"Benimaru!"
Benimaru, who had been called, immediately stood up and respectfully replied, "Your subordinate is present!"
"This time, you will lead all members of the Garrison with me! You will be the commander of the Garrison for this operation!"
After careful consideration, Rimuru finally decided to appoint Benimaru as the commander of this operation.
Firstly, Benimaru was the strongest among those present, with the exception of a few individuals, and those stronger than him would not be participating this time.
Secondly, Benimaru and his people harbored a deep grudge against the Orcs for the destruction of their village, and Rimuru had previously promised to help them get revenge.
Thirdly, she had chatted with Zhong Chen about Benimaru during a casual conversation, and Zhong Chen had said that Benimaru was very suitable to be the Grand General of an army.
"This... Lord Rimuru, your subordinate has just arrived; how can I be qualified for such an important position! Please withdraw your command!"
Upon hearing that Rimuru had appointed him as commander, Benimaru immediately refused, filled with trepidation.
It was well-known that the Garrison had always been led by Zhong Chen as the supreme commander, and it included many experts from the Demon Slayer Corps, all of whom were more qualified than him to be commander.
"Haha! Benimaru, since Rimuru has appointed you as commander, just accept it. I believe everyone here shouldn't object, right?"
Zhong Chen looked at the apprehensive Benimaru and spoke directly.
"Of course! We fully obey Lord Rimuru's command! Benimaru, don't decline! Our First Squad completely obeys your orders!"
Rengoku Kyoujurou, sitting beside Giyu Tomioka, spoke with a hearty laugh.
"That's right, just accept the appointment with peace of mind!"
"Big Brother Benimaru, don't worry, our Wolf Riders also completely obey orders!"
Seeing everyone present express their support for him as commander, Benimaru was truly touched. Ever since his village was destroyed, he had never felt like he had a home again.
Now, looking at everyone present, and then at Zhong Chen, who nodded at him, he bowed slightly to everyone, his eyes red, and said, "Thank you all for your trust! I will definitely lead everyone to win this war!"
"Of course! We will definitely win!"
"Hahahaha! It seems the Young Master has finally regained his spirits!"
Hakurou looked at Benimaru, who was thanking everyone, with a look of relief.
"Then it's decided. This time, the entire Garrison will be deployed, plus 1000 temporarily armed individuals, making a total force of 1350. Benimaru will be the overall commander of the force, and Rengoku Kyoujurou will serve as the adjutant."
"As for the specific battle plan, Benimaru will lead the main force to the Lizardmen's territory to intercept the main Orc force, ensuring that the Orcs cannot cross the swamp one step further."
"And I will go directly to find the Orc Lord and eliminate him. Do you all understand your missions?"
"Understood!!!"
Everyone present, except Zhong Chen, stood up and responded loudly.
"Then that's it! Go prepare; we depart tomorrow afternoon!"
"Yes!!!"
As everyone left the meeting room, only Zhong Chen, Sakuya, and Rimuru remained in the spacious room.
"Lord Chen, Lord Rimuru, please have some tea!"
Izayoi Sakuya re-prepared two steaming cups of black tea and placed them in front of the two.
"You've worked hard, Sakuya!"
"It's my duty!"
Reaching out to pick up the teacup in front of her and taking a small sip, Rimuru spoke, "A Chen! Can I really defeat the Orc Lord?"
Zhong Chen looked at Rimuru, who still had a hint of worry, and said to her with a smile, "Don't worry! I believe you can do it! You are the one who will rule the entire Great Jura Forest in the future!"
"Since A Chen believes I can do it, then I don't need to worry! Hmph, just wait for my good news of triumph!"
"Mm, I'll wait!"
After speaking, Zhong Chen got up, intending to leave the meeting room, but suddenly remembered something and said to Rimuru, "Oh, right, make sure to keep the mask Shizue gave you. It will be of great use in the future!"
"Is that so... Don't worry, I've always kept it safe!"
Saying this, she took out the mask from her stomach and showed it to Zhong Chen. Seeing this, Zhong Chen nodded and said, "Mm, then I'm relieved!"
"Sakuya! You should go make dinner now; your dear master is about to starve to death!"
Looking at Zhong Chen, who was putting on a pitiful act, Sakuya's lips curved slightly upward: "Yes! Lord Chen, I'll go prepare lunch right away!"
"Ah!!! A Chen is so cunning; I want Sakuya's lunch too!"
Rimuru, who had been craving Sakuya's cooking ever since she had tasted it, immediately raised her hand and said excitedly upon hearing that Zhong Chen had asked Sakuya to cook.
"Yes! I will prepare a portion for Lord Rimuru as well!"
"Sakuya! You're the best!"
The next day, early morning.
A thousand-strong army lined up in neat formations at the town entrance, everyone looking energetic and vibrant.
All the departing personnel wore the latest armor crafted by Kajin and others, and their weapons were also among the finest.
At the front of the formation were the Ogre-kin led by Benimaru and the Pillar-level swordsmen. After them were the members of the Garrison, followed by the temporarily conscripted former Demon Slayer Corps members and the Great Goblins.
This entire force, in terms of sheer strength, could easily annihilate a small nation.
Seeing the assembled army, Benimaru quickly walked to Rimuru, knelt on one knee, and respectfully reported, "Lord Rimuru! Lord Chen! The troops are assembled and ready to depart at any moment!"
Hearing the report, Rimuru nodded, turned to Zhong Chen, and said, "A Chen! Then we're off!"
"Mm, go! Be careful!"
Sakuya, standing beside Zhong Chen, also bowed slightly to Rimuru and said, "Lord Rimuru! I wish you martial success! I will prepare your favorite pudding and await your return!"
"Pudding ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶! I'll be back as soon as possible!"
After speaking, Rimuru turned back and commanded Benimaru, "Benimaru, let's go!"
"Yes! Lord Rimuru."
...Great Jura Forest, Lizardmen Territory.
"Clang, clang..."
"Boom!"
"Die! You damned Orcs!"
"Kill! Slaughter these Orc scum!"
In the swamp, the Orcs and Lizardmen were engaged in fierce combat, their figures interweaving.
The heavily armed Orcs, as if not knowing what fear was, fought while shouting, "Trample, trample!"
Gabil, standing on a high ground with a trident in hand, looked at the Orcs below and said disdainfully, "Mere Orcs are no match for us Lizardmen. That's enough; withdraw for now!"
As Gabil raised his trident and pointed forward, the Lizardmen fighting the Orcs below began to retreat.
Perhaps due to the butterfly effect, Gabil did not go to the Goblin Village this time, so he also did not utter the arrogant words about letting the Goblins clean up the mess.
Just as Gabil turned to leave, he suddenly noticed an anomaly below.
He saw the Orcs below, in twos and threes, beginning to frantically devour the corpses of their comrades.
Gabil watched this scene, muttering in shock, "What's going on? The Orcs are cannibalizing each other!"
And the Lizardmen, witnessing all of this, were also terrified by the sight and retreated one after another.
A Lizardman who couldn't retreat in time was grabbed by the ankle, instantly pulled to the ground. It looked up and only saw pairs of crimson eyes staring intently at it.
"This... this... no... no!!!"