BAMN: Chapter 28/30

Chapter 28: Popular Ogerpon

"Splash, splash~"

Soon, Shuna led the two of them to a slightly elevated area.

There was a bathhouse there.

The small section used by Rin and Ogerpon wasn't open to the public on regular days.

It was reserved specifically for esteemed guests, a place to welcome them and wash away the dust of travel.

"This feels pretty nice…"

Leaning against the edge of the bathhouse, Rin let out a relaxed sigh. "How are you feeling, Ogerpon?"

"Ogerpon feels all squishy…"

Right beside him was Ogerpon.

She was completely sunk in the hot water, with only half her head floating above the surface.

Technically, she should've gone to the women's bathhouse.

But Ogerpon was worried about Rin's safety and stubbornly insisted on staying with him.

Rin didn't really have a choice and ended up letting her bathe with him.

'Honestly, it's not a big deal, right?'

'There's nothing to see anyway.'

"Rin, these are your clothes and Miss Ogerpon's."

"I've put them outside."

While they were still soaking, Shuna and Souei had already prepared their change of clothes.

"Oh, thanks!"

Although Rin had plenty of clothes in his Pokémon Space, this was a kind gesture from the Ogre clan, and it felt wrong to refuse.

Soon after, both Rin and Ogerpon, having washed away their fatigue, changed into the outfits the Ogre clan had prepared.

The style was reminiscent of Japanese yukata.

Considering the Ogre clan's origin, Rin didn't find it strange for them to have this kind of fashion.

"Let's go."

Walking out of the bathhouse, Rin saw Shuna and Souei already waiting for them.

He didn't say much and followed the two women straight to the village square, where the Ogres had prepared a banquet.

"They're here! They're here!"

"Is that child the legendary Oni?"

"She's so small, but the amount of magicules she has is terrifying!"

"Don't you think she's cute?"

"Hey, don't be rude. Ogerpon-sama saved all of us!"

"..."

Compared to Rin, Ogerpon was clearly way more popular among the Ogres.

There was no helping it—Ogerpon was an actual Ogre, after all.

Among the Ogres, she was a living legend.

It had been who knows how many years since they last saw a high-ranking monster from their own kind!

"Go on, Ogerpon."

Rin gently patted Ogerpon's back, signaling her to step up. "Let them see what you've got."

"Pon-yo?"

Ogerpon blinked, then after thinking for a moment, suddenly understood.

"Ponooo!!"

The girl summoned her Ivy Cudgel, and several enormous, shimmering masks floated behind her, glowing like brilliant gemstones and reflecting off one another.

That dazzling, majestic sight instantly seized the hearts of every Ogre present.

"Oh oh oh!!"

"What an incredible aura!"

"Is this Ogerpon-sama's power?"

For a moment, the entire village square erupted in cheers.

But she wasn't done yet.

"Ivy Cudgel: Burst Strike!"

Ogerpon concentrated magicules into her Ivy Cudgel, then swung it fiercely toward the dark sky.

Boom!

A massive beam of light, woven from green, red, blue, gray, and other hues, shot into the sky, then exploded into a spectacular display of fireworks.

"Wow~"

The vivid, colorful fireworks reflected in the eyes of the Ogre children.

Meanwhile, the adult Ogres were stunned by the overwhelming power radiating from Ogerpon's casual swing.

While the adults stood dumbfounded, the kids had already surrounded Ogerpon, cheering and laughing.

Seeing this, Rin gave her a subtle signal not to worry about him.

After all, the two of them were connected by Life Link.

If anything happened to one of them, the other would know instantly.

"Go have fun, Ogerpon."

After saying that, Rin headed toward the Red Ogre Chief, who had been waiting for him.

"Oh, right."

Rin turned to Shuna, who was walking beside him.

"Let me add some extra flavor to tonight's feast."

He opened his Pokémon Space and pulled out a large stash of ingredients and seasonings he'd brought from the Konosuba World.

At first, Shuna tried to refuse.

But once she tasted Rin's spices, she couldn't resist anymore.

The aroma and flavor were on another level, something she had never experienced before.

When she used those spices on the Ogre clan's usual roast meat, the wild flavor exploded across the entire square.

"This!"

"What is this smell? It's incredible!"

"This is roast meat?!"

"So good! This is insanely good!"

"It's the spices, right? They're magical!"

That night, bonfires blazed in the village, celebrating not only the successful hunt of the Insect Monster that had been plaguing the forest, but also welcoming Rin and Ogerpon.

At Rin's encouragement, Ogerpon returned and sat down with Shuna, Souei, and the other female Ogres.

Ogerpon, who came from the Japanese Momotaro legend, had a personality and lifestyle that perfectly matched the Ogres. She blended in effortlessly.

Elsewhere, Rin sat with Hakurou, accompanied by Benimaru and his father.

"Old man, you're the eldest here, right?"

Rin poured the old man a cup of wine, then gestured for him to try it.

He wasn't worried about any threats.

Thanks to Life Link, even fatal attacks were meaningless.

Even if Hakurou tried to slice his neck open, the damage would just be transferred to Ogerpon as numerical loss.

In the past, Rin would've worried about Ogerpon being drained to death because of him.

But now…

With Super-Speed Regeneration, Ogerpon could recover from full damage within minutes.

That's why Rin could sit across from a sword master like Hakurou without flinching.

"Thank you, young man."

Hakurou smiled, picked up the cup, and took a sip, his eyes immediately widened.

"What a sweet, mellow wine…"

Even someone as calm as Hakurou couldn't help but get lost in the flavor of Rin's drink, and he began speculating about Rin's origins.

Rare spices, exquisite wine, and unmatched power…

'Is he a reincarnator from another world?'

Still, Hakurou held no ill will.

Rin had saved the younger generation of the village.

That alone was a debt too large to repay.

So, the danger Rin had feared upon arriving in the Ogre village simply didn't exist.

The Ogres were a race that valued loyalty and repaid kindness.

They would never harm their benefactor.

"Rin-san, your kindness is more than we Ogres could ever repay."

"If you're willing to settle down in this village, it would be our greatest honor."

The Red Ogre Chief knew Rin still needed time to think, so he suggested gently, "You and Ogerpon-sama can stay at my house for now. Tomorrow, we'll begin construction on a new place for you."

"If you'd prefer to live somewhere outside the village later, we'll do our best to help you find a suitable spot."

Even though he said that, the Chief was clearly hoping Rin would stay.

This temporary stay would be a great trial run.

"Then I'll be in your care."

That night, Rin and Ogerpon slept at the Red Ogre Chief's house.

Even though they were deep in the Great Jura Forest, Rin was able to enjoy all the comforts of a civilized life—food, clothes, and shelter.

It was undoubtedly far more comfortable than building a camp from scratch.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 29: Dryad Treyni

"Quick!"

"Move everything over!"

"The house must be built today!!"

The next day, early in the morning, the Ogres, led by Benimaru and Souei, began construction on Rin and Ogerpon's new home.

The process of building the wooden house was fast. The Ogres, with their natural monstrous strength, were basically walking construction machines.

With dozens of them working together, it only took a single morning to finish building the house for the two of them.

It was a two-story, Japanese Edo-style house, with a small garden out front where some children had already planted wildflowers picked from the forest.

"What do you think?"

Shuna was assigned as the liaison for Rin.

Whatever Rin needed, he could just tell Shuna, and they would do their best to accommodate him.

"Very good. I'm very satisfied."

Rin and Ogerpon both expressed their thanks to Shuna, while also experiencing firsthand the simplicity and sincerity of the Ogre race.

If they received kindness, they repaid it.

They acted without hesitation and were generous, straightforward, ideal friends, really.

"Hm?"

"Poniii!"

And that very night, just as the new house was finished, an unexpected guest arrived at Rin and Ogerpon's door.

The visitor wore a long green dress. Tender sprouts and branches swirled around her body. Her face was so stunning that even Rin, who had grown up amidst an internet-saturated world full of celebrity images, couldn't help but be impressed.

Fortunately, Rin already knew who this person was. That alone kept him from getting caught up in her presence and beauty.

Instead, Rin became wary, standing with Ogerpon, both of them watching her with serious expressions.

"It seems you already know of my existence."

The girl was none other than the guardian of the Great Jura Forest, Dryad Treyni. She bowed elegantly toward Rin and introduced herself. "My name is Treyni, and I am the caretaker of this forest."

"A Dryad?"

Rin didn't pretend otherwise and directly acknowledged her identity. "May I ask, mysterious Dryad Miss, what brings you to visit so late at night?"

It wasn't that Rin was nervous. It was just that Treyni's strength was hard to pin down.

First off, Treyni's true form was actually a "Great Spirit Tree" deep within the forest.

Her current Dryad appearance was more like a projection.

In terms of monster rank, Treyni was near Special A-Rank.

In a direct confrontation, she wasn't far off from Ogerpon's current level.

And if you factored in things like "Destroyer" and "Explosion Magic," Ogerpon had a solid chance at beating her in a one-on-one.

But Treyni's situation was unique.

A large portion of her strength came from her contracted spirit—the Greater elementals of Wind Sylphide.

Sylphide had over 1,000,000 in magicules and possessed combat power on par with an Awakened Demon Lord.

In the original plot, it even cut off one of Laplace's arms from the Moderate Harlequin Alliance.

There was no doubt that once Treyni summoned Sylphide, Rin and Ogerpon's only viable option would be to activate Traveler and escape to another world.

"Please do not be nervous. I bear no ill will toward the two of you."

Fortunately, Treyni had a gentle temperament.

As long as the ecosystem of the Great Jura Forest remained intact, she wouldn't interfere.

"No need to worry."

Treyni smiled and said, "Rather, I came to thank you both, for resolving a major crisis in the forest."

"You mean those Insect Monsters?"

"Yes."

Treyni then explained the origins of the Insect Monsters.

A few months ago, the Insect Monsters came from another world and built a nest somewhere in the forest.

After that, they started multiplying at an astonishing rate, one even Treyni hadn't predicted.

Unknowingly, the Insect Monsters had become a serious threat to the forest.

If Rin hadn't acted this time, Treyni would've had to request aid from other monster tribes in the forest, like she had during the Orc Lord crisis.

"Do you know where those Insect Monsters came from?"

"That…"

Treyni shook her head with a hint of regret. "I only know that they do not belong to this world. Beyond that, I'm afraid I cannot say."

"I see."

As for the origin of the Insect Monsters, Rin speculated that they were likely connected to the Heavenly Demon, beings known for invading other worlds. It was possible these monsters were some kind of biologically engineered weapon.

The so-called Heavenly Demon were originally Angels from the Cardinal World who had fallen and become corrupted.

Of course, all of that was still far from Rin's current situation and not something he should worry about yet.

"There's no need for thanks."

Rin said, "I plan to live in the Ogre village moving forward, so that makes me part of the forest too."

"I don't mind eliminating threats to this place."

He wasn't trying to earn points with Treyni. That was just how he genuinely felt.

"That's wonderful."

Treyni smiled brightly. "From now on, Rin-san and Miss Ogerpon will be our neighbors. I hope we can all live in peace."

Even if Rin didn't ask for anything in return, Treyni wasn't going to let it go unacknowledged.

She was already thinking about what kind of thank-you gift she could offer Rin for protecting the forest.

"Mm. We'll be counting on you."

Once Rin confirmed that Treyni had no hostile intent, he let out a sigh of relief and finally got the chance to ask her about the current timeline.

For instance, how long until the main plot started.

From Treyni, he learned that the Storm Dragon was still sealed. That meant Rimuru hadn't reincarnated into this world yet.

As for further details, Rin couldn't determine much more.

"If you need anything in the future, Rin-san, you can just call my name."

Treyni said, "As long as you're within this forest, no matter where you are, I'll be able to hear your voice."

"Got it."

Having successfully connected with someone as powerful as Rin, Treyni had accomplished what she came here for.

The Great Jura Forest was like a residential community, and Rin and Ogerpon were the newest residents.

Now that she knew Rin was a polite and well-mannered neighbor, Treyni felt at ease.

"Well then, I won't disturb your rest any longer."

Dryad Miss bowed toward Rin, then her body dissolved into green light and disappeared.

"Whew~"

It wasn't until Treyni's presence had completely vanished that Ogerpon finally lowered the Ivy Cudgel she'd been gripping tightly the whole time.

"Alright, you can let your guard down now. Looks like she really didn't mean any harm."

Even though they knew that already, Rin wasn't going to drop his vigilance.

And Ogerpon being in a defensive stance had simply been a safety measure.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 30: Experience Points

"That woman from earlier gave Ogerpon a really dangerous feeling."

Ogerpon didn't know how to describe it. Treyni didn't have the overwhelming pressure of a powerful being.

But Ogerpon just had the sense that if a fight broke out, it would definitely be her and Rin's side that would end up dead.

"It's probably because of the Spirit King."

Rin explained to Ogerpon that Treyni could summon the Wind Spirit King. This once again reignited Ogerpon's drive to grow stronger.

"The path to getting stronger is right in front of us."

"We've gotta seize this chance."

Rin was referring to the Ogre village. His Ogerpon was currently A-Rank.

That meant only enemies B-Rank and above, including B-Rank could provide her with experience points.

C-Rank, even C+, had already lost their value as food.

"Mhm, mhm, there are a lot of strong ones in the village."

"Ogerpon wants to fight them!"

The Ogre village had close to 300 residents.

Excluding those who had died in battle, those out on mercenary commissions, and young children…

There were still 200 B-Rank-or-higher combatants in the village.

"I'm thinking the same."

"But…"

Rin added, "What reason should I give?"

He couldn't just send Ogerpon out to start beating people up for no reason.

"Ogerpon thinks… training guidance?"

"Training guidance?"

"Yep."

Rin nodded. "The Ogre race is naturally combative, so sparring and dueling must be part of their daily life."

"This is a perfect chance for Ogerpon to have some matches with them."

Ogerpon was now an A-Rank Ogre, which meant she was already classified as an Upper Demon.

It made complete sense for her to guide the Ogres, spar with them, and gain experience in the process.

And as it turned out, things went even more smoothly than Rin expected.

In fact, Rin didn't even need to bring it up. The Ogres came to him first.

The Red Ogre Chieftain and Hakurou, along with several young Ogres, came to see Rin and Ogerpon.

They hoped that during Rin's time in the village, he could help train the young warriors.

"Of course!"

It was like getting a pillow the moment you feel sleepy. Rin had been racking his brain for how to bring up sparring, and they handed it to him on a silver platter.

However, Rin didn't want to reveal the secret that Ogerpon could gain experience and level up from combat.

Ogerpon's Growth, combined with Rin's Leader, would be their fast-track path to power until their magicules broke the one-million mark.

If it were other subordinates, Rin wouldn't mind revealing it.

But for the Ogre race, who he'd only just met…

Rin played it safe.

"Chieftain."

"What are your instructions, Rin-san?"

The Red Ogre Chieftain treated Rin with great respect, which Rin found a little excessive.

Still, considering the warrior culture of the Ogres, Rin decided to go with the flow.

"From here on out, I'll have Ogerpon spar with the warriors of your village."

To avoid exposing Growth while maximizing experience gains, Rin decided to scale up the training sessions.

"You can come at her one-on-one, or team up in groups."

Rin ruffled Ogerpon's hair. "Don't worry. I'll have her hold back so she won't hurt anyone seriously."

"Poniii!"

Ogerpon gave an innocent smile, winning more favor from the Ogres.

"Are you sure that's okay?"

"Won't that be a huge burden on Ogerpon?"

Hearing Rin's decision, the Chieftain was overwhelmed with emotion.

He hadn't expected Rin to be this considerate. He had just made the request, and Rin not only agreed immediately but even made arrangements to benefit everyone.

At this moment, the Red Ogre Chieftain became even more determined to keep Rin and Ogerpon in the village.

Even if he had to give up his position as Chieftain, he wouldn't hesitate!

"I'll go gather everyone right now!"

Leaving aside the matter of persuading Rin to stay for the time being, what the Red Ogre Chieftain needed to do now was inform everyone in the village of this great news.

"What, what?"

"What's going on?"

The central plaza of the Ogre village, called a plaza but really just a large open space surrounded by wooden houses, had a raised platform built into it, the designated sparring arena.

"It's Ogerpon!"

"Ogerpon is willing to train with us and help us get stronger!"

The Ogre race worshipped strength and yearned to grow stronger.

Being able to spar with a powerful Upper Demon like Ogerpon was something they wouldn't have even dreamed of on an ordinary day.

"Ogerpon's going to teach us combat techniques?"

In a monster world where the strong preyed on the weak, the Ogres were somewhat better. At the very least, Rin and the elders would teach their juniors swordsmanship and combat skills.

But that was the limit.

To face higher-ranked monsters, you had to risk your life.

Now, Ogerpon—an A-Rank Ogre whose real strength might even exceed that was willing to spar with them.

No wonder the Chieftain made the request.

This kind of experience was too valuable. The Ogres had to seize this rare opportunity.

"How do you want to do this?"

Ogerpon stood in the center of the arena, surrounded by an excited crowd. She summoned her Ivy Cudgel and planted it firmly in front of her. "One-on-one, or all at once?"

Beside Rin, Ogerpon was a soft-spoken, gentle, well-behaved little cotton jacket.

But once she stepped into the battlefield, this quiet, socially anxious little girl became more violent than anyone else.

One swing, one down. Three swings, shattered peach hearts.

Her record of inflicting hundreds of years of psychological trauma on a certain scoundrel wasn't just a rumor.

(To be continued.)