The Lizardmen #1
And just like that, I had turned every woman who had invaded my dungeon into my thralls. From the knight Vanessa down to the nun duo, every single one of them.
All three now bore horns, so whether they liked it or not, they would have to cooperate with me. Take Reika, for instance—she was so prickly at first, yet the other day, didn't she offer me her breast of her own volition?
"Ah, that was delicious."
The taste just keeps lingering on my tongue.
Reika hadn't offered since then. I mean, I could have forced her if I really wanted to, but there was something about her doing it willingly that made me just let it be... What was that all about, anyway?
Was it a drastic change of heart caused by my brainwashing?
Whatever the case, if the number of women contributing to my strength increases, an increase in combat power is a given.
Anyway.
Two days had passed since then. Vanessa, Irene, and Liza—they had all moved past the initial shock and accepted the fact that horns were now growing from their heads. They still maintained a hostile attitude toward me, but it wasn't anything worth worrying about.
I had simply given them some time off from combat. It’s standard practice not to make new recruits do anything right away. They needed time to sort out their feelings. Besides, from what I could see, Reika seemed to be keeping them in line well enough.
But starting today, they would have to work as members of the Culls Demon Army. And their proud first assignment was, well, to spill the beans on everything they knew.
"Alright, time to start the daily routine! Buril! Get into position!"
"Understood! My King!"
First, let's get the goblins through some training this morning. I’d been so focused on the conditioning that I hadn't done any actual drills at all.
"And you, Imp-sung, get going."
"Krrrk! Understood, My King!"
"You're as reliable as ever!"
Turning those three women into my thralls had resulted in significant growth. By channeling my demonic mana into my subordinates in that state, they had all grown a bit larger. The entire unit had literally been reinforced.
Imp-sung, in particular, had grown so large you wouldn't believe he was a standard imp; his teeth had sharpened, and the fireballs he threw were much stronger.
"Krrk! Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!"
As I sent Imp-sung off, Gyul-i trotted up, his long snout twitching as he spoke.
"Gyusats. My King. Are we working today, too?"
"Yeah, Gyul-i. Let's dig hard today as well!"
"Gyusats..."
"I know, I know. Take breaks when you need to. Come out to catch some sunlight and sunbathe every now and then."
"Gyusats! Understood! My King!"
Lately, the kobolds had grown quite a bit, so they didn't seem to struggle as much as they used to. They’d picked up some tricks, too, becoming absolute specialists in their work. That’s why they were currently turning my dungeon into a literal maze.
"Make sure you dig those tunnels well. Connect them to suitable spots outside."
"Gyusats!"
Gyul-i’s task for today was to create a secret underground passage. I was having them bore a tunnel deep into the dungeon that connected to the outside world. If humans entered the dungeon once that was finished? I could just send my subordinates through the secret passage, have them enter the dungeon behind the intruders, and sandwich them from both sides.
A literal Viet Cong-style tactic.
Now, to assign tasks to the pixies...
"We want to play!"
"You've been playing with those human females all the time, My King!"
"Why are we the only ones working!"
"Oh?"
Suddenly, the pixies flew in, looking like they were about to stage a riot.
"W-wait a second, guys. I play with you plenty at night."
After the conditioning sessions, I’d always go to the pixies' room to play before sleeping in my bed with Sharan and Lumika. To think they’d try to start a riot like this?
"We want to play more! Not just at night, but during the day too!"
It was Serineu who shouted this time.
"Come on, Serineu. You're the leader, you shouldn't be acting like this."
"But you've been playing with those human females all day!"
"That's not playing, that's a form of work..."
I mean, it might look like I’m just enjoying myself with their bodies, but if you look closely, it’s all a struggle for survival! It’s true that I enjoy the work, but conditioning prisoners is a job, not play.
That’s why I can cut away all sympathy and pity and focus coldly on the task.
Because it’s work.
"I worked hard at that job, and that’s how they became my subordinates."
"Still!"
Serineu clenched her fists, pushed her hips back, and leaned her upper body forward as she shouted.
That’s a cute gesture, fitting for a fairy.
"Alright, alright. I'll take you pixies out this weekend and play with you all day. I won't do anything else. I'll focus only on the pixies."
"Really? Yay! Then it's fine!"
Simple-minded, aren't they?
At my words, Serineu immediately took the pixies and went off to work. Let’s see... I’ll be doing nothing but screwing the pixies all weekend. If I were human, I wouldn't have enough stamina left.
But hey, as long as it’s sex, even for pleasure, it helps me grow. Strictly speaking, that’s work, too.
Anyway, the pixies spend their mornings making clothes and forging iron.
Now, time to start the real work.
"Lumika?"
I turned around to see Lumika with her arms crossed.
"The big-boobed ones are right."
"Lumika? You're calling them that too?"
"Is that what's important? The pixies are right. You need to reflect, My King. You've been playing with the humans too much lately."
"That's..."
"Shya. My King. It's true. Please play with Sharan, too."
Her face looked slightly gloomy.
"Ah."
Seeing Sharan and Lumika like that made me feel incredibly guilty.
The only reason I’d been doing that was because I had to condition those three women.
Now that the conditioning was over, there wouldn't be any need for that for a while.
"I'm sorry. But it's over now. I'll make sure Sharan and Lumika don't feel lonely anymore. Just forgive me this once."
"Shya! It's okay, My King!"
At my apology, Sharan’s mood improved instantly as she hugged me and groomed my cheek.
"Yeah, yeah. My Sharan. Lumika, I'm sorry too."
"Yeah. It's okay. I wasn't genuinely sulking. But if you're only going to play with the pixies on the weekend? Shouldn't you be with us the day after?"
Ah.
So that was the goal.
I’m truly too busy, juggling the roles of a battalion commander, an administrative officer, and an incubus. Still, the number of humans had increased. What’s the advantage of humans? Unlike fairies, they know what 'administration' is.
That should lighten my burden.
"Heh heh heh, alright."
After assigning tasks to my women, I headed out to the parade ground.
***
"To think an evil demon would show such a human side...! I can't accept this!"
As I stepped out, Irene, who had been with Reika, muttered that with a look of disbelief.
"Why are you so kind to your subordinates! You beastly, shameless wretch!"
I had nothing to say to that.
Vikings and Mongol warriors were good people in their own homes. Even if they were terrifying warriors who engaged in murder, looting, and rape in enemy territory, they could still be good men where they lived.
That’s just how it is.
Hostile women. If those women are useful to me, I boldly capture and condition them to make them mine. They are my spoils of war.
"Ah, Irene. It would be best not to provoke him. If you give him an excuse, he'll subject you to harsh sexual torture again...!"
"Se-sexual torture?! Ah...! I hate that! You beast! To think you'd use sexual torture—just how shameless are you! Someone like you should burn in hellfire and turn to ash!"
"I told you not to provoke him! Oh, Goddess!"
As Liza tried to warn her cautiously, Irene only got more excited and started shouting. Wasn't she just reacting to the mention of sexual torture?
"Haa...! Haa!"
That was the answer.
Irene was breathing hot, ragged breaths with an utterly flushed face.
"Be quiet for a second."
"But! Reika!"
"What? You want a beating?"
"No, that's not...!"
She was immediately suppressed by Reika. Reika dragged Irene and Liza away. In particular, while she held Liza by the wrist, she was dragging Irene by her ear.
"I wonder what kind of place a convent really is."
Anyway, Reika keeps them under control well.
"My King! Everything is ready! Keruk!"
"Good! Then let's start the training! Everyone, into position!"
"Kerurrrrk!"
—Clack, clack, clack.
At my command, the armed goblins formed a phalanx formation with perfect discipline. It was almost flawless. If I just gave them steel armor, they’d look like elite infantry.
"Keruk!"
"Keryaaaak!"
Wow, though.
Looking at them now, they really had gotten huge. Thanks to the mana I’d been channeling into them, the goblins had all bulked up. Most of them were now bigger than hobgoblins.
At this rate, would they grow to 160cm? Honestly, at that size, there’s no difference in weight class or strength compared to a human... Perfect soldiers. Don't tell me they'll grow horns while they're at it?
It’s like a dream come true.
A bulked-up, demonized goblin unit. For some reason, I imagine that after attacking once, they’d have to switch to a defensive stance.
"Today, we're going to train for high-speed charges while maintaining formation! Everyone, run in sync. Got it!"
"Keruk! Understood!"
And so, the training began.
"All units!!! CHARGE!!!"
"Keryaaaaaak!"
At my shout, the goblins charged forward, maintaining their formation. It was slower than a normal run, but they were charging with spears leveled anyway. The moment they collided, everything would be skewered.
—Crash!
"Keruuuuk!"
But maintaining a tight formation while charging in an orderly fashion is quite difficult. One goblin tripped over his own feet, and the formation collapsed.
"Hey! Are you guys okay!"
I expected this since it was difficult training. Still, he’d fallen pretty hard, so I ran over immediately.
"Keruk! My King! I'm sorry! Kerurrk! You! Get up quickly! In a real battle, we'd be wiped out!"
"Kerurrk! Keruk!"
"Get your head in the game! Keruk!"
Buril immediately started taking control.
"Buril is reliable as ever. But it's alright! This is difficult training! Let's learn from our failures and improve our skills! Now, let's try again!"
When I shouted that mercifully,
"Ke, Keruk...!"
"Kerurrrrk!"
"My King! Keruk!"
The moved goblins looked up at me with admiration.
"Alright, alright! Let's start again together! Training! Everyone! Back to your positions! We'll do this two more times and then take a short break!"
"Keruuuuk!"
We continued the training like that.
—Crash!
After falling two more times, we took a break.
"Kerurung... I'm tired, My King."
"Yeah. You worked hard. Hey, you're getting better as you do it, right? A few more times and you won't fall anymore. Next time, let's try lowering the speed a bit."
"Understood, My King! Keruk!"
I was taking a break myself when...
"..."
I felt a gaze.
Over there, Vanessa, wearing her bikini armor, was watching me with her arms crossed and a look of distaste on her face.
Did she have something to say?
—Swish.
I walked straight over to her.
"Vanessa—"
"You."
"Yes?"
"...For someone who engages in such base and despicable acts, you spend your daily life quite diligently."
What?
"Especially the way you focus on military training. I hate to admit it, but... you have a system in place."
I wondered what it was, but was she actually complimenting me?
"Oh. Vanessa. Are you complimenting me? I don't know what to do with myself."
"Kuh! It's not a compliment, I was just stating a fact!"
Her face turned red immediately.
"Certainly! With soldiers trained like this, humans who let their guard down would have no choice but to fall! It just makes me regret that I didn't realize it sooner!"
"Heh heh heh, is that so?"
That’s not a bad attitude.
"But Vanessa. You're a knight, aren't you?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"No, I was just thinking of getting some tactical advice."
"What? I won't cooperate in strengthening your evil army...!"
"Vanessa? Please? Don't be like that. Help me out a little."
—Squeeze.
The moment I pressed against Vanessa's side and squeezed her hip tightly,
"Haaan♥"
Vanessa made a lewd sound with a submissive look on her face.
"Vanessa. If you don't help me... you know what happens, right?"
"A-alright! I, I'll cooperate, so take your hand off...!"
She's easier than Reika.