins had managed to capture them.
And if not goblins, other orcs or fierce magical beasts posed even greater threats.
In comparison, being under human control was their best option.
Most goblins were actually willing to work for humans.
Hearing Thor’s proposal, the elderly goblin’s face lit up with joy.
“Honorable knight, your mercy will surely be blessed by the Goblin God,” the elderly goblin said, bowing deeply. “I, Azach, am willing to work for you!”
“You’ve made the right choice,” Thor said with a smile.
For him, this was an unexpected but very welcome surprise.
Although there weren’t many goblins, having a dozen or so would be enough for the initial phase of his plans.
More importantly, these goblins could forge not only black iron armor but also high-quality black iron armor.
When the time came, he could sell these high-quality black iron armors through the trade route he had established with Rajos Assad, which would yield a significant profit.
This would give his entire territory a solid economic foundation.
No longer would it run at a deficit.
In fact, the increased income would enable him to further expand his territory’s development, creating a positive cycle.
Thor realized that, even in his wildest calculations, he hadn’t expected the surprise from securing this large iron mine to be so tremendous.
(End of Chapter)