Jane Yu found the merfolk surprisingly friendly!
Initially, she had been furious, thinking they intended to pocket her Galleons.
But to her amazement, the merfolk turned out to be both proactive and enthusiastic:
Not only did they politely ask her in English what she needed, but they also carried her and her suitcase, settled her in, and even escorted her back!
She felt as if the small boat was moving at lightning speed, returning her to the starting point in no more than a minute!
Merfolk truly lived up to their reputation—their water delivery service was unmatched!
"You guys are actually pretty great!" she gave the large merfolk leader a thumbs-up. "Thoughtful service, five-star rating for you!"
The merfolk leader's face twisted into a mix of terror and delight, tears and laughter blending together.
Then, it let out a series of sharp, eerie notes, before diving into the lake with a splash, disappearing from sight.
It even ignored the calls of the human Dumbledore, who was shouting in Mermish from the shore!
Only the water gods knew what horrors they had just endured.
Earlier, as the leader of the merfolk—Mercus—it had received a request from the human Dumbledore.
As a community that had lived in the Black Lake for generations and maintained a long-standing friendship with humans, Mercus had readily agreed to temporarily safeguard a few humans and a suitcase.
Apparently, the human champions would swim to their village to retrieve these people and items.
All the merfolk had to do was create some obstacles for them.
So, Mercus sent out their pet Grindylows to make things difficult for the human champions.
But Mercus had not anticipated—
The competition was fake; the fish slaughter was real!
First, their pets were knocked unconscious one by one, sinking to the lakebed in a daze—
Then, a golden-red flame sliced through the water, striking their carefully constructed stone homes!
The merfolk, accustomed to the cold waters of the Black Lake, were caught completely off guard by the sudden heat and flames!
The cries of terrified merfolk echoed as they swam chaotically, stirring up clouds of mud and water plants:
"The volcano's erupting! Run! We're going to be grilled fish!"
"The water temperature is rising! We're all going to be boiled!"
Fortunately, Mercus, as the leader, was experienced and knowledgeable. It quickly calmed down and began directing the merfolk:
"Everyone, evacuate the houses and take emergency shelter! We're in a lake; there are no volcanoes here!"
"Stay calm! Stay calm! Think about how tropical merfolk survive! It's just a little rise in water temperature!"
But even Mercus started to lose composure as the golden-red flames continued to burn underwater, making it feel increasingly suffocated...
"Leader, with this warmth, are we going to turn into beautiful mermaids?"
"I heard tropical merfolk... are very beautiful... Can I become like them?"
A merfolk, struggling to keep its belly from flipping upward, floated weakly in the water, its eyes already resembling those of a dead fish.
Mercus was horrified!
Its kin were not only flipping their bellies but also developing clouded eyes!
"Get to the surface!" it shouted, pulling its kin upward. "Forget becoming beautiful mermaids! You're about to become dead fish!"
"And besides, beauty can't fill your stomachs! Tropical merfolk don't have our magnificent twenty-pack abs!"
All the merfolk leaped out of the water, avoiding the flames and gasping for air.
They awkwardly jumped and slapped their tails against the water, trying to rid themselves of the warm lake water.
"This heat is killing me! I can barely breathe!"
Mercus scanned the surroundings and immediately spotted the small boat in the middle of the lake, with the black-haired witch sitting on it.
Its kin were already glaring at her, ready to attack and overturn her boat.
But their oxygen-deprived bodies left them weak and powerless, and she easily knocked them into the water with a single paddle stroke, leaving them shivering and defeated!
Mercus's face turned grim, realizing the tide had turned.
Looking at the scales scattered across the water's surface, and the lake that was almost turning into fish soup,
She even seemed ready to roast them with flames! Turning them into grilled fish!
Mercus could already smell the aroma of barbecue!
What a terrifying person!
Putting them on her menu, she must be a predator disguised as a human champion!
Could she be the legendary whale of the sea?
Or perhaps a shark of the ocean?
Or maybe the giant squid of the lake?
In any case, for someone to disregard the friendly relations between humans and merfolk and set fires in the Black Lake, she could not possibly be a true human!
This disguised predator—her goal might not be to kill and eat them, but to drive them away from their ancestral home!
Faced with such humiliation, the fish had no choice but to bow under the flames.
Mercus could only swallow its pride and attempt to negotiate with her.
Its heart was filled with despair.
It had resolved to die if the negotiations failed, to fight her to the end!
It would defend its home to the death! It had already drawn its spear!
But to Mercus's surprise—
This human witch... only wanted the champions' treasure?
Her goal wasn't to roast and eat them?
Not to drive them out of the Black Lake and take over their village?
Not to steal their artworks or imprison them to sing day and night?
This predator... she really was a human champion?
Overwhelmed by a mix of despair and relief, Mercus felt a secret delight.
It could play music again, sing to its heart's content!
It wouldn't have to wander homelessly; it could live in peace once more!
In the future, it would go to the castle's edge to sing day and night about her mercy in sparing them!
Perhaps hearing their songs, she would come to appreciate the beauty of merfolk and give up on roasting fish in the Black Lake!
Feeling as if it had been granted a reprieve, Mercus quickly summoned its kin to carry the humans and the suitcase from the lakebed to the small boat.
"Pack everything nicely for this lady and send her back safely!"
It issued the order and personally escorted the small boat, ensuring it was not disturbed by squids, Lobalugs, or Grindylows along the way.
It knew its efforts were worthwhile; look, she even gave it a thumbs-up—that was a gesture of human appreciation!
This living ancestor of the merfolk—it had finally managed to send her away!
It could now lead its community in peace once more!
As for the human Dumbledore's calls... after sending such a god of destruction to them, did he really expect them to engage in friendly exchanges?
It would rather spend the time preparing tributes to offer her!
Perhaps she would like jewelry? Or maybe their sculptures?
Or perhaps one of their handsome mermen? It remembered tales of romantic stories between merfolk and humans...
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