Reincarnation with Rimuru from Tensura

Arrival

Three days had passed, and I had finally returned to the Goblin Village along along with the others.

And currently my mind was filled with a mix of thoughts and emotions as I stepped back into our humble community. Some of these thoughts were expected, some unusual, and others entirely unknown.

But for now, let's focus on the most immediately apparent issue at hand.

'What the hell...'

I couldn't help but ask Great Sage a pressing question, my voice tinged with disbelief, "Um, Great Sage, just how many of them are there?"

<Answer: Roughly 500.>

"Five hundred..." I began to mutter, a hint of astonishment in my voice.

To clarify for those who might still be wondering, we had been faced with an influx of migrants seeking to join our village.

It was painfully evident that our village lacked the space and resources to accommodate such a large number of newcomers. The most straightforward solution would have been to ask them to leave.

However, as I inquired further, Great Sage provided a sobering answer.

<Answer: In the absence of Veldora, the Jura Forest is undergoing a power struggle among intelligent monsters to fill the power vacuum. Unevolved Goblins would be easily vanquished.>

In simpler terms, there was a fierce power struggle unfolding in the forest, and the goblins in our village (immigrants) were at risk of becoming collateral damage in that battle.

If it was due to Veldora's absence, then ultimately, it was my responsibility.

But Hey, I'm saying this beforehand but I'm not trying to engage in any kind of self-deprecation or that sort of stuff, but rather emphasizing the concept of taking responsibility for one's actions.

This situation reminded me of a popular line from my world: "With great power comes great responsibility." And I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear or two when I watched scenes like that in the past.

Back then, I was quite the sentimental guy...

Sniffle~

<....>

Ahem!

My apologies for digressing.

Anyways, it wasn't just about taking responsibility, there were few benefits as well of accepting them into the village.

So, Let's move past that emotional moment for now.

As I took a closer look at the situation, it became evident that someone had devised a rather effective plan to manage the influx of migrants.

Considering the fact, this was a goblin village, who were known for rather low intelligence, it was very impressive that they managed to do all this.

This plan aimed to ensure that our original villagers wouldn't face undue hardship due to the sudden surge in population.

Well, I didn't even need to ask to know who was behind this ingenious plan.

And I'm pretty sure that the individual in question might have wanted the newcomers to leave as well. However, he likely understood the dangers of allowing these migrants to return to the forest as they were.

You see, once monsters reach a certain level of evolution, they become exceptionally sensitive to the magicules in their surroundings, enabling them to detect high-level monsters within a larger radius. I say large, but that depended upon many things such as control, level of the monster and so on.

But, This sensitivity extended to both me and Hiiro, the person-in-question, to a certain extent.

So, while the situation might have been complex and challenging, he handled it remarkably well, considering the circumstances.

But, where exactly is he?

Did he go somewhere? That Lazy Blob?

Nah! No way.

<...>

It was quite odd though.

I couldn't sense Hiiro anywhere near the village.

He was a responsible individual who would position himself strategically to act swiftly in case of an emergency so, I'm sure it was the case right now as well.

Given his nature, there was only one place that came to mind when I couldn't find him. However, before I went searching for him, I needed to address the pressing matters at hand now that I was back.

The first order of business was to know about what had actually transpired during my absence rather than just my speculations.

I began to make my way through the village atop Ranga, with Rigurd, the dwarves, and others in tow.

And it was very .....strange, to say the least.

The goblins were treating me with an unusual level of respect, which was very unexpected.

It was common for others to look down on me, be it human or monster because of my species and especially since I usually keep my aura suppressed.

Although there was a faint leak of aura that I couldn't conceal as my control wasn't as nearly as good as Hiiro but still no average monster or Human can detect it.