Chapter 496 – Concert in the Deep Sea

“Mmm… Good morning.”

The next day. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in one of the rooms prepared in Aianos’s palace. The water had been drained here too… and the room was at a relatively comfortable temperature.

The bedding, with its smooth, silk-like texture, was quite comfortable to sleep in. The bedding was probably woven from water spider silk… Apparently, depending on the type of water spider and the processing method, properties like texture, moisture absorption, and heat retention could be altered for various purposes. What they all shared in common was probably their general resistance to getting wet. They also worked well with magic and were often treated as high-grade materials even on land.

There was no bed. We slept on futons spread out on the floor. With water providing buoyancy, even lying directly on the floor wouldn’t result in back pain upon waking in the morning.

However, considering times when the water might be drained, the bedding had just the right balance of softness and firmness… making for a rather pleasant wake-up.

“Yes. Good morning, Theodore.”

Claudia sat up on the bedding and stretched slightly. She wore a refreshed expression from the morning.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Better than you’d expect for being at the bottom of the sea.”

Saying that, Claudia smiled. Last night, after we finished various things and came to stay at the palace… I had properly replenished the magical power she used for the teleportation magic with circulating ki. She seemed to be in good spirits from the morning.

“Good morning.”

Grace also greeted me with a smile. Grace seemed to have woken up earlier, but perhaps because it was her turn to sleep beside me today, she had been taking it easy until I woke up.

“Yeah. Good morning.”

Still, Grace and Claudia might indeed be early risers. With the commotion of our interaction, everyone else seemed to be starting to wake up too.

“Good morning, Theodore-sama.”

“Good morning, Ashley.”

It was Ashley I bathed with last night. Somehow, the idea of a bath at the bottom of the sea felt a bit strange. Since we were originally heading west where there’s a lot of sea, we had prepared swimsuits… so Ashley and I had taken a relaxing bath together and practiced circulating ki, among other things.

Incidentally, Ashley had been getting new swimsuits made to match her body’s growth—ah, well. It’s not something I should dwell on deeply first thing in the morning.

I shook my head and switched my thoughts.

Anyway, because this is a place filled with water’s magical power, Ashley’s magical power is quite replenished. Consequently, she must properly perform circulating ki, which we took time for during the bath. From what I can see, she seems to be in good health.

Sleeping next to me, flanking me, were Grace and Rosemary… but regarding Rosemary, well, it ended up that I had been holding her hand while we slept. Rosemary, noticing this, casually let go of my hand, turned her face away, and cleared her throat, among other things.

As for Marlene, she was sleeping between Claudia and Rosemary, and was being tickled as Claudia stroked her bangs.

Overall… everyone seems to have woken up in good spirits, I’d say. Hmm.

“Mmm. It was delicious.”

Sheila had her eyes closed as if savoring the aftertaste of breakfast.

Breakfast was also full of seafood, and it seemed to be popular with Sheila as well. Being morning, the seasoning was lighter than last night’s dinner.

… I thought this yesterday too, but with the bath, the bedding being suited for when the water is drained, and so on, it feels strangely comfortable for land dwellers.

“I’m glad you like it? For us, it’s been a long time since we welcomed land dwellers, so we were a bit anxious.”

Queen Eldorene inquired.

“No, it’s quite comfortable.”

“Is that so? Then that’s what matters most. Actually, a queen a few generations ago took a land dweller as her spouse. Aianos’s palace was remodeled for that reason, so I thought it would be reasonably comfortable for land dwellers too.”

… I see. If that’s the reason, then many things make sense.

“Well… perhaps because the threshold became too low, there was also an era when various problems frequently occurred. Finding the right balance in that area is difficult, but if we are to formally establish diplomatic relations with a land country, we must properly prepare and announce it.”

“If living comfortably for both sides is difficult… it might be somewhat supplementable with magic tools, perhaps.”

“Magic tools, hmm.”

Queen Eldorene, upon hearing my words, put her hand to her chin and seemed to be pondering. Magic tools engraved with the Humanization Spell, magic tools for underwater breathing, or later, facilities for dietary aspects that can reduce costs further… various things can be considered.

Alternatively, at the stage of building a base, there’s also the method of designing it with mutual exchange in mind.

That said, such plans are a matter for the next stage, after resolving the incident related to the Sea King.

Now then. After finishing breakfast at the palace—as promised last night, we decided to head out to the district on the outskirts of the town where the Sirens are said to live.

Since they said they’d be happy if as many of us as possible came, it’s quite a large group for the visit.

Queen Eldorene and Rovisa’s group are coming too. Rovisa led the way as our guide.

To test the feel of the underwater combat equipment as well, we headed there by swimming above the town using magic tools for water current manipulation.

“Mmm. I can move quite freely.”

Sheila was already trying out underwater mobility with Marl’s Blessing. She used Shields at key points to execute turns, enabling remarkably swift movements. Irmhild, who originally used Levitation and Air Blast to fly through the air, also seemed to adapt to the underwater combat equipment quickly.

She’s already accustomed to three-dimensional movement, after all. There’s no part of the party members’ movements that gives cause for concern.

Perhaps inspired by this, Princess Stephania’s group, Sion’s group… and even Corulis’s group were swimming around happily.

“Ooh… This is quite enjoyable.”

Auria, using water current manipulation along with the power of water spirits, seemed able to swim at high speeds.

Well… thanks to the blessing, water resistance is reduced, creating a rather unique sensation. I can understand the feeling.

“Marl-san, is the magical power consumption alright?”

“I’m fine. For water spirits, this is a place where we can originally gain maximum power. Besides, there’s also replenishment through faith. But if it becomes prolonged, I’ll count on you then.”

Marl smiled and answered my question like that. So, magical power consumption is slow but exists, huh. It would be best to supplement and reinforce it with circulating ki as needed.

“Ah. I can see it now.”

Rovisa pointed toward the Sirens’ residential area.

It seems there’s a plaza even on the outskirts… and Sirens were already gathered there. Chairs were set up and decorated, so they probably plan to hold their thank-you event there.

As we approached the plaza, they seemed to have noticed us too, waving enthusiastically.

Waving back, we landed in the plaza, and immediately the Sirens gathered around us. Among them were Marion and Justia. Justia, it seems, stayed with Marion’s group last night and spent the night here.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Theodore.”

“Yes, good morning.”

I returned the morning greetings to Marion and Justia, who had greeted me.

“Oh! You all…”

“Welcome!”

The welcome was just as enthusiastic as yesterday. The Sirens, I’m told, are from several tribes gathered in Aianos, and you can see some distinctive features in the ornaments each tribe wears, or in their hair and scale colors.

“Thank you for inviting us today.”

“Not at all. This is our way of expressing thanks. Please, come this way.”

We were guided to the chairs set up in the plaza. The plaza was decorated with colorful shells, sea plants, and the like, and a special stage seemed to be prepared with water spider carpets laid out.

In that case… the Sirens will probably sing for us as a welcome greeting. It appears all the Sirens have gathered in the plaza, and while care is taken not to block the light streaming from above, some are also watching the plaza from above. Being able to appreciate it three-dimensionally is probably unique to being underwater.

“This is quite a welcome, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. A concert at the bottom of the sea—I never imagined it.”

Charlotte blinked her eyes, and Valentina smiled cheerfully.

The ducal family members go without saying. The Grand Duke also seemed slightly bewildered but looked forward to what was to come.

Soon, waiting for the Sirens to settle down, several individuals who appeared to be tribal chiefs, including Marion, bowed on the stage, and loud applause erupted.

“I believe many of you have already heard, but the daughter who went missing from Marion’s village returned safely the other day. She—Justia—apparently had a forced summoning magic cast on her due to a Demon’s scheme.”

“And it was the land dwellers who rescued her and have been protecting my sister up until today. Once again, I wish to express our gratitude for our land friends’ warm feelings and immeasurable kindness.”

As Marion took over the speech, cheers and applause erupted again. Waiting for it to subside, another person spoke.

“Today… though modest, we wish to convey our gratitude and have prepared this event. We are truly honored to have Her Majesty the Queen in attendance as well.”

“Hearing our songs and having you enjoy them is a joy for us. Saying this might make it seem like only we are benefiting, but we will sing with all our heart, hoping it becomes an enjoyable time for our guests. Please forgive our poor performance.”

Saying this, the Siren tribal chiefs bowed their heads in unison. When we returned the applause, the tribal chiefs raised their heads with happy expressions.

First… it seems the tribal chiefs on the stage will perform songs and music as representatives. There might be larger choruses as the program progresses.

Plucking a harp strung with water spider silk, a clear singing voice resonated around us. It was a beautiful voice, perfectly described as transparent, and a gentle melody.

Marion’s voice overlapped with it, and then one more, and another, voices layered upon each other. It wasn’t a Cursed Song or Cursed Melody… but the overlapping voices and harp tones intertwined complexly, seeming to spread boundlessly… giving a truly mystical impression. The level of coordination and perfection here really makes you think, “That’s the Sirens for you.”

After the first song ended, the next one was a lively tune in contrast. The Sirens on stage swam and sang as if dancing. They let the colorful thin cloths attached to their sleeves flutter in the water, dancing.

Furthermore, there was a chorus by Siren children. There was a rich variety, including three-dimensionally interwoven rounds. The three-dimensional sound from the Sirens surrounding us was quite surprising.

Perhaps knowing some songs from hearing them from Justia, Irmhild, Dominique, and Cyrille were also happily humming along. Sheila and Seraphina were also moving to the rhythm.

Since many of the tunes were bright and cheerful, the atmosphere allowed for clapping along. So, when we sent claps their way, the Sirens also sang, played, and danced happily.

I had wondered what an event by the Sirens would be like… but it was such a joyful, harmonious affair. Yeah. Things are probably going to get a bit busy from now on, but before that, I feel like I’ve managed to recharge my spirits in various ways.