After completing the test, the Mullen family continued on their journey to the Deadworld Trench, although Mukei led his parents here and they did not follow Matthias. This part of the sea was something that the young Mullen knew better, despite his dislike of traveling underwater. According to his own admission, he had to somehow communicate with his brother, and Mittar could not be reached except in person. So he had to go down to the seabed and learn where he was as quickly as possible so that he would not have to spend much time underwater.
However, his brother never told him that there was really no need for Mukei to come to the Deadworld Trench himself and that they could easily talk to each other even from the other side of the world, thanks to the communication runes used by the Shadows. Mittar was sure that if he had told his brother this, the younger Mullen boy would never have set foot under the sea. Mittar had missed his family more than once, and the excuse of lack of communication was the perfect one to at least meet his younger brother from time to time.
Finally, after a long journey, they reached the border of the Deadworld Trench, since Matthias did not want to use the Great Current, so they traveled much more slowly, but neither of them really regretted the situation. They could all use a little relaxation, and they especially enjoyed being able to do it in each other's company. Every moment spent together was worth gold to them.
Arriving at the border of the Warm Sea Association, Mukei led his parents through the largest gate of the city. Matthias had not spoken for a while, his face was serious, and he was even thinking about taking on his adult form so that no one would recognize him. His wife, on the other hand, curiously examined every detail of the place, as she always did when she went to an unknown place. As Marianne always says: A tailor never knows where she finds inspiration.
"Oh!" The world's most famous tailor suddenly took a deep breath when she saw the statue upon reaching the main square. Her son just smiled at her complicitly, his arms folded behind him, as if waiting to be praised.
"I know that voice, Annie, what surprised you so much?" Matthias asked, and his wife just took his hand before answering softly.
"I think you should see this, dear." She said carefully, which made the blacksmith of Floating Barracks furrow his eyebrows, but in the end he just sighed heavily, indicating how much he didn't like the idea, but still took on an even younger form when he still saw.
"So what should..." He started the question, but in the meantime he looked around out of habit. "I see..." He finished the question, but already opened his mouth and blinked widely at his own copy, which looked back at him from the middle of the square. "Would you tell me what this means, my little son?" He asked in a serious tone that was completely at odds with his young face, especially when that face turned to Mukei with a cold look.
However, the Mullen boy was not at all affected by his father's anger. He had told Mittar that the statue would be too much, but if his brother ever figured out something, there should be a man on his feet who could stop him. And Mukei was not at all the kind of man who could restrain him. However, this did not mean that he would not tell his brother that he was right and that their father was really not happy with the statue that was erected in his honor, no matter how beautiful a story the elder Mullen boy made up around the masterpiece.
"It was Mittar's idea. He wanted to pay homage to the most respected role model of Deadworld Trench. Before you, father. Everything you see here is yours, made in your name and in your honor. We made them stop hating you." He added in a low voice, and his father reacted exactly as he expected the man to. Matthias first took his face in one hand, then began to press his forehead.
"I see. Although I'm not sure that worship will be more to my liking." He sighed, then assumed his fully grown form and hugged his wife, who squealed in surprise.
"My love?" Marianne blinked at the man with a confused face.
"Just give me a minute, Annie." He whispered, but he didn't let go of the woman, who just smiled kindly and put her arms around her husband's neck, then touched their foreheads. Indeed, only one long silent minute passed before Matthias collected himself and turned to his son. "Where is your brother Mukei?" He asked, and the boy scratched his head.
"I have no idea, really. I usually wait for him at the presidential residence. Somehow he always gets word that I'm here quickly." The young Mullen shrugged, then continued thoughtfully. "But if you don't want to wait for him in an office, I can take you to the Sea Pearl Palace. It's the best hotel in town, and I'm sure Mittar always has two rooms reserved for the family." He smiled kindly. His words made his parents looked at each other even though Matthias couldn't see his wife's face. The gesture itself was a habit that the blind blacksmith had never abandoned.
"If you ask me, the hotel sounds much more comfortable, but I think he'll find us faster in the office. Annie, dear, what do you think?" Matthias asked his wife. And the tailor held her chin with one hand and began to think. They stood in silence in the square for a long moment. Then the woman raised her head to answer her husband when someone interrupted her.
"Marianne!" At the familiar voice, the tailor immediately turned around in her husband's arms and looked in surprise at the figure waving towards her.
"Rahul!" The woman smiled broadly. "And your little friends and..." Marianne put her hand to her mouth here. "Mittar." She finally said in a happy voice, which made her husband let her go.
"Ah, the Westerners." Matthias smiled sideways as well. "Mittar, my son, would you come here to your father for a moment?" He asked the question, which caused the group that was just greeting Marianne to look worriedly towards the blacksmith of the Floating Barracks, then towards the president of the Warm Sea Association. Mittar glanced nervously first at his mother, then at his brother, but when he saw nothing in their eyes, he swallowed hard and stood before the elder Mullen.
"It's good to see you, father." He greeted his father, even if he was more nervous than ever. The elder Mullen, however, only looked at him seriously, with his blind eyes and hands on his hips, as if he were preparing to scold him.
"You could really have left the statue out, I don't look good carved in stone." He shook his head, then hugged the young predator to him. "I missed you, son."