Known as the Blue Star, the Water Elemental Plane was a chaotic abyss of countless layers of water. Unlike the other Elemental Planes, which had fixed coordinates, the Blue Star had many hidden teleportation points and dimensional portals. Nobody knew if going through a particular layer of water would lead to another unknown dimension.
Although it was called the Blue Star, only the water close to the surface was a clear blue. Its lower layers would be gray or even pitch-black, impossible for anyone to see through. In fact, nobody knew how many powerful residents and treasures there were in the Blue Star. The abnormally strong currents and natural environment there would directly kill off visitors who were too weak.
Laiwengedadan, a tongue twister of a name, what the light blue surface water layer was called. In the elementals’ language, this word meant “transfer station.”
There were even some ships here, obviously not from the Water Elemental Plane, floating on top of the water. The “transfer station” area was one of the very few layers of water in the Blue Star that contained air.
This area was still entirely water—there wasn’t a single place in the Blue Star that didn’t have water. The entire plane was created out of water, after all. However, some of its water layers lacked oxygen, which whales and other normal aquatic animals would need in order to breathe. Some water layers were magically enchanted and were colder than negative thirty degrees Celsius. In comparison to those water layers, this surface “transfer station” layer was a friendly one where ordinary lives could survive.
Although the numerous water layers were just water, they had different amounts of salt, water pressure, temperature, gravity, Elemental Tide density and so on. Every single water layer’s residents would be utterly different. The surface water layer was basically the equivalent of a very pleasant vacation island.
The “transfer station” water layer had a rather gentle temperature along with a good climate and breathable air above the water. There were even waterless districts that had been artificially created by explorers and merchants from other planes. Their bases in these waterless districts would be rather lively. But today there wasn’t a single person in the streets.
This was because the Water Elemental Goddess was about to receive a venerated guest. She didn’t want a single person to see them meeting, which was why she first had her water elemental armies clear out this area.
From a certain standpoint, Aylos had it the best out of the Elemental Gods. Right after escaping from her seal, she had taken over complete control of the Water Elemental Plane and had caused much havoc in Eich. She had been able to easily regain her power here because the water elementals weren’t as ambitious as other elementals, but even more because she had always enjoyed an excellent reputation here.
But right now she had a terrible expression. Her pale face’s expression was unclear, but her trembling fingers betrayed her emotional state.
“Is Ayer commanding me to do this?”
Aylos looked off into the distance after putting down the letter.
When in her own world, Aylos’ physical body appeared just like pure, white jade. Her appearance was so beautiful it exceeded mortals’ comprehension, but right now her tremendous divine power was making the air around her tremble. Although her expression hadn’t changed, powerful tempests had arrived outside the waterless district. Her shaken, panicky emotions were evident in how she used her divine powers.
However, the messenger before her seemed oblivious to her reaction. His appearance seemed to be that of a handsome young elf bard who was a bit down on his luck. Yet no ordinary person would be able to remain so calm in front of the Water Elemental Goddess.
He was the very incarnation of the Concepts of Music and Dance as well as the Guardian God of Bards and Wood Elves, but now this powerful True God’s incarnation was simply a messenger waiting for a response.
“You want me to commit suicide and die!?”
As the Water Elemental Goddess roared in anger, rampaging whirlpools started to form. The currents transformed into water dragons that slammed themselves into the walls keeping out the water in the waterless district, causing panic as the magic runes began to shatter.
A healthy Elemental God in their home plane wouldn’t be afraid of any God. The furious Aylos was displaying her powers.
However, Solo shook his head.
“The letter should have explained it quite clearly to you. We don’t have any hostile intentions towards you. We’re simply giving you a recommendation.”
“A recommendation for me to kill myself?”
Although she was still furious, Aylos had managed to somewhat calm herself down.
“Yes, but as long as you die, Rain City will lose half of its power. The mortals will then take this opportunity to attack the Sea Tribe, which will cause ‘her’ to lose a huge amount of her belief. We will then act as stated in the contract and use the full extent of our powers to kill ‘her’ and then use her divine power over the sea to revive your husband. If you miss this, there won’t be any more opportunities for us to revive him.”
Everything Solo told her was written quite clearly in the letter she’d just read. The Gods themselves had sworn an oath guaranteeing the veracity of the letter’s contents, so Aylos wasn’t at all worried about the contents being fake. However, the fact that all this must be true shook her even more and caused her to panic. She knew that this was the only chance to revive her husband. She had to choose between sacrificing herself and sacrificing her husband’s chance at revival.
“There are no other possibilities? I’m willing to pay anything in order to exchange for Sidunwar’s revival.”
Solo didn’t answer her. His silence was evidence that only the cruelest answer remained.
Perhaps Roland could indeed revive the Ocean God Sidunwar at a later date when it wouldn’t be so difficult. But right now his “grand scheme” was at its most critical junction. Not a single problem could be allowed to occur with any part of his scheme. The Ayer Faction couldn’t afford to wait around or gamble on any “perhaps” at this time. Nor could Ayer afford to go to the trouble of forcefully killing off a powerful True God at this time.
If the Water Elemental Goddess was willing to sacrifice herself, then the Ayer Faction would fully activate a plan to kill the Queen of Storms. If Aylos was unwilling to sacrifice herself, well, it would be even harder to kill off a healthy Elemental God in their home Elemental Plane than killing off the Queen of Storms. In that case, all the plans revolving around the Queen of Storms would have to be put off. And considering the current situation, if these plans were to be put off, it would be permanent. The Ocean God Sidunwar wouldn’t have a chance at revival… No—even if Roland had a chance at reviving Sidunwar, he wouldn’t possibly choose to revive him after today’s conversation.
The entire situation and all the conditions had been handed over to Aylos. Either she would have to die, or her husband would lose his chance at revival. She had never expected that agreeing to the Queen of Storms conditions to ally with her and cast a forbidden spell that would give mortals nightmares would sink herself into the most difficult of life-and-death decisions.
“…I—I need some time to think about it…”
Aylos, who typically had a direct and impatient personality, hesitated. She deeply hesitated. Her tightly clenched hands crushed the letter to little pieces, fully revealing her emotions.
However, Solo cruelly shook his head.
“We lack time more than anything right now. You must give your answer by the end of today.”
Perhaps truth was forever the cruelest. Even Solo, who wasn’t attracted to women, started sympathizing with Aylos.
Aylos fell silent for quite a while. It was only after a long time that she finally managed to reply with a bitter smile.
“…I understand. Give me three hours.”
Solo nodded and left after bidding farewell. The Water Elemental Goddess obviously had unstable emotions at the moment. If she wanted to vent and he lost an incarnation because of it, it would be a huge, underserving loss to him.
But unlike what Solo envisioned, Aylos didn’t vent or go on a rampage after he left the room. Instead, she told her subordinates to leave her alone and sat down quietly before taking out a dimensional storage bag. She then took out an old fishbone comb and started combing her hair while looking at herself in a mirror.
However, since Aylos’ hair was now made of water, the comb naturally passed through without any effects. Aylos paused in surprise for a moment and then shook her head with a wry smile.
There was a white flash as she transformed herself into a blue-haired beauty with a physical body rather than the famed Water Elemental Goddess. Her silky smooth hair reached the ground, her beautiful face was exquisite yet appeared soft and weak, and her fragile body lay on the ground. Only some shells faintly covered her upper body, her species’ traditional clothing. The pink scales and fish tail were the best evidence of her identity as a mermaid.
In this form, she returned to silently combing her own hair, just like how that strong man would always do so for her every morning in the past.
At that time, she would always sit quietly on her tail and wait for the man behind her to comb her hair.
“…How many years ago was it? You always told me that this form of mine looks far too soft and weak, so my subordinates will disrespect me. You always told me to use a powerful-appearing form like yours to suppress the others…”
As the comb went through her silky-smooth hair, she whipped her long blue hair in the air, which transformed into water that gave off a beautiful rainbow-like reflection.
However, together with the water shower were also numerous hair strands and unstoppable tears.
“…You always said I was a crybaby, that I needed to learn how to be forceful, otherwise my subordinates would take advantage me…”
No trace of the powerful Water Elemental Goddess could be seen here. There was only a weak and beautiful mermaid, crying because she lost her lover.
Her tears continued to drop onto the ground, transforming into silver pearls which shattered with every drop. Meanwhile, the entire world of the Blue Star was sprinkled with a small rain shower.
“…Do you still remember how angry you were when I let my maid who stole my pearl tears go free without punishing her? You told me that this would only make others think that I was weak and easy to bully…”
Her tears didn’t stop. The rain falling down on the entire dimension became stronger. The very essence of water itself was falling down together with her tears, and the mermaid’s body was becoming translucent.
“…I’ve always worshiped you. You were so strong and so resolute. Nobody was a match for you, as if you were the main character of the world. But what I liked most about you was that gentleness in your heart. You even asked me one time why I fell in love with you, and I got angry… Ha! Did you think I was angry because I thought you were doubting my love? I was angry because you had forgotten about the little mermaid that you saved from that magic whale so long ago…”
Tears made Aylos’ vision hazy as she brought out a red memory crystal from her dimensional storage bag. It projected an image of a powerful figure who was taller than the skies. With a confident smile he looked over the ocean, a crown atop his head. Everything under the sky was his domain; he was the undisputed ruler.
“…You told me that weakness would be taken advantage of, that I should use power and authority to make others truly subordinate themselves to me. But why is it that you were still betrayed by your most trusted subordinate when you fully carried out what you always taught me…?”
Although her body was beginning to collapse, Aylos reached out her almost crystal-clear arm to lightly touch the handsome and heroic appearing image. However, her arm passed through the projection without making contact. And as she looked at her half vanished arm and the projection of this image, she smiled, as she felt as if she could really see him again.
Everything returned to the very essence of water as the mermaid’s final words echoed in the now empty room…
“Big guy, your little mermaid really wants to see you again.”
All that remained behind was a puddle of water…
In a way, Solo had rather complex feelings. It was finally time to actualize the goals that they were all looking forward to, so of course he was happy. However, it was quite a distressing task to have to come here and be such a messenger.
Not long after he walked out of the meeting room he saw furious waves crashing into the anti-water walls of the waterless district, causing them to begin collapsing.
Solo was shocked. He sensed a powerful change in the Elemental Tide emanating from the room he just left.
“No way! Why is she being so hasty? Didn’t she say to give her three hours?”
He immediately ran back to the meeting room at top speed while reaching into his pockets. After bringing out his harmonica, some leaves, a flute, olive oil, and other such items, he finally found what he was looking for.
It was a white ice crystal which contained a brand-new power never seen before in this world. It was created in an entirely different world.
“…If Aylos agrees, then give this to her. Perhaps it might be able to save… Forget it, the success rate is too low so just treat it as a possibility. If at all possible, I don’t want Sidunwar to immediately come trying to kill us after he’s revived.”
That’s what Roland told Solo at the time. However, this mystical ice from Frigidwinter Earth was still in Solo’s possession, rather than having been given to Aylos as it was supposed to have been. He waved it furiously, shouting as loudly as he could.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a water elemental with a super slow personality? Why are you so hasty? That’s not how things are supposed to be like! Boss Ayer will kill me!”