"So, Takeru-sama, you summoned us here to bestow names upon us?" Subsequently, Ram looked at Takeru with a puzzled expression.
"That's one of the reasons. Next, I plan to ascend to Demon Lord in this world. And by coming here, you will also be able to gain further enhancements." Looking at the two, Takeru said seriously.
"Demon Lord! And... we can still become stronger? We understand. We will absolutely assist Takeru-sama in becoming a Demon Lord!" Hearing Takeru say this, Ram and Rem knelt on one knee and spoke earnestly.
"Haha, for what comes next, you don't need to do too much. Just watch carefully. However, after my ascension, there might be quite a lot to do." Looking at them, Takeru said with a light laugh.
"Is that so?" Hearing Takeru's words, the two stared blankly at him. But thinking of Takeru's extraordinary capabilities, they chose to believe him.
Subsequently, Takeru took Ram and Rem and accompanied them as they lived in the forest for two days. During these two days, Takeru had them focus on controlling their mana and developing new, powerful magic.
Although the increase in mana meant even ordinary magic would see a tremendous boost, it would never compare to powerful magic.
For Rem, Takeru attempted to teach her Esdeath's ice-based skills, as well as the skills he himself had learned from Aokiji. Everything else was manageable, but only [Mahapdama], a skill capable of freezing even space-time itself, proved extremely difficult for Rem to master. Yet it seemed not entirely unusable.
As for Ram, aside from large-scale wind magic, Takeru also taught her more concentrated attack techniques like the Rasenshuriken.
While she could casually unleash massive tornados akin to natural disasters with a mere gesture, such attacks struggled to inflict significant damage against true powerhouses.
Techniques like the Rasenshuriken, though smaller in scale, offered denser, more explosive, and higher-intensity attacks.
Ram quickly mastered Takeru's teachings. And the test subjects for their attacks were none other than Takeru himself.
This allowed Takeru to replenish his stored mana to seven hundred thousand in just two days.
Today, as Takeru was conducting routine training with the two, he sensed a cavalry unit advancing toward their location. Noticing their arrival, Takeru knew the Falmuth Kingdom could no longer restrain themselves. It also indicated that Takeru's clone and Nicol had succeeded in their luring.
However, to provoke them into large-scale deployment, Takeru still needed to orchestrate things further. After all, what Takeru needed were ten thousand or more human souls. A mere few dozen or hundred soldiers would not suffice. He had to make them understand that he possessed formidable forces and enormous wealth.
Thinking this, Takeru instructed Ram and Rem not to intervene. He then used his Shadow Clone Technique. The shadow clones further utilized Transformation Technique to transform into numerous monsters, all lying in ambush.
Meanwhile, the Falmuth Kingdom's soldiers searching the forest chatted leisurely.
"Captain, is there really treasure and a magic ore vein here? Or is that just an excuse that Nicol fellow fabricated to escape punishment?" A soldier looked at the dense forest and spoke with irritation.
"Hmph, that worthless Nicol doesn't have the nerve. If he dared deceive the King, even being Focken's nephew wouldn't save him from disaster." Hearing his subordinate's complaint, the leading captain said calmly.
"Careful! There seems to be a monster up ahead!" Suddenly, someone noticed a massive serpentine monster ahead and spoke nervously.
"Just a Black Snake. Concentrate fire!" Seeing the snake, the captain remained utterly calm. Unlike that incompetent Nicol, he had earned his position through combat prowess.
Seizing the moment the Black Snake's attention was drawn by several soldiers, he leaped high, swung his longsword, and effortlessly decapitated it.
"Oh! As expected of the Captain! Long live the Captain!" Seeing their captain easily slay the Black Snake, the soldiers below felt greatly encouraged.
"Alright, let's continue deeper. Everyone stay alert!" Hearing the cheers, the captain felt immensely pleased. But now was not the time for that. Danger lurked everywhere in the forest. And if Nicol's claims were true, this area should be occupied by that dragon knight.
After advancing a short distance further, they noticed something amiss. A vast clearing opened up ahead, within which yawned an enormous cave. Inside the cave, gold coins and magic ore were faintly visible. Before he could contemplate further, his subordinates' screams snapped him back to reality.
"Who are you people? What business do you have here?" Riding atop the massive Salamence, Takeru looked down upon the Falmuth Kingdom's soldiers from the air.
"We are soldiers of the Falmuth Kingdom! This territory belongs to the Falmuth Kingdom! What are you doing on the Falmuth Kingdom's land?" Seeing Takeru as the apparent leader, the captain directly challenged him.
"The Sylk Mountains do not belong to any nation. Human, get out! Do not trespass again, or I will no longer show mercy!" Hearing his words, Takeru was angered into a laugh and spoke loudly.
Accompanying Takeru's declaration, numerous monsters lying in ambush revealed themselves. Instantly, a terrifying oppressive aura surged from all directions. Even the captain, accustomed to large-scale battles, involuntarily swallowed hard, his mind shaken.
"Consider this a lesson. Get lost!" Takeru spoke again, louder, and casually sent a blade of wind that severed the captain's arm.
"Aghhh!" The searing pain quickly brought the captain to his senses. He looked at Takeru with a trace of resentment, but circumstances compelled submission. He rapidly issued orders. "We retreat!"
As they departed, Takeru revealed a slight smile, then dismissed all his clones. The various monsters dissipated in puffs of smoke.
"Takeru-sama, is this sufficient?" Watching the Falmuth Kingdom's soldiers leave, Rem came to Takeru's side and asked curiously.
"This is enough." Hearing her words, Takeru said confidently.
Whether it was the illusory wealth or the imminent threat, King Marius Falmuth of the Falmuth Kingdom would not sit idly by.
And monster subjugation would naturally follow. After several days of investigation, Takeru clearly understood just how insatiably greedy most of the high-ranking officials in this nation of thirty to forty million people truly were.
Although leading in wealth, with national power and population among the top, its economic and technological development was completely inferior even to the Jura Tempest Federation, which had only developed for two years. The main reason was that all wealth was concentrated in the hands of the king and select nobility, while the majority of commoners lived in misery.
Looking at this kingdom reminded Takeru of the Imperial Capital in the Akame ga Kill! World. The difference was minimal. Takeru planned, after eliminating a portion, to take control of this nation.
However, one somewhat troublesome aspect was that this world existed in a state of delicate balance. Takeru's forcible takeover might alert other nations, potentially provoking them to attack him.
After all, Takeru was no Rimuru, nor did he have a just cause. Of course, once he became a Demon Lord, even if the entire world united against him, Takeru doubted he would face any real danger.
Furthermore, a worldwide united attack was merely speculation. In the original work, basically every nation on friendly terms with Rimuru expressed no goodwill whatsoever toward the Falmuth Kingdom. Thus, Takeru should be able to act freely.
Upon returning to the kingdom, the captain and his remaining squad naturally embellished and exaggerated the incident. The King of Falmuth, Archbishop Reyhiem of the Falmuth Church, and various nobles directly declared their intention to subjugate Takeru.
Only Marquess Miora and Count Hermann from the neutral faction felt uneasy and attempted to dissuade them, hoping for resolution through negotiation. Yet their remarks were simply ignored.
However, based on the captain's account, Takeru's forces were far from weak. Thus, this expedition required thorough preparation. Given the proximity, for safety, King Marius decided to dispatch 25,000 troops to suppress Takeru, along with the empire's highest combat power: Razen and Focken, plus three Otherworlders.
Additionally, the Western Holy Church would establish barriers to support the military. Thus, the Falmuth Kingdom was fully confident of victory in this battle. The deployment was set for two days later...
Having gathered this information, Takeru's clone dissipated on the spot, transmitting the memories back to his main body.