Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1944: Cast away (2)

My gaze shifted toward the Merman King, silently demanding an explanation, yet he and his royal guards appeared just as bewildered.

They stared at the various creatures emerging around us, their expressions making it evident that they failed to recognize a single one of them.

It was undeniable that this was their very first encounter with these particular races.

These beings, whom I had never seen myself, resided within this taboo zone that had been isolated from the world by those massive whirlpools.

Within the historical records of the Merman Empire, this region had always been deemed a forbidden territory due to the surrounding vortexes.

Like everyone else from the Merman Empire, I had assumed the restriction was due to the inherent danger. However, Aestum’s words suggested a far more complex truth behind the isolation.

There appeared to be a profound secret at play, one that tied back to the history between Aestum and Aquaron.

"We’re not here to harm anyone." The Merman King eventually spoke, his voice steady. He lowered his trident as a gesture of peace and signaled for the royal guards to stand down as well.

Although the royal guards showed a moment of hesitation, they ultimately obeyed the Merman King’s command.

Despite the lowered weapons, the various races surrounding us did not seem ready to relax their vigilance.

It was worth noting, however, that these strange races didn’t actually seem to possess any weapons of their own.

To an outside observer, the Merman King and his guards would have easily been mistaken for the aggressors in this encounter.

Since the Merman King and his men had taken the initiative to stand down, it was clear they weren't planning an assault.

That peaceful atmosphere lasted only until a piece of coral was suddenly hurled at the Merman King.

"Get out of here followers of the tyrant! We don’t want you here!"

The projectile had been thrown by a child, meaning it posed no real threat of injury to the Merman King. Nevertheless, the royal guards were bound by duty and could not simply overlook such an act.

The moment the coral was thrown, they unsheathed their blades once more, forming a protective circle around the Merman King.

Seeing this reaction, the local inhabitants panicked, believing the mermaids were preparing to massacre them. In response, several others began grabbing chunks of coral as if preparing to fight back.

A few individuals even hurried into their homes to retrieve actual weapons.

While the majority of the population seemed ill-equipped for combat, a handful among them were clearly capable of defending themselves.

With both groups reacting defensively, the tension in the water escalated rapidly.

Neither side appeared eager to initiate a bloody conflict, yet it felt as though we were standing over a powder keg that was seconds away from detonating. It seemed as if nothing could prevent the coming explosion.

"Are you really just going to keep watching?" I finally directed my question to Aestum.

I didn't fully grasp the situation, but I knew progress was impossible as long as this standoff continued.

At this stage, Aestum was the only one with the power to de-escalate the situation.

Aestum remained silent for a moment, observing the chaos, before finally letting out a weary sigh. "Enough of that. They aren’t here to harm you."

Upon hearing those words, the residents seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, with many retreating back into their homes. They clearly wanted no further involvement in the unfolding events.

Once the atmosphere had settled, the Merman King stepped forward to demand, "What is the meaning of this? Are you just trying to cause trouble for us?"

"Cause trouble for you?" Aestum repeated the question with a scoff, as if the idea was absurd. "Why would I want to do that? All I wanted to do was show you the history that was swept under the rug."

The Merman King and his guards remained completely lost, unable to see the connection between these people and Aestum’s claims.

"Just be straight with them," I interjected, despite my own lingering confusion.

I could sense the underlying spite in Aestum’s actions.

It was obvious that Aestum harbored a deep-seated resentment toward Aquaron. Since this group represented Aquaron’s legacy, Aestum was seemingly toyed with them out of spite.

It felt like Aestum was seeking a minor, petty vengeance against the Merman King’s party because they were unable to strike at Aquaron directly.

Regardless of the history, such a method of revenge felt incredibly small-minded.

I decided to put an end to the games, as I was equally curious about the truth.

Fortunately, Aestum still held enough respect for me to drop the act for the time being.

With another sigh, Aestum explained, "You’re wondering why they have this kind of grudge against you, it’s all because they were the ones that were cast away."

"Cast away?" Neither the Merman King nor I could fathom what Aestum meant by those words.

"That’s right, they were cast away by Aquaron in favour of that tyrant’s favoured creation. I think you should be very clear what that creation is, right?"

Given the hostile reception the Merman King’s group had received, the answer was staring us in the face.

However, this was a revelation none of us had ever encountered before.

Then again, these hidden races were entirely unknown to the outside world until today.

"How... how could this be?" The Merman King was visibly shaken by the revelation.

The royal guards shared his shock.

This was a dark chapter of the Merman Empire's history that had been completely erased from their knowledge.