PFC Chapter 4374 The Justice League Assembles (22)
Chapter 4374 The Justice League Assembles (22)
Chapter 4374 Justice League: Assemble (Twenty-Two)
“Hello, Your Majesty. You look absolutely radiant.” Arthur smiled and clinked glasses with the Queen, then said, “To be honest, this is my first time in Europe, and I have a wonderful impression of the Amazon. Let me introduce you, this is Mera, she is…”
He turned to look at Mera. Mera smiled, clinked glasses with the Queen, and said, "The princess of the Kingdom of Zebel, Atlantis, sends her greetings."
"What brings you two to the Amazon?" the Queen asked directly, not wanting to beat around the bush.
“Oh, is that so?” Arthur quickly stepped forward and said, “You must have heard that Superman moved the U.S. Capitol to the Metropolitan Government, which has seriously affected this year’s U.S. election.”
The Queen frowned slightly; she truly hadn't expected Arthur to bring up this topic. She had assumed they would immediately discuss Atlantis, which put her in a difficult position to answer.
“I am deeply sorry for this,” the Queen said. “I have heard about the many good deeds of Superman, and I think there must have been something untold that led him to do this.”
The Queen was essentially implying that these politicians were probably reaping what they sowed, and that they should mind their own business. However, Arthur replied, "Even so, things have come to this point, and a solution is needed. The NSA's Sky Eye, which manages people with superpowers, has contacted me, saying they hope I can use my superpowers to move the Capitol Building back."
"Actually, I'd be happy to help, after all, I'm also an American citizen. If the election results cause problems and lead to a split between the two parties and a war, ordinary people will be the first to suffer, and I don't want to see that happen."
“But Your Majesty, as you know, those agents are the most untrustworthy. I would never work for them if I didn’t prepare some means of self-protection first. They offered to help me win the throne of Atlantis. Although I personally don’t want to be the King of Atlantis, considering that the other option would probably be a disaster for the people of Atlantis, I can only reluctantly agree and try my best.”
His words drew frequent glances from Mera. This guy could spout such official platitudes so fluently; he certainly had the makings of 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 had really become the King of Atlantis, it would have been a disaster for the whole world.
"You want my support?" the Queen asked. In truth, she was already wavering, weighing in her mind whether or not to help Arthur.
In retrospect, Arthur has the potential to be king. First, he's not reckless and understands the etiquette and rules of high society. Upon arriving in the Amazons, he spent lavishly, dressed extravagantly for the banquet, and spoke with great tact, far superior to his brother.
On the other hand, why didn't the King of Atlantis choose him, but instead chose Orm, who looks so stupid?
“No, no, no,” Arthur immediately waved his hand and said, “I know, the Amazon has always been a neutral country. You have always upheld fairness and justice, and never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries. How can you break the rules for my trivial matter?”
“Besides, I am the illegitimate son of the Queen of Atlantis, and my father is human. In that respect, I am certainly inferior to purebloods. So I need an opportunity to prove myself. Coincidentally, those agents gave me some clues about the Golden Trident…”
The Queen understood. So they were illegitimate children abandoned on land; that made sense. Lacking legal justification, they needed something to support them. It wasn't surprising they could find their way here. The trident was something that had never been hidden; otherwise, it wouldn't have been included in Greek mythology.
"Alright. You can enjoy yourselves at the banquet for a while. Tomorrow morning, I'll treat you to some Amazonian specialties. We can talk more then."
The two then toasted with the Queen. After the Queen left, Mera patted Arthur's arm and said, "It has to be you."
“That’s right,” Arthur said, clinking glasses with her again. “My dad said I’ve always been smart since I was little, and that I’m cut out to be an official.”
The two huddled together and laughed. They drank and danced for a while, then ate snacks at the buffet when they had a break. After a whole night of fun, they woke up late the next morning and almost missed the banquet.
The two quickly got dressed, opting for a sporty and casual look instead of anything too formal this time. Arthur chose a sweatshirt paired with cargo pants and sneakers. Mera, on the other hand, wore a jogging outfit inspired by a billboard ad. When they arrived at the palace, the Queen was immediately impressed.
To be fair, the two were indeed quite good-looking. Furthermore, they didn't overly emphasize their Atlantean identity by forcing them to wear sea creature clothing. Frankly, Atlanteans on land wearing their sea clothes would look quite ugly. Many of the ribbons and pendants that float in the sea would look cumbersome on land, making them appear like mentally unstable people walking down the street.
The Queen invited them to sit down. Arthur didn't stand on ceremony and pulled Mera to sit with him. They didn't mention the important matters of the previous night and went straight to eating. Mera hadn't eaten much land-based food, so Arthur patiently introduced each dish to her. The Queen, in turn, added information about the local specialties.
The Amazons were once a tribe of ancient Greece and have maintained Mediterranean dietary habits. Meat and vegetables were good, but when it came to fish, Mera frowned.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, we really can’t get fish here as fresh as the sea,” the Queen said. “Even the fish that are just caught are probably not as good as what you usually eat.”
Mera smiled and said, "We don't eat live fish. It's just that the texture of fish changes quite quickly. It's very different from when it was alive, even after it's only been dead for a short while. The Kingdom of Zebel is quite skilled at fishing, and our food factories supply the needs of the seven marine tribes. There are also many unique deep-sea fish that people on land can't eat."
Arthur's eyes darted around, and he cleared his throat, saying, "I've heard that Atlantis possesses unique water magic that allows marine life to survive on land for a period of time. And the Amazon has the most Michelin-starred 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 also discuss the purchase price in detail..."
The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and the subordinates had left, the Queen began to address the important matter at hand. She said, "Just as you guessed, the main ingredient of the golden trident does indeed come from Mount Olympus. It is a magical metal called Poseidon's Iron. Weapons forged from it possess the power to command the seas."
"But what you don't know is that the first and only owner of this weapon was the old king of Atlantis. The reason this weapon was not passed down is because he exiled himself and refused to return to Atlantis."
"Why?" Mera asked.
The Queen shook her head and said, "I'm not too sure about that either. But I guess it might be because when Atlantis crashed, many of the sea creatures turned into monsters. He couldn't accept reality, so he chose to leave."
Arthur looked at Mera. Mera nodded and said, “Indeed. We Atlanteans who can take human form are called sea creatures, and the opposite is sea monsters. They are not without intelligence, but most of them are ugly and twisted, so they have always hidden in dark trenches. But there are quite a few of them, and some of them are very powerful.”
“I can tell you the location of the Golden Trident. But obtaining this powerful weapon will not be easy.” The Queen sighed. “Years ago, after the old king exiled himself, the Amazons tried to send people to retrieve the Golden Trident and recover the materials from Mount Olympus, but they failed. The Abandoned Lands are fraught with danger, so you must be prepared.”
Arthur and Mera's expressions turned serious. The Queen then took out a sea chart and said, "This is the place where the old king rests. This area is very large, and I speculate that the golden trident should be in the very center. You must be careful, and it would be best to take more people with you."
Arthur took the chart, glanced at it, and handed it to Mera, saying, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. We will definitely retrieve the Trident and thwart Orm's plot."
The Queen stood up and said, "Whether it's Atlantis or the Amazons, we are an ancient race. The only reason we have survived to this day is not because of our strength, but precisely because of our weakness. The Earth now belongs to humanity, and everyone must recognize this. Otherwise, disaster will surely befall us."
Arthur also stood up, shook hands with the Queen, and said, "Earth is our common home. All life on this planet has an obligation to stand up and protect it in times of crisis. I will also do my part."
Arthur and Mera had just turned to leave when a female warrior suddenly rushed in, shouting, "It's terrible, Your Majesty! The Atlanteans have attacked Paradise Island! Paradise Island has been flooded!!!"
Everyone was stunned. The Queen strode over and stared at the female warrior, saying, "What?! Paradise Island has sunk?!"
"Yes. King Nereus of Orm Union unleashed a massive magical tsunami that completely submerged Paradise Island! Our valiant warriors fought them in the sea, but were utterly outmatched..."
"Where is Diana?!"
"She was ambushed from the sea by Orm and stabbed with a spear. But His Highness also struck him with a sword, and now His Highness is..."
"Mother!" A figure appeared at the palace gates. Diana rushed in, reeking of blood. She cried, "Quick! Get to Paradise Island! Those sea creatures are going to war with the Amazons!!!"
Having said that, she couldn't help but kneel down. The Queen rushed over and discovered a large gash in her daughter's shoulder. Her eyes blazed with fury, and she shouted towards the door, "Guards! Issue my order: send troops to Paradise Island!! Kill all sea creatures without mercy!!!"
Mera was about to say something when Arthur stopped her, stepping forward and saying, "Your Majesty, do not fight the sea creatures in the sea. Let them retreat to the shore first..."
“We didn’t want to fight them in the sea,” the female warrior said, “but they unleashed a massive tsunami that completely submerged the island. We had nowhere to land…”
“I’ll notify my father right away and have them come to help,” Mera said. “The two of us are also…”
Arthur pulled her back and said, "We must find the Golden Trident now. Only with the Trident can we command the Seven Seas, and Orm will be no threat. This will minimize casualties."
Although the Queen's expression was grim, she agreed to the plan, saying, "Go and return quickly. I have a bad feeling this isn't just a surprise attack. That Om..."
"Your Majesty, it's terrible! A huge group of sea monsters has suddenly appeared on our eastern coast. All the tourists have been terrified and fled!!!"
"Your Majesty, our coastline has been surrounded!!!"
"What are they trying to do?!" the Queen roared. "Are they going to war with the Amazons?!"
Having said that, she straightened up and began issuing orders, then gritted her teeth and said, "The glory of the Amazon cannot be tarnished. Assemble your warriors immediately and defend our homeland. If they want to fight, we'll fight them to the bitter end!!!"