When I came back to the lord's mansion, the sun was beginning to set.
The calm atmosphere of the afternoon filled the area.

'You're back, boys. Good, you're safe.

Gilberta, still speaking in broken English, greets me. I'm sure the head waiter has plenty of other work to do, but today he seems to be prioritizing us.

'Ah!I knew you, I saw you this morning.

Gilberta rolls her eyes when she sees Regina.
Oh, I thought I got information from this guy.

'What is it?Who's this crazy talker?'

No, you don't say.

'Force-translation magic' is an interesting translation, really.
'Really.'

I stare at Regina with more sympathy than I can muster.
I wonder why it's been translated into Kansai dialect, too.

'By the way, Gilberta. Is it still difficult for you to see Lucia-san?
'I'm sorry, I... I'm still in a secret meeting with Lucia. I have a feeling it's not going to be easy, visiting her, today.
'...... I see.'

Don't back down there, Estella!
If you don't pay a visit to the lord here, you won't get the flowers in the garden!
Are you going to let that honey that smells so obviously of money slip through your fingers?

'I can wait until you finish your business. Can't you do something about it?

Not giving up, I'll give it one more push.
However, Gilberta repeated the same words without changing her expression.

'I have a feeling it's not going to happen, not today.

It's getting more and more suspicious.
I'm not sure if the reason we can't see each other is not because we have something to do, but because ............ we don't meet the conditions for the lord to see us.

'Estella, hey.'

I'll call Estella and we'll discuss this Lucia person.

'You've met this Lucia before, haven't you?
'Hey, Yashiro ......!Don't talk to me like that!

Estella scolded me in a whispered, harsh tone. My eyes flickered to Gilberta.
Oh, he's going to be angry? Just like Natalia when she mocked Estella.
...... though Natalia has been taking the lead in tormenting Estella lately.

'I've met her. She's a very dignified person.
'I mean, he's scary.'
'Yashiro ............, I really don't want you to meet him. ......'

What's that?
Do you think I'm going to be rough with my lord?I don't think so.
I'm very good at getting to the top. I can't tell you how many corporate leaders I've screwed over in the past. ...... But that's not important.

'It's not often we have a gathering of lords and ladies.
'Have you ever had a conversation with them?
'Yes. But it wasn't really a conversation.

Hmm. ...... Maybe he's a difficult guy.

'Does he have any discriminatory intentions towards the beastman race?
'...... Hmm, I'm not sure about that.It's impossible to guess his true intentions. But with the flower garden and the assessment of the people, I think he's in a position to try to eliminate discrimination.

The beetle man, Kaburiel, said that he was good to the subspecies.
If that's the case, it's unlikely that the lord of this district is persecuting the beastman race. ...... But it's also possible that this is an ostensible pose.
There is a possibility that the lord of this district is making a distinction between humans and beastmen by establishing a flower garden. It is also a way to clearly let people know that humans and beastmen are different.

You can't know for sure until you actually meet him. ...... But in order to get him to meet you, you have to know him and plan your strategy. ......... ...hmmm.....................?

'...... food waste?
'Heh?'

As I turned my gaze towards the lord's mansion, I spotted a slimy green object discarded on the ground in the distance.

The thing ...... looks awfully familiar.

'Oh. Don't worry about it, it's... It happens all the time.'

Gilberta gives a contemptuous glance at the slimy green creature lying on the ground.
She seems to be quite disgusted by it. Well, it can't be helped.
But then again, that look is more of a reward for him.

'So ...... the person Lucia is meeting with right now is Masha?
'Doh, doh ......!I'm not sure what to make of that.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. This is a great way to get the most out of your time and money. ...... This is not the type of person you want in your entourage, is it?



'Maybe you have the ability to read people's minds, do you?

'Doh, doki ......?...... Why are you using it ............?'
'No,......, all I can say is, "I'll know it when I see it."'

If someone you know is lying on the ground, you'll know it.

Calvin is the deputy head of the Seafaring Guild and the one who carries Masha ashore.
If he's here, that means Masha's here.

So it's not that he doesn't want to meet the beastmen. ......
Is Masha special because she's the head of the Sea Fishing Guild? ............ Hmmm.
That's a possibility. I'm not sure what to make of that.
Let's talk to him.

'Hey, Calvin.
'Oh, phew, your legs!...... Oh, it's you, Yashiro. Goodbye, dear.

I stepped on it unintentionally. ......
I'm not sure what to make of it.

I'm sorry.I'm not interested in men, but the mere mention of feet gets me a little excited. ...... I'm sorry about that,............, but I was a little flattered to be stepped on. I'm not interested in men, but I got a little excited just because of my feet,.......
'Don't make people uncomfortable while apologizing.

I want to disinfect the foot I stepped on right now.

'Nice stomping. Looks good, compatibility, you and Calvin.'
'Will you please stop?I'm going to lose my mind.'

I step away from the disrespectful Gilberta for a moment, and I talk to Calvin.
...... d*mn. I'm not sure why I need to have a private conversation with him. ............ No, no, no, no, I'm trying to make money. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

'Hey, you. Have you ever met the lord of this place?'
'Yes. ...... I've met him, and I'm sorry about that.'
'No need to apologize, every time.'
'Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. ......'

No good. He's a bad guy.
It's no use. Let's just go through it.

'Marsha's in the tate now, right?
'Yes. You're Masha-sama, and you're alone with the leggy Lucia-sama. ...... Sorry for being a cocky guild leader.'
'No, ...... I'm rather wondering why you can be so disrespectful to Masha.'
'Because Masha-sama?She's half fish.
'You're half fish, too.

Because you're even weirder, aren't you?
Because you're half fish and all around perverted, right?

'So, why are you being thrown out?
'Our guild leader is ...... Masha-sama, but she's ...... 'out of the way'!I'm not sure what to say.
'You're deciding how much you like me based on whether I have nice legs or not. ......'
'It's so weird to be with you!
'I strongly agree with that.

I guess even Masha can't get used to how creepy he is.

'And then, when he came out, he was ...... beaten up by Gilberta .......'
'Didn't you do something to him?
'Not at all. I just wanted to rub my cheeks against her toned thighs. ......'
'You should be grateful that I didn't choke you out.

Did this guy deserve to be harmed ......?

'Thank you......? ............ Yes, thank you, thank you...... ......Oh my feet...... hahaha............ thank you, sir ......Thank you, I'm sorry for something.
'...... Why didn't they stop breathing, Gilberta's guy?

Who are you thanking, man?
What kind of religion is that?

'I don't mind your personal opinion, but ......, what kind of a man is the lord here?
'She's an attractive woman with low muscle tone and slightly plump thighs. ...... Oohhhh!It's a good idea.I'm not sure what to say.

I'm going to twine the legs of the foot fetishist Calvin and give him a figure four lock. What do you think?You'd like that, wouldn't you?Crack my kneecaps!

'Who asked you to give me information on my lord's thighs?I'm asking about his personality!
'It's widely rumored that he's a wonderful man!He's humane, tolerant, yet disciplined and strict.

When I let go of his leg, Calvin rubbed his knee with tears in his eyes.
As expected, this worked.

'Haha ............, I want to have this done by a beautiful girl with raw legs .........blah blah blah!


'Elaborate'.
'Oh, I don't enjoy Iron Claw at all, so please don't do it. ...... I'm sorry, but!

I'm not going to entertain you any more than a daphne would.
......My hands are soaking wet.

You can't joke around forever, so I lowered my voice and asked Calvin a core question.

'Does Lucia have a harsh attitude towards the beastman race?

I avoided using the blunt word 'discrimination'. There's no guarantee that Calvin is completely on our side.
It would be wise not to make accusations against him.

'I'm not very fond of ............ individuals who are hard on beastmen. I'm sorry, but I don't think you're a good person. ...... I'm sorry, but I don't think you're a good person. ......

Oh ......

Calvin's face is etched with deep wrinkles.
It seems that he is being treated in an unfavorable way.
I guess I should just ask him straight out.

'Did you have a bad experience?
'I've been here many times, but ............ Lucia-sama, with her plump and wonderful thighs, has never, not even once, stepped on me.

In other words, his complaint against Lucia is a very self-centered, almost criminal, complaint because she doesn't satisfy his own distorted s*xual proclivities.
All I can say is.

I don't give a shit, man!

It's Jeannette!You show me those big tits every day and you don't let me squeeze them once!That's the way the world is!

'Huh~?It seems like you're having fun...'

As I was biting the iron claw with enough enthusiasm to cave in Calvin's skull, a lazy voice came from the pavilion.

'Masha.
'Ah~, Estella~!Wow, the manager too~!

The guild leader of the Sea Fishing Guild. It's Masha, the beautiful mermaid, dazzling in her scallop bra today.
Today, three women I've never seen before are pushing the usual moving tank. They are dressed as waitresses, and on their aprons are the same emblems as those on Gilberta's chest.
They must be Lucia's waiters.

I observed the faces of the waiters, but my gaze never met theirs.
Are they always this expressionless?
It's almost as if they are being ...... taught to be very strict.
Don't mess with the discipline. Don't show your teeth, don't mess around,.......

I took my eyes off the waiter who was not looking at me and looked at Masha. And this one made perfect eye contact.

'Yashiro, you too, yahoo~!
'Yaho~ is ......'.
'Oh, that's not good if you touch it with your bare hands, is it?

'That,' he says, pointing at Calvin. ...... Oh, I've been doing the iron claw.
I see. I'm not sure if this is a good idea.

'Marsha. Can you let me cleanse my dirty hands?'

I spread out my hands and wriggle them.
There are two bulges right in front of me where my hands would fit. By all means, take them!

It's a shame, but Estella's eyes scare me, so I don't think I can do it.

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.
...... A sharp blade is pointed at my neck.

'...... To be able to completely eliminate the presence of ............ has raised your skills, Estella.'
'Thank you for the compliment. Now, let's get those big hands down, shall we?

It's funny. In a situation like this, I'm supposed to be told to put my hands up.
I have no choice but to put my hands down. I pretend to be ...... and wipe it with Estella's clothes.

'Ouch!Stop it, b*tc*!
'Hahaha ...... I'm so sorry!
'Oh, no, no, no, no, Estella~. Cursing makes me happy~'

In the usual moving tank, Masha is twisting her lower body in a seductive manner.
The water in the tank shimmers, and light reflects off Masha's scales. It shone like an iridescent jewel, and was very beautiful.
Masha is truly beautiful when she is in the water. It made me think that she might be even more so when I saw her swimming.

'Ah!Oh no, Yashiro-kun. You're staring at my tits again!
'You're framed!
'I'm impressed, I think. I'm a tit person who never shakes.
'That's why you're framed!

I was thinking more macroscopically about the shade of the water, the harmony with the sea, and even the benefits of world peace. ...... Enough!I'm going to stare at the cleavage!



'I don't think there's anything wrong with wetting yourself while gazing at your cleavage, do you?

'You idiot, Estella.
You've got the order backwards!We just got there as a result!

'By the way, Masha. Did they do anything unpleasant to you?
'Like staring at my tits?
'Ha-ha-ha. That's not unpleasant at all.'
'You're positive, aren't you~, Yashiro-kun~☆'

Masha has a light smile on her face as usual.
You can't feel any discomfort or irritation. ...... Or rather, Masha is always like that.

'Are you and Lucia on good terms?'...... I want to ask, but the waiter pushing Masha's moving tank is in the way, making it difficult to broach the subject.
So I asked if there was anything unpleasant about the situation. ...... I guess I was left out of the loop. ...... If not, are Masha and Lucia, the lord of this place, really on friendly terms? ............ No. You can't even guess because there is too little information.

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.

Lucia's "sister". ......
I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this in the future. ...... Maybe she's a bit scary after all.

'I guess so. I'd love to meet him.'
'Hmmm. I wonder if he'll meet me if I ask him to?Hey, Gilberta-chan?'
'I don't know, I don't know. It was the day of the secret meeting with Masha-sama, today. I was told not to let anyone in. I didn't want anyone to know about the secret meeting. So.

Hmm. Maybe he's leaking all the stuff he's supposed to keep secret, this head waiter ...... is a good source. I'll keep him close.

'Well, why don't you go ask him?
'Well, if Masha-sama says so, things might change. I don't mind if you ask her once, I will.
'Yes, yes. You're very kind, Gilberta-chan.
I think. I think.

Did you think 'wow'?
I don't know, this rattling head waiter ...... is starting to look a little cute.

'Please take care of me too, sweet Gilberta.
'...... I think it's rude to say that while looking at your tits, I'm not'.
'I'm not looking at them!

I'm not looking at you!' There's another guy here spreading rumors.

'You should control yourself, titty people.
'You can't!
'Yes, you can. No, you can. Or rather, you should, weigh yourself .......'

You've got a little bit of Gilberta in you, Estella.
And I don't know what weight is.

I'm going to ask Lucia about it. I'll wait here for a bit, I think, you guys.

After telling them to wait here for a while, Gilberta went into the hall.
It's not the Crane's voice ......, but when Masha says it, it's easy to talk about.

'Masha is based in the 35th district, right?'
'Yes. That's right~. There's also a port in the 37th district, and I often use that too.

You're using two wards as your base? ...... That sounds like a situation that could cause a war.

'The types of fish that are gathered are completely different, so we can't be biased towards one or the other. ......'

Well, the lord would want the sea fishing guild to have its base in his district.
I see. He might have been talking about how he wanted the sea fishing guild to be based in the 35th district. So it's a secret meeting. He's trying to get into Masha's head and outsmart her so that the others won't find out. ......

I think it's wrong to divide the sea into small ports because it's a big sea.

A port in the 35th district may not be small, but ...... it is tiny in the eyes of the sea.
For Masha, who travels freely across the ocean, the boundaries of the land may be nothing but a tight squeeze.

'It's kind of hard, isn't it?
'Yes, yes. It's tough.

Leaking out a smile that doesn't seem to be hard at all, Masha splashes the water in the tank.

'Do different oceans attract different kinds of fish?
'Well, there are many kinds. Maybe it's their territory.

Such a conversation is going on behind me.
Ginette, who doesn't know much about the sea, is asking Estella, who does know a little about the sea. ...... Masha is making a bitter face.
It's not that there aren't territorial disputes, but most fish territorial disputes occur between members of the same species. If it is a fight between other species, it becomes 'predation'. It does not mean that they live together by claiming their territories.



'Isn't the difference in the types of fish we catch due to the influence of warm and cold currents?'
'Danryu?
'Kanryu?'

Ginette and Estella both nodded their heads at my words.
I see. They don't know anything about that. They've never been out to sea. They won't need to read the tide.

'Haha!You know a lot, Yashiro.'

Masha is the only one with a happy expression, clapping her hands.
I suppose it is often difficult for people on land to understand when we talk about the sea. They are a little surprised and excited.

So, I'll show you a little of my knowledge.

'Well, to give you a rough explanation, there is a current in the ocean, and fish migrate around the wide ocean on that current.

Depending on the temperature difference from the surrounding area, there are two types of currents: warm currents and cold currents, each of which attracts different kinds of fish.
In a world with such a haphazard climate, the ocean currents must have a very haphazard distribution.

'Correct, correct!Hanamaru!Eighty points!

...... I guess it's not a hundred points.
Well, I guess that's fair enough.

'As a reward, Yashiro-kun, let's give him a good cuddle!

Masha leans over the edge of the tank and stretches out her arms.
Oh, I guess I'll have to get closer.
As I approached the tank, Masha grabbed my head with both hands as if she was going to jump on me, and started stroking me. You're really excited about this. ......
I've been stroked around so much that my neck is cranking and my head is bobbing, but I'm plumping right in front of you, so that's okay.

'You know a lot, even though you're from the land. I wonder if your hometown is on the other side of the ocean.
'Beyond the sea, or ...... well, it was an island country.

But I myself have never been on a ship to find out whether it is a warm current or a cold current. I just know about them.
I don't know what it's like to look up at the sky on a ship and think, '...... there's a storm coming.

'I feel like I want to talk about the sea with Yashiro-kun sometime...'
'That's right. I'd especially like to discuss scallops at length.
'What Yashiro is wondering about is what's inside the shells!Masha, be careful!

Estella interrupts. You are so tactless.
When you want to eat a turban shell, you eat the inside not the shell.

'Yes, yes, I'll be careful, Estella. So, Yashiro. There's a lot of cold water flowing around right now...'

Estella's teasing is brushed aside lightly, and Masha begins to continue her story.
She continues talking without pausing for breath. She doesn't have the usual laid-back atmosphere of 'hey~' with a long ending, and throws words at me in rapid succession.

'Rainbow trout, herring and pollock are very healthy!
'Well, that's a lineup of eggs that looks delicious.
'What?............ eggs ......'

Huh?
Don't they eat them over here?
Rainbow trout is a member of the salmon family, so it's a salmon roe. ...... Well, it's salmon roe.

I'm sure you've heard of it.Have you ever eaten fish roe?I thought people on land didn't eat such things!
'No, no. They're delicious. I like cod roe and cod roe too.'
'Yashiro-kun!Why don't you come over to my house sometime?I'll treat you to some delicious salmon roe!

Masha got so excited that she wrapped her arms around my neck.
Hota-teh!
Yes!These scallops are good scallops!

'Are you so happy about it?
'I'm so happy!Because people on land don't like to see salmon roe.

Well, maybe if you're not used to eating .......
Even though it's delicious.

'Yashiro!If you don't get away from Masha, I'll stab you!
'Wait, Estella!I'm the one who's stuck to you!
'Still, ...... I'll stab Yashiro!
'What's with that unwavering determination?I wonder if you'll show that kind of determination somewhere else?



The water in the tank is splashing and splashing.
Marcia was beating the water with her tail fin.
I wonder how happy she was. Are there so few people who can follow the conversation of fish?
............ Ah, that's why Masha is so close to Delia. Delia is also talking about salmon. ...... I think Delia likes salmon roe too.

I think I've caught a glimpse of why Masha is so fond of Delia.
You can get salmon roe and roe roe roe at a reasonable price.
I heard that people on land don't have the habit of eating fish roe, but ...... I want to eat it. I want to eat mentaiko. I want to eat it with some freshly cooked rice.
Hmmm, maybe I should accept Masha's invitation.

While I was thinking about that, I heard ......

I'm not sure what to do.

I hear a dignified, cool voice.
When I turned around, there was a stunningly beautiful ...... woman with blue hair who was looking at me sharply. The woman, whose good looks rivaled Bertina's, looked at you with an icy cold stare.
And ......

'Hey, there, boy. ......'

He said this to me.

'Are you a human?


So this is Lucia Suarez, Lord of the 35th ...... district.