Meanwhile, inside Ryugu Palace, King Neptune was tearing his hair out over how to deal with that "uninvited guest."
A royal guard swam hurriedly in and reported, his expression tense, "Your Majesty! Admiral Gern... Admiral Gern is heading toward Ryugu Palace!"
"What?!"
Neptune's enormous body shot up from his throne, his face turning deathly pale.
He nearly lost his grip on his trident. His mind buzzed, leaving him with only one thought: We're done for! Admiral Gern must have found something out!
His wife, Queen Otohime, had saved a Celestial Dragon. That could be a minor matter-or a very serious one.
But with Gern having just left the Sea Forest in what clearly wasn't the best of moods, this was practically walking straight into his line of fire!
Watching her husband panic like an ant on a hot pan,
Queen Otohime merely smiled gently and patted Neptune's arm, her voice as optimistic as ever.
"Don't worry, darling.
Admiral Gern is a reasonable man. He won't blame us for this.
On the contrary, this is a wonderful opportunity!" The light of her ideals still shone in Otohime's eyes.
"Look, this is a Celestial Dragon, a member of the world's nobility!
He ended up stranded on Fish-Man Island, and we saved him.
Isn't this a precious opportunity that heaven has granted Fish-Man Island, a chance to speak directly and as equals with the highest ranks of the human world, without using force or relying on Admiral Gern's deterrence,
but through our own goodwill and efforts?"
She grew more excited as she spoke, as though she could already see that beautiful future. "Besides, don't you think a Celestial Dragon who 'fell from the sky'
is itself a blessing from heaven, a sign that fate has given our fish-man race?"
* A blessing?! A