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 order—but the goblins had the
capacity to accept them as their own.
And since ogres weren't 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, we 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 me—in their evolved forms, I'm sure they had new abilities that needed testing out.
Shion had called me earlier. Something to do with lunch, I think.
The moment she did, a chill ran down my spine.
It was just like the whole world's bloodlust was focused on me.
Involuntarily, I screamed "NO!!"
Nothing like this had happened to me before. My spidey-senses were tingling like—brrrh.
Seeing how I overreacted, I was compelled to give a stupid excuse, which was, at the most, believable.
I hadn't really tasted good and quality food in a while, so I was highly pleased with the offer, but my life came first.
I wonder how the otherworlders are faring. I just hope they won't get mad at me for keeping my distance from them.
Knowing Akane, she must've thrashed around or something.
Well, it's not really my fault. I lay all accusations on the ancient primordial pigeon (Feldway).
Aside from that, this town has really improved.
Yes, 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 Rimuru and 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 it'd 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 district—a 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 something or other.
I was patiently waiting to find out what it was since I felt I'd just get in the way of the creative process if I barged in.
I decided to head for the building where I last saw Shion taking Rimuru to.
The scene I was met with…
Shuna and Shion were furiously dragging Rimuru's slime form.
It turned out—and I had no idea about this—that Shuna had obtained the unique skill 『Analysis』, the same one I had been using to such great effect.
That was at the time of my demon peer stage.
Apparently, she had inherited many of the benefits Rimuru had as part of his 『Great Sage』 skill—『Thought Acceleration』, 『Analytical Appraisal』, 『Chant Annulment』, and 『All of Creation』.
In her case, her『Assess』 skills were so advanced that she could just use Magic Sense to analyze objects, where as Rimuru had to use Predator on them first.
It's pretty convenient, isn't it. 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.
Plus, with the power of her unique skill, the benefits were greater than the losses.
Shion: 「Sir Rimuru, Shuna currently has a lot on her hand, so I think it's important that we leave her be, no?」
Right, you just want to have Rimuru to yourself, don't you?
Shuna: 「Oh? You're taking good care of Sir Rimuru, I presume?」
Shion: 「But of course!」
Shuna: 「Hehehe, I certainly don't mind taking care of him too, you know?」
Shion: 「Nonsense! Not at all, Princess Shuna. There is no need. I will fully provide for him!」
I swear—I saw sparks of lightning shooting out of their eyes!! How do they do that?!
Then, the almighty question that could put any man's life in hell came.
Shuna: 「Sir Rimuru—!!, who do you think is best suited to care for your needs—?, the eloquent me, or the brash and rough Shion?」
*Sigh*
No matter how nice it was to see him in a pinch, this isn't the kind of thing you joke with.
Gotta respect the bro code.
Fubuki: 「Alright, alright, that's enough for today. Gi'mme that.」
I instantly snatched Rimuru from their predatory grasp.
They turned to look at me, clearly frustrated, though they still tried their best to show me respect.
Shuna: 「Ah, greetings, Sir Fubuki. How are you faring?」
Fubuki: 「Quite pleased. Though, I would prefer you keep the fighting down. You guys need to give the poor slime a break.」
Shion: 「Hmph.」
This brat…
Fubuki: 「*Sigh* Don't worry, Shuna, I'll make sure you get a turn to attend to him. Just make sure to finish your job.」
Shuna: 「Hm! Thank you, Sir Fubuki! I look forward to our next magic lesson.」
Fubuki: 「Heh.」
Shuna smiled. This was enough for her, I suppose. Well, good. Let's just leave it at that.
She nodded cutely in response.
Shuna: 「Oh, yes! I also look forward to serving as your shamaness whenever you need it!」
Fubuki: 「Shamaness?」
Shuna: 「Yes! You have accepted me as your Oracle, the one who will revere and serve you, have you not?」
Um, did I? Because I think I would've remembered that! But I hesitated to say so, sensing it might be a tad dangerous.
Urgh, what a pain…
Fubuki: 「Uhh, yeah, sure, whatever… Have fun being my oracle then.」
I was welcomed with a rosy smile.
The transition was instantaneous.
Shuna: 「I will! You're in good hands, Sir Fubuki!」
Damn, now she's cutely giggling in the back.
For a moment, I was reminded of Lunax's...Nope, a dangerous thought. I'm not falling for it.
I'm glad to see that was settled, then.
I felt like the temperature around us had chilled a bit, though I'm sure it was my mind playing tricks on me.
With a lot of things in the world, it's better for everyone to just chalk it up to their imagination.
Shion wanted to tag along, and I couldn't really deny her. In the end, we all went together.
Rimuru: 「Thanks, dude. I thought I was gonna die.」
Fubuki: 「A bit exaggerated, don't you think? But sure, I'm always here to help out. Bros before hoes, right?」
We bumped fists (at least I did), signing the deal for the bro union. From there on, a powerful treaty was formed.
As expected, halfway through the journey, Shion began to plead for the release of Rimuru.
I didn't mind, really. Besides, Rimuru also seemed to enjoy the two crowns proudly nestled over his head.
Hey now, when I think of it, I haven't really had one of those random anime incidents.
You know, the one where the mc "mistakenly" does something and ends up kissing a beautiful princess and stuff.
Or the ones where shit happens and the dense-as-hell mc ends up groping some quality melons.
Why ain't any of that shit happening to me? Am I not dense enough?
What are the requirements? I need them!
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.
Benimaru's wooden blade was, for some 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 Hakuro's body instead, slicing a boulder behind him cleanly in half.
The next moment, Hakuro appeared
behind Benimaru's back, his own wooden sword against his
opponent's neck.
This, apparently, signaled the end of the battle.
Rimuru: 「…U-umm… These guys are ogres, right? Because that little snippet I just witnessed looked so refined.
Those moves. And that white light…? What's up with that? Why're wooden practice blades enough to smash up rocks?」
Hakuro was the first to notice us.
Hakuro: 「Ah, hello to you two, Sir Rimuru, Sir Fubuki.」 he said. 「A rather nice place, this is. Quiet, too.」
Fubuki: 「Yeah. It sure is.」
Benimaru: 「I do apologize you had to see me like this, my lords.」
Rimuru: 「Oh, no, no. I heard you were training, so I thought I would see how it's going. Doing well, I suppose?」
Benimaru: 「I think we are coming to grips with this, yes. Hakuro's regained enough of his youth that he's as strong as a man half his age.」
Hakuro:「Hoh-hoh-hoh! Indeed, it is as Lord Benimaru puts it. I can feel the power flowing into this withered old frame!」
Benimaru: 「Ah, but it's only just begun for the two of us, Hakuro! I am still stronger than
you, remember, which should have been enough to win, but…」
Benimaru's face visibly soured. I could tell that his stores of magicules did outclass his foe's.
Hakuro: 「Indeed, young master—or 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 become 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 Rimuru's back.
I still remember how Rimuru complained about how easily he evaded his Magic Sense long enough to slice right through his arm, even with Multilayer Barrier and Body Armor protecting it.
I didn't want to dwell on the thought much, but he might
just be strong enough now to finish the job for good.
They've surely grown stronger. I came to learn that Rimuru had secretly named these ogres.
It's not a problem, truly, but what if they decided to strike at his moment of weakness?
He should've alerted me ahead of time, at least.
Well, not that I mind. Besides, I've done better. Heh.
Rimuru: 「Yeah, you lopped my arm off not long ago, didn't you? If you don't mind my honesty, that threw me, man.」
Benimaru: 「Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! And then you regenerated it at a moment's notice! I believe I was the one nearing panic.」
Well…that was true, yeah.
It was accurate, but it only happened because he stumbled upon Ultraspeed Regeneration.
Well, what Benimaru didn't know wouldn't hurt him, though.
Hakuro then went about to explain how Battlewill worked to Rimuru after he inquired.
I knew about it from Kenneth, so I didn't bother to hear out all the details, but it seems that this generation has a more detailed explanation for it.
Simply put it as a unique sort of art or technical skill that
transformed the magicules within the body into fighting spirit, thus powering up the wielder's physical form.
If one's aura is what comes out while you're not doing anything, fighting spirit is what your body releases while, well, fighting—
although, given the auras already available to high-level monsters, it struck me as six of one, half a dozen of the other.
I guess I can no longer depend on ancient descriptions of magic or art again.
Shion: 「Lord Hakuro was our teacher, and the most powerful
swordsman among our retainers.」
Rimuru: 「Neat. So, Hakuro… I want to learn that Battlewill thing, and I'd like the hobgobs to get trained in it, too.
Mind working your muscles some more for me as my official instructor?」
Hakuro: 「Hoh-hoh-hoh! You seek a favor from this decrepit old man?」 He fell to one knee.「It gladdens me to hear! If it be for your sake, Sir Rimuru, I would be overjoyed to exert my weary bones one more time!」
Benimaru: 「My lords, you both planned to build a nation in this land, yes? You two were serving as kings of the sort, and Rigurd as your top minister, yes?
I know nothing about government myself, but when it comes to military issues, I believe there are few who could equal me.
If you wish to appoint me to a role along those lines, I would gladly accept it.」
Rimuru: 「I'm cool with that. What of you?」
Fubuki: 「Fine by me…but that's kind of a step down for you, isn't it?」
Benimaru: 「Nothing of the sort. We serve you now, Sir Fubuki, and we have offered our loyalty.
If I may fulfill this by serving as your vassals, then I would gladly put everything I can offer on the line.」
Rimuru: 「All right. I hope I can count on your strength, then.」
Shion: 「That is terribly unfair! My lords! If this is how it will be, I would like to be
appointed to a post as well!」
Sheesh. She got me. Shion, still firmly holding Rimuru up to her chest, was visibly pouting. Oh, brother.
Did she think he was kicking her out of the cool kids club or something?
Guess I'll need to whip up something for her, too. Wait, I could dump it on him. Yes!
Fubuki: 「I see. Sorry about that. If you need a post, you can trouble Rimuru for one. Surely, he will give you a post worthy of your name, right?」
Shion: 「Yes! Sir Fubuki understands my feelings!」
Hehe. Now, that's how the professionals do it.
Rimuru: 「Oi, traitorous bastard! I thought we were smooth-sailing back there! Why do this to me?! Bros before hoes, right?」
Sorry buddy, the weight's on you.
Fubuki: 「Nonsense, who else would be better at assigning duties if not you?
You named them, didn't you? Then it's YOUR responsibility. Now, onto it, sergeant!!」
Rimuru: 「Urgh, fine—whatever...asshole.」
Heh.
Rimuru: 「Well then, Benimaru, I hereby appoint you to be our Samurai General. From here on in, you will be responsible for running our nation's military affairs.」
Benimaru: 「Yes, my lord! I will serve you well, on and off the battlefield!」
Rimuru: 「And you, Shion, I hereby appoint as our Royal Guard. Your duties will remain chiefly secretarial, I suppose, but either way, do your best, all right?」
Shion: 「Thank you so much, my lord! I will make a full effort every day to serve you as best as I possibly can!」
Royal guard? Meh, I don't need those. A little muscle flex is all I need to scare the assholes shitless.
Kalisha: 「...…」
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared next to Benimaru.
It was Soei, and it looked like he had pretty much jumped right out from Benimaru's shadow—the result, he explained, of the Shadow Motion skill he earned as part of his own evolution.
I knew it involved harnessing people's shadows to move from point A to point B in the shortest time possible, but I
wasn't too deep on the specifics.
Upon noticing us, Soei fell to one knee.
Soei: 「Reporting, my lords!」 he barked.
Rimuru: 「Y-yeah?」
Soei: 「I have completed my cocoon-gathering mission, and on the way back, I witnessed a group of lizardmen on the move.
Spotting them so far away from the marshes they call home seemed highly unusual, so I thought it best to report to you as quickly as possible.」
Soei seemed perfectly serene. His breath wasn't ragged or anything, but I was sure he must've hurried right over.
Benimaru: 「Lizardmen? That's odd.」
If I recall correctly, during one of Treyni's annoying reports, Ai heard that they never really leave the marshlands unless something important occurred.
Could it be the orc incident? Yeah, definitely.
Rimuru: 「Soei, I'd like you to handle some intelligence work for me. Starting today, I want you to serve as our Covert Agent, gathering information for me
and our cause.」
Soei: 「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 arts—and I look forward to exercising those skills to their fullest extent for you.」
So now the ogres, Rimuru, and I were one big happy family, more or less. We had a small group of loyal agents working under us.
They had evolved into ogre mages, and they had regained a fair number of their ancestors' abilities.
That's good. Wouldn't want slackers around.
I had a feeling that Shuna had forced my hand a little bit, but I didn't mind.
She used to be a shamaness, I guess, so the class I gave her worked well enough for me.
She seemed happy enough with it, too.
So now we had six ogre mages working under us, 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'm already liking the state of things.
◇◇◇
Several days had passed since I had appointed my pseudo cabinet of ogre mages.
Just as they had said, things appeared to be going well between them and the hobgoblins, Rigurd included.
Soei was providing raw materials to Shuna, and she was already successfully spinning silk thread from it.
The fabric it produced had made her the target of astonishment from the village's goblinas.
Which made sense. Compared to the simple hemp from the goblin era, this was in a whole other dimension.
Kaijin was more focused on overseeing our efforts at mass production—it's not like any single person had the stamina to bang away at metal every single
day for weeks on end—but he still had a wealth of knowledge to glean.
Surprisingly, Fubuki was willing to lend us some quality materials like gold and silver for the production of weapons.
I still have the idea of him being an important noble or a rich man's son in my mind. No one's changing that.
Back to the matter at hand.
It was already producing results. I caught him when he was talking with Kurobe about some kind of weapon hobgoblins could use while mounted.
Hopefully, they'd remain a solid team for a good while to come.
Soei, meanwhile, was leading a small group of hobgobs as they built a sort of security network around town, lined with some small-scale devices along the way that would sound an alarm whenever someone approached.
At the same time, he was constantly gathering intel and relaying it to me as needed.
That was thanks to 『Replication』, which Soei could now use to create up to six copies of himself at once.
We could also keep up with each other through Thought Communication, and since there didn't seem to be any distance limit for these clones, he could send them out across the land to conduct espionage as needed.
It was worth noting that the clones generated through 『Replication』 had exactly as much ability in battle as their original bodies.
The difference lay in stamina,
or lack thereof. The clones had almost none, in fact, which meant they lacked the energy to launch any mystic arts.
Skills were another matter, and using abilities like Shadow Motion and Sticky Steel Thread was no problem. Talk about useful.
Soei's abilities seemed more than a little inherited from mine, in a way, and he had already fully mastered them.
It was interesting, actually, seeing how different people could use the same skills with such differing degrees of virtuosity.
Not like I was a dunce, I don't think—it was more like Soei was a
genius at it.
To tell the truth, I had actually sent out a scout or two of my own before I formally employed Soei for the job.
Intel gathering was a fundamental part of my mission, and if the orcs and lizardmen were acting suspicious, I couldn't simply assume that our neck of the woods was safe.
The hobgobs were still amateurs at that kind of thing, though.
The best they could do was observe their faraway neighbors from a distance.
As irritating as that was, they'd be in danger of capture if they came too close to anyone—and even if they escaped, they'd still tip off our presence to potential enemies.
Putting Soei on the task was absolutely the right answer.
These were the products of 『Replication』, after all. If they were spotted, he could just make them vanish.
And having Thought Communication handy was huge—in a world without so much as a cell phone, we could now talk and trade info far more quickly than before.
He requested permission to go on a reconnaissance mission, so I simply gave him the go-ahead.
Benimaru, meanwhile, was conferring with Rigurd and the other elders about how to keep this town secure.
I had established a new department of the army and left him in charge, although the only other member at this point was Hakuro.
Rigur and the rest of the town's security force were busy securing food and natural resources; I
couldn't draft them into the army that easily.
I'd probably have to reorganize
them at some point and field volunteers.
That appeared to be what Benimaru was talking about with Rigurd.
"I'd like to create an organization suited for combat," he told me, "selected from worthy candidates willing to dedicate themselves to battle duty. Would
that be all right with you?"
"Sure," I said. "Sounds great. Let me know once you've got a roster handy."
I wanted to leave the whole thing to him, really, but that felt a tad too irresponsible, even for me.
I had been successfully influenced by Fubuki, and I loved it.
I was charged with making the final decisions, and I
had to fulfill that duty, at least.
We were still basically a collection of monsters, but little by little, I felt like we
were forming an actual nation of sorts.
It was nothing I could've done—or at least, done this quickly—without Benimaru and the others.
I'd hope I could rely on them for a while to come.
There was also the training with Hakuro, which, to be honest, was a really fruitful training.
Having this new human form and everything, I figured I'd learn some sword skills of my own.
This was, to say the least, extremely optimistic, as was the
prospect of learning new arts for myself anytime soon.
My last experience with that sort of thing was back in middle school, and I'd never even held a sword before. No way it'd be that easy.
I figured I'd be a quick study, what with Thought Acceleration and all that, but Hakuro quickly taught me the error of my ways.
He had that, too. It turned out,
so I had no advantage at all from the get-go.
The end result? I basically stood
there and let this ogre mage beat me up for an hour or so.
The most annoying part of it was the sight of Fubuki casually sitting on the branch of a nearby tree, smirking as if he'd just successfully gotten a beautiful lady's contact info.
I felt like dying there and then, but I was also pretty sure my wish would become the reality if I were to look at the way Hakuro kept swinging his wooden katana.
The ease with which I had been learning skills had probably spoiled me. Unlike skills, arts were earned strictly through training and concerted effort.
It was never going to be quite that easy for me. And while magic seemed a bit like Arts, they essentially ran on two different engines.
Yeesh, in retrospect, Icicle Lance came to me just like that, too, when I absorbed it. There's no point complaining, though.
I might be able to do the same with Arts as well, but it
looked tricky.
There would be no shortcuts with this—I'd just have to give up and admit that it'd take constant, extensive practice.
Oops. Now was no time for mulling over this. I had my own practice sword in hand.
Manifesting as an adult slowed down my reaction time, which meant I was in child form so I could devote my all to this.
Launching Magic Sense, I honed my consciousness on the world around me.
Sense Heat Source and Keen Smell were also activated.
«Question. Enhance Ultrasonic Wave to evolve the extra skill Sense Soundwave? [Yes]/[No]»
Ah. Good job, Sage. Just what I was hoping to hear.
I thought "yes" to myself, and with that, I opened up a treasure trove of information—the movements, temperature, smell, sound, and everything else related to the magicules
surrounding us.
Now, there was nothing that could escape my senses.
That gave me an extra jab of confidence as I took on Hakuro, his sword casually lifted up to his chest.
The next thing I felt was a dull blow to the crown of my head.
It couldn't have been a cleaner strike—no pain, no damage. He
didn't put any force into it at all.
Still, though… that was skill, not speed. We were on completely different levels.
Rimuru: 「What was that?」
Hakuro: 「Hoh-hoh-hoh! I call that Haze.」 he explained with a smile. 「It is part of my Formhide skill set, and the more magic I invest, the more I can dilute the presence I project.
I believe you have the ability to obtain it for yourself, too, Sir
Rimuru.」
It didn't sound very likely. It apparently took him a good century or so to learn, so I didn't like my chances that much.
Rimuru: 「Yeah, I… I'd sure like to, sometime.」
Hakuro nodded approvingly. It hurt my feelings a little, but I couldn't do much about it. Arts weren't skills, after all.
They took time. And whatever advantage I had in skills—and I had a big one—I was sure—it was nothing compared to what Hakuro could do.
I didn't think I was acting all high and mighty, but he sure humbled me there.
And maybe I could just cast a flare circle and be done with him, but that wasn't the point.
This was a swordsman. One born as a nameless ogre, tirelessly
practicing his skills in the shadows, away from public sight.
No wonder he was the strongest in his tribe. I doubted he had shown a full effort yet, and I was sure his newfound youth only made him tougher.
In an ideal world, he'd be known across the land for his talents. That's what I honestly thought.
Hakuro: 「Right, one more time,
then.」
Before we could make another move, though, we heard the sound of a large bell ringing. Something had triggered Soei's alarm system.
Thank heavens for that. I had no chance of beating Hakuro, and I was ready to call it a day.
Fubuki: 「Tch. Just when I got my hopes up…」
Does he hate me that much? Do all demons find satisfaction in seeing others suffer?
Honestly, if that were the case, I'd rather have absolutely nothing to do with any demon.
Perhaps he isn't even as wicked as the others may be. If it came to that, then I'd rather have him be the only and first demon I'd ever hang out and around with.
We all headed for Rigurd's residence instead.
He ran right up to us once we were in sight. He tended to do that a lot. Maybe my mere presence stressed him out a little. Heh-heh-heh!
Rigurd: 「I have news to report, Sir Rimuru」 he said, half in a panic. 「A lizardman envoy has come to visit!」
Lizardmen? I was expecting that unwelcome visit sooner or later, but I guess they're here, huh?
Ahead of the orcs, no less. Well, I was ready to deal with either. Let's hear this one out.
「Note: Oh-boy… Here we go. *Sigh* Here's a note of warning to all the sensitive readers. Things are about to get pretty hectic.
Try to make sure you don't smash your devices due to anger. I couldn't even write this part without releasing some killing intent.😭🙏」
◇◇◇
I headed for the town's entrance to greet this envoy.
They hadn't arrived yet, instead sending an advance messenger who told us to bring everyone in the
village out front.
I asked why the guard didn't just shrug him off, but he was riding a hover lizard, a fairly large mount reserved only for the knight classes, and I'm sure that must've made Rigurd pee his pants.
If this was a troop of knight-level lizardmen, no goblin village would stand a chance.
They'd be ripped apart. And if a knight was first to greet us, I could only imagine what the main outfit looked like.
We'd need to mind our manners.
There were five of us there at the entrance—me, Rigurd, Fubuki, Benimaru, and Hakuro.
I made sure everyone knew to tread carefully.
Rimuru: 「Absolute politeness, unless I say otherwise.」 I said.
Rigurd: 「Yes, my lord.」 Rigurd said, the rest nodding with him.
Benimaru: 「Hmm? Where is Shion?」 Benimaru said.
Apparently, the word "politeness" reminded him of something.
Rimuru: 「Oh, I think she's been cleaning my place since morning, but…」
Hakuro: 「Wh-what?!」
For some reason, Hakuro appeared shocked at my reply.
Fubuki: 「Um, is that a problem?」
Hakuro: 「N-no… Not at all…」
Benimaru: 「Indeed,」 Benimaru added. 「(She has grown. It should be all right…)」
This was starting to concern me. And as it turned out, I should've been alarmed.
Shion was soon there at the entrance, providing tea. Working hard as my secretary, I figured.
I wanted to compliment her on it—and then I took a sniff.
For a moment, I saw them—the angels… pretty—pretty angels.
I saw the heavens, then I saw my dad waving at me on the other side of the river, then—
Shion: 「Sir Rimuru?」 She called out to me sweetly.
I was resurrected. I was cruelly brought back to the land of the living—to die the right way, forced to take in the whole of this monstrosity and receive the direct experience of true hell.
Um… This is tea, right? There were these weird, seaweed-like leaves flopping over the edge of my cup. It could not have been any potable beverage.
An unsuspecting butterfly flew over the cup and died instantly.
It wasn't steam rising up from the cup; it was smoke.
A mythical smoke dyed violet.
I looked to Rigurd, seeking out a possible explanation. He averted his eyes.
What the heck? Look at me—damn it!! Look me in the eye if you're the goblins I know you are!!
Benimaru, meanwhile, had his eyes firmly closed, not giving me
a second glance, and Hakuro had vanished, using his Arts to become one with the wind.
They knew, didn't they? And all the time, as I hesitated, Shion was looking right at me, waiting for my praise.
How am I supposed to heap praise on her for this?
My instincts were screaming at me to burn this thing down to the last particle with Dark Flame, but I was doomed to this fate all along, wasn't I…?
I turned to look at Fubuki, who was actually sweating from the sight of it alone.
I instantly knew that this was something even the bro code couldn't intercept.
To sum it up: I was royally doomed.
Why the hell did I have to be human right now?! It would've
been a lot easier to deal with this as a taste bud–free slime.
Just use Predator to take it apart, and I'd be perfectly safe.
It's too late to curse my bad luck now, though.
Steeling my resolve, I slowly reached out for the cup in Shion's hand. Just as I did…
Gobta: 「Ooh, some tea? I was just feeling a bit thirsty! How thoughtful! Good work, Shion!」
Gobta, freshly back from his patrol detail, snatched the cup and emptied it in one gulp.
Nice one, dude!! Perfect! A warm round of applause for the man!!
Shion's face was now a mask of pure anger, but Gobta didn't bother noticing.
—Or to be more exact, he was in no shape to notice.
When a small plume of foam escaped his mouth, he immediately collapsed, twitching in a spasm.
Yeesh. That could've been me, man. Sucks to be you, I thought.
Shion looked on quizzically, apparently not expecting this.
It was a cute piece of body language with her looks, but I wasn't fooled.
From now on, she was banned from any work involving food or drink.
Rimuru: 「Uh, Shion, next time you make anything you want people to eat or drink, make sure to run it past Benimaru first, all right?」
Benimaru shot me an icy stare. Like I cared. "You're the boss, man.", I silently replied.
"You handle it."
He joined Shion in staring awkwardly at the ground.
I still felt vindicated.
If anyone had actually gotten hurt here, what would they do then?
…Oh right, I guess Gobta did, kinda. But… meh, he'll be fine. I'd have to thank him later for serving as my inadvertent taste tester.
And I'd also have to count on Benimaru to keep the body count from rising anymore.
Rest in peace, dear Gobta. You were a true hobgoblin, in the deepest sense of the word…
◇◇◇
By the time we heard the full lizardman envoy thundering toward us, about an hour had passed from the initial alarm call.
Some dramatic appearance that was…
I reverted to slime form, enlisting Shion to hold me in her arms. Just in case, I explained.
I couldn't help but feel overall safer as a slime.
Shion was all gung ho about her guardian role, too, and there was no reason to throw shade on that.
I bet she wants to make up for that tea disaster, besides.
Wonder how she did cleaning my place, though, come to think of it?
…No, I couldn't let that bother me now. I shook off the ill omens in the back of my mind and focused on the envoy up ahead.
There were around ten lizardmen, and after a moment, one of them, chest puffed out, dismounted his hover lizard and sauntered up.
The leader, I guess?
"Thank you for greeting me! I will give this village, too, the chance to submit to my rule and authority. Be honored, dimwits!"
"Lord Gabiru is so kind! So kind—I say!!"
"Lord Gabiru is so generous. He is—! He is!!"
"Lord Gabiru is so strong! True, true!!"
"GIVE IT TO ME!!!"
""""GABIRU!! GABIRU!! GABIRU!! GABIRU!!—*Endless*…""""
What did I just see? I want to unsee this. Please, seriously!
Talk about a ridiculous opening line. This wasn't a negotiation so much as it was a declaration.
I was too dumbfounded to have an easy response.
Huh? Huh?!
What was this idiot going on about?
And none of my companions knew what to make of it, either.
At times like these, I'd always turn to look at a certain somebody.
That certain somebody was wearing the sweetest smile I'd ever seen since my reincarnation.
I almost fell for the trick. He looked really charming and beautiful.
I was charmed. I was stunned—but hell, this was too sweet of a smile to behold.
It reached for me to doubt it all.
Matching the words uttered by the lizardman and the implications—
Yeesh, he's really mad, isn't he? Now they've done it. It's not my fault—I swear.
Rigurd: 「I apologize, sir, but asking us out of the blue to submit to you like this—」
Gabiru: 「Pfft! Don't be so slow. Have you not heard yet? Those pigs, the orc race, are on the move!
They will attack this very village before long. And I am the only one who can save your puny, pathetic asses! Grovel before your soon-to-be lord!!」
He made a hand gesture, repeatedly pointing the ground, apparently showing us how it's done.
According to this lizardman, at least, we were already his loyal subjects.
Certainly, if we were about to be overrun by an orc horde, seeking solace under the direction of the lizardmen was one option.
I was still waiting on Soei's report, but until we knew exactly what we were dealing with, it paid to work together, perhaps.
Still, though…
Gabiru: 「Ah yes! I understand there are some among you who have tamed the direwolf race to do your bidding.
Whoever accomplished this task, I will gladly appoint it as one of my top advisers. Bring him here now! Get to it, buffons!」
"Lord Gabiru is so cool! His aura is that of magnificence!!"
"Lord Gabiru is so wonderful! He never fails to impress!!"
"Lord Gabiru is so merciful! Going as far as to lend a hand to FOOLS—!, FOOOLS—!!, FOOOOOLS—!!!"
"SHOUT IT OUUUUTTT!!!"
""""GABIRU!!! GABIRU!!! GABIRU!!! GABIRU!!!—*Endless*…""""
With the endless cheering, his guards egging him on, he began to strike various poses.
I swear, he did!
Ummm…
Okay. We could fight together, yes, but what if the team we aligned ourselves with was a pack of idiots?
"The great thing to fear is not a competent enemy, but an incompetent ally." Napoleon or someone said that, right?
It sounded true to me. An incompetent ally would be nothing but a drag on my style.
Especially in an environment as volatile as a battlefield. And especially if the ally was my boss.
Simply entertaining the thought made me shudder.
Gabiru: 「So, what is it? Don't keep me waiting! I deal with… time... Oh, my~.」
As he was speaking, he trailed off, staring at Fubuki with a dumbstruck expression.
His expression was… that of a lovestruck maiden? He was… blushing?
Uh-Oh…
Gabiru: 「Y-You! Who are you?!」
Fubuki: 「Eh? Hmm, umm, you can call me the secondary leader of this place or something. Your call, really.」
Gabiru: 「True?! A beauty such as yourself being enslaved by these barbarians, I presume!!」
Fubuki: 「Fweh?!」
Oh shit! He said it! He said it!! You're on your own buddy!
I thought of the instance where Fubuki would get mad and kill the lizard on the spot, but he somehow evaded death by continuing to talk non-stop.
Gabiru: 「Hmm, but no breasts? Normally, beauties on your level develop really huge bosoms. But… I'll make do with you for now. Be grateful!」
This…
I was speechless. Even I never went this far.
I turned to look at Fubuki, and his expression…
He still wore that sweet smile from a while ago.
When you match the tension to his expression, one can only guess his thoughts.
Really scary… I don't even want to know what's going on in his mind anymore.
Gabiru: 「When I'm done with them, I'll take you home to meet with my father. The arrangements will be made! Don't worry! The power of love shall prevail!!」
Fubuki would ignore you if he decided to, but that doesn't mean the line couldn't be crossed.
This guy literally peed on the line with his every word.
I gave Rigurd a glance. He was silent, mouth agape.
Rimuru: 「Uhh, Fubuki?」
I reached out to him with caution, and I didn't know what to say next.
Fubuki: 「I...Did he just propose to me? Why you… *Sigh* I'll stay down for now. I'm a cool dude, after all.
(Reina-san, remind me to fetch his soul later. I'm sure Violet would appreciate an extra plaything.)」
Benimaru, on the other hand, did not let this slip by.
Benimaru: 「Lord Fubuki, can I kill him now?」
He asked, flashing a bright, charming smile.
Fubuki: 「Sure!」 He replied with an equally charming smile.
Then, the realization struck after he took two steps forward, readying his knuckles.
Rimuru: 「Wait—No—!, no, no—!!」
Fubuki: 「Shush it, Rimuru. Let him cook…」 He scolded me sagely, stroking his non-existent beard.
Rimuru: 「Do something!!」
Fubuki: 「*Sigh* Just tell them you're the one. (I never thought that the first confession I'd ever receive would be from a lizardman, a male, for that matter. Does the world hate me that much?).」
I wasn't about to give it…but I still wasn't sure how to react.
I was struck dumb, even more so than I was with Shion's "tea."
Hakuro crossed his arms and closed his eyes, wordless.
Was he sleeping?
Shion, meanwhile, still had me in her arms, which she had tensed up out of anger.
Whoa, you're crushing me, lady!
I jiggled a bit to remind her I was still there. She apologized, breaking into a cold sweat.
She had a hair-trigger temper, it seemed.
I'd have to remember that. Being held by her sure wasn't bad, I thought, but it came with some danger.
She had obtained the dual skills of Steel Strength and Strengthen Body, making her one book you absolutely couldn't judge by its cover.
Based on her act just now, she
wasn't in full control of her own powers, and getting strangled to death wasn't on my bucket list. I'd have to watch my back around her.
But…yeesh. I had no idea the envoy would be such a damn fool.
Rimuru: 「Okay.」 I said, trying to move things along. 「Um… I guess I'm the one who tamed the direwolves. Or, more like made friends with them, maybe?」
Gabiru: 「Huh? You, a lowly slime? Surely you jest. Let me see some evidence. Then I'll decide whether to believe you.」
This guy had a bad habit of giving orders from whatever mountain peak he believed he was standing on.
I was starting to get irritated. Refusing to listen to the other side in conversations like this…
Someone needed to knock this, dude off his high horse!
I occasionally had to deal with company presidents and government officials in my construction job back home, but not even they treated me like this— like such an idiot.
One thing I learned quickly with those guys was that the only way to beat them was to refuse to play their game in the first place.
Teaming up with idiots would earn you nothing; rather, you'd lose a lot.
So, I decided to switch tactics.
Rimuru: 「Ranga.」
Ranga: 「Here, sir!」
He stepped out from my shadow. He had been adopting it as a sort of standby post as of late—another way to adapt Shadow Motion, I supposed.
Rimuru: 「Good. This fool wanted to ask you a thing or two. Could you hear him out?」
That's right. I tossed the ball over to Ranga.
Not because I was lazy or anything—I just figured Ranga would be more effective at dealing with this bozo than I'd ever be.
Assuming I wasn't worth the space I took up in the world just because I was a slime was ruder than even Rigurd was when we first met.
Could anyone blame me for wanting to bow out?
Besides, this dude hadn't even noticed my aura yet, nor could he sense the bloodlust leaking out from Fubuki.
He couldn't have been anyone special.
It was all pretty weird, really.
So Ranga, accepting my order, turned to face the lizardmen.
Not the shrunken down doggo you knew of—oh no. The whole of him was in clear display.
Ranga: 「My master has ordered me to interact with you. Speak.」
Ranga was using Coercion as he talked. It struck home among the warriors, who were now frozen in place.
One, though, wasn't—the envoy, who looked a tad groggy but still maintained his stately, puffed-out posture.
I had to hand it to him, though; maybe he had more willpower than I thought.
Gabiru: 「Ah… Yes. It is you, then, the alpha or what-have-you of the direwolves?
I am Gabiru, warrior lord of the lizardman tribe! I am charmed to make your acquaintance.
I am, as you have just heard, a named lizardman. Will you abandon this slime and join me instead?」
How utterly brazen. I wanted to knock him out, but I held back. I had to take the high road here. Just let it slide.
If Fubuki was able to do it, then so can I!
I'm a grown-up, so I'm just chill. And you chill, too, Shion.
You're going to permanently dent me with that vise grip you've got on me.
A few more jiggles, and she bowed in apology. I really wish she could bottle up her anger a bit more.
Why was this lizard Gabiru acting like he owned the world, though? I didn't know him from a hole in the ground.
I silently cheered Ranga on. "Go get 'em, boy!"
Ranga: 「You filthy lizard… How dare you mock my master?」
He gritted his teeth, eyes turning red as he silently seethed in anger. Uh, not too much, okay?
Ranga? I'm not sure if this lizard can take it.
If he tried anything funny—well, he had it coming, but I wanted to avoid that if he really was some
higher-up lizard guy.
Gabiru: 「It would appear that you have been deceived. Very well. Let me use my powers to defeat this so-called master who has taken control of you.
Who wishes to take me on? I would gladly handle all of you at once, if you like!」
Whoa… what the hell's he saying now? Talk about a bad joke. This lizard really needs to know his place. You're the weakest guy here, dude.
…Okay, I take that back. There's Rigurd. He could probably whip Rigurd.
Gobta: 「Huh? What's the commotion for?」
Rimuru: 「You still live?」
Gobta: 「Touché! You hurt my heart, Lord Rimuru! Of course I am!
I was swimming across the river, and this kind voice said I had obtained poison resistance or something like that! So I felt a whole lot better, and then I woke up!」
Rimuru: 「Wow! Resist poison, huh? That's pretty neat. I don't even have that one.」
Gobta: 「R-really? Ooh, neato!」
Gobta seemed honestly proud. But his knack for terrible timing had already sealed his fate.
Ranga: 「Heh-heh-heh. Very well. If you are capable of defeating
one among us whom we deem to be worthy, we will listen to your story.」
Then he motioned toward Gobta. I knew he would.
Gobta: 「Wh-wha?!」 he protested, eyes wide open. 「What are you…?!」
But it hadnbeen decided. Which was good for me. I wasn't sure who to pick, myself.
Everyone on our side was ready to beat the crap out of this lizardman, and their eyes lowered in a threatening stance.
In a way, it helped me keep my own head cool. Whenever someone gets visibly pissed off, it tends to put the brakes on everyone else in the room.
Really, though. Ranga can be pretty mean, too, huh? I could see it in his eyes, even.
He was putting Gobta up as a sacrificial lamb.
It wouldn't exactly be honorable to hurt this envoy, but if he struck first, that was enough of an excuse.
I imagined that was Ranga's way of thinking about it. Clever of him.
Wonder where he got that from.
Gabiru: 「Are you sure?」 Gabiru asked me with a triumphant look. 「Because I would be happy to challenge you instead. Though, perhaps you'd prefer to have one of your underlings step up for you, rather than reveal to the world how powerless you are!
Just so you know, if I win, you are all to fall under my rule. The beauty will be my bride, of course!」
Now he was just dissing me. He seriously thought I was running some largescale con on Ranga and the rest.
And why does he keep on begging for death. Even I was shocked to see Fubuki hold out for so long.
I wanted to punch him full-strength. My head was distinctly no longer cool.
Rimuru: 「Don't show him any mercy, Gobta. Get him! Lose, and I'll have Shion cook a
five-course meal for you!」
Gobta: 「W-wait a second, sir! I—I guess you've already made your decision…but I'd like some kind of reward if I win, at least! And please, anything but Shion's
food…」
Shion: 「I do not appreciate this line of conversation.」 Shion sullenly added.
He was right, though. I had the stick; now I needed a carrot. I figured a taste of Shion's homespun efforts would be enough to make him fight like his life
depended on it.
I knew it was pointless—I mean, he had no chance—but I wanted to think of a reward, then.
Rimuru: 「All right.」 I said. 「In that case, I'll have Kurobe make a weapon for you. How's
that sound?」
Gobta: 「R-really?!」
Fubuki: 「And if you impress me enough, I'll make Kaijin use the materials filled with my energy to whip up the weapon of your choice. Sounds motivating enough?」
Gobta: 「Hah-hah-hah! Do your worst, lizard!」
Good, it looks like it worked.
Sensing our conversation was over, Ranga threw a signal my way. I nodded in reply.
Then it started. It wasn't a one-sided beat down like I imagined.
It was the end before the beginning.
Gabiru: 「If you wish to be useful to me, then show me what you have!!」
With that, the battle kicked off—Gobta, ready for anything, and Gabiru, calmly holding his spear.
Gobta had a cavalry lance on him, too, making it a duel between two long-range weapons.
He had no chance, to be sure. His usual weapon of choice was a dagger.
Gabiru: 「Hmph, you may be more than a mere goblin, but even a hobgoblin is no threat to me! We are the lizardmen, the mighty descendants of dragons…」
So, in short, he was proud of being a dragon's reject.
Gobta: 「Aren't you coming? Well, here I come, then!」
Ignoring the boast, Gobta hurled his spear right at Gabil. He was serious about this, more serious than I expected.
Gabiru: 「Impudent fool!」 Gabiru listlessly muttered as he batted down the missile.
That, apparently, was exactly what Gobta wanted.
For just an instant, Gabiru's attention was focused on the thrown spear—and the hobgoblin took that instant to disappear.
Wait… What…?!
If my eyes weren't deceiving me, Gobta had just executed a perfect Shadow Motion move to hide.
Perfect enough that even Gabiru lost sight of him.
Gabiru: 「Where are you?!」 he shouted, furtively looking around.
But by then, the battle had already been won.
Flying out of the shadow behind Gabiru's back, Gobta flung himself into a midair spin as he executed a kick.
I figured Gabiru had no idea what happened. The rear attack came as a total surprise, and he took it straight to the back of his neck, immediately causing him to black out.
Gobta had aimed right where neither Gabiru's armor nor his
helmet could protect him, and he aimed well.
Even the stoutest built of
lizardmen couldn't hold up against a direct attack on such a vulnerable collection of nerves.
His scales would keep the blow from turning lethal and absorb the shock, but he would no doubt take a while to recover.
It ended there and then.
Everyone was pleased. I was shocked. The lizardmen were stupefied.
It was a collection of various emotions.
Huh? Wha—?!
Ranga: 「It is settled! The victor is Gobta!!」
Benimaru: 「A masterstroke. You've grown stronger than when we last fought.」
Rigurd: 「Excellent! You have shown them what we hobgoblins are capable of!」
Fubuki: 「Honestly, you did well. I'm impressed. I can see a potential for growth in you. Rest assured, your reward will be given.」
Shion: 「He might just be right. I think I'll forgive you for what you said earlier on.」
Hakuro: 「Quite impressive. I wonder how he would respond to further training.」
Damn. Being complimented by the likes of Hakuro? This day might just change Gobta's life.
If that old taskmaster of an ogre sage saw potential in him, I was all for it.
It'd help divert Hakuro's attention away from me in training, at least.
Though… Wait a second. Was everyone else here expecting him to win?
I took another look around—and that was that vibe right now.
I was the only one who doubted him.
Better make amends for that. I knew how to read a room.
Rimuru: 「Um… Yeah, good job, Gobta. That blew me away! I'll make Kurobe start on your weapon before nightfall. Fubuki, I'll be depending on the materials.」
Fubuki: 「Yeah.」
So what about Gabiru and his lizardman entourage?
Fubuki: 「Hey, uh, we won, okay?And I gotta turn down the proposal, too, all right?
If you want help fighting the orcs, we'll think about that, but for today, do you mind leaving us in peace?
And don't forget to take him with you. If he stays here any longer, I'm afraid I'll end up being his murderer. Get to it, lizards.」
To his words, they carried up and were preparing to leave.
Fubuki: 「Oh, another thing. When he wakes up, tell him that I am a male. Heh-heh-heh~.」
""""Wha—?! You're a male!?!""""
That…, that was simply too cruel. His pride would surely be hurt after suffering a defeat to a goblin, then the life-changing truth of Fubuki gender.
I never knew that Fubuki could use his gender mishap to cause such levels of destruction.
I was genuinely scared of him now. I think I'll tone out the gender criticism for a while.
Yeah, I love my soul after all.
"Lord Gabiru will surely return! He never gives up!!"
"Lord Gabiru never backs down! He is so wonderful that way!!"
"Lord Gabiru shall return to kick your STUPID, STUPID, STUPIIIID ASSES!!"
"SAY THE NAAAAAAAAME!!!"
""""GABIRU!!! GABIRU!!! GABI—""""
*BOOM*—!!
Absolute silence…
Fubuki: 「Yep, that'll do the trick.」
Fubuki had just created a massive explosion outta nowhere, sending the lizardmen flying.
Rimuru: 「W-Was that really necessary?」
Fubuki: 「You wanted to take the bullet for them? I'd be more than happy to vent it all out.」
Rimuru: 「Nope! Thanks for the offer, but I have to decline.」
Fubuki: 「Figured… Let's just head back. I'm not really in the best of moods.」
Man, this sucks. These fools ended up killing the mood.
A feisty Fubuki is never someone you'd want to mess with.
Rimuru: 「Let's call it a day. What do you say?」
That was enough to stir them to action. And with that, our attempts at a cross-species summit were over.
What a day…
—————————————————————————————————
「Note: Well, here's your mess of a chapter. Honestly, it reminded me of a certain incident I really felt odd of.
But heavens, having the first person confess to you being a lizardman. Damn, I think I'm really cruel.
Well, enough of that. I hope I managed to make a few of you laugh out, or at least, smash your devices.
If you enjoyed this chapter, please make sure to hit the vote button. Your boy needs to become popular. It's a must!
Let me not waste your time any longer. See ya!」
Word Count: 「9270」.