The monster involved in the incident Miyo handled in Shashato City turned out to be a Siren.
With the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, they are apparently a species of mermaid and are treated as demi-humans. Their defining trait is a singing voice that can bewilder anyone who hears it. Had one been allowed to sing in the middle of the city, it would have caused absolute chaos.
Actually, I heard she did sing. However, there was no damage.
The creature had been confined within a ship, where the culprits were waiting for the perfect moment to execute their plan. To ensure she could sing in peak condition, they had taken excellent care of her, providing ample food without any mistreatment.
As a result, the Siren got fat. Extremely fat.
"For mermaids, daily life is a constant full-body workout, so they put on weight immediately if you lock them up," Lu commented, peeking at the report over my shoulder.
I see.
Consequently, her singing voice lost its potency. Or rather, it wasn't that the voice itself lost its magic—she simply became unable to sing. A Siren who runs out of breath after a single phrase... what do you even say to that?
At any rate, it was fortunate they went in without a rehearsal. If they had tested her voice beforehand, they surely would have been discovered sooner.
Currently, the Siren is on an intensive diet in the sea. Once she finishes, she's supposedly going to work hard as a ship navigator in the harbor. As for returning to her original home... apparently, she became a total slave to fried food while in captivity.
I'll send a reply telling them to watch her closely so she doesn't suffer a rebound.
There were eight perpetrators who attempted to incite chaos in Shashato City. They had been using the ship as a hideout and conducting espionage. The city confiscated the vessel and secured a wealth of evidence. As for the culprits, they were handed over to the Magistrate. Since this was a matter for the Demon Kingdom, that was the natural course of action.
I also sent the five captured in Village Five to the Magistrate of Shashato City. We couldn't exactly take in people who attempted terrorism in Village Five, and releasing them was out of the question, so this was the most sensible response.
It was decided that the Orthrus pup rescued in Village Five would be raised here in the Village of the Great Tree. We considered returning it to where it was found, but we gave up on that idea because it had been captured in a human kingdom. If we sent it back now, there was a chance the human kingdom would make a fuss, claiming we were weaponizing the beast against them.
Raising it in Village Five was also suggested, but they said they were short-staffed. Apparently, Orthrus are short-tempered and rowdy, and that goes for the puppies as well. When they told me it would cause constant trouble unless someone stayed by its side twenty-four-seven, I had no choice but to accept it here.
I don't mind taking it in, but it's just going to be free-roaming, you know? Well, maybe one of Kuro's children will look after it.
By the way, that pup didn't take a liking to me at all. It just barked at me. It was a bit of a shock. Yoko didn't have any luck with it either. Its wariness might have intensified because Zabuton’s children had it tied up.
However, since it seemed to obey those same children of Zabuton, we managed to bring it through the Teleportation Gate to the village. Once there, faced with Kuro and Yuki, the Orthrus pup immediately played dead.
It was a perfect performance. I got worried and shook its body, but it didn't move an inch. I genuinely thought it had died.
But Kuro and Yuki weren't about to be fooled by a sudden act of playing dead. More importantly, they didn't seem to like how worried I looked. When Kuro gave a light bark, the pup snapped awake with such force that it practically stood up on two legs. I couldn't help but laugh. I hope they can all get along.
On the Demon King's side, several other suspicious groups have been captured. It seems they were already on the move before I even contacted them.
Wait, Tiselle was the one commanding the arrests? What does that mean? She didn't go to the scene herself, but commanded them from the Royal Castle? Even so, giving my daughter such a heavy responsibility... oh, she volunteered for it?
Based on the intelligence gathered, she accurately deduced the enemy hideouts and moved to arrest them in advance. It was the kind of achievement that made it hard to believe she was actually my daughter. I felt proud.
No, wait. This isn't the time to be impressed. It might be safe work, but... hang on. Why were Gol and the others part of the arrest squad? They were field commanders? They're still children. The Demon Kingdom might be a meritocracy, but please don't make them do anything too reckless.
Well, I suppose they're already married, so in a sense, they are adults. Hmm... regarding Gol and his group, I'll leave it to their own discretion. Just don't dump impossible tasks on them, okay? If they're too busy, they won't be able to come over and pitch for baseball anymore.
So, was the mastermind the Gorunzen Kingdom? I thought a coup had occurred and the administration and country name had changed...
It's them, but not quite? The Gorunzen Kingdom was the mastermind, but the country itself has already been destroyed. The units sent to various regions were left behind and are now acting independently.
Why don't they withdraw? Well, even if they wanted to, they have no country to return to. I thought they could just surrender, but since they were sent to cause chaos, they don't know how they'll be treated, so they can't do that either.
Hmm. I understand the feeling, but they really don't need to be so diligent about carrying out orders from a dead kingdom. No one is going to praise them for it.
Well, I've left the disposal of the prisoners to the Demon Kingdom, so I won't interfere. Not that it's related, but I'd be happy if everyone could just forget the part about me bringing Zabuton's children into Village Five. It was an emergency, so the proper communications couldn't keep up. Progenitor-san, who can use teleportation magic, had passed out from drinking too much sake. I did send word via Small Wyvern Communication, but I knew it would arrive after the fact. My apologies.
...Though I'm the one apologizing, is it really okay for them to forgive me so easily? It helps, but still.
Hm? They want to see the rescued Orthrus pup? Is it really that rare of a magic beast, even in the Demon Kingdom? I don't mind. Let's see, where did it go?
The Orthrus pup was hiding snugly right behind Guronde. It seems to have taken a liking to her. I wonder if it felt some kinship because they both have multiple heads? No, that can't be it. Guronde isn't in her dragon form. The pup shouldn't know she's a multi-headed dragon.
In other words... it probably just sought out the strongest presence and decided to follow her. It doesn't seem to be a nuisance to Guronde, and she's doting on it. I'll leave the pup in her care then.
When I warned her not to pamper it too much or Giral would get jealous, she just laughed.
The Demon King, to whom I relayed the message, was currently being swarmed by the older sister cat and the kittens. It seemed the cats had grown jealous of the attention he was paying to the pup. They certainly get along well.
I wish someone would get jealous over me, too.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, Lu, Tia, Ann, and Ria all poked me in the ribs.