Chapter032:
Outline:
- ~~Training and divisions.~~
- ~~Building a settlement~~
The next morning, I woke feeling the weight of the women pressing down on me. It was a phenomenal display, seeing each girl hugging the next with Spinel and Rubellia, both warmly embracing myself in the center of them all.
Still, all things gold must go. I used mimicry to shapeshift into my previous slime form and then wiggled my way out from beneath the blankets.
The subtle warmth of their bodies combined with the comfort of the blankets made for a difficult to resist temptation, but I had plans for today and couldn't just stay in bed.
First off, I wobbled out of the tent and returned to my human form. It was a bit inconvenient to bring my sword around in the spherical form, and Lilith didn't like leaving my side, so I couldn't devour her and store her away for later.
As usual, I had gotten up before most of the others, and looking around, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
I moved to a secluded spot away from the village to do my meditation since today, the sparring and practice of techniques would continue in my inner world.
Before beginning, I made sure to have Saul keep a watch on my surroundings before using [Hastened Thoughts] and entering my inner world.
After we had breakfast, homemade chocolate-chip waffles, all three of us went outside to resume our training. We practiced swordsmanship, hand to hand combat, and at the end, we played a game of tag, mixing practice for our movement techniques and our Kido spells to make things more interesting.
Afterward, the girls and I all sat down while enjoying some snacks and watching the tv. I was in the process of watching introducing Lilith to one of the greats, Dragon Ball Z, something we started watching during my miniature therapy session with the girls.
For her part, Lilith wasn't too interested in it until she saw the wish-granting dragon, Shenron. Áine enjoyed the intense action sequences and childish humor, too, so she preferred it to Liliths other favorite TV show Oppai Dragon.
I kissed my girls goodbye before leaving for the day—Lilith on the forehead, and Áine on the cheek.
"Bye-bye, Papa!" Lilith said, giving me one last hug.
"I'll see you both tomorrow. Be good for Áine, alright?" I told her, patting her head.
"Mmm. Lilith is a good girl." She nodded.
With my farewells out of the way, I disappeared from my inner world and opened my eyes to the real world.
When I left the village, I was alone, and I moved about a kilometer away, settling myself on a high up branch. When I awoke, Shion was sitting on the branch before me, casually kicking her legs back and forth while humming a song.
She quickly turned to look to me as I moved before smiling. "Orion, as your guard, you should really let me know when you're going to leave the village. If I hadn't felt your aura, it would have been really difficult to sniff you out!" She complained.
I wanted to ask her if she was part dog or something, but instead, I smiled and greeted her. "Good morning, Shion. You look beautiful as always."
She was stunned slightly, and using that moment, I hopped down from the branch and started walking back to the village.
Shion was startled by my disappearance and immediately dashed to my side. "Geez! There you go leaving me behind again, Orion!" Saying that she tried linked arms with me to make sure that I don't escape again.
I chuckled slightly and slipped past her grasp before using flash step to travel a distance away. Only my voice remained when Shion understood what happened. "You will have to train even harder if you want to be able to walk by my side, Shion. Good luck! I'll be waiting for you…"
Once again, Shion was stunned, but instead of getting upset, she became even more fired up began practicing the movement techniques she learned from the manuals. She tripped, fell, and face-planted dozens of times before she returned to camp a bit tattered.
Luckily, as an ogre, her self-regeneration skills were more than enough to help her body recover. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for her clothes, so she immediately went to visit Shuna and the human sisters in the kitchen when she returned.
•••
Arriving well before Shion, I returned to see multiple goblins and hobgoblins awakening. Of particular interest, I saw the two remaining hobgoblins from the parent generation.
The hobgoblin mage was reading a book on magic next to the fire outside their tent while the purple-haired hobgoblin was enthusiastically talking with Mia, Kishin, and Eve.
I walked over to sit with them, but as soon as I arrived, the atmosphere became tense for a moment. The hobgoblin mage had stiffened when I sat next to her, and her cheerful companion flinched when I looked at her.
I smiled wryly and looked towards Mia, "Am I really that scary?" I asked.
Mia looked at the others for a moment before shaking her head, "No, I don't think so?" She spoke almost as if it were a question.
Unfortunately, both Kishin and Eve simultaneously nodded beforehand, cleary agreeing that I was scary, not that they thought Mia was right.
I looked between them and the scared-stiff hobgoblins, then laughed heartily. "There's no need to worry, you guys. Personally, I hope never to have to do something like that ever again.
Those guys had disobeyed my direct order for their own selfish desires during a critical time when people still doubted me. They became an example to establish order while building the foundation for my authority. I would rather not have a repeat of that…"
The camp remained silent for a moment, recalling that night again, but Kishin, who had never thought much about it anyways, quickly broke the tension. "So, what do you have planned next, Orion?"
Hearing him, Eve pinched his thigh, but the oaf couldn't understand why and just stared at her quizzically. I laughed once again and simply said, "Its moving day."
They all looked at me quizzically, but I didn't explain any more for now and told them that I would be revealing more once everyone gathered. We continued talking about various things for around a half-hour before everyone gathered on the field. I also had Treyni bring everyone from the kitchens for an announcement.
In front of all the monsters here, it felt slightly nerve-wracking until I recalled that I, too, am a monster. Therefore, I firmly stood my ground and began my announcement.
"Today is a big day. Today, we will be moving to our permanent base of operations, and we will be joined by another village that has submitted to me, effectively doubling our population."
Hearing me, many concerned murmurs broke out, so I held up my hands to silence them. Shion standing just beside me, glared and released her aura until the whispering was completely suppressed. I smiled and patted her shoulder, so that she would release it, then continued talking.
"I know that some of you have your concerns, but they lack the techniques I have given you, the strength you have earned, and the training of an excellent teacher," I said, causing several of them to shiver and envy the newcomers.
Currently, even non-combatant type goblins were being trained. The people who prepared the food were also training while the other goblins were hunting and patrolling.
Altogether, there was roughly a third of my forces that were lacking combat capabilities that were still suffering under Hakurou's training since I haven't arranged proper jobs for them. That would soon end, though.
"The new location of our base is about an hour's trek from here. There we will begin building permanent housing, defenses, and workspaces for non-combatants. This will create many non-combat jobs for those who lack combat capabilities or prefer working a trade other than military service.
Something to note, a school will be built, and all newborn monsters will be required to attend for a basic education to learn the rules and laws of our domain as well as the continental language, writing system, and basic mathematics. For those of you who wish to achieve higher positions within my forces, you will need to have an adequate understanding of these essential subjects, but so long as you are earnestly willing to learn, the cost will be free."
Murmurs once again broke out, and I stopped Shion from suppressing them again so that they had a moment to process this information.
After the murmurs broke down, I announced one more significant piece of news. "The final piece of news is the most important, so listen carefully. One week from now, the formal installation of our military defenses will begin, and I will be starting a currency-based economy.
For now, the chief good/service everyone will be paying for will be related to food and its ingredients.
The chefs will pay for the ingredients that they use to cook, and the consumers, you guys, will pay the chefs for the food you eat. No one is exempt from this rule, even me. Those that try to bully others with their strength to get out of paying will be arrested and punished accordingly.
We will be using the standard continental currency produced by the dwarves, Valis. You may have seen or used it when trading with the Kobold merchants or if you have visited Dwargon, the nation of dwarves, but I'll give a brief rundown for the rest of you.
100–Bronze Valis equals 1–Silver Valis, while 100–Silver Valis equals 1–Gold Valis, and beyond that, 100–Gold Valis equals 1–Black Gold Valis, and 100–Black Gold Valis equals 1–Platinum Valis.
At the implementation of these new systems, each person will be given an amount of money equal to approximately 1–month of their living expenses. Beware, though, I will only do this once. It is only to help you get adjusted to these new systems. Use your wealth wisely and work hard.
There will be many well-paying jobs available from military service, to various non-combatant positions. If you save up enough money, you could also use your experience to open your own business selling food, weapons, materials, or services, but in order to do so, you will need government permission."
This time, the crowd didn't limit themselves to murmurs. Many were all shouting, asking questions and voicing concerns.
I had dropped a lot of bombshells, so it was quite understandable, but for time and organization, I limited them to three-questions and made them go one-by-one. Other questions would be addressed during dinner at our new residence.
The first question was about whether or not they would need to pay for their homes too.
"Yes and no. A sizeable multi-room dorm will be provided for a small weekly charge. Each room will have two bunk beds, meaning four people, but the rooms will be gender separated.
If you would like to have your own home built, they will be available in various configurations, but you will have to save your funds and purchase it yourself."
This excited many of them who were used to sleeping on the floors of the caves or out in tents, but quickly the next question emerged.
"You mentioned building a school to educate everyone and especially newborn monsters. What will they do for food or work?"
A vein throbbed on my head for a moment. I had forgotten that monster children are largely left to their own devices, and due to the nature of their births, they usually had no knowledge of their parents, much less any connection to them. It was more of a problem in orc and goblin villages than those of the demi-humans. So I would need to explain this carefully but clearly.
I took a moment to compose my thoughts, then began. "Children will be the responsibility of their parents. We will all look out for one another, but children will live with their parents, and parents will take care of them while they develop. Your children will be your legacy, the future of your family. If you treat them well and raise them properly, then they will be able to help and care for you when you've grown old and are unable to work."
The goblins seemed bemused by the idea, but they weren't entirely against it. Still, another asked, "But what about for those in the military? How will their families be treated?"
"For those in the military, you can send a portion or all of your salary to your family. Also, in the event of death, a solider's family will receive compensation based on their rank and duty, allowing them to live comfortably for at least one year while they work out their financial situation. I certainly won't allow the family of those who have served us to suffer."
Another was preparing to ask a question, but I stopped them. "If you have any other important questions, please save them until we arrive at and secure our new location. For now, I would like for each of you to grab all of your essentials and your tents. Until, the dormitory has finished being built, all of you will still need them. If you don't have tents, you can collect the materials needed when we get there, and I will help you build them."
Saying that, everyone quickly began moving to gather their things. Treyni and the five human girls came to me, and Rubellia asked, "Those are some pretty drastic changes, Orion. What has brought this all on?"
I shook my head, "I'm sorry, ladies, but some things have changed in the forest that necessitate me to prepare my people faster than I thought. I can't give you the specifics, but our trip to the dwarven nation will be delayed, I'm afraid."
The alchemist, Spinel, nodded her head in an understanding fashion. "If that's the case, it can't be helped. With all the wonderful materials available here, I can't say that I'm in a hurry to leave anyways. I've managed to level up four times already just from studying that potion that you gave me!" She said excitedly.
The sisters, Alma and Felicia, along with Emily, the blacksmith, nodded in agreement. "I've never worked with such fantastic materials," said Alma, to which her sister, agreed. "Indeed, working with such high-grade materials has boosted mine and Alma's tailoring Job-Class a few times too."
"Mmm. Orion, if you provide the materials and the pay, I don't mind training some of your smiths and working on some equipment for you." Emily smiled prettily, obviously wanting the same treatment as the others.
"Hmm... That isn't a bad idea. I'd love to hire all of you, but would you be okay with working with my people? Not only the goblins and ogres, but I plan to have all sorts of monster races and demi-humans living here. Trustworthy humans, too, of course."
"""Really???""" they all asked at the same time, their eyes filled with hope and excitement, completely ignoring the fact that they would be working side by side with all sorts of monsters.
I nodded and spoke sincerely, "It would be a big help to gain some more skilled craftsman. I also hope that as merchants, you can help me properly set prices and wages for the goods and services we provide, or when dealing with the kobold merchants."
They had frowned and started pouting when they heard my first statement, so I quickly added the first thing that came to mind, "Of course, it's even better since its a bunch of beautiful women that we would be working with!"
Luckily, that did the trick, and they were all easily appeased, except for Rubellia, who still seemed to be in thought about something. While the others and I were discussing the responsibilities and pay they would each have, the redhead's mood seemed to become increasingly dour.
When we finished, I pulled Rubellia to the side, startling her, and asked what's wrong. "Hey, what has got you down, Ruby?"
"R-Ruby?" she asked questioningly.
"Ah, sorry. I have a bad habit of giving people weird nicknames. Having to name so many people has seemingly exacerbated the issue. I suppose you probably wouldn't want a stranger giving you a weird nickname." I apologized.
"N-No, I like it. Please feel free to do so. You let me call you without any honorifics, so it feels like we're already kind of close, you know? We have even slept together, so we can't really be considered strangers, right?"
I enjoyed watching her smile and glad she didn't mind the nickname. Still, I wanted to make sure that she was alright with all of this. I didn't want her peer pressured into staying if she had other obligations. "Yeah, I guess we aren't strangers anymore, then... So, you want to tell me what has you down then, Ruby?"
Rubellia fiddled with her skirt while looking away. "...It's just, unlike the others, I don't have anything to offer. Although I have some experience being raised as a farmer, I don't know anything about the stuff growing in the forest. As a warrior, I'm no good too. I can barely even keep up with the goblins... Do I not belong here, Orion?"
Rubellia looked at me pensively, biting her lip while waiting for my response. Seeing her earnest desire to stay and be useful, I didn't want to give her a half-hearted answer.
"No, you do not belong here, Rubellia...You are a human woman here in a monster village."
"What? B-but," I placed a finger on her lips to stop her and then wiped the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "You don't belong here, but you can create a place to belong wherever you want as long as there are people that you care about and that care about you. Personally, I would love to have you here, but think carefully before you make a decision you might regret, alright," I said, gently hugging her and patting her back.
Rubellia was returning my hug while sniffling, and seemingly unwilling to let go. Eventually, she looked up, without letting go, "Orion, will you make me stronger? I want to be able to stand next to and protect the people that I care about!" she spoke resolutely.
Her pure and ardent eyes made it difficult to deny her, but my techniques can be known about by others, but only known by my own forces. I shook my head and started explaining myself. "Like I told you before, Ruby, my techniques and spells are only meant for m-ah!"
Before I could finish, she stood on the tips of her toes and roughly kissed me, displaying her inexperience. I stared at her questioningly. Not why she had kissed me, but instead, I pondered whether or not that was her first.
It was only a passing curiosity as it was soon answered by what she said next. She smiled proudly despite her blush as she spoke, "Hmm... not only did I force you to sleep with me, but I also stole a kiss from you. As a virtuous maiden, I will have to take responsibility and take care of you from now on! Please be kind to me, hubby!"
Not only I, but the rest of the bystanders who were caught up in the moment were dumbfounded. 'What do you mean you're a virtuous maiden and that you will take responsibility? Furthermore, when did we get engaged, much less married?'
『You have gained [Affection of the Red-Haired Tomboy]. Rubellia Walline added to the partners list under the [Follower] function.』
'Huh? Saul, what's the meaning of this???'
『System has calculated a 97.4% chance of Rubellia and you becoming a couple. Currently, your status is more than friends, but not yet developed in any particular direction, hence partner.』
『Damn it, bro! Thanks to you, I lost the bet with Lili, and now I owe her my next shake! Couldn't you wait at least an entire week before sweeping a girl off her feet, and making her fall for you?』
'This... I didn't...(sigh). I guess it's better to be liked than not liked. Still, I won't let her get one over on me like this.'
My wry smile disappeared, and my mischievous smirk surfaced. Rubellia, sensing something was wrong, tried to step back, but I held her firmly in place. I leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Be careful, oh virtuous maiden of mine. If you tease me like that, I might just take advantage of you..." She gulped and laughed wryly, but before she could make up an excuse, I continued. "Don't worry, since you have already made your position clear; I will share the complete techniques with you. I will also instruct Hakurou to train you twice as hard so that you don't fall behind. Don't worry, though. I hear that humans grow stronger much more gradually than monsters. Even if its a bit rough on you, I'll make sure you have a space to belong here beside me."
My words felt like a devils whisper to Rubellia as I whispered such a terrifying statement into her ear. I could feel her trembling in my embrace with a slightly twisted smile, somewhere between happiness and being terrified.
It was at this moment that Rubellia reawakened the monster in me that loved teasing cute girls. This was also the day that the world's voice gave her the title, [Wife of the ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮], not that I would learn this till some time later.
Authors note: Should I use [Flash Step] or [Shunpo]? Rather, should I use the English translation or the original Japanese terms?
I had wanted to use Danmachi's Valis as the currency, but after looking at the wild and varying prices they had with little to go on, I kept the familiar name and made up my own system that I will try to not similarly over inflate.