After sending
However, not everyone would be deploying. We didn't yet know the enemy's capabilities, so I wanted to prioritize speed and mobility in our composition.
The town's construction was progressing smoothly, but defensive facilities were still nonexistent.
Because of that, I concluded that if we were attacked here, we should seriously consider relocating.
So what should we do? As I pondered these matters, I arrived at a plan.
"The decisive battle will take place in the marshlands. If we win there, all the better. If we lose, depending on the situation, we withdraw immediately and retreat back here.
If it comes to that, there's no chance of winning if we fight here, so we hole up in the sealed cavern and hold out in a siege.
During the siege, we request reinforcements from the humans.
If we send the request through the Guild, we should be able to make it work somehow, so everyone needs to stay ready to move at a moment's notice.
As for who's deploying—
Hakuro, serve as his adjutant and join the fight.
I'll link everyone together with my Thought Communication and issue orders as needed.
All withdrawal decisions will be made by me, as supreme commander.
Rigul, you'll command the remaining Goblin soldiers and reinforce the patrol around the town.
That's it!"
I relayed the decided strategy.
Everyone nodded, and no objections were raised.
I'd half-expected someone to push back on the idea of requesting help from the Guild, but it turned out to be unfounded. After all, we'd recently interacted with the adventurers, so maybe there was no longer any sense of aversion.
As for requesting aid from the Guild—we could generate a decent sum by selling
I was confident that if we played our cards right, cooperation could be secured. There was no need to worry about that.
What I needed to prioritize was figuring out just how dangerous the Orc Disaster really was.
First things first, I'd get the goblins' weapons and armor sorted.
I ordered
Benimaru, Hakuro, and Shion would need equipment too.
We'd get everything in order before Souei returned with his answer. If the alliance fell through, our next move would depend on how
If we couldn't form a joint front, it'd be wiser to wait and see if the Lizardmen could deal the enemy some damage first.
After wrapping up the strategy discussion, we dispersed.
The meeting ended, and everyone filed out of the room.
The only ones left in the room were the three Kijin and myself.
I looked at Benimaru, wondering if there was something he wanted to confirm.
"Lord Rimuru, aren't you worrying too much? You don't need to go out of your way to the front lines—just sending me and Hakuro should be enough to handle it."
"Indeed. You are our master, Lord Rimuru. There is no need for you to set foot on the battlefield. Leave it to us."
They were both saying the same thing.
Now hold on, it can't work like that! You guys got trounced by orcs before, remember!
That's what I thought, but I kept my mouth shut.
They probably figured I was useless back before I evolved anyway.
"Ah, it's fine. I plan to observe the battle from the air anyway, and the actual command will be left to Benimaru."
"Oh, if that's the case!"
That seemed to satisfy them.
In truth, I'd never commanded a military force before. I'd sunk plenty of hours into strategy simulation games, but I had zero real combat experience.
So my plan was to observe from above and focus purely on issuing directives.
"More importantly, you three need to get your equipment sorted too. You're not planning to walk into battle wearing nothing, are you?"
All three nodded at my words.
And so, we headed straight for the building that housed the workshop.
It was the central hub of our production division.
A wooden structure roughly the size of a gymnasium. I'd planned to reinforce the walls with mortar eventually, but we hadn't gotten around to it yet.
Even so, it was the largest building we had, so it had a rather imposing feel to it.
Inside, it was bustling with activity—people working everywhere. They were preparing the 100 sets of equipment, per my orders.
That said, the actual forging was done by the two dwarves, Garum and Dold, along with ten apprentice goblins.
The rest were probably handling raw material transport and moving finished products.
I made my way deeper inside.
Recently, we'd set aside a room dedicated to weaving.
It had become
The women had wanted to learn weaving as well, but for now they were working under Garum, producing clothing from hemp and similar fabrics.
Eventually, the more skilled ones would be trained to handle silk goods too.
Before we dealt with armor, we needed clothes.
We arrived at Shuna's room. I called out to her, and we went inside.
Shuna greeted us with a warm smile.
At some point, she'd woven herself a magnificent kimono. She was wearing it now.
It wasn't pure white—instead, it was dyed a soft pink, giving her a lovely appearance.
She rose from her chair.
"I've been expecting you.
I wanted to attend the meeting as well, but the best I could do was help with the meal preparations. I'm terribly sorry about that.
However, I've prepared clothes for you, Lord Rimuru. For your brothers as well, while I was at it."
"While you were at it, huh…"
"Ho ho ho. Can't be helped, can it?"
"Shuna's silk work really is exquisite. Did you make something for me too?"
Paying no heed to the three of them chattering away, Shuna held out the garments.
"Here we are!"
Pure white kimono.
Once she saw that we'd received them, she guided us to a changing room.
I went in first and started changing.
When I used Mimicry to take on my child form, I was wearing my black fur equipment.
I removed the equipment and donned the kimono Shuna had given me.
The texture was silky smooth. Even better than the finest silk.
I kept the trousers I'd received before. The moment the garment settled against my body, it adjusted perfectly to my size.
This was another type of magical equipment, no doubt.
It mingled with my Magicules and fit against me as naturally as a part of my body.
On a whim, I shifted into my adult form. Just as I'd expected, the clothes auto-adjusted their size.
She'd done a flawless job.
I layered the black fur equipment back on over the kimono, and that completed the outfit.
Oh right—I pulled something from my pocket.
It was a beautiful mask.
The "Anti-Magic Mask," a keepsake from Lady
From my body, microscopic Magicules would sometimes leak out like a Demon Aura.
I could prevent it if I was conscious, but I occasionally let it slip out unconsciously.
So I intended to use this mask to contain it.
It had been damaged before, but Dold had repaired it for me.
I put the mask on. For some reason, it gave me a sense of calm.
Since I didn't actually need to breathe, there was no need to simulate breathing in my humanoid form either.
I could reproduce lungs if I wanted to, but since there was no need for pulmonary breathing, there was no point making them.
Putting on the mask would also let me disguise the fact that I wasn't breathing.
It fit comfortably, with no sense of unease.
Good. From today on, I'd go out in public wearing this.
As I shifted back into my child form, I made that decision.
Fully equipped, I stepped outside.
Shuna lavished me with praise as the Kijin took turns changing into their new outfits.
These clothes had the property of absorbing and synchronizing with the wearer's Demon Aura.
My kimono had turned jet black, becoming a garment of deep obsidian.
Benimaru's was crimson.
Hakuro's, pure white.
And Shion's was, naturally, purple. If it had turned orange, that would've been hard to explain.
Even if they got somewhat damaged, they could self-repair, and it seemed they could also be restored by infusing them with magic power.
They were truly custom magical equipment, tailored to each individual.
Incredibly impressive! I was also amazed to hear that the shape could be altered to some degree through willpower alone.
It was almost like not needing to change clothes at all. Of course, if someone tried to buy these, the price would probably be beyond calculation.
I didn't know what kind of performance magical arms and armor in human towns offered, but these were crafted by an A-rank individual dedicating their full ability to their creation.
I had a feeling they'd command an absurdly high price.
And it made me even more excited about the weapons Kurobei could produce, with all his ability poured into his craft.
We thanked Shuna, collected Souei's outfit as well, and took our leave.
Next, we visited Kurobei's smithy.
He'd been buried in his work lately, and we hadn't even crossed paths.
I knew he was doing well, but he was probably the type who lost all awareness of his surroundings once he got absorbed in something he loved.
Kaijin had told me before the meeting that Kurobei had been working without sleep for days.
When we reached the smithy, the door was open.
A full set of tools, brought over from Kaijin's workshop, had been set up inside.
A warehouse had been built next to the smithy to store the materials we'd brought along.
I'd given him a generous supply of my Magisteel as well. In terms of raw materials, we had everything we needed—the only concern was our shortage of iron ore.
We'd planned to survey the surrounding mountains to see if we could find good-quality ore somewhere, but with construction still ongoing, manpower was stretched thin.
From inside the smithy, the sound of metal being struck rang out, and waves of heat spilled through the doorway.
This was the only place with a high-temperature furnace. We'd packed clay and fired it at extreme heat to create the furnace.
It had been built using Heat Manipulation, and it worked surprisingly well. I planned to study its performance and gradually increase the number of furnaces.
There were plenty of plans on the docket, but we simply didn't have the hands to carry them all out.
Be that as it may, Kurobei noticed our arrival and came out to greet us.
A broad grin stretched across his face.
"I've been waiting! There's something I absolutely must show you!"
The desire to show off his handiwork was practically radiating off him.
Two hours passed.
Our eyes had gone glassy and lifeless as we listened to his explanations.
Alright, alright. I get it. It's amazing!
Time and again, the words nearly tumbled out of my throat, but I swallowed them back down.
Looking at Kurobei's beaming face, I couldn't bring myself to cut him off. What should I do… Just as I was starting to wonder— (Lord Rimuru, is now a good time?)
Someone was speaking to me through Thought Communication. It was Souei.
I'd sent him to secure the alliance—had something gone wrong? Surely it wasn't that he didn't know the way?
If he showed up looking all cool and composed only to say "Sorry, I don't know where to go, could you tell me the location?" I'd lose my temper even with my generally mild-mannered disposition…
I was a little worried, but of course that wasn't the issue.
When I replied that everything was fine— (I met with the leader of the Lizardman Tribe. They say they're willing to accept the alliance.
However, they'd prefer that we come to them…)
What?! He'd already arrived? Or rather, wasn't that way too fast?
The meeting had ended less than half a day ago…
(No problem. We're planning the decisive battle in the marshlands anyway. But wait—you're already there?)
(Yes. With Shadow Movement, I can reach the marshlands area without any trouble. I can teleport instantly to anyone I've met before.
Anyway, when would be a good date for the meeting?)
Anyway? That casual "anyway" was completely glossing over something insane. Shadow Movement was an absurdly powerful ability!
I could use it too, but had it really been that convenient? Maybe I just hadn't mastered it yet…
I was genuinely stunned. But never mind— (Right. Preparations will take some time, and the Goblin Wolf Riders need time to mobilize, so let's say five days from now.)
(Understood! I'll relay that.)
(Once the meeting is over, come back yourself. Leave a clone behind to keep watch!)
(As you command!)
He'd smoothly arranged the meeting already. What an incredibly capable man.
The marshlands felt like quite a distance from here.
If we marched on foot, it'd take about two weeks, but for the Goblin Wolf Riders, three days would be more than enough.
That Gabiru character from the Lizardman Tribe had been riding some large magical beast for transportation.
It wouldn't sit right if they regrouped faster than we did. We needed to be the ones watching the situation and maintaining the initiative.
As I mulled these thoughts over, I half-listened to what seemed like an endless explanation.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Souei emerged from the shadows behind me.
A true ninja, through and through.
I handed him his clothes and told him to change.
Kurobei snapped back to reality at Souei's appearance.
He cleared his throat with an "Ahem!" and produced several blades.
Finally, we could get to the main event.
He laid out six blades in a row.
A straightforward, single-edged sword.
An elegant, curved katana.
A sword concealed within a walking staff.
A massive, heavy odachi.
And two ninja blades.
He lined them up with an expression brimming with confidence.
Then he spoke.
"For Lord Rimuru, this straight sword. It's still in the foundational stage and not yet complete.
This is based on the concept you came up with—integrating Magic Stones into weapons. I'm working toward that goal.
I'm conducting joint research with Lord Kaijin, so please give me a little more time!
In the meantime, please use this sword and attune it to yourself."
As he said this, he handed over the straight sword.
So the research was progressing, huh? I was getting excited.
It was worth asking about.
"Understood."
I nodded, swallowed the sword into my stomach, and stored it. If I needed to attune it to myself, keeping it inside my body was best.
Kurobei nodded once, then pulled out another blade and handed it over.
"This is a test piece that's already been trial-cut. Use it as a stand-in for the time being."
I'd gladly take it.
Lately, I'd been having Hakuro train me in swordsmanship. I'd been wanting to have a blade of my own. I fastened the received sword at my waist.
There was something about having a weapon that made me feel stronger—strange, really.
Everyone else received their blades too.
Benimaru got the curved katana. Hakuro received the concealed staff-sword.
Shion got the odachi.
It was so enormous I wondered how she'd even draw it, but— "It's fine. The scabbard is just coated with magic power—just focus and it'll dissipate."
Apparently, it was so heavy that even a normal human couldn't lift it, and even Kaijin couldn't forge one.
Dwarves were plenty strong, but even they could only lift it with both hands.
Yet Shion held it casually in one hand without any struggle.
Souei had changed and rejoined us, receiving both ninja blades. A dual-wielder, huh…
He really was becoming quite the figure.
After we'd all received our weapons, Garum came to see us.
The armor for the Kijin was ready.
With no iron ore to speak of, iron was scarce. That meant we couldn't prepare full plate armor.
Instead, it was Shell Scale Armor, crafted from magical beast materials.
This was the finished version of the design I'd previously given to the adventurer Kabal.
It, too, adapted to the wearer's Demon Aura. A generous amount of my Magisteel had been incorporated, making its strength incomparable to the prototype.
I already had my black fur armor, so I didn't need one.
And so, our equipment was complete.
The next day.
The Goblin Wolf Riders had finished their preparations as well.
With a week's worth of rations on their backs, they stood in formation, waiting for us.
This time, it would be a short, decisive campaign. We'd carry only enough food for the trip there and back. Bringing a supply train would slow us down.
Mobility was everything—if things went south, we'd flee.
Each person carried only their own food, but that should be sufficient.
I'd thought preparations would take two days, but it turned out supplies had been distributed in advance as items were completed, so it wrapped up quickly.
I'd said five days, but arriving early to scout the surroundings wouldn't be a bad idea.
"The enemy is the Orc Disaster! Now—let's move out!"
I kept my declaration short and to the point.
This time, there was no point psyching myself up too much. I'd read the flow of battle and act accordingly.
The objective should be clear and simple.
In response to my declaration, everyone raised a battle cry.
The thunderous roar filled the surrounding area.
The goblins were mostly veterans who had survived the decisive battle against the Direwolves.
There were some newcomers among them, but being selected as a Goblin Wolf Rider with an Tempest Star Wolf as a partner meant you were elite.
Their morale was sky-high.
Absorbing everyone's fighting spirit, my own anxiety was swept away.
This time too, we would win.
Being overly optimistic wasn't wise. But there was no need to fight expecting defeat either.
We set out toward the marshlands—the site of our decisive battle.
The preparations ended up taking an entire chapter.
Not much happened right before the plot kicks off, did it?
But hey, this is the protagonist's turn!