[12th Round] The Little Mermaid
But I wasn’t here to meet this mermaid. As the name of her job suggested, she had to actually guard something to be a guardian.
My goal was further into her territory.
The entrance, covered in seaweed and blocked by coral, opened like an automatic door as she approached.
One could, of course, simply break down this door and enter. But then the anti-theft system would work, which would ruin everything.
Safety should always be one’s top priority.
I was able to reach my destination without any problems.
“Phew… I already thought about it before, but I want to put this mermaid in formalin and keep it with me.”
A deceased mermaid was hugging Holy Sword B, the real reason I was here.
▷ Race: Mermaid of Chaos
▷ Level: 1
▷ Job: Sea Queen (Sea → Patronage ↑)
▷ Skills: Patronage Z, Destruction SS
▷ Status: Petrified, Protected, Dead, Storage
If Ullullu was the “King of Freshwater,” then the mermaid hugging the Holy Sword B was the “Queen of the Sea.”
They were full of ambition, like my dear comrade Noebius, which was why they became kings. Moreover, Ullullu and this mermaid received their jobs due to the geographical features of their environment.
▶ Surprise: That is truly a Holy Sword! It’s the same one you inserted into the secret socket of the golem. There seems to be nothing that you don’t know, cadet Kang Han Soo.
‘Trainee Teacher, did you not know about this?’
▶ Confirmation: I didn’t see it in my school years. Even in the collection of materials that I can view as a trainer, I saw only one Holy Sword with automatic functions, although I have heard from friends and seniors that there are different types of Holy Swords. That aside, I don’t understand why the sword intended for training was hidden and sealed here.
‘Trainee Teacher, don’t worry about that. Otherwise, wrinkles will appear on your forehead.’
Someone could explain everything to us anyway.
“The Holy Sword Lavade (Love Aid)’s name, in ancient languages, means ‘a sword that makes a loved one stronger.’ It is made of a special alloy, with the help of which its power increases in proportion to the owner’s love. However, it has been divided into parts. In its current state, it can’t even display 1% of its true strength anymore. You probably already know since you’ve already used it, but it has a strengthening effect. It was split between dimensions since they didn’t want to destroy it, but at the same time, it shouldn’t fall into unwanted hands.”
“That’s how…”
I understood what Ssosia was trying to explain.
It was as if it wasn’t really needed, but it was a pity to throw it away.
“But I don’t know who this mermaid is. She is beautiful, as befits her race, but she feels somehow special. Even her appearance… Regardless, I can’t identify her. How about asking the mermaid you’re holding?”
“Really? Hey, fish, talk.”
“Kh? A-a-ah! I won’t say anything!”
The mermaid closed her lips tightly, so I tore her fin a little. She immediately screamed, and tears flowed from her eyes.
Even though she was in incredible pain, she still didn’t say anything.
“How troublesome.”
She kept whimpering, but it didn’t matter.
This MAX-Class Hero didn’t like torture. I preferred getting information straight from the brain.
This time, I chose an even simpler option.
“Saintess H.”
“Resurrect, my servant.”
Saintess H, whose Divinity reached the level of God, was different from ordinary saints.
If the victim had only 1 level, then they were treated with traditional medicine or medicines. They couldn’t even dream of resurrection if the worst happened since the patient didn’t have enough experience points for it.
But she was different.
She resurrected using her experience points.
But the resurrected one would be under complete submission to Saintess H until they could return all experience points they owed to her.
“Oh?” Slowly opening her eyes, the mermaid’s refreshing voice echoed, reminding me of sea waves.
▷ Race: Royal Mermaid
▷ Level: 999+
▷ Job: Sea Queen (Sea → Patronage ↑)
▷ Skills: Patronage Z, Charm MAX, Captivity MAX, Singing F, Seduction F…
▷ Status: Resurrected, Protected, Storage, Confused, Submission
Previously, Boss K died at the Festival of Heroes, and when he was revived, the “Chaos Elf” race disappeared, and he became a “High Elf” instead. The same was true for this mermaid.
In addition, once she was resurrected, due to her incredible beauty, her Charm had reached MAX.
Even her puzzled face was charming.
But the face of the guardian, on the contrary, looked grim.
“Tell me, what is your name?” asked Saintess H in a calm tone, but it was just an order disguised as a question.
The sea mermaid, who couldn’t remain silent, replied immediately.
“I am the nineteenth Mermaid Queen Porseranians and the keeper of the sword Lavade, which was left to me by my comrade from Earth.”
“Nice to meet you, Pomeranian.
Amazing. This mermaid had the same name as the dog breed that my neighbors raised.
“My name is Porce…”
“Silence. Do not interrupt the Hero when he speaks.”
“I-I apologize…” Pomeranian apologized, cringing.
This mermaid was more polite than the one who tried to erase my memory.
“Congratulations on your resurrection, Mermaid Queen Pomeranian. I don’t know if you still have the right to control mermaids, but even if you don’t, I will be raising you in a special saltwater bath that will be built by next year, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Ah, okay… Thank you? I probably should be grateful to the Hero who will raise me. It’s just that I just revived, and I don’t know how to behave in this world yet…”
“I see.”
“That’s how it should be. My race succumbed to sexual attraction and eventually sank to the point of being human pets… Since this is our destiny, I just have to accept it…”
This sea fish was smart.
No wonder she was the Queen of the Mermaids.
“Can you still control your kind?”
“It’s possible.”
“That should never be allowed, o’ great mother!”
As soon as the Mermaid Queen Pomeranian confirmed my belief, the guardian mermaid immediately intervened.
“Traitors should be quiet.”
“Ah…”
As soon as she gave the order, the guardian mermaid immediately fell silent. Her body shook at first as she tried to resist, but she soon found herself frozen.
Pomeranian replied with sorrow in her voice.
“My race, like squid going to spawn, strive to get to men, driven by sexual attraction. Whenever sailors caught my relatives, some of them would be butchered and eaten, while others were tied to the bows of ships, turning them into tourist attractions. That caused a storm of hatred in me, which in turn made me order all mermaids to refrain from following their desires from then on. However, I was betrayed and killed. Now that I have resurrected, I shall become the Hero’s slave. Give me any order. All the mermaids of this world are yours.”
It seemed that the mermaids killed their queen because of their excessive sex drive.
And the queen became disillusioned with her people.
“Will they follow your order?”
“Yes. Any mermaid in the water will follow me. After all, all the seas of the world are connected. Through the waves, they will hear my song and obey.”
“What about the mermaids in freshwaters?”
“If I go to the freshwaters and sing there, they will have no choice but to follow me. I’m of royal blood. I care not if I’m in freshwater or seawater.”
“I see…”
I was worried that it would be difficult to get seawater, but it looked like raising her in the imperial palace wouldn’t be a problem.
I let go of the mermaid that I had been holding in my hands all this time.
After all, since I had the Mermaid Queen, who had such a fraudulent ability, I could calmly control the rest of the mermaids.
Yet, what was more surprising than that was that her ability wasn’t displayed in her racial traits.
▷ Type: Race
▷ Name: Royal Mermaid
▷ Rank: Legendary
▷ Ability 1: Never disappear when in water.
▷ Ability 2: Gifted with incredible beauty.
▷ Feature 1: Increased charm effect.
▷ Feature 2: Increased seduction effect.
▷ Feature 3: Ability to transform the lower body.
▷ Race 1: Perfect singing skills.
▷ Race 2: Beauty is inherited.
The Royal Mermaid race was much better than the regular Mermaid. Never disappear when in water? That was why her corpse had stayed intact here all this time.
She had the protection of the waters on her side.
To think she was far from being patronized by the universe!
“I learned the mermaid submission song from the eighteenth Mermaid Queen. Even if an ordinary mermaid learns it, she still won’t be able to use it. She will simply die for touching the forbidden. Only mermaids from the royal family can use it since we have the protection of the waters. Once I die, the song will be lost forever.”
What an interesting explanation.
“Can humans learn it?”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible, Hero. After all, humans and mermaids have different vocal cord structures.”
“So it’s all about vocal cords?”
“Huh? Yes, probably…”
A song that could subdue all mermaids…
Wasn’t it tempting?
▶ Query: Disciple Kang Han Soo, do you want to take possession of all the mermaids?
‘Trainee Teacher, your suspicion saddens me!’
My mother wouldn’t forgive me. She’d beat me until she’d destroyed her tennis racket.
“I’ll learn it when we get back to the palace, Mermaid Queen.”
“As you desire, Sir Hero.”
“Command all the sea mermaids to gather on the seaside in the northern part of the Central Continent.
“Everyone? Can I find out the reason?”
Carefully stroking the queen between the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae, I replied.
“War.”
Sea mermaids would serve as fine marines.
***
The Mermaid Queen got scared because I decided to collect them not for the harem, as she expected, but for war, but she was under the rule of Saintess H, removing her right to refuse.
Hearing the Queen’s song, the sea mermaids gathered in the port.
In the waters, beautiful mermaids with naked upper bodies gathered, weapons made of huge fish bones or monster ribs in their hands.
If I took into account that more mermaids were completely submerged in the waters, it would become impossible to even count how many of them actually gathered here.
Moreover, their number continued to grow.
“I didn’t know there were so many mermaids living in the sea.”
I watched this picture from a ship that was five times the size of the rest of the fleet.
I wasn’t the only one surprised by it.
“Woah!”
“Hehe… Oh?!”
The idiots on the ship stared at the mermaids as they drooled. Some of them even fell overboard.
Mermaids swam up to the knights and soldiers who fell into the water from all sides and pulled off all their clothes. An hour after, they’d be found exhausted on the shore not far from the port.
That wasn’t surprising at all.
After all, the fighting skills of mermaids, who specialized only in seducing men, were negligible, while the monsters living in the sea were incredibly strong compared to those living on land.
Therefore, like anchovies and other small fishes, mermaids had no choice but to reproduce as many offspring as possible.
I clicked my tongue.
“If they were born human, they could become mistresses of wealthy merchants or aristocrats and live happily ever after. Otherwise, they’ll have a hard time surviving.”
“Hmph! They have such beauty only because they were born mermaids. I don’t feel even a bit of pity for them.” Ssosia reproached me after hearing my monologue.
“You are not in a position to say that.”
“What about me?”
“Your chest can’t be real. That’s one of the antics of your race, isn’t it?”
“Why do you keep insulting me? You touched them all night, and now you say that?!”
“Those two are completely different topics.”
“It’s the same, beast!”
Listening to Ssosia’s tantrums with one ear, I pointed north with the cane in my right hand.
There was no need to wait for everyone to get together.
After all, there were already enough mermaids gathered.
“Forward!”
“Order of the Emperor! We are sailing away!”
“Forward!”
“Forward!”
Doo-oo-oo-oo-oo!
Doo-oo-oo!
Having received my order, the soldiers blew into huge pipes made of huge shells.
And all the ships deported and sailed. The mermaids swam alongside them!
What a great sight.
Babakh!
Thunder and lightning had blessed our way into battle.
The wind was so strong that it could tear our sails, but the ships of the Holy Mollan Empire didn’t need sails at all.
It was all about the beauties of the sea.
We sailed smoothly with the help of their power, making the storm dangerous only for our enemies.
“What a good day for war.”
I would show the son, whom the Sword Princess gave birth to, what a real ruler should be.
“Real ruler? You mean Demon Lord.”
“Keep dancing.”
Even the cowardly demoness, unrequitedly in love with the Hero, blessed the armada of the Holy Mollan Empire with her dances.
But…
“Enemies!”
“Their navy is here!”
The troops of the Northern Continent attacked first.
