Amidst the cacophony of chaotic footsteps aboard the ship, the thunderous sound of rain seemed to blend seamlessly with the turmoil.
The air, thick and humid, began to fill with a sense of restlessness and unease.
"My lord, we are in grave danger; the cabin is taking on water!"
"Then hurry and seal it!"
"But below us is water, and above us is water; at our current pace, we cannot possibly repair the damage in time…"
"Even if we are pressed for time, we must act! Otherwise, none of us will survive this ordeal!"
"...Understood."
Another wave of panic ensued.
The young man closed his eyes, listening to the heavy footsteps of his companion, yet remained nonchalant. "What is it now?"
"Your Majesty, this ship... may not withstand even a quarter of an hour."
"And?"
"The only option is to abandon ship and flee, but…" The messenger's voice faltered, caught between words.
Deep down, he understood that even if they escaped, what would it matter?
As insignificant mortals, how could they possibly survive such a tempest and raging waves?
It was a pity for His Majesty... to find himself in such a dire situation...
Upon hearing this, the young man narrowed his elongated eyes, rising to his feet, his elaborate brocade robe cascading down his tall, straight figure, concealing his form beneath.
He stepped toward the deck, declaring, "Let us go; there are indeed several islands in this sea."
Yet whether they would encounter one, and how many would survive, remained uncertain.
Still, it was preferable to waiting on the ship for death to claim them.
…
Lu had submerged most of her body into the dark waters, her deep blue hair flowing freely in the currents, her tail joyfully swaying beneath the surface, while her hands floated on the water, playfully catching the raindrops cascading down. Her sapphire eyes, however, were discreetly surveying the enormous object before her—
Compared to the distant light she had observed earlier, this massive vessel was entirely unexpected.
After observing it for a moment, the mermaid cautiously extended a hand, gently touching the rocking, clamorous ship amidst the waves.
Her eyes widened slightly, marveling at the cold yet sturdy texture beneath her palm.
Is this... wood?
Can wood truly be fashioned into something like this?
Lu blinked, her curiosity piqued, yet she did not lose sight of the pressing situation. She turned her gaze to her surroundings—
At that moment, it was clear that the ship was on the verge of collapse; the mast came crashing down, splintering into the surging waters and sending up a massive spray.
On the deck, the cries of the panicked crowd mingled with the sound of hurried footsteps.
Lu sheltered herself in the shadow of the enormous ship, her eyes wide as she watched a woman frantically scream before leaping into the sea, and it dawned on her that she might have made a grave mistake.
She curled her tail, staring in a daze as the vessel was gradually engulfed by the water—
Despairing individuals leaped into the ocean, while others attempted to calm the chaos, but faced with imminent disaster, the majority refused to heed commands, spiraling into panic.
"Enough of this! His Majesty remains composed; why are you all in such a frenzy?!"
"Nonsense! We're about to die; do you expect me to follow your orders at such a moment?!"
"I don't care; I want to live!!"
"Oh, why must my fate be so cruel…?"
"Make way! Don't crowd as you leave the ship; it's dangerous!"
"Let His Majesty go first!"
"Heavens! What have I done to deserve this?!"
"Ha! What does it matter now? My life is all that counts!"
Lu watched as one figure after another, whether by choice or force, plunged into the sea, her initial shock and bewilderment gradually giving way to a serene calm.
She averted her gaze, lowering her sapphire eyes, feeling an inexplicable discomfort within.
Bai'er was not wrong; these humans, while capable of great love, selflessness, optimism, and sincerity, also exhibited selfishness and a disregard for the lives of their fellow beings.
However, despite her thoughts, the tempest was ultimately summoned by her own will. Although Lu cared little for the lives of these humans, she did not wish for them to perish due to her own misjudgment—
Even if she truly believed there would only be one handsome prince aboard the ship.
Who could have imagined there would be so many people?!
And how they panicked at the slightest hint of rain or wind, lacking all elegance and composure!
The little mermaid held these humans, who lost all dignity at the first sign of trouble, in utter disdain.
In her mind, she envisioned a serene and beautiful atmosphere where she would rescue her charming prince from the water, then naturally follow him to his kingdom for sightseeing, perhaps even cultivating a romance that would lead to marriage.
As for now— the mermaid princess glared disapprovingly at the group of individuals struggling in the water, hardly able to fathom that her prince could be among them.
Yet, upon witnessing someone floundering as if they might drown at any moment, she huffed softly and rummaged through her small bag, retrieving a conch shell nearly half the size of the bag itself, bringing it close to her lips—
The little mermaid took a deep breath, puffing out her cheeks as she blew into the conch, producing a silent sound wave that rapidly spread across the water's surface, creating invisible ripples.
Almost simultaneously, a young man seated on a piece of wood seemed to sense something, lifting his gaze toward the direction of the sunken ship.
"Your Majesty?" A middle-aged man, half-submerged in the water and clinging to a piece of the deck, looked over in confusion. "Is something amiss?"
Sebastian glanced at him and then calmly returned his gaze, pondering for a moment. "Hmm... perhaps."
The middle-aged man was left bewildered. What did "perhaps" mean? What had His Majesty been observing just now?
As the middle-aged man fell into contemplation, a dolphin suddenly emerged from the depths, its round black eyes cautiously approaching the young man, who was precariously perched on the bobbing wood.
Sebastian lowered his gaze to meet the dolphin's, narrowing his eyes slightly.
The dolphin was startled, quickly submerging half its head, leaving only its eyes visible as it furtively observed the young man.
Sebastian: …
One by one, dolphins surfaced, some peeking out from beneath the water, others tilting their heads as if attempting to communicate with the humans, while a few boldly nudged the submerged individuals to the surface with their backs—
"What is this creature?!" someone exclaimed in panic, vehemently resisting the dolphins' approach.
"Oh my goodness, they're here to save us!" another cried out, excitedly lunging toward the dolphins before they could act.
"But where did they come from? Where are they taking us?"
"Anything is better than waiting to die!"
Lu, relieved to see the situation stabilizing, let out a sigh and embraced a dolphin that had nudged against her, leaning down to kiss its forehead with a smile. "Thank you for helping me with this~"
The dolphin chirped happily in response, spinning in the water to express its joy.
"Alright, I have important matters to attend to~" the mermaid princess waved her hand, flicking her tail as she attempted to leave the shadowy area.
But the little dolphin eagerly approached her, calling out twice.
"Do you know who the most handsome human here is?" Upon hearing the dolphin's words, Lu's eyes brightened, and she paused.
The dolphin nodded eagerly, twisting its body to swim in another direction while calling out for the little mermaid to follow—
It believed the little mermaid would surely adore the face of that human!
And upon seeing the handsome human, she would undoubtedly reward it with affectionate kisses!
With this thought in mind, the little dolphin felt invigorated, swiftly propelling itself toward the handsome human it had secretly observed for quite some time.
It simply could not allow another dolphin to receive the little mermaid's kisses!!