WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Romance Fantasy’s Pushover Crown Prince Is No More ◈
Chapter 97: Mermaid (9)
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A wave was coming.
A wave that should not exist was coming.
Nerissa Levi Deepheart realized it too late.
Had she lived on land for too long?
She could not even properly sense the signs of a wave created by the Merfolk.
“The wave... the wave...!”
She had to warn someone at once.
The waves created by the Merfolk were on a completely different level from ordinary waves.
They were living natural disasters, imbued with the will to grind apart everything they touched.
She had to stop it.
She had to act.
Her desire to see the Empire destroyed had not changed.
Only then could she destroy the Kingdom of Corallia with her own hands.
Yet when the Empire truly stood on the brink of destruction, her thoughts changed.
Nerissa realized how foolish she had been.
She had wished for a place where other living beings made their homes to be destroyed simply because she wanted the Kingdom of Corallia to fall.
‘Then... I’m no different from those Nereus bastards.’
On top of that, the Imperial Crown Prince had not treated her as a weapon of war.
He respected her, and he had even shown that he was trying to resolve the Covenant.
‘What can I do? How can I...?’
She should have secured some way to contact him immediately in case something like this happened.
“First... calm down. I need to quickly do what I can.”
Even in her panic, Nerissa quietly spoke to herself and sorted through the situation.
After all, the one most capable of countering a wave created by the Merfolk was another Merfolk.
Nerissa Levi Deepheart first contacted her family.
It was a method of communication she normally hated using, but given the situation, she had no choice.
“Phew... Calm down. Stay calm. I’ve done this before...”
She touched the Leviathan within her body.
Very carefully, she drew out Leviathan’s power.
She did not need to do much.
She only had to mark the coordinates and ask for help.
“Ah, aaah...!”
Agonizing pain surged through her, enough to shatter her molars, but she endured it.
Her stomach twisted, every muscle in her body cramped, and she began to tremble as if convulsing, but she had to bear it.
She could not lose consciousness.
‘I have to save the Empire.’
She could not let others go through what she had endured.
The fate of losing one’s home, abandoning everything, and fleeing was the worst possible fate.
‘The Great Prophet had said the Empire could solve everything. That someday, it would create a life free from the suffering caused by Leviathan. That it would let the Merfolk who inherited Deepheart blood dream of happiness.’
The Empire had certainly promised that.
So the Empire must never fall.
‘My thinking was... far too immature.’
Reproaching herself for waiting for the Empire’s destruction all this time, Nerissa asked her family for help.
At the same time, she maintained Leviathan’s power and came up with a way to subdue the wave.
She had not used it for a long time, but she had kept it sealed within her body.
Instinctively, she knew how to handle it.
‘Just a little more... I just have to endure a little longer.’
It would have been easier if she could see the wave right in front of her.
Trying to interfere with the sea beyond the continent while standing within the continent came with a severe penalty.
Crack.
Pain like her bones were twisting.
Just as she gritted her teeth and tried to draw out Leviathan’s power in earnest while barely holding on to consciousness...
“Hmph! I knew you were a good little fishy!”
Arveda appeared before her.
+++++
The wave vanished.
The third and final wave produced by the Prophecy Book, which contained only events certain to happen.
♪♩♬
It vanished absurdly quickly beneath the Merfolk’s song.
A wave large enough to swallow the continent disappeared like bursting foam.
The Merfolk’s song, which calmed the wave’s rage, had a different character from the Dragon Legion’s song.
‘If Dragons and Merfolk can sing like that... can humans sing that way too?’
Their combined song was so powerful that the thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Leaving that admiration behind, I naturally turned my gaze toward the Deepheart family, who were observing Imperial etiquette.
“The Empire isn’t so oppressive that it demands human etiquette from other races.”
“...How could we be disrespectful when meeting the ruler who fulfilled our wish?”
Unlike Nerissa Levi Deepheart, the Merman I presumed to be Corallia’s former king spoke without hesitation.
“My introduction is late. I am Morven Deepheart. Though lacking, I lead the Deepheart family.”
From his gaze to his way of speaking, every part of him carried dignity.
“So Levi must be a name passed down only to the one who inherits Leviathan.”
“That is correct. My daughter now... inherits Leviathan.”
After using some light conversation to ease the mood, I went straight to the main point once the atmosphere settled.
“The Kingdom of Corallia has fallen. Apart from you, no Merfolk remain here.”
“We know.”
“Will you establish a new kingdom and come under the Empire?”
“Of course.”
The conversation ended quickly.
There was no reason to drag it out.
It had been decided the moment the Kingdom of Corallia disappeared.
The important question was whether the Deepheart family would establish a kingdom and come under the Empire.
‘They’re accepting it faster than I expected.’
Morven Deepheart answered as though it were only natural.
For a moment, I wondered if this was also preparation for some typical Merfolk betrayal.
“I, I’ll still remain in the Empire. Until my role as an Executioner comes to an end...”
But Nerissa Levi Deepheart actively expressed her wish to help the Empire, and my suspicion vanished completely.
‘Though she has to stay even after the Executioners’ Covenant is resolved.’
I did not say that aloud. There was no need to ruin the mood by bringing it up.
Anyway.
[ You have resolved the Merfolk Covenant. ]
[ You have gained the recognition of the Merfolk. ]
[ Since the Empire is currently destined to become the Demon Realm, its chance of destruction will not decrease. ]
[ However, if you prevent Demon Realm transformation, its chance of destruction will become 10%. ]
[ Fate changes. ]
[ The worldline changes. ]
[ Four of the five Covenants have been resolved. ]
[ You have taken one step closer to the Great Empire. ]
[ You are awarded 5 points that can be used on the Empire Development Tech Tree. ]
[ You obtain ‘Sea’s Imprint’ as a reward. ]
With that, the Merfolk Covenant had been cleanly resolved. Now, only Gilbat’s Covenant remained.
‘Do I just need to find the book the Dwarf lost...?’
Still, even this would not lower the chance from 100 percent if I could not stop Demon Realm transformation.
I could not even imagine how strong the desire to destroy the Empire was.
“Nerissa Levi Deepheart, you will need time to rebuild the Merfolk kingdom, so stay with your family for the time being.”
This was one matter, and rebuilding the Merfolk kingdom was another.
For now, I gave Nerissa Levi Deepheart the chance to stay with her family.
Based on what I learned through the Imperial Crown Prince’s memories, she seemed to have lived apart from her family from the moment she barely reached adulthood by Merfolk standards.
She clearly needed time with them.
“B-but we are... a race that betrayed you.”
“Theo will make sure that doesn’t happen again, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Hehe, I, Theo, Your Highness’s Staff No. 1!!! I will do my best again to always repay Your Highness’s trust.”
“I trust you.”
“Y-Your Highness says that you trust even me...!!! It is an honor!!”
Honestly, there were many things I wanted to discuss with Nerissa.
Still, being with her family and rebuilding her kingdom seemed more important for now.
Stroke, stroke.
As I stroked Arveda’s hair and felt her tail curl around my wrist...
“Hehe, I brought them all!”
“Well done. I’d like to grant you a wish as a reward.”
Slowly closing my eyes, I pictured the Empire Tech Tree in my mind.
Flash!
Various Empire Tech Trees asserted their presence as though begging me to select them.
But from the moment I received the five points, I had already decided where to spend them.
Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.
Without a moment of hesitation, I invested all five points into Magitech.
And as a result...
[ You have completed all foundational Magitech techs. ]
[ The people of the Empire regard basic Magitech knowledge as common sense. ]
[ Magitech has now become a common topic of conversation in the Empire. ]
[ There is a slight chance that a Magitech genius will appear in the Empire. ]
I was able to neatly complete the foundational Magitech techs.
‘Good.’
Just as I was feeling satisfied...
[ Since all foundational Magitech has been developed, the chance of knights with special dispositions appearing increases. ]
[ Knights with special dispositions are more likely to use Magitech Cannons as their primary weapons instead of swords. ]
“...?”
An incomprehensible System message suddenly appeared and made its presence known.
They would use Magitech Cannons as their primary weapons? What did that mean?
So you’re saying knights who use cannons as weapons and fire cannonballs infused with Aura are going to appear in the Empire?
“...”
What on earth is this Great Empire that it produces knights like that?
Footnotes:
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