[Vol. 7] Chapter 10: A Subtle Revelation
Instinctively, Violet glanced toward the place the mermaid had pointed at. A small hut where merfolk were constantly rushing in and out. The young mermaid suddenly looked like she had just realized something, opening her mouth slightly in an unguarded manner.
“Oh, that place… That’s…”
“That’s our tribe’s medical station, where we treat the injured,” a clear and composed female voice suddenly interrupted, seamlessly continuing the conversation.
“Even though we have the protection of Lady Vier, accidents still happen when traveling the seas. So it’s always quite busy here. I hope our guests don’t mind.”
Violet and the merfolk warriors turned toward the voice. Two figures had emerged from beneath the lake, gracefully rising to the shore with the support of surging water.
It was clear that the newcomers had a strong affinity for water magic and were highly skilled in similar elemental spells.
Compared to Alex, the young merfolk man who had just left, the second figure was far more striking.
She was a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, her slender figure draped in a flowing, translucent gown that shimmered like waves. Her deep blue hair cascaded like rolling tides, giving her an almost otherworldly presence.
Unlike Alex, she didn’t have the signature tear-mark patterns at the corners of her eyes that symbolized the Mingjiao Tribe. The fish-scale patterns on her body were also surprisingly faint. If her hair had looked more ordinary and she had been dressed in typical human clothing, she might have easily been mistaken for one of them.
She arrived even faster than expected…
The woman who had seamlessly picked up the priestess's question gave a gentle smile and walked gracefully to the shore. She greeted the black-haired girl with a simple gesture of welcome before continuing in fluent [Veir Language].
“I heard from Lord Alex that some rather special visitors had arrived. I didn’t expect…”
She paused, studying the girl with an intrigued expression. “To be honest, I can sense something unique about you. It’s like the golden light of dawn rising over the ocean, radiant and pure. It seems you have remarkable skill in light-based magic.”
“Oh, I hope you don’t mind my speculation. It’s just a habit of mine,” she added with a polite smile. “My name is Silisa Hailyn, and I am currently the overseer of this island. Welcome, honored guests, to the [Eastern Sea Pearl].”
The priestess returned the greeting with a polite smile.
“It’s fine. Your guess isn’t entirely wrong. My name is Violet… I suppose you could say I’m just an unlucky traveler.”
“Hehe, you’re quite open-minded and humorous. You’re nothing like the priests or grand mages I’ve met who follow the Primordial Light.”
With a graceful wave of her hand, she dismissed the other merfolk warriors, leaving only Alex behind. Then, she stepped closer to Violet.
“Well then, my unfortunate traveler, would you do me the honor of sharing your story?”
……………………………………
About an hour later, Violet made her way through the jungle and, accompanied by Alex, returned to the shores of [Palut Island], boarding the [Noah’s Ark].
“Boss, boss! How did it go? All settled?”
Le Qiaoqiao, practically bouncing with impatience, was immediately at Violet’s side. The priestess, however, could only shake her head helplessly, patting the eager rogue on the shoulder to calm her down.
“It’s complicated. We’ll need to take our time and plan carefully. By the way, Ming Lan, you’ve been to the Eastern Sea a few times before. Do you know anything about the [Ghost Sea]?”
“The [Ghost Sea]?”
The fox-eared young man, who served as the vice president of the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild in the Origin Realm, blinked in surprise. He exchanged glances with his fellow clansmen before looking toward the vast silhouette of the islands in the distance. A realization dawned on his face.
“The [Ghost Sea]… the merfolk tribe… If that’s the case, could this be the [Emerald Sea]? And these islands… are they really the [Eastern Sea Pearl]?”
“That’s exactly how they introduced themselves,” Violet confirmed.
Ming Lan nodded slightly, but his expression grew more serious.
"Uh… Miss Violet, if this really is the Eastern Sea Pearl, the royal palace of the merfolk, then our current situation is a bit awkward."
"I’ve never been here myself, but Emerald Sea City is famous throughout the entire Eastern Sea."
"You might not know this, but the [Great Whirlpool], which is right at the exit of this sea region, has been calculated to be the exact midpoint of all waters west of the Storm Zone. It’s one of the most mysterious locations in the entire Endless Sea. Even the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild knows very little about it. All we do know is that the formation of the [Ghost Sea] seems to be closely linked to the [Great Whirlpool]."
"Oh? Is that so?"
The very center of the Endless Sea… A massive whirlpool spanning over a hundred kilometers in diameter. That was something worth thinking about.
But this clearly wasn’t something that could be figured out in just a few words, so there was no rush to get to the bottom of it.
Violet immediately gave instructions to a few of her people.
"For now, let’s not dwell on the secrets of the [Great Whirlpool]. I’ve already spoken with the person in charge of [Palut Island] and arranged for the [Noah’s Ark] to anchor nearby for the time being. Go make the arrangements and let the crew disembark in an orderly manner."
"Remember, you're allowed to interact with the islanders and even trade with them, but don’t disrupt their way of life. We won’t be staying too long."
The existence of the [Ghost Sea] was definitely a concern.
If Violet were alone, she might have attempted to push through it directly. After all, she had traveled far and wide and faced countless dangers. She wasn’t about to be intimidated by a mere name.
But now, she had a ship full of people to worry about. Most of the crew aboard the [Noah’s Ark] were elite members of the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, carefully selected for their skills. Violet couldn’t just ignore their safety.
She wasn’t the same as before. She now had loyal followers, a growing influence, and even the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild could be considered half under her command. What she had inherited from Dawn wasn’t just authority, memories, or divinity. It was also connections and responsibility.
Ming Lan might look young, but as the Spirit Veil clan’s head of external affairs, he was well-versed in the ways of the world. He quickly picked up on Violet's intentions from her orders and sought confirmation.
"You mean… we’re going to stay on this island for a while?"
Violet nodded slightly, her gaze drifting toward the silhouette of a building hidden deep within the jungle. A flicker of something unreadable passed through her eyes, gone in an instant.
"Once the Merchant Guild members are settled, come and tell me everything you know about this place. There are… certain things on this island that we can’t just ignore."
After that, both sides engaged in an orderly exchange.
Docking the [Noah’s Ark] wasn’t a complicated process. In fact, once all the crew had disembarked, Violet could have simply stored the entire ship, shrinking it into a compact model and placing it in her bag. However, she wasn’t ready to reveal that ability to too many people just yet.
Instead, she instructed 01, the AI core that acted as the ship’s central control system, to bring the [Noah’s Ark] to shore and enter standby mode. No unauthorized individuals were allowed on board. After sealing the control room, Violet disembarked with Le Qiaoqiao and the others, once again stepping onto the shores of [Palut Island].
Negotiating with Silisa Hailyn, who called herself the [Priestess of the Sea], wasn’t difficult. Compared to Alex Mingjiao, who despite being a royal merfolk, was only stationed here under orders from the royal palace, Silisa seemed far more warm and welcoming, with little sense of wariness.
Once she understood Violet’s intention to stay on the island for a while, she readily agreed without much hesitation.
Of course, the guidelines Violet had given her crew earlier were also part of the agreement Silisa proposed. According to her, the merfolk had never been hostile to outsiders, merchants and travelers alike were welcome on the Eastern Sea Pearl, as long as they harbored no ill intent or sought to harm them.
This had always been the principle upheld by the royal palace.