Vol.2 Chapter 23: The Mermaid’s Love Triangle

Chapter 23: The Mermaid's Love Triangle

With the mermaids' help, the boat moved swiftly. The fish tails constantly churning beneath them made the distant horizon appear brighter as a new day began. As dawn approached, the outline of their destination gradually became visible. At this moment, the mermaid princess's voice resonated in their minds:

"The palace isn't far. According to our information, the neighboring princess will arrive at the port tomorrow under guard. William will be there to greet her. Our task is to intercept William and arrange a meeting between us."

The mermaid princess then provided details about the prince. Prince William was the kingdom's only son and the next in line for the throne. This kingdom was one of the stronger realms in the region, while the neighboring country was quite small. If not for the fact that the princess had saved the prince's life, there wouldn't be a wedding. Even royalty observed social hierarchies.

"Someone will meet us shortly. After that, it's up to you." The princess's voice continued in their minds, emotionless. None of them noticed the hint of guilt on her face as she mentioned their contact.

The boat landed on a secluded shore, where a man was already waiting. His demeanor and attire suggested he was of some status. He looked coldly at the now-human mermaid princess without saying a word. After casting a disdainful glance at Lu Li and his companions, he threw some clothes to them and waited for them to change.

Lu Li sensed that this man was somehow similar to the transformed mermaid princess—not in appearance, but in aura, as if he too had once been a mermaid.

The mermaid princess communicated telepathically with her maid, who then slipped into the water and left. The princess went aside to change out of her elaborate dress, which would attract too much attention.

After changing, the man led them to two carriages nearby. The coachmen kept their heads down, appearing as though they neither saw nor heard anything. The princess and the man took one carriage while Lu Li and the other players took the other. They rode in silence until they reached the port city, where the man's face darkened further.

The man placed them in a small, secluded courtyard and left immediately. The mermaid princess explained that the man was an ally from the mermaids' organization on land.

Mermaids were powerful in water but nearly helpless on land due to environmental differences. Because of their beauty and the value of their bodies as magical materials, they were often hunted by humans. To protect themselves, mermaids had long ago formed an organization with humans, many of whom were half-mermaids. These mixed-blood individuals appeared human but often had magical talents.

The man who met them was a half-mermaid, which explained Lu Li's sense of strangeness about him. Normally, meeting the prince with his help wouldn't be difficult, but the princess was acting independently and had even changed her species. It was a lot to ask of the man not to report them. Now, they had to rely solely on the players to meet the prince.

The mermaid princess went to rest, wanting to be in her best condition when she saw Prince William. Lu Li and the others chatted in the courtyard, waiting until nightfall to act. For now, they had to lie low to avoid attracting attention.

"Regardless of our success, that man will face severe consequences…" Lu Li glanced at the room where the princess was resting, "She's a cruel woman, or maybe love is just that terrifying, making people blind and foolish."

"What does it matter to us? We're here to complete the mission," Hu Wenxu said, slicing a piece of his flesh with his coral knife to feed the meat lingzhi, his face alight with excitement. "The witch's transformation spell is fascinating. How did a mermaid with a fish tail become human?"

Ignoring Hu Wenxu, Lu Li mused, "Bringing unauthorized individuals into the port city, despite his status, will result in punishment. He's also hiding the princess's transformation and smuggling her in. With his grim expression, it's clear he acted out of love. Love is truly frightening."

"The mermaid princess gave up her species and paid a high price to become human, and she also betrayed the man who loved her. He foolishly jumped into her trap, giving up his bright future." Lu Li marveled at the power of love.

"It's just a cliché love triangle. There might even be more complications," Gao Xiaowen sneered. "Why are you more gossipy than me? Focus on how to complete the mission. The prince will surely have strong guards."

"I'm just looking for some amusement. Blindly completing missions is boring." Lu Li shrugged, thinking of the princess's features and behavior. Some interesting ideas came to mind.

This mission didn't seem quite right to Lu Li. The goal was to marry the mermaid princess and the prince. All their information came from the princess, and they knew nothing about the prince. The princess seemed utterly love-struck, and her assurance that everything would be fine once she met the prince seemed questionable.

[End of the Chapter]