Chapter 422

Even a typical monster would have lost its life long ago from such damage.

But Bernardt Poker was the commander of the Nightmare Legion.

Furthermore, befitting his 'ghost' category, he possessed the gimmick of being able to move for a few seconds even after receiving lethal damage.

"...Hehehehe."

Scattering his ethereal form like mist from his torn body, the head of the ghost pirate legion laughed wickedly.

"You've won, humans. ...But."

The next moment, Poker lost his form.

Abandoning his admiral's hat, coat, cannon, and sword, he became a mere wretched ghost and shot towards me.

Swoosh!

The ghost, scattering pieces of his ectoplasmic body, rushed at me. I looked at the monster indifferently.

"Since the odds are against me anyway, allow me this one last annoyance before flipping the board!"

As Poker laughed boisterously and stretched his ethereal arms towards me,

Thump!

Torkel crushed his final attack.

The [Goddess Blessed Mace] in Torkel's hand emitted a dazzling light as it shattered the phantom's last corporeal form.

Growling shortly at the remnants of the defeated enemy commander, I said,

"Get out of here, you bastard."

"Hahaha, well done, damn landlubbers..."

With a vanishing laugh of despair, Poker completely disintegrated.

"I'll be watching with great interest to see how long you humans can keep winning..."

As the immense hostility vanished, Torkel exhaled a long breath and slowly straightened up. I patted his back.

"Good job, Torkel."

"I just did what had to be done."

Simultaneously,

The dark clouds that had loomed in the sky began to disperse as if it were a lie. The pouring storm ceased, and soon, only the dazzling sunshine remained.

The wet southern plains sparkled brilliantly under the sunlight.

The post-rain scenery held a blinding clarity. For a moment, everyone on the ramparts was speechless, looking down at the landscape.

"Comrades!"

I was the first to snap out of it and shouted to the heroes around me.

"We have won-!"

As I raised my arm high, the heroes around me responded with cheers.

Then, I shouted to the soldiers below the ramparts.

"I declare it again! My people! We have won!"

Woah!

The soldiers cheered, throwing their helmets into the air.

For me, and for the heroes and soldiers alike,

I couldn't remember when was the last time I made a speech after a victorious battle.

I continued speaking without hiding the heat in my voice.

"Thanks to everyone's tireless training and preparation, day and night, we were able to repel the monsters in this defense battle without any losses!"

For the first time in the defense battles against the Nightmare Legion commander,

We were able to annihilate them without any casualties on our side.

There were various favorable situations for us, and luck played a part too.

But still, the fact that 'we fought very well' cannot be denied.

'Yes. We really did fight well.'

Just as I had grown mentally while fighting to find myself during the past six months,

During these six months, fighting battles without me... my heroes and soldiers had also grown.

"I promise you all."

After catching my breath,

I voiced the words I wanted to say to the people here.

"From now on, I will stand at the forefront, waving our flag!"

Some people looked puzzled, not understanding what I meant, while others were simply bewildered.

There were also those who, regardless of what I said, just kept cheering.

"I will uphold the banner of this monster frontline, which stands for saving people and killing monsters, until the very end."

I wondered how many among all these heroes and soldiers understood the true meaning of my words.

It's alright if they don't understand.

They are all people who have believed in me and waited patiently.

I am merely conveying my sincerity.

"Now, I am not going anywhere. No more wandering or doubting. I will stay here with you all until the end."

After glancing over everyone, I shouted loudly.

"So, stand with me!"

There will come a day when we won't be able to achieve an easy victory like today.

Many deaths, much pain, and a lot of sorrow will again engulf this frontline.

But.

Despite that. No matter what adversity we face.

I will stand in front with the flag held high.

Believing that, just like before, you all will stand behind me.

Just as sunshine follows a storm.

Believing that once we overcome these long and arduous trials... a dazzling true ending will come.

After looking at each person's face, I smiled broadly and raised my arms high.

"Let's celebrate our victory!"

Then, I shouted the words everyone was most eagerly awaiting.

"Prepare the feast-!"

***

[STAGE 20 - CLEAR!]

[STAGE MVP - Lucas (SSR), Damien (EX), Torkel (SR)]

[Level Up Characters]

- Torkel (SR) Lv.50 (↑1) (Eligible for 3rd job advancement!)

- Plus 20 others <Expand List>

[Deceased Characters]

- None

[Injured Characters]

- None

[Acquired Items]

- Ghost Pirate Legion Magic Stones: 340

- Ghost Privateer Captain Magic Core (SSR): 1

[Stage Clear Rewards have been distributed. Please check your inventory.]

- Pirate's Random Reward Box: 10

>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE

>> [Next STAGE: Everblack]

***

After a defense battle, the usual procedure involves collecting and incinerating useful materials from the corpses of monsters.

But today, an additional step was added to this process.

And that was...

"It's fish-!"

Collecting the scattered fish all over the ground!

The [Stormy Sea] skill of the Ghost Pirate Legion had absurdly connected the sky to somewhere in the vast southern ocean.

Naturally, all sorts of fish were swept along with the seawater and fell down.

In the southern fields filled with seawater, fish with glittering scales were floundering in great numbers.

Not just fish, but octopuses, squids, clams, shrimps, and various other rare marine creatures had been swept up and fallen in the middle of the land.

Since they would just dry up and die if left alone, it's better to use them for today's feast.

"Yay! A fish party!"

Evangeline cheered repeatedly, then, carrying a large basket on her head, rushed towards the fields.

Since Crossroad is an inland city, fish are rare to see, and naturally rare to taste.

Evangeline seemed thrilled at the prospect of indulging in seafood, which she rarely ate, not even bothering to wipe the drool from her mouth as she eagerly filled her basket.

Other heroes and soldiers also joined in this unexpected seafood festival, each with their baskets at their sides, collecting the fish.

"Uwaaah! Get it off! Get it off me!"

Seeing Kuilan screaming, his limbs tightly wrapped by a large octopus, I turned to look beside me.

"I gave you a difficult task, but I'm glad everyone is safe."

Lucas, also carrying a large basket at his waist, laughed heartily.

"You assigned us tasks that matched our capabilities, my lord. It was us who overdid it at the end, pushing the airship Geronimo too hard."

All the heroes who had embarked on the Geronimo for interception were safe.

The Geronimo had crash-landed, and everyone got a bit dizzy from the crash, but they all seemed fine now.

"Wow... It's been a long time since I've seen clams."

"Let's thread them into a necklace! Hurry! Hurry!"

Verdandi and Dusk Bringar were excitedly picking up clams, their eyes sparkling. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits.

As this unexpected fish harvest festival unfolded, with everyone happily filling their baskets with fish for dinner-

"Your Highness!"

Damien came running breathlessly.

I looked at him curiously. What's wrong?

"Among the... fish..."

"Among them?"

"There's a mermaid! There was a mermaid!"

I widened my eyes at Damien's words.

A mermaid?! Why would there be a mermaid?!

"That's right! When the [Stormy Sea] gate opened to the southern ocean, the mermaids there must have been accidentally swept up...!"

Slapping my forehead at this unexpected situation, I asked Damien.

"Where is it now?"

"I've put it over there! I did some first aid, but I thought I should report to you first..."

"Good job, Damien! Lead the way!"

The mermaid species, once counted among the four major races, was known to have left this continent after the tribal wars a hundred years ago. It was said that only their mixed-blood descendants remained here.

Could there still be pure mermaids left in this region?

With various thoughts in mind, I arrived at the place Damien led me to.

And there...

"...Well, it's a mermaid, but."

The creature before me was entirely different from what I had imagined.

I whispered to Damien in confusion.

"Isn't a mermaid supposed to have a human upper body and a fish lower body? Why is it the other way around with this one...?!"

"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness, this is my first time seeing a mermaid too...!"

Damien, equally flustered, was sweating profusely.

This mermaid, sitting arrogantly with its long brown legs crossed... was human from the legs down. The upper body was that of a fish, shimmering with scales.

Its large, fishy eyes, struggling to breathe through its gills, suddenly turned and looked at me. This is just a fish, not a mermaid!

'Is this the original form of the mermaid species?!'

Where did my childhood dreams go?!

"Tsk tsk. Get rid of your prejudices, Ash."

Then, Dusk Bringar appeared behind me, her basket full of clams.

She was walking in a funny manner, holding a large clam in her hand, resembling a playful otter.

"Mermaids in the sea take the form of fish, but they're shapeshifters who can adapt their bodies for convenience on land."

"So... they can transform?"

"Yes, exactly. Depending on their level of mastery, the degree of transformation varies... This mermaid can change half of its body."

"So that means...?"

"It means it can switch the transforming part. This friend here can probably change its parts too."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the mermaid's entire body began to glow blue.

"Look, it's transforming! Ha ha, what do you think? Am I not quite knowledgeable?"

"Wow, wow...! That's amazing...!"

I watched this fascinating polymorph, or shapeshifting, with interest. And then.

Flash!

"..."

"..."

The mermaid transformed into having its left half human and right half fish...

Even after transforming, the mermaid struggled to maintain balance and flopped painfully on the ground. Both Dusk Bringar and I watched this scene in silence. What's this...

That's when it happened.

"Wait a moment, I'll try communicating with them!"

Serenade, having heard the news, hurried over.

Right. Serenade is a half-blood between a mermaid and a human. She might have a solution to this situation.

Crouching in front of the mermaid, Serenade gestured with her hands in various shapes.

The mermaid responded by mimicking the shapes with its one hand. What were they doing?

Dusk Bringar, breaking open a large clam and nibbling on its contents, explained.

"Mermaids typically communicate through sign language. It's impossible to converse with voices underwater, isn't it?"

"Ah, that makes sense."

In front of me, where the half-fish-half-human and Serenade continued their hand sign conversation, the mermaid suddenly slapped the ground with its fin as if realizing something and then-

Flash!

Transformed again.

As the blue light faded, there appeared a typical fairy-tale image of a merman, with a human upper body and a fish lower body.

His bronze, muscular upper body was that of a warrior, and his typically blue mermaid hair was so dark it was almost black.

Under thick eyebrows, his eyes shone like sapphires. Both the eyebrows and the lush beard growing under his chin were blue.

And on his head was a crown made of pearls...

...Wait, a crown?

Now able to use both hands, the merman fluently (so to speak) communicated in sign language, and after about a minute, Serenade introduced him to us.

"May I present, Your Highness. This gentleman is the last king of the mermaid species remaining on this continent..."

A hint of bewilderment mixed into Serenade's expression.

"...King Poseidon XIII."

I was even more astonished upon hearing the name.

Why is a mermaid king here, of all places?!