"Uncle Vico…"
Mera gave Vico a speechless look.
"Are you sure you actually understand the lives of surface dwellers?"
"Of course I do!"
Vico nodded decisively.
"I have been to the surface many times and experienced part of human life. I understand quite a few of their customs, too. I have even tried some of their food. The best things on the surface are cheeseburgers and fries!"
As he spoke, Vico rubbed Mera's head and chuckled.
"Don't worry, Princess. If we resolve this matter successfully, I will definitely make time to take Her Royal Highness out for a cheeseburger.
"King Nereus bringing you to Atlantis naturally means you will have a chance to experience life there. Although the kingdom has strict rules, occasional exceptions are acceptable. As a Princess and the future Queen, you should experience more of the surface world~"
"Really?!"
The moment Vico finished speaking, Mera exclaimed in delight.
The four Atlantean guards standing nearby reluctantly turned their heads away, pretending they had heard nothing of the conversation between their Chief Minister and the Princess.
Seeing Mera's delighted expression, Vico nodded firmly.
"Of course, Your Royal Highness. I would never deceive you.
"But for now, we still need to find the mother box!"
With that, Vico placed a hand on Mera's shoulder before pointing toward a figure in the distance who was holding a phone.
"Your Highness, please wait here. I will ask that surface dweller if he knows anything about the nearest newspaper office."
"Okay, Uncle. I'll wait here and watch you~"
Mera nodded obediently.
Vico then left the group and strode toward the man in the distance.
Meanwhile, the man was speaking into his phone.
"Don't argue with me. Our travel plans for this year haven't happened yet, so let's just consider this a vacation!
"San Francisco is a little far from Gotham, but it's not that far. Who knows whether the chaos over there will spread here?
"America is already finished. The White House and Washington are gone. After the aliens showed up, we can't even find a President willing to fly a plane into a spaceship!
"Besides, we're renting this house anyway. Let's just cancel the lease and leave. We can go to Asia. It's still safe there.
"Even if the superheroes in Gotham can't hold out, we'll be fine as long as we run fast enough.
"Trust me, darling. I'm heading back from the park to pick up…"
"Ahhhhh!"
Before he could finish, Vico suddenly snatched the phone from his hand and pinned him to the ground.
Vico examined the device with confusion, particularly the glowing screen.
"This really is a phone, and it has quite a few functions.
"Strange. Your technology has advanced so quickly. Your older phones weren't like this. They didn't even have buttons!"
"No! Don't kill me!"
The man stared at Vico in terror.
"Damn it, you're an alien, aren't you?! You've been to Earth before? You've even seen old phones?!
"Technological advancement isn't my fault! Go find Steve Jobs! I just want to go home! Boo-hoo…"
"Uh…"
"Woof! Woof!"
Just as the man was on the verge of tears, the golden retriever puppy he was holding suddenly began whining happily.
The puppy immediately bounded toward Vico. Apparently attracted by the strong scent of seawater and seafood clinging to him, it eagerly licked Vico while rubbing its head against his leg.
"Wow…"
Vico stared at the lively golden retriever in amazement.
"A surface animal! This is the first one I've ever seen. It's even cuter than Topo!
"Buddy, would you be willing to let your golden-furred companion work for me? I can offer him excellent pay!"
"Huh?!"
The man became even more horrified.
He quickly dropped to his knees and hugged the puppy tightly.
"Don't take my dog!"
"Oh, his name is Dog? A simple name."
Vico nodded thoughtfully.
"If you can't bear to part with him, then never mind. Although the salary I'm offering really is quite generous.
"Anyway, forget about that. Do you know where the nearest newspaper office is?"
Vico chuckled and stroked the puppy's fluffy head.
The seawater covering him dampened the dog's fur, making the golden retriever look even more ridiculous and adorable.
The more Vico looked at it, the more he liked it. He released the man and enthusiastically played with the golden retriever as it rolled around on the ground.
As for the dog's owner…
Seeing that the strange alien seemed genuinely fond of dogs, the man was no longer quite as frightened.
After thinking for a moment, he asked,
"Why are you looking for a newspaper office? It's not like some tabloid is planning to publish gossip about you, right?"
"News? Ah, no, no, no. It isn't that."
Vico shook his head.
"I just want to know whether anything unusual has happened in human society. I…"
"Unusual?"
The middle-aged man immediately became animated.
"There's been more than enough trouble! America has practically become hell!
"First, there was the incident in Gotham. Doctor Fate from the Justice Society suddenly appeared in the real world, and then he was actually killed!
"Then Washington was wiped out. At least eight million people died. It was terrifying!
"And Gotham… that place is completely ridiculous. It had barely settled down before aliens showed up and started fighting!"
By this point, the man had completely concluded that Vico had no intention of harming him, so he continued enthusiastically.
"Give me back my phone and I'll show you a video. You'll understand."
"A video? This thing can play videos too? Without a television?"
Vico's eyes widened in amazement.
The surface world had advanced far beyond his expectations.
Not long afterward, Mera stood obediently between the four Atlantean soldiers, waiting for Vico to return.
Eventually, Vico came back with a smile.
He was leading the small golden retriever with one hand and holding an Apple phone in the other.
"Princess, please watch this video. I found information concerning the mother boxes that the surface dwellers have recorded.
"Unfortunately, the surface dwellers have lost their mother box. However, a group of extremely powerful heroes has appeared on the surface. Their strength is incredible. Perhaps they are capable of opposing the evil brought by the mother box!"
Excitedly, Vico handed Mera the phone, which was continuously playing the video.
Mera, however, immediately crouched down and stared at the golden retriever.
"Uncle Vico, what is this? It's so cute!"
"Ah, this is a golden retriever. Dog, I believe that is its name."
Vico nodded.
"It is very cute, isn't it? I plan to hire him as our future diplomatic assistant so that he can help us communicate with the surface dwellers.
"Unfortunately, he doesn't seem quite as intelligent as an octopus, so I'm afraid he'll require considerable training."
Vico glanced affectionately at the excited puppy.
Deep down, he silently mourned the fate of the surface dweller he had knocked unconscious.
Still, considering that the golden retriever did not seem upset about its owner being knocked out and was instead happily playing with him, perhaps the man had mistreated the dog.
As for the name Dog…
Vico felt it was rather unpleasant.
He would have to think about giving the dog a better name.
After Mera and Vico played with the puppy for a while, they finally turned their attention to the video.
The footage showed Superman fighting Steppenwolf before a magician entered the battlefield.
A trace of concern appeared in Mera's eyes.
"Is this really the strength of the surface dwellers? They're incredibly powerful!
"I even feel that every person who appeared on that battlefield might be stronger than my father and Orm!"
"Yes, Your Royal Highness."
Although Vico was reluctant to admit it, his expression became serious.
"The human heroes truly are extraordinary, much like King Arthur and the knights who once fought alongside our ancestors.
"From this video, I can deduce that although humanity has lost its mother box, the enemy has not actually gained the upper hand.
"Human lives are short, and perhaps their history has been interrupted often enough that they no longer understand the importance of the mother boxes.
"In any case, if the people in this video become aware of the mother boxes, their combat abilities should leave the enemy with very few opportunities.
"Therefore, I believe we need to establish contact with humanity in advance. At the very least, we must explain the importance of the mother boxes and cooperate with them to investigate the Amazons and locate the remaining mother box."
As he finished speaking, Vico decisively picked up the golden retriever and pointed toward the mountain path.
"The map on this phone shows that we are not far from Gotham, only a few hundred kilometers away.
"There are surface vehicles available at the foot of the mountain. At the latest, we should reach Gotham before sunset.
"But before we find a vehicle, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Your Royal Highness to run with me and the others!"
With that, Vico took the lead and strode down the mountain.
Seeing this, Mera awkwardly moved her legs and began running stiffly behind him.
"Wait, Uncle Vico! What does 'run' mean? How do I do it? Why does my body feel so stiff?"
"Your Highness, the surface is different from the ocean. When running on land, you need to coordinate your arm movements with your steps!"
"Got it! Let me try!"
Mera quickly adjusted her movements.
"Wow! This feels amazing!"
"Doesn't it? And this is only the beginning. Your humble servant guarantees that Your Royal Highness will encounter many more novel experiences.
"However, Your Royal Highness, no matter what happens, please remember to maintain the dignity of the Atlantean Royal Family!"
"I will, Vico. But the golden retriever has its tongue hanging out. Is that all right?"
"It's fine. I'll take care of him. Besides, he's cute even with his tongue out. Much cuter than Topo, and he doesn't spray ink!"
And so, Vico and Mera's group began their journey toward Gotham.
Meanwhile, several hundred kilometers away, near the waters off Haiti, the Atlantean mother box had just encountered trouble.
Deep beneath the ocean, inside a long-abandoned underwater temple, a burly man stared blankly at a dilapidated statue.
Suddenly, he frowned.
"What was that?"
Arthur Curry turned his head uneasily and instinctively looked toward his left.
A strange sound had reached his ears from a distant part of the ocean.
Even from such a distance, the sound had made him deeply uncomfortable.
Arthur carefully stared in the direction it had come from before clicking his tongue.
"Tch. It's coming from their territory…"
Arthur knew exactly what was there.
The damned Kingdom of Atlantis.
He had secretly swum near the city more than once.
When Arthur was young, he knew nothing about his origins. He had believed himself to be an ordinary child who lived with his father.
As he grew older, however, Arthur discovered that he possessed the ability to communicate with fish.
Not long afterward, Vico came to him from the depths of the ocean and revealed the truth about his origins. Vico also taught him Atlantean knowledge and combat techniques.
Even with Vico's guidance, Arthur had never developed any affection for Atlantis.
How could he?
That damned kingdom had taken his mother away and forced her to have a child with another man.
He had heard that the child was named Orm and would eventually become the next King of Atlantis.
Hmph.
Orm was a prince destined to become king, while Arthur was nothing more than a commoner.
They shared the same mother but had different fathers.
Arthur hated everything about Atlantis.
More importantly, he had wanted his mother to return to him.
But she had already been executed by the Atlanteans through banishment.
The memory caused the disgust in Arthur's eyes to deepen.
He immediately left the ruins and began swimming toward his lighthouse home.
Yet as he traveled through the water, he couldn't stop thinking about the strange sound.
It had been nothing more than a sound, but even recalling it made the hair on his body stand on end.
Arthur swam for dozens of nautical miles, but the ominous feeling refused to disappear.
Finally, he abruptly stopped and turned around in a dramatic 180-degree maneuver.
"I don't care about those people in the sea. I'm just going to take a look. Just one glance!"
With that thought, Arthur accelerated toward the source of the sound.
The Pacific Ocean was vast beyond measure. Even with Arthur's incredible swimming speed, several hours passed before he finally approached the ruins where the mother box had been kept.
At the same time, in the Atlantean High Council Chamber, Orm, whose injuries had already healed, sat beside King Nereus.
The two faced numerous councilors as the chamber erupted into heated arguments.
Orm gripped the armrest tightly and glared at the council members.
"It's either appeasement or concealment. Why can't Atlantis take the initiative and attack?
"Is concealment our only option simply because it has always been our tradition?
"Damn it, even the mother box we preserved has been lost. Do you really believe humans can protect a mother box that even Atlantis failed to protect?
"Don't be ridiculous. If we couldn't do it, neither the humans nor the Amazons can. We are the strongest civilization on Earth!
"The situation leaves no time for hesitation. The enemy will eventually gather the Mother Boxes, and Atlantis must prepare for war.
"So why are we still waiting for Vico to return?
"What we need to do is gather our forces, then use overwhelming power to pressure the surface world. We should seize control of the surface in one decisive move, force humanity to rally behind us, and prepare for the final battle against the enemy.
"That is what Atlantis should be doing.
"Compared to that, do you really think Vico is likely to return with good news?"
"Wait, Prince Orm."
Nereus immediately interrupted him.
"My daughter is still on the surface.
"Even if we intend to stabilize and control the surface powers to improve our chances of victory before the final battle, we cannot act until my daughter has safely returned!"
Nereus was clearly worried about Mera.
But before he could say anything more, two guards suddenly entered the chamber.
Their expressions were strange.
The unexpected arrival immediately silenced the room.
Everyone present understood that the guards would never dare interrupt the High Council without a serious reason.
A moment later, the two guards exchanged uneasy glances before looking toward Orm.
Then they spoke.
"Greetings, Prince Orm, King Nereus, and esteemed Councilors.
"Following your orders, we completely sealed the location where the mother box was stored before it was lost.
"But just now, someone approached the site and was apprehended by our forces, although we suffered heavy casualties in the process.
"That person claimed…"
The guard hesitated.
"He said his name is Arthur.
"And he claims to be Princess Atlanna's son!"
=≠=
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