I went over to see Beton, and she greeted me by dropping to one knee.
Was she copying Beezel?
"I offer my deepest apologies for the numerous rude remarks I have made until now," she said.
I looked at the nearby wolves and spiders. They shook their heads and waved their legs, making it clear they hadn't been the ones to threaten her.
That was a relief. I didn't think they'd do something like that anyway.
Then... was it the Demon King? Or Lu and the others? Had Dos pointed something out? Or maybe, in an unexpected turn, it had been Bron or Prada?
"I simply sensed the truth from the atmosphere," Beton offered. "Was I mistaken?"
"No," I replied. "I definitely prefer that reason to the first one."
"I-I see... well, then... I’m sorry."
"It’s fine. So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Yes. I wanted to formally apologize once more for the chaos in Shashato City."
"Well, that’s just a matter of different common sense between races, isn’t it? I’d just appreciate it if you chose methods that didn’t bother the neighbors from now on."
I wasn't even sure she should be apologizing to me. "You already apologized to the Demon King, right?"
"I have. My punishment has also been decided."
A punishment. I suppose even if it was to protect herself or her companions, planting magic circles all over a city warranted some consequences. The Demon King was on top of things.
"I’m scheduled to meet with the Magistrate of Shashato City to provide an explanation and an apology," she continued. "I wanted to speak with the Village Head before that."
"I see. What is the punishment, if I may ask?"
"Labor for a fixed period."
I wasn't entirely sure if that was light or heavy, so I decided to trust the Demon King’s judgment. "Well then, follow his instructions. You don't need to apologize to me..."
I trailed off as Bron signaled me frantically to accept. It couldn't be helped.
"I accept your apology."
Count Pugyal had been found, and the source of the trouble had been identified. Was that everything?
Wait, was there more?
I worried that the massive movement of the wolves might have displaced local monsters and magic beasts, ruining the local ecology. I hadn't thought that far ahead.
"That area will be fine," Dos said, approaching us after finishing his talk with Lu. "No matter how much the Inferno Wolves stir things up, there are existences here far greater than them."
He glanced over at Draim.
Ah, right. With a dragon’s nest nearby, the wolves moving around a bit wasn't going to cause any long-term issues.
"Precisely," Dos grunted.
That was a weight off my mind. I was ready to head home, but I noticed the wolves staring longingly at the daikon dishes Draim had prepared. There were still plenty of leftovers.
Ann and the others had brought plenty of cooking utensils and ingredients as well.
"It is only natural to stay prepared," Ann said.
I wasn't about to comment on her outfit. "In that case... let’s whip up a little more food, eat, and then head back!"
No one argued with that.
Before dawn, we made our move toward Shashato City. First, since a horde of wolves and spiders would cause a riot, I had Beezel use his teleportation magic to send them back to Yoko's mansion in Village Five.
They didn't want to leave my side, but they eventually agreed once I promised to play with them properly later. I considered having Dos, Lu, and the others teleport as well, but I didn't want to overtax Beezel.
Traveling together shouldn't have been an issue, but between the Demon King’s presence and the flashy outfits Lu and the others were wearing, our march toward the city ended up looking like a parade. To make matters worse, the prisoners captured by the wolves and spiders were being dragged along at the very back of the line.
I worried that I’d be the center of attention while riding the Flying Carpet, but apparently, the Demon King was going to draw all the eyes. I chose to believe that.
Despite the early hour, Miyo and Magistrate Ifuls were waiting for us just outside the city. As soon as Miyo spotted us, she and the Demon King started exchanging complex block signs.
What was that? Were they giving each other baseball signals? I didn't think we needed to call for a sacrifice bunt in this situation. The Demon King signaled back, seemingly rejecting whatever she suggested. If an amateur like me could read the mood, weren't those signals a bit too obvious?
"We were confirming how Magistrate Ifuls should behave," Miyo explained to me. "It wasn't a sacrifice bunt."
Did his behavior really need to be managed that strictly? I thought he could just be himself. Then again, maybe his behavior toward the Demon King was the issue.
"That is fine," Miyo said, giving me a look of mild exasperation. I decided to ignore it.
The Demon King took Beton to speak with the Magistrate. Meanwhile, Randan and Gratz handled the handover of the rioters and suspicious persons.
Nearby, Miyo seemed to be scolding Tiselle. Had my daughter done something wrong again?
"Keep your information accurate. Act with caution," Miyo lectured.
Her words hit home for me, too. Because lives had been on the line, I had rushed too much. I needed to be more careful. In this case, I wondered... what should I have done differently?
As I was brooding, Draim came over to comfort me.
"There is no need for the Village Head to worry," he said. "You should simply act as you wish. If a problem arises, those around you will just have to work a little harder."
That was...
"I was mimicking Ruincia of the Angel Race," he admitted. "Did I sound like her?"
"A bit," I laughed. "But thank you."
I noticed a group nearby. It wasn't just some random crowd; there were familiar faces among them. It was a merchant caravan—Joro’s caravan. Joro himself was leading them.
Since they were here, I assumed they’d been helping look for Count Pugyal. But apparently, they weren't looking for the Count.
They were looking for Beton.
"She didn’t come back after nightfall, so we came searching for her," Joro said. "She’s a member of our caravan, after all."
...
I see. So the people Beton had been so desperate to protect were Joro and his group. I hadn't realized.
Beton looked flustered when she saw them. It seemed she had kept the fact that she was a Devil a secret from the rest of the caravan.
I understood. I wouldn't say anything to blow her cover, nor would I mention the recent mess. I’d have to check with her later to see exactly how much I was allowed to talk about.