Ciel: <>
Voice of the World: <<>>
******
It had been three days since Treyni's visit, and once again Rimuru found himself sitting in his living room, accompanied by Shizu, Framea, and Testarossa. Enjoying his coffee, he quietly listened as Shizu and Testarossa discussed something about the village, while Framea sat on the ground between Shizu's legs, getting her hair combed.
Ever since his conversation with Testarossa, her mood and attitude had improved significantly. In fact, in his opinion, her attitude was even better than before. When he talked to Shizu about this, he noticed a variety of emotions flicker across her face before she smiled and complimented him on how well he handled the situation with Testarossa. He accepted the compliment, ignoring the smug, smiling Ciel in the back of his mind.
Just as Testarossa and Shizu's conversation came to an end, Moss appeared in front of Rimuru, kneeling on one knee. "Rimuru-sama, I have information regarding the Orc Lord," he said, continuing when Rimuru gestured for him to proceed. "It turns out that Demon Lord Clayman is behind this whole scenario."
'Huh? Moss figured this out so quickly,' Rimuru thought, impressed by Moss's efficiency. 'Then again, he serves Testarossa, who usually has a no-nonsense attitude toward her servants.'
"Moss, give me the details. How did you figure out Clayman's involvement?" Rimuru asked as he leaned back on the sofa.
"After receiving instructions from you, Rimuru-sama, I easily located the marching Orc army and started monitoring them. Lord, there are roughly 200,000 orcs, and surprisingly, they are all equipped with well-made armor and weapons."
"Is their entire army decked out in equipment?" Framea asked, receiving a nod in response. "That's strange. Orcs are not generally known for trading with humans. And even if they did trade, I doubt they would have enough money or barter goods to equip their entire army."
"Yes, I found it strange as well, so I followed their army and learned a few things," Moss continued. "Lord, the Orc army is marching through the forest with little rest between their conquests. So far, they have attacked three small monster settlements and consumed their bodies."
"Consumed their bodies?" Shizu asked, looking disgusted, with Framea sharing the same reaction.
"I assume this is due to the Unique Skill [Starved]," Rimuru explained. "It's a skill that every Orc Lord is born with, allowing them to absorb the properties of any monster they eat."
"So the Orcs' goal here isn't just to conquer the forest, but to steal its power instead," Shizu speculated.
"That does seem to be the case," Rimuru remarked, gesturing for Moss to continue.
"Yesterday, after their most recent conquest, a Majin named Gelmud met with the Orc Lord and was boasting about himself," Moss said. "I left one of my clones with the Orc army and followed the Majin, which led me to Demon Lord Clayman's castle. There, I discovered some information that I thought you would find valuable."
"Oh, do tell," Rimuru said, leaning forward.
"Yesterday, Clayman had a meeting with three other Demon Lords," Moss continued. "He had invited Beast Master Carrion, Sky Queen Frey, and The Destroyer Milim Nava."
"I don't know about Carrion and Frey, but Milim Nava joining them would be troublesome," Shizu said.
"Troublesome? Are you crazy!?" Framea exclaimed. "Demon Lord Milim is considered as strong as Demon Lord Guy. We definitely don't want her as our enemy!"
"Calm down, Framea," Rimuru said, placing his hand on Framea's head. "I know Milim is terrifying, but so is your brother. So don't worry too much," he added with a smirk, before turning to Moss. "So, what happened in this meeting?" he asked as Moss began recounting what he had seen...
******
A day ago, Puppet Nation of Jistav, Clayman's castle -
"Ah, what a wonderful fragrance!" Clayman said, swirling and sniffing the wine in his glass. "Don't you all agree?" he smiled and asked the three Demon Lords sitting in front of him.
"Indeed, it does have an exotic taste," Frey said, taking a sip from her glass.
"Cut the crap, Clayman. We're not here to drink and discuss overpriced wine," Carrion said, though he did finish his own glass first. "Tell us why you invited us."
"Hmm... so impatient," Clayman remarked as Carrion's eye twitched in annoyance. "Well, my esteemed Demon Lords, for the last few months I've been working on a project, and as a sign of goodwill, I'd like you to join me as partners in this endeavor."
"Oh?" Frey raised her eyebrows curiously. "What kind of project?"
"You see," Clayman said, "For the last couple of months I have been preparing a monster to turn him into a Demon Lord." He reveled in the shocked expressions on Carrion and Frey's faces while Milim sat there, eating snacks and seemingly lost in her own world. "And once he becomes a Demon Lord, we'll place him on the Demon Lord Council as our puppet."
Regaining his composure, Carrion leaned forward and asked, "Your plan does have merit. An extra vote on our side sounds promising, but there's more to it, isn't there? More importantly, what do you want us to do?"
"Of course," Clayman said with a smug, charming smile. "As you know, every Demon Lord is assigned a territory to rule. Once we install our Demon Lord on the council, we'll unanimously vote for him to receive the Jura Forest as his territory."
"Once he takes over, we can divide its resources among ourselves since we'll be the ones controlling him from behind the scenes," Clayman said, successfully appealing to the rulers within Carrion and Frey.
"That sounds too good to be true, Clayman," Frey narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"
"There isn't one, my lovely lady," Clayman said smoothly. "Although, I do ask that you refrain from getting involved in what happens in the Jura Forest over the next few months."
"What do you mean by that?" Carrion asked.
"For the next few months, my puppet will march through the Jura Forest, massacring the monsters within," Clayman explained. "When that happens, I want you to turn a blind eye and refuse to help if any of the intelligent races come seeking your assistance or protection."
Carrion and Frey exchanged glances, and just as one of them was about to speak, Milim suddenly stood up and stretched. "This is boring. I'm going home."
"Huh? Why!?" Clayman asked, looking panicked. Milim was supposed to be a crucial part of his plan. "I haven't even told you what I can offer you from this plan."
"I know, but your plan sounds stupid," Milim shrugged, while Clayman clicked his tongue, struggling to keep his composure in front of one of the strongest Demon Lords. "Why would I need a puppet when I can just ask Guy and Ramiris to vouch for me? Besides, I think these silly games are pointless when I can just beat up whoever I want."
"But—"
"Fine, I'll join your stupid plan," Milim groaned, causing hope to return to Clayman's face. "But only if you actually manage to create this puppet Demon Lord."
"I agree with Milim on this," Frey said. "I'll ignore everything happening in the Jura Forest as you asked, but don't count me as one of your allies."
"Yeah, the same goes for me," Carrion said, rising from his seat. "I think it's a fair deal. Succeed on your own, and then we can talk."
With that, Milim, Carrion, and Frey left Clayman's castle, leaving him seething in his seat. In his rage, he smashed his wine glass on the floor and ranted about Milim, completely unaware of red eyes watching him from the corner of the room.
******
As Moss finished his report, Rimuru sat there with a thoughtful expression, pondering, 'Hmm… another contradiction from the previous timeline,' he thought. 'I'm pretty sure Milim, Frey, and Carrion had joined Clayman's plan to create the puppet Demon Lord.'
"Also, it seems like Demon Lord Milim knew I was there," Moss said, sounding a bit uneasy and disappointed in himself. "She made eye contact and then just continued to ignore me."
"Ah, that must be because of her eyes," Rimuru said, nodding in understanding. "Don't feel too bad about it. Milim has special eyes that can almost see through everything."
"I do wonder, though, if Clayman really intends to install a puppet Demon Lord, or if there's more to his schemes," Shizu wondered aloud.
"Of course there's more to his schemes," Rimuru said, waving his hand dismissively. "But we don't need to worry about it right now."
"By the way, Moss, are there any other demons who can erase their presence like you?" Rimuru asked.
"Yes, Rimuru-sama," Moss replied. "There are five demons from Lady Testarossa's lineage that I had under my command." Upon Rimuru's request, Moss brought them to him. Now, Moss stood with the five demons behind him, all kneeling in front of Rimuru, all of them being named by him.
"Moss, these five will be under your command, and together, you will form my personal spy unit," Rimuru explained as Moss and the other five demons nodded in agreement. "You will answer to me and me alone. For your first assignment, Moss, I want you to have three of your subordinates shadow Clayman, Frey, and Carrion at all times. As for you, Moss, go to the Demon Realm and find and train more subordinates for your unit." With that, Rimuru dismissed Moss and his team of spies.
Then just as Moss left, there was a knock on the door.
"Rimuru-sama, Miss Treyni is here," Rigurd informed him.
"Thank you. Please let her know we'll join her in a minute," Rimuru said, turning towards Testarossa. "Are you ready, Miss Messenger?"
"Of course, Rimuru-sama," Testarossa smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'll make sure the Ogres and Lizards get the message."
******
It was a normal day in the ogre village, with everyone going about their day. The village chief sat in his backyard, a wide smile on his face as he took a big gulp of alcohol from his gourd, watching his two sons train with the village elder. Meanwhile, inside the house, his wife happily chatted with their youngest and only daughter.
Everything was going smoothly until suddenly, a village guard hurriedly approached the chief.
"Chief! Chief!" the guard shouted at the top of his lungs, startling the village chief and making him drop the alcohol gourd.
"Stop shouting, you fool! Look what you've done!" the village chief growled, shaking his head in disappointment as he looked at the spilled alcohol. "So, what's got you so worked up?" he asked, turning his attention to the guard.
"The Dryad! We've been visited by a Dryad!" the guard announced, causing everyone's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Are you sure?" the village chief's wife asked.
"Yes, lady, I'm certain. There's no mistake," the guard replied.
"Hmm... it has been decades since the last time Dryad has been seen," the village elder said, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "There must be a significant reason for her to visit our village all of a sudden."
"Yes, that might be the case," the village chief agreed. He then looked up at the guard and asked, "Did she say anything? Any kind of message?"
"Yes, she wants to see you, village chief," the guard replied.
"Well, in that case, go and invite her inside," the village chief ordered.
"I will do that, but..." the guard hesitated.
"But what?" the chief barked, getting slightly irritated.
"There is also a demon accompanying the Dryad," the guard explained.
"A demon accompanying a Dryad?" the village chief's wife asked, looking puzzled. "Now that's unusual."
"Whatever the case may be, it won't do us any good to keep the Dryad waiting," the elder said.
"The elder is right. Invite them inside," the village chief agreed, dismissing the guard.
He then turned to his wife and said, "Take our daughter and stay inside. Also, bring the eldest daughter of the Purple Clan with you, just in case things go south and you need to defend yourselves or make a quick escape."
Turning to another guard standing in the compound, he instructed, "Go and call the heads of the Purple, Blue, and Black Clans. Tell them it's urgent and to bring their sons with them."
Once the guard left the compound, the village chief's oldest son approached him and asked, "Father, why did you ask for their sons to be present?"
"Son, just like you, those boys will one day take on the role of their clan heads, so it's important for them to see someone like the Dryad," the village chief explained. "Besides, it's time they start getting involved in village matters. That's why I'm also allowing you and your brother to join the meeting."
Upon hearing this, the eldest son stood a little straighter, while the younger son looked pleased and determined.
"Well, let's go and see what the Dryad wants with us," the village chief said, leading the way inside the house.
******
Sitting inside the meeting room, the village elder observed those who had been invited. At the head of the table sat the village chief, the head of the Red Clan, and his two sons. Also present were the heads of the Purple, Blue, and Black Clans, accompanied by their heirs.
Normally, Ogres didn't involve women and children in village matters, a practice the village elder personally disagreed with. He understood keeping children away, but there was no practical reason to exclude brilliant minds simply due to their gender, especially when they were allowed on the battlefield as warriors. However, he kept his opinions to himself, recognizing that such was the tradition of their village, and one old man's perspective wasn't likely to change that.
Today, however, these heirs were not here as children but as the future leaders of their clans, seizing the opportunity to meet the Dryad, the manager of this forest that they call their home.
Despite this, he was concerned about the Dryad's sudden visit. He knew that the forest had been changing since the disappearance of the Storm Dragon, though he wasn't sure to what extent. He had a feeling that he would find out soon.
Just then, his thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and the guard walked in, followed by a beautiful, semi-transparent woman with green hair and blue eyes. However, the atmosphere in the room suddenly dropped as a second woman entered, with white hair and red eyes.
Immediately, the village elder felt a cold sweat forming on his brow. His warrior's instincts, honed over two centuries of experience, were not just warning him but screaming at him to run away, much to his surprise.
'She must be the demon the guard warned us about' the elder thought to himself as his hand instinctively reached for his sword.
Looking around the room he could see that others had felt a similar pressure, evident by the uneasy expression on their faces.
Glancing back at the white-haired woman, the elder noticed a pleased smile and a gleam in her eyes, indicating that she was fully aware of the pressure she was putting on them and was taking pleasure in their discomfort.
Putting his discomfort aside, the village chief stood up and greeted the Dryad. "Welcome to the village, esteemed manager of Jura Forest."
"Thank you, Chief of the Ogre village," Dryad, replied. "I am Treyni, and I bring a grave warning."
"What kind of warning, Dryad-sama?" the village chief asked.
Treyni then explained the situation involving the Orc Lord and his army of 200,000 orcs on the march. The elder grew increasingly worried, but as he looked around, a frown appeared on his face as he noticed that while others were surprised, they did not seem overly concerned about the situation.
"So, what do you ask of us, Dryad-sama?" the village chief asked, his voice filled with pride. "Do you want us to handle this problem?"
"That won't be necessary," Treyni replied. "I have already asked the ruler of another village to address the issue."
"I see..." the village chief said, sounding slightly displeased and disappointed. "So, what is the purpose of this visit?"
"The ruler whose aid I sought has asked me to set up a meeting with the leaders of both the Ogre and Lizardmen villages," Treyni explained.
"And what is the purpose of this meeting?" the village chief asked.
Instead of answering, Treyni turned and glanced at the demon accompanying her.
"Hello, gentlemen, my name is Testarossa, loyal servant of Rimuru-sama," the demoness introduced herself. "I am here on Rimuru-sama's behalf to invite you to our village, Tempest."
"I ask again: What is the purpose of this meeting?" the village chief reiterated.
"That is something I am not at liberty to disclose," Testarossa replied.
"In that case, tell your master that I refuse to join this meeting without complete information about it," the village chief said, folding his arms.
Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped, and Testarossa's eyes darkened. "I believe you're misunderstanding something, village chief of the Ogre village," she said, her smile remaining but not reaching her eyes. "Let me make this clear: the chief of the Lizardmen village has already agreed to attend the meeting, and so will you," she said as her pressing aura flooded the room. "The invitation from my Lord isn't a request or a suggestion; it is an order. You would do well to remember that."
Upon hearing Testarossa's words, the Ogre chief's face twisted into a mask of rage, but he held his tongue, knowing that the demon before him was far beyond his league. His youngest son, however, lacked the experience to recognize the threat posed by the demon.
"How dare you threaten my father in our own village!" the youngest son yelled, drawing his sword. "You're just a servant of some lowly Majin. Who does he think he is to order us around!"
"Hold your tongue, Ogre," Testarossa said in a low, chilling voice as her aura flared, sending shivers down the spines of everyone in the room. "This is your one and only warning. Do not insult my master, or there will be no village left for the Orcs to ransack!"
As soon as those words left Testarossa's mouth, the youngest son of the chief lost his composure and charged at her, sword thrust forward. However, before he could reach Testarossa or she could react, another sword clashed with his, sending the younger son's weapon flying from his hand.
"Young Master! Stand down!" the elder commanded, glaring at the younger son.
"But—"
"Young Master, I said stand down," the elder repeated sharply, prompting the younger son to retreat. "Miss Testarossa, please forgive the young master's sudden outburst," he apologized with a bow, much to the surprise of everyone else in the room.
"I will let it slide this time, but make sure it doesn't happen again," Testarossa said, assuming her dignified pose once more.
"I will ensure that," the elder replied. "And please convey to your master that we graciously accept his invitation."
"Excellent!" Testarossa smiled. "In two days, one of Treyni's sisters will come to escort the chief and his entourage to our village. Until then, I will take my leave." With that, Testarossa and Treyni departed from the Ogre village, and the occupants of the room collectively sighed in relief.
"Elder, what was that?" the village chief asked.
"That was a disaster that the young master nearly brought upon the village," the elder replied, glaring at the red-haired youth. "How many times must I teach you not to rush into fights without understanding the enemy's strength?"
"Forgive me, elder; I lost my temper," the younger ogre apologized.
"Well, let's just hope that this Rimuru character is more reasonable than his servant," the elder said with a sigh.
To be continued...