The Little Merman Demands Legs from the Sea Witch - Chapter 6
Kashmir, he says!
Iko gasped and held her breath the moment she heard his name.
There wasn’t a soul in the sea who didn’t know that name.
‘The merfolk don’t associate themselves with witches as much as they can, but be cautious of the one called Kashmir.’
Dalibaya had warned her countless times during her lifetime. He was a dangerous merman, the kind that warranted such warnings.
There were too many tales of his notorious deeds.
He once stuffed his octopus servant into a jar and shook it until the poor creature passed out, simply because he found him too talkative. He had also ravaged an entire coral village just because he didn’t like the color, and for fun, he once split a large ship in two, sending it to the depths of the sea.
His violent actions were so numerous that they were hard to list. It was even said that whenever there was chaos in the sea, Kashmir was the one behind it.
‘What kind of business would such a sea outlaw have here?’
Iko feared he was about to propose a dangerous deal—perhaps even something like assassinating the mer-king.
The thought filled her with dread, but she quickly spoke before he could notice her fear.
“Then, why are you looking for the witch? Don’t tell me you want human legs?”
Iko deliberately made a mocking joke, pretending not to be afraid. She figured Kashmir would take offense at the idea, considering the foolish legend of a mermaid ancestor who turned into foam for the sake of love.
“Even though you don’t know who I am, it seems you know exactly why I’m here.”
Kashmir admitted with surprising ease, leaving Iko to question her own ears.
Could he really have come to ask for human legs? Had he learned nothing from the tragic fate of his ancestor?
“You want to become human? But… you don’t exactly look like someone in love…”
Iko was so skeptical that she asked again. In the stories Dalibaya had told her, those stricken with intense love sickness always came to the witch, weeping in sorrow and despair, begging to be united with their beloved.
The foam princess had been the same. But Kashmir had no trace of tears, nor any sign of despair in his expression.
“You’ve misunderstood. I’m not saying I want to become human because I’m in love with one.”
Kashmir scoffed, wrinkling his face as if the very thought disgusted him.
“There’s just something I want to do.”
Iko suspected that whatever it was he wanted to do, it probably involved wreaking havoc on a human village. Maybe sinking ships wasn’t thrilling enough for him anymore.
‘A criminal like him would definitely think that way.’
She could easily picture the ruthless prince ravaging human settlements.
“I found a bottle of liquor on a ship I sank recently. It tasted pretty good.”
Kashmir spoke, oblivious to Iko’s suspicions. He licked his lips, recalling the flavor of the drink.
“I want more, but there were no other intact bottles in the sunken ship. So, I figured I’d just go to a human village.”
“So what you’re saying is… the reason you want human legs is…”
“I want to have some fun and drink my fill in a human village.”
What kind of foolish merman is this?
Iko’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Of course, from the stories she’d heard, she hadn’t expected him to be particularly mature, but there had to be a limit, right?
Suddenly, she felt sorry for the mermaid princess, whom everyone called the dumbest mermaid in history.
Compared to her descendant, Kashmir, she seemed like a genius.
“So, can you really turn my tail into human legs? Or do I need to wait for your master to return?”
Kashmir asked, his tone a bit more serious now.
“And just to be clear, I don’t want to stay human forever. I just need the legs long enough to drink and have fun.”
He wanted to return to his original form afterward. Though childish, at least it wasn’t as bad as wanting to remain human forever just for the sake of alcohol. Still, it felt like comparing one ridiculous wish with another.
In Iko’s mind, Kashmir had already gone from the outlaw of the sea to the fool of the sea.
“I can handle it,” she replied confidently.
Outlaw or fool, a customer was still a customer. And if he was this foolish, she might be able to swindle him into becoming a useful pawn. The thought filled her with glee.
“But of course, there will be a price.”
“My voice, right?”
Kashmir answered, his expression complicated, as if he had already expected this. He swept his hair back dramatically, looking as if he were playing the tragic heroine from the mermaid legend.
“My voice is indeed sweet and charming enough that any witch would drool over it…”
“And why would you assume I want your voice?”
