Hearing their suspicions stand, Elric paid them no heed and continued to explain.
"I came to your realm because of a certain mission given to me by the Lord of the Fire Elemental Realm. If I get to complete my mission, I will be more than willing to live this realm as soon as possible and so, I want to assure you, people of the water realm that I have no plans to stay long. I came in peace and shall leave in peace."
"Then explain to us, what is it that you wanted here?" one of the distrustful mermen wobbled forward with a demanding tone.
"Hey, careful the way you talk!" another merwoman came to calm down the aggressive merman.
"Who cares?! He doesn't belong here and he certainly does not deserve to become the lord. He can kill me if he wants but I am not bowing down before a human! I swear that to every scales in my body!"
"True! We won't be bowing down before you!"
"Hey, brothers calm down!"
"That human just saved our entire race! We owe our lives to him!"
"That is true. But it was also because of him that all of this started. Did you forget that?"
"It was bound to happen! The lord Aghus was a wolf in a sheep's clothing. He had mercilessly summoned an unholy spell that cost hundreds of thousands of lives just to catch a single human. He cared for us not at all!"
"No! We will not bow down to a human!"
With the way the merman talked, it was obvious that the latter had unfavorable views against Elric.
The citizens of the water realm are not united in their thoughts when it comes to their racial view of Elric. The latter might have been their savior but not everyone is willing to call him their lord. As such, a commotion immediately sparked, clearly dividing the people into two groups.
If only Elric had an incredibly short temperament, he could have whipped this merman to death without raising a finger but he chooses to forgive them. He pretty much knew where they are coming from and he respected all their opinion.
Right now, what bothered him is the ball of light that is floating before him. While the citizens of the water realm bickered against each other, the Holy Provision suddenly whooshed and aimed at Elric's stomach.
Whoooosh~
Knowing that he could be hailed as the new lord if the ball of light came hit him, Elric unhesitantly stepped back to evade the incoming ball of light.
"Huh!? He is avoiding it?"
"He was really serious?"
Woosh~miss
Woosh~ miss
Woosh ~ miss
The mermen who doubted Elric a few seconds ago was shocked to see Elric dodging the blurring speed of the Holy Providence. Their surprise did not just come from Elric's decision to flee away from the ball of light but with his extraordinary agility to avoid the Holy Providence.
"Holy sh*t!? What's with that speed?"
"All I can see is a blur!"
Like a pro soccer player playing against five-year-olds, Elric appeared to be toying against the Holy Providence's relentless charge. His movements were smooth but quick, leaving just a few millimeters of the distance between his skin and the ball of light.
With his dragon's eyes, the ball of light was too slow for him. Elric was not making too much movement, but he seems to read the ball of light's intention and only choose to move the part of his body being a charge on.
Elric seriously dodged each charge when suddenly it dissapeared right before it came close to his right leg. Only then that Elric realized something.
"Huh?"
"Did it get inside him?"
"I thought he dodged the Holy Providence? How come it suddenly dissapeared?"
"I think it did get him."
"I see."
"In the end, he was still tested huh.."
The citizen of the water realm nervously waited at Elric's reaction now that the Holy Providence is inside him.
They were expecting that it won't take long before the latter would collapse to the ground while screaming in agony but after a good thirty minutes, Elric stood safe and sound while holding his right leg where the Holy Providence suddenly dissapeared.
"What is happening?"
"How come he is not suffering?"
"Every lord candidate I knew who went through the test of the Holy Providence cried in pain. This is the first time I am witnessing someone just stood still without flinching!"
"Perhaps, he is the chosen one."
"It seems that way..."
Everyone was about to bow down before Elric when the latter's hand suddenly reached out inside his side pocket. Curious, everyone's eyes followed after his moving hand.
Is he itchy? What is he trying to pull?
Before their very eyes, Elric's hand pulled out a cute little turtle from his side pocket.
There are obvious scratches all over its body from its previous battle and a familiar proud smirk was itched in its small round face. Dash was in deep sleep inside its comfy shell who happens to have sneaked inside Elric's pocket when the latter was not paying attention.
A small bubble from its nose would slowly grow and shrink repeatedly as this cute little bastard reposition its head inside his little shell.
Whaa?!
Seriously?
Is it possible?
Everyone's eyes almost popped out of their socket.
The ball of light did not enter Elric's body but at Dash's!
And it seems that the oblivious little turtle had accepted the Holy Providence without any flinch of resistance while sleeping.
"Hugon! Those fishes are mine! Eat them and I will throw you back at your world!"
Said the sleeptalking-little-lord-bastard-turtle.