Meanwhile, deep beneath the ocean, within the Kingdom of Atlantis, Mera clenched her small fists and entered the most sacred chamber in Atlantis, the Sea King's Hall.
She hesitated, glanced at Vico, who stood respectfully behind her, and asked quietly,
"Uncle Vico, can I really convene the Ocean Council?"
"Don't ask whether you can convene the Ocean Council. The important thing is that the Council needs someone with the authority to summon its members and announce the meeting. Only then will those restless councilors have grounds to gather here.
"Be confident, Princess Mera. You possess the blood of the royal family, so you have the authority to sound the conch and summon the High Councilors."
Vico did his best to reassure Mera before pointing toward the large conch nearby.
Mera took a deep breath and walked toward it.
She leaned forward, pressed her lips against the conch, puffed out her cheeks, and gathered all her strength before blowing.
The deep sound of the conch spread throughout the Sea King's Hall.
In front of the throne, transparent currents of water began moving through the chamber. More than a dozen white mechanical chairs were carried forward by the currents, emerging from the distant corridors of the palace.
Once the chairs had taken their places, Vico raised his hand toward the throne.
"The High Councilors are ready. Please take your seat, Your Highness."
"I understand."
Mera nodded bravely, though she was clearly nervous as she approached the throne and sat down.
Her slender frame could barely fill the massive seat. She rested both hands against one side of the throne, crossed her legs, and tried to maintain her composure as she looked toward the High Councilors.
Her shimmering dress drifted gently with the surrounding currents.
If Axel had been there, he would probably have whistled at the sight.
The High Councilors, however, had no interest in admiring a beautiful young princess.
The councilor seated at the center immediately spoke.
"We've received word that the Mother Box stored within the ancient temple has been taken. We also know that Nereus and Orm have suffered severe injuries.
"Even so, you should not be sitting here. Atlantis has not yet lost its King."
The councilor sighed before looking toward the increasingly nervous Mera.
"So, Mera, has King Orvax's condition truly deteriorated to this extent?"
"Madam Councilor, I have no desire for the throne. It's just that His Majesty's condition has become extremely serious, and I..."
"There's no need to explain yourself, child.
"We're pleased that you had the courage to step forward at such a critical moment. As for everything that follows, you won't bear any responsibility."
The High Councilor spoke with obvious authority.
It was clear that she had no intention of debating the matter with either Mera or Vico.
Her statement that Mera would bear no responsibility simply meant that the Council would make the decisions itself.
Neither Mera nor Vico objected.
Few surface dwellers understood what the Ocean Council represented, much less the authority it possessed.
The Council's origins stretched back to the earliest days of Atlantis and the reign of the ancient Sea Kings.
Long ago, during Earth's war against Darkseid, the gods, humans, Atlanteans, and Amazons had fought together to repel the forces of Apokolips. Afterward, Atlantis was entrusted with one of the Mother Boxes.
The victory had taught the ancient Atlanteans an important lesson.
The gods were not omnipotent.
Even before Darkseid, the gods could be forced to retreat or suffer defeat. With only a handful of exceptional deities capable of standing against such cosmic threats, the ancient Sea Kings began to question their dependence on divine protection.
The Atlanteans lived beneath the protection of Poseidon, but the ancient Sea King eventually developed another ambition.
If Atlantis became powerful enough, could it one day break free from the gods entirely?
That ambition eventually led the ancient Sea King to forge the legendary Trident of Atlantis, a weapon capable of commanding the oceans themselves.
But such power challenged Poseidon's authority.
The god was enraged.
Atlantis was eventually submerged, and its people were forced to adapt to their new existence beneath the sea.
Over generations, the Atlanteans learned from the catastrophe.
They realized that the authority once possessed by the Sea King had been too absolute. When the monarch made a decision, no matter how disastrous the consequences became, the entire kingdom had been forced to follow.
So, after Atlantis was divided into the Seven Kingdoms, the Atlanteans selected eleven of their oldest and most influential nobles and established the Ocean Council.
The Council's original purpose was simple.
It existed to balance royal authority.
However, the founders also understood that an unchecked council could become just as dangerous as an unchecked monarch.
To prevent the Council from dominating the Seven Kingdoms, its members and presiding officers were forbidden from interfering with royal succession or choosing the monarch of any kingdom.
Furthermore, the Council could only be convened with the authority of at least one reigning monarch or legitimate member of a royal bloodline.
Over the centuries, there had been periods when multiple kings disappeared simultaneously, leaving the Council unable to convene.
The current situation was similar.
Without Princess Mera, the Council might have been willing to act, but it would have lacked the authority to participate in decisions concerning Atlantis's future.
Once properly convened, however, a unanimous decision from the Council could not simply be ignored, even by the King of Atlantis.
Now, as Mera gradually overcame her nervousness, Duchess Carlson, the High Councilor presiding over the meeting, looked toward the other ten councilors seated around her.
"First, we need to establish one fact.
"The Mother Box is gone.
"If Nereus and Orm had successfully protected it, its continued presence would have brought enormous danger to the Ocean.
"Why?
"Because the enemy connected to the Mother Box has awakened and entered the stage.
"Now that the Mother Box has been lost, however, I believe Atlantis may actually be less likely to become the enemy's primary target.
"Any force that uses a Mother Box to reach Earth will naturally target the factions that still possess one."
"Agreed."
A councilor from the Brine Kingdom, his face bearing distinctly crustacean features, immediately voiced his support.
"According to the historical records we've recovered, there are three Mother Boxes.
"The other two were taken by King Arthur and his allies, and by Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons."
The moment the Amazons were mentioned, several councilors' expressions tightened.
The Atlanteans had long harbored complicated feelings toward the gods and their ancient alliances.
Fortunately, the gods had remained distant from the mortal world for many years, allowing that old resentment to gradually fade.
The Brine councilor continued.
"So long as the other two Mother Boxes remain in the hands of their current guardians, Atlantis should not be the enemy's primary target.
"Therefore, I believe our immediate priority should be determining the locations of the remaining two Mother Boxes."
"Seconded."
A young mermaid seated four places to his right spoke in a clear voice.
"I agree that we should investigate the remaining Mother Boxes, but we also need to pay close attention to the surface.
"Even if every Mother Box were lost, the surface kingdoms would still be the first to face whatever comes next. They're far more exposed than we are.
"We may have longstanding conflicts with the surface dwellers, but the Mother Boxes are connected to a war that extends far beyond Earth.
"We cannot simply ignore it.
"When one side falls, the other cannot expect to remain untouched.
"We've already lost our Mother Box and failed in our responsibility. If the surface kingdoms cannot withstand what is coming, then Atlantis has no right to flee.
"We must be prepared to fight."
After speaking, the young mermaid looked toward Mera.
The two were around the same age.
Perhaps seeing someone her own age speaking with such determination strengthened Mera's resolve as well.
At that moment, Duchess Carlson looked toward the princess.
"Mera, your royal blood gives you the authority to convene this meeting.
"But being a princess does not grant you the authority to issue orders on behalf of the Council.
"Therefore, you will carry out whatever orders the Council issues from this point onward."
Duchess Carlson turned her sharp gaze toward the other councilors.
The councilors straightened in their seats.
"Vico, I order you to lead an elite team equipped with communications equipment to the surface.
"Your mission is to investigate the surface world and determine the whereabouts of the Mother Box taken by King Arthur.
"Those in favor?"
"Seconded."
"In favor."
"Agreed."
"Excellent. Vico is already experienced with the surface."
The Council quickly approved the proposal.
It was a rare unanimous decision, perhaps the first such agreement the Council had reached in nearly a decade.
Duchess Carlson inhaled deeply before continuing.
"Our ability to investigate the surface is limited.
"As for the Amazons, their island has remained hidden through the power of the gods.
"However, I believe that if only one enemy has invaded Earth for now, the Amazons should still possess their Mother Box.
"In any case, Vico, gather information from the surface dwellers and keep us informed.
"If the Mother Boxes are eventually brought together and the surface kingdoms begin to collapse, Atlantis must join the war immediately.
"Everyone, the secret Atlantis has concealed for countless years may soon be exposed.
"But you should all understand one thing.
"Compared with the survival of the world itself, Atlantis cannot remain isolated."
"Understood."
"Councilor Carlson is right."
"I agree, but is there anything else we need to consider?"
The young mermaid spoke again.
Everyone turned toward her.
The mermaid swallowed before continuing.
"If Vico travels to the surface, he won't merely be gathering information. He may find himself dealing directly with the forces involved in the coming war.
"As a royal official, will he really have enough authority to negotiate with Amazon warriors or with the rulers of the surface kingdoms?
"I believe that, besides Vico, I should also travel to the surface as Duchess of the Fisherman Kingdom. That way, when we encounter the surface kings, I can..."
"Sister Tiffany, watch your tail while you're talking."
Duchess Carlson interrupted without hesitation.
She pointed toward Tiffany's shimmering fish tail, which was constantly swaying behind her.
Tiffany immediately froze.
Duchess Carlson continued mercilessly.
"Furthermore, the number of Council members cannot be even.
"I can only agree to half of your proposal.
"Mera."
She suddenly turned toward the princess.
"Are you willing to accompany Vico to the surface as Princess of Xebel?"
"I... I don't have a problem with that.
"But if I'm not here, what happens when the High Council needs to be convened?"
"That won't be a problem.
"My next proposal is to declare a state of war and temporarily transfer the Council's deliberative authority.
"I swear that this authority will remain in effect until the monarchs of Atlantis, Xebel, the Fishermen, and the Brine are once again capable of properly convening the Council.
"Those in favor?"
Every councilor raised a hand.
Even Tiffany, who clearly regretted not being allowed to accompany Vico, reluctantly raised her right hand.
About ten minutes later, a bewildered Mera followed Vico into a small shark-shaped patrol vessel.
She stared at the display panel as the vessel accelerated through the deep ocean.
Before long, it approached a mysterious dock.
Mera pursed her lips.
"Uncle Vico, if we're gone, what happens to the kingdom?"
"Please don't worry, Princess.
"The Council can handle any immediate crisis.
"I can assure you that every councilor is at least as devoted to Atlantis as I am.
"And if Her Majesty Atlanna were still alive, then at my age, I might have already been serving on the Council myself."
Vico gestured toward the guards accompanying him.
The guards immediately brought the vessel to a stop and activated its stealth systems.
Vico, Mera, and four guards then left the vessel and descended deeper into the water.
They approached a small hill some distance from the dock.
Using the surrounding currents, Vico guided the group toward a concealed position on the hill.
From there, they could see the distant city.
Mera licked her lips and asked softly,
"Is that a city of surface dwellers?
"Wow. It isn't very impressive. There aren't even many lights."
"That's because you haven't seen the surface at night, Your Highness.
"Surface dwellers illuminate their cities with artificial lights after dark."
"Ah. So this really is my first time on the surface.
"Uncle Vico, where should we begin our investigation?"
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I've visited the surface before and have some understanding of how surface dwellers live.
"Most of their television broadcasts still use relatively primitive technology, but their news networks are well developed. If anything related to the Mother Box happens among the humans, it will almost certainly appear on television.
"So, we only need to infiltrate a relatively influential household, observe their television broadcasts, and gather information.
"Their newspapers are also highly developed. We could obtain plenty of information by investigating a newspaper office.
"Hmm?"
Vico suddenly paused.
He stared toward a distant man who appeared to be talking to himself.
"Why is that man talking to himself?
"He doesn't appear to have a phone. What is that black device he's holding against his ear?
"Strange. I've only been away from the surface for a little over a decade.
"Have human phones already become wireless?"