The Youngest Member Filming a Parenting Show is Adorable - Chapter 272

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

【272】
Inside the tank, light burst forth like a firework, brilliant and sudden.
After capturing every eye, what appeared was a mermaid with a delicate lavender tail.
The mermaid, who had crafted a heart from water bubbles, swam with her beautiful tail undulating gracefully, and those seeing a real mermaid for the first time leaped to their feet in excitement.
I observed the mermaid’s tail closely. Any signs of distress from captivity would show immediately.
‘She looks perfectly healthy. No tail-curl disease, and each scale gleams brilliantly.’
For her scales to shine like that, she had to be eating well.
Mermaids are vulnerable to suffering—if they’re struggling even slightly, they refuse to eat, which leads to tail-curl disease—but at first glance, there was nothing amiss.
“Wow!”
“She’s so pretty, Mother!”
The children clapped and cheered with delight, while the mermaid danced, her lavender hair streaming behind her.
She spun rapidly through the circular spectator stands and wrote letters with water bubbles.
It wasn’t a particularly sophisticated performance, but the very existence of a mermaid was extraordinary.
Soon, the mermaid stopped at one spot and waved her hand, at which point a mechanical automaton rolled out to meet her.
[The mermaid’s name is Ruberta. For those who wish to meet Ruberta in person, we are selling tickets. Please let me know if you would like to purchase!]
The cheerful automaton announced this and displayed something like a menu board.
It listed not only ticket prices but also a “donation” menu—buying snacks for Ruberta, purchasing a jeweled necklace for Ruberta, and the like.
“Ah, I see. That’s why she’s wearing so many layers of necklaces, bracelets, and tail ornaments compared to ordinary mermaids.”
Rasifer murmured this beside me.
“Hmm.”
The probability that this was her own voluntary choice was steadily increasing.
Regardless, I purchased a ticket to meet the mermaid.
It was quite expensive, and the ticket stated that eighty percent of the proceeds would be paid out to the mermaid.
I wondered if she was being paid in jewels rather than currency, but… surely she was being compensated fairly…?
Afterward, we were guided to a room where we could wait to meet the mermaid, and what greeted us was a wall completely decorated with Ruberta’s exclusive merchandise.
Dolls modeled after Ruberta’s likeness, portraits, fans, brooches—even cookies.
I clicked my tongue at the sight of Ruberta so carefully painted on the cookie case.
“The dolls come in different sizes, Pel.”
“They certainly do. Quite the sales operation.”
We didn’t purchase anything, but the children already had dolls in their arms.
It was likely because of the text written on the sales placard.
【If you approach Ruberta while holding a doll, she’ll give you a kiss on the cheek!】
I had no particular desire for a mermaid’s kiss.
“This way, please!”
“Oh, a human staff member?”
Moments later, when it was time for our meeting, a staff member wearing a Ruberta-shaped brooch on her chest came to fetch us.
I exclaimed in surprise at seeing a human staff member for the first time on this ship, and she laughed good-naturedly.
“Yes, I care for Ruberta. You can think of me as her dedicated manager.”
“Manager?”
“Ah, that’s a concept unfamiliar to those from other lands. I support popular stars, arrange their schedules, monitor their condition—that sort of thing. Since Ruberta is a mermaid, she has aspects that differ from humans, so I handle various matters in between!”
Seeing her satisfied expression, it was clear she took pride in her work.
Following her through the narrow Corridor, I came to stand before an iron door, beyond which water filled the space entirely.
It appeared to be the water surface of the Tank we had seen earlier.
Ruberta floated lazily upon the water, her lavender hair cascading long, and when she spotted us, she broke into a radiant smile and waved her hand.
“Say, could we go into the water ourselves?”
“Ah, we do have customers who make such requests… but absolutely no touching!”
“Right, of course.”
“Yes, then let me ask her.”
I wondered how a Mermaid and a human could communicate with one another.
Curious, I watched as the Manager brought out a pristine white xylophone. She wore a device resembling a conch shell against her ear, connected by a thin cord to the xylophone—an ingenious arrangement.
Ting-tong, ting!
After striking a few notes, Ruberta nodded in understanding, drawing a circle in the air.
Then she quickly retrieved her own xylophone and tapped out a response.
“Ah! She says yes. Though there is an additional fee… she’d be satisfied with a ruby or sapphire about the size of a fingernail.”
Oh, that was quite the markup.
But Superti simply removed her earrings and dropped them into the water. Ruberta caught them with a delighted smile, her tail swishing contentedly at the gift.
‘Well… those weren’t even a gift from Pel anyway.’
The Manager tried to dress me in special attire, but I declined and dove directly into the water as I was.
Since this was saltwater as well, there was no particular concern.
‘Hello, Ruberta!’
Swimming freely like a Mermaid, I greeted her, and her eyes widened slightly.
Trembling with surprise that we could communicate, she conveyed her thoughts to me—not in the precise formal structure of human speech, but I understood her perfectly.
‘I was worried you might be trapped here against your will! I was going to rescue you!’
But Ruberta shook her head. Then she gestured downward, and when I descended to the Tank’s floor, I saw gems glittering in the crevices between stones.
‘Ah, so you made a contract with the Captain because you wanted to collect jewels?’
Nod, nod.
‘Wait, how did you two communicate?! That xylophone from before?’
Nod, nod.
That must have been another invention of that genius magical engineer.
After exchanging a few more words, I learned that Ruberta left the Tank once every ten days to rest in the Sea, and this arrangement had never been broken.
She planned to take all the jewels with her when she eventually retired.
That last point did concern me somewhat… but I decided to ask the Water Spirit to notify me if any problems arose.
“Whew, that was fun!”
“You’re back?”
“Yep!”
Emerging from the water, I entrusted myself to Rasifer, who meticulously dried my hair for me.
“Since we’re already wet, should we check out the Swimming Pool? I heard they have a water slide.”
“Let’s do it. But we should change into swimwear first.”
The Stern Deck of this Ship housed a large Swimming Pool. There was even quite an impressive water slide, and they said the waves were real.
I’d already purchased a pineapple-patterned swimsuit to meet the dress code, so there was nothing to worry about.
“Let’s go! To the Swimming Pool!”
With my mind at ease, I should enjoy myself to the fullest!
* * *
As the two of us dashed excitedly toward the Swimming Pool, and the three thousand passengers aboard the Ship each sought their own pleasures.
“Gasp….”
Unfortunately, there was one person here who could find no joy whatsoever.
Clad entirely in black from head to toe—the garb of a Priest—an Elder with only his face exposed remained on his knees in prayer, clutching at his chest.
‘Breath, I cannot… breathe….’
Yet this Prayer Room, where the devout Priest dwelt, was the most remote location on the Ship.
No one would pass through by accident, and as it was a private Prayer Room, the door would not be opened, leaving him with no hope of aid.
“Gasp, gasp. Gasp….”
A pale haze rose around him, and the Priest continued to labor for breath. Though a white mist choked his airways, an eighty-two-year-old could do nothing.
Tick, tick, tick, tick.
Only the clock’s second hand sounded indifferently; no footsteps came.
It was not long before the Elder, who had desperately reached out his hand, collapsed.
“I… must… tell someone….”
The Elder’s eyes fluttered once more before consciousness slowly slipped away.
No one would ever know what he wished to reveal, or to whom he had meant to speak.
And… for hours afterward, no one discovered the Elder.
His labored breath vanished, consumed by the pale white mist.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————