When Elefseria mentioned the Five Dragon Gods earlier, Marco had already noticed the name Ignia.
After all, it sounded far too similar to Igneel.
It was hard not to make that connection.
'Should I go back? Bring the old Fire Dragon King over and let him take a look?' Marco thought about it for a moment.
For him, going there and back was easy.
It was not like other people, who would have to travel for a year or two.
'Forget it. I'll go take a look first and see what's actually going on. If they really are related, I can call Igneel over then.'
After thinking it over, Marco decided to check things out himself first.
After all, it was only a guess. Besides, he had signed a contract with Elefseria.
He could not reveal the contents of the 100 Years Quest to anyone who was not currently taking part in the mission, or the request would immediately be considered failed.
Even if Marco broke the agreement, Elefseria could not really do anything to him, but Marco's own professional ethics would not allow him to do that.
If he was going to do something like that, he at least had to confirm he could handle the problem easily first.
"Water Dragon God Mercphobia. I hope you know how to behave."
Marco's figure blurred as he activated teleportation and vanished in an instant.
The next second, he appeared on the outskirts of his target city, Ermina.
Even with everything Marco had seen, the sight before him still made him raise his brows slightly.
This city was strange.
The air was filled with a thick, damp scent of sea salt, along with a strange smell mixed with aquatic plants and magic energy.
It was as if the entire city had been soaked in water, and not just for a day or two.
This was not Marco's imagination.
On some of the buildings, he could even see seaweed. That clearly was not something that could naturally grow on land.
"Interesting."
Light flickered in Marco's eyes as he quickly scanned the buildings in front of him.
"..."
Marco saw people... he also saw fish.
Fish that had been transformed from people.
It seemed the people in this city could turn into fish, and anyone could do it, even those who could not use magic themselves.
"It's because magic was cast on them."
Marco immediately made that judgment.
A powerful mage had placed magic on the residents of Ermina, allowing them to turn into fish.
"Was it that Water Dragon God?"
Turning an entire city's human population into fish was not something an ordinary person could do. It was most likely the Water Dragon God's doing.
Marco walked into Ermina.
There were not many people on the streets, and the way those people looked at him carried wariness and concern.
It seemed this city did not often receive outsiders.
"Outsider, you should leave quickly. The tide is about to rise. Ermina isn't suitable for outsiders at this time."
Marco's relaxed attitude finally made some kindhearted citizens unable to hold back.
Someone took the initiative to approach him while he was looking around and warned him to leave Ermina before the tide rose.
"What do you mean? After the tide rises, does this city sink into the sea?"
Marco smiled and asked back.
"If you've heard the story of Ermina, why did you still dare come at this time? Did you drink the potion beforehand?"
The kindhearted middle-aged man looked surprised.
Seeing Marco looking around earlier, he had thought Marco was visiting Ermina for the first time.
But now, he was starting to doubt that.
"Potion? What potion?" Marco asked curiously.
He had not drunk any potion.
"A special potion that lets humans breathe underwater. Travelers from outside have to drink that potion to survive in Ermina. If you haven't drunk it, hurry up and buy a bottle. If you already booked an inn, then go there and drink it quickly. Inns always prepare potions for outside travelers."
The kind man quickly explained the situation to Marco.
The tide was about to rise. If Marco kept wasting time like this, it would be dangerous.
"So that's how it is. Does this place sink into the sea every day?"
Marco nodded, but he still was not in a hurry at all.
He showed no worry and instead kept asking the middle-aged man questions.
"Of course. It's been like this since I was little."
The middle-aged man answered as though it were completely natural.
"If it's so dangerous, why don't you leave?"
Marco continued asking.
This was not an era with an exploding population. Although the northern continent of Guiltina was not as large as Ishgar, rebuilding a city somewhere else should still be simple.
The whole continent was vast and sparsely populated.
"It's only dangerous for you outsiders. It isn't dangerous for us. We're fish. We were always meant to live in the sea. Besides, with Lord Water God's protection, we live very well."
The middle-aged man answered very seriously. He did not seem to be joking.
That made Marco fall silent.
The situation in Ermina reminded him of the demon residents on Galuna Island.
The residents of Galuna Island had originally been demons, but because of the Moon Drip ritual, they had mistaken themselves for humans.
Meanwhile, the residents of Ermina were originally humans, but because of this fish transformation magic, they had started believing they were fish.
"All right. Thank you. I understand."
Marco nodded and thanked the kind middle-aged man.
He did not correct the man's understanding of himself.
There was no point arguing over that. The problem had to be solved from the root.
'Water God, huh? What exactly are you doing?'
Marco could tell that the local resident truly respected the Water Dragon God. He sincerely treated the Water Dragon God as the "Water God" who protected Ermina.
"This is a little different from what Elefseria said. What happened to killing people like grass, being cruel by nature, and treating humans like ants?"
At least from what he had seen so far, the Water Dragon God did not seem like that kind of figure.
Although what he was doing in Ermina was also pretty weird.
Splash, splash.
While Marco was thinking about the Water Dragon God's good and evil, the tide grew stronger and stronger. It truly began to flood the city, slowly swallowing all of Ermina into the sea.
Before long, all of Ermina was completely soaked in clear blue seawater.
The streets became waterways.
Colorful "schools of fish," those ocean creatures transformed from residents, swam through them leisurely, as though they had always been fish and living in the sea was the most natural thing in the world.
Marco walked along the underwater streets.
Even without drinking the potion, walking on the seabed did not affect him at all.
He felt that the Water Dragon God should come looking for him soon. After all, he stood out far too much in Ermina.
"Outsider, were you sent by Elefseria?"
Sure enough, Marco had not walked through the underwater street for long before someone came to find him.
And this person immediately knew why he had come.
Clearly, Marco was not the first one to come here.
Marco looked toward the newcomer.
It was a young woman wearing a neatly tailored uniform. She had very smooth pink hair, a pretty face, a guarded expression, and sharp eyes.
"I am Karameel. Lord Water God asked me to invite you over."
The young woman bowed slightly.
Her posture was flawless, but there was a clear coldness to it. Obviously, she did not have much goodwill toward outsiders.
"Is your 'Lord Water God' the one responsible for all this?"
Looking at the young girl in front of him, Marco asked directly.
He had already guessed it earlier. The rise of the tide was clearly abnormal and had obviously been caused by a powerful wave of magic.
"Watch your words!"
Karameel's face immediately turned cold, and she looked a little angry.
"Looks like I guessed right."
Marco smiled.
This girl really could not hide anything.
"Lord Water God cannot fully control his vast, ocean-like magic power, which is why the rhythm of the tides has become so intense. But this is a blessing granted to us by a god, allowing us to continue living under his power and even witness the beauty of the underwater world!"
Facing Marco's teasing tone, Karameel reacted strongly.
It was obvious that she was a devoted believer of the "Water God."
"A blessing?"
Marco's voice was calm, with no emotion in it.
"Turning humans into fish and making them forget who they are counts as a blessing?"
Marco could tell that Karameel seemed to be clear-minded. She had not confused her own identity.
Yet even like this, she truly believed this was a blessing?
"The confusion in their memories is only a small price during the process of adaptation. Here, we are safe and at peace, bathed in the light of our god. Lord Water God protects us. What difference does it make whether we are human or fish?" Karameel said loudly.
She truly believed that.
Clearly, she was a fanatic believer of the Water God.
"Very well."
Marco smiled and shook his head.
He was too lazy to keep talking to this fanatic.
His figure blurred, disappearing from the spot as though he had melted into the mist.
Seeing Marco vanish, shock and worry appeared on Karameel's face.