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After a long while, under Gawain's gentle smile and Mjosgard's repeated soothing.

The Merfolk in the secret room finally calmed down.

Tris, the little girl with the red fishtail who had just caused trouble, was now hiding behind her best friend, secretly watching Gawain and Mjosgard as they sat on the sofa and began discussing serious matters.

Sitting down on the sofa, Gawain regretfully looked at the corpse on the floor. He felt sorry for the first life he had witnessed since arriving in the New World.

At the same time, some thoughtful Merfolk brought fruit for Mjosgard and Gawain.

Beside them, seeing the fruit brought close, Mjosgard waved his hand with a grief-stricken expression.

"I truly have no appetite. I imagine Gawain feels the same."

"Indeed."

Although Gawain was rather curious about the taste of this world's food, there was a lost life lying right before him. How could he possibly have an appetite?

Hearing Gawain's response, Mjosgard sighed. He turned to Gawain, pointed at the various Merfolk beauties around them with his right hand, and said.

"This has always been my secret. For their sake, I have spent almost all the Heavenly Tribute allotted to me over the past few years."

"Wait, you mean all of it?"

Gawain was a little surprised.

"Yes. As family heads among the nineteen families, people like you and me receive a weekly share worth 2.8 billion Beli. In terms of pure value, of course, they are nowhere near enough to cost me the 150 billion Beli I receive each year.

But this is Mary Geoise, not Sabaody!

At the auction houses of the Sabaody Archipelago, I could buy a Merfolk and set her free for as little as two or three hundred million, or as much as two billion.

But they were different. I traded for every one of them from other Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise!

Prices in Mary Geoise are already dozens of times higher than outside, and many Celestial Dragons do not accept money at all. They demand all sorts of troublesome treasures in exchange.

Therefore, in order to save every living Merfolk in Mary Geoise over the past five years, I truly have spent nearly all the wealth I received during those five years..."

When he finished speaking, there was not the slightest hint of regret on Mjosgard's face. He clenched his fists and lightly hammered the table.

"Unfortunately, there are too few members in the Donquixote Family. I do not receive much tribute from family members, or else I could have saved even more!"

"I think I understand how difficult this has been for you, Senior Mjosgard."

Gawain lightly patted Mjosgard's shoulder.

"However, I think there may be a problem with your approach!"

As he spoke, Gawain frowned and said seriously to Mjosgard.

"Since you know their value reaches its peak in Mary Geoise, why did you not directly target the source of their arrival in Mary Geoise—the slave auctions at Sabaody?"

"Uh, Gawain, perhaps I did not explain myself clearly. I have already bought every Merfolk put up for auction at the slave markets!

But I cannot go buy them personally, and if another Celestial Dragon goes to an auction house and competes with my people, then the people I sent can only back down!

On top of that, many Celestial Dragons like coating their own ships and personally catching Fish-Men near the Ryugu Kingdom.

Not to mention that Sabaody is hardly the only place in the world where Merfolk are traded. Who knows how many nobles and kings from various nations are willing to use Merfolk to offset the Heavenly Tribute they owe!

So I simply cannot cut off every channel through which Merfolk reach Mary Geoise..."

"Mm."

Gawain nodded. Just as he had thought, Celestial Dragons might be arrogant and brainless, but ultimately, their values were simply completely different from ordinary people's. They were not truly fools.

But even if they were not fools, they might not be clever enough.

For example...

"I understand. Anything that becomes a trend cannot easily be banned by a single person.

Then, Senior Mjosgard, over these past five years, have you never tried using public opinion to create a new trend in Mary Geoise that denies the value of Merfolk?"

"What kind of trend?"

Mjosgard looked rather confused.

Seeing this, Gawain continued explaining.

"I will give you a simple example. Through deals, we could have the heads of other families publicly state that Merfolk are slaves even more lowly than human slaves, and that only the most tasteless and vile Celestial Dragons would be fond of them.

We could also fabricate a few cases of people falling ill after getting close to Merfolk, creating pressure on the ordinary Celestial Dragons within every family.

There are many, many things we could do to fundamentally reduce other Celestial Dragons' interest in Merfolk.

Only by denying their value and reducing the Celestial Dragons' interest in them can we truly protect them, right?"

For a moment, the entire room froze again. Before Mjosgard could answer, the Merfolk around them burst into tears once more.

"So we really are not worth liking..."

"Will getting close to us make people sick? Sob sob..."

"We are hated..."

"Waaah, we are so pitiful..."

Gawain could not help rolling his eyes again. Even when these little darlings had been hurt, they still did not want anyone to dislike them...

Perhaps, in their innocent hearts, not being accepted and loved was the most terrifying thing in the world.

Meanwhile.

As soon as the Merfolk began crying, Mjosgard slammed his hand down on the table.

"Gawain!"

He said solemnly.

"I knew you had more ideas than I did, but I absolutely cannot do the things you described!

Because they are Queen Otohime's people!

Queen Otohime was so beautiful, so kind. I cannot do anything that would harm her people!

Not even slander against their reputation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mjosgard suddenly rose from the sofa and walked over to Gawain.

Thud!

He actually dropped to his knees!

"Family Head Gawain, I know I am burdening you with trouble, but I sincerely hope you can fulfill the responsibility that should have been mine to bear!

I will give you my full support. All the treasures of the Donquixote Family—at least my share of them—can all be handed over to you!

As long as the kind of trend you described can sweep across Mary Geoise, the Fish-Men may truly be saved completely!

Please, Family Head Gawain!!!"

Bang!

Saint Mjosgard's head smashed heavily against the floor, leaving Gawain, who sat upright on the sofa, filled with mixed emotions.

In just one day, he had encountered three kinds of Celestial Dragons...

One was an ordinary Celestial Dragon like Charlos.

One was the Five Elders type, super Celestial Dragons holding the script of ambitious tyrants.

And now, he had encountered a Celestial Dragon like Mjosgard—someone who had turned over a new leaf to the point of overcorrecting, a Celestial Dragon of immense selflessness...

And the Celestial Dragon race suddenly gave Gawain a strange sense of familiarity...

He really wanted to ask Mjosgard whether the full name of the Celestial Dragons was actually the Uchiha Celestial Dragons.

They really loved going to extremes!

Thinking that, Gawain smiled wryly and helped Mjosgard to his feet.

As he helped Mjosgard back onto the sofa, he also spoke to the deeply worried man.

"I promise you, I will do my best in this matter. But no matter how hard I try, it will take time to plan.

For now, let us discuss what is immediately before us."

He pointed to the Merfolk beside them, who were still shocked by Mjosgard kneeling, and continued.

"You said earlier that you wanted to use the opportunity of returning the Merfolk corpse to the Ryugu Kingdom to send these Merfolk out of Mary Geoise, correct?"

With Gawain's reminder, Mjosgard finally remembered the important matter.

After thinking for a moment, he hurriedly nodded heavily.

"That is right, Family Head Gawain. This is the truly crucial matter!

It is also the main reason I wanted you to visit me!"

Mjosgard gripped Gawain's hands and said word by word.

"If I alone take them away, the sight of dozens of beautiful Merfolk appearing in Mary Geoise at once will drive countless male Celestial Dragons mad!

My status and name absolutely cannot stop them!

But you—I witnessed that move of yours in the square earlier!

You knocked everyone unconscious in an instant.

Only you possess that kind of ability, and only that move of yours can stop those foolish Celestial Dragons from the other families!

So, Family Head Gawain, if I offered you all my future shares of the Heavenly Tribute in exchange for your protection of me and these Merfolk.

Would you consider it worthwhile?"