Chapter 257

“You’re a Grand Master, so you probably won’t die even if you fall into icy water, right?”

“……”

“That’s right, isn’t it?”

“……”

What kind of question is that, Lloyd-nim.

Javier looked at Lloyd with a grave expression without meaning to.

The silver-haired knight’s mind spun for a moment.

“You suddenly brought up fishing, but are you perhaps planning to use me as bait?”

“Yes. Correct.”

“……”

“Hmm, aren’t you happy you guessed it right away?”

“……”

‘I’m not happy. I just feel like stepping on you for a moment. Just for a very brief moment.’

But Javier could not voice his honest feelings so openly.

Because Lloyd, his expression already hardened, hurriedly explained.

“Hey, even though I’m saying it casually, you know this isn’t a joking matter, right?”

“I know.”

“Right.”

Lloyd replied, his gaze now completely serious.

“This can’t keep going. If the ship keeps taking hits like this, it won’t last much longer. And it doesn’t look like we can properly shake off those stubborn mermaids either.”

“I agree.”

“So I need you to jump into the water for a bit.”

“If you’re telling me to be bait, what exactly are you planning?”

“A terrifying kind of bait.”

Lloyd smiled fiercely.

“I wanted to avoid retaliating if possible. But it doesn’t look like that’ll work. So just once. One hit is enough. One strike that makes them retreat far away without actually hurting them. You can do that, right?”

“So you want to force them back and use that opening to escape?”

“Yes. Can you do it?”

“It seems possible.”

Javier nodded.

He immediately understood Lloyd’s intention.

One overwhelming, threatening counterattack.

Use that to force the mermaid legion to retreat, even if only briefly.

Cut off the momentum of their relentless assault and buy enough time to escape.

“Good. If you can pull it off without getting hurt, there isn’t a better method than that.”

“Understood.”

A faint smile touched the corner of Javier’s mouth.

This fake Lloyd is good in moments like this.

He often behaves like a madman.

But he always worries about those on his side.

Still, now was not the time to dwell on that.

Javier moved at once.

“Please tie the rope to that mast over there.”

“Okay.”

He wrapped the rope Lloyd handed him firmly around his waist.

Meanwhile, Lloyd tied the other end to the mast.

With that, the preparations were complete.

“I’ll jump into the sea now. The moment I counterattack underwater, pull up the rope immediately.”

“How will I know you’ve counterattacked? Are you going to give me a signal or something?”

“No. You’ll know even without a signal.”

“How?”

Lloyd asked again.

Javier let out a soft chuckle.

“Because the sea will turn upside down.”

With that, Javier stepped onto the ship’s rail.

He glanced back at Lloyd.

Then he leaped into the sea.

Splash!

In an instant, an extreme cold wrapped around his entire body.

It felt as though his skin, the muscles beneath it, and even his blood vessels were freezing solid.

But Javier did not care in the slightest.

He pushed the [Asrahan Heart Technique] to its limit.

He resonated the Mana Hearts dwelling in every cell of his body.

Holding back a roar.

His gaze turned cool.

He swept his eyes across the entire stretch of sea.

The hundreds of mermaids charging toward the Pelicania.

He calculated every one of their trajectories and predicted paths.

He prepared a strike that would sweep them all back hundreds of meters without injuring a single one of them.

‘Only one chance.’

In the piercing blue water, Javier’s eyes glowed an even deeper blue.

He gripped the hilt of his sword, immense power gathering within him.

But perhaps they sensed the momentum coming from him.

Or perhaps they detected danger through some instinct as keen as that of wild beasts.

All the mermaids stopped attacking at once.

They halted their charge toward the Pelicania.

The fierce cries rising from them died away.

Every one of them focused on Javier.

Their eyes widened in unison.

Their expressions filled with astonishment.

They stared at Javier intently.

At that sudden change, Javier’s eyebrow twitched.

‘Could it be they noticed what I was about to do?’

It seemed possible.

But he also thought it did not matter.

He had already grasped the position and path of every mermaid.

Now, the moment he drew his sword, he could sweep them all back hundreds of meters.

Holding that certainty, Javier moved to draw his blade—

Then the mermaids staring at him raised one hand.

Smoothly, they pointed their index fingers at Javier’s face.

And with slightly flushed, absent-minded expressions,

with voices trembling like girls in first love,

they all murmured at the same time.

“You pass.”

……Splash.

In an instant, the sea grew calm.

Not a single mermaid swam roughly.

The drifting ice floes nearby no longer knocked against one another.

The only sound that reached his ears was the quiet murmur of the waves above.

In the suddenly stilled water, Javier flinched.

His hand still gripping the hilt of the sword he had been about to draw, his gaze turned cool.

“……”

Pass?

What kind of nonsense was that supposed to mean all of a sudden?

Were those mermaids trying to play some trick?

Had they seen through his intentions and were now trying to disrupt his counterattack?

Or were they trying to stall for time and exploit an opening on this side?

‘I must not let my guard down.’

That was what he thought.

But just then—

One of the mermaids, from among those surrounding him and the Pelicania after halting their assault,

slowly swam closer.

Her attitude, unlike before, was extremely cautious.

When she stopped about five meters away,

the mermaid asked,

“Beautiful human, what is your name?”

“……”

Javier did not answer.

In fact, he could not.

Because humans could not use the kind of underwater speech mermaids could.

Soon, the mermaid who had spoken seemed to realize that and nodded.

“Right. I got a little carried away. Humans can’t speak underwater like we can. I want to talk to you, so would it be alright if we went up to the surface for a moment?”

“……”

“It’s alright. You pass. I won’t attack.”

The mermaid showed both palms and smiled sweetly.

Not only that—

she looked back at the other mermaids and gave a sharp order.

“Everyone, fall back.”

At that single command, the mermaid legion withdrew dozens of meters and broke the encirclement.

Seeing that, it seemed somewhat credible.

Javier silently rose to the surface.

“……Phew.”

He released the breath he had been holding as the cold waves rolled around him.

A moment later, the mermaid also lifted her head above the water.

Only then could Javier properly see the mermaid who had stepped forward as the representative of the legion.

“Nice to meet you. I am the Third Squad Leader of the Mermaid Kingdom Underwater Guard.”

“I am Javier Asrahan, a knight in service to Count Frontera’s household.”

“Javier Asrahan?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my. Even your name is beautiful.”

“……”

A crease formed between Javier’s brows.

Not only the mermaid in front of him, but all the others as well.

For some time now, they had all been blushing while looking at him.

Javier could easily guess the reason.

Because it was a familiar experience.

“Could it be that it was my face that passed?”

“Oh, how did you know?”

“This sort of situation is familiar to me.”

Javier answered as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Everywhere I have gone in my life, people have paid attention to my face. Especially the warm favor of countless women. So this situation isn’t unfamiliar to me. But—”

Javier’s gaze toward the Third Squad Leader of the Underwater Guard turned slightly colder.

“No matter how exceptional my appearance may be, you are the ones guarding the border of your territory, are you not? From what I have heard, anyone wishing to approach the Mermaid Kingdom must first obtain your permission and recognition.”

“Hmm, that’s right.”

“I also heard that, to receive that recognition, one must sing a beautiful song filled with sincerity and devotion. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s more or less true.”

“But I didn’t sing.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t… matter? Could it be?”

“It’s not as though only a song can move someone’s heart.”

“……”

“We were already moved by the sight of your face, so we granted permission and recognized you. In that case, what does a song matter?”

The mermaid guard squad leader spoke with sparkling eyes, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

For some reason, Javier found himself overwhelmed by that momentum(?).

“Then have I truly gained the right to enter your kingdom? Through my appearance?”

“Of course. You saw our sisters recognize it as well, didn’t you?”

“……Understood. Then, could you spare me a moment?”

“A moment? For what?”

“I want to inform my companion on the ship of this news.”

Javier’s gaze lightly indicated the deck of the Pelicania.

The mermaid guard squad leader shrugged.

It was silent permission.

“I am grateful for your kindness. Then.”

Javier immediately broke through the surface.

He climbed back onto the deck of the Pelicania.

By chance, Captain Felipe and the crew had already gathered along the ship’s side to see what was happening, along with Lloyd.

“What is this? What happened? Why did they stop attacking without you even counterattacking?”

Lloyd rushed over first and asked.

Javier brushed the dripping seawater from his hair and replied,

“It seems I received their recognition.”

“Recognition? You got permission?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“They said my face passed.”

“……”

“Actually, now that I think about it, it isn’t all that surprising. Rather, from the beginning, Lloyd-nim, instead of singing, you should have simply had me jump into the sea. Then this ship would never have been attacked at all.”

“……”

“But in any case, it is fortunate that I gained their permission like this.”

“Right. Very fortunate. That you’re handsome. Right? Hahahahaha.”

“Yes. It’s truly fortunate that my good looks were able to prevent the violent catastrophe brought about by Lloyd-nim’s hopeless singing.”

“Right. Very fortunate. Ah, good for you. Ahahahahaha.”

“Lloyd-nim.”

“Yes. What.”

“Please stop crying.”

“Shut up. The salt in the sea wind made my dry eyes act up, that’s all.”

“Even so, you should speak with the mermaid representative below first.”

“I was going to do that anyway.”

Lloyd wiped at the corners of his eyes with his rough sleeve and leaned over the ship’s rail.

He looked down.

And thanks to that, he noticed—

‘Whoa. Those muscles are incredible.’

Amid the cold waves rolling beneath the ship,

a mermaid sis—no, mermaid bro—no, mermaid sis, was sticking her upper body out of the water.

She was built.

Seriously built.

Her muscles were no joke.

He had thought the same thing before, when the mermaid statue had been erected at Cremo City Harbor.

Indeed, the muscles of mermaids, honed by extreme-level swimming twenty-four hours a day, every day, for their entire lives, truly felt like weapons in themselves.

‘If I put Ogre Arosh and her in a gym together, the result would be insane.’

Her physique felt every bit as overwhelming as the strongest masses of muscle he had personally encountered, like ogres.

But now was not the time to admire muscles.

Lloyd cleared his throat.

“Ahem, ahem! Hello? I am Lloyd Frontera.”

“……”

“I just heard the story from my bodyguard, Sir Asrahan. Fortunately, I was told that you all generously praised and recognized Sir Asrahan’s beauty with your broad-minded hearts?”

“……That’s right, but?”

“First, I’d like to express my gratitude for such a generous and wise decision.”

Lloyd put on his bright business smile.

Perhaps it had some effect.

A pleased smile rose at the corner of the mermaid guard squad leader’s mouth as well.

“Gratitude? We should be the grateful ones. We were given the chance to appreciate such unexpected beauty. It seems today is a day full of good fortune.”

“Oh my, hearing you say that makes me even more grateful. It seems today may be a lucky day for us as well.”

“Lucky? Lucky for you too?”

“Of course it’s lucky. To meet people with such generous and wise discernment as you.”

“Generous and wise discernment… I simply said that something beautiful is beautiful.”

“Ahaha. Is that so? You’re sincere too.”

“I don’t know about sincere. In any case, what business do you have with us?”

The guard squad leader’s eyes, raised toward him, sharpened slightly.

Her question continued.

“Now that I think about it, I am a little curious. We were moved by Javier Asrahan’s beautiful appearance, so we only granted permission for his visit to the kingdom. But I don’t understand why you keep stepping forward and acting friendly. Do you have separate business with us?”

“Ah, of course I do.”

“What business?”

“As I mentioned briefly earlier, I am the person under Javier Asrahan’s protection. We’re in the same party.”

“So?”

“Since you all permitted Sir Asrahan to visit the kingdom, naturally I should be allowed to accompany him—”

“No.”

“……Pardon?”

“I said no.”

The mermaid guard squad leader answered decisively, as though slicing through a firm pumpkin in a single stroke.

Her gaze turned even colder as she asked,

“We were moved by Javier Asrahan’s beautiful appearance. Why should we permit your visit to the kingdom when it has nothing to do with that appearance?”

“Ah, well, that’s……”

Lloyd swallowed hard.

‘Ah, damn it.’

Inside, he was deeply flustered.

Honestly, he had not expected to be rejected so coldly.

At last, Lloyd fully understood the situation.

‘Lookism.’

It seemed they intended to permit only Javier to visit the kingdom.

There appeared to be no other reason.

‘Because he’s handsome. That’s probably the whole reason. Right. Sorry I’m not handsome. Sorry I look like this! Sniff.’

He felt miserable.

Jealous.

A flood of resentment toward all the handsome people in the world surged through him.

But he could not just let things end like this.

He jabbed Javier in the side with his elbow.

Then urged him in a whisper.

“Hey.”

“Yes.”

“Help me out here.”

“How?”

“Anything is fine. Just say something so I can visit their kingdom too.”

“Understood.”

Javier nodded.

Then he stepped forward and leaned over the ship’s side.

Lloyd waited anxiously for him to speak.

He hoped Javier would say something grand and helpful.

Something that would completely sway the mermaids.

Something that would make it possible for Lloyd to receive permission to visit the Mermaid Kingdom as well.

‘Please!’

As he prayed like that,

Javier finally opened his mouth.

“Guard Squad Leader? I actually have a request.”

“Oh my. A request? What kind of request?”

The muscular mermaid’s voice, unlike when she had spoken to Lloyd, turned completely warm and friendly the instant she answered Javier. Even her gaze sparkled. The muscular, bulging mermaid.

Lloyd let out a snort at the sheer difference in temperature.

Meanwhile, the conversation between Javier and the guard squad leader continued.

“I would like you to permit Lloyd-nim to visit the kingdom as well.”

“Yes, if it’s Sir Asrahan’s request, I’d be happy to.”

Just like that.

As easily as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As though she were wondering why he was only asking now.

The guard squad leader nodded with a radiant smile.