Mermaid, Captured.

「A mermaid was caught aboard a fishing boat during operations?!」

「Fishermen suffered severe injuries to their eardrums from the mermaid’s voice. Fortunately, it is said that no one died.」

「The appearance of a new marine monster? However, its upper body has the form of a beautiful woman. Its appearance, no different at all from a human, is truly astonishing.」

「Mermaid, how should this female individual be treated? Does she truly possess intelligence? If she does, how should she be treated going forward?」

「The captured mermaid is currently being confined at the Marine Research Institute located in the capital, Pullea. It is said that nothing has yet been confirmed as to when she will be shown to the public.」

The news that arrived not long after the new year began was something that drew quite a lot of public interest. In particular, the fact that the subject was female and had a considerably beautiful appearance could be said to be what stirred the interest of many people.

In truth, once photographs showing the mermaid’s appearance appeared in newspapers, people could only be astonished.

Aside from her soft, floppy ears, sharp teeth, and fairly large round pupils, her upper body truly looked no different from a human woman. Everyone had to wonder whether a mermaid with such an appearance should be treated as an intelligent being.

Since there was no clear answer for the moment, people could only look at the photographs and say all sorts of things. What was certain was that the first topic of interest this year had gathered entirely around the existence known as a mermaid.

The nobles of capital were not people who would miss such an opportunity. They began releasing all sorts of products related to mermaids. Fairy-tale books, toys, mermaid-shaped snacks, and so on. Anything that could make money was coming out in various forms. There were even people who acted quickly and filed patents for such products in the middle of all this.

The mermaid, who had become such an important subject of interest, was currently located in a marine research facility situated on the outskirts of the capital. She was in a cage originally meant to confine dangerous marine creatures, and inside that place was the mermaid, continuously moving her fish-shaped lower body as she swam around inside the enclosure.

“She certainly looks like a mermaid when seen like that.”

“That is correct. She is definitely a mermaid that would have appeared in the Age of Myths.”

Ian had visited this Marine Research Institute. Since the existence known as a mermaid had recently been so noisy and attracted so much attention, he had grown curious and ended up visiting this place. Meanwhile, while listening to the words of the institute director, who had a fairly tense expression, Ian observed the mermaid swimming around underwater and spoke.

“Did she truly have no intelligence?”

“Unfortunately, it seems that conversation itself does not work.”

“It seems the stories from fairy tales were complete lies.”

“Pardon? Fairy tales?”

“There is a fairy-tale book about a mermaid falling in love with a prince.”

“Are fairy-tale books like that coming out these days? Well, looking at the newspapers, it does seem that all sorts of products are coming out. In any case, if it is that kind of fairy-tale story, then it has no credibility at all.”

Ian nodded as if the Marine Research Institute director’s realistic words were correct. Meanwhile, he was able to see the mermaid, who had been swimming underwater, look up above the water as if she had sensed the presence of many people.

Only when she suddenly thrust her face above the water could he finally confirm her face. She certainly resembled a person. She was a mermaid with the appearance of a beautiful woman one might have seen somewhere, and those around her were watching as if in admiration. To everyone, the mermaid was a mysterious being.

“Your Majesty, please do not be startled…”

Kiaaaaah-!

For an instant, the mermaid showed her sharp teeth and screamed. At that sight, everyone had no choice but to flinch. However, there was no change. At this, the Marine Research Institute director pointed to certain devices placed nearby as if there was no need to worry at all and spoke.

“The mermaid can generate sound waves that torment a person’s mind. They say the fishermen who first captured the mermaid suffered severe damage to their eardrums because of this. Some are said to have permanently lost proper hearing in one ear. For that reason, we commissioned in advance and installed devices that cancel out the sound waves.”

Certainly, despite the quite sharp scream, he merely thought it was noisy and did not feel any pain. As the institute director had said, it seemed there were devices that blocked certain sound waves. They were probably devices imbued with magical power.

‘Come to think of it, it is fortunate that a conclusion was reached.’

Wizard Kreba and Wizard Delko had both coveted Sara, and amid fierce competition, the situation had been heading toward no answer. Ian, who could no longer watch, stepped in and said that both of them should teach Sara, and a conclusion was quickly reached.

Sara ended up having the two wizards as her teachers. In truth, this was something that originally should not have been possible. How could a master-disciple relationship involve two masters? However, Ian sensed that both of them had the firm determination not to back down, and amid that, he decided to think differently because the world was already in a reality where the existence known as wizards was going extinct.

Thus, through joint education, they agreed to transmit all the knowledge each of them possessed to Sara. Currently, Sara continued to stay at the royal palace. In truth, since the two wizards were her teachers, it was judged better for the two masters to visit the royal palace rather than have Sara go here and there, and as a result, the two wizards suddenly became visiting instructors.

‘My thoughts suddenly drifted elsewhere.’

While looking at the mermaid, his thoughts had shifted to Sara’s story. Thinking that he should focus on this place for now, Ian looked at the mermaid, who had slipped back into the water, and spoke.

“Is that female mermaid’s existence dangerous?”

“She is dangerous if exposed to ordinary people as she is. If she emits high-frequency sounds, most people would have no choice but to feel tremendous pain.”

“If something like that suddenly appeared on the coast and attacked people, it would certainly be dangerous.”

“That is correct. Since she is hostile to humans, it seems people would inevitably be exposed to danger in many ways.”

“Have you not found any method to prevent it yet?”

“Well, not much has been researched yet in terms of time.”

“Well, it has only been two weeks since the mermaid was caught, so there probably has not been much to discover.”

“My apologies. We will work harder to learn about the mermaid.”

“Take it slowly. It seems I am rushing you too much.”

Though he said this, it was obvious that to the Marine Research Institute director, it would sound like an order to hurry up and produce research results. Ian knew this attitude, but decided not to say anything more. He knew that no matter what he said, it would not be taken at face value.

“By the way, can you not put clothes on the mermaid?”

“Ah, clothes?”

“She does look quite embarrassing.”

“We also initially intended to dress her for that reason, but we were attacked instead and gave up. From the mermaid’s perspective, it likely only looks like we are trying to restrain her body.”

“That may be the case. In any case, keep up the good work. Do not worry about the research budget.”

“T-thank you.”

While giving words of encouragement to the Marine Research Institute director, he immediately left the place where the mermaid’s enclosure was located. If they had at least been able to communicate, there would have been more things to confirm, but since even that was impossible, there was nothing more to see. Still, he felt satisfied that he had confirmed the mermaid with his own two eyes.

‘A mermaid, huh. There must surely be more mermaids somewhere in the sea, having established a habitat there, right?’

As those things that must have appeared from some ruin settled on the seafloor and began to properly show their presence, he could not help but feel the changing environment of the sea. Kraken, mermaid. What would be next?

‘For now, I should tell them to prepare countermeasures against mermaids.’

Around the time February arrived, the existence of mermaids also began to be revealed in earnest in foreign seas. Various reactions appeared. Some people tried to capture them alive unconditionally because they were worth money, while others fired their guns recklessly first because they considered them ominous beings.

Feelings toward mermaids were complicated for the time being. If various damages occurred, then perhaps the existence known as mermaids might come to be accepted as a threatening existence to humans and change into beings that had to be killed on sight.

Amid this reality, the mana stones that had finally been purchased were brought into the kingdom. The intelligence agencies of each country were already aware of this fact. Why exactly had they purchased mana stones? For what purpose? Why were both of the two wizards belonging to the Polia Kingdom visiting the royal palace every day in turns?

The intelligence agencies of each country were currently feeling suspicious about these facts. They thought that perhaps some enormous project they could not have anticipated was underway. They were moving actively to find out, but under still-thorough security, they could not learn anything at all and had no choice but to remain full of questions.

Amid this situation, the mana stones entered the royal palace, and these mana stones immediately prepared to be applied to Sara under the control of the two wizards. Through these mana stones, Sara would come to sense mana from now on. At the same time, she would create something called a mana circle.

Thus, preparations were made for the birth of another wizard, and in the middle of this, all troops who had participated in the subjugation operation carried out on the Colonial Continent finally returned safely. This effectively marked its official end.

Of course, it was certain that there had been many deaths as a result. Although compared to the Great War, it was an adorable level, the result had still emerged in which more than ten thousand soldiers died because battles had taken place.

However, no one criticized or resented King Ian because of this fact. As the results already showed, there were massive rewards achieved through the pacification of the colonies. The Polia Kingdom gained many things.

Rights to reconstruction projects in various countries, experience in large-scale warfare, and even the nation’s prestige rose. Meanwhile, consolation money and support measures for the dead and injured soldiers were also being carried out little by little. At the very least, it did not end with those who participated in the war gaining nothing.

Thus, a grand festival was held for the returning soldiers. It was directly hosted by the royal family and was a national-scale festival containing the meaning of celebration for the soldiers who had participated. The festival proceeded with many people laughing, chatting, drinking, and eating, and it was only natural that the participating soldiers and their families were also delighted.

The Polia Kingdom was a country where the perception and treatment of soldiers, and even compensation money, were not bad. As a result, soldiers were no longer merely frightening and bad beings to the people, and it made them perceive soldiers as people doing honorable work.

Naturally, because of this situation, the loyalty that soldiers felt toward the king had to be extremely high. Along with the absolute loyalty of the military leadership and the loyalty continuing below, it showed how firm the rights and power held by the king were.

In this way, as his enthronement reached its tenth year, Ian still maintained absolute power as king.

Meanwhile, in the Polia Kingdom, inside the king’s office in the royal palace.

Sarak, Ian’s expression as he turned over the documents was currently slightly stiff. Naturally, the expression of Viscount Rubingston, who had presented the report, was also hardened. In the atmosphere of the office that had grown quiet for a while, Ian, who had soon finished reading the documents, took his eyes off them and spoke quietly.

“So. Are you saying that products similar to our main antibiotic Melan and cosmetic Ibla are currently being distributed on the market?”

“That is correct.”

“They have completely lost their minds.”

It was something that made the words “lost their minds” come out naturally. All the goblins they collected could be said to be made from the ones brought from Goblin Island located in the Marin Archipelago. The problem was that others seemed to have made these products by using goblins.

He was not saying this simply because their profits had greatly decreased.

“Did they use human women?”

“It seems that we can only think so. And considering the quantity currently being distributed, we estimate that the number of women mobilized must be at least several hundred. There must certainly be a gestation facility somewhere.”

That was right. Goblins could be said to have no females. That was why they could only capture them through Goblin Island and obtain raw materials. The problem was that, considering what was currently being distributed, they were mobilizing quite a lot of human women, impregnating them, and having them give birth to goblins.

“In the end, a day like this has come.”

He had already thought for a long time that something like this might happen, but he had not thought it would be this year. Inwardly, he could only think that there was not a single year that passed easily. If this matter was properly exposed, most countries would likely issue statements of condemnation.

In truth, leaving aside all other problems, this matter contained an ethical problem. It was very likely that all sorts of groups would latch onto this matter and keep attacking it. In fact, the reason products using goblins had not appeared until now was precisely because it was obvious that such criticism would follow, so no one had stepped forward.

‘Unlike us, who have the justification of Goblin Island, the other party can only end up in a position where they must receive condemnation.’

Naturally, since this was also connected to their profits, he was thinking of clinging to it until the end. Things like weapon payments and reconstruction costs were money that would end someday, but the two products they were currently exporting were literally important products that would keep this country prosperous even fifty years from now.

“They are currently selling them at a lower price than our products, correct?”

“Yes, they are putting them on the market at a price roughly 10% discounted.”

“Then we will have to put out our products at a price lowered by 20% for a while.”

“You mean to compete with them on price?”

“That is right. If we do that, what will they do? With pressure crashing down from outside and prices lowered as well, they will have no choice but to suffer losses. If they lower them further, we will lower ours further too.”

“That seems like a truly good method. If similar methods appear in the future, we can win the competition in this way.”

“Unless others have an island where goblins appear endlessly, they cannot beat us.”

At Ian’s confident words, Viscount Rubingston thought that His Majesty was impressive as expected. Thus, the buzz increased surrounding the antibiotic “Melan” and the cosmetic “Ibla,” which had come out in 1915. The products became even more massive hits, and things continued to sail smoothly.