Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1950: Ancestral tomb (5)

Upon hearing the Merman King's words, none of us dared to take a step forward.

The kraken appeared eager to inspect the stone tablets currently under the Merman King's scrutiny, but I intervened before it could move. Given the circumstances, the kraken should be the very last person to view them, even if the Merman King offered.

I remained stationary as well, waiting for the Merman King to emerge from his trance-like state and regain his composure.

Once he finished reviewing several of the tablets, he turned back toward us and passed one of the stone slabs to the Merman Queen.

Accepting the offering, she studied the inscriptions closely, her brow furrowing deeply as she read. Knowing the Merman Queen's character, I knew she wasn't someone who reacted impulsively; for her to show such visible distress, the contents of the tablet had to be significant.

Following another lengthy, heavy silence, the Merman Queen finally whispered, "What are you planning to do with this?"

The Merman King offered no immediate reply, his expression one of total bewilderment. It looked as though his lifelong convictions and beliefs had been utterly demolished by the words on those tablets. However, he couldn't stay paralyzed in this state forever.

Ultimately, he remained the sovereign of the Merman Empire, burdened by the heavy responsibilities of his station.

"I don’t know." Although he had snapped out of his daze, the Merman King couldn't simply conjure a solution. This was a monumental crisis that would undoubtedly shake the very foundations of the Merman Empire.

Even if he harbored certain desires, he felt incapable of putting any plans into motion just yet. After contemplating the situation a bit longer, the Merman King asked the most pressing question...

"Do we tell them?"

The Merman Queen’s frown deepened at his words, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her gaze. The Merman King didn't wait for her to respond, sensing that she was just as speechless as he was.

Instead, he gestured toward Ariel, beckoning her to approach. Simultaneously, he signaled for me to join them as well.

Exchanging a quick look, the two of us stepped forward to examine the stone tablets he had spread out before him.

The moment I laid eyes on the inscriptions, I realized this was undeniable confirmation of Aestum's previous claims. While not an explicit admission, the indirect evidence provided was more than sufficient.

"We are unsure of the reason, but we have received the command to relocate the entire ❑❑❑❑ to that location and abandon them. Lord Aquaron has instructed us to erase every trace of their existence from this place."

The history of the Merman Empire's ancestors certainly looked grim... yet, this also proved that Aquaron had actively tried to eliminate the various races Aestum had sought to protect.

Was it truly because they didn't want these beings inhabiting the same space as the mermaids, or was there a deeper motive at play? Even if a hidden reason existed, it wasn't as if we could uncover it, given that these were the decrees of a god.

Even for someone like me... interrogating a deity would likely end in disaster. Furthermore, knowing Aquaron's temperament, I doubted they would even bother responding to such questioning.

Consequently, I remained quiet after finishing the text on the tablets. It was actually Ariel who shattered the silence, asking, "Don’t we have a chance to make things right again?"

Both the Merman King and Merman Queen were visibly startled by her suggestion.

Ariel pressed on, saying, "Based on my time spent on the surface, I can see the world is transforming due to the racial alliance. It is obvious that the different races of the continent are uniting to confront a shared threat. Once that is over, there is no doubt they will continue to work together to establish a new order."

Meeting her parents' eyes directly, Ariel declared, "I believe this is our opportunity to rectify the mistakes made by our ancestors." After a brief pause, she added softly, "At the very least, I don't want this child to grow up in a world haunted by the choices of those who came before us."

Complex emotions flickered across the faces of the Merman King and Queen as they listened to her. They appeared to be struggling with the path forward, but at the same time, a hint of pride shone in their eyes as they looked at Ariel.

The maturity in her voice was unmistakable. This was a growth she hadn't possessed before her journey above the waves—a perspective developed not just from her impending motherhood, but from her observations of the racial alliance.

As parents, it was impossible for them not to feel a sense of pride seeing their daughter evolve in such a way.

After a long silence where the royal couple seemed to communicate through a shared glance, the Merman King finally reached a verdict.

"You’re right. We have been presented with a chance to heal the wounds of the past, and we must take it. I will make the necessary arrangements."

Once his mind was made up, his resolve remained steadfast. Beside him, it was clear that the Merman Queen fully supported his decision.