Zell's body was steaming from the fierce amount of divine magic used to try to smit him, but there was no damage bar a few singed hairs.
Fluttering his wings, he landed on a riverbank.
To his surprise, many small huts were built under the surface... they were not built with wood but a strange type of leaf and floated along with the movement of the water.
"How pretty and well hidden," Zell muttered—he might never have found this place if not for the angels, not that he wanted to attack or invade it...
Because when he came close, he could feel countless creatures that seemed to share a bond with him, not just one or two but nearly a dozen, maybe two.
However, the moment he stepped into the water, it was a strange feeling like the peaceful river around 30 metres in diameter and extremely deep suddenly became hostile; he should have known when the area was empty of all monsters in a 5-mile radius that something was strange.
This small river was just to the southeast of his village and close to the Lycans, he remembered reading the report about a strange river that Freyja said felt dangerous, but if he wanted, she could clear it.
'So it was this place...'
Zell's body moved forward, the cool water soothing his hot, steaming body.
Although their divine magic and smiting didn't work, it made his flesh more than 80 degrees Celsius, and the water bubbled from his heat, but the chilly water helped rapidly cool him down.
"Phew... it feels so good, like a cold shower in summer..." Zell spoke to himself, hoping to show he wasn't hostile to the 20 or so women who suddenly appeared from the water's surface.
"Please turn back... We do not wish to fight or create conflicts." A blue-haired woman with small breasts shouted, her voice filled with terror and anxiety as the hands holding her trident trembled from the sheer aura Zell emanated.
No... there were also 12 or 13 smaller girls peeking at him with curious eyes, along with women of various colours and shapes, their legs were like a mermaid, with fins on their necks as the older women held spears and tridents pointed towards him.
'It's not the big ones... but those little girls? Who are they...'
His mind began to race, trying to think about why the bond was even stronger with these girls than with his wives, even Infra and Yanfra's bond wasn't as strong as this...
"Papa!"
"Suddenly, a small girl popped from behind; just as Zell was about to attack, his eyes widened as the tiny thing with long red hair and cute blue eyes, shining like little sapphires, jumped from the water and clung to his back.
Her size was around that of a 6-year-old human, but she was even taller due to her long fin flapping happily as she clung to his muscular arm. Zell brought her to his face as she pulled out her tongue and kissed his cheek. "Hehe~ handsome, like Mom said."
'!!!'
Zell felt his mind almost explode with both cuteness and realisation... Scarlet, this girl looked just like that girl... blazing red hair and lovely blue eyes... even the way she spoke was like the woman who suddenly vanished when the world went to shit.
'Is it her?'
As if this was a signal, most of the older women's mouths opened wide—seeing their Princess calling the male Papa was enough for them to drop all hostility.
Because Siren innately could sense their blood relatives, especially their father, using this power to find them once they could transform into human form and seek help to grow or live a new life among humans to do the same as their mother.
"Princess Sasha!"
Suddenly an older woman came from the water, her face worried. She wore glasses, and her atmosphere screamed "Teacher" or "Tutor", causing Zell to be amused as she looked at the red hair girl now climbing on his head and patting the water with her tail.
"Oh~ old woman, look, it's Papa!" The girl named Sasha beamed, her tail swatting the water with more power, splashing it everywhere.
This time her voice was louder, heard by the other children hiding behind the other women's bodies.
However, the moment they heard Sasha's words, all 14 of them suddenly darted forward, swimming around him like a colourful school of fish before ascertaining it was true, most of these girls would become the
Despite being siblings, only one would become the Princess due to her superior voice and talent, while the other girls would become her protectors or knights.
You might say if the child were born of a normal Siren, then she would become the successor of their house or name while the others would become her support even if they moved to the world of humans.
Once their Princess or the successor found a mate, they would become free to start their own families, and thus, the Siren family would grow dramatically fast at certain points of their Matriarch's growth.
"Hehe~ Daddy!" A cute girl with blue hair chirped before brushing against his body underwater and hugging him tightly.
"It's Dad~." Sang a more reserved pink-haired girl, her sneak attack on his back as she lunged from the water, causing him almost to fall, wrapping her arms around his neck as she placed her head over his right shoulder.
"Father?" A green-haired girl floated in the distance watching him with curious eyes, but only moved closer and remained slightly away, but never stopped watching him whisper.
"Old man?" Mewed an orange-haired girl with short hair and little muscles as she emerged from the water face to face with Zell, her little amber eyes staring into his face, scrutinising him... before she turned away with a cute face. "Hmph... just a bit handsome... and cool.."
"Girls! Princess Sasha... this man is...!?"
The moment the elderly woman, who was still very beautiful, looked at Zell with a sense of awe before bowing to him, her lovely dark purple hair and eyes glistened the moment she saw the resemblance of the Princess and her sister as they all began to climb on his body and stuck to him like glue.
"You must be, his majesty Zell Delacroix? Our Queen's spouse. It is our pleasure to meet you."
'This place must be her doing... She said she loved her people—it seemed they could escape the orc's grasp... more than 200 of them are floating under the water, observing in total... Good... Scarlet could save her home.'
Zell suddenly felt a jolt, like electricity shocking his head as he looked forward—a beautiful woman with soft scales suddenly began to swim from the depths, her beautiful eyes and figure different from her human form...
But he could tell this was the woman who changed his attitude on life, helping his final push to fight on when the world seemed to end.
"Scarlet..." His gentle voice was both melodic and soothing for the Siren, who all seemed to relax and calm down, the 200 below the surface all lowering themselves to the appearance of Scarlet and several smaller girls who were clinging to her tail and looking towards Zell with curious eyes—their big eyes were all like jewels and adorable.
'Damn... My kids are so cute...'
He thought with a bit of vanity...
"It's been a while, Zell... Girls... get off your father. Stop slapping his cheek with your fins! That's rude... I'll spank your little butts!" Scolded by their mother, all the little Sirens jumped into the water and swam away, hiding the purple-haired old woman whimpering.
"Protect us, Grandma, ~~."
"Grandmother~~~ Mother is going to beat our little butts!"
"What if it leaves a scar, or I cannot go toilet!"
"Grandmother~~~~"
Zell snickered, with Sasha staying on his head, looking down at her mother with a smug grin like she was gunning for the throne or something... But the face of Scarlet, who seemed hurt by their words but tried to look good in front of him, was also amusing...
"Sorry for not telling you, but this is the custom of our people..."
"Really... I thought you had died... in my heart already..."
"Mmmm, the man must come to us. Otherwise, the daughters will never acknowledge him and treat him like a spare wallet... if using human terms..."
"Oh, so since I came?"
"You now have more than 20 daughters who will probably love you more than their future husbands.."
"Haha! Future husbands... never!" Zell said it without thinking.
"Hehe~ Sasha will marry Papa!"
This time it was Scarlet's face that changed, looking at her daughter with a sharp look, "You cannot take daddy because he is mine!" before she continued with a victorious smile, "So you can find a man that's half as good and be happy!"
Sasha only responded by hugging Zell tighter and kissing his cheek, "Never, Papa is Sasha's husband; a smelly mother can go away!"
'Kids say the cutest things.' Zell thought as he swam towards Scarlet, ignoring the two bickering and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.
Despite their emotional relationship barely developing, she carried his children, and he already began to grieve their deaths in his heart.
Now that they appeared, that angst, anger and sorrow slowly turned into hope, happiness and affection.
"Ah... Mom, don't cheat! Papa, don't hug her! She smells bad and laughs alone in the mirror, saying she misses Papa's trident!"
"!!!!"
"Sasha! I've told you never to enter Mommy's room at night!" Scarlet's red face matched her hair and scales as she buried her face in his chest.
'This is a strange side of her I never saw before—what a strange woman but an adorable woman.'
The two of them began to bicker, while the other Sirens seemed to act like this was normal as the other girls were all taken away by the old lady, waving or blowing kisses to Zell as he waved back, looking around the area, wondering how he could help protect them more.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)webnovel