At dawn, watching the smoke slowly rise from the chimneys of Muxi City and hearing the laughter of the citizens in the distance, Todd picked up his slightly cool honey apple tea, took a sip, and a peaceful smile appeared on his face.
His peace and tranquility did not last long. A deep, thunderous voice suddenly rang in Todd's mind.
"They're here."
Todd opened his eyes wide, carefully discerning the source of the sound, and finally asked uncertainly, "Leviathan?"
The voice in my mind grew louder and louder: "My children have come; they need help and shelter."
Todd put down his teacup and asked Leviathan in his mind once more, "Who are they?"
"You'll find out soon enough." Leviathan's voice, like waves crashing against a dam, came quickly and went quickly, fading into nothingness before Todd could even react.
Just as Todd was bewildered by Leviathan's nonsensical words, a riot broke out in the port area of Twilight City.
Todd stood up, walked to the end of the garden, and looked towards the harbor from the hillside. A large crowd had gathered on the coastline, blocking the entire bay.
Todd beckoned to a Valkyrie who was on duty, pointed to the port, and said, "Let's go there and see what's going on!"
At the same time, in the shallows of the harbor in Twilight City, the orc Carol, who was on duty for security, stood on a high platform, staring at the creatures on the distant sea, speechless with astonishment.
Seven mermaids, who only appear in myths and folk tales, float on the sea, holding strange weapons that resemble spears, and warily watching the people on the shore.
These mermaids were all female, with stunningly beautiful faces. Their upper bodies were no different from humans, and they were beautiful women. Their lower bodies were beautiful fish tails covered with scales, and they wore simple clothes made of seashells and seaweed.
The woman at the head seemed to be the leader of this group of mermaids, but she looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old. She had long, beeswax-colored hair, slender eyebrows, charming eyes, a delicate nose, and rosy cheeks.
Although her expression appeared somewhat forced and calm, her slightly trembling body betrayed her unease and fear.
"In the name of the ancient sea god Krakosh, we request an audience with the Holy King of Muxi, the Guardian of the North, the Descendant of the Gods, and the Protector of the Others!"
Hearing the mermaid's shout, the orc Carol rubbed the back of his head in exasperation.
Aldenan, the werewolf standing next to him, whispered a reminder: "Shouldn't we ask for permission from above at a time like this?"
Carol nodded and hurried back to the port camp, where she found a harpy from the Crusader army and asked her to report what had happened to the palace as soon as possible.
As he watched the harpy take flight, Carol breathed a sigh of relief. Returning to the shallows, he saw a large crowd of onlookers surrounding the vulnerable mermaids, chattering amongst themselves.
"By the Holy King! They are the most beautiful women I have ever seen!"
"I've heard that their songs can bewitch and lure even the most resolute sailors!"
"I can't see their lower bodies. Are they really fish tails like in the legends?"
"Why don't you just jump into the sea and see for yourself?"
"In my opinion, why don't we just pull them out?"
Listening to the unrestrained conversations around them, the seven mermaids, the center of attention, gripped their spears tightly, huddled back to back, each with an expression of despair on their faces. Only the woman in the lead continued to shout anxiously, "In the name of the ancient sea god Krakosh, we request an audience with the Holy King of Muxi..."
Carol leaped onto the wooden crate, smashed a nearby wooden post with a punch, and roared, "Shut up, all of you! Before the Holy King's decree arrives, if anyone tries to cause trouble, I'll be more than happy to let them taste my fists!"
The citizens of Muxi City, seeing the unfriendly looks from the group of Holy Army soldiers, quickly shut their mouths and quietly waited for further developments.
A few minutes later, a Valkyrie riding a griffin slowly landed on the harbor's pier.
The Valkyrie, wearing a feathered crown and carrying a hunting bow, leaps down from her mount and discovers the mermaid in the water. After a moment of surprise, she begins to relay orders from the royal palace.
"By order of the Holy King! No one may, for any reason, neglect, harm, or insult these guests from afar!"
Upon hearing the Valkyrie's words, the mermaids, who had been extremely tense and uneasy, breathed a sigh of relief. A little color returned to their pale faces, and some of the more timid mermaids even began to cry softly.
The lead mermaid first glanced at the Valkyrie standing on the boardwalk, then looked down at her own fishtail, and said with difficulty, "We desperately want to see the Holy King, but our bodies can't reach the shore..."
The Valkyrie pondered for a moment, then removed a necklace from her neck and carefully tossed it to the mermaids, saying, "Touch the emblem on the necklace with your hands..."
After a pause of one second, the Valkyrie added in a deep voice, "Be careful, don't break it."
The lead mermaid caught the necklace that was thrown to her, looked at the dragon emblem on it, nodded to the Valkyrie, and then had her sisters come closer to touch the emblem together.
In an instant, the souls of the seven mermaids were pulled into Todd's soul space.
A picturesque island on the azure sea, and snow-capped peaks soaring into the clouds.
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