The Subjugation of Flauros

"I will submit." Flauros's choice was so swift it far exceeded my expectations. I hadn't even enjoyed the warmth and softness between the beastman woman's thighs for three minutes before I was placed in a position where I had to accept Flauros's surrender.

"...For real?"

"Indeed. However, there is a condition."

Figures. I gripped the beastman woman tightly and tilted my head back. "Heh, if you try to impose some half-baked condition, this woman won't be safe."

"You may kill me. But please, spare my older sister and my tribesmen. If you promise me that, I will hand over my name."

Thud! Flauros knelt on both knees and bowed his head. Even his subordinate beastmen knelt and bowed before me. The atmosphere turned so solemn that my manhood nearly shriveled up. If the woman's thighs had been even a degree colder, I definitely would have lost my erection.

"......Flauros, do you understand what you're saying? Are you telling me it's fine if I take your sister and ravage her?"

"Andras, your power seems to be that of a being who has far surpassed me. The number of stars displayed by Lord Solomon's grace is proof of that. Even though it hasn't been long since our tribe won the battle for the 65th rank... even if we had been in peak condition, we would have lost to you."

Flauros readily admitted that their combat strength was inferior to mine. No wonder there were so many lingering wounds on the beastmen's bodies; while I was busy looting the 72nd rank, Flauros must have been subjected to an uprising by the guys one rank below him. I had essentially launched an ambush right after Flauros had finished a total war against the demon next in line and was exhausted.

'Easy money.'

Thanks to that, I could conquer the dungeon comfortably. Thanks to that, I could make Flauros give up on fighting and submit quickly. Thanks to that, I could seize Flauros's dungeon with absolute ease.

"......."

But what is this emptiness? My plan—to strip off her skirt and shove my member inside the moment Flauros shouted "Give me time to think!" so I could ravage the woman while he pondered—had vanished like a soap bubble.

'Even the system is telling me. It's over.'

I pulled my member out of the beastman woman and adjusted my pants, leaving my regret behind. Between the solemn atmosphere, the system's urging, and the gaze of Ryun, who was waiting behind the door to launch a surprise attack, I couldn't enjoy the woman's thighs any longer.

"...Register as a subordinate dungeon."

Whoosh. Green began to seep into the red energy that had been circulating throughout the Flauros dungeon. It felt as if green mana was permeating all the subordinates, including Flauros himself.

"Oh-ho." I could see the information on the Flauros dungeon and all its subordinates through the system. The structure of the Flauros dungeon, which spread in four directions around a central hollow, was quite intense. A straight corridor. The path leading to the depths where I was currently standing had no particular traps, just open spaces here and there for subordinates to intercept intruders. Indeed, there hadn't been any traps on the way in, either.

"Pretty hot."

"U-um, Master...." Ryun poked her head out from behind the door. I turned my head and signaled her to be quiet using ventriloquism. "Don't come out...! What are you going to do if something goes wrong...!"

"No, well... Flauros is waiting for you right now."

At Ryun's words, I turned my head back to Flauros. He was holding his neck stiffly, eyes closed, waiting for something.

"What are you doing?"

"Strike me down. A loser has nothing to say."

"I mean, it's not like I didn't think about killing you..." It wasn't that I hadn't considered slaughtering everyone and filling the ranks with my own troops if they acted up, but if they joined my legion without any casualties, there was no reason to kill them.

'Is he the same type as Tural....' Tural is strong, but Flauros is weak. In the end, because he was weaker than me—the strong one—he was forced to make an unreasonable choice, and Flauros is trying to protect the safety of his tribesmen with his own blood.

"Flauros. Raise your head. Let me ask you one thing." I clenched my fist. My tattoos began to glow with a red light, and Flauros raised his head in accordance with my command. "Are you good at fighting?"

"...I scratched and killed Andrealphus, the 65th, with these very claws. I am the strongest in our tribe."

"Then the next question. If you fought me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠1:1, could you win?"

"...It would be impossible. However, I do not fight based on the odds of winning." Flauros's hair began to blaze again. "Andras, you strong one. If you touch even a hair on my tribe's heads, I will risk my life to drive my claws into you. Even if my head is severed, I will carve at least one claw mark on your face."

"I already fiddled with your sister's pubic hair, though?"

"...It's a metaphor, a metaphor. I correct myself." Flauros's expression soured. Ryun, who had approached my side at some point, didn't look too happy either. Feeling unnecessarily awkward, I handed the woman still in my grasp over to Ryun.

"Ryun. Keep a close watch on her so she doesn't cause a scene when 'Amour' wakes up."

"Yes. By the way, Master, you really are an orc, aren't you."

"...It's not like that. It's like a procedure for recruiting subordinates. Why are you looking at me so contentedly? I told you, it's not like that?"

"Yes, yes. I'll take it as that. Anyway, Master, be careful. This is my encouragement."

Smooch. Ryun trotted over to me and cast a victory buff. Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, I wiped my cheek with my hand and pushed her forehead away with my finger.

"...Enough with the jokes."

I stepped three paces toward Flauros. He was still kneeling, but he read my intent and steadied his breathing.

"Listen well, Flauros. I am the one who rules the Legion of Wrath. I am Pahuu, the commander of a legion that counts Andras and Gremory as its masters. I took Andras's dungeon to become its master, and I captured Gremory to make her my subordinate."

"......!!"

"I intend to use this entire dungeon as a trench to block those climbing up from below. For that, I need a dungeon warden to guard this trench—'Flauros'."

Clink. I untied the strap of the axe I had slung on my back.

"Stand up, Flauros. I will test your strength now. Not through the system, but I will see your fighting skills for myself."

"......I see. Is this an opportunity to prove my name? Very well, Master of Wrath!"

Flames erupted all over Flauros's body. "My name is Flauros! Chief of the tribe! I will prove my strength starting now!"

"Alright. Come at me with the intent to kill." I gripped my axe tightly. Flauros. Lv.55. ★★★. "Whether you keep your name or become a rug depends on your fight today."

If he satisfied me, he would keep his name; if he failed, he would become leopard-skin underwear. I ran toward Flauros with my axe. Yielding the first attack to the underdog.

"No yielding!" I raised my axe high into the sky and brought it down toward Flauros.

* * *

The first impression was the worst. The portal that opened after blocking the uprising caused by Andrealphus was the dungeon of Andras, one rank higher than his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠own. As if it weren't shameful for a higher-tier existence to attack a lower-ranked dungeon, the Andras-green orc raided the dungeon without a care. And the power he displayed was enough to make even Flauros marvel. The sight of him spinning in a whirlwind while holding the Slime Dragons—which he himself had to use his full strength to lift—in both hands was worthy of respect as a fellow demon.

But he could not acknowledge the cowardly and despicable acts he displayed. Capturing his sister, Amour, and then defiling her was something Flauros could not suppress his anger over. But Flauros was weaker than Andras, weaker than the green orc.

Clang, clang! Every time the axe blade and his claws collided, it felt like his claws would shatter. It would have been strange if they hadn't. The orc wasn't even using half the strength he had shown when he smashed the bolt on the sturdy iron gate with a single kick. Because he could defeat him with just that half of his strength.

Flauros couldn't understand why a being with such power would defile his sister and take her hostage. —Therefore, he had to prove it. Those with great power must possess the dignity to match it. Even though they possessed overwhelming strength as individuals like Baal or Barbatos, they were humble and serious, carrying a sense of weight.

"Is this all you've got!!"

But the orc used that weight only to crush from above. There was no dignity to be found, and he acted like a thug, as if to say "to hell with class." And his claws could not withstand the crude axe. Clang, clang! Sparks flew as the axe blade and claws clashed. The orc continued his offensive, unbothered by his own heat. Every time they collided, Flauros had to retreat half a step, then a full step. The axe blade the orc brought down was far too heavy.

"Woooooooh!!"

But Flauros had to endure that weight. If he were to be defeated so helplessly, the fate of his tribe was clear. The new Flauros would insult his tribe, and his sister would surely become the orc's plaything. Therefore, he had to prove it with his life. That Flauros, and the forces of Flauros, were by no means weak.

Flauros's entire body began to burn red. "I cannot lose——!!"

"Oh, right. Hey, sorry."

Snap! Flauros's claws were shattered. The orc held his axe backward with a bored expression. "My daughter is probably giving birth by now. Sorry, but I have to go."

Thwack.

The axe embedded itself in the crown of Flauros's head. Flauros felt despair at the orc's bored, indifferent gaze. 'Ah, in the end, I...'

"Rest easy now."

With his vision turning red, Flauros lost consciousness.

* * *

"This guy would be insanely strong if he just evolved to 4-star.... Hey, you guys, take care of your leader. I'll send an inspector later, so for now, you guys guard the dungeon yourselves."

I tossed the unconscious Flauros to the leopard beastmen who had prostrated themselves beside him. Flauros had been struck on the crown of his head with the back of the axe, not the blade, so he was alive and well.

"Master, are you going to let him live?"

"He's quite useful. If he fights for his life against me like that, he'll guard this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dungeon on his own. Now, let's go."

I picked up Flauros's sister, Amour.

"Master, are you perhaps taking her to...?"

"Who knows. My lower half is busy enough that I doubt I'll have the chance to touch her, but I have to take her with me for now."

What if his subordinates touched Amour while Flauros was gone? I dropped Amour into Lime. Lime absorbed her into her body as if she were Amour's clothing and sat atop the Slime Dragon No. 1, which had recovered through rest.

"I've secured the spoils, gained a useful subordinate, and most of all, I've acquired a useful garden."

"A garden?"

"Yes. A garden." I tilted my head high. The hollow, which had a ceiling far higher than the hollow in our own dungeon, was easily over four stories tall. "It just so happens there was someone just idling around, so this works out well."

To Flauros, who was relatively weak in combat strength, this would be the ultimate reinforcement. "Then let's return. Let's go... and check if it's a grandson or a granddaughter."

Would a beautiful warrior like her mother be born, or a beautiful priest like her father? That was something I'd only know once I cracked the egg myself.