"Hello, Your Majesty the Queen. You look absolutely radiant." Arthur smiled and clinked glasses with the Queen, then said, "To be honest, it's my first time in Europe, and the Amazon has left a very good impression on me. Let me introduce, this is Mera, who is..."
He turned to look at Mera. Mera also smiled and clinked glasses with the Queen, then said, "The Princess of the Kingdom of Atlantis Zeber sends you her greetings."
"What brings you two to Amazon?" The Queen, not wanting to beat around the bush, asked directly.
"Oh, it's like this," Arthur quickly stepped forward and said, "You must have heard, Superman moved the United States Capitol to Metropolis, which has severely impacted America's election this year."
The Queen frowned slightly, really not expecting Arthur to bring up this topic. She initially thought they would directly talk about matters related to Atlantis, which left her unsure how to respond.
"I deeply regret this," said the Queen, "I have heard of Superman's many good deeds as a superhero, and I think there must be something unknown leading him to take such action."
The Queen was actually implying that perhaps the politicians had brought it upon themselves and should best not meddle. Unexpectedly, Arthur said: "Although it's like that, since things have reached this point, they need resolving. A.R.G.U.S., the agency under the National Security Agency of the United States that manages superpower users, contacted me, hoping I could use my superpower to move the Capitol Building back.
"Actually, I'm quite willing to help, as I'm also an American citizen. If the election results become problematic, leading to a split and war between the two parties, it would harm ordinary people first, which is something I don't want to see happen.
"But Your Majesty the Queen, you also know, those agents are most known for being untrustworthy. If I don't first prepare some means for self-preservation, I absolutely won't go and work for them. They proposed to help me contend for the throne of Atlantis. Although I personally don't want to be the King of Atlantis, considering the other option, it might be a disaster for the Atlantean people, so I can only reluctantly try my best."
His words caused Mera to frequently look at him. This guy really is a master of official talk, truly a good candidate for a king.
The Queen couldn't help but think of Orm. She also had to admit that Arthur was right. If that so-called Prince Orm were to become the King of Atlantis, it would be a disaster for the entire world.
"Do you hope I support you?" the Queen asked. She was already somewhat swayed, weighing in her heart whether to help Arthur.
It seems now that Arthur has the potential to be a king. First of all, he isn't reckless; he understands the protocols of upper-class society. Upon arriving at Amazon, he made sure to spend money, appeared very grand at the banquet, spoke with appropriate restraint, much better than his brother.
Yet, why then, isn't he chosen as King of Atlantis, while that seemingly foolish Orm is?
"No, no, no," Arthur quickly waved his hand and said, "I know, Amazon has always been a neutral nation. You've always maintained fairness and justice, never interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, so how could you break that rule for my little matter?
"Moreover, I'm the Amazon Queen's illegitimate son, my father is a human. In this aspect, I certainly can't compare with pure blood. So I need a chance to prove myself. Just at this time, those agents gave me some clues about the golden trident…"
The Queen understood. So that explains why he was the illegitimate child left on land. It's not surprising at all. Legally without righteousness, naturally needs some things for support. Finding their way here was not surprising either. The trident is something that has never been completely hidden, otherwise it wouldn't be written in Greek mythology.
"Alright. You can enjoy yourselves at the banquet first. Tomorrow morning, I will invite you to taste Amazon's specialty cuisine. We'll discuss further then."
The two clinked glasses with the Queen again. After the Queen left, Mera patted Arthur's arm saying, "It's gotta be you."
"Of course," Arthur clinked glasses with her again, then said, "My dad always said I was smart since I was little, a real candidate for office."
The two laughed together, now drinking and dancing. During spare moments, they'd head to the buffet to get some snacks. After partying all night, they woke up late the next morning, nearly missing banquet time.
They quickly dressed up, not choosing overly grand outfits this time, but opted for more casual sportswear. Arthur chose a hoodie paired with work pants and sneakers. Mera followed a billboard ad and donned a running outfit. When they arrived at the palace, the Queen's eyes also lit up.
Nothing to say, the two did look quite presentable. Moreover, they didn't overly emphasize their Atlantean identity, insisting on wearing sea clan clothing. Being honest, Atlanteans on land wearing the clothes they wear at sea would look very bad. Many of the ribbons and pendants that float in the ocean seem cumbersome on land, making one look like a lunatic on the street.
The Queen invited them to sit. Arthur wasn't courteous, pulling Mera along to sit down. Not mentioning the previous night's business, they started dining directly. Mera hadn't eaten much land food before, so Arthur patiently introduced each dish to her. The Queen supplemented information on specialty dishes.
Amazon was once a tribe of Ancient Greece and has retained a Mediterranean style in diet. The meats and vegetables are quite good, but when it came to fish, Mera frowned.
"Sorry, Princess His Highness, we truly can't eat fish as fresh as in the sea," said the Queen, "Even freshly caught, it might not match what you usually eat."
Mera smiled and replied, "We don't bite into live fish directly either. However, the texture of fish meat changes quite quickly. Just after some time deceased, it greatly differs from when alive. The Kingdom of Zebel is quite adept at fishing, our food factories supply the needs of the Seven Ocean Tribes. And there are many special deep-sea fish species that people on land can't eat."
Arthur's eyes flickered, clearing his throat and said, "I heard that Atlantis's unique water magic can allow marine creatures to survive on land for a while. And the Amazon has the most Michelin restaurants in the Mediterranean Region..."
The Queen smiled and said, "If the Kingdom of Zebel can provide the Amazon with the freshest seafood, we can attract more tourists. Of course, we can negotiate the purchase price in detail..."
The meal ended happily for all attendees. Once the food and drink were over and the subordinates had all left, the Queen began talking about business. She said, "As you've guessed, the primary material of the golden trident indeed comes from Mount Olympus. It is a magical metal called Poseidon Cold Iron. Weapons forged from it possess the power to command the ocean.
"But what you may not know is that the first and only owner of this weapon is the old King of Atlantis. The reason he did not pass it down is that he exiled himself and did not want to return to Atlantis."
"Why?" Mera asked.
The Queen shook her head and said, "That I'm not too sure about. But I speculate that when Atlantis fell, many of the Sea Clan turned into monsters. He couldn't accept this reality, so he chose to leave."
Arthur looked at Mera. Mera nodded and said, "Indeed. Those of us Atlanteans who can take human form are called the Sea Clan, and in contrast, there are the sea monsters. They are not without wisdom; it's just that most of them are ugly and misshapen, which is why they always hide in dark trenches. But there are many of them, and some are very powerful."
"I can tell you the location of the golden trident. But obtaining this powerful weapon is no easy task," the Queen sighed and said, "Back then, after the old King's self-exile, the Amazon attempted to send people to retrieve the golden trident and reclaim the materials from Mount Olympus, but they did not succeed. The abandoned place is fraught with dangers, and you must be prepared."
Arthur and Mera's expressions turned grave. The Queen then took out a sea chart and said, "This is where the old King lies in slumber. The area is vast, and I hypothesize the golden trident should be right in the center. You must be careful, and it's best to bring more people with you."
Arthur glanced at the sea chart, handed it to Mera, and said, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. We will successfully retrieve the trident and not let Orm's plot succeed."
The Queen stood up and said, "Whether Atlantis or the Amazon, we are all Ancient Relic Clan. The only reason we've survived to this day is not our strength, but precisely our weakness. The current Earth belongs to the Human race; everyone must recognize this fact, or else disaster is sure to come."
Arthur also stood up, shook hands with the Queen, and said, "Earth is our common home. All life on this planet has a duty to stand up and protect it in times of crisis. I will do my part as well."
Arthur and Mera had just turned to leave when a female warrior suddenly rushed in shouting, "It's not good, Your Majesty! The Atlanteans have ambushed Paradise Island! Paradise Island has been submerged!!!"
Everyone was stunned. The Queen quickly walked over, staring at the female warrior, and said, "What?! Paradise Island has sunk?!"
"Yes. Orm and King Nereus have stirred up a giant magical tsunami that directly submerged the entire Paradise Island! Our brave warriors fought them in the sea but were completely outmatched..."
"What about Diana?!"
"She was ambushed by Orm from the sea and was speared by him. But Her Highness also gave him a slash; now Her Highness is..."
"Mother!" A figure appeared at the palace entrance. Diana rushed in, with a strong scent of blood on her body, and said, "Quick! Go to Paradise Island! Those Sea Clan folks want to go to war with the Amazon!!!"
Having said that, she couldn't help but half-kneel. The Queen rushed over quickly and found a big wound on her daughter's shoulder. Her eyes blazed with fury as she shouted towards the outside, "Guards! Relay my orders, send troops to Paradise Island!! Kill any Sea Clan without exception!!!"
Mera was about to say something, but Arthur stopped her, stepped forward, and said, "Your Majesty, don't fight the Sea Clan in the sea. Let them retreat to the shore first..."
"We don't want to fight them in the sea either," the female warrior said, "but they stirred up gigantic tsunamis, directly submerging the island. We have nowhere to stand..."
"I'll immediately notify my father to head for support," Mera said, "and the two of us will also..."
Arthur pulled her back again and said, "The two of us now must find the golden trident. Only by obtaining the trident can we command the Seven Seas, rendering Orm's efforts futile. This will minimize casualties."
Though the Queen's expression was not pleasant, she agreed to the plan and said, "Go quickly and return fast. I have a bad premonition that this might not just be an isolated sneak attack. That Orm..."
"It's not good, Your Majesty! A large group of sea monsters suddenly appeared on our eastern coast. All tourists have been scared away!!!"
"Your Majesty, our coastline is surrounded!!!"
"What exactly are they trying to do?!" the Queen roared. "Are they gearing up for war with the Amazon?!!"
With that, she straightened her body and began to issue commands, gritting her teeth as she said, "The glory of the Amazon must not be tarnished. Immediately rally the warriors to protect our homeland. If they want a fight, we'll be ready to face them head-on!!!"