(Attendances… plz…)
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Vote in the end…
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Xx Days Later:-
It took them some time to reach the goblin village. With their numbers now swelling to over a hundred, including the children and the elderly, and needing to rest frequently, the journey was slow and arduous.
For Reinhard alone, covering such a distance would have been the work of a few moments, a simple, efficient blur would be seen or maybe not even that. But he paced himself with the ogres.
The goblin village patrols, needless to say, didn't take the sight of a massive contingent of ogres approaching their home lightly.
A report was sent to Rimuru almost immediately, the only calming factor being the final, crucial detail: Reinhard was with them.
And so, the red-haired ogre, the new chieftain of his clan, now sat in Rimuru's hut. Behind Rimuru, several stern-faced hobgoblins stood guard, a silent but clear show of the village's own strength.
Reinhard, meanwhile, was outside, helping the other ogres settle in.
The ogre chieftain had already explained the situation, confirming the grim tale Reinhard had relayed to Rimuru earlier.
He spoke of the destruction of their village, the sudden emergence of a legendary Orc Lord, and the unstoppable march of his ravenous army.
Rimuru was, once again, in a state of shock.
He had heard it pretty clearly from Reinhard, and he knew how impossibly strong the man was, but hearing it again from the mouth of someone who had actually witnessed the attack… it was still unbelievable.
Not to him, perhaps, but to anyone else, it would sound like a madman's fantasy.
Rimuru blinked with his slime form. "Hey, man… can you repeat that?" he asked, his voice a little shaky, needing to hear it one more time. "You know, the part about ten thousand orcs… vanishing. From a single attack."
The red-haired ogre nodded, his expression grim and his memory of the event still painfully fresh.
"We were being defeated, overwhelmed by the orcs' numbers. If not for Sir Reinhard… I'm afraid there wouldn't be any ogres left in this forest. None from my village would be alive right now."
"I'm sorry for what happened to you and your people," Rimuru said, his voice filled with a genuine sympathy that surprised the ogre.
"Reinhard already told me that you need a place to stay for now. And that's fine with me, as long as you all are willing to lend a hand and don't cause any trouble." He then added with a small, hopeful smile, "Hahaha… maybe if you guys like it here, you can just stay with us permanently."
The red ogre was taken aback by the casual generosity of the offer. Not only was this slime giving them a place to stay just on Reinhard's word, but he was also suggesting they could make it their new home.
"Would that really be okay?" he asked, his voice filled with a cautious disbelief. "There are hundreds of us…"
Before he could continue, Rimuru held up his slime like hand. "Don't worry, you don't have to say anything else. Even if I didn't want to do this… well, I would, but let's say I didn't. I owe Reinhard a favor, and he directly used that favor on your behalf. But he even gave me the choice, said it would be okay if I didn't agree. So, even though Reinhard asked, I'm not being forced into this by any means. And as for staying here permanently… well, that's just a thought. I'm not going to force anyone. After this problem with the orcs is resolved, you could stay here if you like, or you could go. The choice will be yours."
The red-haired ogre bowed his head, a gesture of deep, profound gratitude. "Thank you," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "From me, and from my people."
Rimuru laughed, a light, disarming sound that seemed strange coming from his slime body.
"Ahahaha, you don't have to do that. I'm just a harmless slime, you know. It looks kind of strange."
He then turned to Rigurd.
"Hey Rigurd, can you help the others settle in? And please, prepare some water and food for the ogres. Tell the goblin riders to hunt extra; we have more people to feed now."
"Yes, my lord," Rigurd said with a respectful bow as he stormed off from there.
Rimuru turned back to the ogre chieftain. "Oh, and if it's not too much of a problem, I'd like a detailed explanation of… you know, the white light. And the orcs vanishing instantly. Of course, only if you're comfortable talking about it."
He had seen that light in the sky a few nights ago, a brilliant flash from deep within the forest, and it was so bright it was blinding even though it was very far away.
And not to mention this story matching it perfectly in timing. He wanted to investigate it, but Rigurd and others suggested not going too deep into the forest in another monster's territory to avoid any unnecessary clash with them.
So he dropped the idea of investigating it for the time being. But who would have thought it was the ogre village.
"Not at all," the red ogre replied. "Just call for me whenever you want to hear it."
"It can wait," Rimuru said. "You and your people must be exhausted from your long journey. You should all rest for now." He then had a sudden, practical thought. "Oh, and do you guys all have names or anything? I mean, it would be easier to tell you apart with names."
The red ogre shook his head. "No. We do not."
"Huh," Rimuru said, tapping his chin in his slime form thoughtfully. "That could get confusing. Do you… want names? I could give you some."
The red-haired ogre stared in disbelief, his crimson eyes wide. "What?" he asked, his voice a low rumble, sure that he must have heard wrong.
But no he didn't.
Not wanting to sound arrogant, but needing to be absolutely clear, he said directly, "I'm sorry, but we aren't ready to serve someone we just met. And even if we were, I would have to discuss it with my people."
Rimuru's slime form immediately started waving slime hands, shaking its head frantically, a look of pure panic on his face with drops of sweats.
"No, no, no, no! That's not what I meant at all!" he said, realizing how his casual offer must have sounded to a proud warrior race. "I just said it… like, you know, it would be easier to address each other if you had names. That's all!"
He had just said it without thinking. It was true; he didn't want to have to refer to them as "red-haired ogre" or "ogre number two." It was just impractical and, frankly, a little rude. He hadn't even considered the immense meaning behind the act of naming a monster.
The red-haired ogre was still confused. Who names monsters just for convenience? The amount of magicules it would take… it was a cost that could kill a normal mage.
But then, another thought, a more powerful one, cut through his confusion.
Names meant power. Power meant evolution. And evolution meant a chance at revenge.
"Just for that?" he asked, his voice now laced with a cautious, but almost desperate hope.
"Yeah, I mean, I've named all the goblins in the village," Rimuru said, still trying to sound casual. "It just makes things easier, you know?"
The red ogre's eyes widened. He had noticed that the goblins in this village seemed stronger, more developed than the weak, cowardly creatures he remembered from the forest.
But for this slime to have named all of them… the sheer power required for such a feat was almost unthinkable.
But then he remembered Reinhard. He had seen what the human was capable of.
And if Reinhard, a being of such immense and undeniable strength, was friends with this slime, then it was a safe bet that this was no ordinary slime.
If this slime was even a fraction as powerful as Reinhard, this offer could change everything for him and his clan. It could also be their path to get their revenge.
Not wanting to completely dismiss the offer, but still needing to consult his people, he said, "Is it… alright if I discuss it with the others before I accept?"
Rimuru sometimes forgot that naming monsters was a huge, life-altering deal in this world.
He had just said it casually, like handing out candy to kids, without even knowing if he had enough magicules to name all of them.
But now, he couldn't take it back.
That would make him look like a fool, and it would be a deep and unforgivable insult to the ogre leader in front of him.
"Yeah," he said, trying to sound confident and unbothered. "You can do that. No problem."
Then, to seal the deal and add a bit of formal, leader-like flair to the situation, he transformed from his wobbly slime form back into his human one, surprising the ogre chieftain once again. He held out his hand.
The red-haired ogre, still processing the sudden and bizarre transformation, took the offered hand and shook it. Amidst his surprise, a deal had been made.
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A/N: huh sigh… everyone i have been thinking of this for the quite some time of days. As this not only give him a subordinate or more like a friend but also a adventurer partner and not be alone.
I wanted to do this. But at the same time not.
So i thought of why not ask everyone.
Though just so you know i can change it at the last second if i didnt like it for the story. But alas i wanted to know everyone thoughts.
And for explaination. I could give reinhard a blessing that gather magicules for a specific purpose not magic or anything but naming.
As you know naming a monster requires magicules not magic. So reinhard can gather magicules at single point and can use it for naming.
And now many would say isn't this like he can just name infinite mumber of monster that way without any consequences… well its reinhard so thats the idea.
Q: Should Reinhard give names to monsters?!
: yes
: no
: yes but with a reasonable explaination and all.
Next two chapters are already on my discord.
Melatonin, spawn and many more on my discord … thanks for beta reading this fic and not to mention suggestions too.
Hoped you all liked the chapter and all.
And if you want to read ahead you can do it by just joining my discord server.
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