(Attendance… plz…)
….
Rimuru strolled aimlessly around the village, taking in deep breaths of the cool evening air. He was trying his best not to overthink things… other than the terrifying prospect of the Orc army, which stubbornly refused to leave his thoughts.
He let out another heavy sigh. He had lost count of how many times he had sighed in the last few hours.
As he turned a corner, he saw Benimaru stepping out of one of the newly built houses, the one assigned to his sister and the other female ogres.
"Yo, Benimaru," Rimuru called out, waving a hand. "I didn't really get a good look before, but… hmm. You changed quite a lot with just a name. Just like Rigurd did."
Benimaru stopped and turned to him. His expression was serious, and he immediately bowed his head. "Thank you. And… I apologize. I went and asked Reinhard to name me when I hadn't even given you an answer to your offer. It was very disrespectful of me, especially after you gave us a place to stay."
Rimuru was baffled. "Whoa, whoa, easy there, buddy," he said, waving his hands dismissively. "I just wanted to give names so it would be easier to call everyone, for convenience. It doesn't matter if you got named by Reinhard. Though… I am somewhat confused as to how he did it, considering his… condition."
"Excuse me?" Benimaru asked, confused.
"Nothing, just me blabbering nonsense," Rimuru said quickly. "So, did Reinhard only name you? Or did he name the others, too? Rigurd only mentioned you."
"No," Benimaru replied. "I was the only one. Frankly, I didn't even know if he would agree. Naming is a very important thing to us. We wouldn't accept a name from just anyone."
Rimuru looked at him thoughtfully. "Hmmm… wait. So you were ready to be named by me if Reinhard didn't agree? And you said you wanted to think about it… so technically, you were thinking. You do know I don't mind naming the others if they want, right? Of course, I don't mind if Reinhard does it either."
Benimaru looked surprised that Rimuru was still willing to name the other ogres, even after what could be seen as a snub. "You really wouldn't mind giving the others names?"
"Well, of course not," Rimuru said with a shrug. "As long as they don't mind, that is. I don't want to force anyone into something they don't like. You just said yourself that naming is a very important thing for your people."
A small smile touched Benimaru's lips. "Actually, I already talked to them when you first offered. They didn't really have any opposition to it, knowing you were Reinhard's friend. So, if it isn't a problem for you… then I would be eternally grateful."
"Oh, it isn't really that big of a thing," Rimuru said, waving off the gratitude. "Don't mention things like 'eternally grateful.' If anything, just help around the village like you've been doing, and get along with the goblins. And if possible… you are welcome to stay in our village permanently, too. I wasn't joking about that part. As long as you're comfortable with it."
"Thank you," Benimaru said sincerely. "I will inform the others. They will come whenever you are ready for them."
"How about now?" Rimuru suggested. "I'm not doing anything, to be honest. We could just get it done sooner rather than later. How many are there?"
"I do not doubt your strength," Benimaru said cautiously. "But perhaps we should take it slowly? You don't have to do it all at once."
Rimuru thought about it for a second. "You're right. Just send five or six for now, and we can go from there."
"Very well," Benimaru nodded. "I will send them to your house immediately."
…
XX Days Later:-
The march had been long and grueling. The orc army had been moving non-stop, day and night, like an unrelenting tide of undead. They didn't spare a single second to rest, stopping only to consume whatever unfortunate monsters crossed their path, or to eat their own fallen comrades.
Reinhard and the ogre clan, now numbering only a few hundred survivors, moved to intercept them. Of those survivors, only a few dozen or so few were warriors capable of fighting; the rest were children and the elderly. Most of the clan's warriors had fallen in the initial surprise attack on their village.
Benimaru, along with the newly named and evolved Souei, Shion, Hakurou, and Kurobe, ran at the front of the group with Reinhard. They moved at a pace the other ogres couldn't match, letting the main group catch up when they could. Even fully counted, their fighting force was barely eighty or ninety strong. And they were heading straight into a battle against an army of hundreds of thousands.
Rimuru had named Souei, Shion, Hakurou, and Kurobe that night before passing out cold. He had drastically overestimated his magicule capacity, thinking that since he could name a whole village of goblins, five ogres would be easy.
He was wrong. As a result, he was at that time was deeply asleep, recovering his energy. Shuna had stayed behind in the village, under Benimaru's strict orders.
Suddenly, a second Souei flickered into beside them, a body double used for scouting. "Report," he said calmly. "We are five kilometers from their position. The Orc Lord and his massive army are marching non-stop."
Everyone sped up. They were finally here.
…
Reinhard and the Kijin crested a hill and finally saw it. The Orc Lord. And behind him, a sea of orcs and rusted iron that stretched as far as the eye could see, a living carpet covering the forest floor.
Reinhard gripped the hilt of the new sword he had received from the village smithy. "Let's stop this madness here and now," he said quietly, "before more innocents suffer."
Benimaru stood beside him, ready. He wasn't a frenzy of bloodlust like before. He was surprisingly calm, his eyes focused and sharp, even as he stared down the monster responsible for his people's suffering.
"I will deal with the Orc Lord at the front," Reinhard said. "Please deal with the ones in the back in the meantime."
"Thanks," Benimaru replied.
"Don't worry about those pigs at the back," Shion said, a dangerous red glint in her eyes.
"Please be careful," Hakurou added, his hand resting on the hilt of his cane sword.
"Don't worry about us," Kurobe said, hefting a massive hammer.
"We will deal with them," Souei said calmly.
Reinhard shot forward, launching himself into the air like a streak of white light, flying straight toward the Orc Lord at the front of the horde.
The orc army was a scene from a horror story, their dead, hungry eyes fixed forward, marching in endless unison.
When Reinhard was gone, Benimaru turned back to the other ogres, the unnamed warriors who stood ready to fight and die for their new leader.
"I think you all already know what you have to do without me telling you," he said, his voice low and deadly.
"MASSACRE THOSE PIG BASTARDS THAT DARED ATTACKED OUR VILLAGE!"
….
A/N: Remember the thing feom the past chapter?! 500:24 hours.
Oh and if anyone wanna read: reinhard x overlord/solo leveling fanfic you already know where it is.
Melatonin, spawn and many more on my discord … thanks for beta reading this fic and not to mention suggestions too.
Hoped you all liked the chapter and all.
And if you want to read ahead you can do it by just joining my discord server.
&
you can join my discord server: https://discord.gg/5Y7uZ2kN2Y
Or in short just click in join via invite link in your discord and enter this code: 5Y7uZ2kN2Y