Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1958: Talking to the gods (1)

The remaining items discovered in the chamber were handed over to the former crown prince, though his possession of them was merely a temporary arrangement.

These artifacts held immense significance for the sea witches, after all.

The first volume contained a record of the authentic, unfiltered history of the sea witches.

The second tome consisted of a comprehensive catalog of spells devised by the sea witches throughout the ages.

As for the third book, it was undoubtedly the one that would trigger the most excitement among the sea witches.

This particular manuscript was a compilation of potion recipes meticulously crafted by their ancestors.

Despite not being a sea witch himself, the former crown prince had spent enough time in their company to recognize the value of these potion formulas as he scanned them.

While he looked through the pages, he could not conceal the look of sheer astonishment that washed over his features.

His reaction alone was a testament to the extraordinary nature of the potion recipes contained within the book.

I had no objections to the former crown prince taking them, as these items were of no use to me. Had I kept them for myself, they would have simply gathered dust and rotted away since I lacked the ability to utilize them.

Therefore, even though I was the one responsible for the discovery, I was perfectly content to let him deliver them to the sea witches.

However, as I handed them over, I gave him a specific instruction: "Don’t let them know that it was me. Just say that it was you who discovered it."

The former crown prince appeared puzzled by this request, yet he did not argue, sensing my sincerity.

Once the books were secured, I made my way back to the kraken, as there was a matter I needed to address with it.

"We’re heading back."

The kraken was visibly startled by my sudden announcement and seemed perplexed as to why I would want to depart so abruptly.

Nevertheless, Zyra was the one who appeared most frustrated by this decision.

We had returned while she was right in the middle of flaunting her various experiments. Consequently, she was quite displeased because she hadn't managed to extract all the information she desired from the kraken.

The former crown prince stepped in to manage the situation by presenting her with the findings from the library.

It was only after laying eyes on those two specific books that her irritation began to subside slightly.

Even so, it was obvious that Zyra remained dissatisfied with the turn of events.

Regardless, her mood was not my primary concern at the moment.

Our journey back did not take very long, though our destination was not the capital of the Merman Empire.

Once the kraken resumed its massive form, we were able to traverse the waters at a staggering pace.

Thanks to this incredible speed, we arrived back at the taboo area in no time at all.

Upon our arrival, the local inhabitants were understandably shocked to see us. However, they didn't hesitate to welcome us back, especially since only the kraken accompanied me.

The kraken naturally belonged in this territory, and I was treated as an honored guest since I was the guest of their deity.

Because of this, the residents all emerged to greet us the moment we came into view.

Yet, the one I truly needed to speak with was not among these people.

Instead, I directed the kraken to transport me directly to the throne occupied by Aestum.

As we drew near, Aestum seemed to detect our arrival, and that familiar sphere of blue light manifested once again.

"Holy Son, why are you back?"

Aestum’s voice was laced with unmistakable confusion as the question was asked.

Even with the status of a god, they were unable to decipher my intentions.

In truth, most gods found it impossible to read me, as I possessed a protection that prevented my mind from being scanned. Since that was the case, there was very little information they could extract from my thoughts.

"I have something that I want to discuss with you," I stated, my voice remaining neutral and steady.

The blue light flickered momentarily, suggesting that Aestum was perhaps wary. Eventually, the deity replied, "Alright, what is it that you have to discuss?"

"I came across something quite intriguing during my visit with the sea witches. I presume you’ve already been informed of this by your messenger, haven't you?" I glanced toward the kraken as I spoke.

The blue sphere didn't react immediately, but it eventually bobbed up and down, nodding in confirmation.

I wasn't surprised by this; after all, that was the kraken’s primary function as Aestum’s messenger.

"Then it shouldn't come as a shock to you that I found something inside their library."

The blue light flickered once more, but this time the pulse was different from before. This flicker carried a faint hint of panic from Aestum.

It was peculiar for a divine being to exhibit such an emotion, yet Aestum clearly reacted to my words.

"What do you think that I’ve discovered?"

"It isn’t the right time to be talking about this," Aestum interjected the moment I stopped speaking.

It felt as though the deity had anticipated my words... though it also seemed as if Aestum expected me to reveal even more than I actually had.

That reaction was more than enough to confirm that Aestum understood exactly what I was referring to, revealing the guilt associated with the matter.

It was now certain that the gods had been concealing something significant from me regarding this situation.