Jura Forest
The Ogre Village was in flas.
The thatched huts were riddled with fire arrows, burning furiously under the dark sky.
The army of the Pig-Head Tribe had ravaged the entire Ogre Clan. The village had been turned into a hellish wasteland.
Like a swarm of locusts, they left nothing but scorched earth behind.
"Damn it…"
A tall, red-haired ogre knelt on the ground, fists clenched, glaring at the inferno in front of him.
"Big brother…"
Behind him, a shrine maiden-dressed ogre girl trembled with teary eyes.
Next to her, four other surviving ogres stood silently.
Out of the three hundred villagers who once called this place ho, only six remained.
The red-haired ogre gritted his teeth.
"Damn pigs. And that demon…"
"I will make them pay for this!"
"Young Master, now is the ti to retreat and regroup."
A white-haired elder stepped forward, voice calm.
"The Pig-Head Emperor isn't just after us."
"He's aiming to dominate the entire Jura Forest. We need to warn the other monsters, get them to evacuate."
"Anyone devoured by the Pig-Head Emperor will only make him stronger."
"..."
The red-haired ogre boy fell silent.
Then slowly raised his head. "You're right. We're not in a position to fight right now."
"We'll fall back. Gather strength. One day, we'll take revenge."
Just as they were preparing to leave, a powerful wave of magical energy surged from behind them.
"?!"
Monsters are naturally sensitive to danger. All six imdiately drew their weapons, turning toward the source of the magic.
A black portal opened in the air.
gumin stepped out first.
"Wow… this is the place—huh?"
She froze at the sight of the burning village. "What the… what happened here?"
Darkness followed, her expression serious as she surveyed the scene. "Was this village attacked?"
The ogres didn't relax just because two girls appeared. Their instincts told them the real danger was still behind them.
Their hands gripped their weapons tighter.
Then, a black-haired boy walked calmly through the portal.
The magical pressure radiating from his body was suffocating.
The sheer weight of it made their knees weak.
One of the ogres couldn't even hold his sword properly.
"You…"
Chishiya was just about to speak when he noticed sothing odd.
The ogres were sweating bullets.
...Huh?
He suddenly realized.
Could it be the magic pressure I'm leaking?
Right, this isn't the Konosuba world. There's no custom of suppressing magic power here.
And these monsters are probably extra sensitive to mana.
I must look like so kind of final boss to them right now.
With a slight sigh, Chishiya dialed his magic power back.
The ogres finally breathed again.
That kid's presence was nearly suffocating a second ago.
Chishiya scanned the burned-down ruins, then turned back to the group of ogres.
If mory served, this clan had just been wiped out by the Pig-Head Emperor.
Out of 300, only these six survived.
These six would eventually go on to beco Rimuru's right-hand team in the original tiline.
Chishiya stroked his chin.
He did plan to trade with Rimuru in the future…
But manpower was a more pressing issue right now.
If he intercepted them here and now… well, that wasn't technically his fault, was it?
It's not stealing if no one's claid them yet.
The red-haired ogre sheathed his blade and stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
"Powerful human… may I ask what brings you here?"
"As you can see, our village has been destroyed."
"I'm afraid we're in no position to help you."
He knew better than to provoke this guy.
Just based on his aura alone, this boy could wipe them all out.
And they still had a mission to accomplish.
They couldn't afford to die here.
Chishiya turned his gaze to the scorched village behind them.
"Thinking of rebuilding this place?"
The red-haired ogre hesitated, then a trace of pain flashed through his eyes.
"What's the point in rebuilding, when all our people are gone?"
Chishiya replied flatly, "What if I said I could bring them back?"
"!!!"
Their mournful eyes instantly snapped toward him.
Resurrect…?
Was that even possible?
Could soone really pull off sothing like that?
The red-haired ogre couldn't believe it.
"Resurrection… for real?"
Chishiya clarified, "Let be clear. Not everyone can be brought back."
"At minimum, I need a body. Even a part of one is enough."
The ogres didn't hesitate.
A few minutes later, over twenty bodies were laid out in the village square.
Only twenty-four corpses out of three hundred…
The rest had already been devoured by the Pig-Head Emperor.
Chishiya stared at the corpses.
So intact, so not.
Just like the original story.
The Pig-Head Emperor's unique skill, Hunger, let him grow stronger by consuming other monsters.
Not a single body from the Pig-Head Tribe could be found either.
The red-haired ogres were lucky to recover even this many.
gumin covered her mouth.
Then turned and vomited behind a tree.
Darkness's face was grim. "How cruel…"
Chishiya turned to the red-haired ogre.
"I get how you feel."
"But I'm a businessman. I don't do charity."
"I'll help you. But in return, the Ogre Tribe must beco part of my company."
"Are you willing?"
The five others looked to the red-haired ogre.
As their young master, the decision was his.
"..."
He knelt down.
If there was even a chance to save his people—even just a handful of them.
Then pride wasn't worth clinging to.
"Please save my clan."
"In exchange, let us serve you."
Chishiya looked at him for a mont.
He respected the decision.
Admitting your weakness is the first step toward becoming strong.
"Raise your head."
Chishiya helped him up.
"Deal."
"From now on, we're family."
"Welco to Underground Labyrinth Enterprise."
[Transmission Network is now open]
A familiar system notification rang in his mind.
"Aqua, it's your turn."
He opened a portal behind him.
A blue-robed girl stepped out proudly.
Chishiya looked at her. "Well? Confident?"
Aqua thumped her chest. "Leave it to , Chishiya-san!"
"I'm the Chief High Priest! The chief~!"
(To be continued.)
***
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