I Somehow Got Tasked With Managing A Realm

I Somehow Got Tasked With Managing A Realm – Chapter 58

Ferguson sat in his domain while expressionlessly staring at his realm on his screen.

You were overconfident.

That was one of the last things he said to his Oracle before he vanished- dying in a puddle of his own blood in a foreign land. 

"Was I talking to him or me?"

Ferguson's quiet mutter echoed through his domain, occupied by only himself, a desk, and the chair he sat on. The ogre's eyes subconsciously landed on a small, silver hammer resting on top of a pile of papers on the desk in front of him.

Although he was never the type to easily display emotions on his face, a hint of frustration mixed with regret could be seen as he gazed upon the object.

It was the prize he won as a result of an overwhelmingly successful invasion during the previous battle phase. Despite it currently looking like some sort of toy, the hammer still seemed to be bursting with power. It was to the point where Ferguson himself felt as though he was unbeatable when he first held the weapon in his hands.

If I can find someone strong enough to use it, there will not be anyone who can stop him!

Such was his mindset after receiving the weapon from a chest on stage. With these thoughts still shining in his head, he brazenly declared he would attack Jacob after hearing about Levon's defeat. Having fought against Jacob first-hand near the start of his time at the Academy, Ferguson knew well of the human's tricks. Still, he figured there was a limit on what Jacob would be able to do through a screen, and unless he had a divine weapon of his own, Ferguson couldn't see a way for his future Oracle to be defeated through combat.

Since he didn't see the human running around the Academy flaunting a weapon and provoking people, Ferguson was pretty confident that Jacob got some other prize for defeating Levon.

And so, after declaring his intent to invade and heading back to his domain, Ferguson began scouting his realm for whoever he deemed to be the strongest. Eventually, the Seedling laid his eyes on a young but impressively built ogre who had won a battle for the position of a tribe's chief in the eastern part of his realm.

Not only was this ogre exceptionally strong for his age, but he also had a thirst for battle unlike anything Ferguson had seen before and an obsession with the tales of his realm's triumphs in the first battle phase that were passed down through legends.

Once he selected this ogre to be his Oracle, however, Ferguson quickly realized just how detrimental this obsession would become.

Upon gaining divinity, Erik, the Oracle Ferguson selected, would not stop pestering him for stories about the first battle phase. It seemed that Erik craved being a part of those legends himself- he wanted to triumph in battle and be immortalized in the stories told for the rest of time.

Things were fine up until the portal opened, marking the official start of the battle phase.

At that point, his Oracle who had been diligently recruiting across his realm began insistently pressuring him to start the invasion. Every bit of pushback Ferguson gave for things such as planning was instantly met with complaints from the Oracle. It was Erik's complete disregard for caution that made Ferguson realize his own overconfidence in strength.

Even though I started being cautious before we attacked, it was not enough for his tricks.

Honestly, Ferguson viewed Jacob's tricks as honorless and underhanded, but regardless of the method, Jacob was the one with the prize at the end of the battle phase.

Dead men do not talk.

Ferguson could only let out a sigh as he looked over his realm. Not a single one of his lifeforms would have any idea what happened to the over 50,000 ogres who went through the portal nor would they know of the tricks they faced.

Their expectant waiting for news of a victory gradually turned to worry and then to despair as months turned to years. Eventually, new generations of ogres were born into the world with no knowledge of the 50,000 people who were missing from it.

Ferguson continued monitoring his realm until the portal closed, marking the official end of the battle phase.

He did not counter-attack... his Oracle must not have recovered from his wounds.

That was the one bit of good news that came from this ordeal, but Ferguson's realm was far from safe.

"It is time to get my punishment. Transport to the Academy."

In a flash, Ferguson appeared in the audience hall and let out a groan as he was greeted by a massive line leading up to the stage where his punishment was waiting.

Forcing us to wait for a punishment is a punishment itself.

Knowing very well what kind of trouble he'd face if he didn't follow the process, the ogre begrudgingly stepped into line.

.

..

...

Sickness.

After what felt like an eternity, Ferguson finally discovered that this was the punishment his realm would be subjected to.

Although on the surface it may not seem like much, this was one of the worst possible results for Ferguson.

A punishment fitting such a loss.

The ogre couldn't help but groan as he exited the stage.

Disease was a terrible concept that had been foreign to his realm until now. Regardless of how physically strong his ogres were, a virus was not something that could simply be punched away nor defeated in battle.

The purple one said aura would have no effect, either.

There was nothing that would crush an ogre's pride quite like losing a battle to a foe too small to even see; and unlike the disasters that befell many of the other Seedlings as punishments, this sickness was something that was likely to stay in his realm long after the start of the next battle phase.

He said it would be deadly, too.

It was difficult for Ferguson to even imagine how many tribes would be wiped out from disease, a concept so foreign to his ogres that they would have no idea what they were dealing with. Judging by what the purple figure said, the aftermath was bound to be brutal.

This is frustrating. I need to relax.

As if automatic, Ferguson slowly began making his way toward the bathhouse. 

The halls are almost empty. The bathhouse must be packed. 

These thoughts entered his mind as he approached its entrance, but its door opened just as he was about to go inside revealing three familiar figures.

"... Really?"

"Yes, really, I'd even say it to his face-"

"Squawk!"

"What do you- ah."

The group stopped their conversation and froze at the sight of him.

Such odd timing.

Right in front of Ferguson stood the Seedling who just smacked him with a Tier III defeat. Cradled in his arms was a tiny black and white creature, while another Seedling who looked nearly identical to the human he had encountered stood to their left.

Apparently, she is not a human.

He had seen these three countless times since he came to the Academy, though the times they actually conversed were rather small in comparison.

Do they ever separate? Aside from our duel, I can not think of a time when they were apart.

"I'll get way bigger muscles than you."

"What?"

"Nothing."

An incomprehensible declaration blurted out by the Seedling in front of him interrupted his thoughts. 

What is he talking about muscles for?

Ferguson shifted his eyes over the Seedling's body.

All of his muscles are covered by clothing. Out of everyone I have seen, only the purple one shows less skin.

The ogre looked closer.

It is such odd clothing. Even the Seedling next to him does not wear clothing like that. Does he come from a cold world? Maybe that is why the entrance to his realm is so freezing.

The target of his examination took a step back

Those details do not matter now. I already lost to him.

"Human, it was a good fight. It was my loss."

"Uhh... right..." the human seemed to be confused, but quickly shook his head and spoke again, "It was definitely not easy; that hammer you had was absurd."

Ferguson nodded, "It is a good prize. If I had chosen someone more reliable to use it, our battle may have had a different outcome."

"... That is a bit harsh, isn't it?"

"It is true, not harsh. He could not listen to simple instructions, but I was the one who chose him. The loss falls in my hands."

"I mean, I think my defenses were pretty good too..." the human muttered in front of him.

His defenses...

Ferguson thought back to the battle he witnessed on his screen.

His force was stuck traveling between two cliffs with stones and spears raining down upon them. In addition to this barrage from above, there were also countless traps beneath their feet. Thousands of ogres fell through the snow as they rushed toward the end of the pathway and into battle.

If Erik scouted like I ordered, he would have noticed both the troops on the cliffs and the traps in the snow. There would have been no panic and they would have had time to think of a plan. The stones and spears could not possibly reach the middle of the pathway. If they started there, our force could have taken its time crossing and avoided the traps. They would have arrived at the main battle with double the men and without any of the fatigue.

Although it wasn't a guarantee that this would have been enough to win him the battle, it was too big of a difference to ignore.

"You had an interesting plan, but our own errors were big. You could have been beaten."

"That's... not very reassuring."

As the human looked down dejectedly, the elf behind him finally spoke, "Hey, Jacob. Shouldn't we get going now?"

"Ah- right!" Jacob jolted back and turned his attention back toward Ferguson, "Sorry, but we have something we have to get done. I'll see you around, Ferguson."

With those words, the trio began making their way down the hall as Ferguson watched their retreating figures.

There was something I wanted to tell him, but I can not remember what it was... oh yes, the mana!

While scouting Jacob's realm, Ferguson was able to figure out that Jacob's realm had no mana.

It is an interesting strategy, but it will only limit what his creatures can do. I should warn him. 

"Human!" Ferguson shouted down the hallway at the group, to which Jacob curiously turned his head, "You will not last long as you are now."

Although Jacob paused with an odd stare, he soon turned around and continued walking to which Ferguson nodded satisfied.

I did my part. If he won resource points for beating me, he should use them to get some mana.

With a satisfied expression, Ferguson turned and entered the bathhouse.

It has been a while since I was last here.

Although the sight was a welcome one after being alone in his domain for so long, the ogre spent no time reminiscing and instead made his way to the changing room to grab a towel before entering the sauna.

Whoosh~

A gust of steam washed over Ferguson as he opened the door, yet through the vapor he could make out two familiar figures.

"You two are here?"

Alishia, who was soaking in a steamy, wooden tub slyly turned toward the ogre following his entrance, "Surprised~?"

"Not much. There are not many places to go in the Academy," Ferguson shrugged, "I would have met you two at the training ground later."

"We can still train after this. You might need it after how badly you lost," Levon, who was sitting on a bench nearby, chimed in.

"Yeah! What's with that!? We couldn't believe it when we saw you lost three points!" Alishia shot up in the bath, sending water over the sides.

"Watch where you are splashing," Levon grumbled before glancing back at the ogre, "Seriously, though. You really lost to that twerp? What happened to your whole 'I can beat his tricks with strength' speech?"

"... I was overconfident," Ferguson sighed, sitting next to Levon on the bench, "I was not wrong. He had a lot of tricks, but he can be beaten."

"Being overconfident doesn't explain the Tier III loss, though."

"Yeah, Alishia is right. I told you what happened when I faced that twerp last time, so now it is your turn to speak."

At the two's questioning, Ferguson reluctantly gave them a summary of his failed invasion, eventually stopping once his Oracle was slain.

Ferguson could see Levon shaking on the bench next to him with a fiery glint in his eyes.

"That scale-less twerp really did something annoying. Not only did he make us start somewhere completely frozen, but he also had the gall to build mountains beyond it!? How can he taunt so loudly yet fight like such a coward!?"

"I don't know why you're so mad- you didn't even come close to reaching the mountains."

Levon shot a glare toward the lamia, "Next time I fight him, I will have to deal with it. I have the right to be annoyed."

"Wow~ Even though he just beat Ferguson, you're really still planning to attack him again?"

"I am not afraid of that weakling. His cowardly trick made my realm suffer two punishments. I will make sure he pays for it," Levon growled and turned to Ferguson, "How did your Oracle lose to that weakling? You said the Oracles fought one on one and your Oracle had a better weapon."

"... He cared more for the story of the fight than the fight itself. He would have won if he fought with his full strength from the start. By the time he went all out, it was too late. I made a mistake picking such an Oracle."

Although the two Seedlings gave him conflicted looks, Ferguson ignored them and continued speaking.

"You know how my battle went. Did you two win?"

"Of course~" Alishia answered, "We both got Tier III victories!"

"You both did that well? That is impressive."

"I attacked that leafy flutter guy you recommended and they practically burned without any real challenge. It was a bit too easy," Levon paused and glanced at the lamia soaking in the tub next to him, "... Maybe it was not as easy as she had it, though."

Ferguson looked over curiously, but was only met with Alishia's casual shrug, "His Oracle couldn't resist my Oracle's charms. It's not my fault that they gave up on the invasion before it even started. Sadly, I only got resource points for it, so I just put it all into adding mana."

"You two did well," Ferguson nodded approvingly before turning toward Levon, "Speaking about mana, I figured out why your men could not breathe fire in the human's realm."

"It was because it was too cold, right?"

"No, that is not it," Ferguson lowered his voice and beckoned the two Seedlings to lean in, "The human has no mana in his realm."

"WHAT!?"

Levon reflexively shouted while Alishia simply widened her eyes in surprise. 

"WHAT DO Y-" Levon quickly hushed noticing the stares of the other Seedlings in the sauna, "What do you mean there is no mana!?"

"I mean what I said. Temperature does not affect body-strengthening magic, but my men could not replenish their aura in his realm."

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't Jacob put any mana in his realm?" Alishia wondered out loud.

"Probably because he is an idiot."

"Wow, Levon! You really lost twice in one battle phase to someone who's both a weakling and a mana-less idiot!"

Alishia smiled at the lizardman who was glaring in response to her teasing.

"Whether he has mana in his realm or not, I will still destroy him," Levon scoffed, "The prize I got today will make sure of that."

"Are you planning to attack him in the next battle phase?" Ferguson asked.

"... No. I will wait a few more battle phases and get more prizes until I am sure I can kill every last one of his lifeforms. It is not like he can do much without mana. As my realm grows stronger with victories, his will only be stagnant without it. That twerp made a big mistake."

"It's not completely bad to not have mana," Alishia defended, "After all, I can't attack him if there's no mana in his realm. You know my creatures use seduction magic."

"So you are saying that it was not completely dumb because it prevents invasions by the one lifeform who attacks by fu-"

Splash!

"Hey! I said to not splash me!"

"That is not what my lifeforms do and you know it!"

"Your Oracle just won by seducing the invading Oracle!"

"Yes, but they never actually did anything like that!"

Splash!

Ferguson sighed as the two Seedlings bickered next to him.

So loud.

"I came here to relax," Ferguson spoke, interrupting their fighting, "If you two want to fight, we can go to the arena and spar."

"...Fine."

"Hmph~"

The two quieted down after the threat, but the silence did not last long.

"Should we spread the word that Jacob's realm has no mana?" Alishia asked.

"No," Levon shook his head, "If people know how weak he is, they might kill his lifeforms before I have the chance to. He is my prey."

"How can you say he's weak when he just beat you and Ferguson? You just said you're waiting to attack him until you get strong enough, so aren't you calling yourself weaker than weak?"

Levon stood up with a glare, "You sure seem to be defending that twerp a lot."

"He's entertaining, but I don't care much about him," Alishia shrugged.

"Then what is your problem?"

"My problem is that you haven't taken back what you said about my lifeforms!"

"It is true, though!"

"No, it's not!"

"You know what? Maybe you are being so defensive because of how lifeforms take after-"

Levon's voice trailed off as a shadow loomed over him. Without even turning around, he could feel the massive figure bearing down on him.

"Both of you. Arena. Now."

Two small gulps could be heard echoing in the sauna.