The Magical Food God of Hogwarts

Chapter 114 Come on, sing with me!

"Master Shanzai"?

The Imperial Cuisine Master was an ancient official position responsible for the imperial meals and sacrificial offerings to the gods, and held a very high social status in ancient times.

All I knew was that I had signed an agreement with the Serchi tribe and become the mermaids' cook. Did Merkus really grant me such an official position?

At first glance, these elite merman warriors, their spears like a forest, stood in neat formation, all looking at him with respectful eyes, as if awaiting his inspection.

"Lord Steward, our scouts discovered you were in danger, and we have come to your rescue immediately," the female mermaid sang in a soft voice.

Well, to be honest, this female mermaid was big and burly, with a ferocious face, protruding sharp teeth, and hair like seaweed. Like the other mermaids in the Serchi tribe, she could only be described as not looking very human.

But the fact that she's now speaking in such a gentle and delicate tone is quite a contrast, making it hard to get used to.

Underwater, mermaid language is a beautiful, song-like language. The amazing thing is that Lucas can't understand a single word in these words, but when the words form a song-like melody, the meaning between the words can be clearly conveyed to him.

Professor Sprout was right after all; even if you don't understand mermaid language, you can still understand it underwater.

So here's the problem: you can understand what the merman is saying, but if the merman can't understand what you're saying, then it's all for nothing.

"Lord Steward, we just caught a glimpse of your heroic figure from afar." The female mermaid's voice was full of admiration. "You single-handedly dealt a heavy blow to these inferior beasts, causing them to retreat in disarray. It seems that even without our arrival, you could have defeated them."

Lucas wanted to say something modest, even with the miraculous effect of the fire spell, he was still in danger if Grindelho continued to pursue him, because he was already feeling tired after casting spells continuously.

Most importantly, during the intense chase, the two spare gill sacs were torn off and lost by Grindylo. The gill sacs are only effective for one hour, and now there are only a dozen minutes left. Even if he swims to the surface, as long as he doesn't get ashore and is held back by Grindylo, he'll be in grave danger once the gill sacs expire.

But when he opened his mouth, it was a string of bubbles.

"Your bravery far surpasses our imagination," the female mermaid sang. "Even the strongest warrior in our tribe is no more than this."

"I apologize for my past disrespect."

Well, this is mainly due to the power of magic; ordinary male mermaids don't have magical abilities.

Lucas thought to himself, "And you don't have to apologize. How would I know you ever looked down on me if you hadn't said anything? I'd never even met you before."

The culture of the mermaid tribes is very interesting. Although they also follow a monogamous social system, female mermaids usually have a higher social status because only occasionally some female mermaids have magical abilities and can serve as tribal leaders and priests.

The female mermaid with the horn hanging in front of her, and the several mermaids behind her holding large drums and watching her, must be the priests of the Serchi tribe. They are mainly responsible for playing various songs with magical energy and presiding over the rituals to communicate with their gods.

In that case, the contempt she mentioned must be because Merkus suddenly signed an agreement with me, a human, to take on the prestigious position of "Kitchen Master" in the Selchi tribe, which aroused doubt and dissatisfaction among some priests.

Upon hearing the priestess's words, hundreds of mermaid warriors shook their spears and shouted in unison.

"Homage to Lord Steward! Homage to Lord Steward!"

The rousing drumbeats rang out again, and Lucas was deeply moved, thinking that there was no need for background music.

"Thank you..." He tried to speak, but could only produce a few large bubbles, which made the priestess laugh.

"What does Lord Zenzai want to say? It doesn't matter. Just as you don't understand mermaid language but can understand it underwater, underwater, as long as you sing what you want to say in the form of a song, we will be able to understand you."

What form of song? Singing?

Lucas was stunned.

"Yes, sing." The priestess smiled, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "Sing it out, Your Excellency, sing it out, and we will understand. It doesn't matter what language you speak."

Any language is fine?

Lucas hesitated for a moment, but singing was really not his forte, and he also had to adapt what he wanted to say into lyrics. How was he supposed to do that? But the mermaids were all watching him with eager expressions; everyone was very excited, and the time for the gill sac grass was almost up. If he dawdled any longer, this trip would be a waste.

"Lord Steward, please sing a few lines!"

"Lord Steward, I want to hear you sing!"

"Samazai-sama————"

Looking into those expectant eyes, it was truly difficult to refuse their kind invitation.

Ugh, all I can hear right now is the Chinese melody. Anyway, it doesn't matter what language she speaks, I'll just try anything.

So Lucas cleared his throat, and a few large bubbles came out.

All the mermaids fell silent, their eyes sparkling as they stared at him.

Lucas took a deep sip of water, abruptly closed his eyes, and steeled his resolve.

Sing along, the simpler the better, the easier the better. Just use the most popular song, "Listen to me, thank you, because you saved my life~".

Lucas shuddered. Holy crap, where did this trap come from?

"Thank you, thank you for being there, Black Lake is even more beautiful now~"

The mermaid priestess's gills suddenly opened, and the mermaid warriors were all stunned.

So, Lord Steward wanted to thank us? But...

All the songs we know are classical, elegant, and gentle; they are either epic narratives, tender emotions, sacrificial hymns, or grand war anthems.

But now, the song that Lord Zenzai is singing—

"I want to thank you, because of you, love always resides in my heart."

"Thank you, thank you for coming to save my life!"

Lucas opened his eyes, suppressing immense shame, and saw the priestess and the merman warriors standing there dumbfounded, like a pile of wooden stakes floating in the lake.

Oh no! This is so embarrassing! Now I could dig a three-bedroom apartment out of the bottom of Black Lake with my toes!

I'm so sorry, my singing has polluted your ears, caused your SAN value to drop wildly, and eroded your spirit. "It's so beautiful!" the priestess suddenly exclaimed.

What? ? ?

The priestess's eyes sparkled, and the merman warriors nodded in unison, discussing excitedly.

"This song is refreshing and gentle, with a warm melody, straightforward language, and simple emotions."

"This is truly a rare and wonderful song!"

???Really?

Lucas felt a sense of relief. Could this really be okay?

"The lyrics and melody are very simple; we'll learn them after you sing them just once, Lord Steward!"

"Next time, we can sing this song at the ceremony to thank the Lake Nymph for her protection!"

Lucas was stunned. This actually works? If the Lake Nymph really exists, will she come after me?

"But Lord Steward, would it be alright if we changed the lyrics?"

The priestess asked cautiously, while Lucas nodded generously. "Go ahead and change it, I'm changing it anyway."

The mermaids cheered, overjoyed to have received a hymn to dedicate to the fairy.

Lucas was in high spirits when suddenly the priestess called out, "Lord Steward, would you like to sing another song?" The mermaid warriors cheered and waved their spears, looking very expectant.

The success of the first song gave Lucas confidence. "Looks like this really works? Then I'll sing it boldly!"

The lakebed fell silent again, and hundreds of mermaids gathered together, eagerly awaiting Lucas's performance.

Please begin your performance—

So Lucas sang loudly: "I love you in your ranks, wielding spears and lances, I love the way you charge into battle!"

"I loved you even in the darkness, refusing to back down!"

"I love you even though you're covered in wounds, I still dare to face the giant waves."

"I love you for standing beside the light, guarding your faith!"

The song echoed underwater, and all the mermaids stared wide-eyed. For some reason, their blood began to boil, and war drums began to sound in their ears!

So that's how it is. Is this song Lord Zenzai praising our heroic struggle?

"Your Excellency Steward!" the priestess suddenly called out, her eyes shining. "Please wait a moment!"

She raised the horn on her chest and blew it hard.

A sound wave rippled through the water and traveled far and wide. Almost instantly, a response came from the depths of the Black Lake.

Then, the merman warriors became even more excited, their ranks became even more orderly, and they stood tall, calling out the same name.

"Mercus!"

The once calm and deep waters were now turbulent, and another team was rushing towards them with the current.

Those were four lead-gray fish, each as big as a dolphin. Their bodies were streamlined, but covered with long, sharp fins. They were currently swimming at high speed with their fins bent backward, but one could imagine how ferocious these fish would be if they were spread out, and how few creatures would dare to approach them.

Lucas recognized it; it was a magical creature classified as Xxx by the Department of Magic, the Shihak.

They often tease fishermen at sea, deliberately running into fishing nets and dragging them downwards. When the fishermen excitedly pull in their nets, expecting a full catch, they only find an empty net with a large hole violently torn in the middle.

Theoretically, the schhak should live in the Atlantic Ocean. Now that it has appeared in Black Lake, does it mean that my previous guess was correct and that Black Lake is actually connected to the ocean?

Four schichthys were pulling a very tall carriage that looked like a Greek chariot, with two teams of tall and strong mermaid guards on either side of the carriage, speeding along with the water.

The fish cart stopped in front of Lucas, and Merkus, the chief of the Serchi tribe, swam down from the cart. Although her body was still huge, she appeared very agile in the water.

"Greetings to you, our Steward, Lucas McGregor." Mercus's voice was very magnetic, drifting slowly underwater.

Lucas, recalling the manners Dumbledore had performed earlier, imitated them and bowed.

The priestess reported the current situation to Mercus and sang "Listen to Me, Thank You," which Lucas had just sung. Undoubtedly, she sang it far better than Lucas. Her voice was pure, her emotions rich, and her performance powerful; Lucas couldn't help but applaud enthusiastically.

Mercus turned around in surprise: "By the Lady of the Lake, I never imagined that the Grand Master was also skilled in songwriting! This is wonderful! What kind of melody could excite the children so much? Please sing it again, okay?"

The priestess nodded repeatedly. She raised her hands, and a female mermaid behind her raised a conch shell. Another female mermaid gently tapped the drum twice, recalling the melody Lucas had just sung. The other mermaids cleared their throats, seemingly preparing to harmonize.

It seems they're not going to sing this time, they're going to add background music!

Lucas's eyes were resolute as he took another deep sip of water.

With such a large-scale operation, what's the point of saving face? Let's just go all out.

Passion, all I need is passion!

The next moment, passionate singing resounded underwater!

"I love you as you arrayed yourselves, brandishing spears and halberds; I love the way you charged into battle; I love you as you faced the darkness, refusing to retreat!"

"I love you even when you're covered in wounds, still daring to face the raging waves; I love you when you stand by the light, guarding your faith!"

The mermaids chanted in unison, their voices growing louder and louder. The waves began to ripple, war drums thundered, conch shells boomed, and the fish scattered in all directions.

Spears, like a forest, were raised high!

"Go? Do you deserve it! That tattered cloak!"

"War? Then fight! With the humblest of dreams!"

"To the sobs and roars in that black lake."

"Who says those who stay underwater aren't heroes?"

"Who says those who stay underwater aren't heroes!"

-

At this moment, the mermaids were moved to tears.

The solitude of fighting in the icy lake, the bravery of charging on the front lines of their homeland, the pride of guarding light and order —

All of these emotions surged into my heart at that moment, accompanied by a surge of passionate blood.

After Lucas finished singing, he stopped, but the mermaids continued to sing, and their voices grew louder and louder!

They thought of their ancestors who migrated here from the deep sea thousands of years ago, of the arduous journey they had undertaken to this day, of the homeland built with their blood, and of their compatriots who sacrificed themselves for the order of the underwater world...

They sang, paying tribute to themselves!

Merkus was also singing loudly, surrounded by mermaid priests. Unlike the passionate singing of the mermaid warriors, their singing was more ethereal and distant, as if it had reached an unknown realm.

The entire Black Lake began to tremble, the water rippled, the ripples on the lake surface turned into waves, and then unprecedentedly large waves began to surge on the lake surface, crashing against the shore with snow-like fragments and a thunderous roar.

The students who were strolling along the shore panicked and scrambled towards the castle.

"Quickly, go upstairs and fetch Professor Dumbledore!"

At the bottom of the lake, the mermaids' chorus reached its final climax. After singing it only twice, they improved and transformed all the parts that Lucas had sung poorly, and added multiple harmonies and various instruments, turning the song into a magnificent grand chorus.

As they sang, they gazed with reverence at Lucas, at the steward who had brought them this song.

The battle formations advanced slowly like a forest, with priests circling and dancing around Merkus.

"Go? Are you worthy! In this tattered cloak! Fight? Fight! With the humblest of dreams!"

"To the sobs and roars in that black lake, who says those who dwell underwater aren't heroes!"

The stirring song reached its climax, and huge waves, several stories high, rose and crashed on the lake, while a torrential downpour began.

At the bottom of Black Lake, Lucas only saw a bright, clear light.

A hazy light suddenly shone from within the bodies of hundreds of mermaids. These hundreds of beams of light flashed across the lake water and poured into Lucas's body!

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