I'm sorry, there was an error with chapter 5 earlier, but it's been fixed now.
***
After Helena was born, both my mother and my uncles began leaving the castle more frequently. Sometimes they would be gone for days or even weeks, and when they did return, they were always accompanied by a few people or even entire families.
As more and more people arrived at the castle, and not all of them were the teachers or students my mother wanted for her school, my grandmother agreed to rent them a portion of our land near the castle, where a small village was built. Since the people who moved in didn't have many belongings or much money to pay the rent, my grandmother allowed them to pay with food, money, or even farm work, according to their means. Thanks to this, food was no longer a problem for feeding everyone living at the castle.
***
When I turned 10, my grandmother took me with her to see the goblin. Since the journey would be very long, we traveled riding on her familiar, Celes. That was my first time riding an eagle. The feeling was so incredible that I longed to do it soon with Artemis, who was flying beside us at that moment.
Since the journey would take a long time before we reached our destination, I decided to check my system after a long period of inactivity. I knew it was still active because I was receiving notifications for completed tasks. Apparently, it wasn't necessary to select them manually; if I performed an action categorized as a task, I received the reward. So, I decided to leave it on autopilot while I lived my life as I pleased without really focusing on the system's tasks. When I opened it after so long, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.
[Tasks
Shop
Gold: 103 Silver: 55 Copper: 70]
With that budget, I could get some of the good things, since the best ones cost at least 100 gold. So, I started browsing the shop and finally decided on a blueprint for an artifact.
Storage Ring!!
According to its description, I could store anything inside it, keeping it in a state of ecstasy. No matter what I put in it, things would never mix and would remain exactly as they were when I first put them in.
When I clicked "buy," spending 100 gold for it, its information reached me, and I realized I would have to practice some enchantments and rune carving before I could successfully make one. I also realized that the size would depend heavily on my mastery of those enchantments and runes, as well as the material I used to craft the piece. I say "piece" because it's not limited to just rings; it can be bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and even headbands.
When we arrived at the goblins' place, I was surprised by the place, as it looked more like a fortress than anything else. The fortress was surrounded by a large stone wall and had a huge black wooden gate. In front of the gate stood a group of six goblins, all equipped with plate armor and carrying spears or axes.
There were several wooden buildings inside, and in the center stood an imposing building made of white rock, its gates guarded by a couple of goblins similar to the ones we'd seen before. Walking through the streets, we saw both men and women going in and out of the wooden buildings, as well as the occasional goblin patrol around the stone building.
Seeing my curiosity, Grandma told me that those buildings were shops where you could find magical objects or ingredients. While she explained what each shop sold, we continued on until we reached the only stone building, and she said...
This is a place where wizards and witches who have earned the trust of the goblins can store their valuables, safe from the knowledge that no one but them can remove them. Not even the goblins themselves can do so, as it would be considered a dishonorable act without reason. Goblins value honor highly, which is why wizards can trust them, though their behavior can sometimes be questionable. You must remember that they are a very different civilization from ours, one that highly values combat prowess and wealth.
When we entered, the place reminded me a lot of Gringotts from the movie, where the goblins sat behind tables with scales and abacuses, recording things on their parchment.
Grandma walked over to the nearest one, and after a greeting and introduction, she asked to speak with a specific elf. We had to wait a few minutes, and then we were led down a hallway with more than ten doors on both walls and the ceiling. Grandma seemed to notice my confusion when I looked at the doors on the ceiling and chuckled before saying softly,
"Magic, my dear. You reach them with magic."
The elf led us to the largest door at the end of the hallway. In that room, an goblin sat behind an elegant, large marble table. The office was decorated with weapons and armor. I was so fascinated by the weapons hanging on the wall that I blurted out,
"They're amazing!"
The goblin let out a loud laugh before returning to Grandma. I felt a little embarrassed, so I went back to Grandma and sat in the chair next to her. Once my embarrassment subsided, I caught a bit of the conversation.
"I would like your name added to those who have access to the family vault, and I would like to open your personal vault, applying the conditions I mentioned earlier.
" "We're almost finished with your request. Only the final step remains, and everything will be activated as you requested during your last visit."
After that, the goblin took a gold bar from one box and a scroll from another and placed them in front of me. Then he took out a dagger and offered it to me, saying,
"Prick one of your fingers and let a drop of blood fall on the scroll and another on the bar. Don't worry, it won't hurt, and it will heal quickly."
Seeing my grandmother nod, I took the dagger and did as the goblin instructed. First, I placed the drop of blood on the scroll, which was quickly absorbed, drawing a family tree on it. The last names were mine and Helena's, and above ours was my mother's name, along with someone named Andrew Marlon Levy, whom I assumed was my father's.
After the parchment, it was the turn of the gold bar, which glowed the moment my blood touched it, absorbing it and transforming into an intricate golden key.
The goblin first took the key and gave it to me, then took the parchment and nodded before giving it to my grandmother. When my grandmother read the parchment, she raised an eyebrow before tucking it into her cloak.
Before leaving the goblin's office, my grandmother asked me for the key, and when I gave it to her, she attached it to a small chain before slipping it over my head, saying,
"This key is enchanted, and only you can use it. If you ever drop it or lose it, it will return to you after an hour."
After that, we left to return to the castle. I felt a little disappointed since I wanted to experience the journey to the vault, but I suppose I can do that another time.
When we left the goblin stronghold, my grandmother made Celes grow before we both mounted her and flew back home.
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