I didn’t know if the potions would be effective, because Nier didn’t agree to my request . She shoved me back and took in a deep breath . She spoke in a slightly livid tone: “Your Majesty, now is not the time for you to realise your dream of being a hero . It’s swarming with flood corpses outside . We’re safe here, since they haven’t found us . Aren’t you courting death if you go outside now? By the time we get on the deck, the flood corpses will be able to throw our entire room into the ocean!”

“No… I was thinking… that it was worth a try…”

Nier mustered up all of her patience: “A try? You want to try in this situation? Your Majesty, if you fail in this situation, everybody will lose their lives . Have you considered the consequence of failure? I am willing to die without regrets protecting you, and I believe Lucia shares the same sentiment, but how about you? You don’t need to die!! All we have to do is to wait here in this room until Ying finishes off the wyrm . You cann-”

Nier twirled her wrist and thrust her sword toward the door . Another m.u.f.fled scream was heard, followed by the sound of something heavy dropping to the ground . A green sticky liquid dripped onto the ground . Another hole appeared in the door . However, the corpse that dropped to the ground seemed to attract even more flood corpses .

The flood corpses pressed themselves up against the door . Their clothes corroded, exposing their corpses that had started to turn black . Groans followed by the stench of the sea and rotting came in . The situation outside the door was comparable to zombies laying siege to a city; hence, the st.u.r.dy wooden door didn’t provide any sense of safety .

Nier stabbed through the door over and over in order to prevent the flood corpses from breaking the door down . Soon enough, the door was akin to Swiss cheese . The powerless dead corpses leaned on the door when they died, because the flood corpses from behind would push them forward from behind, creating a perfect flesh s.h.i.+eld . The flood corpses didn’t seem to be very strong; or rather, they had no idea how to move obstacles in front of them . As a result, they kept stepping in place . But nonetheless, we were trapped in the room . There was a window . That said, jumping out of it meant jumping into the wyrm’s ocean .

That might be a viable option for Lucia and Nier, but it was a one way ticket to h.e.l.l for me . The wyrm would surely eat me . I was lucky last time, as Ying was present and it seemed to be more interested in the necklace than me . I might not be so lucky again . After taking a thras.h.i.+ng from Ying, it might eat me just to vent .

I didn’t know how the other s.h.i.+p was doing . The wyrm didn’t attack our s.h.i.+p, so it must’ve attacked the s.h.i.+p with Mom and Ying on it . Mommy Elizabeth was a.s.signed to protect our s.h.i.+p, but she’d definitely head to where the fighting was most intense when the battle started .

Mommy Vyvyan didn’t need the mana dissolving potion . It was a full-moon night; her power was at its peak . Taking on the wyrm as a demi-G.o.d shouldn’t be too difficult for her; however, her duty wasn’t to kill the wyrm . Her task was to imprison it within a specific area for Ying to slay it .

I couldn’t believe it wasn’t over yet . I wondered if the wyrm was that fierce or if it was still waiting for an opportunity .

I couldn’t hear the battle . All I could was the flood corpses’ roars and the occasional shouting . I couldn’t see anything, either . The lit up candles in the room swayed similarly to stacked eggs . All I could see was Nier’s cold expression and Lucia’s tense expression . I couldn’t do a thing, and I couldn’t hear a thing . I wanted to do something . I wanted to see Mom’s s.h.i.+p safe and sound . I wanted to go out . I didn’t want to hide as a coward would .

I was no longer a child who needed to hide in my mom’s arms . I was an adult . I wanted to protect them, too! I wanted to be by their sides . I wanted to watch them no matter what . Otherwise, I couldn’t feel at ease . I wanted to see their servants . I’d rather die than wrestle with the anxiety tearing me apart! I conquered the North to protect them, yet I had to hole up in the rear?! I could make the va.s.sals of a race submit to me, and I could bury all of the enemies in the snowy lands, yet I was relegated to quaking in my boots when faced with a pack of zombies?! I was the King of the North; not a coward!

Anxious, I grabbed Nier’s shoulders and loudly explained, “Nier, I really want to give it a try . The wyrm is a creature that possesses mana; that means these flood corpses are definitely made of mana, as well . You just need to let me throw a bottle into the air . I really want to try it . It should definitely work in theory . Back then, this thing nearly killed me . It’ll dissolve anything with mana and do so without end . Humans built this s.h.i.+p; therefore, it doesn’t consist of any mana components . That means it won’t harm us, either, Nier!”

Nier furrowed her eyebrows: “Your Majesty, don’t be impulsive . Combat isn’t your field of specialty . You should trust us at times like this . Trust Ying, Her Highness and Her Majesty . They’ll be fine! Believe in them!”

“I still want to be by their side . I’m scared, you know?! I’m not afraid to die, but I’m afraid something will befall them! I want to see them . I want to see them even if I can only stand on the deck!”

“You weren’t part of the plan!”

I took in a deep breath and, in a shaky voice, pleaded, “This swarm of flood corpses wasn’t part of the plan, either! Just let me try, Nier . I’ll throw just one bottle out . Trust me . While I can’t use magic, I do understand mana concepts . I guarantee these flood corpses are relying on mana to move . Dead people can’t be revived, but they can be used to power something, similarly to flammables . These flood corpses are the same as manpowered machinery . They’ll instantly dissolve once they’re exposed to the mana dissolving agent . Just let me throw one bottle!”

Nier looked at my pleading gaze . She hesitated for a moment then looked toward Lucia . Lucia lingered for a moment then responded, “If the flood corpses are as His Highness says, then His Highness is right . The mana dissolving agent can dissolve anything containing mana, including Her Highness’ magic The only issue is that we’re not certain the flood corpses are bodies of mana…”

“Nier, just make me a small hole . I don’t need to throw it out; pouring it out works, too! If it succeeds, all of the flood corpses on deck will melt, and we’ll be able to get onto the deck!”

After a short moment of hesitation, Nier spun around and violently stabbed a hole in the wooden door and into a rotten flood corpse on the other side . The rancid stench made me take a few steps back . She turned around and loudly shouted, “Hurry, Your Majesty! Hurry and try it! Throw the mana dissolving potion out there!!”

Lucia shoved a small bottle into my hand: “Here!”

This liquid was venom that Mera almost killed me with, but in that moment, I was grateful . Without her, if I didn’t get acquainted with Mera, I might’ve been completely helpless in there . I hadn’t thought of Mera in a long time . I never thought Mera, who had left me long ago, would have left me with a key to get out of a pinch .

I ripped the cork off the bottle . The liquid didn’t have any unique characteristics other than its colour . I poured the blood-red liquid through the hole . The liquid that resembled b.l.o.o.d.y tears slowly coursed down the door…

We gathered at the door and waited for a miracle .

I didn’t know if the potions would be effective, because Nier didn’t agree to my request . She shoved me back and took in a deep breath . She spoke in a slightly livid tone: “Your Majesty, now is not the time for you to realise your dream of being a hero . It’s swarming with flood corpses outside . We’re safe here, since they haven’t found us . Aren’t you courting death if you go outside now? By the time we get on the deck, the flood corpses will be able to throw our entire room into the ocean!”.

“No… I was thinking… that it was worth a try…”.

Nier mustered up all of her patience: “A try? You want to try in this situation? Your Majesty, if you fail in this situation, everybody will lose their lives . Have you considered the consequence of failure? I am willing to die without regrets protecting you, and I believe Lucia shares the same sentiment, but how about you? You don’t need to die!! All we have to do is to wait here in this room until Ying finishes off the wyrm . You cann-”.

Nier twirled her wrist and thrust her sword toward the door . Another m.u.f.fled scream was heard, followed by the sound of something heavy dropping to the ground . A green sticky liquid dripped onto the ground . Another hole appeared in the door . However, the corpse that dropped to the ground seemed to attract even more flood corpses

The flood corpses pressed themselves up against the door . Their clothes corroded, exposing their corpses that had started to turn black . Groans followed by the stench of the sea and rotting came in . The situation outside the door was comparable to zombies laying siege to a city; hence, the st.u.r.dy wooden door didn’t provide any sense of safety

Nier stabbed through the door over and over in order to prevent the flood corpses from breaking the door down . Soon enough, the door was akin to Swiss cheese . The powerless dead corpses leaned on the door when they died, because the flood corpses from behind would push them forward from behind, creating a perfect flesh s.h.i.+eld . The flood corpses didn’t seem to be very strong; or rather, they had no idea how to move obstacles in front of them . As a result, they kept stepping in place . But nonetheless, we were trapped in the room . There was a window . That said, jumping out of it meant jumping into the wyrm’s ocean

That might be a viable option for Lucia and Nier, but it was a one way ticket to h.e.l.l for me . The wyrm would surely eat me . I was lucky last time, as Ying was present and it seemed to be more interested in the necklace than me . I might not be so lucky again . After taking a thras.h.i.+ng from Ying, it might eat me just to vent

I didn’t know how the other s.h.i.+p was doing . The wyrm didn’t attack our s.h.i.+p, so it must’ve attacked the s.h.i.+p with Mom and Ying on it . Mommy Elizabeth was a.s.signed to protect our s.h.i.+p, but she’d definitely head to where the fighting was most intense when the battle started

Mommy Vyvyan didn’t need the mana dissolving potion . It was a full-moon night; her power was at its peak . Taking on the wyrm as a demi-G.o.d shouldn’t be too difficult for her; however, her duty wasn’t to kill the wyrm . Her task was to imprison it within a specific area for Ying to slay it

I couldn’t believe it wasn’t over yet . I wondered if the wyrm was that fierce or if it was still waiting for an opportunity

I couldn’t hear the battle . All I could was the flood corpses’ roars and the occasional shouting . I couldn’t see anything, either . The lit up candles in the room swayed similarly to stacked eggs . All I could see was Nier’s cold expression and Lucia’s tense expression . I couldn’t do a thing, and I couldn’t hear a thing . I wanted to do something . I wanted to see Mom’s s.h.i.+p safe and sound . I wanted to go out . I didn’t want to hide as a coward would

I was no longer a child who needed to hide in my mom’s arms . I was an adult . I wanted to protect them, too! I wanted to be by their sides . I wanted to watch them no matter what . Otherwise, I couldn’t feel at ease . I wanted to see their servants . I’d rather die than wrestle with the anxiety tearing me apart! I conquered the North to protect them, yet I had to hole up in the rear?! I could make the va.s.sals of a race submit to me, and I could bury all of the enemies in the snowy lands, yet I was relegated to quaking in my boots when faced with a pack of zombies?! I was the King of the North; not a coward!.

Anxious, I grabbed Nier’s shoulders and loudly explained, “Nier, I really want to give it a try . The wyrm is a creature that possesses mana; that means these flood corpses are definitely made of mana, as well . You just need to let me throw a bottle into the air . I really want to try it . It should definitely work in theory . Back then, this thing nearly killed me . It’ll dissolve anything with mana and do so without end . Humans built this s.h.i.+p; therefore, it doesn’t consist of any mana components . That means it won’t harm us, either, Nier!”.

Nier furrowed her eyebrows: “Your Majesty, don’t be impulsive . Combat isn’t your field of specialty . You should trust us at times like this . Trust Ying, Her Highness and Her Majesty . They’ll be fine! Believe in them!”.

“I still want to be by their side . I’m scared, you know?! I’m not afraid to die, but I’m afraid something will befall them! I want to see them . I want to see them even if I can only stand on the deck!”.

“You weren’t part of the plan!”.

I took in a deep breath and, in a shaky voice, pleaded, “This swarm of flood corpses wasn’t part of the plan, either! Just let me try, Nier . I’ll throw just one bottle out . Trust me . While I can’t use magic, I do understand mana concepts . I guarantee these flood corpses are relying on mana to move . Dead people can’t be revived, but they can be used to power something, similarly to flammables . These flood corpses are the same as manpowered machinery . They’ll instantly dissolve once they’re exposed to the mana dissolving agent . Just let me throw one bottle!”.

Nier looked at my pleading gaze . She hesitated for a moment then looked toward Lucia . Lucia lingered for a moment then responded, “If the flood corpses are as His Highness says, then His Highness is right . The mana dissolving agent can dissolve anything containing mana, including Her Highness’ magic The only issue is that we’re not certain the flood corpses are bodies of mana…”.

“Nier, just make me a small hole . I don’t need to throw it out; pouring it out works, too! If it succeeds, all of the flood corpses on deck will melt, and we’ll be able to get onto the deck!”.

After a short moment of hesitation, Nier spun around and violently stabbed a hole in the wooden door and into a rotten flood corpse on the other side . The rancid stench made me take a few steps back . She turned around and loudly shouted, “Hurry, Your Majesty! Hurry and try it! Throw the mana dissolving potion out there!!”.

Lucia shoved a small bottle into my hand: “Here!”.

This liquid was venom that Mera almost killed me with, but in that moment, I was grateful . Without her, if I didn’t get acquainted with Mera, I might’ve been completely helpless in there . I hadn’t thought of Mera in a long time . I never thought Mera, who had left me long ago, would have left me with a key to get out of a pinch

I ripped the cork off the bottle . The liquid didn’t have any unique characteristics other than its colour . I poured the blood-red liquid through the hole . The liquid that resembled b.l.o.o.d.y tears slowly coursed down the door….

We gathered at the door and waited for a miracle