Chapter 387 - 387: That's Even More Troublesome
"We can discuss taking action later. For now, chatting with you seems far more interesting."
Mercphobia casually waved his hand, the sweeping motion carrying the unmistakable weight of divine authority. In an instant, the massive barrier of isolated seawater collapsed, returning to its natural state. The crushing weight of the ocean descended once more, instantly submerging the coastal town of Elmina in a serene, breathable aquatic embrace.
"Lord Water God Dragon!" Kasma, a nearby resident, called out, his voice tinged with anxiety.
Kasma eyed Ren warily, his aquatic features tense. Although this strange human had yet to display any overt hostility, the townspeople knew exactly why mages came to Elmina. He was here to seal the Water God Dragon, their beloved protector.
"Kasma, calm yourself. This man is my guest," Mercphobia gently rebuked, his tone soothing yet carrying absolute command. "Do not be rude to him."
"Y-Yes, sir!" Kasma quickly bowed, swimming back to give them space.
Mercphobia turned his calm, piercing gaze back to Ren. "Please, follow me. I will show you around my temple."
Ren's curiosity was genuinely piqued. A guided tour by one of the Five Dragon Gods wasn't an everyday occurrence. With a subtle nod, he followed the majestic figure into the depths.
At that exact moment, far above the tranquil depths, a large wooden ship bobbed violently on the ocean's surface.
Three imposing figures slowly materialized on the main deck, carried by a swirling vortex of dark ash. They were the elite Dragon Eaters of Diabolos, who had just hastily retreated from the underwater town.
"Skullion, you coward! Why the hell did you force a retreat?" Kiria roared, her face twisted into a feral snarl as she stomped on the wooden planks. "The Water God Dragon was right there! If you don't explain yourself right now, I'm going to carve you to pieces!"
"You are far too impatient, Kiria. Learn to control your bloodlust," Skullion replied smoothly, brushing a speck of ash from his dark coat. "The Water God Dragon is not an entity we can simply carve up on a whim. Furthermore, there was an outsider present."
Kiria furrowed her brow, her razor-sharp teeth grinding together. "An outsider? You mean that random human?"
Skullion nodded, his masked face betraying no emotion. "Exactly."
"What the hell is so special about him? He's just an ordinary human!" Kiria spat in disbelief. In her eyes, Ren was nothing more than weak prey; she hadn't sensed a single drop of magic power radiating from his body.
"He is far from ordinary. Use your head for once," Skullion rebuked lightly, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the encounter. "Would an 'ordinary' person remain completely unfazed by the sudden appearance of a Dragon God? Would they stand there with absolute calm while three Dragon Eaters unleashed their killing intent?"
Hearing Skullion's cold analysis, both Kiria and the massive, heavily armored Madmole were slightly taken aback. A tense silence fell over the deck as they replayed the memory.
Indeed, Ren had been entirely too calm. He had shown absolutely no surprise or fear, whether facing their lethal magic or the awe-inspiring presence of Mercphobia.
"Maybe that guy is just a subordinate of the Water God Dragon," Madmole grunted, his deep voice rumbling like falling boulders. "The Water God Dragon is a deity to these people. Having a few powerful human retainers would be completely normal."
"That is a distinct possibility," Skullion admitted, resting his hand on his hip. "However, I sensed an incredibly dangerous aura lurking beneath that man's calm exterior. It was faint, but it set my teeth on edge."
Skullion's usually relaxed eyes hardened into a serious, calculating glare. "If we had engaged recklessly, we might have been the ones butchered."
Hearing their leader speak with such gravity, Kiria and Madmole exchanged serious looks. Skullion possessed incredibly sharp instincts; if he felt threatened, that man was undeniably a monster in human skin.
"Damn it! Just because some strange human suddenly appeared, are we really giving up?" Kiria growled, aggressively slamming her fist against the ship's railing.
She was incredibly unwilling to back down. Their dark guild specialized in hunting and devouring dragons, and the Water God Dragon was undeniably top-tier prey. Feasting on his divine flesh would exponentially enhance her Blade Dragon Slayer Magic.
"Of course not. How could we ever give up on prey so close within our reach?" Skullion chuckled darkly, a sinister smirk tugging at his lips. "But we are not fools. We need to gather more intelligence on this stranger first. Once we know his weakness, the Dragon God is ours."
Deep beneath the ocean's surface, Ren silently followed Mercphobia toward the heart of the Water Temple.
It was a breathtaking, massive palace constructed entirely on the seafloor. Surprisingly, there was no water inside the palace walls. The crushing seawater was magically isolated beyond a shimmering, translucent barrier, creating a dry, oxygen-rich environment within.
Ornate coral pillars, glowing pearls, and intricate shell carvings adorned the grand halls. It looked exactly like the legendary Ryugu Palace of ancient folklore.
[Akarin's Note: The 'Ryugu Palace' (Dragon Palace) is a legendary undersea manor in Japanese mythology. It is ruled by Ryujin, the Dragon God of the Sea, and is said to be constructed from solid crystal, coral, and pearls.]
Well, considering a literal Water God Dragon lived here, this essentially was the real Ryugu Palace.
As they strolled through the grand entrance, a young woman wearing rectangular glasses and a conservative dress stormed over. Her expression was sour, and she glared daggers at Ren.
"Lord Mercphobia! Why did you bring this dangerous outsider into the sacred temple?" she demanded, crossing her arms defensively.
Mercphobia offered a gentle, reassuring smile. "Peace, Karameel. This man is a guest. Oh, I completely forgot to ask in all the commotion—what is your name?"
Ren offered a polite nod, his demeanor relaxed. "I'm Ren. I'm a mage from Ishgar, affiliated with the Fairy Tail guild."
Karameel scoffed, aggressively pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I don't care about your titles! There's no need for pleasantries. In short, you were hired by that old fool Elefseria, right?"
Ren smiled faintly, fully amused by her fiery protectiveness over a literal Dragon God. He nodded openly. "You could certainly say that."
"Then go ahead! If you want to challenge Lord Water God Dragon, do it right now, because you're absolutely no match for him!" Karameel shouted proudly, stepping protectively in front of Mercphobia.
In her heart, the Water God Dragon was an invincible, benevolent deity. These so-called mages from the mainland guilds were all just greedy mercenaries, blindly hired by Elefseria for coin and glory.
Over the long years, countless greedy fools had crossed the ocean to cause trouble for Mercphobia. But without exception, every single one of them had been utterly defeated by his overwhelming divine power.
If Lord Mercphobia weren't so incredibly kind-hearted, he would have slaughtered those ignorant trespassers long ago.
"Now, wait a moment, Karameel. It seems I can actually reason with him. Could you let us have a peaceful chat?" Mercphobia asked softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Go ahead! You can talk right here!" she replied stubbornly, refusing to budge an inch.
Mercphobia sighed, a fond but exasperated smile gracing his face. "I mean, could you please step out for a moment? This is a private matter between us."
Seeing Karameel stubbornly rooted to the spot, Mercphobia dropped his polite tone to be slightly more direct. He gave her a firm, meaningful look that left no room for argument.
Only then did Karameel reluctantly turn on her heel, her skirt swishing angrily. "Hmph! Please teach this arrogant human a good lesson, Lord Mercphobia!" she called out before disappearing down the glowing coral hallway.
Mercphobia watched her leave before turning back to Ren with an apologetic smile. "Please don't misunderstand her hostility. She was a human girl in mortal danger at sea during a violent storm."
"I managed to save her, and she has been living here with me ever since," the Dragon God explained, his voice softening with genuine affection. "She can be a bit prickly, but she's not a bad child at all."
"It's fine, I don't mind. Loyalty is a good trait to have," Ren replied smoothly, fully understanding her perspective.
"I appreciate your understanding. Please, follow me," Mercphobia said, gesturing down a separate, brightly lit corridor.
Mercphobia led Ren deeper into the expansive palace. The stone floors eventually transitioned into rich, dark soil. Soon, they arrived at an enormous, magically lit cavern that looked exactly like a flourishing farm. Row upon row of vibrant vegetables, exotic fruits, and luminescent kelp were carefully planted across the sprawling fields.
"This is my prized underwater farm," Mercphobia announced, gesturing to the lush greenery with a look of immense satisfaction. "The fresh vegetables and fruits grown here are regularly harvested and distributed to the residents of Elmina."
Ren raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by the mundane, wholesome sight. "Do you actually enjoy farming? To be completely honest, I'm quite fond of it myself."
As a man with traditional, grounded sensibilities, the desire to cultivate the land was practically ingrained in his very genes. Back home in Magnolia, behind his personal estate, Ren had carefully cultivated a sprawling vegetable garden. Whenever the chaos of guild life allowed, he spent his leisure time quietly tending to his crops.
Hearing this, Mercphobia's eyes lit up with profound joy, as if he had just discovered a kindred spirit. In the Dragon God's mind, anyone who genuinely enjoyed the slow, nurturing process of farming must inherently be a good person.
"Come, let me show you the rest!" Mercphobia said eagerly, his previous divine stoicism entirely replaced by the enthusiasm of a proud homeowner.
He led Ren to another massive chamber filled with clear, shallow pools and glowing medicinal herbs. "This is the medical facility. It serves as a sanctuary to treat fish and marine life that have been injured by predators or ocean debris."
Next, they ascended a spiraling, crystalline staircase that breached the magical barrier, leading to a massive glass dome peeking just above the ocean's surface.
"And this structure was specifically built as an observation deck on the sea surface," Mercphobia explained, gazing out at the rolling blue waves. "It allows us to spot humans in danger—like Karameel was—as early as possible so we can deploy a rescue."
Mercphobia spent the next hour showing Ren around the various wonders of the palace. Every single room and facility was dedicated to the preservation of life, the protection of the innocent, and the flourishing of the local ecosystem.
Standing back in the main hall, Ren rubbed the back of his neck and let out a long, heavy sigh. "Oh, dear. This is getting a bit troublesome."
"Troublesome?" Mercphobia asked, tilting his head in pure confusion. "What's wrong? Did you spot a flaw in the magical barrier?"
Ren shook his head, looking at the genuinely benevolent Dragon God with a complicated expression. "It's about my mission, of course. The Hundred Year Quest."
Ren crossed his arms, his gaze turning serious. "If you were truly a vicious, tyrannical evil dragon, I could carry out my mission to seal or slay you without a single ounce of mercy. But seeing the way you are now makes this incredibly difficult for me. I'm not exactly some irredeemable scoundrel who kills good people for money."
Hearing Ren's blunt but honest words, Mercphobia's gentle smile faded, replaced by a deep, haunting sorrow. He slowly shook his head, his divine aura dimming.
"It is not as simple as you think. Although I live a peaceful life like this now, my past is stained with oceans of blood," Mercphobia confessed, his voice dropping to a heavy, regretful whisper. "In the distant past, I slaughtered humans with the same indifference you might show when crushing insects beneath your boot."
The Water God Dragon looked down at his hands, as if he could still see the crimson stains on his palms. "It is entirely natural for Elefseria to hunt me down. Perhaps among the countless humans I drowned were his beloved relatives, his closest friends, or his innocent followers."
Mercphobia closed his eyes, fully accepting the monumental weight of his sins. "I do not want to justify my past actions. To me back then, viewing humans as lesser beings was simply natural. In the age of dragons, survival of the fittest was an absolute truth taken for granted."
Ren stared at the remorseful Dragon God, his eye twitching slightly in pure annoyance. He let out a loud groan, dragging a hand down his face.
"Then that makes things even more troublesome!" Ren complained loudly, his modern sensibilities clashing violently with the dramatic narrative unfolding before him. "The classic redemption arc!"
Ren absolutely hated encountering this specific trope. It forced him into a moral gray area that required far too much thinking and emotional investment. But of course, such dramatic, tragic backstories were practically everywhere in the chaotic world of Fairy Tail.
It was, without a doubt, incredibly troublesome.
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