[ Soon Sir Frederick of Ylisse will transform into the most beautifulest mermaid that ever laid upon Olympia's beaches. For now, he remains a grotesque half-man half-sand creature. He doesn't seem to mind, save for those grains of sand slowly wiggling their way down his swim trunks.

The topic of conversation shifts slightly, away from her and back towards him, and while he's never preferred talking about himself, the question is innocuous enough. ]

I was, though not enough to make regular appearances at court. It was for the best; my father was never one for words and courtly politics, and I seem to have inherited that from him.

[ In that he much prefers a weapon over flowery words. ]

Truth be told, the experience here hasn't been all so different from the life I led back home. There are fewer soldiers to train, I suppose, but there's always work to be done.

[ And at the end of the day, he's a working man at heart. ]