The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 150

Chapter 18: Mermaid: The Weakest Scion

This is an underwater city.

A world existing beneath the sea.

I naturally expected to see only merfolk here.

But why are there humans?

“You’ve had a rough time. We almost lost you there. You’re incredibly fortunate to have crossed into our tribe’s territory.”

“Who are you?”

“Ah! My apologies for the late introduction. I am Kevin, the chief of the Swift Current Tribe.”

“You’re the chief.”

“Yes, let’s go back and talk first.”

Kevin led us to his tribe. After walking through the forest for about an hour, a village appeared.

It was definitely different from the villages on land.

The buildings each had their own unique character.

They especially put a lot of effort into the roofs.

Pointed spires, round domes, trident designs, and more.

Compared to the monotonous land, the variety of shapes caught my eye.

“Amazing, isn’t it? I was so surprised when I first came here that I almost fell over.”

“You’re not originally from here?”

“Of course not. Doesn’t my appearance look quite different from the merfolk? I was born on land too.”

“How did you end up here?”

“I was originally a scholar. I encountered a storm, and my ship sank. When I came to my senses, I was here.”

“Oh dear, you must miss your home a lot.”

“That was already 30 years ago. Now, I’ve met a merfolk woman, married her, and have children, living happily. Heh heh heh.”

I was offered tea at Chief Kevin’s house.

It was tea made by steeping seaweed in boiling water.

I was worried they might have added salt, but it was an unnecessary concern.

“By the way, who was the tribe chasing us? They were chasing us like we were their mortal enemies.”

Kevin’s face clouded over when I brought up the other tribe.

“They are the Ironheart Tribe.”

Kevin went on to explain.

The underwater city is largely divided into five districts: Poseidon City in the very center, and then the east, west, south, and north zones.

The regions outside the capital are scattered with various tribes, and the Ironheart Tribe is the most powerful in the north.

Perhaps that’s why they are very aggressive and take a dominant attitude towards other tribes.

“They enjoy cannibalism. The amount of cannibalism they’ve committed is like a badge of honor to them.”

“That’s quite a unique custom.”

“Thanks to that, the surrounding areas are dying. They’ve even recently built a farm within their tribe.”

“Are they imprisoning people there and eating them?”

“That’s right.”

Kevin’s face showed disgust and resentment as he spoke about the Ironheart Tribe. It seemed like they had been suffering for quite some time.

“Let’s stop talking about heavy topics. Our Swift Current Tribe welcomes visitors from the land. Please, make yourselves at home.”

After that, we lived in the tribe for several days.

The Swift Current Tribe was very kind to outsiders, just as Kevin had promised.

There was no discrimination against those from the land.

They were just simple country folk.

Orneo asked us to stay here for at least a month.

He was the most excited among us.

He wandered around the village every day, learning about things and talking to various merfolk.

The next person who enjoyed it was Campbell.

Campbell was excited for a different reason: the unique seafood dishes.

“To think there was such delicious food, I’ve wasted half my life!”

Sion became friends with Kevin’s daughter.

Her name was Jane, and she was a half-blood, half human and half merfolk.

Perhaps that’s why she was incredibly beautiful.

Her cool, long limbs, distinct features, and sparkling fins were the highlights of her beauty.

The two women hung out every day, chatting.

On the other hand, I became interested in the warriors who guarded the village. I went to the training grounds every day to watch their training.

Merfolk were basically large-framed.

Campbell, who always seemed big on land, was of average height here.

Moreover, their muscles were elastic, and their sense of balance was excellent.

The same training was much more effective for them.

While watching the training, I discovered one interesting thing.

Even merfolk elite warriors used mana.

However, they didn’t use green mana like the people of the Arnia continent.

Instead, they used blue mana.

“More! Swing it more!”

“You can do it! The moment you give up, it’s over.”

“The sweat you shed is the safety of the tribe.”

“No time to rest. Close ranks!!”

The training commander shouted at the top of his lungs.

The warriors also shed beads of sweat like rain.

Not a single one of them was lazy.

They were like soldiers in a state of war.

“Huh? Who is that merfolk?”

In the corner of the training ground.

A warrior was silently swinging his spear.

Judging by the blue mana subtly mixed in with the blade, he was quite skilled.

It was impossible not to notice him since he was training separately from the other warriors.

Even while the other warriors were training fiercely, they kept glancing at the warrior in the corner.

That just makes me more curious.

I cautiously approached the lone warrior and asked.

“Excuse me.”

“……”

“Hey?”

“……”

“Can’t you hear me?”

The warrior stopped his spear on the third question. He turned his gaze towards me and said briefly.

“Get lost.”

It was the first cold reception I had received since coming to the Swift Current Tribe.

I backed off, fearing that further attempts at conversation would lead to unnecessary trouble.

“Break time. Rest for a while!”

Finally, the training stopped.

The warriors threw their spears on the ground and lay down.

Their chests rose and fell sharply as they gasped for breath.

Even as everyone was catching their breath, the warrior who had cursed at me continued to swing his spear.

Now that I looked, his hands were torn, and the bandages were stained with blood, and his lips were chapped from exhaustion.

I thought I would be rejected again if I went to that merfolk, so this time I approached the resting training instructor.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, ask away.”

Fortunately, the instructor was friendly.

“Who is that warrior over there? He’s very diligent.”

“Ah! You mean Theodore.”

“Theodore?”

“Yes, he’s the chief’s son.”

So he was Kevin’s son.

He must be siblings with Kevin’s daughter, Jane.

“Why is he working so hard? He could take a break.”

“He’s originally diligent, and he’s also participating in the Northern Alliance Martial Arts Competition in a week.”

Northern Alliance Martial Arts Competition.

A competition where elite warriors from the northern tribes gather to compete for strength.

The tribe to which the winning team belongs receives enormous rewards.

Even the most outstanding participant is drafted into the capital to serve in the merfolk king’s direct unit.

“That sounds like a fun competition.”

“It is for the top-ranked tribes. But it’s a ruthless competition for the lower-ranked tribes.”

“Why is that?”

“Tribes that haven’t won even once in 20 years are deemed useless by the royal family and are forcibly disbanded.”

“That’s cruel.”

“And our Swift Current Tribe hasn’t won for 19 years now. This year is the last.”

If they don’t win this year, the tribe will be dissolved.

That’s shocking news.

“But it’s okay. Theodore is our team’s ace and a genius like no other. There is no warrior stronger than him in the north.”

The training instructor seemed to have blind faith in Theodore.

It wasn’t just the instructor.

The warriors who were listening to our conversation also showed Theodore a look of trust.

I wonder if Theodore himself thinks the same as the warriors.

I finished my walk around the training ground and returned to my assigned lodging.

Everyone in the group happened to be gathered.

“Young Master.”

“What’s going on?”

“Have you heard about the martial arts competition?”

“I just heard about it.”

“It seems like the Swift Current Tribe is about to be wiped out.”

Sion had a conversation with the chief’s daughter, Jane.

Unlike the optimistic warriors who believed in Theodore’s strength, Jane viewed the situation negatively.

“Recently, the relationship between the Ironheart Tribe and the Swift Current Tribe has soured, and she said it’s because of her.”

Is this a case where beauty brings disaster?

It was similar to how Helen brought about the Trojan War.

It started when the son of the Ironheart Tribe chief flirted with her, and she refused.

“Why didn’t she accept him?”

“His reputation wasn’t good. He hits on every woman. He assaults people around him. Just think of the Young Master from the old days.”

It’s similar to my past self.

I was unintentionally hit by Sion’s wide-area damage.

I’ve never even harassed a woman before.

Anyway, I understood what she meant.

“Before they broke up, the son of the Ironheart Tribe chief said this: ‘Even the supervisor who will be dispatched from the capital is on our side. We also plan to recruit a super expert from outside. Your tribe is finished.'”

If that’s true, then the chances of winning are really slim.

Orneo, who was smoking a pipe next to me, chimed in.

“It’s unfortunate for the Swift Current Tribe. But to be honest, it’s none of our business. We are travelers, after all. We must remember that the Merfolk King’s Orb and the Golden Branch are our top priorities.”

Normally, I would agree with Orneo’s words.

But this time, I had a slightly different opinion.

It’s because of the benefits given to the winner.

I heard from the training instructor that the MVP [Most Valuable Player] of the martial arts competition becomes a direct unit of the Merfolk King.

That means they go to the innermost part of the capital, where the Merfolk King’s Orb and the Golden Branch are likely to be.

I calmly recalled Merlin’s memories.

As soon as he fell into the underwater city, he found the temple in the capital and subdued the Kraken [a legendary sea monster].

He didn’t go out to the outskirts or visit the provinces.

Then the Golden Branch is most likely in Poseidon City, where Merlin went.

The same goes for the Merfolk King’s Orb.

The treasure’s name itself is ‘Merfolk King’s Orb’.

Naturally, it’s best to search the largest city first.

If it’s in the palace, the most natural way to infiltrate is as the winner of the martial arts competition.

Above all, the people of the Swift Current Tribe are always kind, simple, and good-natured.

It’s almost embarrassing to compare them to the Ironheart Tribe, who imprison people and use them for food.

I’m not nosy enough to interfere in other people’s affairs, but if that affair helps my plan, it might be okay to help out.

When I told Orneo about this, the sage seemed convinced.

“That’s a good idea. One thing I’m worried about is whether foreigners like us can participate in the competition on behalf of the Swift Current Tribe…”

Just as he was trailing off.

There was a knock on the door from outside.

Knock knock.

“May I come in?”

The visitor was Chief Kevin.

I wonder what brought him here.

His expression was darker than usual.

“Have you been well?”

“Thanks to your concern. Thank you for your kindness and consideration.”

“I also received a lot of help from the Swift Current Tribe when I first fell into the underwater city. I’m just doing the same.”

After the conversation ended, Kevin couldn’t open his mouth for a long time.

He kept smacking his lips and hesitating.

Eventually, he drooped his shoulders and headed out the door.

“Have a good time.”

“Wait a minute.”

I grabbed the chief as he was about to leave.

“Do you have something to say?”

“It’s not me, it’s the chief who has something to say.”

I hinted at it.

Kevin, who had his inner thoughts figured out, sighed and came back in.

“I’ve been completely found out. That’s right.”

“Is it because of the martial arts competition?”

“!!!”

He looked like he had seen a ghost.

“Why are you so surprised? It’s information you can find out by walking around the village a few times.”

“Sigh… that’s right. Actually, that’s it. We have to participate in the martial arts competition, but there are no suitable players except for Theodore.”

Even if Theodore is strong, he’s not a one-man army.

Since the competition itself requires several players to take turns, stamina management is also important.

Currently, the Swift Current Tribe is virtually a one-man team with Theodore, and if Theodore gets injured or dies, there is no replacement.

“I saw you being chased by the Ironheart Tribe. You were calm even while being chased by hundreds of people. I don’t know what you did on land, but I was convinced that you were definitely not ordinary people.”

Chief Kevin knelt down.

“Please! If we don’t win this time, our tribe will be shattered. Some tribe members may even be sold to the Ironheart Tribe. Please help Theodore and participate in the martial arts competition.”

I was wondering how to persuade the chief to participate in the martial arts competition.

It’s really like a pie falling from the sky.

They even asked me first, so I can even act like I’m doing them a favor.

Just as I was about to happily agree.

The door suddenly burst open, and a sweaty warrior appeared.

The warrior, gasping for breath, was Kevin’s son, Theodore.

“Father! What are you doing? Why are you bowing your head to foreigners!?”

“You should greet them too. They are benefactors who will help us.”

“Our Swift Current Tribe is not weak! We can win without the help of such foreigners!”

“How can you be so sure? The Ironheart Tribe might use some cheap tricks. There’s also a rumor that they’ve invited a strong expert from Poseidon City.”

“It’s okay. We can overcome everything. It’s a disgrace to the race to borrow the power of outsiders. Besides, how can those who don’t have merfolk blood be strong?”

Theodore was panting.

Kevin had a shocked expression.

Theodore also seemed to realize his mistake and looked embarrassed.

“Half of your blood is human too. Have you been ashamed of your father all this time?”

“I swear that’s not it. But isn’t it true that humans are weaker than merfolk?”

I couldn’t listen anymore.

I cut in.

“Okay, okay, stop the father-son fight. This is our lodging.”

Only then did Theodore come to his senses and help Kevin up. He nodded slightly towards us.

“I apologize for the rudeness. Pretend you didn’t hear today’s conversation. I’m advising you for your own good to leave the village before the martial arts competition starts.”

Theodore was about to drag Kevin out.

I said to his back.

“Wait a minute.”

Theodore stopped walking.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“It’s not that I need anything. I just wanted to make one thing clear.”

“What do you want to make clear?”

“You’ve been talking about defeating enemies alone, being the tribe’s only hope, and acting like a hero, so let me tell you something.”

I took a deep breath and continued.

“Except for the chief, you’re the weakest one here.”