Season 4: Ch5: Management.

  Sitting upon my throne, I listened to the reports given to me by Slimey. Between the food situation in my dungeon, operation Hydra, dealing with Berus’s spies, preparing for an expedition to the Heartforge and monitoring the demon’s movements, there was a lot to do.

  Like… so much… to do.

  Ugh! Why couldn’t I have time acceleration powers ot the ability to time stop things?! Or better yet! Clone myself or have multiple minds like that one spider anime with her split personalities to handle all the different tasks. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it…

  “Lord Hiro, are you listening milord?” Slimey asked, ceasing her report as she cocked her head at my rubber body that lay cradled in the hands of her main body.

  Yes yes! I’m paying attention. I sent, although in truth…

  Managers. That's what I need! Managers! Middle-management. Slimey was kinda like a manager, except well, she was a bit… much and had a habit of attacking or swallowing members of my army that slacked off or badmouthed too much. So, although I relied on her for everything, it would probably be better if I had more middle management between her and the rank and file.

  Dave was out of the question, as the crystalline croc-girl just slept and kept raiding Berus’s food stores, often being found in a number of the woman’s bathrooms within her manor sleeping. Ayaka was also a no-go too, as in her prepubescent drider form, she was more interested in playing and trying to recreate deathmold to feed her addiction than following orders. And Hector…

  I turned my attention upwards, the black-clad assassin skeleton only visible thanks to his glowing red orbs.

  He didn’t really talk.

  Then there was Gobledo…

  While I had been training him in sword arts and teaching the basic language of the humans thanks to my impart instruction skill, and books from Berus, he was just one being. One in a sea of a hundred that needed orders and overseeing. Lhikan was a good candidate, but he was busy training the other goblins and instilling discipline to the faithful.

  Sigh… if only Gobledee were here. I couldn’t help but think how much easier managing everything would be if I still had him by my side, yet alas, he was slain. Fell in service to my name. Another casualty to the list…

  “Milord?”

  Hm? Yes?

  “Are you okay?”

  I have been thinking, perhaps it is time we delegated more tasks and hired managers.

  At my suggestion both bodies of Slimey froze, her numerous cores all focused on me that sent shivers down my rubber spine? No. Thats not right, ducks dont have a spine. Tailbone? Wait do ducks have a spine? Vertebrae? Anyway back to the story.

  “Am I not good enough darling?” Slimey hissed, eyes wobbling, form shaking, as a great flood of woe began to flood me from our symbiotic connection.

  Of course you are! But My army is growing! And I am in need of more officers. Soldiers that can offer other insights and abilities to expand our domain!

  “I can be all those! I can be anything you want!” Slimey protested, her body separating to transform into another being, someone I didn’t recognize at first but who turned out to be one of the many criminal bosses she had subsumed.

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  “My lord,” The clone said, a male I believe that went by the name of Tywin Albet, a corrupt banker with an almost country accent. “It is my honor to serve ya. I have a deluge of experience with personnel management and operating funds.”

  Are you able to differentiate yourself from Slimey? I sent.

  “Yes sir, as of now, I am Tywin Albet in all his memory, with the alteration of my loyalty to you and you only milord.” The clone replied, bowing in a mannerism not common with Slimey. “I will serve ya to the best of my knowledge in any capacity that ya require.”

  Are you able to make multiple of you?

  “I…”

  Slimey’s main body and clones wiggled, the slime seeming to attempt to heed my command yet failing.

  “I… I’m sorry milord,” Slimey cried, the clones of her kneeling and offering me up their cores to destroy as penance of their failure. At least, all but the one in the visage of Tywin Albet who stood with a confused look on its face.

  Interesting… Well… not quite what I had in mind, but… Slimey WAS able to mimic others down to their mannerisms, AND technically, she was a sort of hive mind. If she could isolate the personas and stick to their lanes of thinking without all the yandere murdering, then… this might actually work!

  Hmmm…. If Slimey could absorb other people and incorporate them into my army…

  A dark thought, one of Berus and Donut being dissolved into slimes quickly crossed my mind, although efficient, it was a bit too dark for my taste. Although, maybe we could find and use other candidates from the human garbage that was cleaned…

  No.

  It would do to have fresh blood, maybe train and create new leaders within my army, just in case something happened to Slimey. Besides, it only felt right that I promote my own. A goblin should lead other goblins. Just like a human leads other humans. Maybe I’m a racist, but it just seemed a bit wrong to have a human barking orders at different races. Plus this way it would be better for morale.

  Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I should find some elves to dissolve. Eh. Nevermind.

  I guess, in the memetime this would do.

  Organize our supplies. And prepare a company of my troops to march. I ordered, the duplicate of Tywin bowing his head slightly before taking off. Slimey, come I have need of your body.

  “M-my lord?!” Slimey let out, her skin a bright pink as she went flush.

  Sigh.

  Not like that you pervert. We have a meeting with Berus to go to. I corrected, turning my attention to Gobledo who stood stoically nearby, the goblin paladin the epitome of a loyal knight. Gobledo.

  “Yes, Lord Hiro?” Gobledo said, snapping a quick salute with his hand over his heart.

  Organize ten of your most loyal and best me-eeer goblins. Its time to start officially organizing our army. I have need of officers.

  “Yes. Milord. As you command,” Gobledo said, performing another salute with professional proficiency and taking his leave as Slimey seemed to deflate a little. No doubt unhappy from me delegating tasks to others than just herself.

  Slimey, let us away, we have some talking to do with Berus.

  “As you command my lord,” Slimey said, her main body rising from my throne as she placed me down and I began to synch to her.

  Hmm… why do I feel like I’m forgetting something?

  ******

  In the cramped cavern of a now dilapidated and once mighty fortress, a decaying hand of the undead broke from the earth, clawing at the polished rocks nearby until finally, the hole was expanded.

  Then, the hand retreated back into the abyss, a moment passing before the hand returned but this time clutching the head of a silver-haired woman with purple skin.

  “GAH!! FINALLY!” Chloe let out, the undead woman’s burning blue eyes releasing bits of flames that were akin to tears as she celebrated finally being free after a month of clawing through the dirt.

  Finally, after a moment, Chloe settled her beating phylactery, the undead finally taking a moment to review her surroundings, her eyes darting to and fro as her hand rotated her decapitated head that billowed out wisps of bluish black energy.

  “Wait a minute…” The undead furrowed her brow, her strands of silver hair crusted with dirt falling over her eyes. “Where is everyone?!”