Exiting the caves, everyone was happily eating. The new goblins were easy to tell apart, since they were crying tears of joy from having never eaten anything so good.
I went to a fire where the elders of the three villages were sitting. When I arrived there, the various elders all stood, and the new ones politely greeted me.
"Lord Orion, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Thank you for taking us in and allowing us to join you!" Said one of them happily.
I nodded with my face still uncovered. "It's good that you've all come. I think you will not regret joining me. I have many techniques and magic skills to empower those who perform well and follow orders. This place will also become a haven for our people and their families to grow and develop safely. This is all predicated on our people following the established rules and laws, though. I hope each of you will help me with this endeavor."
I had intended to hype up the elders to get them on board with my plans, but I got a bit too worked up myself. Still, the smiles and nods they shared seemed genuine to me, and they continued to tell me more about themselves and their tribes.
Altogether, 63 goblins joined us, though few of them were hobgoblins—7 in total. Unlike our tribe, the other two were not bandit goblins. Instead, one was a mining village, and the other was a hunting village.
It made things easier since neither of them went out of their ways to fight and abduct women. They usually only took female adventurers who's party attacked them, which I can't inherently blame the for.
As I understand it, the society within the kingdoms of this world are still not that advanced in most aspects. The things that they do the people of the lands they attack are no better than the goblins, but the humans quickly forget that due to their religious indoctrination.
••••••
While we ate, the elders brought a few of their promising warriors over and introduced each of them. Although I scanned each of them with [Appraisal], there was nothing that particularly stood out about them.
I simply nodded my head and spoke a few words of encouragement to them. Even if they weren't special like Mia and Kishin, thorough training and my techniques would turn them into formidable warriors.
In fact, military strength is the least of my concerns. Instead, issues of the state and economy are my current crisis. I am currently well on my way to developing a military state, but recalling the fate of those nations in the past, I would need to find a way to educate and expand our country so that we can produce goods and entertainment.
'With a strong military, loyal subordinates, and a happy populace, I might just be able to build something exciting here. Plus, if I find rulership not to be my thing, I can always train Áine and instill her as the ruler, right?'
『Hey! Take this seriously, will you? You can't just conquer the forest and then leave it to someone else!』
'What? My adorable little sister won't help support her handsome and charming brother?'
『Pfft! Sure, this little sister will come and relieve your kingly burdens each night, how does that sound, big brother?』
'It sounds like I need to hurry up and get you a body so that I can properly discipline my dear sister…"
『Shi-shi-shi, you better keep training then, big bro…』
••••••
After lunch, I had all of the combat personnel gather into groups of four. Altogether we had 21 groups of goblins and hobgoblins. I placed each group of four into parties and explained to them how the party function worked.
At first, there were still many people speaking to one another normally, but soon, they were all silent, merely nodding or shaking their heads.
"This is one of my powers and an essential tool for the growth and security of our home. Every day, you will gather in groups of four after training, and I will place you in parties like this.
Some of your parties will be assigned to hunting, some of them will be assigned to patrolling our territory, and sometimes, a party will be assigned a specific mission or job.
In the future, these tasks will earn you points that will be used to exchange for rewards. These include techniques, spells, and items. Although I'm not fully ready to implement this system yet, I have already shared the basic level of techniques this morning before training. I expect all of you to practice and become proficient in these techniques, understand?"
"""Understood!""" They shouted in unison. This was something Hakuro beat into them, and I was grateful for it.
I nodded then began assigning each group to a task. Half went to hunt while the others patrolled our territory to keep an eye out for monsters and enemies. Everyone was also ordered to immediately contact me should they notice anything suspicious or if they sighted an enemy such as the orcs.
Outside of these groups, I also assigned the free Kijin to defend the base for the time being. Shion and Benimaru were the leading defensive powers, while Souei organized the patrols around the village. When I was leaving the caves, I saw Shuna entering with a bowl of food, likely there to meet the new women and help Treyni comfort them.
I sometimes forget because of how strong they are, but the Kijin just lost their entire village recently due to the orc incursion. I'm sure they're all still grieving in their own way. Maybe this will be good for both these women and Shuna.
While everyone had their own assignments, I began building a temporary structure for the human women using the same techniques as previously when I made the massage room. This time, though, the room was a bit bigger to comfortably fit five women for long periods. I considered building small individual tents, but I figure being together would make them feel more comfortable.
It wasn't the five-star treatment, but it should do well to protect their privacy and protect them from the elements. Well enough for a temporary shelter anyways.
After I finished, I messaged Treyni and asked her to bring the ladies if they weren't busy.
When they arrived, I showed them to their accommodations. I would have liked to add them all to a party of their own, but without them being my followers, I would be unable to do so.
I told them that if they go anywhere, they should not do so alone. "Travel in groups of two or more, and if anything happens, immediately come to Treyni, myself, or one of my captains, So far there are only Mia, Kishin, Jesus, and Benimaru, but you can also go to teacher Hakuro."
They all nodded thoughtfully while settling into their tent. They didn't have any belongings, so it was just them choosing a place to lie down for themselves. They had all just finished eating and were already relaxing.
The two tailors also asked for a couple of large pelts to make sleeping bags for the girls. They offered to begin making some clothes or similar sleeping bags and blankets for the others in exchange.
It sounded like a good deal, so I pulled out some undigested pelts from the monsters I had slain. I gave her the hides from the direwolves we defeated. There were enough for her to produce such comforts for each of her companions, my captains, and myself.
I had also given them the alpha direwolf pelt along with some from the other monsters I had slain, such as the armorsaurus and the tempest serpents from Veldora's cave. I asked her to try and plan out some adventure garbs for myself. As much as I enjoyed my current garbs, they stood out way too much, according to the merchant women.
After providing them with the materials along with some needles and my special thread, both of the Timiano sisters immediately began working. To the side, Spinel was still experimenting with the potion I gave her while Emily helped her appraise it. They all seemed lost in their own worlds.
At least almost all of them were. Redhe—I mean, Rubellia was filled with energy and hopped next to me. "Orion, can we start the training early so that I'm not too far behind the others?" She asked enthusiastically.
Habitually, I pet her head like I would my parent's cats or the girls in my inner world, or anything cute, I guess… Surprisingly, though, she didn't startle or move away and simply accepted it.
I could hear the other women giggling. Alma, who stopped first looked to Treyni, "You were right, Lord Orion really does have the habit of petting cute things!"
"H-hey, I-I'm not cute, I'm an adult too, okay?" Rubellia said blushing, and taking a step back.
"Hmm, I can't give you the techniques I've taught my troops… but if you can learn something while we train together and spar, it can't be helped, right?"
"Oh?…" she seemed depressed at first, but then thinking about it, 'Isn't that how things have always been? That's how uncle trained me to become a warrior, working hard and learning bit by bit. Is there even any other way to train?' She was curious about how Orion was training his forces, but if he was willing to teach her personally, she couldn't ask for anything more.
"Thank you, Orion! I'll do my best!"
Watching her work through what I told her before bursting out like a blooming flower made me smile beneath the mask.
Ever since coming to this world, I've been feeling a bit more placid. I admit that I get a bit over-excited from the beautiful women surrounding me and my sword-spirit daughter's adorableness. Still, a lot of the tension and frustration from my previous world has disappeared.
Now, I could just relax and slowly build an empire of mixed-race beauties. Will we be this world's great mixing pot? That would be interesting…
While the other girls relaxed with Treyni inside their new lodgings, Rubellia and I moved over to the training field.
The first thing we did was stretching and a warm-up. Despite being a farmer/warrior, Rubellia was surprisingly limber and didn't have any issues. Next up, I had her run around the village several times to test her endurance and willpower. Even if I had Saul to scan her parameters, it's difficult to parse that into usable knowledge with my current experience.
That was why I made Rubellia into one of my guinea pigs. In exchange, I seriously taught her my knowledge of hand-to-hand combat step by step. We went through various basic movements in which she mirrored me and topped everything off with a light spar to see what she learned and how she could apply it to what she already knew.
I noticed that halfway through the spar, Hakurou stepped out and began watching us, occasionally commenting on the both of us.
"Hmm. This human girl has potential, Lord Orion. Would you allow me to train her in the evenings when the others are away? I think she wouldn't do well in the morning sessions…"
Startled, Rubellia moved behind my back, looking around me to see who was speaking. I smiled wryly and nodded towards Hakurou. "It would do her some good to have a proper teacher. I would appreciate it if when I'm unavailable, you could look after her."
I paused and turned to the side before pushing the redhead forward. "Go and introduce yourself. This man is a master swordsman, the head instructor for my forces, and someone you can trust."
She meekly nodded and stepped forward before bowing, "My name is Rubellia Walline. Please take care of me, sir Hakurou!"
Hakurou laughed and nodded, "Hohohohoh! Our lord praises me too much. I'm sure you would be able to make a fine warrior out of her. That said, if you wish for me to teach you, you must prepare yourself. I won't accept any half-hearted students, understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Mmm, I can see the desire for strength in your eyes. I'm curious though, why haven't you given this girl the manual, my lord? Is she not to be one of your wives?"
"W-w-wives?" Rubellia stuttered confusedly while her fair cheeks came to match the color of her hair.
"No, she and the others are simply my guests," I explained while smiling wryly and shaking my head.
"I see, then these women will be returning to where they've come from eventually. Is it okay to teach her then?" He asked, mildly concerned.
I nodded. "This much is fine, Hakurou. Just teach her about Hakuda and Zanjutsu for now. I will be working on movement techniques with her in the future, but I won't teach the final component to her."
"I see…Alright then, rest for today, Miss Rubellia. Your training will begin tomorrow."
"Yes, instructor!" She replied happily.
"Well, the other goblins will be returning soon. How about I walk you back to your quarters?" I asked.
Although she was still curious about the final component, Kido, she just nodded and walked back beside me. Along the way, she told me more about her family and her life as a farmer. We shared a few laughs before I dropped her off and left with Treyni.
"How are they doing?" I asked.
"Hmm. They all saw a lot of friends die when they were captured, and this is the first chance they've had to grieve. I think it is going to take some time for them to get used to things here, but the fact that you already killed the ones who harmed them should help them a bit."
"That's good," I nodded. "Hopefully, things like this won't need to happen anymore once I gain control of more of the demi-human tribes…"
"You know, monster-like demi-humans are not the only ones who do such things. Humans are also known for abducting and enslaving various races. Elves in this forest have it particularly rough due to their natural beauty." Treyni explained. "I know you were once human, but I don't want you to misunderstand things and think that we are the sole cause of these issues."
I smiled and held Treyni's hand. "Of course. I am well aware of how cruel humans can be too. I will not play favorites among our people. Everyone will be given the same opportunities to develop and benefit themselves, regardless of their race. Anyone that seeks to ruin what we have built here will be our enemies, that too, regardless of their race."
She nodded, happy that I understood, and hugged my arm as we watched over the returning parties. I directed them to store their bounties directly in the storage room.
I think I will have the elders manage that in the future to keep things organized.
While I was directing everyone, Treyni, Felicia, and Alma returned to the kitchens to start dinner with the other goblinas.
All in all, it was a productive day, and I was able to check off one of the things I had been concerned about from my to-do list. I'm glad nothing happened to the human women as well as the fact that they brought useful skills to our home for the time being.
Tomorrow I will introduce Emily to Kurobe to start working on making some proper weapons for my captains. I don't think Lilith would take it well if I used a weapon other than her, though. She always gives off extremely discontent vibes whenever I use the wooden training swords and whenever Áine and I spar, she always joins in now too.
She is somehow even adorable when she's pouting. We wrapped up the day with another delicious meal. This time I sat with Benimaru, Souei, Kishin, and Jesus. While the ogresses joined Treyni and Mia to dine with the human girls.
We all had enjoyed the meal, and the only thing we were missing was some good drinks. I was never a heavy drinker, occasionally drinking whiskey with my roommates in college, but I personally preferred more flavorful drinks like Sangria and flavored Sake.
Perhaps Spinel and I can work on something together…
That night, everyone settled into their own accommodations. There were even some of the goblins and hobgoblins going off with a partner for some tomfoolery.
It made me eager for my own fun, but then I recalled that I had an important conversation scheduled with Treyni.
I wouldn't rain on their fun just because I wasn't getting any, though. I only hope they use moderation. Else Hakurou will likely make them quite miserable tomorrow.
Treyni and I bid goodnight to others, and then retreated to our platform in the tree. It would have been better to build something similar for the human girls, but this was a bit of a test. Not for the girls, they were my unfortunate bait, but a test for the new goblins that have joined us. I would eliminate any insubordination right away.
I heard several discontent voices when I allowed the Kijin to annihilate the parent generations party, so this will be one of many things I will do to keep an eye on them.
'Come to think of it, I will also need to have some parties keep watch during the night. I'll have Souei organize it tomorrow…'
I had carried Treyni up to the top of the tree, and then we had both settled on the edge of the platform.
She nuzzled up to my side and laced her fingers with mine while resting her head on my shoulder. "So, who are these women that you are so close to, Orion?"
There wasn't any ferocity or bitterness in her words, but rather pure curiosity to learn more about me. It made me feel silly for being nervous the closer we got to this moment. Perhaps she had sensed that, and this is why she took this approach?
Either way, I had intended to share all of this with her all along, not that it made this any easier to explain.
"Hmm. Well, to begin with, you should be familiar with the fact that I came from another world, right?"
"Mmm, but I thought you said you only left behind your parents and your younger brother?" She asked, slightly confused about why I was bringing this up.
"Mmm, that is true, or at least I thought it was when we had previously talked about it. When I was reborn here, someone else came with me, bound to my soul. It turns out that that is part of why I was sent here, to bring her with me and give her a new start.
Her name is Áine, and she is a girl with a troubled past. Her history is complex and not something appropriate for me to share, but after being reborn here, she became something of a… younger sister to me."
"Wait, wait, wait, by younger sister, you mean like the way you think of Mia or the way I treat my sister?" Treyni quickly questioned.
"Err, like Mia, only we are much, much closer and more intimate."
"But… how? Based on what you have told me, she is effectively a spirit without a body. How do you two even interact? More importantly, how far have you gone!?"
"Um, let's stay calm, okay, Treyni? First off, we only officially met after I evolved. It was then that I gained access to my inner world or what you might call my spiritual world. Because we are connected through our souls, our spirits both occupy the same inner world.
I didn't meet her the first time I entered, though. It wasn't until I tried connecting with the second spirit tied to my soul that I met her. That was what was happening when we initially met the Kijin."
"Wait, there's a second spirit connected to your soul?" She asked with even wider eyes. If I kept springing surprises on her in a rapid-fire manner like this, her eyes might just pop out.
"Mmm, my sword here is quite special and is related to my evolution its something I've had since I exited the cave but was unable to access until I evolved. Normally, the sword binds with your soul and produces a unique sword spirit birthed from your own soul, but for some reason, there was another girl that came to this world with me, and she became my sword spirit instead. Furthermore, despite her adorable appearance, she has the aura of a powerful dragon that surpasses Veldora when I met him!"
"Th-that's… how is that even possible?" Treyni cried. "Th-then what is your relationship with this girl?" She asked concernedly.
"Ah! This one is great, she's become my daughter, and her name is Lilith. She has a bit of a voracious appetite, but she is incredibly cute. I know you would love her if you could meet her!"
Treyni released a sigh, "Well, at least you wouldn't lay your hands on your own daughter, right?"
"Hahaha, of course not. Lilith is much too young for that type of thing. There's no way I could do such a thing with her current maturity. Lilith needs to grow and develop into a wonderful young woman, and then she's free to fall in love with whomever she chooses as long as he passes my tests!" I said with a vicious smile.
"You know, I'm kind of concerned for our children's futures, now..." Treyni muttered.
"Hmm? You want to have children?" I asked, genuinely surprised. Treyni and I were high-ranked races, and the danger of having a child was not insubstantial. While I can regenerate myself, she doesn't have that ability.
"You don't want to?" She asked with a pained expression.
"Of course I do. I would like nothing more than to make lots of little babies with you, but it would be difficult, not to mention risky for you!" I shared my concerns with her.
She smiled and moved into my lap. I was rewarded with a long intimate kiss for my answer as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I tightly pulled her waist toward as she sat facing me.
When she separated a bit for air, she smiled happily, "I may not be able to give you lots of babies, but I can, without a doubt, give you one, don't you think." She then looked at me, worriedly. "But what about you? How are you supposed to produce lots of offspring, wouldn't that deplete your magical energy too?"
"You don't need to worry about that. I have unique abilities that allow me to absorb the parameters of those I kill and those I absorb. I can always replenish my strength, but it's not the same for others." I explained.
She looked at me strangely for a moment before asking, "Doesn't that make you way too powerful?"
"It has some limitations. I, of course, can't exceed the maximum parameters of my evolution. I'm unable to increase them past five-thousand. The EX-Rank. On top of that, I still follow the same rules for evolution, which means I have to fight against many extraordinarily strong opponents even to have a chance to continue evolving."
She looked at me dumbfounded before complaining, "That's cheating way too much, hubby! I want a cheat ability like that too!"
I laughed and lifted my adorable dryad waifu into the center of the platform. Pinned beneath me, our clothes had dematerialized, and Treyni's ethereal form glowed beneath the moonlight. I was enthralled by her beauty and the loving expression on her face as she pulled me down into another kiss.
"Considering how difficult it is to birth a child for high-ranking races, we should—"
My sentence was interrupted by a detection from my [Mental Map] showed a small group of goblins and hobgoblins moving towards the humans' lodgings.
"Hold that thought, Treyni. It seems some troublemakers are stirring." I explained as I materialized my clothes and activated [Thermal Vision] as I peered into the village.
Treyni seemed confused for a moment before receiving a message from the nearby flora she tasked to watch over them.
She scowled, "You better make an example of those bastards and make them regret ever disobeying you, Orion. Even if you wish to build a civilized society here, the current no.1 rule is still, 'Might makes right!'"
I nodded and immediately flash stepped towards the girl's tent. I arrived silently and watched as they entered the tent. I wouldn't allow them to even lay a finger on them, but I would need indisputable evidence to avoid anything troublesome like them trying to blame it on a misunderstanding.
I watched the monsters draw closer and closer until finally, they stood right outside the tent. In the lead was a hobgoblin I recall being particularly distasteful when I declared my protection over these women.
There were eleven altogether, presumably two for each girl and one to keep watch. All but one burst into the tent, immediately startling the girls.
As soon as they started moving, though, I activated my sticky thread trap, tripping the rushing monsters. They all fell, one on top of the other, causing a large raucous and stirred the humans awake. Simultaneously, I beheaded the goblin left to keep a watch out before using the sticky thread to pull the intruders out of the tent.
Although the girls initially hollered, now it was the goblin and hobgoblin men screaming and hollering as I dragged them out of the tents. All of that woke up the camp and caught the attention of many others who watched as I wrapped them in a combination of my Sticky Thread and Steel Thread to guarantee they were painfully restrained.
Each of them were carefully wrapped in razor-sharp wires that would cut into their flesh as they were dragged to their destination.
The first to approach was Treyni, who already knew what was happening. I sent her into comfort and calm the sobbing women. I felt bad for using them like this, and I intended to make such a spectacle that no one would ever do such a thing again.
Next up to arrive were the Kijin, who stepped forward, looking at the captured monsters in disgust. It wasn't that the ogre tribe didn't do similar things to their captured enemies, but not only were these humans my guests, I, their leader, explicitly declared that they were under my protection.
As a warrior race, insubordination was an act punishable by immediate execution, and that was exactly what Benimaru intended to do. Fortunately, I stopped him before he ruined my plans. "Drag these fools through the camp the long way and take them to the training grounds. On your way, wake them all and tell them to gather. I want everyone to understand how I treat those who disobey me and attack those under my care." Saying that, I handed the threads to Benimaru before approaching the tent.
"This is Orion, may I come in?" I asked, but before I finished, Rubellia burst out and hugged me while crying. I gently rubbed her back to comfort her, but she wound up crying even more. Perhaps this is the grief she had been bottling up ever since the incident.
Soon everyone was gathering on the training field, and Rubellia calmed down a bit, but she still wouldn't let go of my Shihakusho. Her trembling hands firmly clenched my garments, and though I didn't particularly want her to see what was going to happen next, I couldn't bring myself to push her away.
I turned, intending to have Treyni stay with the other four and watch over them, but sensing my intentions, she shook her head. "Let us all see this through to the end." Was all she said while comforting the other girls.
In one large group with all the women following behind me, we moved towards the training field where the captured were already placed in the center for all to see. I used my Mental Map to make sure everyone was here, and after confirming it, I gently managed to pry off Rubellia's grasp.
She looked like an abandoned puppy, but I quickly patted her head and smiled. "Don't worry. I won't let something like this ever happen again. I won't let anyone harm you, alright?"
She stared at me intensely for a moment before nodding and letting go. She stepped back to stand with her companions while I turned to face the ones who tried to attack my guests.
As I approached within a few steps, I turned to face the audience and began explaining what these men had done, and why we were all here tonight. "I've said it before, but apparently some of you thought it was a joke. Insubordination is wholly unacceptable. Worse, these men tried to assault my guests that I specifically promised my protection. As a result, these men will be executed. Before that, though, I believe these men deserve a lesson that is engraved so deeply in them that they never make the same mistakes in their next lives. Benimaru, Hold out their hands, please."
Saying that, I withdrew my sword, and the ogre prince willingly held out the first perpetrator's hands. Rather than cutting off his hands straight away, I cut off his fingers, digit by digit, one hand at a time. To stop him from biting his tongue off, I stuffed his mouth with a ball of thread.
In the end, I cut off his manhood and beheaded him, sending a shiver through all the watching.
This continued for each of the men, taking a few hours before I finally was left with only the ring leader. He had soiled himself, and his eyes begged for mercy, but there was none to be had.
His torture lasted for hours and was perpetuated with the use of diluted potions I had Saul produce. For this guy, I used Ling Chi, death by a thousand cuts. I made sure too by having Saul keep track. It was perhaps not fair, but I appreciated Saul's assistance.
For the 1000th cut, I pierced my sword threw his gut and disemboweled him. After he finally died, I used Celestial Devourer to absorb each of the corpses.
With everyone gaining a new understanding of the rules, I dismissed them and allowed them to sleep in, since the early lights of the morning were raining down on us.
Now that the others had left, my hands began shaking a little. Hakurou, who was nearby, pat my shoulder before leaving to meditate.
Figuring it was a good idea, I used water manipulation to wash away the remnants of the torture and then evaporated the liquids away. Afterward, I sat and began my own meditation. While inside my inner world, I dived into the embrace of my girls and spent an entire day in bed, aside from mealtimes.
There was lots of cuddling as I snuggled my way between Áine and Lilith. Both were surprisingly understanding and gave me lots of hugs and kisses, showing me their fun and playful love and affection.