Chapter 296 Tiny Lumberjacks

With these tiny axes and saws in their hands, the goblins looked at each other, their fear momentarily replaced by excitement and curiosity. They gathered around the nearest tree, their movements comically exaggerated as they mimicked what they thought lumberjacks should do.

One goblin, standing on a tiny rock for added height, raised his axe above his head with a dramatic flourish, only to lose his balance and tumble backward into the dirt. The others, seeing his mistake, tried to help, but ended up in a tangled heap of limbs and tools.

Suzuka couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"Alright, alright, let's try this again. Watch me," she said, demonstrating the proper technique for swinging an axe and cutting a tree. The goblins watched intently, their heads bobbing in unison as they tried to absorb every detail.

With renewed effort, the goblins took up their positions around the tree. They swung their axes with exaggerated motions, their tiny bodies straining with the effort. Despite their clumsiness, the tree began to show signs of their labor, and soon, with a series of loud creaks and cracks, it toppled to the ground.

The goblins erupted in cheers, their faces beaming with pride and accomplishment. They scurried around, hugging each other and celebrating their victory. Hermit, still clutching his tiny axe, looked up at Suzuka with a mixture of relief and gratitude.

"Master Helen, we did it! With these tools it will be a lot easier to work," he cried, his voice filled with joy.

Suzuka smiled, her easygoing demeanor shining through.

"Psssh, duh! You have the right tools for the job. Now, let's keep going. We have a lot more trees to fall, and I expect you all to keep up this good work."

The goblins, energized by their success, set to work with renewed vigor. They moved from tree to tree, their comical antics making the laborious task seem almost fun. Despite their small size and initial ineptitude, they quickly adapted, their teamwork turning them into a surprisingly efficient group of lumberjacks.

As Suzuka watched them work, she couldn't help but feel a sense of joy. The goblins, once pitiful and fearful, were now a band of enthusiastic workers, ready to do her bidding. And with each tree they felled, they took another step towards building her town.

Hours passed, and the ground was soon littered with cut-down trees, creating a small clearing in the forest. Suzuka, satisfied with their progress, called out to Hermit, who was overseeing the goblins with pride.

"Hermit," Suzuka said, her tone both commanding and encouraging, "we've made good progress, but there's more to be done. Your next task is to clean these cut trees, turn them into logs, and carry them into one neat pile."

Hermit's eyes widened at the sight of the massive trees, which were enormous compared to his small frame. The thought of the backbreaking task ahead of him and his fellow goblins made him shudder. However, he knew better than to question Suzuka's orders. With a meek nod, he agreed. 

"Yes, Master Helen. We will do as you say."

Wobbling toward his fellow goblins, Hermit relayed Suzuka's instructions. The goblins, though visibly exhausted, nodded in understanding. They gathered around the fallen trees, their small hands clutching the tools they had grown familiar with.

"Alright, everyone," Hermit said, his voice shaking slightly.

 "Let's get these trees cleaned and turned into logs. We need to carry them over there and make a neat pile."

The goblins set to work, their movements slower but still driven by a sense of purpose. They stripped the branches from the trees, their tiny axes and saws working tirelessly. The process was arduous, each goblin straining against the weight and size of the trees. Sweat poured down their faces, and their muscles ached, but they pushed through, driven by a desire to meet Suzuka's expectations.

As they worked, Suzuka moved among them, offering words of encouragement and occasional assistance. She showed them how to properly clean the trees and how to leverage their tools more effectively. Her presence boosted their morale, and they worked with renewed vigor, their efforts turning the fallen trees into neatly cut logs.

With the trees cleaned and turned into logs, the goblins faced the next daunting task: moving the heavy logs into a neat pile. They formed small teams, each group tackling one log at a time. The logs were heavy, and the goblins struggled under their weight, but they managed to lift them, inching their way toward the designated spot. Despite their best effort, disaster soon struck.

As they lifted one particularly large log, their strength failed them. The log slipped from their grasp, crashing down and pinning a few unfortunate goblins underneath. Their pained squeals pierced the air as the massive weight crushed their tiny bodies.

Hermit, quick-thinking despite his exhaustion, barked out urgent instructions.

 "Push! Roll the log of them! Quickly, before they're hurt any worse!"

The remaining goblins scrambled to obey, their small hands pushing with all their might but their comrades were still trapped, left groaning in pain on the ground, their bodies bruised and broken.

Suzuka, who had been watching the scene unfold, stormed over, her easygoing demeanor replaced by fury. With one hand she gripped the log so hard that it splintered and tossed it away as if it was a toothpick. The log landed nearby with a loud thud.

She whacked Hermit over the head, her voice sharp and commanding. 

"What are you doing, you idiots? You can barely carry your own weight, and you're trying to lift and carry these logs? I said to get them ready to be carried to the pile, not to go and do it yourselves without any help from me. Look what happened! Now we have injured goblins. Think, Hermit, think before you act!"

Hermit, rubbing his sore head, looked up at her with a mixture of guilt and embarrassment. 

"I'm sorry, Master Helen. We thought we could handle it. We just wanted to help. To please our goddess."

Suzuka's expression softened slightly, though her tone remained stern.

 "I appreciate your willingness to help, but you need to use your heads. We have tools and methods to make this job easier. This is not a breeding farm you used to live in, we are not the evil goblins. If you having trouble you have to tell me and we try to solve it. Do not do something if you think you are not capable. Now, let's do this the right way."

She took a deep breath and summoned her gravity magic, the air around her shimmering with power. Her eyes glowed with a faint light as she focused on the logs, her hands moving gracefully in the air.

Raising her hands, she summoned her gravity magic. A faint, shimmering aura surrounded her as she focused her power. The logs, previously massive and immovable, began to tremble and rise from the ground, nearly floating in the air, light as a feather. 

The goblins gasped, their eyes widening in astonishment. They had never seen such a display of power before, and the sight left them utterly bamboozled, their eyes wide and mouths agape. To them, it was as if a goddess had descended to perform miracles right before their eyes.

The goblins, one after another, started to whisper in their goblin tongue. Their voices filled with awe.

 "Did you see that? She made the trees fly!"

Another goblin, practically shaking with excitement, shouted, "Master Helen is a true goddess! She controls the very nature itself!"

"Look at that! The logs are floating!" a goblin yelled, pointing with a trembling finger.

"It's like magic! No, it is magic!" another goblin shouted, his voice filled with awe.

"Master Helen is a goddess! Only a goddess could do something like this!" a particularly excitable goblin cried out, dropping to his knees and bowing fervently.

The goblins, bamboozled and overwhelmed by Suzuka's godly powers, started to cheer and clap, their faces glowing with admiration. They ran around the floating logs, touching them gingerly, as if afraid the magic might vanish if they got too close.

Suzuka smiled, enjoying their reactions.

 "Now, let's get these logs into a neat pile."

But the goblins, overexcited and giddy from witnessing such magic, had other ideas. They grabbed the now weightless logs and began to wield them like oversized swords. They laughed and shouted, pretending to be warriors in a grand battle.

One goblin swung a log, calling out, "I am the great warrior Gruk! Fear my mighty tree sword!"

Another goblin, not wanting to be outdone, grabbed a log and replied, "Ha! I am the hero Bog! No one can defeat me!"

The scene quickly turned into playful chaos. Goblins darted around, swinging logs at each other, their laughter filling the air. Suzuka watched with a bemused smile, shaking her head at their antics. She wasn't mad at them, she already envisioned possibilities for entertainment for her town by organizing absurd and comical acts where goblins do such ridiculous stunts to entertain passing tourists making her profit.

Hermit, seeing the chaos, knew he had to intervene. He feared that Suzuka might snap and unleash her anger on his fellow goblins. He waddled over, his voice raised in an attempt to restore order.

 "Alright, alright! That's enough! We're not here to play around! We have work to do."

The goblins, though reluctant to stop their fun, respected Hermit too much to disobey. They lowered the logs, their faces falling as they were scolded by their beloved leader.

Hermit, trying to be stern but finding it hard to hide a small smile, continued, "We have a job to do. Let's not mess around. Remember, we're doing this for Master Helen. She’s shown us her magic, and we need to show her we can do our part too. We must not anger our goddess."

The goblins, their initial disappointment melting away, nodded eagerly. They wanted to make Suzuka proud. They returned to their tasks, this time with more focus.

Suzuka chuckled at their exaggerated reactions, her demeanor easygoing and playful.

 "Alright, everyone, gather around. Watch closely and I'll show you the right way to carry these logs."

The goblins, still in awe, gathered around her, their eyes fixed on the nearly weightless logs. Suzuka demonstrated how to guide the logs gently through the air, her movements fluid and controlled. She showed them how to steer the logs with minimal effort.

"See, Hermit? With a little bit of magic, this becomes much easier," she said, her voice calm and encouraging.

 "Now, tell your fellow goblins to grab these logs and move them to the pile."