ITK C425: Fermentation’s Successor

Thus, Puffer and Prince Arowana’s marriage have finally become official.

Three cheers for the couple!

Many other residents also shower them with applause in celebration.

“Congratulations!”
“Congrats!”
“I wish you all the best.”
“Tsk.”

Who was that who clicked their tongue?
It was probably jealousy from someone who also wants to get married but can’t yet.

Anyway, let’s focus on the two for now.

“All right! We’ll go to the Mermaid Kingdom right now! In fact, arrangements for the ceremony have been made at various locations and are on standby! All it needs is our bride!”
“Yay! You’re the best, hun!”

The two embrace each other without caring what others think.
They’re getting awfully excited, but that’s just how long they’ve been holding out.

Well, I wish them happiness.
Still, isn’t their wedding a little too hasty?

“Naturally, it won’t happen today.”
“HUH?”

Queen Mahi speaks.

“Why, of course. Even if you have prepared for the ceremony, you haven’t made any arrangements for the guests. Not everyone can show up on the same day they’re invited.”
“Two people are enough to make vows!”
“That can’t be. You are the future king and queen, so you need to invite important people from all concerned parties. That is the duty of a ruler.”
“Ngh…”

The two kept asking themselves repeatedly what royalty was all about, so it’s not like they were ignorant of this fact.

“And you, Puffer. I’m sure you have other things to do before you get married, don’t you?”
“No, ma’am.”
“…”

Puffer’s so lost in the thought of finally getting married that she can’t see anything else.

“Don’t you have important work to do on this farm? Are you going to abruptly throw that out the window and leave for your groom-to-be?”

The queen has a point.

The mermaid race’s magic is indispensable to our farm.
They make fertilizers that make crops grow fast, refrigerants that rapidly cool rooms, and other medicines that cure injuries and illnesses.

Among them, Puffer is in charge of fermented food production.
Platy was the head before, but she stepped down as the farm grew.

If Puffer is to marry Prince Arowana, she cannot continue to live here.
As has been said many times, being the wife of a king comes with great responsibilities.

“So, Puffer is going to leave the farm…”

Until now, it hasn’t crossed my mind because my goals have been focused on the marriage itself. But Puffer will live with Prince Arowana in the Mermaid Kingdom once they get married.

She… can’t stay here with us.

“…Oh, right. The farm would be in a pickle. The hole someone as capable as me will leave behind is huge.”
“Wow, I hate the way she worded that.”

But her statement is just, and our fermented food department won’t last without her.

It is impossible for Platy to be in charge as she used to be.
It’s too much for her to handle now.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of that.”

Puffer drags a girl from somewhere.
I recognize her.

“Aren’t you one of Angel’s friends?”
“It’s Discus, sir! I’ll be Sis Puffer’s heir!”

Her heir?
That’s just an exaggeration.

If I recall, she’s one of Angel’s cronies who came to our farm some time ago.
They challenged the Six Witches but were beaten in their own game. Since then, they have been helping out as apprentices to compensate for our mermaid team’s shorthandedness.
Discus was one of them.

“I had taught her all of my pickling techniques. She is fully capable of taking over the fermentation department in my place.”
“For real?”

They were as fresh as amateurs when they came here, you know?

“You can entrust everything to her once I leave. Her pickles are practically as good as mine. You can even call her the Witch of the Bitter Cold now.”
“Sis…!”

Her protégé is in tears, but Puffer has only taught Discus about making fermented food, right?
Wouldn’t it be better to start mastering other areas first before passing on your title to her?

“But wait, you’ve been training your successor? How meticulous of you.”
“Well, duh! I’ve been doing every possible preparation to be ready to leave as soon as my marriage is set!”

Puffer’s tenacity in getting married is nothing short of amazing.

…So, now that the farm’s concerns regarding her marriage have been addressed, it’s time we say goodbye to Puffer, huh?

“…Are you sure we can rely on you?”

I ask Discus, the mermaid who has been named as Puffer’s successor.
If she’s going to take Puffer’s place, she has to live with us indefinitely for now.

“Yes! I promised Sis I’ll look after her territory!”
“I see.”

All is well then.
But just when I thought Puffer and Prince Arowana’s marriage would go smoothly…

“Wait a minute!”

Someone objects.

Who was that?

“I object to that decision! I’m the one who should rightfully take over my sister-in-law!”
“What?!”

It’s…

“Angel?!”

The second princess of the Mermaid Kingdom and younger sister of Arowana and Platy!

“I hereby nominate myself to be in charge of making pickles, effective immediately!”
“No.”
“But why?!”

How about we ask you that? Why should you take Puffer’s place?
She has already taken great care in guiding her true successor.

“But… This is the department my sister-in-law started and developed! If I take over her position, it’ll become a tradition that the sisters of the royal mermaid family will pass on from one generation to another!”
“Don’t just make up traditions as you see fit.”

Besides, no one cares about that.
And it’s not like our farm enforces the jus sanguinis principle.

We’re still choosing Discus, who has the right combination of ability, personality, and motivation and has been nominated by her predecessor.

“Nooo! If I am appointed to the same post as my sister, I will feel like I am of the same rank as her! I want to be in charge of something, too!”
“That’s your motive?!”
“Mom! Pleaaaase? Tell them, Mom!”

Angel clings to Queen Mahi.
How will the queen respond to her daughter’s selfishness?

“Oh, all right. Please go along with Angel’s whims, son-in-law.”
“She just accepted it as is?!”

The queen is so lenient with her daughter!
I thought she was strict with her children since Prince Arowana and Platy are so disciplined!

“Mom has a huge soft spot for her, you know,” says Platy, the eldest daughter, with an awkward look on her face. “The more disciplined me and Arowana were, the more she spoiled Angel, which is how she became the airheaded girl you see now.”
“To balance things out, Platy has been making Angel go through hell, so she has managed to maintain a decent reputation in public… Well, at the end of the day, she’s still a good kid, so…”

Even Prince Arowana looks exasperated.

“All right, we’ll just have to play this out in a match!” declares Angel. “We’ll see which of us is more suitable to be Puffer’s successor by making pickles!”

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