Read Novel Full Vol 12 Chapter 19
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(15/18)
Chapter 19 – Cityscape of Mermaid Kingdom
Despite my joy and sadness at seeing the women in their mermaid forms, we arrived safely in the Mermaid Kingdom. I realized that I had left the Sea God’s sacred treasure in the rubber boat just before arriving, and I almost forgot why I had come to the Mermaid Kingdom.
“Welcome to the Mermaid Kingdom.”
Her Majesty Queen Adelheid greeted us at the castle gate we were led to. How does it feel to be greeted by Her Majesty the Queen? Are we state guests?
Oh, I guess you could call us state guests. I am a messenger of the Creator God-sama and a person who has received permission from the Sea God-sama to use the Sea God’s sacred treasure. It would be unbecoming of the Mermaid Kingdom if they didn’t treat me as a state guest.
In fact, I don’t think either Creator God-sama or Sea God-sama would mind if they treated me normally. No doubt, the prestige of the gods is working too hard.
“Um, thank you for welcoming us. Did we keep you waiting by any chance?”
I feel like I’ve kept Her Majesty the Queen waiting for quite a while, considering that I took a lot of time before we left.
“No, I did not wait at all.”
I see; if you think about it normally, Princess Annemarie has an attendant, so she would at least send an attendant when we were approaching the country. Considering the fact that I didn’t notice him at all, it’s quite possible that the male mermaid was the first to arrive.
“I see. So… what should we do now?”
“Oh, that’s right. Normally, it would be natural for the whole country to welcome you, but I heard from Lea that Wataru-sama is not good at such things, so I would like to take you to the castle as you are. Is there a problem with that?”
Oh, probably because I complained about the parade in the Aquamarine Kingdom, so Lea-san was very attentive to me. That’s what you expect from a princess’s attendant, right? Excellent.
“Thank you very much. I’m a small person at heart, so it’s more helpful if you do that.”
If I had to say more, I would feel more comfortable if you showed me the inn instead of the castle, but Her Majesty the Queen has her own reasons, so I can’t be so selfish.
“Then I will show you around.”
As we pass through the castle gates under the luxurious guidance of Her Majesty the Queen, the streets of the Mermaid Kingdom come into view.
Oh, I didn’t recognize it from a distance, but up close, it’s quite different from the surface. The stone buildings seem to have different entrances and layouts because they are underwater, but most importantly, the streets are different.
This place where Her Majesty the Queen led us was probably a main street, and there was a space between buildings that looked like a passageway. There is no doubt that this is a street, but the ground is neither cobblestone nor dirt, and it is covered with seaweed.
The seaweed waving in the air is about 30 centimeters thick. Normally, it would be a difficult path to walk on, but a floating mermaid probably doesn’t need the ground.
“Wataru-sama, how do you like the streets of the Mermaid Kingdom?”
Her Majesty the Queen spoke to me as I scurried around, looking at my surroundings.
“Yes, it is beautiful, no doubt, but I was surprised to see that the streets are full of seaweed. Wouldn’t it be inconvenient for someone who needs the ground or to carry a load?”
If you want to carry heavy things, it would be more convenient to have wheels under the sea, wouldn’t it?
“The paths under the seaweed are paved. However, people who walk do not stay in the Mermaid Kingdom, and when they carry heavy loads, they are suspended on floats so that they do not touch the ground. So there is no longer any need to go to the trouble of eradicating the seaweed, and we have settled down to the state we are in now.”
Her Majesty the Queen told me with a slightly worried look on her face. I wondered what to do about the air in the floats, but it seems that the fact that the ground is covered with seaweed is a result of… simply put, laziness.
Well, it would be a waste of budget and manpower for a road that is not needed, so I guess it is not wrong? The seaweed cover is beautiful, and it doesn’t look wildly overgrown, so they must be taking care of it.
“I see you were right. It’s a little different from the mermaid country I imagined, but I think it’s lovely.”
Her Majesty the Queen smiled at my answer. It was not a bad answer. It’s very difficult to praise the scenery of a country to the head of the country, isn’t it? I think I was right to choose safe words.
“Come to think of it, don’t you have any vehicles or anything like that?”
How authoritative would it be for Her Majesty the Queen to swim and act normally?
“In the early days when the Mermaid Kingdom was developing, vehicles seemed to be popular, but it was decided that swimming was faster and easier, so vehicles fell into disuse.”
“I see, so there are some differences from the land.”
If it is faster and easier to swim, it is no wonder that they have fallen out of use. If it were faster and easier to walk, horse-drawn carts would also be out of use, except for carrying cargo. As for ox carts… what about them? Is that supposed to be authoritative?
We continued underwater, questioning Her Majesty the Queen about what was extravagantly on my mind. Ines, Felicia, Alessia-san, and the others are also asking questions of Princess Annemarie and Lea-san, which makes for a pretty lively group.
Occasionally, we were cheered on by mermaids in shops and people on the street, so it was a bit like a parade in a subtle way, but since the voices directed at Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Annemarie were open, I didn’t feel so stifled.
Although there is a boundary of politeness, it seems to be much looser than in human countries. I rather like the atmosphere here.
“Please look over there, Wataru-sama.”
I looked in the direction Her Majesty pointed and saw a square. Is it a park? Hmm? There is a place in the square that is not overgrown with seaweed like a line. Maybe it is…
“Do you think there is a current running through that area where there is no seaweed, Your Majesty the Queen?”
“Yes. If you come a little closer, you can see the currents. It used to be a residential area, but it’s dangerous to get caught in the currents, so it was turned into an open space like that.”
Just as I thought, it’s that annoying ocean current that runs through the country, isn’t it? I have an idea that seaweed grows even in a place where the currents are a bit strong, but it’s not so stylish that even seaweed doesn’t grow there, is it?
“Can I come a little closer?”
I can’t really tell from here. I guess it’s okay if it’s the Sea God’s sacred treasure, but if I’m going to use it in the city, I want to make sure I do it right.
“It’s okay up to a certain point, but if you get too close, you might get pulled in by the current, so please don’t go any further than where that pile is.”
“I understand.”
It’s quite a distance from the line where the seaweed doesn’t grow up to the piles. Even though we have a large margin because it is a dangerous place, I can imagine the strength and size of the current.
As I approached the pilings, I heard a gurgling sound and somehow understood how the current flows.
The word “ocean current” made me imagine a mere strong flow of water, but it was more like a tornado of water flowing in a pipe-like line.
If you look closely, the ground is also gouged out, and even if seaweed tried to grow there, it would be torn away in a heartbeat.
What is frightening is the power of the Sea God’s sacred treasure, which can fix such an impossible natural phenomenon for a long time.
Moreover, since I can do so much with the Sea God’s sacred treasure that I was forced to operate, it seems that I, who have received permission, could seriously rule the sea. Well, I would certainly get into trouble with the Sea God-sama and the God of Light-sama, so I’m too afraid to do it even if asked…
“Can you do it?”
Her Majesty the Queen spoke to me with such an ambiguous expression as if she was afraid yet somehow hopeful. It is a man’s duty to reassure her.
“Of course. I have permission from Sea God-sama to use the sacred treasure at full throttle, and I can handle the ocean currents caused by the forced manipulation. You can rest assured.”
As I replied to Her Majesty the Queen with a confident smile, I heard a giggling sound coming from the direction of Ines.
I looked over and saw that Ines was covering her mouth, so she must have been laughing. Was she amused by my self-confidence?
…I feel so uncomfortable when I imagine myself being so confident. I’m beginning to feel embarrassed.
But my sense of shame doesn’t seem to matter to the mermaids, and even the mermaids who were accompanying us with a crisp look are letting out their voices of joy. Princess Annemarie was so excited that she started to dance.
Even though the country is being maintained, it would be nice if the annoying ocean currents were gone and the country’s protection was restored.
“Is this the only place with annoying ocean currents?”
I call out to the delighted Her Majesty the Queen to drown my embarrassment.
“No, there is another ocean current that directly affects the royal capital, and there is a complex current that intertwines above the castle walls. There is a map of the currents in the castle if that would help.”
The otherworlder who took the Sea God’s sacred treasure was probably trying to make his escape easier, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s not doing a very good job.
“If there is a map, I think we can arrange the currents without any problem.”
The problem is whether I can decipher the map with the ocean currents written on it, but at worst, I should be able to make it work if I recreate the whole thing with the Sea God’s sacred treasure, so it should be fine. Let’s be presentable here.
“Thank you, Wataru-sama.”
I made myself look respectable, and she thanked me. It would be so embarrassing if it turned out that I couldn’t make it. I’ll have to do my best.
Feeling a bit pressured, I assured her that I would take care of it, and we headed back to the castle.
While I thought to myself that I should have been a little more modest, we arrived at the castle. My personality is not suited for being presentable. It should be fine, but I’m getting anxious…