[Vol. 7] Chapter 23: Sparks Fly
As she pieced together the clues they had uncovered since arriving on the island, Violet pondered for a moment before speaking.
"No matter what the real situation is, one thing is almost certain, King Willipol’s disappearance years ago is closely connected to what happened today."
"Even if this was something planned long ago, our arrival and what we uncovered yesterday must have played a role in triggering this event."
To be honest, Violet had already sensed that something about this place felt off. The situation was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface. She just hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly.
Ming Lan, on the other hand, didn’t seem too interested in the island’s deeper troubles. He simply asked in a cautious tone,
"Miss, what should we do next?"
The girl smiled slightly.
"We wait."
"The ones who know the truth within the merfolk tribe will make a move sooner or later. Compared to us outsiders, they have a far greater stake in this situation. They won’t be able to sit still for long. And when they do, that’ll give us the perfect opening to get to the core of this whole mess..."
Before she could finish, a familiar voice called out from the entrance of the inn.
"Excuse me, is Miss Violet here?"
Several figures stepped into the hall, escorted by two rows of merfolk soldiers.
Violet and Ming Lan turned toward the sound. Without missing a beat, she glanced at the fox-eared young man beside her and chuckled.
"See? Just like I said."
She took the initiative to walk forward with Ming Lan, greeting the visitor with a polite but neutral tone.
"Miss Silisa, what brings you here with so many soldiers? Did something happen?"
Leading the group was none other than Silisa Hailyn, the Sea Priestess of the Azure Sea Merfolk. She was responsible for governing one of the six outer islands, Palut Island, and had been one of the first people Violet encountered upon arriving.
According to the information Nitila had casually shared, Miss Silisa and the princess were close friends. On top of that, Silisa was exceptionally powerful, she was a legendary-level mage.
Following close behind her was Alex Mingjiao, a formidable warrior of the Mingjiao Tribe, known for leading merfolk soldiers in battle against the [Noah’s Ark] fleet. Although he hadn’t quite reached legendary-level strength yet, he wasn’t far from it. Right now, he looked furious.
"Still pretending like you don’t know?! Tell me, where did you take the princess?!"
Before Violet could respond, Silisa frowned slightly and stepped forward, subtly positioning herself between Alex and Violet’s group. Her voice was calm but firm as she tried to defuse the situation.
"Lord Alex, please do not make baseless accusations. You’re overstepping."
"Baseless? Don’t tell me you don’t think the same! The princess was so friendly toward them, and these outsiders took advantage of her innocence—"
"Enough!"
The Sea Priestess raised her voice, her ocean-blue hair flowing like surging waves. A powerful aura, far stronger than Alex’s, burst forth, silencing him mid-sentence.
"What did I tell you before we came? This situation is far more complicated than it seems. The merfolk are a civilized people. Are you seriously trying to convict our honored guests based purely on your own assumptions?"
"…Hmph."
Realizing his own impulsiveness, Alex turned his head away with a grudging expression. He didn’t argue further, but it was obvious that he still didn’t trust them.
Violet wasn’t surprised.
Just as she had predicted, the timing of Nitila’s disappearance was too suspicious. Even if there was no concrete evidence, their sudden arrival, their close interaction with the princess, and their unknown background made them the most obvious suspects.
The merfolk soldiers running around the building weren’t just passing through. They were conducting a search, looking for the missing princess. However, this was a matter Ming Lan could handle, so the priestess didn’t intend to interfere.
"My apologies, Miss Violet, Mr. Ming Lan."
Silisa spoke with a slight nod, her tone sincere.
"Lord Alex is very close to the princess. He’s practically an uncle to her, having watched her grow up. He’s just too worried and acting recklessly. I apologize on his behalf for any rudeness."
Then, her expression became more serious as she continued.
"I’m sure you’ve already heard. This morning, Princess Nitila suddenly went missing. The royal palace has mobilized forces from all six outer islands to search for her, but so far, we haven’t found a single clue."
"Princess Nitila is incredibly important to the merfolk race. She is not only the daughter of Queen Her Majesty and the former King Willipol, but her bloodline purity and affinity with the sea far surpass those of her older siblings. She is the first in line to inherit the leadership of the Mingjiao Tribe."
"The last time she was kidnapped, it shocked our entire people and enraged the queen. After we rescued her, Her Majesty brought her back to the royal palace in the Eastern Sea Pearl to ensure her safety. Yet, despite all precautions, this has happened again…"
Silisa paused briefly. Seeing that the black-haired girl was simply listening quietly, showing no sign of reacting, the priestess sighed inwardly and decided to get straight to the point.
"Miss Violet, Her Majesty the Queen wishes to see you. Would you be available now?"
Violet glanced at Alex and the fully armed merfolk warriors behind Silisa. Then, she casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled faintly.
"See me? More like interrogate me, right? Judging by Alex’s attitude just now, if I refuse, will you have your soldiers hold me at spearpoint and drag me there?"
"Hmph! That’s—"
Alex was about to snap, but Silisa shot him a sharp look, cutting him off before he could finish. She quickly tried to clarify the situation.
“Oh… we would never dare to do such a thing. It’s just that Princess Nitila is far too important, and this is a direct order from Her Majesty the Queen... We ask for your cooperation so we don’t have to make this difficult for everyone.”
“Oh ho~ Quite the authority you have there.”
As the atmosphere grew tense, the merfolk soldiers instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons. Even Silisa seemed a little uneasy, lost in thought. However, just when it seemed like a standoff might break out, the black-haired girl suddenly nodded, the faint, unreadable smile disappearing from her face.
“Fine, let’s go then.”
“Huh? Oh! Yes, yes… Her Majesty has already arrived on the island and is waiting for you. This way, please.”
Seeing that Violet was willing to cooperate, the Sea Priestess finally let out a sigh of relief. She quickly pulled Alex along and turned to lead the way.
Violet gave Ming Lan a subtle look, and he immediately understood. He stayed behind, watching as the black-haired girl followed the group of merfolk soldiers into the distance.
“…Sigh, the young lady is about to stir up trouble again…”
…………………………
Although the Eastern Sea Pearl was an archipelago, the islands weren’t too far apart, and many of them were connected by inner seas and underground lakes. The whole region could almost be considered a single large landmass, so it wasn’t particularly surprising that Queen Anies had personally traveled to Palut Island.
In front of a royal audience chamber built along the island’s central lake, Violet came across Hongyan and Le Qiaoqiao, who had been waiting under the watchful eyes of merfolk guards. It was clear that the Queen knew exactly who to summon and was keenly aware of her daughter’s every move.
Even so, not even Violet had expected Nitila to vanish in the short time she was away. Surely, Queen Anies didn’t have some supernatural ability to foresee the future, right?
Well then… let’s see what kind of role this famed queen is playing in this whole affair.