บท 457: Chapter 457: Academic Questions About Mermaids
Chapter 457: Academic Questions About Mermaids
A distant, melancholic melody echoed from the sea, like the lament of spirits singing under the moonlight.
The sound was faint and intermittent due to the distance, making it hard to hear clearly.
"Mr. Hastur, is that the song of a mermaid?" Xio asked excitedly, pulling Fors along with her. Audrey's eyes also lit up.
Mermaids, the legendary sea spirits, were known not only for their enchanting voices but also for their flawless appearances, often depicted with long, water-blue hair. They were said to emerge from the deep sea on moonlit nights, singing softly on the rocks by the shore.
"Indeed, it is the song of a mermaid, just ahead in the nearby waters," Hastur confirmed, much to their delight.
"Can we go and take a look from a distance now?" Xio asked eagerly.
"Let's wait a bit longer," Hastur replied, wanting to give Klein more time to move away to avoid any interference with his advancement to Puppet Master.
"Where did Mr. Wilson go?" Audrey asked after a while, noticing that the man suspected to be Mr. World was no longer on the ship.
Recalling that Mr. World had previously asked about mermaids in the Tarot Club, everything seemed to fall into place.
The naturalist was indeed Mr. World, who must have gone to find mermaids to advance to a higher sequence. This realization excited her, wondering if she should reveal her discovery to him when he returned.
As for Ms. Fors, she probably still didn't know Audrey's true identity. However, Mr. Hanged Man had once mentioned that offline meetings were not a good idea. Audrey's slight dilemma was interrupted as Xio and Fors pulled her to the bow of the ship to listen to the mermaid's song.
After about an hour, Hastur arranged for a small boat to row them, along with Susie, to the area where the mermaids were.
As they approached, the mermaid's song became clearer, a deep, ethereal melody that seemed to resonate with the listeners' souls.
Audrey closed her eyes, listening intently to the ocean's melody, tapping her fingers on her knee in rhythm.
Hastur stopped the boat at a certain distance, not wanting to disturb the mermaids.
From there, they could see the dark silhouettes of the mermaids singing to the sky on the rocks ahead.
Modern mermaids, apart from those kept by the everNight Goddess, had become endangered. They would quickly dive into the deep sea at the approach of strangers to avoid being captured.
"Is this as close as we can get?" Xio asked.
"Yes, any closer and we might disturb them," Hastur replied.
"It's a pity we can't see them clearly," Audrey said.
"Sometimes seeing too clearly takes away the mystery," Hastur mused, preferring not to see the mermaids up close.
In human imagination, mermaids were beautiful women with fish tails, but in reality, their looks were not as stunning. Audrey alone could outshine them all, and even Fors could compete with them in appearance.
Their unique feature was the dark red scales covering their chests and their large fish tails, adding an exotic beauty, especially at night.
Hastur pondered a historical question: Did Roselle, who claimed to be a protagonist of his era, ever show interest in mermaids? If he had, he would have surely written about it in his diary, as serious people don't keep diaries. So, did Roselle try it or not? This was a historical question worth pondering.
"They're swimming towards us," Xio whispered.
The mermaids, seemingly startled, jumped into the sea and swam towards Hastur and the others.
Under the starlight, Audrey and the others finally saw the mermaids' faces. They had human heads with pure and alluring features, and their chests and fish tails were captivating.
Xio compared her legs to the mermaids' tails and felt inadequate, but reminded herself that humans and mermaids were different species and shouldn't be compared.
The beautiful song continued, delicate and ethereal, like a gentle sea breeze tickling the heart.
"Mr. Hastur, may I ask you a question?" Xio asked.
"Go ahead," Hastur replied.
"How do mermaids reproduce?" Xio asked quietly.
Audrey and Fors, though shy, leaned in to hear the answer.
"Mermaids give birth to live young, just like humans. For fertilization, you can refer to normal fish," Hastur explained calmly.
"That's how it is," Xio said, covering her flushed face.
Audrey and Fors pretended not to hear, though their cheeks were also red. Fortunately, Xio didn't ask what kind of offspring would result from a human and mermaid union. In the past, some mad scientists had experimented with this, resulting in monstrous offspring, which curbed such peculiar interests.
Some nobles had once captured mermaids to keep in aquariums or artificial ponds, but such events were recorded in only a few books, inaccessible to most people, including Audrey.
As the stars moved across the sky, the mermaids finished their song and dove into the deep sea, waiting for the next night.
After enjoying the mermaids' song, Hastur rowed them back to the Hope. By the time they returned, the sky was beginning to lighten, and Klein had finished his advancement and was sleeping soundly.
The next day, Klein emerged refreshed, having successfully advanced to Sequence 5 Puppet Master, significantly enhancing his combat abilities.
"Good morning, Mr. Wilson," Audrey greeted him naturally.
"Good morning, Miss Audrey," Klein replied, bowing slightly.
"Mr. Wilson, you weren't on the ship last night when the mermaid's song appeared?" Audrey asked.
"I prefer to observe such legendary creatures alone," Klein explained.
"Oh, I see," Audrey nodded, deciding not to reveal his true identity, finding the occasional encounter interesting.
After breakfast, Klein planned to leave, as he still owed Hastur 1,000 gold pounds and needed to hunt pirates to earn the bounty.
"Mr. Wilson, besides finding mermaids, we are also searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth. If you wish to return, you'll have to take a small boat alone," Hastur said.
Klein decided to stay with them to find the Fountain of Youth and then leave together, as traveling alone was too risky.
A few days later, guided by Hastur, the Hope approached a lush sea area, separated by a black ruin. The waves were turbulent, and the Hope almost crashed into the ruins several times.
They needed to walk through the ruins to find the Fountain of Youth. Fors opted out, but Xio and Audrey chose to explore, with Klein joining them while Susie stayed on the ship.
As they stepped onto the black ruins, the scenery changed, revealing a silver river flowing beneath them and a magnificent palace ahead, glowing gold and silver.
This was the work of the Angel of Destiny, Ouroboros! Hastur and Klein realized they had entered Ouroboros's time river, seeing the palace in its prime.
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