The unveiling of the mermaid

Count Adam and Mortis sat together in the study and went through documents of villages and towns to find out where people could be housed. Mortis was surprised by the calmness that the Count radiated and how thoughtfully he went about everything. Although Mortis really only wanted to talk to the mermaid, he had to follow the Count and deal with him, as he guarded the mermaid as if she were his most precious treasure. In the meantime, Mortis used the time in his sea of souls to assemble troops, gatherers, and miners, as well as create permanent companions, to whom he gave new names to increase his attack power. This time he decided to choose people with specific classes so as not to scare everyone. Thus, he found hunters, druids, mages, healers, sword mages, barbarians, demon summoners and paladins. The paladins underwent the greatest change, as they now drew their power from Primus, which changed them. The others became stronger on the outside and took on a proper human form again. Mortis then checked the status of his reborn companions on the map of the system and found that they were still not fit and were weakened by the sun. Mortis gave his servants the names Casanova and Leroy. Casanova was the incubus, while Leroy was the young vampire. Since Mortis had revised his approach, he gave orders to his servants to hide in the nearest town and rest until he would come for them.

The Count of Lichtenstein was surprised that Mortis exuded such calm at such a young age, wordlessly observing everything. Mortis himself was completely absorbed in his thoughts and cared little about what the other count was saying or doing. His eyes were open and followed the movements while he was mentally occupied. But when a servant knocked on the door and reported that a young man named Merlin was at the gate, claiming to be Mortis' servant, Mortis became alert and turned to reality. After all, he didn't want to waste the day here. However, Mortis found the other count to be a challenge. His young wives, who had to grow into their offices, managed their work in only an hour or two. However, Mortis was not discouraged. He got up to pick up Merlin himself and talk to him. He wanted to let him know that they were now publicly on dungeon and raid adventures. In doing so, Mortis had his spirits roam all the cities looking for more catacombs, hidden cellars, and anything else that threatened both the people and the continent from the outside.

Mortis and Merlin were then led into the dining room where they talked joyfully. Merlin was a little out of breath and complained that Mortis was still pushing him, even though he was already giving his all to get there as quickly as possible. Mortis thought for a moment and then said, "True, I could have had Nightshade pick you up. He'll be happy to meet high level animals and monsters to feast on soon anyway." Merlin asked if Nightshade wasn't already big enough. Mortis replied, "No, that's still a pup. He's going to get much bigger, after all, he's a mystical animal. You're really lucky. I just got a fast horse from my system," Merlin said disappointedly. After that, they talked about Bamberg, Merlin's plans with the Mage Tower, and the training of the new students who wanted to become mages. Time passed until it was evening and dinner was coming up, with the mermaid about to give her concert.

When the meal was finished, the mermaid went to a small elevation in the room, which was filled with instruments. She picked up a violin and began to play. The family and guests watched enthusiastically. But they were surprised when the mermaid began to sing. The melody penetrated the bones and marrow and relaxed everyone present. Then she changed the tune, and as she played, everyone at the table and in the castle fell asleep. When everyone had fallen asleep, she put the violin aside with tears in her eyes and was about to leave the room when bluish ropes suddenly bound her. Mortis and Merlin stood up, completely unaffected by the mermaid's magic, which shocked them greatly. Before she could flee or do anything, Mortis said, "Stay calm. Neither I nor my companion will harm you. But it is interesting that you have incapacitated your husband and the others yourself. So now we have time to talk to each other. I really just wanted to know from you who Helius is and why so much seems to be changing on this continent right now, when it should be peaceful."

The mermaid took a deep breath and began to tell. "You may not know, since you come from the beginning area, where you face mostly common animals and small demons. But as you travel farther west to the sea and enter the trade with other races, you will find that trade has almost stopped. Something big happened about five years ago that you probably haven't heard about."

"The humans retreated, and for good reason. They were discriminated against and exploited by other races, especially the vampires. As a result, trade with most other races nearly collapsed. Good relations with dwarves and elves remained, but most other races were kept at a distance. But that was not the only problem."

"The Adamite humans, a superior race, recognized the difficulties and took over the protection of the normal humans. They were aware that humans often chose other races once they ascended. But this led to revenge plots by other races who saw their economy and food supply threatened. The consequences of this event were devastating. Trade came to a virtual standstill, the economy suffered severely, and feeding the people became increasingly difficult."

"I am telling you this so that you understand the background of the current situation. The people retreated because they saw no other choice. They were treated like cattle by vampires while other races advanced their own interests. It is important that you understand this to better understand the challenges you face and respond appropriately."

The mermaid paused for a moment and then continued, "Helius, a beast-man, has allied himself with the monsters and is now looking for ways to take revenge on the humans. He has enlisted me to seduce Count Adam and constantly report on his plans. I was also to get him information from the Queen and others. Many like me were sent to different counties and regions to make sure that these machinations remained hidden. But now it is too late. The truth has come out."

The mermaid looked at Mortis and pleaded, "I beg you, let me go. I don't want to be part of this evil plan any longer." Mortis smiled and replied, "That was my plan anyway. After all, I would hate to keep a pregnant woman away from her husband. So get back in your place and wake the others up with another song. Meanwhile, we'll pretend to wake up slowly. After that, we'll leave."

The mermaid followed the instructions and went to the violin. She began to play and sang a song that was perfect for waking someone up and waking the sleep out of their eyes. Mortis and Merlin pretended to slowly open their eyes, too, and looked in confusion at the faces around them, wondering why they had fallen asleep at the dining table.