A Visit to the Palace of Poseidon
———————————
Note: This is a side chapter
Dining in the mansion of the Hideita Empire. In front of me and Rico sat Luala.
It has been about three years since she came to this mansion. She is the 217th daughter of Poseidon, in other words, a princess of the sea god. She was also a priestess who served the sea god. However, she ran away from her duties and ended up settling in the mansion.
I had also intended to eventually return her to Poseidon, but I had been preoccupied with my busy schedule, and Luala’s high combat ability often made me rely on her in various situations, so I kept postponing it.
However, I never saw Luala as just a mere apprentice. She practiced singing (enka) to offer to the gods during breaks. Thanks to that, she has become quite skilled in the rhythmic pattern and the use of the pick. Even if I were to return her to Poseidon now, she would be able to perform her duties as a splendid priestess. With that in mind, I discussed the idea of her returning with Luala.
“To be honest, I don’t want to go back. If possible, I want to stay with you, sensei, and Rico-sama,” Luala said.
“I understand, but… you are the daughter of Poseidon and a priestess of the sea god,” I replied.
“Father… Poseidon has many children. Other children can serve as priestesses,” Luala countered.
“Hmm…”
“If I am truly needed, someone will come to take me back or even snatch me away. But no one has come so far…”
“Alright, Luala. If you want to stay here, then stay here,” I said.
“Sensei…”
“However, there is one condition. You should explain everything to your father and mother. Your father might be fine, but what about your mother? Isn’t she worried about you being gone?” Rico said.
“…”
“Go and talk to them. Linos will go with you too,” Rico added.
“Do I have to go too?” I asked.
“It would be reassuring for both Luala and me if you did,” Rico replied.
“Alright, I understand,” I said.
———————–
We decided to head to Poseidon’s palace right away. The palace was located at the bottom of the sea, and Luala had no problem getting there, but I would drown. In the end, we created an environment where I was surrounded by a barrier that constantly filled the space with air, and we dived into the sea.
We were hesitant to go empty-handed, so we struggled to decide what to bring. Eventually, we settled on a dagger made by dwarves as a souvenir. There was no reason behind it, it was just a random idea. We definitely did not make a pun on “exploring” the sea with a “dagger.”
At night, we entered the sea from the Kairik sand beach. As it was already autumn, the water temperature was low. I renewed the barrier. Meanwhile, Luala steadily dived into the sea. It seemed that the descendants of Poseidon could create some sort of barrier around themselves. Luala was diving while fully clothed.
As the depth increased, I felt as though I would be crushed by the water pressure. I added another barrier to overcome this. After about an hour of diving, we finally saw a building that seemed to be Poseidon’s palace.
It was an incredibly large and massive palace. How many Tokyo Domes could fit in this building? The structures were packed together, and the whole building seemed to be surrounded by a barrier. Luala changed course to swim outside the walls. After a while, we saw a gate, and there was a humanoid gatekeeper with a pale face standing there.
“Um… it’s Luala. I have returned,” Luala said to the gatekeeper.
“Luala? Who are you?” the gatekeeper asked.
“I am the 217th daughter of King Poseidon,” Luala replied.
“Please wait a moment,” the gatekeeper said.
The gatekeeper left us behind and entered the gate. However, he did not return.
“Isn’t he taking a long time?” I asked.
“…,” Luala remained silent.
The gatekeeper still did not return.
“Seriously, isn’t he taking a long time?” I asked again.
“…,” Luala still remained silent.
And still, the gatekeeper did not return.
“Can we go back?” I asked.
“… I’m sorry,” Luala replied.
When we were about to give up and return, the gatekeeper finally came back.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Princess Luala. Yes, your name was on the list of children of King Poseidon. Do you have anything that can prove you are princess Luala?”
“This is it.”
Luala handed over the pendant that she always wears to the gatekeeper.
“Okay, it’s a permit issued by the royal family. I have confirmed it. Now, do you have any weapons or something like that with you? If you have, please show it to me. … Is this a short sword? A tribute to the king? May I inspect it here? … Okay. I couldn’t sense any malicious intent, so please go ahead.”
Finally, we were able to pass through the gate. And we were escorted by a man dressed like a soldier.
“It’s like going through the procedures to enter a bank.”
“Bank?”
“It’s a place where money is gathered. You have to notify in advance who, when, and at what time you will visit, and if you haven’t, you will be thoroughly checked at the gate. In some cases, you may be asked to submit proof of your identity. They will check to make sure you’re not carrying anything suspicious before allowing you to enter. “
“It’s similar to the palace.”
“Yeah, there was a bank-like building in the palace, come to think of it.”
As we talked, we were led into a spacious room like an audience chamber, and there was a throne in front of us.
“Please wait here for a while.”
We were left alone in the large room. After a while, a small, bearded man in luxurious clothing appeared.
“… Lord Kalyat. An aide to the king,” Luala whispered.
“Welcome back, Princess Luala. And, um… that… what was it… that… Mr. XOX◆ also visited here often.”
… He forgot my name.
“I am Marquis Basam, the Emperor of the Hideita Empire’s brother-in-law. I apologize for the sudden visit. Please allow me to introduce myself for the future reference.”
“Oh, yes, yes! … cough, Lord Basam. Please take care in the future.”
“Hahaha.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
…Isn’t this silence too long? Even if I am an uninvited guest, I am still a guest, right? Don’t you usually make small talk, like asking about your work or the Emperor? Should I start the conversation? It’s hard to talk when you’re turning away like that, old man.
“Sorry…”
Perhaps realizing my frustration, Luala apologized in a low voice. Finally, the door behind the throne opened, and King Poseidon appeared.
…He was so handsome that it was terrifying. He looked like a prince from a shoujo manga. Wow, he’s really something. This is what they mean by ‘picture-perfect handsome’. It was a good decision not to bring Rico.
“Welcome, both of you.”
His voice was also handsome. He must be popular with women. As a fellow man, I am completely defeated.
“217th daughter of the King, Lady Luala, has returned,” Kalyat respectfully explained to the king.
“Luala? … Ah, yes … yes, yes. You’ve come back well. Take your time to rest. Hmm? A short sword? … Ah, it’s a good sword. I’ll gratefully accept it. …I have to go deeper from here. If anything happens, please let me know through Kalyat.” With that, King Poseidon left the room, walking briskly. Do you really not remember anything about Luala?
Once again, silence ensued. Do we have to take the lead in this conversation?
“Um…excuse me…”
“Yes, Princess?”
“Um…if possible, I would like to live here with Lord Basam.”
“Very well, I think that would be fine.”
Is that really okay?
“Well, actually, about this…she came to our mansion three years ago after coming ashore. I heard that she was a priestess who served the sea god. It seems that the king finds it inconvenient to have the priestess stay on land for too long, so I persuaded her to come here. Is that okay with you?”
“A priestess? Um…a priestess…a priestess…”
Kalyat was flipping through some documents at her desk.
“Ah, yes, a priestess who offers songs to the sea god. We already have 116 of them, and the sea god has told us to reduce their number because they’re too noisy. So it’s not a problem if the princess doesn’t come here alone.”
“Thank you. If possible, I would like to go and see my mother, though.”
“Um…Luala’s mother…”
“It’s okay. I’ll go see her myself.”
——–
“…What in the world is this place?”
“I think it’s because there are too many concubines and children. It’s impossible to manage them all. There are over 200 of them. I’ve only met my father once myself.”
“However, to have over 200 children…that’s amazing.”
Luala walked through the maze-like palace. If she got lost, she would undoubtedly starve to death without being able to leave. However, even Luala, who was quite knowledgeable about the palace, occasionally asked soldiers and maids for directions as her memories were hazy.
After walking for an hour, we finally arrived at Luala’s mother’s room.
“Mom, I’m home.”
“Shh, be quiet!”
There, a small boy was sound asleep.
“M-Mom, who is this child?”
“Oh, it’s Luala. It’s been a while. Who? That’s your little brother.”
“My…little brother!?”
“He’ll be two years old this year. His name is Yushi.”
“W-Why…?”
“I got pregnant with him right after you went to the surface. Look at him, he looks just like the king around his eyes, doesn’t he?”
“How many siblings does he have?”
“I think he’s the 543rd.”
It was said that Poseidon had over 1,000 concubines. The king supposedly visited each concubine’s room every day. Even Luala and I were momentarily speechless. Anyway, I explained the situation so far and told Luala’s mother that we would take care of Luala at the mansion.
“I see. Thank you very much for taking care of her. She’s a humble girl, but please make use of her.”
I’ve heard that her mother was from a family of Ama divers and that she happened to catch the eye of Poseidon when he was out on a trip. She fell in love with the king’s beauty at first sight and became his mistress, giving birth to Luala. Unlike on land, she enjoyed a life of no want, and she was content with her life here.
“Sorry about that. I thought you were a shrine maiden, so I never imagined something like this would happen to you. But it’s okay. You’ve found your place, and that’s the most important thing for humans,” I said.
Since Luala’s mother told me that I could come back to the palace at any time, I decided to set up a teleportation barrier in this room.
“Please come see your brother’s face again,” she said.
So we rode the barrier and returned to the mansion.
“Well, that was unexpected,” said Rico, unable to hide her surprise.
“But it’s good that Luala came back. Please help me with various things again,” she added.
“Yes, Rico-sama,” Luala replied.
“By the way, Luala was good at swimming. It was hard to keep up with her. She’s definitely the daughter of an Ama diver,” I said.
“Actually, my mother is not good at swimming. She’s just an amateur,” Luala replied.
After this, Luala unexpectedly shines in an unexpected place, but that’s another story.
A Visit to the Palace of Poseidon
———————————
Note: This is a side chapter
Dining in the mansion of the Hideita Empire. In front of me and Rico sat Luala.
It has been about three years since she came to this mansion. She is the 217th daughter of Poseidon, in other words, a princess of the sea god. She was also a priestess who served the sea god. However, she ran away from her duties and ended up settling in the mansion.
I had also intended to eventually return her to Poseidon, but I had been preoccupied with my busy schedule, and Luala’s high combat ability often made me rely on her in various situations, so I kept postponing it.
However, I never saw Luala as just a mere apprentice. She practiced singing (enka) to offer to the gods during breaks. Thanks to that, she has become quite skilled in the rhythmic pattern and the use of the pick. Even if I were to return her to Poseidon now, she would be able to perform her duties as a splendid priestess. With that in mind, I discussed the idea of her returning with Luala.
“To be honest, I don’t want to go back. If possible, I want to stay with you, sensei, and Rico-sama,” Luala said.
“I understand, but… you are the daughter of Poseidon and a priestess of the sea god,” I replied.
“Father… Poseidon has many children. Other children can serve as priestesses,” Luala countered.
“Hmm…”
“If I am truly needed, someone will come to take me back or even snatch me away. But no one has come so far…”
“Alright, Luala. If you want to stay here, then stay here,” I said.
“Sensei…”
“However, there is one condition. You should explain everything to your father and mother. Your father might be fine, but what about your mother? Isn’t she worried about you being gone?” Rico said.
“…”
“Go and talk to them. Linos will go with you too,” Rico added.
“Do I have to go too?” I asked.
“It would be reassuring for both Luala and me if you did,” Rico replied.
“Alright, I understand,” I said.
———————–
We decided to head to Poseidon’s palace right away. The palace was located at the bottom of the sea, and Luala had no problem getting there, but I would drown. In the end, we created an environment where I was surrounded by a barrier that constantly filled the space with air, and we dived into the sea.
We were hesitant to go empty-handed, so we struggled to decide what to bring. Eventually, we settled on a dagger made by dwarves as a souvenir. There was no reason behind it, it was just a random idea. We definitely did not make a pun on “exploring” the sea with a “dagger.”
At night, we entered the sea from the Kairik sand beach. As it was already autumn, the water temperature was low. I renewed the barrier. Meanwhile, Luala steadily dived into the sea. It seemed that the descendants of Poseidon could create some sort of barrier around themselves. Luala was diving while fully clothed.
As the depth increased, I felt as though I would be crushed by the water pressure. I added another barrier to overcome this. After about an hour of diving, we finally saw a building that seemed to be Poseidon’s palace.
It was an incredibly large and massive palace. How many Tokyo Domes could fit in this building? The structures were packed together, and the whole building seemed to be surrounded by a barrier. Luala changed course to swim outside the walls. After a while, we saw a gate, and there was a humanoid gatekeeper with a pale face standing there.
“Um… it’s Luala. I have returned,” Luala said to the gatekeeper.
“Luala? Who are you?” the gatekeeper asked.
“I am the 217th daughter of King Poseidon,” Luala replied.
“Please wait a moment,” the gatekeeper said.
The gatekeeper left us behind and entered the gate. However, he did not return.
“Isn’t he taking a long time?” I asked.
“…,” Luala remained silent.
The gatekeeper still did not return.
“Seriously, isn’t he taking a long time?” I asked again.
“…,” Luala still remained silent.
And still, the gatekeeper did not return.
“Can we go back?” I asked.
“… I’m sorry,” Luala replied.
When we were about to give up and return, the gatekeeper finally came back.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Princess Luala. Yes, your name was on the list of children of King Poseidon. Do you have anything that can prove you are princess Luala?”
“This is it.”
Luala handed over the pendant that she always wears to the gatekeeper.
“Okay, it’s a permit issued by the royal family. I have confirmed it. Now, do you have any weapons or something like that with you? If you have, please show it to me. … Is this a short sword? A tribute to the king? May I inspect it here? … Okay. I couldn’t sense any malicious intent, so please go ahead.”
Finally, we were able to pass through the gate. And we were escorted by a man dressed like a soldier.
“It’s like going through the procedures to enter a bank.”
“Bank?”
“It’s a place where money is gathered. You have to notify in advance who, when, and at what time you will visit, and if you haven’t, you will be thoroughly checked at the gate. In some cases, you may be asked to submit proof of your identity. They will check to make sure you’re not carrying anything suspicious before allowing you to enter. “
“It’s similar to the palace.”
“Yeah, there was a bank-like building in the palace, come to think of it.”
As we talked, we were led into a spacious room like an audience chamber, and there was a throne in front of us.
“Please wait here for a while.”
We were left alone in the large room. After a while, a small, bearded man in luxurious clothing appeared.
“… Lord Kalyat. An aide to the king,” Luala whispered.
“Welcome back, Princess Luala. And, um… that… what was it… that… Mr. XOX◆ also visited here often.”
… He forgot my name.
“I am Marquis Basam, the Emperor of the Hideita Empire’s brother-in-law. I apologize for the sudden visit. Please allow me to introduce myself for the future reference.”
“Oh, yes, yes! … cough, Lord Basam. Please take care in the future.”
“Hahaha.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
…Isn’t this silence too long? Even if I am an uninvited guest, I am still a guest, right? Don’t you usually make small talk, like asking about your work or the Emperor? Should I start the conversation? It’s hard to talk when you’re turning away like that, old man.
“Sorry…”
Perhaps realizing my frustration, Luala apologized in a low voice. Finally, the door behind the throne opened, and King Poseidon appeared.
…He was so handsome that it was terrifying. He looked like a prince from a shoujo manga. Wow, he’s really something. This is what they mean by ‘picture-perfect handsome’. It was a good decision not to bring Rico.
“Welcome, both of you.”
His voice was also handsome. He must be popular with women. As a fellow man, I am completely defeated.
“217th daughter of the King, Lady Luala, has returned,” Kalyat respectfully explained to the king.
“Luala? … Ah, yes … yes, yes. You’ve come back well. Take your time to rest. Hmm? A short sword? … Ah, it’s a good sword. I’ll gratefully accept it. …I have to go deeper from here. If anything happens, please let me know through Kalyat.” With that, King Poseidon left the room, walking briskly. Do you really not remember anything about Luala?
Once again, silence ensued. Do we have to take the lead in this conversation?
“Um…excuse me…”
“Yes, Princess?”
“Um…if possible, I would like to live here with Lord Basam.”
“Very well, I think that would be fine.”
Is that really okay?
“Well, actually, about this…she came to our mansion three years ago after coming ashore. I heard that she was a priestess who served the sea god. It seems that the king finds it inconvenient to have the priestess stay on land for too long, so I persuaded her to come here. Is that okay with you?”
“A priestess? Um…a priestess…a priestess…”
Kalyat was flipping through some documents at her desk.
“Ah, yes, a priestess who offers songs to the sea god. We already have 116 of them, and the sea god has told us to reduce their number because they’re too noisy. So it’s not a problem if the princess doesn’t come here alone.”
“Thank you. If possible, I would like to go and see my mother, though.”
“Um…Luala’s mother…”
“It’s okay. I’ll go see her myself.”
——–
“…What in the world is this place?”
“I think it’s because there are too many concubines and children. It’s impossible to manage them all. There are over 200 of them. I’ve only met my father once myself.”
“However, to have over 200 children…that’s amazing.”
Luala walked through the maze-like palace. If she got lost, she would undoubtedly starve to death without being able to leave. However, even Luala, who was quite knowledgeable about the palace, occasionally asked soldiers and maids for directions as her memories were hazy.
After walking for an hour, we finally arrived at Luala’s mother’s room.
“Mom, I’m home.”
“Shh, be quiet!”
There, a small boy was sound asleep.
“M-Mom, who is this child?”
“Oh, it’s Luala. It’s been a while. Who? That’s your little brother.”
“My…little brother!?”
“He’ll be two years old this year. His name is Yushi.”
“W-Why…?”
“I got pregnant with him right after you went to the surface. Look at him, he looks just like the king around his eyes, doesn’t he?”
“How many siblings does he have?”
“I think he’s the 543rd.”
It was said that Poseidon had over 1,000 concubines. The king supposedly visited each concubine’s room every day. Even Luala and I were momentarily speechless. Anyway, I explained the situation so far and told Luala’s mother that we would take care of Luala at the mansion.
“I see. Thank you very much for taking care of her. She’s a humble girl, but please make use of her.”
I’ve heard that her mother was from a family of Ama divers and that she happened to catch the eye of Poseidon when he was out on a trip. She fell in love with the king’s beauty at first sight and became his mistress, giving birth to Luala. Unlike on land, she enjoyed a life of no want, and she was content with her life here.
“Sorry about that. I thought you were a shrine maiden, so I never imagined something like this would happen to you. But it’s okay. You’ve found your place, and that’s the most important thing for humans,” I said.
Since Luala’s mother told me that I could come back to the palace at any time, I decided to set up a teleportation barrier in this room.
“Please come see your brother’s face again,” she said.
So we rode the barrier and returned to the mansion.
“Well, that was unexpected,” said Rico, unable to hide her surprise.
“But it’s good that Luala came back. Please help me with various things again,” she added.
“Yes, Rico-sama,” Luala replied.
“By the way, Luala was good at swimming. It was hard to keep up with her. She’s definitely the daughter of an Ama diver,” I said.
“Actually, my mother is not good at swimming. She’s just an amateur,” Luala replied.
After this, Luala unexpectedly shines in an unexpected place, but that’s another story.
