Goblin

"Come have a look!"

The short Goblin stood atop a platform built from several crates, rising onto his toes as he loudly hawked his "merchandise" to potential buyers.

"Clearance sale! Gnolls from the Alterac Mountains, perfect helpers during spring planting and excellent guards during the autumn harvest! The most loyal and hardworking slaves, the bravest and most fearless Warriors—take one home for five silver coins! Just five silver coins!"

The Goblin merchant's pitch was tempting, but it had little effect on the residents of Andorhal, who were used to merchants coming and going from all over. The streets were packed, and plenty of commoners had gathered nearby to point at the sickly-looking Gnolls behind him, but not a single genuine customer had come forward to express interest in the monsters or ask the Goblin merchant about their price.

Of course, there were reasons for the situation:

First, the language barrier. Gnolls had their own language, and only a handful could communicate in the human Common tongue. Some scholars had found that Gnolls learned quickly, but few people knew this obscure fact, and even fewer were willing to teach the savage beasts themselves.

Second, even if someone did teach the Gnolls Common, they would never adapt to ordinary work. Though they were roughly the same size as humans, the wildness lingering in their blood made it impossible for them to lead quiet, orderly lives. They were born Warriors. In the stories passed down from mouth to mouth, every ferocious Gnoll was a villain who would eat anything—even members of its own kind.

Third, the price was too high for potential buyers. Five silver coins were enough to buy a sturdy Gnoll warrior from a mercenary company on the frontier that specialized in such trades. Most of the slaves behind the Goblin were injured and pitifully thin, which greatly diminished the value of this "merchandise."

For all these reasons, Gallywix Goldcoin had shouted himself hoarse without attracting a single real customer. Realizing all his efforts had been in vain, the frustrated Goblin jumped down from the platform, which was nearly as tall as he was, picked up a water jug by his feet, and gulped down a large drink.

Damn it! If it weren't for those useless mercenaries and those damned bandits, the great Gallywix would have earned more than ten gold coins this time! The Goblin merchant glanced back with a vicious glare.

Most of the Gnolls, having learned their lesson, carefully avoided Gallywix's fierce gaze. But a few ferocious ones still bared their bloody maws at the hard-faced Goblin, as if daring him to do something.

"Looks like I ought to teach you a lesson?"

The disgruntled Goblin merchant was eager to find somewhere to vent his anger, and the Gnolls' challenging stares gave him the perfect excuse. He raised his whip high, but couldn't bring himself to strike. They were all worth gold coins. Any more injuries would make them even harder to sell!

Gallywix remained frozen in that pose, his expression changing again and again as he wrestled with himself. In the end, he grumpily hung the whip back on his belt, refraining from adding more scars to his merchandise. Just as he was sighing over his bad luck, a childish voice pulled him back from the depths of his anger.

"Boss, are these Gnolls from the Alterac Mountains?"

In half a second, the Goblin merchant's furious face had transformed into a fawning smile. He turned around eagerly, bent at the waist, and bowed toward the voice. "Absolutely! They're all from the Alterac Mountains. My brave mercenaries went to a great deal of trouble to capture this fine merchandise—"

The seasoned Goblin merchant sang his wares' praises, then slowly raised his head to look at the first customer who had asked him about the price. With a practiced eye, he discreetly sized up the boy's clothes and accessories from head to toe.

But in front of the boy, the great merchant—who had traveled far and wide ever since reaching adulthood—lost his composure. Gallywix's mouth fell open, his eyes widened, and he stood there in a daze.

The reason the Goblin, a veteran merchant, had lost his composure certainly wasn't Alvin's young age. Having spent years among humans, Gallywix could tell from the child's tender voice that he was still very young.

To a true Goblin, a customer's age and race didn't matter. A Goblin's eyes saw only one thing: money, money, and more money! If your pockets were full of those lovely golden coins, then even if you were a demon of the Burning Legion, these money-grubbing Goblins would do business with you!

Like any Goblin, Gallywix, who had grown up in Ratchet, was a traditional one. His dream was to become as outstanding a Goblin as Master Gazlowe, a wealthy tycoon who could rule over a city.

So, to this Goblin, there was nothing wrong with taking every last coin from the pocket of an innocent child. Whether the child eventually realized he had been cheated was none of his concern. Every Goblin merchant followed a single creed: earn gold "legally" through contracts.

At that moment, Gallywix was breathing hard, his heart pounding as his mind raced.

"By the gold, what is all this?"

That classic combination of gold and silver, those elegant, exquisite buttons! The soft fabric, the mysterious runes traced in gold thread—those had to be enchantments from some mage. And that necklace, with its alluring pale-blue glow—a high-grade magical accessory!

Just how rich was this kid? Even if I hadn't run into those damn bandits, everything I'd have earned this time wouldn't match what the boy was wearing! A walking, talking pile of gold!

The Goblin merchant looked as if he'd fallen into a dream, his face utterly entranced. He slowly edged closer, then, as if possessed, reached out a finger to touch the clothes—worth more than all his current possessions combined.

Just as his finger was a foot from the boy's shoulder, a piercing sword ring suddenly rang out in front of him. The cold blade flashed like silver in the royal guard's hand and came to rest against the Goblin's neck.

"Mind your manners, filthy green-skinned vermin!"