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Demon King Zedan came to visit the same day as Prince Arowana did.
“Long time no see, King Zedan! Let’s have a bout!”
“Bring it on, Prince!”
The pair began to sumo wrestle as soon as they met.
I know I’m the one who taught them how to sumo wrestle, but their obsession with it still scares me.
I don’t do it, you know?
Just working in the fields is already hard on my lower back.
I really don’t.
“Dosukoiii!”
Prince Arowana, cornered at the edge of the ring, made a huge comeback with a twist-down move and won.
The hips of the heroic merman who won the Martial Swimming Competition are still tenacious even on land.
“I lost. Your sumo skills are unparalleled, Prince Arowana.”
“It’s only a mere sport. As a ruler, I can only admire your abilities, Demon King!”
Yep.
They’re on good terms.
The demon king and the future mermaid king get along swimmingly.
I feel so reassured by their relationship it’s almost weirding me out.
“Isn’t that a good thing, Lord Saint? What are you unhappy about?”
“I’m not!”
I react to the retort of Belena, who’s standing next to me.
Still, there’s someone not satisfied with the current situation.
And that person is…
“…I am not yet qualified to be the next Mermaid King!” says Prince Arowana during his chat with the Demon King.
“My valor, wisdom, and caliber aren’t enough to make me king! If I become king without securing any of these qualities, it could bring disaster to my beloved kingdom!”
“You may say that, but…”
But isn’t Prince Arowana being a little too hard on himself?
In light of his recent victory in the Martial Swimming Competition(?), I’d say he has a lot of courage.
Not to mention, the fact that he’s buddies with the Demon King, the king of another kingdom on land, is a considerable diplomatic advantage.
I think his people would be relieved if he became the next king.
“No. That event is only a competition bound by rules. You can’t say that you have won a true war even if you become the champion of it. The more I came to know King Zedan, the more I understood this fact.”
So, Prince Arowana is saying he’s inexperienced…
“Though he is not much older than I am, he is already in a responsible position as king and has also accomplished the feat of destroying the Human Kingdom and unifying the earth. His supremacy, his greatness… I’m not close to him in any way at all!”
“Please, it’s nothing like that!”
The Demon King is embarrassed to hear sudden praises.
“I must say, then, that you have quite the desirable qualities as a ruler. As the leader of a neighboring kingdom, I could not be more relieved if you were to rule the Mermaid Kingdom.”
“I appreciate your solicitude… However, I cannot be satisfied with how things are at the moment. I must furnish my solemnity and style to be more becoming of a Mermaid King!”
That’s what Prince Arowana has been saying whenever he comes over lately.
It seems his victory in the recent competition has affected him in both good and bad ways, and now that he has the opportunity to interact with the Demon King again, he has become more conscious of what it really means to be a ruler.
Prince Arowana is my wife’s brother and a dear friend of mine, so I’d like to help him with his troubles!
“…How can one be regarded as possessing solemnity and style?”
Those are precisely what Prince Arowana is looking for.
Solemnity…
Style…
I wondered for a bit, and then something flashed into my mind.
“How about a full set of equipment?”
When you start from appearances, you also change to match it, as in Orkubo’s case who started becoming like a general after wearing extravagant armor.
“The Demon King also has a legendary weapon like the Furious-Holy Sword Einrot, so why don’t we have Prince Arowana follow suit and give him some awesome weapon? Maybe that would make him feel more solemn.”
“Something like regalia? I see, you have a point.”
The Demon King stroked his chin as he heard my idea.
All right, now that that’s settled, let’s make a weapon for Prince Arowana right away!
The mana metal that we have in stock is also known as the “best metal on earth,” and if I strike it while The Hand of Supremacy is active, I should be able to make a pretty good weapon similar to a holy sword.
Mermen seem to have an affinity for harpoons, so I will use that as a reference. Then, I’ll make its handle from the oak tree that we grow in the mountain dungeon…
“Done!”
Prince Arowana’s very own harpoon, made by yours truly!
“Ohh!”
“It has quite an unusual shape to it!”
Both the Demon Lord and the Prince Arowana were bewildered when they saw the finished product.
“Yeah! The main point is to enhance the owner’s solemnity, so I tried to make its design flamboyant!”
What exactly is the design, you ask?
While regular harpoons are straight and spear-like, Prince Arowana’s personal harpoon has a characteristic crescent-shaped blade!
Let’s see what happens when Prince Arowana uses it!
Prince Arowana loves to wrestle, eat pickled cucumbers, and has a shell shield.
He has given off the impression of being a kappa with these characteristics combined, but if we give him a pike with a crescent-shaped blade, the image that comes to mind is…
The superstar of the kappa world, Sha Gojo!!!
…Though I guess that would be too difficult for them to understand.
Sha Gojo and the characteristic pike he uses as his primary weapon is only known in my world.
I went too far.
I’m sorry.
But while I reflect on my actions, Prince Arowana masterfully uses the pike, the culmination of my corny joke, and enjoys a simulation battle with the Demon King.
“Ohhhh!”
“Hyaaaah!!!”
He successfully faces off the Demon King’s Einrot with a pike in his right hand and a shell shield in his left hand.
I know the Demon King isn’t taking this seriously, but I guess Prince Arowana is one of the stronger people in the world for being on par with someone wielding a holy sword.
“Let’s stop here, Prince Arowana.”
“Agreed. Nonetheless, your form was impeccable. I couldn’t find an opening to knock you down until the very end.”
“Had our short battle continued any longer, my physical strength wouldn’t have lasted, certainly exposing my weakness. Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing a lot of political work lately that my body has gone stiff.”
They’re having a conversation only the strong could engage in.
It seems the prince likes his new weapon.
“Although I am very grateful for Lord Saint’s kindness, I still cannot pave the way to becoming the Mermaid King without training myself… I hereby make up my mind!” says Prince Arowana, stirring himself up.
He has made up his mind? On what?
“I’m going on a journey. A journey to discipline myself starting from my very roots!”