The man who entered the room did not seem out of place, but he also did not seem to completely belong there. His steps were firm and controlled, and there was a strange naturalness in the way he moved before the human king, as if he were already accustomed to dealing with different races and environments. The markings on his neck drew attention, fine lines that resembled subtle scales, almost hidden beneath his skin. He stopped in the center of the room, calmly observing everything before slightly lowering his head.
The king made a discreet gesture.
"You may speak."
The man took a deep breath, as if adjusting his own body to the surface environment.
"I am a representative of the people of the seas."
His voice was firm, but carried a slight strange reverberation, as if it came from somewhere deeper than that room.
I watched in silence.
There was no longer any doubt.
He was a Fish-Man.
The king looked at me.
"This is the envoy who came to deliver the official request."
I slowly nodded, still analyzing the man in front of me.
He continued.
"Our situation has become critical."
The way he spoke contained neither exaggeration nor excessive emotion. It was direct, almost cold.
"Demons have begun invading regions of the ocean that were previously safe."
I crossed my arms.
"When did this begin?"
He looked at me.
"Months ago. At first, they were only isolated attacks."
"Small incursions."
"But that changed quickly."
The king intervened.
"They began losing underwater territories."
The envoy nodded.
"Yes."
"Entire areas stopped responding to our control."
The room grew heavier.
I tried to imagine it.
An entire world beneath the water, slowly being taken over.
"And you couldn't contain it?"
The man took a deep breath before answering.
"We fought."
"But the enemy is not the same as before."
That sentence caught my attention.
"What do you mean?"
He hesitated for a second.
"They are adapting to the ocean."
I frowned.
"Adapting?"
"Yes."
"Some of them can now breathe underwater."
That completely changed the scenario in my mind.
Ordinary demons were already dangerous.
But demons adapted to the ocean...
That was on another scale.
"And that's not all."
The envoy continued.
"They are using magic to create temporary underwater structures."
The king crossed his arms.
"Fortifications?"
"Yes."
"They attack and protect themselves at the same time."
Silence settled over the room for a few seconds.
The situation was worse than I had imagined.
"And your people?"
I asked.
"Resisting."
The answer was simple.
"But we are at our limit."
He lowered his head slightly.
"We are a small people compared to the continents of the surface."
"And the ocean is too vast to protect everything at the same time."
The king walked toward the window again.
"That is why they asked for help."
"Yes."
The envoy confirmed.
"For the first time in our history, we need allies from the surface."
I looked at him carefully.
"Why now?"
He took a little while to answer.
"Because if we continue alone... we will lose everything."
The sincerity in those words was heavy.
There was no pride.
Nor wounded pride.
Only reality.
The king spoke again.
"They sent this request to several nations."
"But most refused."
The envoy nodded.
"We were ignored by many."
"Some do not believe in us."
"Others are afraid of getting involved in a conflict beneath the sea."
I lowered my gaze for a moment.
That explained a lot.
A war in an environment where most surface armies could not even breathe.
It was an enormous logistical and strategic problem.
"And what exactly do you expect from us?"
I asked directly.
The envoy looked at me.
"A force capable of fighting beneath the ocean."
"What we don't have is time to train other armies."
"We need someone who is already capable of acting."
The king looked at me at that moment.
"That is why we thought of you."
I remained silent.
Now it made sense.
High-level mages.
Warriors capable of adapting quickly.
Someone who had already faced demons directly several times.
Me.
The envoy took a step forward.
"And there is another reason."
"What?"
He hesitated.
"The demons that are attacking do not appear to be ordinary."
That immediately caught my attention.
"Explain."
"They seem to be looking for something."
"Not simply destroying."
I exchanged a glance with the king.
This was no longer just an invasion.
It was an operation.
"They are looking for something at the bottom of the ocean?"
I asked.
The envoy slowly nodded.
"That is what we believe."
The room fell silent again.
The king took a deep breath.
"That is why the situation is urgent."
I looked at the man in front of me.
Now everything was clear.
It was not just a request for help.
It was a desperate call.
"And what do you offer in return?"
The envoy answered without hesitation.
"Protection."
"And lands within our kingdom."
"And also access to our knowledge."
That made me slightly raise an eyebrow.
Knowledge.
An entire kingdom beneath the ocean must have secrets that the surface had never seen.
Magic adapted to the pressure of the water.
Underwater structures.
Perhaps even completely unknown techniques.
The king turned toward me.
"The decision is yours."
The envoy also looked at me.
"We know this is risky."
"But we have no one else to ask."
I remained silent for a few seconds.
The image of the demons adapting to the ocean would not leave my mind.
If this continued, there would not only be a war on the surface.
There would be another one beneath the waters.
And if they were really searching for something...
Then it was even more dangerous than it seemed.
I took a deep breath.
"And when do we need to leave?"
The envoy relaxed slightly.
"Tomorrow."
The king nodded.
"Then it is decided."
The man from the seas gave a slight bow.
"We thank you for your decision."
As he spoke, I realized something important.
This war was not becoming smaller.
It was only spreading.
To places I had not yet seen.