Rimuru and his group finally arrived safely back at the village. Though only a few days had passed since they left, it felt like much longer.
"Look! Lord Rimuru has returned!"
The goblins immediately swarmed over, cheering and welcoming him with enthusiasm. Gobta, riding proudly atop a Tempest Wolf, grinned with pride.
The village had grown considerably, yet aside from a few igloo-like structures at its center, most of the area was still just open space. The lack of proper buildings was evident.
"So... you all live in these igloos? Lord Rimuru, this is much more primitive than we imagined," Kajin said, surprised.
He and the dwarf brothers stared at the crude village, realizing they were facing a monumental task.
"Haha, Kajin, I'm counting on you," Rimuru replied with a slightly embarrassed smile. It was a little awkward showing such a shabby village to outsiders.
As Granstar had said before, technical work really was best left to professionals. Unfortunately, the goblins weren't exactly skilled in that area.
"Lord Rimuru, just give us your orders! This may be a great challenge, but it's also an exciting one!" Kajin said confidently.
"Yeah!" the dwarf brothers chimed in, exchanging determined glances.
Rimuru felt relieved. With their help, things might actually progress smoothly.
He then introduced Kajin and the dwarf brothers to the goblins one by one. The top priorities now were clear: produce enough clothing, construct comfortable housing, and craft practical tools.
"Lord Rimuru, rest assured! We'll follow Master Kajin's lead and work hard to learn everything we can!" one goblin declared, echoed by several others.
Rimuru nodded with satisfaction. Their enthusiasm was genuine—they didn't want to let him down.
He quickly arranged for Kajin to lead a group of goblins and begin training them in construction and craftsmanship.
Just then, Rigurd hurried over, his face lined with concern. It was clear he had something urgent to report.
"Lord Rimuru, you've returned at last! There's a matter that requires your final decision…"
Approaching, Rigurd dropped to one knee and began to explain the situation.
Rimuru listened carefully, learning what had transpired during his absence.
"I see… take me to these goblins who came seeking refuge," he said calmly.
"Yes, sir!" Rigurd responded, rising and leading the way.
They soon arrived at one of the igloos. Rimuru was taken aback by the sight inside.
Huddled together were dozens of small, frail goblins, visibly trembling from the cold. It was obvious they hadn't evolved yet—they couldn't even withstand this mild chill.
As Rimuru wondered how to address them, the goblins suddenly dropped to their knees.
"Oh great lord, we have a humble request—please, hear us!" one cried out.
"Alright… I'll listen. What is it you want?" Rimuru asked, though he already had a guess.
"Thank you, Lord Rimuru! We hope… to become your subordinates!" said one goblin chieftain, acting as their representative.
The others nodded eagerly and bowed their heads again.
"Please grant our wish!"
Rimuru felt a headache coming on.
The village had only just started down the path of development. They barely had the resources or manpower to handle their current population, let alone more newcomers.
Still, these goblins clearly had nowhere else to go. Word had spread that a village under the protection of two powerful deities—himself and Ranga—was thriving. That had likely inspired them to come all this way.
It was understandable.
After all, the Jura Forest wasn't a safe place. Between the ogres, the lizardmen, and other powerful races vying for dominance, weaker goblin tribes like theirs had little hope of survival.
Rimuru's original intention was simple: he couldn't stand watching the weak being bullied. So, he approached the group, planning to first ask how many of them there were.
The answer shocked him.
"What?! You have 500 tribesmen?"
"Yes, please, Lord! Take us in!"
It was the same desperate plea.
Rimuru was taken aback by the number. Their village currently had fewer than 200 goblins—suddenly taking in 500 more was no small matter.
"Hold on a moment," Rimuru said. "I need to discuss this with Granstar. You should know, I didn't build this village alone."
"I don't have the sole authority, either."
The goblins nodded respectfully. They had long heard rumors of another powerful deity residing in the village, and their awe only deepened.
Rimuru decided to wait for Granstar before making a decision. He took out the Teleportation Cube, infused it with magic, and tossed it into the air.
A swirling blue vortex gradually formed. Moments later, a small blue figure flew out and immediately spotted Rimuru.
"Rimuru! Finally willing to call me back, huh? You must have a problem on your hands!"
The familiar, teasing voice rang out for all to hear.
Granstar knew Rimuru all too well—he wouldn't summon him without a good reason.
Rimuru rolled his eyes at the comment and simply pointed at the goblins kneeling nearby, silently urging Granstar to take a look.
Granstar's gaze swept over the group of goblins, dressed in various tribal garbs, all staring at him as if witnessing a miracle.
He raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, clearly puzzled.
Sensing his confusion, the goblin chieftain repeated the plea he had made to Rimuru.
Finally, he added once more, "Please, great Lords, take us in!"
It seemed that, given their limited understanding, this was the best they could express.
After a brief silence, Granstar turned to Rimuru, ignoring the goblins entirely for the moment. His expression was unreadable.
"Rimuru… you've already decided what to do with them, haven't you? You just called me here to help establish some authority in front of them, right?"
"Am I wrong?"
Rimuru didn't deny it. He just shrugged his tiny shoulders. Granstar was as sharp as ever—he'd seen right through him.
"Haha, Granstar," Rimuru said with a sheepish grin. "I should've known you'd catch on immediately. After all, you are the second-in-command of our village, aren't you?"
Truly, no one understood Rimuru better than Granstar.
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