2838 Welcome Committee (Part 2)

Neither of them liked being on the receiving end of an insult.

"That's a good one." Lith laughed at the joke as well, making everyone agree and glare at him. "Can I help you guys with something or is this just a friendly visit?"

"I hope this answers your question." Rem snapped her fingers and the various units of merfolk produced splashes of water that reached high above the Wayfinder, splitting sunlight into many rainbows on its passage.

Others conjured waves tall enough to reach the soldiers and pass them baskets filled with seafood and colorful garlands made from unknown algae.

"Don't worry we have already removed the poison." A female merfolk said with a warm smile only after a soldier had already worn the garland, creeping him out.

The poor man was torn between the instinct to throw it away and the desire to not disrespect his hosts.

His expression was so awkward that the merfolk burst into a gurgle of laughter.

"I'd say we're even now." Lith said. "Jokes aside, to what do we owe the pleasure of his welcome?"

"Not them. You." Rem pointed at him. "I require permission to come aboard."

"Permission granted." Orion said with a commanding voice, trying to regain some face.

A magical wave lifted the female merfolk on top of the Wayfinder. Lith offered her hand but Rem ignored it, giving him a deep bow before getting down on one knee.

"It's an honor to have you all back. I've brought enough of my people to safely escort you to shore. We have already secured the way and the perimeter of a great landing site. It has plenty of fresh water and trees.

"Your people can get fruit, meat, or fish based on what they like. You won't find all those things in a single place for kilometers."

"Thank you very much." Lith returned the bow and then offered Remhis hands to help her to stand up. "By the way, what do you mean, having us all back? I'm the only one here. Phloria…"

An awkward silence ensued as the Wayfinder approached a sandy shore. As Rem had promised, there was plenty of space for the Train, even after splitting it into singular wagons.

A wide river came from the mainland and flowed into the sea, its course surrounded by thick tall trees just a few dozen of metres from the shoreline.

"She gloriously fell in battle while fighting for her people. I know." Rem completed the phrase for him. "And you must be Lord Orion. We are very sorry for your loss. My people owe your daughter a huge debt of gratitude that neither death nor time can erase.

"If there's anything we can do for you, you just have to ask."

"Did you know my Little Flower?" Due to the circumstances of Phloria's death while enslaved by the Unwavering Loyalty array, her name was still muttered with shame and disgust in the Royal Court.

Everything she had done as an officer of the Kingdom, every one of the feats she had performed since she had enrolled in the White Griffon academy had been eclipsed by a single word: traitor.

No one cared if before her capture Phloria had valiantly fought on the frontlines of the War of the Griffons or that her loyalty had been extorted with Forbidden Magic. In life and death, no one cares about extenuating circumstances, only results matter.

To the people of the Kingdom, Phloria's name had become no different from that of Anela Linnea, the traitorous former Headmaster of the Black Griffon.

They were both considered oath breakers who had joined the Mad Queen hungry for power and revenge against those who had slighted them.

Despite all of Orion, Lith, and the Royals' efforts to clear her name, the public opinion had yet to budge.

"We met briefly, but yes." Rem nodded. "I've been blessed with the opportunity to know Phloria and share the same air with her. I've heard about what happened to her and you have my deepest condolences.

"It should have happened to a lesser person. Your daughter Phloria has been killed thrice. Once when the slave spell forced her to trample over everything she had fought all her life to protect, killing her spirit.

"Once when Thrud had her executed with a filthy trick, killing her body. And the last time when the stupid humans of the Kingdom tarnished her reputation, killing her memory." Orion was so used to Phloria's name being slandered that hearing Rem talking about her with deep respect gripped his heart.

"Know that my people have no care for such idiocy. In our history books, Phloria is recorded as a hero. The circumstances of her death are described in detail, making her figure tragic, not despicable.

"I hope that you all will find the time to visit our city of Zhen. It would be my honor to show you the monument we have erected to celebrate our heroes." The merfolk gave a deep bow to Orion and Lith, freezing at the sight of the babies strapped on his chest.

"You said all of us. Is Tista already here?" Lith asked, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Yes, of course. We would have had no way of knowing your route or an estimate of your time of arrival otherwise." Rem had a hard time taking her eyes off the babies and especially from their hair.

"Your sister is here? How?" Orion felt a bit confused by the revelation.

"She wanted to come as well but the Royals mentioned the weight issue so she just flew here on her own." Lith shrugged. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all. I'm just surprised." Orion shook his head. "We need all the help we can get. If Tista is here so must be her boyfriend and he's from Jiera, correct?"

Lith nodded.

"This is great. Maybe we'll avoid pointless squabbles with the locals and with their help, finding the perfect place for our first settling will be much easier." Orion gave Rem a quick bow and then jumped off the Wayfinder, prompting everyone to do the same.

"Disembark now! If you puke it, you clean it." He said with a magically amplified voice that allowed him to be heard from everyone inside the Wayfinder.

The volume of his voice was no higher than a regular shout whereas its frequency was modulated so that his words resonated with the metal chassis of the Train, making it akin to a sounding board.

The envoys of the two countries and the Council came out of their respective wagons in an orderly fashion while Orion used a chore magic spell to perform and update the headcount in real-time.

"I don't want to sound nosy, but did you make my race the honor of taking a merfolk bride already?" Rem asked while staring intently at Kamila and Solus.

Their skin was too dark, their eyes too brown, and their hair too plain to be merfolk. Sure, they might have shapeshifted, but Rem couldn't find a single reason for the spouse of such a powerful being like Lith to hide from the eyes of her lessers.