"It's not anything too troublesome."
Damien said, "For this operation, Ogerpon will lead, with Shion as deputy and Hakurou as overseer."
"Rimuru, your task is to use Predator to consume the Ord Lord after he's defeated."
In other words, this mission wasn't about sending Rimuru to fight on the battlefield.
It was an opportunity for her to evolve her Unique Skill Predator.
"Oh, I see! I misunderstood you, Lord Damien…"
Rimuru nodded to herself, reassured that Damien wasn't that heartless.
'Her boss does care about me after all.'
"Wait a second!"
Rimuru suddenly realized, "This isn't the vacation you meant, is it?"
Marching with the army, swallowing a big power-up, and heading home.
No, no, no... she absolutely couldn't accept that as a vacation!
'I refuse to acknowledge this as a break!'
Rimuru shot Damien a death glare. 'If you pull this, I'll bite you... I swear I'll bite you!'
"Of course not!"
Damien quickly placated the slime, now puffed up like a pufferfish.
He had a hunch that if he said, 'Yup, that's your vacation,' Rimuru would burst into tears on the spot.
Throwing a tantrum, rolling around, playing dead... that was the only recourse for a corporate drone oppressed by a ruthless boss.
Pathetic!
Utterly pathetic!
"While on the march, you're free to move about and enjoy the sights of this other world."
"As long as you consume the Ord Lord's abilities and evolve Predator in the end, that's enough."
Damien added, "As for the vacation, I'm sending you as an envoy to the Armed Nation of Dwargon to negotiate some agreements."
Rimuru was the head of Damien's civil officials, akin to a 'prime minister.'
Sending the prime minister to a major nation showed ample sincerity and respect.
"The Armed Nation of Dwargon?"
Rimuru grumbled, "That's still work, isn't it?"
"Think of it as a paid vacation."
Damien did provide salaries, using the Cardinal World's universal currency.
More importantly, every task Damien assigned earned his familiars merit.
This merit determined their priority for awakening as Demon Lords.
Even the Snow Empress and Artoria could accumulate soul energy by completing Damien's tasks.
Once they gathered enough souls, Damien would help them acquire new ultimate skills or evolve their existing ones to higher levels.
This was why his retainers were so eager to earn merits.
Those who hadn't become Demon Lords wanted to awaken.
Those who had awakened wanted to grow stronger.
"OK!"
"Got it!"
Rimuru thumped her chest, promising, "That Ord Lord? I'll devour him clean!"
It sounded a bit odd.
But for a slime, absorbing prey was more like dissolving it.
Thanks to Predator, Rimuru's process was like trapping enemies in a pocket dimension.
Then, using her Unique Skill, she broke them down into pure magicules.
Thus, Rimuru felt no discomfort about consuming others.
"Bo-ne!"
Ogerpon raised her hand. "What about us? What do we do? Just charge in?"
"No rush."
Damien instructed, "Ogerpon and Shion, wait for Souei's signal."
"There's a group of restless lizardmen."
"Let the orcs wear them down before you act."
This approach might seem cruel.
But such was the way of the monster world.
Until the lizardmen became his retainers, Damien wouldn't concern himself with their feelings.
"Understood!!"
"Fighting alongside Ogerpon-nee? That's awesome!"
Ogerpon with Shion, Hakurou, and Souei.
Such a lineup against a mere Ord Lord was like using a cannon to swat a mosquito.
"Hakurou, I'll need you to keep an eye on things this time."
Damien said, "We'll save the lizardmen, but not too many."
"Rest assured."
Hakurou stroked his beard. "This old man knows how to keep things in check."
As the first ogres to pledge loyalty, they were Damien's trusted confidants, soldiers who had watched him rise.
The later-recruited Star Wolves and goblins, at least in attitude, were worthy of Damien's favor.
But the lizardmen? What were they?
At a time like this, Damien didn't need their meager strength. Even if they were all wiped out, so what?
Who told the lizardmen not to seize the chance to align with Damien from the start?
That was the difference between early investors and latecomers!
---
"Brother!"
Meanwhile, in the lizardmen tribe's cavern…
A female lizardman with red scales stared at the approaching Gabiru, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Why?"
"Why are you doing this?"
Beside the lizardman princess was the weakened lizardman chieftain.
Moments ago, Gabiru had returned to the tribe and, by inciting its radical members, launched a rebellion against his father.
"Father is old."
Though the plot had diverged, Gabiru still chose to seize power. "The lizardmen should be led by the stronger me!"
"But, but…"
The lizardman princess couldn't find words to refute.
In the monster world, the strong ruled.
Gabiru was stronger, so he was indeed qualified to lead the lizardmen.
But to depose her own father?
The lizardman princess couldn't accept it!
"Such a hassle."
A figure emerged from the shadows... Gelmud, the majin. "Hurry up and finish him, Gabiru!"
"S-Sorry, Lord Gelmud."
Gabiru's heart skipped a beat. He looked at his sister and father, feeling a pang of reluctance.
But more than that, he feared tarnishing his image in Lord Gelmud's eyes by showing weakness.
Yes, the plot had changed.
Gabiru wasn't seizing power to face the orcs.
He had met Gelmud, who named him, and at his behest, launched the rebellion.
As for the reason…
Gelmud needed the lizardmen!
Not for their strength, but for their flesh and blood... the magicules within them!
"Don't blame me, Father."
Gabiru stepped forward, raising his trident. "Everything I do is for the lizardmen!"
"No!"
"You can't do this!!"
The lizardman princess cried out, rushing to stop Gabiru, but Gelmud struck her down with his staff.
She could only watch helplessly as Gabiru drove the trident into their father's chest!
***
Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I just wanted to let you know that right now I'm working on a really good and promising fate fanfic. If you're interested in reading it, feel free to give it a try:
[Fate/Max Level Returner]
Synopsis:
What if you took your max-level account and replayed the entire story from the beginning?
---