It was a peaceful day in the Dragon Nation.
A rare one.
No lessons.
No sword training.
No politics.
No strange revelations about moon civilizations.
Just fishing.
Albion sat on a wooden dock beside a river that flowed through the countryside outside the capital.
Next to him sat King Albion.
On the other side were Dharc and Asterion.
For the first half hour, nobody caught anything.
Which was apparently normal.
King Albion seemed perfectly content to sit there in silence.
Albion was beginning to understand why people enjoyed fishing.
It was relaxing.
Then Dharc's fishing rod bent.
"Oh."
He pulled.
Something splashed.
A moment later, a small creature flew out of the water.
It looked like a lion cub.
Except the lower half of its body was a fish tail.
The tiny creature blinked.
Then yawned.
King Albion looked at it.
"Baby Marine Beast."
Albion looked at the tiny creature.
It was adorable.
King Albion pointed at the river.
"Too young. Release it."
Dharc nodded.
"Okay."
The little Marine Beast was dropped back into the water.
It immediately swam away.
Albion was slightly disappointed.
Five minutes later, Asterion got a bite.
His fishing rod nearly jumped out of his hands.
"Whoa!"
He pulled hard.
Something blue shot from the river.
The creature looked like a seahorse made entirely from lightning.
Electricity crackled across its body.
"Hey! I caught a Thunder Sea Horse!"
The creature sneezed.
A bolt of electricity exploded outward.
"OW!"
Dharc immediately fell off the dock.
The Thunder Sea Horse had shocked him directly in the face.
Asterion burst out laughing.
King Albion chuckled.
Albion barely felt anything.
Dragon scales naturally resisted electricity.
Asterion had the same protection.
Dharc climbed back onto the dock.
Smoke rose from his clothes.
His hair stood completely upright.
Silence.
Then Albion pointed.
"You look ridiculous."
Dharc looked at him.
"I hate this country."
Asterion dropped the Thunder Sea Horse into his bucket.
The little creature continued crackling with electricity.
King Albion glanced over.
"You might want to keep the bucket away from Dharc."
"Why?"
The Thunder Sea Horse sneezed again.
Another spark jumped out.
Dharc immediately moved three steps away.
"Good idea."
For the first time that day, King Albion laughed loud enough for everyone to hear.
King Albion's fishing rod suddenly bent.
Hard.
The river exploded.
"Now that's a bite."
King Albion stood up and pulled.
Something massive burst from the water.
Blue scales.
Sharp fins.
A long serpent-like body.
A Codarus.
The creature roared.
King Albion immediately let go of his fishing rod.
The rod vanished.
Albion didn't even question it.
Years of being a prince had taught him that fathers occasionally possessed unexplained abilities.
BOOM!
A thunderous crack echoed across the river.
A second later, the Codarus landed on the riverbank.
Dead.
Nobody saw what happened.
Nobody except King Albion.
King Albion walked over to it.
"Well."
He nodded.
"Dinner is set."
Dharc lowered his book.
"...How?"
King Albion smiled.
"Fishing secret."
Dharc looked unconvinced.
Albion looked unconvinced.
Even Asterion looked unconvinced.
But none of them questioned it.
Mostly because they were afraid of the answer.
A few minutes later, Albion's own fishing rod twitched.
Then bent.
"I got a bite."
He pulled carefully.
Something small splashed out of the water.
The moment it landed on the dock, everyone's expression changed.
Silence.
The creature looked up.
"Meow."
Albion froze.
Dharc froze.
Asterion froze.
King Albion froze.
It was a Cat Shark.
A tiny shark with cat-like features.
Small fins.
Round eyes.
Tiny whiskers.
It looked less like a predator and more like something designed by a god specifically to sell merchandise.
The Cat Shark blinked.
"Meow."
Albion immediately picked it up.
"I am keeping it."
King Albion looked at him.
"We don't usually keep what we catch."
"I am keeping it."
The Cat Shark rubbed its head against Albion's arm.
King Albion sighed.
"Fair enough."
Dharc looked at the creature.
"Cat Sharks can survive on both land and sea."
Albion nodded.
"Perfect."
Asterion looked at him.
"For what?"
Albion grinned.
"A gift."
"Wynn?"
"Obviously Wynn."
Nobody argued.
The Cat Shark was exactly the kind of creature Wynn would adore.
The little shark meowed again.
Dharc stared at it.
"I still can't believe that's a real animal."
Meanwhile, Asterion suddenly got another bite.
He pulled.
A fluffy gray creature flew from the river.
The creature blinked.
It looked like a koala.
A sea koala.
Silence.
The Sea Koala looked at Asterion.
Asterion looked at the Sea Koala.
The Sea Koala looked back.
Asterion immediately lowered it toward the water.
"No."
The Sea Koala tilted its head.
"Nope."
He gently dropped it back into the river.
The creature floated away.
Albion blinked.
"Why?"
Asterion pointed.
"It looked sad."
"That's your reason?"
"Yes."
King Albion nodded approvingly.
"A respectable reason."
Dharc sighed.
"We came here to catch fish."
King Albion pointed at the giant Codarus lying on the riverbank.
"I did."
Nobody could argue with that.
The fishing trip continued.
At this point, Albion was convinced the river was less a river and more a portal to randomness.
King Albion had already secured dinner with the Codarus.
Asterion had caught a living thunder hazard.
Albion had acquired a Cat Shark that was definitely becoming Wynn's pet.
And Dharc had been electrocuted.
Twice.
The day was going well.
Dharc's rod suddenly bent again.
"Oh."
He pulled.
A silver fish flew from the water.
A completely normal fish.
Everyone stared.
Dharc stared.
The fish stared.
King Albion nodded.
"River trout."
Dharc looked disappointed.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
After everything else they had caught, a normal fish somehow felt strange.
Dharc quietly put it in the food bucket.
A few minutes later, Albion got another bite.
He pulled.
A blue fish with oversized eyes shot from the river.
The creature immediately inflated like a balloon.
Albion blinked.
"What is that?"
King Albion looked at it.
"Balloon Fish."
The fish continued inflating.
Asterion poked it.
The fish squeaked.
Nobody knew fish could squeak.
The creature floated away down the river after Albion released it.
Silence followed.
"That was weird."
"Very weird."
Coming from a dragon prince, that meant something.
Then King Albion got another bite.
The river exploded.
A massive whale-like creature burst from the water.
Everyone jumped.
The creature looked around.
Made eye contact with the group.
Then immediately dove back into the river.
Taking the fishing line with it.
King Albion sighed.
"Fortress Whale."
Asterion blinked.
"You let it get away?"
King Albion looked at him.
"Son."
A pause.
"That thing was bigger than our boat."
"We don't have a boat."
"Exactly."
Nobody questioned that logic.
Meanwhile, Asterion hooked another fish.
This one looked normal.
Until it opened its mouth.
And revealed a second mouth.
Asterion immediately threw it back.
"No."
The fish disappeared beneath the water.
Albion pointed.
"Reason?"
"It had a second mouth."
"Fair."
Dharc nodded.
"Fair."
King Albion nodded.
"Fair."
The matter was settled.
A few minutes later, Dharc hooked something heavy.
He pulled.
And pulled.
And pulled.
Eventually a huge shadow emerged beneath the surface.
Everyone leaned forward.
A giant sea serpent burst from the river.
The creature looked at the group.
The group looked at it.
The sea serpent looked around.
Then casually spat Dharc's hook back at him.
Before diving back underwater.
Nobody moved.
Asterion finally broke the silence.
"Did that fish just reject us?"
King Albion nodded.
"It did."
Dharc looked offended.
"I didn't even know that was an option."
Nearby, Albion's Cat Shark meowed.
The shark was currently sitting inside his bucket.
Completely content.
As if this level of insanity was normal.
Albion scratched its head.
The Cat Shark purred.
Dharc pointed.
"I hate that thing."
Albion looked at him.
"You got shocked by a Thunder Sea Horse."
"Twice."
"You got rejected by a fish."
"Yes."
"The Cat Shark has done neither."
Dharc was silent.
Asterion laughed.
King Albion laughed.
Even the Cat Shark somehow looked smug.
Dharc decided he hated fishing.
Unfortunately, that opinion changed immediately when his next catch turned out to be an enormous salmon.
The largest fish anyone had caught all day.
Dharc proudly held it up.
"Finally."
King Albion nodded approvingly.
"Now that's a catch."
For the rest of the day, nobody caught anything bigger.
And Dharc made sure everyone knew it.
Then the water around them suddenly began to move.
Albion looked up.
Several figures were approaching from the depths.
They weren't ordinary fish monsters.
A group of Elemental HERO Liquid Soldiers rode through the water on the backs of Liquid Water Dragons, moving in formation.
Behind them came Atlantean Marksmen and Atlantean Infantry, their weapons ready as they scanned the river.
Albion stared.
'Okay.'
He looked at the Liquid Soldiers.
'Apparently, Liquid Soldier isn't one person.'
He watched several identical soldiers swim past.
'It's an entire military force.'
Albion frowned.
'Then why is the name singular?'
He decided that was a question for another day.
One of the Liquid Soldiers spotted Aqua.
He immediately swam toward her.
"Princess!"
Aqua turned around.
The soldier stopped in front of her.
"What are you doing outside the castle walls? Your mother and father are very worried."
Albion froze.
His eyes slowly widened.
'Princess?'
He looked at Aqua.
Then at the soldiers.
Then back at Aqua.
'Wait.'
Aqua gave the soldier an awkward smile.
"I was just exploring."
The Liquid Soldier sighed.
"You cannot simply leave the kingdom without telling anyone."
"I know."
"Your guards have been searching for you."
"Sorry."
The soldier looked past her.
His eyes landed on Albion.
He paused.
"Who is that?"
Aqua pointed at Albion.
"That's Prince Albion."
The entire group went silent.
Several Atlantean soldiers immediately straightened.
Albion awkwardly raised one hand.
"Hi."
One of the Atlantean Infantrymen whispered to another.
"That's the Dragon Prince?"
"I think so."
Albion stared at them.
'Oh, come on.'
He had spent the entire afternoon fishing.
He had caught a Cat Shark.
Asterion had caught a Sea Koala.
His father had somehow one-shot a Codarus.
And now he had accidentally discovered that the cute girl he met underwater was a princess.
Albion looked at Aqua.
"You could have mentioned that."
Aqua smiled innocently.
"You didn't ask."
Albion stared at her.
"...Fair."
The Liquid Soldier cleared his throat.
"Princess Aqua, we should return to the palace."
Aqua nodded.
Then she looked at Albion.
"Are you coming?"
Albion blinked.
"Me?"
"Yes."
She pointed toward the surface.
"You said you're from the Dragon Nation. Your father is probably wondering where you are."
Albion looked upward.
He suddenly remembered that his father was waiting on the riverbank.
'Oh.'
He had been underwater for quite a while.
'I'm going to get yelled at.'
Aqua smiled.
"Come on, Prince Albion."
Albion sighed.
"Fine."
He followed the group toward the surface.
'This fishing trip has gotten way out of hand.'
The group led Albion through the Water Kingdom.
As they descended deeper beneath the surface, Albion's eyes widened.
This wasn't anything like the Wind Kingdom.
The Wind Kingdom had been built around the sky. Its buildings floated among clouds, with bridges connecting massive towers and air currents carrying people between districts.
The Water Kingdom was completely different.
Here, everything was built around the sea.
Large crystal domes covered sections of the kingdom, keeping parts of the city protected from the strongest currents. Other buildings were completely open to the water, with residents swimming freely between them.
Albion looked around in amazement.
'Okay... this is incredible.'
Fish monsters swam between the buildings.
Merchants had stalls built into coral structures.
Small groups of children raced through the water.
Atlantean soldiers patrolled the streets while Liquid Soldiers moved through the deeper areas of the city.
And the strangest part was how naturally everyone used the water around them.
Albion noticed several soldiers suddenly disappear behind a large coral formation.
A moment later, they emerged from another direction.
He blinked.
'They're using the environment as cover.'
An Atlantean Marksman swam past him and fired a small projectile through the water.
The projectile curved slightly with the current.
Albion watched it hit a target several meters away.
'They aren't fighting against the water.'
He looked around again.
'They're fighting with it.'
Aqua noticed his expression.
"You noticed?"
Albion nodded.
"The whole kingdom is designed around the water."
Aqua smiled.
"Of course."
She pointed toward the surrounding buildings.
"We use the currents to move faster. The coral and ruins give our soldiers places to hide. Even the plants can be used to slow enemies down."
Albion looked at the Atlantean soldiers.
"And you know exactly where everything is."
"Yes."
Aqua pointed toward a narrow passage.
"An outsider might see an empty corridor."
Albion looked at it.
"It isn't empty, is it?"
Aqua shook her head.
"There's a current underneath it. If someone swims through without knowing about it, they'll be pulled into the lower district."
Albion stared.
"So the entire city is basically a giant battlefield."
Aqua laughed.
"Only if someone attacks us."
Albion nodded slowly.
'That's actually terrifying.'
The Wind Kingdom had strength because of its control over the skies.
The Water Kingdom had something different.
It knew its environment so well that the environment itself became part of its defense.
Albion looked back at the Liquid Soldiers riding their Liquid Water Dragons.
'No wonder the Atlanteans are so dangerous.'
Then he noticed something else.
Every soldier seemed completely comfortable moving through the water.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
They didn't just live here.
They belonged here.
Albion smiled slightly.
'Every kingdom really does have its own way of fighting.'
He looked at Aqua.
"Does every Water Kingdom citizen learn this?"
"Pretty much."
"Even you?"
Aqua grinned.
"Especially me."
Albion raised an eyebrow.
"You?"
Aqua suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Watch this."
Before Albion could ask what she meant, Aqua pulled him into a fast current.
"W-WAIT!"
They shot forward.
Albion's hair flew backward as Aqua laughed.
Behind them, the Liquid Soldiers simply watched.
One of them sighed.
"She does this every time."
Another soldier nodded.
"At least she's not riding a Liquid Water Dragon through the palace again."
Albion heard that.
He looked at Aqua.
"You did WHAT?"
Aqua laughed.
"Long story!"
Albion sighed.
'I'm starting to understand why her parents were worried.'
To be continue
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