In the Kingdom of Blumund, inside the office of the guildmaster of the Free Guild branch set up within the kingdom's Capital, sat four individuals.
The Trio: Kaval, Eren and Gido, then the Guildmaster of the Free Guild branch, known as Fuze. Fuze had a complicated look, his hands shook as he tried to take a sip from the cup of tea in his hand.
They have just informed him of the monster village inside the Jura Forest. That may not have been a great issue had the village been normal, but it wasn't. For one thing, the inhabitants of that village were weird, so to speak, goblins and direwolves living together? That was unheard of. What's more was they were all evolved, a testament that they were named. Another thing to consider was the leader of the village, their master.
"The 'Nightmare'..." Fuze repeated, his voice clearly shaking.
Eren tilted her head, "Is it really that terrifying a name?"
He could only facepalm internally, 'These idiots!'
"The nickname 'Nightmare'... was the one given to the S-class adventurer decades ago, not many people knows her now, but her history is written within the records of the Free Guild."
The jaw's of the trio dropped down, "S-class?! That's almost impossible these days..."
"But, how is it related to the title?" Asked Eren.
"She was also an S-class monster. No one knew what she looked like, her face was always obscured by a dark mist. Whenever she released her aura, anyone below the Rank of A- always fainted. That's not even the worst of it..."[Fuze]
Fuze took another sip from his tea to calm his breathing, the Trio waited in bathed breath.
"It was... Also recorded that she had destroyed a Vassal country for the Eastern Empire, down to the last inch, nothing was left unscathed. At least that's what was recorded according to witnesses that visited the land the country once stood in."[Fuze]
"And the Eastern Empire didn't react to it?"[Kaval]
"That, I do not know. Some said they did, some said they didn't. If what this... Rimuru Tempest says is true, and she really is what she says she is, you three are extremely lucky to be alive. You also saw her face?"[Fuze]
"Yeah! She was actually damn beautiful, best one I've seen!" Exclaimed Kaval, reminiscing the time Rimuru walked in on them.
"And she was kind enough to give us food and a place to sleep for the night." Added Eren.
"Hmm... What did she look like?"[Fuze]
"Silver-blue hair, golden eyes. she wore a black dress with long sleeves, complete with elbow length gloves. She looked to be in her early 20s." Gido described as best as he could.
Fuze had his doubts, these all heavily contrasted to the records of how the S-class monstrosity acted and dressed before, but proving it would be for another day, the priority was absolute secrecy, if not only to be talked about to the king himself.
"Listen you three... Not a word of this will go out, understand? What you've said, will stay right here in this room. If word spreads, there's no telling what doom it will bring us. So please, I beg of you right now, keep your mouths shut."
The three could only nod, at least now they're given time to rest. And really, they wouldn't want to anger Rimuru, that's what they all agree on.
~~~
A pleasant day, if I do say so myself. The weather was perfect and I was in a great mood. It has been several days since the Trio left, and Shizue was slowly but surely getting used to the village and its inhabitants.
I left training of the goblins to her, to increase their chances of survival. Of course, I had told her to be just a little rough with them, then bump up the difficulty once they've gotten better enough.
Though for today she had left along with Ranga and the Goblin Riders to hunt for food, which reminds me, I wonder how they're doing now?
< Master, I'm ashamed to report this, but we have a problem and we badly need your assistance. >
Came a thought [Thought Communication] from Ranga, 'Oh? Good timing. Though they seem to be in a pinch. Well, I suppose moods are meant to be broken.'
Not wanting to make them wait, I immediately teleported to where Ranga was, and there I see him fighting two ogres at once, with Shizue fighting what I assume is the oldest Ogre amongst them. The oldest Ogre is quite talented, and he's keeping Shizue at bay by pure sword skills alone.
'Impressive.' I thought to myself.
The other members of the hunting team were knocked out, with only Gobta and Rigur left to fight. I had no worries because they were only put to sleep, done in by that pink colored Ogre. A little convenient that I can distinguish them by color, don't you think?
< < Master, would you like me to remove the casted spell and wake them up? > >
< No, let them sleep for now. >
< < Understood. > >
I stop the sword that was headed towards me because I happened to teleport right between the red Ogre and Gobta, saving him in the process. The red Ogre jumps back to avoid any counterattack, now cautious of me.
"Mistress Rimuru!" Shouted Gobta.
I called Rigur back for him to dodge the mace of the purple Ogre. Ranga and Shizue retreated back once they spotted me.
"Mistress Rimuru, I apologise greatly, this happened while I was here..."[Ranga]
"That can't be helped, it's six Ogres afterall."[Rimuru]
"Rimuru-san, thank you for coming. I'm... Still getting used to Hestia, I couldn't overwhelm him."[Shizue]
"Yes, I know." I said as I turn my attention to the regrouping Ogres.
'Hmm, they don't seem like they're willing to listen right now. Oh? They look japanese themed too, with their armor and weaponry. Well I suppose except for the spiked Mace and Mallet.'
Let's make quick work of it then.
< Ciel, watch the actions of that pink Ogre. >
< < No need to worry Master, she is not a threat. > >
< I see... Well if you say so. >
I gave the Ogres enough time to prepare, let's see how well they'll fair. I dash towards them, with a speed the Ogres could perceive. The blue Ogre attacks first, thrusting his dagger forwards but I bend back to avoid it, giving him a round house kick in the process. The force knocked him out as he hits a tree.
Both the gray Ogre and the purple Ogre aimed for me next, attacking me from the back and side. Raising my left hand to catch that oversized Mallet the gray Ogre had, I used the right one to deliver a powerful palm strike to his jaw. I dislocated his left leg for good measure.
Now for the purple Ogre, she attacked in tandem with the gray Ogre, and was supposed to hit me at the same time with the other, but her spiked Mace shattered upon impact against my skin. That wouldn't be surprising really, it was only a common weapon, and it was swung against the skin of a True Dragon with the most force an Ogre could make.
Now weaponless, I rendered her immobile by casting [Paralyse] on her. Nothing fancy.
'Now there's three left.' I give them a good look.
"Monster..." The red Ogre muttered as he saw the Mace shatter earlier, not leaving so much as a scratch on me.
I only smile at the word, I've heard it too many times to count already. The old Ogre tells the red Ogre to take the princess and flee at once. I'm guessing the pink Ogre's the princess? But the red Ogre refuses, is this really the time to be acting tough?
I dash towards them once again. the old Ogre was the first to react, taking his sword out and slashing at me, aiming for my neck to where an artery would be, if I was human that is.
But the sword does not connect, because I caught the blade with two fingers. The red Ogre reacted too late as I swung my hand like a blade to his throat, stopping just as it touched the skin, it cuts a little bit of it as if it was extremely sharp.
"Now then, let's have a talk as to why you all attacked my people."
My voice turn cold, I can hear their heartbeat raise every second that pass, their breaths held.
I can see the pink Ogre tremble where she stood, the red Ogre and old Ogre did not dare move, otherwise they would've been dealt with by the being that handled them as easily as flicking an ant. Me, in other words.
"I'm waiting..."
Those words alone led them to submitting to my demand, they were smart enough to no longer oppose me and I didn't even need to release my aura to convince them.
And so they explained, about their village being overrun by thousands of Orcs led by masked majins, masks that looked exactly like what Shizue wore. They were the only survivors left.
< Orcs huh, could it be another Orc Lord? >
< < It is highly likely, it has been nearly 400 years since the appearance of the last Orc Lord, afterall. > >
< That explains it then. >
I had Shizue hand her mask to the Ogres, to see if it was the same, and they noticed it was different upon a closer look and because it had an anti-magic effect when for the Majins that attacked them, it was the opposite.
They bowed down, apologising for the problem they have caused, and for accusing a subordinate of mine.
'Well, I don't know if I can call Shizue as a subordinate of mine... Yet.'
I invited them into the village, of course not before handing out healing potions to the ones I injured, and also to the ones under me.
Quite a good thing that we were having a feast tonight, a good way to keep the citizens happy. The Ogres were quick to adapt and immediately were having quite the fun. The pink Ogre garnered the attention of the Goblinas. The purple Ogre was dancing along with the Hobgoblins. As for the rest? They were with me of course, along with Shizue, Kaijin, Rigurd and Rigur.
"I'm glad things are going quite well." I spoke to start the discussion.
"Yes... Thank you, for your kindness."[Red Ogre]
"A guest should always be treated nicely."[Rimuru]
"As Rimuru-san says, you all are our guests now." Shizue quickly follows up.
"Honestly... I didn't expect Orcs to be attacking Ogres, what's more is they're fully armored."[Kaijin]
"They wouldn't have been able to gather that much armor."[Shizue]
Kaijin nods, "That would mean..."
"It's likely the Orcs are not working alone." Rigurd adds to the conversation, "The Masked Majin only further proves that point."
"Could it be... A Demon Lord then?" Rigur questions, but the answer was clear.
There was silence, the gravity of the situation was quite dire, to them at least. They speculated that a Demon Lord was helping the orcs behind the scenes, which is most likely on point. Though, a Demon Lord huh.
I thought to myself, 'What are those bunch up to now?'
< < A puppet Demon Lord, Master. It is likely that one or more of the ones in the Demon Lord Council are using the Orc Lord to gather souls in order for them to Awaken. > >
Ciel immediately answered. A Soul Bank for them to use to awaken, in that case...
< Those three are our main suspects, what do you think? >
< < Yes, that is the obvious conclusion. > >
< A bit of an attitude there, Ciel. >
< < No? I'm sure I delivered that quite normally. > >
< Oh, so is it just my imagination again, sensei? >
< < Yes. > >
A bit cheeky, this Manas, but I'll let it slide. I suppose that was enough, at least for now. Dealing with the Orc Lord takes priority, and so I turn to the Red Ogre again.
"Then, what will you all do now? Do you plan on rebuilding your village or relocating?"[Rimuru]
"For starters... We wanted to build our strength, enough to take on those bastards that razed our village to the ground."[Red Ogre]
"But you can't do that now, can you? You have no place to live in. You can't gather resources, nor strength. I doubt that you even know where they are as well."[Rimuru]
The Red Ogre clenched his fist and only chugged down on his drink, I can see hatred welling up in his eyes, it seems I've hit the mark. I take another bite from my meat skewer, chewing and swallowing it before speaking again.
"Hmm, how about staying here? Both parties can benefit from that, no?"[Rimuru]
"Is that... Really fine?"[Red Ogre]
"That's only if you're okay with being my subordinates. Thousands of Orcs attacked your village right? Doesn't sound like this village is safe either. Just know that what I can guarantee are food, shelter, clothing."[Rimuru]
He looked down again, giving it a deep thought.
"You're the leader of the remaining Ogres of your village, give this a clear thought before you decide."[Rimuru]
And with that, I left to get another meat skewer. My job there was done, all I needed to do now was wait for him to give an answer, though I already knew what he would say. He didn't have much of a choice with the current situation they were in. They knew my strength, which further solidifies that they will accept.
Of course I'm ready to welcome them with open arms, strong subordinates are also essential in raising a country. I waited until morning came, and he came to my hut prepared for his answer.
I sat on the edge of my bed, relaxed. This time I wore a bright white dress with its fabrics all over my torso.
< < It encapsulates your petite stature, Master. > >
Ciel complimented my choice of clothing earlier, it made me blush if I'm being honest.
The dress was adorned with a black belt that had a golden buckle, star in the middle, along with a bodysuit underneath covering both my arms and legs. I had my hair untied to fit well with the different clothing. I did this as a change of pace from the usual black dress I wore.
I looked at the Red Ogre, nodding for him to speak.
"The Ogres are a warring clan. We aren't against taking to the battlefield in service to another. If our master is strong, we are more pleased to serve them."[Red Ogre].
"So you've decided."[Rimuru]
"Can our contract last only until we take out the Orcs' leader?"[Red Ogre]
I look at the ceiling as I give it a thought, I suppose it's not that bad, plenty of time to change their minds, really.
"You can do whatever you want after that. You can stay and help us build a nation, or you can go on your way."[Rimuru]
He gave a little sigh, before kneeling down in front of me.
"I would like to accept the offer you presented last night.We will hereby serve under you."[Red Ogre]
I smiled, satisfied.
"Good. Lift your head."[Rimuru]
He's accepted his weakness, I admire such behaviour. For the sake of the remaining Ogres, the ones that he now leads, it would've been a lost cause had he continued to feign ignorance.
"You're all accepted. Call in the others."
I stood up as I watched them line up before me. Rigurd standing beside them with his arms crossed, always having that serious look, I sometimes think I should tell him to relax. I look back at the Ogres again.
"As proof of being my subordinates, I think names are in order." I speak in a formal manner.
"All of us?" The Red Ogre asked.
They all looked surprised, which is warranted because naming a superior specie such as the Ogres comes at a great cost, for someone with low Magicule count that is.
"P-please, wait. Giving a name comes with great risks. And to name such superior monsters--"
"I'm well aware of the risks, and I can assure you that those risks do not concern me."
The Pink Ogre had tried to warn me but I already knew that, I appreciate her concern though.
"Plus, it's really inconvenient for you all to not have names."[Rimuru]
"In that case, we have no complaints."[Red Ogre]
"If that is what our young master wills, we will not object."[White/Old Ogre]
"Then, let's get started."[Rimuru]
I've named them as the following:
Benimaru(Red Ogre)
Shuna(Pink Ogre)
Shion(Purple Ogre)
Souei(Blue Ogre)
Kurobe(Gray Ogre)
Hakurou(Old/White Ogre)
Within three days, they've evolved to look quite the models, and younger too! Except for Kurobe who happened to look just like any other human in their 40s.
Now that was it for the Ogres. The main concern now was the Orc Lord as him and his army still continued to wreak havoc within the Forest of Jura. I've already told the others about this, and thinking about it more clearly, they nodded in confirmation to my words.
Why can't I just deal with the Orc Lord myself? Because that would be me stealing the spotlight where the others could shine, and letting them garner experience is part of my plan in raising a nation, though, I did plan on intervening once they learn that they cannot defeat the Orc Lord, which could just as easily turn into the Orc Disaster given the right stroke of luck.
Now, back to the topic at hand, with the Orcs continuing to march through the Jura Forest, soon they will reach the territory of the Lizardmen, and I'm sure they will soon know of the Orc Lord. They will not have enough forces, so they will most likely employ the aid of other monsters, even if it has to be from Goblins.
< What do do you think, Ciel? Am I right? >
< < Yes. the Lizardmen inside the Jura Forest only have half the amount of troops the Orc Lord currently has. > >
And thanks to his Unique Skill [Ravenous], the Orcs are enhanced with each powerful monster they consume. I will not be surprised if someone from their tribe had already started to negotiate with nearby monster villages.
I stand on top of the hill, petting Ranga's head as I feel his soft fur. I look down on the village, seeing how its developed so much within the past few weeks, it brought me joy.
I doubt the Lizardmen Envoy will be respectful to this village, its just the way Monsters act. That's why I've decided to come to the tribe myself, I will let my subordinates deal with the Envoy, though I told them to avoid killing the Envoy, told them to have patience and only subdue if the Lizardmen Envoy attacked.
I say subdue because the strength of my subordinates far exceeds what the entirety of the Lizardmen tribe is capable off, they could just as easily kill the Envoy if they wanted to, which is quite bad for business.
I aimed to take the tribe under me, not wage war against them, the village will just as easily need them as much as they will need us, afterall.
I order Ranga back to my shadow as Souei stood beside me, he insisted to stick with me as my bodyguard, though I did tell him that Ranga was enough. I take another glance at the village, Shizue's the one leading the village for now, until I get back. She's a great help, trains the goblin riders alongside Hakurou. Amazing instructors, those two.
The village was safe, so now then...
"Off we go."
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Hey guys, author here!
Sorry for the late upload, school had just started 2 weeks ago, so updates will get slower, I'm not stopping on writing this though!
And I kinda feel like the quality of the writing had lowered a little on this one, if you also think so, do please let me know.
Also this is Rimuru's new clothing that was described earlier: