After two months away, Velin and Kyle returned to Silver Sea City, the capital of the Halifax Merman Duchy.
Entering the Red Coral Palace, Velin saw O'dor meditating in the hall and cautiously approached him.
Before Velin could get close, O'dor stopped meditating, opened his eyes, and said with a broad smile, "What, not even two months have passed, and you have to be this careful when coming to see me?"
"Haha, Uncle, I just wanted to give you a surprise." Without so much as a blush, Velin took numerous gifts from his Spatial Ring. "Uncle, these are local specialties I bought. Pick one."
Looking at the gifts floating in the sea, O'dor summoned a Mage Hand and brought a wooden carving before him.
"Uncle, this wooden carving came from Shallow Sea City Yarota. It is a statue of the merman Pioneer Lord who founded the city back then. I thought it looked nice, so I bought it." Velin put away the remaining gifts and introduced it.
O'dor stored the wooden carving in his Spatial Equipment, stood up, and said, "Tomorrow, we should pay a visit to Grand Duke Halifax. We have been out for nearly a year. It is time to return."
"I understand." Velin nodded, then asked, "Uncle, how did things go between you and the Mermaid Pontiff?"
"It has come to an end."
Seeing that his uncle did not wish to say more, Velin did not press further.
Early the next morning, the three of them arrived at Silver Sea Palace to meet Grand Duke Halifax.
Within the grand hall, Halifax sat upon his throne. Looking down at the Black-haired Youth below, he presented the Heart-shaped Scale in his hand to Velin and solemnly declared:
"You have brought a smile back to my mother's face. I shall