"...So in the end, Gabiru really did rebel."
<Yeah. They're already just about to clash with the [Orc]. Looks like that idiot lizard seriously thinks he can win.>
Another three days had passed since Gabiru seized command of the [Lizardmen], making it a full week since Souei's promise to the [Lizardmen] chieftain.
The day of war against the [Orc] had finally drawn near.
"Hmm... If you're still attached to him, that means you haven't been found out yet, right?"
<Isn't that obvious? There's no way lizards and pigs loafing around in a peaceful place like this could ever see through me, a [Devil Lord].>
Having slipped away into a quiet stretch of forest while Rimuru and the [Kijin] prepared to head for the marshlands, Adelio was speaking through [Thought Communication] with "Moss's clone."
"...You stuck a clone on him without even asking me or Ria first, so why are you acting so proud? If Ria had found out before I did, she definitely wouldn't have let it slide."
<Ugh... w-well... I figured you'd somehow smooth it over...>
"......"
Hearing Moss's excuse, Adelio gave a bitter smile, then shook his head as if to say that was exactly what he expected.
After all, Moss had been keeping watch on the area the whole time, so of course he knew about the insult Gabiru had thrown at Adelio and Ria before.
'Well, he was probably planning to kill him quietly once he got the chance later.'
To insult Ria, one of the demon [King]s, was no different from insulting the white-aligned demons who served her, so Moss, who had been hiding nearby in clone form, had surely been just as furious as Adelio.
Ria was not some lowly being that a mere monster could insult—not a subordinate of a [Demon Lord], and certainly not one who served under any other [King].
Adelio understood that too, which was why he had deliberately chosen not to tell Ria.
"...For now, just collect the souls of the dead until Ria and I get there. Don't kill Gabiru."
<What? Why not just kill him cleanly? The [Lizardmen] are all weaklings who can't even beat a [Greater Demon]. Why should demons like us bother keeping dead weight like that alive...?>
"There is a reason. You may not like it, but they'll be useful in a lot of ways later, so let it go for now."
<......Tch. Fine.>
Moss had privately intended to kill Gabiru and the soldiers following him all at once, but when Adelio firmly opposed it, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and obeyed anyway.
Adelio was the consort of his lord. Sometimes he seemed soft on others, but Moss knew he had never once wasted his strength on something useless, so all he did was grumble.
<Hurry up and get ready. If you're late, I'll send every last soul here straight to hell!>
The problem was that complaints like that were far too heavy for ordinary monsters.
**
An hour later, after finishing all their preparations, Rimuru, the [Kijin], and the mixed unit of [Tempest Wolf] and [Hobgoblin] riders—the Goblin Riders—set out for the marshlands together with dozens of [Ogre] sent from the ogre village.
"...Hey, Adelio. You could fly too...?"
For the record, Adelio, Ria, and Shizue were not riding [Tempest Wolf]s. They were flying on their own by controlling magicules.
They could have brought more [Tempest Wolf]s from the village, but after so many years of travel, this method felt more natural to them.
"Ah... didn't I mention it before? People who evolve into sages or saints can fly even without a flight-type [Skill]. Of course, anyone with magicule control on the level of a sage can do it too."
"Huh, that's amazing..."
"You can probably do it too. Since you've got support from your [Skill], it should work even if your magicule control is still a little rough."
"...Huh? It's really that easy to copy?"
Rimuru looked a little doubtful, but for anyone who had reached a certain level or possessed a special ability, flying through the sky without flight magic was simple enough.
In fact, those who possessed a Hero's Egg, and nearly all [Demon Lord]s, could fly under their own power.
And Rimuru's [Skill] more than qualified as that kind of special ability, so there was no reason he couldn't do it.
<...Lord Rimuru, Lord Adelio. Do you have a moment?>
While Adelio and Rimuru were exchanging that brief bit of small talk, Souei sent them a [Thought Communication].
"Hm? What is it, Souei?"
<While scouting ahead, I found one of the [Lizardmen] chieftain's close aides engaged in battle with the [Orc].>
What Souei was seeing was a fight between the chieftain's daughter, who served as his guard, and an [Orc General], a higher-ranking individual among the [Orc].
As expected of the chieftain's personal guard, the [Lizardmen] woman's spear technique was impressive even from a distance, but against a commander under the control of the [Orc Lord], she seemed outmatched.
<At this rate, she will likely be eaten by the [Orc]. What would you like me to do?>
"...What do you mean, what should you do...? We can't just stand by and watch without saving her. Can you rescue her on your own?"
As someone who had been a nurse in his previous life, Rimuru naturally wanted to save as many as possible, and asked the question at once.
<Yes. I believe it will be easy.>
Souei answered in a flat tone, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and Rimuru nodded with a calm expression.
"Got it. Then we'll head that way too, so go ahead and wipe them out."
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