chapter 37 prince call

The goblin prince's golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he dusted himself off. Though he was small in stature, there was an undeniable air of authority around him—one that set him apart from the common goblins Kaelith had encountered before.

"You have no idea how fortunate you are, human," the prince spoke smoothly, his tone carrying the weight of royalty rather than the rough speech of ordinary goblins.

Kaelith simply stared, arms crossed, his usual smirk absent. He had seen enough nobles in his time to recognize when one was about to cause trouble.

The goblin reached into the tattered folds of his tunic, retrieving something small—a jet-black stone, no larger than a coin, with thin silver veins running across its surface. The veins pulsed faintly, as if the stone was alive.

Kaelith's instincts sharpened instantly. Magic.

"This," the prince announced, holding up the stone between two fingers, "is something no common goblin possesses. A relic of our royal bloodline, passed down for generations. A single use, a single call… and the entire kingdom will know my location."

Kaelith tensed slightly.

A tracking device? A summoning stone?

The goblin prince smirked at his reaction. "Relax. I doubt even you are foolish enough to attack a royal."

Kaelith didn't respond. His fingers twitched near his quiver anyway.

The goblin turned his attention back to the stone, gripping it between his palms. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Then, he spoke.

"Hruk-Mahka Gorvath!"

The words were ancient, guttural, and filled with raw power. Unlike the prince's previous refined speech, these syllables carried an unnatural weight, as if calling upon something far older than mere magic.

The obsidian shard pulsed violently—its silver veins flaring to life.

Then—

A low hum filled the air.

Kaelith's body tensed as an eerie pressure wrapped around him, thick and suffocating. It was not the kind of magic he was familiar with. This was different—something primal, something that had existed long before humans had mastered their own spells.

The ground trembled.

A circular sigil of glowing green light formed above them, hanging in the air like a phantom moon. The pattern was intricate, made of intertwining fangs, claws, and spiraling runes that crackled with ethereal energy.

Kaelith's fingers twitched near his bow. This was more than just a call.

Then—

BOOM!

A shockwave of green fire erupted from the stone, shooting into the sky like a beacon. The unnatural flames didn't burn anything in the alley, but they split the darkness like a signal flare—one that only those attuned to mana would sense across great distances.

Kaelith clenched his jaw.

He had seen mages cast powerful spells before, but this? This was a summoning.

The glow around the prince dimmed, and the stone in his hands crumbled into fine black dust. The alley fell into silence, the only sound being the faint crackling of residual energy fading into the night.

The goblin prince opened his eyes and let out a satisfied sigh, wiping his hands clean.

"There," he said, looking rather pleased with himself. "Now we wait."

Kaelith narrowed his eyes. "Wait for what?"

The prince smirked. "For my kingdom to come claim me, of course."

Kaelith exhaled through his nose, fighting the urge to curse.

Goblin elites were coming.

And that meant one of two things:

They would see Kaelith as an ally for saving their prince.

Or they would assume he had kidnapped him and try to kill him on sight.

Kaelith glanced at the two bandit corpses at his feet.

If the goblins found these bodies and jumped to the wrong conclusion, he would be in deep shit.

The prince smirked at his silence. "Worried?"

Kaelith shot him a look. "More like annoyed."

The goblin chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "Relax, human. You should be honored. You'll soon be meeting the mightiest warriors of the Goblin Kingdom."

Kaelith rubbed his temple.

This was not how he planned to spend his night.

Kaelith crossed his arms, his sharp eyes fixed on the goblin prince, who still looked smug after summoning his kingdom.

"This might actually work in my favor," Kaelith thought, his mind quickly calculating the risks and rewards.

The Goblin Kingdom was infamous—not for its warriors, but for its rare artifacts, enchanted weapons, and secret trade routes. Most humans avoided dealing with goblins due to their cunning nature and unpredictable behavior, but Kaelith?

He wasn't most humans.

Goblin-made weapons were lightweight, durable, and often infused with unique enchantments that human blacksmiths struggled to replicate. Their alchemy was leagues ahead of most races, and the kingdom itself was a goldmine of hidden treasures.

If he played his cards right, he could turn this entire situation into a personal jackpot.

But there was a catch.

Goblin royalty didn't just hand out rewards for good deeds. They were opportunists, always looking for ways to turn a situation in their favor.

"If I just drop him off and leave, I'll probably get some gold at best. But if I make myself valuable to them, I could walk away with something far greater."

Kaelith's fingers tapped against his arm.

He needed leverage.

Something that would make the goblins owe him—something they couldn't easily refuse.

His gaze flickered to the bandit corpses nearby.

"Who captured the prince? Why? If I figure that out, I can sell the information to the goblin king. Maybe even secure a high-tier artifact in return."

He smirked.

This wasn't just an opportunity—it was a golden ticket.

Kaelith turned to the prince, his expression neutral. "So… how long until your people arrive?"

The goblin prince stretched, looking far too relaxed for someone who had just been rescued. "Shouldn't be more than an hour. Our fastest riders will come first. The real escort will arrive later."

Kaelith gave a slow nod, his mind already working on his next move.

One hour.

That was more than enough time to search the bandits' bodies, find clues, and prepare his strategy.

If he played this right, the Goblin Kingdom wouldn't just welcome him.

They would owe him.