In total, 12 members. They are the current key members.
For construction and production, Kajin is the representative.
For production, Lirina is in charge.
For politics, Rigrud is at the top, and the three elders manage the judiciary, legislature, and executive.
This department is still not well organized, but...
It's a task for the future.
For military affairs, Benimaru and Hakuro.
For intelligence, Soue.
For security, Rigr.
Currently, only six departments are active.
Even if we call it activity, it's just a name for now, but we can gradually improve it. Right now, everyone is surviving without starving.
It might be a problem that the security department is also handling hunting.
Thinking about it, Rigr is doing a good job. Such a person is someone who thrives in the shadows.
Frankly, I think Benimaru doesn't even know the number of soldiers in the military department.
Most importantly, he was appointed not long ago. It can't be helped.
Lirina is handling her tasks flexibly. She brought wild potatoes and successfully cultivated them.
With a fast harvest cycle and high nutritional value, they are contributing to improving our meals.
In the future, if we can trade with humans, I want to bring in various vegetable seeds.
The construction and production department is entirely entrusted to Kajin.
Although he is a blacksmith by profession, with the addition of Kurobe as a collaborator, he has become more like a general supervisor.
It seems that their skills are clearly divided by specialty. Still, it looks like he has entrusted the work to Kurobe.
He says that right now, he is busy organizing various things, and once things settle down, he wants to focus on production.
I hope it settles down soon.
Shion is my attendant? I want to reconsider this, but for now, it's unsettling to place her anywhere.
For now, I will observe her condition.
And, Soue.
He is strange.
I appointed him as a ninja, and he fits the role perfectly.
Using clones, he sent them to various places.
His abilities seem to be lacking, but it appears there are no movement restrictions. He can send six clones without any limitations.
Even if the abilities of each clone are reduced, their HP and MP are only about 1/10 of the original. It seems that their movement and attack power have not changed...
His clones seem to perform better than mine.
More importantly, all the Oni are strange.
Soue, as mentioned.
Shuna has awakened to the unique skill of the "Analyzer," which specializes in analysis. The performance is almost the same, but unlike me, she doesn't need to feed. It seems she can interpret things just by looking at them.
Kurobe has awakened to the unique skill of the "Researcher." This is a superior ability to mine.
Specialized in production, it is an incredibly convenient ability.
Hakuro seems to have awakened to 1000 times perception. It doesn't feel like he can win in combat with basic martial arts and sword skills.
Shion, needless to say, has "Powerful (剛力) EX" and "Body Enhancement EX."
Moreover, she has awakened to the specialized skill "Berserker," which seems like something that should never be used.
She must never be made angry.
Lastly, Benimaru. That guy has acquired "Black Lightning." The danger is that I don't want to turn this skill against us.
I need to think of a countermeasure quickly.
It feels like they are being influenced by my skills, but it seems that each Oni has completed their own evolution.
Well, let's start the meeting.
"Alright, let's hear the reports."
At my words, Soue began his report.
Everyone listens quietly.
He sent six clones to gather information.
1. Each Goblin village
2. The situation in the swamp
3. The Orcs' advance
It seems he investigated two of each.
First, the Goblin villages have apparently come under the command of the Lizardman warrior Gabiru.
The Lizardman we just met.
It's strange that they would bow their heads to such a fool. Those who didn't join his command seem to have fled to various places.
Many have fled towards the human kingdom, but they will likely be exterminated.
While humans don't interfere with settlements in the forest, they will attack if the territory is invaded.
I don't know the strength of the humans, but the Goblins will likely be exterminated in an instant.
If that happens, they will have no choice but to hide. Their future looks dark.
I also heard about Gabiru.
Apparently, by adding the Goblin warriors to his command, he has organized an army of about 7,000.
That's a considerable number.
It seems he offered the protection of the Orcs as a bait to negotiate. At least, it shows he can use his head.
However, it seems he took all the food the Goblins had stored. Even if they win against the Orcs, many will likely starve to death.
He didn't think about that at all.
The same might be true for the chiefs who heard this story, but they might have judged that dying to the Orcs is better.
It's not just their problem.
This village is not yet complete. But, it's not fun to simply abandon it.
If we allow the Orc army to reach here, it will become impossible to freely hunt for food in this area of the forest.
Therefore, we need to repel the Orcs near the swamp.
Let's hear about the state of the swamp.
On this side, the Lizardman chief has gathered the warriors of each army and organized an army of about 10,000.
They are well-prepared with abundant food from fishing in the lake.
They are clearly hiding in the natural labyrinth, preparing to defeat the Orcs one by one.
Is it really a formidable opponent?
Let's hear about the Orcs' advance.
The Orc army, numbering 200,000.
"Huh? 200,000!!!?"
I inadvertently raised my voice.
Clearly, the ones who attacked the Ogre village were about 10,000...
"Those who attacked our village were just a part of them, right?"
"Yes. After investigation, it was confirmed. Their total number is 200,000! They are advancing towards the swamp from the south through a relatively wide invasion route."
Hmm, I don't know the terrain well.
"Soue, do you have something like a map?"
"What is a map?"
"Eh?"
"???"
What?
Kajin seems to know, but it doesn't seem to be widely circulated.
In this world, maps have been treated as military secrets so far.
Hakuro also mentioned that he heard from his grandfather about drawing the terrain of the Ogre village on a piece of wood.
It's difficult without a picture.
Anyway, I brought a wooden board and started writing down the terrain around this village.
I described my mental map, and Rigrud added the terrain he knew, along with the information from Hakuro's explosion.
Thus, a somewhat decent map was created by combining everyone's knowledge.
Before getting to the main topic, we spent about two hours making the map.
We take a break here.
I don't need it, but the Goblins do.
Shuna brought a tray with food.
Then, Gobrina brought the food.
I quickly transformed into a child form.
While I don't need a break, eating is important. It's rare to be able to eat as a human, so I want to enjoy it.
...Except for Shion's cooking.
I've become accustomed to pretending to be human, so I can transform while wearing clothes. With practice, I can do it quite freely.
Now, the food in front of me.
For some reason, Shuna is sitting next to me. I need to check just in case...
It looks normal, but what's inside? Due to the lack of seasonings, it's just fried collected ingredients...
Who made it? I feel a gaze from the side.
Swallow. To be honest, I was extremely nervous.
"Let's eat!"
I said, but no one moved.
It seems they won't reach for it unless I eat it first. I hoped someone would take the initiative, but I guess I have to be prepared.
It's okay. This isn't made by Shion!
But, thinking about it, transforming into a child with taste might have been a failure.
While thinking this, I reached for the food. There are no chopsticks, only a spoon.
I took a spoonful of the soup and put it in my mouth. It was delicious.
"It's delicious!!!"
As I said this, everyone moved at once.
But, you guys, making the master check for poison, what are you thinking! Well, it's not poison, but...
Besides, I'm resistant to most poisons...
Still, I wish you had thought about it a bit.
Shuna was probably pulling the strings from behind...
The moment I said it was delicious, Shuna beamed.
She took the bowl from me and tried to feed me with a spoon.
She looked happy and a bit embarrassed.
The content is an uncle, but the heart is a boy. The appearance is a loli. Feeding me shouldn't be a problem.
And, Shuna. She looked at Shion and smirked.
Shion, with tears of frustration in her eyes, was grinding her teeth and getting obsessed with the taste of the food.
Yeah, yeah. You should improve your cooking skills, not just a little, but a lot.
You mustn't think of secret seasonings or meaningless things!
Even with a lack of seasonings, you can make this level of delicious food by bringing out the flavor of the ingredients.
As for the experiment with the cooking, can Benimaru endure it? That's not my problem.
Well, Shuna might be a cooking genius. She might have perfectly adjusted the taste with the "Analyzer."
I don't think it's a waste of talent. It's the right way to use it.
I enjoyed a delicious meal for the first time in a while.
After finishing the meal and the break, we concluded the rest.
It was a good time.
Let's get to the main topic.
"Here, this is a map that makes the terrain easy to understand. Look at this map while I explain."
Saying this, everyone gathered around the map.
First, I linked everyone with "Thought Transmission" to easily share the image.
I had Soue place the position of the Orc army on a piece of wood. It was processed to be small, with "200,000" written on the surface.
I'm in the process of teaching the Goblins the concept of numbers, so they might not understand it yet.
It can't be helped, so I'll proceed with the story.
The Orcs' invasion route.
The Jura Great Forest extends in three directions from the center, and there are routes that the army can pass through.
The route along the Ameld Great River, which connects to the Kanat Great Mountains, links the north and south.
However, it doesn't extend straight but turns eastward halfway. From the eastern empire, it's possible to move the army along the great river.
However, in the Orcs' habitat, there is no route suitable for the movement of a large army.
Therefore, they chose the route to break out towards the western swamp, pass around the lake, and invade.
To directly reach the Ameld Great River, the trees of the great forest are an obstacle.
According to Hakuro, there is a Treant settlement, so the route through the swamp is considered to have less consumption.
There was an Ogre village in the west, but it was ultimately ravaged.
While the Ogres were a higher species, they were few in number. Therefore, they excluded the route towards the Treant settlement, which is also a higher species but in larger numbers.
Thus, they defeated the Ogres and are now invading just in front of the swamp, organizing their formation.
"By the way, how are they feeding an army of 200,000? How are they securing food?"
To my question,
"I investigated. It seems that a supply unit of the army is organized in the rear to transport food. However, the number is insufficient..."
He trails off.
"This is my speculation, but it seems they are eating the bodies of their fallen comrades, whether from hunger or battle..."
He said something incredible.
Ugh...... Are Orcs really that kind of species?
"No matter what..."
"They will eat anything, but it can't be that bad, right?"
To that question,
"No, I'm not sure. But after they pass, there are no bodies left.
Our village was also clean, with nothing left.
However, I have a suspicion..."
Soue answered with a thoughtful expression.
"Don't tell me... an Orc Lord?"
Without waiting for Soue's answer, Benimaru answered.
"Yes. Although it hasn't been confirmed, there is a possibility that an Orc Lord has appeared.
At least, the existence of high-ranking Orc Knights has been confirmed.
They were likely the ones who attacked our village."
To summarize, an Orc Lord is a unique monster with strong leadership abilities.
An individual that appears once every few hundred years, bringing chaos to the world, the worst of all monsters.
It seems to possess the unique skill "The Hungry One (飢餓者ウエルモノ)."
This skill grants the ability to eat everything around like locusts, a terrifying power.
Most importantly, it's not a significant threat right after it appears...
But this time, it has already grown to the point of organizing a knight order. If it gains wisdom, it has the potential to grow into a "Demon King."
In short, it's a troublesome monster.
If only we could quickly exterminate such a troublesome creature...
Complaining won't change anything.
We decided to proceed with the meeting, keeping in mind the existence of the Orc Lord.
We placed wooden pieces representing the Lizardman army of 10,000 on the map.
Behind them, the 7,000 Goblin troops led by Gabiru.
When we arranged the armies on the map, the abnormality of the Orc army stood out...
But, that's not the point.
"This is a formation that could end everything in one go if we attack the fool Lizardman's base, right?"
That's right. Gabiru, the Lizardman warrior.
If we take advantage of the gap when the Orcs and Lizardmen form a front and attack the Lizardman base, the thinly defended main camp will be conquered in an instant.
There, the Goblin troops are conveniently placed.
However, there's no reason to attack our ally, the Lizardmen.
Because of the strange position of the army, it seems they made a strange assumption.
However,
"Hmm, that's true."
Hakuro nodded. His eyes were shining, creating a strange atmosphere.
But, even if we attack the main camp here, it will be ravaged by the Orcs afterward, so it's meaningless.
Maybe I'm thinking too deeply.
"Am I thinking too deeply? Sorry, it's an amateur's thought."
Saying this, I tried to continue the story...
"No, it's possible. I can't think of any other reason for them to be waiting in that position."
"He looked like a fool and seemed to be trying to take the chief's position."
The two in the military department gave their opinions.
He certainly looked like a fool, but is he that much of one?
"But if there's a possibility, it's better not to ally with him."
That was the conclusion we reached.
We decided to give up on allying with Gabiru. Then, what should we do?
"I want to form an alliance with the Lizardmen. We are too few on our own. It would be a waste to abandon them."
Everyone agreed with Hakuro's opinion.
I don't object either.
"But even if we form an alliance with us, our numbers are too few. Won't we just be used?"
I asked, expressing my concern.
The Oni looked at each other,
"Lord Rimuru, you worry too much! Each of us is equivalent to 10,000 soldiers, so we won't be underestimated!"
Hakuro answered on behalf of everyone.
No, that's an exaggeration. No one can be equivalent to 10,000 alone! I thought,
"Lord Rimuru, let me handle the negotiations. I will go and talk directly with the Lizardman chief.
Is that okay?"
Soue said this and waited for my answer.
What's with this confidence? Well, I'll entrust it to him.
Based on the map, I could make some predictions. This gave us time and mental space.
I decided to entrust it to Soue.
"Alright! Then, go and talk to the Lizardman chief. Please maintain the alliance!"