Behind the two, the short-haired dryad Trya looked at Rimuru.
Images flashed through her mind.
Goblins constructing houses under the dwarves' direction.
Even if they were simple thatched huts, they were leagues better than the tents in other goblin villages.
There were over 2,000 Goblins and Garou tribes under Rimuru's command.
That many subordinates…
And they'd all been named—an unfathomable boost in power.
No wonder her sister said he was indispensable.
She had truly been shocked.
But…
She looked across the street.
Her sister hadn't arrived yet.
Ever since the day the Ogre Tribe returned to the village, something had clearly changed.
Trya's sister hadn't said much since then, and Rimuru's matters had been entirely entrusted to Trya.
Lately, her sister seemed more interested in that other situation…
Always muttering things like "public relations," "influence," and "grassroots outreach."
They'd even gone out of their way to contact other goblin villages.
According to her sister, those villages had also developed rapidly.
But she hadn't seen this place yet.
If she had, she'd definitely be stunned.
---
"Hey, hey, hey! I said, haven't you guys arrived yet?!"
While Trya was lost in thought, a lizardman stormed into the cave entrance.
Green skin, leather armor, and a serious case of being annoying.
"Son, show some respect!"
The leader slammed the table and barked.
"Father, let me deal with the Orc Tribe!"
"Why are we wasting time on some so-called alliance?!"
"Sir Gabiru, the dryads are still here…" the female lizardman beside the leader whispered a reminder.
"Oh?"
Gabiru turned and noticed Trya standing behind Rimuru, eyes closed.
He gave a half-hearted bow.
"Lady Trya, leave the matter of the Orc Lord to us."
"The wetlands are the Lizardmen's domain. The Orcs don't stand a chance."
Trya opened her eyes, voice cold.
"Please don't underestimate the enemy, Lord Gabiru."
"The Orc Lord possesses the unique skill [Hungerer]. He feeds on his followers' fear.
They wiped out every single Ogre tribe."
"And there are high-level demons involved. Possibly even a Demon Lord pulling the strings."
"In this situation, our only hope of survival is uniting everyone's strength."
Gabiru just laughed.
"I'll admit they're impressive, wiping out the Ogres and all."
"But I have a name granted by Gelmud-sama."
"There's no way I'll lose."
"And besides…"
He paused, eyes drifting toward the slime in Haruna's arms.
"You expect me to trust a slime? And a goblin?"
His "huh" afterward made the insult perfectly clear.
"What did you say?!"
The moment Gabiru finished, a giant wolf leapt out of Rimuru's shadow!
It had a signature horn and a star-shaped marking on its forehead.
"Awoooo!"
Ranga's howl echoed through the cave.
The sheer force of his aura sent the other lizardmen trembling in fear.
Gabiru remained where he was, face stiff but unmoving.
"So you're their leader?"
"Fine. Then let's talk."
Ranga growled. "Just a lizard…"
Black lightning began to swirl around him.
Right as he was about to strike, his gaze suddenly shifted toward the cave entrance.
Trya looked over too.
Such an intense magical fluctuation.
"Sorry we're late."
Everyone turned.
Three figures were entering the cave.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
At the center walked a black-haired young man.
On his right, a red-haired demon in a samurai kimono with a katana at his hip.
On his left, a tall purple-haired woman in a men's suit, radiating cool-headed confidence.
The trio was clearly led by the black-haired youth.
His aura was overwhelming. It wasn't magical—it was the kind of oppressive presence you'd expect from a Yakuza boss.
Chishiya gave Shion a sideways glance.
Benimaru's presence was expected… but he didn't expect Shion to give off such a commanding vibe.
At least she looked the part.
---
Ranga narrowed his eyes.
The two Oni flanking the youth were radiating magic power.
Especially the red-haired one—his magic was at least five times stronger than Ranga's.
He stared at Benimaru in disbelief.
Trya turned her gaze to the boy in the center.
So… he's the leader of the Ogre Tribe?
Wait—he's actually human?!
But…
His magic power seemed lower than the two demons beside him.
Strange, considering he was supposedly their leader.
Just then, Treyni appeared behind them.
"Sister." Trya gave a respectful bow.
Treyni returned the gesture. "Yeah."
Whoosh—!
As the two sisters greeted each other, a flash of light burst from Haruna's arms.
Rimuru's soft voice rang out. "Yatta! Finally awake!"
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
In the next instant, black magic swirled around him.
In a flash, Rimuru transformed into his blue-haired human form.
[Ding!]
Chishiya blinked.
For the first time in a long while, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Target: Rimuru Tempest]
[Recruitable Employee]
[Recruitment Rewards:]
1. Special Ability: Great Sage
2. Special Ability: Predator
3. Special Ability: Mutant
4. Unlocks Demon Lord Evolution Path]
…Wait, wait, wait…
Three legendary abilities at once?!
Chishiya's expression didn't change, but internally, the logical side of him was having a total meltdown.
These rewards were ridiculous.
There was a reason Rimuru was so overpowered.
And it all came back to these insane skills.
Especially Great Sage—that external brain was basically a cheat engine.
Its upgraded form, Raphael, could analyze and optimize nearly everything.
This was very tempting.
Chishiya couldn't help but smile slightly.
Rimuru, now fully awake, spotted the young man across from him.
The guy was waving with a weird little grin.
"…???"
Huh? What's this about?
He had to know Rimuru was a slime, right?
And yet, he was still being friendly?
This guy was the first person to ever react like this.
[Notifice:]
[The individual is the leader of the Ogre Tribe.]
[Race: Human]
Great Sage's voice echoed in Rimuru's mind.
Human?!
Rimuru was stunned.
His dream was to create a nation where monsters and humans lived together in peace.
And this guy… he might be the key to that.
But…
Rimuru squinted at the black magical energy coming off of Chishiya.
'Great Sage… what's his power level?'
[Notification:]
[The individual is concealing their magic power. Estimated output: ten times greater than yours.]
"Nani (⊙-⊙)!!!"
Ten times?!
Rimuru whistled under his breath.
Sure, he could tell the guy was suppressing his magic, but he didn't think the gap was that wide.
Humans… are actually this strong?
Thank goodness he seems to be the friendly type…
Hmm…
Rimuru rubbed his chin.
Decision made.
They had to establish diplomatic relations.
At this moment, all parties of the Jura Forest Tripartite Alliance had finally gathered.
The conference was about to begin.
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)