Three days had passed since our departure.
We had made it from the forest to the wetlands.
Since there hadn't been any water sources along the way, I drew water from my stomach and filled our canteens. Everyone said they felt their strength surging.
Come to think of it, it was probably due to the high concentration of Magicules.
We had packed light and prioritized speed during the journey.
Thanks to that, we had arrived much earlier than expected.
Rather than pressing on, I wanted to confirm the situation first.
Our meeting with the chief of the Lizardman Tribe was scheduled for tomorrow. Now that we were this close, there was no need to rush.
So I ordered everyone to stand by. We set up a camp and secured a spot to rest.
Now then, for scouting…
"Lord Rimuru, allow me to investigate."
He was the only one not wearing armor. Instead, he had on a chainmail shirt woven from my Steel Thread.
There was no question he was light on his feet.
According to him, he didn't need armor because nothing could hit him! When an attractive guy says that, it transcends arrogance and becomes almost refreshing.
I had no response other than "I see."
I would leave it to the confident Souei once again.
"Alright, Souei. Go check out the situation in the surrounding area.
If possible, see what kind of abilities the pig boss has!"
I sent him off.
He would surely use his absurdly good investigation skills to gather all sorts of information.
"Lord Rimuru, can we go wild this time if we feel like it?"
Honestly, since I didn't know the full picture, I couldn't give a clear answer. So I said: "Hmm? Go for it, but pull back when I give the signal, got it?"
Benimaru flashed a fearless grin: "I don't think that signal's ever gonna be needed. If you're gonna give one, make it a 'wipe them all out' signal! Right?"
He was brimming with confidence. You too, huh! I thought to myself.
When a good-looking guy pulls off that kind of confident attitude, it actually looks cool. Assuming you win, that is…
But if you dressed it up like that and then lost, wouldn't that be unbearably embarrassing?
Then again, I supposed these guys didn't have to worry about that.
Whatever.
"Don't let your guard down, okay?"
I said that and shrugged to end the conversation.
Without the klutz factor, Shion was actually cool. But watching her get all misty-eyed over her sword made for a rather dangerous-looking picture.
I decided to pretend I hadn't seen that. For my own mental well-being, that was probably for the best.
Hakuro, as expected, was calm as always.
One might call it a state of perfect tranquility—truly the composure of a seasoned veteran.
Of course, "There probably won't be anyone worth the effort, I reckon…"
He muttered that under his breath, and my ears didn't miss it.
Were these demon lords' kin really this overconfident?
They were about to challenge an enemy they had lost to before. Surely they needed to exercise some caution.
Worrying about all this, I let out a sigh.
However, my concerns would be proven entirely unfounded just moments later.
Two hours later.
(Now, is this a good time?)
A Thought Communication reached me while I was resting at the camp.
(Something already?)
(No, a single Lizardman is running toward us.)
(Huh? Can you tell what happened?)
(Yes. According to my clone, a battle has already broken out in the wetlands. I told them not to get ahead of themselves, but…)
(That
(Very likely. So what shall we do with this Lizardman?)
Hmm. The battle had already started. But it didn't seem like the situation had shifted enough to change the overall picture yet.
If anything, we might have arrived at a perfect timing. I should check the battle situation from the air.
Now then, about the Lizardman…
(Hear him out. Even if the battle wasn't the chief's decision, we need to confirm their true intentions either way.)
(Understood!)
I cut off the Thought Communication.
So it had already started. I had wanted to rest and survey the area, but there was no time for that.
I addressed the group: "Listen up! Rest is over. A battle appears to have started.
I'll be directing from the air from now on!
Get yourselves ready to join the fight on my signal!"
My words sharpened everyone's expressions.
"Understood. Then, good fortune in battle!"
Shion replied, and Benimaru gave a nod with his eyes.
Hakuro was his usual self.
I unfurled wings from my back. The wings tore holes in my clothing as they emerged, and the holes sealed shut once the wings were out.
Being able to alter the structure of my clothes and equipment to some degree at will was incredibly convenient.
"I have one order. Do not do anything reckless that could get you killed! This is not the final battle. Don't mess it up!"
In response to my words, "OHHHOOOOOOOO!!!"
came the roaring battle cry.
I nodded and soared into the sky.
Looking down from above, I surveyed the battle.
Even where my eyes couldn't distinguish details, using an extension of my Magic Perception allowed me to see everything clearly.
It was like conducting satellite surveillance from high altitude.
The situation was unfavorable for the Lizardmen.
They were clearly surrounded and unable to move freely.
The only reason they were still holding on was probably the commander's desperate rallying efforts. And even that wouldn't last much longer.
That commander looked familiar. It was Gabiru. I had dismissed him as a simple fool, but it seemed I had underestimated him.
As a commander, he lacked the ability to see the bigger picture, which was a fatal flaw.
However, it wasn't something just anyone could master at his young age with limited experience.
Not every commander throughout history was outstanding.
If he survived this and learned from it, he had the potential to become an excellent commander.
It would be a waste to let him die. I suddenly thought as much.
I issued my orders.
(Benimaru, synchronize with my thoughts. First, the Lizardmen are in a tight spot. Get them out!
After that, do as you please. You can leave the fine details of command to Hakuro.)
A delighted response came through my thoughts.
(Understood! I can send
(Go ahead!)
And so the battle began to move.
But thinking about it now, being able to survey both armies' movements from above was an overwhelmingly advantageous position.
On top of that, relaying the information gathered from that vantage point via Thought Communication to each soldier…
It was like implementing modern information warfare tactics in a fantasy world.
Unlike a conventional army, the volume of information we could convey was on an entirely different level. With this, even a small force could operate effectively.
No, rather, this was perfectly suited for moving a small force with extreme efficiency.
As I was thinking about all this, (Lord Rimuru, it appears I've confirmed the situation. It seems Gabiru, the chief's son, has staged a rebellion.
Additionally, the chief and the others appear to be imprisoned in the great hall underground. The Orcs have also breached that area, and there are concerns about their combat readiness.)
I see, so he was the son. But it would be troublesome if something happened to the chief.
An idea suddenly came to mind.
(Souei, can you Shadow Movement to the chief?)
I asked. He had said before that he could do it once he'd met someone…
(That is possible. Shall I head over?)
(Leave it to you. Help the chief and the others, and don't let the Orcs inside the cave do whatever they want!)
(Understood! …One moment, if I may?)
Shadow Movement—once this battle settled down, I would practice it. Just as I was thinking that, Souei addressed me.
He seemed to have something on his mind.
(What is it?)
(Yes! A report from my clone—there are suspicious creatures positioned on all four sides of the wetlands.
They appear to be high-ranking entities with considerable magic power. What should we do?)
What?
Was it some kind of trap? Even if it was, I had no idea what kind.
(Do we know how many there are?)
(Yes! Four have been confirmed so far. It is believed there are only four.
No other suspicious presences have been detected.)
(I see… Can you handle them?)
(If done simultaneously, I can only manage two with my clones. However, if given enough time, I can eliminate all of them.)
I see. He really was an excellent operative.
I had a nagging feeling it would be better to deal with them all at the same time… I had no idea who they were, though.
But killing them might not be the best approach. I didn't even know for certain if they were enemies…
(Can you neutralize two of them simultaneously without killing them?)
(No problem. That is possible.)
(Then send me their positions. I'll have Shion and Hakuro handle it.)
(I will coordinate from here and neutralize them simultaneously.)
(Do it.)
I relayed this information to Shion and Hakuro as well.
I gave them strict orders to incapacitate without killing if possible!
I had no acquaintances among high-ranking monsters. I had no idea who these were.
If they were positioned on all four sides, they were either a trap or scouts. They didn't seem to have noticed us, and the Lizardmen certainly didn't have the resources for something like this.
This wasn't the time for them to be conducting reconnaissance… So could it be the Orc army?
That still didn't make sense. It seemed pointless.
A third party? The thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Maybe there was another entity, like us, observing the situation.
Well, if we managed to capture them, I could try interrogating. Whether they'd talk or not, I could figure that out when the time came.
The fact that they were monsters made it unlikely they were working for the human side, and I had nothing but bad feelings about it.
There was no use dwelling on it, so I filed the problem away for later.
Once I had finished issuing orders, I checked on the battle.
The Lizardman side was starting to be pushed back.
They wouldn't hold out much longer at this rate. Inside the cave where the chief was, things were probably getting dire as well.
Souei had sent out clones, but was his main body alright doing that?
That worry crossed my mind too, but it was too late to change anything now.
I had given orders, and they had accepted them.
Anyone who accepts a task they can't handle is incompetent.
Back when I was a new employee at my company, I had gotten scolded by the then-director. Don't take on more work than you can handle!
If you take on work and then fail to complete it, everyone suffers.
Since then, I had made it a point to only accept tasks I could handle, regardless of whether they were unreasonable or not.
This time, I didn't fully understand their capabilities. I couldn't judge whether the tasks I had assigned were beyond them.
I could only pray they weren't incompetent. And that I wouldn't be branded as an incompetent master.
For now, I needed to keep watching the situation.
If anyone was struggling, I would step in to help right away.
———————— Now then.
After ending the Thought Communication, Souei allowed himself a thin smile.
He could feel, with certainty, that he was proving useful to his master.
For Souei, Benimaru may have been his former lord's son, but he was never his master.
They were the same age—rivals. Souei had always considered the possibility of serving under Benimaru one day, but that day never came.
Instead, he had found a new master in Rimuru.
He considered himself fortunate.
A long stretch of peace had continued, free of war.
Against the might of the Great Demon Lord's kin, the monsters of the forest had been no match.
Recently, even incidents like rampaging Lesser Dragons had ceased.
He considered that a good thing in itself. However, the honest desire to put his honed skills to use was something he couldn't deny.
And then, the Orc army had attacked.
He, who had been powerless to do anything. He had thought he would perish without ever avenging his former lord…
But he was fortunate.
Under his new lord, he had been given the opportunity to avenge his former master.
Complacency born of overconfidence. The current Souei harbored none of it.
For the sake of his lord, he would polish his skills and eliminate the enemy.
Being given orders was the supreme pleasure.
With calm precision, Souei created two clones of himself.
Then, (I'll capture the two in the distance. Hakuro, Shion—you take south and west respectively.)
He confirmed through Thought Communication and received their acknowledgment.
He dispatched his clones to the north and east.
Then he himself sank into shadow and vanished—to rendezvous with the Lizardman chief.
Even if they were high-ranking monsters, they were no match for the current Souei.
He was fully aware of that.
After Souei ended his Thought Communication, Hakuro and Shion exchanged glances.
Without a word, they both nodded.
"Then I'll take west."
"Very well. I'll head south."
After a brief coordination, they dispersed.
They moved at such speed that they seemed to vanish from the spot entirely.
Watching them go, "Let's move out!"
Benimaru's main force surged forward as well.
The Tempest Star Wolves ran swift and silent as the wind.
The Goblins riding them showed no hesitation either.
They moved swiftly, following Rimuru's command. They felt joy in that fact, and their blood ran hot.
Are you all feeling the same thing too…
Benimaru thought. He had always known he was a free-spirited person.
That was precisely why he had felt reluctance about succeeding the village chief of the Great Demon Lord's kin.
Not that it mattered now—either way, it was not to be.
That was why he was content with his current position. Serving under Rimuru as his lord.
As a warrior, he could rampage as he pleased.
As a village chief, he would never have been permitted to place himself in mortal danger. But now, things were different.
He could give it his all.
Benimaru ran.
The barely restrained surge of battle lust would soon break free.
———————— Souei, Hakuro, and Shion confirmed with each other that they were each in position.
They suppressed their presence and concealed themselves.
Before each of them, the suspicious monsters came into view.
Through Thought Communication, they confirmed their assessment and realized they were in agreement.
These creatures were familiars of high-ranking demon-kin, specialized in reconnaissance!
Souei told the other two, just to be sure: (I'll report this to Lord Rimuru myself.)
It would be troublesome if all three of them reported separately.
The other two reluctantly agreed. Souei was by far the most skilled at Thought Communication.
Shion, clumsy as always, only ever received communications. She secretly vowed to practice.
With the other two's agreement, (Lord Rimuru, the creatures have been confirmed.
They appear to be familiars of high-ranking demon-kin specialized in reconnaissance. Shall I capture them?
In my opinion, killing them would leave no trace and prevent any complications down the line!)
He sent the thought to Rimuru.
Leave it to you! came the reply.
He coordinated the timing with the other two through Thought Communication, confirming they would strike all four simultaneously.
Hakuro would give the signal.
The instant Hakuro sent the cue— A blade flash blazed, and the monster before him was diced into dust, vanishing without a trace.
Two other monsters were pulled into the ground as though swallowed by shadow—no, crushed and obliterated. Souei's doing.
And then, after a single streak of blinding light, a thunderous roar. Shion's handiwork. The monster was blown away without a trace…
Everything unfolded in perfect simultaneity, without a single second of deviation.
The shockwave from Shion's brute-force strike annihilated the monster and continued onward without losing momentum.
It plowed straight into the mass of Orc soldiers clustered along the outer edge of the wetlands, sweeping them aside.
And this strike was the signal that Rimuru's forces had entered the battle.