Chapter 22
“We don’t hate the children of humans. We love peace and songs.”
Anschel wanted to shout, asking why they had sunk that large, massive cruise ship and killed so many people on board that day if they loved peace so much.
Alcita Maxim, the Peace Committee Chairperson, advocated for peace with merpeople, true to the name of the organization he created. By killing such a person, the merpeople had shown they didn’t desire peace with humans.
“I came here to fulfill my friend’s last wish. I didn’t come to fight with you children of humans.”
Ann smiled very kindly and cheerfully. He took out a large shell and tapped it lightly twice with his finger. Surprisingly, the shell’s mouth opened wide, revealing appetizing shellfish meat.
Gulp. Ryan, who loved seafood, swallowed his saliva inappropriately for the serious atmosphere.
“Looks delicious…”
Harriet felt the same way. Ender immediately responded to Harriet’s words as he sat there blankly.
“I’ll prepare it steamed right away.”
“No~. This is not for eating.”
“……”
Now Ender glared at the merman prince before him as if he wanted to tear him apart. Harriet blinked a few times and shook his head.
“Not a big one like that, a small one.”
“I will buy every shell there is from town right now, Sunbae.”
“Thank you, Ender.”
Harriet whispered with a small smile. Listening to their carefree conversation in their own little world felt draining. Anschel shook his head, thinking he shouldn’t get swept up in this atmosphere, and kept his gun aimed at the merman.
Despite having a gun pointed at his head, Ann paid no attention and took something out from between the shells. It was a transparent glass bottle. Inside the tightly sealed bottle was a rolled-up piece of paper.
“My friend asked me to deliver this to someone.”
Then the merman handed the paper to Harriet. Not knowing why he had been chosen among the people here, Harriet blankly received the paper.
His eyes widened as he unfolded and read it. Ender glanced at the letter’s contents from the side and frowned.
“…Happy birthday, Harriet.”
“……”
“Alcita’s handwriting…”
Harriet mumbled as he looked at the writing on the paper. Anschel’s eyes widened.
“Were you acquainted with Alcita Maxim?”
“Hmm… he was my sponsor.”
He was the one who had given Harriet the staff embedded with a red jewel. Although the body of the staff was gradually changing as Harriet grew, the red jewel that Alcita had given as a gift remained the same.
“He said a cute boy with beautiful blonde hair and green eyes.”
Although Harriet’s pale white eyes no longer had even a speck of green, the Northern Sea merman Ann spoke as if singing.
“I can tell.”
Alcita had always told Harriet that if he wanted to escape from the military, he should run away and do what he wanted to do. Why had the merman Ann brought Alcita’s letter all the way here? Why did he call him a friend? Harriet looked up.
This was undoubtedly Alcita Maxim’s handwriting.
“You’re not a merman…”
Harriet mumbled with an expressionless face. The merman quietly listened to Harriet’s words.
Alcita had told young Harriet that after the sea crossing, he would make a peace treaty with the merpeople so that his father couldn’t touch them. While stroking Harriet’s golden hair. He promised to give him a world where Harriet could live peacefully.
“That’s impossible! Pictures of merpeople attacking ships were reported in the media! I also—”
Anschel shouted and slammed the table with a bang! Ender could be seen frowning and steadying Harriet’s teacup. How much had Anschel begged for his parents to be saved while watching the news… Finally, unable to contain his anger, Anschel breathed in and out roughly.
“We were only able to save Alcita. But even he couldn’t hold on for long.”
Merman Ann now took something out from his shabby clothing. It was special paper made by an ability user that wouldn’t burn or get wet. On it was a title that read “Peace Treaty” in large letters, with Alcita Maxim’s signature engraved at the very bottom.
“If we pass through this sea safely, father won’t be able to wage war on the grounds that merpeople are violent.”
Merpeople loved peace and enjoyed singing. Merpeople who had been singing and spinning around with dolphins came to the surface. But far away, a huge ship was intruding into the merpeople’s territory.
The merpeople were perplexed but made way for the ship to pass safely. Someone’s child, a beloved son, children of humans! The merpeople waved goodbye to all these equally loved children.
But something unexpected happened. The ship passing through the merpeople began to sink gradually. The merpeople whispered as they watched the ship sink at an incredibly fast pace.
“A human child is falling into the sea right now?”
“Human parents are asking us to save their child.”
“We must save the human child.”
The merpeople who had been whispering among themselves all appeared on the surface. When all the merpeople, even those resting in the deep sea, came out, a beautiful bridge of blue waves was formed.
They sang as they lifted up the sinking ship. As the merpeople continued to gather and the lifted ship moved slightly, countless bombs fell toward the ship.
“The merpeople were trying to save the ship.”
Harriet blinked his white eyelashes as he read and reread Alcita Maxim’s letter.
– I will reclaim the sea, drive out the ruthless merpeople, and end this tragic war.
Dante Maxim’s ambitious voice echoed quietly through the dark, narrow rural military base.
“Are you sure it’s Alcita’s letter?”
“Yeah… from my birthday, to the gift he promised to give me… to the place we were supposed to meet, everything matches.”
Harriet spent his childhood in an orphanage. The orphanage director told him that though they didn’t know who Harriet’s birth parents were, they must have been precious and beautiful people.
Fortunately, Harriet was able to grow up in a military-run orphanage. Compared to civilian-run facilities, the treatment was quite good. The volunteers were also kind people to the young children.
In the year Harriet turned eight, before entering the military academy, Alcita Maxim appeared as a sponsor. He was the one who complimented Harriet’s blonde hair and green eyes, and who also felt sorry when Harriet enlisted in the military at the age of ten.
He had always worried about Harriet, who lacked clear opinions from a young age.
“Do as you wish.”
Alcita always told him that. He was a calm and serene person, befitting his role as Peace Committee Chairperson. Occasionally, he would stroke Harriet’s head and tell him that if he disliked fighting, he could leave the military, making him realize that it wasn’t strange to prefer peace.
I see. Alcita was being used.
Harriet thought, lowering his eyebrows as if troubled.
“That’s impossible!!!”
Crash!
The intact table suddenly split in two and collapsed. Harriet raised his head while holding the letter. On the broken table, there were marks pressed by an invisible force.
A massive barrier began to form around Anschel. His pupils shook wildly. This was not his usual rational self. His glasses had already been knocked off and were rolling in a corner of the floor, and his neat 2:8 parted hair was disheveled.
A hazy film formed over his eyes. Anschel, with tears welling up in his eyes, looked as pitiful as an injured wild animal. An animal that bristles its fur and growls threateningly to defend itself.
Angela made a squeaking sound as she struggled on the sofa. As Anschel’s power increased, the barriers in the room began to thicken layer by layer.
“It’s hard to believe that this merman’s words are true in the first place! We need to take him to headquarters immediately!”
Anschel shouted as if screaming. His words had merit. The sea and land were at war, and since merpeople were intelligent beings, the suspicion of a trap was not unfounded.
Too much time had passed to simply accept, based solely on the merman’s words, that this letter was indeed from Alcita Maxim, that the president was actually behind everything, and that everything we humans had done was nothing more than massacre.
Moreover, Harriet was a military experiment because of it, Ender was a hero who had contributed greatly to repelling many merpeople in the war so far, and Anschel was blinded by revenge, hating and resenting merpeople. Most of the people here were both perpetrators and victims.
“When the Ellikiss ship carrying my parents sank! The only one who understood our feelings was the president!!”
Serves those idiots and their crew right for intruding into merpeople territory.
People’s words were so light and cruel. Many laughed and clicked their tongues, saying it was self-inflicted. Even in front of someone who had lost their family and was in despair!
The malicious whispers that filled young Anschel’s ears after losing his parents remained a thorn in his heart that wouldn’t come out. He knew that his parents had intruded into their territory. He knew, but…
“But!!! But!!! They shouldn’t have killed them!!”
Anschel shouted and panted. Then he turned his gaze toward Harriet, who was still holding Alcita’s letter with furrowed eyebrows as if troubled. Blood vessels stood out in Anschel’s eyes.
Angela and Ryan, who were sitting on the sofa, opened their eyes wide in shock. They had been spending an ordinary holiday when they suddenly became aware of the government’s enormous conspiracy, and they trembled.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
