Ciel: <>
Voice of the World: <<>>
******
"Village Chief of the Ogres, we have arrived," announced Trya, one of the Dryad sisters, as she stood at the entrance of Tempest. At the request of her sister Treyni and their new lord, Rimuru, she had taken the lead in guiding the Ogre Chief and his entourage to their destination.
The Ogre Chief's group was made up of his wife, two sons, daughter, the village elder, and four other ogres from various clans.
Trya then turned to the Hobgoblin wolf rider standing guard at the entrance. "Could you please inform Rimuru-sama of our arrival?" she asked. After receiving an affirmative nod, she turned back to the Ogres and said, "Please wait here for a moment; someone will be here shortly to recive you."
"Thank you, Lady Trya," the Ogre Village Chief responded with a slight bow.
A few minutes later, an elegant rabbit girl appeared at the entrance, radiating a power that even the Ogres could sense. She glanced at the group of Ogres before offering Trya a warm smile. "Thank you for escorting them to our village."
"Of course, Fremea-sama," Trya replied, then vanished into thin air.
"Now then..." Fremea said, turning to face the Ogres. "Please follow me; I'll take you to the meeting hall."
They nodded and began walking behind her. As they followed, they observed the new village, and what they saw greatly surprised them. Not only were there a significant number of Hobgoblins working throughout the village, but there were also menacing wolves collaborating with them. This alone made it clear that the leader of this village was a strong existence.
The village elder, on the other hand, did a good job of hiding his concern, maintaining a calm and collected expression. However, in his heart, he knew that angering the lord of this village was a dangerous mistake. After all, anyone capable of naming so many monsters was not someone their village could afford to offend.
What worried him even more was how his chief and the young master would react to this whole situation. Unlike him, they hadn't ventured beyond their small village, where they were the strongest among their people. In the end, he just hoped they would be able to return home with their heads intact.
After walking for a few minutes, they finally arrived at a large wooden cabin guarded by a pair of Hobgoblin Wolf Riders and Lizardman warriors. Fremea paid them no mind and entered the cabin, instructing the others to follow.
The Ogre Chief directed two of his guards to remain outside while the rest of the group entered. Inside, they noticed the Lizardmen had already taken one side of the table, so they sensibly chose to occupy the other. Fremea took a seat near the head of the table, quietly observing the two groups.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense as the Ogres and Lizardmen silently regarded each other, each race clearly looking down on the other.
Just then, the silence was shattered as the cabin door swung open again. A blue-haired majin entered, exuding a powerful, domineering aura. Without acknowledging anyone in the room, he took his place at the head of the table. Accompanying him were a white-haired demoness who had come to deliver a message to the villages, a black-haired human woman, and Treyni the Dryad. They all seated themselves near him.
"First, let me thank you for accepting my invitation to this meeting," Rimuru began.
The Ogres and Lizardmen exchanged glances, inwardly thinking, 'Like we had any other choice.'
"Now, the first item on the agenda is the Orcs," Rimuru continued. "Treyni, could you provide an overview of the situation?"
Treyni nodded and explained the sudden rise of an Orc Lord in the Jura Forest. She described the massive horde of Orcs marching through the forest, the threat they posed to all races, and the potential for the Orc Lord to evolve into an Orc Disaster.
"So, now that you're aware of the threat, what are you going to do about it?" Rimuru asked, directing his gaze at the village chiefs.
"What do you mean by that?" the Lizardman chief asked, narrowing his eyes. "Aren't you in the same situation as us?"
"Not exactly," Rimuru replied with a shrug. "My village and I are fully capable of dealing with the Orc Lord, even if he evolves into an Orc Disaster. The real question is, can you say the same?"
"If you're so confident in your ability to handle the Orc Lord, why haven't you done so already?" the Ogre chief challenged.
"Oh, that's simple," Rimuru replied with a smile. "Why should I? I'm not running a charity here," he added with a nonchalant shrug.
"Even if you're strong enough to defeat the Orc Lord, what about his army?" the Lizardman chief pressed. "What about the damage and destruction that could be brought to your village?"
"It will take the Orcs about three months to reach my village, which gives us plenty of time to prepare our defenses," Rimuru said, then turned his attention to the Ogre chief. "But I doubt you can say the same."
"What do you mean by that?" the Ogre chief demanded, rising abruptly from his seat and glaring at Rimuru. His younger son was about to do the same but his mother held him back.
Unfazed by the Ogre's anger, Rimuru leaned back in his chair. "In a week, over 100,000 Orcs will march toward your village from the east. The situation is far more dire for you than anyone else at this table."
"What?!" the Ogres exclaimed in unison. The Ogre chief turned to Treyni and asked urgently, "Is this true? Are we really going to be invaded by Orcs?"
"Yes, what Rimuru-sama said is indeed true," Treyni confirmed. She then turned to the Lizardman chief and added, "Moreover, I'm certain that once they've dealt with the Ogre village, they'll march straight toward the marshlands where your settlement is located."
Silence descended once more as both chiefs struggled to think of ways to protect their villages and people.
"Now that you understand your circumstances, let's get to the heart of why I invited you here," Rimuru said, leaning forward. "I can help you with this situation and take care of the Orc Lord and his army—for a price."
"And what is that price?" the Lizardman chief asked cautiously.
"Simple. I want both of your villages to come under my rule," Rimuru stated, causing the Ogres and Lizardmen to widen their eyes in surprise.
"Isn't that price a bit too high?" the Lizardman chief asked.
"Do you really think so?" Rimuru raised an eyebrow. "I'm offering you protection not only against the Orc Lord and his army but also against other monsters, Demon Lords, or anyone else who might threaten your people. Additionally, once you're under my rule, I'll help develop your villages, making transportation and travel easier and more efficient."
"Still, we would like some time to consider your proposal," the Lizardman chief replied.
"Fair enough. You have some time to think it over," Rimuru said, then looked at the Ogre chief. "You, on the other hand, don't have that luxury. So what's your decision?"
The Ogre chief scoffed and crossed his arms. "You may be a powerful Majin, but your tactics don't scare us," he said defiantly. Testarossa, who was standing behind Rimuru, bristled at the perceived insult and was about to act, but Rimuru stopped her. "You might be able to bully these Lizardmen into submitting, but we Ogres are not so easily swayed."
"We're not afraid of some Orcs," the Ogre chief said arrogantly. "If they dare to attack our village, we'll deal with them ourselves. We don't need outsiders to protect us."
"I see," Rimuru said, tapping his fingers on the table. "In that case, there's nothing more for us to discuss today. You can leave—after all, you don't have much time left." With those words, Rimuru exited the meeting hall, not bothering to give the Ogres or Lizardmen another glance.
******
"Master, is it really wise to let them leave so easily?" Testarossa asked as she walked beside Rimuru. "We could have easily forced them to swear loyalty to you."
"Testa, you're thinking like a demon," Rimuru replied, shaking his head. "The Cardinal World operates differently from the Demon World. Here, people and monsters don't blindly follow the strongest with unwavering loyalty. Until they realize they truly need my protection, they won't submit."
"And you're confident they'll come to that realization?" Testarossa inquired, her curiosity piqued.
The atmosphere suddenly shifted, and a chill ran down Testarossa's spine as she caught sight of the smile forming on her lord's face. "Oh, I'm certain they'll do something foolish. When they do, those Ogres will experience what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that they're right, yet to fail nonetheless... and in the end, they'll come running to me, desperate for shelter like rats fleeing to their holes."
Hearing this, Testarossa couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement, a smile spreading across her face. Watching her master outmaneuver those weaker than him stirred something deep within her.
"So for now, we let them proceed as they wish," Rimuru said softly, gently caressing her face. "In the end, everything will unfold exactly as we desire."
******
The day after the meeting in Tempest, the Ogres returned to their village, and the atmosphere remained as tense and heavy as it had been when they left.
"Chief, do you think we made the right decision?" the elder asked, his voice tinged with concern.
"Of course we did," the chief replied, a trace of anger in his tone. "We don't need anyone's help to defend our village."
"Very well, Village Chief, but now we must address the pressing issue: what are we going to do about the Orcs marching toward our home?" the elder pressed.
The chief frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You're right. That's a problem. Even if we manage to defeat the Orcs, the damage to our village could be catastrophic," he admitted. "Not to mention the danger it would pose to our young ones."
After a moment of contemplation, the chief's eyes lit up with an idea. "I've come up with a plan," he declared, drawing the attention of everyone around him. "Instead of waiting for the Orcs to attack our village, we should take the fight to them."
A murmur of excitement rippled through the gathering.
"We, the mighty Ogre warriors, will march out and crush the Orcs before they even reach our village!" the chief proclaimed, his voice rising in a rallying cry. The air was soon filled with shouts and cheers of approval. "Clan heads! Prepare your best warriors! Tomorrow at dawn, we march to battle!"
As the cheers grew louder, the elder quietly shook his head and turned to leave. He knew this was a reckless decision, but confronting the chief now would only escalate tensions further. Resigned, he decided to do what he had always done: lend his blade to the defense of his village, even if he feared it was the wrong path.
******
*Two days later*
'Damn it! This was a terrible mistake!' the Ogre village chief cursed inwardly as he blocked another strike from a heavily armored Orc. 'I should never have rushed into this!'
As he shoved his attacker back, his heart sank when he witnessed one of his comrades being brutally cut down right in front of him.
'I have to do something! I can't let these young ones die in vain,' the chief thought, steeling his resolve as he tightened his grip on his sword.
"Elder!" he shouted, eyes fixed on the Orc before him. "This will be my final order as your village chief!" With a swift motion, he beheaded the Orc. "Take the young ones and whoever is still alive back to the village! The other clan heads and I will hold these Orcs off!"
"But Chief—" the elder began to protest, but the chief cut him off.
"No! Do as I say!" the chief roared. "We cannot allow the future of our clans to perish here!"
Hearing the chief's words, the elder felt the weight of responsibility settle in his chest. Reluctantly, he commanded everyone, except the clan heads, to retreat. Naturally, many refused, unwilling to abandon their comrades, but the elder's tone left no room for argument. Yet, there was one who remained defiant— the chief's younger son.
"There's no way I'm leaving Father behind!" the younger son shouted, his teeth clenched in frustration. "Brother! How can you just accept this?"
"I don't like it any more than you do," the older brother admitted, his fists clenched tightly. "But this is Father's last wish, and I won't let anyone disrespect our village chief's final command!"
"But—" Before the younger brother could argue further, the elder struck the back of his head, knocking him out cold.
"Let's go! We need to get back to the village as quickly as possible!" the elder ordered, leading the remaining survivors in a hasty retreat.
As the village chief watched his people retreat, a bittersweet smile crossed his face. Turning back to the Orcs, hatred burned fiercely in his eyes. With a final, determined grip on his sword, he charged into the fray, prepared to give his life to buy his people time. And so, the last chief of the Ogre village met his end, facing the enemy head-on.
To be continued...