The events of Jack overturning the torture session were unbelievably shocking, but even then, it didn't take long for the Empress to regain her bearings.
Along with her change in mood came an unbelievably powerful aura. The mana she emitted was the same ocean blue as her long hair or her deep eyes filled with curiosity.
She looked so regal! Chances were, this was her usual appearance.
"You, who are you?" She gently inquired.
"Simply a wandering scholar." Jack casually replied.
At this moment, he was extremely willing to play the mysterious part. While having higher requirements on the "performance" part, this came with fewer lies and fewer chances to screw up.
She acknowledged his terse answer and kept talking:
"I'm sure you already know, but the humans have been extremely active recently. They've been greedily gathering every resource and killing every aquatic people they set their sights on…."
It seemed like the mermaids were confusing the general humans with the Braves. Yep, not minding about the future was classic player behavior. After all, this was only a game to them!
"But then it became worse. The villains tricked a noble blood before eventually murdering her underhandedly when she tried to get revenge. War is now unavoidable…."
Underhanded?! Bitch, please! That silly arrogant fish had attacked them on land. What did she expect?! But even as he inwardly cursed her, he solemnly nodded on the outside.
"That's where you come in. Please teach our people how to blend with the surface dwellers. You have a lot of experience with that, right?" The Empress earnestly requested.
Usually, she would have intimidated her interlocutor with her aura or acted coy, entrancing them with her sublimely cute face….but all she could use against this guy was her sincerity!
For the first time, she felt utterly naked and helpless, every second he took to think maddening. This was the only way to reduce casualties for her people! Please accept!
"Alright, I can try to—"Just as she was getting relieved, a commotion happened at the worst timing possible!
— SLAM! —
The throne room doors were flung wide open, a delegation of gorgeously furious mermaids invading. They looked haughty and powerful, and there couldn't have been more scorn on their faces.
"'Empress', you've finally turned insane. Playing with a human now…." The group leader uttered "Empress" with as much irony as mermaidly possible.
Clearly, the newcomers were enemies, the Empress' body tensing from head to tail. Then they looked at him like he was dog shit under one's shoe.
But would the Empress just accept such disrespect?
"Tiara, I see you've come to 'play'. Sadly I can't entertain you. I happen to have a nation to take care of. Obediently return to your aquarium, will you? Guards, escort her out."
Her meaning was obvious. 'Get the Fuck out!'. But just as the guards were trying to follow orders, their target snorted as she clenched her fist, activating a magical blue gem.
— FLASH! —
Out of nowhere, a small army of Water-Gecko people appeared around the Pure-Blood fish, protecting their mistress.
The Empress and the leader of the invaders were left staring at one another, none willing to back down, their aura growing stronger and stronger, enough to create a water current!
At first, the Empress was about to win this aura fight, but then the other invaders joined in. That's when the mana pressure reached crazy levels, forming a mana tornado!
But just when a fight was about to break out, the enemy leader finally relented, snorting.
"Tch— There's no point fighting you. Hand over the disgraceful human, or we'll have no choice but to take that crown of yours. It's a horrible mismatch anyway."
"Human? There are no humans here. Are you saying you can't see through my subordinate's disguise? Should I take it as praise?" The Empress powerfully questioned.
"As if! I'm saying he's 100% human. Of course, he looks like one! Better gut him open right now and display him for all to see. We should…" She kept going on, the Empress retorting at times.
The two mermaids engaged in one hell of a verbal joust, none daring interrupting. How much bad blood was there between the two?! Jack was left standing there, both ignoring him while "debating" whether to kill him or not.
Some bizarre insults kept coming: salted fish, human lover, dull-scaled, frog voice, goldfish brained, beached whale…and more.
In their fury, they even reverted back to their original language, the "Tongue of the Deep", which made them sound even more harmonious than usual.
'System, save this recording. File name: Fish Fight Song.'
[User? You Fate Is Being Discussed….]
[This System Advises to Take This Seriously!]
The system wasn't wrong either. While thinking about possibly releasing this recording as a stand-alone song, his fate had turned for the worse.
The Empress had great arguments to save him, but it always came back to one key point: the "Noble-Blood" refused to work with him, all of them.
No matter how powerful the Empress was, she couldn't go against the upper strata of her people. In fact, she had initially only been chosen to sit on the throne as a puppet.
It just so happened that she hadn't been the weak-minded girl the nobles had expected her to be, and she had grown way stronger…but even she had her limits.
At this rate, he'd perish, the sacrifices made to come here all made worthless. That he couldn't accept. That's when Jack interrupted the two ladies.
"Why are you still fighting? How bored are you? I'm sure there are a thousand things more productive you two could do. Or is the human menace perhaps exaggerated?" He calmly asked.
All mermaids present went silent. Not because he had interrupted, not because he had chosen the perfect timing to do so, but because of the language he spoke.
He could speak the Deep Tongue?! How?!
That single fact disrupted their train of thought. One had to know that there was no way for a human to learn it, given that their worlds had simply been apart for too long.
[This System Is Also Confused...]
Jack couldn't help but brightly smile as he noticed the stunned expressions of the nobles. Just like that, it seemed he had turned a few from hostile to neutral.
But there was still one issue. The enemy leader didn't falter one bit. Instead, she grinned schemingly.
"Is that so? Alright, I'll accept you in our midst, but on one condition. We'll send you to the armies' forefront and have you slaughter humans!"
This was an incredibly deadly and perverse suggestion. This was the perfect way to deal with this new guy supporting the Empress. Whether he was a spy or not he'd die on the battlefield!
As soon as this condition was uttered, the Empress' expression turned dark. This was a certain death sentence! There was no way that she would ever accept such—
"Alright, I'll be at the very front!" Jack happily replied.
"WHAT?! No, you can't! There's—" The Empress tried protesting.
"Hehe, perfect! It's already too late: he's agreed! Such courage!" The enemy leader rejoiced endlessly while the Empress despaired.
Little did they know Jack was inwardly laughing. At the very front? So fucking what! He was a player! not only could he respawn, but he didn't have any qualms about doing some PVP!
"Your first mission will be…."
That's when Jack's smile turned gloomy...
