I talked to Mark, who had thrown the rock

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“You hurt a girl by throwing that rock. Not only that…but Leo, the Silver Fenrir that we were with, became angry because of that. Things could have turned very bad if no one came in to stop it.”
“I don’t care about that. I just saw a monster that needed to be driven out.”
“A monster… Indeed, Silver Fenrirs are monsters, but…”

Mark was probably talking about Liza.

“No! The monster is that child who was there! The ears and tail… Beastkin are monsters! They have to be driven out of town!”

Good, he took the bait.
I wasn’t trying to provoke him, but this was the best way to make him talk honestly. It would allow me to draw out more information.

“Hmm. Monsters. But she hasn’t hurt anyone. Don’t you understand how it is wrong to attack someone like that?”
“You are allowed to throw stones at monsters! They have to be defeated before they start hurting people!”
“Hmm… So you have a sense of justice? But why do you see someone as a monster just because of their tail and ears?”

Besides, there were familiars in this world. So it didn’t make sense to think of all monsters as bad.
While Leo was not my familiar, she never harmed anyone. And Sherry lived leisurely as a familiar.
Maybe a little too leisurely, but unlike orcs of trolls, she did not attack people without reason.
I didn’t know much about other monsters, but it seemed wrong to see all of them as dangerous.
Besides, the other residents of the town didn’t see them as dangerous, so it should be safe…

“All monsters are evil! That’s what I heard!”
“…From who?”
“…”

Mr. Ekenhart, Sebastian and the guards seemed like they didn’t know who he was talking about, as they were shaking their heads.

“Um… Who is saying that? Is this person saying that monsters are enemies to humans?”
“…I can’t tell you. If I do, I won’t be able to stay in the town. But I was told that beastkin are monsters and should not be allowed to live…”
“Hmm…”

So he is not allowed to say… Perhaps there was some hidden figure behind all of this.
I immediately thought of a boss for a criminal organization.
As for not being able to stay in town, it seemed less about being punished and driven out…but about being erased…
Well, it would not be surprising for such a person or organization to exist in the slums.

“So you really cannot tell me? Um… Even just a small hint…”
“If I go against that person, then I won’t have a place in the slums, let alone the town. And so I cannot say. Besides, they fed us and gave us a place to live. And so they must be right!”
“…Hmm…”

So this person was taking care of children who had nowhere to go?
I didn’t know what motive this person had, but it was probably a way of acquiring convenient pawns…
Well, that was just a possibility. But perhaps they were good.

“Mr. Takumi, do you mind if I try?”
“Sebastian? …Yes.”

While I tried to learn more about this person, Mark was very stubborn. And so while I wondered what to do, Sebastian suddenly approached me.
Perhaps he had thought of something?
And so I stepped to the side.

“Mark, is it? Could it be that you are talking about someone who is called Deam?”
“!”

The moment that the name was spoken, Mark’s facial expression changed.
He was a mixture of franticness and fear, and was shaking visibly.

“Hmm, it looks like I was right…”
“Don’t say anything! If it became known that information leaked from me…”
“Hoho. It is fine. I have no reason to spread the information. Besides… This is the duke’s house. And so this Deam cannot do anything here.”
“…The du-duke’s house…?”
“Oh, you did not know?”

Mark looked scared as Sebastian grinned confidently.
Nick had reacted that way as well. That expression was scary.
Was Sebastian laughing to reassure him, or to show him the reality of the situation…
Well, even if someone had some influence in the slums, it was completely different here.
Especially with Leo here. This Deam could not do anything in this mansion.

Mark’s face went pale at the mention of the duke.
Apparently, he did not know what this place was… The guards had just brought him here without telling him anything.

Well, if he did know, he probably would not have thrown a rock at Liza to begin with.

Next Chapter

My Beloved Dog is the Strongest in Another World