Chapter 400 The Shed, the Snow, and the Fire

Hermit looked up at her, his tear-streaked face filled with gratitude and embarrassment.

 “Y-yes, Master... I’ll... I’ll get him out of here...”

Suzuka cupped her palms around her mouth and shouted, “Yeah, that’d be great! And maybe try not to slip and face-plant into shit again. Once was enough for the highlight reel.”

Hermit’s heart was filled with determination as he tried to lift Kaka out of the waste pit. He wrapped his arms around the injured goblin, his small frame trembling with effort.

 “I’ve got you, Kaka... I’ve got you...” 

But Hermit was, by nature, a weak goblin. He couldn’t even lift a brick, let alone a full-grown goblin—even one as broken as Kaka. His first attempt ended almost immediately, his arms giving out as Kaka slipped from his grasp and landed back in the filth with a wet splat. The impact sent a wave of muck splashing onto Hermit’s face, the stench so potent it made his eyes water.

“S-sorry, Kaka!” Hermit stammered, wiping the filth from his face.

 “I’ll try again!”

He reached for Kaka once more, his hands slipping on the slimy surface of the injured goblin’s body. This time, he managed to lift Kaka slightly, but his grip faltered almost immediately. Kaka’s body slid out of his arms, landing face-first in the muck with a sickening glorp. The impact dunked Kaka’s head under the surface, the wet feces bubbling as he let out a muffled gurgle.

“Kaka!” Hermit cried, his voice filled with panic. He grabbed Kaka’s shoulders, pulling him out of the muck with a loud squelch. Kaka gasped for air, his face covered in filth as he coughed and sputtered. 

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Hermit tried again, his desperation growing with each failed attempt. He lifted Kaka, only to drop him moments later, the injured goblin’s body smearing through the filth like a ragdoll. Each time, Kaka let out a weak groan or a choked gurgle, his voice barely audible over the sound of Hermit’s frantic apologies.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m trying, Kaka! I’m trying!”

Suzuka watched from the edge of the pit, her arms crossed and her expression one of utter disbelief. She pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering under her breath.

 “This has to be a nightmare. There’s no way this is real.”

She looked down at the pit, where Hermit and Kaka were now wriggling in the filth like two worms in a compost heap. Hermit’s attempts to lift Kaka had only made things worse, the two goblins now completely coated in feces and muck. Suzuka sighed, shaking her head as she muttered, “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.”

With a wave of her hand, Suzuka activated her gravity magic, the air around Hermit and Kaka shimmering as an invisible force lifted them out of the pit. The two goblins rose slowly, their bodies dripping with filth as they were dropped onto the snow-covered ground.

Hermit looked up at Suzuka, his face a mask of gratitude and shame. 

“T-thank you, Master... I... I tried...”

 “Yeah, I saw. And let me tell you, it was... something. Next time, maybe just ask for help instead of turning it into a feces wrestling match.”

Hermit’s cheeks flushed, but he didn’t argue. He turned his attention back to Kaka, his voice soft and apologetic.

 “I’m sorry, Kaka... I just wanted to save you...”

Kaka groaned weakly.

Suzuka sighed, shaking her head as she turned to lead the way.

 “Unbelievable. I swear, if I have to deal with one more goblin disaster today, I’m retiring.”

Suzuka leaned against the wall of the shed, her arms crossed as she watched Hermit work. He fumbled with the flint, muttering under his breath as sparks scattered uselessly across the dry kindling. After several frustrating tries, the fire finally caught, crackling weakly to life in the corner. With a relieved grunt, he grabbed a rusted old pot and stumbled outside, scooping handfuls of snow into it until it was nearly full.

Back inside, he placed the pot over the fire, adjusting it awkwardly on the stones to keep it balanced. Steam began to rise as the snow melted, hissing softly with each bubble. Hermit knelt beside Kaka, his breath unsteady, hands trembling as he soaked a rag in the hot water and began to wipe away the layers of filth and dried blood from the broken goblin’s body. Each new injury that came into view made Hermit’s heart ache.

Kaka’s body was a grotesque tapestry of suffering. His arms and legs were gone, the stumps raw and jagged, as if they had been torn off rather than cleanly severed. The goblin’s natural healing had sealed the wounds, but the sight of the bloody, uneven flesh made Hermit’s stomach churn. Kaka’s torso was a mess of deep, crisscrossing scars, some old and faded, others fresh and angry. A particularly vicious gash ran diagonally across his chest, the edges of the wound puckered and inflamed, as if it had been made by a serrated blade.

Hermit’s breath hitched as he turned his attention to Kaka’s face. The goblin’s once-proud features were now a swollen, misshapen mask of pain. His eyes were barely visible beneath the puffy, bruised flesh, and his nose was crooked, clearly broken multiple times. But it was Kaka’s ears that made Hermit’s heart ache the most. Once a symbol of pride and strength, Kaka’s ears had been reduced to tattered remnants, shredded and scarred beyond recognition. The edges were jagged, as if they had been chewed or torn, and the once-firm cartilage was now a mangled mess.

“Kaka...” Hermit whispered, his voice trembling. “What... what did they do to you?”

Kaka let out a weak, gurgling sound, his breath shallow and labored. His eyes, though swollen, flickered open for a moment, and he looked at Hermit with pain and resignation. There was no anger in his gaze, no hatred—just a deep, soul-crushing weariness.

His fingers hovered over the deep gash on Kaka's chest, and he muttered something under his breath.

 “This cut... it’s not from a weapon. It’s from claws. Big ones. And these scars...”

 He traced a finger along one of the older marks.

 “These are from teeth. Something—or someone—has been using him as a chew toy for years.”

Hermit continued to clean Kaka, his hands shaking as he tried to be gentle. But every touch seemed to cause the broken goblin pain, and Kaka’s weak whimpers cut through Hermit like a knife. When he finally finished, Kaka’s body was as clean as it could be, but the full extent of his injuries was even more horrifying in the firelight.

Suzuka handed Hermit a damp cloth and a bowl of warm water. 

“Here. Use this to clean yourself. You’re covered in filth, and we don’t need you getting sick on top of everything else.”

Hermit wiped the last of the filth from his own body, his hands still trembling as he tossed the soiled cloth aside. He hurried back to Kaka’s side, his heart aching at the sight of the broken goblin lying motionless on the rough wooden floor of the shed. Kaka’s breathing was shallow, his chest rising and falling in faint, uneven hitches. Hermit knelt beside him, his small hands hovering uncertainly over Kaka’s broken form, as if afraid to touch him and cause more pain.

Suzuka, meanwhile, pulled out several vials of thick, murky liquid—goblin-made potions, their contents swirling with an unnatural glow. She tossed them to Hermit with a casual flick of her wrist.

“Here. Give him a few of these. Unlike you, who decided to rush in butt-naked and unprepared, I actually came ready for this mess. Got some of your so-called goblin medicine.”

Hermit caught the vials clumsily, his fingers fumbling as he stared at the potions. He didn’t waste time with words. Biting down on the cork of the first vial, he spat it to the side and cradled Kaka’s head gently in the crook of his arm. Kaka’s face was swollen and bruised, his lips cracked and dry, but Hermit carefully tilted the vial, letting a thin stream of the potion trickle into his mouth.

“Come on, Kaka,” Hermit whispered, his voice trembling. 

“You’ve got to swallow. Please... just a little.”

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Kaka’s throat moved weakly, and he managed to swallow a small amount of the potion. Hermit’s eyes lit up with hope, and he quickly uncorked the next vial, repeating the process. This time, Kaka swallowed more easily, the potion seeming to revive him slightly. His breathing grew less labored, and a faint hint of color returned to his ashen skin.

“Give him both at once. Your goblin potions are week, and his body is in bad shape. Pump him full of that muck you call medicine. Maybe he will survive.”

Hermit nodded, his hands steadying as he carefully administered the third vial. Kaka’s eyelids fluttered, and a weak, rasping sound escaped his throat. His swollen eyes cracked open just enough to meet Hermit’s gaze, and for the first time, there was a flicker of life in them.

Hermit leaned closer, his voice soft and soothing. 

“It’s okay, Kaka. You’re safe now. Just rest. You don’t have to fight anymore.”

Kaka’s eyelids fluttered, and a low, guttural sound escaped his throat. His lips moved weakly, smacking together as if he were trying to form words, but only incoherent noises came out. His voice was raspy, broken, and barely audible, but Hermit’s sharp ears caught the faintest traces of the goblin tongue buried beneath the garbled mess.

“Kaka?” Hermit whispered, his heart pounding.

 “Can you hear me?”

Kaka’s head twitched, and his swollen eyes cracked open just enough to reveal a sliver of dull, unfocused light. He stared up at Hermit, but there was no recognition in his gaze—only confusion and fear. His lips moved again, and this time, a few fragmented words slipped out, slurred and disjointed but unmistakably goblin.

“Wh... who...? Where...? Pain... so much pain...”

Hermit’s chest tightened, and he gently squeezed Kaka’s shoulder.

 “It’s me, Kaka. It’s Hermit. You’re safe now. You’re with me.”

Kaka’s let out a weak, shuddering breath. His eyes darted around the shed, unfocused and wild, as if he were still trapped in the nightmare of his torture. His voice trembled, barely more than a whisper.

 “N-no... not safe... they’ll find me... they’ll hurt me again...”