Nova stood deep in thought, glancing around the room. His clothes were wet and uncomfortable, and his white hair was drenched and sticking to his skin, but he still preferred breathing air over water.

The situation was still hard to understand, though.

"I'm sorry… I'm still at a loss here." Nova spread his hands helplessly. "You want me to kill you?"

"Well, not yet! Can't we just talk for a while? It's been so long since I've really talked to someone! Especially from the outside world!"

The eagerness in her voice was so genuine that it made Nova's chest tighten. How long had she been alone here, surrounded by mindless guards and beasts, with only her distant brother for real company?

"...Is your brother the same way?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. He's very cheery when we meet, but I imagine he has the same problems I have." She picked at the wet fabric of her dress, which was sticking a bit too close to her shape. "We're both trapped in our own little prisons."

"That's so terribly sad…"

She smiled again, but this time the expression held no joy. It was the smile of someone who had accepted a terrible truth long ago. "It's all I've ever known. But it's really starting to tear at my mind."

Only a tiny smile remained on her face as her eyes lost focus.

'Okay, but if I'm going to trust her, I'll have to make sure.'

[Fragment of Nova Regis equipped.]

He cleared his throat, trying to catch her attention again. "Just to make sure, you're not planning to attack us or anything, are you?"

Her eyelids widened as she stared at him in surprise, but soon changed to understanding. "It would obviously be hard to trust me so easily. But I have no plans of deceiving or attacking you, no. I would have no one capable of killing me if I did, and I'm not allowed to do so myself."

Her eyes reflected only the truth. 'That settles it. This trait is extremely useful, as I expected.'

Nova unequipped the fragment, trying to keep the change hidden behind his hidden Soul Power. "Well, I don't have to kill you yet. But there is someone waiting for me. I'm not alone, and there's also a young girl who needs my help on the next floor."

"Right, I figured you'd be too weak to get here alone." She leaned forward and closed her eyes, as if trying to sense other sources of power nearby. "How many are you? And how did you get through my barrier?"

Nova smiled at the casual assessment of his strength. Right now, she only sensed his meager soul power of a hundred thousand. 'Those questions would definitely make me suspicious of her intentions if I didn't just check.'

"There are just two of us. And I went through the void to get through it."

"The void?" Her azure eyes widened in fascination. "What's that?"

"...Who really knows? It's a world that exists next to our own, filled with nothing but darkness and madness. A really scary place, for most people." Nova shuddered slightly at the memory of his recent encounter with Lady Silveria. "But were you the one who made that barrier?"

"Ah, no, it's done by this staff." She lifted the ornate weapon slightly. The silver orb at its tip pulsed in response. "I'm not allowed to lift it, so I was surprised when you got through without breaking it."

'Not allowed to lift it? So she's as much a prisoner as a guardian.'

"Hmh…" A plan was taking form in his mind, both risky and unconventional. "Would you like to come along with us while we clear the floor?"

The change in her was immediate and dramatic. She sat up straight as her eyes went wide with hope. "Really?! Can I?"

"Sure! In fact, we might not even need to kill you at the end."

"Oh? What did the mission say?" She gripped the staff tightly, leaning forward with anticipation.

"It told us to bring the hearts of you and your brother to the Mermaid King. Maybe it's enough to bring you along?"

Her face lit up with the first genuine happiness he'd seen from her. "Oh, then I should at least be able to help you get there! The guards have to listen to what I say, even the ones in the city!"

Nova blinked, processing her words. "...There's a city?"

The princess nodded enthusiastically, now radiating excitement instead of the earlier melancholy. "Of course! Where did you think all the guards came from? Father's palace is at the center, surrounded by the whole underwater kingdom."

Nova felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. A city. An entire underwater kingdom. This floor was far more complex than he'd anticipated.

'So, is this like a puzzle floor? Are we supposed to find this princess and bring her along to get past the mermaids? I can't imagine anyone would be strong enough to fight an entire city… But, on the other hand, sneaking through a city would also be possible.'

The pieces were beginning to fall into place in Nova's mind. This wasn't a straightforward combat level, nor was it a puzzle like they had faced before—it was a complex and challenging level, where finding the best solution was as much of a challenge as anything else.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"And your brother?" he asked, still trying to understand the full scope of what they faced.

"He's also in the city, but he's acting as the head of the guard, so he's not in the palace." The princess adjusted her tiara, which had slipped slightly when she fell back on the bed. "But he will probably come along once I explain things."

"Okay… What about the creatures we will encounter on the way? Can you fight them?" Nova studied her with skepticism. Despite the powerful staff and the great Soul Power she had, she didn't look like a warrior.

"Oh, of course! I can do whatever I want." She made a sweeping gesture with her free hand, scattering water droplets from her damp sleeve.

"Other than lifting the barrier?" The words came out more pointed than he intended.

Her bright smile dimmed. "...Okay, I can't do whatever I want. But I can fight, I'm pretty sure."

The uncertainty in her voice didn't inspire confidence. Nova pictured trying to protect both Anny and this sheltered princess in the midst of combat against powerful underwater creatures.

"Well, as long as you don't get in the way, it's not an issue. We should be able to handle them." He tried to sound reassuring despite his doubts.

The princess gave him a look that bordered on pity. "...I don't mean to be rude, but your friend will have to be stronger than you for that to be the case."

"She is, right now. But we both have bodies that are far stronger than our Soul Power would indicate, so it's not as dire as you might think." He grabbed one of the pearls from the wall, attempting to crush it to demonstrate his strength. But it didn't budge.

The princess stared in silence, eventually tilting her head with a look of pity.

Nova had to give up, feeling unusually embarrassed. "...That's an impressive pearl. Anyway, my physical aspects are all around two hundred and fifty thousand when I'm in this form."

"Ahh, you did seem a bit too weak. Now I see." She nodded as if this explained everything, completely missing how condescending she sounded. "What do you mean when you say that form?"

"I'm using a technique to unify the elements in my body, making me far stronger than usual. But it also makes me grow older while using it."

"...So you're even younger than you look?" The worried surprise was clear in her eyes.

"Yes, physically I am quite young. But don't worry, my mind is likely even older than yours."

"I'm sure it is. At least in terms of experiences…"

"Yes, at the very least… Are you ready to leave?" Nova gestured toward the door, eager to move forward with their mission.

The princess practically jumped off the bed, clutching her staff with purpose. The small fins fluttered at the sides of her head as her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Absolutely!"

The enthusiasm radiating from her was almost childlike, despite the fact that she likely had existed for decades in this underwater prison. Whatever reservations Nova had about bringing her along, he couldn't deny the simple humanity of her desire for freedom and change.

'It's cruel to keep someone with real intelligence in a place like this. Like everyone, she deserves a chance to be free. Though I doubt that will be possible.'

"I guess we'll be underwater again once we leave this room," Nova said as they approached the door. "Will you be able to understand me without words?"

"Oh, I can try to guess what you mean!" the princess replied. "It's not so hard to learn to speak underwater either. You just need some practice."

Nova nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I'll try. At least communication won't be an issue for you."

The princess nodded eagerly, and Nova opened the door. Water immediately began flowing back into the room, swirling around their ankles, then rising rapidly to their knees, waists, and finally closing over their heads.

Nova's lungs seized momentarily before remembering their new capability. He forced himself to breathe normally as the familiar sensation of water filling his chest returned. The princess showed no such difficulty, transitioning to underwater breathing with the natural ease of someone born to it.

They swam carefully through the mansion's corridors. The princess led the way with confident strokes, evading any guards they could. Her white dress billowed around her lower half, revealing now that her entire lower half was like that of a fish, with silvery white scales reflecting the blue light.

'As I expected. I wonder what kind of speed she can reach underwater… Perhaps they even have magic that makes them faster?'

As they passed through a grand hall, a pair of mermaid guards appeared from a side passage. Nova tensed, ready for combat, but the princess merely raised her hand in greeting. The guards bowed deeply, pressing webbed fists to their chests before continuing on their patrol.

"See? They listen to me," the princess spoke clearly through the water. "At least when I give simple commands. They struggle if I ask complex questions..."

Nova nodded, still amazed at how her voice traveled underwater. He tried to speak, but only bubbles emerged from his mouth. Only the vibration from his throat carried slightly, but far from enough to speak coherent words.

The princess giggled at his attempts. "Maybe we should teach you mermaid speech while we're here. It's mostly about controlling water vibrations rather than making sounds."

'Ooh, maybe I can make a spell that can vibrate at the correct frequencies to talk like normal? That should be possible, although extremely difficult to use naturally… But if I could use it to record voices, perhaps I could make it repeat them?'

As they approached the barrier, Nova could see Anny waiting on the other side. Her expression brightened when she spotted them, though confusion quickly followed at the sight of the princess.

(I found a friend,) Nova projected through their ring connection. (She's one of the royal children. Seems like a more complex level than we thought. We might not need to kill anyone.)

(That's... convenient,) Anny replied, not sounding entirely convinced. (Are you sure she's trustworthy?)

(I used the fragment to see that she was telling the truth, so she's not planning to betray us or anything like that. She does want to die, though…)

(She does?)

(Yeah. She has been here alone for a long time. But we really should bring her along. She can control the mermaid guards we meet, and maybe even help us fight.)

(Ooh, nice!)

"Oh, is that little girl your friend?" the princess said, pointing at Anny. They both looked at each other with interest.

Nova could only nod, unsure if Anny could hear the voice on the other side.

"She looks even younger than you… And about as strong. But you have some technique that lets you beat the beasts here anyway?"

Nova nodded again, flexing his bicep and hoping she would understand. Then he turned back to Anny. (You wouldn't happen to know how to talk underwater, would you?)

(...Well, sounds are easy, but everything other than vowels is really hard. She can speak freely?)

(Yes, it's almost perfectly clear. I'm sure we'll manage, she's clever enough to figure out what we mean.)

'And besides, I'm not a fan of killing innocents. If anything, I'd like to help her get out of here…'

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