A hidden meeting room in the Underwater Kingdom.
While Nina was on her way to the Underwater Kingdom, the elders of the kingdom had gathered in the meeting room to simulate a specific topic.
All participants at the meeting were engaging in conversation with serious expressions.
At first glance, it seemed they were worried about a monster invasion, but the reality was different.
“Princess Meridin is determined to bring humans, or so they say. Two of them, no less!”
“Two? Wasn’t she just supposed to bring the saint mentioned in the prophecy?”
“According to reports, it’s the saint and her guardian. The saint insisted on bringing her guardian along.”
“Ha…! I can hardly contain my sighs. How have we, the proud ones, ended up worrying about human beings?”
“It’s bitter, but if there is even a trace of power that can truly repel the Behemoth, we should take the human with us.”
“The important point is what happens to the human after we drive away the Behemoth, right?”
“Indeed, since Princess Meridin abused her authority to bring the human, the decision on what to do with them will be in our hands!”
With the entire kingdom in a state of emergency due to the Behemoth, the elders were paying more attention to the visit from humans.
From the elders’ perspective, humans were seen as a bigger problem than the sea monster disaster.
It was clear they were already plotting to dispose of the human who had come to help them.
The rotten side of the kingdom was fully on display.
“Those humans probably thought they’d get something by helping us, but they are sorely mistaken!”
“There won’t be any left behind, we’ll take care of that. My pet shark could use a good meal after a long time!”
“Could you share a little with me too? My grandchild has been clamoring to observe land creatures.”
“Solving the Behemoth and the human problem at the same time! Would the people even know that we are the ones maintaining the kingdom’s peace?”
“Even if the people don’t know, that’s fine. If we etch our efforts into the stone of history, our hard work will forever be remembered by our descendants.”
“Ha ha ha! Just imagining it sends shivers down my spine!”
The elders began to laugh and chat as if the situation was already over.
This was in stark contrast to the busy mermaids moving outside the meeting room.
“Don’t worry, the mermaids will not forget your sacrifices.”
At the sound of the voice coming from the ceiling, the elders, who had been laughing heartily, looked up in unison.
An illuminated chandelier made of glowing stones shone brightly above.
Perched on it was Daniel, leisurely waving his hand with two legs dangling down.
The very human that the elders detested.
“H- human?!”
“There was no one here just a moment ago!”
“How is it that a human can breathe freely in the Underwater Kingdom?”
“There’s always a way.”
Daniel jumped down from the chandelier.
Normally, he should have fallen slowly due to the reduced gravitational effects of water.
However, Daniel fell straight down, and an upward current made his hair float momentarily.
Despite not having gills, he breathed as if he were on land.
“This is nonsense! How is this possible?”
“That’s what I wanted to know! What’s going on in your heads that you’re already planning to screw over your benefactor?”
“You! How rude! Do you even know who we are?!”
“The rude ones are you! Just a bunch of old fogies who can’t die nicely because they’ve stuffed their faces too long!”
At Daniel’s outburst, the faces of the elders turned beet red, with some veins popping out.
The oldest elder was struggling to breathe properly due to rage, his gills twitching from the strain.
Nearby elders quickly helped him, expressing their anger toward Daniel.
“Calm down and take a deep breath!”
“Hoo…! Hoo…!”
“Good!”
“What? You almost died because of me? Well, it’s true you’ve lived too long!”
“Shut up! What are the guards doing? Get out here and capture this blasphemous creature!”
The mermaid who had been assisting the oldest elder shouted.
However, the surroundings remained quiet; no other mermaids appeared aside from the elders.
“Guards?”
“Ha ha ha! By the looks of things, it seems the guards didn’t even realize they vanished? Well, what would those old coots know, thinking only of their own safety?”
“I’ll make sure you don’t leave here alive!”
Judging that hand-to-hand combat was hopeless, the elders began to prepare shamanism.
While magic used mana to create mystical phenomena, shamanism allowed control over natural phenomena.
Mermaids, living underwater, could manipulate water, causing waves or forming water into tridents.
‘Not as impressive as I thought.’
This was Daniel’s first time witnessing shamanism, yet his reaction was utterly unimpressed.
It was undeniable that a mermaid under the sea was not to be underestimated.
However, the environment held no meaning before Daniel, who lifted his hand.
Snap!
With the sound of a finger snap, all the seawater in the meeting room vanished.
Naturally, the water-manipulating shamanism also disappeared, causing the elders to fall flat on the floor.
Even without water, mermaids could breathe, but their movement was restricted compared to humans.
Their lower halves were fish-like, after all.
“Are we done here?”
“He erased all the water?! This is nothing short of a divine miracle!”
“Don’t be deceived! This is nothing but the wicked sorcery of a human!”
The mermaid who had spoken so bravely was now shaking in fear.
The human right before them was something beyond common sense.
While their reasoning screamed not to believe it, their bodies were responding with undeniable fear.
“Interpret it however you like. But that won’t change the tasks given to you from now on.”
“What do you intend to have us do?”
“That guy is planning to sell us out!”
“So the rumors of humans capturing and selling mermaids are true!”
“Ugh! He probably intends to treat us brutally, like some vile commodity!”
Daniel’s expression grew increasingly sour as he listened to the elder mermaids’ reactions.
His face contorted as if he had encountered filth, with goosebumps rising on his skin.
“Have you all lost your minds? No matter how rare the mermaids are, there are no perverts who would use you as toys.”
Well, maybe it can’t be completely ruled out?
Daniel had seen all kinds of people with various possibilities through the internet of the world he had possessed, so he couldn’t be certain.
But it was certain that someone who would find pleasure in an old mermaid was far from normal.
“Anyways, the task I will impose on you is nothing like that. So get your lowly delusions out of your heads.”
“If that’s the case, you’re planning something inhumane with us! After all, there were precedents of humans slaughtering our kind for our blood and flesh to make their immortality potions!”
“There are such legends here too. But then again, in a fantasy world where mermaids exist, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were legends like that.”
“What nonsense are you on about?”
“Just my musings, so don’t worry about it.”
Daniel cleared his throat and dragged one of the chairs where the elders had been sitting.
He pulled it over to him and plopped down in it.
Crossing his legs, he looked down at the mermaids with a smug attitude.
“You all will confront the Behemoth head-on while it’s approaching the kingdom.”
“What?!”
“Ultimately, you were planning to kill us!”
“Why the fuss? You’re asking us to fight the Behemoth while you safely watch from behind?”
“That’s……!”
“You said you were proud, right? If you don’t want to be wary of humans, you must fight side by side.”
Daniel had been listening to their conversation ever since he entered the meeting.
This meant that none of them had noticed his presence while he was attentively hearing them.
And he recalled the words they had uttered during the meeting, throwing them right back at them without anyone being able to argue against it.
“Why were you trying to distort the truth after asking us for help? And then planning to kill us after it was over? I can’t comprehend which part of your actions is supposed to be ‘prideful.’”
“…….”
“And that’s why I brought a method to elevate your pride. Fights alongside the frontline! How cool is that?”
“Unfortunately, our frail bodies cannot inflict any injuries on the Behemoth. What you’re saying is akin to asking us to commit suicide.”
“Even attempting to fight a battle for which you don’t stand a chance would only tarnish your reputation. Dying pointlessly is far from dignified.”
“So, if we had bodies capable of enduring a fight against the Behemoth, we would be willing to do so?”
Daniel grinned as if he had been waiting for that reaction.
The elders facing his smile recoiled in surprise and were engulfed in fear.
Deep down, they knew they were wicked, but the evil they faced was of an entirely different caliber.
His laughter was filled with madness as Daniel pulled out five vials.
“Don’t worry, I’ll turn you into monsters to rival the Behemoth!”
The elders realized.
Daniel was an unfathomable dark figure and pure evil.
Lmao everyone is a villain till the real villain walks in.
But tbh, except the author describing mc has evil or scarier than them he actually isn’t.
He’s giving them a safe potion and chance at a dignified death, it’s far from the evils they planned fr him