It is said that humans are naturally afraid of creatures larger than themselves, and when Xu Milu looked up at this giant eye, she felt her scalp tingle.

This must be what it feels like to be an ant trying to shake a tree, or an ant looking up at an elephant.

In the vast universe, humanity is truly insignificant.

The blue eye blinked slowly, as if focusing, as if it had exerted a great deal of effort to find her.

"Waaah—"

A low whale call rang out, but when this sound reached Xu Milu's ears, it naturally took on a meaning she could understand.

{...So it's a lovely human lady.}

The voice was exceptionally charming, like the most beautiful chant, magnetic and deep, carrying the weight of years, instantly conjuring up the image of an elegant and handsome elderly gentleman.

Xu Milu manipulated the air mass to slowly rise, finally aligning it with the eye, and only then could she clearly see the complete appearance of this deep-sea giant whale—

It had been there for so long that its body was covered with coral and seaweed, and countless barnacles grew on its skin, covering all its exposed skin. If Xu Milu hadn't known that its true form was a giant volcanic lava whale, she would have thought it was just an ordinary underwater continent.

Good evening, Mr. Whale.

Having discovered that this whale could be communicated with, Xu Milu carefully considered her words before speaking:

"I am a gourmet hunter from outside Pearl City, commissioned by Mayor Gregor, the Siren Mayor of Pearl City, to investigate—"

{Can you understand what I'm saying? I recognize you, lovely Miss Milu.}

The whale spoke slowly, but the joy in its tone was easily discernible:

{I know everyone in Pearl City. Little Glico, little Glico, his fish head is so funny! And the miniature Baron Ahai, and his wife Nanako—oh, she's such a beautiful little fish! Her tail is the same aquamarine blue as my eyes, I love her! I also know they're about to hatch their young. Oh, and I know you've been to Azi's shop; their volcano-grilled pork is my favorite food. And the Pearl Fountain in Pearl City—it's so beautiful, so many people come here…}

As if some strange switch had been flipped, the giant whale suddenly became a chatterbox, and its series of whale calls shook the entire Pearl City.

{Oh, I'm so sorry, I haven't talked to anyone in so long, I almost forgot I have these tiny, adorable little guys with me. Let's keep our voices down.}

The giant whale seemed afraid of disturbing the peaceful slumber of the entire Pearl City, so it lowered its voice, but Xu Milu felt a strange sense of sorrow.

"Have you been protecting this place, protecting Pearl City from storms, and ensuring the sea monsters can live in peace?"

Xu Milu recalled the waterspout that had been scattered by the giant whale that day and couldn't help but ask.

{Yes.}

The whale's voice sounded somewhat smug:

{A long, long time ago, I was a proud little whale. My parents told me that the ocean was the most mysterious place, so I left home and came here. Oh, back then, this place wasn't called 'Mermaid Capital' yet. I made myself a warm and comfortable little nest here, but when I woke up, I found these adorable little creatures had made their home on my back. They were so cute—tiny hands, tiny tails, tiny heads, weren't they?}

That tone is exactly like someone who owns a pet showing off their pet.

"..."

If Xu Milu put herself in her shoes, if she woke up to find a swarm of ants making their home on her, she would just scream and take off on the spot.

"Since you know everything that happened in Pearl City, are you aware that the production of white pearls in this sea area has recently decreased, and the sea monsters are unable to hatch their young?"

Xu Milu tilted her head back and shouted loudly, trying to make sure the giant whale could hear her.

{……}

The giant whale remained silent for a moment, then blinked its eyes with a rare hint of shyness:

{I didn't mean to, I just really miss Azi, she hasn't come to see me in so long... Waaah... Waaah...}

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Milu saw a huge bubble slowly forming in one of the big eyes, which then shot out like a cannonball, almost hitting her.

{Waaah——}

Large blue teardrops fell into the sea and quickly dissolved into the water. Xu Milu rubbed her forehead, finally understanding why the salinity of the seabed had inexplicably increased.

Question: Why is the ocean so salty?

A: It's all tears shed by this talkative whale.

Now that the root cause has been found, the solution is much simpler.

Xu Milu desperately dodged the waves of huge tears that kept coming her way, while loudly comforting her:

"Don't cry, Mr. Whale. The Zi you mentioned is Granny Purple Tail from Pearl City, right? Shall I pass on a message to her for you?"

{...Really? You are such a kind human lady.}

The giant whale immediately stopped crying and said solicitously:

{Please tell Azi that I miss her so much, I want to be with her, to watch her dance gracefully in the sea—oh my god, God of the deep sea, you've never seen Azi dance in the sea. Her tail is the most beautiful and moving tail I've ever seen, its color like the most vibrant purple sunset in the sky. I swear it's the most beautiful tail you've ever seen in your life—}

Xu Milu suddenly remembered what Grigio had said: that Granny Purple Tail had lived in Pearl City for over four hundred years. She couldn't help but ask:

"Is it possible that no one else besides Granny Purple Tail has discovered your existence?"

{That's a very good question.}

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