The Reason the Orcs Moved...! # 2
Vacation is over. It’s time to get back into the swing of a full-scale daily routine.
"That concludes the morning roll call!"
After delivering all the orders, I wrapped up the roll call. At once, the members of the dungeon began to move in a flurry. Once breakfast is finished, the real work begins.
"Serineu! Once you're done eating, go teach the hobgoblins how to raise livestock!"
"Okay! Got it! So I’m just dumping all that work on them now, right?!"
Serineu uses the slang I taught her so well.
"Of course! Once they get a bit more skilled, you pixies won't have to manage the livestock anymore!"
"Yay! I’m gonna dump it all! No more livestock duty!"
Why is she so excited? Was taking care of the livestock that annoying? Still, seeing her so purely happy and excited is just too cute. She’s even doing the trademark pixie hop, shaking her ample chest in the process.
Anyway.
Inside the dungeon, there is a room specifically made for raising livestock. It’s essentially a chicken coop, where we’re currently raising small, bird-like monsters. They lay eggs and hatch chicks, so it’s quite profitable. They eat the grass I pull from nearby, or even the leftover scraps from our meals. The difficulty of raising them is extremely low.
From now on, the hobgoblins will be in charge of this kind of production and odd jobs.
"Muturi."
"Gurak."
"Take a few other hobgoblins and focus on equipment production. Things like leather clothes, hats, spears. Make stuff like that."
"Gurak-rak."
Sharan has been making them, but she can't keep up on her own. Muturi has made plenty of clothes before, so he’s reliable.
"Is there anything else you want me to do?"
As Muturi left, Serineu, who had been waiting nearby, asked.
"Serineu. That thing. What was it? You aren't doing that right now, are you?"
"Yeah. I brought in the equipment, but I’m not using it at the moment."
Pixies have some production traits as well. They have traits like sericulture using larvae and metallurgy using spirits.
I haven't had the time to run it lately, so it’s been shut down. Let’s dump that on the hobgoblins, too.
"Can you teach those things to the hobgoblins? Making clothes with thread and extracting iron with spirits?"
It’s low-quality iron, but I can just reinforce it with my demonic mana.
"Yeah! I should be able to teach them!"
"Even the iron extraction?"
"It uses spirits anyway, so it’s fine! Making them do the work is easy! I can just handle the management!"
"Then dump that on the hobgoblins, too."
"Dumping the work! Yay!"
She’s just beaming with joy.
With that, I finished giving instructions to Serineu. The hobgoblins are smarter than I thought. Among the races I’ve seen so far—kobolds, imps, goblins, lizardmen, satyrs—they have the highest intelligence.
So, I plan to shift the hobgoblins entirely toward production and odd jobs. If the pixies teach them well, things should run on their own. If I kidnap every new hobgoblin I find and put them on that line... the convenience of the dungeon will increase.
At this point, I think I could even incorporate the hobgoblins into my regular army rather than treating them like colonists. I’ll decide that after seeing the results.
And so.
"Keruk!"
"Kkeureuk!"
The goblins began their combat training according to the schedule, and the imps set out to hunt.
"Liliel! Focus!"
"Th-this is something I already did ages ago...!"
"Quiet!"
My sexy elite guards also carried out small-unit tactical training and physical conditioning under Vanessa’s command, and practiced black magic under Reika’s direction.
It’s a truly natural and diligent daily routine. If these peaceful days continue, I’ll be able to grow steadily.
"Gyusat. Then I’ll go make the rooms."
"Yeah! Good work, our cute Gyuil!"
"Gyusat-sat!"
Since the tunnels are mostly constructed, the kobolds can now move on to building new rooms, the dungeon prison, and expanding the second floor. I’ll leave the interior decorating for later.
A few days later.
Buril, whom I had sent on reconnaissance, brought back some kobolds.
"Kyusaaaaat!"
He even brought a mother kobold and her pups.
"Whoa! Buril! How did you catch all these! You caught a mother kobold?!"
My own dungeon was established after defeating a mother kobold and taking over. The physical strength of a mother kobold is quite significant. She’s about as tall as I am, too.
"Keruk-reuk! It was nothing. If they cross paths with this Buril, they’re all done for. Keruk. As soon as she charged, I just, bam! Keruk! I suppressed and caught them all, keruk-keruk!"
Saying that, Buril wiped his philtrum and laughed, *keruk-keruk*. What a cute little guy.
The mother kobold has a few wounds, but she is completely restrained.
"Hehehe! You perfect little guy! Hey! Well done! Our Buril!"
I immediately patted his head and checked the condition of the kobolds. I’ve never tried to dominate a mother kobold before, but I think it’s possible now.
"But."
Come to think of it.
How do mother kobolds give birth? Do kobolds have a mating season? Is that why they impregnate the females?
I’m suddenly curious.
"Hmm... Buril. Have the kids go bring Gyuil here for a second."
"Keruk? Understood. Hey, you. Come here!"
"Keruk-keruk."
"Keruk! Commander-nim! I’m going to call the kobold platoon leader! Execute!"
"Keruk!"
Following Buril’s skillful instructions, a goblin ran off in a hurry. Buril really has some charisma.
Anyway.
"Gyusat-sat. Did you call for me?"
Soon, Gyuil approached, twitching his long snout as usual.
"Yeah. Good job. Buril. And Gyuil. I have something I’m curious about."
"Keruk? What is it?"
"What are you curious about? Gyusat."
"You guys... that."
Now that I’m trying to ask, it’s a bit embarrassing.
"Don't you need females?"
"Keruk?"
"Gyusat?"
Monsters should have sexual desires, too. The livestock I’m raising right now are mating and laying eggs among themselves. But the monsters in my Demon King’s dungeon have never shown such behavior.
Ah, excluding the women, of course.
"Do we need females? Keruk?"
"Gyusat-sat. I need more shovels and subordinates."
However, at my question about whether they needed females, Buril and Gyuil answered as if they had no interest. Their reaction was more like, "Why are you asking that?"
Are they not interested in females?
Even monsters should have a mating season, right?
"Then let me change the question. What do you think when you see me playing with women?"
"Keruk. You mean when you play with females, Demon King-nim?"
"Yeah."
"Honestly, I don't really know. Keruk. Aren't you doing it to recover mana?"
Is this... are they completely indifferent to sexual matters?
Monsters want mates, too. That’s a natural law of life. Otherwise, they couldn't leave behind descendants. But these guys show no such signs. Could it be because they haven't reached the right age? Because it’s not their mating season?
If that’s not it.
Perhaps they are being influenced by my mana.
Is it an influence that makes them indifferent to sexual desire? Did I turn my subordinates into eunuchs without even knowing it? Thinking that made me shudder.
"...Gyuil."
"Gyusat."
"What do you think when you see that mother kobold?"
—Kyusaaaaat!
The mother kobold, restrained and bound. Her belly is bulging, perhaps because she is currently pregnant. She howled at us.
"Gyusat-sat. Make more subordinates. It’s good."
"Any thoughts beyond that?"
"I don't know. Gyusat."
They really have no thoughts when looking at the mother kobold.
"Hmm... well. Alright, never mind."
Such an indifferent reaction. I’ll have to research this separately. Anyway, this mother kobold needs to give birth to more pups for our Demon King’s dungeon.
Demon Domination applied.
"Kyusaaaat...?!"
The moment I injected the domination spell into the forehead of the thrashing mother kobold, she flinched for a moment and then calmed down. I can feel it roughly. The fact that she has come to follow me. I must have become much stronger in the meantime. I hope she gives birth to many more pups in the future.
"Alright, Buril. Gyuil. Dismissed."
"Gyusat."
"Ah, Demon King-nim."
"Hmm? Why, Buril?"
As I was about to dismiss them, Buril looked up at me.
"Keruk, I missed the timing to say this. Can I say it now? Keruk."
"Yeah. Of course, you should say it. What is it?"
—*Swoosh.*
Buril brought his ear close to me, and matching his rhythm, he whispered into my ear.
"Demon King-nim. It’s a little strange. Keruk."
"Why."
What’s strange?
"Keruk, well... monsters are coming? They are coming."
What is that supposed to mean?
"Explain in detail."
"Keruk-keruk."
Buril’s story was as follows.
The mother kobold we caught this time. It seems she was discovered in the direction where the orc tribe used to be. I thought that might happen, but because we’ve settled here, there are almost no monsters of this kind in the vicinity. On top of that, the orcs were there until recently. Generally, it’s difficult for things like kobolds to be found there.
"But it’s not just kobolds. Keruk. I couldn't catch them, but I saw other monster races, too."
"No. Really?"
"Keruk."
Buril nodded with a serious face.
Suddenly.
The question of "the reason the orcs moved" flashed through my mind. The size of the orc tribe was roughly two platoons. A platoon might sound like small fry, but orcs are guys with better physiques than the average human. A large group like that moved here? But beyond that, monsters are appearing in that direction?
"They were pushed out in a territory war?"
That interpretation is possible.
The orcs came down here because they lost in a territory war. And it’s highly likely that other monsters also came down to avoid the "winner of that territory war." Just like how we drove out the monsters in this area.
"This... the orcs might not be the problem?"
"Keruk?"
"Buril. For now, stop sending scouts in that direction. If only a goblin platoon goes, it could turn into a disaster."
"Kerung? Demon King-nim. I can deal with that much. Am I not Buril? I can even run away if it’s dangerous."
Buril showed confidence, but if it’s a creature capable of driving out an orc tribe of two platoons, it would be impossible even if Buril bulked up 10 more times here.
"My gut feeling is bad, that’s why. Next time, let’s go check it out together with the kids."
As I said that and explained the basis for the danger, Buril nodded.
"Keruk. Understood. Now that I hear you say it, Demon King-nim, it does look dangerous."
"Yeah. Spread the word to the kids."
What could have made the orcs and monsters run away?
I’ll have to go and check it out.
Well, I’d like to think it’s still better than humans, though.