Chapter 14: Good Children Shouldn’t Learn This

“Princess Nitira… It’s been a long time.”

Though I said that, in reality, Miss Vilyric had known about the little princess’s existence long before.

When I first returned to this world and scanned the surrounding seas, the aura of the Priestess had already caught a glimpse of her figure. Although I noticed the presence of an intelligent being and decided to give up on observation to avoid startling them, that fleeting glance was sufficient.

The Mingjiao Clan is the absolute royal family among the vast Merman Tribe, and their numbers are not much greater than that of the White-Winged people. Since so many Mingjiao people are gathered here, with even the hard-to-save little princess present, it’s highly likely this is the stronghold of their race.

Considering these factors, Miss Vilyric decided to come to this island group to exchange for sea charts. After all, while Merman civilization is more scattered and doesn’t reach the level of the Winged People’s Kingdom of Azure, as royalty, they must still provide considerable information resources.

However… that said, Miss Vilyric didn’t have a deep relationship with this little princess. Or rather, it should be like this in the other’s view.

After all, the Priestess did save Nitira’s life in Demon Town, but she did so under the identity of “Xī.” Therefore, in fact, Miss Vilyric and the little princess had only a brief acquaintance afterwards.

That she would come over actively on the first night—was it merely a coincidence…? Or was there some other reason?

“You don’t need to be so formal; it’s rare to meet an acquaintance on land. Just call me Nitira!”

The little princess, whose complexion had greatly improved compared to over a year ago, smiled and waved at the Sea Priestess nearby.

“As for the upcoming collaboration, I shall represent His Majesty to negotiate with Miss Vilyric. Sister Silisa has worked hard; you should return to rest.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Seemingly unperturbed by the presence of an outsider possibly posing a threat to the little princess, the Sea Priestess respectfully nodded and floated directly into the lake, quickly disappearing from view.

Watching Silisa leave, Princess Nitira turned her jewel-like clear gaze back to Miss Vilyric, once again displaying a smile.

It felt like she was quite happy, even giving off the vibe that she might hug her at any moment. Was this just my imagination…?

“It’s been over half a year since Miss Vilyric disappeared—nobody could find you, and many have been searching for you! When I heard you suddenly appeared on the islands of our Emerald Sea, I was genuinely startled!”

Seeing the other party dive straight into conversation with a seemingly familiar tone, the Priestess was momentarily unsure how to respond, only managing a somewhat awkward smile in return.

“Ha ha… I encountered some unexpected situations that required my attention. I just returned recently.”

Suddenly, Nitira nodded in understanding.

“I see… With your abilities, you must bear many burdens that ordinary people can’t imagine; however, don’t overstrain yourself.”

After inadvertently comforting Miss Vilyric a few times, Nitira didn’t allow the awkward atmosphere to linger. She quickly shifted the topic.

“Now then, let’s discuss the upcoming collaboration.”

When it came to serious matters, the princess immediately displayed the demeanor and poise befitting her royal status, her expression turning serious.

“Regarding the Emerald Sea Region and the issues currently faced by our Merman Tribe, Sister Silisa has likely explained it to you.”

“Due to the emergence of the ‘East Disaster,’ the situation on the battlefield is quite dire. However, the ‘Ghost Ship’ has not fully engaged in the fight. Therefore, the greatest casualties sustained by our warriors are not directly from it, but rather from a certain power allegedly conferred by the ‘Ghost Ship’ to the ‘Ghosts’—a power that can affect their psyche.”

“This differs from conventional mental magic; it’s a very peculiar kind of spiritual pollution. While it can’t be seen or touched, the traces of its existence are tangible. It slowly erodes the will of our warriors upon contact with the ‘Ghosts’ and may even affix itself to the former. If not continuously restrained, it could ultimately drive the living into complete madness.”

“Thus, we need something that can counter this spiritual pollution.”

Glancing at the black-haired girl, who slightly frowned upon hearing terms like “spiritual pollution” and appeared deep in thought, and seeing she didn’t express anything, Nitira continued.

“As far as I know, Miss Vilyric returned this time aboard a large ship rumored to be comparable to the ‘Ocean Sovereign’ and brought many crew members and goods, right? I’ve looked at the trading list and noticed you seem to have several precious materials that can help stabilize a being’s spirit and resist mental disturbances…”

At this point, Miss Vilyric had a pretty good understanding of what the princess was trying to say.

“Oh… You want to purchase more of these materials, don’t you?”

After all, these goods were primarily managed by Ming Lan and a few Lingyin people. The merchant members in the caravan could only sell a limited amount freely; they could use some for personal needs, but trying to supply a large settlement like the East Sea Pearl, with at least millions of inhabitants, was insufficient.

Nitira didn’t hesitate and nodded vigorously.

“Exactly! Those materials are precisely what we need the most and have already been confirmed to be very effective against spiritual pollution. However, they could only be bought on land before, and not only were the prices extremely high, but the supply was also incredibly scarce. Even if willing to pay, one wouldn’t be able to acquire much…”

As she spoke, the princess showed a hint of helplessness.

“Miss Vilyric should know that due to the existence of the Ghost Sea and the Great Whirlpool, along with being far from land, the Emerald Sea is almost equivalent to a completely closed internal space; exchanges with the outside world are not frequent.”

“Under the current circumstances, to bulk purchase those precious materials is simply too difficult. The arrival of your merchant caravan is like a drop of sweet dew; if we can obtain a portion of it, even if we still can’t meet the full demand, it would significantly alleviate the urgent situation at the front.”

“What do you think? Please consider… Ah, I can assure you the price is negotiable! Even at market price or a bit higher, it’s fine—so long as it’s not outrageous, our Merman Tribe is willing to take as much as we can get!”

“That’s not the issue of price…”

Observing the sparkling anticipation in the princess’s eyes, Miss Vilyric felt puzzled.

She could roughly guess what sort of materials Nitira was referring to, all of which were crystals and ores that originated from the spiritual essence land in the Ancient Spirit Realm.

They absorbed a vast amount of pure spiritual energy during their growth. This unique energy common in the Ancient Spirit Realm excels at washing away impurities and clarifying the mind—a pure essence nurtured by nature; otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible to give birth to spirit beasts from lifeless matter.

Such items, while considered precious in the Ancient Spirit Realm, did not reach the level of being divine treasures. However, in a world devoid of spiritual energy, they could command lofty prices.

This was the profit-making trick the Lingyin Merchant Association specialized in.

Miss Vilyric had never been one to fuss over wealth and wasn’t about to conduct an unsatisfactory sale—casually providing a favor was no issue…

However, what truly puzzled the Priestess was that Nitira’s attitude during this negotiation was unusually humble. Even if the Merman Tribe desperately needed these resources, as a princess of the clan, she had no reason to speak that way or use such a near-pleading tone for conversation.

It felt as if she believed she owed a significant favor and was now needing to trouble the other party for assistance—an awkward mindset, indeed?

Unsure of the underlying reasons, but recognizing that it wasn’t vital to dig too deep into the matter, Miss Vilyric pondered briefly and then gently nodded.

“Okay, I agree. Just let me know a name, and I’ll have my subordinates gather the relevant resources. As for the price… considering the purchasing volume, I can give you an eight percent discount from the market price; how does that sound?”

“Eh? There’s even a discount?! Thank you so much, Miss Vilyric!!!”

The innocent and exuberant reaction of the princess twirling in place made the seller feel a bit awkward, causing Miss Vilyric to quietly glance away.

Even with an eight percent discount, it would still be multiples of the market price on the Ancient Spirit Realm side…

Monopolizing truly reaps exorbitant profits—no wonder everyone has a love-hate relationship with such matters.

“Ah… right, Miss Vilyric.”

Of course, oblivious to someone’s subtle grumbling, Nitira suppressed her excitement and suddenly turned to the black-haired girl with a serious expression.

“I have another request I’d like to make in the name of the East Sea Pearl Kingdom… No, let’s consider it on my private behalf. I’d like to commission your help with a matter, and you can set the compensation as you wish; anything I possess is fine. Would you consider it?”

“What’s such an important matter… please tell me?”

“Well…”

The princess lowered her head slightly, and her gem-like pure eyes seemed to carry a shade of sorrow at this moment.

“I wish to ask for your help in investigating the true reason behind my father’s disappearance… former Mingjiao Clan leader, Willipol Mingjiao.”

   

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