In this way, I gained a new companion, but would we get along well?
Despite such worries, it seemed they were nothing more than unfounded concerns.
They are the Oni-jin (鬼人族), or the Oni (鬼族=Ogre) who have evolved into a superior race.
Their genetic inheritance is close to that of a dominant trait, making it highly likely that they have awakened to extraordinary abilities.
Currently, their rank feels like they are near the A-class threshold, but if they acquire abilities, they might stabilize around the "A-" mark.
Still, there's no doubt they have become significantly stronger.
In combat, the superiority of special abilities can sometimes be more important than physical prowess.
After all, my victory over the Flame Giant was due to the superiority of my abilities.
I'm very interested in what special abilities they possess.
Well, after evolving, it seems the equipment they are wearing no longer fits.
Their bodies have shrunk (though they are still larger than goblins), so the sizes don't match.
Their armor is tattered, and their weapons are damaged.
More than that, they looked like defeated warriors.
Since it bothered me, I decided to ask.
"Back about 400 years ago, a young warrior in this attire entered the village.
The villagers were suspicious, but the village chief welcomed him warmly.
At that time, a Lesser Dragon (下位龍=レッサードラゴン) was causing trouble in the forest, but he said it was his way of repaying the village, and he took care of it.
The people of the village praised the young warrior's bravery and accepted him, leading to the present day.
The equipment and weapons he wore became the basis for our current equipment!"
That's what he said.
So, they replicated the equipment. Did they make it themselves?
"Then, did you make the weapons by imitating them?"
"Yes. We learned from the young warrior and, through various trials and errors, we crafted them ourselves! Kurobe is a swordsmith!"
Amazing! It turns out there's someone who can make swords...
I quickly introduced him to Kaijin.
Since we met yesterday, the conversation was quick.
Kurobe and Kaijin got along well and started a preliminary meeting to create new weapons.
I left them to it.
Even more surprising!
It turns out that this world also has silk products.
Clothes made from materials like hemp have become outdated. The tattered clothes of the goblins are also of the hemp variety.
While the surrounding plants may not be exactly the same, they are recognized as hemp.
And silk.
It turns out that this can be obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the Hellmoth (地獄蛾ヘルモス=ヘルモス), a monster that lives near the ogre village.
Once it grows into a Hellmoth, it becomes a terrifying carnivorous B-rank monster that can cause hallucinations with its feces, but during its larval stage, it is defenseless.
They seem to have found and collected the cocoons.
Shuna, who is skilled in weaving, is called a weaver.
I introduced her to Garum and Dold.
Garum would use the silk for everyday clothing and the lining of equipment.
Dold would handle dyeing and the creation of high-end clothing like kimonos.
We held a preliminary meeting to see if each could develop their respective areas.
We entrusted the collection of cocoons to the goblin cavalry.
Among them, we want to capture the larvae and set up a breeding facility in the village.
Since I don't know much about raising silkworms, there will likely be some trial and error.
But this could be a way to make soft, high-quality kimonos.
I also gave them some samples.
When I told Shuna and her group, "Please take care of it!"
"Yes! I'll take care of it, Rimuru-sama!"
Shuna replied with a bright red face, full of enthusiasm.
She's cute. She must be at an age where she's happy to be relied upon.
She was the princess of the ogres and didn't seem to have much interest in weaving as a hobby.
So, it's even more exciting for her to be relied upon.
The dwarf brothers are also excited to work with the cute princess.
But please, don't touch her...
That girl is stronger than she looks! If you touch her, you might not see the next morning's sun.
These two have a bit of a naughty side, so I'm a bit worried.
But since I have no sexual desires, I can worry about this.
If I had sexual desires, I would be more concerned about my own safety.
Still, she is incredibly cute.
She's truly an Oni-hime (鬼姫).
Winning her over might require risking my life.
"Shuna-sama, you have a task, right?
I'll take care of attending to Rimuru-sama, so you don't have to worry!"
Shion said, separating Shuna and me.
I had a feeling that sparks were flying between Shuna and Shion, but it was probably just an illusion. It must have been a misunderstanding.
"Hehe, I can attend to Rimuru-sama too, you know?"
"No, Princess. I'll take care of it! I'll definitely attend to him!"
Crack! Crack! Crack!
It's just my imagination.
Still, I don't need anyone to attend to me.
I've been living alone for a long time, so I can handle most things on my own!
I thought about sneaking away,
"Rimuru-sama! Which one do you prefer, me or Shion?"
It seems she has no intention of letting me go.
"Well, Shuna, you need to weave silk, right? I'll ask you when you have time, okay?"
What exactly am I asking for?
I don't know, but,
"Understood!! I'm being relied on!"
Yes, that's right. Let's do it that way.
"Okay! I'll take care of it!"
She smiled and nodded. She's so cute.
"Then, Rimuru-sama, please entrust it to me!"
"(Chuckle) I'll leave it to you!"
"(Haha) Yes, understood!"
It seems the matter is settled.
For a moment, I felt the temperature around me drop, but it was probably just my imagination.
In this world, many good things end with "it's just my imagination"!
I took Shion and toured the village under construction.
Come to think of it, where did the other three go?
They were with us just a moment ago.
"Hakuro-sama was our instructor. He uses the strongest sword technique in the Guardian Corps and probably went to investigate the village's defenses.
Benimaru-sama and Soue probably went to test their abilities.
They are rivals and close friends. I think they are experimenting with their own abilities."
I see.
I also believe that testing abilities is fundamental.
Hakuro is skilled in swordsmanship, and I want to learn from him.
If I tour the village, it might be better to learn swordsmanship from Hakuro later.
After Kurobe and his group create new weapons, including swords, would be a good time. Swords are a romantic weapon.
While spears might be more practical in combat, I want the goblins to use swords as their main weapon.
I looked for Benimaru and Soue.
I had a sense of a large amount of youki. It was in the plaza near the cave.
The two were engaged in a battle that looked like something out of a manga.
Surrounded by red and blue youki, they clashed.
It felt like the ground was splitting and the sky was breaking. The momentum was that intense.
I began to doubt my eyes. This is what an Oni is...
The armor they were wearing had shattered and disappeared. From the start, armor couldn't withstand their power.
Their swords had broken, and they were now fighting with their bare hands.
Their movements were regular, like kung fu. They were not amateurs.
...Eh, right? They are ogres, after all?
Their refined movements made me want to say that.
"Indeed, young master. Soue is excellent. The martial arts we inherited include the basics of swordsmanship."
Swords are an extension of the body, and training starts with refining body movements...
It seems they learned this from the young warrior who stayed in the village.
Ogres using martial arts... If adventurers encountered such a thing, many unfortunate adventurers would have met their end. Rest in peace.
The two noticed my presence and stopped their sparring, approaching me.
They were both unharmed.
It felt like they were just playing around.
"Rimuru-sama, thank you for giving us such great power!"
"With this power, I'll turn the pigs into minced meat!"
Well, I don't really expect that.
"Reliable! I'll leave it to you. By the way, I'm gathering information from the goblin scouts."
"Is that not satisfactory?"
"No, the goblins are excellent, but getting too close is dangerous."
That's right. Gathering information is fundamental, so I've deployed scouts.
However, there were suspicious orcs, and it would be wise not to risk being discovered.
Soue, who heard my explanation, said,
"Rimuru-sama, if that's the case, I'll go on reconnaissance. Please give me that task!"
He had the ability for reconnaissance and was confident in it.
Soue, who has evolved and possesses considerable power, seems better suited for information gathering than the goblins.
Soue is a calm man, so he won't take unnecessary risks.
I can entrust it to him.
"Can I entrust it to you?"
"Yes! Please entrust it to me!"
He answered, and with a whoosh, he disappeared.
Shadow Movement.
Indeed, it was a perfect example of an excellent movement technique.
If I reach the pinnacle, I might be able to do it too. Another thing I need to practice.
"Sorry for taking your opponent..."
"No, it's fine. We need to use the power we've received effectively!"
"I see... For you, the orcs are enemies. You'll have your chance to fight them. When that time comes, I want you to go all out."
"Of course. If there's anything I can do, please command me. I want to be your hand and foot, Rimuru-sama!"
"...I see. You're reliable! But, will you get along well with the goblins?"
"It's fine. Are we building a country here? With Rimuru-sama as our king, it feels like we're part of the Reigld Kingdom.
While I can't handle politics, I can take care of the military. With Hakuro around, of course."
As we were talking,
"Ho ho ho. Young master, are you planning to overwork this old man?
But for Rimuru-sama, I'll work even if I have to whip my old body!"
Hakuro joined the conversation.
He approached without any warning. Even my heat detection didn't react.
Oh...
If I had been ambushed just now, I wouldn't have been able to react and would have been hit.
This is a master...!
In this world, or if he had been born human, he would have been a "Sword Saint," Hakuro.
Born as an unnamed ogre, he quietly honed his sword skills without ever leaving the world.
It makes sense that he is the strongest in the Guardian Corps.
"Benimaru..., are you stronger than Hakuro?"
"Hmph. Rimuru-sama, it's difficult to joke about that. This old man, no, Hakuro, is the strongest man in the Guardian Corps.
He was stronger than my father. Maybe he has some human blood, like the young warrior."
"That's right. My grandfather was a sword hero named Araki Hakuya (荒木白夜)!"
He was Japanese.
I thought it was almost certain from the perspective of swords.
"Is that so? Then, are you also a samurai?"
A casual comment from me.
Hakuro's body emitted mana, drawing in the surrounding mana and absorbing it.
The amount of youki hasn't changed, but the quality has.
I had forgotten. The change is due to giving him an occupation.
He was an old Oni, but he has become younger... with a calm and mature charm.
He seems surprised by the change. I've really done it.
I didn't expect such a change from just a few words.
With the increase in mana, his body is still adjusting to the samurai occupation.
I don't want to think about it, but I hope he doesn't become stronger than me.
"Well, it's good. From today, you are a samurai. A samurai lives by loyalty. Strive alongside Benimaru!"
I said to him.
"Wait, I also want to be a samurai."
Benimaru looked at me with a determined expression.
Benimaru, who had a samurai-like feel.
Now that I think about it...,
"That's fine, but can you not become the village chief?"
"It's a new feeling. I have entered your service. I have pledged my loyalty to you.
I want you to recognize me as a samurai who is loyal to you!"
"Me too. Please!"
You too, Shion.
In this case, "If you drink the poison, drink the cup" (if you start something, see it through).
"Alright. From today, you are samurais! Serve me with loyalty!"
It feels like I said this yesterday, but it's a bit embarrassing.
But these guys,
"YES!!! I swear my life to you!!!"
They pledged their loyalty to me without any hesitation.
Additionally, I gave Kurobe the occupation of "Blacksmith" and Shuna the occupation of "Miko."
Kurobe, while low in combat power, showed great talent in sword making.
I want him to make swords for me this time.
Shuna, who originally used magic, began to learn various secret techniques as a Miko.
While she can't teach them to others, if she can use useful techniques, I'll secretly analyze and learn them.
While she can't teach others, it doesn't matter to me. The "Devourer" is the best!
Soue, who is on reconnaissance, naturally has that occupation.
I'll give it to him as soon as he returns.
Hehehe. Since he already has Shadow Movement, it's perfect.
That's right! The children's idol, "Ninja"!
He might soon be able to decapitate someone with a critical hit!
While I'm a bit scared that Hakuro could do it right now.
If I face him in human form, I'm worried he might decapitate me.
I need to strengthen my detection abilities.
With the surrounding people becoming stronger, I realized I need to think about my own strength.
Relying on my abilities as they are now won't do.
There seems to be a lot to do to prepare for future battles!
To prepare for the future, I need to confirm what I need to do.