Sunlight strikes the eastern cliffs as my second day of freedom starts. I had tried to sleep away the early hours of the morning, but had no luck in finding anything but boredom.

 

I sit now upon a boulder by the waterfall with my tail sharpened and a needle of bone in my hand, making what will eventually be Dawn’s first clothes. It’s barely more than a leather pouch with holes for her arms and head, but I still managed to screw it up the first try.

 

The stitches are by far the hardest part, but with enough re-trying and perseverance, I finally get them right. I turn the article inside out so that the stitches won't be visible and admire my work.

 

Yup.

 

It stinks.

 

My seams are uneven, my cutting is crude, and there are a few holes in the hide from where my tail slipped.

 

But It’s the first thing I’ve made without the Elder’s help.

 

Body skill acquired - Small blade arts 1

 

You’ve become accustomed to wielding knives or other small blades. Dexterity applied to small blades increased.

Speaking of the Elder, she seems to be the first one awake in the camp.

 

“Couldn’t sleep?” she approaches and says.

 

“Probably only for a few hours.” I reply.

 

The Elder gazes at the waterfall, most likely thinking of her own arrival in the village. If she is, she doesn’t speak about it.

 

“Hobgoblin pregnancies last four months, and I’ll let you leave after your first. I don’t want your daughter's first memory to be of this wretched place, she doesn’t belong here.”

 

She feels like she is doing something awful to me.

 

I want to tell her about myself, about how nothing she’s done has caused me any form of distress at all. 

 

But would she even understand? I’ve never met another succubus, how common are we? Would she even know what they are?

 

“Why are you doing this? You clearly don’t want to keep me here. Are you afraid what the other goblins would do to you if you let me go?”

 

She turns pale.

 

“N-No, they have no say in it at all. Goblins obey hobgoblins by nature, no matter how old or weak they are. If you want someone to blame, blame me. It’s my fault you're here.”

 

I look at her, but she fails to do the same. She can’t look me in the eyes.

 

“You still haven't answered my question.”

 

The old woman looks at her feet in shame.

 

“I feel like I owe the goblins something. Something for following me for generations of their short lives just because they feel like they should. I don’t want everything to crumble apart when I die.”

 

Elder Plant Picker sits herself on the edge of the river, staring into the turbulent water below. Now is the time for me to speak.

 

“I was born yesterday moring when the sun rose like this.”

 

She looks at me, confused, but still failing to meet my eye.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“That's when I first started to experience the world. The sight of the sun, the feeling of cold water in my hair, all are so new to me. I may have been technically alive before then, but I wasn't living.”

 

She takes a couple moments to process what I’ve just said.

 

“I’ve no time for poetry, Horned one, the meaning behind your words is quite lost on me.”

 

“Don’t try to tell the goblins what to do or not to do about me. They aren’t able to harm me no matter what they do.”

 

Her confusion shifts to that of a different type

 

“Are you suggesting that I should just leave them with you unsupervised? I can’t do something like that, if not for your sake, then at least for the sake of my own sanity. I would never be able to sleep soundly again!”

 

Hmm, looks like I can’t make her let go of the leash. I sigh.

We sit together in silence as the rest of the goblins slowly awake. The children all emerge from a larger hut, which I’m led to assume must be the nursery.

One of the last goblins to wake in Deer catcher, who emerges from the small hut that we had our encounter in. 

 

“If I leave Dawn with you at the camp, can I at least go out of the village with Deer Catcher to help him hunt?”

 

“You want to hunt? Why?” She questions.

 

“Once I leave the village, I don’t plan on sticking in one place for long, so it would be nice to learn how to feed myself.”

 

She pauses to consider my offer, and while she seems happy to look after Dawn, she looks a bit worried about letting me leave the camp.

 

“I’ll have to speak with Deer Catcher to make sure he is even capable of preventing you from running off, but I doubt you would with your daughter here.”

 

The goblins eat a simple breakfast of dried meats and wildberries, before they start to trickle out of the village. They form border patrols and hunting parties of 3, while a few trappers head out alone. Deer Catcher seems to be one of the latter.

 

He waves at me and smiles warmly when he sees me, but is pulled aside and brought behind a hut by the Elder before he can approach me.

 

I quietly approach the two of them from behind the Elder to eavesdrop.

 

“Deer Catcher, you were the one two spot the Horned One yesterday morning, correct?”

 

Wait, it was him? I don’t remember running into any goblins before they confronted me on the riverbank. Maybe I need to increase my stealth and detection capabilities even more if him of all people was what got me caught.

 

“Saw while trapping. Scared away Deer so followed her, stepped on branch and startled me. Nearly saw, but I hid well.”

 

I suddenly feel a spark of heat ignite in my womb, which flushes heat through my face and nethers, the latter starting to moisten reflexively.

 

Womb status - Fertile, 6 hours remaining

 

I feel a lewd grin widen on my face as my body processes the information. Six hours remaining until what? Who cares, it won't take that long.

 

It was about this time yesterday I had Dawn, so it looks like recovery takes a full 24 hours.

 

My attention shifts back to the hobgoblin and her full blooded counterpart.

 

“Even if she isn’t very stealthy, you still have to promise me you won’t let her out of your sight under any circumstances. Will you do that for me?”

 

I quickly step out a ways behind the Elder. Since the two of them are facing each other, this means that Deer Catcher can see me.

 

He briefly glances in my direction, but doesn’t shift his main focus from the Elder.

Perfect.

 

I untie the top of my jacket and pull one of my tits out with my right hand under it. With my left hand, I lift my hide skirt just enough to show my dripping babymaker and spread it slightly with one of my fingers.

 

You better answer her question well. You want this, don’t you?

 

He looks considerably more distracted from the old hobgoblin, and answers her question quickly now that he’s being shown his reward.

 

“H-Horny won’t leave full attention for even second!” The wide-eyed goblin blurts out.

 

Hey! Has he started calling me that too? I don’t even think he talked to that guard!

 

The Elder seems suspicious of something, and starts to turn around.

 

Shit!

 

I dart behind the hut before she can turn around fully thanks to finesse.

 

“What is it Elder? Something there?” The younger goblin poses.

 

She turns back to face him “No, No, nothing to be concerned about. I’ll inform the patrols to not be alarmed if they see you two. You can go now.”

 

My heart races. She definitely would have seen me if she was a bit younger and more agile.

 

I return to the boulder by the waterfall and pretend that nothing has happened.

 

The Elder emerges from behind the huts moments later and slowly makes her way back to my seat.

 

“I’ll inform the patrols this evening to not be worried as long as they see you out of the village with Deer Catcher, or any goblin for that matter. You can go trapping with him tomorrow at the earliest.”

 

Womb status - Fertile, 6 hours remaining

 

Tomorrow huh?

 

Not soon enough. I don’t know how long I’ll be unable to get pregnant after six hours is up. Maybe I’ll be fertile again by nightfall, or maybe I’ll have to wait another whole day.

 

Big deal, just one day? Who cares about that?

 

Me.

 

I care about that.

 

I’ve only been in the outside world for one of those, and it’s already felt like a long time. I don’t want to wait for another. 

 

“Hey, do we really need to wait until tomorrow? The patrols will just report to you anyway, if they see us you can just tell them then.”

 

She looks at me with an ‘I am about to nag this spoiled child’ kinda face.

 

“They might do that, but there are several other outcomes that could occur based on the circumstances. What if they think you’re trying to escape together and try to stop you right then and there. What if they get jealous of Deer Catcher and scare him off? You can’t just assume that everyone will have the same reaction to things that you do.”

 

I open my mouth to argue, but can’t come up with anything to say before she starts talking again.

 

“You may be both a guest and a prisoner here, but I have no intention of treating you as either. You will get little special treatment, and I will not force you to do anything as long as you do the bare minimum as outlined in our agreement. This is a job, Honed one. That's what you suggested in the place of confinement here. I understand that it’s a lot more beneficial for us than for you, and I’m sorry about that, but our contract still stands. Be glad I made it with you in the first place.”

 

Uuugg, I want to say it so badly. I want to tell her that being in this place benefits me as well. But I can’t shake the gut feeling I have that that would be a horrible idea.

 

Silence

 

Shut up Ur, you headache inducing cretin.

 

Silence

 

Ur’s Link has Incre----

 

I push the message out of my head, I don’t want to look at my records right now, I want to argue!

 

“Yes, we have a contract, and you even have collateral for it. I swear I will return to the village every night until that contract is complete and you have at least one more hobgoblin!”

 

Oath of Conviction Incre----

 

“No means no, Horned One. Even if I knew that you keep your promises 100% of the time, I won’t change my mind once it’s made up. And that's final.” She storms off after her last word.

 

…

 

Sorry, what?

 

Oath of Conviction leveled up? I still don’t even know what that does!

 

I pout.

 

I originally didn’t mind this place at all, after all, any amount of freedom would be better than what I had in Hel, right?

 

Right?

 

Wrong.

 

It’s really not even that bad, only a day? That’ll be over before you know it.

 

Whatever.

I’m learning I hate any sort of restriction, no matter how mundane.

I storm off as well, but to the waterfall this time, and sit under it. The cold doesn’t really bother me, and I find both the sound and feel of the rushing water soothing. A perfect place to reflect.

Oath of Conviction has risen to 2

First of all, what even is this skill. Second of all, why didn’t it gain anything when it leveled up. 

 

Everything is confusing and it hurts to think about it.

Ur’s link has risen to 6 - Additional body stats are now visible

 

v Body

Health - 100%

Stamina - 19/20

Strength - 10

Your physical ability to lift, throw, and strike things. Speed is determined by this stat as well as Dexterity

 

Dexterity - 30

Your ability to react quickly and manipulate objects. Speed is determined by this stat as well as Strength

 

Resilience - 20

A measure of your body’s ability to endure damage. Damage under a certain amount will not lower health

All of this stuff is pretty basic, and compared to when I first was able to see my spirit, I haven’t learned much.

*Sigh*

I need to calm down, I should just sit and think of nothing except the thundering water around me. It feels nostalgic somehow.

 

Then I should probably find a guard, preferably while I’m still fertile. That’ll cure my crankiness for sure.