(Attendance… plz…)
….
Hearing Benimaru propose him as the leader of this monster alliance, him, a human, Reinhard probably would have declined under normal circumstances. He wasn't one for politics or grand titles.
But there are some things you simply can't decline.
He had interfered in the business of monsters. He had convinced them to spare the surviving orcs and find a place for them.
If he were to demand all that and then refuse to take any responsibility for the outcome, it would be a terrible display of hypocrisy on his part.
One can't just tell people to save their enemies and then walk away, washing your hands of the consequences. So, even if Reinhard didn't want the position, he couldn't refuse if he was the only candidate they all trusted.
Well, what could be so problematic about being an alliance leader? It was probably just a title in name only. The day-to-day things would proceed as they always did. If someone or something threatened the alliance, he would deal with it, but he would have done that anyway, leader or not.
Still, he didn't know if the others would agree. It was just a suggestion from Benimaru. The other leaders would likely ask for time to think it over, the discussions would expand, and maybe they would choose someone else entirely. After all, he was just one option.
He was incredibly wrong to think that.
The Lizardman Chieftain hadn't said anything at first. He sat there, his reptilian eyes unreadable, looking as if he were contemplating the deepest mysteries of the universe. Then, finally, he raised his hand and spoke.
"I agree to this as well," the Chieftain declared, his voice steady. "Reinhard being the leader. Not only is he immensely strong, but he does not suffer from tunnel vision. He does not seek only to lay blame, but to find reason. Not to mention, he is the one who solved this crisis in our forest when he had no obligation to do so."
It was a very thoughtful, calculated move by the Chieftain. He didn't want to antagonize the Kijins, the Dryad, or anyone else who clearly respected Reinhard.
But he also didn't want to appear weak by simply following the crowd. He knew the truth: if Reinhard hadn't dealt with the Orc Lord, his tribe would have been next.
They could have stalled for time in the marshes, but they absolutely would not have won.
By agreeing enthusiastically, he secured his tribe's safety and earned favor with both Reinhard and the powerful Kijins leader.
"That is a very good suggestion, Benimaru," Treyni said, her smile widening. "And with the Lizardman Chieftain already in favor..." She turned to Rimuru. "What do you say, leader of the expanding goblin village?"
Rimuru shrugged, a casual gesture in his human form. "Yeah, I don't have any problem with it. On the contrary, I think it's good to have someone like Reinhard in charge. He doesn't just see a monster as a monster, he doesn't have any prejudice, and he's crazy strong, too. So yup, no problem from my side. My village will fully cooperate."
Treyni laughed, a light, melodic sound. "Heheheh, it seems it is already decided then. I, as the overseer of the Great Forest of Jura, declare Reinhard as the leader of this alliance moving forward. If anyone has any problem with this decision, they may speak now, or forever hold their peace."
She didn't even wait a full second before continuing. "Then it is settled."
It wasn't like anyone was going to object anyway.
Reinhard let out a small, internal sigh, accepting his new role. "I am very happy for your trust in me," he said, bowing slightly. "I will do my very best."
…
Meanwhile, in the Armed Nation of Dwargon:-
King Gazel Dwargo sat in his private council chamber, the only room where he discussed the most sensitive matters involving his kingdom and the outside world.
They were not gathered here today to talk about trivial things like trade tariffs or minor border disputes.
They were here because of a nightmare scenario: an Orc Lord was marching through the Great Jura Forest, destroying everything in its path.
King Gazel had received this information from the covert spies he had planted in the forest. Their original target hadn't been the orcs, but a unique individual. A slime.
Yes, a slime. Not an Archdemon, not a True Dragon, but a lowly slime. Many in his court had been confused by this order, but Gazel had trusted his instincts.
When the slime had been brought before him in chains during his visit to Dwargon, Gazel had felt an unsettling, inexplicable sensation. A feeling that this creature was far more than it appeared.
He couldn't ignore that feeling for the sake of his kingdom. So, when he dismissed the slime, he ordered his spies to track its every movement in the forest.
Everything had been proceeding quietly until reports arrived that the slime was building a town. And not just living among goblins, but leading them. Having them as underlings.
Then came the report that eclipsed all others: an Orc Lord, leading an estimated army of two hundred thousand, was marching through the forest, leaving a trail of absolute destruction.
One could only guess at the King's surprise. The mere existence of an Orc Lord was considered an A-rank danger, an existential threat to smaller nations. And that was just the Lord himself.
The army he commanded, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, pushed that danger level to an S-rank, a regional calamity.
At first, Gazel had thought it was some kind of sick joke. But he knew his spies wouldn't dare play a prank of this magnitude, knowing the severe consequences.
For a brief, desperate second, he had wished it was just a joke.
It was a matter of such urgency that he had declared a quiet state of emergency within Dwargon.
The orc army wasn't currently routed toward their kingdom, but depending on how the battle in the forest turned out, hostilities could reach their borders before long.
If a six-figure army came knocking on their doors, the very survival of the Armed Nation would be at risk.
By royal decree, he had mobilized the Pegasus Knights.
They were a group of stout, veteran fighters, armed with the finest weapons Dwarven artisans could forge, each mounted upon a winged pegasus.
Working in perfect unison with their mounts in the skies, each knight was easily an A-ranked opponent.
Numbering five hundred in total, they were praised as the strongest corps of knights in Dwargon.
If the absolute worst came to pass, these Pegasus Knights were tasked with buying the kingdom enough time for the general infantry to fully mobilize and prepare for a siege.
It was a last resort, one that pained King Gazel to even consider, but even an Armed Nation required time to gird itself for a war of that scale.
Quickly and quietly, Dwargon had transitioned into a wartime economy, bracing for the coming storm.
The air in the capital was thick with tension as King Gazel awaited further reports from the forest.
When the latest report finally arrived, it contained the following intelligence:
—The war is over, thanks to the intervention of several high-level magic-born.
—Or, to be more specific, with some help from the high-level magic-born. The conflict was ended entirely by a singular person: a red-haired human who single-handedly took down the Orc Lord and forced the remainder of the massive army to surrender.
—The high-level magic-born and the red-haired human are believed to be under or staying at the slime's village for the time being.
—We cannot continue monitoring them without risking exposure. Actually, we believe we have already been exposed, or at least noticed by the red-haired human, but he has taken no action against us.
King Gazel read the report twice, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. He was fixated on that middle point. A single human took down the Orc Lord and forced an army of that size to surrender.
After finishing, he held the sheets of parchment over a nearby candle, letting the flames consume the sensitive information.
His Knight Captain, standing attentively nearby, waited for his king to open his eyes. "What do your spies tell us, Your Majesty?"
King Gazel watched the ashes fall to the stone floor. "...We seem to be out of immediate danger," he stated, his voice heavy with a mix of relief and profound curiosity. "The war has... ended."
"What?!" The gathered council members and knights echoed in unison, their shock breaking the disciplined silence of the room.
"…Wait. I am not fully ready to believe this yet. And more importantly by whom or which army of monsters?!" The knights fell silent, straightening up at the king's words.
….
A/N: I Know i'm late… :) no i'm not smiling…;)
Next chapter will be continued from where i left this off.
New series gojo x fate/zero & Reinhard x Fate/Strange fake on my discord.
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