#904 The Resident of the White Tower

My name is Docosa Hexaen.

I am an honored consultant to the great Mermaid Medical Association.

Boasting a unique form of mermaid magic known as magic potions, we take pride in leading the medical field among the three great races thanks to our unparalleled advancements.

The health of merfolk... Our stand against diseases is all spearheaded by us at the association. 

It’s unlikely that any achievement surpasses ours, not just in the Mermaid Kingdom but across the land-dwelling nations, too.

We are, without a doubt, the best in the world!!!

As the representative of such a distinguished association, I was summoned to the mermaid royal palace one day.

Directly by the Mermaid King himself. 

Could it be that the King, impressed by our daily endeavors, wishes to personally commend us? 

...Full of pride, I march in, only to be greeted with an unexpected turn of events.

“What’s going on with you merfolk of the Medical Association?” inquires King Arowana.

He’s the successor to the formidable King Nagus.

Though his reign has been brief so far, he diligently upheld his duties, slowly growing into his majestic role. Yet opinions were divided on whether he matched his father's greatness, King Nagus.

A little boost in our funding, perhaps tripling it, would surely have made him surpass his predecessor instantly.

“The funding for the Mermaid Medical Association might have to be cut starting next year.”

A tyrant? 

Is King Arowana failing to live up to his father and becoming a despot?

King Nagus used to increase our funding annually, but this king talks of cuts. 

A good king’s opposite is a tyrant, isn’t it?

“My father, King Nagus, poured substantial funds into your association yearly. Why do you think he did that?”

“Out of appreciation for our work, of course!”

“No, that’s not it.”

What?

It’s not?

“He hoped you would find a cure for the dreaded Hydro Runaway disease that plagues our people.”

That’s...!

Indeed, Hydro Runaway, a disease that afflicts over eighty percent of the merfolk community by the age of nine, poses a vexing challenge.

Once infected, blisters erupt across various body parts, accompanied by itching, fever, and a general sense of lethargy.

It’s also infamous for its highly contagious nature, spreading not just through physical contact or the exchange of bodily fluids like spit and blood but also by merely being in proximity to an infected individual, necessitating greater caution than other diseases.

It’s undeniably a troublesome illness.

The silver lining is that once healed, one will never contract the same disease again in their lifetime, with adult cases being extremely rare. However...

“Father was deeply concerned about the Hydro Runaway epidemic. As a father to many, nothing worried him more than diseases befalling his children.”

“Truly, a kindness befitting a king...”

“Of course, he considered all merfolk parents, aiming to eradicate this curse from our lands. That’s clear, right?”

“Absolutely, Your Majesty!”

Our Medical Association is the best, after all!

“Yet, you failed to find a definitive cure for Hydro Runaway during his reign. The funding, like foam left behind by the tide, has vanished...”

“But that’s...!”

While it might seem so from the outcomes alone, we’ve tirelessly combated numerous diseases, including Hydro Runaway...

“Has the Mermaid Medical Association achieved anything noteworthy in the past few decades? The royal family can no longer justify pouring funds into an ineffective department. Prepare for reduced funding next year.”

“Wait, Your Majesty, please! Wasn’t there talk of increasing the funding next year...?!”

“That was during my father’s reign. With the change in rulership, a policy shift is possible. It’s your fault for not adapting.”

“But this is so sudden, Your Majesty...!”

“Is it, though? How long do you think it’s been since I took the throne? Some still see me as an inexperienced young king, but I’ve given you ample time.”

I-Indeed, when did King Arowana ascend? Last year? The year before? I can’t recall anymore!

“Father was a great king, but his long reign led to complacency in some areas. It’s my duty as the new king to correct and tighten these. I’ve already been making significant changes across the board. The Mermaid Medical Association cannot be an exception.”

“Please, wait! Just wait!!!”

This is bad, very bad...!

If the royal funding decreases, the future of the Mermaid Medical Association is at risk...

No, the problem doesn’t end there.

This decision seems to be nothing less than the new ruler of the Mermaid Kingdom branding the Mermaid Medical Association as inept!

Yes, we failed to establish a cure for Hydro Runaway.

Yes, we couldn’t live up to the expectations that the royal lineage, stretching back generations, had placed upon us. That much is undeniable.

But hold on a minute!

To think that we, the Mermaid Medical Association, are utterly incapable is frankly quite offensive!

“Your Majesty! Please, grant us a little more time... Just a bit more patience! With all our might, the Mermaid Medical Association will eradicate Hydro Runaway from our nation!”

“Only after a tail-whipping do you decide to get serious, is that it?”

Ouch, that’s some biting sarcasm...!

But I can’t let that intimidate me!

“We have always been serious—absolutely serious! However, the Mermaid Medical Association faces a myriad of issues, and we just didn’t have the resources. Yes, the resources were insufficient to deal with Hydro Runaway!!!”

But, with a direct command from the Mermaid King, we can’t just ignore it!

We’ll drop everything else if we must and focus all our efforts on finding a cure for Hydro Runaway, and we’ll surely meet those expectations this time!

“You can’t just do that... The Mermaid Medical Association is essential to the merfolk’s health.”

That voice!

Approaching from behind His Majesty Arowana is the beautiful figure of... Queen Puffer?!

Cradled in her arms is the young Prince Moby Dick, the next in line to be the Mermaid King.

“Even if we haven’t seen astonishing results, the daily work of the merdoctors and pharmacists under the guidance of the Mermaid Medical Association keeps our nation’s health in check. Shouldn’t we honestly acknowledge that?”

“Yes, Your Majesty is absolutely right!”

With her gentle advice, she enlightens her husband.

This is truly the duty of the Queen! It seems the Mermaid Kingdom has been blessed with wise queens for two generations now!

“Are you one of the high officials from the Mermaid Medical Association? Sorry about this. This person has been a bit anxious, thinking his son might contract that dreadful disease that any merfolk could catch now that it’s been almost three years since he was born.”

“Puffer... perhaps we shouldn’t speak of such things...!”

Ah, I see; King Arowana is a parent, too, so it’s understandable!

But to unload such anxieties on us...!

Fear not! The Mermaid Medical Association, with its excellence, will undoubtedly discover a cure for Hydro Runaway!

“No, that won’t be necessary. You folks can continue with your leisurely bureaucratic work as before.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve received news from Princess Platy. An absolute preventive measure against Hydro Runaway has been discovered.”

Princess Platy?!

The witch proclaimed as a prodigy under King Nagus?!

And she discovered a treatment for Hydro Runaway?!

“It’s not a treatment... it’s a preventive measure. It means she has established a method to prevent Hydro Runaway altogether. The Mermaid Kingdom will now spread this method throughout the nation. We’ll need to reallocate some funds previously assigned to the Mermaid Medical Association for this. No complaints, right?”

This seems to be a convoluted way of saying our budget is getting cut!

Unacceptable!

“Oh, are you still dissatisfied? This isn’t a punishment for lack of results but a shift towards cooperating with a new policy. You should be grateful, shouldn’t you?”

Why would losing funding be considered fortunate?!

Besides, combating this disease is the duty of the Mermaid Medical Association! Neither the current Queen nor Princess Platy has the right to interfere!

“It’s not the work of an outsider. Platy didn’t develop the preventive measure; she just reported it to us.”

“Huh?”

“The real developer is, well, one of your former colleagues. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

One of our former colleagues?

That means someone who was part of the Mermaid Medical Association?

Who could it be...?!

“It’s Garra Rufa. You haven’t forgotten her, the Witch of the Plague, have you?”

Garra Rufa?!

The one who caused utter chaos in the conference with her absurd and bizarre theories and ultimately faced exile? That person?!

The one whose skill as a physician is unparalleled, standing unmatched in the annals of merfolk medical history, past, present, and future?!

What a turn of events... To think that she, akin to both a goddess and a demon, would make such a comeback.

And now, she’s whispering something to the royal family, stirring up turmoil in society once again.

What a predicament! As a bastion of proper judgment within the Mermaid Medical Association, we must stop this witch’s malevolent influence at all costs!

And we absolutely must get the association’s budget cuts reversed!!!