Chapter 21- Evolutions and Clashes - The Sekiryuutei in Another World

Clarifications:

-"Person Talking"-

-(Person Thinking)-

[Skills or Magic]

(JC: Author's Notes)

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Let's start

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A day had already passed since the incident with the Ogres, and I was currently heading to a meeting with them. However, those plans vanished from my mind when I found something… Or rather, someone, waiting outside my private tent.

It was a creature very familiar to me, with the exception that its brown fur had changed to a fiery red color, and the lines surrounding its legs and neck were no longer white, but yellow. Additionally, I was quite sure it had grown several meters larger.

What stood before me was Baku's new appearance after having evolved, just as [Beast Tamer] had said.

-(What a radical change…)-

I never would have expected such a sudden change from Baku. Though, thinking about it, I should have seen it coming after witnessing firsthand the changes the Goblins and the Fang Wolves underwent when they evolved.

With that doubt in mind, I had to ask the only one who had the answer: [Great Sage].

[Great Sage] explained to me that Baku had evolved into a species known as an Infernal Bear, a Monster that was supposedly extinct.

The explanation came along with a story. Apparently, Infernal Bears were the ancestors of Frenzied Bears. In ancient times, they lived in volcanic regions, but an accident involving a Demon Lord occurred, which caused them to migrate far away from those areas. As they moved away from the warm environment provided by volcanoes, their species began to change with each generation, until they eventually became Frenzied Bears.

At first, I wondered what caused this evolution. One second later, I understood: Baku had obtained from me the Skills [Fire Manipulation] and [Combustion], in addition to High Temperature Resistance; a degraded version of Thermal Fluctuation Nullification EX.

Apparently, it was thanks to me and [Beast Tamer] that Baku evolved into this species.

-(Well, at least he became stronger)- I thought. -"I have high expectations for you, Baku"-

-"I will not disappoint you, master"-

Of course, he was capable of communicating. His voice was gentle and low; it reminded me of that famous bear from a children's cartoon.

-"I will make sure to brutally crush your enemies!"-

Immediately, his voice changed into a sharp and distorted one, clearly filled with madness, accompanied by a psychopathic smile.

-(I wasn't mistaken… He really does have an explosive personality)-

I thought. It seemed there was still some of the Frenzied Bear left within him.

I simply gave him a few pats on the head along with a simple:

-"Good boy"-

After that, I said goodbye and began heading toward the place where I would meet with the Ogres.

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We decided to sit down and discuss matters with the Ogres. We chose the wooden house built atop the recently burned public square, at the center of the village.

Mildo, the youngest of the three Dwarf brothers, had done an excellent job building it based on the rough sketch I had drawn onto a wooden board.

It was [Great Sage] who made it possible, along with the drafting tools the Dwarves had brought. With a bit of effort, it was possible to achieve something nearly as precise as using a computer. I was starting to feel like I could rapidly build an entire city.

Mildo had no trouble understanding the layout; perhaps my drawing approach was far easier to grasp than whatever methods this world employed.

That made sense. The surrounding buildings were child's play compared to the kinds of things we had designed for the concrete jungles of my world. The Dwarf Kingdom certainly had plenty of impressive architecture, but in terms of technical execution, it still had a long way to go. Perhaps someday we'd have tall buildings standing in this plaza. It was fun and exciting to think about.

But I digress.

I guided the Ogres into the reception room of the house, looking around to make sure everything had been built exactly as I requested. They followed obediently behind me, anxiously observing the interior as if it were an absolute novelty. There was no decoration yet, so I didn't know what captivated them so much, but whatever it was, it clearly did.

The reception room had a large table, along with several simple stools arranged around it. We all gathered there: Rigurd, the four Goblin Lords, Night—who was in my arms—and Kaijin the Dwarf as a mediator. Fourteen in total, counting myself.

Why did I bring Rigurd and the others? Because I believed the Ogres had important things to tell us. If something was happening in the Jura Forest, it would reach our doorstep soon enough. I didn't want to be the sole pillar supporting every crisis.

Haruna arrived with tea for everyone. She gave a quick bow once she was done and left the reception room. She was still a bit awkward, but she was beginning to learn some manners. A wonderful improvement.

I brought the cup to my lips. Bitter, but not entirely unpleasant. I had never been particularly picky about such things, but my cook-self was becoming increasingly meticulous.

The slightly bitter green tea danced across my tongue. I could also feel its warmth. I suppose my body had Heat Cancellation, but I could still perceive it.

-- Ddraig asked impatiently. --

-(Alright, alright. I was just enjoying the tea)-

The Ogres seemed to be enjoying it as well. I waited for them to settle down before we began speaking.

I started by asking why they were here in the first place. They replied that they were fleeing in order to regroup and reunite. That alone was unsettling. I had the feeling this would take some time.

If there existed a force capable of defeating the Ogres, then we had a real threat on our hands. These creatures were Rank B even individually, and I could say that with certainty after yesterday's battle. And the ones here were the best of the best: masters of the forest, the highest class of monsters one could find in this region, according to what I was told.

-(I should listen carefully…)-

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To summarize the story of the Ogres…

There was a war, and the Ogres lost. That was all.

While I was busy defending myself from Ifrit in this Village, the Ogres had been caught up in a war of their own. Who could challenge the most powerful race of the Forest of Jura in a war… and win?

That question sent a wave of tension through everyone in the room. Faces hardened, weighed down with concern.

-"They attacked our homeland out of nowhere"- The red-haired man muttered with contained rage. -"Their power was overwhelming… Those horrible pigs, those Orcs!!"-

It was an entire army, apparently. And unlike Humans, Monsters never bothered to formally declare war before waging it. So while the Ogres did not condemn the surprise attack itself, the fact that it was the Orcs who attacked them was completely outside all expectations.

Why? Simple: the difference in power.

Orcs were rank D creatures. Stronger than Goblins, yes, but nothing that would keep a veteran adventurer up at night. The Ogres were two ranks above that, which made a one-on-one confrontation absurdly predictable.

And yet, the weak challenged the strong…

And won.

-(It seems so…)-

I decided to dig a little deeper.

The Ogre homeland was considerably larger than our own Village: an informal collection of clans that, taken together, formed a sort of battle fortress with a population close to three hundred. In practical terms, a force comparable to the knight corps of a small nation; equivalent to an army of three thousand trained troops, all with B-rank monster status.

The Ogres lived a life that could be described as completely militaristic. The clans regularly carried out combat training among themselves, and occasionally joined one side or another to aid other races in conflicts with their neighbors. Some clans had even left their mark on history, serving as vanguard forces in the armies of one Demon Lord or another, and these Ogres were direct descendants of them.

-- Said Ddraig. --

-(I agree. Although I did not understand anything you just said…)-

Back to the Ogres.

They lived, in essence, as de facto mercenaries. And the Ogres of this world were quickly shattering the romantic image I once had thanks to my own fantasy novels. But that was not the real problem.

They had been defeated by monsters far weaker than themselve

And they still seemed to be in shock, because here in this reception room we were facing the only survivors of their entire settlement.

The red-haired man had managed to get his sister, the princess, out of the area while their leader led a group to hold back the Orcs. She was nobility, after all, a kind of Ogre Shaman, and her people had placed her above everything else in their lives.

-"If only I were stronger…"-

The red-haired man complained.

The last thing he had seen was the Orcs, clad in black armor, delivering the final blow to their leader. Among them stood out a gigantic Orc, one who released a chilling aura. And beside him, another figure who did not even bother to hide their own brutally dark aura; someone wearing a mask that vaguely resembled that of an enraged clown.

-"He was one of the Magic-Born, I am certain"- Declared the Shaman. -"A high-level one. I fear my brother never stood a chance"-

-"Indeed"- Added the elder. -"We jumped to conclusions about all of you because we saw that soulless one in action. We thought you were one of them"-