Mjosgard's Terrifying Use

"Tris!"

"It really is Tris! She actually came back too!"

"She's King Neptune's niece!"

"And Ashiriel, Joy, and Nilia too!"

"Sea God above, I never thought there would come a day when I'd meet you again!"

"Waaah~~~!"

Crying and laughter mingled together as Gawain's deck became lively in an instant. Most of the forty-six merfolk had found friends they knew, and the welcome party Neptune had brought quickly turned into a reunion party.

Fortunately, Neptune himself did not rush over to reunite with anyone.

As king, Neptune really was somewhat carefree by nature. What he enjoyed most in daily life was sneaking out of Ryugu Palace, then wandering Fish-Man Island incognito with a face everyone recognized.

Or perhaps that was called manifesting before the fishfolk.

Though his personality was so absurd, Neptune still knew what mattered when it came to major issues.

He led his three sons and the Ministers of the Left and Right over to stand before Gawain and Mjosgard.

Then, after glancing at the Ministers of the Left and Right, Neptune immediately prepared to bow once more.

His sons intended to bow alongside him, and only the Minister of the Left seemed somewhat worried.

While preparing to bend at the waist, the Minister of the Left anxiously wondered whether the Celestial Dragons would pick a fight with them.

After all, according to proper etiquette, whether they had legs or not, they ought to kneel when paying their respects.

Just as the Minister of the Left was fretting terribly, before Neptune could lead them in bowing down—

Mjosgard, standing beside Gawain, suddenly took two steps forward. Looking at Neptune through tears, he dropped to his knees with a thud!

At the sight, the Minister of the Left relaxed in relief. That was more like it—kneeling was the proper eti... Holy shit!

The Minister of the Left's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. His glasses dropped straight to the ground.

"C-C-C-Celestial Dragon-sama, wh-why are y-you... hic?!"

Well, the elderly Minister of the Left was so terrified that he fainted on the spot. The Minister of the Right hurriedly caught him and began repeatedly patting his catfish tail.

Meanwhile, Mjosgard continued his movements. Kneeling was merely the beginning.

He assumed the posture of a dogeza and bowed deeply to Neptune!

This time, Neptune could not remain standing either. He hurriedly swayed his huge tail, trying to bend his waist even lower.

Thud!

With an extraordinarily synchronized dull impact, after Mjosgard knelt, none of the Celestial Dragon guards or sailors aboard dared remain standing. Even Gion sighed and half-knelt behind Gawain.

As for the merfolk, the girls who had been joyfully celebrating their reunion were startled by the changes around them. They lost all desire to celebrate and hurriedly paid their respects where they stood.

Neptune panicked somewhat. He was not like his ignorant people; as someone with royal inheritance, he knew perfectly well just what status the Celestial Dragons held.

So he desperately tried to lower his enormous body even further!

Behind him, his three sons stared dumbfoundedly. Manboshi looked around, and his tail went limp.

"Red Opah, what an eye-opener, Red Opah!"

"Now isn't the time for that! I don't know what's going on, but hurry up and lie down!"

His eldest brother Fukaboshi smacked his third brother's waist with his tail. The three merfolk princes lay prostrate on Gawain's deck alongside their father.

For a moment, there was only one person still standing on the entire ship.

Gawain stood there and rolled his eyes.

He had known from the start that a saintly Celestial Dragon like Mjosgard would become a powerful tool for winning over hearts and changing the Celestial Dragons' image no matter where he was placed.

But looking at the people kneeling and prostrating themselves all around him, Gawain had to admit that Mjosgard was far more effective a tool than he had imagined!

After performing the grand salute, Mjosgard raised his face, drenched in tears.

As he cried, he shouted to Neptune and the merfolk welcome party.

"I'm sorry, I... I should have brought them home sooner!

"I... I should also have come to the Ryugu Kingdom sooner and admitted the mistakes I made in the past!"

At those words, Neptune looked completely bewildered. Even now, he had no idea what Mjosgard had done wrong.

Mjosgard continued.

"F-five... waaah, five years ago, I should have sent an admiral to personally escort Queen Otohime home!

"If I had done that, Otohime... Otohime would never have died without anyone knowing why!

"I am a cowardly, timid man, and a useless man incapable of taking action. Even after receiving Queen Otohime's immense kindness, I still failed to protect every one of her people!

"Over these five years, I only managed to save forty-six merfolk. I even watched a lovely mermaid girl die before my eyes!

"I... waaahhh~~, Otohime, my sins are so grave! I have failed you! Aaaahhh!!!"

Mjosgard wailed loudly. His crying and words finally allowed the Ryugu Kingdom delegation to understand why he had knelt.

For a moment, everyone in the Ryugu Kingdom welcome party, from Neptune to the ordinary merfolk—

Their feelings... were simply beyond words!

Hatred toward the Celestial Dragons?

Hatred toward humans?

At least in that instant, the merfolk present had already cast all such things aside.

Seeing the Celestial Dragon kneeling before them in tears as he mourned Queen Otohime, seeing Saint Mjosgard weeping with guilt over failing to save more merfolk...

The merfolk's feelings were no less intense than if Americans saw Rockefeller, Morgan, and the heads of a whole string of other families personally kneel and apologize to all the people of the United States, saying they had truly been wrong all these years!

Of course, it would be useless for Japan's prime minister to kneel. He knelt to apologize at the drop of a hat, and bowed to apologize just as readily.

The reason Mjosgard's kneeling was so shocking was precisely because, aside from Mjosgard, no Celestial Dragon had ever apologized to anyone even once, let alone knelt!

Before the tears of a Celestial Dragon, the Ryugu Kingdom gained its first group of merfolk who wholeheartedly favored humanity!

And that alone allowed Gawain to see a bright future.

With a Celestial Dragon imperial uncle like Mjosgard in hand, one who could kneel and cry, if Gawain could not win over enough public support within a few years, he would be letting down the education he had received!

Gawain gently clapped his hands. At the sound, everyone around him, including Mjosgard, looked over.

Once he had everyone's attention, Gawain spoke softly.

"My merfolk friends have returned home. This is a wonderful thing, Mjosgard. Stop crying like that!"

"Y-yes, I understand!"

After several days of influence, Mjosgard had grown accustomed to listening to Gawain. He wiped away his tears and slowly stood up.

Once Mjosgard had risen, Gawain made a gesture as though helping someone up and continued to Neptune and the others.

"Everyone, rise as well. And King Neptune, with such an enormous build, it really is not suitable for you to lie here!"

"Uh... all right, I'll get up now, Saint Gawain!"

Neptune nervously stood. What had just happened was far too stimulating. He wiped away some sweat, then helped his sons to their feet as well.

While everyone aboard was getting up, Gawain took two steps forward, bringing Mjosgard and Gion over to Neptune.

"King Neptune, I believe these merfolk returning home need to speak properly with their relatives and friends for a while. Us staying here will make them uncomfortable. What do you think?"

"Yes, indeed, Saint Gawain is right!"

"Then I'll leave my ship to them for now. Your giant whale looks quite nice. Would you mind giving Gion, Mjosgard, and me a ride?"

"Yes, indeed... Wait, you want to ride my fish?!"

"Of course. Fish-Man Island has such beautiful Sea of Clouds scenery. It would be far too boring if we could only admire it from a ship.

"Let our subordinates sail the ship and leave the deck to the reunited merfolk. The few of us can travel light, and that will make it easier for us to talk!"

As Gawain spoke, he raised his head and smiled at Neptune, who stood seven or eight meters tall.

Facing Gawain's smile, Neptune somehow felt a sense of shared honor.

He took a deep breath, then hurriedly nodded despite his racing heart.

"Travel light—well said! Please follow me, Saint Gawain.

"I'll get you onto my fish, then personally accompany you as you tour the sights of Fish-Man Island. Purururu, Neptune~!"

Neptune was somewhat excited. He had even shouted his catchphrase. Humming a tune, he reached out and welcomed Gawain onto his whale.

Being able to ride a whale alongside a Celestial Dragon—how was that any different from an ordinary person getting the chance to go clubbing with Ma Yun?

At that moment, Neptune was beside himself with excitement. Even his chest had turned red.

With a flick of his reins, he said—

"Stand firm, Saint Gawain! We're setting off now, purururu, Neptune~!"

Humming his tune, Neptune's whale sped away from the ship and accelerated toward the distant Sea of Clouds.

Meanwhile, supported by Gion as he stood there, Gawain smiled in satisfaction.

Just like that, he had gained the initiative in the Ryugu Kingdom, as well as the friendship of its ruling faction!

Diplomatic work in this world was truly far too easy to carry out!

We're currently eighty-third on the new book rankings, up a full six places! Once we make the top fifty, I'll start working hard and add extra chapters. Keep it up, brothers!