Diary of Guarding Monster Girls

Things have come to this point, fallen to this degree, and you remember that you're a good father?

Isn't it a bit too late for that?

"Although he indeed believes so firmly and has convinced himself, in my view, it's just a one-sided wishful thinking."

Herbert smirked, but he had no intention of criticizing Steven.

He's not familiar with Steven, nor does he know what this miserable guy's private life is like.

Herbert only interferes with the people he cares about and has no intention of meddling in the lifestyles of strangers.

Unfamiliar, unconcerned, uncomprehending, but respectful.

"The real reason I changed my mind is that—Steven has newfound value."

He came to the spring and looked at Belinda floating in the water, appearing as if she were in a dream, softly smiling and shaking his head.

Herbert didn't disturb its sweet dreams and turned to continue walking towards the seaside.

"Besides, Nenasha, my actions are not what you call merciful; if anything, I'm now more ruthless than before."

"Because, I'm... fishing."

The boy's smile was gentle, nodding slightly to the shyly bowing priestess girls beside him.

However, in his heart, he calmly narrated his ruthless nature.

"After interacting with Belinda, I suddenly realized something... In this mountain range, there's definitely more than one observer."

Even a single egg could hide itself, only accidentally revealing its tracks... What about others?

There wouldn't be just one egg in this Foggy Mountain Range, would there?

Herbert could figure out the answer without much thought.

Not just one.

Far from it.

"Perhaps, even at this moment, there are still entities hiding in the shadows, secretly watching us."

"Don't think I'm being alarmist."

Herbert smiled brilliantly, his gaze casually sweeping over every plant and tree in the territory, glancing briefly into the calm depths of the fog before quickly withdrawing his gaze.

["Do you have a reason?"]

Nenasha didn't deny the doubt but asked Herbert the reason for his conviction.

["Surely it's not just a hunch?"]

"Of course not."

Herbert shook his head, bringing up a detail that was almost overlooked: "Do you remember when we first discovered Sofia?"

["Of course, she had just fought with that Wolf King at that time... Wait, is the issue there?"]

"Yes, at that time, I was too focused on wanting to ride horses and ignored many suspicious points there."

Herbert sighed a bit too.

At that time, thinking about bullying the Holy Grail and fiddling with the horse carriage's steering lights, I overlooked so many details.

"In fact, that matter itself is full of suspicious points."

"Did that Wolf King really have such a death wish to challenge Sofia and even brought all its assets?"

Why not remain as a Wolf King?

Why insist on challenging a legendary heroic spirit, hoping so eagerly for a new territory?

Practice leads to real knowledge.

Herbert conducted a field investigation into the Mist Ghost Wolves' ecological situation and incidentally helped them adjust their age distribution, arriving at an interesting conclusion.

The number of Mist Ghost Wolves still fell far short of the point where they needed to expand their territory.

Far from enough!

Ample food, insufficient clan numbers, and their own strength wasn't considered strong—no matter how you look at it, they had no direct conflict with Sofia.

So, did the Wolf King just go mad with a howl? Turned into a lunatic only knowing to challenge the strong?

Herbert had seen the Wolf King's memory, knowing it wasn't that kind of character.

It was a beast adept at endurance, never lacking patience.

So, what exactly drove the Ghost Wolf King to choose such a risky move?

"According to my idea, behind that Ghost Wolf King, there is likely a genuine mastermind."

"Provided the Wolf King with false information, instilled it with excessive confidence, and even offered some special assistance."

From the results, although the Ghost Wolves were almost completely wiped out, they were indeed just a step away from successfully killing Sofia.

Herbert said he was suspicious, but in his heart, he was almost certain of such existence.

He must exist.

["From what you said, did you test it?"]

"Yes, previously when gathering the wolf pack, it was already a challenge, but his patience is quite impressive, he actually held back without reacting at all."

One reason Herbert slaughtered and subdued the Ghost Wolves along the way was to draw out the snake from its hole, attempting to make the entity expose a flaw on its own.

"He indeed did not expose anything, not a trace was shown... But his concealment was too clean to be reasonable."

When the water is too clear, there are no fish.

With Herbert's significant commotion, as a nearby region's lord, he couldn't possibly be oblivious.

Not only did he not give a warning, but he also tacitly allowed Herbert's free rein—saying there's no hidden agenda, Herbert surely doesn't believe it.

"And as for Steven, he's just bait."

"A guy from Elda Territory who hasn't enough strength to protect himself."

Herbert smiled softly, whispering: "I really want to see if this time, he can still hold it in!"

Will you continue to endure?

Or will you expose yourself?

How intriguing.

["And what about this guy, Steven?"]

"Him... Well, it's up to his own fate."

As a fisherman, Herbert harbors no mercy for the bait on his hook.

"The path is Steven's own choice, I surely didn't force him to become this bait."

Herbert relaxedly placed his hands behind his back, leisurely saying:

"If he's lucky enough, he becomes a good father, returns to Elda, and becomes one of my subjects."

"And if unlucky... heh heh."

Who would care anyway?

The path is of his own choosing.