The singing prompted Arthur to go into the inner palace. The woman followed him, but it seemed the spirit with the fishtail didn't want to intrude on his meeting with Her Majesty.

On her glass throne sat the Deity of Seas, fabric-like structures protruding from her lower back to bloom like a flower and cover the hall. Other than the wooden doll, which was quite inhuman, this spirit was the closest Arthur met to the shape of a human.

The Deity had fish scales covering her neck to her chin, and each scale reflected a myriad of colors. There were fins instead of ears on each side of her face, but she looked otherwise human.

'She's beautiful,'

Arthur found himself mesmerized by her beauty, even if he didn't feel attracted to her. However, he could tell that there was something odd about the way she looked.

'Hypnotizing?' There was no change in spiritual energy, so Arthur didn't think she was doing it on purpose. Instead, it was simply the Deity's passive ability to charm everyone who gazed at her.

"Welcome," her voice was sweet and crisp as she greeted him. "I thank you for answering my invitation," a smile overtook her lips.

Arthur was surprised by how polite and friendly she was, as that was relatively rare for people of high status. Since she showed respect, he could only requite the same. 

"Greetings, Great Deity of Seas," Arthur placed his hand on his chest in greetings. "I ask for your forgiveness for coming to your palace so abruptly, but I'm on a quest that requires your assistance."

"Straight to the topic, I see," The Deity smiled sweetly. "What is it that you seek, Golden One?"

"Do you know where the bookkeeper is?" Arthur didn't mind the nickname she called him. However, his question seems to confuse the deity. 

"The storyteller?" she asked with disappointment as if she was expecting something else. "He is in the snowy mountains north from here, recording the story of trolls and brave knights."

Arthur had no idea what kind of story that was, but he wanted to hear it. However, his attention shifted to the disappointment that the Deity had on her face. As he was trying to phrase what he was thinking, the Deity beat him into it.

"Is that all you are here for?" she said, and he could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Don't you want something else?"

"Uh,"

Arthur paused.

"Uh,"

Arthur had no idea what to reply. Her eyes held expectations of something more important to come, and he felt like a boyfriend whose girlfriend wanted him to propose.

"My friend here wants to contract you!" it might be low, but Arthur couldn't help it as he panicked and gestured to the woman next to him. "She's going to be the greatest pirate!"

"What..." the woman, which was mute and dazed until now, was confused as Arthur suddenly threw her under the bus. "I... I..."

However, the Deity only glanced at her and then back at Arthur. The expectations within her eyes and the silence in the hall made Arthur feel pressured to say something.

"Did I offend you in some way?" he couldn't help but ask. The silence stretched and resumed as the Deity's expression crumbled rapidly.

"No," she said after a lengthy silence. "I must have mistaken you for someone else. I apologize."

Despite saying that that, her sweet and friendly attitude was nowhere to be seen now. Arthur believed she was lying, but he didn't know if he should seek the truth or how to do that.

"Great Deity," the woman beside him stepped forward after finally gathered her courage. "I'm here to seek a contract with your esteemed self."

Arthur suddenly realized that this woman spoke the language the earlier spirit gave him. However, she used Alvan Language when she was with him. She piqued his interest.

"Is she truly your friend?" the Deity didn't answer the woman but spoke to him directly. Arthur turned toward her and met her icy gaze. "You can contract one of my generals," she said after seeing Arthur's silence.

"Th-th-thank you, great one!" the woman bowed. Then, seeing the Deity of Seas wave her hand dismissively, the woman left the hall hurriedly. Suddenly, the hall's temperature dropped by several degrees once Arthur was the only one left with the Deity.

"You bastard," she spat.

"I'm sorry?" Arthur blinked his eyes in surprise. However, a powerful current slammed him to the walls of the hall before he could react. It didn't hurt, but the wrathful expression of the Deity came as a surprise.

She stood up from her throne of glass as the blooming flower behind her turned from navy blue to red. Her white teeth gnashed against each other as she waved her arm, creating countless water creatures that began attacking him.

"Wait!"

Arthur wasn't hurt in any way, and her attacks came as a tickle, but he was confused about what was going on. The palace shook under her wrath, threatening to be torn to the ground.

Screams of panic came from outside the hall as the sea unleashed the anger of its Deity. Arthur realized that her wrath would hurt not only the seekers but even the spirits around them.

Even though he asked her to stop, the Deity seemed bent on attacking him. Arthur's aura exploded as he disappeared from his spot. The walls crumbled beneath his feet as he launched himself forward.

The rageful currents wanted to shred him to pieces, but he didn't sense any hostility from the Deity. The only thing he felt was her rage and... sorrow.

His hand clawed forward as he flew toward the spirit, and it tore down the powerful water currents. Her eyes were dyed with surprise when Arthur suddenly appeared in front of her.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Arthur whispered as he grabbed her wrist and stared her in the eye. Tears glistered in her eyes, and Arthur realized that her sorrow was genuine.

"Don't touch me," as she said, her spiritual energy exploded. Arthur felt the water grab him as if it was a million tiny hands and pull him away from the Deity.

The currents slammed him to the wall once more as he fell to the ground. It didn't hurt him as much as it annoyed him. The Deity emerged from within the hurricane with dark blue armor, and she dived toward him with a kick.

Arthur's chains pushed him away from the kick, and it landed on the ground in front of him. The glass broke apart as the pressure created a giant bubble underwater—a crater formed on the ground as the shockwave pushed Arthur back.

"Can't we talk about it?" he asked, but the Deity simply clawed toward him. Then, seeing her refusal for a peaceful measure, Arthur sighed, and his hand stopped her attack.

"I said, don't touch me!" the Deity scowled at him when Arthur grabbed her wrist again. She raised her other hand and slashed his way.

"And I asked you to stop," his chains sprunt up and blocked her attack, and four long slash marks appeared on the ground. "Why are you attacking me all of a sudden?"

"The reason is your question itself," her rage returned, boiling more than ever. "The audacity you have to ask this question is the greatest crime one can commit."

"That's too extreme, Great Deity." Arthur tried to appease her. "Can I know the reason, at least?"

"... because you forgot about me," she said through gritted teeth. Before Arthur could answer, the flower's petals behind her turned into cones, and they began to spin.

The cones dug through his body, and this time, Arthur felt the pain. The cone didn't push him away, only piercing his spiritual body. Arthur groaned, and the moment the Deity heard him, she took a step back as her petals returned to normal.

"Are you... hurt?" The Deity seemed more surprised, and Arthur was speechless. What would one expect when they attack others relentlessly?

The odd thing was that he heard the concern in her voice. For a split second, he feared this spirit was schizophrenic. A crazy spirit was the last thing he needed at the moment, but for some reason, he didn't think that was the case.

"I'm alright,"

As soon as he said that, she slapped him again. As he flew to the side, Arthur came to realize the one single truth of the universe: this spirit was nuts.

'Enough is enough,' he thought to himself as Arthur decided to fight back. However, the Deity's attacks suddenly ceased as she walked toward him and crouched.

"I'm so sorry for attacking you," she said with genuine care as she caressed the cheek she just slapped. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Arthur had goosebumps as he witnessed the shift in her personality. He couldn't wrap his head around what was going on, but he knew one thing.

He needed to get out of here.

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