Aldric hesitated, then decided honesty was the better choice. "There are rumors of demon involvement, sir. Specifically, Demon Lord Loki. My source suggested he may be providing assistance to the settlement."

"A demon lord," Ashford repeated flatly. "Supporting a goblin settlement. That's, concerning."

"That's potentially catastrophic," Lysander corrected. "If a demon lord has taken interest in Satou, it elevates this from a regional threat to a continental one. Demon lords don't involve themselves in minor matters."

"Which is why I didn't mention it in the full council," Aldric said. "I have no hard evidence, just rumors and speculation. I didn't want to create panic based on unconfirmed intelligence."

"Wise," Ashford agreed. "But it's something we need to investigate immediately. If demon lords are playing games in our territory, we need to know why and what they're planning."

"I'll add it to the intelligence priorities," Lysander said. "Though investigating demon lord activities is significantly more dangerous than scouting a goblin settlement. We'll need specialists, people who can operate in that world without being detected."

"Use whatever resources you need," Ashford said. "Money, personnel, equipment, authorization for covert operations. I'll sign off on anything reasonable. Just get me answers."

"Understood, sir."

"One more thing," Ashford said, his expression grim. "Whatever we discover, whatever plans we make, they stay in this room until I say otherwise. The last thing we need is word leaking about a goblin who killed a hero. It would cause panic among civilians and embolden monsters across the region. As far as anyone outside this council knows, Vegeta is simply on an extended mission. Clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir," Aldric said.

"Good. Now get to work. We have a lot to do and not much time to do it."

As they left the council chamber, Lysander pulled Aldric aside.

"That recording you showed us," the old strategist said quietly. "Do you have a copy I can study in detail? I want to analyze Satou's fighting style, his decision-making patterns, anything that might reveal weaknesses we can exploit."

"I'll have one delivered to your office within the hour," Aldric promised.

"Excellent. And Commander? Off the record, what's your personal assessment of Satou?"

Aldric was quiet for a moment, remembering the tactics used in the cave raid, the organized retreat, the way the goblins had fought with discipline rather than panic.

"He's dangerous," Aldric said finally. "Not just because of his power, but because he thinks. Really thinks. He plans, adapts, learns from mistakes. And he inspires loyalty, you saw how his people fought for him even when facing impossible odds. That's not typical monster behavior."

"No," Lysander agreed. "It's not. Which makes me wonder, what is Satou really? A mutant goblin with unusual intelligence? Something else wearing a goblin's skin? Or perhaps something this world has never seen before?"

"Does it matter?"

"It might," Lysander said. "Because if he's truly unique, truly something new, then our traditional assumptions about how to fight monsters may not apply. We might need to think differently, act differently, plan differently."

"Then we better figure out what he is quickly," Aldric said. "Before he becomes something we can't handle at all."

-----

The morning sun streaming through his window woke Satou gently, a far better way to wake than the nightmares that had plagued his recovery. He stretched, feeling his new Hobgoblin body respond smoothly, the aches from yesterday's training already faded thanks to his Regeneration.

He was contemplating getting up when a knock sounded at his door.

"Satou? Are you awake?" Lyra's voice called from outside.

"Yeah, come in," Satou replied, sitting up properly.

Lyra entered, and immediately he could tell something was wrong. Her expression was troubled, her normally neat appearance slightly disheveled as if she'd rushed here.

"We have a situation," she said without preamble. "A goblin showed up at the settlement gates about twenty minutes ago. He's injured badly, barely conscious.

Jessica is treating him now, but before he passed out, he kept saying he needed to speak with you. That his village is being attacked and they need help."

Satou was on his feet immediately "Attacked by what?"

"Dire Wolves, according to him. A pack large enough to overrun an entire settlement." Lyra's expression was grim. "Jessica says he'll live, but he lost a lot of blood getting here. It's a miracle he made it at all."

"Where is he now?" Said Satou

"The healing hall. Jessica stabilized him, but he keeps trying to get up, saying he needs to talk to you, that his people are dying."

Satou was already moving, throwing on his clothes and weapons. "Let's go."

They hurried through the settlement, the early morning quiet broken only by the sounds of workers beginning their day. When they reached the healing hall, they found Jessica and Kelvin already there, along with Cassius who'd apparently been on patrol nearby.

The injured goblin lay on a bed, his body covered in bandages. Claw marks raked across his chest and arms. One leg was splinted, clearly broken. But his eyes were open, alert despite the pain, and locked onto Satou the moment he entered.

"You're Satou," the goblin said, his voice weak but urgent. "The one who united goblins and orcs. The one who killed a hero. Please, you have to help us. My village, they're dying. The Dire Wolves came three days ago. We tried to fight but there are too many. We're not warriors like you. We're just, just goblins."

"Slow down," Satou said, kneeling beside the bed. "Start from the beginning. Where is your village?"

"Half a day's journey northeast," the goblin said, wincing as he tried to sit up. Jessica gently pushed him back down.

"We're a small settlement, maybe thirty goblins total.We've lived there for years, keeping to ourselves, avoiding humans and other predators. But then the Dire Wolves came."

"Dire Wolves don't usually attack settlements," Cassius observed from his position by the door. "They prefer hunting easier prey in the forest. Something must have driven them toward your village."

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