Conditions

The black-and-white kobold in front of them didn't look particularly ferocious. From a distance, it resembled a husky standing on two legs, with a somewhat silly and cute appearance. In fact, the entire kobold tribe looked quite docile as long as they weren't baring their teeth and glaring fiercely. Most of them resembled golden retrievers, while a few who were more rugged and muscular looked like pit bulls. After all, they were kobolds, not the more aggressive boar-men or gnolls.

Staring at the black-and-white kobold, Leo pondered for a moment before smiling and firmly stating, "No!"

The black-and-white kobold—let's call him the Husky Kobold—immediately showed his teeth, growling menacingly. Behind him, the golden retriever-like kobolds and the pit bull-like kobolds began barking as well.

Leo quickly said, "We don't want your food or your homes. We are a peaceful race!"

The Husky Kobold paused, retracting his fierce expression but muttering, "We don't believe you. Smiles are deceitful. Humans are deceitful. Our common language is poor."

Leo straightened up, adopting a serious tone. "Believe us. We are a peaceful race. We can trade—your iron for our food. Your homes remain yours."

The Husky Kobold hesitated, looking back at his tribe. The golden retriever kobolds also stood there, unable to decide. The pit bull kobolds, however, continued to bare their teeth and growl, ready for a fight.

Leo was undeterred. He stretched his neck forward and tapped his jugular with his hand. The pit bull kobolds, eyeing his throat and then his mace hanging from his waist, whimpered and retreated into the group. They clearly couldn't match this peace-loving human.

Seeing that persuasion alone wouldn't work, Leo turned to his militia and said, "Hand over all our rations!"

Before setting out, Ulyan had distributed two days' worth of dried food to each militia member in case of emergencies. Fifty people's rations for two days amounted to quite a pile. Leo collected the rations and threw them onto the pile of acorns. As hardtack scattered on the ground, the kobolds began to salivate.

Pointing to the food, Leo said, "We trade food for your iron. We can coexist peacefully."

"You see, we just want to farm here, not fight."

"You farm, we provide iron," the Husky Kobold muttered, falling silent.

As he was about to agree to the seemingly beneficial proposal, Leo added, "However, I have a small condition."

"Woof?"

"You must send at least twenty of your young to our camp to learn our language. Only through communication can we maintain peace."

The Husky Kobold bared his teeth again. "Humans are deceitful. We leave. Kobolds never slaves! Woof!"

"We'll provide food and shelter, even for adult kobolds. They can come and go freely," Leo offered as a final enticement.

The kobolds' eyes lit up like a pack of golden retrievers seeing food. "If you can't accept my condition, then please leave."

Eventually, amidst the whispers of the Husky Kobold and the golden retrievers, they agreed to Leo's terms. Kobolds had a high birth rate, with litters averaging four to five pups, and they could reproduce prolifically if well-fed. Moreover, kobold pups matured quickly, reaching adulthood in just three years. This small kobold tribe had lived for generations at the source of the Anzelo River, surviving by hunting small prey, fishing, and gathering.

Their primary food sources were rats from the mines, acorns from the southern oak forest along the Anzelo River, and pine nuts from the northern pine forest. With no foresight, they mined and forged iron carelessly during the plentiful summer and autumn, but in the scarce winter, they starved, watching their pups die. When they discovered humans encroaching on their sacred gathering grounds, conflict was inevitable. Now, as the defeated party, they were prepared for harsh demands. Sending twenty pups as hostages didn't seem too bad compared to starving on a winter migration.

With the prospect of trading iron for food, they wouldn't need to forage daily and could happily mine. Leo's terms were too tempting, and many golden retriever kobolds didn't want to leave their homes. 

Centuries ago, kobolds were vassals of the beastmen, thriving north of the Anzelo River. They had a clan culture, shamanistic beliefs, and even built a kobold city. But when the human clans joined the Atlantis Empire, bringing powerful armored knights and infantry, the beastmen were driven into the northern tundra, and kobold culture vanished. Most kobolds died or were enslaved; the survivors scattered into the forests, leading primitive lives. The kobolds wished to be vassals of a strong race again, but humans only sought to exterminate, drive, or sell them. Even novice adventurers used kobolds for combat practice.

The Husky Kobold, nine golden retrievers, and twenty furry kobold pups followed Leo to the riverside camp. Kobolds had a knack for languages; half could speak some Imperial. However, they lacked the courage to approach human camps, so their new leader, the Husky Kobold, led the way. 

Twenty villagers, each carrying ten baskets of iron ingots and iron ore. The iron ingots were more like spongy, black, misshapen lumps, produced by kobold smiths using primitive methods. Crude and impure, these ingots were soft and ideal for forging. The Husky Kobold explained that ten days of smithing could turn one into a spear or pickaxe head. Adult kobolds were given a small pickaxe to happily mine, seeking shiny objects. Kobold warriors received hunting spears, similar to the militia's javelins.

These primitive iron tools were deadly in the wilderness, allowing kobolds to hunt, fell trees, mine, fend off wolves, and defend their homes. 

Gazing at the baskets of iron and ore, along with sacks of dried fruit, Leo pondered, "Where did you get the baskets and linen bags?"