—The New City of Ket Nya.
Several more months passed.
Bū and his kin were a formidable warrior tribe within Northground. Following the accession of Bū and his high orcs, the number of those seeking to join Ket Nya increased dramatically. In particular, thanks to persuasion from Bū's group that bordered on outright coercion, the small-scale warrior tribes in the surrounding area were brought into the fold as well. Furthermore, with the addition of the bull-headed red minotaur tribe—one of the largest factions in Northground—and the surviving cyclops tribe, a high-ranking branch of the giant race, we ended up commanding nearly half the forces in southern Northground.
"Ho. Quite handy with your hands, aren't you?"
As I was enchanting a finished sword in the smithy, a dog-faced man walked in and murmured with deep admiration.
At present, I was using my ability to replicate a famous blacksmith and magic technician from my lost memories in order to forge magic weapons.
"Ah, Mr. Lou."
He was Loup-Garou, a young man of the kobold tribe who had recently joined us alongside some hobgoblins who had fled here. According to the other kobold women, he was quite the dashing gentleman.
For now, he seemed to be living together with the hobgoblins we had taken under our wing.
"An enchanted weapon, is it? Let me see."
Mr. Lou picked up the finished blade and began inspecting it closely. Honestly, this person's discernment was extraordinary. He claimed he couldn't use magic himself, and being from the kobold tribe who were inherently incapable of magic, that was likely the truth. Even so, his combat instincts were unnervingly sharp. This person giving something his stamp of approval was undeniable proof that it would hold up in actual battle.
"Not bad at all. This one's a hit."
Hearing Mr. Lou murmur as if to himself, I couldn't help pumping my fist.
"Yes!"
With this, we had gained another viable weapon. Our greatest concern right now was a rumor regarding a certain dragon species said to have devastated the village of the cyclops tribe, the higher branch of the giant race.
The story spun from the mouths of the surviving cyclopses told of the strongest blue great dragon of Northground who trampled everything with overwhelming, merciless power—Cetus.
That beast had single-handedly laid waste to the cyclops village. If Mr. Lou hadn't rushed to their rescue, there was a high probability they would have all been slaughtered. That was how exceedingly dangerous our adversary was. Reinforcing our military strength was an urgent priority.
"However, in the end—"
"I know. Everything comes down to the one wielding it. Right?"
"Exactly. We are weak. Charging in blindly like this will only get us killed."
When Mr. Lou first arrived here and assessed our forces, he bluntly concluded that we were simply "weak." He had then declared with certainty that if we continued down our current path, we would be annihilated by Al's Army. Under Mr. Lou's guidance, we had been training relentlessly, and our overall strength had improved significantly.
When I told Mr. Lou about my ability, he took an interest in enchanting and offered several pointers. The result of that development was this very magic weapon.
On top of that, he had been putting the monsters through daily combat drills.
"Gil, Master Lou, it's time for the meeting!"
Bū, the chieftain of the high orc tribe, came stomping into the room, raising his voice cheerfully.
"Is it? Well, let us be on our way, then."
Mr. Lou started walking at a leisurely pace.
"Right behind ya!"
Bū followed tamely behind him.
Initially, Bū hadn't acknowledged Mr. Lou and picked fights with him at every turn, but after a sparring match where he was utterly thrashed, he had basically become his devoted lackey.
Taking the newly forged sword with me, I followed after them.
Monsters bustled to and fro along the brick-paved thoroughfare, flanked by orderly rows of wooden buildings. From a nearby butcher shop, the mouthwatering aroma of roasted meat wafted through the air alongside vigorous calls hawking their wares.
(This place has completely transformed, too.)
Since then, the monster population had swelled and Ket Nya had expanded, growing to the scale of a medium-sized human city. Naturally, having encircled the perimeter with towering stone walls and installed several enchanted defensive items, it was an ironclad fortress; barring the extraordinary, this place would not fall.
"Ah—Gil!"
Spotting us, Char, a red-haired cat girl, broke into a huge smile and waved both hands frantically.
"Char, slow down or you'll trip!"
Sure enough, she came pitter-pattering toward me only to stumble into a forward dive, but I managed to catch her just in the nick of time.
"See? What did I just say?"
"...Thank you."
Chuckling wryly as Char turned bright red in my arms, I helped her back onto her feet.
"You two certainly get along well."
Mr. Lou offered his observation, watching us with a warm gaze.
"Yup, we get along great!"
Char raised her right hand energetically, prompting Bū to flash a grin.
"Hear that, Gil?!"
He gave my back a hearty, bruising slap.
"Ow! Bū, I keep telling you, don't I? It's not like that between us."
"If you're a real man, get some backbone!"
Completely disregarding my protest, Bū let out a booming laugh and continued to relentlessly pound my back.
"Hey, Gil, what do you mean by 'like that'?"
Tilting her head innocently, Char looked up at me.
"Oh, it's nothing."
I gently stroked her hair.
"Mmh... Gil, are you dodging the question?"
"Nope. Not at all."
Of course, I totally was.
Mr. Lou let out an exasperated sigh, before turning serious.
"Gil, this is strictly... strictly a hypothetical, but the time may come when you are forced to make a pivotal choice."
His grave expression made the sudden remark carry an unexpected weight.
"Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
"Just listen. If that choice is one with a clear answer, then so be it. But if you must choose a path where no right answer exists, search your own heart and choose the one that leaves you with no regrets."
Puzzled by Mr. Lou's unusually cryptic words, I couldn't help asking:
"What do you mean by that?"
"You will understand when the time comes."
Murmuring those final words, Mr. Lou started walking once more.