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C190: THE MERMAID GIRLS’ DAYS
“…!”
“…?!”
I spy two people staring at each other.
It’s Letasreit, the former princess of the Human Kingdom, and Angel, the second princess of the Mermaid Kingdom.
They’re exchanging wary looks as if evaluating one another.
They continue their intense staring contest while maintaining a considerable distance, and after putting their hands up in the air like birds puffing up their feathers in intimidation…
“GIRLFRIENDS!”
They hug each other.
What’s going on?
“I sense some sort of sympathy with you! Like some innate nobility!”
“I know! I feel like you’re the chosen one, just like me!!!”
They’re in harmony.
Well, both of them were born princesses.
They’re relatively new here on the farm, so I hope they’ll get along nicely.
“But above all, what I feel we have in common the most is…”
“Hatred for that demonic sister!!!”
Ah…
They’ve lost it.
“You’re another victim of that demonic mermaid’s torment, aren’t you?!”
“And so are you! I feel like I’ve finally found an ally I’m profoundly compatible with! A kindred spirit who will stand up against that demonic sister’s violence and irrationality with me!!!”
“Kindred spirit!”
“Kindred spirit!!!”
Whack!
Platy appears out of nowhere, her right fist on Letasreit and her left fist on Angel.
Each of them took a hit to the abdomen… or more precisely, the solar plexus.
“BLEWAHRGH!”
The kindred spirits let out a nasty shriek, totally not ladylike, as they sink to the ground.
“Stop wasting time chatting and get to work!”
And then there’s Platy, composed and indifferent.
She’s also the princess of the Mermaid Kingdom and is Angel’s biological sister…
I couldn’t just stand by and watch so I interjected.
“Hey… Platy. I know you always do this but isn’t whacking your own sister a little too much?”
Though I know it’s too late for me to be asking that.
Still, isn’t it exactly because of your violent treatment that these two girls resent you so much?
“I’d like to do things gently, if possible, you know. Hitting them also hurts my hands.”
“Then don’t raise your hand at them for all the world!”
“No! More! Violence! No! More! Fists!”
Letasreit and Angel join in on the conversation to press Platy for an answer.
Truth be told, Platy interacts normally with the rest and doesn’t raise her hand at them when she scolds them, so why is she specifically strict when it comes to these two?
“You see… I used to be nicer. I had a phase when I believed that polite words and love are enough to get through them without ever resorting to corporal punishment.”
“Huh?”
“But at some point, I realized that such beliefs were nothing but an illusion… Because of Angel.”
“Oh.”
I get it.
I think I kind of get it now.
“Do you remember, Angel? When we were still in the Mermaid Palace, I told you over and over again not to enter my lab, but you never learned, snuck in and…”
“Ahhhh!!!”
Angel trembling means she must have remembered something.
“You touched something you shouldn’t have and that completely destroyed my lab. A lot of my research was lost, and some of it still hasn’t been fully recovered till today!”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!!!”
“Anyway, since then, I’ve realized that there are some things in this world that can only be communicated through fists. Similarly, I saw Letasreit in the same light, so I took the same action without question.”
“Hey! Wait a minute!!!” breaks Letasreit into the conversation. “Are you saying the reason why I get beaten up by you day and night is because of her?!”
She points at Angel.
“What are you talking about? It’s your fault and no one else’s that you get beaten up! Don’t you dare shift the blame on me!!!”
“Nuh-uh! The reason why the demonic mermaid became rougher with people is because of you! If it weren’t for you and what you did, I bet she would’ve been much nicer to me!”
“That’s not true! I’m her biological sister! She’s supposed to be nice to her blood relative!!!”
“No, me!”
“No, me!!!”
A catfight burst into the scene.
Wherever did their heart-to-heart kindred spirit bonding go?
“Aren’t you going to stop them, Platy?”
“…There are times when even I can’t keep up with them,” she says, visibly exhausted.
“SIS! SIS!!!”
The two who were in the middle of their argument came rushing toward Platy.
But why is Letasreit also referring to her as “Sis”?
“Sis, I’m more adorable, right? I’m your own sister, after all! Blood is always thicker than water!!!”
“No! I’m the more adorable one! With how much of a handful I am, she’s bound to get attached to me!”
“You’re seriously saying that about yourself?!”
Before we even realized it, it had become a contest to see who could win Platy’s affection more.
“I love Sis more than you do!”
“Nope, I love Sis more than you do!”
And then it shifted to who loves her more.
Easily losing sight of their reality is the common point that connects them.
“I love you, Sis!”
“I love you, Sis!”
“I LOVE YOU, SIS!!!”
Clearly, their resonance is cornering Platy more and more.
“Ahhhh! Fine! Fine already, so stop clinging to me!!! I love you too! There! Now get away from me and stop fondling my breasts persistentlyyy!”
Platy sure has it rough.
Five mermaid girls starting with Angel, Platy’s younger sister, who is the self-proclaimed (and only self-proclaimed) Witch of the Holy Light, Discus, Veiltail, Heckerlii, and Batrachus have newly joined our farm just a few days ago.
They are under the actual witches’ care who they look up to as big sisters and are studying diligently day by day.
The main reason why the five of them are staying here at the farm is that they can’t go back to the sea due to the side effects of the defective humanizing potion they made.
It would take quite a while for its side effects to wear off, and until then, they have nowhere else to stay but our farm.
Since they’re still of schooling age, I asked Hendra to take care of the necessary arrangements.
Also, Hendra is no longer visiting our farm mainly as Prince Arowana’s substitute, but to flirt with Lampeye.
“Some of Princess Angel’s friends are enrolled in famous magic schools and come from aristocratic families in the Mermaid Kingdom, so it’s quite difficult to get their consent…”
“Their parents must be very worried…”
“I was hoping that mentioning Princess Platy and the other witches’ names would put their minds at ease. After all, the Six Witches are the best mages in the Mermaid Kingdom. To be able to learn directly from them provides a more enriching learning environment than sending them to any leading school.”
Now that he mentions it, he’s right.
For full-time students like Angel and her friends, following the Six Witches, the top professionals, and watching them at work is the best extra-curricular lesson they could get.
If we can persuade their parents in that regard, won’t they approve quite easily?
“You see, that’s that thing…” says Hendra hesitantly. “They were worried their daughters would turn into delinquents if they let the Six Witches teach them!”
No doubt.
Our witches are the worst of the worst in terms of their decorum, even if they get double the gold star for their abilities!
“I managed to get things under control with the help of His Majesty. To think that the Six Witches lacked social trust to this extent… Utterly shocking!”
Hendra also seems devastated by the situation now that he’s engaged to one of the Six Witches.
“That’s not true!” interrupts one of the mermaid girls in question.
It was Discus, one of Puffer’s helpers.
“I’m happy enough to be here! It’s a dream come true to be able to learn about magic potions under my long-admired Master Puffer!”
“Me too!” “Me three!” “Me four!”
The other girls followed suit and chimed in.
This Puffer you’re admiring pressed the job of doing basic fermentation to you so she could be lovey-dovey with Prince Arowana on his journey, though.
“I’m sure Master Puffer is secretly preparing for a new evil plan!”
“A plot that will turn the world upside down!”
“We’ve got to keep up the good work so that we can be of help to her!
“Yeah!”
Seeing them encourage each other with their pure souls is making my heart ache.
If Puffer is doing anything wicked right now, it’s her taking advantage of these girls’ innocence to flirt with a guy.
“Well, I’m just happy you’re all motivated to study under the Six Witches.”
“Not all of them are here, though.”
Shut your trap, Hendra.
“Now, it won’t be that hard, right?” says one of the girls.
What’s with the suggestive tone?
“Only the Witch of the Abyss and the Witch of Darkness are left to complete the Six Witches here.”
“These two are said to be particularly extraordinary among the group! The world will really turn upside down if they’re also present!”
“No, wait!”
“Claims on the Witch of Darkness’ existence are quite dubious right now, but the Witch of the Abyss might exist!”
“THIS IS LORD SAINT’S FARM, AFTER ALL!!!”
The girls laugh merrily with one another.
Wait.
Did they casually hint at a character flag?
But just when I was about to warn them…
Duuuuuuun.
We heard an earth tremor-like sound from somewhere.
Duuun, duuuun, duuuuuun, duuuuuuuuuun!
It was getting closer and closer to us.
“Where is this sound coming from?”
“I think it’s from underwater!”
As if lured by the sound, I rushed to the shore and saw a giant rising from the sea with a huge splash.
“A giant?!”
Why is a giant coming out of the sea?!
Moreover, I could see someone petite sitting on its shoulders.
It’s Zoth Syra, the Witch of the Abyss!
She’s already here to retrieve her character flag!
“Orkubo, where’s Orkubo? I, Zoth Syra, the Witch of the Abyss, have come to hang out!”
“T-T-THE WITCH OF THE A-ABYSS?!”
The girls who also happen to be present have their knees giving way.
“Woahhh! Not only Master Puffer and Princess Platy but the oldest of the Six Witches, the Witch of the Abyss, is also here!!!”
“What the hell is going onnn?!”
Yup.
Sorry for overstepping commonsense bounds.
I’d like to ask one question now that we’ve gotten general formalities out of the way.
Zoth Syra.
What is that giant with you?
“It’s my latest creation—a genetically engineered sea monster that can move on land. I thought I’d show it to Orkubo today. Oh, Orkubo! Where are you, Orkubo?”
Isn’t that pretty dangerous?!
Please spare us! You could destroy the world with your small slipup!!!