Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1955: Origin of the sea witches (1)

Clearing his throat, the Merman King spoke up, "Ahem, yes. I’ve gathered you all here because there is a story I wish to share with everyone."

He was the one responsible for summoning his brother and his brother's family to this meeting.

However, there was another presence who had been even more insistent on calling this family together.

By the time the Merman King concluded his tale, a somber expression had settled over the former crown prince’s face.

The former crown prince had been completely in the dark, knowing only as much as the common folk until now; however, the weight of the truth was now clear to him.

"Both you and father have endured so much," he remarked, his voice thick with sympathy for the Merman King.

The Merman King flashed a bitter smile and replied, "By right, this burden should have been yours to carry from the start."

At those words, a small smile played on the former crown prince’s lips as he teased, "If you’re still capable of joking, then perhaps the weight isn't so heavy after all."

The siblings shared a brief moment of levity, but their smiles quickly faded. Given the gravity of their discussion, maintaining a lighthearted mood was nearly impossible.

Dicus appeared startled, yet she remained largely indifferent. Since she had never been involved in royal affairs, the news felt distant to her.

Having been raised by sea witches with a father who had severed ties with the throne, she hadn't even realized her royal lineage until our journey to find her kin began.

Zyra, however, reacted quite differently.

Something about the narrative seemed to strike a chord of familiarity within her.

After a period of intense contemplation, her gaze suddenly shifted toward the kraken occupying the room.

The kraken had been observing in silence. Unlike the other mermaids who looked upon it with different eyes, it seemed perfectly comfortable under Zyra's scrutiny.

"Are you the messenger of Aestum, the God of Tides?"

"It is good to see you, Elder Sea Witch. Indeed, it was I who requested your presence."

Hearing the kraken speak was a shock, though it made perfect sense given the circumstances.

When the Merman King initially proposed bringing his brother back to reveal the royal family's secrets, the kraken had consented. It had been hesitant at first, though.

It was only upon learning that Zyra was a sea witch that the creature gave its approval.

It appeared that the kraken shared a profound tie with the sea witches.

Still, it was peculiar that Zyra had identified the kraken as Aestum's messenger so easily.

While Aestum had been mentioned during the King's long explanation, the kraken itself hadn't been part of that specific history. She shouldn't have been able to deduce its identity from that story alone.

There must have been some prior knowledge she possessed that allowed her to make the connection...

"Dear, what are you talking about?" the former crown prince asked, his voice slow and deliberate.

He sounded slightly pained.

The former crown prince wasn't slow; he could tell something was strange about Zyra's statement. His question carried a hint of suspicion, as if he feared his wife was keeping secrets from him.

Zyra was quick to reassure him, "It’s not what you think. I simply recall seeing that name in the ancient records of the past sea witches. I didn't think much of it at the time, but the name felt familiar just now."

Gazing back at the kraken, she continued, "The texts mentioned a messenger with a form just like this."

I was genuinely stunned by this revelation.

There had been absolutely no mention of this lore in the game.

It felt as though new events were unfolding that fell completely outside my knowledge of the original plot...

"Yes, a profound bond once existed between my god and the ancient sea witches. But that connection was severed when that tyrant drove out his followers, forcing us into hiding," the kraken stated.

Despite the sharp edge in the creature's voice, the Merman King did not take offense this time.

It seemed he had grown accustomed to the kraken’s blunt way of speaking.

Instead, the entire group was now fixated on the 'deeper bond' the creature had mentioned.

Noticing their curious stares, the kraken let out a sigh and said, "This concerns the very beginning of the sea witches. If you wish to hear the history, I shall recount it."

"Please, tell us," Zyra urged, her enthusiasm evident.

She was clearly captivated by the subject.

It was strange that a sea witch—especially one of the Five Great Witches—was ignorant of her own history. This knowledge must have been lost to the passage of time.

"The tale is quite simple, really. In the beginning, the witches were merely mermaids living under the rule of that tyrannical god."

This didn't come as a surprise, as it was considered common knowledge.

After all, sea witches and mermaids weren't fundamentally different beings.

Every mermaid possessed the latent potential to walk the path of a sea witch.

Thus, it was only logical that they originated as mermaids under Aquaron’s dominion.

Even to this day, a great number of mermaids still held onto their faith in Aquaron.