The Half-Human King was not particularly interested in the rumors spreading about his son as much as he cared about the more important news… news related to alliances and strange movements within the other kingdoms.
So he glanced lightly at his son with a look that seemed like an indirect order to remain silent before turning his attention toward the messengers and asking curiously:
"How was your journey?"
Then he added as he straightened himself upon the throne:
"And are the mermaids still the same as before?"
One of the messengers sighed softly before answering:
"We succeeded in renewing the alliance with them, my lord."
But he paused briefly before continuing in a hesitant tone:
"However… if you are asking whether the mermaids are truly weak… then that is something I cannot determine."
The king immediately frowned, while surprise was also clear upon the prince's face.
Then the prince mockingly said:
"What do you mean?"
And he continued with obvious disdain:
"Aren't those rotten fish merely a people who know nothing except catching and raising fish?"
One of the messengers lowered his head slightly before looking toward the prince with some respect, as he had heard the conversation that had taken place earlier inside the hall.
Then he calmly said:
"No, Your Highness… it is not simply that they have grown stronger."
The hall fell silent as the man continued seriously:
"We felt that they were hiding something significant."
The king narrowed his eyes while the messenger continued:
"There were strange movements inside the palace from the moment we arrived."
Then he slowly added:
"And even when we departed."
Silence filled the hall for several moments before the messenger continued:
"And even stranger than that… the King of the Mermaids agreed to the alliance extremely quickly, without any real discussion."
Then he looked directly at the king and said:
"It was as though he did not want us remaining inside the palace for very long."
He lowered his voice slightly before adding:
"As if he were hiding something."
The king and his son exchanged glances for a brief moment.
Then the Half-Human King looked toward his son and asked:
"What do you think?"
He gestured lightly with his hand before continuing:
"Do you believe those fish are truly hiding something important… or are they simply uninterested in politics and wished to end the meeting quickly?"
The prince thought for several moments.
Honestly, the mermaids' behavior truly was strange.
But in the end…
he did not care very much.
Even if they were hiding something, he believed strength alone was enough to uncover any secret.
So he looked toward his father with a cold smile and said:
"I do not care about anything right now… except avenging my aunt."
Then his smile widened slightly as he continued:
"And afterward… I will take my revenge on you."
The king sighed in annoyance and waved his hand dismissively.
"Then leave."
Then he added sarcastically:
"I am currently in an important meeting, and I see no reason for someone planning to harm me to remain here."
The prince was irritated by his father's words. He looked at him coldly and replied:
"Then force me to leave."
Tension filled the hall for a moment as the messengers and guards looked at the two with obvious fear.
Any conflict between those two monsters could turn into a true disaster.
But far away from all of that…
deep within the Mermaid Kingdom…
the Mermaid King sat inside his palace decorated with coral and glowing sea stones while thinking with intense concern.
Clear irritation appeared on his face as he thought to himself:
"We made a mistake."
He sighed angrily while tightening his fingers over the coral throne.
"We acted far too hastily with the Half-Human messengers."
Then he closed his eyes slightly and continued thinking:
"And agreeing to the alliance so quickly… was suspicious."
His irritation increased as he remembered the timing of the messengers' arrival.
The kingdom had already been preparing to send its first special squad to retrieve an artifact from the island.
The plan had been proceeding in complete secrecy after long discussions and careful preparations.
But the arrival of the Half-Human messengers at that exact sensitive moment…
had nearly ruined everything.
The Mermaid King frowned as he thought:
"How could their timing possibly be this terrible?"
He began feeling genuine concern that the Half-Humans might grow suspicious of the matter.
He continued thinking for a long time about a way to eliminate those suspicions…
But before he could reach a real solution, the doors of the royal hall suddenly opened.
One of the guards entered quickly, obvious happiness visible on his face.
Then he bowed respectfully and said:
"My lord!"
The king raised his head toward him while the guard excitedly continued:
"The squad accompanying the princess is prepared to depart."
Then he smiled proudly as he added:
"And the sea beasts await your orders."
The king quickly snapped out of his thoughts, then suddenly rose from his throne while laughing loudly, as though he had completely forgotten all the worries weighing upon his mind only moments earlier.
Then he said with obvious excitement:
"Yes! We should go and congratulate them!"
The moment he finished speaking, he quickly moved out of the royal hall toward the place where his daughter waited alongside her special squad.
Their gathering point was near the borders of the kingdom, close to the gigantic magical barrier separating the underwater city from the violent waters of the open ocean.
The king smiled as he approached the barrier before crossing through it without hesitation.
And the instant he entered the open ocean…
everything around him changed.
He began swimming calmly through the deep waters, completely unconcerned with the immense pressure of the ocean or the darkness spreading throughout the depths.
On the contrary…
he appeared even more comfortable.
Like all mermaids, he could breathe and fight within the water far better than on land.
To them, the ocean was more than simply a homeland.
It was a living weapon.
A weapon that would never betray them.
The king swam through the dark blue waters for some time until he finally reached his destination.
And when he saw them…
a powerful laugh burst from deep within his heart.
His daughter stood in the center of her carefully selected squad composed of the kingdom's elite warriors.
She wore full white armor shining beneath the light of the depths while holding an enormous white spear nearly as long as her body.
And behind her…
gigantic sea beasts lowered their heads in obedience and respect.
On the other side stood the guards she had personally selected, each carrying clear expressions of confidence and pride.
The king paused briefly as he observed the scene.
And he felt something strange stirring within his heart.
Pride.
Excitement.
And a sudden desire to test them.
Then he smiled broadly and thought to himself:
"Let us give these children a small lesson."
And in the very next moment…
he vanished from his position.
He shot through the water at tremendous speed while the ocean's energy gathered within his hand in the form of a small, violently spinning water cyclone.
Within seconds, he stood directly before the squad.
The princess immediately sensed her father's presence, and her eyes widened with happiness upon seeing him approach.
But that happiness transformed into shock the moment she felt the battle intent radiating from him.
She quickly shouted:
"Father?!"
Then she immediately raised her spear into a combat stance.
At that same instant, the king appeared fully before them while an excited and savage smile spread across his face.
Then he laughed and declared:
"Here is my gift to you!"
Even though they were deep within the ocean, everyone heard his voice clearly, for they were, after all, children of the sea.
And the moment the king finished speaking…
he launched the small cyclone in his hand toward the group.
But before anyone could question or respond…
the cyclone suddenly expanded monstrously.
It transformed from a small vortex into a colossal aquatic catastrophe that swept across the entire area before violently hurling the squad away.
The princess screamed while spinning through the insane water currents:
"You stupid old man!"
Then she angrily continued while trying to regain control of herself:
"Are you trying to kill us?!"
The king laughed loudly as he watched his daughter, the selected squad, and the gigantic sea beasts disappear deep into the ocean because of his violent cyclone.
But he was not worried about them.
He knew perfectly well that they would not die from such an attack.
However…
they would understand the message.
If they failed in their upcoming mission…
then something far more dangerous than that cyclone would await them.
(Author's Note):
Hello everyone! Thank you for your continuous support of this novel; your comments and interactions mean the world to me.
Stepping away from our story here for a moment, I wanted to share another project I've been working on with great passion. I have started publishing a webtoon (comic) on the Webtoon platform titled "Me and the Wolf."
It is a [Comedy / Fantasy] story about a miserable young man and a cunning wolf who is constantly getting him into trouble! If you enjoy my writing style and the way I build scenarios, I promise you're going to love this comic.
I would be so grateful if you could go check it out, subscribe to the series, and let me know what you think in the comments there!
🔍 Search on the Webtoon app for: [Me and the Wolf]