A great cliff stood a short distance from the Mereo breeding grounds on Beezel’s territory.
It had to be over fifty meters high—maybe closer to sixty.
From its peak, a towering waterfall cascaded down, its abundant waters crashing into the lake below with a thunderous roar.
It was a spectacular view.
A chair had been prepared for me at the perfect vantage point overlooking both the waterfall and the lake.
I was instructed to sit.
So, I did.
A few minutes passed.
And then, with a piercing scream, Shirukine-san, bound in rope, plummeted from the top of the waterfall.
...What was that?
「This is a traditional local ritual for expressing an apology.」
Beezel explained, his tone matter-of-fact.
I see.
Still, to me, this looks an awful lot like an execution.
「It’s an apology.」
R-right...
Ehto... Shirukine-san hasn’t surfaced yet. Is she okay?
「Safety measures are in place.」
What kind of safety measures?
Just as the question formed in my mind, Shirukine-san finally bobbed to the surface.
Unconscious.
Beezel rushed to retrieve her in a panic.
-0-
The cause of this bizarre spectacle? Mereos.
The female Mereos had ended their siege but still refused to release the male.
In other words, there was still no plan for returning him.
Shirukine-san had tried to resolve the issue before my arrival.
She failed.
Hence... that ritual.
I didn’t particularly need an apology, but both Daga and Gulf insisted that taking responsibility was necessary since they couldn’t uphold their promise.
Oh, speaking of which—Daga.
I don’t think copying the ritual and jumping in on a whim is a good idea.
The flips and twists were impressive, sure, but still...@@novelbin@@
「It’s terrifying with the ropes on.」
Yeah, no kidding.
Not that I’d ever consider trying it myself.
And Gulf—don’t even think about it.
And don’t look at me like that.
-0-
Since Shirukine-san still hadn’t recovered, I set the Mereo issue aside for now and turned my attention to another matter.
A group of large monsters had gathered before Hakuren, one of my escorts.
The first to arrive was a wyvern.
It must have intended to land gracefully before her.
But it came in way too fast, rolling across the ground at least five times before finally coming to a stop.
Still lying on the ground, it lowered its head.
「I am the ruler of this land desu... I do not mind what happens to me, but please, spare my mate and offspring.」
A plea for mercy.
Next came a massive four legged beast—it looks like a combination of a lion and a boar.
Crashing through the trees in a straight charge, it skidded to a halt before Hakuren, then immediately flipped onto its back, baring its belly.
And then...
「I am the lord of this forest desu... Do as you will with me, but I beg you, spare my kin.」
Another plea for mercy.
Lastly, a colossal fish was desperately trying to drag itself onto land near where Shirukine-san had fallen into the water.
Its face alone was taller than I was.
It resembled a giant catfish, except its body was covered in patches of armor-like plating.
「I—I am the sovereign of these waters desu... I... I do not mind what happens to me... but please... my eggs...」
I admired its determination, but...
You’re breathing using gills, right?
Just get back in the water.
「B-but...」
It’s fine, really.
I turned to Hakuren. You don’t mind, right?
「I don’t mind at all.」
That’s what she said.
The massive fish slinked back toward the lakeshore.
If, after discussing it, the male Mereo was allowed to return to the breeding facility, I would personally help ensure he could move back as quickly as possible.
How about that?
The male Mereo seemed to have made up his mind.
Good. That was a relief.
I was glad he understood.
The female Mereos, on the other hand...
Rather than mourning the farewell, they were rubbing their transparent body fluids onto the male, trying to hide him.
...They really weren’t giving up easily.
W-Well, at least they didn’t resort to another siege.
But they promised to abide by my decision, didn’t they?
That was the agreement.
Time to accept it.
They were free to spend time with the male Mereo until his departure, but no more tricks.
-0-
A fairly large mansion stood within the breeding facility.
Beezel had called it a vacation home for Shirukine-san.
Inside the mansion’s reception room, I discussed with Beezel how to transport the male Mereo back.
I wanted to find a way to move him as quickly as possible.
「If the Mereo can travel on his own without being placed in a crate... we could shorten the travel time.
However, even then, we’d still need to stay overnight a few times, and securing lodging along the route would be difficult.」
I see.
The crate wasn’t just for transport—it also served as a temporary shelter for the Mereo.
Without that, ensuring his safety would be difficult.
Hmm...
That meant we had to consider another option.
How about this?
Beezel could use his teleportation magic to cover as much distance as possible, and at night, we could have Hakuren carry the Mereo.
Once Beezel recovered, he could resume teleporting.
It would be an intense journey, but by constantly moving, we wouldn’t need accommodations.
I thought it was a solid plan, but Hakuren immediately shot it down.
「Can a Mereo even ride on my back? Didn’t we transport it by ship because it couldn’t?」
...That’s true.
「But if he can ride me, I do know a way to get back to the village in less than a day.」
Really?
「Fufufu. Leave it to me... or rather, I would say that, but without the transport boards we use for carrying cargo, it might be a bit risky.」
Transport boards...
She was talking about those large, table-like frames used as back carriers.
I see.
For now, we should check with the male Mereo.
-0-
When I checked with him, the male Mereo said he was willing to ride on Hakuren’s back.
He wanted to return as soon as possible to discuss things with his owner.
Alright, got it.
That meant... I needed to build a large transport platform for Hakuren to carry.
First, I had to ask Shirukine-san where we could cut down trees in the area.
I’d also need Daga and Gulf to help.
Sorry, Beezel—could you check with Shirukine-san and find out where we’re allowed to work?
「Understood. Feel free to use the caretakers here for assistance as well.」
I appreciate it.
「But...」
What is it?
「You won’t be able to finish this today, will you?」
No, probably not.
It depends on how quickly we can gather materials, but at the earliest, it’ll take until tomorrow or the day after.
Ah—will it be alright if I stay here?
「That’s not an issue, but... um, Village Chief. Didn’t you tell everyone in Big Tree Village that you’d be returning today?」
I did, but going back and forth would be a hassle.
Even using Beezel’s teleportation magic once had been quite the effort.
I didn’t want to impose on you too much.
「........................Then, please write a letter. Address it to Big Tree Village. I will deliver it myself.」
Are you sure?
「If I travel alone, I can cover much more distance in a single teleport.」
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