Julian felt a mix of embarrassment and pride as all the gazes filled with expectation and admiration focused on him.
In his past life, he had been a loner, to the point that even talking to a girl made him nervous. So he didn't know how to react to everyone's anticipation. He could only keep smiling, and strangely, even though they weren't humans, he felt a faint sense of belonging.
Cheers resounded through the air, and some female ogres walked into the center as they began moving their bodies, performing a traditional dance around the large bonfire.
'Don't they feel hot?' Julian thought. 'I feel like I'm about to pass out under the sun, and now we have this large fire burning continuously. I feel like I'm in hell.'
Julian wiped the sweat from his head; there was also a sticky feeling under his clothes. He badly wanted to leave this place, but thinking about it, the ogres might think he was disrespecting them or that they had done something wrong, which might make the situation worse. Since they had put so much effort into this, he decided to grit his teeth and keep sitting.
'These guys sure are built differently,' his lips twitched.
"Here, young master…" a voice sounded behind him.
The old ogre was carrying a wooden cup. Inside was a blue liquid.
"It's called Serenity. It keeps one cool for an entire day. Since you are human, it might be hard for you to stay under the intense heat of the sun, so I took this one out for you."
'How convenient.' Julian didn't hesitate. After thanking the old ogre, he took it and drank the whole cup in a gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh.
"It's good. It tastes like melon. How did you get this?"
"Our source of resources comes from trading with other tribes, and this is one of them, young master."
Julian nodded. Then, as if he had thought of something, he asked, "Do you guys always trust people so easily?"
"What do you mean, young master?" the old ogre asked.
"I just met you guys maybe a few hours ago. Even if I saved your kind from danger, that's not enough reason to make me the lord of your village. If you think about it, it's suspicious. I'm human… what if I betray you?"
The old ogre, who was stroking his beard, paused. Then he let out a faint sigh. He glanced at the other ogres for a moment before gazing into Julian's eyes and speaking in a solemn tone.
"We ogres have been living in this hell for hundreds of years. We survived because we are strong, and we trust no one except ourselves. But over time, even that trust within ourselves has begun to crumble."
He sighed softly.
"Can we keep living in this place for long? In this hell where starvation has become normal, seeing your own kind dying every day while searching for food has become a daily routine. How can we keep living like this? How long do we have to endure? The younger generations are suffering as time passes."
"Because of that intense desire, for the sake of my kind, it led me to awaken a power within me."
The old ogre's eyes began to change. A golden light slowly emerged, one by one, forming something like a star within his pupils. Under that gaze, Julian felt as if he were completely exposed.
"My Unique Skill: Ambition allows me to glimpse the future significance of people in relation to my destiny. This helps me evaluate whether they will become an obstacle, an ally, or a stepping stone toward my path. And when I look at a person, three phenomena can appear…"
The old ogre paused for a moment, unsure whether he should continue speaking. But under Julian's gaze, he took a breath and sighed.
"I will see a faint aura if the person's fate has little connection to mine. Darkness if the person will become an enemy or an obstacle. And a green light if the person will bring benefits and opportunities. But you… The moment I saw you, I was blinded by radiance. It was my first time in life seeing something like that… it reminded me of the sun…"
'Brilliance like a sun?' Julian thought. 'Does that mean I will become something more than someone who simply brings opportunities to them? Is it because of my King of Monsters Authority?'
Julian thought about it for a moment, but he wasn't satisfied with the ogre's answer.
"To build trust between each other, you can't just put responsibility on someone without asking for their permission. It clearly shows that you either don't care about their opinion in the first place… or you never considered it. You never know, I might develop resentment."
The ogres' desperation was clearly evident. Their eyes were dull and desperate enough to send a chill down his spine. But those eyes reminded him of his past life, a desperate person trying to integrate into society, only to fail again and again.
Yet after he sat on the throne, he saw something in their eyes for a brief moment… hope. Even if it was only a little, it brought some life back into those lifeless gazes.
But he was still unhappy that such a huge responsibility had been placed on him without his approval. Even if he had eventually chosen to sit on the throne, it was under pressure. That left a trace of resentment in his heart, though he tried to remain calm.
"Indeed, young master… perhaps it was too hasty. I do not have much time, which is why I was desperate. Please forgive me. If it will ease your resentment, you may take my life… just please do not place that resentment upon my kind."
The ogre's voice trembled slightly.
"We ogres can only survive by hunting for food. But over time, the monsters have grown stronger, so strong that sacrifice has become inevitable just to feed my people for a single day. It pains me to see them like this, day after day."
The old ogre, who had lived his entire life for the sake of protecting his kind, wanted nothing more than to lead his tribe to grasslands… where they could drink from rivers to their fill, sleep on the grass under the sun, and hunt for food without anyone dying. Where they could fill their stomachs until they could barely walk.
It would be a paradise.
But time had taken its toll on him, and the dream remained just that… a dream. Their lives would continue the same way.
But for how long?
For how long were they going to live like this?
He refused to accept that fate. He refused to leave this world without stepping on that green grass, watching children run across the fields chasing butterflies, just as his father once told him. He wanted to try fishing with his old friends, just as his grandfather had described.
But alas… a dream would remain a dream.
Until that moment, his gaze landed on the young man who had caused the miracle. The young man was like the sun. His light could guide others toward their path and bring them great fortune.
But the sun not only illuminates, but those who get too close will also inevitably burn. To walk beside him meant that someone would have to be sacrificed.
But he would accept it, because this was the hope he had been waiting for.
And so the ogre, who had never smiled, smiled for the first time.
"Young Master, please allow this old man to introduce himself. My name is Krogar, the last elder of this tribe."
He bowed deeply.
"If it is not too much to ask… please guide our people. And if one day you grow weary of us and choose to leave, we will not resent you. You have already changed our lives more than we ever dared to hope."
Julian naturally noticed the change in Krogar. He saw a faint hope in his eyes, and for a moment, his mouth opened involuntarily.
"Okay."
Krogar, the old ogre who had guided the tribe for centuries, had finally met the leader who would lead them toward the grasslands he had once dreamed of.