Even mages whose physical abilities are enhanced by magic can easily catch a cold if they are not careful. Only martial artists who prioritize physical strength can remain almost unfazed when facing extreme environments such as frozen snow and blazing fire.
He roused the soaking wet little fool before the tide came in and had her wash up again in the nearby beachfront private bathroom. After her bath, the drenched girl, like a little animal, came over hesitantly, holding out a large towel.
After a brief eye contact, I sighed and took it into my hands amidst the girl's surprised and delighted gaze.
I have absolutely no idea how Hikari takes care of her hair on a daily basis. Her smooth, fluffy hair is soft and fluffy, and even though she uses the special shampoo fragrance of Mermaid Harbor, it still retains a faint floral scent, making me unconsciously slow down my movements and relax in the peaceful midday sun.
A small stall passing by sells chilled popsicles and specialty drinks.
Holding the heavy white sphere in my hand, I inserted a dried, hollow reed into the cut-off cap, and a sweet juice effortlessly flowed into my mouth. The white flesh was firm and not very chewy; although not as sweet as the juice, it had its own unique sweet aroma after chewing. Add to that a smoothie drizzled with condensed milk and colorful beans, and a slightly bitter iced milk coffee with a snow topping—a perfect complement.
"That's why I reminded you a long time ago."
Glancing at the girl huddled under the umbrella, I took a sip of sweet orange juice and couldn't help but shake my head: "Don't eat too much cold food at once or too quickly, it will give you a headache."
"Waaah..."
In response, only Hikari's slightly less remorseful sobs rang out.
Finally having a moment of free time, I squinted and half-reclined on the recliner, planning to stay here for a while longer before going home to report back.
Everything before me felt both familiar and slightly strange.
This is the city where I lived from birth until I entered a general education college in my teens.
I am familiar with the streets and alleys here. To prevent the giant waves formed by the surging tide, the main cargo port is located behind the sheltered cliffs, and the buildings extending outward from the seaside are arranged in order from low to high, leaving the semi-circular square open for the nine exquisite mermaid sculptures guarding the seaside.
The sculptures, each with a different expression, are placed on stone bricks slightly above ground level. Some have lowered eyebrows, holding a lyre and ivy; others sing fervently, raising laurel wreaths and flower baskets; still others have solemn faces, holding a pen, sextant, dagger, and shepherd's staff. In the center of the square, surrounded by these sculptures, a mermaid statue stands, its face veiled except for a smooth mouth, its crossed hands clasped slightly below its chest, as if praying for the happiness of the people here.
"This is the secret to how this city has been able to withstand storms for so many years."
I whispered to Hikari, who had come over out of curiosity, "The people who originally built this city were always worried about how to prevent their hard work from being destroyed by the violent whirlwinds and huge waves during storm season."
"In the end, a relatively unknown architect stepped forward and, together with his equally unknown mage friend, conducted several experiments before finally completing the design of this city structure that could withstand and gradually reduce the impact of storms, while automatically channeling the rushing torrents to diminish their force."
"That's truly remarkable!"
Hikari nodded, looking bewildered, then gazed curiously at the statues guarding the seaside: "Then why do two of them have extra chopping marks?"
"Because the order is wrong."
"order?"
I shrugged: "Perhaps because he didn't like tragedies, the architect changed the positions of the two statues without permission, making them inconsistent with the stories that were circulating at the time? It's a pity that those stories didn't survive in the end. Many years later, everyone got used to them, and since these statues were needed as a front line to resist storms and tsunamis, they weren't moved again."
"Okay... so this is what the legendary mermaids look like?"
That stumped me.
I hesitated for a moment, then shook my head: "Maybe. I don't know."
"Most legends about mermaids exist from the ancient kingdom era. At that time, the people living by the sea seemed to have a good relationship with the mermaid tribes in the neighboring seas, and traded with them from time to time, so there are a lot of records and legends. With the help of mermaids who can manipulate the direction of the atmosphere and seawater to a certain extent, they can also be much more at ease when dealing with storms."
"That's why the architect designed the statue guarding the city to resemble a mermaid, right?"
It's as if you can see a bright, noticeable light bulb lighting up on the top of Hikari's head.
She pondered for a long time, then suddenly asked another question: "Hey... why are mermaids depicted as humans on top of fish, instead of fish on top of humans? Both can be called mermaids, right?"
"...Maybe it's because it looks good? Anyway, that's it."
I eventually brushed aside the somewhat disjointed topic with a vague answer, dragged Hikari back to return the rented equipment, and headed towards the city.
As a harbor city, Mermaid Harbor's buildings are mostly covered structures with sky-blue and purplish-red roofs and pale yellow walls. A few bungalows have wooden racks for pickling fish on their roofs. The aromas of bay leaves, basil, and rosemary waft in the breeze, blending perfectly with the slightly salty and fishy smell of the processed seafood, creating an irresistible and delicious meal.
The shell-shaped opera house, a rarity elsewhere, retracts its rain-sheltered roof, its semi-open design allowing for a brighter and clearer view and light. The soaring, piercing soprano voice, after a coloratura melody, reaches a new peak, like a storm of rain pounding against the windowpane, fiercely and angrily criticizing and condemning.
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