Positive little sun, magical girl, I am awesome

The unexpected incident at the Mirror Lake Grand Library did not really affect the ball. For the students, it was just another unexpected little episode, not even as big as the commotion caused by their usual failed experiments. They quickly put it behind them and continued to spin and laugh on the dance floor.

It wasn't until nearly midnight that the teachers had to harden their hearts and announce the end of the ball, kicking the still-enthusiastic young people out of the castle.

As the last group of students walked out the door arm in arm, the magic lamps went out one by one, leaving only a few ever-burning lamps casting a dim yellow glow deep in the corridor.

The Mirror Lake outside the castle has also returned to calm, quietly reflecting the bright silver moon in the sky.

Thus, the most beautiful and romantic summer night at Goredia Academy finally came to an end, and the young people bid farewell to each other and went off to their sweet dreams.

"You should go to sleep too, Mom."

Beneath the Mirror Lake, Simon, somewhat exhausted after repairing the broken magical barrier of the dome, dragged a barely usable chair from the ruins and leaned against it.

After a moment of distraction, Simon saw that Greta was still sitting in the highest pool, holding her scepter, staring blankly at the light and shadow of the castle above her.

Although the surroundings were devastated, he felt fortunate. This wasn't the first time his mother had suddenly gone berserk like this. Fortunately, this time she was facing a thick-skinned black dragon, which prevented an even greater disaster from happening.

He was used to cleaning up the mess after this. After resting, Simon got up from the creaking chair and approached Greta.

“Mother…is it her?” Rippling light danced in his deep green eyes.

"..."

"Will those who leave truly return in a completely new form of life?"

A slender figure knelt by the edge of the pool, gently pressing his face against his mother's cold hand: "If that's really the case, perhaps I can accept your departure with equanimity. Mother, you must have waited so many years..."

"Or is it just a legend, like the Song of Longing..."

He was met with silence. When her palm was touched, Grétia glanced down briefly before turning her head back to gaze at the shattered moonlight above.

"Simon!"

A voice called from behind. It was Phoebe. She hadn't changed out of her dance dress from tonight, so she was having a hard time walking through the messy Mirror Lake Library. As she walked, she kept exclaiming in amazement, "Wow, the headmaster looks great today!"

"Are the children all alright?" Simon asked, turning around.

“The distance is far enough, and there’s the magical barrier of Mirror Lake in between, so it’s not a big problem. I put Yavanna essential oil in the candles in the ballroom, and they’ll be fine once they wake up.” Phoebe’s tone was relaxed, as if she didn’t take Godia’s riot seriously at all.

Simon looked slightly more relaxed.

"—There's only one unlucky guy."

Phoebe changed the subject, carefully examining Grandia's condition: "That sea boy, he seems to have faced Grandia's attack head-on, and he's still unconscious. Honestly, I don't know who just left him like that at my office door... You'd better come and help him."

"Let's go."

When it came to the safety of the students, Simon did not hesitate. He reached out his hand to Phoebe, and the two of them vanished the instant the witch reached out to him.

The Jinghu Grand Library has returned to silence.

Only Goredia remained in the ruins, still clutching the scepter of the sea god, gazing up at the moonlight beyond the dome. The pearl at the top of the scepter emitted a warm glow in the darkness, silently blending with the moonlight.

A long time, a long time.

A very subtle, almost imperceptible tremor escaped from the mermaid's lips.

At first, it was hard to make out anything; it sounded more like the rustling of seashells rubbing against each other on the seabed, or the sigh of the receding tide sweeping over the rocks. But gradually, the disordered murmurs began to coalesce and become clear.

It's a song without lyrics, only a melody, with an ancient and unfamiliar tune, winding like an undercurrent at the bottom of the sea.

As the song flowed, the light at the top of the scepter flickered like breath, perfectly matching the rise and fall of the melody.

The life force attached to it no longer spread chaotically, but instead, with the vibration of the sound waves, transformed into visible pale blue dust, like awakened fireflies in the deep sea, slowly drifting and swirling above the mermaid's head, and then—

They broke through the transparent dome overhead, rushed beyond Mirror Lake, and were blown by the night wind, scattering to every corner of the city and into the dreams of all who were asleep.

…………

……

"Koro".

"Koro, Koro!" The voice gradually grew impatient, and finally turned into a low growl. After several calls, the wife next to her finally trembled and sat up abruptly.

"You—!" Fred was startled by the woman's actions, his tone becoming even more irritated.

"I called out so many times, how can you be sleeping so soundly?! Bring me some more Feline medicine, I'm in so much pain I can't sleep!"

Chloe remained sitting upright, unresponsive to her husband's commands. Fred, lying there, could only see his wife's back, motionless in the deep night, which inexplicably sent a chill down his spine.

"Koro, can't you hear me?"

"...Father God." The seaman's wife, with her back to her husband, finally spoke in a low murmur, but the meaning was unclear.

"what?"

"...Father God is dead."

Fred was startled. Forget about his drowsiness and pain at that moment. He struggled to sit up, using his elbows to prop himself up, and yanked his wife's arm: "What nonsense are you talking about? Are you having a nightmare?!"

Chloe was pulled by her husband and had to turn to face him. Fred could vaguely see the glistening tear tracks on his wife's face by the moonlight coming through the window.

Chloe, however, remained bewildered: "Was I dreaming...? I saw... Father God... being struck by a sword..."

"Koro!" Fred shouted sternly.

Chloe shuddered again. She seemed to have finally escaped the nightmare, and her mind gradually cleared. She realized where she was and who was next to her.

“Fred.” Her husband, and she, a sea dweller, knew that the beautiful underwater scenes, those fleeting afterimages, were nothing but a dream…

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Fred, enduring the pain, lowered his voice and rebuked, "Father God? I told you, the people I'm going to be dealing with next are all prominent figures in High Court, those adults are all devout believers in the Light! If even a single word of your madness gets out, my future, our future, will be completely ruined!"

Koro listened in silence, her face still wet with tears, but her eyes no longer held the fear and fawning they once did.

She once regarded her husband's admonitions as gospel, but ever since she learned that his future was to be paved by his wife, they sounded incredibly hollow.

“I can go out to work, Fred.” Her voice was soft, but it carried a hint of something new to her usual timidity: “Like before, I can do laundry, mend clothes, or go to Miss Lilith’s tavern. I can always earn money. We can support ourselves…”

“Enough, Chloe. Didn’t I tell you not to say these things anymore?” Fred interrupted impatiently. “Who would hire a seaman to work for them? Your obedience is the greatest help you can give your husband.”

Looking at her husband's familiar yet unfamiliar face, Ke Luo recalled how, years ago, when he was pursuing her, he had tenderly praised her seaweed-like long hair, said her eyes were like the deep sea hiding stars, and promised that he would never let her wander again, that they would live a rich and stable life together...

The warmth of the past flickered in Koro's heart like a faint spark.

“Fred…” the woman whispered in the darkness, “I love you, do you… do you still love me?”

Her response was a long silence. Fred seemed to find it strange that she didn't speak, so he impatiently swept the bed: "What's that so uncomfortable? Did you go to sleep without taking off your jewelry? You can wear it to your heart's content at the Earl's banquet."

Something was swept off the bed and clattered on the floor.

The last glimmer of hope was extinguished in Chloe's eyes, but a strange peace, originating from the depths of her bloodline, enveloped her.

She slowly moved closer to Fred, touching his shoulder, which was tense from pain: "Fred, let's have a child, a child that belongs to us. With a child, this family will be complete, and so will you..."

He won't always be thinking about using his wife to gain wealth and status.

"Stop it, Chloe!" Fred, determined to achieve his goals, wouldn't be thinking about children at this time. He was about to roughly push her away and sternly refuse—

But Chloe's movements were surprisingly fast.

Before Fred could react, she had already pressed down on him. At that moment, Fred was horrified to discover that his wife, whom he had always insisted on maintaining a slender figure, was incredibly heavy. It felt as if his wound had been hit by a rock!

"Ouch! You! My ribs..." Fred was in so much pain that he broke out in a cold sweat. He struggled desperately, but he couldn't budge them an inch.

In the cool moonlight, Chloe looked down at her husband, the humble and ingratiating look on her face gone, replaced by an empty gaze.

—Like a fish.

The thought suddenly popped into Fred's head, giving him goosebumps, and he pushed his wife even harder.

But in the struggle, he actually touched something cold, slippery, and fish-scale-like!

"Ko-Ko-Ko!? What's that?" Fred's lips suddenly trembled.

His wife's cool arms were already wrapped around his neck, her voice as gentle as ever: "Fred, my husband, we will be together forever, just like our wedding vows, witnessed by God the Father..."

"Damn it, no, no!! Ahhhhhh!!!"

The piercing, terrifying screams were incredibly clear in the dead of night, faintly audible even across the street. Surprisingly—

Everyone in the city is sleeping soundly tonight, each lost in a beautiful dream.