Chapter 145
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145
“Here, drink this first and try to calm down.”
In the office of the Lord of Ofen City, Turan sat Armani down and placed several cups of petal tea before him.
Perhaps because it was a port city, the tea was a far cry from the tasteless stonecrop tea typical of the Gray Zone.
“This is from my hometown. Judging by the tartness, is it brewed from Silk Lotus?” Solif commented as he savored the brew.
Naturally, the Lord of Ofen, who had brought the tea, had been dismissed. Whatever Armani had to say could not be allowed to spread without censorship.
There was a minor mishap when Armani, ignorant of tea-drinking etiquette, downed his cup in a single gulp, but the brief break provided a much-needed moment of respite nonetheless.
During the silence, a thought occurred to Turan. He opened his Spiritual Vision and looked at Armani.
‘Oh...’
He hadn't noticed during their last meeting—having not yet mastered soul magic—but Armani’s spirit body was extraordinary. A small Great Sea Serpent was coiled around the spirit body located deep between his brows, mirroring the human form.
The moment Turan’s eyes met the creature's, Armani suddenly flinched and turned his gaze toward him.
“What is it?”
“Uh, something... felt strange. I felt like something weird was staring at me.”
“And now?”
“It’s gone!”
When Turan closed his Spiritual Vision, Armani nodded, the sense of incongruity vanishing.
‘Can he instinctively tell when his spirit is being observed? That’s a fascinating talent.’
In any case, Turan, like most who practiced soul magic, usually kept his spiritual awareness dormant. Seeing passing souls or hearing their fleeting voices was, from an ordinary person's perspective, akin to a form of mental illness.
“Then, shall we continue? Can you explain in detail? A war with humans?”
“Father said that the demons of the west possess a treasure that can control us. He said we have been humiliated and suppressed by that object for a long time, and now is the time for revenge. The name was probably...”
Something immediately came to Turan’s mind.
The Blue Coral Crown.
Back when Turan had infiltrated the Carmine family in disguise, hadn't he heard that such an object existed and could control the merfolk?
“Was it the Blue Coral Crown?”
“That’s it! That was the name!”
As Armani shouted happily, Turan fell into thought, twirling his teacup with his finger. If what he said was true, the merfolk’s target was undoubtedly the Carmine family, the great maritime house located to their north.
‘From the sound of it, the situation doesn't seem all that bad.’
In truth, Turan personally held no great grudge against the Carmine family. Of course, they were the type who allowed fallen gods to reign over them, prolonging their lives by stealing the bodies of their descendants... but to put it bluntly, they had never harmed anyone Turan cared about.
However, considering they had established a communication network with the Zahar family to prepare for an attack from Arabion, and that Zahar might eventually become hostile toward the Parsha family led by Turan, they had to be viewed as potential enemies.
In that sense, the Great Sea Serpents' declaration of war was actually a stroke of good luck.
“So, you opposed it?”
“Yes! He didn't just want to take the treasure; he said he would crush the demons' palace and kill every last one of their slaves!”
“Dear me, that won't do.”
Waging war against the mages of Carmine could be seen as justified retaliation for years of oppression... but what sin had the ordinary people living on that land committed? Slaughtering the sheep just because one was struck by the shepherd was nothing more than a petty vent of anger.
“Besides, when I asked what would happen to the good demons—you and your friends—he said we couldn't stay on good terms with them either. That we would end up fighting eventually anyway.”
“Why?”
“He said that sending those sea monsters before was actually his doing. He had given the order in advance before losing consciousness. He said that once you found out, you would never forgive us...”
“I figured as much.”
The moment he heard that, the scales within Turan tipped decisively. The Great Sea Serpent clan—those among Armani’s relatives who sided with their leader—would one day have to meet their end at Turan’s hands.
“So, you opposed it?”
“I don't want to fight a good demon like you, Turan! It doesn't feel right, and it’s scary.”
Armani, now capable of transforming into a Great Sea Serpent, was no longer the helpless merman boy he once was. A power greater and more formidable than what Turan had seen recently was swirling within that small body.
Presumably, if he fought intelligently by diving into the middle of the ocean, even Turan would struggle to hunt him down. If he simply fled into the depths, he would be nearly impossible to catch.
Yet, despite possessing such power, the reason he harbored a vague fear of Turan was likely because of the impression from their first meeting. Back then, Armani had been a helpless merman caught by pirates, while Turan was already a mid-ranking noble with considerable power.
“Don't worry about what your father said. You aren't responsible.”
“You don't blame me?”
“Not at all.”
At Turan’s words, Armani’s face brightened instantly. His thoughts and emotions were so plain on his face that there was no need to read his senses through scent. Though, being a merman, that would have been impossible anyway.
Then, Solif, who had been listening quietly, spoke up with an incredulous expression.
“So, because you opposed fighting us or other humans, everyone tried to kill you?”
“Yes. Father, Mother, my brothers, and my sisters were all sad... but a bad child who doesn't listen to the King must die.”
Armani scratched his shoulder with a dejected look. Turan remembered that there had been a mark there, pierced by a large fang, before he was treated a moment ago.
It was hard to imagine, considering the harmonious appearance of the merman royalty in the past. Hadn't they been more affectionate with each other than most human siblings?
However, Turan did not forget that they also had a cruel custom. When a new Merman King ascended, he would purge all the brothers and sisters of his generation. In a sense, they were beings whose reason and emotion were completely decoupled—a philosophy of "doing what must be done."
“Anyway, you were lucky to make it out alive. It couldn't have been easy to lose your pursuers.”
How many of Armani’s kin had survived back then? Maybe ten? The fact that he had survived even though all of them had turned into Great Sea Serpents to chase him was truly worthy of high praise.
“You didn't bring a tail back here with you, did you?”
“Never. They probably won't even be able to come to the North Sea for the time being!”
They wouldn't even be able to come to the North Sea? From the way he spoke, it sounded as if the Great Sea Serpent clan was staying in the Southern Sea. As if reading Turan’s puzzled expression, Armani began to explain sheepishly.
“Well, actually, surviving this time was a matter of luck.”
A few days ago, while guarding their stronghold, Armani was informed by his fully recovered kin of the declaration of war. He protested, but since the King and the other major royals all supported the war, he was quickly driven into a corner.
It was only natural that their stronghold was nearly devastated in the process of a dozen Great Sea Serpents clashing. While desperately fleeing from his family, Armani crossed through a 'mirror.'
“The one that connects the North Sea and the Southern Sea?”
“We call that object the Jade Mirror.”
The mermen’s treasure, the Jade Mirror, was over twenty meters in diameter, making it almost as large as a building. Even a Great Sea Serpent, which had a relatively thin body, could pass through it.
Armani had come up with a strategy. First, he used the Jade Mirror to cross from the North Sea to the Southern Sea. Then, after recovering as much as possible, he dismantled the mirror and crossed back the other way just as his family was about to follow.
Solif’s jaw dropped in surprise. “Wait, that’s possible?!”
“Possessing, dismantling, and installing the Jade Mirror is a power granted only to the Great Sea Serpent clan. That’s why the mirror was near our stronghold.”
Originally, the Jade Mirrors were meant to be installed in different locations to create a passage that anyone could use, but it was said that someone who possessed a shrunk-down version could teleport to the mirror on the opposite side. Of course, since nothing would remain at the original location, they wouldn't be able to return.
Therefore, now that Armani had fled with the mirror, his kin were likely still searching for a way to travel from the Southern Sea to the North Sea. The Southern and Northern Seas were separated by land, and moving vulnerably across the surface might lead to attacks from various powerful mage families, including Zahar.
“Here, this is it.”
As he spoke, Armani pulled out an object he had been hiding. Two mirrors, which had been obscured by the power radiating from his body until a moment ago, sparkled with a vivid presence.
*
Armani’s request was simple. He would help them use the mermen’s treasure, the Jade Mirror, if they would protect him from his Great Sea Serpent relatives and the threats on the surface.
For Turan, it was a proposal he had absolutely no reason to refuse. It went without saying how much the existence of the Jade Mirror would increase his strategic options. Even though Meisa was the most powerful Enchanter to exist since the fall of the gods, even she couldn't create a magic tool that crossed space.
“No, this is really... unbelievable. Which god left this Holy Relic behind?”
“Don't you call the things left by you demons 'Holy Relics'? If so, this Jade Mirror is not a Holy Relic.”
Armani spoke to the admiring Solif as he casually flipped the mirror in his palm. Turan knew logically that the treasure wouldn't break just from being dropped, but his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
“I heard from Father that this mirror existed even before the demons came from beyond the world. Some say the Great Sea Serpents made it, others say it was created by the laws of the world... anyway, it’s older than your ancestors.”
Whether those words were true was unknown, but the Jade Mirror certainly felt somewhat alien compared to typical Holy Relics. While ordinary magic tools or Holy Relics circulated mana through complex internal paths, this appeared to be more like a blunt lump of mana.
—Turan, your back smells like fish.
While they were talking, Bije spoke up from above in a grumpy tone. The three of them were flying toward Kalamaf on the back of the enlarged Bije, and for some reason, Bije seemed displeased with Armani. It hadn't been like that before.
‘Is she sensitive to the power of a grown Great Sea Serpent?’
It would likely be difficult to get a proper answer even if he asked Bije. Usually, such things were just a 'feeling,' making it hard for her to explain why she felt that way. Fortunately, Armani couldn't hear Bije’s words.
After flying southwest for a few hours, they finally arrived back at Kalamaf. The barrier installed in the air recognized its master and parted, allowing them to land safely in the courtyard. Before long, they were greeted by Asiz, whom Turan had contacted in advance.
“You’re back! So, did the problem in Ofen get resolved?”
“More or less. Let’s go inside and talk first.”
“But who’s that next to you? I thought you went with just Solif.”
“He came along too.”
Armani was currently disguising his identity by wrapping his face in a thick cloth, as he had done in the past. Unless someone possessed a special Holy Relic like Turan, this alone was enough to hide his identity, but if he was to continue living here, they would have to find a more plausible method. Unless they wanted to spread rumors that they were colluding with another race, his identity had to be kept from the public.
A moment later, when Armani revealed himself in the office, Asiz’s jaw dropped in shock.
“Gah! A—a merman?!”
“Hello, good demon.”
Was he discouraged by the almost terrified expression on Asiz's face? Armani greeted him with a somewhat dejected look. At this peaceful response, Asiz looked back and forth between Turan and Solif for a moment before extending his hand.
“Uh, hello... are you Armani, by any chance?”
“You know me?”
“I heard about you from Turan before.”
Armani’s crumpled face brightened instantly at the fact that Turan had told his friend about him. Ignoring Bije’s displeased gaze, Armani struck up a conversation with Asiz.
“So that’s what happened...”
“Yes. Now I will serve under Turan.”
Having quickly adapted to Armani’s somewhat awkward way of speaking, Asiz didn't object and looked at Turan. It wasn't hard to guess what he wanted to say.
“Obviously, it’s a secret from the public.”
“I’ll have to make something like a helmet for him.”
“Can you handle it? Meisa is quite busy right now.”
“I’m almost finished with what I’m making, so it’s possible.”
Asiz nodded at the request to create a helmet-type magic tool that wouldn't be uncomfortable to wear all the time. After a brief conversation, the topic of their discussion shifted to the new strategic treasure they had acquired.
“So, we’ll have to think carefully about how to utilize this Jade Mirror.”
“For starters, we definitely have to use it in the war.”
“If there were more of them, I would have placed them in every city in Kalamaf.”
If they had, they could have dealt with the disturbance in Ofen more proactively. In fact, the beacon system they were currently setting up might have become as good as obsolete.
“Should I ask Meisa if she can replicate it?”
“Please do.”
If they could create something similar, even in a somewhat degraded form, its strategic value would be truly immense. Of course, its value was already significant as it was.
After that, they spent a few hours idling in the lounge, talking about what had happened. Meisa, who emerged from the workshop with a face exhausted from crafting magic tools, cried out in surprise.
“What? Why are you here?!”
It was the reaction of someone who had suddenly seen a merman boy who was supposed to be somewhere in the North Sea. But after a moment, once she had heard the whole story, she let out a small groan and pulled Armani into a tight hug.
Startled by the unfamiliar contact, the merman boy muttered, “Uh, wait...”
“It must have been so hard for you.”
Turan could guess that Meisa was seeing her own reflection in Armani, who had been shunned by his own kind. She, too, had been rejected by her bloodline, the Arabion family.
After a moment of confusion at the sudden hug, Armani soon buried his face in Meisa’s chest and burst into loud sobs. It turned out that even the merfolk, who sometimes seemed as emotionless as insects, had tears. The psychology of other races—sometimes so alien, yet sometimes so human—was difficult to understand.
A few minutes later, Armani, his eyes turned a shade of purple, pulled away from Meisa’s embrace with an embarrassed expression.
“You can cry more if you want.”
“I wasn't crying!”
At Turan’s playful remark, the merman boy snapped back in anger before curling up in a corner of the lounge. After everyone laughed and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, they each sat in a comfortable position and began their discussion.
“First of all, as you’ve all heard, we have another enemy. Fortunately, their top priority isn't us.”
“The Great Sea Serpent merfolk, you mean.”
Fortunately, according to Armani, their primary target was the Carmine family. As long as they kept the fact that Armani was taking refuge here a secret, they would likely clash with the Parsha family much later. There was even a possibility they would be suppressed by the Carmine family alone. Their power to freely manipulate water and ice would be useful against the Great Sea Serpents, and they also had fallen gods on their side.
“Asiz agreed to make the headgear for Armani... Meisa, what about the thing you were making?”
“There are about three weeks left. And once I’m done with this, I probably won't be able to use much power for about a month.”
“Just as planned. Let’s see, the Lavitas army should have set out by now...”
Even on the magic tool warships built by the Enchanters under their command long ago, it would take at least a month or two to reach Baraha’s territory through the Southern Sea. Therefore, by the time Lavitas officially arrived at Baraha, Meisa would be fully capable of fighting.
“The original plan was to send Solif alone just before they arrived. Sending an army would reduce mobility, and if Meisa or I moved, it would likely leave an opening for Arabion.”
“That’s right.”
As Turan spoke, everyone looked at the two green mirrors placed in the middle of the lounge. Having heard about it just a moment ago, everyone knew what an incredible treasure it was.
“But with those, the story changes.”
What if they gave one mirror to Armani and sent him east to coincide with the time the Lavitas forces invaded Baraha? The Parsha family could project their full strength to the far east without losing a single moment. It was a revolutionary invasion tactic that no other great family in the world would dare to even imagine.