Okay so the new chapter is out!!

I had some less than ideal comments in the previous chapter, but I'm just gonna push past the haters and move forward with the story!!

Hope you all enjoy this one!!

Rimuru's POV:

Knock Knock Knock!!

My eyes snapped open as I heard the sound of a door being knocked on. My eyes snapped open, and I quickly noticed how it suddenly seemed a bit darker out, probably the sun setting or it already being down.

It took me a few seconds to realize where I actually was. The encounter with the ogre warriors, being brought back to their village, speaking with their chief and even being given a place to stay!

'I must have dozed when I hit the bed.' I thought to myself as I rubbed the drowsiness out of my eyes.

"Sir Rimuru? Are you wake?" A polite and feminine voice called from outside. It sounded younger than what most women would sound like, perhaps this ogress was on the younger side.

"Yeah, I'm awake." I called out, quickly washing my face using [Water Manipulation] before I stepped out of my room and walked into the living room.

Given the amount of respect that these people were showing me I wanted to make sure I lived up to whatever standard they had of me. Wish I had some better clothes than these though, maybe I could ask one of the ogresses to make something for me, they seemed skilled with making kimonos and yukatas.

"The preparations for the feast have been completed. I've been asked to escort you there." The probably young ogress outside said.

'Oh yeah, food!!' My eyes sparkled in excitement as I remembered the promise of food that had been made earlier in the day. Just the thought of eating real food was enough to get my mouth all watery and my stomach rumbling, thankfully not loud enough that it could be heard from outside.

"Sounds great." I said as I quickly wiped whatever drool was most likely coming out of my mouth, before opening the door and stepping out. Closing the door behind me I then turned to properly greet the ogress who would be escorting me. My eyes widened slightly when she came into view.

The ogress was a petite girl in her late teens that was still developing, by human standards anyway, she looked sixteen to seventeen years, though there's no telling if ogres age differently than humans. She was a bit taller than me naturally. She had long wavy pink hair and deep crimson eyes to match, and two large white horns coming from the top of her head. Her face had red tear-like marking below her eyes, she also had small fangs protruding from her mouth and her skin had a slight pink tint to it.

'She's so cute!!' The thought dominated my mind as I turned my head away from her so as to not get caught staring or embarrass myself. 'This totally would have been my ideal type of girl back in high school.'

"Um, Sir Rimuru, is something wrong?" The ogress asked, snapping me out of thoughts. I turned to face her only to see her covering the lower half of her face with the excessively long sleeves of her robe, that just made her large ruby eyes stand out even more!!!

'Somehow that just makes her look even more cute!!!' I had to resist the blush that threatened to make its way up my face. I covered it up by glancing away once more and coughing into my right hand. Gathering my bearings I then turned towards the ogress once more, "Y-yes, I'm fine, sorry about that. Please lead the way." I responded after a moment, knowing that I'd already left a less than ideal first impression.

With a small giggle hidden behind her large sleeves, the pink haired ogress began to lead the way towards where the feast would be held, with me following close behind in embarrassment. I really needed to get a better hand on myself, embarrassing myself in front of a pretty girls was.

Given that the village wasn't overly large, it didn't take us long to arrive at our destination, there were several long tables that had been set out with large amounts of food on them, the largest being the one that had the chief at its head. The ogress led me towards the chiefs table and gestured for me to take the seat to his right, his wife and son were seated at his left side.

"Ah, Sir Rimuru." The Chief greeted with a smile as I took the seat that had been offered. The pink haired ogress then went on to take a seat next to the young master, "How are you liking your accommodations thus far?"

"It's great, I slept like a log." I couldn't help but admit. I wasn't going to pretend that I was any good at formal conversations like the ogre chief, besides as far as they were concerned I was barely a few months old so they can't expect much from me in that regard, "Silk beds definitely beat the bedding I tried to make with [Sticky Thread] or [ Steel Thread]." I confessed, it was something I was sort of envious about but given that I'd be enjoying said silk bed for the foreseeable future it was nothing to get worked up about.

The Chief and his wife both look genuinely pleased at that response, while the pink haired ogress looked a bit piqued when I mentioned my thread skills, "I'm glad to hear that. As I'm sure you've been told that house will be your dwelling for the duration of your stay, so please use it as you see fit."

"Thank you, that's very generous of you." I said with the quick bow of my head.

"If you have any questions please feel free to ask myself or my wife," he said before gesturing towards the pink haired ogress, "Or if you prefer you can ask my daughter."

"Daughter?" I couldn't help ask as my eyes widened slightly. I hadn't known that I was escorted by what was essentially the princess of the tribe!! Though now that I took a better her she did look very much like the chieftess in many ways.

The young ogress suddenly seemed to blush from embarrassment before quickly bowing her head, "Please forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I'm the second and last born of our chieftain, most in the village refer to me as 'Princess'." The Princess introduced herself, I couldn't help but mentally high-five myself for guessing that title, "Please feel free to come to me if you need any assistance Sir Rimuru." She added as she raised her head with a smile on her face, one that caused my heart to nearly skip a beat and ache ever so slightly.

"I-I'll be counting on you then." I responded with a minor blush and a slight stammer. I chose to ignore the raised eyebrow of the chief, the teasing and amused expression of the chieftess and the glare of the young master in favor of the food that had just been placed in front of me.

I could tell at first glance that it was going to be amazing. The aroma in itself was nearly mouth watering, though that could be in part due to my sensitive nose. The meat, the fillets, the herbs and spices mixed in there all made for one juicy meal.

I cut into the meat with my knife, it was soft and tender, still steaming too. It made me all the more hungry in that moment. Without hesitation I took a bite of sliced meat.

'Wow…wowowwooooow!!" I was pretty sure I moaned as the flavor rolled in my mouth. The meat was soft and tender, easily chewable. And the taste? The taste was better than chicken!! The sauce and herbs gave the meat an additional sweet taste and yet left a slight burning sensation in my mouth. It was addictive! It, it…..

' It tastes so goooooooood!!!'

My state of bliss was interrupted by the sound of two people giggling, and it was in that moment that I remembered that I was in the presence of others. My body froze and my eyes slowly opened.

To my utmost shame all eyes were currently on me. The Chieftess and princess were apparently the ones behind the giggling, the chief looked amused by my action and the redhead looked at me as if I'd grown as a second head or something.

I stayed frozen for a second, my entire face going red, "Uh, I've never tasted food this good before." With that simple excuse to justify my reaction I went back to eating my food. I wasn't going to let the attention or embarrassment keep me from enjoying this food to the fullest.

"I'm glad the food is to your liking Sir Rimuru." The chieftess spoke up with a smile in her face, though it wasn't quite visible I could tell that both her and the princess were happy with the praise I'd given towards the food.

It wasn't that I could see it, or that there were ant signs of the pride they felt, but rather that I could feel that pride. Which was kind of strange.

《Notice: This is the effect of your Unique Skill [Desire]. Through it you are able to sense and manipulate the emotions and desires of those around you without them being none the wiser.》

'Huh, so that's what it was. I'd almost forgotten about that particular skill.' I hadn't really had any chance to test that unique skill or the sub-skills that were under it. Not like I had many opportunities to try it out when the only creatures I'd been fighting were non-sentient beings. It had been more efficient to just kill them and get their skills through [Predator] since they had no arts to offer.

Still though, being in a village with creatures that had near human level intellect was a good opportunity to try out [Desire]. Perhaps I could even pick up some arts and skills without having to devour anyone here.

"Please feel free to help yourself to another serving Sir Rimuru." The Chief spoke up, it was then that I realized my plate was now empty. I'd cleaned the whole plate without realizing it, how embarrassing.

"Thank you, don't mind if I do." I said as I filled my plate once more. 'I should probably stop after the second helping, with how good this is I could eat them all dry before the night ends.'

It wasn't long until dinner came to an end. I had a few chats with the chief and his family, with the exception of his son who wasn't keen on speaking with me, but that was fine with me. It wasn't until a little later into the night that the ogres started heading of to their respective dwellings to turn in for the night.

It turns out ogres were late night sleepers.

The princess offered to escort me back to my new house, but I was pretty confident that I knew my way back. Not to mention if I did get lost I could ask [Great Sage] for help.

~~~

Ogre Chiefs POV:

"What are your thoughts on our guest my love?" I heard my wife ask from behind me prompting me to turn away from the window where I had been watching Sir Rimuru leave, our children had also turned in for the night.

"Rimuru is…an interesting majin, and a powerful one at that. At first I was doubtful of his claim that he had only been in this world for a few months, but tonight helped confirm that he really is young and inexperienced." I said.

"Yes, some of the female ogres overheard the warriors who came back with him claiming that he didn't even know what a majin is." My wife couldn't help but giggle lightly at that, I could see the humor in it as well. The village elder had told me of the same incident after my initial meeting with Rimuru earlier in the day. For such a powerful individual to not know something that was considered so basic, it was indeed a clear indicator as to how young Rimuru was.

"In a way he almost reminds me of our son when he was that age." My wife added with a reminiscent smile on her face. She missed having an infant child. My wife loved children, especially infants, it was something that had been apparent even before we were together. So much so that even after having our son she wanted another child soon after, despite the risk involved in child bearing for monsters.

While she may have successfully delivered the princess, it had come at a cost for her. She had lost the vast majority of her magicules, and her strength with it. She still had enough to carry on with daily activities and the like, but she was no longer fit for combat.

That's not to say I hadn't lost a fair share of power too, but I still held a formidable enough presence to demand some respect within this village.

Still, neither of us regretted bringing our daughter into this world, she was as much a blessing as her brother, and we loved them both dearly.

"Still, for what's essentially a newborn he has a good head on his shoulders and above average level intelligence. It's best we remain vigilant, if only for a short while, to determine his true nature." I said with a said.

Truthfully I'd already taken a liking to Rimuru, and apparently so had my wife and daughter, but I couldn't just accept him without being sure of his intentions.

"That's fair, but if we're watching Rimuru to make sure he doesn't cause trouble, it's only fair to make sure the trouble doesn't start on our end as well." My wife added, and I couldn't help but nod my head in agreement. If my people were to offend Rimuru and incur his wrath then nothing good would come from that.

"You're talking about our son." It was more of a statement than a question. I'd seen the way he reacted to Rimuru when they first arrived, and according to the elder he had been less than accepting of inviting Rimuru to the village, "Yes, I noticed that the relationship between the two of them had already taken a bad turn. I'll have our daughter watch him to ensure he doesn't do anything."

If we played our cards right, Rimuru could very well be a valuable ally to our people for a long time to come. There was the risk of him deciding to rule this village in the future once he had grown some, I wasn't quite sure what I would do if that came to pass. It would all depend on how Rimuru developed in the future.

I for one hoped it would be a fruitful relationship, regardless of how things turned out in the future. Both for my people, and for Rimuru himself.

~~~

Rimuru POV:

The following morning came by a lot sooner than I had expected. Having gone to bed in my dragon form I reverted back to my human form upon waking up. I wasn't quite sure how the ogres would take it once I revealed to them what I really was, much less my heritage.

I'd probably keep that second one on the down low for the foreseeable future though, I didn't trust anyone here enough to tell them that I was the son of the Storm Dragon. Though chances were they would only revere me more if I revealed that truth.

I made my way into the village, wanting to see how the ogres went about their daily lives and if there was anything that I could do as well, I didn't want to just sit around and be the lazy guest that expected royal treatment. If there was an area I could help out or something then I'd be glad to do so, it was certainly better than sitting around all day and being bored.

Using [Magic Sense] I was able to tell that almost all the ogres had gathered about a kilometer from my current location, which I found to be a bit strange. Being the curious little dragon I was I headed off in the direction they were at.

I didn't take me long to make it to my destination, turns out the ogres had gathered by a large clearing. And from what I could tell they all seemed to be training? Men, women and children old enough to hold a weapon were all involved in what seemed like a clan training session. It was actually rather impressive to watch from the cliff I was standing on.

The kids and teens seemed to be learning from various instructors, the chief and elder included. I had to respect the chiefs desire to oversee the development of the next generation himself. The adults seemed to be sparring or practicing amongst themselves with various weapons and hand to hand, guess the ogres didn't just use swords cause I could see using a hammer and another wielding two axes and various other weapons.

They seemed to have been going at it for a while now too judging by how tired some of them seemed to already be. Guess ogres were the early bird kind of monsters. It certainly reminded me of the drills we ran in the military back in my old life.

"Good morning Sir Rimuru." I heard the voice of the Chieftess call out to me, turning I saw her approaching me from the side with a smile. She then did a quick respectful bow.

"Good morning Chieftess." I greeted in return, it sounded weird to refer to her by that title, perhaps it was because I was used to calling people by their names. Still, it was something that I was just going to have to get used to.

"Did the tribes training session peek your interest?" She asked as she turned her attention to the same scenery as me.

"Yeah, I was a bit to see that the village seemed more or less empty after I woke up. But I was even more surprised to see that all of you were doing one big training session, especially the women and children." I admitted.

"Yes, we ogres are a warring race. We thrive in battle and always seek ways to make ourselves stronger." The chieftess said with a proud smile on her face, I could even hear it in the way she spoke, "All of us are trained from a young age, regardless of what role we'll play in the village. This is to ensure that our people are always strong, even if something were to happen to our warriors." I couldn't help but hum in agreement to that logic.

" 'Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war." I muttered out. It was an old Chinese proverb that these ogres actually seemed to put into practice from a very young age.

"Precisely." The Chieftess said as her smile grew at my understanding, "While not all ogres may be on par with our main fighting force, all of us are more than capable of handling ourselves in a fight."

"I can see that." I had to admit that they were all very impressive fighters, it all looked like something straight out of an anime or manga. Then again, this was my new reality now, I had to embrace the fact that the laws of physics I knew wouldn't apply in this world. "How come you're not with them, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh don't mind at all." The chieftess responded as her smile became somewhat somber, "The truth is I used to be a formidable magic user amongst my people back in the day, a talent that my daughter seems to have inherited."

Magic she says? I remember [Great Sage] telling me that ogres were an intellectual species capable of using skills and magic, but I've yet to actually see that. Perhaps I could ask the Princess to show me a thing or two later on.

"However I lost a vast majority of my magicules when I conceived my two children. I don't regret doing so though, those two are my pride and joy, and watching them grow has filled me with nothing but joy." She went on to explain. I was a bit confused as to how conceiving resulted in the loss in power.

《Answer: Monsters are magical beasts by nature, and as a result the process of creating a new life consumes a large amount of magicules. The soul in particular is a highly complex to create and requires the unifying of a large amount magicules from two different sources through mating to create. Often times one or both partners will suffer loss of power and in some cases they may not survive after the child has been conceived. The fact that the Chieftess survived birthing two children while the Chief still wields a decent amount of power is a testament of the strength they had prior to procreating.》

'Wow [Great Sage, that's the most I've heard you speak in a long while.' I think the last time it had offloaded that much info on me was when it originally listed my skills just after birth.

Still though, I had to respect the monsters of this world that chose to have children. I couldn't imagine doing so at the cost of my life, at least not right now, maybe if I met someone I loved that much.

"Is there a way to get back those magicules?" I couldn't help but ask, one thing I was beginning to accept was that there was nothing that was impossible. If there was a will, there was a way.

"Not that I know of." The Chieftess responded, and yet she didn't sound bothered by the fact that she may never be as powerful as she used to be. Perhaps for her the tradeoff really had been worth it.

I turned my gaze back towards the training ogres and couldn't help but wonder if it would be possible for me to pick up a thing or two, preferably in the swordsmanship department. I'd always been a fan of the katana, even back when I was part of the kendo club in my schooling days. Though that couldn't possibly be compared to the level of mastery that these ogres seemed to have. I could always use the [Replication] sub-skill of my unique skill [Desire] to copy their techniques and arts, but doing so from a distance seemed kinda shady.

"Would you like to join them?" The Chieftess suddenly asked as she turned to me eyes closed with a smile.

"Wh-What?" The sheer absurdity of the question actually shocked me, had she been reading my mind or something?!

《Answer: The Chieftess does not possess a such a skill or ability.》

'It was a rhetorical question [Great Sage].' I couldn't help but respond with a mental deadpan. "Is that even okay though? I thought training outsiders in your arts is something ogres wouldn't do." I asked the Chieftess, I had to remember that she may as well be the highest authority outside of the Chief himself so if anyone would know it would be her.

She brought a finger to her lips as she took on what was obviously a teasing thinking pose. I wanted to call her out on it but decided to let her be. "Under normal circumstances my husband wouldn't allow it, but I'm sure with you he'll be more than willing to make an exception." She said with a smile.

"Why though?" I had to ask, was this just another royal treatment thing then I was really gonna have to nip that trend in the bud before they offered me their undying loyalty or something of that magnitude.

"Well, my husband told me that you are young for a majin despite the amount of power that you wield. While I don't doubt you could defeat us with that power, against others of similar strength you would be at a disadvantage in terms of technique and experience. So you see, it's to your benefit that you also get experience. And who knows, maybe we may also benefit from your strength in the future."

'This woman…' I couldn't help but respect the way she was more or less saying I would be indebted to the ogres for their teachings and may more or less be obligated to help them in the future. I mean in a way it is true, in a world where dog eats cat it only makes sense that you make powerful friends. Not to mention that she was right about me needing to gain more strength and experience in this world.

If fighting for the ogres one day was the price to pay then that was a small price to pay indeed for something that would definitely be helpful in the long run.

"…well if you're sure." I said casually with the shrug of my shoulders, while I was happy and excited at the prospect of learning sword arts and other relevant skills, there was no reason to show any desperation or anything of the sort. As the son of the Storm Dragon Veredia, I had to have some semblance of pride.

The Chieftess merely giggled at my response, whether it was because she saw through my facade or she just found my response amusing was something that I didn't know.

~~~

Ogre Chief POV:

Todays practice seemed to be going as smooth as always, our people growing stronger with each training session and the next generation learning and becoming better than the last.

It was a tactic that I'd introduced not too long after I'd become chief. Rather than simply training our main fighting force, we trained even those that were responsible for other tasks as well. That way all in our village were strong, and should the worst come to pass we would all be adequately prepared.

I'd felt the powerful presence of our guest not too long ago by a nearby cliff, it seemed he had woken up not too long ago and tracked us down to our training grounds.

While normally I would be worried about letting an outsider see our training methods and the likes, Rimuru was a bit of a grey area. Not only was he young, having been born not too long ago, but he also didn't have any allegiances. The worst thing that could come to pass would be him attacking us out of nowhere, and that was a concern I didn't need to worry about. Rimuru didn't seem like the type to attack without provocation.

Aside from myself it seemed only a handful of ogres had noticed his presence, my son and the elder included as they too glanced in the direction of the cliff before turning to me, I merely shook my head, telling them to continue as they were. My son looked uncomfortable with that, but relented as he continued practicing his kata. I really had to talk with him before he stirred up trouble with Sir Rimuru.

It wasn't until a few moments later that Rimuru's aura began to approach closer to our training grounds that I stopped instructing the children in front of me, delegating the task to another warrior, before going to meet our guest. Most of the ogres seemed to have picked up on his approach, but a quick glance and they all went back to their training.

No reason for them to lose focus in front of their guest, it was important to show Rimuru just how strong our clan was.

I was a bit surprised to see him approaching with my wife leading him towards us. Though what was even more frightening was the smile on my wife's face.

'That smile….' That was the kind of smile she had whenever she emerged victorious in something, be it an argument, debate, game or even something as simple as getting something she wants or achieving her desired results. I'm proud to say that my wife is a strong negotiator, and few have ever managed to outwit her. If she was smiling like that right now… 'What have you done my love…'

Whatever the case Rimuru didn't seem upset, hopeful yes, and maybe a bit anxious and perhaps a bit nervous, but not upset.

"Morning Chief." Rimuru greeted once they were within speaking distance.

"Good morning Sir Rimuru, I trust you had a present sleep." He had expressed his joy at our bedding during the previous nights feast, and I hoped he would continue to find comfort in our accommodations.

"Yeah, I did." Rimuru responded with a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, "So much so that I missed everyone leaving the village." I could have sworn I heard him mutter something about 'enhanced senses' after that, however I decided not to press on that.

"I apologize for that, I should have had one of the ogres wait for you to wake." I apologized with a quick bow. It had been a lack of insight on my part.

"It's fine, though when I tracked you guys down I never expected that I would find you all in one place doing something like this." Rimuru said as his gaze shifted to the training ogres, I couldn't help but smile with a bit of pride.

"Well we ogres are a warring clan, and are among the strongest species in the Great Forest of Jura. To ensure that our village and people are always strong I feel it is necessary for everyone to participate in training, regardless of whether or not they are part f our fighting force." I explained.

"Your wife told me something similar not too long ago." Rimuru responded, making me wonder what else the two of them had talked about, I was still a tad bit cautious with the smile she had displayed earlier.

"Speaking of which, Sir Rimuru has displayed an interest in learning our techniques?" My wife suddenly revealed with the same smile she had before. I couldn't stop the shock on my face from appearing, and judging by the silence in the surrounding area, the nearby ogres had stopped their practice in shock as well. With one of them crying in pain, probably from taking a hit due to the distraction.

"Truly?!" I asked for confirmation as I turned to our guest. I couldn't imagine such a powerful being needing training from us, unless he was just seeking to add to his power.

"Well, to be honest, I was just impressed by the variety of warriors in your clan. While the majority of your are swordsmen, there are others that wield different kinds of weapons and according to the chieftess there are some of you that practice magic." Rimuru said, once more I couldn't help but feel some pride at the acknowledgement, "Your wife was actually the one who helped me recognize one of my largest flaws though, my lack of experience."

Ah, now the situation was starting to become a bit more clear. Yes, Rimuru had told us that he was more or less a newborn, and despite the amount of power he had and perhaps his Intrinsic fighting abilities (not to be confused with skills), he still lacked any formal training and fighting experience. It made sense that he'd want to pick up a thing or two if that was the case.

"I see…" I said as I brought my hand to my chin. Looking at my wife, I could tell just by meeting her gaze that an agreement of sorts had been reached between her and Sir Rimuru, otherwise she wouldn't have brought it up.

"Ohohoho, so our guest is interested in learning our ways is he?" The elder suddenly spoke up as he approached us, no doubt his curiosity had been piqued by the prospect of training such a powerful majin. "If our chief would allow it I'd gladly take this task."

…well I suppose I wasn't against it, Rimuru seemed like a trust worthy individual, or perhaps that was just his young looks and inexperience reflecting. Either way, it may help further cement our relations if Rimuru were to grow stronger as a result of our teachings.

"Very well, I suppose if both the Elder and Sir Rimuru are willing its okay." I said with the nod of my head, prompting a happy and excited look to suddenly appear on Rimuru's face.

"Really, you're fine with this?!" Rimuru asked, clearly both shocked and yet excited to learn. His excitement was akin to that of a child, once more reminding me of my son when he too started his training.

"Of course." I said with a nod, before my expression turned serious, "However learning to wield a sword is no easy task, and requires dedication and harf work."

"Right! I wont let you down chief!" Rimuru said with a salute, he may be all excited now, but even a powerful majin such as him would be terrified by the Elders ruthless teaching.

"Very well then." I said with a nod as I then turned to the elder, "I'll leave our guest in your care elder." I said to which he nodded his head whilst stroking his beard.

"Leave it to me, I'll whip this youngster into shape." Under most circumstances, hearing the elder speak that way about a majin as powerful as Rimuru regardless of his age would have terrified me, but looking at Rimuru I could tell there was no need for concern.

He seemed to get a bit nervous after that, as if only sensing the potential danger in that moment, but otherwise didn't react.

I turned to my wife and signaled for her to follow me. It was time she caught me up to what she had discussed with Rimuru earlier that led to this whole thing.

~~~

Rimuru's POV:

The ogre Elder and I moved to a slightly more open and free area in the wide field. I could still feel the gazes of the other ogres all around us, even though they tried to hide by focusing on their respective activities. If the elder was bothered by this he didn't show it, instead he merely turned towards me once the two of us were far enough from the crowd before throwing a wooden practice sword in my direction, and I quickly caught it with my left hand.

"To determine the best way to teach you I must see what you can do on an instinctual level. And so the two of us will spar." The elder said as he held out his wooden sword in his right hand, "Go!" Without warning the elder simply phased out of existence, like something straight out of a ninja anime.

I triggered my [Keen Sense] and [Magic Sense] after looking around for a few seconds and coming up short. I held my blade with both hands in front of me as I did kendo in my past life. Though I knew that it would do little to help in a fight against a veteran such as this old man.

I barely noticed the old man shimmer into my field of vision right in front of me, blade already swinging for my head.

Reacting as fast as I could I quickly ducked my head and used the momentum to roll under the swing. Swiftly standing up I leapt back to put some distance between us. However sensing the his approach I swiftly brought my sword up defensively, barely managing to block the sword strike that had been aimed for my neck!!

This old man despite his looks was actually very fast. It seemed I'd been right to be cautious of him from the beginning, he really was a veteran warrior.

Our blades clashed a few more times, though it was more like I was being kept on the defensive the entire time, before we both leapt back to make some room to breathe.

'The only reason I've been able to keep up so far is because I'm faster and stronger than he is. If we were equal in terms of physical capabilities this old man could have severed my head a long time ago.' It was a rather morbid thought, but one that was true. But that was why I was here right now, to fix that inexperience and lack of skill.

"Hohoho, I see that you've at least got the basic instinct to defend yourself with the blade." The elder said in amusement, before one of his eyes opened and he looked at me with a much more serious expression, "Very well then, it seems I shall have to take this a bit more seriously."

'What!!' Before I could put in a word of protest, the old man just vanished again!! And just like before none of my sensory abilities were able to find him, it was like he had just vanished off the face of the earth! Seriously, how was it possible for someone to mask their body heat, magicules, odor and even the sound of their breathing and footsteps?! There really wasn't a single trace of him that I could follow.

And so, due to my minor panic, I was totally unprepared when the elder reappeared right behind me and bonked the back of my skull with his wooden blade!

"Ow!" I yelped instinctively as I held the back of my head, although a bit late. The attack hadn't really done any damage nor had I felt any pain from it, I guess the reaction was just a force habit.

"I somehow doubt that you felt any pain" The elder said with a raised eyebrow. Whether that assumption was based of the fact that I was too strong to have taken any damage from that, or he somehow knew that I had something similar [Pain Nullification] skill, I wasn't quite sure. Either way, both points were correct. I hadn't taken any damage nor did I feel pain.

"Uh no, not really. Sorry about that, force habit I guess." I admitted sheepishly, it was kind of embarrassing to be pointed out like that.

"I see…" The elder said as he stroked his goatee with his free hand. He seemed interested in what I had just said but seemed to cover it with a great poker face, "Still though that does present a minor problem when it comes to teaching you?"

"How so?" I had a feeling I wasn't going to like the answer that he gave me, and the dangerous glint that appeared in the elders eyes after I spoke did nothing to reassure me.

"Well, I'm a firm believer of using pain as the best teaching method." The elder said with a grin that actually made me gulp, "Usually I try to keep my students under pressure, and giving them a sense of being in danger. This increases their drive and desire to learn fast so that they can adapt accordingly and avoid any pain."

That, that actually made sense, as much as I hated to admit it. Anyone would want to avoid getting smacked around by the old man and thus would push themselves harder to learn more and grow stronger too. Now I could see what problem he had been meaning earlier.

Due to the fact that I was stronger than him and couldn't feel any pain as well, his training method was being made redundant.

'Hey [Great Sage, is there any way for me to turn off the [Pain Nullification] skill, or maybe reduce its effects?' I asked my ever trustful skill. I didn't really want to feel pain, but if it helped me get stronger…then it had to be worth it.

《Answer: The resistance [Pain Nullification] can be temporarily neutralized. However it is not necessary to do so, the individual Rimuru Tempest can merely duplicates the sword arts of the elder ogre through [Sub-skill: Replication] of your Unique Skill [Desire]》

'Oh yeah, I nearly forgot about that skill. It's the one that can copy arts, magic and weapon techniques right?'

《Affirmative》

'That sounds like it would be convenient. So does that mean I've already copied the old mans skills?'

《Answer: [Replication] requires a significant amount of time in order to fully duplicate the arts and techniques, also we have yet to fully analyze the elders techniques as we are still in the early stages of his teachings. However, the continous use of the skill [Replication] will allow for the user to learn arts at a much faster rate.》

'That sounds awesome! Okay then, disable [Pain Nullification] whenever I'm training with the elder. Even if not necessary I feel as though I would benefit from his teaching methods. However if I'm severely injured reactivate it immediately please.' While I wasn't looking forward to experiencing any kind of pain I knew that it would be to my own benefit. Who knows, maybe the pressure and desire to get better would help boost the effect of [Replication].

《…Understood.》

"Then I'll disable my [Pain Nullification] skill, this will make it so I can feel injuries like anyone else. But even then, my bodies is very durable, wooden swords won't really do anything to me." I stated as I rubbed my chin in thought, I completely missed the way in which the elders expression turned sinister as a result.

"Then perhaps we should spar sharp." The elder said to my surprise as he tossed away his wooden blade and began to draw on his sheathed sword. He then turned towards one of the nearby ogres who had stopped sparring to watch the duel between the two of them, "You there, lend Sir Rimuru your blade." The ogre approached me and drew his blade before handing it to me, I nervously took said blade but still made sure to give my thanks.

I swung the blade a couple of times, with one hand and with both, just to get a proper feel of it. It was light, sharp and durable. The craftsmanship was really something too, maybe I should see the local blacksmith about getting my own blade forged. Though that would most likely come after I had some proper experience with the blade.

"Shall we begin?" The elder asked as I took my stance, I nodded my head and prepared myself. I didn't want to hurt the old man, but then again if I somehow overdid it I could always just heal him with the potions I have stored in my [Stomach].

The elder lunged at me once more with a blur of speed that surprised me. I managed to bring my blade up to block it this time before pushing the old man away from me. Deciding to stay on the offensive I gave chase and begun to swing my blade. However the elder merely weaved his way casually between my swings with a smirk on his face.

"Your movements are still to easy to read." The elder said before vanishing just as I swung my blade downwards, resulting in me hitting the ground.

He reappeared in front of me once more and continued his assault, once more putting me on the defensive as I tried to keep up and find any openings in his techniques that I could exploit.

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt a multiple stinging sensations from different parts of my body.

《Notice: You have sustained damage, health deducted is 1%.》

'That explains it.' I quickly inspected my body using [Magic Sense] and discovered I had four minor cuts on me. One on my left thigh, right cheek and shoulder, and lastly on my torso. 'Still…four cuts? I didn't even see his blade make those."

My [Rapid Regeneration] immediately kicked in as the cuts stopped bleeding and began to close up. With that the stinging sensation from the wound also seemed to come to an end. Thank god for my regenerative abilities!!

"Ho, your healing abilities are rather impressive Sir Rimuru." The elder commented, whispers could also be heard all around us as it seemed the other ogres had stopped sparing and decided to watch the spar.

"Perhaps, but I find the fact that you actually managed to injure me even more impressive. It looks as though I'm the one who underestimated you elder." I said with a smirk of my own. This old man truly was a veteran warrior and master swordsman

"Then shall we continue?" The elder said with a scary smile coming into place as I nervously nodded my head, I had a feeling that something really bad was about to happen, all the more reason for me to keep my guard up.

The old man vanished from my sight once more, his presence no longer detectable through any of my skills. This time I didn't panic, and instead narrowed my eye in focus as I held onto my blade firmly. Because of that when the elder suddenly reappeared at my left side, his blade already coming for my neck, I was more prepared. I leaned back to avoid the strike before leaping away from the old man to put some distance between us.

《Severe injury detected, reactivating [Pain Nullification].》

'What?' It took a moment for me to register just what [Great Sage] was talking about, the several gasps I heard from the ogre crowd certainly caught my attention. It was only as I inspected myself once more that I realized that my left arm…

…it had been cut off.

'What?!!' I hadn't even noticed when it happened! Looking around I noticed the severed limb on the ground I'd previously been standing on. I must not have felt it in that moment due to the adrenaline of the fight, either that or [Great Sage] had acted as soon as the limb had been severed. Either way I was extremely grateful, I'd already experienced getting shot three times, I didn't want to experience what it was like to lose a limb, 'Nice reaction speed [Great Sage, you really saved me from a world of hurt!'

"Oh my, it seems I may have overdone it." The elder said as he looked at my stump in concern, fortunately it wasn't bleeding thanks in part to [Rapid Regeneration], but the wound hadn't sealed itself.

'Hey [Great Sage], how long will it take for my arm to regenerate?' I asked.

《Answer: Fully regenerating the will take five days. Reattaching the lost limb would be more efficient, taking thirty minutes until it is fully functional and all sensations are restored.》

'Sweet!! Lets do that then.' I picked up the severed limb without a word and reattached it to my stump, much to the confusion of all the ogres. That confusion swiftly shifted to awe and wonder as the flesh began to join together once more and the wound vanished outside all together, "Don't worry about it." I said to the elder casually with a smile as I began to experimentally move my left arm. It still felt off, and it wasn't moving quite as fast as I hoped it would. Guess it would take some time before the nerves and such would fully heal.

"Oh so you can heal that fast ey?" I really didn't like the look on the elders face as his asked that, "That means I can cut you up as many times as I want and you'll be able to put yourself back together." The smile and glint that appeared in his left eye was nothing short of demonic.

Seriously, what happened to the grandfatherly vibes that he had been giving off not too long ago?!

"What?! N-No way!" I shouted in alarm as I waved my right hand in front of me frantically, "It may look healed on the outside but its going to take me some time before I regain normal functions in this arm!!" I yelled frantically in panic and fear.

Is this how the elder trained all of his students?! No, I doubt the ogres had strong regenerative abilities like me, so he couldn't go that far.

But still, the old man was really scary!! I've seen army generals and commanders with more sympathy.

"Oh, what a shame." The elder said with a sigh as he sheathed his blade, his genuine disappointment was a real concern for me.

'Maybe this old man really does have a screw loose somewhere.'

"Let us leave it at that for today, I've seen more than enough to get a good grasp of how you fight and how to teach you." The elder said with a smile.

'And the grandfatherly vibes are back!!' I couldn't help but be shocked at how swiftly he flipped that switch.

"Right, thank you for taking the time to teach me. I'll be in your care." Said with a slight bow of respect for my new sensei. Despite his somewhat crazy methods, this fight had proven to me that the old ogre really was an incredible fighter, and no matter what it would be foolish of me to deny training from him simply because of his methods. 'Guess I'll just have to suck it up.' I thought to myself.

Seeing as the spar was officially over the other ogres that had been watching our spar immediately began to approach both the elder and I. I was surprised when many of them began to praise my efforts and my ability with the sword despite it being my first time wielding one, others questioned me about my regenerative abilities and what other skills I could possibly have.

Naturally I didn't give away any information on my skills, I didn't think it was a wise thing for anyone to do something like that in a world like this one, even among allies.

Still though I couldn't help but feel like I'd just been finally accepted by the ogre village as a whole as I got to converse with some of them. It seemed getting chopped up by the elder had allowed them to see me as just another monster that lived among them, even though they still addressed me as 'Sir Rimuru', indicating they still acknowledged my strength.

Still though, I was making progress. I was beginning to actually settle in among the ogres and they were finally accepting me. So perhaps it was actually worth it.

Authors Notes:

And that's a wrap. Rimuru finally settles and is accepted into the village. Some seeds of the future have been sown.

please feel free to comment and give constructive criticism !!