Chapter 13: The Familiar Merman Princess

What exactly did Rashid and King Willipol discuss? As the Sea Priestess, Miss Silisa seemed unaware, but the outcome of that meeting was a sour one, leading the Pirate King to leave the royal court in a hurry, disappearing without a trace.

Shortly after, King Willipol suddenly issued an order, commanding the East Sea Pearl and its surrounding tribes to gather forces and prepare for an imminent attack by any means necessary.

The Great Chief did not specify what the attack would be, and the tribes could only guess it could be pirates like Rashid, or perhaps something even stranger.

Under normal circumstances, self-serving pirates wouldn’t directly clash with the main forces of the Emerald Sea Region, but there had been many skirmishes before. The tribes didn’t question the significance of this order; they simply accumulated strength, ready to face the tough battle ahead.

However, few months later, as the anticipated war remained uncertain, the East Sea Pearl experienced an unbelievable turn of events.

The Great Chief of the Ming Jiao Tribe, King Willipol of the East Sea Pearl and Ruler of the Emerald Sea Region… had vanished.

Yes, he was missing.

He disappeared without warning, leaving behind no clues to follow. It was said that even the true guardians of the royal court hadn’t sensed anything amiss, as if he had evaporated into thin air.

Regardless of why the king had gone missing, his disappearance cast a huge shadow over the entire East Sea Pearl and the Emerald Sea Region. The islands, including the royal court, fell into chaos, and the once-prepared war readiness was severely disrupted, causing panic among the people.

And just at that moment, a dreadful attack struck.

It was not the expected pirates led by Rashid, but rather… the Ghosts.

One after another, decayed ships that had lain hidden beneath the deep sea for centuries surfaced, arraying themselves and launching fierce attacks on the nearby island tribes.

The enemies on those ships were certainly not alive but were the ghostly crew members transformed by the sunken vessels, numbered in such a way that they nearly sprawled across half the Emerald Sea Region, turning the battlefield into chaos in an instant.

The East Sea Pearl Islands, as the heart of the Emerald Sea, were naturally attacked, and the fighting was especially fierce.

Though the Mermen fought back valiantly, the sudden disappearance of their leader, King Willipol, combined with the eerie nature of the resurrected Ghosts, threw the battle into a slump. The enemy even breached the interior of the islands, and during one skirmish, the princess leading her tribes toward other island clans for support was kidnapped by poachers taking advantage of the chaos, after which she fell completely silent.

Watching the situation worsen step by step without a leader, the royal court was in turmoil, barely managing to cope while teetering on the brink of collapse.

At this critical juncture of life and death, a new turn of events emerged.

The Pirate King Rashid, steering the Master of the Sea, came forward to support the tribes of the Emerald Sea, utilizing his excellent mobility to maneuver across the ocean, assisting the tribes along the way by harassing the encroaching Ghosts.

Though they did not become the main force to counter the Ghosts, they significantly bought time and space for the tribes of the Emerald Sea.

With this breathing room, King Willipol’s wife, Queen Anies Mingjiao of the Ming Jiao Tribe, finally stepped forward to officially announce the passing of the former Mermen King to the sea, taking on the many messes left behind and assuming the throne of the queen, beginning to lead the Mermen and all tribes of the Emerald Sea in battling the Ghosts.

With a backbone in place, the tide of war finally started to turn, and over time, under the leadership of Queen Anies, the Mermen and other tribes fought several major battles, defeating the main force of the Ghosts and pushing their front lines further forward, encircling and driving the enemy’s main strength back to the very edge of the Emerald Sea, near the Ghost Sea.

The Ghost Sea was a forbidden zone where the living could hardly tread. Even the Ming Jiao Tribe couldn’t pass through, but for the Ghosts that suddenly emerged from the depths, it seemed like nothing was in their way.

Seeing the situation was bleak, the monsters from the sunken ships chose to retreat into the depths of the Ghost Sea under some unknown leader’s command, making it impossible for the allied forces to pursue.

By then, the war had dragged on for years, and the tribes of the Emerald Sea, including the Mermen, were exhausted. The kidnapped young Merman Princess also needed rescuing, so Queen Anies had no choice but to order a withdrawal of the troops, leaving only sentries to monitor the area near the Ghost Sea.

About a year passed after that. During this time, the depths of the Ghost Sea remained eerily calm, and the Ghosts seemed to vanish without a trace. The missing young princess was finally rescued under fortuitous circumstances and successfully returned to the East Sea Pearl islands, bringing great joy to the Mermen.

They thought this matter would come to an end, allowing them to return to a peaceful and quiet life, but little did they know…

An even more terrifying disaster, the Eastern Calamity “Ghost Ship” had appeared.

“So what you mean is… the Eastern Calamity Ghost Ship returned with all those countless wrecks that sank to the bottom of the sea, emerging from the Ghost Sea and attacking the tribes of the Emerald Sea?”

The Priestess frowned slightly.

“You just referred to those monsters on the old ships as Ghosts, so does this literally mean that, or is it hinting at some kind of inevitable connection between these things and the Ghost Ship?”

Shaking her head, Silisa murmured in a speculative tone.

“At this point, we can’t be completely certain, but based on recent investigations into the styles and remains of those deep-sea wrecks, it has been confirmed that they are all victims who went missing or sank due to contact with the Ghost Ship over the past several hundred years. Their reappearance alongside the Eastern Calamity has led to the above speculation.”

“Ha, who knew it would be so complex? Alright, alright… back to the point, what kind of help do you need, and how shall we cooperate?”

“On that note, let me explain it myself.”

A voice, clearer and more pleasant than that of the Priestess, and evidently much younger, suddenly came from somewhere.

Vilyric raised an eyebrow, quickly locating the source, turning her gaze towards the moonlit surface of the calm lake, and sure enough, ripples began to form, with a figure slowly surfacing from the water.

With the first step out of the lake, her fish-like smooth and slender lower body transformed into two delicate white legs and bare feet, the scaled markings on her skin rapidly fading.

She was a lovely and elegant girl, each movement brimming with the graceful aura of someone of high status.

Her long hair, a blend of deep blue and pure white, fluttered gently as droplets of water easily shook off. Dressed in a specially made luxurious gown, adorned with a petite crown, her eyes sparkled with six tear-shaped patterns, and as she met the gaze of the Priestess in the air, a hint of joy appeared in her smile.

“It has been over a year since parting from Demon Town. I wonder if you remember me?”

The Merman girl slightly lowered her head, offering a dignified and elegant courtesy to the Priestess, her smile growing even warmer.

“Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Nitira Mingjiao, daughter of the current Merman Queen, Her Majesty Anies. It seems fate has guided us to meet again, Miss Vilyric~”

   

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