Heracross were easy to communicate with. After they had eaten and drank their fill, Belle-Mère and Genzo asked them about where they got the stone. The Heracross then led them to the place where they had found the stone.
Arceus had instructed them not to interfere with or harm human lives, but they wanted to eat the mikan trees. So, following human behavioral patterns, they decided to make an “exchange.”
They had discovered this golden stone in a stream in the distant mountains. In their memory, many humans liked this shiny golden thing, so they brought the stone to the mikan grove.
Seeing that the humans liked it and offered more delicious food in exchange for these useless stones, they certainly did not refuse. They took the two people and crossed mountains and valleys to find that stream.
After Genzo and Belle-Mère successfully panned some gold from the stream, they were really excited. From the current situation, the reserves here were definitely not small. Not only they, but the entire village could potentially become wealthy because of this.
However, Belle-Mère told Genzo not to spread the news. It was not because she wanted to monopolize the gold. She knew she couldn’t find all the gold ores alone.
It’s because she knew the nature of the Marines nearby. When she was a Marine, she had her own Justice Coat, which was only given to those at the rank of Ensign or higher.
The retirement subsidy issued to an Ensign shouldn’t have left her in such a tight situation. Where that subsidy went, there’s no need to elaborate.
If the Marines learned about the gold mine, the good news would turn bad.
The two panned gold all day, planning to improve their lives first and then take their time to make a decision. The children did not understand much, but after Belle-Mère started eating, they joined in as well.
The two Heracross outside shook their heads, not understanding why humans liked those useless stones so much.
To them, gold was far less important than mikans. Now they found that not only did the sap from the mikan trees taste good, but their fruit also tasted good.
Moreover, they had another idea. Arceus was looking for stones, and humans liked to dig for stones. If the stones they dug up included the ones Arceus needed, they would hit the jackpot.
Cocoyasi Village began its industrial transformation, meanwhile the Fish-Men who brought disaster to Cocoyasi Village in the original timeline were currently attending a wedding.
Otohime followed the advice of Neptune and Jinbe. She did not hold any special event but attended Rusalka and Mandrell’s wedding with her son and daughter as representatives of the royal family.
The wedding took place at Gyoncorde Plaza, the most commonly used place on Fishman Island, where most public events were held.
As mentioned before, they welcomed those who wanted to attend the wedding and had no objections to those who didn’t want to participate.
Tiger, who had left Onigashima earlier, had returned. He and Otohime represented the vast majority of Fish-Men and Merfolk. They attended the wedding as guests, so the other citizens naturally had nothing to say.
“Who was the last Merfolk to marry a human? How many years ago was that? Shyarly, I tell you, that Mandrell is definitely a playboy in secret. He’s not suitable for you.” On the side, Arlong kept muttering something nonstop, while Shyarly chose to ignore him the whole time.
“Boss Tiger, please discipline him when you have time. His brain might be broken,” Shyarly said, handing Tiger a cup of wine, hoping he could make Arlong normal, as Arlong only listened to him.
“I think he’s drunk, but he seems to have a point. This is the first time I’ve seen a Merfolk marry a human,” Tiger said.
“No, Boss Tiger. Sister Kokoro also married a human, but that human doesn’t live on Fishman Island; he lives in Water 7. My brother told me about this,” another male Merfolk chimed in. His name was Den, the younger brother of Fish-Men Tom, a shipwright and Sea Forest researcher on Fishman Island. He has a good relationship with Hack and had met Mandrell a few times, so he joined in the fun.
“Your big brother is… Tom, right? How is he?”
“I don’t have any latest news, but he should be fine.”
After chatting for a bite, their attention returned to the center of the plaza. Otohime indeed didn’t plan anything extra but she enlisted a lot of help. For example, the Poseidon army, floating using bubbles, were scattering flower petals.
In addition to Fish-Men and Merfolk, there were also some humans at the plaza. Some were Mandrell’s subordinates, and some were Mining Department employees. While Fish-Men handled underwater work, humans were responsible for land-based coordination.
Looking at the plaza below, Otohime felt happy. This was just one case, but it was a small step towards eliminating racial barriers.
Besides those willing to attend the ceremony, there were many onlookers gathered in the distance. These people made up the largest group on Fishman Island, the neutrals. They had complicated feelings about humans, neither hating them nor willing to interact with them easily.
“Otohime, it’s almost time to read the vows.”
“Yes, I’m going now.”
Neptune was the king of the Ryugu Kingdom, but his prestige might not compare to Otohime. At least among the common people, Otohime was much more famous, so she was going to officiate the wedding. She also found a pair of priceless rings from the Ryugu Kingdom’s treasury.
Everything was moving in a beautiful direction, but some people were gnashing their teeth on seeing this scene.
To Hody, the royal family of Fishman Island was doing something extremely stupid.
He hated humans and Otohime, who was close to humans. To him, this wedding was an opportunity. With so many participants and onlookers, if he killed Otohime in front of everyone and then framed the humans, his goal would be achieved.
Otohime, who is friendly towards humans, will die because of this. Her death will also incite the anger of Fishman Island. As long as this happens, Fishman Island will never accept humans, and he can further promote the ideology of hatred.
If possible, it would be best to create chaos, which would allow him to kill more people. He had stolen some things while Ryugu Kingdom was preparing gifts, giving him the confidence to act.
At this moment, Otohime had already begun reading the officiant’s lines. The surrounding ceremonial cannons were also ready. While everyone’s attention was on the stage, Hody in the distance took out a gun and aimed at Otohime, planning to shoot at the exact moment the cannons fired.
“Bang!”
The sound of the ceremonial cannons and the gunshot rang out simultaneously, but what he expected didn’t happen. Mandrell, with one hand stretched out in front of Otohime, was holding a still-smoking bullet.
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