Volume 8 Chapter 22 The Invading Mermaid
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”This must be the mining city of Barreith.”
High walls towered over the streets, far taller than a human could reach. At the entrance, a soldier who looked like a gatekeeper scrutinized her when she claimed to be a refugee. Seeing that she was alone, he raised an eyebrow and let her pass.
Once she stepped through the gate, a sigh escaped her lips immediately.
The crowd—it was overwhelming. This wasn’t just a typical human city… it was far more populous than Rushelora. The sheer scale of it, with so many people packed in one area, gave her an almost eerie feeling. Perhaps that’s the difference between their species.
She stopped at the city’s edge. It wasn’t the grandeur of the metropolis that caught her eye, nor the fact that her presence as a non-human drew attention. No, it was simple: the wall of people blocked her path.
Trying to search for someone in a city like this was sheer madness.
And ugh—her fins and scales were caked with dirt. She shivered at the thought. Was there anywhere she could submerge herself in water?
Her body felt like it was drying out.
The anxiety of not being near the sea gnawed at her. Letting out another sigh, Primlena lowered her head.
Did humans feel no fear when the sea wasn’t in sight? She felt so vulnerable without it. For beings who lived on land, perhaps the sea inspired similar unease, yet they sailed freely as if it were nothing.
No allies were at hand. The loneliness hit her anew, like being lost in an unfamiliar ocean.
She grabbed the small pouch she’d brought along, trying to spark some courage.
Blue topaz, fire opal, painite…
These were treasures taken from pirates who once terrorized the seas. She’d brought them as offerings, but would they even please the Hero?
…Probably not.
That Hero had shown anger when a man faced danger. Clearly, he valued his companion. Using such means on someone like him would likely end in rejection at the gate—or worse. The thought of his fearsome gaze alone made her body tremble.
At the underwater Sanctum, she’d never shown weakness in front of the other priests, yet here, she could feel herself shrinking.
Standing alone, she gazed upward as if longing for her homeland.
Why did it have to come to this? She understood what her sister had said: this diplomatic mission was vital for their species’ survival. If someone else had taken on this task, she might have cheered them on and sent them to the Hero without hesitation. But in her own shoes… she was terrified. She couldn’t deny how selfish her thoughts were.
After sighing repeatedly, she forced herself to walk through the city.
The sheer number of people—she couldn’t tell if they were bright or somber—but knowing she had helped create this scene made her chest tighten a little.
This was what battle looked like. Many of their kin had fallen to pirates; it was unavoidable. She reconciled herself, deliberately ignoring the crowds as she pressed forward.
Eventually, she noticed a modest shop with nothing more than a cloth laid on the ground. Were these refugees? She could see that a shop wasn’t needed if a place to sit existed.
At the shopkeeper’s feet sat a strangely round, transparent sphere. This made sense—he could run a business without a proper store.
”Hmm. Fortune-telling, huh?”
They measured fate in her homeland using divination, and it seemed humans had similar customs. Still, how much value could this roadside astrology hold?
”Shopkeeper, what kind of fortune-telling is this?”
”Star reading, madam.”
”I’d like one, please.”
Though skeptical, she asked for a reading. The man handed her a simple bucket-like seat, and she sat, careful to hide her finned ears under her hood.
This cheap roadside astrology would probably be worthless. Accuracy wasn’t the point. A warning of ill fortune would be enough to report back to the High Priest.
Today, though, the stakes were different. Primlena had to meet the Hero. She had been her enemy until recently. If the reading hinted at danger in their encounter, there was no reason to proceed.
In short, this was the perfect excuse to turn back.
The man’s hands moved oddly over the glass-like sphere. She couldn’t tell what it meant, but a faint shift in magical energy brushed against her awareness.
Primlena furrowed her brows. Perhaps this fortune-teller wasn’t a fraud after all.
”Oh my, the stars are already aligned for you.”
”Aligned?”
”It means you have already met the one you will spend your life with. Perhaps your bond is already deep.”
”…What?”
Her body stiffened. Somehow, she felt she shouldn’t ask more. In fact, a bad premonition made her not want to hear any further.
”N-No… that can’t be. Ridiculous—”
”You will grow ever closer, and even have children. In different times, happiness would have been guaranteed. I hope peace comes soon.”
”Ch-Children…?”
Her mind flashed back to recent events. How children are made… that… memory made her flinch, shaking her head vigorously.
”Hmm. Yet, look at the scale difference. It’s not about size, but distance. Your partner must be of a different species. Perhaps living far from your home.”
She tried to speak but no words came. Her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. It was already clear who this partner was. Their roles and rules had prevented much contact with that man. And yet, if this bond was “intimate,” only one person could fit the description.
”It’s like a constellation, many stars linked together. You may share a fateful destiny with one of these stars. A star of unprecedented brilliance… perhaps royalty? Oh? Are you startled?”
The former priest looked to the heavens. No, she couldn’t escape. She had to go; her sister’s scolding glare haunted her imagination. Primlena stared skyward, ignoring the latter half of the fortune-teller’s words.
* * *
”You are from Ms. Primjune’s household, yes?”
”Hmph.”
In the darkness of the city, two women faced each other.
A Merfolk with translucent orange fins swayed gracefully.
A Succubus, dressed modestly yet radiating an undeniable delicate charm.
”What is the meaning of this? To treat Ms. Viola, your supposed ally, like this… Do the Merfolk intend to defy the United Kingdom? Pointing a spear at your own allies disrupts the delicate balance with the Demon Continent. Such actions will be condemned in the council.”
”Unfortunately, I have abandoned my sister and stand upon the land. Having long left the Sanctum, I am no longer bound to them.”
A twisted trident returned to Primlena’s hand like a loyal dog. Its three-pronged tip pointed at the Succubus. Kispe, however, did not flinch, keeping her gaze fixed on Primlena.
”…The Merfolk have left the sea?”
”Yes. And I have found true justice in the Hero. That person is humanity’s light. Therefore, Primlena will now side with the Apostles of the Grand Cathedral. You, the Demon Lord’s Army, who oppose humanity’s prosperity and the Hero’s glory, are our enemy.”
”…So you seek the Hero’s protection.”
Sanctum and Crimson Spire. Two princesses representing their respective realms.
Watching the pair, Suzette pulled Klock, now freed, behind her. Meina stepped forward protectively. All eyes were on Kispe.
”…So, what will you do, Apostle of the Crimson Spire? Even one chosen by the world, a Succubus without combat skills is no match for me. Shall we try exchanging blades?”
She chuckled.
”Fufu. Such a delicate Merfolk, please, don’t speak so barbarically. Fragile girls are simply meant to be adored, you see. Killing each other is messy business—best left to savages ♡”
”Without combat ability…”
The words made Klock and the others widen their eyes.
Kispe was one of the high-ranking officers of the Demon Lord’s Army. They had imagined a formidable opponent like Viola. Never had they expected her to claim she couldn’t fight.
Yet Kispe kept smiling, standing calmly. Suzette and Meina didn’t lower their guard, while the suddenly appeared Primlena kept her spear aimed at Kispe.
They hesitated. What should they do?
Kispe had said she lacked combat ability. Could it be true? If so, attacking might defeat her easily. But how would she respond afterward?
A brief, tense silence settled.
Then—a sound pierced the air, indescribable in its intensity: a massive explosion.
The ground shook. The shockwave forced everyone to lift their gaze to the sky.
”Eh? Eh? What’s that sound?!”
”—This is…”
Meina panicked, while Primlena and Kispe looked skyward. To the south, beyond the city, the sky bled red like molten fire. Giant flames threatened to engulf the world.
It was Cianie. There was no doubt.
She had likely come to intercept the approaching monster horde, but seeing no humans nearby, She’d unleashed overwhelming firepower.
The force. The scale.
It dwarfed any experience Klock had had chasing griffons. Even an entire city could be swallowed effortlessly by this display. The effort Klock had poured into defeating a single monster now seemed absurd.
A heatwave arrived, sweeping over Klock and the others.
”This is incredible. Even a monster horde seems unlikely to be delayed by this,” Kispe remarked coolly.
The hot wind raced through the city like a sudden gust. Even the approaching orange Merfolk showed a flicker of fear, and Suzette couldn’t hide her unease. The sheer scale of power seemed almost catastrophic—turning midnight into sunset-red, terrifying allies from afar. Perhaps the Hero was akin to a natural disaster.
Meina curled her tail and bristled like a cat on the brink of flight. Everyone else was shaken, yet Kispe remained unnervingly composed.
”It seems the tide has turned. For today, we shall withdraw peacefully. I suspect the current girlfriend is about to make an appearance,” she said with a soft chuckle, eyes gleaming as she looked at Klock.
Under the blood-red sky, in this scorching inferno, Kispe smiled as if entirely unaffected.
Klock frowned at her audacity. Boldness beyond measure. Strong opponents often act with confidence, but he now doubted her claimed lack of combat ability.
”Sir Klock, I imagine the nights without me must be lonely. You must worry if other women are bothering you in my absence, perhaps even seducing you. But fear not—we will reunite soon. Until then, do wait just a little ♡”
”Shut up. Just go home already.”
”Fufu. Sir Klock, you once said that the most thrilling act is to spank an impudent woman. That it excites you to… ‘teach’ women you barely know. You must be dying to show me, right? Naughty, selfish, truly sorry ♡ When we meet next, do let me learn all your intentions—I will accept them gladly ♡”
Exchanging words with her was pointless.
Yet he couldn’t resist responding. No matter what he said, she provoked him. Succubi were, it seemed, utterly irresistible adversaries to men.
”The invitation has already been sent. Rest assured, I will come to meet you soon. Please, don’t forget me even for a moment… ♡”
Then she was gone.
No—she vanished.
For a moment, Klock looked around in disbelief. She disappeared as suddenly as waking from a dream, leaving only a strange sense of loss, as if she had never existed at all.
”Hmph. For now, the immediate crisis seems avoided.”
A whoosh cut through the air. The spear spun and vanished. He didn’t know the technique, but a brief glimmer along her arm seemed to reveal the spear’s path.
”By the way, what about Viola—?”
”She’s gone. Her clone was made of blood. Once washed away by water, it cannot reform.”
The Vampire pierced by the spear, buried under rubble, could still bite with a blood-made head when defeated by Cianie before—but now, even that was prevented. The difference came from knowing her abilities. Viola’s playful skills, once known, could be countered easily.
* * *
”Is it true you’re siding with the Hero?”
”Yes. I’ve decided to support the Hero. My aid to you was coincidental, but consider it a gift for the Hero.”
She approached Klock, and Suzette stepped between them, wary. Primlena ignored her and held out something—a fine silk pouch, big enough to hold several pairs of shoes.
Ah. Now that was clear. A straightforward declaration of intent.
Klock opened it and raised an eyebrow. Inside were gold, silver, and vividly colored gemstones—blue, green, aquamarine—all polished and embedded in settings, mixed with coins.
”So, surrendering to the Hero and seeking his protection, as you mentioned earlier?” Suzette asked, observing the pile of treasure. She assumed Kispe’s intent to switch sides.
Betrayal seemed simple at first glance but was complicated. Following the strong was natural; resisting could mean death. Yet surrender alone aroused suspicion of espionage. Unless that suspicion was dispelled, elimination was only natural. To betray meant risking turning everyone into enemies.
Thus, surrender—or revealing disloyalty—required preparation: offering treasures or the princess, or turning on former allies were common approaches.
”I don’t seek the Hero’s aid exactly. Surrender isn’t wrong, but my goal differs slightly.”
”…What do you mean?”
Primlena took a deliberate step back. Narrowing her eyes, she fixed her gaze on Klock. A sense of dread tightened his chest.
”I’m here to propose marriage. I already share a bond with that man and have the right to demand responsibility. I didn’t want to make such a claim to someone already in love…but I can’t let what he did to me pass as a mere game.”
Primlena said it boldly, without hesitation. She believed herself right. A brief silence followed her declaration.
Slowly, Suzette and Meina turned back… and Klock stepped back, inch by inch.
”You’ve done what must be done. Marry. The High Priest said responsibility must be taken. I’m not pleased, but I’ll accept it. Considering we almost conceived a child before even knowing each other’s names, I expect you’ll gladly comply, yes?”
She pressed closer. Klock tried to flee, but Meina moved faster, circling him, and Suzette seized him with lightning speed.
In situations like this, allies ceased to be allies. Usually supportive Meina now glared at him.
When had this happened? Where? Why?
The house maid’s eyes glinted with absolute zero resolve. Physically and socially, Klock had no escape. And before he could recover…
”—Found you. Thank goodness, everyone’s safe—”
Gray hair flowed in the twilight.
Eyes of blue crystal shone, radiant even in the darkest shadows.
The world’s strongest lover had returned.
It was over.
Notes:
• Rushelora – A port where demons are allowed to stay at embassies under special circumstances. It is a location where humans and demons have trade relations.
• Primlena – Orange-haired merfolk priestess, fierce yet elegant | First v8c3 | Sister of Sea General Primjune, subordinate to Primrity | Once captured and violated by Klock, now obsessed with reclaiming honor | Commands Obsidian Riders on giant fish, fights with trident | Seeks to drag Klock to Seabed Temple for marriage trial or execution | Unique note: revenge-driven siren bride who masks fury under ritual grace
• Clea – younger dog beastkin sister who also serviced Klock previously.
• Primjune – She is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, appeared as a scaled and finned figure, known for executing the saint’s kidnapping plan.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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