A village somewhere in the forest.
Built along a river, it was filled with crude wooden huts.
This was Rhino territory.
The rhino folk had been enjoying a carefree life.
Suddenly a thunderous roar shook the entire village.
"What's happening?"
Panicked villagers rushed out asking questions.
Over a hundred rhinos gathered at the entrance, staring at the approaching cloud of dust.
A heavy sense of crisis hung over the settlement.
When the dust settled, a dozen Hoghead soldiers in fine armor appeared, riding giant lizards.
"Listen up! I am the vanguard of the Hoghead Army. In three days our main force will march through here!"
"If you don't want to be eaten, prepare enough food—willingly!"
"Hahaha—move out!"
With those shouts the riders spurred their mounts and galloped off.
The Hoghead warriors knew full well.
In three days these folk would be corpses in their bellies; the food offered could never feed two hundred thousand soldiers.
The announcement was just to squeeze out more supplies.
And once given false hope, the villagers would scramble to gather food instead of fleeing.
Even if they were smart enough to run, the Hogheads were confident they could hunt them down and wipe them out.
Fools!
The Hoghead warriors sneered and vanished into the forest.
There were still many villages left to notify—no time to waste.
Scenes like this had been replaying across the forest lately.
The Birdfolk, Gnomes, Frogmen, Goatfolk…
Dozens of weaker races had been devastated.
The widely scattered Goblin tribes were hit first and hardest.
Chiefs from over a dozen Goblin villages hastily convened a council.
But what could these dim creatures decide? They quickly reached a stalemate… At the heart of the Jura Great Forest lay Lake Cocytus.
Surrounding the lake stretched vast wetlands—territory of the Lizardmen, one of the forest's strongest tribes.
Beneath the marshes ran countless natural caverns where the Lizardmen dwelt.
That day a Scout's report arrived.
The Hoghead horde was advancing toward the wetlands.
Though unconcerned, the Lizardmen still called a council.
Ordinary Lizardmen boasted C+ strength; Captains were B-, and some matched B-rank.
With a population over twenty thousand, more than half—over ten thousand—were warriors.
Such might was formidable even by human standards.
A human nation of a million souls fielded at most ten thousand soldiers.
The developed kingdom of Falmes, with forty million citizens, had only a few thousand troops at its disposal.
And humans could not match Lizardman battle prowess.
The Hogheads were as weak as Goblins—two or three grades below the Lizardmen.
Hence the Lizardmen's calm.
Inside a cavern hall the Lizardman Chief sat on the main seat, flanked by the Captains of every war-band.
The mood was relaxed; laughter echoed.
Soon a Messenger entered.
"Chief, urgent news from the front."
The chief glanced at the runner.
"Speak."
"A large Hoghead force is approaching from the south—about half a month away."
"Oh? So they're really coming."
"Relay my order: marshal the army and drive the Hogheads back!"
The chief waved a claw, utterly composed.
"Yeah!!" xN
The hall erupted in excited roars.
Then the Personal Guard Captain beside the chief asked,
"Their numbers?"
"Roughly… two hundred thousand."
"…"
Silence fell.
"Impossible! Twenty times ours!?"
"We checked repeatedly with Magic Perception and Heat Sense; it's accurate."
The Scout hurriedly explained.
The chief frowned. "You've done well; rest."
A heated debate followed.
"Hogheads are chaotic and can't coordinate; they'd never gather two hundred thousand!"
"Impossible!"
"…"
The chief cut the chatter.
"It's the Pig-Headed Emperor."
"Only the legendary Emperor could unite such numbers."
Gasps swept the hall.
Panic set in.
"We must seek allies."
After calm analysis the chief made the only sensible decision.
"Son—where's my son?"
He called out.
"Here!"
A young Lizardman rushed in and knelt before the chief.
"Father, isn't that manner of address a bit crude?"
"Lord Gelmud bestowed on me the name 'Gabiru'."
"A formality—who cares."
"Tch."
Gabiru bristled.
"I have an urgent mission for you."
"Let's hear it."
"Search the forest for allies to stand against the Hoghead invasion."
"That's it?"
Gabiru stormed off with his retinue, thoroughly annoyed.
He was the mightiest warrior of the younger generation—yet his father gave him such a menial task.
Still, Gabiru led his men deeper into the woods.
He wasn't chief yet; he had to obey his father.
Gabiru's involvement would push the turmoil toward even greater chaos.
Chibi Rimuru
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