Life As Monsters: Male Reader x That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Chapter 11: The Battle in the Marshlands

"Now then, back to what you had just asked us. Defeat the Orc Lord? Um...You're asking us?" Rimuru said in wonder while scratching his head.

"Yes, that's right." Treyni replied in honesty.

"That's quite a selfish request from someone who just appeared out of nowhere, Treyni the Dryad. Why have you come here? There are races far stronger than Goblins." Benimaru asked as he stood as a defensive pillar for the village.

"Yes, that is true." Treyni said as she looked around at the Kijin kin. "If the Ogres' homeland had been at full strength, perhaps I would have gone there." She said which surprised the Kijin. "Though, even if I had done that, I still could not have ignored these individuals existences." She said while putting her hand to your head and gently patting you, as you felt a warm feeling come from her while she also gave a kind smile towards Rimuru who stared at her with wonder. "Were our settlement to be attacked by the Orc Lord, the Dryads could not hope to fight them alone. This is why I have come to request assistance from someone strong." She said while speaking and looking around to everyone in the room.

"The idea that the Orc Lord even existed was still just a theory to us..." Rimuru said as something caught Treyni's gaze for a moment as she removed her hand from you and reached towards the table.

"The Dryads have knowledge of essentially everything that happens in this forest." Treyni said as she took one potato chip from a bowl that Shuna had prepared before the meeting. "The Orc Lord does exist." She said as she cutely took a bite from the chip while giving some disturbing confirmation of the existence of an Orc Lord.

"If a Dryad acknowledges it..." Rigurd looked towards Kaijin.

"Then it must be true." Kaijin also believe Treyni's word as Rimuru was deep in thought.

"What do you wanna do, partner?" You asked Rimuru as you were unsure about what to say as well.

"Give us some time to answer. We will back up the Kijin, but we don't want to go poking at a hornet's nest for no reason. Let us take stock of the information we have before we answer. Despite how we look, we're the leaders here, after all." Rimuru said while playfully wrapping an arm around your head and pointing his thumb at you and himself, surprising Treyni, but not disappointing her.

After that brief talk with the Dryad, you all returned to your seats, with Treyni sat between Rigurd and Kaijin who were both extremely nervous sitting next to someone so incredible, while she had a calm smile on her face while drinking some nice tea. You couldn't help but hold back a chuckle at how nervous they looked as you took your spot on the floor next to Rimuru.

"Let's continue the conference. Anyone have any ideas what the Orcs might be after?" Rimuru asked everyone at the table as Shuna seemed uneasy about something.

"One thing does come to mind..." Shuna spoke up as everyone looked towards her.

"Okay." Rimuru said as he was paying close attention to her.

"Soei, did you investigate our village?" Shuna asked the blue haired stoic Kijin.

"Yes." Soei spoke with a lower, strange tone in his voice.

"Judging by your reaction, I assume you found none?" Shuna said as she seemed shaken a bit by some assumption.

"Correct." Soei said as you and Rimuru looked back and forth between the two in confusion. "Not a single one belonging to either our brethren or the Orcs." Soei spoke of something, but you didn't know what he was talking about.

"Not one what?" Rimuru asked him.

"Corpse." Soei said which completely shocked both you and him.

"There were no corpses? But, if you guys fought until you couldn't fight anymore, a battle that large is sure to have a mountain of dead regardless of either side, right?" You said in shock of the information.