Noah watched the Goblin King, Arthur, enthusiastically giving directions for the goblins to build a palace for him and his harem.

  Arthur chattered excitedly in rapid goblin tongue, gesturing wildly with his small, green hands. Noah, having spent enough time with the goblins, understood the general gist.

  "Make it grand!" Arthur squealed, if Noah had to guess at a translation.

  "With lots of shiny things!"

  Noah chuckled. He'd learned some basic goblin, enough to get by, but Arthur's enthusiasm often outpaced his vocabulary.

  He tried a simplified version of his usual advice. "Sturdy... important," Noah said slowly, pointing at the wobbly-looking structures already dotting the clearing. He mimed a house collapsing.

  Arthur waved a dismissive hand, chattering something to a nearby goblin who nodded vigorously and scurried off.

  Shiny things, it seemed, were far more important.

  Noah sighed.

  He'd chosen the nearest forested area as the goblins' settlement.

  The area, approximately 500 square meters for the time being, had nearly a third of it cleared, with several wooden houses already completed by the goblins.

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  With over 100 goblins and the equipment Noah provided, the work of cutting down trees and building houses progressed quickly. The goblins' stamina, higher than that of humans, allowed them to work with minimal rest.

  "Look, Noah!" Arthur tugged on Noah's sleeve, pointing at a lopsided structure with a crooked roof.

  He rattled off a string of goblin words, ending with a triumphant squeak.

  Noah winced. He glanced at the house.

  "Arthur," he said slowly, using his limited goblin vocabulary, “…wind… strong… fall down?” He gestured dramatically, mimicking a house tumbling over.

  Arthur just grinned and pointed at the roof. He squealed something that sounded like, "Shiny!"

  Noah's efforts to instill some sense of structural integrity into Arthur's palace-building project were clearly failing.

  Perhaps, Noah thought, the best approach was to simply let nature take its course.

  When the inevitable collapse occurred, maybe, just maybe, Arthur would learn a valuable lesson about the importance of sound construction. Or maybe he'd just order the goblins to rebuild, incorporating even more shiny things this time.

  Noah sighed. He really needed to find those picture books on construction. And maybe a good book on disaster relief. He had a feeling he'd be needing it.

  The setting sun painted the sky in fiery hues as Noah prepared to leave. He glanced at the fledgling goblin village, a haphazard collection of huts.

  Over a hundred goblins swarmed the clearing, their rough voices filling the air.

  Arthur, their level 7 king, still had much to learn.

  Noah sighed; the shelters weren't finished, but goblins were surprisingly resilient to the night's chill. Tomorrow, he’d teach them farming, a crucial skill.

  He needed to gather tools, prepare the land, and calculate the cost of equipment. A daunting task, but Noah’s promise to Arthur was a bond he intended to honor.

  He trudged into the darkening woods, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders, but a little lighter knowing the goblins could likely handle a chilly night.