Chapter 163: The Coastal City (2)

Aquaz spoke calmly, steering the conversation back to the purpose of their visit. "Perhaps you could explain the situation now, my lord?”"Ah, yes, of course," Lord Bulkan replied, hastily collecting his thoughts. He began with renewed thanks. "First, allow me to express my gratitude once again. Thank you sincerely for traveling such a great distance to offer us aid. I assure you, we will ensure you are appropriately rewarded for your efforts in the future." Regardless of the circumstances, these individuals had come to help him, and for that, they deserved his thanks. Wiping away another bead of sweat, the lord delved into the heart of the matter. "Near our city, within the sea, there existed a city of merfolk. Our two communities have maintained exchanges for generations, dating back a long time,” Lord Bulkan said. "Were there never any troubles between you?" Aquaz inquired. "Absolutely none!" the lord asserted emphatically. "Antagonizing the merfolk while living in a coastal city? Only a complete fool would do such a thing, and a fool like that could never survive by the sea." "Hm?" Ketal’s eyebrow twitched slightly. There was a peculiar undertone to the lord's words, a distinct implication that one absolutely must not displease the merfolk. His curiosity aroused, Ketal asked Lord Bulkan, "It sounds like you maintain a positive relationship with the merfolk, then. You don't try to enslave them or anything of that sort?" His question drew stunned expressions from everyone else present. "What could you possibly mean by that?" the lord exclaimed, his face aghast, as though Ketal had uttered something truly unthinkable. "Where on earth would you find a madman capable of such a thing?" "Is that so?" Ketal mused aloud. "I had heard instances of elves being captured as slaves, so I simply assumed merfolk might face a similar situation. Apparently, that's not the case." "O-of course not!" the lord sputtered. "Merfolk are entirely different from elves." .bg-container-63276437b6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Elves inhabited the land alongside humans, resulting in frequent contact due to overlapping territories. Humans, being the dominant power on land, have historically exploited this proximity. Drawn by the elves' renowned beauty and unchanging youth, humans have long captured and forced them into servitude. Elves found effective retaliation difficult; humans lived in fortified settlements protected by strong walls, making assaults challenging. Furthermore, any successful elven attack often provoked disproportionately harsh reprisals from humans. As forest dwellers, elves were also tragically vulnerable to humans simply burning down their entire woodland homes. Consequently, in the dynamic between humans and elves, the elves were generally in a position of disadvantage. This vulnerability extended not just to elves but also to other land-based races like dwarves, who inevitably suffered losses in their interactions with dominant human societies. After hearing this explanation, Ketal let out a low whistle. "Humans sound like quite a nasty race." "Well... from the perspective of those other races, one cannot deny such a claim," Aquaz admitted with a wry smile. She added that while enslaving other sentient races was officially prohibited in the present day, the practice persisted covertly, particularly concerning elves, rendering the ban little more than a facade. Humans had certainly given elves and dwarves ample cause for resentment over the years. However, merfolk were a different matter entirely. Although possessing a beauty comparable to elves, their piscine lower bodies generally made them less desirable as conventional slaves. Their deep-sea habitat also made capture exceedingly difficult. Most crucially, merfolk were masters of the sea, a domain humans did not control, unlike the land they dominated. If the merfolk were ever provoked into widespread hostility and began attacking human ships, humanity would be utterly defenseless against them in their aquatic realm. A historical incident vividly illustrated this power balance. In the past, a human Transcendent had become infatuated with the merfolk. He began capturing them, confining them to a small aquarium merely for his viewing pleasure. The merfolk endured this initially, but his transgressions escalated until he dared to capture even their princess. At that point, the merfolk declared hostility towards all humankind. From that moment onward, human seafaring ceased entirely. Any vessel that ventured into the ocean was promptly attacked and sunk by the vengeful merfolk. The sea, historically a vital route for trade and transport, became completely inaccessible, throwing human societies into turmoil. Humans attempted to strike back, but retaliating against the merfolk in their deep-sea sanctuaries proved almost impossible. The conflict reached such an impasse that it was only resolved when the humans were forced to sacrifice the offending Transcendent individual to the merfolk as appeasement. "Oho." Ketal's eyes gleamed with interest. He grasped the significance immediately: sacrificing a Transcendent—an incredibly rare and valuable asset—demonstrated just how powerless humans had been against the merfolk within their own domain. "Since then," the lord continued, "a treaty was established between our peoples. We have coexisted without major incident for a long time." According to their agreement, humans received assistance from the merfolk in matters of fishing and navigating the seas, while the merfolk obtained goods from the surface world that were difficult or impossible to produce underwater. While the relationship was technically one of equals, humans generally tended to defer slightly to the merfolk. "I see," Ketal said, smiling faintly. He had learned another valuable piece of this fantasy world's common knowledge. I’ll need to add this to my notebook, he resolved mentally. The lord, observing Ketal's reaction with some lingering unease, forcibly brought his attention back to the present crisis. "Anyway... as I said, we lived alongside them without major issues until about a month ago. That is when the problems began." All communication and trade with the merfolk's city abruptly ceased. Around the same time, ships that sailed out from their port began disappearing, none ever returning. Initially, they were baffled, even suspecting that the merfolk themselves had suddenly turned hostile for some unknown reason. They lost several more vessels in attempts to investigate before finally discerning the horrifying truth from the fragmented testimony of a single, traumatized survivor. Those primates thriving in the lightless depths had appeared. They had seized control of the waters near the city. "Are you certain of this?" Aquaz asked the lord gravely. "We are almost certain," the lord replied grimly. "The sole survivor stated as much before... before his mind broke completely. He's been a hollow shell ever since." Lord Bulkan spoke the last words with a tone of bitterness. "Furthermore, upon consulting maps, we realized the location of that particular Demon Realm is not far from our shores." The lord admitted he hadn't paid it much mind before, as beings from the abyssal realms typically remained within their own borders and weren't considered a direct threat. "But now," he concluded heavily, "it seems those things have begun to emerge, showing themselves upon the continent." From Lord Bulkan’s perspective, this entire situation felt like a disaster striking from a clear blue sky. Baker, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke, his voice barely audible. "Have they come here?" "Excuse me?" the lord asked him, leaning forward slightly. Baker forced the words out, a little louder this time. "H-have they come here, to the estate?" "Ah, no. We have not sighted the entities within the estate itself," the lord confirmed. "They seem to have established themselves primarily around the City of Merfolk." .bg-ssp-10081{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} "Hmm... That is strange," Aquaz mused aloud. "If beings from the Demon Realm were truly unleashed, one would expect them to roam the entirety of the sea." Yet, the available information indicated they were remaining concentrated near the underwater city. Since no problems had been reported from other coastal areas, that assumption seemed likely correct. Aquaz furrowed her brow slightly. "While that is fortunate in one sense... it also signifies a dangerous situation." The fact that these abyssal, alien primates were not spreading across the continent via the sea was certainly a relief. Simultaneously, however, their decision to remain localized suggested they possessed intelligence and purpose, distinguishing them from mindless beasts, which potentially made them a far greater threat. "We lack sufficient information at this point," she concluded. The motives of these primates, their reasons for staying near the City of Merfolk, and indeed the fate of the merfolk themselves—all remained unknown. Aquaz nodded decisively. "Very well. We will help you." "Th-thank you! Thank you!" The lord was overcome with relief and gratitude, bowing deeply. Aquaz shook her head gently. "It is only natural to aid those in peril. Please think nothing of it." Lord Bulkan was so moved that tears began to well up in his eyes. Aquaz then addressed the practicalities. "In that case, will we be able to secure a vessel?" To ascertain the truth of the situation, they would inevitably need to travel out onto the sea. Ketal’s face lit up with excitement. "Ooh. A ship, a ship!" A voyage across the vast ocean! Exploring a fantasy sea! he exclaimed inwardly.His chest swelled with anticipation. "Ah..." The lord’s expression turned awkward. He began sweating profusely again as he explained apologetically, "Well... I regret to say that securing a suitable ship immediately will be difficult. Primarily, we have almost no seaworthy vessels remaining." He elaborated that in the initial confusion, numerous ships were sent out to investigate, none of which ever returned. His estate was not particularly large or wealthy; constructing large ships was extremely expensive and time-consuming. Building even a single cargo vessel placed a significant strain on the estate’s finances. Losing so many ships in quick succession had been a devastating blow. "Then perhaps even a small boat..." Aquaz began, but the lord interrupted. "Reaching the City of Merfolk requires sailing for several days at minimum. Furthermore, the nearby seas can be quite rough, making a properly outfitted ship necessary for safety. While we do possess a few smaller boats... if anything were to happen to those as well..." His voice trailed off. They were approaching their limit; losing even one more vessel would be a crippling blow the estate could scarcely afford. "And," Lord Bulkan added heavily, "finding a crew is also proving extremely difficult." "I see." Aquaz understood immediately. Sailing required skilled personnel – a helmsman, a navigator, and experienced sailors. Convincing anyone to sign on for what amounted to a suicide mission into monster-infested waters was nearly impossible. Even with Transcendents like herself and Baker providing protection, if the ship itself were destroyed or sunk, ordinary sailors would inevitably drown, regardless of their protectors' survival. Securing a willing and capable crew presented a major hurdle in itself. Aquaz sighed softly in frustration. "This is more troublesome than I thought." "W-we have, however, requested assistance from the kingdom," the lord offered hopefully. "We expect to receive support in the form of ships or supplies eventually. Although, it will likely take some time." The unspoken irony, of course, was that Aquaz's very presence suggested the kingdom was not prioritizing immediate, substantial aid. How long they might have to wait remained uncertain. As Aquaz contemplated the potential delay, Ketal spoke up in a calm, reasonable tone. "It cannot be helped, can it? Naturally, we could compel you to provide a ship and crew by force, but doing so would severely disrupt the lives of the people here." "That... is true," Aquaz conceded. "For the moment," Ketal continued thoughtfully, "it appears the primates are contained and not spreading further into the sea. While we don't know what might happen next, this situation at least affords us some time to observe." He proposed a course of action. "It seems most sensible to remain here in the estate for now, monitor developments, and gather whatever information we can. Alternatively, we could attempt to recruit personnel ourselves. There appears to be no immediate need for hasty action." Besides, Ketal added mentally, I’d quite like to look around the city. Having finally reached a coastal city, he was eager to explore, see how the locals lived, and perhaps sample some unique fantasy seafood. Although driven partly by personal curiosity, his suggestion was entirely logical. The lord stared at him, his eyes wide like a rabbit's. He was stunned by the barbarian's rational suggestion. "That is sound reasoning," Aquaz agreed, nodding. She made her decision. "Very well. For the time being, we shall stay within your estate, assess the situation further, and gather intelligence. Is this acceptable, Lord Bulkan?" "Of course! Absolutely!" Relief washed over the lord’s face, visibly brightening his expression now that an immediate crisis seemed averted. "Please, stay as long as you require! We shall arrange comfortable accommodations for you within the castle immediately!" His tone was significantly more cheerful than before. As a servant girl arrived to guide them to their rooms, Ketal paused as if suddenly recalling something and turned back to the lord. "Ah. There is one final thing I am curious about, if I may ask?" "Wh-what is it?" the lord asked him, tensing slightly once more. "The primates have occupied the sea, making the proper movement of goods difficult. Is that summary accurate?" Ketal inquired. "Ah, yes. That is correct. It is an extremely challenging situation," the lord confirmed with a sigh. He reiterated that as a coastal estate, most of their trade relied on sea routes, making the current blockade a source of considerable anxiety. "And this situation has persisted for a month now," Ketal pressed lightly. "Yes," the lord affirmed wearily. "We pray daily for a resolution." "Hmm," Ketal mused, stroking his chin. "That seems rather strange." "S-strange?" the lord stammered, looking confused. Ketal stared directly at the flustered Lord, a distinct look of amusement playing on his features. "Yes," Ketal said slowly. "Because, for an estate supposedly suffering under such dire conditions for a full month... everything seemed remarkably normal when we arrived. Prosperous, even."