The flail of a master is as free as a butterfly.
Though the Golem’s flail technique hadn’t reached its peak, it was more than enough to disrupt an opponent of a similar level.
But perhaps it was because the wolf had regained its matching fangs, its movements were different from before.
After being knocked out with a single punch, it had been avoiding close combat, but now, it seemed to have regained confidence and chose to dive back in.
The one retreating was the Golem. The flail’s effective range was at the end of its reach, so it became disadvantaged the closer it got.
The wolf, avoiding the massive attacks falling like meteors, slowly closed the distance.
“Ugh, that wolf seems to have real talent,” one of the observing orcs said.
As he said, it made me wonder why the wolf had sharpened its claws all this time.
However, it still lacked experience.
“Ah…!”
The chain of the flail was longer than expected. The wolf tried to quickly regain its balance, but its foot got caught in the returning chain, losing its center of gravity and falling.
Seizing the opportunity, the Golem didn’t miss, twisting its massive body and swinging the flail.
Kaang!
The blunt weapon crushes anticipation. The wolf, raising its sword like a shield, paid the price by losing its fangs.
As the Golem drew back the flail, ready to deliver the final blow…
“Kwahng!”
The wolf, raising its real fangs, lunged forward. Even the Golem seemed taken aback, and the huge body staggered.
The wolf bit into the Golem’s sturdy leg. Naturally, its fangs didn’t sink in.
The Golem struggled to shake it off, but the wolf closed its eyes tightly and wouldn’t let go.
Puhk. Phuck.
With a powerful shake, the wolf’s body slammed into the hard ground. Dust scattered everywhere, and the wolf’s body gradually became mangled.
Finally, as if resolved, the Golem slowly raised its enormous fist.
There was no reason to watch what came next.
“Stop.”
The Golem halted at the sound of my voice.
The wolf still clung to the Golem’s leg, not letting go. Its body trembled thinly, eyes still tightly shut, as if it instinctively knew that once it let go, it would be the end.
“Stop it too, wolf.”
I spoke coldly, and only then did the wolf release its grip, sliding down the Golem’s leg.
It had the look of one who sensed its defeat. Blood and saliva dripped from between its broken teeth.
Indeed, it had lost the battle…
“…But it’s not completely useless.”
The wolf’s ears twitched slightly. Like its blood staining the earth, its pained eyes slowly rose to meet mine.
Within them, a faint spark began to rise. At first, it was a look of disbelief, then a desperate struggle to hold on to fading hope.
I gave an answer to that look.
“It will be hard, but keep improving. Welcome to the Demon King’s army, wolf.”
“Ah…”
Tears welled up in the wolf’s eyes, and soon they ran down its cheeks. She exhaled a trembling breath and lowered its head to the ground.
“I am Rain. I look forward to working with you, General…!”
It seemed that Rupia was quite fond of Rain. The reason was clear.
“Oh, so you’re the wolf that gave me the cream bread back then. From now on, you are third in command of our Demon King’s army.”
“Ah! Th-thank you! Demon King!”
Though in reality, there was only the Golem below.
Rain, receiving this unprecedented treatment for the first time in her life, wagged her tail wildly.
Rupia, feeling the long-lost sense of authority, nodded with satisfaction.
“Hehe, please continue to support the Bloodyrich cream bread… No, no, please take good care of the dungeon’s development.”
It was strange to see such a special promotion over just a cream bread. It suddenly made my position as a general seem rather insignificant.
Once the oath of loyalty was complete, I immediately called Rain to the training grounds.
The rank wasn’t entirely meaningless. I planned to raise her as an officer.
“Listen, Rain. You’re objectively weaker than the Golem and on par with the orc soldiers.”
Rain lowered her tail dejectedly with a gloomy expression.
“But you have something they don’t—a talent that could be considered A-grade. That is swordsmanship.”
“…!”
Rain’s tail instantly revived, spinning like a motor.
Though it was a bit chaotic, I continued speaking.
“If a sword is a brush, swordsmanship is the painting. The way you wield your sword creates countless possibilities. But you can’t paint with just a brush.”
I poured my magical energy into the sword I had drawn. It had been blue in my human life, but now it was red.
I compared magical energy to paint.
“The main reason I was able to cut off Rodon’s foreleg was because I infused magical energy into the sword. What you need to learn is how to control that magical energy.”
Rain’s eager gaze shone even brighter than the magical energy embedded in the sword.
“Of course, there are two things you must prepare first. One is an excellent sword capable of forming a bond. The other is a Mana Heart that can contain magical energy.”
A regular sword won’t do. It must be a masterpiece forged with the blacksmith’s soul, reborn in fire and water.
To contain magical energy in the sword, its soul must be able to accept the energy.
A sword with magical energy slowly corrodes. Naturally, the sword will not accept the act of consuming its own body.
This is why a sword capable of long-term bonding is required.
A sword that will fight alongside you on the battlefield until you grow old and die, and eventually join you in the grave.
“However, when I looked around Underis last time, it seemed there were no proper blacksmiths or sword merchants.”
“Ah, monsters usually rely on physical abilities or magic… That makes sense.”
As Rain had said, she had fought barehanded until she was taught swordsmanship, and the same was true for the Golem.
Because of this, it was highly likely that there were no true masters in the Demon Realm. So, I turned my gaze outward.
“If it’s the human world, there must be excellent swordmasters. I will infiltrate the human empire and retrieve your sword.”
“Y-yes…?!”
Rain’s tail puffed up like a loaf of bread in surprise. She must have understood what it meant for a monster to step into the human world.
“I-I just need a regular good sword! Please, don’t do it because of me…!”
“I told you, it’s not just any good sword. You need a legendary sword that can bond with you.”
If Rain’s swordsmanship talent had only been at an exceptional level, I wouldn’t have gone this far.
But I saw infinite potential in her swordsmanship.
“While I retrieve your sword, you will focus on forging a Mana Heart. I will teach you how to do that starting now.”
“General! But the human world…!”
“Stop repeating what I’ve already said. It’s one of the things I hate most.”
I raised my voice, overwhelming Rain with my presence. She flinched for a moment in surprise, then lowered her head in defeat.
“S-Sorry, General….”
“I’ve thought everything through, so don’t worry about it. Focus on the Mana Heart creation.”
Seeing Rain, slightly bigger than Rupia, cower, I couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy and gently patted her head.
“…!”
Rain’s tail quickly wagged, and her lips quivered. She tried to hide it, but there was a clear joy in her eyes.
She was as easy to understand as Rupia.
After briefly explaining the Mana Heart creation for about two hours, I gathered the Orc battalion at the dungeon entrance.
Rupia was there as well.
“My lord, to expand the dungeon’s territory, I plan to target a nearby human territory and enslave them.”
It wasn’t just for territory expansion. This was also related to the infiltration of the human world I had mentioned earlier.
“Y-You mean to wage war against humans…?!”
“I understand your concerns. However, since it’s a small territory, the impact should be minimal. Please trust me.”
Rupia was worried about our dungeon becoming a target for the human empire, which was why I hadn’t been aggressive in invading and had prioritized dungeon defense.
Rupia trembled, clenched her hands, and then, as if resolved, issued the order with determination.
“Yes, I trust the general! For the sake of our dungeon and the Demon King’s army, I’m prepared for anything…!”
“I will not disappoint.”
I kneeled and gave the proper salute, then immediately set off toward the small human territory in the east.
Since we hadn’t yet made the Demon King’s army flag, it might have looked like a band of thieves.
“Chwiik, chwik!”
But our momentum was unmistakably that of the Demon King’s army.
As the orc soldiers marched, their footsteps echoed through the forest. A nimble squirrel quickly disappeared between the trees, and the birds anxiously flew into the sky.
Leading the soldiers for the first time in a while, I too felt an uplifted mood.
“Chwiik! General Kan! I see a village ahead!”
The village in the distance was roughly situated. Houses made of rough stones were sparsely placed, and smoke rose from the center of the village.
Since it was a village within a human territory, there were likely knights, so battle would be inevitable.
I didn’t wait and gave the command.
“Spare those who surrender! Attack those who resist without mercy! The target is the lord in the castle!”
The traits of the commander activated. The orcs shouted loudly as they advanced.
When the sound reached the village, the villagers outside screamed and threw away their farming tools, fleeing for their lives.
“Hi-Hiik! A horde of orcs!”
“Monsters have appeared!”
The sound of bells rang from all directions, and the village quickly descended into chaos.
In the center of the village, where the smoke was rising, a woman in white robes was struggling and crying pitifully, bound to a pyre.
“Kwaaang! Please save me! Please save me!”