As Sparkle and I entered the room, a loud buzz of conversations filled the air, voices overlapping in a cacophony of chatter. Bubble was in the midst of a group, engrossed and animated, until her eyes caught ours. As we approached, the murmurs began to die down. She detached herself from the group and met us halfway, her expression shifting to one of earnest expectation. By the time we reached her, the room had fallen eerily silent, all eyes on us.

  Sparkle leaned in, her whisper barely audible as she relayed the recent events to Bubble. Bubble's eyes widened in shock at the news, but she quickly regained her composure and gave a subtle nod of understanding.

  “We thank you and can never repay you for your actions. We are forever grateful,” Bubble said, while Sparkle remained silent. “We do need another favor from you if you are willing.”

  Before I could even say anything, Sparkle broke in saying, “You cannot leave.”

  I moved my hand toward my pouch, but didn’t put it in. I wasn’t sure what they had planned, but I wanted to be prepared.

  “She is right. We need you to stay,” Bubble reiterated.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Even the men we have on our side refuse to follow a woman. After you left, we reached a compromise with those we could persuade to our side, making it more palatable for you to become our leader."

  While I appreciated the offer, I disliked that they wouldn't make a woman their leader just because of her gender. Then again, I wouldn't want Bubble or Sparkle in that position either. Bubble was so concerned with maintaining the status quo that she would keep everyone enslaved just to save lives, whereas Sparkle, whom I didn't know well, seemed ready to kill every man in pursuit of revenge.

  This seemed to be unfolding as Rabbit had predicted so far, but I had some doubts because I was not a Goblin.

  "Wait," I said, as this was my understanding, "the Goblins wouldn't accept an outsider as their leader. Isn't that why they'd all try to hunt me down after I killed Rock?" I knew that any Goblin who assassinated their leader would become the new chief. However, any non-Goblin would be challenged until most of the Goblins were dead or until that outsider was killed.

  “Last night was a bloodbath. Goblin turned on Goblin, and it was an all-out war on the streets. After most of the challengers were bleeding out, the women and those loyal to us arrived with weapons. The men, at first, tried to disarm us,” Bubble started.

  Sparkle intervened to say, “We never gave in, though. Those who fought had a chance and strength because of our numbers and the knives you gave us.”

  “Yes,” Bubble jumped back in, “Some of the men wouldn’t surrender, but a majority of them chose to follow you instead of dying.”

  “But wouldn’t they challenge me until they all died or I killed them?” I asked because I doubted it would change anything if we healed them, only for them to end up attacking me.

  “No,” Sparkle replied, “because you already won the challenge. Everyone that had surrendered or is being healed has already pledged allegiance to you and your rule. Those who didn’t accept your rule were ended.”

  It seemed harsh, but I agreed with their methodology. “How can you trust their word?”

  “While I do think some of them might want to turn the second they are healed, the whole point is they couldn’t, even if they wanted to. If anyone challenged you, they would be breaking their oath. As a group, they wouldn’t do it. However, as an individual, they might,” Sparkle warned. “But I believe they won’t do it because they heard that you defeated Rock and his guards. More than that, when dozens of guards chased you, you didn’t only escape, but you killed every single one of them. Even more so, you are so powerful that you walked right out of the control room as if you were taking a stroll through a cave. Your clothes speak to the power that attacked you, so I know this is true. Any challenge would be certain death. I hear the males are calling you The Lightning Slayer. I don’t know how any of this is possible, but that alone changed several opinions, from grudging respect to an amount of admiration.”

  "This is something we have already agreed upon," Bubble said. "We gave you the choice of trading your weapons for some women. Alternatively, if you help us, we will give you anything, as long as you agree to set an age limit on marriage and not kill any of us. You have done your part, and we owe you everything." She beckoned some women forward. "You can choose anyone you want. These are some of the best women we have. Since both Sparkle and I were with Rock before, we will be yours as well."

  This was turning into the oddest conversation I had ever been in. "When did I offer to trade women for my weapons?" I asked Rabbit in my head, half-rhetorically.

  "Well, they did say they would give you as much as they could for the weapons," Rabbit replied. "Seeing as the women didn't have any real possessions, I guessed that's what they meant. They could explain why some women were mysteriously dying, but couldn't account for valuables missing from the city. Now that you've defeated the old leader, you have a claim on all his belongings and those who died following you."

  I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to find the right words to say to these goblins. "If I take the position as your leader, will that mean everyone will accept my rules, no matter what I say?"

  "Within reason," Bubble replied.

  "We agreed on no child marriages. We will also make a new rule that people are not property." Seeing their blank stares, I realized I needed to elaborate. "That means women cannot be traded, sold, bought, or fought for. Furthermore, every woman and man would have the right to choose whether or not to be with someone."

  "You mean going forward, after you choose your prizes?" Bubble asked for clarification.

  “No, not going forward. If you are currently married or owned by someone and don’t wish to be, then you are free. Listen, this whole thing won’t work unless everyone is treated like a person rather than an object.” As I glanced back toward Blanket, it dawned on me that these women had endured so much oppression that they never dared to dream of freedom for themselves. Yet, they were willing to fight tooth and nail for their children to have even the smallest taste of liberty. I wasn't sure if they fully grasped my ultimate goal for them. I wanted to grant them the power of choice, a fundamental right they had been cruelly denied.

  The atmosphere in the room was thick with anticipation, a hum of whispered exchanges filling the air. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, eyes glued to our conversation. Bubble and Sparkle huddled together, their voices low and urgent as they conferred, paying no attention to me. And there I stood, a towering figure above the rest. I noticed several men in the room, quieter than the women, but still casting their own considerable shadows. I surmised that they must be the loyal men who had survived the initial onslaught against Rock and his guards.

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  Eventually, Bubble stopped arguing with Sparkle, who looked worried. “We are concerned the men won’t accept it,” Bubble informed me.

  “I don’t care,” I said instinctively, not thinking my words through. If I had the power and had to command these people down a better path, I would do it the right way. “I did a great task for you, and all I wanted was freedom for all. Yes, people won’t like it, but if you’re telling me I have to accept your children born into subservience without choice, I won’t. I fought for something, and so did all of you. Don’t let it be for nothing.”

  “But what if they don’t agree?” Bubble insisted.

  I pointed to one of the men and asked, "What do you think?" However, this wasn't a fair comparison because these men cared about giving the women more freedom. They were willing to help when needed. They were the kind of people who would use their power to assist those who had none. As a result, they were considered lower in their society because they didn't share the prevailing views.

  The male Goblin stumbled on his words while saying, “M-my lord. No offense, but I wouldn’t want to lose my wife.”

  From another section of the room, a woman spoke up and said, “My love, I would never leave you.”

  A radiant smile spread across the man's face, his eyes glistening with unspoken emotion. It seemed that deep down, he had always questioned whether her feelings for him were genuine, or if she only said those things to gain his favor because she felt she had no other choice.

  With her heartfelt declaration, any lingering doubts were washed away, and his heart soared with the knowledge that the person he cherished most in this world truly loved him back. The raw emotion in his eyes was a testament to the power of that simple, honest confession, and the connection between them was palpable in the air. “Then yes, I would accept that rule,” he said while smiling and looking at his wife.

  “See? Those who don’t want to accept it are probably going to be dicks in the first place.” I got strange looks for my comment on them being dicks, but I pressed forward. “But to those who are truly good people, why wouldn’t their spouses agree to stay with them?” My voice echoed throughout the room.

  “I want my freedom,” Sparkle said, and other women joined her. “We have the numbers. We have already won. I am with Alf. I want a choice for my children. I want a choice in my life.”

  The words became defining as not every woman agreed, fearful of the men, but a good number of them were on my side, so I held up my hands, and it all calmed down.

  “Listen. You all don’t agree, but this is an order,” I announced sternly. “This is my city, and you all agreed to follow me. Will you disobey my orders? If you do, that is fine. I will give anyone who doesn’t want to live with these rules a chance to leave.”

  The room fell into a hushed silence as the Goblins, accustomed to a strict hierarchy, absorbed my words. Sometimes, stepping out of one's comfort zone was necessary for growth and positive change, and over time, people could adapt to new circumstances.

  I recalled a childhood memory of pleading with my father not to send me to camp, fearful of the distance and the unknown. But he insisted, and by the end of the camp, I had enjoyed myself so much that I wished I could stay longer. At times, all people needed was a gentle nudge to overcome their fears, although some might hold others back due to their own apprehension. Ultimately, I wasn't taking choices away from anyone. I was merely presenting them with the freedom to decide their own paths.

  “What about the warriors that aren’t healed yet?” Sparkle asked. “The majority is not going to die anytime soon, but if we stop healing them, they won’t last long.”

  “If they don’t want our rules, then they don’t get our help. We will let them leave and not harm them, but we won’t help them. However, don’t tell them this until after they've made their choice. I only want those who want to be here,” I said coldly.

  I knew I was being harsh. Before I came to this world, these choices would have been unheard of. In our world, we were generous even to our enemies. This, however, wasn’t our world. If they didn’t want to allow these women to have freedom, then I wouldn’t be giving them any charity. On a positive note, I wouldn’t try to harm them, but if these people were serious about me leading them, I would do the best I could.

  Truthfully, the responsibility of leading these individuals felt less like an honor and more like an overwhelming chore. I could comprehend the appeal of commanding a loyal legion of human warriors, but my current situation felt as if I were tasked with supervising a high school with its various groups. The female members of this society, long subjugated and untrained, lacked the combat experience necessary to protect themselves. While I could consider them loyal, it was only because they needed me more than I needed them.

  The other faction consisted of male Goblin warriors who had reluctantly accepted my leadership as a means of survival. Their obedience was not rooted in true loyalty, but in their recognition of what they perceived as my superior strength. However, this perception was not entirely accurate. While I had indeed killed their previous leader, his lack of armor and weapons played a significant role in my victory. The guards accompanying him, although not as formidable, were no pushovers either. The Goblins who were with me had distracted the guards and worn them down until I joined in to fight them.

  The victory I achieved was more of a surprising turn of events than a display of sheer might, and the Goblins remained unaware of the full circumstances. Moreover, I hadn't personally killed any of the Goblins pursuing me. Instead, they all met their end in that death trap. With no survivors to reveal the truth, my apparent strength was further bolstered by my deliberate theatrics. I strode through the lightning, the air snapping and sharp with ozone, and my significant resistance made it look effortless. The Goblins regarded me as a powerful figure, but in reality, aside from my size advantage, my strength was not significantly greater than that of most of them.

  If the group of male Goblin warriors discovered the truth, some would have turned on me in an instant. It was a classic case of doing a job no one else wanted. I considered abandoning them. After all, they weren’t my responsibility. Yet I feared that the moment I left, they would once again take advantage of the women. I also feared that leaving them to fend for themselves would make them vulnerable to the Union.

  Especially after so many of the male Goblins had died, I doubted they could resist a Union invasion. Perhaps I could somehow persuade the Dwarves to form an alliance with the Goblins. With the two races working together and the city’s resources, we’d stand a chance.

  If all these pieces fell into place, I might establish a defense against external threats, helping to prevent these groups from being killed or enslaved. However, taking on such a role would be a relentless challenge that I did not relish. It would constantly divert me from my primary goal of returning home, offering little of value in return. Yet, as Rabbit pointed out, with the Union seeking my head, remaining here might allow me to keep it longer.

  “I agree. If the warriors don’t want your rules, then they don’t get our help,” Sparkle said with a smile. She had always been less sympathetic to the people who treated her like property. I guess that was because she loved her first husband, who was killed as a result of someone’s fancy over her.

  It was a harsh reality when someone good was murdered for selfish reasons. This complexity also made it difficult for me. The group of male warriors wasn’t purely self-interested but a mixed bunch. I couldn’t simply execute them all and move on. Some were merely trying to integrate into society, maybe even with the desire for change. The future remained uncertain, and altering the rules might help settle things, or it might not.

  Sparkle then pointed at the women in front of her and commanded, "Tell this to the others and make sure the healers only help those who follow these rules. Today, Alf gave us our freedom. Thank you, my lord." She bowed, and the women followed. With a moment of hesitation, the men bowed as well.

  As the women Sparkle had addressed hurried off to relay the message, I took in the room. Despite the sizable crowd, it contained only a fraction of the Goblin population. There were fewer than a hundred individuals present, with hundreds more scattered throughout the city. Time was a luxury I couldn't afford. I hadn't had a chance to meet everyone or even tour the city, but the pressing need to find my traveling companions weighed heavily on me.

  They must have been wondering what had happened to me, just as I was about them. For all I knew, they could have been out there trying to find me. It had already been a full day since I last saw them, and every moment we were apart increased the risks they might be facing. I readied myself to leave, driven by the pressing need to find and regroup with them as quickly as possible.