The city of Arvel wasn't as it used to be.
Where once there were marble towers and gold gates, now there's mud huts, crooked fences, and one fella selling "mystical socks of productivity" that were just damp socks.
But somehow… the city was healing.
A man named Ashra was whispered about by many people.
A vagabond adventurer. A prince-looking sort of guy who sported a grin so shiny it could blind a dragon and hair so good it most likely had its own fan club.
He was the type of man who, if he walked into a market, even the onions would blush.
The rumor said he fought monsters, rebuilt bridges, and even persuaded bandits to pay taxes.
Children called him "the Rebuilder."
Women called him "husband material."
Even goblins called him "hot, for human."
Meanwhile, the beggar argued with a pigeon over bread prices.
"I said three crumbs per delivery!"
"That's exploitation!"
"That's called profit margin, feather-brain!"
He built his empire of 'Premium Begging Solutions' from dirt and delusion.
His pigeons carried letters, spread rumors, and sometimes dropped "advertisements" on people's heads.
Business was booming.
He now made roughly one-seventh of what a poor man made in the ruins. Progress for sure. But the city itself was changing fast under Ashra's leadership. Houses rebuilt, trade routes reopened, and a brand-new mining project started near the old mountains to the east run by dwarves, humans, and a few goblins with suspiciously large pickaxes. For the first time in years, the sound of hammering filled the air again-not from war, but from construction.
Even our beggar, now known as "the Foot Merchant" by locals, began to earn real coins.
He'd go to the market with his pigeons and proudly shout,
"Limited edition feet portraits! Buy now before inflation hits your soul!"
Some laughed. Some paid. Some kids who didn't win ran away crying.
It was a good balance.
But deep underground, in the cracks of the old kingdom, another group watched. Migi, the young goblin girl, leaned on a rock near the goblin mines, her chin resting on her hands.
She was small, moss-green, with bright yellow eyes sparkling like stolen gold.
Every day, she'd sneak to the surface to watch him — this weird human who talked to pigeons like a cult leader.
"He so strange," she whispered, playing with a flower. "But funny. Make birds rich." Beside her sat Grox, the Goblin General -- big, scarred, and permanently tired, like a dad forced to babysit a war.
"You watch that beggar again?"
"He not beggar. He entrepreneur."
"He sell feet pictures."
"Still entrepreneur."
Grox let out a deep sigh. He didn't understand romance, or humans, or why pigeons were suddenly carrying love letters through the goblin valley.
One evening, while the beggar counted his crumbs and cursed the economy, the earth suddenly shook.
A caravan entered the ruined city.
People rushed into the streets, cheering.
At the front rode Ashra, his shining armor, his white cloak, and a sword so polished it reflected your insecurities.
"Citizens of Arvel!" he said, raising a hand. "Together we are going to rebuild a city stronger than ever!
People cheered. Even pigeons applauded, some literally. From a distance, our beggar stared on with a stale bun in hand, murmuring,
"Yeah yeah, hero speeches. bet he doesn't know supply chain management."
But Migi, at the edge of the forest, froze.
Her heart stopped.
Her pupils became sparkles.
"W-who that…?" she whispered.
"That's Ashra, human prince," said Grox. "Why?"
"He… so pretty."
Grox:"what!? Haha humans are all ugly."
Migi :"NO! He is. So. YES!!!"
She drew doodles of Ashra with little hearts around him at the goblin camp. She curves M+A in the trees. She whispers his name while picking mushrooms. She even tried to write "Mrs. Ashra" but misspelled it as "Assraw."
Grox found her drawings. His eye twitched.
"You… love enemy human hero? that's not FAIR!! YOU are supposed to only love me!!"
"He not enemy."
"He reason we hide underground!
"He reason I believe in love again."
That was the final straw. Grox stood up, roaring: "ENOUGH! If human steal my heart, then goblins take human's land! He slammed his fist on the table, splitting it in half, while war drums sounded inside the cave. In the city, everything was quiet and calm. Ashra had plans for a festival in the city to celebrate Arvel's rebirth. Our beggar was already planning to exploit it. He drew blueprints for his next venture, Festival Profit Optimization Plan™, including: Possibly rigged 'dart games', Prize booths were operated by a pigeon, which attracted many customers. and an extremely fair "shoot the target, win a plushy" stand. "Couples will lose coins, I'll win hearts," he said and sipped rainwater as fine wine. He had no idea that deep underground, an army was gathering. And at the heart, one lovesick goblin girl sighed, "Ashraaa~"