Editing Godhorn Tech:Volume2 Chapter5 (section)

===Meanwhile at Horn Fortress 4===

“That’s a mermaid!!”

“Mermaid flesh makes you immortal! Find her!!”

Charlotte Nightlagoon was on the run.

It was a small island and she had given herself human legs, so there were not many hiding spots for her. She needed to slip aboard a ship and leave the island before the islanders could organize a more thorough search.

“Pant, pant, goddammit. In what world do people surround you in order to eat you?”

She was crouched down and hiding behind a relatively thick portion of the island’s tropical forest.

That was when she heard a small child sobbing.

She clicked her tongue and frowned below her decorative eyepatch.

“Father,” cried the child.

She peered out from the thicket to see a brown boy who only came up to her hips rubbing his eyes and trudging along.

He looked like he had wandered around in search of the mermaid flesh until he was sick and tired of it.

“No, please don’t die, fatherrrr!!”

(God, really!?)

Eating mermaid flesh did not actually make you immortal. If it did, the mermaids would have stooped to cannibalism long before humans got into the mix. And Charlotte was not a selfless saint who was willing to offer up her own body over some silly superstition.

She wanted to run away.

She wanted to leave this island.

But.

“What choice do I have!?”



It was the middle of the night and Charlotte knew good and well she shouldn’t be doing this, but she snuck over anyway. This was the middle of the village, the most dangerous area for her.

She approached the building known as the House of the King and Spirits.

It was a king’s residence, yet it lacked walls. The king’s lifestyle was kept open to the people, tearing down any division between him and those people. That political system relied on the goodness of the people, which just felt dangerous to Charlotte, who was from the privileged class among mermaids. It did make her fond of the king, however.

Right now, a screen was placed around the bedroom area.

The islanders considered diseases to be unclean and used the screen to keep them from escaping. They were a strange group since humans knew nothing of microbes, despite using them to make delicious wines and cheeses, but she could tell they had woven the screen from the stems of plants they had learned through experience were excellent at disinfecting disease.

Charlotte spoke through the screen.

“You’ve gotten old.”

“…Is that you?”

“You really have gotten old if you can’t defeat such a minor disease.”

She heard a quiet breath of laughter.

He must not have been able to get up.

“I apologize on behalf of my people. Our silly superstitions have caused nothing but trouble for you here.”

“They’re only so desperate for the supposed immortality my flesh brings because they want to save you, right? They’re a good people. I can see how much they care for each other.”

“In my generation, anyway.”

“You think the next will be different?”

“Can I ask something of you?”

“I’ve had my fill of trouble, so-”

“Stay with my son, Kananka. He is still young and I am sure there will be trouble as his coronation approaches.”

“God, really!? You can’t just tell me what it is before I have a chance to refuse!!”

“Ha ha. I knew you would say that, so I made sure to get it out first.”

Another laugh was followed by a coughing fit.

The coughing was terribly wet, like fluid was building deep in his chest.

“I am not asking you to watch over him until he is an adult.”

“Yeah, the next king is gonna be super vulnerable. He might even be killed before he can grow up.”

“This is my son’s and my kingdom’s responsibility. I cannot keep you here long term. A king must know what his own destruction would mean and maintain the proper tension throughout his life. He must know how to protect himself. At the same time, he must be prepared to let the crown pass to the next generation sooner rather than later.”

“…”

“So my son must handle his official duties himself, but I want you to protect him outside of that. If he wants to leave the island and have some fun, go with him. I am not asking for an absolute oath or anything. Just remember your promise from time to time and stop by when it is convenient.”

“Hmph,” snorted Charlotte, a hand on her hip. “You ''have'' gotten old. Leaving me behind like this is bad enough, but you’re also forcing a young child onto the throne before he’s even learned how to make friends.”

“Shameful, I know.”

“But I know how serious you are about this. I guess that’s worth a favor or two.”

The bedridden king made one last request.

He could barely get out of bed anymore and his death was unavoidable at this point, but he had been waiting so very long for this one thing.

“Then how about just one more before I die?”

“Fine. One last song.”

A mermaid’s song could affect people’s mind.

So of course it could numb the pain in someone’s final moments.



“So you see, it’s really a touching story!! Ha ha!!”

“Ehhh!? We had a ton of newcomers this time, so why do you get all the focus!!!???”