"More meat?" Arthur grokked, guilt flickering beneath amusement.

  The raw meat smell hung heavy, a constant reminder of his goblins' hunger. Their well-being, though costly for Noah, was Arthur's burden.

  Noah sighed. "Don't remind me. This is bleeding me dry. A hundred goblins, each with a dragon's appetite. They eat more than they mine." He gestured to the line of goblins, their hunger obvious. Loyal, hardworking, but with bottomless stomachs.

  "Enthusiastic eaters," Arthur murmured, knowing they consumed far more than they produced. He'd been… vague… about resources.

  He was their king, protecting them. Grok! His goblins. Grok! His responsibility.

  "Working hard and eating hard," Noah grumbled. "Bankrupt at this rate. This meat problem is worse than the goblins. And baffling! This forest is barren."

  Arthur shifted. He knew of other resources, but hesitated. He'd already given up the silver mine—or what he claimed was the silver mine.

  Noah knew about the gold. Grok! Keep secrets. Grok! Survival.

  "Perhaps," Arthur ventured, "other… sustenance sources. The forest is vast."

  Noah’s eyes narrowed. "Other sources? My hunters found nothing. This place is barren."

  Arthur fidgeted. "Well… rumors… of… a large… fungal growth… edible, supposedly." Grok! Lies.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Noah raised an eyebrow. "Fungal growth? You forgot to mention this when you told me about the gold and silver? Especially considering the lack of anything else?"

  Arthur stammered, "It… slipped my mind. Besides, they are far. And… fungi… unpredictable. Some goblins… trying moss."

  Noah laughed humorlessly. "Moss? That's your solution? I'm trying to build a mining empire, not a goblin salad bar. This forest is empty."

  Arthur remained silent. Grok! Don't tell him.

  Noah sighed. "I need a sustainable way to feed these goblins. This meat is bankrupting me. This hinges on it. This charade has to stop."

  Arthur blurted out, "The… the mine. The silver mine. It's… bigger. And… some goblins found… clay. They seem to… enjoy it."

  Noah stared. "Clay? You knew about this? You knew there was enough silver—and gold—and you let me waste money on meat?"

  Arthur wrung his hands. "I… wasn't sure. I didn't want you to… take everything."

  Noah’s expression hardened. "Arthur… you hid the gold, downplayed the silver, and now tell me my workforce is eating dirt? They'll be weak! And you knew all along."

  Noah took a deep breath. "Tell me everything about this clay. Then we’ll talk about the silver and gold mines. If this clay is temporary, I need a long-term solution. No more secrets. We're partners."