Elder Orodan did not participate in the discussion; he simply stared intently at the spot where Lind had disappeared, his aged hand gripping his staff tightly.
He felt it most deeply; during that brief projection, he seemed to be facing a vast, boundless, cold void, a will that transcended the level of life and was almost a rule.
It was a power powerful enough to make even the eye of the storm tremble.
“Whatever he is,” Orodan finally spoke in a deep voice, interrupting the elders’ hushed conversation, “the deal is done. Recall Sirina immediately! Inform Captain Arya of the ‘Raging Tide Guard’ to select ten of the most elite and composed warriors to prepare for the garrison mission.”
Simultaneously, activate all 'tidal beacons' and search with all efforts for the location of the fragment marked on the disc! This matter is designated as the highest priority for the Holy Land!
His voice carried an undeniable authority. Fear as it may be, the Siren Clan's promise and responsibility to protect the sacred land could not be slackened.
---
Soon after, Sirona, who was being protected by Kayla at the edge node, finally received the summons from the Elder Council.
When she swam back to the Heart of the Eternal Vortex with trepidation, and saw that the elders' solemn expressions had eased, and even the First Elder Orodan's gaze towards her carried a hint of...complex "kindness," Sirona's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally "plop"ed back into her stomach.
'Great! The elders are truly amazing! That terrifying monster must have been dealt with! My revenge for those scales… well, never mind, it's good that I'm back alive!'
Sirona was overjoyed, and her beautiful fish tail couldn't help but sway happily in the water. The few bald patches on her tail didn't seem to hurt as much anymore.
She swam to the center of the Elders' Hall, bowed respectfully, her voice light with the relief of someone who had survived a catastrophe:
"Elder, Elders! Sirena is back! Thank you, Elders..."
Before she could finish speaking, Elder Orodan raised his hand to interrupt her.
Orodan looked at Sirona with a complex expression, a mixture of helplessness, expectation, and even a hint of…pity? He cleared his throat and announced in as gentle as possible (yet still authoritative):
"Sirena, my people's brave 'Dream Walker' (though this time it's a nightmare), the message and 'token' you brought back are of utmost importance."
Following a resolution passed by the Council of Elders, we have reached a preliminary agreement with His Excellency Lind Truk regarding cooperation.
Sirena's smile froze instantly.
"Cooperate...?" She thought she'd misheard. Cooperate with the monster that plucked her scales?!
“Yes, cooperation.” Ignoring her sudden pallor, Orodan continued, “In order to maintain this crucial cooperation and strengthen communication and trust between the two sides, the Council of Elders has decided that you will serve as our clan’s permanent liaison officer at ‘Iron Star’—the huge metal ship you previously stumbled into.”
Sirenna: "...???"
"At the same time," Orodan's voice fell like the final hammer of judgment, "to ensure your safety and smooth performance of your duties, Captain Arya of the 'Raging Tide Guard' will personally lead a ten-person elite squad to accompany you and be stationed on the ship."
You will be responsible for relaying messages, assisting Lord Linde in searching for what he needs, and... gaining a deeper understanding of their world.
Sirona felt a buzzing in her head, as if she had been struck hard by an invisible hammer! Her vision went black, and her fishtail, which had been swaying happily just moments before, instantly froze, like frozen seaweed.
A permanent resident? A liaison? And he's bringing Captain Arya and the guards with him? Back to that cold, steel coffin? Back to the side of that monster that tore through space, whose aura was more terrifying than the abyss?!
"No--!!!"
A piercing, desperate scream, filled with the strains of a sob, like the mournful cry of a wounded dolphin, abruptly shattered the relatively peaceful atmosphere of the hall.
Sirona's exquisitely beautiful face instantly crumbled, and tears streamed down her face like broken pearls. She suddenly collapsed to the ground (in the water), clinging tightly to the base of Elder Orodan's tridacna throne, her magnificent indigo fishtail slapping wildly against the crystal floor, splashing up large sprays of water.
"Elder! No! Please! I don't want to go back! It's too scary there! That Linde isn't human! He's a monster! He'll cut me into pieces and study me! My scales! My tail! Waaaaah... Elders, you can't do this to me! I'm a lost child, not a suicide squad! Waaaaah..."
She cried her heart out, incoherently releasing all the fear and grievances that had been building up for days. She was no longer the elegant siren she once was; she was just like a little girl who had been scared out of her wits and was throwing a tantrum.
The elders watched this scene with varying expressions. Orodan's lips twitched slightly, the Third Elder Serena sighed and rubbed her forehead, while the other elders were either embarrassed or couldn't help but chuckle.
Captain Arya stood to the side, watching Sirona cry her eyes out. A hint of amusement crept onto her usually serious face, but her eyes were filled with determination—no matter how much Sirona cried and fussed, she had to go on this mission.
"Serena!"
Aurodan had to raise her voice to drown out her wailing.
"This is the decision of the Elder Council! For the Eye of the Storm! For the future of our race! Your talent and experience are irreplaceable! This is both a responsibility and an honor!"
"I don't want this glory! Waaah... I just want my scales... my life..."
Sirina buried her face in the cold base of the throne and cried even louder, her shoulders heaving and her long, dark blue hair spreading out in disarray.
“Arya will protect you. The Guard will be with you,” Orodan tried to reassure him.
"Captain Arya can't beat him! That monster can tear through space! Waaaaah... He looks at my tail like it's a plate of fish fillets! Elders! You're sending me to be our reserve food! Waaaaah..."
Sirena's imagination was amplified to an extreme by fear.
Inside the hall, only Sirina's desperate cries echoed.
The most "tragic" ambassador appointment ceremony in the history of the Siren clan was forcibly brought to a close amidst this bitter wind and rain (tears).
Sirina's fate has finally led her to be bound to the "pirate ship" bound for the Iron Sky, and her "sea of stars" adventure (nightmare) has only just begun.
Meanwhile, far away in Blackrock Fortress, Lind, through the last sound waves of Sirona's earth-shattering wailing transmitted from the Azure Disc (although the specific content was unclear, the despair was crystal clear), curled a cold and satisfied smile at the corner of his mouth.
"It seems my little guest will soon be returning with gifts and neighbors."
He muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the southern Cape of Storms, as if he could see the battered giant ship and the new "vitality" about to be injected into it.
The "eye" of the eye of the storm will soon reside permanently on his steel star.
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