Chapter 60: Tears for a Better Tomorrow

Although Miss Vilyric was a bit unaccustomed to the reverent demeanor resembling that of fearing the divine, in the end, the target wasn’t her. Xiao Guang’s divine spark, though resembling a little girl, seemed to have an exceptionally clear awareness of her identity. She showed no overt rejection toward Anies and the others’ tentative respectful titles. Therefore, the Priestess could let it be.

After all… if the Little Dragon Daughter wished to form a complete divine spark, it was impossible to solely rely on robbing other deities like before. Gathering faith, though a slow and formal method, was still better than nothing and quite stable. The main advantage was that it came with no drawbacks. As the saying goes, “many small streams make a river.” No matter how you look at it, the Emerald Sea Region boasts a population of millions, so gathering a bit more was always beneficial.

“Hmph…”

Seeing the queen of the Merman Tribe and the two princesses bowing to her, Xiao Guang didn’t express too much surprise or panic. In fact, clearly disturbed from her sleep, she seemed a bit lazy to deal with them. She merely waved her hand to indicate she’d heard them and arrogantly turned her head away, almost capturing the essence of a divinity’s disposition.

But after a moment’s thought, the Little Loli suddenly turned back and pointed at the black-haired girl holding her hand.

“Sister said before, you don’t have to bow to me; what she means is what I mean. Don’t you understand?”

Although her words were anything but polite, carrying a hint of authority, it was hard to feel displeased given her adorable appearance. On the contrary, it only added a touch more respect and mirth to Anies’s expression, prompting her to nod slightly and signal for her daughters to lift their heads.

“Sorry, Little Divine Dragon Princess, we’ll be more careful in the future.”

Noticing the golden-haired little girl pouting, pretending to ignore them, Queen Anies smiled lightly, then turned back to Miss Vilyric, as though nothing had happened, and continued speaking.

“After today, we must part for a while, Miss Vilyric. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for us in the Emerald Sea Region. For the upcoming migration, we’ll continue to rely on your Merchant Association’s assistance. If there’s anything the Merman Tribe can help with, please don’t hesitate to find either me or Nitira.”

With a helpless shake of her head, the Priestess decided not to bring up the matter of the little dragon daughter anymore and simply followed the topic.

“Your Majesty, do you really not plan to leave the East Sea Pearl?”

Understanding the implication of those words, Anies shook her head with a smile.

“Let’s forget it; leaving in such an unclear large-scale migration means someone has to remain here to maintain order. After all, two-thirds of the population still resides here, right?”

“To be honest, after years of battles, scheming, and with Willipol’s complete demise… I’m a bit tired. As for future prospects, I’ll leave that to the younger ones like Nitira and Valda.”

Saying this, the queen took out something from her storage item and handed it to Miss Vilyric with a serious expression.

“Thanks to you and the Little Divine Dragon Princess, I, as the twelfth generation leader of the Mingjiao Tribe, officially present this to Miss Vilyric. Consider it a reward from the Merman Tribe and a symbol of our friendship.”

After observing the palm-sized, white droplet-shaped object that seemed to emit a faint glow even during the day for a while, the Priestess couldn’t help but show curiosity.

“This is… a Merman Pearl?”

“Exactly, as you can see, this is a pearl from the Mingjiao Tribe.”

Anies glanced around, ensuring no unrelated parties were nearby before lowering her voice slightly.

“Miss Vilyric knows why our Mingjiao tribe can become the leaders of the massive Merman group, and why we have tear-like patterns at the corners of our eyes, right?”

Looking at the six tear-like patterns on the queen’s face, and recalling the suitable choices for the Book of Truth, the black-haired girl nodded thoughtfully.

“You… have a special connection with the former God of the Azure Sea and Truth, don’t you?”

“That’s correct.”

The Mingjiao Queen smiled gently.

“According to ancient records, the former God of the Azure Sea and Truth once had six direct followers. Blessed by the deity, they obtained the qualifications to wield a part of the Azure Sea God’s authority, who we call the ‘Sons of God.’

“Out of those six followers, some could command storms and split waves, some knew the truth and could communicate with all spirits in the sea, and some became beacons upon the sea, guiding sailors with their song and light… that was the ancestor of our tribe, the Last Daughter of God, Mingjiao.”

“When the deity perished, the six Sons of God were also implicated. Some perished alongside the deity, while others vanished in the chaos of war. Although our ancestor survived in the end, they lost the eternal life and powers bestowed by the deity, leaving behind only a flicker of light preserved in the most precious embryo… the Merman Pearl.”

“At that time, our ancestor wept for the passing of the Father God, drifting on the sea and crying for over three months. She cried her eyes blind, blood and tears flowing endlessly, ultimately leaving behind indelible tear marks and patterns.”

“Those scars and imprints flowed through our bloodline, inheriting and engraving themselves upon all future Mingjiao tribe members, resulting in these tear-like patterns we have today.”

“It is precisely because of the divine bloodline that our Mingjiao tribe can be recognized and respected, revered as leaders of the Merman. The more tear marks one has, the closer it resembles our ancestor, meaning the purity of that person’s bloodline is greater.”

“Like Nitira; the Merman Pearls she produces may have even surpassed…”

Seemingly avoiding the subject, the queen quickly changed the topic and chuckled helplessly.

“Of course, in the thousand years since the deity’s departure, when there are few left who even remember the name ‘God of the Azure Sea and Truth,’ the so-called divine bloodline is barely of use, apart from a few special cases.”

“To put it bluntly, I’m not a fanatic like Willipol, who cares deeply about traditions and glory. What matters more to me are practical benefits and the present situation. As long as it ensures our tribe’s survival and allows our people to live better lives, I’m willing to appropriate some old things and make sacrifices.”

Miss Vilyric wasn’t dumb. As she listened to Anies’s obviously hinted statement, she immediately understood.

“Huh? So this Merman Pearl is…?”

“That’s right; it’s the Merman Pearl left by our ancestor, the Last Daughter of God, Mingjiao · Surs Te. Although it has lost its divine power, its remaining might still lingers, making it one of the royal court’s most important treasures.”

“You can explore its specific functions later or ask Nitira. Aside from that, this is a token. If Miss Vilyric shows it in any Merman tribe, they’ll treat you as a distinguished guest and do their utmost to meet your requests.”

The queen concluded her explanation with a line she repeated.

“Therefore, the royal court gifts it to you today. From now on, this ancestral Merman Pearl belongs to Miss Vilyric.”

“You certainly are bold to give this away…”

Miss Vilyric glanced at the two princesses standing behind Anies, who appeared quite calm, even with a faint look of relief. Although Princess Valda still showed a hint of reluctance on her face, she ultimately said nothing, seemingly consenting to her mother’s action.

It seemed this matter had long been discussed among them.

Abandoning some old things for the chance to forge ahead and revive… perhaps it was the same when they agreed to Rashid’s plan. This queen was quite a leader, willing to fully invest and gamble at critical moments.

With this thought, the girl subtly glanced at the golden-haired little girl beside her, who continued holding her hand.

But it was a decisive grasp of a fleeting opportunity after careful consideration.

Even divine blessings don’t come free; the future of the Mingjiao tribe must ultimately rely on their own efforts.

   

---