Read Novel Full Vol 12 Chapter 20
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(16/18)
Chapter 20 – Wonderful Sight
We arrived at the Mermaid Kingdom and were greeted by Her Majesty the Queen, who showed us around the Mermaid Kingdom and took us to the castle. We arrived at the castle of the Mermaid Kingdom while visiting the place where the road was overgrown with seaweed and where the otherworlder had used the Sea God’s sacred treasure to create an annoying ocean current.
I’m a little nervous about the fact that I naively agreed to leave the matter of the ocean currents to me…
As we pass through the castle gates, the scenery becomes even more magnificent. The gardens are carpeted with well-groomed seaweed, and there are colorful coral-like trees everywhere. Most of all, the sun-like light was shining down on us.
The darkness was not a problem due to the influence of the sacred treasure, but when the light pours down, and the landscape is brightly colored, the impression of the Mermaid Kingdom changes drastically.
The light swings with the movement of the seawater, and the coral trees shine like jewels. A garden of seaweed absorbs the light and grows into a colorful thicket. Small fish swim in schools, and fish drift lazily among them. Behind them stands a magnificent western castle.
Except for the western architecture of the castle, it is a scene similar to the Dragon Palace I had imagined.
“Beautiful…”
I heard simple comments from Ines, Felicia, Alessia-san, and the others who saw this scene. I guess they were so enchanted by the beauty of the garden that they could not find words to praise it.
I feel like I’ve just jumped from a black-and-white TV to a color TV to a 4K TV.
“Your Majesty the Queen, where is that light coming from?”
I don’t see any source of light like the sun, and when I looked at the Mermaid Kingdom from above, it must not have looked luminous.
“This castle is covered with a kind of hemispherical curtain, which is covered with magic power by means of a sacred treasure. This curtain is completely luminous and illuminates the castle.”
Hemisphere… Are you saying that a curtain like a dome will be stretched over it? Also, another sacred treasure… most likely given by Sea God-sama. Sea God-sama’s doting love for mermaids is unbearable.
“Um, why couldn’t you see the light from up there?”
“Light also attracts monsters, so the light is only directed inward.”
I see, fish with poor eyesight, but monsters with normal eyesight are more likely to be attracted to the light when it shines.
“Look over there.”
“Ah, it’s getting dark.”
When I looked at the place where Her Majesty the Queen told me to look, I could see a darkened area as if there was a hole in the ground.
“That part is where the turbulent ocean currents pass through. Because it is a magic curtain, it is not affected by the movement of seawater to some extent, but when the currents are strong, the curtain cannot be maintained.”
I don’t know what the magic curtain is, but it doesn’t seem to be effective in preventing physical forces like barriers. I guess you mean a curtain that specializes in light?
“I heard that originally, this light would have enveloped the entire country, but due to the turbulence of the ocean currents throughout the country, the magic curtain could no longer be used over the entire area. Now, we must open the gardens to the people to give them a chance to bask in the light.”
I wonder if the reason there were no mermaids in the gardens was to welcome us? It seems that mermaids usually come to the castle to bask in the light.
“Is it impossible to use this sacred treasure in a place where the currents are calm?”
If you can create a curtain of light over a large area, it would be more efficient to use it elsewhere.
“The castle is the starting point of the curtain, so it is impossible to use it elsewhere.”
Her Majesty the Queen replies a little sadly. I was wondering why Her Majesty, who has so much time on her hands, doesn’t think of something I could come up with, so this is the reason.
“I see. But if we can restore the ocean currents, there won’t be any problem, right? Then the light will soon reach the whole land.”
Her Majesty the Queen looked sad, so I said something big again.
“Yes, that’s right. Wataru-sama, please take care of it.”
“I will. I, too, would like to see this country filled with light, so I will do my best.”
The Queen’s bright smile again… this person, no, this Mermaid Queen is a married woman… I mean, a married mermaid? But she is too beautiful. It is hard to believe that she has a child.
But it’s true that I would like to see the Mermaid Kingdom with light in every corner, so I’ll try my best.
“Thank you very much. Now, let me show you around the castle.”
I felt satisfied just looking at the fantastic garden, but we had only just passed through the castle gate. A castle in the Mermaid Kingdom, you should never underestimate it.
“Huh? Where’s Rimu?”
I looked around, but Rimu was nowhere to be found. Had he gone somewhere while I was distracted by the garden?
“Master, there he is!”
While I scurried around impatiently, Ines showed me where Rimu was. The place Ines pointed to was up there.
I scurried back and forth, left and right, but we were in the ocean, so up and down was part of our activities.
When I looked up, I saw Rimu, Fuu-chan, and Beni-chan chasing a school of small fish with their tiny tail fins twitching.
Behind them, Pent was slowly chasing after them, like a school of small fish and three-colored dumplings fleeing from a Sea Serpent.
For Rimu and the others, the school of small fish was more interesting than the beautiful scenery. Rimu and the others are still children, so there’s nothing to be done if they’re more interested in that than in flowers, is there?
I called for them to come back, and the three-colored dumplings and Pent came back to us.
“…It’s so fun…!”
A satisfied thought came from the returning Rimu. It must have been a nuisance to the school of small fish, but Rimu seems very satisfied.
I’d like to say that it was a good thing, but the problem is that the school of small fish might be citizens or pets of the Mermaid Kingdom.
I don’t like the idea of the little fish being citizens, but since they are in the castle garden, the possibility of them being citizens is not zero.
It’s an old story, but the sea bream and flounder in the Dragon Palace are vassals, right?
“I am sorry, Her Majesty the Queen. Are the small fish okay?”
“The small fish are destined to be hunted by predators, so they should be fine. In nature, there is always survival of the fittest.”
Her Majesty the Queen replied calmly and normally. It seems that the school of small fish was neither a vassal nor a pet. Perhaps my thinking is a little too much influenced by fantasy.
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Hmm… Is the inside of the castle normal?
No, it’s not normal for a castle in the sea, but compared to the Duke’s castle under the sea that I explored the other day, it definitely looks like a normal castle.
Well, the Duke’s castle wasn’t well maintained, and there were a lot of Sea Serpents, so I think it’s wrong to compare them, but, normal?
The large floor plan, unthinkable in a private home, and the furniture that looks like it was made of shells are eye-catching, but other than that, I don’t think it’s much different from a castle on land.
Well, I am not that familiar with castles, so I guess someone who is familiar with castles might be able to tell the difference.
“You must be tired, so please rest here first. There is air in the upper rooms, so you can act as if you were on land. However, there are no windows, etc., and you may feel a bit suffocated. If you need anything, please ask the maid in charge of your room.”
As I looked at the castle with a curious look on my face, I was led to a room where I could rest. It seemed to be a two-story room with air in the upper room.
Her Majesty the Queen, Princess Annemarie, and her mermaid attendants seemed to have something to prepare after showing us this room and left the room.
And the maid attached to the room… did Her Majesty call her a maid to suit us?
The role of a maid is probably the same as an ordinary maid, but since she is a mermaid, she is not dressed in a maid’s uniform but in an outfit suitable for being in the water… which means she is dressed in a very revealing outfit.
She’s a beautiful mermaid, so she’s a feast for my eyes, but my soul screams that a maid without a maid’s outfit is not a maid at all.
And yet, when the mermaid maid smiles and says, “If you want anything, please ask,” I am easily convinced, which is pretty cool.
For now, I put aside the question of the maid’s uniform and observed the room. The room seems to be furnished to suit the mermaid.
The chairs are long like benches, maybe for lying down and resting?
There are also chairs with long footrests, like massage chairs. These chairs must have been made to fit the shape of the mermaid.
The table is a normal shape, but since their upper body is the same as a human’s, it is only natural that the items used for the upper body should be the same shape.
“Wataru-san, would you like to take a look at the upper room for a moment?”
As I lay back in the chair, feeling the full force of my discomfort, an excited-looking Alessia-san spoke to me. She seemed very curious about the room with the air.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m curious, too, so let’s take a look.”
I swam up to the ceiling with Alessia-san. Part of the ceiling has been cut out, and scaffolding and stairs have been set up. That’s where you turn back into a human.
When I look up at the room above, the air suddenly escapes from my mouth. Huh? Come to think of it, my lungs should be filled with seawater, so why is the air escaping? Has seawater turned into air?
Ah, I’m having trouble breathing. It seems that my body wants the air that was exhaled. Without thinking, I inhale and feel the air filling my lungs.
“I see, with that one breath, it switched between breathing underwater and breathing on land.”
Alessia-san, who had the same experience as me, nodded her head in admiration at the performance of the sacred treasure. I agreed with her.
“It looks like the breathing is fine, so let’s go into the room.”
Alessia-san, satisfied with the performance of the sacred treasure, next shifted her interest to the inside of the room. You switch quickly, don’t you?
“Yes, you’re right. The clothes also seem to be dry when we come out of the water, thanks to the sacred treasure, so let’s go up there.”
“We just need to remove the sacred treasure, right?”
As Alessia-san removed the sacred treasure from her fingers, a pale light enveloped Alessia-san’s lower body, similar to the light when transforming into a mermaid.
“Kyaaa!”
The maiden’s cry echoed through the room.
“Thank you, Creator God-sama!”
I unintentionally offered a prayer of thanks to Creator God-sama.
“Hey, Wataru-san, turn your head that way! Don’t stare at me while praying to Creator God-sama!”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just…”
I quickly looked away, but the shocking scene was burned into my mind. The lower half of Alessia-san’s body, which had returned to human form, was completely exposed.
Her lower half was still in the sea, but that’s why it was such a glimpse, or what do you call it… a delicacy for your eyes.
But of course. When you changed into a mermaid, you had to take off your lower body outfit and store it in the ring. When you change back, you have to put clothes on, right?
Everyone who heard Alessia-san’s scream swam up. The maid who came with them quickly cleared the way and quickly covered Alessia-san’s figure with a curtain-like thing.
I see, this place has a system like a dressing room. I heard the maid apologize to Alessia-san.
It was her first time to greet someone, and she seemed to have forgotten to explain. The maid apologizes to Alessia-san, but good job, Maid-san.