EVOLUTIONS AND CLASHES
We decided to sit and hash things out with the ogres the next day. We chose the log house built atop the recently burned-out public square in the center of the village.
Mildo, youngest of the three dwarf brothers, had done a great job crafting it from the basic sketch I drew on a plan of wood. My previous stint as a general contractor gave at least that much knowledge, as I asured out the dinsions and such as best I could with charcoal on wood and handed it over.
It was the Great Sage, and the new freedom my body offered, that made it possible. Plus, the drafting tools the dwarves brought over. With a bit of effort, you could get sothing almost as accurate as from a computer. I was starting to feel like I could whip up a skyscraper in no ti flat.
Mildo had no problem comprehending the blueprintmaybe my drafting approach was a lot easier to understand than whatever was this worlds mainstream.
Which made sense. The buildings around here were childs play compared to the kinds of things wed designed for the concrete jungles back ho. The Dwarven Kingdom had plenty of impressive architecture, to be sure, but in terms of technical execution, it still had a ways to go. Maybe wed have high-rises built on this square soday. It was amusing to think about.
But I digress.
I guided the ogres to the houses reception room, looking around to make sure everything was built as I ordered. They ekly followed behind, eagerly looking around the house like it was a novelty. There was zero decoration yet, so I dont know what enthralled them so much, but whatever.
The reception room had a large table, along with a few simple stools encircling it. We were all gathered thereRigurd, the four goblin lords, and Kaijin the dwarf as a diator. Thirteen in all, counting .
Why did I have Rigurd and the rest here? Because I figured the ogres had so important things to tell us. If sothing was happening to the Forest of Jura, itd co to our doorstep soon enough. I didnt want to be the sole go-to point for every crisis. Rule but dont govern, as they say.
Haruna ca in with tea for everyone. She gave a quick bow once she was done and left the reception room. It was still a tad awkward for her, but she was beginning to learn so manners. Wonderful progress.
I brought the cup to my lips. Bitter, but not distastefully so. I didnt used to be so picky when it ca to this sort of thing, but the long-awaited return of my sense of taste was maybe making more finicky.
The green tealike bitterness played around my tongue. I could feel its heat, too. My body had Cancel Heat, I suppose, but I could still feel this. Funny.
The ogres seed to enjoy it as well. I waited for them to settle in before we began to talk.
I started by asking why they were there in the first place. They replied that they were fleeing in order to regroup and rally themselves. That, in itself, was disquieting. I had a feeling this would go on a while.
If there was a force out there that could defeat ogres, we had a threat on our hands. These were B-ranked creatures, even solo, and I could tell that much from yesterdays battle. And these guys here were the cream of the crop. Masters of the forest. The highest class of monster youd find here, I was told.
Better hear them out.
To sum up the ogres story
There was a war, and the ogres lost. That was about it.
While I was busy fending off Ifrit at this village, the ogres were getting involved in a war of their own. Who on earth could challenge the most powerful race in the Forest of Jura to warand win? It sent a thrill of tension across everyone in the room. Their faces tightened with concern.
They attacked our holand out of nowhere, the red-hair muttered angrily. Their power was overwhelming Those hideous pigs, those orcs !!
It was an army of them, apparently. And unlike humans, monsters never thought about formally declaring war before having at it. So while the ogres didnt decry the surprise attack in and of itself, orcs attacking them was far from the norm.
Why? Simple: the difference in strength. Orcs were D-ranked creatures. Stronger than goblins, but nothing a veteran adventurer would lose sleep over. Ogres, rember, were two grades higher than that, rendering a one-on-one battle eminently predictable. And yet, the weak challenged the strong, and they won
I decided to go a bit more in-depth.
The ogres ho was a fair bit larger than our own villagean informal collection of clans, which together ford a kind of battle-fort ho to three hundred. About as powerful as a small nations knight corps, in other wordsa force equivalent to a three-thousand-strong army of fighters trained to B-minus monster status.
These ogres lived a life you could describe as militaristic. The clans held battle training with one another on a regular basis, occasionally joining this or that side to assist other races when they fell into conflict with their neighbors. So of the clans had even made their mark on history, forming vanguard forces of an army for one demon lord or another, and these ogres were descended from them.
They lived, in other words, as de facto rcenaries. And the ogres of this world were quickly destroying the image I once had from my own fantasy novels. But that wasnt the issue. They had been defeated by far weaker monsters, and it looked like they were all still in shockfor in this reception room, we were looking at the sole survivors of the entire settlent.
The red-haired one had taken his sister, the princess, away from the place while their leader was spearheading a team to defend them from the orcs. She was nobility, after all, a sort of ogre shamaness, and her people put her ahead of everything else in their lives.
If only I were stronger, the red-hair groaned. The last thing he saw was the orcs, clad in black armor, delivering the final blow on his leader. A giant orc, one that let off an eerie aura. And one other, a figure who didnt bother to hide their own brutally dark aura; one who wore a mask that looked a bit like an angry clown.
It was one of the magic-born people, I am sure of it, the shamaness declared. A high-level one. Im afraid my brother never stood a chance.
Indeed, the elder added. We jumped to conclusions about all of you because we saw that fiend in action. We thought you were one with them.
Yeesh. Really? Cute lil old ? Getting lumped in with this murderous freak? The way they put it bruised my ego a bit, but then again, I was wearing a mask of my own back there. Perhaps it was natural to associate with that magic-born guy.
I was under the impression that a magic-born person could be almost any intelligent monster. Ogres would count as magic-born, even. But if this guy outclassed them that much, he had to be sothing extra fierce.
I knew from our earlier confrontation that nothing was more dangerous than monsters with a little intelligence. They could wield magic with the ease of a human caster and handle weapons equally as well. That, combined with physical strength that outclassed humanitys, made them difficult to counter at all.
And the higher level the monster, the more disastrous the results could be. Itd be safe to assu we were dealing with an A rank, at least. Not welco news.
Oh, and just for claritys sake, goblins are a subrace of mankind, so their evolved hobgoblin forms dont count as magic-born.
The ogres continued.
It seed there had been three other orcs equivalent in strength to the black-armored one. The four made short work of the ogre strongholds elite fighters, and as they did, the rest of the orc soldiers poured into the fort and kicked off the massacre in earnest.
There were several thousandjust an estimate on the ogres part, but still a massive figure. And the funny thing was, they were all clad in the sort of full-plate armor youd expect a human watchman or the like to wear as a uniform. Like a massive wave of tal, steamrolling across the forest.
If that was true, this had to be the work of more than simply the orcs. Orcs were human types as well, but they were treated as low-level, unintelligent monsters, like goblins. There was no way they could cobble together the funds for such extensive, and expensive, armor. Plus, there were lots of powerful monsters in the Forest of Jura. Itd be impossible for the orcs to avoid attracting attention on the way to the ogre stronghold.
It seed fair to assu they were colluding with so other nationa nation of humans. But I couldnt guess what they wanted, and that concerned . If the force was several thousand strong, they couldnt have rely wanted to crush that one ogre site. They were gunning for the entire Forest of Jura, at that rate.
You know, Kaijin offered, they might be in cahoots with one of the demon lords.
Demon lord? Shizus face flashed across my mind, her final words echoing alongside it.
Leon, the demon lordthe foe Id promised to defeat.
Could that be possible? I wasnt sure I had it in to topple a demon lord quite yet, but
Generally speaking, I didnt think any demon lord cared much about this forest. Outside of it, their lands spread far and wide, and their fertile fields were mostly tended to by vast numbers of golems and slaves that had been captured in battle. Demon lordcontrolled lands never had to worry about famines, and as a result, these lords were rarely concerned about areas under human control. The way it was explained to , the so-called war slaves had it good enough that their lives werent much different from anyone elses. I couldnt say how human nations considered them, but as far as the Forest of Juras denizens went, the demon lord lands were pretty chill.
So if anyone was looking to conquer soone elses territory, chances were good that humans were involved.
At the sa ti, there could always be a demon lord or two who wanted to kick off a war just for fun or to pass the ti. Veldora the Storm Dragon had been another check on their behavior, and now he was gone.
It made sense. I had to think more about defending this forest, I supposed. But either way, one thing was sure: This place was getting overrun by orcs.
So what now?
I decided to hear everyone out.
We believe the orcs are seeking to seize leadership over the forest, Rigurd said after I prompted him with a glance.
Everyone was looking at now. Fight them? Run? Or join their alliance? The way the ogres were acting, they knew that we could be enemies once again, depending on my decision. Suddenly things were far more intense. But I didnt care.
Well, how about another cup of tea for now?
One ca to .
Everyone put their respective cups to their lips, and the tension abated sowhat.
Right.
So what are you people gonna do? I asked the ogres.
Whatdo you an?
I an, whats your future direction? Are you gonna run so you can fight another day, or just hide out sowhere instead? Cause if you were planning to run, I was just wondering if you had soplace in mind.
Is it not obvious? We will build our strength, wait for an opening, and challenge them again!
Precisely. We must avenge our lord!
As must I! We are all but powerless right now, but I refuse to let those two-legged pigs live!
We promise to follow our young master and princess!
The ogres certainly had an answer. Hmm. They mustve resigned themselves to this from the start. Even back in our own fight, there wasnt a single hint of hesitancy clouding their eyes. They mustve known it would an their livesbut I had to respect it. Despite how cornered they were, they still had the dignity to not kill any of the hobgoblins. I had a feeling Id regret it if I let them march off to their deaths.
Hey, you guys interested in joining my side?
Huh? What are you?
I put it clearly enough, didnt I? If you guys were working as rcenaries anyway, why dont you work for instead? If you wanna fight for your old lord, Id be happy to hire you to do that.
We
Besides, if its strength youre seeking, dont you think you should side with ? I cant really pay you much outside of giving you three hots and a cot, but
We couldnt! Doing so would involve this village in our quest for vengeance!
I do not see a problem with this, Rigurd said. We are here to serve Sir Rimuru, and no other. If he wills it, no one will work against his desires.
Yeah, added Kaijin. That, and I kinda expect well get involved in this sooner or later anyway, yknow? If that many orcs are on the move, I doubt anyplace around here is safe.
Very true, another goblin lord chid in. A lizardman spy once made contact with the village we used to live in. As goblins, we were unable to understand what he wanted at the ti, but I imagine he was investigating so new movent or trend. Which ans this place could beco a battlefield. It is best for us all to work together.
They all seed well enough in agreent. Hmph. Not like a bunch of goblins could do much themselves. If we had an orc horde coming, we needed as many people on our side as possible.
Right, I offered. If you agree to serve , I think I might be able to make your dreams co true, too.
How, exactly?
Simple. If you join , I promise Ill fight with you if sothing cos up. I never abandon my companions, and if you let hire you on, I will be glad to cooperate with you.
I see. So we protect this village, and in turn, the village protects us? Not a bad proposal. In fact, it is a welco one. We could use this place as a base to assemble the resistance forces we need against the pigs
Yeah, exactly, I replied. Were gonna be fighting anyway. You might as well co along for the ride.
And could this agreent stay in place until the ringleader of the orcs is defeated?
Sounds perfect to . Youd be free to do whatever you like once the matter with the orcs is settled. You could work with to build a nation, go out on a journey, whatever. What do you think?
The red-haired ogre thought this over for a few monts while the others remained politely silent. They must have respected his decision-making skills. He closed his eyes, then opened them once more.
Very well, he said. We will serve under your leadership!
So thats the path he chose. Good. Thats a big help for , too.
Winning over the ogres was a major coup, as far as I was concerned. I figured they wouldnt be rankled by the idea of serving in a rcenary capacity, and I was right. And if we had several thousand orcs to deal with, we needed to beef up our numbers, fast. We had no idea what kind of strength this orc army had, so I wanted as much to work with as possible.
It may have been strictly business, but they had sworn to follow , and that ant we were friends now. And if we were friends, Id need them to have so actual nas, or else itd just be a pain in the ass.
Right! Let give you people nas, then.
Hah? What are you?
What do you think? I said nas. Its annoying not to have them, right?
N-no, er, we are able to communicate with one another well enough already, so
Hoh-hoh, indeed! Humans may have nas, certainly, but we monsters have little need for them
Wha? Dont be stupid. I dont care if you dont think you need them or whatever. Im saying I need them, cause otherwise its a pain to get your attention, okay?
Y-yes, but
Please, wait a mont! the pink-haired ogress explained. Giving a na can be a very risky maneuver. We had best begin with those of a higher ranking first
Dangerous? Right, like I use too much magic and I fall asleep? Well, Ill be fine as long as I dont try to na an entire village at once, right?
No, no, quit worrying, I said, ignoring the pink-hair. Itll work out just great!
Ti to think up so nas. The ogres still looked dubious, but to hell with them. Lets get this show on the road.
I was really on fire this ti. The ogres were kind enough to each have different hair colors, which made it easy to co up with ideas. The red-haired guy beca Benimaru, a na that ans red circle and tends to get associated with the samurai of olden tis. Sothing virile seed like a nice match overall.
The princess beca Shuna, or scarlet plant. She had pink hair and knew a lot about herbs and stuff. Sounded about right. The white-hair beca Hakuro, white elder, which was pretty obvious given how he looked. Blue-hair beca Soei, blue shadow, thanks to that sneak attack that almost tripped up. If hed targeted anyone else, those couldve been seriously dangerous.
Purple-hair beca Shion, violet garden, because the way her ponytail stuck out sowhat reminded of a flower. Finally, black-hair beca Kurobe, basically black but with a country flair. That seed to match himboorish, unrefined, but still likable.
I was pretty satisfied with my choices. I ca up with them almost imdiately, like a divine revelation of sorts. But as I patted myself on the back, I suddenly began to feel drained.
Wait a minute
By the ti the thought occurred, it was too late. It was back to sleep mode for . Why would naming six people exhaust my magic like that? I thought as I reverted into sli form, no longer able to control my body.
Wha? A sli?!
How on?! You were a sli all along?!
I was too weak to respond.
This, apparently, alard the ogres a lot. They fell to the ground, seemingly just as drained as I was by the ceremony. Whats going on here? I wouldnt have my answer until my magic was recharged.
A night passed.
This round of sleep mode, if anything, was even rougher than last ti. I was conscious, but it was like everything I saw was in a dream. My mories were vague, like sothing soft being pressed against , or like I was floating amid fragrant flowers or sothing. I had no way of knowing exactly what was happening, but I was probably overthinking matters.
Shion! How long are you going to hold Sir Rimuru close to your chest like that? Its ti to switch out!
Princess Shuna, you cannot be serious! There is no switching out to be done! I will take care of Sir Rimuru, so please, you should rest yourself
Enough of your nonsense, Shion! I tell you that I will watch Sir Rimuru, and watch him I shall!
Apparently, this was so kind of argunt, but Im sure I was just imagining it. Just like I was imagining them playing tug-of-war with . Lets just go with that.
So what did happen? I got to find out once I finally woke up to the sight of all six standing before .
The one in front was a handso young man with a burning blaze of crimson hair. His eyes were just as bright-red, and they were fixed squarely upon , never wavering. Whos this? I thought. But another look confird itit was Benimaru, the ogre referred to as young master by his cohorts.
Two horns, smoother and more beautiful than obsidian, poked out from his crimson locks. They used to be thicker than elephant tusks, but now they were honed, polished, and as thin and beautiful as a work of art. The Benimaru I knew was a hulking figure, but this guy was maybe just under six feet tall, and his body was taut and well-defined.
The amount of energy I felt from him, however, made him seem like a completely different person from before. He wasnt quite as strong as Ifrit, for example, but that was the first comparison that ca to mind. He might be past A rank now.
How the hell did naming soone unlock this much force? was my honest reaction.
Next to him was a fetching young woman who was almost hidden in Benimarus shadow. Shuna, I supposed. She was already sweet-looking, and that had evolved massively along with everything else. Like, what the hell? This was a total princess now, man. A completely different level from before. Her long hair, just a touch pink now, cascaded across her head to the ponytail below. She had two horns of white porcelain, lightly shaded skin, and lips the shade of a cherry blossom in spring. Her crimson eyes seed a little glossy as she looked at .
Dude, what a babe!! No 2-D ani girl could compare. She was smaller, around five feet, and the aura she projected made you instinctively want to protect her.
Hakuro, the wizened old ogre, seed far younger now. He had looked about ready to keel over at any mont before, but now it appeared he was maybe just beginning to approach his golden years. His posture is perfect, and at least so of the physical strength he had lost with age has returned , I thought. Even in a straight-on test of strength, he was no longer soone to trifle with.
His eyes were still black, his hair still a shocking shade of white, but now those eyes were sharper. His long hair was tied back, and he had a pair of small horns on both sides of his forehead. He looked like a warrior, and if he took on now, I wouldnt exactly like my chances.
Shion, the other ogress, had clearly paid close attention to her hair. It was well washed and combed, nice and straight instead of flipping out in the back like earlier. It had a fetching sheen of purple, a nice match for her ponytail.
She had a single horn, that obsidian-black shade again, and it naturally parted her hair. Her purple eyes, like the others, were firm upon . Her skin was nearly white, her lips bright red. She didnt look as wild as beforemaybe a little makeup?and that, combined with being about five and a half feet, made her look pretty damn amazing.
The whole package was sleek as a supermodel, but she had one extrely unique parta part that whatever masculinity I had left all but forced my eyes to wander toward, I suppose. I was in sli form, at least, so she couldnt see where I was looking. Which was good. I bet shed look kick-ass in a business suit. Honestly, I wish she could be my secretary. Such were the thoughts of my soul.
Soei was about the sa age as Benimaru, with a complexion on the darker side and lips a slightly bluish shade of black. The single white horn on his forehead contrasted well against it, and his navy-blue eyes exuded a strong force of will. He had handsoness to him, sothing Benimaru most certainly did not, and he was about the sa height, to boot.
How were all these people getting so attractive all of a sudden? And not just attractive but, like, in the completely opposite direction of what they were before. A total one-eighty. The sheer perfection irked a little, which I suppose is only human.
Kurobe was in the pri of his life. To put it nicely, he was rugged; in a not so nice way, he was hairy. It made him stand out a bit among the beauty pageant contestants surrounding him.
His hair and eyes were black, his skin a dark shade of brown. He had two white horns, noticeable without being too huge on his forehead, and in a way, the averageness of his looks made feel a kind of kinship with him. It was a relief, in a way, his presence in the crowd. Between that and his apparent age, I had a feeling wed get along pretty well.
So that was the six, and it wasnt just their looks that had changed.
Benimaru and his friends had evolved from ogres to ogre mages, a natural progression like the one from goblins to hobgobs. It made for a showier-looking creature, but if anything, their strength received the biggest upgrade. Id say they were all past A rank now. At first I thought it might be a mistake, but no. All of them. No wonder they robbed of all my magic.
It was starting to look like the stronger the monster I gave a na to, the more magic it required to engineer the upgrade. Evolving monsters required a comnsurate amount of magicules, a valuable lesson I had to learn the hard way. If I had screwed that up, I couldve dried up my magic entirely, which wouldve been beyond bad. I had depleted it to the point where I was basically catatonic, after all. Id better try to take it nice and slow with this kind of thing from now on.
I had done a pretty good job evolving six of these guys. I was proud of that. But I had my regrets.
They had really better not turn traitor on , for one
And speak of the devil, Benimaru goes, Sir Rimuru, we have a request! Please, we beg of you to accept our solemn oath of fealty!
Great. Now I felt dumb for even thinking about betrayal.
Hmm? Geez, you dont have to get all formal about it. Just because youre my rcenaries doesnt an I want you groveling at my feet.
It is not that, my lord. We wish to serve you as your loyal retainers!
What?
I told them they were free to go once this little skirmish was wrapped up, but I guess Benimaru and his people had other plans. They must have talked this out among themselves in advance.
Please, give us your benevolent aid!! they now intoned in unison.
I had no reason to say no. But were they really okay with nothing but so als and floor space in a cabin? That bothered , but if that was what they wanted, I might as well believe in them.
Thus, the villages population grew by six in a single day. I decided to keep to myself that I honestly feared their strength.
Taking another good look, I realized exactly how much they all had changed. They had shrunk a decent amount, which made their clothing flap loosely about, but they still had the dignity to wear it well. Beautys a damn helpful thing to have at tis like these. I didnt think Kurobe could pull it off, but I guess he borrowed an outfit from Kaijin, and it worked on him. If not for the horns, Id almost mistake him for a dwarf.
Hakuro was the only one who hadnt physically changed that much. His outfit still fit him normally.
Shion, on the other hand, was a bit precarious, her now much ampler chest threatening to spill out. Eep. Better do sothing about that. Garm should be inford of this at once , I thought as I kept sneaking secret peeks at her bosom.
Soeis chest plate was still in pieces, too. I had forgotten about smashing that up, but, hey, theres an easy way to make up for it. It was ti for all the ogre mages to get new clothing and equipnt. I had promised to take care of their basics, and I didnt want them to fight with old, banged-up crap.
So I took them all to Garms cabin.
Hey, boss! he greeted , smiling as he stopped working. Those the new ogre friends weve got? You sure about that? Cause they sure dont look like ogres to , but
He looked pretty surprised, his eyes right on Shions chest.
Yeah, well, I nad em all, so they arent exactly ogres any longer. Ogre mages, is the term for em now, I think.
Ogre mages?! Thats a high-level race, isnt it? Born only on extrely rare occasions among the ogres
Is it? Well, there you have it, I guess. You think you could make so clothing and armor for them?
Oh. Yeah, sure thing.
Garm still seed dubious but refrained from comnting further as he brought the ogres inside. I was sure hed be asuring them all shortly. Hakuro was good to go as is, and Kurobe apparently borrowed a few days worth of outfits from Kaijin. Simple work clothes, really, but Kurobe seed happy enough with them.
And that reminded : Why did their clothing look so Japanese?
Hey, I asked Hakuro, your weapons are pretty unusual, arent they?
As he put it, around four hundred years ago, a group of armored warriors ca to the ogres holand, heavily wounded and seemingly lost in the forest. The ogres were a warfaring bunch by that point, more akin to monsters than they are now, but even then, they blanched at attacking the defenseless. They were a high-level race, not very preoccupied about food, so they took care of them.
The warriors, thankful for this, instructed the ogres in battle techniques and gifted their armor to them. One among them knew how to forge these katana-style weapons, and after a long trial-and-error process, they succeeded in producing large numbers.
One of the warriors they trained was my own grandfather, Hakuro said proudly, and he made well sure to teach every skill he had.
Yeah, Kurobe added, and my familys among the blacksmiths that supply em all!
So you can make those swords yourselves?
I am more versed in a straight sword, said Hakuro, but I have learned how to take care of these well enough, at least. Kurobe, though, is a sort of weaponsmaster to us.
Yep! I made all o these swords. I aint too good at fightin, but you want to bang so tal together, Im your ogre!
Wow. I had no idea there was a weaponsmith among them. Kurobe was notably weaker than the others, so I guess strength wasnt the only thing he was good for. This group from four centuries ago might have been otherworlders like , I figured, not that I had any way of knowing for sure. The important thing was that the ogres were intelligent enough to keep their tradition going.
Very good, I said. In that case, Kurobe, youre going to be our villages dedicated swordsmith from now on.
Youre on, Sir Rimuru! Ill do my best for you.
I introduced him to Kaijin at once, and since they had already t yesterday, our discussions went quickly. The two imdiately hit it off, and by the ti I left, they were already talking about new weapons they could craftthat, and so kind of weird research Kurobe wanted to tackle.
I dont know if its because of this, but it sounded like Kurobe possessed a unique skill known as Researcher. It sounded a tad like my own Predator skill, and it was geared for producing things, offering subskills like Full Analysis, Spatial Storage, and Transform Material. Spatial Storage was basically like my Stomach, and Transform Material allowed him to ss around with the stuff he kept in Spatial Storage. For example, he could store a big heap of scrap iron and transform it into solid ingots for further processing. More or less like my Copy skills, then.
It was funny how Researcher gave Kurobe the kind of skills that he, and only he, would find useful. He had also obtained Control Fla and Resist Temperature, and while Id peg him as B rank in battle, those skills would make him a pretty tough fight for most people, wouldnt it? Although it seed the man himself wanted to devote his life to forging katanas.
Now, at least, I was pretty sure the hobgoblins wouldnt have to worry about where their weapons were coming from. But before they swung into mass production, I really wanted them to craft so swords for and the other ogres. I gave Kurobe a fairly massive supply of magisteel for the job and set him at it.
Im gonna make the best swords you ever did see! he promised, striking a fist against his chest to prove the point. I was looking forward to it.
Their asurents taken, Benimaru and Soei stepped back outside, dressed in fur outfits. People that handso, they look good in anything. I am so jealous.
Hmm? Wheres Shuna and Shion?
Ah. Yes. About that
Benimaru was a little reluctant to explain. After prodding him a bit, I learned that the two were apparently unsatisfied with wearing simple fur. Given how fancy Shunas royal vestnts were, I guess I couldnt bla her. She said shed just fix up her own outfit, finding bare fur to be too itchy for her tastes.
Princess Shuna, you see, Soei said, is quite gifted with sewing and such. One of the best among us, in fact.
I could believe it. She and Shion had been dressed in a fabric I could only describe as silk, assuming that existed here. It was made by weaving together string spun for cocoons by nearby creatures known as hellmoths, then infusing the thread with a large quantity of magic for extra protection.
They were also wearing clothes made out of what looked like hemp fabricnot far removed from the bare rags the goblins wore, though much better cared for. We werent talking about the sa base plants, of course, but it was basically identical. The ogres grew a large amount of a cotton-like crop, sothing I supposed Shuna would be able to process, and the resulting fabric was sturdy enough.
Itd be useful for everyday clothing, but ooh, that silk! We definitely needed more silken battle gear, what with the defense it offered. Itd be perfect for a base layer underneath the armor Garm made for us. I decided to bring it up once I saw him following Benimaru out.
I see, Garm said. Clothing from woven fabric
Yeah, I was wondering if we could make sothing out of silk, actually.
Silk?!
I was shocked by how much of a surprise this was to Garm. Though maybe I shouldnt have been, given how expensive that stuff looked in the Dwarven Kingdom when I was there. Hemp and cotton clothes were all over the place, but silk was a rarity. They didnt even know how to make it, and the core materials were beyond precious.
Perhaps I could help with that, Soei interjected.
Hellmoths were B-ranked monsters, capable of charming people with the powder they released from their bodies, but as larvae, they were defenseless. They simply searched for cocoons containing juvenile insects and harvested those.
I decided to leave the harvesting to our troop of goblin knights, with Soei leading them to whatever secret spots he knew for that. Sooner or later, Id like to capture so larvae and try raising them in a building on-site. Not that I knew much about how that worked, but if they could raise silkworms in captivity back on Earth, it had to be possible. Probably a bit of trial and error, though.
Shuna and Shion soon stepped out themselves, their clothes refitted. I called for Garm and the fairly bored-looking Dold and formally introduced them to Shuna. Oh my! she exclaid when I explained things to her. Id be able to help you, Sir Rimuru.
So as we talked, I began to delegate duties. Shuna would produce high-quality textiles and fabrics to use for clothing. Garm would craft battle gear made from silk. Dold would dye the resulting fabric and clothing. With their combined efforts, before long we would have all the comfortable wear we needed.
As we went over this, I suddenly wondered if we could use my Sticky Steel Thread for any of it. Given my Cancel Temperature ability, itd probably be able to handle most heat-based attacksor make the clothes fireproof, at least.
Oh, thank you, Sir Rimuru! Shuna bead. Im sure I will be able to produce the finest fabric there is for you.
I hope you will!
Just leave it to , Sir Rimuru, she added, blushing slightly. How cute. She must have loved being relied on like that. Sewing was her hobby, and getting to use that in the course of her princess duties seed to provide a lot of motivation.
As far as I could tell with the dwarf brothers, working with such a fetching young ogress would be much to their liking, too. Please, please, please, just dont make any moves on her
She might look cute, but she was deadly. If they tried to give her a slap on the ass or sothing, I very much doubted they would be alive by sunrise.
I wouldnt put it past them, either, which was the thing. Being freed of carnal desires like this had made a fairly cold judge of other peoples character. If I wasnt a sli, Id probably be more worried about my own hide than anyone elses. That was how cute she was. A total demon princess. Youd risk your life trying to ask her out.
On a whim, I decided to whip up a few drawings. There wasnt any paper around, so I was still using charcoal on wood. My new body made it pretty easy to craft what I wanted, which in this case was what wed call a business suit in my own world.
I traced a few example outfits for n and won, trying to picture Benimaru wearing them as I did. Given the looks they were all gifted with, I figured these would complent them perfectly. Shion in particular, with her dignified appearance , I thought.
Very interesting, Shuna offered when I showed her. I would be glad to try sewing so of these.
So that was that. In the anti, I decided that Id go with sothing a bit more informal for myselfa light shirt and so pants, good for the sumr heat. I wouldnt mind so kind of hoodie, either, but no way I could conjure up a zipper on this planet. For now, I had used Thought Communication to communicate my image of how it should look and feel to the relevant people, so hopefully theyd make that for sooner or later.
With these orders placed, we all took our leave from the workshop, except Shuna.
Lake Sisu was situated in the center of the Forest of Jura, surrounded by a broad region of marshland. It was the domain of the lizardn.
A smattering of caves surrounded the lake. These ford a sort of natural underground labyrinth that stymied anyone who tried to go inside, and at the end of it lay the vast cavern that contained the lizardman stronghold. There, the race held control over the lake area, secured by the natural protection they were blessed with.
Today, however, the lizardn were greeted with news that had the potential to affect their peoples very future.
The orc forces were here, and they were advancing on Lake Sisu.
The chief, upon hearing this, still managed to retain his composure. Prepare for battle! he bellowed. We shall kick these pigs back to the abyss they ca from!
He was suprely confident, but that didnt an he would rest on his laurels. Along with the attack order, he sent the call to gather as much accurate information on the orcish army as his people could find. They had to have a grip on their numbers, to start.
One average lizardman, carnivorous and ferocious in battle, ranked around a C-plus. Their battalion leaders would probably manage a B-minus, maybe a few up to B, even. Perhaps around half the tribe would serve in battle, and half would be a formidable presence in any war.
The conventional wisdom was that a fully ard knight corps from one or another of the small kingdoms around the forest was a solid C-plus threat. In most of these kingdoms, the military consisted of at most five percent of the overall populationusually more like one percent, unless they were involved in protracted warfare. A lizardman force ten thousand strong, exhibiting the teamwork and synchronization the race was known for, would offer no hope for a kingdom whose population numbered beneath a million.
And this would be a fight on their ho turf. The chief liked his chances.
But there was still sothing that bothered him. The orcs had no problem with going after weaker opponents, but they never dared to defy those higher up on the food chain. Lizardn were not weaklings. They were higher up, as it were. Goblins would be one thing, but what was making them act so fearless against lizardn?
The question gave birth to a small seed of doubt in his mind, one that even now stabbed against the chiefs heart. He was a bold man, but he was also carefula balance anyone who wanted to lead such a fierce tribe had to have. And the chiefs concerns wound up being all too perceptive.
The orc force numbers a total of two hundred thousand!!
The spy teams report to the chief and his council of tribal elders sent a thrill of fear across the great cavern. Its content, delivered amid halting breaths by the lizardman warriors, froze everyone in place.
Ridiculous. That couldnt be possible! one of the elders scoffed.
The chief agreedhe would have said the sa, if so many others werent in attendance. He had a duty to be a rock for his people, unmoved by every ill tiding that greeted them. He couldnt believe it, but he couldnt simply say so. If the report turned out to be accurate, he would have to accept it and co up with counterasures.
Is this true? he ventured.
By my very life, it is, my lord!
Very well. You may go and rest.
He gave the warrior a composed nod and ordered the lizardn, who no doubt had run at full speed day and night to deliver the news, out of the chamber. The sight of the chief, as sage and reserved as ever, must have relieved them a bitso much so that they fell to the ground, right where they stood, too exhausted to continue. It was all the proof the room needed that their news was true.
Two hundred thousand? It is insanity
Watching their fellow warriors carry the spy team away, the chief found himself forced to reassess the situation. The orcs were certainly a fast-multiplying race in terms of numbers, but he doubted even they could assemble such a huge array of fighting n and won in one place.
How could they even have the logistics to supply two hundred thousand hungry stomachs?
It would be a gargantuan effort, keeping those supply lines fed. Transporting all that food couldnt have been feasible for such an undisciplined rabble.
These orcs are selfish louts, one of his advisers whispered to him, not a care in the world for anyone but themselves. How could anyone have wrangled them into a single cohesive unit?
Thats the question , the chief thought. Even the most gifted leader couldnt control a force of two hundred thousand at once, not unless they had absolute control over them all. A thousand at once would be about the practical limit. Orcs were D-ranked monsters with intelligence beneath that of humans. They cared little for anything that wasnt directly in front of their faces. They were foolish, to a man, and the word cooperation didnt exist in their vocabulary.
The chief had his hands full managing all the lizardn who served him, which numbered around twenty thousand. And that was a race that, by and large, lived in harmony with one another. Add a zero to that figure, and it was simply beyond comprehension.
Is there so manner of genius class among them leading the forces? the chief said to himself.
It could hardly be the case, his adviser replied. Anyone capable of maintaining order among them would need to be a unique monster, and I have never heard of more than one such creature appearing at the sa ti.
Indeed, another chid in. The idea of multiple unique monsters of your caliber, my lord, being born among the orcs Impossible to think of.
The chief nodded as they each shook their heads in disbelief. No. It makes little sense. But there is no point denying facts. If I am to assu this report is valid, what are the orcs capable of doing?
Even if the orcs did have several unique monsters like the lizardman chief, would they have it in them to work together toward the sa objective? Assembling an unheard-of force like this would require so other presence, sothing pushing all those talented, unique monsters to strive for a common goal without going at one anothers necks. Such a uniquely charismatic leader would an that even low-level orcs could not be trifled with. In fact, they could be a threat like none before.
Should I take action under the assumption that such a superior leader is among them? Do the orcs have it in them, so to speak?
Wait. Could it be?
Reaching a certain point in his own logic, the chief grew visibly agitated. The thought was sothing he wished to banish from his mind, but he couldnt. Soone capable of ruling over such a force. Soone said to be born only once every few centuries
Could there be an orc lord among their ranks?!
As soft as the chiefs whisper was, it transmitted loud and clear to his people despite the rising commotion. Those who understood it fell quiet, eventually silencing the entire cavern.
An orc lord
But surely
If, by so chance, this were the case
The elders who served as the chiefs advisers were similarly unable to shake the possibility. An orc lord was the stuff of legend, and in their thoughts, indeed capable of commanding a six-figure army. The more they mulled over the idea, the less they could imagine any other reason for this state of affairs.
If If, sohow, they have an orc lord among them, that would certainly explain why they have co together in this way
But for what purpose?
Does it matter at this point? The only question is whether we can defeat them or not!
The cavern was in an uproar once more, the advisers exchanging opinion after hostile opinion.
Whether we can defeat them or not?
Fighting on a plain would put the outnumbered lizardn at a heavy disadvantage. The marshes, however, were their backyard. With a careful hand and the right traps set in place, they had every chance at victory.
Or they thought they did.
If this was just a simple orc horde like any other, the chief knew how to dispatch them any number of ways. But if an orc lord truly had been born, it wasnt so easy any longer. If they were this outnumbered, they would need to maintain high morale and overwhelm the enemy with their teamwork. The chief knew it was possible, what with their knowledge of the local lands, but that strategy wouldnt work against an orc lord. An orc lord was a monster, through and through, one who could sniff out and consu the very fear that lay in his allies hearts.
The chief thought to himself , How can we escape this dilemma? If this orc-lord thing turned out to be a nonexistent threat, he could ask for nothing else. But nonetheless, he felt compelled to take every asure he could before the confrontation ca.
He would need backup.
The chief, his mind made up, called for one of his n. This mans na was Gabil, and as prudent and thoughtful the lizardman chief was, not even he could see the sheer amount of fuel he would soon add to the flas of this chaos.
The pallid goblin chieftains gave each other nervous looks as their eting began. There were fewer attendees than beforewhich made sense. Many had fled in the face of this unprecedented threat, one that could dramatically change the Forest of Jura for all ti
It all began with the direwolf attack. That, and all the goblins who abandoned the villages that the nad warriors belonged to. Despite this desertion en masse, the nad fighters successfully fended off the wolves.
A savior among them had used his unfathomable strength to protect them. Not only did the nad fighters overco the direwolves threat, they made them do their bidding; and now they were attempting to rebuild. The villagers who had professed a desire to fight with them in a tribunal so ti ago were now gone, moved to the village run by this savior.
Goblins, those petty, trifling little things, had no hope of survival unless they lived in groups, coming to one anothers aid. But even after all that happened, there was no way these goblins, after abandoning their kin like this, could drive a stake into their pride and beg for forgiveness.
No matter how much, deep in their hearts, they truly wanted to.
So had already verbalized as much, in fact. But if they sought to join them now, they would no doubt be treated little different from slaves. Thinking of it that way, it was completely impractical.
Fortunately, this savior gave no indication that he wanted to swallow up the villages that surrounded his. Perhaps they could just maintain the status quo, living as they did before. That would be best, yes.
But life wasnt that kind to them. One day, out of nowhere, a small group of orcish knights dressed in full plate mail ca to visit.
We are knights with the Orcish Order! As of this very mont, this land is under our valiant orc lords control. We shall grant you maggots the chance to remain alive, if you wish. You must collect all the food provisions you can within several days and bring them to our headquarters. If you do, we will spare your lives and treat you as the slaves you are. If you do not, we will provide no rcy. We offer no terms of surrender to those who defy us. Think well before you take action! Gah-ha-ha-ha!
Their one-sided declaration complete, the orcish knights boldly took their leave.
Orcs were, at best, D-ranked monsters. Stronger than goblins, yes, but not overwhelmingly so one-on-one. This kind of strength was beyond anyones knowledge.
So unknown, terrifying thing was happening to the Forest of Juraeveryone was sure of it now. Sothing that portended dark things for not just this village, but every other one in the surrounding area. By the ti the villages had assembled and learned that the exact sa declarations had been made to them all by the orc knights, desperation had fully taken hold. At that mont, the goblins all realized there was nowhere to go.
The orcs wanted the goblins to supply their food, that much they knew. They wanted it from them so they wouldnt have to worry about procuring it themselves. Otherwise, they would have razed the goblin villages at first sight, burning them to the ground.
They claid theyd spare their lives, but if they were going to confiscate every scrap of food they had, what was the difference? Theyd either starve or be killed. The difference was between a certain death or an infinitesimally small chance at survivalno matter how much they gritted their teeth, the goblins had nothing but utter annihilation waiting for them in the wings.
Their battle-ready forces numbered less than ten thousand. There was no way to make contact with their comrades in the outer lands, unaffiliated with the tribal elders. There was nothing to be done.
Just as they found themselves at this impasse, they were greeted by news that forced their hand even more. A lizardman envoy had co to visit.
Was this a glimr of hope? The goblin elders scrambled to et this ssenger, a lizardman nad Gabil who claid to lead his tribes warriors. The arrival of a nad creature made them swarm around him, like a savior sure to extract them from this horrible predicant.
I want you, this savior told them, to swear your loyalty to . Do it, and your futures shall be bright indeed!
The elders imdiately decided to trust in him. It was the classic mistake of the weak, grasping at anything that could possibly aid them. So of the goblins suggested that itd be preferable to rejoin their old brethren instead of being ruled by the lizardn, but they were in the minority. The vote was cast, and they were now under Gabils beck and callhaving no idea that this effectively set their fates in stone
Gabil, warrior lord of the lizardn, had taken one hundred fighters with him out of the marshlands via a direct command. The chief had given him his ordersorders he was not particularly fond of. He was a nad monster, and his naless chief was using him like a pair of oxen yoked to a wagon.
And even if this chief was his own father or not, it was starting to test his patience
He knew he was chosen. Special. It was a source of pride for Gabil, and the main source of his self-esteem.
And chosen he was. He had encountered a certain monster in the marshes, and that monster gave him a na.
You have potential, this figure told him. In the future, I could imagine you being my right-hand man. I will be back to see you soday!
Thus, he was nad Gabil. He rembered it like it happened yesterdaythe event, and the monster, Gelmud. He saw Gelmud as his true master.
He may be my father, but what reason do I have to let a naless minion boss around for all ti? I need to rule over all the lizardn soday. I have to, for Sir Gelmuds sake!
Was this how things should be? It couldnt be, or so Gabil thought. It was a side effect of wanting to be recognized by his fatherthe ever-stern figure in his life, the great leader of all lizardn. He was letting his pride overco him, but he didnt have the vocabulary to realize that.
What now, then?
The chief had ordered him to travel around the goblin villages and seek their cooperation. He was allowed to threaten them to so extent, but he was expressly forbidden to do anything that could turn them against the lizardn. A tepid idea, Gabil believed. What works with goblins are shows of strength. It always does. As far as he was concerned, his way would work just finehe had all the power he needed for it.
Yes! What need do we have for a chief so weak-minded that the re thought of an orc horde makes him quiver in fear? Now is my chance to seize control of the entire tribe!
It seed the perfect opportunity. But it wouldnt be easy to bring the lizardn to his sidelizardn who valued power, but also solidarity, above nearly everything else. The chief held control over all his citizens, all the way down to the lowliest muck sifter, and Gabil knew few would side with him at first.
He thought, still, that he could cobble together enough soldiers who would be loyal to him. The goblins, for example. Low level, yes, but they would perform well enough as living shields. A significant number of them, and even they could pose a threat. Strength lay in numbers, he knew, and ten thousand sounded like a very useful figure to him.
Why worry about the orcs? With my powers as the strongest warrior among the lizardn, they are but a trifle. And I could seize this opportunity to make my father abdicate once and for all!
So, one of the warriors with him chid in, the era of Sir Gabil is soon at hand?
Mmm? Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Indeed, indeed!
Very good, my lord! And I promise that we all shall follow you to the end of the world!
Gabil gave him a confident nod. In his mind, his future as the new chief and great leader of the lizardn was already a matter of fact. Then, perhaps, his father would finally see him for who he really was. For now, though, he would need to be discreet. Lie low and wait for the right opportunity. Building his forces ca first.
So he traveled to the goblin villages. One by one, he put them under his command. They had apparently made contact with the orcs already, and that was enough for them to treat him as so kind of benevolent god. It only served to boost his already burgeoning confidencewhich made things move in unexpected directions.
I am the true hero here! Gabil thought. His actions grew bolder, riskier. His inflating ambitions were famished, and soon they needed to be fed.
Several days passed.
I had worried at first that Benimaru and the ogres might not get along so well with my people, but I guess I had nothing to worry about. To hobgoblins, ogres were a rank or two higher on the pecking orderbut the goblins had the capacity to accept them as their own. And since ogres werent too keen to pick on those who were weaker, they were practically worthy of worship as far as goblins were concerned.
With Kurobe making swords, Shuna sewing clothes, and Soei gathering hellmoth cocoons, I had everyone humming along, really. Benimaru and Hakuro were down in the underground cavern, which I had told them about. Training, they called it. Which was fine by in their evolved forms, Im sure they had new abilities that needed testing out.
Shion had ntioned where they were when we were out surveying the structures currently under construction around town. Or to be exact, I was being held close to Shions chest as she walked around. She had volunteered to be my secretary, and I had no reason to turn her down, so she was now serving as my transport in the place of Ranga. I couldve transford into a human, butreallybeing a sli was a lot easier. I definitely didnt have any impure motives like enjoying the sensation of being sandwiched in between her breasts or anything.
I called it a town just now, and that was the best way to describe it. Certainly not a village any longer. In terms of what I had cooking for the future, we were starting to get pretty broad in scope. Of course, we were still busy enough with the sewer system and other underground infrastructure that itd be a while before much would change aboveground. Given how much enthusiasm Mildo was giving his job, though, I had every reason to expect big things at the end.
The center of town was starting to get pretty full with buildings, even if most were only temporary. It was becoming our industrial districta line of log houses located next to our storehouses, serving as workshops for building weapons, armor, and clothing. Kurobe was holed up inside one, laughing heartily with Kaijin as he worked on sothing or other. I was patiently waiting to find out what it was, since I felt Id just get in the way of the creative process if I barged in.
So we headed for the building Shuna was in.
Ah, Sir Rimuru! She bead as soon as she saw . She quickly rose to pick up, as if snatching from Shions hands. She gave a few loving pats as she toured around, showing how they were handling their work. They seed to be having fun there, which I was glad to see, and as we chatted, she had no particular complaints.
Whenever Soei ca back with his cocoons, theyd get right to silk production. Work on hemp and cotton fabric was already under way. I was impressed with their speed.
Well, we have you to thank for that, Sir Rimuru, Shuna said.
It turned outand I had no idea about thisthat Shuna had obtained the unique skill Analysis, the sa one I had been using to such great effect. Apparently, she had inherited many of the benefits I had as part of my Great Sage skillHasten Thought, Analyze and Assess, Cast Cancel, and All of Creation. In her case, though, her Assess skills were so advanced that she could just use Magic Sense to analyze objects, where I had to use Predator on them first.
Pretty convenient. But thanks to earning that unique skill, she had lost a decent chunk of her magic energy. The hit had taken her back down to approximately B-plus level, although the evolution was still enough of a strength upgrade that she had no complaints.
Sir Rimuru, Shion said as our chat with Shuna winded down, Princess Shuna has her work to handle. Perhaps we had best leave her to it for now?
She had a schedule for , just like any decent secretary.
Oh? Are you taking good care of Sir Rimuru, then?
Of course! I could feel Shion taking away from Shuna. I will see to all of Sir Rimurus needs, so there is no need to worry about that.
Hee-hee-hee! I certainly wouldnt mind taking care of him, too.
Not at all, Princess Shuna. There is no need. I will fully provide for him!
I could almost see the sparks flying. Nah, just my imagination.
Besides, I didnt need to be taken care of at all. I had lived alone for long enough that I could do pretty much anything I needed on my own. Maybe its ti I got out of here , I thought
Sir Rimuru! Who do you think is best suited to take care of your needs or Shion?
I was too late.
Um, yeah Youve got silk to weave or sothing, right, Shuna? I guess you could help out whenever youre free, maybe?
Help out on what, exactly? Hell if I know.
Very well! Im glad to be counted on like that!
Shuna smiled. This was enough for her, I suppose. Well, good. Lets just leave it at that. Thank you! I replied. She nodded cutely in response.
Absolutely! I will gladly serve as your shamaness whenever you need!
Shamaness?
Yes! You have accepted as your Oracle, the one who will revere and serve you, have you not?
Um, did I? Because I think I wouldve rembered that! But I hesitated to say so, sensing it might be a tad dangerous.
Oh, er Yeah? Yeah. Sure. Have fun being my Oracle, then.
I was welcod with a rosy smile.
You are in good hands, Sir Rimuru!
So cute. I was ready to let her say just about anything to .
In that case, Sir Rimuru, we had best be off!
Shion, of course, took the opportunity to ruin the mont, briskly lifting up.
Um, thanks?
Youre welco, sir! Shuna chirped, her smile taut against her face, as if she had just erged victorious from so manner of epic battle.
Glad to see that was settled, then. I felt like the temperature around us had chilled a bit, though Im sure it was my mind playing tricks on . With a lot of things in the world, its better for everyone to just chalk it up to their imagination.
Now we were off to Benimaru and crew. They were no doubt busily testing their newfound abilities, and I wanted to find out what they had discovered so far.
We arrived at the underground cavern to find Benimaru and Hakuro crossing swords with each other. Benimarus wooden blade was, for so reason, shrouded in a white aura. When he slashed it at Hakuro, it emitted a bright arc of light that surged forward. It slipped right through Hakuros body, instead slicing a boulder behind him cleanly in half. The next mont, Hakuro appeared behind Benimarus back, his own wooden sword against his opponents neck.
This, apparently, signaled the end of the battle.
U-umm These guys are ogres, right? Because that little snippet I just witnessed looked so refined. Those moves. And that white light? Whats up with that? Whyre wooden practice blades enough to smash up rocks? Why bother with the sword at all, then?
Hakuro was the first to notice . Ah, hello to you, Sir Rimuru, he said. A rather nice place, this is. Quiet, too.
I do apologize you had to see like this, Sir Rimuru.
Oh, no, no. I heard you were training, so I thought I would see how its going. Doing well, I suppose?
I think we are coming to grips with this, yes, Benimaru said. Hakuros regained enough of his youth that hes as strong as a man half his age.
Hoh-hoh-hoh! Indeed, it is as Lord Benimaru puts it. I can feel the power flowing into this withered old fra!
Ah, but its only just begun for the two of us, Hakuro! I am still stronger than you, rember, which should have been enough to win, but
Benimarus face visibly soured. I could tell that his stores of magicules did outclass his foes.
Indeed, young masteror should I say, Lord Benimaru? I fear, however, that you rely upon your strength reserves too much. You must lend an ear to your sword, the way I do, and beco one with it. I would hate to let myself lose to you until you achieve that.
Even before he evolved, Benimaru was a masterful enough fighter to sneak up behind my back. I still rembered how he evaded my Magic Sense long enough to slice right through my arm, even with Multilayer Barrier and Body Armor protecting it. I didnt want to dwell on the thought much, but he might just be strong enough now to finish the job for good.
Yeah, you lopped my arm off not long ago, didnt you? I said. If you dont mind my honesty, that threw , man.
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! And then you regenerated it at a monts notice! I believe I was the one nearing panic.
Wellthat was true, yeah. Accurate, but it only happened because I stumbled upon Ultraspeed Regeneration on my feet back there. What Benimaru didnt know wouldnt hurt him, though.
I was pretty impressed with how you managed to completely hide yourself like that, though. How did that work?
That is a skill known as Battlewill. It uses my aura, which places it in a different family of skills from magic.
As Hakuro put it, Battlewill was a unique sort of Art, or technical skill, that transford the magicules within the body into fighting spirit, thus powering up the wielders physical form. If ones aura is what cos out while youre not doing anything, fighting spirit is what your body releases while, well, fightingalthough given the auras already available to high-level monsters, it struck as six of one, half a dozen of the other.
There were a few other Arts, too. Instantmove, for one, which allowed exactly that, or Formhide, which forced your opponent to lose sight of you. Modelwill, which strengthened your fists and weapons, was more of a beginner Art, and that was the white light I had just witnessedthey could fire it off like a projectile. It was all a bit like magic, except not magic. No casting ti, for one, which made it more useful to put into practice in a pinch.
Given how anyone with the right level of intelligence could learn Arts, I guess the sight of ogres busting them out shouldnt have been a surprise. Shuna had that illusory magic on her side, too. I suppose it should be a given that high-level monsters had this kind of thing handy, as a rule. Great if theyre on my side, really annoying if not.
If your garden-variety adventurer ever ran into a monster with that kind of arsenal at their fingertips I couldnt guess how many unlucky sods t their ends that way. I took a mont to say a silent prayer for them.
This Battlewill thing, though, was interesting. I definitely wanted to learn about Formhide, which Magic Sense was apparently powerless against. My human form gave normal sight, but if I hadnt had that, I wouldve been wide open to that attack back there. As they put it, the Art begins by suppressing your sound, then your sll, then your temperature, then your spiritand once you reach that level, you no longer even disturbed the magicules around you.
Definitely a skill I wanted to have.
Lord Hakuro was our teacher, Shion explained, and the most powerful swordsman among our retainers.
Neat. So, Hakuro I want to learn that Battlewill thing, and Id like the hobgobs to get trained in it, too. Mind flexing your muscles so more for as my official Instructor?
Hoh-hoh-hoh! You seek a favor from this decrepit old man? He fell to one knee. It gladdens to hear! If it be for your sake, Sir Rimuru, I would be overjoyed to exert my weary bones one more ti!
Sir Rimuru, Benimaru added, you said you planned to build a nation in this land, yes? You were serving as king, and Rigurd as your top minister? I know nothing about governnt myself, but when it cos to military issues, I believe there are few who could equal . If you wish to appoint to a role along those lines, I would gladly accept it.
Fine by but thats kind of a step down for you, isnt it?
Nothing of the sort. We serve you now, Sir Rimuru, and we have offered our loyalty. If I may fulfill this by serving as your vassal, then I would gladly put everything I can offer on the line.
Hmm. I wonder how to handle this. He certainly seems earnest. Hed made a similar request a few days ago, but I honestly hadnt given it serious thought yet. Maybe Im the one who owes him so more respect.
All right. I hope I can count on your strength, then.
I had to repay his resolve one way or the other, I figured. Now was the ti. The ti for and these ogres to firmly, finally, walk hand in hand.
That is terribly unfair! Sir Rimuru! If this is how it will be, I would like to be appointed to a post as well!
Sheesh. She startled .
Shion, still firmly holding up to her chest, was visibly pouting. Oh brother. Did she think I was kicking her out of the cool kids club or sothing? Guess Ill need to whip up sothing for her, too.
I jumped out of her arms and to the ground, transforming into human form as I did. Before I touched solid earth, I produced a change of clothes from my stomach and put it ona move I had been practicing in secret. Benimaru and Shion looked surprised, but they kneeled silently before instead of saying anything.
Well then, Benimaru, I hereby appoint you to be my Samurai General. From here on in, you will be responsible for running my nations military affairs.
Yes, my lord! I will serve you well, on and off the battlefield!
And you, Shion, I hereby appoint as my Royal Guard. Your duties will remain chiefly secretarial, I suppose, but either way, do your best, all right?
Thank you so much, my lord! I will make a full effort every day to serve you as best as I possibly can!
So now Ive not only nad them all, but Ive given them three classes to work with. They couldnt have been more rapt with joy. Kurobe seed to be loving his own job, too. I shouldve given them all formal titles earlier. Shuna and Soei deserved sothing, too.
Just as the thought occurred, a figure suddenly appeared next to Benimaru. It was Soei, and it looked like he had pretty much jumped right out from Benimarus shadowthe result, he explained, of the Shadow Motion skill he earned as part of his own evolution. I knew it involved harnessing peoples shadows to move from point A to point B in the shortest ti possible, but I wasnt too deep on the specifics.
I had learned it myselfit was part of what I had picked up from the direwolvesbut Id yet to actually try it. Probably more useful than I thought at first sight. I had so much stuff at this point, I hadnt had the ti to fully experint with it all. Id better get to grips with that soon, at least. Especially if Soeis already well versed in it. Itd be great for gathering intel, I think.
Upon noticing , Soei fell to one knee. Reporting, my lord! he barked.
Y-yeah?
I have completed my cocoon-gathering mission, and on the way back, I witnessed a group of lizardn on the move. Spotting them so far away from the marshes they call ho seed highly unusual, so I thought it best to report to you as quickly as possible.
Soei seed perfectly serene. His breath wasnt ragged or anything, but I was sure he mustve hurried right over. My Sense Heat Source skill told his body temperature was slightly higher than normal.
Lizardn? That is odd, Benimaru said thoughtfully.
So lizardn and orcs? Sothing was definitely happening now.
Soei, I said, Id like you to handle so intelligence work for . Starting today, I want you to serve as my Covert Agent, gathering information for and our cause.
I could dream of nothing better, my lord, he replied, quietly but resolutely. I was always told that my ancestors were gifted in the so-called dark artsand I look forward to exercising those skills to their fullest extent for you.
So now the ogres and I were one big happy family, more or less. I had a small group of loyal agents working under . They had evolved into ogre mages, and they had regained a fair number of their ancestors abilities.
When they first evolved, I had guessed they were all through the wall and well into the top of the A-ranked range. But now that they were obtaining skills and getting used to their new bodies, their individual ranks were changing. Head and shoulders above the rest of the village in strength, but still, changing.
I had the feeling that my assigning jobs, or classes, to them had helped cent the exact amount of magical force each had to work with. The sa had happened with the hobgoblins who were assigned classes.
In the end, success in battle had less to do with brute strength and more to do with how you matched up with your foe skill-wise. It was really my skills that defeated Ifrit, not whatever my sli body did for . Seeing these ogre mages obtain unique skills in the sa way was fascinating.
I had a feeling that Shuna had forced my hand a little bit, but I didnt mind. She did used to be a shamaness, I guess, so the class I gave her worked well enough for . She seed happy enough with it, too.
So now I had six ogre mages working under , each with their own class. Benimaru the Samurai General; Shuna the Oracle; Hakuro the Instructor; Soei the Covert Agent; Shion the Royal Guard; and Kurobe the Swordsmith. I liked it.
Gabil was finding so very receptive minds among the goblin villages hed paid personal visits to. They didnt need any lofty speeches about how strong he wasthey were eager to follow him practically at first sight. Thats how the weaker races worked, he supposed. And if they showed any sign of defying him, he was ready to whip them into submission.
The chiefs orders no longer figured in Gabils mind. He had the able warriors of each village gathered together, bringing whatever food supplies they could scrounge up from their storehouses. They numbered seven thousand in all, dressed in flimsy leather armor and bearing crude spears with stone-hewn spikes. Not worth relying on in battle, but this was fine for now. The ones too scared to fight had already fled anyway.
Elders! he bellowed. Are there any other villages in the area I should be aware of?
The elders exchanged glances with one another, then one finally stepped up timidly to respond.
Wellperhaps not a village, exactly, but there should be one other settlent, yes.
Settlent? The elders choice of words rankled the lizardman. What of it? What is so worriso about this settlent you speak of?
The elders responded with an astonishing talethe story of a goblin band riding direwolves. It made no sense to him. Those were strong monsters, those canines, roving in packs to rule over the plains. On their ho turf, even the lizardn warriors would watch their step. Why would they bend to the will of such a low-level species like goblins? It was preposterous.
And the elders tales grew even taller as they continued. Apparently, they were being led by a sli, of all things. Ridiculous , Gabil thought. The lowest level of monster there ever was! Maybe they could find a way to charm the minds of the equally stupid goblins, but direwolves? Co on.
Gabil needed to see it for himself. Perhaps there was a trick behind the founding of this settlent he could appropriate for his own ends. If all went well, perhaps even these alleged direwolves would join his side, turning the vast plains into his personal hunting grounds. So he sprang into action, letting his desires move him.
The location Gabil was given bore no village. This annoyed him, but he let it slide. If he wanted to gain control over the direwolves, he had to expect a hitch here and there. Being released from any sense of duty to his lizardman superiors made it impossible for him to rein in his lust for power, but still, he knew patience was key.
Right now, the existence of his chief was nothing more than an obstacle on the way to his armys objectives. If he could gain the cooperation of the direwolves, the other lizardn would no doubt recognize their new king by then. The lords of the plains, paired with the king of the marshes? Who had anything to fear from those low-level pigs now, no matter how much of a mob they were?
Nobody. Gabil was sure of it. He would quickly suppress them, and then he would rule over the Forest of Jura.
And that, I imagine, would prove worthy enough a feat to place upon Sir Gelmuds feet.
Picturing the joy his master would show him upon hearing the news made it easy for Gabil to remain patient. He already had n stationed at Lake Sisu, awaiting additional orders. Supplies were still tight, so they had to take action soon. There was no ti to waste.
One of his n reported spotting fresh tracks in the area. He imdiately placed an order. A group of ten elite fighters, himself included, would ride upon their hover lizard mounts toward their objective. Gabil didnt even bother to hide their presence in the plains. The direwolves were a concern, but if they were doing the bidding of goblins of all things, they couldnt have been any threat now.
I will need to train them , he thought, and bring them back to their forr glories!
He had no idea what was waiting for him. His head was too full of pride at the idea of serving Sir Gelmud, the only master he truly loved.
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