I took the hand of my little sister mermaid who had made her choice after defeating Cheon Danaa, and next was the Feast Ceremony.
The Feast Ceremony proceeded solemnly and quietly, yet definitely.
Of course, the process wasn’t all smooth sailing.
The Feast Ceremony, by its very definition, came with various conditions like a miraculous equation, but fundamentally, it included a ‘meal.’
What that means is that through the act of ‘dining,’ pieces of miracles are shared, liberating those who partake from curses and suffering.
In that sense, food was essential for the Feast Ceremony.
It didn’t have to be gourmet, but sharing a meal with everyone, the divine, and power through the medium of food is what allowed the miracle of the Feast Ceremony to take place.
To sum it up, Shia needed to distribute food that had passed through her hands to all the mermaids here.
Fortunately, there was plenty of meat to obtain.
For many years, humans forcibly breached the dimensional barriers of the Deep Sea Palace, sending down machinery. In the process, many mermaids suffered significant bodily damage.
The injured mermaids were healed by Shia over three days with the miracle of great healing, but the severed parts of those mermaids hadn’t vanished.
Moreover, the mermaids were in a state where they couldn’t even die due to the curse of Hyung-An’s Mermaid Princess.
In other words, Shia could gather heaps of mermaid tail meat.
However, Shia was an outsider.
Not the saint of the mermaids of the Deep Sea Palace and not originally a mermaid, she needed meat from a being that represented this Deep Sea Palace.
To put it simply, the mermaid sister, who was once an Imugi, had to undergo the process of Shia’s Feast Ceremony to make the journey with countless pieces of mermaid tails.
Wasn’t her sister already gone?
Shia couldn’t just leave that alone right before her eyes.
Anyway, the Feast Ceremony was simple.
For a whole day, they boiled seawater to obtain salt. After obtaining the salt, they seasoned the mass of mermaid tail meat that had once been inhabited by her sister’s spirit, then grilled it with the flames of divine power.
By the way, Cheon Danaa had completely destroyed the deep sea cave where they would normally start a fire.
The little sister mermaid, shaken by the shock of extracting her own heart, slept through the night, and Shia had to sadly search for a new deep sea cave alone.
After a series of twists and turns, Shia successfully grilled all the meat of her sister for the Feast Ceremony and coated the grilled mermaid tails with divine power to prevent them from getting soaked in seawater.
As Shia passed around the mermaid meat that her sister had briefly inhabited to the children, the mermaids, who initially had curiosity and fondness for Shia, did not refuse the meat she offered, even if they lost their reason.
Of course, it wasn’t easy for Shia to resist the delicious-looking food either.
Though there was a fleeting thought to gobble it all up by herself without giving anyone anything at the Feast Ceremony, listening to the stories of Hyung-An’s Mermaid Princess and her sister would turn her from a saint into an apostate.
While the sizzling grilled piece of her sister’s mermaid tail was an intense temptation, in the end, Shia overcame that temptation and was able to offer the meat to the mermaids.
“Come, eat a lot.”
“Hee hee hee!”
“Tasty, right!”
“Yum yum!”
Chomp chomp chomp.
Slurp slurp slurp.
Eating the food from the Feast Ceremony wouldn’t immediately dispel the curse, nor would it return the lost sanity of the mermaids instantly.
Only after completing the Feast Ceremony did the curse gradually begin to fade away with time.
Even after the Feast Ceremony was over, there was no lavish celebration like the ones held in the Elf Great Forest that would last overnight, and this quiet deep sea only glimmered softly with the broken pieces of crystal coral like countless stars in the cosmos.
It was also about imitating the miracles that had already occurred. Gathering the desires of the cursed and those who wished for liberation, the conditions were met and the miracles fulfilled the wishes of all.
Thus, the curse of the Deep Sea Palace, stemming from the hatred of the little sister, vanished.
The mermaids that had not seen the sun could now look at the sun and joyfully sing. The children who had turned into dullards regained their senses, and those whose bodies had been cut into pieces but couldn’t die were now free to swim in the ocean once again.
The sister was resurrected by the deceased saint, Shia.
According to Shia, unlike humans, Imugi and mermaids were closer to being semi-spirits rather than fully corporeal beings, so as long as the soul remained intact, it was easier to bring them back to life.
For now, the souls were merely anchored to this world, but as time passed, they could eventually form a physical body.
The curse of the sea had also been lifted.
Both the sister and the arch-enemy of this Deep Sea Palace, Cheon Danaa, had been dealt with.
However, that didn’t mean everything was resolved.
The other mermaids who were liberated from the curse regained their sanity and past memories.
And among those, the one who had cursed the mermaids and this Deep Sea Palace was none other than the little sister.
“……….”
Thus, the little sister was now under the gaze of countless mermaids.
The mermaids, who had regained their sanity, wore various expressions.
However, those expressions were more mysterious than simply filled with rage or sorrow.
‘Yeah, it’s only natural to be blamed.’
While she had been forgiven by her sister, she hadn’t yet been forgiven by her fellow kin.
‘No, it would be only natural if they couldn’t forgive me.’
With that, Hyung-An’s Mermaid Princess removed the eye patch that had covered her eyes and stepped forward to her kin.
The gazes of the mermaids who had returned to their senses were fixed on the little sister, and Shia refrained from protecting or stopping her at this moment.
Was this what it meant to be a saint?
Separating salvation from wrongdoing, seeking to face the consequences of sin?
“Everyone, you’ve returned…”
“……….”
“………”
“………….Umm..”
Just a moment ago, she had been among those who followed her as sister or princess, but with their sanity returned, they would have regained their memories.
Naturally, the pain, anger, and resentment they had all felt would aim to be unleashed on Hyung-An’s Mermaid Princess.
‘There’s no longer a place for me here…’
Having lived her entire life in the Deep Sea Palace, if she were to leave this place, she would have to head to the sea of humans now.
Would she be able to meet her sister again?
No, let’s stop with the negative thoughts.
Just the fact that she was able to meet her sister, whom she thought was dead and would never see again, felt like a fortune beyond measure.
‘Yeah, let me take a few hits as an outlet for their anger and get banished…’
She had already prepared herself for her kin to beat or insult her.
But she wouldn’t die.
After all, the body of the necromancer mermaid princess, blessed with her sister’s secrets and powers, was quite sturdy.
She figured she would just remain still and not resist until their anger subsided…
And then one mermaid approached the little sister.
“Hey, you.”
“……..”
In that sharp tone, the little sister mermaid closed her eyes, preparing for the pain that was about to strike, and her clenched nails dug into her palm.
But there was no pain. Instead, the sensation of slightly cool, soft skin enveloped her shoulders and chest.
The approaching mermaid embraced the little sister.
“…uh….?”
Why?
Why?
As it was something she never expected, the little sister mermaid opened her eyes wide.
The kin in front of her softly held her and whispered in her ear.
“I forgive you.”
“…….!”
No, why?
You remember that I cursed you.
You know I cursed all of you…!
You suffered so much pain and anguish because of me?
Before the little sister mermaid could say anything, another mermaid hugged her from behind.
The mermaids’ way of expressing forgiveness was simple.
By hugging you, they forgive you.
Originally, mermaids were innocent and pure, but they were also cunning.
However, after a long time, as her Imugi sister became known among the mermaids as a clever princess, when disputes arose among them, she had advised to hug one another to grant forgiveness. This led to the practice among the mermaids of forgiving by embracing or kissing each other.
“……Ah…”
Another mermaid hugged the little sister.
Her expression was somewhat dissatisfied, but there was also an understanding in it.
Some lightly hugged her shoulders, while others placed gentle kisses on the little sister’s tail.
Still others embraced her from behind, and another mermaid kissed the cheek of Hyung-An’s Mermaid Princess.
None of them said a word.
But with their bodies, kisses, and hugs, they conveyed it.
“I forgive you.”
‘Why, why… why…?’
The little sister mermaid couldn’t utter a word.
She didn’t understand why she could be forgiven by these children, whom she believed deserved to die.
“Did you think the children wouldn’t forgive you?”
“……..”
Once the mermaid’s hugs and kisses came to an end, Shia cheerfully smiled and asked the little sister.
It was as if Shia had expected this outcome from the beginning.
“Now that you’ve eaten the blessed meat of the illustrious Imugi sister, isn’t it only natural to receive the memories of the Imugi?”
“..What are you talking about…”
“Princess, your sister was in a state of soul, but she stayed by your side for a long time after losing her body. It’s likely that she saw your regrets, your guilt as you took care of the other kin, protected them from humans, and wept every day.”
“………”
“The Feast Ceremony was meant for that purpose. To share your pain, your memories, with everyone, and then decide whether or not to forgive.”
At first, she had not understood why such a strange ceremony was necessary. Even while the mermaid princess was unconscious due to the aftereffects of extracting her heart, Shia worked tirelessly to grill the mermaid tail meat. It was not only for the sake of restoring the mermaid kin’s sanity.
She had wanted to help her kin forgive Hyung-An’s Mermaid Princess.
“In truth, I wasn’t sure if it would go well. Forgiveness isn’t something one can lightly speak of.”
“…..”
“But it all went well, little sister mermaid. You are still the princess of these mermaids.”
With words that felt like a declaration, the little sister could neither speak nor respond.
She sealed her lips and covered her eyes.
From her eyes no longer flowed hatred and curses.
What flowed was transparent tears, and the tears of the mermaid mixed with the seawater of the Deep Sea Palace and drifted away.
She understood that she did not deserve to cry.
She acknowledged that she was a being that should rightly die.
But for today, just today, let her weep.
○○○○○○
– Elf Great Forest –
This was the official name of Yeonseo’s personal dungeon, which had completed greening terraforming after moving from the Elf Great Forest.
Although it wasn’t officially announced, the vanguard of the elves had pushed forward with greening terraforming on Yeonseo’s personal desert dungeon site, and eventually, after a month, they succeeded in creating a new Great Forest.
Of course, they had not yet achieved a full 100 percent greening.
Well-maintained forest paths, sustainably supported subterranean water, and nutrient-rich soil.
In this beautiful green world, where the World Tree’s touch seemed to have reached the desert, there were still many places needing attention, and although over 20,000 elves had all migrated, those still affiliated with the work crew were busy enough that 24 hours felt insufficient.
And there, Lirisia was still busy sweating profusely, instilling the value of labor alongside the elves of this new world.
“Ah, so you don’t eat meat, big-eared lady?”
Though every elf had ears larger than humans, some elves had particularly large ears.
Cleaning her forehead, Lirisia looked at the newly assigned elf in her work crew with a tired expression.
“That’s right. As a being blessed by the World Tree, I have the duty to respect the life of the Earth Mother Goddess.”
“Geez, don’t use such difficult words. Just say it plainly. So you’re saying you won’t eat it?”
“Yes.”
Lirisia swept aside her black bangs, shaking off the sand and dust embedded in her hair as she answered.
The new elf assigned to her work crew had blue hair. She had made a contract with a water spirit and, when she was in the Great Forest, had the role of providing water to the vegetation.
Being an elf who could handle water spirits, she had been brought in to collaborate with the excitable elf girl, Bribie, who had been assigned to concrete work. However, seemingly due to not being part of the vanguard and having remained in the Great Forest for a long time, she didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of eating meat.
“I’ve never seen a human who doesn’t eat pork bulgogi at lunch. Oh wait, you’re not human?”
“Lirisia, captain, may I eat that instead?”
“Oh, you need to share with me then.”
“Regardless, I won’t eat. While the work is tiring, it’s not unbearable. All the other sisters should gather their senses as well. It seems you’ve all become quite corrupted and tainted from working with outsiders. Get a hold of yourselves.”
Yum yum yum.
Om nom nom nom.
“Ah, sister, don’t eat by yourself.”
Of course, the working crew of elves ignored her words and continued enjoying their pork stir-fry with some soju.
“……….”
The blue-haired elf, having said her piece, disappeared as if to meditate somewhere.
Well, it was a break time, so resting is up to her.
Whatever she did—whether she meditated or did something else—was her choice.
“Senpai.”
“What?”
Lirisia was now used to being called senpai by the excitable elf.
“Hey girl, you still don’t know the grace of meat, huh?”
“Leave her be. She’s still young.”
“Senpai, do you know how old she is?”
“Olgania said she’s around 190 years old. By human standards, she should be about 20, huh?”
“Where do you come up with such comparisons? 190 years is 190 years.”
“Is that so?”
At first, Lirisia found the cringeworthy speech frustrating, but Bribie turned out to be quite diligent and good at her work, so Lirisia used her in various ways.
Though her speech might be a bit annoying, she had experience just behind Elanar, the captain of the knights, and was a valuable asset who could be used in various construction and labor tasks due to her contract with a water spirit.
“Ha ha! Lirisia, captain, how long do you think that girl can last?”
As the other elves, who were savoring the pork, inquired of her, Lirisia tilted her head in contemplation.
“She just came, didn’t she?”
“Yeah, today’s work was fast.”
“I bet she won’t last more than four days.”
“Eh, will that be enough? I’m thinking of some pork belly~”
“I can’t resist pork belly with soju.”
“How can you hold that back~”
“Is there any way to hold that back~”
“Even Goddess of the Earth, the World Tree Mama, would devour an extra serving of rice here after just one week of laboring with a concrete job, right?”
Sure enough, sometimes Lirisia felt her brain freeze a little while chatting with these elves.
Is this really right?
It’s already been some time since she started working alongside them, but was it normal for elves to be drinking soju with pork belly in the midst of the desert during the day?
‘Actually, thinking back, my existence itself doesn’t make sense…’
Lirisia shrugged.
“Hahaha! Lirisia, captain, you ought to join in! Your glass has been untouched since earlier?”
“Isn’t it a bit early to drink when the work is still ongoing?”
“Are you chicken?”
“Did you just call me what?”
“Drink up~ Drink up~!”
○○○
Three days later.
“Awawawa, gulp gulp!”
“Hey, eat slowly. You might end up face down in your bowl.”
The blue-haired elf newbie had already showcased her spirit and was downing soju like there was no tomorrow.
“Lirisia, senpai, why are you treating her like that? She’s eating so well.”
“Hey, are you crazy? If you eat that messily, even the luck coming your way might go bad.”
“Gulp, gulp… Hah, hah. This is hard…”
“Yeah, yeah. It is hard. It’s tough.”
“Don’t worry, rookie. One more?”
“Yes, thank you!”
Having comforted the fourth bottle of soju with the newbie elf, the work crew was living happily as usual.
And then, in the next moment…
Boom!
“What the heck?”
At the sound of space breaking, Lirisia turned her head.
Had there been an attack or ambush, she would have reacted immediately, but knowing that the cause of the crack in the space was Yeonseo, Lirisia leisurely turned around.
And there, she saw…
“Meat Fairy has arrived!”
Shia, clad in a swimsuit, stood before them.
Oh dear, what on earth is happening?
“Whoa! Isia the Saint! Konnichiwa!”
“Saint, it’s been a while!”
“Hello!”
“Whoa, what is that outfit? It exudes both a grand dignity and piety!”
“………”
No freaking way, I’m putting in hard labor under the blazing desert sun, and the saint is off having fun in a swimsuit, living it up like it’s nothing?
Ah, but I have a massive karma to account for?
Alright, that makes sense.
Quickly concluding that in her mind, Lirisia sighed and rose from her place.
“This isn’t a pleasant encounter. The work isn’t done yet, what brings you here in broad daylight?”
“Well, it’s twofold. I have something to ask.”
“Something to ask? If it’s for meat, I can’t do it. The kids need their fill.”
Even though Lirisia considered herself somewhat of a crew leader, it wasn’t for nothing.
She had forged close ties with her elves over a long time and thought it would be troublesome if she suddenly asked for meat.
“No, no, it’s not that.”
“Not that? Then what is it?”
“Actually, I helped some mermaids this time.”
“…..?”
Mermaids?
Lirisia suddenly thought of the mermaids she had encountered in her world.
In her world, mermaids were high-tech beings using high-density solid hydrogen as energy and wielding beam weapons.
It’s true that every world has its own unique civilizations and technological advancements, but…
“So you helped some mermaids, and what’s your request?”
“I’d like for you to create a sea here.”
“……..?”
In that moment, Lirisia questioned her ears.
What?
What did you just say?
“A sea? Ocean? Umi?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“…………..”
Gently lowering the pork belly from her bowl to the ground to think, Lirisia thought it might be better not to leave it there, so she gave it to the stunned elf Bribie to hold.
Clears throat, Alright.
I understand your request.
You want a sea, right?
Yeah…
“What the hell?”
