Rion looked at the goblins and thought to himself.
Their eyes, their gazes, no longer held that foolish sparkle they once had. "Why do they feel stronger now?" he muttered.
The goblins stood up, one after the other, and looked towards Rion. Anxiety was etched on their faces.
"Why did you punish us, Master?" they asked, looking at each other.
Rion approached them and spoke with pride: "I did not punish you. On the contrary, I rewarded you."
The goblins exchanged confused glances. "Reward? This was a reward?"
Rion stared at them intently and said: "You progressed from Beginner Third Grade to Fourth Grade. You became stronger. That is my reward."
"And the second reward for you is... food! Today we celebrate your promotion to Fourth Grade."
He looked toward the huts behind him: "A few days ago, this village only had one Fourth Grade goblin. He was the chieftain. But now, this village has thirty. This signifies my success as your leader and the growth of the village."
