CH 62

While everyone felt very cautious once they reached the merfolk island, Amia was nowhere to be found. There was a different, beautiful merman who was younger than Amia and about the same age as Edwy.

“Amia can’t come because he is busy. He was very disappointed.”

They were told. Then Chiharu said,

“I see. He helped us at the mirror lake. And so I wanted to say thank you.”

And then,

“In that case, tell those people over there. They passed through the water road and went to the mirror lake.”

He pointed to a group of beautiful merfolk of various colors that were staring at them. Maki and Chiharu were filled with gratitude when they thought about how these people had hit the gazers with their tails. Of course, there were other merfolk gathering around as well.

“Oh, this is something.”

“Surprising, isn’t it? If you only knew how we felt. Besides, they even tried to take them into the sea.”

Edwy and Kaider were talking.

“Um, thank you for saving us at the mirror lake.”

“Thank you so much.”

Chiharu and Maki said after approaching the merfolk. Then they bowed their heads.

“Please raise your heads, beloved children.”

And so they raised their heads. Before they knew it, the merfolk were right in front of them. One of the merfolk then raised his hands to Maki’s cheeks and then brushed the hair out of her face.

“Oh.”

“The mark of God’s love.”

The merfolk murmured. Maki’s eyes were wide as she stood frozen.

“Human skin is so warm.”

He said. His skin was cold and smooth.

Yes, it would be rather shocking. They were so close, and their hair moved. Chiharu was glad that she was just a spectator this time. She stood next to Maki and nodded.

“Huh?”

However, there were two Saintesses. Before she knew it, other merfolk were touching her cheeks and brushing her hair. Eventually, hands held her shoulders as she was led towards the others by the waves. Ultimately, her past experience did not prove to be very useful here.

“I sense the presence of the chief. So you are wearing the scales.”

One of them whispered.

“I use it as a good luck charm ever since I was saved.”

Chiharu answered, and the merfolk smiled happily. Next to her, Maki was still frozen as she was carried away. It always seemed like one of them was calm while the other was panicking. Chiharu thought.

Behind her, the others were consoling the elf, who seemed quite angry.

“The merfolk know that the train will depart in an hour, so they won’t push it. More importantly, why don’t we buy some of that? They’ll be very happy, won’t they?”

Nyran suggested.

“You know, the hamanasu wine!”

“Of course! Standing here and watching the merfolk will only make you angry. We might as well go and buy some wine.”

“I’ll go with you.”

And so the two elderly ones left for the store.

“Phew. In a way, he’s the hardest one to handle.”

Kaider said.

“No, if anything, I think he is the easiest.”

Nyran answered.

“Aeris just likes the Saintesses.”

Edwy said. Then Kaider and Nyran looked at him apologetically.

“What?”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t just look at him as if he were an old man.”

“Old men can be difficult.”

“So which is it? Is he an old man or not?”

That wasn’t the problem. But, well, it was perhaps good that he experiences this at his young age. Kaider and Nyran thought.

Maki and Chiharu finished their meeting with the merfolk without any trouble, and they waved their hands at them before returning to the train.

Still, Maki looked like her soul had left her body, and so Chiharu said to her with an air of self-importance.

“Maki-chan, you’re a Saintess too you know? So you shouldn’t assume that you’re the only one that won’t get abducted.”

“You’re one to talk.”

It was Nyran who said this. Besides, they had both been taken away. Maki looked tired as she said,

“I get it, Chiharu. Still, these merfolk sure are beautiful…”

“Yes, I was too shocked to notice it much the last time, but I don’t think I’ve seen such beautiful people!”

Chiharu said with some excitement. Maki muttered on.

“And it was these beautiful people who touched my cheeks or held my shoulders as I was marched off. You’d think it would be very romantic.”

“Maki-chan, it lost all sense of romance the moment you chose the words ‘marched off.’”

Chiharu joked. Maki continued.

“I wonder why it doesn’t feel romantic.”

Why indeed. Chiharu thought about it. Oh, it must be that.

“It’s because of their hair.”

“I don’t think it’s that.”

Nyran butted in again. Ignoring Aeris, Edwy would have a difficult time. Nyran thought. These girls were clearly not the romantic types, and would they ever be?

“Oh, maybe it’s the scales!”

Said the dwarf, who didn’t understand romance either.