Chapter 47: Gobelins

Breakfast swallowed, a quick shower, a stop at the bathroom, and she was ready. Everything had unfolded with almost military efficiency, as if every minute already mattered, as if the world outside was just waiting for a single misstep to close in on her.

The barracks were empty. Too silent all of a sudden. An unusual, heavy silence, almost sacred, where even the walls seemed to be holding their breath. The tables still warm from the morning, the deserted benches, the weapons hanging on the racks... everything gave the impression of a hurried departure, of a life put on hold.

" The others left?"

"Yep. Nicky and Glen slipped out while you were washing up. Dad and D hit the road during the night."

He said it with disarming simplicity, without dramatizing, yet with a softness that felt almost protective. Argy had that rare talent: making things lighter without ever denying them.

She hadn't even been able to say goodbye... Very Kiyan of them. They closed the door behind them. The wood creaked softly, like a belated farewell.

Blanche took one last look at the scales hanging in the entrance, catching the morning light like fragments of dawn frozen in time. They shimmered with iridescent reflections, almost alive, as if pulsing with ancient magic. She hoped for a long moment that hers would be just as beautiful—before realizing they probably already were.

" You know... he wanted to talk to you before leaving, but he didn't know how you'd take it."

Argy's voice was gentle, without judgment, simply there—like a hand extended.

Blanche didn't answer. She didn't know herself. They set off.

Heading east, beyond a vast plain, the landscape slowly opened into something unreal. The grass rippled like an emerald sea, crossed by invisible waves beneath a warm breeze. In the distance, improbable rock formations floated a few meters above the ground, defying all logic, covered in luminescent moss. The sky itself seemed unstable, streaked with shifting hues—deep blue, then lavender, then almost golden at times.

Argy made her review the basics: spells, knowledge, the dangers of the world. He explained patiently, taking the time to rephrase, making sure she understood, never rushed, never annoyed. Phoenix had curled up against her neck under her hood, his comforting warmth contrasting with the strangeness of the world around them.

That was how she learned that after a first death, they all became sterile.

"What?! " she shouted, stopping dead in her tracks.

The wind itself seemed to freeze for a moment, as if suspended by her reaction.

" Yep. None of us can have children... biologically."

"So I'm doomed to have my period for nothing?"

Not to mention draconic heat cycles—which she didn't bring up. And all that with a man she didn't even love yet—she thought of Saphir—for nothing?!

"Yeah, but if you could avoid talking to me about that, Mom, I'd appreciate it..."

He added a small, awkward but sincere smile, without a trace of mockery.

Blanche sighed. The universe was definitely messing with her.

"Is it still far? " she groaned after hours of walking.

The scenery kept subtly shifting: translucent flowers opened as they passed, diffusing a soft glow, while insects with crystalline wings traced shimmering arcs through the air.

A sudden urge to murder crossed her mind. Argy twisted his lips into a sharp grin.

"One or two hours. Time's completely unstable here. Might as well use it to level up your skills."

He gave her a small encouraging pat on the shoulder, as if to say she could do it.

She smacked her forehead: of course! She focused on "flight" and "drain." Argy did the same thanks to the abundant flora—the temperatures were milder here, almost pleasant despite the strangeness.

She also learned that Argy wouldn't be moving on to his own mission afterward.

"Why?"

"I want to visit a friend among the ice elves."

Then he cut his hand without further explanation, his healing spell sealing it instantly.

They finally reached the goblins' underground tunnels. The entrance gaped in the side of a dark hill, like an open wound in the earth. The whole way, Blanche had followed a path ingrained within her—the system always guided them toward their mission. Goodbye free will.

The goblins were numerous, fairly easy to kill, but lived in narrow, low tunnels. The air was heavy, damp, thick with the smell of earth and confinement.

Argy settled on a rock, patient, relaxed despite the danger.

"So what do we do? "she asked after a while.

"We wait. They come out in waves of three every fifteen minutes. Unless you want to go in..."

His tone was calm, almost playful, as if he already knew her answer.

She looked at the dark, gloomy cave.

" No thanks."

She sat down beside him. He removed his cloak and bag, keeping his daggers ready. She did the same: in Epsilon, do as the Epsilonians do. In the Outworld...