Adelio had come to help Gazel, but ended up hearing his intentions as well, and he nodded as if to say it was exactly the kind of choice one would expect from old Gran's grandson.
"It's a good decision. Rimuru is a monster with no intention of becoming humanity's enemy, so if you build a cooperative relationship in advance, [Dwargo] stands to gain just as much from it."
For now, [Dwargo], one of the strongest nations on the continent, still far surpassed Rimuru's faction. But it would not be long before they caught up—and eventually overtook it.
Not just in military strength, either. As more capable people like Kaijin and the dwarf brothers gathered under her, her influence and economic power would also grow until her nation became one of the greatest in the world.
At the point where she could mass-produce the universal medicine known as Full Potion, she was already proving that potential herself.
"If [Dwargo] keeps cooperating with Rimuru's faction, then I'll personally guarantee that Rimuru won't run wild like Veldora did. Besides, there are things in the great forest I'll need to deal with for a while anyway."
"...Hmm... Would that be because of the [Orc]s that have been appearing so often in the great forest lately?"
Gazel nodded at Adelio's words, then asked his question.
"Not long ago, I received a report from the shadow operatives we sent into the great forest to investigate the disappearance of the [Storm Dragon]. They said the [Orc]s that once lived outside the forest have moved inside it, and their numbers are increasing at a terrifying rate."
Adding that no matter how he looked at it, the matter was strange, Gazel stroked his chin with a troubled expression.
"The disappearance of the [Storm Dragon] is still the more urgent issue, so we haven't investigated that side in detail yet. But aside from Rimuru, I can't think of anything else important enough for you to involve yourself in personally... am I wrong?"
Hearing that question, Adelio gave a simple nod, impressed that word had spread faster than expected.
With other countries, maybe he would have kept it hidden. But [Dwargo], with ties as deep as [Sarion] or [Ruberios], was easy enough to trust, so there was no real need to conceal it.
"Half of it is because of the [Orc]s, yeah. The king of the [Orc]s has appeared for the first time in centuries."
"...!! By king, you mean an [Orc Lord] has appeared?!"
Bang!
At the news that a new disaster he had never even considered had emerged, Gazel slammed his desk.
Fortunately, he had restrained his strength at the last instant, so the desk did not break. Even so, the office trembled slightly from the raw power he possessed as a Hydwarf.
"A monster spoken of only in legend has been born... We must gather troops at once and stop the [Orc]s before they multiply any further—"
"—No. There's no need for that."
Gazel's judgment had been correct. Even in his agitation, he had kept a cool head. But Adelio stopped him anyway.
"This time, I'm planning to leave it to me... no, to my disciple and Rimuru. So [Dwargo] doesn't need to step in."
If [Dwargo] began moving in earnest, then other human nations would also intervene in the great forest, and subjugating the [Orc]s would become far easier. But Adelio did not want that.
Even if the [Orc]s numbered in the hundreds of thousands, they posed no threat to him at all, and he had no intention of throwing away such a perfect chance for Shizue and Rimuru to grow stronger.
Besides, if Rimuru was to be acknowledged as the eternal hegemon of the great forest, she needed an achievement worthy of it.
Something no other power could casually challenge—like defeating the [Orc Lord] in single combat.
"So [Dwargo] only needs to watch from the position of a third party. Watch how much Rimuru can prove her worth against that [Orc Lord]."
Stating his opinion as firmly as Gazel had earlier, Adelio finished speaking—and in the next instant, vanished from before Gazel's eyes.
...
Like a hallucination, he left behind no trace at all.
"...Hah."
Gazel would later say that, much like his fiancée, Adelio really ought to fix that habit of disappearing without even waiting for the other person's reply.
**
Meanwhile—
"I guess this really is [Blumund]. Master Adelio said their information-gathering was better than most nations, and he was right."
Until Adelio returned, Shizue had been sightseeing around the Kingdom of [Blumund] and resting with Ria. After receiving a summons from the local branch of the adventurers' [Guild], she had stopped by.
Ordinarily, as the disciple personally favored by Adelio—a man even the [Council of the West] could not command—she could have ignored a summons from the [Guild] without consequence. But for the sake of an old connection, she had answered it this time.
"It's been a while, Fuze."
"...Yes. It has been a long time, Miss Shizue."
Fuze, the [Guild Master] of the [Blumund] branch.
He had distinguished himself as an adventurer from a young age, and now, as a middle-aged man, had risen to the position of master after earning the recognition of Yuuki, the [Grand Master].
"I'm glad you look well. I don't even know how many years it's been since we last met like this."
"Haha... Well, I haven't seen you once since that [Guild] conference in [Ingrassia]..."
Back in the days when Shizue wanted to travel and grow stronger on her own without Adelio's help, she had been close enough with Fuze's father—Heinz, the legendary adventurer—to call him a dear friend. That was why she had willingly accepted the summons from his son.
On the outside, Shizue looked young enough to be Fuze's daughter. But in truth, Shizue thought of him more like a nephew.
"...Maybe it's because she's known me since I was too young, but... she still treats me like a child..."
Though he was the one who had called Shizue here, Fuze had not actually wanted to summon her.
Partly because it was difficult dealing with a woman who looked like a peerless beauty while carrying herself like someone old enough to treat a man in his forties as a child.
And partly because he had not wanted to disturb her when she was finally enjoying some peaceful rest.
"......"
But—
"...Honestly, if not for His Majesty and that fool Veryard asking me, I wouldn't have had to embarrass myself like this..."
—he could not ignore the request of the king and his childhood friend, both of whom insisted that they could not simply leave a legendary hero alone. So he swallowed his embarrassment and called for her anyway.
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