Chapter 51
Chapter 51
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Chapter 6 - Encounter
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I’m serious! You might not realize it, Aria, but everyone is sick and tired of you!”
Lumi’s reaction was more intense than I had anticipated.
She sat on top of me,
Her body pressed against mine,
Her gaze fixed on Aria as she poured out her frustrations.
“Isn’t that right, sisters?”
The other mermaids hesitated, their eyes wide with fear, but then,
“…W-well, yes. Honestly, Aria, you’ve become too strict…”
One of them spoke, her voice hesitant, echoing Lumi’s sentiment.
The atmosphere shifted. The mermaids sensed an opportunity to voice their complaints.
“That’s right… hmm…”
“I-I agree…”
Aria swam silently around us, her body submerged up to her nose.
Her gaze was sharp, piercing, making me flinch.
Her beautiful nose and lips were hidden beneath the water,
Leaving only her angry eyes visible.
“It wasn’t like this when Grandma was here! You’re trying to control everything!”
She was right.
I silently cheered for Lumi, offering my full support.
–Yes.
–Good girl.
“And it’s strange about Grandma’s death! She traveled to the sea countless times, and then she suddenly dies in an accident?!”
“…Y-yes! That’s very strange. Aria, are you hiding something from us?”
The mermaids finally questioned Grandma’s death.
“Did Laura even make it to the sea? Honestly, we wouldn’t even know if you did something to them!”
This suspicion, this distrust, fueled the growing rebellion.
“Are you finished?”
Aria finally emerged from the water, her face now visible.
“Are you finished?”
“Uh, um…”
Looking at her expression,
I realized that beauty and kindness weren't always synonymous.
While she looked like an angel,
In this moment,
She, and the three mermaids, shared the same emotion.
[Fear].
A creeping dread, whispering in their minds, threatening to erode their newfound courage.
I was the only one who could speak now.
The mermaids were vulnerable to fear. Living in the water, they rarely encountered predators.
So, they didn't know how to cope with fear.
But I was different.
My experiences on this planet had been,
Nothing but a constant barrage of fear and terror.
“No, I think it makes perfect sense.”
I spoke, my voice steady, despite the mermaids’ trembling bodies.
Courage wasn't something special.
It was simply the ability to take another step, even when you were terrified.
That was courage,
The conquest of fear.
“I understand you’re the leader now, since Grandma is gone. But your behavior towards your sisters is unacceptable. Even if you are the eldest, you have no right to control them like this.”
The mermaids nodded, agreeing with me. Only Aria glared at me, her head tilted to the side.
“You treat them like servants! Even if you’re the eldest, you have no right to control them like this.”
Their agreement grew stronger.
Their nods more confident.
“…Our Juho, so quiet just a moment ago, is suddenly full of opinions, isn’t he?”
Aria frowned, realizing my intentions.
But it didn't dispel the distrust that had taken root.
They demanded an explanation.
“Answer us! What happened to Laura and Grandma?!”
“Did Laura even make it to the sea? Answer us…!”
It was a full-blown rebellion.
The mermaids wouldn't obey Aria any longer.
They were all born from the same womb,
And they deserved to be treated with respect.
While respecting their elder sister was their duty,
This had gone too far.
Especially now, with a male present,
Their frustration, combined with their unfulfilled desire to reproduce, was reaching a boiling point.
“Why don’t you go and see for yourselves?”
I whispered,
Encouraging their rebellion.
Humans had survived because of our cunning, our ability to think our way out of even the most desperate situations.
I wasn't going to die here.
I would survive,
Gather the other survivors, Isaac and whoever else was still alive,
Destroy that monstrous moon in the sky, and escape this planet.
“Why did Grandma die so suddenly? You should ask her. It’s strange. She seemed perfectly healthy when I was here.”
“Yes! Why did Grandma die?!”
“Why are you hiding this from us?!”
I didn't know if Aria had killed her,
Or if it had truly been an accident.
But once distrust took root, it was difficult to eradicate.
A small lie required countless explanations.
It would take me less than ten seconds to ask the question,
But Aria, to prove her innocence, would have to find Laura-
“Laura went to the sea, and I killed Grandma.”
Find Laura…
But…?
“I’m sorry I kept it a secret. I didn’t want you to worry.”
Aria emerged from the water, approaching her sisters, stroking their cheeks.
Even her gentle touch made them tense, hesitant,
But the momentum shifted in her favor.
They seemed willing to listen to her explanation.
I hadn't anticipated this.
What was she doing…?
“But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m your eldest sister. Grandma asked me to kill her before she died.”
I finally understood her strategy.
Aria, using an unverifiable claim, was solidifying her position.
“I was… so sad… but Grandma believed she had driven away our only male. She said she couldn’t face you anymore…”
This was problematic.
I couldn't call her a liar. I had inadvertently given her credibility by voicing their suspicions.
“I-is that true?”
“But even so…!”
It seemed the elder mermaid had indeed felt guilty.
“…So you killed her? Does that even make sense?”
I pressed the issue,
But Aria simply closed her eyes, feigning grief.
“Grandma made a mistake because of her guilt. She bumped into a rock and broke her neck. She was too old to heal from such an injury… as you know…”
Aria covered her face with her hands, her body shaking with feigned sobs.
She seemed distraught,
But her sorrow wasn't genuine.
“S-sister…”
“She asked me to kill her. She even asked me to bring back her head…”
Her eyes, peeking through her fingers, were fixed on me.
A clear provocation,
A silent threat.
“…How… filial.”
But I didn't care.
I had bought enough time,
And Jenny must have retrieved Amy’s body by now.
“But the skull you showed us had a crack in the back of the head.”
So,
I added another lie.
The mermaids gasped, turning towards me, murmuring amongst themselves.
“What…?”
“I-is that true?”
It didn't matter if it was true or not.
Sorry, Aria,
But I had to leave.
“It’s true. Check it yourselves. Aria, why don’t you bring back the skull?”
If Aria tried to prove my statement wrong,
I would escape with Isaac’s help.
He just had to lower a rope or a vine.
He would understand, he would be waiting for my signal.
“Bring it back!”
I shouted,
Loud enough for Isaac to hear.
“Aria lied to you! She’s a liar! She killed Grandma, and maybe even Laura!”
Several mermaids left my side, approaching Aria.
They were going to check the skull.
Their attention was diverted,
And the conflict between them intensified.
“…”
But,
Nothing came down from above.
This wasn't right.
Isaac should have heard my signal.
“Bring… it back! Now!”
I shouted louder, but there was no response. I couldn't see Isaac.
Something was wrong.
This wasn't going according to plan.
And then,
I saw something,
Something Isaac couldn't possibly save me from.
“…Bring… it… back…”
Spider silk.
Arachne’s web, a sight I knew all too well.