Chapter 523: A Mother's Regret

"My Queen, my Queen!" A mermaid enters an underwater palace while using her mana to make her voice echo through the water.

She swims quickly through the corridors that seem to be in ruins until she arrives in a great hall, also underwater. Sunbeams enter through small holes in the ceiling, making it clear that the place is not too far from the surface.

"My Queen?!?" That woman, who looks about forty and wears shining armor that even covers parts of her long tail, looks really apprehensive as she calls out to her Queen.

"Ramla!" A sweet and also angry voice echoes inside the hall. "Be quiet!!"

Realizing the direction the voice came from, Ramla quickly swims towards a room, where she sees her Queen looking at another mermaid's painting on the wall.

"My Queen..." She speaks in a low, respectful tone while her expression turns sad as she looks at the beautiful mermaid in the painting. Her hair is silver, and her eyes are like bright blue pearls; also, she is as much similar to the Queen as Saria, the Mermaid Princess, and the Queen's daughter, of course.

Nea, the Mermaid Queen, is just as beautiful as her daughters, but her hair is light pink, and her eyes are green like sea corals. Also, unlike Saria, who has down-sloping ears, the Queen has her ears up-sloping and with thin spikes like a mixture of elf ears and fish fins.

The Queen also has a long fish-type tail that is light pink, as does her hair, a characteristic of most mermaids.

"My Kaisa..." Nea runs her finger over the face of the other Mermaid on the painting while speaking her name in a loving but melancholy tone. "She would be 1217 years old today..."

Ramla makes a sorry expression. "I'm sorry to bother you on this special day, but..."

Nea sighs. "I have to accept that she died and won't come back home... But I just wish her soul could rest."

"Maybe she does." Ramla comments. "I mean, we don't have how to be sure if her situation is still..."

"I know," Nea speaks in a sad tone. "I do not know where she is, but I feel in my heart that my daughter's soul doesn't rest... She's still trapped inside that damn s-"

She stops talking as she turns and looks at Ramla. "I don't want to talk about it right now; just tell me what is going on."

Ramla nods and quickly explains. "It's about Saria... She's being influenced by that human! They've already convinced a large number of troops to follow them to the North Seas to retake the crystal mines the Nagas took from us."

A subtle smile appears on Nea's face as her eyes sparkle. "You make it look like it's a bad thing even though I think otherwise."

"My Queen???" Ramla is shocked. "You can't be serious. That could start a war between our peoples, causing harm to all aquatic races..."

"Start a war?" Nea asks sarcastically. "The war already started when that greedy man stole Mira's power and started ruling the Nagas out of fear! We were passive for a long time as I didn't know what to do, but it looks like Saria finally started acting like a Queen."

Ramla can't help but be more worried. "I agree that things weren't going well, but we have to find another way to deal with that situation; we're not assassins! Also, that human is manipulating us to reach her secret goals."

"I can't deny that Claire is very greedy..." Nea comments. "But she makes her intentions very clear. I just don't understand why she loves anything shiny that much..."

"That's the problem." Ramla comments. "How can a person influence a whole race in a few weeks? She doesn't look human to me, but some kind of greedy demon! She's making our people sick."

Nea puts a hand on Ramla's shoulder. "You're my right hand because you're totally loyal to me and want the best for our people, but you can't see she has something we so badly need right now."

She makes a curious expression. "What is it?"

"Passion." The Queen responds. "Claire has enough passion for encouraging the whole race to be more greedy, and even if it's not as noble as you'd like, it's working in our favor."

"It..." Ramla is still worried about the future of her race as well as the power balance of the Blue Star.

Nea smiles. "I'm tired, my friend... You and I have worked too hard for our people, and now Saria is finally taking her place as Queen, even if it's under the influence of a mysterious greedy girl."

Ramla can't deny that it's a good thing, but Nea keeps arguing. "Also, our people have always been on the defensive. I wouldn't know how to lead them any other way, nor how to incite them to take back what is rightfully ours. But Claire came at the right time to give us the motivation we needed."

"Even if our people are motivated, it's still not going to end well," Ramla explains. "If we start fighting back, it will get Tyrion's attention, and we can't win a direct battle if he's leading his troops."

"That's why I'm going to kill him and get it over." Nea makes a determined expression. "I don't want to have to do that, but Tyrion is putting our whole world in danger with his uncontrolled greed."

"My Queen..." Ramla speaks respectfully. "I know you well, and I know that even though you are the strongest person among our people, you still don't have a chance of beating Tyrion because he's in the Cosmic Realm."

Nea makes a regretful expression. "I could have reached the Cosmic Realm too if I had tried harder... But now that things have reached this point, I have to do everything possible to stop Tyrion from destroying both our peoples."

"What do you mean?" Ramla gets even more concerned.

"I'll use that to kill him..." Nea answers.

"What?" Although she has an idea of what the Queen is talking about, Ramla doesn't want to believe in that. "Do you mean the Forbidden Fruit?"

Nea Nods. "It's the only way to stop Tyrion."

"No!" Ramla gets even more nervous and grabs both shoulders of the Queen. "It will kill you, Nea... As your protector and friend, I can't let you die because of a vile person like Tyrion!"

"I expected such a reaction from you, my sister..." Nea smiles. "I had thought about that many times, but I couldn't leave my people without a leader..."

She continues. "But now that Claire is helping Saria, I feel like she's found someone to help her be a good Queen just like you've always helped me."

"Please..." Ramla can't agree with that plan as she loves Nea as her sister.

"It's decided." She speaks in a determined tone, making it clear that there is no way to change her mind. "I'm not reaching the Cosmic Realm anytime soon, so this way, at least my death will have some meaning."

"My Queen..." Tears run down Ramla's face. "Then let me die fighting by your side."

Nea smiles. "We're all going to have to fight, but I'm not the one who decides who dies or who lives... Now, do as I say and go help Saria prepare the troops. Also, don't let anyone know what we talked about."

"Yes, my Queen." Ramla nods and puts her hand over her heart. "For the Ocean Mother."

"For the Ocean Mother." Nea also says those words, and then Ramla leaves that place, going to do as she said.

Then Nea looks at the Mermaid in the painting again with a sad expression. "If I had given my life for our people before, maybe you wouldn't have had to do that..."

Somewhere between the south and east regions of Blue Star, near the central area.

The Sea Devil breaks waves and wind, sailing at full speed towards the Mermaid Kingdom while Lucien's wives and sisters continue to suffer from being away from him.

Almost all the girls are doing something to keep the ship in the best condition. However, there are not so many tasks to busy them all, and part of the group observes Valencia lying on a bed in one of the bedrooms.

Sophia has just checked her health again. "She still seems to be perfectly fine. In fact, her body is taking a while to transform all of Lucien's demonic energy into her own power because she doesn't have his tattoo."

Maya makes a confused expression. "Why would he give his energy to a woman like her? I mean, she's definitely a vile person."

"Maybe he didn't do it on purpose..." Amelia tries to explain. "Just by being close to Lucien, it's already possible to benefit from his energy because... well, it's complicated..."

While Maya becomes even more curious and confused, little Ko approaches the bed and sniffs Valencia's neck. "It smells like special milk."

"What is special milk??" Maya can't help but ask.

"Well..." Sophia blushes, as do Amelia and Donna.

Eve sighs and shakes her head. "It doesn't matter now, but-"

But she stops talking when she notices Valencia's hand move. Sloth also notes and comments. "Oh, she's waking up."

"Oh..." Maya smiles. "Be prepared to receive many insults and threats."

"I doubt it..." Pride comments in an arrogant tone.

Valencia feels a little dizzy, but her body has never felt so good before. She slowly opens her eyes and sees the bedroom ceiling before noticing several unfamiliar faces around her.

"Who..." She quickly becomes alert and then recognizes Maya. "You???"

"Keep calm," Sophia speaks in a gentle tone as she puts her hand on Valencia's shoulder and gives her some life mana.

That energy makes Valencia feel even better and calmer, though it also makes her immediately remember Lucien.

"Where is he?!?" She looks around, looking for any sign of Lucien as her body began to crave for his energies to the point of hurting. She's like someone on drugs who just realized she couldn't live without that drug anymore.

Maya is confused that Valencia doesn't look anything like she was before. "Who are you talking about?"

Envy smiles. "I recognize that look... She can only be talking about Lucien, of course."

"Lucien!" That name echoes in Valencia's mind, making her mouth water as she remembers the wonderful taste of his cum, which makes her body ache to have that again. "Yeah, Lucien, where is he?!??!"

"Go easy!" Amelia speaks in an annoyed tone as she doesn't like that look of Valencia at all.

"Exactly." Pride comments. "You can't demand anything from us."

"You do not understand!" Valencia holds Sophia's hands as she looks into her eyes with a pleading expression. "I need him! If I don't have that... I'll go crazy!"

Donna shakes her head. "You're already crazy..."

Sloth makes a thoughtful expression. "It looks like Lucien's demonic energy is getting more and more powerful... or he did something special to make this woman like this."

"Something special?" Envy can't help but make a lewd expression as she can't contain her longing for Lucien and the things they did in bed.

While the girls don't know if they feel sorry for Valencia for having been with Lucien recently, Maya becomes increasingly confused and curious about him.

"What the heck is going on here???" She thinks aloud.