Rimuru had resolved the misunderstanding with the ogres and invited them to his village. The village, anwhile, was buzzing with activity as they prepared a grand banquet.
While they often held large feasts, everyone had thrown themselves into the preparations with extra fervor upon hearing that Rimuru would be joining them. As a result, both the quality and scale of the food were incomparable to anything they had produced before.
The ingredients were carefully grilled to perfection, cut into bite-sized pieces, and presented to Rimuru.
"Here... it is, Lord Rimuru."
At Gobichi's voice, which trembled with nerves, Rimuru smiled, took the at, and popped it straight into his mouth.
After taking a bite, Rimuru fell silent for a mont. Then, his entire body began to shudder, and he finally spoke with an expression of pure ecstasy.
"It's de~licious!!!"
At Rimuru's praise, everyone present let out a cheer even louder than when they had first received their nas. Gobichi scratched the back of his head, looking bashful.
"That was amazing, Gobichi! I'm counting on you next ti too!!"
"I-it is an honor, Lord Rimuru!!!"
Rimuru's words sent the banquet into a further frenzy. He wore a pleased smile, and the goblins watching him felt a wave of warmth wash over their hearts.
While the feast was in full swing, Kaijin and Rigurd were drinking and talking with the red-haired ogre in a quiet corner of the celebration.
"Orcs attacked the ogres? That's impossible!!"
"Hard as it is to believe, it is true. Our village was ravaged by an attack from thousands of ard pigs. I do not know if there are any other survivors, but of the three hundred comrades we once had, only six remain."
"That's strange."
Ogres were among the top predators of this forest. For orcs to defeat them was unthinkable. Furthermore, the report stated that every single one of those orcs had been clad in full plate armor.
"Orcs in armor?"
"Yes. They were covered from head to toe in armor that looked as though it were made for humans."
"Then..."
"It is hard to believe the orcs acted on their own."
As if confirming this theory, the red-haired ogre recalled the last thing he had seen: his father, the village chief, being slain by an orc in black armor, while a masked majin watched from the side, mocking him.
"That was definitely a majin. A high-ranking one, at that."
"So, you're saying the ones who attacked us weren't actually allies of the people I thought they were?"
"...I am ashad."
"No, no! There's no need to be so gloomy. You all lost precious people right before your eyes."
As he spoke, Rimuru wondered what he would do if he were in their position.
No, I couldn't stand it. I don't want to see anyone disappear.
If his own family vanished before his eyes, Rimuru felt as though his heart would simply collapse. Thinking of this, he looked at the ogres with genuine respect, admiring that they had not lost their reason or rushed blindly into a suicidal rage against their enemies.
Looking at the ogres, Rimuru asked, "You know... why don't you live with us?"
The invitation slipped out before he could overthink it. The red-haired ogre's eyes widened as he stared at Rimuru.
Feeling awkward under the intense gaze, Rimuru partially hid behind Rigurd's back and added, "I an, I'm worried about you. Besides, if the orcs are gathering in numbers, we need to strengthen our own forces, so... what do you think?"
At the sight of Rimuru looking up at him, the red-haired ogre's face flushed for a mont, and he quickly averted his eyes.
"...Give a little ti to think."
"Sure. Just let know whenever you've made up your mind."
With that, Rimuru returned to the side of his waiting family, while the red-haired ogre stepped into the forest to sort out his thoughts.
***
"...It's not a bad offer."
A blue-haired man with cold, sharp eyes, who had been watching from the shadows, leaned against a tree with his arms crossed and spoke to the red-haired ogre.
"But the choice is yours. We follow you and the princess."
Hearing this, the red-haired ogre felt a surge of hatred for his own helplessness in failing to protect his father. He slamd his fist into a nearby tree with all his might; the trunk snapped and toppled over as he ground his teeth in frustration.
Crash! Snap!
"If only I had been stronger..."
The next day, having reached a decision, the red-haired ogre approached Rimuru.
"Have you decided?"
"Our ogre tribe is a race of warriors. We have no issue serving a master and charging across the battlefield. If the one we serve is strong, we follow all the more willingly."
The red-haired ogre placed the sword from his waist onto the ground and knelt before Rimuru.
"I accept your offer from yesterday. We, the ogres, shall beco your subordinates."
At this, Rimuru shifted from his sli form into his human form and replied, "Yeah, but I don't think of you as subordinates."
"Huh? Then what are we to you...?"
Rimuru stepped forward and hugged the bewildered red-haired ogre tightly. "You're our family now!!"
The red-haired ogre's voice trailed off, stunned by the smiling sli's words. "Family...?"
Rimuru then proceeded to give nas to the ogres who had beco the newest mbers of the village. At first, they tried to stop him, fearing the cost, but Rimuru remained firm.
"It's fine. If you're family, you need nas, right? Or... do you not want a na from ?"
When Rimuru looked at them with bright, sparkling eyes, the pink-haired ogre blushed and whispered, "I... I do not dislike it."
"Then it's settled. Let's begin!"
And so, Rimuru nad the pink-haired ogre Shuna, the red-haired ogre Benimaru, the blue-haired ogre Souei, and the purple-haired ogre Shion. To the black-haired and white-haired ogres, he gave the nas Kurobe and Hakurou. After bestowing nas upon six high-ranking monsters, Rimuru imdiately collapsed into sleep mode.
***
(I've... witnessed sothing truly incredible.)
Watching Rimuru bestow nas, I was utterly stunned. Normally, naming is a ritual that places a trendous burden on the giver, often to the point of risking their life. Yet this being called Rimuru perford the act as if it were nothing. Not only that, but although his magicules decreased, he seed to replenish the spent energy almost instantly.
Furthermore, every single ogre who received a na successfully evolved into a kijin.
Naming does not always guarantee a power boost; in many cases, the change is negligible. Yet, every one of them evolved into a higher race.
That sli nad Rimuru... just what in the world is he?
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