The Ninth Research - Sacred Covenant (1)

To understand how Olgoldugolro had come to change her class to Monk, it was necessary to turn back the clock. This was the period after the aqueduct construction to prepare for the drought had been completed, when the plan to cultivate the troll legion was in full swing.

“O Grondark.”

“What is it, Olgoldugolro?”

“This one has come with a question.”

While raising her Two-Handed Fighter level under the fierce guidance of Mace Hundred Strikes, Olgoldugolro posed a profound question to me. Given her legendary intellect (Intelligence 20), it was hardly surprising.

“If we were to become knights.”

She was already the strongest.

The strongest among trolls.

The kingdom’s greatest swordsman? Not even a match.

“All races would turn their wary eyes upon us.”

“That they would.”

Trolls were boss-level monsters capable of splitting boulders with their bare hands. In remote villages, there were countless cases where a single troll proved too much to handle and the entire settlement was wiped out.

“We are strong by our very nature.”

Moreover, Stone Trolls were an exceptionally powerful variant even among their kind. Their skin was as hard as granite, rendering ordinary blades utterly useless. Being rock-based granted them considerable magic resistance as well. And unless the damage came from fire or acid, any wound would regenerate within five minutes.

“Yet if we were to learn martial arts and wield weapons, we would naturally overwhelm the other races.”

That much was certain.

Even the arrogant dragons would be forced to take notice.

“Would we not draw far too much attention?”

“A fair point.”

“It would undoubtedly bring unwanted scrutiny upon both Lord Grondark and Lord Mace Hundred Strikes. Upon us as well, of course.”

Unwanted scrutiny.

She had phrased it politely.

The Sun God Church has been sharpening their blades for some time. They’ll brand me a warlock and come marching. Count Harrington has always had a terrible relationship with the Church anyway.

When suppressing the rebellion, Mace Hundred Strikes had refused the Church’s mediation and carried out brutal punishments. He had even smashed the heads of any nuns implicated in the revolt.

He’s always been a hot-blooded one.

Was he even a noble?

In any case, the meaning was clear.

“Then allow me to present the solution I have prepared and hear your evaluation.”

Olgoldugolro was exceptionally well-suited for the role of advisor. She possessed intellect on par with the great scholars of history (Intelligence 20) and the keen insight befitting the leader of a monster horde (Intuition 18).

“This one finds the plan quite sound.”

The core of the solution I had prepared was to keep the existence of the Troll Legion completely hidden, then reveal it at the decisive moment to crush the enemy with sheer terror.

“Might this one now present her own proposal?”

“Speak.”

“This one would enter the Zshan Monastery.”

“The Zshan Monastery?”

“Yes. As a lay monk, of course.”

The Zshan Monastery was an order of martial monks who served the Goddess of Harmony. They upheld the creed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of uniting mortals and preventing interference from otherworldly beings.

“This one believes the monks of Harmony would treat our tribe without prejudice. Furthermore, if this one joins the Zshan Monastery, our kind will no longer be attacked simply for being trolls. The only concern would be the secret of our birth becoming known…”

That.

Was a risk worth taking.

“Hmm.”

“Your plan to keep the secret, O Wise One, carries a low chance of trouble arising. However, should any problem occur, this one believes it would be difficult to resolve.”

In that, Olgoldugolro’s insight was correct. My own plan had been built on the premise that I would always be present on-site to control the situation.

Yet carrying out the plan has made one thing clear.

No plan is ever one hundred percent certain.

Stability had to be considered as well.

“You cannot be present in every location at all times, can you, O Wise One? In that respect, this one believes her solution offers the more stable answer. This is the resolution this one has devised.”

I will follow whatever decision you make.

At first listen, Olgoldugolro’s idea does seem superior.

However.

There was one part she had deliberately omitted.

If Olgoldugolro and her people join the Church of the Mother of Harmony, their dependence on me will decrease. They will gain official standing.

She wanted independence from me.

She wished to escape complete reliance and live freely on her own terms.

It was time to choose. Either perpetuate the socialization spell and truly birth the Enlightened Trolls as a new species, or grant them intelligence alone while stripping away their free will and using them as puppets.

“This is not a decision to be made lightly.”

“You are not refusing?”

Olgoldugolro seemed greatly surprised. She had apparently believed I had no intention of ever releasing them.

“You are my children.”

Children I had brought into being through magic.

I had elevated semi-sentient beings into true sentient ones.

“But you are still young.”

“…Is that so.”

For a brief moment, Olgoldugolro wore the expression of a sulky adolescent girl receiving a lecture from her father. Even that reaction was fascinating research material.

“Let us do this.”

The gathered Enlightened Trolls listened with rapt attention.

“If the Zshan Monastery accepts your leader Olgoldugolro as a full member.”

The Zshan Order was the martial monastic group that worshipped the Mother of Harmony with the greatest fervor. The process of becoming a member of such a strict religious organization was extremely rigorous. The Enlightened Trolls might not know this from books alone.

“At that time, I will make the socialization spell permanent. From then on, your intelligence will remain even if struck by a Dispel spell, and your offspring will inherit the same civilized minds.”

It would be the birth of a new race.

Not something to be permitted lightly.

“Therefore, prove it to me.”

Prove that you are sentient beings capable of living alongside other races even without your creator’s constant supervision! Prove that I am not a mad sorcerer who created an extremely dangerous ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠monster, but the progenitor who has brought forth a new guardian race to illuminate the world!

In response, the Enlightened Stone Trolls answered with a thunderous roar.

“““We shall engrave it upon our hearts!”””

O our wise father!

Watch over our proof!

With that history behind her, Olgoldugolro had become a novice monk of the Zshan Order. Once she demonstrated the qualifications to become a full monk, she would have the honor of participating in the initiation ceremony of the Harmony Church alongside the rest of her tribe.

Of course, even the novice monk qualification had not been easy to obtain. Olgoldugolro had been forced to undergo extremely difficult trials, yet she passed every one with flying colors.

The chance to record the trials she faced would come later. In any case, the novice monk Olgoldugolro who served the Goddess of Harmony had entered the orc dueling arena with a Strength Monk build.

“You would involve an outsider in a dispute between members of the same race?!”

The enraged Blacktusk glared at Belkan upon the throne.

“This is unprecedented! You coward!”

“From now on, what I say is precedent, Blacktusk.”

However.

Belkan was no longer as conciliatory as before.

He had changed class to King during the group assignment stage.

“If you dislike my decision.”

He pointed a finger ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠toward the wasteland.

“You may leave whenever you wish.”

“…”

“Remember this, vassal Blacktusk. The only reason your worthless life is still attached to your body is because I acknowledge the devotion you have offered as a warrior.”

Rumble!

Crash!

A spear of lightning formed in his right hand.

“…”

Faced with the ferocious lightning, Blacktusk realized the truth. His old friend, with whom he had competed since childhood, no longer needed to persuade the other orcs.

“Hah!”

Thud!

Even so, he stepped forward.

“Come at me! You stupid troll!”

An ogre-like giant orc.

The terrifying Blacktusk!

The very symbol of fear on the frontier!

“I’ll take you down in a single—”

“Olgoldugolro Style.”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The troll.

No.

The chieftain-class Stone Troll who had trained her body.

“Straight Punch!”

“?!”

The grey giant charged like a gale and drove her fist into the orc. It was a simple, straightforward punch. A plain jab with no technique mixed in.

“With a simple blow like th—”

BAAAANG!

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!”

…The massive orc, built like an ogre, was launched into the sky as if struck by a truck. Olgoldugolro lowered her lower body, which was harder than stone (Stamina 25), then leaped skyward with monstrous leg strength (Strength 32). It was like watching a hidden character from a fighting game.

…What the hell is that?

In two million hours of playtime, this was the first time I had seen a level 26 character one-shot a mid-boss from Chapter 1. A monster like a Stone Troll was not even a selectable race to begin with. Monsters were stronger than people precisely because they were monsters.

But what if a monster possesses a Class?

The current Olgoldugolro was a level 26 character formed by combining a level 25 Stone Troll with a level 1 Monk. In monk terms, she was still a complete beginner.

Yet the fact that she gained level 1 is what matters.

Level 1 meant she had solidly mastered the fundamentals of that class. For a warrior, that included how to handle various weapons and the basic stamina to match. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠For a mage, it meant the ability to read, write, and cast spells.

A level 1 Monk is one who has learned to control their worldly desires through physical discipline.

To the venerable high monks it might seem no different from a layperson, but from the perspective of a layperson like myself, she already resembled an ascetic who had transcended desire.

Lazy.

Violent.

Greedy.

That is the innate nature of Stone Trolls.

Yet.

Olgoldugolro had transcended it.

She had overcome the limits of her species.

“Olgoldugolro Style!”

She moved with the body of a monster.

“Rising Kick!”

Not the crude brawling of a monster.

But highly trained martial technique.

“?!”

When the troll monk swung her rock-like right leg with all her might, the air tore apart and a tremendous impact slammed into Blacktusk’s back. The falling orc shot back into the sky amid excruciating pain.

“Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!”

And then he became a star in the sky.

“…”

“…”

Everyone lost the ability to speak.

“Um…”

The warmongering orcs who had been clamoring for war.

“…Ashen Sage.”

Even the Shaman King Belkan, who had sent out his greatest warrior.

“Just what kind of monster have you raised…?”

“Even I…”

Even the Ashen Sage who had raised that very monster.

“Even I have no idea…”

I really didn’t know.

Even when I raised a Monk, mine was nowhere near that strong…

Thanks to Olgoldugolro’s performance, Belkan’s political authority was placed upon an unshakeable foundation. No orc now advocated for all-out war against humans. On the contrary, voices praising Belkan’s wisdom grew louder.

“Thank you, Ashen Sage.”

“You have my gratitude, Roshran Belkan.”

“I swear upon the honor of our ancestors that I will ensure the future political situation flows according to your schemes. If you require any other assistance, contact me at any time. You are our brother.”

An orc brother.

That was far better than blood brothers.

“Then it is time to part ways.”

“Where has that great demon who came with you gone?”

Ah.

Her mentality had shattered.

She was probably holed up in her personal theater.

“Demons are rather busy creatures, are they not?”

“True… I suppose you will manage somehow.”

After the farewell greetings, they truly parted.

“?”

At that moment, he felt a gaze upon his back.

“Shh shh!”

She had come.

In the form of a small silver snake.

“I have a proposal for you, mortal.”

Her voice was resolute.

Like one who had reached a firm decision.

“I shall become your familiar.”

“The condition?”

“If you become my Chosen.”