The Ogre Shaman is dead.
Though we only wanted to copy his appearance, it wouldn't be possible without taking him down.
I already pushed away his corpse to a corner where Jayna could easily see him.
Err... she's the one who requested for his body to be put there. By using his body that was riddled with holes as a reference, Jayna concentrated on creating my new disguise.
With her real appearance in front of me working hard like this, I got too absorbed at watching her.
"Daisuke, is there something on my face?"
Jayna stopped for a bit and looked at me.
Ah. Of course, she would notice when I was staring at her like that.
I shook my head and answered with a slight smile.
"I just got too absorbed at your serious face."
Hearing my answer, Jayna's face blushed as she covered it with her hands. If she has her staff, most likely I will earn another hit in the head.
"Uhh… Why do you always throw lines like that?"
"Eh? You asked, I answered."
But she's right, that line was pretty good even if that was not my intention.
"Sometimes I don't really get what's going on in your mind."
Jayna sighed before continuing her work on my disguise. She's a bit too innocent but I guess she's really too conscious of me now. If she's a bit wary of me before, now, every time something good happens, she will go to me first to express it.
After expressing our interest with each other, I want it for her to take it slow. To let her slowly understand her own feelings.
But I don't really have a reason to also do the same. Just like with Yumiko.
"Do you want to know? I can tell you."
"I already have an idea, you didn't stop staring at me even after I told you..."
Jayna shook her head and a lovely smile peeked out from her lips.
"Ah. Do you want me to stop?"
Seeing that smile, I recalled how limited my time here with her. Sooner or later, we'll return to Earth.
She will be like Zerina, Avelin and Erin soon. Left behind in her world. As to when I will see her again, I don't know. I guess this is also my unconscious action to remember her when that time arrives.
The two barbarian girls almost never left my side during the remaining time before Raiden and I went back to Earth. Zerina also did the same, during our stay in the Western Border, every time Yuko will be busy by something back then, she will go to my side.
Though I could see the growth of their strength, I couldn't see how they look right now. And the same will happen with Jayna soon. She's already listed below Erin's name even without any pledge happening between us.
The system really needed to change the name of that list. It's confusing even if I'm the only one who could see my Status Window.
"No. Keep watching me. I'll make the perfect disguise for you!"
While wearing a smug face, Jayna confidently declared, the way she weaved her Spirit Energy was kind of enchanting as well, even if I can control that energy freely, I'm not as skilled as her in shaping it to however I like.
"Alright. Show me what you got, Jayna."
Upon hearing my words, her smug broke instantly as it was replaced with a grin while her face was blushing.
"...Daisuke, I want a reward for this."
With a soft voice, Jayna slowly said.
"Hmm? What kind? If I can give it then it's not a problem."
She wanted a reward. Err… I wonder what do I have that I can give her?
"I'll tell you after we leave this dimension."
Jayna's eyes glimmered a cheerful light upon hearing my agreement. After that, she went back concentrating on doing my Ogre Shaman disguise.
While watching her do her best, I also started thinking about our next step.
How will I steal the Pole without the Ogres noticing that I am not the original Shaman? They're not that intelligent but it's better to be sure. Ah. I'll observe them first. If they're truly idiots then I don't have to think of how, taking it down won't have any problem.
According to our original plan, our group has already done its objectives. The next part will be for me to act as the Shaman and deliver Jayna to the other side.
She'll be needed there to disguise the captives as Ogres. It sounds easy but one wrong move will lead to us fighting them with us being outnumbered. We have to move quickly and calmly respond to any changes.
"It's done!"
Jayna smiled as she looked at my disguise, satisfied with another of her craft. By adding some finishing touches, she clapped her hands happily.
She then pulled my arm and had me stand up. After circling around me and nodding for a few times, Jayna repeated her words.
"Thank you, Jayna. Now, repair your disguise. I'll wait for you."
I patted her head and bathed her in Spirit Boost.
After around 10 minutes she's back to her Ogre disguise, devoid of the elegant and clumsy girl from earlier.
From the Ogre Shaman's corpse, I took his necklace that's made from some unknown materials. It's nothing special and didn't trigger anything. Only an ornament to make him look scarier.
It's already been more than an hour since we entered the lair and no one found out the empty storage yet. There's also no one who came to check for the Shaman.
Let's hope it'll be as easy as this on the next steps.
When we exited the room and appeared before the Ogres, most of them gave their respect to me, some were even putting their child to the front, hoping they would be picked for the next Baptism.
Err… how do they even reproduce? They all look alike and I don't see the distinction between male and female.
Ah. That's not my business anymore. It will just cause me a headache if I tried to think about how and why.
Acting like a leader, I didn't respond to most of them and walked calmly while Jayna was following behind me.
I went and checked on Jagu first and upon seeing my face, he first got startled but with Jayna behind me, he settled down and tried to probe my disguise.
"Not only the disguise is perfect, you even move like him. Is that part of the disguise too?"
Jagu inquired. He also circled around me as if trying to find a flaw in this disguise.
"No. That was Daisuke acting like him. The Ogres couldn't even tell that he was already the fake Shaman."
Jayna giggled under her disguise as she recounted the Ogre's reaction.
After reminding Jagu of what to do later, we left the room and started traversing the path to the other side of the lair.
Yumiko and the twins were surely holed up inside the Prison Room to prevent any Ogre from harming the remaining captives.
As we passed by the Altar, the Ogres who were busy tending to whatever they were doing stupidly call out to me. I ignored most of them and only gestured slightly, but every move of the shaman was taken in great interest by them.
How simple are these Ogres, really?
When we arrived at the Prison Room, I had Jayna enter first so as to not startle them with my appearance.
And also, I have to deal with the flock of Ogres first. Some of them were even chewing on a Ruin Dweller's leg while exclaiming something towards me.
"Where's Daisuke?"
I heard Yumiko asking Jayna when she entered.
"Outside."
I turned back and saw them peeking out from the room.
I nodded at them and Yumiko seemingly understood what I wanted them to do. She pulled them back and started working inside there.
With that, the need to enter the room was removed. Yumiko is there to supervise. There's no need for me to worry.
After I shook off the Ogres flocking towards me, I walked around the lair to check the other rooms while observing the Ogre's behaviour.
There were those with a child who kept pointing at their kid, there were those who were flaunting their scars as if that's an honor and lastly, there were those offering me different parts of the Ruin Dwellers as a meal.
Err... In short, they're really this simple that they didn't even notice that I'm not their original Shaman anymore.
Having decided that, I then made my way to the barricade and gestured on the guy manning it, removing him from his post.
Though I only tried, he seemingly understood that I was telling him to get lost. He scurried away cheerfully as if he was freed from a difficult task.
After I opened the barricade, just enough for us to easily pass through it later, I looked back and saw them having confused expressions. However, they didn't do anything and just watched me.
I then moved away from that entrance and no Ogre even thought of closing the barricade again.
It's maybe because of their ignorance and low intelligence or maybe that was because of the influence of the Shaman. Everything he did was the law and it's probably the absolute. Only him had that room and no one even dared to enter the Energy Stone room.
With this, I confirmed how stupid these Ogres were. There's really only the Shaman as their Pillar and the most intelligent among them, other than that, they're simple creatures.
I just have to stall for a little time and act like their respected leader until Jayna finished disguising those captives. She has the Energy Stones in her necklaces. Using that can also replenish her used Spirit Energy.
As long as there's no other unexpected thing that will pop out, we're done here.
But yeah, there's also that saying on Earth. Murphy's Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
What can go wrong anyway?
Ah…
Suddenly a group of Ogres came crawling back from the narrow pathway. Behind them were a number of Ruin Dwellers.
Without relying on their tunneling abilities, they're smashing the running Ogres to the ground.
I really jinxed it, eh?
I looked around and saw that the Ogres were staring at me, waiting for my orders.
I raised my arm and howled like an idiot while pointing to the Ruin Dwellers
Seeing what I did, the Ogres copied me and also howled their lungs out and raised their clubs as they charged towards the incoming enemies.
Those at the front faced the approaching Ruin Dwellers, with their clubs raised, they did their most used and idiotic pskill, Club Throw.
"Daisuke, what happened?"
Yumiko suddenly appeared at my side. I knew it was her because of the voice and the unique mark Jayna left on her Ogre skin.
"As you can see. Murphy's Law was evoked."
I smiled wryly beneath my disguise.
"Really… Those Ruin Dwellers suddenly became this crazy. Did something happen to them?"
It's not wrong for her to think of that. They wouldn't become this crazy without any reason.
"If there's something, those Ruin Dwellers we caught earlier..."
That's the only possibility I could think of. I better check with Jagu.
"I see. That's a possibility. I thought they're less intelligent than these Ogres."
Yumiko nodded while voicing out her thoughts.
"Either way, I can command these Ogres. They will be slaughtering each other so this is ideal for us. Go back first and finish the task. Leave these to me."
After telling her that, I also moved forward which made those other hesitating Ogres follow behind me.
They needed their morale at this moment. When they became too disoriented. That will be my chance to go and steal that pole.
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