(Attendance… plz…)
….
The confusion on the faces of everyone in the room was quite visible, even if they tried their best to hide it. King Gazel could see it plainly, and he wasn't surprised. Had he been in their place, hearing such absurd news, he would have reacted the exact same way.
"Settle down," King Gazel commanded, his voice a deep rumble that cut through the rising murmurs.
The room immediately fell silent. It wasn't every day that his trusted advisors and commanders were this unsettled, and it wasn't every day he had to remind them to keep their composure.
"I am merely stating what is written in the report provided by our covert team," King Gazel continued, his gaze sweeping over the gathered knights and mages.
"The war is over. The ones responsible are several high-level magic-born… and the one who defeated the entity known as the Orc Lord is none other than a human. The description states he is a red-haired human male."
The commander of the Pegasus Knights stepped forward, bowing slightly. "I apologize for asking this rather abrupt question, Your Majesty, but… did he defeat the Orc Lord by himself, or with the aid of those high-level magic-born?"
King Gazel nodded slowly. "Yes. The report specifically states he defeated the Orc Lord entirely by himself, without any external help that our spies could detect or see."
A heavy silence followed. The only silver lining in this bizarre situation was that the Orc Lord disaster had been averted. Dwargon was safe. But the implications of how it had been stopped were staggering.
"Not only that," King Gazel added, his tone growing more serious, "those high-level magic-born and that red-haired man have already spotted our spies. But they didn't stop them or intercept them in any way. Likely because they sensed no hostile intention from our side, or simply didn't care enough to act."
This brought another wave of shock. The covert team, acting directly on King Gazel's orders, was composed of elite operatives. Their presence concealment was easily A-rank.
For anyone to even detect them would require incredibly high-level skills. And according to the King, it wasn't just one person who spotted them, but multiple individuals in that village.
An old woman, the kingdom's chief mage, leaned forward on her staff. "What is it that we should do then, Your Majesty?"
"For now, nothing," King Gazel decided. "Drop the state of emergency down to a state of heightened preparedness. We will remain vigilant for any unforeseen threats. We will continue this discussion when we receive more detailed information from our operatives."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the room echoed in unison.
…
XX Days Later:-
Enough time had passed for the covert team to gather more intelligence, giving King Gazel a clearer picture of the situation in the Great Jura Forest.
And the picture painted was by no means reassuring. The only comforting fact remained that this new faction had shown no hostile intent toward Dwargon.
However, even his elite spies couldn't get much more than surface-level information.
The security around the slime's village was absurdly tight.
It was unprecedented to see several high-level magic-born, beings that usually commanded their own territories, willingly serving under someone else, especially a slime, in a village that wasn't even a year old, with no apparent outside alliances. It was highly suspicious, to say the least.
The council chamber was shrouded in silence, everyone waiting for the King to speak.
"It seems our intelligence gathering has hit a wall," King Gazel said, his voice echoing in the quiet room.
"We've received less information than I had hoped for before making a decision. For their security to be this impenetrable, in a new monster village… it is deeply concerning. I must meet this village leader, the slime, myself. And this red-haired human, who we now know is an adventurer named Reinhard van Astrea."
The council understood the King's tone perfectly. He wasn't asking for their opinion; he was stating his intent.
If Gazel wanted advice, he would have presented it as an option. When he announced a decision this openly, arguing was pointless.
Knowing what he intended to do, the Pegasus Knight Commander immediately stepped forward. "Hmm… allow me to accompany you then, Your Majesty."
The leader of the Assassin Knights stepped out of the shadows. "…And I as well. I could hardly allow you to risk your life alone, Your Majesty. Let me join this expedition."
The old mage chuckled, a dry, raspy sound. "Heheheheh. A little outing once in a while could be great for my old bones, I think. Even if it is into the Great Jura Forest."
"If you have already made your decision," the Pegasus Knight Commander added, pressing the issue, "allow the Pegasus Knights to personally guarantee your safety."
King Gazel didn't object to any of their requests. If he thought he could handle this alone, he would have taken a small guard, or refused them entirely.
The fact that he remained silent meant he acknowledged the potential danger of meeting this unknown faction.
"Hmmm… very well," King Gazel agreed. "Let us depart immediately. I must see and test them with my own eyes."
…
Meanwhile, in the Jura Forest:-
In the Great Jura Forest, things were proceeding remarkably well. Reinhard, now the official leader of the Jura Forest Alliance, had quickly earned the respect, and in some cases, the healthy fear, of the various races.
The massive logistical problem of the orcs was mostly resolved. Rimuru had taken on the monumental task of naming them, evolving them into High Orcs, which not only made them stronger but also much more capable of intelligent labor.
They were then distributed across different territories to help with infrastructure and farming, turning a starving army into a vital workforce.
Reinhard hadn't stopped moving since the battle ended.
He couldn't say he was tired or burned out; his unique body seemed incapable of feeling fatigue, even after days without sleep.
For him, managing the immediate aftermath, especially ensuring the safety of the orc children, was top priority.
Rimuru's village had expanded by a massive margin. Calling it a town or even a small city wasn't an exaggeration anymore.
The population of Orcs, Kijin, and Goblins had swelled into the tens of thousands.
As promised, Rimuru provided the technical knowledge for building and farming.
With their newly evolved strength, the orcs and goblins worked tirelessly, transforming the clearing into a bustling hub of activity.
Many of the surrounding villages and tribes were thrilled with the High Orcs' labor, even requesting more workers.
However, Reinhard had implemented strict rules: the orcs could not be overworked or mistreated.
Any party found exploiting them would face severe punishment from the Alliance.
Currently, Reinhard was taking a rare moment of downtime. He and Benimaru, both dressed in casual clothes, were sitting near the edge of the training grounds, watching the children play.
After days of non-stop work and organization, watching the kids just be kids was its own kind of relaxation. It was a reminder of what they were building all this for.
Nearby, Hakurou was putting a mixed group of Kijin, Goblins, and High Orcs through a grueling combat training session. Reinhard knew he was scheduled to help Shion and Shuna in the kitchens later.
Being the Sword Saint apparently meant he was versatile enough to be a master chef, too.
"I never thought it would ever be like this, Reinhard," Benimaru said, his voice quiet, his eyes watching a group of young ogres and goblins chasing each other.
Reinhard knew exactly what he meant. When your village is burned to the ground and your family slaughtered, days like this seem impossible.
Benimaru was seeing his sister, Shuna, smile every day. He was seeing his remaining clan members and friends finding purpose and peace.
He had never thought he'd see them this happy again. And he knew exactly who to thank for it.
"What is so unbelievable about it, Benimaru?" Reinhard asked, giving him a sideways glance. "I think you're finally being honest with yourself. You look a lot happier now."
Just as they were relaxing, Shuna appeared. She was carrying a tray with tall glasses of a cold, sweet drink, one of the many new things Rimuru had introduced to the town, along with modern-style stone houses that had quickly replaced the old mud and stick huts.
"Reinhard… Brother," Shuna said, setting the tray down between them. "Here, something to drink. You two have been working very hard."
Benimaru laughed, taking a glass. "Is that so? I didn't think you were even paying attention to me lately, you've been so busy with the weavers."
Shuna then passed the tray to Reinhard's side, feigning annoyance. "What is that supposed to mean?!"
"I think he's just teasing you, like always, Shuna," Reinhard said, taking his own glass with a grateful smile. "Thanks for the drinks, though. This is perfect."
"Oh, it is nothing," Shuna said, her annoyance melting into a bright smile. "It is the least I could do."
….
A/N: Surprise surprise…
New series gojo x fate/zero & Reinhard x Fate/Strange fake on my discord.
&
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