Mahsuri, telling us to step back, and all of us did so without questioning her. She simply touches the lake, analyzing it for few seconds before muttering something, and that result in the lake, suddenly glowing. No, not just the lake, the ancient tunnel, it resonate with the lake. It might be only a faint glow, but that simply because the lake in front of us shine brightly, masking the glow on the wall of the ancient tunnel

"There. Is it done" [Mahsuri]

"What... What did you do?" [Khamishah]

"You know who created the ancient tunnel?" [Mahsuri]

A sudden question, but the answer is simple enough

"The traveler king" [Charlotte]

"Correct. Now tell me, what is his race?" [Mahsuri]

"That's a hard one, but most scholars agree he is a dwarf" [Kara]

"Correct. Remember how the serial killer dwarf use his racial magic to gain near invincibility and how Karon manages to craft living weapons? Here, it is the same, the traveler king simply use his racial magic, to construct the ancient tunnel for the original ten heroes, and by doing so, giving an "artificial life or intelligence", different from that of a homunculus or a golem. Karon's coining the term puppet is well suited, as the ancient tunnel is nothing more but a huge puppet spanning across Achalasia to serve the ten heroes" [Mahsuri]

"Unbelievable..." [Elise]

All of us share the same reaction with Elise. To think that the ancient tunnel is one huge dwarf racial magic. Just how powerful is this traveler king, and his role to aid the original ten heroes, it's similar like Brother Ash and Sis Diana

"How do activate it then?" [Khamishah]

"Those kids will learn it someday. For now, Elise, Kara and Charlotte, come" [Mahsuri]

"""Right!!!""" [Elise, Kara, Charlotte]

Saying our goodbye to Mrs Saga and the other, we dive into the lake like Mahsuri did. I thought at first she's a homunculus, does, she does not require to breath, as she simply dives in without using any adaptability magic like the three of us does, but once the three of us are inside, this strange feeling. Our mind instinctively know that even without said magic, we can actually breathe and talk. Again, strange, but I could detect adaptability magic in the water, so maybe that's what allowing us to breath and talk, conserving our mana.

My mind is boggling with questions. There's so much that I wanted to ask her right away, and yet

"Once we get to the mermaid kingdom and meet the king, I'll tell you everything. For now, hold onto your question" [Mahsuri]

Again, she seems reluctant to tell us. Is there some sort of secret that she didn't want us to know? Her eye, once again, fill with sadness, directed especially toward me. I wonder, what is this feeling? It strange, and somehow, I feel scared by it

Still, I ignore the feeling and keep swimming forward, focusing with the task on our hand, to uncover the mystery regarding the strange mermaids

"Look!" [Elise]

"It's huge!" [Kara]

"Isn't that..." [Charlotte]

A whale dragon. Unlike Mahsuri's pseudo Leviathan golem, this massive leviathan is a bit smaller, and having more dragon like features as compared to its other counterparts. It glides through the water by using his wing, which act as a fin as well. Dragon like eyes and horn, and with four limbs like a dragon would. Truly, such wonderful and terrifying sight. And when it notices us, it cames rushing

"Queen. Princess. You have come. After so long, we have waited for thus moment, surely you must have..." [Leviathan]

"Don't call me a queen" [Mahsuri]

"It talks!" [Charlotte]

""??"" [Elise, Kara]

Elise and Kara are a little bit terrified, their skin colour quickly turning pale at the sight of a giant beast rushing toward us, but they quickly get into their battle formation

"It talks?" [Kara]

"Again?" [Elise]

And they can't hear it, which only add more to their confusion. Thing is, only Mahsuri and I can hear the Leviathan speaking. Just now, did she just call Mahsuri a queen, and me, as a princess? Does that mean...

The sight of Leviathan constantly swimming around us, as we travel into the mermaid kingdom. It tries to talk with Mahsuri, talking constantly without stopping, and yet

"..." [Mahsuri]

"This sting. Princess, why didn't her majesty talk? I mean, that is always how she is, but..." [Leviathan]

"Princess? Are you saying that I am a princess?" [Charlotte]

"Why of course. I might not know what truly transpire, but..." [Leviathan]

"Pseudo leviathan" [Mahsuri]

Mahsuri suddenly launches an attack meant to the talking Leviathan, which causes the four of us to flinch. Even the Leviathan is left bewildered by her action

"Your majesty! That's cruel! Using my brother to attack me!" [Leviathan]

"Brother? You mean that golem!?" [Charlotte]

"Yes, that golem's magic core belongs to my brother, it sure takes me back when we used to fight, but that was cruel! Simply cruel!" [Leviathan]

"..." [Mahsuri]

"Charlotte..." [Kara]

"Why is the Leviathan making loud noise?" [Elise]

"And why did Mahsuri attack him and let him get away" [Elise]

"Well..." [Charlotte]

Such interesting story shouldn't be left a secret. I tell them and what did you know, they laugh a bit

"Why are they laughing!" [Leviathan]

"Sorry. It just we always thought that a Leviathan will be a strong monster, but to think even you cower in front of Mahsuri, that's simply unexpected" [Charlotte]

"Well! Of course! Her majesty is after all..." [Leviathan]

~Blood lust stare~

"No never mind. I still value my life" [Leviathan]

I don't think we can get much more information from him, at least not when Mahsuri is still around. As we keep swimming, the sight of a group of armored mermaid fighting a group of strange mermaid and devils caught our attention, and in the middle of all of that

"Mine. Mine. We meet again, Aries's daughter, and her siblings" [Motra]

"""Motra!""" [Elise, Kara, Charlotte]

That half man half woman butterfly beastman, what is he/she doing here!