Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 515

515.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince, and dear guests. This is the water spirit mage, Elle, whom I mentioned earlier.”

Under Ain Idris’s lead, the friendly introductions continued. Besides Baron Dellucio, who hosted the banquet, there were even more people here than at the Lamias banquet. Those who recognized me exchanged surprised glances.

“Oh, that’s the Dawn Guild hunter……”

“She’s younger than I expected.”

“As I heard… well, even more so than I thought……”

Having better hearing than ordinary people isn’t always a blessing. No matter how quietly they whisper, I hear them as if they’re speaking right next to me. Some were even commenting on my appearance, so I had to pretend not to hear, which made me uncomfortable. But the biggest problem remained the Crown Prince.

“Is this our first formal meeting?”

This crazy bastard suddenly addressed me as if we were old acquaintances. I thought it was best for both of us to pretend we didn’t know each other, but apparently, I was alone in that sentiment.

“Has the Crown Prince already met her?”

Surprised gazes turned our way again. Ain Idris also looked taken aback. I stared at the Crown Prince in disbelief as he smiled slyly. I resisted the urge to flip him off and forced a smile.

“This is my first time meeting you.”

“Is that so? I wonder why you look so familiar. It’s a face I couldn’t possibly forget.”

“Well, I don’t think I could have failed to recognize Your Highness if we had met before. Ah, I think I saw someone with similar features recently, but that couldn’t be you.”

“Couldn’t be?”

“Yes, that person is such garbage that I wouldn’t even consider him human. It couldn’t possibly be Your Highness.”

Gasp. Someone gasped somewhere. A moment of silence fell, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop. I could feel people staring at me with wide, shocked eyes. The Crown Prince also looked like he’d been slapped. Why did he have to bother someone who was trying to stay out of it? Let’s just pretend we don’t know each other, okay? I smirked, and he grinned fiercely with a twitching face.

“……Well, it seems you’re right. It must be our first time meeting.”

“Yes, it’s an honor to meet you.”

I replied calmly, and the Crown Prince laughed in disbelief. “Haha, you’re an interesting friend.” After that, thanks to the Crown Prince’s smooth handling, the atmosphere returned to normal. However, the gazes I received were quite different from before. It seemed they realized I was someone they shouldn’t trifle with.

Thanks to that, fewer people approached me, which was actually more comfortable. I decided to focus on my original goal and observe Princess Anais calmly. The princess was also looking at me. Contrary to my expectation that she would be wary, her gaze was filled with curiosity. Even though her brother had been openly humiliated, she seemed to find it amusing.

The princess, whom I saw up close, looked even younger than she did from a distance. Her features were soft and elegant. Her clear honey-colored eyes were so pure and innocent that it was hard to believe this girl would be entangled in a love affair with Ain Idris in the near future. But other than that, I didn’t feel anything particularly special. There was no unusual aura, and her presence was ordinary. I don’t know if she really had any power, but it didn’t seem to be outwardly apparent. Still, I had to examine her closely to have something to tell Lamias when I returned. I was contemplating whether to say anything to her when…

“Um… I’ve heard a lot about you from Ain. You’re a water spirit mage, right?”

Unexpectedly, Princess Anais spoke to me first. Considering what was known about the princess and her attitude towards the Crown Prince so far, it was definitely a rare situation. The groups that were chattering all looked at us in surprise. I nodded, also taken aback.

“Ah, yes, Your Highness. That’s right.”

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been curious about. I heard that there are water spirits in the form of mermaids. Is that true?”

It was a common question anyone could ask. But if the person asking wasn’t a princess related to mermaids, I might have taken it more innocently. Because of that, I knew why Lamias had specifically asked me to infiltrate. She was aiming for this kind of situation. This was definitely a reaction only a water spirit mage could elicit.

“Spirit mage?”

“……Ah, yes, that’s right. Naias has the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish.”

“Really? Can you show me that spirit?”

At the unexpected request, I paused for a moment and looked around. Not only the princess but everyone else was looking at me with expectant eyes.

“Spirit magic is different from regular magic, Your Highness. I can’t just show off my skills and display a spirit as a spectacle.”

“Ah……”

The princess’s eyes wavered. The others who had been expecting something also began to clear their throats. Ain Idris looked embarrassed, as if he hadn’t expected me to refuse so firmly. Of course, that wasn’t the end of my words.

“But if it’s about introducing you to my friend, I can arrange a meeting.”

“……!”

The disappointed expression quickly brightened again. The princess straightened her posture, lifted the hem of her dress, and bowed gracefully.

“I was rude. I would like to meet the spirit mage’s friend. Would that be alright?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

As I finished answering, I reached out my hand. Following the trajectory of my hand sweeping through the air, a stream of water stretched out and circled around. It didn’t take long for a translucent figure to appear, riding the stream of water. Soon, a lovely fairy with the tail of a fish gently landed on my palm.

“Oh, that’s a water spirit……”

“It’s so beautiful.”

Exclamations erupted from here and there. Even the people who had shown discomfort at my earlier remarks were now busy admiring her. However, only Ain Idris was slightly frowning. He couldn’t understand why I had created an uncomfortable situation when I was going to show her anyway. He didn’t know what he was talking about. If a spirit mage easily complied with such requests, others would end up seeing spirits that way.

“It’s true. She really looks like a mermaid.”

The princess couldn’t take her eyes off Naias. Her voice seemed to be filled with tears as she murmured, and I turned back in surprise. Before I knew it, the princess’s eyes were filled with tears. The Crown Prince was also startled and turned to look at the princess.

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I suddenly feel a little sad.”

“Sad? What’s making you sad?”

“Spirits are noble and sacred beings that everyone acknowledges. Anyone who sees this Naias can’t deny that she’s beautiful. But mermaids, who have the same appearance, are known as vicious monsters.”

The eyes of those who were listening widened.

“Then does the princess think that mermaids aren’t monsters?”

Someone asked. Then the princess’s eyes became even calmer. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment, and her face was resolute.

“Yes, that’s right.”

The surroundings began to stir in earnest. Princess Anais, still calm, looked around at the faces of the bewildered people.

“It’s an unfamiliar story, so it may be difficult for everyone to understand now. But humans misunderstand the merfolk. Mermaids are beings who can communicate and think, just like us.”

“But Princess, mermaids harm people. What else would they be if not monsters? Orcs and goblins can also say simple words.”

“No, it’s completely different. Mermaids weren’t always unintelligent. They were one of the blessed races along with humans. Now they are cursed and do things they don’t want to do. If the curse is resolved, they can return to their original state.”

“A curse……”

“That’s the story you mentioned before.”

While everyone was puzzled, only the Crown Prince seemed to understand what she was saying and muttered. People’s gazes quickly focused on him.

“Does Your Highness also know about this?”

“What is all this about?”

At that moment, a loud crash rang out. Startled, people turned around and were horrified to see the disaster on the floor. It was an unexpected accident caused by someone accidentally bumping into a tray held by a passing servant. That someone was me.

“Oh my, I’m sorry. I was thirsty and tried to drink, but I made a mistake.”

I quickly apologized to the bewildered gazes. Actually, I did it on purpose. Soon, servants who understood the situation came rushing in with cleaning tools. Conversely, the guests stepped back to avoid the shattered glass and spilled wine. The conversation naturally stopped.

“Oh dear. There’s wine on my dress……”

“Ah, did the wine splash that far? I’m sorry. I’ll clean it for you.”

“Can you do that?”

“Of course.”

I asked Naias to clean the stains on people’s clothes. People exclaimed as they watched the clothes quickly become clean. It seemed that the main topic had been completely diverted. After observing the atmosphere for a moment, I checked on Princess Anais. She was talking to the Crown Prince alone.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was too disorganized, wasn’t I? Everyone must think I’m strange.”

“No, Princess. You weren’t strange at all. No one will think that way.”

The Crown Prince, with a loving face, held the princess’s hands and comforted her. The princess, while looking tearful, was relieved, and she was still the same as before, but now she no longer seemed ordinary.

‘That person……’

The surrounding air was still stirring. It was a subtle level that most people wouldn’t notice, but it was clearly visible to me. When the princess spoke, the natural sylphs [air spirits] were bobbing greatly, as if riding on surging waves. That’s why I had to cut it off forcefully.

‘She can use sound waves.’

* * *

An intelligent aquatic monster with the appearance of a half-human, half-fish (high-level).

The average size is about 5 Lao to 6 Lao [Lao is a unit of measurement]. The upper body is human, and the lower body is in the form of a fish. They lay eggs and live in groups as monsters, with females being stronger than males. They mainly live in the water but can also live on land.

If the moisture on their bodies is removed, they can transform into complete humans. At this time, it is difficult to distinguish them from ordinary humans with the naked eye, so special attention is required. However, they cannot maintain the human form for more than 3 hours, and they return to their original form when wet.

They can speak human languages, but they are unintelligent and very violent.

The main attack type is enchantment. They sing with a beautiful voice, and hearing this song confuses the mind and causes hallucinations.

Some believe that the song itself is an illusion.

They can create and attack with specific sound waves.

They can create and attack with specific sound waves.

I took a long, deep breath. You never know when you’ll need what you’ve learned. I never thought that the monster encyclopedia I had to memorize for the hunter certification exam would be helpful here.

The princess couldn’t be a mermaid. The sound waves she used earlier weren’t dangerous either. It was just a slight wave that would have only slightly heightened emotions if left alone. It’s like how listening to fast-paced songs makes you feel rushed, and listening to calm songs makes you feel relaxed.

But how does she have the abilities of a mermaid? Come to think of it, the Crown Prince’s charm is also a mermaid’s ability. Even though they are descendants of priests who served the Siren [a mythological creature], how can they, as humans, inherit the abilities of mermaids? There’s no way the divine power of a god who has been stripped of his divinity could still remain.

It was difficult to judge how far the princess could control sound waves, or whether she knew she was using her abilities.

“It seems like things have been roughly cleaned up, Elle. Are you hurt anywhere?”

While I was trying to shake off the complicated feelings, Ain Idris approached and asked. I stared blankly at his smiling face. Come to think of it, this guy was a wind spirit mage who could even distinguish people’s breathing. He couldn’t have failed to notice the sound waves the princess created, so what did he think?

“Is there something on my face?”

“No, I’m sorry for causing a commotion when I introduced you to such important people. I don’t know how to apologize to the princess because my actions interrupted her speech.”

“It’s alright, don’t worry. The princess won’t mind. She’s a very down-to-earth person.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Just meeting her, the princess seems like a good person. I was especially surprised by how nice her voice was.”

“Ah, Elle thought so too? Her voice is nice, but her articulation is especially good. Everyone has a unique sound pattern, and the princess’s is exceptional. People like that unknowingly lead the audience.”

So he knew. But he didn’t seem to take it very seriously. Well, I wouldn’t have been so wary if I hadn’t associated it with mermaids.

“What are you talking about that’s so interesting?”

At that moment, the group including the Crown Prince and Princess Anais approached. As the hall was somewhat cleaned up, the people who had scattered were gathering again. Ain Idris replied.

“We were actually talking about how nice the princess’s voice is.”

“Oh, me?”

The princess’s eyes widened. Naturally, people’s gazes focused on the princess.

“Oh, that’s right. Anais’s voice is really beautiful.”

“No matter how noisy it is, I can always hear the princess’s voice clearly.”

“Really? I’ve heard that compliment a lot since I was young. People say they feel compelled to listen to me when I speak.”

The princess’s face was purely happy. If she had used her abilities on purpose, she would have shown some wariness, but maybe she wasn’t aware of her abilities yet. I was carefully examining her expression when I felt a gaze from somewhere. Judging by the direction, I knew who it was. It was the Crown Prince.

As always, it wasn’t a gaze trying to provoke me. He was watching me because he knew I was observing the princess. It seemed that the older brother knew about the abilities that the person herself didn’t know.