Rimuru's Restart: That Time I Travelled Back in Time

Chapter 11: Alliance with the Lizardmen

Rimuru and the gang's board meeting dragged on well into the night, the weight of the situation hanging over us.

"Anyone have new ideas?" I asked, my voice breaking the heavy silence.

The room fell even quieter. The others had ideas, no doubt, but they seemed uncertain, unsure whether they should speak up. Their gazes dropped, faces grim with doubt.

I sighed, noticing their hesitation. "For example, the Orc Lord?" I suggested casually.

At the mention of the Orc Lord, the atmosphere in the room grew even heavier. The Kijins' faces darkened, their shoulders stiffening. It was clear they were all too familiar with the legend. The Orc Lord wasn't just any monster—it was a mythical creature, one that only appeared once in a rare while. Even Shizu-san, a seasoned adventurer, couldn't help but grow pessimistic at the thought.

Shizu, usually so composed, leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "But that's just a myth," she said with a sharp edge, her tone dripping with cynicism. "Even if it were true, what could we do about it?"

I gave her a wry smile. "I'm not saying it's certain. It's just a possibility."

We all fell silent again, the tension rising as we continued to rack our brains, but then—something unexpected happened. Without warning, a strange presence filled the air. A soft rustle, like wind through the trees, and then she appeared.

A Dryad.

Kaijin and the other goblin representatives looked up, stunned. "A Dryad?" Kaijin echoed, his eyes wide with surprise.

The others exchanged confused glances, but I wasn't surprised. In fact, I had been expecting her. I'd known it was only a matter of time before the Dryad of the Great Jura Forest made her presence known.

I stood up from my seat, smiling knowingly. This was the moment I'd been waiting for. The Dryad would be the one to solidify my claim.

The Dryad, her long green hair cascading like a waterfall of leaves, stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Dear Ruler of the Monsters," she began, her voice soft yet firm, "I beg your pardon for my sudden appearance. I am Treyni, an overseer of the Great Jura Forest. I come with a humble request."

Her gaze lifted to meet mine, the weight of her words hanging in the air. The room held its breath.

Before I could respond, Benimaru, ever the skeptic, shot her a glare, his eyes narrowing. "What a discourteous demand," he growled. "Treyni, was it? Why are you here?"

Benimaru's tone was sharp, but Treyni didn't flinch. She stood calmly, unshaken by his hostility. "I humbly request the Ruler of the Monsters, the one who has earned the allegiance of the Kijins, to confront the Orc Lord," she said, her voice steady.

The room went still. The mention of the Orc Lord brought a heavy tension to the air, and even the normally unshakable Benimaru seemed momentarily stunned.

I nodded slowly, recognizing the cleverness in Treyni's request. As an overseer of the Great Jura Forest, she had to know everything that went on within its borders. She was no stranger to the dangers lurking in these woods. Most of the forest, anyway.

But Benimaru wasn't so easily convinced. "There are far more powerful tribes out there than a simple goblin village," he pressed. "Why come to us?"

Treyni didn't seem bothered by Benimaru's sharp tone. "You're right," she admitted, meeting his gaze without hesitation. "If the Ogre tribe were at full strength, I might have gone there first."

At her words, Benimaru's expression softened, just a little. The fact that she knew about the Ogres—about the events that had befallen them—meant she was no ordinary Dryad. She was a guardian of the forest, not an enemy.