Chapter 269
Indigestion.
At some point in their lives, everyone has suffered from sudden indigestion.
Without any warning, at the most unexpected moment, you’re struck by that terrible discomfort. You find yourself patting your back, trying anything and everything to aid digestion.
Lloyd was no exception.
“It was during the high school field trip, damn it.”
Even now, thinking back on it made him shudder.
It was probably the first evening of the much-anticipated trip. He had just had a good meal and was about to enjoy some time with his friends when he started feeling uncomfortable.
At first, it just felt a bit odd.
But the situation quickly worsened.
He felt queasy, then started sweating profusely.
His friends, noticing his pale complexion, didn’t miss the opportunity to tease him mercilessly.
That was when he realized something was seriously wrong.
He knew he had to do something.
Above all, he wanted to burp.
“That’s why I looked for soda.”
Normally, drinking carbonated beverages when you have indigestion isn’t advised.
It can actually make the symptoms worse.
But at the time, he didn’t know that.
He just wanted to down a soda in one go, hoping a big burp would relieve the pressure in his stomach.
Just then, he spotted a soda bottle in a friend’s bag.
He eagerly opened the 500mL bottle and gulped down several big swigs.
And then he spat it out.
“It was soju.”
Literally, soju disguised as soda.
It was soju that a friend had sneakily poured into a soda bottle to smuggle in without the teacher noticing.
By the time he realized what it was, it was too late.
Panicked, he spat it out, but he had already swallowed a couple of sips.
Indigestion plus a couple of sips of soju.
And it was his first-ever alcohol experience.
From that moment on, he had to endure the sensation of having a nuclear bomb dropped in his stomach.
He spent almost the entire night half-conscious, retching and gagging.
Even now, thinking back on that first night of the field trip brings a wave of mortification.
Thankfully, that bitter recollection was short-lived, interrupted by a question that cut through his memories.
“So, you’re saying the Kraken is acting this way because it’s suffering from indigestion?”
The question pierced his eardrums, pulling Lloyd swiftly from his reverie.
He turned to see who had spoken.
The Mermaid Queen was there, her brow furrowed, looking at him with a mix of seriousness and disbelief.
“Yes,” he affirmed.
As he nodded, the events leading up to this moment flashed through his mind.
The rampaging Kraken.
The merfolk army ready to subdue it by force.
His own concern that the confrontation might damage the Jewel of truth.
And then, his realization of the Kraken’s peculiar behavior.
The belching and retching.
The way it pounded its stomach with its tentacles.
It all resembled someone suffering from indigestion.
From the moment he realized this, he had rushed here without hesitation.
Just in time to stop the Queen from ordering an attack.
He urged her to wait.
Attacking the Kraken now would be a mistake.
Perhaps the creature was in distress.
Instead of rushing into conflict, they should look for another solution.
He had urgently advised the Mermaid Queen.
Thanks to him, the merfolk army’s assault was momentarily halted.
And now, the Queen was questioning him with a grave look.
“Indigestion? You mean, like, digestive problems? Is that really the case?”
“It seems so.”
“And what makes you think that?”
“Since a while ago, the Kraken has been belching amidst its roars. I’ve also seen it retch a few times. Plus, the way it twists its body and pounds its stomach with its tentacles, then belches again… Doesn’t it all seem strikingly similar to someone with indigestion?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. We merfolk don’t get indigestion.”
The Queen flexed her pectoral muscles back and forth.
“Indigestion? Can’t you just push it down with muscle power?”
“Well, the stomach is an involuntary muscle and doesn’t work that way.”
“That doesn’t matter. If you compress the stomach with abdominal pressure, that should do it.”
Lloyd was at a loss for words.
‘Might as well say brains can be controlled by scalp muscles, too.’
Of course, he didn’t dare voice such a thought aloud.
Fear of getting hit? Or perhaps the worry that she might confidently respond with an anatomically absurd but assertive answer?
Lloyd shook his head to dispel his confusion.
“No, well, anyway. From what I see, it really does look like indigestion. You may not be familiar with it, Queen, but us land humans often suffer from such conditions.”
“So, from the perspective of someone experienced, you’re saying it does look like indigestion?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm. Maybe.”
Fortunately, the Queen seemed to half-believe him, listening to his opinion attentively.
This wasn’t the moment to lose her attention. Half-belief could quickly turn into doubt.
Sensing this, Lloyd quickly said, “Yes, so it might be best to check first.”
“Check?”
“Yes. We need to confirm it to know how to proceed.”
“And how do you propose we confirm it? Do you have a method in mind?”
“Yes.”
He nodded firmly.
Of course, he had a plan. He had been considering it ever since he swam here in haste to prevent the Queen’s assault.
Lloyd put his plan into words.
“Does the Kraken have any favorite foods or snacks?”
“Yes, but why?”
“Offering it those might help confirm it.”
“How so?”
“If it’s not indigestion, it’ll continue to react violently even to the snacks you offer. If it is, though…”
“If it is?”
The Queen’s gaze sharpened.
Lloyd confidently responded, “Initially, it’ll stop thrashing and show interest, just like usual. But soon after, it’ll either reject the snack by retching or start rampaging again.”
“So, the crux is whether it starts rampaging right away or shows interest first and then becomes agitated?”
“Yes, you’ve summarized it perfectly.”
“Alright, let’s try it then.”
“You mean, you’ll conduct the experiment yourself?”
“Of course.”
The Queen looked at him with the relaxed smile of a strong person.
“Who else could approach the Kraken, thrashing so wildly, more easily than I? Who else can swim the fastest in this sea, maintain a dolphin kick against any current, and withstand a blow from the Kraken’s flailing? All of that would be me.”
She confidently thumped her chest muscles.
“Why would I send anyone else, weaker and more frail than I, my people? That would be absurd. In such situations, it’s all the more important for me to step up. That’s the responsibility and duty of one who sits on the throne.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Or did you plan to try it out yourself?”
“No.”
He shook his head at the speed of light, relieved(?) that she hadn’t seriously considered sending him.
The Queen merely chuckled and pulled something out from between her scales.
It was a shimmering green orb.
“What’s that?”
He asked out of curiosity.
The Queen answered nonchalantly, “Marine diamond.”
“Never heard of it.”
“A special gem created by holding an ordinary diamond under the deepest ocean pressure, gripped tightly with all one’s might for about ten days. I can only make a few a year. It requires that much effort.”
“That must be incredibly expensive, then.”
“Right. It’s one of the most expensive jewels in the world. That’s why the Kraken loves it so much.”
“…”
‘In that case, could I replace that cephalopod and become your Kraken, ma’am?’
He almost blurted out such words, so dazzling was the marine diamond.
But that awe was fleeting.
“Then, I’ll go and check. All units, stand by!”
Holding the diamond, the Queen swam towards the Kraken, which was still convulsing wildly.
“…”
Was it in a lot of pain? Extremely uncomfortable? Really suffering from indigestion, as that land human said?
The Queen felt sorry for the Kraken.
‘If that land human’s words are true, then it means I, who have been with it all its life, have failed to understand its heart more than he did.’
Always together.
So familiar that she assumed she knew everything about the Kraken.
Could she have overlooked the Kraken’s suffering and trouble?
And was she about to force her friend into submission through strength without realizing it?
The Queen swam on, reflecting on her actions.
“Groar!”
Noticing her approach, the Kraken let out a sorrowful cry.
In that moment, the Queen locked eyes with the Kraken.
She could feel it.
‘You’re apologizing.’
The look the Kraken gave her just then was clearly one of apology, of not knowing what to do, mixed with panic from the pain.
‘Could that land human’s words really be true?’
The Queen bit her lower lip and approached the Kraken even closer.
She cautiously extended her hand, on which lay the marine diamond.
“Kraken? Want this? It’s your favorite snack.”
Thump, thump!
Please let the land human’s words be true.
I hope the Kraken responds as he said it would.
The Queen silently wished and hoped.
And then, after a moment, the Kraken’s convulsions stopped.
“Kraken? Sniff, sniff, sniff!”
It ceased its violent movements and leaned in.
Showing interest, it sniffed around.
But the next moment…
“Kraken! Groar… Blargh! Kraken!”
It began retching violently.
A bit of bile was even spit out.
And then it started thrashing again.
Whoosh!
Given its immense size, even a slight thrashing caused a vast disturbance.
“…!”
The Queen barely avoided a Kraken tentacle.
She quickly escaped the area with a powerful dolphin kick.
Now, she was certain.
‘Ah, truly… that land human was right.’
Even as she went to check, she had her doubts.
But seeing it firsthand, it unfolded just as he had described.
The Kraken showed interest at first, then retched.
It burped and even spat out bile.
This confirmation brought relief to the Queen’s heart.
‘Thank goodness. It wasn’t an unprovoked rampage or thrashing.’
Initially, she had been so bewildered.
The Kraken had always been peaceful and modest throughout its life.
There had never been an incident like today’s in the history of the Mermaid Kingdom.
The sudden outbreak of today’s event had been so perplexing.
But now that she had checked…
It truly was indigestion that was the cause.
And she was glad.
Now that they had identified the cause of the crisis, it didn’t seem so daunting anymore.
The confusion could be set aside.
They could pull out an appropriate solution for the cause.
There was hope that this unprecedented event could be smoothly resolved.
‘But…’
The muscular Queen swam furiously away from the Kraken, tears welling up in her eyes.
A bit of redness tinted the corners of her eyes as she tried to hide it and returned.
She asked Lloyd.
“You saw the Kraken’s reaction from here, didn’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
Lloyd nodded.
The Queen felt incredibly reassured by his presence.
She had thought of this skinny land human as utterly feeble.
She had pitied him, wondering how he managed to survive in the world with such a frail body.
But now, seeing him again, she couldn’t feel more reassured.
The confident smile of the land human.
The bold gaze meeting hers.
It all seemed so trustworthy.
“So, the cause of this event you suspected, indigestion, do you also have a solution?”
“Absolutely.”
His response came immediately, full of confidence.
The Queen’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.
This land human really did have a plan.
So, it was settled.
No more worries were necessary.
They could alleviate the suffering of their dear friend, the Kraken.
There would be no more events causing pain to their friend.
She felt relieved and certain.
At that moment…
Lloyd’s calm response came back.
“Of course, for indigestion, nothing beats just jabbing the very tip of your finger right in there, mercilessly drawing out some dark blood, right?”
