Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1951: Collapse

"How could this be?"

This gathering of the Merman Empire's ministers had been summoned by the Merman King himself.

Their countenances had been quite relaxed when they first arrived at the assembly.

Though they felt a sense of confusion and mild curiosity regarding why the Merman King had called for them, they certainly hadn't anticipated anything of great magnitude.

A few individuals seemed to suspect something was afoot, yet none of them expected the Merman King to drop such a massive bombshell of news.

Something like this was beyond anyone’s imagination...

Many turned their gaze toward the Merman King, hoping desperately that he was merely playing a joke, but the King met their eyes with a steady and grave expression.

Having served him for so long, they recognized that this was no jest.

Because it wasn't a joke, the reality of the situation was far more dire than they had initially presumed.

The ministers remained speechless, paralyzed by the fact that they didn't even know how to react to such a development.

However, as the silence stretched on, the sheer weight of the circumstances began to crush them.

They understood that staying quiet was no longer a viable path; action had to be taken.

"We have to hide this."

As soon as one minister voiced this, it was as if a ray of hope had been offered to the rest, and they lunged for it. Immediately, they began shouting out various proposals on how this matter could be concealed once again.

The Merman King listened to their frantic suggestions in silence before finally speaking, "We can’t do any of that."

Hearing this, the ministers' faces twisted into unsightly grimaces. It was hardly surprising, given that the Merman King had just severed their only lifeline.

"Why?" one of the ministers demanded with a serious tone.

"Allow me to introduce someone," the Merman King replied, opening the door to reveal my presence.

I had been waiting in the adjacent room, eavesdropping on the entire proceeding.

Confused looks spread across the ministers' faces as I walked in. After all, I was no stranger to them; many had collaborated with me previously on matters concerning the racial alliance.

It was only natural for them to be puzzled by my entrance, as I required no formal introduction.

But it wasn't actually me that the Merman King intended to introduce.

The one he truly wanted to present was...

"More of Aquaron’s dogs, I see."

These words echoed through the chamber the moment I appeared.

They didn't come from me, but rather from the kraken that was hovering at my side.

The kraken clearly had no desire to be in this place unless it was by my side, so I was forced to accompany it as it entered the council room.

The ministers narrowed their eyes in response to the insult, yet their eyes were fixed on me instead of the kraken. Despite the difference in the voice, they didn't believe the kraken was the one speaking.

They assumed I was being possessed by something that was speaking through me.

"What are you looking at? Stop trying to pressure the Holy Son."

With a sigh, the Merman King gestured toward the kraken and explained, "This is the representative of Lord Aestum, the one who has been providing sanctuary to the various races that were previously exiled."

Upon hearing this, the ministers regarded the kraken with peculiar expressions.

In response, the kraken suddenly expanded its form, emitting a pressure that was entirely different from its previous aura. Feeling this, the ministers realized that this kraken was far from ordinary.

Still, as high-ranking officials, they were not easily intimidated.

"Even if you represent Lord Aestum, that gives you no right to address us in such a manner," one of the ministerial representatives barked at the kraken.

The kraken merely snorted and replied, "This is exactly how that tyrant's dogs would behave."

Noticing the Merman King looking at me, I reached out to grab the kraken and shook my head at it.

Seeing my signal, the kraken finally backed down.

Since I was the only person in the room it actually respected, it chose to listen when I signaled for it to stop.

Though the ministers still looked disgruntled when the kraken relented, they at least refrained from further provocation. As experienced senior officials, they had more pressing issues to manage.

They understood that the Merman King had a specific purpose for introducing this kraken to them.

Nonetheless, they shot glances my way, silently pleading with me to keep the creature under control.

I couldn't help but give a hidden, weary smile at being stuck between the two factions. I had initially thought that meeting the divine messenger I wanted to recruit would be straightforward, but now I was entangled in a massive crisis involving the very core of the Merman Empire.

Once he had the full attention of the ministers, the Merman King spoke with a grave voice, "I intend to rectify the errors of our ancestors and bring back the races that were driven away. I want them returned here so they may live in freedom once more."

"Your Majesty!" The ministers all burst out at once, though their voices clashed in a chaotic mess.

Eventually, a single representative was chosen to speak for them, saying, "Your Majesty, this is impossible. If this comes to light, it will trigger the total collapse of our empire."

"I am aware of that, which is why the full truth will not be disclosed to them. However, before we worry about that, there is someone else we must first convince..." The Merman King concluded with a heavy sigh.