I talked with the boys

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What to do with them now…
I had only come here to capture Deam… I had not expected to find these boys as they were about to be killed.

“Hmm… Well, I suppose you should go to the guards, along with these men…”
“…Are we going to be arrested?”
“That’s what happens when you commit a crime.”
“…”

The boys suddenly shuddered.
While they didn’t want to be arrested, they knew that they could not outrun me or Leo.
Besides, who knew how they would be treated by the others in the slums…
After all, there were surely people watching us now.

Mr. Ekenhart intended to act and make some changes here, but it would take some time.
And so the boys might be in danger in the meantime.

Though these boys may not have been in the same position as Liza, from what she told me, life in the slums was desperate, and so they would have been forced to do things they didn’t want to.
Steal, because they could not buy food… Such things were easy to imagine.
Obviously, the law had to be obeyed regardless, but… I could not blame them too much, as they were still children.
What to do…

“In any case, I highly doubt you will be punished like these men will. Though, it depends on what you have done up until now.”
“Gah! Grr…!”

Deam must not have liked what I was saying, as he was growling angrily under Leo’s paw. But since I could not understand him, I just ignored it.
As for the boys, aside from bullying Liza, they had probably done things like stealing and picking pockets.
So it wasn’t like they would be executed or tortured.
I would try and talk to the guards and Mr. Ekenhart on their behalf. But in the end, it wasn’t my decision.
Oh, but…

“Um, you… And you.”
“Me?”
“Ah!”

I pointed to two of the boys, and they looked at me with surprise.
The other shuddered in fear.
…Did I really look so scary?

“You two… You tormented the beastkin girl, yes?”
“You know? But that was…”
“Aye. I know that Deam told you to do it. And why he did. However…I am currently her protector. And would like for you to apologize to her.”
“Apologize… But that is a monster…”
“Deam was lying to you. Beastkin are really not much different from humans. They even have their own country.”
“…We don’t know about that. We’ve never even left this town.”
“Uh… I see.”

I didn’t know if an apology would be any comfort to Liza, but it would help to prove to her that she would not be hurt like that again.
However, the boys still saw beastkin as monsters.

I didn’t know if it was just Deam who taught them that, or someone else. But I explained to them that it was wrong.
As they had no experience outside of this town, they believed Deam easily. I suppose that Liza’s tail and ears also helped persuade them that she was different.

It showed how important it was to have a proper education.

“In any case, you must apologize to the beastkin girl. And turn yourselves in to the guards… I’m sure it will not be too bad, as long as you repent.”
“…Fine.”

First, they had to be taught that what Deam said about beastkin being monsters that must be driven out of town was wrong.
The guards could talk to them, but… Perhaps Sebastian would be more persuasive.
The boys still looked doubtful, but nodded in agreement.

“Alright, now let’s tie up Deam.”
“Gah! Grr! Gah!”

Lastly, I took the leftover rope and headed towards Deam.
The boys hesitated, as he had been their boss up until a moment ago. However, since he tried to kill them, they did not seem too sorry to help.
I didn’t know how he had treated them in the past, but he was clearly not someone of great virtue.

As Deam was pressed down by Leo, I started by tying up his legs.
Now he would not be able to run away.

“You can take your foot off his shoulder now.”
“Wuff.”

Deam began to swing his arms wildly the moment that Leo removed her paw. But it wasn’t enough to be free of Leo’s other paw, which was holding his face down.
And as he could not breathe well, he became quiet soon enough.

Next Chapter

My Beloved Dog is the Strongest in Another World