The Ogre Village
“I’m sorry.”
“No… we’re the ones who should apologize……”
“Not at all… The one who swung his club without warning is entirely at fault. If you hadn’t been so strong, he would have lost his life… I must apologize a hundred times over……”
“No, no. We’re really fine, so just take care of your friend.”
“This one deserves it. He swung an attack that could have killed someone so recklessly, so he’s simply paying the price. I truly… apologize once again……”
The hot-tempered ogre, who had been knocked unconscious with his eyes rolled back after a single merciless kick from Beatrice’s unleashed fury, lay sprawled on the ground. Another ogre who had tried to stop him earlier and Neromeltia now stood on either side of the fallen ogre, conversing.
There was no trace of discord between the ogre who kept bowing his head in repeated apologies and Neromeltia, who waved her hands dismissively, trying to let the matter go with generosity. Only peace filled the space between them.
“The reckless friend lying here is called Hugo. He is the second-in-command of our ogre tribe. My name is Moka, and the friend who only nods without speaking is Ko.”
“Second-in-command? That’s impressive.”
“Compared to our chieftain, who is first-in-command, it’s nothing at all. Even so, he was given the position of assault captain because of his status, and it inflated his confidence so much that he picks fights with anyone, hits anyone, and charges at anyone. He’s quite a headache.”
Even in this seemingly trivial, light conversation, Neromeltia could glimpse something of the ogre tribe’s current situation, making it an extremely useful exchange for her. Moreover, this ogre named Moka was thoroughly familiar with the tribe’s circumstances and quite knowledgeable, so there was a great deal of information to be gained. His manners were also impeccable, so the conversation flowed without any difficulty.
Setting aside the ogre named Ko, who merely nodded confidently no matter what anyone said, Neromeltia found herself harboring hopeful thoughts through her talk with Moka—that perhaps the ogres could be reasoned with after all.
“If Hugo is the assault captain, does that mean you also hold some position?”
“I am merely an insignificant member of the tribe.”
“You speak so well and know so much, yet you truly have no position?”
“I pass the time with the modest role of Internal Affairs Director.”
“…No… that sounds rather important……”
Among titles that seemed somewhat distant from civilization, such as chieftain or assault captain, Moka alone held the position of “Internal Affairs Director,” a title that sounded remarkably refined from the very name. Despite bearing a title so grand that one might believe him a high-ranking minister of a kingdom, his attitude of brushing it off as nothing carried an air of having transcended worldly concerns.
“It truly is nothing significant. It only involves minor tasks such as directing agricultural work, managing supplies, handling personnel, scheduling guard shifts, issuing labor certificates, mediating trade, managing complaints, arbitrating disputes, and enforcing tribal laws.”
“No… you’re incredibly busy……”
It was surprising how systematically organized the tribe’s affairs were—almost to the level of national governance—for a tribe living deep in the forest. Of course, what was even more surprising was imagining what would happen if Moka were to disappear from this tribe.
Even setting aside Ko, who only kept nodding confidently whenever anyone spoke, the fact that both the tribe’s assault captain and Internal Affairs Director had appeared suggested that the chieftain was likely already aware of the current situation. Sending both of these important high-ranking aides meant they had essentially been dispatched in the capacity of envoys.
“Shall we go meet your chieftain first?”
“Ah, the chieftain is currently in training, so you will only be able to meet him in the evening. Until then, I will see to your hospitality.”
“…The Demon Lord has arrived, yet the chieftain says he can’t come because he’s training…?”
“The chieftain does not know. He has been at the training grounds since dawn……”
“You’re not mere border guards. Why did all of you with high positions come? Wasn’t it the chieftain who sent you?”
“In an emergency, only I or the chieftain can respond properly… I intended to come alone, but when news of intruders spread, Hugo insisted on following, asking if they could fight. Ko had already tagged along before we knew it.”
“…My head hurts……”
Just when it seemed their system was well-organized, it proved far too lax. Lax, yet not primitive. They displayed a remarkably civilized appearance, but upon closer inspection, they were hopelessly disorganized. Neromeltia decided there was no point in worrying further; she could simply go find the chieftain, who was probably sweating away somewhere, and tell him to come out.
Having sorted her thoughts, Neromeltia instructed Moka to wake Hugo or carry him, then approached Beatrice, who was sitting on a tree root in one corner. Beatrice, looking utterly dejected with her head bowed, stared down at her shattered shoes with a deeply gloomy expression.
Neromeltia knew exactly why Beatrice was sad. Her feelings were obvious—she was clearly heartbroken that the precious shoes her master had given her were ruined.
“Beatrice. You should wear these for now.”
Neromeltia had retrieved another pair of shoes from her Dimensional Storage and gently placed them in front of Beatrice. They were black leather shoes with a somewhat dull sheen. Since they hadn’t been heavily oiled and polished, they looked rather sturdy, but the double ribbons tied with leather straps on top added a touch of charm.
Beatrice carefully picked up the shoes and realized they carried considerable weight. For women’s leather shoes, they were quite heavy, and even a rough estimate suggested that metal had been embedded inside. The heels, soles, and even the leather uppers contained plates of high-hardness metal.
When Beatrice gave the shoes a slight tug with a bit of force, a faint flush of color returned to her previously gloomy face. Her sensory sensors reported that the shoes’ durability was at least equivalent to steel or higher, meaning these shoes would withstand far more intense movement than the ones that had broken first.
“These should be fine. They’re a bit heavy, but better than getting ruined, right? I’ll have Cardistella make you proper ones later. Wear these until then, and cheer up now, okay?”
“…Master……”
Before she knew it, Neromeltia had become the one coaxing and soothing her maid. Beatrice was overjoyed by her kind master, who indulged her for getting angry and sulking on her own. So she threw herself into her master’s arms and hugged her tightly. It really was all right to do this. Even if she showed such troublesome emotions and acted spoiled, her master accepted everything.
Beatrice did not release her arms until Hugo regained consciousness and recoiled in shock at the sight of her, falling flat on his back in an unsightly manner.
Before long, they arrived at the ogre village. Nestled in the deepest part of the lush forest, the village stood with the majestic cliffs of the Decastras mountain range directly behind it. Though the huts looked somewhat shabby and old, they were properly constructed, and several had smoke rising gently from their chimneys. In the center of the village, ogre laborers could be seen roasting rabbit meat on skewers over a bonfire or simmering vegetable stew in large pots. It was a peaceful village, one that seemed far removed from the shadow of ruin hanging over Terraris.
“This way, please.”
As soon as they entered the village, Moka began guiding them toward the training grounds where the chieftain was. Having come to believe that Neromeltia was indeed the Demon Lord, Moka treated her with the utmost courtesy, bowing his head repeatedly as he took on the role of guide.
Hugo, who had displayed such a hot-tempered and rough disposition, had been utterly crushed in spirit after being knocked out by Beatrice’s single kick. He kept his head down and only occasionally glanced at Beatrice while maintaining a cautious distance, following the group obediently. Ko simply followed along in silence, nodding confidently as always.
The sound of ogres murmuring among themselves, each stirred to varying degrees by the visit of strangers they were seeing for the first time in their lives, could be heard from time to time. From their reactions, Neromeltia could sense how long this village had remained safe from the threat of invasion, and since their peace was no different from her own joy, the sight brought an involuntary, contented smile to her face.
The group crossed the center of the village and reached the cliffs of the Decastras mountain range at the rear. Moka stood at the entrance of a cave located on one side of the cliff, bowed his head, and spoke.
“This is our village’s warrior training grounds. The chieftain is currently inside.”