The atmosphere within the Lizardman King's palace was unusually tense.
"Forgive our lack of courtesy, but we are in the midst of a crisis and unable to properly receive guests," said the Lizardman Chief, his eyes fixed warily on the Ogre standing before him. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the surrounding guards.
The Ogre, Souei, stood motionless, expression unreadable. His eyes, calm as still water, betrayed no reaction to the heavy atmosphere.
He gave a subtle nod, acknowledging the chief's predicament.
"There is no need for formalities. I am merely a messenger, here to deliver a message on behalf of my masters," Souei said, his voice low and composed, yet carrying a quiet, compelling intensity.
The Lizardman Chief exchanged a glance with the head guard beside him, then slowly began to speak.
"Ah... you must be referring to the proposal for an alliance?"
Souei nodded again, his tone unwavering.
"Yes. My masters wish to form an alliance with the Lizardman tribe. Surely, you are aware of the threat posed by the Orc Lord…"
The Lizardman Chief furrowed his brow, contemplating deeply. At such a critical juncture, any alliance could shift the balance of power—but so too could a misstep.
After a brief pause, he finally voiced his doubts.
"But... we know nothing of your masters. Why would they choose to ally with us?"
Souei had clearly anticipated the question and replied calmly.
"My masters are Lord Granstar and Lord Rimuru. They seek an alliance because we share a common enemy: the Orc Lord."
The Chief's expression turned grave. He, more than anyone, knew the threat of the Orc army—their brutality had already thrown the region into chaos. An alliance could be their only hope of survival.
Even so, his mind remained clouded with uncertainty.
When did Ogres like this one, capable of wielding such power, appear in the Jura Forest?
And who are these so-called 'lords'? I've never heard of Rimuru or Granstar before. But judging by their emissary... they must be formidable indeed.
As if reading his thoughts, Souei continued.
"There is something else you should know. We have already secured the support of the Dryads."
The words struck like thunder in the Chief's ears.
"What? The support of the forest's Manager…?"
A wave of shock swept through the chamber. The soldiers around them gasped in disbelief. As long-time inhabitants of the Jura Forest, how could they not know the legendary Dryads—guardians of the forest.
Their power and wisdom were unmatched among forest dwellers. If these beings had chosen to side with Souei's masters, then the weight behind this alliance was undeniable.
Silence fell once more as Souei stood calmly, awaiting the Chief's decision.
But in every gathering, there always seemed to be one fool who didn't know when to hold his tongue.
"Hmph! What lords? Never heard of them! You're just cowards, afraid of the Orc Lord and trying to drag us down with you!"
"Chief, with respect, this sort of attitude—" another guard began, but the insolent Lizardman's words were already ringing through the hall.
In the blink of an eye, he froze—his breath caught as cold steel touched his neck.
Souei's eyes had turned icy. Without even moving from his place, he had conjured a razor-sharp blade of ice. Its edge rested against the fool's throat, just deep enough to draw a thin line of blood.
Gasps erupted from the surrounding guards.
"Stop! I apologize on behalf of my tribe for his insolence. Please, spare him," the Chief said urgently, rising from his throne.
Souei scoffed, and the ice blade dissipated with a shimmer, vanishing like mist.
"Ugh…"
The Lizardman collapsed to the floor, trembling as he stared up at Souei in terror. He could feel it—death had been only a breath away. Despite his own B-rank strength, he had been helpless. The Ogre hadn't even moved.
Only now did he understand why the Chief had taken this visitor so seriously.
"I don't appreciate people speaking ill of my masters behind their backs," Souei said coldly.
"I—I understand…" the Lizardman stammered, voice quaking with fear.
Souei gazed down at him with thinly veiled disdain.
"For your sake, don't let it happen again. There won't be a second warning."
The Chief let out a subtle sigh of relief and gestured.
"Take him away."
The disgraced Lizardman was carried off by two soldiers.
A heavy silence lingered before the Chief finally spoke again.
"Allying with a powerful force like yours may be our best hope. However... I have one condition."
Souei gave a respectful nod.
"Please, state it."
"I want to meet these lords of yours. That is not an unreasonable request, is it?"
Souei paused for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"It is acceptable."
"Then, once we are prepared, we will receive your delegation in three days' time. I hope to meet your lords then. But..." The Chief's tone became grim, "the prerequisite is that we survive for the next three days."
Souei's eyes glinted.
"Then make sure you do."
"With our underground palace's natural defenses, three days should be sufficient… Very well. There's no problem."
"Mm."
Souei gave a brief nod upon hearing the answer he was hoping for. With a flash of his body, he disappeared into the shadows without a sound.
The Lizardman Chief let out a breath of relief once he confirmed that the Ogre had left the palace. Settling back into his throne, he turned to the head guard beside him.
"That one must be an Ogre that evolved ... The strength of the lord who named him must be formidable. Forming an alliance with such a being could greatly benefit the Lizardman tribe."
"But… I still fear the strength of the Orc Lord."
The head guard's eyes lingered on the old chief with concern. Unable to hold back, she blurted out, "Father… I'll protect the tribe."
Deep within the dense forest, in a secluded and hidden corner, Souei's form silently emerged.
He stood motionless, eyes closed—not asleep, but as though quietly waiting for something significant to unfold.
Time ticked by, second after second. Eventually, Souei slowly opened his eyes, a glint of sharpness flashing through them, and turned to look in a distant direction.
Moments later, a petite blue figure fluttered toward him from afar like a delicate butterfly. It landed lightly on Souei's broad shoulder.
"Souei, well done!"
The crisp, cheerful voice belonged to none other than the chibi form of Granstar, whose face lit up with joy.
At the praise, the corners of Souei's usually stern lips lifted slightly into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. He bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for your kind words, Granstar-sama. I merely fulfilled my duty."
Granstar, perched comfortably on his shoulder, looked adorably out of place yet perfectly at ease.
Souei, a trace of curiosity in his expression, asked:
"Granstar-sama, did you summon me here because there's a task that requires my attention?"
Instead of answering immediately, Granstar plucked a crystalline ice flower from a nearby branch and began playing with it idly. He gave Souei a thoughtful look.
"Haha, I've just been cooped up in the village for too long. I figured it was time to stir up a little trouble."
He smiled helplessly, though there was amusement in his tone.
The truth was, Granstar had grown tired of Treyni constantly bothering him back in the village, so he decided to take action—namely, to deal with the clown lurking in the shadows before the final battle with the Orc Lord.
"Stir up trouble…?"
Souei's brow furrowed slightly.
"Oh right, Souei, did you remember to alert the old Lizardman Chief? This is going to be quite the spectacle!"
A glint of mischief flashed in Granstar's eyes.
Though Souei still seemed somewhat unsure, he responded calmly:
"Granstar-sama, rest assured. As per your instructions, I used telepathy to inform the Lizardman Chief of Gabiru's situation before I left."
Granstar nodded, satisfied with his loyal subordinate's performance.
"Well done, Souei. Having you around really puts my mind at ease."
He gave a sly chuckle.
"It's just a shame I won't be able to witness the father-son feud myself. Still, this way, the Lizardmen won't suffer excessive losses."
Granstar's smile curled upward slightly, clearly pleased with how things were unfolding.
Souei glanced at his master, a flicker of emotion rising in his chest. His lord certainly enjoyed these dramatic developments more than expected.
"Granstar-sama… so you came out personally this time just to cause chaos?"
Granstar didn't dodge the question.
"Exactly."
Without missing a beat, he continued.
"Souei, is the clown demon you've been tracking still within range of your surveillance?"
Souei immediately understood.
"My lord, do you intend to confront that clown?"
He narrowed his eyes, searching for confirmation in Granstar's expression.
Sure enough, Granstar's firm gaze gave him the answer he needed.
Souei closed his eyes and focused, linking his mind with a distant Body double using magic.
Time passed in silence.
Then, Souei's eyes snapped open, a sharp glint within them. He turned to Granstar and reported:
"My lord, I've just confirmed the clown demon's location."
A spark of intrigue lit Granstar's eyes as he nodded for Souei to go on.
Souei inhaled deeply before continuing:
"His magic signature is… strange. I can't detect his power using normal perception or scanning techniques."
"Moreover, I believe he's aware of my Body double and is deliberately leading it around in circles. He's toying with me."
Souei's face darkened slightly with shame. As a seasoned tracker, being discovered and mocked by the target during a mission was a rare and bitter humiliation.
"Granstar-sama, my failure to execute the task properly—please punish me."
Granstar, hearing this, pondered briefly on Laplace's potential power.
"No wonder… So even your clone was detected."
With a light chuckle, he patted Souei's shoulder.
"There's no need to blame yourself. If that clown's magic level is higher than yours, it's only natural he sensed your presence."
"Now then—let's go meet this arrogant fellow!"
Souei looked stunned but nodded resolutely, silently vowing not to let his master down again.
"Yes, my lord."
"[Shadow Motion]—activate!"
Souei's form melted into the darkness, with Granstar riding along as they weaved through the shadows of the forest at incredible speed. One moment they were atop a tree, the next they were at the edge of the jungle, each jump covering more distance.
"Souei really is a natural at this…"
Granstar mused, watching his subordinate skillfully utilize [Shadow Motion].
Combined with his [Body double] and [Thread Control] skills—and with the ice magic Granstar had granted him—Souei was like a king in the dark.
Granstar couldn't help but think to himself: After the Orc Lord incident, perhaps it's time to establish a special information and assassination unit… and appoint Souei as its commander.
The two continued to flit through the forest, so stealthy that not even nearby monsters noticed their passage.
"Granstar-sama," Souei said suddenly, "the clown demon is just ahead."
"Oh?"
Granstar raised a brow in surprise. "That was quick. Looks like he didn't bother to hide."
He expanded his magical perception—and sure enough, atop a hill in the near distance, a clown-dressed demon stood with a grin, gazing off into the woods.
Visit patreon.com/shirokendama for more chapters