"How about you guys follow me from now on?"
Granstar extended a hand once more, but this time, the gesture held a different meaning.
"Lord Granstar, are you... inviting us to become your subordinates?"
The red-haired young master looked at him calmly, but Granstar shook his head.
"I'm not looking for subordinates. I'd like to invite you to join my village. I can protect you."
The six Great Ogres exchanged glances. They had nowhere else to go, and wandering aimlessly would lead them nowhere. Compared to that, following this mysterious lord seemed like a far better option.
After a moment of hesitation, they all knelt before Granstar.
"We are willing to follow you, Lord, and serve at your command."
Granstar smiled. These were powerful beings from the original story, and now they were already at A-rank strength. From this moment on, they were his.
"Since you've chosen to follow me, I'll give you names. That'll make things easier."
The six Ogres looked at him in disbelief. They had thought he saw them merely as temporary followers. But naming them—that meant something more. And from someone as powerful as Granstar...
"Really? Lord Granstar..."
"Yes."
Granstar didn't bother creating new names from scratch. The original ones were already good enough. Drawing from his memories, he named them: Benimaru, Shuna, Souei, Shuna, Kurobe, and Hakurou.
"Thank you very much, Lord!" they all said in unison.
But right after, Granstar felt a massive drain on his magicules. Magic power poured out of him like a breached dam. He immediately pulled out a magic potion and chugged it down without hesitation.
"Damn! My magicules are vanishing too fast... It's like I've just fought hundreds of high-level battles!"
He kept drinking—one bottle after another. By the time he finished his ninety-third bottle, the weakness finally began to fade.
It was worth noting that, under normal circumstances, such potions would barely replenish even half his vast reserves. But it was enough for now.
Before his eyes, the six Ogres began evolving into Oni. Their appearances shifted dramatically:
Benimaru:
His horns shrank and became crystalline. His skin lightened from red to pale white, and the ends of his hair turned white. His features softened, and his body shrunk slightly.
Shuna:
Once a cute, pink-haired girl with red markings, her face now bore no patterns. Her horns shrank and sparkled like crystals. She had become a truly beautiful girl.
Souei:
His appearance changed little, except his skin became whiter and his demeanor colder. He now looked like the epitome of a stoic, handsome warrior.
Shuna:
Her skin lightened, her horns became smaller, and even her once-wild teeth now looked refined. She gave off the mature aura of a wise, intellectual older sister.
Kurobe:
Once an old man, he now looked like a refined middle-aged warrior. His aura was calm and restrained, like an unsheathed sword waiting to strike.
Hakurou:
The once towering, muscular warrior—over three meters tall—now looked like an ordinary middle-aged man. His new presence was calm and gentle.
Each of them now carried a subtle resemblance to Granstar, likely influenced by his magicules during the naming.
(Their powers won't be revealed yet—look forward to their debut in an upcoming war!)
Back in the village...
Rimuru welcomed them with his signature shout.
"Granstar! Where did you abduct this bunch of insanely strong newcomers from?"
He eyed Benimaru and the others from head to toe. Granstar rolled his eyes at the remark.
"You named them all already?" Rimuru asked.
"I did."
"Wow... You? Naming six people at once? That's rare with your picky standards."
"I'm not as reckless as you," Granstar replied flatly.
Shuna covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. The back-and-forth between the two made the newcomers smile, while the rest of the village simply looked on, clearly used to their banter.
On the way back, Granstar had explained the situation in the village to the six new Oni. They also learned that another powerful leader, equal in might to Granstar, resided there.
He had told them about the Ice Guard and Rimuru's vision—and they were all deeply impressed.
"Lord Rimuru, we've all heard Lord Granstar speak of your contributions to the village, as well as your strength. Please take care of us in the future," said Shuna, still as talkative as ever.
Hearing such praise from a beautiful girl made Rimuru's expression shift slightly—he looked a bit embarrassed.
"Haha, not at all," he replied. "Don't worry, our village gladly welcomes you."
He added with a grin, "Next time, you should try the new hot spring I built. Don't worry—it's properly separated for men and women."
"Hot spring?" Shuna echoed.
Granstar raised an eyebrow in surprise. The hot spring was finished already?
Well, that was something to look forward to.
To welcome Benimaru and the others, the village organized a celebratory banquet.
"Haha! Let's have a toast!" someone shouted.
Glasses clinked together in a lively cheer. At the grill, Granstar was busy roasting beef and venison, a goblin assisting by his side.
His temperature control was perfect—it came naturally. With his special seasoning mix, the aroma of grilled meat quickly filled the air.
Soon, a line had formed in front of the grill.
"Granstar, is it ready yet? It smells way too good!"
"Rimuru, hands off! It's not done!"
"Lord Granstar, your skills are amazing!"
Many had never tasted meat grilled by Lord Granstar himself and were eager for a bite.
Once the first batch was ready, Granstar casually grabbed ten skewers and slipped away from the grill.
He handed six to Benimaru and the newcomers.
"Thank you, Lord Granstar!" they said gratefully.
As he pondered who should get the remaining four, Rimuru came over and snatched two without hesitation.
"Rimuru! You're a bit too comfortable, aren't you?" Granstar teased.
"Hehe, with that line forming over there, who knows when I'd get to eat!" Rimuru laughed.
"Whoa! Granstar, how did you make this seasoning? It tastes exactly like the stuff I used to get from street stalls!"
Granstar took a bite himself—not bad, he thought.
The rich aroma lingered in the air. Unfortunately, he had only grilled a few dozen skewers, leaving many disappointed they didn't get a taste of his special beef and venison.
Thankfully, the goblin helper had learned well. With plenty of seasoning prepared, they kept grilling, though the taste was a little off from the original.
"Let's raise a glass to Benimaru and the others joining our village!" Rimuru said.
He held up his wine glass, clinking it with Benimaru's and the rest.
Perhaps this celebration would help them feel at home in their new family.
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