Interspecies Training Manual

The sky was still overcast.

Luo An got up very early today, sat in front of the door, and finished his morning exercise.

"Master, the people in the forest have disappeared."

Celia came over carrying a cup of hot milk and a long loaf of bread.

She thought her owner was still asleep.

"Gone? When did that happen?"

Luo An soaked the bread in milk and then ate it.

He quite likes eating bread soaked in milk.

"I checked on him once before I went to bed last night, and he was still there then."

Celia recalled, "When I woke up this morning, I checked again but there was no breath."

"It happened during this period."

Looking at the dark forest, Luo An wondered, "Could this be just a temporary departure?"

"I have considered that possibility."

Celia followed her master's example, soaking bread in milk and taking a bite, which seemed quite good.

"I went there earlier, and there was no trace of anything there."

"He erased the remaining scent, which shows he didn't want us to notice. If he was just leaving temporarily, there would be no need to erase it."

Luo An finished his breakfast in a few bites and looked at Celia.

"Since no one is watching the forest, let's go there now to find monsters."

The original plan was to go into the forest once every two weeks, but Luo An didn't know if the person would come back after leaving.

He needs to hurry; if he goes back, things will get complicated.

Luo An led the bull over, walked up to Celia, and extended his hand.

"Get in."

Using the leverage of her hand, Celia sat down behind Roan.

"Master, isn't it necessary for someone to stay and watch over the farm?"

Luo An waved his hand, "Since Brian sent people to observe us, he probably won't make a move easily again."

"Let's go, the sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back."

The bull carried the two of them into the forest.

The air in the forest was damp, and the faint light dimmed.

Celia's eyes surveyed her surroundings, and there were faint signs of magical energy flowing around her.

After the two people and the ox had been walking through the forest for about four hours, Celia suddenly patted the ox's thick back.

"Niu Niu, stop for a moment."

The green-haired bull stopped in its tracks upon hearing the sound.

Besides Roan, it also listens to Celia.

She prepares plenty of food for it every day.

Bull consistently performed well in front of these two.

Celia went down first and whispered, "Master, there are a lot of monsters ahead. Niu Niu is too big and will be easily noticed."

"Let it wait here for now, let's go over and see what kind of monster it is."

The two slowed down and carefully made their way through the jungle.

After walking about a hundred meters, Luo An could vaguely hear sounds coming from ahead.

A sharp, familiar sound.

Celia parted a clump of grass and squatted down with Roan.

Through the gap, they saw a clearing in the woods.

A bonfire was burning in the open space, and a small platform made of bones was set up in the center.

A goblin shaman, draped in animal skin and holding a bone staff, stood on the platform.

It had several brightly colored feathers stuck in its head and a fang necklace around its neck, and it was talking to the twenty or so goblins surrounding it.

The goblins below roared wildly and pounded the ground with their weapons.

It looks like they're performing some kind of mysterious ritual.

"What are they saying?"

Luo An leaned close to Celia's ear and asked in a very soft voice.

Celia listened intently, unaware that her master was extremely close to her at that moment.

"Master, this shaman is conveying the tribal chief's orders."

"It said the chief would be back soon with his men, so all the goblins could gather as much food as possible over the next two weeks."

"On the day of the harvest, these things will be offered as a gift to the goblin chieftain."

When Luo An first heard the term, he asked in confusion, "What is the day of harvest?"

Celia organized her thoughts, "It's a grand festival that the goblin tribe holds regularly, with no fixed interval—it could be a few months or even several years."

"At that time, goblins from various tribes will gather together, bringing the food they have collected, for a seven-day carnival."

"carnival?"

Roan never expected that the goblin tribe had such a custom.

"To be more precise, it's a form of communication."

Celia explained, "Each tribe will display the spoils they have acquired, and there will be trade, marriage alliances, and the resolution of old and new grudges between the tribes."

"Harvest Day is the grandest festival of the goblin tribe."

"If there is no chieftain, during the harvest season, the chieftains of the various tribes will compete to elect a chieftain to lead the entire Goblin Tribe Alliance."

Luo An suddenly realized.

Goblins are low-level monsters that live in groups. A single goblin is not a problem, but when they come in groups, they become very troublesome.

Roan couldn't even imagine what a spectacular sight it would be if a whole tribe of goblins acted together.

He saw Celia frowning, her elven ears drooping slightly.

"What's wrong?"

Celia did not answer immediately, but listened intently.

"Master, on this harvest day, the tribes have reached a consensus that they will elect a new chieftain."

Seeing her solemn expression, Roan gently patted Celia's shoulder. "What will happen if a Great Chief is elected?"

Celia's thoughts drifted to the distant past.

"When I was very young, my tribe was attacked by a tribal alliance led by the goblin chieftain."

"Endless goblins surged out of the forest, led by the Great Chieftain. They were fearless, and even when their companions were torn apart by magic, those behind would still charge forward, stepping over the corpses."

"We relied on the magic of the elves and fought with all our might to barely repel them. The tribe paid a heavy price for this, and many of our people died in that war."

"To prevent further goblin attacks, the tribe began a long migration, moving from the north of the Loran Great Forest to the south."

Celia looked at the frenzied goblins in the clearing and worried that something big was about to happen in the forest.

"After the new chieftain takes office, in order to consolidate his position and win over the hearts of the various tribes, he will definitely launch a large-scale war of plunder, using victory and spoils to establish his prestige."

"Other tribes in the forest, and the territories of human empires, could all become targets for their attacks."

Luo An's expression became uneasy upon hearing these words.

"The southern part of the Loran Great Forest that you just mentioned."

"So, this election for Goblin Chieftain covers the entire southern region of the forest?"

Celia was still listening, but she didn't forget to reply, "Yes, Master."

"I once heard from the elders of my tribe that there is a king who rules over the entire goblin tribe in the Loran Great Forest. And the Goblin King will appoint four chieftains to be in charge of the four regions of the east, west, south and north."

"The election of the Great Chief is only possible when the previous Great Chief dies of old age or loses his or her right to continue as Great Chief for other reasons, and the King issues his will, and then each tribe can elect a new Great Chief."

"Goblin...King?"

Luo An was surprised.

Do goblins, like human nations, also have kings?

Since the goblin tribe has a king to rule, the upper-class goblins must be quite intelligent to manage the entire tribe from top to bottom.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to form a "nation" with a king at the head and a hierarchical structure.

It seems he underestimated the goblin race before.

After all, in many sword and sorcery novels, goblins are the most common and extremely weak beings.

Luo An thought of a question.

"What kind of intelligence does Celia, a tribal chief, possess?"