Now that everyone had calmed down, Dad resumed talking about serious matters.
He mentioned that it was suspicious that Maelsa was looking for me as soon as I returned from the other world, at which Leon murmured quietly that he is going to talk to Dad and Alpha privately.
I wonder why.
The others, especially Lion, were curious too, but they didn't ask any questions because they were afraid of pissing Leon and Dad off.
Good thing that they didn't ask any questions as Dad gave Lion his full attention, much to his dismay.
Dad seemed like a military drill instructor as he scolded Lion for trying to hurt me in the dungeon.
Lion protested that he wasn't in his right mind and deeply regretted it.
I was about to stop Dad when he gave me a look.
Okay.
The rest of the pack, plus Leon and Khamsin, glared at Lion.
Poor Lion.
It happened a long time ago and he already apologized!
Now it's Orm's turn, but Dad didn't say anything. He just gave him a look that could kill.
Stop it Dad!
Now the pack is being given a sweet, sweet lecture by Dad on how they didn't manage to protect me from the fire giants, which resulted in me experiencing one of the worst traumas of my life.
Leon must have known about it, as he glared at the pack with intensity, as if he were skinning them alive with his stare.
Khamsin glanced around at everyone, nervous and curious about the sudden change in attitude from Dad and Leon.
Ten, who was standing silently in the corner, excused himself immediately and left the room without a word.
This is so awkward and I wonder why Dad made such a big deal out of it!
...
After Dad calmed down, though it took a while, he commended me on my bravery at the palace, despite being weaker than those I attacked.
Upon mentioning it, the pack lightened up. Leon, in particular, looked nostalgic.
Ghost told Khamsin about the story while Dad warned Leon about getting rid of the demons in disguise at the palace, as my safety was at risk.
It's only my safety that he's concerned about. He doesn't care about Leon's and the others' safety, as he feels they would be dumb not to be able to defend themselves if something might happen.
He, Leon and Lion discussed the effectiveness of the holy water and Buddhist staff I used, which were causing a bit of damage to the demons in disguise.
And the salt was truly a marvel at getting rid of the pests and it made Khamsin light up, as he needed a new way to destroy the pests that were ruining the nuts that provided nourishment for the deserters.
Orm and Ghost told everyone they had managed to make a similar condiment but needed something much more potent.
Of course, I reminded them that I already told them they could make salt using water from the five seas.
After explaining the process to everyone, Dad offered to make it so we could sell it.
But I have a feeling he won't be the one doing the job this time. He looked too suspicious with that grin.
Dad must have known my thoughts, as he simply told me he has plenty of free labor who would willingly volunteer to make it for him.
Really Dad...
They have no choice!
Everyone discussed salt for a long time, spending half the time treating it as a business and the other half as a weapon against pests and a way to repel demons.
Dad complimented me on my brilliant mind, saying it was a shame he hadn't met me earlier, as we could have conquered the world.
The heck?
Why did the discussion take such a sudden turn to the dark side?!
To make it even worse, the pack and Khamsin declared that they would serve me willingly, while Leon mocked them, claiming he would have a higher position than them as he would be...
Now everyone is imagining an absurd situation!
Not to mention Dad telling everyone what the world would look like if he ruled it with me.
Ah, great. Everyone is deluded and ridiculous!
Not to mention their imaginations are utterly absurd!
.....
Despite their enthusiasm earlier, everyone looked grim when the cuff around my neck became the next topic of our meeting.
Everything became a blur as the discussion became lively and a bit heated, not towards each other, but towards Maelsa.
No, nobody including Dad knows how to remove it.
And yes, Dad is extremely furious about the tortures I endured with the cuff.
Also, Dad was sad in his own way when he saw one of the memories I have, where I hid inside a hole, trying to hide the pain I felt from the cuff.
The pack had tears in their eyes while Orm told Khamsin the story, which ended up making him tear up, too.
Surprisingly, I wasn't sad about it but yeah, it wasn't a good memory to look back on.
.....
Even though I was getting a bit sleepy, I told Dad everything I know about demons, especially their strengths and weaknesses.
I cautiously mentioned to them that not everything might be applicable to this world, but hopefully, what I shared might help them in some way or another.
With a huge yawn, I drowsily kept on talking as my eyes slowly closed. Lion cradled me tenderly in his arms while Sly covered me with a blanket and kissed my forehead.
I kept on talking and yawning until....
.....
I don't know how long I was asleep, but every now and then, I became conscious, even though I didn't open my eyes.
They discussed what I shared with them and Dad exclaimed that it was extremely valuable information. Despite having lived for an immeasurable amount of time, he didn't know most of the information I shared.
Leon mumbled in a grave voice, saying that even he wasn't aware there were so many kinds of demons he hadn't encountered, despite having lived for a long time, though not as long as Dad.
Blah.. blah.. blah...
Now they are discussing the hellhounds we encountered at the Fiery Plains which made Dad extremely furious about Aagon's laziness and asked Sly in an annoyed voice if he had sent a scroll to Aagon and why it took so long for that overgrown lizard to reply.
Sly chortled while the rest asked curiously what Dad meant about a lizard.
Heh.
I have a feeling that using 'lizard' to insult a dragon will soon be popular with the rest of them.
.....
I have a feeling I had another nightmare.
I can feel myself getting sweaty and Lion trying to comfort me with soft nuzzles on my face and neck.
Thankfully, I didn't remember any of it and continued to sleep.
My consciousness returned suddenly when I heard Dad yelling all sorts of ancient expletives, cursing Yilan's soul with an intensity that made my ears burn.
It wasn't only him, though. I also heard Leon retching in disgust while the rest of the pack and Khamsin spewed colorful new profanities that I added to my vocabulary.
Orm told them proudly that it is one of his life's greatest achievements that he put an end to that piece of... beeppppppppp
I have to admit that what he just said is too much even for me.
I was crowned the goddess of profanity back in my previous world by my military training instructors.
Now, my crown has been taken away from me.
...
Dad mentioned that he will find the souls of those who tortured me and give them VIP treatment for eternity, from which they cannot escape.
The pack enthusiastically mentioned all of those who tortured me, saying that they had already killed and destroyed them, but that wasn't enough for them.
They deserve more and Dad can definitely give it to them.
I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up as everyone laughed maniacally.
Good thing I'm on their side.
Not to mention that I'm extremely precious to them.
I don't like seeking vengeance. I'll just tell myself it's not for me. Besides, I'm not their only victim.
With that, I have no problem with violence against those pieces of excrement.
.....
Again, I was woken up to the sounds of Dad scolding the pack.
Of course, I kept my eyes closed because I was exhausted and my sleep was constantly being interrupted.
Dad kept on saying that the pack was extremely stupid for not being able to recognize me in another form.
Not just once, but several times already.
He told them not to rely on their beastly instinct but to use their brains and logic.
Nobody made an excuse.
I'm glad that they didn't, as Dad seemed satisfied that they didn't. Satisfied enough that he complimented Lion on having the sense to realize that a lot of demons are already in this territory.
Unlike that airhead father of his.
Not to mention that his airhead father has the huge responsibility of keeping the territory safe as the Chieftain Monarch.
Dad mumbled all sorts of insults against Leon, who kept apologizing for his failure. Meanwhile, Khamsin, his voice revealing the pressure of his responsibility as a ruler, said they were tightening security in his city, with his magic users applying a spell to identify demons in disguise following his failure with Bubu and Deus entering his city.
After a while, Dad gave his insults towards Leon a rest. He told everyone that they would continue discussing this topic as soon as I woke up.
I'm not sleeping anymore but I don't want them to know about that.
I want to sleep some more.
...
Mercifully, I managed to sleep for quite a while.
Of course, I didn't let them know that I was awake and continued to pretend that I was sleeping deeply.
I'm no longer cradled by Lion but my head is on his lap while my legs are on Sly's lap as he keeps massaging my feet.
Oohhh.. his foot massages are out of this world!
But Lion is not to be outdone, as he is massaging my hand.
Are they competing against each other?!
Bah... I don't care who is the winner, as both of the massages are.. ahhh.. divinely sent...
Too divine that I was distracted from listening to the current discussion.
Dad seemed to be discussing what we found at the fire crystal mine and my speculations about it...
Ah, gosh.. I can't concentrate on my listening...
But Dad is planning to investigate the area.. er.. it's not he who will actually do the work, though...
Blah.. blah.. blah...
Lion reported on the presence of the invisible demonic beings he got rid of inside the fire crystal cave...
Oh, for goodness sake!
I'll just concentrate instead on this heavenly sensation I'm experiencing...
Ahhhh...
It's not my hand that Lion is massaging this time, but my neck and shoulders.
He is really great when it comes to massages, but Sly is a god when it comes to foot massages.
Now, Sly obviously doesn't want to be outshone, but thankfully, it is a friendly competition between them.
Sly is massaging my legs right now, but it's triggering my sensitivity.
It tickles!
I forgot I was supposed to be sleeping, so I opened my eyes in an instant and tried to escape their massages.
Of course, Lion knew I was getting sensitive when he tickled me, but he forgot for a moment that we were not alone.
Hahaha!
Stop it!
Hahaha!
My laugh lightened the mood and everyone seemed to enjoy the moment.
.....
Mercifully, Lion's tickles didn't last long.
He excused us as he carried me towards the bathroom, since I whispered to him that I needed to change the bandages.
The others resumed the discussion of whatever they were discussing before while Lion washed me, then placed a new set of bandages that will absorb my menstrual blood.
Thankfully, there isn't much blood. Lion just gave me a knowing look.
I know! He's been patiently waiting!
At least he's decent enough to wait for my menstruation to be over.
Finally, I'm clean and he changed me into a new dress that he made.
Another one?! But I still have loads of dresses that he made that I haven't worn yet!
Sigh.
Whatever makes him happy.
He happily braided my hair, commenting that it had grown long enough to reach my chest.
Satisfied with his work, he carried me back to the bed and gently handed me to Sly as he returned to the bathroom to clean up the bloodied bandages.
Sly whispered into my ear that I smelled good, though he also liked the way I smelled earlier...
I hurriedly covered his mouth as I felt my face turn red.
Say no more.
.....
To my surprise, Dad stopped the meeting and told everyone to welcome our visitor.
Visitor?
Who is it?
Of course, he shrieked for Ten, who trembled as he appeared instantly beside him, to bring the visitor inside.
At this point, Lion came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel after his bath.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to tell Sly to welcome his father and hand me back to him.
Upon hearing it, Sly stood up and gave me a soft kiss, then handed me to Lion, after which he hurriedly exited the room.
Lion nuzzled my neck as he carried me towards the bed, where he sat down and positioned me properly on his lap.
Orm prepared a chair for Sly's father while Alpha, along with Ghost, hurriedly went to the kitchen to provide some sort of refreshment for Sly's father.
As for Khamsin, he looks entertained by the whole scenario, exclaiming that the fire dragons from the Fiery Plains are quite famous and that he has heard all sorts of stories about them from traders.
Then, in a regal sort of way, Aagon entered the room with Sly following behind him, looking annoyed.
With a smile, he grinned and greeted me first, much to Lion's annoyance.
I gave him a tiny smile as Lion's arms tightened around me.
Then to our amusement, Aagon sneered at Dad, exclaiming that despite several millennia having passed, he was still the same old bag of bones and it was quite a miracle he could still manage to stand without any meat on them.
But Dad simply chuckled and commented that at least he's not like him that's an oversized lizard, who has a belly that looks as if he's about to give birth to more than a dozen offspring that is as oversized like him.
Then they guffawed for a long time while we stared at them with astonishment.
After that, Dad smugly informed Aagon that he's my parent and that whatever he is thinking towards me, he can shove it up his excrement maker.
Aagon rubbed his chin thoughtfully and murmured that it was a shame, drawing glares from the pack, including Khamsin.
It wasn't just them. Leon mumbled that he was no different from Yilan, even though he looked much better.
Oh gosh! Why do they keep mentioning that worm?!
After a little more playful banter between Dad and Aagon, Dad introduced Aagon to Leon and Khamsin.
Aagon in return, told us that he and Dad used to be adventurers several millennia ago.
How old are they?!! I'm sure they are way older than Leon, obviously.
Dad must have known what I was thinking about, as he chuckled and told me that Aagon is wayyyyy younger than him.
I asked him if he was talking about being younger by centuries.
No. He's talking about Aagon being younger than him by MILLENNIA!!!
Several of them, to be exact.
HOW OLD IS DAD, EXACTLY?!
Dad gave me a smirk and told me that it would be too much for my little human mind to comprehend.
Ah.. whatever.
So to summarize everyone from eldest to youngest...
Dad takes the crown..
Followed by Aagon, then Leon...
Next are Lion.. Khamsin.. Alpha and Ghost..
Sly and Orm...
I'm at the bottom!
Wait... How old is Ten, anyway?
Dad admitted he doesn't know Ten's exact age, but he estimates he's older than Lion.
The heck?!
Why is everyone older than me?!!
.....
Reluctantly, Sly is giving Aagon a summary of everything we had discussed so far.
Wait. If Aagon is Sly's father, that means he is my father-in-law?!
Oh gosh!
So far, the father-in-laws I have met are:
Lion's father, Leon, who is a somewhat decent kind of individual.
Orm's father, Yilan, was a piece of excrement who, thankfully, is dead. He was the worst of his kind.
Then there's Aagon, Sly's biological father. Since he didn't raise Sly, Sly had to fend for himself. Aagon is a deadbeat dad, but he's mostly decent to me, despite some weird remarks. He hasn't actually done anything outrageous, so I just ignore the comments.
I think he just likes seeing the annoyed look on Sly's face, not to mention the rest of the pack's, especially Lion's annoyed face.
He is just a weirdo who gains pleasure from teasing others.
Of them all, I think Dad takes the crown for being the most decent, despite being a merciless killer to anyone who crossed him. Except for me, of course, even though some of my actions really stressed him out.
Khamsin and Ghost's father was dead and I have a feeling that Alpha's father was dead as well.
Seeing that giving Aagon a summary of everything would take a long, long time because Aagon wanted to know even the unimportant details, Dad got extremely annoyed and ordered Lion to give everyone a tour inside the castle.
Lion carried me in his arms, looking quite proud of himself as he told everyone to follow him.