“Airing it for a while should be the best choice.” (Makoto)
“…Air, you say?”
“! Aah, no, I say air, but it is not the torture kind.” (Makoto)
“?”
“Leave it be for a while and watch how it goes, in other words, time is needed. There isn’t much to fear now, but it would be better to have a place to stay still. Now then, how many prisons were in Asora…?” (Makoto)
“There’s a number for hyuman use. There aren’t that many that match the races. We probably would have prepared cells depending on what’s needed at the moment.”
“…Aah, I see.” (Makoto)
The work of the Kuzunoha Company in Tsige was wrapping up.
Leaving aside the revolutionary things Rembrandt-san says, that is.
The matters that involve both Asora and the other side like the Moon Grizzly matter are also going well for now.
I remember the conversation from before.
The time when I consulted with Serwhale about Levi.
Airing for me is a negative word that means ignoring the other party.
It is like a type of bullying…but it is like the ones done in the adult world. Whichever the case, it doesn’t have a good image.
But for Serwhale, airing is apparently a jargon that refers to a pretty ghostly torture.
It is a moment I felt the differences in races.
In the case of my airing, the Neptunes would just be watching from a distance their eyes can reach, and it is close to house arrest.
“It is about time, I think.” (Makoto)
The Scylla Levi, who experienced an overwhelming defeat, had fallen into quite the unstable state of mind after.
I don’t know if that’s the natural form of her race, but she would target the hyuman adventurers and would torment them.
If it is just about weak people, there’s children in Asora as well who are greatly lacking in battle prowess, but for some mysterious reason, there weren’t that many injured from that side.
Maybe being hyuman plays a stronger factor than their strength?
…The person she lost against was a hyuman woman after all.
As a result, Levi had killed two hyumans in adventurer parties that were connected with me, so I put her under the care of Serwhale, and ‘aired’ her.
Leaving aside matters like sin and punishment, I left the confinement of a scylla using a prison that’s suitable for that race to the Neptune.
You could say that, at that time, I didn’t know what to do with Levi.
She would apologize when she thought she had killed them, and shortly after, she would attack more people again.
By ‘It is about time’ we are talking about how it should be about time Levi has calmed down.
“About the punishment…”
In Asora, there’s no sin in killing hyumans.
There’s simple laws when it comes to the Asora residents though…
However, there’s a decent amount of people who want Levi to be punished because she went against my orders, in the sense that she didn’t listen to what I said.
There were also Gorgons and Eldwas, who have taken a liking to the adventurers, that complained as well.
And so, in regards to punishing Levi for being disrespectful (?) towards me…I personally find it incredibly hard to think of something, and it is also something that’s hard for me to accept.
Even if this is a matter of Asora…
Because she didn’t obey?
Me?
That’s a sin?
Why?
My mind naturally ran through those thoughts.
I honestly don’t think I am made to be a king.
Even when I am being revered by this many, I couldn’t help but still think in this way.
After looking at myself objectively…I am lacking a lot in that area.
Even a lacking person like me can tell that this current situation is pretty important.
If I consider things okay, then the thought process of others will change just like that.
I think from the bottom of my heart that going against my orders being considered a crime is way too unreasonable.
There’s no doubt I myself would regret this the most.
“Waka-sama! I have been waiting for you!”
After contacting Serwhale and the others, and moving to the city that’s being built in the bottom of the ocean of Asora, quite the welcome was prepared despite this being a sudden visit.
Almost all the chief members that are normally actively moving around Asora were gathered. What’s even going on?
I simply came here to check the state of Levi.
Ah, but this might actually be the first time I properly visit this city?
Wonder about that.
There were a number of times where I would meet specific people here when I had business, and I have seen the blueprints of this city several times already, so I don’t feel foreign in this city or how to say it, I feel strangely familiar with it.
“Levi most likely doesn’t think Waka-sama himself would be visiting her. I am sure she will be surprised.” (Serwhale)
“I would be happy if that’s the case. There’s a lot of things I would like to ask her if she can have a proper conversation after all.” (Makoto)
This city that is mostly lived in by Neptunes is literally an underwater city.
It has stretched decently into the sea, so you could say it is a sea city as well.
The ones who live in the ocean would mostly think of this place as their metropolis, and there’s no issues with contacting the people on land.
The mist gates of Tomoe have also been set here, so it is possible to directly go to the port city and the first city.
There’s the important problem that one side is filled with water and the other with air, so you would need to prepare magic to a certain extent before moving though, but it is pretty convenient.
The only thing I would say I am sad about would be that there’s nothing like a palace of the dragon king or something similar that’s like a classic of an underwater metropolis.
After being welcomed by everyone at the entrance of the city, I was guided to the center of the city by the higher-ups of the Neptunes.
The center of the city is where the administration of the city is at and where Serwhale-san and the others work and live at. The city spreads out radially from there.
Levi is apparently at the extended underground prison made for seafolk at that center.
I listened to the recent state of the city and a variety of other reports as…hm?
“What’s the matter?” (Serwhale)
“Peo…ny…Palace?” (Makoto)
Peony Palace.
That’s what was written.
Hmm?
Did it always have that name?
If I remember correctly, it had a simple name like government administration office…
“Aah! This place is a symbol of the city, so we were pondering about a good name for it, and then I remembered a flower of the land. It was…beautiful. And when I asked Tomoe-sama about what she thought of when thinking about beautiful flowers, she told me that it was obviously the peony, the moutan, and the lily. And so, we gave that tower, this place, and the newly made prison those names.” (Serwhale)
Peony, moutan, and blooming lily?
Is it that?! A peony if standing, a moutan if sitting, and a blooming lily when walking?! <Note: Describes a beautiful woman, but originally a metaphor for herbal medicine.>
Serwhale-san, if you took a liking to flowers, you could have brought out names of flowers you yourself liked.
No, it is not like those 3 are bad or anything, but it just feels off.
Moreover, you even put a name to the prison. That means it was pretty recent…
“The Peony Palace, the Moutan Tower, and the Blooming Lily Prison?” (Makoto)
Yeah, no, it does feel really off.
Especially the Blooming Lily Prison…a really immoral picture surfaced in my mind for a second, and I can only think ‘just what kind of prison is that?’.
But well, at least the Moutan Tower is better than the Peony Tower, I guess?
I feel like the tower would snap if it were a peony.
For the moutan, it would be thrilling…but both are the type that wither gallantly…
Let’s try to change the name later.
If they like it so much they don’t want to change it, there’s nothing I can do though.
“Yes, everyone was happy saying they were splendid names.” (Serwhale)
He is all smiles.
Doesn’t look like it will be possible.
“Eh?”
It was a while after we entered the Peony Palace and had reached a hall-looking place…that the water changed into air.
Also, it is bright.
It may have turned into an atrium, but this is pretty deep down the ocean.
At the very least, it shouldn’t be bright.
It may be artificial, but there’s quite a bit of light filling up the hall.
A shock that feels as if I came out from a calm and gentle blue light into a sudden sunshine.
“Since we are living under the wing of Waka-sama, we have prepared a number of places that can help others learn the ability to breathe air.” (Serwhale)
“So you say, but the truth is that you have simply awoken to horticulture.”
The moment Serwhale-san gave me a really plausible reason, a mermaid lady that suddely showed up at the side exposed the true reason.
Horticulture, flowers…
I see, so the identity of this scent is flowers, huh.
“Horticulture.” (Makoto)
“Ah! Mei, you, appearing all of a sudden! You are in the presence of Waka-sama, you know?!” (Tuna)
Tuna-san must have noticed the arrival of the mermaid when I muttered horticulture, he shouted her name with a rough voice.
So she is called Mei-san.
This is the first time I have met her…I think.
“Ah, uhm…Waka-sama, this is…” (Serwhale)
“No, isn’t horticulture okay? I have done it myself as well.” (Makoto)
“!!”
“It was just flowers, vegetables, or herbs though.” (Makoto)
“Waka-sama did?” (Serwhale)
“Yeah. That’s why there should be a decent amount of horticulture entries in the memory records. You can ask Ema to show them to you. A field of flowers despite being underwater. That sounds like a dreamy city that could be made possible.” (Makoto)
“Thank you very much!” (Serwhale)
Serwhale-san thanked me happily.
There isn’t really any need to thank me.
Or more like, his glad countenance isn’t ceasing.
Rather than saying it is his happiness from his yearning of the above, it is more like he is happy that he can do horticulture and that it can be continued on for generations…
What, do many of the Neptunes love flowers?
“Yeah…uhm…let’s go to where Levi is.” (Makoto)
“Yes, I will guide you!” (Mei)
The mermaid called Mei was about to pull my hand, but Serwhale-san’s strong arm stopped her.
“Mei, your unexpected revelation and the result of it have offset each other. But I don’t remember passing you the job of guiding Waka-sama.” (Serwhale)
“Boooh! Stingy Serwhale-sama! It should be okay to share Waka-sama a bit, right?!!” (Mei)
Share, she says.
…
A chance to take it easy in the underwater city, to check things around.
I might need to do that sometime soon.
The races here, the people here, and their lifestyle.
I practically know nothing.
The reason why I didn’t feel anyone had any complaints towards me even when I strolled the city a bit must be because everyone is so competent.
Yeah, when the matter with Levi is over, let’s make some time to check the sea.