#1149 Fruits of the Sea

And just like that, the day of the trade fair arrived.

Surprisingly, everything came together pretty smoothly.
Normally, an event like this would require a ton of prep work, but not so much this time.

Since each participating nation was responsible for their own preparations, all we had to do was provide the venue and wait.

The hosting nation, the Farm Kingdom, is still mostly undeveloped land, so there isn’t much to decorate anyway.

At most, we set up some display tab.

There are also a few benches for tired visitors and a designated dining area for those who got hungry. Of course, since not everyone would be bringing their own food, we also arranged catering.
All basic host duties.

Oh, and we built an inn for out-of-town guests who couldn’t make a day trip out of it.
I had Orkubo’s team handle that one.

Ah, and of course, we paved a proper road for the caravans.
If this is going to be a major trade route in the future, might as well go big. How about six lanes per side?!

…Yep, that about covers it.
Compared to the crazy projects we’ve pulled off before, this one was a breeze. Just rinse and repeat what we already knew.

And so, the trade fair was underway.

Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to reflect: What exactly is a trade fair?

It’s an event where a specific region showcases and sells its local specialties...or so I heard.

But in this case, we’ve got participants from all over the world bringing their best goods, so it’s not quite the same. Eh, close enough.
Language is flexible like that.

And now, let’s welcome our participants.

The first to arrive… is Arowana from the Mermaid Kingdom.

“Ho ho! So this is the land Lord Saint now governs! It’s empty now, but soon, it’ll be bustling with life. It reminds me of the early days of your farm!”
“You were furious when I made your sister sleep in a shack, though.”

The Mermaid Kingdom, being one of the three great powers of this world, naturally signed up.
But for King Arowana himself to show up is pure dedication.

"With diplomatic ties established, expanding trade has become the top priority for our Mermaid Kingdom. We've engaged in as much exchange as possible so far, but it's nowhere near enough. We want to scale things up big time."

That’s why today’s trade fair was the perfect opportunity.

"If the goods we showcase here gain popularity, their value as trade commodities will skyrocket! This is our chance to bring in foreign currency!"

Now that’s some serious business acumen.
Arowana, as the Mermaid King, is clearly determined to bring wealth to his nation.

So… what exactly did the Mermaid Kingdom bring to the fair?

"WAKAME!!!"

…
Wakame, huh.

“Wakame is an edible seaweed, packed with nutrients! Puffer says it’s rich in iron and minerals, whatever those are! Sounds healthy, doesn’t it?!”
“Wakame multiplies like crazy, though. It’s a pain to get rid of.”

Platy chimes in.
She has come by to see her brother, since he’s personally shown up.

“It gets tangled in fishing nets and is impossible to remove… Ah! I see! So, by exporting wakame, you’re solving a problem and making a profit? That’s a sneaky king move if I’ve ever seen one!”
“Why must you assume such underhanded motives?! I truly believe wakame is a prized product worthy of global recognition!”
“Hmm, if you say so…?”
“Listen up! You may have forgotten, since you’ve been living on land for so long, but a groundbreaking discovery has been made about wakame! One that will prove its worth to the world!”

Wait.
Could this world’s wakame have some kind of incredible, unexpected property?!
Like… restoring MP or something?

“Ahem! If you eat wakame… your hair will grow back...!”

…
Uh, Brother-in-Law, that’s…
That’s one of those things people say, but there’s no real science behind it…

“Huh? Hair just grows normally, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, my dear sister, you are naive! Do you not realize how many men out there live in constant fear of hair loss? How many face a grim, thinning reality? If wakame offers even a sliver of hope, it’s only natural to cling to it!!!”

Is Arowana worried about his hairline?
Now that he mentions it… maybe I should be, too.

Betting your hopes on something that may or may not be real… Honestly, not the smartest move. But sometimes, you just want to believe.

Well, that aside, wakame is packed with minerals and super good for your health!
So yeah, no reason not to eat it!
Which means… everyone, let’s eat more wakame!!!

“Of course, we didn’t just bring wakame! Next up… crab! Land-dwellers are still hesitant to eat it, though.”

Growing up in Japan, I know crabs are considered a high-end delicacy.
But yeah, if you've never even seen a crab before, you probably wouldn’t think of it as food, let alone something that costs ten thousand yen a pop.

If someone grew up inland and never even laid eyes on the ocean, chances are they’ve never seen a crab either.
And let’s be real, if someone just handed you one and said, "Trust me, it's delicious!" you wouldn’t exactly be eager to take that gamble.

“That’s exactly why events like this are so important! People might be willing to try something new here! We truly appreciate this opportunity, Lord Saint!”

…Actually, this was Ritheseus’ idea.

“And for the same reason, we brought shrimp! Sea urchins! Octopus! Squid! Sea cucumbers! Mantis shrimp! Warasubo! Sea pineapples! Goose barnacles! Anemones! Hermit crabs! Starfish! Moray eels! Giant isopods!”

Hold up.
Some of those don’t even register as food to me!

Are all of those actually edible?!
The ocean is terrifying…!

“You sure brought a diverse lineup. The Mermaid Kingdom has such a different environment, it’s no wonder your special products are so unique.”

Platy has a point.
A whole different ecosystem means all sorts of rare goods you wouldn’t find anywhere else.

“We’ve also brought magic potions crafted by our mermaid compounders! Though, these are already well-known, so they’re not exactly a surprise.”

Wow, they really came prepared.
Unlike the war-hardened Human and Demon Kingdoms, the mermaids had been enjoying peacetime for years, allowing them to develop their culture and economy.

“Hmhmhmhm…! But wait! There’s more! We’ve saved the best for last!”

What?!
After all that, there’s still more?!

“This is a newly developed technology from the Mermaid Kingdom! And what better time to introduce it to the world than today?! We must once again express our gratitude to Lord Saint (for the second time!)”

Arowana seems seriously proud of this one...
Just what kind of revolutionary breakthrough did they achieve?

“It is… VACCINATION!!!”
“VACCINATION?!”

Platy and I shout in unison.

“A ma... genius mermaid, Garra Rufa, developed this never-before-seen system! Thanks to it, the Mermaid Kingdom has reduced infectious diseases by seventy percent! Its effectiveness is undeniable!!!”

…Did he just barely stop himself from saying ‘mad scientist’?

“This groundbreaking system, created by our kingdom, must be shared with the world! And what better stage than this trade fair?! We are fully committed!!”

Wow. Never expected one of Garra Rufa’s inventions to take the spotlight like this.
Back when she first joined us, I never imagined it would come to this.

Vaccination is a powerful tool for disease prevention and public health.
I sincerely hope it spreads throughout this world.

“A-Absolutely notttt!”
“Boo-boo, go awayyy!”

Suddenly, Junior and Norito burst in, screaming their objections.
Ah, my dear children… I understand your fear of needles, but this is non-negotiable.
Kids have always hated shots, but we do it because we want you to grow up healthy!

And with that, the first arrival, the Mermaid Kingdom, had already delivered a rollercoaster of surprises.
This trade fair… is going to be way more exciting than I thought...!

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2025 has been rough for me so far, so i genuinely appreciate your trust and patience. ive been catching up on backlogs as promised, but im still short by 6 more chapters, which i'll continue next week. rest assured there are 2 more chapters scheduled for this week!