That Time I Got Reencarnated as a Demon Lord (English)

40 - Moments of "Tempest"

All the executives were assembled.

Even if the changes in me were small in terms of power, my skills improved a lot and that seemed to be clear to everyone, after all, everyone was very tense with my presence. Or, suddenly, it could be the fact that I was about to declare war. Or, it could be...

"Ciel, could you get off my lap?"

"Really? But it's so comfortable here."

"Even so, it will disrupt the meeting."

Ciel, even if reluctantly, got off of me and sat in the chair next to me, his body glued to mine as much as possible. Everyone's apprehensive gaze seemed to leave me and he was guided to her, proof that I really wasn't the reason for everyone's tension, but I couldn't complain to them.

Even I was tense from having Ciel glued to me. Tense enough to appreciate the fact that my mimicry is naturally asexual, and that it only has gender when I ask it to.

"Concentrating once more... As I was saying, we will declare war against the ogre village next week. I will select the best soldiers who will participate in this battle during the week, but know that our numbers will be few."

"May I know why, Rimuru-sama?"

The one who raised his hand, with a doubtful expression on his face, was Rigur. Rigurdo got a more stern expression towards his son when he saw him ask the question, but he didn't say anything this time, probably remembering that I prefer it when subordinates question my actions if they really have any doubts.

After all, his questioning was valid.

"If we used number-based troops I'm sure our chances of winning would be high, probably one hundred percent. The strength of the goblins is still below the ogres in close-range battles, but if we took the Kaze with us and made it a fight long-range... It would be a guaranteed victory. That aside from the troop of wolves we have on our side, who are second to the ogres in magical power."

I nodded, agreeing with every single thing Rigur was saying. And indeed that's the reasoning a normal person should have, but I don't like the idea of ​​thinking like I'm a normal person. Even because my goal is not normal, and normal methods will not help me to conquer my target.

"The thing is, if we used numbers, the ogres wouldn't respect us! They would see us only as the cowardly Hob Goblins who subjugated them using their superior numbers, their powerful magical beasts, and their ranged weapons. That would make them resistant to accepting me as their rightful leader would hinder my plans to dominate all the monsters that exist within the Great Forest of Jura."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement with my words.

There was little known about ogre pride, a pride said to have caused ogres to have denied even serving a Demon Lord in the past. And I, who only aspire to achieve this level of power and respect, cannot expect to be immediately recognized by them. If it was an emergency situation and it involved a small group of ogres, then I might even have a slim chance, but we're talking about a village with over three hundred individuals.

They won't accept serving me unless I prove to them that I'm much stronger than them. The law of the fittest, more than once I've seen how that law rules here in the Great Forest of Jura.

"That's why, instead of taking large numbers, we're going to take only the elite soldiers. The elites of our soldiers will maintain a defensive formation in the rear and split up to take care of the lesser ogres on the battlefield, never acting separately. That way we'll preserve our strength while, every time someone gets hurt, that same elite will do their best to heal the injured."