Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The coastline of the Naliria Empire is very long, but due to the scarcity of mermaids, they are a rare sight in any empire.

The longing for the strong is an instinct ingrained in the very bones of living beings; humans are utterly captivated by these beautiful and powerful creatures.

To put it bluntly, mermaids are akin to superstars in human realms.

It doesn’t matter which mermaid, humans adore them all!

Normally, seeing even one mermaid is rare, but now dozens of them have appeared before their eyes, and they are fighting no less.

This was beyond the processing limits of their brains! In most people's eyes, mermaids are elegant and mysterious creatures. A scene of them swinging fists and tails in a brawl was simply inconceivable.

Are they hallucinating?

"Slap—"

Though they wished to believe otherwise, the harsh reality was shattered by droplets of water, sharper than blades, whizzing past their faces.

The priests and paladins, their faces flushed with excitement, struggled to find the right words, but the floor manager was quicker.

“Dear guests, fighting and brawling are not permitted in our establishment! Your reckless actions have caused us considerable inconvenience. Please cease immediately. I will assess the value of the damaged items and require you to pay tenfold compensation, plus a distress fee of 10 gold coins per person present.”

“This is your first warning. Failure to comply will result in a report to the security patrol. A second offense will earn you a one-month stay in our ‘little black room,’ and a third will result in a permanent ban from our city.”

The mermaids: “!!!!!!”

They could handle any punishment but not a blacklist. The thought of never again enjoying hotpot, barbecue, fried skewers, cake, milk tea, large bone sauce, lamb spine – it was unbearable. They’d rather die right there and then!

“It’s not a fight, just... just playing around, accidentally, we were just playing!” The mermaid chief tried to dazzle the manager with charm. “How about this: we’ll pay a hundredfold compensation and offer each person 1,000 gold coins for emotional damages. Please, don’t leave a record of this.”

The deep eyes of the mermaid chief, reflecting only the manager’s face, exuded a reliable and affluent charm, enchanting with both looks and gold.

The manager’s face turned red, but the tone was unwavering: “I’m sorry, but these are the lord’s rules. The lord has said anyone who disagrees can challenge him directly, be it 1v1 or n-vs-1. The winner decides everything.”

“………………” Isn’t this basically a death wish?!

The mermaids looked utterly dejected, far from the commanding presence they usually held at sea.

“Sir, shall I—” A young and eager paladin, bewitched by the pitiful beauty of the mermaids, offered to intervene on their behalf.

But before he could finish, Leo tapped his knee with a staff, bending it.

Leo, wise with age, might only be considered a young adult by mermaid standards at over five hundred years old, but in the human world, that was a long life.

Mermaids were not as simple as they appeared on the surface. Though Leo was old, his eyes weren’t weak, nor was his perception.

He was level 62 and couldn’t sense the levels of the mermaids opposite him, which meant only one thing—their levels were all above 62.

Priests are precious, yes, but it depends on the context.

Mermaids have a powerful self-healing ability. With the level gap between them, his healing spells might not even compare to their natural regenerative capabilities.

With these mermaids, it was better to make allies, not enemies.

“Hello, child, I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation,” Leo addressed a low-level civilian with a level of 5, showing no disdain or contempt, as if he embodied the great love of the God of Light. “They haven’t disturbed our meal, so we won’t require any compensation on our part.”

The guests at the next table, who had earlier enthusiastically explained how to eat to the mermaids, also felt it would be too pitiful if the mermaids ended up with a record for this incident, so they quickly added, “It didn’t bother me either, I don’t need any compensation.”

The mermaids immediately cast grateful looks their way.

Although it was just a warning and not enough to get them blacklisted, who could understand the fear of feeling like they had narrowly escaped death?

Not even once! No warnings, no records, not even a single percent chance of it!

The manager was in a dilemma. The guests all said it was okay, and the only real damage was a few traces left by water splashing onto the wall.

“Alright, this time we’ll let it go. But next time, it will count as two incidents.”

The mermaids nodded their heads rapidly, as if pecking like chickens, almost swearing an oath to the Sea God, “There absolutely won’t be a ‘next time’! We promise!”

The mermaids, used to wild growth, followed the law of the strongest fist in the chaotic sea. In the seafood wholesale market's barbecue stalls, a level 169 lich personally grilled the food, and outside, undead knights of around level 100 patrolled, somewhat adhering to the chaotic market rules.

But the levels in Lansville city were too low.

Though filled with extraordinary beings, their levels generally ranged from 1 to 9. Such a level of extraordinaries, even in tens of thousands, could not compare to a single high-level caster.

Though reminded by Felos not to do so in Lansville, the overly “comfortable” environment had made them lax.

Fortunately, the hotpot restaurant was only in a trial opening, and the penalties were not too strict, so the mermaids lucked out this time.

The mermaid chief magnanimously declared, “Today’s bill for the whole place is on me!”

“Hooray! Long live the chief!”

A meal’s worth of hotpot was nothing for the mermaids, but the joy of freeloading is something money can’t buy.

“Your Excellency, it’s fate that we meet here today. How about joining us for a drink?” Leo signaled to his subordinate, who immediately took out an exceptionally beautiful bottle of wine from a space ring.

The pale green wine, housed in a crystal bottle resembling a bouquet of flowers, with its light and dark green gradient, was mesmerizing even before tasting, intoxicating one's mood.

As beautiful as it was, its price was correspondingly high.

The Myselvine Wine from the Elf Forest was far more precious than gold!

A single bottle was barely enough for a few sips, but it was priced at a hundred thousand gold coins.

Legend says mermaids adore this wine, and Leo was determined to use this opportunity to bond with them.

But legends are legends for a reason – their sources are unreliable.

"No need, I'll treat!" declared the mermaid chief magnanimously, waving his hand, "Let's start with a light ten crates of Joy Water!"

Regardless of past preferences, now the mermaids love the bubbling Joy Water and milk tea.

"Bring the black one!"

Joy Water comes in various flavors, with black and clear being the most popular; the black has the strongest fizz, and the white offers the most refreshingly cool sensation.

Once 120 bottles of black Joy Water were carried out, the mermaids completely immersed themselves in revelry.

Both the mermaids and guests were joyful, and so were the waiters.

After the sugar price dropped, the cost of drinks was negligible; a bottle of Joy Water sold for five copper coins, with the cost being less than one.

Although they didn't own the shop, a part of their monthly bonus depended on the performance, making them "shareholders" in a way.

Crate after crate of Joy Water was brought out, leaving Leo and his subordinates stunned.

The nobles always value quality over quantity, summarized by "exquisite", "limited", and "expensive".

This was their first time seeing such a simple packaging for 500ml "beverages" being served.

Leo and the paladins were hesitant.

And... 500ml, typical of mermaids!!!

This moment further entrenched the stereotype of mermaids being 'wealthy and bold'.

With over a hundred bottles of Joy Water, three per person was more than enough, as the mermaid chief generously handed them to Leo: "Drink up, drink up, it's on me!"

Joy Water is usually a scarce beverage, simply because it's so sought after that it's snapped up as soon as restocked.

At a price of five copper coins per bottle, for these mermaids, it was as cheap as picking it up off the ground.

Joy Water requires a special alchemical device for carbonation; Phelos has no intention of opening a Joy Water factory at the seafood market yet, as the barbecue stands there are quite far from Lansville, and some material transport relies on bone dragon freight.

Unfortunately, due to its nature, Joy Water cannot be transported in large quantities via teleportation circles.

Spatial teleportation agitates the carbonation in Joy Water, risking bottle breakage. Strengthening the bottles could prevent this, but it's unnecessary.

Once the Windwhisper Floating Train launches, large-scale deliveries will be effortless, making additional costs for this purpose redundant.

But with the Windwhisper Floating Train yet to launch, bone dragon freight must shuttle Joy Water and seafood back and forth.

The freight bone dragon, requisitioned from a lich, is only level 120, but it suffices for cargo transportation in terms of capacity and speed.

Daily, it transports meat and seafood from the wholesale market back to Lansville, then returns with Joy Water.

Despite the heavy loads, the bone dragon doesn't slack off. The wholesale market's traffic is overwhelming, with hundreds of races drawn in by the "Complete Guide" inviting new users, and they'd do anything for free kebabs!

These guests differ from Lansville's ecosystem; magical races often mingle with their own kind or other magical beings, living better than slaves and commoners, no matter their plight.

Joy Water, selling for five copper coins in Lansville, retails for fifteen at the wholesale market and is priced at twenty-five at barbecue stands. Yet, even at twenty-five per bottle, it's a steal for most magical races.

Buying by the crate, how much does it cost? They buy in thousands of crates!

Joy Water launched just a day before the mermaids were to leave the wholesale market for construction work in Lansville. Busy moving, they missed out on bulk purchases, regretting it deeply. Finding Joy Water plentiful and cheap in Lansville brought them immense joy, like striking a trillion-dollar windfall.

"Joy Water, the magical drink that lets you forget all troubles and sorrows!"

As the mermaids raised their bottles, the local patrons followed suit: "To our great lord!"

"To the lord!!!"

The deafening cheers, uniform and loud, were like crashing waves or rumbling mountains, almost bursting Leo's eardrums.

Not just Leo, the youngest and theoretically closest in age to the mermaids, but the accompanying priests and paladins were dumbfounded too.

They couldn't grasp why such a scene was unfolding.

A lord? A newly arisen deity? Is there a 'Lord God'? Who are the followers? The lord himself or other beings of the land?

Leo's bewilderment was understandable; the cheers mimicked those of believers celebrating their deity during religious gatherings.

"Why aren't you drinking? Don't know how? Let me teach you!" Yuli enthusiastically showed them how to twist open the bottle and even how to enjoy hotpot.

The mermaids' warmth initially overwhelmed the envoy team, but having tasted Joy Water and hotpot, they soon forgot their reservations about the merfolk's origins.

Upon entering the mouth, the dark brown liquid's countless tiny bubbles transformed into myriad delicate, sharp, yet harmless prickles, stimulating the tongue without harm and enhancing the sensitivity of the taste buds with a tingling sensation.

Not sweet.

Rather than being unsweet, it's more accurate to describe it as "not cloyingly sweet".

Sugar being expensive, the standard for judging the quality of sweets had somehow evolved to equate sweeter with better.

Overwhelmingly sweet, to the point of being nauseating, bitter, and almost sickeningly sweet – that was considered good.

Leo was evidently a proponent of this standard.

But today, he changed his mind.

Sweetness, it turns out, can be such a simple yet blissful thing!

The sweet flavor filled his entire mouth, saturating the taste buds, teeth, mucous membranes... every cell soaked in the sugary solution.

Sugar stimulates dopamine release, inducing happiness—a concept applicable in this realm as it is on Blue Star.

Leo could distinctly feel himself becoming lighter and more buoyant after drinking the Joy Water.

At over five hundred years old, decline was inevitable.

Yet, after finishing the Joy Water, under the influence of its stimulation and sweetness, he felt as if he had momentarily returned to his youth.

Of course, it was only an illusion.

The rocketing production of sugar was undeniably linked to the significant contribution of Devil's Vine.

Each time a vine was cut and regrew, it was both a trial and an opportunity for Devil's Vine.

Plants don't feel pain, making these "trials" repeatable.

School had been in session for a while. The more talented students were at levels 6-8, while most hovered around levels 3-5. They were diligent and hardworking, not only studying earnestly but also discussing how to improve efficiency. Over-level monster hunting had become a basic requirement.

Confronted with students more daunting than devils, Devil's Vine's level soared, and its sugar production and quality improved with each batch.

But even the upgraded, actively coiling Devil's Vine couldn't affect a level 62 priest.

He was simply dazed by the deliciousness.

Another bite of the spicy butter hotpot's enoki mushroom and beef roll seemed to conjure up an illusion of the God of Light!

The group of priests and paladins, usually focused on networking and chatting, abandoned their usual camaraderie. At a big table with a big pot, it was war!

The mermaids and other customers in the restaurant were not surprised, even starting bets on who could grab more slices of tripe.

"Excuse me for interrupting your meal. Our restaurant is about to become a movie set, and this hall will be used as a backdrop. Could you please move to another area? Of course, to apologize, this meal will be on the house."

Not only was the meal free, but there was also an unlimited supply of beef slices.

A paladin, not yet sated, frowned. He didn't understand those strange terms, but someone daring to ask them to move was quite something—

"Me, me, me!"

Before the paladin could speak, a mermaid nearby got excited: "Can I pay to be an extra? Whatever the lord or director wants us to do, I'll obey!"

Hearing that Phelos was bringing a film crew, the mermaids were thrilled, their desire to perform nearly bursting.

Leo calmed the paladins and asked like a benevolent elder, "What do you mean by 'extras'?"

He had heard such terms before, but they were too strange to comprehend even after listening.

The enthusiastic Leo, afflicted with 'explainer's disease', rattled off a detailed explanation of everything related.

"Over ten million viewers?!" Both Leo and the paladins gasped in shock.

Ten million! What a concept!

The capital city's total population was only a million. The Temple of Light spent extravagantly in the capital each year, sending thousands of talented priests for free clinics and distributing countless loaves of bread to promote their cause, but the results were only "satisfactory".

But now the mermaids were telling him—

"Pioneering", "Making a significant mark in history", "First in film history"...

These lines used by Phelos to entice Noi, despite being passed around and copied multiple times, still held immense power.

Just imagining the scene after the movie's release made Leo nearly faint from dizziness.

He knew it! The reason for the mermaids congregating here was no simple matter! They were vying for significant roles in a movie!

Leo's mind raced, reviewing all his connections. He knew he had to notify the Holy Maiden as swiftly as possible – this character was sure to elevate the Temple of Light above all others!

And surely, he too would be promoted for providing such crucial intelligence!

What? A blasphemer stealing divine magic?

How dare you! To blaspheme our noble and sacred Lord Phelos, you must be a minion of the evil gods! A liar worse than the demons of the abyss!

The matter of the Saintess is urgent, but even in haste, one must contact acquaintances, and then their acquaintances... It's still a long way before meeting the Saintess!

So—

Timidly, Leo raised his bag of coins, the heavy gold clinking like a tsunami: "May I join at my own expense? No other intentions, I just greatly admire and revere Lord Phelos!"

Mermaid: "..." I thought you, with your kind face, might be a good person, but it turns out you're here to steal the extras' roles! No choice then, let's compete in throwing gold!

Betting on the pride of a mermaid!

Author's Note:

Mermaid & Priest: v I bid 200, me, an extra, bringing my own lunch