Marinus swam in the cold water. At least the sea had never frozen over as far as he could remember. He reached the seaweed patch and began picking the best ones from the batch.

Theanore was getting better at cooking with each passing day, but she didn’t have the skill yet. She was squeamish about cooking a Colorful Egg specter. But Esmer was not going to let her not make at least one stuff chicken for New Year.

She would make a fine wife, his Thea. He blushed at the thought of him going out to hunt or tend to the aquafarm, and then to return to a hot meal every day. Maybe he would even get a kiss on the cheek as a welcome? He could dream.

He stared at the cavern where the salmon had swum. A nice grilled salmon would go nicely with the rice. He swam to the cavern and reached in. He touched a salmon and pulled it out.

The salmon would need to be butchered soon. He had only ten days for them to live. The children from the orphanage would love to have grilled salmon for dinner soon. Maybe even today? But how was he going to get all the meat out of the cavern? One by one was too slow.

“Tania, how do I get all the salmon to the grotto?” Asked Marinus.

That would be one million mana for all the fish. They are many, Marinus. Don’t protest. Spend one million mana? Yes/No?

Marinus pressed the yes and saw how the water of the cavern was enveloped by light. He quickly placed the salmon he had gotten out back inside and watched as it too disappeared.

Then he went back to picking seaweed. It would be bad if the children were not given any. He didn’t have any more mana left, so he picked the seaweed one by one.

If he boiled the seaweed, there would be soup for everyone. He wondered if Theanore had thought to get enough bamboo for everyone. If she hadn’t, then he would ask her to spend some mana and do so.

Swimming back to the grotto, Marinus saw that Rip and Hiss were in his pool again. He sighed and caught them each a silver longtail and threw the fish over the edges of the pool so the two murder muffins can go out of it.

It didn’t matter how much he berated them. They still looked for the time when he wasn’t there to go into the pool. The murder muffins took the bait, and they descended on the fish. Marinus smiled down on them and then swung himself over the edge of the pool.

The transition from having a merman’s tail to human legs was as always unpleasant. As a merman, he breathed through his gills. He felt like he was suffocating when he began to breathe through his nose again.

When it was done, he stood up and dressed quickly, and then went back through the winding tunnels. He stopped next to the apple sapling and the ghost aura snapped at him.

“Hello, Bellchime.” He said to the ghost aura. It didn’t see any action, and it must be bored. Did ghost auras even got bored? “Are you guarding our Thea?”

The ghost aura pulsed bright green, and Marinus smiled. Anymore and it would lash out at him. He went then to the house and gave the bags of seaweed to Theanore.

“You have to boil it with salt so that there is enough for everyone. Did you take enough bamboo for the rest of the children?” Asked Marinus, and Theanore nodded.

“I didn’t at first, but then I figured that you would get enough, and so I spend one million mana to collect it. The worker elves are making it with the salmon. Our lunch is ready. Do you mind calling mommy and father? Oh, and Luca.”

Marinus was out in the cold and searching for the rest of their family. Somehow, Luca had become a part of said family. He seemed to want to grow up at a slower pace now but to get the ring when he was twenty, just like everyone else.

First he saw Crassus in front of a blackboard explaining to eager children about trading. Marinus made a mental not to stay and listen some time. Now that the dungeon was not hidden anymore, and had a powerful barrier protecting it, they could reopen their stall here.

Then he found Luca with the smallest children, teaching them how to write. He seemed to be enjoying it very much, but he stood up and followed Marinus in search of Esmer.

They found the dungeon core teaching fencing lessons. They watched her as she disarmed Lysandrus, and they clapped with the rest of the children. Esmer bowed and she moved towards the children.

“And when will you two join, hm?” Asked Esmer, and she gave Marinus a pointed look.

“I know water magic. I know how to fight.” Said the merman, and Esmer sighed.

“That is all well and good, but what of when your mana runs out? And yes, I know you have one million mana in your mana reservoir. It is still possible.”

“Well, maybe after lunch? Theanore has made us rice with bamboo and I caught some salmon.” Then he looked at the surrounding children. “You will get the same, it is just that your lunch is still being cooked.”

The children cheered and began to fence anew. Esmer followed the two children back to Crassus. Marinus smiled and looked at Esmer.

“Esmer, now that Crassus is going to live for a very long time, will you get together?” Asked the merman with a smirk. He was hit upside the head for his cheek.

“Wouldn’t you like to know? He is a fine enough man, I suppose. And my daughter calls him father. But he has to approach me first. I don’t think he would, though. I am too old for him.”

The gears in Marinus’ mind were already turning. Operation get Crassus and Esmer together was on.