Eric was a prince, and from a young age, he understood his responsibilities and strove to meet them. He excelled in swordsmanship, archery, spearmanship, and horsemanship – diligently preparing to be a good king. However, his life was also suffocated by sycophants and flattery. That all changed when he met Tom and his companions aboard the ship.
He'd been somewhat stunned when he first saw Tom; it was the first time he'd met someone who seemed more noble than himself. Compared to Tom, Eric felt like a common vegetable vendor, and Ariel selling fish wasn't any better.
Then things got… "strange." He almost died, then survived, then almost died again, then survived again. Thinking about it, meeting these guys might've been bad luck. But I'm happier because of it. In those few short days, Eric gained something he'd never had in the first half of his life.
...
Seeing Eric lost in thought, his expression shifting from laughter to tears and back again, Tom and the others grew uneasy.
"..."
Tom glanced again at the "underwater world" outside, a thoughtful glint in his emerald snake eyes. Then, he addressed Eric, still immersed in his memories, with a gentle smile. "No, we will remain here for the time being."
Eric looked up sharply, his eyes lighting up. "Really?"
Even Harry was surprised. Knowing Tom, there shouldn't be anything to hold him back. "Sir, you…"
Tom only offered a riddle-like smile. "I merely 'saw' something very interesting."
"..."
Oh, that makes sense. Harry, who considered himself Tom's most capable henchman, knew that his master was fascinated by causing trouble and watching the ensuing chaos. Tom once skipped his "favorite" assistant tutoring class, abandoning the opportunity to witness Snape's displeasure, and traveled across the world to observe some particularly enticing commotion.
The group, temporarily free from the urgency of finding the next item, wandered aimlessly around the castle. A castle in the sea was certainly something else. Many of the facilities were downright… inhuman. The bathrooms, for example, were clearly not designed for human use; Harry certainly couldn't imagine himself using them.
When they saw Ariel again, his expression was even more grim than when he had learned of his older brother's rebellion.
"The trident is missing," Ariel explained, his tone despairing. During the Eldest Prince's rebellion, Triton's trident had been stolen. He and Triton had gone to retrieve it, only to discover it was already gone before they arrived.
The thief was… "My aunt." Ariel looked defeated. He seemed to still feel some familial connection to the Sea Witch, who had 'helped' him not long ago. But now he understood why his father had forbidden him from contacting her. "I will get the trident back. Father told me where her old lair is… I'll lead the troops to reclaim the trident immediately!"
"Teacher?" Cassandra, standing behind Tom, stepped forward, her voice questioning.
Tom didn't respond, but a glint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
...
Deep in the ocean, in the dark abyss trench, lay scattered remains of creatures and broken man-made tools. The Sea Witch hadn't been here in a long time. Memories flooded her mind; she had once been a dutiful daughter, following her elder brother. But the ruthlessness and cruelty of the deep-sea royalty were no less than those of human nobles on land. Perhaps not being directly eliminated was Triton's last act of kinship toward her.
"But things are different now…" The Sea Witch gripped the trident, which gleamed faintly with golden light, her eyes flashing with madness. "With this, I should be the Sea King!"
Feeling the immense, unbelievable power within the trident, the Sea Witch's ambition ignited like wildfire, unstoppable! She raised the trident high, and the surrounding currents surged. "No one can match me! No one!!!"
"What a load of bull!" A voice rang out behind her, spoiling the moment. Turning around, she saw her beloved nephew, Ariel, leading an army of at least ten thousand merfolk. "Old witch, give me back the trident!"
"Oh? You want it, do you? My dear Ariel…" The Sea Witch smirked. "Then try and take it!" With that, she swung the trident, as if commanding the entire ocean. The raging currents instantly swept away nearly ten thousand merfolk soldiers!
"Hehehe… Ahahahahaha…" Amidst her maniacal laughter, underwater currents surged, and a fierce storm arose on the surface. Lightning ripped through the dark clouds, and torrential rain poured down.
In the ever-rolling waves, the Sea Witch's body grew larger, fueled by the trident's divine power, approximately a hundred meters tall, enormous compared to large ships.
"That old hag is truly useless. With such power, what kind of sea king is she?" The Sea Witch gripped the trident, which had grown alongside her. "This is the power of a god! From this moment on, I am the sea goddess!!!"
In the seawater, looking at the Sea Witch—a figure both godlike and demonic— a rare fear filled Ariel's eyes. He immediately ordered his soldiers to retreat. The Sea Witch was now beyond their ability to defeat. Turning around, he saw an unexpected figure, which stunned him, momentarily forgetting the Sea Witch.
...
"What is the Sea King? I will become the Sea God!!!" The Sea Witch's maniacal laughter continued, but suddenly, as if sensing something, she abruptly looked down. Tom stood calmly on the water's surface, the surging waves "surrounding" him.
"It's you?" Surprise flashed in the Sea Witch's eyes. Empowered by the trident, she could finally sense her opponent. Just as she had expected, the magic was unfathomably powerful; even with the trident's enhancement, she couldn't even scratch the surface. But the surge of power still gave her absolute confidence. "I was going to find you, but since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, then die!"
Her massive right arm, wielding the enormous trident, swung down fiercely.
Tom merely lightly touched the surface of the sea with the toes of his right foot.
Boom!!!
A dozen giant serpents, each as thick as a house and made of seawater, burst from the surface and coiled around the enormous Sea Witch. Astonished, she found that her hand, gripping the trident, could not swing.
At that moment, Tom finally spoke upon seeing the Sea Witch, his cold tone tinged with doubt, "You just said… what kind of god did you think you could be?"
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