Perhaps because the other party's human form no longer possessed the oppressive aura it had in its dragon form, Rita gradually lowered her guard and began to talk more.

“The ancient gods have shown us the Book of Revelation many times in the Sanctuary. The human race has always been a capricious bunch. They can ignore the worst consequences for the sake of immediate gains.” Rita glanced back at the citizens on the shore: “The best way is to stay away from them.”

Todd asked, "Why did your ancient god send you to me? Did he mention my identity?"

“The ancient god once told my mother in the sacred realm that the protector of the Dragon Kingdom is a wise and intelligent deity who has no racial prejudices and no vulgar desires. If we come to you, we will surely receive your help.”

Todd touched his forehead, feeling that Leviathan had dug a hole for him.

"Let's get back to the ancient god. Did he mention any clues related to ocean pollution?"

Rita seemed quite confused: "The ancient god Krakosh has said more than once that this black pollution is a catastrophe, a cleansing. The great one seems to have known all along that this would happen, but the ancient god tells us that he cannot stop it, nor can he interfere with it."

Todd wondered to himself if it was because of the agreement between the Pioneers and Crystal Nest?

"The ancient gods told us to escape this black plague and go to the eastern coast, where a wise and holy king can provide shelter for the mermaids."

At this point, Rita paused for a moment, then continued, "The ancient god said something strange at the end."

"Strange words?"

Rita nodded: "He said: Today, you should be grateful for the protection; one day, you must stand up for yourselves."

Todd frowned.

One day, will the merfolk have to stand up?

What does this sentence mean?

Could it be an indication that the future of the Dragon Kingdom requires the help of these mermaids?

Completely baffled, Todd gazed into the distance. Things that he couldn't figure out no matter how hard he tried gradually lost their appeal to him.

Not far away, a ship fully loaded with cargo slowly approached the harbor, and boxes of goods were unloaded from the hold.

Having shifted his attention, Todd looked at the merfolk carefully carrying the goods and asked curiously, "I have a question. Why do I only see women among your people?"

Rita gently flicked her fishtail: "In my tribe, women are responsible for handling important matters of the tribe. Men are neither qualified nor capable of dealing with such situations. They are mostly suited for herding, mining reefs, or guarding."

Todd raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised, and said, "So, your tribe is a matriarchal society?"

Standing to the side, Ivy suddenly said, "I think it's normal. There's nothing strange about it."

A mermaid slowly swam to Rita's side in the seawater, watching Todd and Evie warily while holding a small bag of food to her chest.

Watching the two mermaids converse in a strange language, Todd waited for them to finish before asking, "What's going on?"

Rita opened the bag, pointed to the pale white powder inside, and said somewhat bewilderedly, "They say this is food? But how is it supposed to be eaten?"

Todd looked closely and couldn't help but laugh.

Standing to the side, Ivy said to Rita, "This is wheat flour. It can be fermented with water and baked into bread... Oh, I almost forgot, you live in the sea..."

Todd looked at the bag of wheat flour and asked softly, "Rita, what do you usually eat in the sea?"

“Raw fish, shellfish, fish roe…” Rita said, resting her chin on her hand and licking her lips, “There is a soft-bodied worm called a fleshy worm. It tastes like seaweed, but it’s juicy and flavorful.”

Ivy kept her mouth tightly shut, her face turned pale, and her stomach began to churn.

Todd asked with a smile, "Are you able to eat cooked food? Will you have trouble adapting to seasonings and spices?"

Rita thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "In my memory, mermaids are not picky eaters."

Todd nodded and asked Evie beside him, "Do you have any food with you?"

“I still have some sweet cookies left from Beverly Bakery,” Evie said, clutching her chest with a pained expression. “But you have to queue up very early in the morning for their products, and they have limited stock.”

Todd was a little puzzled: "If you like sweet cookies so much, why don't you just buy the whole store?"

As Ivy took a small paper bag containing cookies from her bosom and handed it to Rita, she muttered, "The food you buy by queuing up tastes completely different from the food prepared by the servants. You don't understand..."

Taking the cookies from Ivy, Rita looked at the small, cute, and exquisitely shaped snacks and asked in surprise, "These were all made from this bag of wheat flour?!"

"Almost, but there are some complicated procedures in between."

Rita picked up a cookie and was about to put it in her mouth.

The mermaid who had been standing guard by her side hurriedly shouted loudly.

Rita first glanced at her companion, then at Todd, said something to the other mermaid, and finally put the cookie in her mouth without hesitation.

Rita's expression changed from nervousness to surprise, and finally to an explosion of blushing happiness.

She chewed her cheeks vigorously, as if she were eating the most delicious delicacy in the world.

"I've never eaten anything so delicious!" Rita grabbed another handful of cookies, stuffed them into her mouth, and mumbled, "So good, so good."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!