Chapter 86
Mermaids are by no means a weak race.
They made absolutely no preparations for what was written in the prophecy, as they were not dangerous.
Through the leisure gained from that, they continuously developed their country, so while they couldn’t compare to the Empire, they possessed enough power to annihilate a single country.
Not only that, but a hidden secret weapon existed in the Mermaid Kingdom, Coralia.
The monster that would swallow the sea, leviathan.
An entity whose entire body was covered in scales like shields or armor, that commanded the waves and turned the sea into a disaster, existed.
The Coralia Kingdom had sealed this monster for a long time, and had decided to release the seal only when the Kingdom faced a desperate crisis.
A power that could turn the entire sea into death itself.
Normally, they would have continued to carefully seal and manage this power.
“…But if we have the prophecy anyway, we don’t need to always be prepared, do we?”
“Looking through it, there aren’t any major dangers mentioned in the prophecy book, so do we really have to keep managing leviathan?”
“It’s annoying.”
Knowing there were no major dangers thanks to the prophecy book, the Mermaids gradually came to consider leviathan a nuisance.
Its management was incredibly demanding, yet there was nowhere to actually use it.
The Mermaids naturally treated leviathan like a ticking time bomb situated within the Kingdom.
At this time, the first and last usurpation occurred in the Coralia Kingdom.
A usurpation by collateral forces: the factions that concluded there was no need to put heart and soul into managing leviathan rose up.
The result of that was the current Coralia Kingdom.
The downfall of the family that had managed leviathan for generations occurred.
However, even so, they couldn’t just completely neglect leviathan.
Just as the Mermaids were agonizing over how to handle this.
“Are you saying the Great Prophet appeared then?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
The Great Prophet appeared and formed a covenant with leviathan’s clan.
From the Coralia Kingdom’s perspective, since leviathan, which was like a thorn in their side, was being passed over to the Empire, they welcomed it with open arms.
This was also the reason they knew nothing about the covenant.
They were taking away a clan that had already been given the cold shoulder, so what need was there to care?
It couldn’t be helped, especially for the Thalassa Family.
There was no way they would be pleased with the usurped side remaining within the Kingdom.
Thus, the Deepheart Family left for the Empire as if they were being chased out.
“But why did you think to drive them out? Shouldn’t you have treated them well and kept leviathan nearby instead?”
“Too many years have passed since we last used leviathan’s power. We didn’t even know when we would use it…”
“So you drove out the clan that had leviathan sealed in their bodies to the Empire?”
“…That is correct.”
At Thalassa’s words, I was so dumbfounded that a hollow laugh escaped me.
I was sure I had seen a comic with a situation similar to this.
“To mistreat the entity they should have treated as the most important, just because management was annoying.”
And a usurpation just by trusting a single prophecy book?
It was unbelievable that everyone except the Deepheart Family had accepted that.
'But in the end, they really don’t know about the true covenant.'
As the story unfolded, it was no different from the entire Kingdom ostracizing the family.
In such a situation, there was no way the Deepheart Family would have confessed the story about the covenant to the other Mermaids.
“Did you not think that the Nerissa you drove out would take revenge on you later? When she harbors such a dangerous monster inside her body, why didn’t you treat her well?”
“…Because it wasn’t particularly written in the prophecy book, we did so.”
“Ah, I see.”
As soon as I saw Your Excellency’s face, which showed he hadn’t thought deeply up to that point, I quickly came to a conclusion.
'There’s nothing to gain from talking further.'
I could find any number of things that would help the national interest by bringing the Mermaid Kingdom under my control.
But it seemed difficult to get any help related to the covenant.
Just seeing that they had brought the situation to this point by trusting a single prophecy book said it all.
“Then where did you drive the Deepheart Family out to? You couldn’t have driven all of them out, could you?”
So when I asked for the Deepheart Family’s location,
“They are… in the Western Sea.”
The answer came back that they were in the Western Region, where the Maselin Kingdom was located.
I was so used to this level of coincidence now that I wasn’t even surprised.
Should I say it felt natural instead?
'In the end, I’ll have to talk with Nerissa again.'
My business in the Mermaid Kingdom ended here.
“We return.”
While preparing to return to the Empire’s side, I checked the “Empire destruction probability 100%” displayed on the status window.
“The chance of annihilation used to drastically decrease and drastically increase, but a sudden 100% is a bit harsh.”
In the past, I thought the system attached to me also had some sort of authority like Mirne’s System.
Seeing the chance of annihilation hit 100% so abruptly like this made me think, “Is that not the case?”
So, it was a system, but should I call it something imitating a system?
Even in the past, when I learned of the possibility that the Empire would become the Land of Demons and moved the World Tree.
At that time, the status window didn’t even show the slightest movement.
'No matter how different guessing is from perceiving what will happen in the future through the Crown Prince’s memory.'
I could see a clumsy loophole.
It certainly provided various conveniences like a system, but the
The chance of annihilation suddenly soaring to 100% was an element that provided various things to think about.
“Did the Crown Prince encounter the system during the regression process? Why did the Crown Prince, who did his best in everything during those regressions, lay everything down and act like a pushover in this regression?”
Amidst these complicated thoughts.
- Right, this regression is ruined too.
- But the fact that I haven’t regressed yet… does that mean there’s a chance?
Out of nowhere, the Crown Prince’s memory rose to the surface.
Under the sky of the Empire that had ultimately failed to keep the covenant and fallen to ruin,
Demonic energy poured down like rain over the uninhabitable land.
At some point, the darkness visible beneath the Veiled Sun.
That darkness opened like a door, and countless members of the Demon Race poured out from within.
A one-sided invasion, a final period coming down on the perishing Empire.
Watching this, the Crown Prince was smiling.
- Come to think of it, that’s right.
- I am the Empire, so if I do not die, wouldn’t the Empire also fall to ruin?
The Crown Prince drew his sword.
The sword he still held in his hand was the Second God-Slaying Sword.
- I alone shall annihilate the Demon Race.
With that line, the Crown Prince’s memory cut off.
[ You have burned the prophecy book that manipulated the Mermaid Kingdom, Coralia, from behind. ]
[ Now, the Coralia Kingdom will regain its former appearance. ]
[ The crown of the past must ascend to the present throne once again. ]
A belated system message appeared in commemoration of burning the prophecy book.
“So in the end, it means I have to set the Deepheart Family up as kings again.”
But this wasn’t a big problem.
Because it was a problem that could be solved right now through peaceful conversation by just floating a single White Night above the Mermaid Kingdom.
'It’ll be perfect if I go back, check on Pavan’s condition, and talk with Nerissa.'
With that thought, I checked the Empire Status Window for the first time in a while.
[ Empire Status Window ]
It displays the current status of the Empire.
Administration: Supreme national Treasury: Wealthy (↑)
Military Power: Strong (↑)
Diplomacy: the Worst (↑)
Corruption: ???? ( - )
If you wish to know the details, a detailed explanation will appear when you enter the keyword.
The status window had become incredibly clean unlike before.
The Eastern Region, the Northern Region, the Magic Tower, and whatever else were listed.
Perhaps they had stabilized a lot, as they were no longer displayed separately.
It had changed so that detailed information would only appear if I checked it.
'I just checked it lightly, thinking there naturally wouldn’t be any unusual matters.'
Even without looking at the status window, I understood the Empire’s situation overall.
I had checked it with a light heart, but an unexpected display entered my vision.
“Why is Corruption replaced with four question marks?”
An ambiguous punctuation mark that didn’t clearly indicate whether it was good or bad.
I couldn’t figure out what on earth this meant.
“Do I have to go back to the Empire and overturn things once again?”
What kind of situation was this?
Wasn’t everyone working with good intentions?
It was unbelievable that the Corruption level had become strange despite a bloodbath having already occurred once.
At that moment, I harbored that doubt.
[ The hidden Male Lead “Ruler of the Underground” appears. ]
[ He has seized most of the underground across the entire continent, and boasts immense influence. ]
[ Due to the influence of the “Ruler of the Underground”, the Empire’s Corruption level fluctuates. ]
[ He wishes to create and claim the darkness of the largest country. ]
system messages poured out urgently.
It couldn’t be, but the speed of the messages felt as if they contained emotion.
'Hah.'
Looking at the situation, it seemed like something that happened while Mirne was progressing through the story.
Naturally, since Mirne was the protagonist of the current world, she would grow and meet new figures.
“You actually used your head.”
Did they give up on pressuring the Empire directly, and plan to interfere with the Empire through hidden elements instead?
If this happened, the Empire’s public order would inevitably be thrown into chaos through the combination of the underground and the Black wizard.
The Corruption meant in the status window wasn’t the corruption of the officials, but a crisis where the Empire would truly rot from the inside.
“It’s rather a good thing.”
I sincerely thought so.
Honestly, the Empire also had its dark parts, and I hadn’t touched them because I thought it would be difficult to clean them up in earnest.
If a focal point that tied them all together appeared like this, it was a truly gratifying thing.
“Let me know that the cleaning isn’t finished yet like this.”
The joyful smiles of the Knights preparing to perform a sword dance were drawn in my mind.