Halfway through the banquet, the space in front of Ash, Misty, and Brock was already piled high with dozens of white plates stained with food scraps. They let out a huge burp, leaned back lazily in their wooden chairs, and couldn't help but pat their round bellies. It seemed they couldn't eat another bite.
Every time they had such an opportunity, they never spared their bodies. They wouldn't stop until they had eaten so much they had to hold onto the wall to walk out!
And now that they had eaten and drunk their fill and had some leisure time, they finally had a chance to chat with High Priestess Maya.
Among them, Brock was the most enthusiastic. In fact, the first time he saw the beautiful priestess, he had stood frozen as if petrified for a long time.
Now, he held nothing back, recounting everything he had seen and heard during their journey, telling her all the fun and interesting stories in an all-out effort to win the favor of the beautiful priestess.
Faced with such an enthusiastic Brock, or rather, men who admired her beauty like this, Maya had seen far too many. She had her own way of dealing with them, always managing to maintain a faint sense of distance without being impolite.
However, perhaps because she had been confined here since she was young, it was clear that Maya was genuinely interested in their journey.
Listening to the strange and thrilling stories, while enjoying them, a look of longing inadvertently appeared on her face.
Especially when she heard Ash talk about how they fought the three legendary birds on Shamouti Island to stop the collector, and how with their efforts, they, along with the Sea God Lugia, finally quelled the disturbance, not only was Maya greatly surprised, but even the several female attendants nearby also looked at them with shock.
"You've seen the Sea God in person before!?"
"Of course!" Ash said truthfully, without any bragging. "We've done more than just see it; we even fought alongside it! At that time, including Natsui's, there were a total of seven legendary..."
At this point, Misty suddenly stomped hard on Ash's foot. Her movement was so big that even Maya couldn't help but glance over.
"Ouch!" Ash cried out in pain, then turned to glare angrily at Misty. "Misty!! You, why did you step on me!?"
This idiot...
Misty rolled her eyes at him, utterly speechless.
He's so dense, he almost revealed Natsui's secret!
That's his trump card, how could he just reveal it to an outsider so easily!
But in front of Maya, she couldn't explain anything, so she could only pick up a large chicken leg and shove it directly into Ash's mouth!
"You're probably not full yet, are you? Then have another chicken leg!"
It wasn't clear if Misty used too much force, but the chicken leg seemed to have poked directly into Ash's throat, causing him to make muffled noises and clutch his mouth in pain.
Ignoring the collapsed Ash, Misty sat up straight and calmly wiped the grease from her hands with a napkin.
While Natsui was used to their bickering, it was clearly the first time Maya had seen it. She was a bit worried that something unpleasant might happen between them, but seeing that everyone else looked accustomed to it, she immediately realized that the two had a very good relationship, and such actions were merely the playful squabbles of trusted companions!
Companions... what a wonderful word...
But after this interruption, the previous topic was dropped.
The group continued to chat for a while longer. As the banquet drew to a close, Maya's demeanor suddenly shifted and became more formal.
Natsui understood that when this happened, it was usually time to discuss serious matters, so he quickly pulled himself together.
At the long table, Maya cleared her throat and first extended a formal invitation to Natsui, hoping he would stay at the Sea Shrine.
Only then did Natsui learn that in the cup, if a local contestant from the Whirl Islands won the championship, due to the shrine's huge influence here, they would mostly choose to stay and assist the High Priestess in managing the shrine's affairs. This was a win-win situation for both the contestant and the shrine, bringing both fame and fortune.
But if it was a contestant from outside the islands, they were completely unaffected by the shrine, and very few would choose to stay.
Natsui refused her almost without hesitation.
Although Maya felt it was a pity, she was not surprised by this outcome.
In fact, before extending the invitation, she already knew that someone like Natsui was highly unlikely to stay. But even so, the proper procedures still had to be followed.
Maya sighed, then adjusted her mood and continued, "After returning here from the arena, I consulted many records. I found that although nothing like this has happened in the last two thousand years, when the Sea Shrine was first established, the very first Sea Hero experienced a situation identical to yours."
The very first Sea Hero?
That's ancient.
Natsui asked curiously, "Besides him, in all this long time, has there really not been anyone else with a situation similar to mine?"
"No." Maya shook her head. "A Sea Hero is chosen every three years. Except for a period hundreds of years ago when it was suspended due to unrest on the islands, there have been a total of nearly 600 heroes. The circumstances of each hero receiving the blessing are clearly recorded in the scrolls. We have checked them one by one and found no other differences."
At this point, Maya looked at Natsui with a burning gaze. "After the blessing ceremony, did you feel anything different about yourself?"
Before Natsui could speak, Misty had already said excitedly, "We already tested it! Although Natsui can't communicate spiritually with Water Pokémon, he can sense their current emotions!"
"I see." Maya was stunned for a long moment, took a deep look at Natsui, and nodded. "It seems you are the true Sea Hero who has received the blessing of the Sea God!"
Natsui couldn't help but ask, "Miss Maya, what exactly is the Soul of the Sea? Why does it have such power?"
Maya thought for a moment and said slowly, "According to the records, the Soul of the Sea comes from the depths of the ocean. It is the brightest and most crystalline presence in the sea, and it is the embodiment of the ocean's will. But what it is exactly, we do not know. However, some also say that it might very well be a crystal formed after the death of the Sea God—that is, Lugia—due to some special reason!"
The will of the ocean?
A crystal of Lugia?
No matter which one, they both sounded incredibly mystical.
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
They all wondered in their hearts why, after several thousand years, Natsui would once again receive the blessing of the Sea God.
And what was the difference between this man and the many Sea Heroes before him!
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