Defense wasn't something that could be achieved through items alone. In the end, protecting the village depended on our own individual strength. Following the recent turmoil, everyone understood that all too well. Besides, without enough hands, undertaking large-scale development going forward would be out of the question.
Therefore, to prioritize forging an alliance with another tribe, I was currently visiting the settlement of the high orc tribe—a pig-head tribe—along with Kiji and Chato.
Inside a stone castle, we stood face-to-face with armored monsters possessing the heads of pigs.
"Hey, hey. You're telling me a bunch of mere cats want to team up with us? Laughable, ain't it?"
A roar of laughter erupted, but the blue veins bulging across their foreheads made it clear they were all seething with rage.
Well, the sheep cat tribe was considered weak even within Northground. Inferiors, so to speak. If a prideful warrior among the human race were approached for an equal alliance by someone beneath them, they'd take offense too. That was precisely why the methods to make them submit were limited. Given how intimately familiar I was with such brutal realities of warfare, I might have taken on mercenary-like work back when I was an adventurer.
"If you don't want an equal alliance, subjugation is your only other option. Are you fine with that?"
"Gil, wait a second!"
Chato, who had been cowering beside me, went pale, grabbed my shoulder, and shouted to hold me back.
"Subjugation... did you say?"
An exceptionally massive, brown-skinned orc rose from a stone chair and grabbed a large cleaver leaning against it. All the other orcs had pale, flesh-toned skin; this monster alone possessed reddish-brown skin. He was undoubtedly an outlier even among high orcs.
"Yeah. At this rate, every monster in Northland will perish anyway. While it goes entirely against my wishes, if you won't submit, I'll just have to crush you right here."
In a sense, this was the truth. The threat currently mounting in the north, Demon King Aldebaran, was, after all, one of the Four Great Demon Kings. Until humanity summoned a monster known as the Hero from another world, they had long remained at an overwhelming disadvantage against the Four Great Demon Kings.
Even so, despite remembering nothing about myself, my knowledge regarding this world was strangely detailed. The discrepancy gave me an intense sense of unease.
"Big talk for a mere cat! Your reward'll be having your head lopped off and left to rot in the wind and rain!"
Right now, I had altered my appearance into that of a young sheep cat man—like Kiji and the others—using my ability.
Through some testing, I had determined that my ability was "Transmutation." One could call it the power to become whatever I envisioned. What made it absurd, however, was that I could alter both my appearance and my inner physical traits to match what I imagined. Furthermore, I could even change only my inner traits while leaving my appearance untouched. During that bandit attack earlier, I must have repelled them by changing only my inner traits.
Granted, there were several constraints. While I could only transform my inner traits into someone I had encountered before, my external appearance had no such restrictions; I could mold it precisely to my mental image. That was why I had changed my face to that of a cat.
After all, they would naturally be far more receptive to a fellow monster like a sheep cat than a human, wouldn't they?
"Cut the chatter. Come at me!"
When I beckoned him with an upturned palm to provoke him, blue veins popped across the brown-skinned orc's face.
"Got some nerve! Just as you wish, I'll slaughter you!"
Taking a heavy step toward me, he raised his cleaver and brought it crashing down.
As the massive blade closed in, cloaked in a fierce gale, I drew the longsword at my waist, catching the blow to redirect its force and deflect it away.
"Wha—?!"
Stepping inside the guard of the wide-eyed, astonished brown-skinned orc, I drove the pommel of my longsword straight into him.
His entire body bent into a sharp angle, and he was sent flying violently backward, crashing hard against the stone wall.
(As expected, anyone besides him is no problem.)
I had tested various forms, but transforming into anyone other than that black-haired boy didn't exhaust my body to the point of collapse. Right now, I had transmuted my inner traits into those of my ideal sword master, yet I could move completely free of strain.
"..."
The brown-skinned orc pushed himself back up and lowered his center of gravity. The complacency had vanished from his eyes. It seemed he was finally getting serious. This was where the real fight began.
It was glaringly obvious from his stance alone. He was strong. By no means was he an opponent I could defeat easily if I let my guard down. But I had reasons why I couldn't afford to lose, either.
And so—I raised my sword and kicked off the stone floor.