We planned to return to the South quietly without telling anyone. However, I don't know when the rumors spread, but mermaids swarmed in to see us off.
Furthermore, they even offered a whole lot of gifts, saying thank you for saving the East.
True to their nature as mermaids who love jewels, the items they offered were all expensive gems.
'How much is all of this?'
I stared at the pile of gifts in a dazed state.
They say no one in the world dislikes money, but... this was just too much.
"As expected, this is too much."
As I spoke with a look of bewilderment, the mermaids, who were still heaving to carry the jewels, shook their heads vigorously.
"What are you saying! This is not enough to fully convey our feelings!"
"That's right. Please accept it!"
The eyes of the mermaids who said that sparkled more than any jewels here.
But at this rate, I felt like I was really going to ruin the household finances.
We decided to return to the South without further delay.
Aria saw us off.
"Thank you so much. I will do anything to help. Please don't hesitate to come visit."
I looked at her and nodded.
The mermaids bestowed jewels upon us until the very moment they saw us off. Unable to bring myself to reject them, I had to embrace a whole armful of what they handed me.
"Eve, let's go now."
Noelier whispered softly. At this rate, it seemed like we would have to say goodbye for several days.
“Here it is.”
I accepted the luggage handed to me by the attendant. They were all jewels given by mermaids.
“I’m fine.”
I turned my head with a greeting. The blue sea came into view. I gazed at Noelier in silence.
Noelier hesitated with an anxious look on his face.
"However, Eve might dislike this appearance. The dragon's form is..."
“Noel.”
I quietly stroked his cheek.
"I like it all. No matter what Noel looks like, everything."
Did my sincerity reach them? Noelier slowly nodded. And soon, Noelier's body transformed into the form of a dragon.
I looked around at the thought that suddenly crossed my mind.
Rachel had also turned into a baby dragon.
As Zion giggled loudly, saying she was cute, Rachel lit up the small flame as if she were whining.
A faint smile formed on the corners of my mouth without me realizing it.
Then, large wings enveloped me. Next, the dragon's eyes reflected me.
It meant we should go now. I nodded and hugged him. Noelier flew up just like that.
In Noelier's warm embrace, I recalled the things I had gained here.
Imprint, similar soul colors.
My heart pounded like crazy. For the first time, I was happy that I was a wolf.
I hugged him tightly.
***
Those who had turned the East upside down left. However, the mermaids could not easily calm their excited hearts.
"They are amazing people."
"Therefore."
The mermaids, who had each uttered a word, left one by one.
"..."
However, one mermaid could not easily leave the place.
He stood there as if nailed to the spot where they had left, staring intently.
He was a butler disguised as a servant.
The butler, who had lost consciousness at the Siren's mansion, woke up after a while and heard shocking news.
They say the leader is a Siren who deceived everyone. It is even said that the red-haired Siren was their original master.
'That's nonsense!'
The butler snorted. No matter how much others slandered him, he trusted his master.
It couldn't be brainwashing. This was clearly a frame-up!
Henry was the protagonist of the butler's world. Naturally, the protagonist was bound to go through harsh trials.
He decided to become a reliable helper.
The butler stuck swaying seaweed to his nose and put on enormously thick glasses. His eyes, which were already small, looked smaller. He was honestly surprised when he looked in the mirror.
On top of that, he even put on the hat often worn by servants. It was a perfect disguise.
The Siren was with a woman. It was the silver-haired woman who was in the young master's mind.
'I knew it, they were on the same side!'
The butler gritted his teeth.
If he had his way, he wanted to lunge at them and shout at them to quickly put everything back the way it was.
However, he could not do so. It was because of the leader of the South who was watching them.
'I thought you were going to be the young master's companion, but to think you'd even charm a dragon.'
It seemed the woman's magical power was extraordinary.
The butler hid behind a pillar and observed them, unable to do anything.
As he concentrated, he saw something.
'Gasp.'
The butler involuntarily took a deep breath.
The woman's true identity was a wolf.
At that moment, an ancient legend of the Beastman world suddenly came to mind. They said there was a wolf that stole a dragon's heart.
'Maybe that wolf?'
However, dragons and wolves were sworn enemies. Why are they together?
Just as he was feeling confused, a brilliant thought flashed through his mind.
What if the Siren teamed up with a wolf and let the dragon escape?
It was a very promising story.
The butler racked his brain. He wanted revenge, but no suitable method came to mind.
He had to experience greater pain than the leader went through.
Dying was too weak compared to the humiliation the leader had endured.
As he groaned, a good idea came to the butler's mind. He mustered his last ounce of strength. For a brief moment, a light shone from the butler's hand.
It was the mermaid's core. It was like the mermaid's life force.
'If I use this, my strength will probably become weaker than the passing plankton, but...'
If he could correct what was wrong, something like this was nothing.
Pretending to be a working servant, he gathered the jewels and handed them to the South leader's wife. Of course, his own core was inside as well.
She, knowing nothing, accepted the core while admiring the mermaids' kindness.
There were two ways to break the Siren's brainwashing: the Siren breaking it herself, or delivering a shock of equal magnitude.
'It turned out that his mate was a wolf.'
How will that dragon react?
A wicked smile appeared on the butler's lips.
***
14. Back to the South
A desert where sandstorms are swirling.
The sound of someone crying echoed from the jewelry store situated on one side.
“Ugh!”
“Stop crying.”
"It's all my fault! I should have stopped it!"
"I said stop crying."
Shiva, the owner of the jewelry store, sighed and ran after his friend.
"It wasn't your fault in the first place. It's Siren's fault."
“But... but...!”
A tuxedo cat with glossy black fur whimpered. It was Miya, the Western cat who had gone into the sea with Eve.
Miya kept meowing and couldn't stop crying.
"You tried your best in your own way. Don't blame yourself too much."
Shiva patted Miya with clumsy hands. Miya buried her face in Shiva's feet wearing white socks.
Miya also did her best. She went out to sea, found someone to help her, and returned.
However, the Siren's mansion had collapsed miserably.
To make matters worse, it was said that someone had taken Eve's younger sibling, whom she had entrusted to Shiva.
"How could you carelessly send the child to a stranger!"
"It looked like he knew, too..."
"Don't you know that's a typical kidnapper's modus operandi?"
Miya, who had shouted, cried for a long time like a cat that had lost its owner.
"I didn't know either..."
It was a time when tears welled up in Shiva's eyes as well.
Suddenly, the tent shook violently. He wondered if a fierce sandstorm was blowing in again.
However, it was different from other winds.
'No way?'
Shiva went outside holding Miya in his arms.
In that sandstorm...
"Shiva!"
There she was.
The excellent masseuse Miya was crying her eyes out, looking for!
Miya quietly raised her head at the sound of a familiar voice.
“Miya!”
Meow!
Miya quickly jumped into Eve's arms.
"Where on earth have you been? Do you know how worried I was?"
"That's what I should be saying, you know?"
Miya whined and pounded Eve's arm with her soft paws.
Eve stroked Miya's fur while grumbling.
"Were you crying because you were worried about me?"
"Of course! I thought you were dead!"
“I won’t die easily.”
Eve tapped the back of Miya's tail and said.
Miya melted away, meowing at the god-given massage technique. The kneading was a bonus.
It felt as if she had suddenly been promoted to heaven from the hell she had fallen into.
It was around the time Miya was groaning heavily while feeling her touch.
"..."
Miya felt a hot gaze from somewhere. She cautiously opened her eyes and was startled, hissing involuntarily.
Red eyes and black hair.
'He's the leader of the South!'
Miya jumped up.
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