After some time, a total of thirty-six mermaids, including Melro, settled into August's small world.
August had successfully taken in this unusual cohort of thirty-six mermaid sisters, a rather formidable assembly, especially considering that each one of them desired a child.
Even as he returned, August couldn't shake the feeling that this was all surreal—had he truly acquired so many mermaids?
Upon his arrival, he immediately noticed the disheartened faces of Stunk and his companions.
"What happened to you guys? You just got back?" he asked, puzzled.
"Don't even get me started! We rented a small boat and went out to sea, only to realize how vast the ocean is. Where were we supposed to find sea beasts? We had no choice but to catch some fish and come back," Stunk lamented.
"Uh, well…" August found himself speechless. These four were truly something else.
"Pretty mermaids? None left, none left!" one of them groaned.
"Such a wasted trip," another added.
"I'm the one who should be complaining! You guys had fun last night while I didn't get to!" one of them whined.
In contrast to the three lamenting friends, Bruz remained unusually quiet, having given up from the start. With no expectations, there was no disappointment.
"Alright, I'll lend you some gold. I won't be joining you tonight; you can figure out how to repay me when we get back," August said, pulling out three bags, each containing five thousand gold coins.
He casually tossed out a total of fifteen thousand gold coins, leaving the three of them stunned.
"August, you're giving us that? What about you?" Stunk asked, concern lacing his voice. He couldn't just let his friends bear the burden alone.
It wasn't just him; they all felt the same way. The charm shop visit was merely for a bit of fun, not a necessity. They certainly didn't want their friend to suffer a loss.
"As for me? I have a date tonight," August replied nonchalantly.
"A date?"
"Yeah, the beautiful mermaid from last night. A long night of conversation, you know?"
As they stared at the smug August, the three fell silent, quickly pocketing the gold coins.
Their gazes turned toward him, filled with an unmistakable aura of envy.
"Damn it, you lucky bastard! He's got a real-life girlfriend!" one of them grumbled, jealousy oozing from his tone.
"Seriously! We all came here together; why didn't any mermaids approach me?" another lamented.
"I'm so envious~ truly so envious~" the last one chimed in.
Faced with the antics of his friends, August chose to ignore them. Since he had handed over the coins, it was clear they understood the situation; he wouldn't leave them with regrets, and they wouldn't hold back either.
Besides, given the high quality of the mermaids he was dealing with, and the fact that it wouldn't cost him a dime, he had an entire night ahead of him. Who knew what kind of fun they would share?
Meanwhile, the others needed to cough up five thousand gold coins each just to gain an hour's worth of entertainment.
Finding a moment to himself, August decided to take Melro out for a stroll. Wandering alone was dull; it was far more enjoyable with a beautiful companion by his side.
"So, you're saying your friends are going to the Deep Sea Paradise?" he asked Melro as their conversation turned to Stunk and the others.
"How do you know about that place?" she asked, intrigued.
"Of course! I know the owner of that shop. They even invited me and my sisters once, but we turned them down," she explained.
"They invited you?"
"Yeah, don't let my appearance fool you; I'm quite the catch around here too," she boasted, her grip on August's arm tightening.
As August felt the warmth of her presence, he couldn't help but notice how her bold personality contrasted with her graceful appearance.
When silent, Melro resembled a princess of the sea, but once she spoke, her demeanor shifted entirely.
"I visited the seaside and lured back thirty-six mermaids. If this gets out, I'll undoubtedly be the winner in life," August said with a chuckle.
"Hehe, of course! You are the man I've chosen," Melro replied, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. August was even better than she had imagined.
He possessed a world of his own, a realm that expanded daily—such a prospect was almost unbelievable. In a few years, would a new world truly come into existence? And the man she had chosen would be the ruler of this new realm.
With this thought, Melro felt she had struck gold.
For an entire day, August explored the local customs and culture under Melro's guidance, who was very much a "local."
As evening fell, August intended to return to his small world; after all, he had so many mermaids to "cherish," and he needed to put in some effort these next few days.
However, Melro stopped him, refusing to let him leave.
"Even if it's just once, even if it's only for one day, I want to keep you all to myself, August."
"The days ahead are long; how could it be just once?"
"The number of women around you will only increase, not decrease, right?"
Her words left August momentarily speechless, for it was undeniably true.
Melro smiled softly. Although she had already decided to share August with all her sisters, her possessiveness made her desire just one night with him—just once.
"Tonight, as your older sister, I'm being selfish. Just once."
"Alright," August agreed, and Melro's face lit up with joy.
They headed to an inn, renting a room where she intended to give August everything she had, greedily wanting to monopolize him for the night.
In this world, mermaids didn't transform their tails into legs.
And August found nothing wrong with that; in fact, he felt a thrill—after all, she was a mermaid.
While others might see it differently, to August, once a mermaid's tail became legs, she no longer embodied the true essence of a mermaid.
As for how to please a man, August had previously been unsure, but now he understood. Mermaids were simply lacking legs; it didn't mean they were without their feminine attributes. They were just like humans.
"My king, love me~"
"Melro~"
...
The night was filled with unspoken madness as August experienced what it meant to be utterly consumed.
It felt as if Melro aimed to exhaust him completely; all night long, she didn't pause, even when he felt his strength waning.
Only around dawn did they finally settle down to rest.
August realized that although she was with her sisters, Melro was not entirely indifferent.
No woman could be entirely unconcerned; if she was, there was always a reason behind it.
This realization made August feel a sense of pity for Melro. As the eldest sister, the burden on her shoulders seemed rather heavy.
Her choices represented the futures of all her sisters.
___
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