Ken's return to the forest didn't go unnoticed. Both Simm and Surata were waiting on the outskirts of the forest. The four toddlers were sitting on a leaf mat, marvelling at the unfamiliar surroundings as they played without a care in the world.
Seeing his silhouette pop up on the curved dirt road, Surata hurried over anxiously.
"How did it go?" She shouted from a good distance away. Simm, on the other hand, didn't look as relieved as her. She slowed down after coming closer and scanned Ken from head to toe cautiously. Ken understood the gesture.
"It was very easy. I think I frightened him a little. No more problems for now," he said, the words meant to convey two meanings at once. For Surata, the literal meaning was enough. For Simm, the implicit arrogance in his tone was the real key. Both of them visibly relaxed upon realizing that the danger had likely passed.
"How did you convince him? From what I know about the Duke's personality, he isn't exactly flexible in dealing with his opponents. Even his own clansmen are careful around him." Surata sounded very curious about what had transpired between Ken and the Duke. He had never been explicit with his plans in front of them. Her interest was understandable.
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"It's a long story. Let's sit down and talk. You need to hear it for your own good..."
Her interest piqued further, Surata followed Ken and Simm to the border of the woods.
The three of them sat down in a circle around the children's mat. Ken began his story with a surprise for both listeners.
"What? An Epic Grade Divination Spell?!"
"He predicted a majority of our plans?"
"Not just any majority either," Ken said, smiling morosely. "He knew the most crucial parts of our plan, including your secret plan to storm the prison and snatch me away in case I failed to negotiate my freedom from the Duke."
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Surata's pale face seemed to grow a shade whiter. "How did you..."
"I pay sneaky visits to your manor every time I go to the city. Let's just say your preparations there are very telling. And the folks you've gathered to help you in that mission are pretty nervous about the plan. They're repeatedly discussing its details, questioning every move. Pretty convenient for an outsider like me to learn what they're talking about."
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Simm looked half-torn between appreciation and disdain. She could guess that Surata's daring rescue plan wasn't fully formed out of goodwill. She simply didn't want to lose her access to Ken's bloodline and whatever secrets it hid.
Still, going against the Duke was no different from rebelling in his territory. The gaze Simm sent toward Surata became a lot less hostile than before.
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"Naturally, the Duke took proper precautions against most of our plans. There wasn't much I could do, except admitting the truth and asking for leniency."
"Didn't you just say the Duke was scared of you?" Surata said, suspicious. "How did it turn into you begging for forgiveness?"
Ken coughed pointedly. "The way I begged was pretty scary. Quite similar to how beggars in the street tell you you'll be punished by their gods if you're not generous in handing out alms."
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"You tried to blackmail him? The Duke couldn't predict that with his spell?" Surata sounded increasingly skeptical of his explanation. Thankfully, Simm came to his rescue, saying, "Admitting the truth? You didn't tell that guy about the kids, right?"
Ken sighed. "I had no choice. To resolve the wrong I've done him in the Capera River incident, I had to promise him some incentives. Predictably, his animosity disappeared under his greed. More than the secrets of our bloodline, he's interested in the potential our kids can live up to. Even if they're crossbreeds, no warlord in this world is going to let go of an opportunity to recruit such freaks of nature into his camp."
"Don't call them freaks," Simm complained, annoyed at his wording. But as Ken glanced at her, a moment of mutual understanding passed between them in silence.
Surata had grown far too possessive of them, especially the children. To snare a Super Rank Goblin Duke into the equation was equivalent to placing her in a checkmate. If she harbored any ill intentions, for example, snatching a kid and escaping, she would have to contend not only against Ken and Simm, but also the Duke who controlled Shamrock City.
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"I don't really get it. Duke Roshoka isn't a forgiving person. He was convinced to let go of his suspicion and enmity towards you with some simple threats and what... an offering of four soldiers with high potential?"
Surata didn't know the details of the fiasco that had landed Ken in the situation, as Ken hadn't deemed it prudent to reveal so much to a member of another race. The parasite's clan was already enough trouble, adding vampires to the list of people who knew the Duke's war strategy was absolutely unnecessary. But she knew the Duke's character well, judging by her refusal to accept Ken's simple story.
"Indeed. I think you've misunderstood the issue between me and the Duke's men. It was serious, but not unresolvable," he said plainly. Surata could only accept the explanation despite her misgivings.
"Didn't the Duke want to verify your claims?" Simm said, casting her focus on the toddlers bumbling about on the mat chaotically.
"Of course he did. Which is why I now have an active, immovable tracker on my body, conveying my position to the Duke at all times. I have also been appointed as a temporary sentry of the Duke's towers. Being the expert negotiator I am, I even got you a job there, wife. It was pretty easy, as the Duke appreciated the addition of a Mutant-Rank goblin under his command."
"...What?" Both Surata and Simm looked stunned by the shift in the tone of the conversation. Ken didn't quite sound like a hostage being forced to work. If anything, he appeared delighted by the prospect.
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"Come, come!" Ken said, jumping to his feet with two toddlers wrestling on his arms. "We don't need to hide in the wilderness anymore! Nor do we need to worry about resources for our progress! Our magnanimous Duke will arrange it all for us! All we need...is a good disguise."