I rode on Hakuren’s back as we made our way toward the Meleokhan breeding ground.
Along the way, we were intercepted by a group of ill-mannered wyverns, but their leader managed to keep them in check. He was quite the capable leader; I wouldn't have mind picking up a few pointers on that brand of leadership myself, though ruling through brute force isn't exactly my style.
Incidentally, those rowdy wyverns were tossed down the same waterfall Silkyne-san had fallen into earlier. Apparently, it was meant as an official apology to me. The customs for apologizing around here were certainly unique.
"Yes, yes, I get it," I muttered to the air. "I won’t make a big deal out of it. So there's no need for a second waterfall drop, alright?"
When we finally reached the Meleokhan breeding ground, we found it in the heat of battle. Caretakers and female Meleos were huddling behind makeshift defense walls of earth and wood, launching long-range attacks at something hidden in the forest. I say "hidden" because the moment Hakuren’s dragon form loomed overhead, the attackers turned tail and fled.
"I’m so sorry. You saved us," a caretaker said, rushing over to explain the situation. "It seems there’s been a massive shift in the forest monsters' territories, and a pack of magic beasts came charging into the breeding ground."
I see.
It appeared that Daga, Galf, and Beezel—who had traveled separately—had already arrived. They were currently in the forest with Silkyne-san, working on exterminating the remaining monsters. Apparently, the monsters weren't particularly strong, but their sheer numbers made them a nuisance. Still, with Daga and Galf on the job, I wasn't worried. Even if things went south, Beezel and Silkyne-san could always use teleportation magic to get away.
In that case, our priority was to protect the male Meleo and the other residents of the breeding ground.
...Though, looking at the Meleos now, I had to wonder.
It was wonderful that they were happy to be reunited, but could they perhaps refrain from flirting quite so much? It was making the atmosphere a bit awkward. The fighting might have stopped for the moment, but that didn't mean we were entirely safe.
For now, I decided to focus on repairing the earth and wood defense walls. They looked like they had been thrown together in a panic using magic. They were positioned to protect the Meleo breeding huts, but several sections were badly damaged. If Hakuren’s arrival had been delayed any longer, things might have gotten dangerous.
Just as I was working, Daga, Galf, and Beezel returned. None of them looked injured, which was a relief.
"The monsters in the forest fled. Assuming the Village Head had arrived, we decided to return," Daga said, giving me a crisp salute.
"There’s no need for the salute, Daga. Galf, sorry to put you to work immediately, but could you patrol the grounds? There might be some monsters still hiding out."
"Understood," Galf replied.
"Beezel, check on the employees. They look fine on the surface, but they might be hesitant to tell me if they’re actually hurt."
"I’m on it."
"And where is Silkyne-san?"
"Still in the forest. She’s investigating the source of the monster migration."
"Is she going to be alright?"
"She won’t lose to the likes of the monsters around here," Beezel assured me.
"Alright. In that case, Daga, give me the full report."
"Sir! Shortly after we arrived via teleportation magic, the monsters launched their assault. It wasn't coming from a single direction; they hit us from every side. However, the concentration of attackers felt heaviest on the west side."
"About how many were there?"
"Around fifty monsters roughly the size of adult Minotaurs. There were also countless smaller ones. I couldn't identify every species, but there were definitely several different types involved."
"I see."
"When we joined the fray, the monsters began to flee. We pursued them, but it seems another pack hit the breeding ground in the meantime. My apologies. My decision to pursue was an error in judgment."
"No, no. Silkyne-san was the one who made the call to give chase, right? I heard. Don't worry about it."
"Even so, someone should have remained behind to ensure the facility’s defense."
"Well, it's over now. Which way did they run?"
"They scattered, so I can't give an exact direction. However, the largest group seemed to be heading south."
"Hmm. Should we go after them?"
"I doubt they'll come back here, but... Lady Hakuren won't be staying here forever, after all."
He had a point. I didn't plan on lingering here for long either.
"For now, let's wait for Silkyne-san to return. I won't just be sitting around, though. I'll keep working on the walls."
As I continued the repairs with Hakuren, a Net Turtle—a type of land turtle magic beast—plodded toward us. The Net Turtles in this breeding ground lived in symbiosis with the Meleos. I had been curious about how exactly that worked, so one of the caretakers showed me a Net Turtle egg.
Remarkably, the eggs looked identical to Meleo eggs.
The Net Turtles would lay their eggs right alongside the Meleos', essentially tricking the Meleos into caring for them. It wasn't "care" in the sense of a bird brooding on a nest, but rather about managing the environment. Since the eggs were buried in the dirt, the Meleos handled the humidity levels for the shared nest.
Of course, the Meleos gained something from the arrangement too. By mixing their eggs in with the Net Turtles', they increased the survival rate against predators. If a threat approached, the Meleos would turn invisible and hide, while the Net Turtles would stay behind and fight aggressively to defend the nest.
Essentially, the Net Turtles acted as the muscle to protect both sets of eggs.
The caretakers mentioned that while Net Turtles were usually gentle as long as their eggs weren't bothered, they had fought valiantly beside the Meleos during this latest attack. Even if there were no Meleo eggs in the nest at the moment, there were certainly Net Turtle eggs to protect.
Interestingly, the Net Turtles hadn't gathered here naturally. The caretakers had actually bought their eggs, mistaking them for Meleo eggs. They likely knew deep down that they were being swindled, but they had been so desperate for a male Meleo that they had clung to any shred of hope and bought them anyway.
"So, does this Net Turtle have some business with me?" I asked.
The turtle shifted. Was it a guest for me? No, wait... a guest for Hakuren? And they were waiting in the nearby forest?
Guided by the Net Turtle, Hakuren and I headed into the trees, where we found a very familiar beast. It was the same one who had come to greet Hakuren during our last visit—the representative of the local monsters.
"I-I am honored to behold your countenance..."
"Yeah, yeah, cut the formalities," Hakuren interrupted. "What do you want?"
"Hakuren, at least let him finish. He’s trying to be polite."
"It'll just take forever otherwise. Come on, keep it brief."
"Um, it's about the monster disturbance in this area..." the beast representative stammered.
"Are you the one behind it?" Hakuren asked.
"N-No! Far from it! The truth is... as soon as it became known that formal greetings to Lady Hakuren were no longer required, the disputes over territory intensified..."
"Why would that happen?" I asked, confused.
"Until now, anyone who held a large territory was obligated to go and pay their respects to her. Most refrained from expanding their borders just to avoid the hassle of the greeting. But now that the requirement is gone, everyone is fighting to grab as much land as they can."
"I-I'm so sorry. My own lack of authority has caused you such trouble..."
"It certainly is a nuisance," Hakuren said. "So, did you just come here to tell me that?"
"No. I have already dealt with those responsible for the territory wars. I don't believe you will be troubled further. And, well..."
"Spit it out."
"My son was also involved in the fighting... I was hoping you could find it in your heart to overlook his actions."
The beast glanced behind him toward a Young Beast standing nearby. Hakuren looked at me, asking for my decision with her eyes. I signaled for her to let it slide.
"Do whatever you want with him," Hakuren said. "I won't go out of my way to interfere."
"T-Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The beast bowed deeply to Hakuren. As far as I was concerned, the crisis was over and the matter was settled.
The Young Beast, however, clearly had other ideas.
"Pops! Why are you kowtowing to a guy like this?"
"Quiet! How dare you speak that way in front of Lady Hakuren! Are you so blind that you can't sense her power?"
"I can sense the woman’s power just fine, but the man is just a man! I saw it! He’s the one giving orders to the woman!"
...Ah, I'd made a blunder.
Animals and monsters were incredibly sensitive to hierarchy. I had been too careless in how I conducted myself. While I was busy reflecting on my mistake, Hakuren simply tilted her head.
"And?"
"Hakuren, don't provoke him," I warned.
"I'm not provoking him. He clearly has a grievance, so I'm just going to help him resolve it. So, what’s it going to be? You want to try your luck?"
"I challenge you to a duel! But not with the woman! I'm fighting the man!"
Me?
The father tried to hold him back, but the Young Beast was determined.
"Well, Village Head," Hakuren said with a smirk. "I'd love to see you show off your amazing side."
Good grief.
A short while later, I watched as the Young Beast was sent tumbling down the waterfall.
When the beast representative realized that I was actually Hakuren’s husband, he looked at me with eyes full of sheer terror, as if he were staring at something that shouldn't even exist in this world. I found his reaction a little hard to swallow.
Giant Fish: "I'd really appreciate it if people stopped dumping trash into my lake."