A massive cliff stood a short distance away from the Meleo breeding ground in Beezel’s territory. Its height was easily over fifty meters—perhaps sixty. A tall waterfall cascaded down the rock face, the sheer volume of water plunging into the lake below with an impressive roar. It was a magnificent, scenic view.
A chair had been prepared for me in a spot overlooking the waterfall and the lake, and I took my seat as instructed. After waiting a few minutes, I witnessed Silkyne-san falling from the top of the waterfall, bound in ropes and screaming all the way down.
What on earth was going on?
"This is a traditional ritual in this region to demonstrate the sincerity of one’s apology," Beezel explained.
I see. To my eyes, however, it looked more like an execution.
"It is an apology," he insisted.
I—I suppose so. Wait, Silkyne-san hasn't come back up to the surface yet; is she going to be okay?
"Safety measures have been ensured."
I wondered exactly how they had ensured them. Just as the thought crossed my mind, Silkyne-san floated to the surface. She appeared to have fainted, and a panicked Beezel immediately rushed off to rescue her.
The cause of Silkyne-san's bizarre behavior was the Meleo situation. While the female Meleos had abandoned their siege, they still refused to let go of the male. In other words, they hadn't yet secured a way to return the drone Meleo. Silkyne-san had tried to resolve the issue before my arrival, but she had failed. The result was that ritual.
Personally, I didn't think an apology was necessary, but Daga and Galf told me that a formal settlement was required for failing to uphold the promise to return him.
Ah, Daga. Just because it’s a ritual of apology doesn't mean you should just mimic it and dive in yourself. Your mid-air rotations and twists were magnificent, though.
"Doing that while tied up would be terrifying," Daga remarked.
I bet it would. I certainly had no desire to try it myself. I warned Galf not to mimic him either, but he just gave me a dejected look.
Since Silkyne-san still hadn't recovered, I set the Meleo matter aside to observe another development. A group of large local monsters had gathered around Hakuren, who was acting as my escort.
First came a Wyvern. It had likely intended to land gracefully in front of Hakuren, but its approach speed was far too high. It tumbled across the ground about five times before coming to a stop. Even while sprawled out, it bowed its head.
"I am the one who represents this region. You may do with me as you wish, so I beg of you, please spare only my wife and children."
It was a desperate plea for mercy.
Next was a large... something. It was a four-legged beast that looked like a hybrid of a lion and a boar. This creature mowed down trees as it charged straight toward Hakuren, only to immediately roll over and show its belly.
"I am the ruler of this forest. You may do with me as you wish, so please overlook my clan."
Another plea for mercy.
Then, at the edge of the lake where Silkyne-san had fallen, a giant fish was desperately trying to haul itself onto land. Its face alone was taller than I was. It looked like a catfish, but with armor-like plating covering parts of its body.
"I—I govern these waters. I—I do not care what happens to me... so p—please, at least spare the eggs..."
I admired the spirit, but I told it not to overexert itself. It breathed through gills, after all. I told it to get back in the water.
"B—But..."
It was fine. I asked Hakuren if she minded, and she gave a casual wave. "I don't mind at all~"
The giant fish returned to the lake. I told the Wyvern and the beast to return to their nests as well.
"It’s honestly a bother when they just show up on their own like that," Hakuren grumbled.
I suppose it was. But then I noticed the Wyvern still lingering. I told it I would listen if it had something to say.
"U—Um, the thing is... in the past, when Lady Hakuren visited, there was a magic beast who was attacked simply because it didn't come to greet her."
I looked at Hakuren.
"That was a long time ago," she muttered.
"We were told to come running no matter what happens," the Wyvern continued. "Otherwise, we were told the entire clan would be exterminated."
"I—I was running away from home back then. That was during my rough patch."
"And yet, you say it’s a bother when we show up... what must I do to protect my family?"
I apologized on her behalf. Then I told Hakuren to apologize properly.
"My apologies," she said.
I assured them it was fine if they didn't come next time.
"T—Thank you very much."
I told the beast, who still hadn't left, that it was fine to stay home next time too. Hakuren apologized again. "My apologies."
I had her apologize to the giant fish waiting at the shore as well.
"My apologies."
"S—So, that means you won't do things like drying up the river water anymore?" the fish asked.
"We won't, we won't," I promised. Wait, Hakuren, you did that?
"A long, long time ago. But it’s fine. Later, I went on a rampage with Graffaloon, and the water level should have returned."
"It just got connected to a different river... and the territorial disputes became incredibly violent," the fish added.
I made Hakuren apologize one more time.
"My apologies."
I thought about apologizing along with her, but I knew Hakuren would get grumpy if I did, so I refrained. In my heart, however, I sent them my sincerest regrets.
Eventually, Silkyne-san recovered, and we moved to the Meleo breeding ground using Beezel’s teleportation magic. Once there, I formally confirmed the drone Meleo's intentions.
The drone Meleo wanted to return to his owner in Village Four. However, he also didn't want to be separated from the female Meleos. He was agonizing over the choice and couldn't reach a conclusion.
As a side note, taking the female Meleos back with him would be difficult. Beyond the transport issues, Village Four wasn't suited for egg-laying. Even with the floating garden expansion, raising multiple giant Meleos would be frowned upon. Furthermore, there simply wasn't enough land for future breeding. The consensus was that staying at this breeding ground was the best option for the females' protection and reproduction.
So, it came down to whether the drone returned or stayed. After much mental turmoil, the drone Meleo told me he would leave the decision to me. He simply couldn't choose. Through his persuasion, the female Meleos also promised to follow my judgment.
I didn't have to think twice. The only choice was for him to return.
The female Meleos complained at my lack of hesitation, but I told them not to be angry. First, the matter of whether the drone returned and the matter of them not wanting to be apart were two separate issues. Mixing them only made things complicated. There was a prior contract for the drone Meleo to return, and that had to be honored. Otherwise, the trust in this breeding ground would be destroyed. Even if he stayed of his own volition, the owner in Village Four would see it as a broken promise. For the sake of the future, he had to go back at least once.
As for not wanting to be apart... while I had been given the right to decide many things, I felt this wasn't one of them. It was a matter for the drone's owner in Village Four and the caretakers of the female Meleos to settle. First, the drone Meleo had to talk to his owner and decide what he wanted to do. After that, if they wanted to stay together, they could figure out what form that would take.
It might be hard for the female Meleos, but whether he could come back depended on that discussion. I told them to believe in him and wait. If it was decided that he would come back to the breeding ground, I promised to cooperate to make the move as fast as possible.
At my words, the drone Meleo finally made up his mind. I was glad he understood. The female Meleos, however, weren't exactly grieving the parting. Instead, they were rubbing their transparency fluid onto him to try and hide him. They were certainly stubborn. Well, if they weren't, they probably wouldn't have caused a siege in the first place. I told them to give it up and follow my judgment as promised. They were allowed to stay together freely until his departure.
There was a reasonably large house at the breeding ground which Beezel described as a villa for Silkyne-san. In the reception room, I consulted with Beezel on the fastest way to take the drone Meleo home.
"If the Meleo travels on its own without being put in a box, we can shorten the trip. However, we would still have to stay overnight several times, and securing accommodations along the way is difficult."
The Meleo transport box also functioned as its lodging. Without it, ensuring its safety during the nights would be hard.
If that was the case, maybe... Beezel could teleport as much as possible, and at night, Hakuren could carry him. Once Beezel recovered his mana, we would teleport again. It would be a forced march, but it would eliminate the need for lodging.
I thought it was a good idea, but Hakuren interjected. "Can a Meleo even ride on my back? Didn't we use a ship because they couldn't?"
Now that she mentioned it, that was true.
"But if he can ride on me, I have a way to get back to the village in less than a day."
"Really?"
"Hehe. Leave it to me... is what I’d like to say, but without the wooden board I use for cargo, it would be a bit dangerous."
The wooden board—the pack frame that looked like a large table. I checked with the drone Meleo, and he said he was willing to ride on Hakuren. He wanted to speak with his owner as soon as possible.
"Alright, I understand."
I decided to build a large table for Hakuren to carry on her back. I needed to ask Silkyne-san where it was okay to fell trees. I’d have Daga and Galf help me with the work.
"I’ll check with Silkyne-san for a workspace. Please feel free to use the caretakers here as well," Beezel said.
I told him I’d count on them.
"So, um... that work won't be finished today, will it?"
"Probably not. Depending on the materials, it’ll likely be tomorrow or the day after at the earliest. Is it okay if we stay overnight?"
"That part is fine, but... Village Head. I believe you told everyone at the Village of the Great Tree that you would be returning today."
That was true, but going back only to return here again was a hassle. Traveling by teleportation magic was exhausting for Beezel too, and I felt bad making him do it repeatedly.
"........................Please write a letter addressed to the Village of the Great Tree. I will deliver it."
"Is that all right?"
"If I am alone, the distance I can cover with a single teleportation is much greater."
I agreed and sat down to write a letter, apologizing for the change in plans.