Chapter 799 The Rose Trading Company <TOC> Chapter 801 Worldly Bliss
Translator: SumTLMan
It began as a subtle shift in pitch, a sporadic fluctuation in the frequency range that made Angel suspect it was a song.
After the Gondola had flown a few more miles forward, the sound became clearer and clearer. At this point, not only could Angel hear it, but Drew also exclaimed in surprise, “There really is a song! And it sounds quite pleasant.”
After Drew uttered these words, he closed his eyes and instinctively began to hum along.
As Drew swayed gently to the elusive melody, he began to move in pursuit of the music’s source. He wanted to hear it more clearly, so he began to lean his body and head out of the Gondola.
Just as Drew had leaned more than half of his body over the side of the Gondola, a soft laugh suddenly reached his ears. This laughter instantly dispelled the music that was pervading his mind, his thoughts, submerged in the beautiful music, were as if hooked from a paste and pulled up. Before Drew could trace the sound, he was awakened by the cold wind outside the Gondola.
Drew opened his eyes to realize that he had leaned half of his body out of the Gondola.
Inside the Gondola, due to the presence of magical runes, he hadn’t felt much of the high-altitude cold wind. But as soon as he leaned out, he immediately felt half of his body being buffeted by the fierce cold wind.
Startled, Drew swiftly pulled back.
Once he was seated again, he saw Angel on the other side, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
He abruptly realized that the laughter that had just brought him back from his stupor had certainly been Angel’s.
Before Drew could express his gratitude, he once again heard the melodious music. Frightened, he immediately covered his right ear, and then cautiously peered down.
Beneath the setting sun, the crimson sea surface was home to a row of pink mermaids frolicking. They seemed oblivious to the Gondola high above, humming songs that sounded like heavenly choruses.
It was then that Drew realized that he had surely been enchanted by the song of the mermaids!
“My lord, I…” Drew swallowed hard, not knowing what to say, only a sheepish expression on his face.
Angel said to Drew nonchalantly, “It’s just a kind of mental influence. You’ve already weathered it once. As long as your faith is firm, you won’t indulge in it again.”
This voice went straight into Drew’s mind. At this point, Drew carefully lowered his hand from his ear.
Sure enough, after experiencing the charm of the song once, Drew wouldn’t get lost in it again as long as he didn’t deliberately listen to it.
“I didn’t expect to encounter mermaids, but these mermaids seem to be all juveniles.” Angel leaned lazily against the side of the Gondola, supporting his cheek with his hand, looking down at the frolicking little mermaids in the ocean below, “They haven’t reached the hunting stage yet, no wonder they were attracted by the rainbow rose cake, even letting go of the Rose Trading Company’s ship.”
Merfolk with roseate tails, both male and female, all bore the countenance of children, frolicking leisurely under the setting sun. Some of the female merfolk even held rose cakes in their hands, sweetly nibbling on the pastries, lending credence to the prior claim of the Rose Trading Company.
“Do these little merfolk not hunt? Then why was I almost… cough cough,” Drew, initially a tad fearful, quickly found his dread diminishing when he scrutinized these creatures more closely, realizing they were nothing more than little tykes.
“As I’ve said, merfolk are an intelligent species. Given a proper education system, their wisdom isn’t inferior to humans. As an intelligent species, they naturally have their own civilization. Much like the majority of human societies, young merfolk are in a protected stage, and it’s the adult merfolk who hunt,” Angel explained, pausing before adding, “As for why you were charmed, it’s because the voices of the merfolk inherently contain frequencies that resonate easily with humans. Coupled with the fact that they spontaneously resonate spiritually when singing, even young merfolk have the ability to charm, albeit somewhat weaker.”
After explaining, Angel whispered, “The thin layer that covers these merfolk, resembling gauze, suggests that they are Rogue merfolk.”
In truth, the majority of merfolk were rather pleasant to look at, but among all the merfolk species, the Rogue merfolk were certainly the most striking. Angel had once read about most of the merfolk species in books and the Rogue merfolk had left a lasting impression.
Rogue merfolk were born with a translucent, iridescent gauze-like layer that gave them an ethereal, elusive appearance. To use Mentor Jon’s words, they bore a “fairy-like” air.
The little merfolk below, cloaked in this thin layer, shimmered with an enchanting luminescence under the sun’s rosy twilight.
It must be said, the scene before them was breathtakingly beautiful. If an artist were present, a painting capturing this scene would undoubtedly invite admiration. If the scene were further artistically processed, the artist would become an overnight sensation, possibly even a master.
However, unless an artist were an extraordinary being, they wouldn’t dare to paint here, for the presence of young merfolk suggested that…
“Adult merfolk must be nearby,” Angel paused, “Moreover, these little ones belong to the nobility of the Rogue merfolk. Hence, the number of adult merfolk around should be considerable.”
Before he could finish speaking, the placid sea surface was suddenly stirred by a surge.
The playful quartet of merfolk, unafraid of the surge, darted in and out of the waves as if they were surfing. What followed, however, took even Angel by surprise.
More young merfolk began to rise from the sea bed.
Multicolored tails, iridescent gauzy garments, and adorable faces. This group of little merfolk, numbering well over thirty, treated the surge as a plaything, engaging in boisterous fun.
Simultaneously, a more potent siren’s song, even more enchanting than before, wafted melodiously towards the Gondola.
Angel, unlike others, remained unswayed by the siren’s song. However, Drew fell under the charm once more. As Drew began climbing onto the boat railing again, Angel could only sigh in resignation, promptly erecting a mental barrier on the Gondola.
This mental barrier allowed the music to seep through while warding off any enchantment.
Drew, once again snapping back to reality, had a blush of embarrassment. Angel said nothing; after all, Drew was still a mortal. It was not his fault for being bewitched.
“Lord Pat, should I speed up now?” Drew suggested. “With the speed of the Gondola, we should be able to leave this area in less than a minute.”
Angel thought it over and agreed. Although he was somewhat intrigued by the mermaids, his curiosity was merely about a novel species; he had no intention of conducting an in-depth study.
Even if he were to consider a research project on mermaids, now was not the time.
Just as Angel was about to nod in approval for Drew to navigate away from the area, Toby, tucked within Angel’s breast pocket, began to protest.
Seeing Toby fly out and gesticulate wildly at Drew, Angel instantly grasped its intent.
As a music enthusiast, Toby harbored a deep appreciation for all beautiful melodies. The mermaid’s song might not be more resonant than a symphony in a concert hall, but it was undeniably an enchanting heavenly sound capable of immersing listeners in its beauty.
Toby’s fondness for it was natural.
Moreover, Toby had no fear of succumbing to the mermaid’s charm, which explained its intense dissatisfaction with Drew’s suggestion.
Angel thought it over and figured, why not? There was no immediate rush, and staying to listen wouldn’t hurt. It could be considered a free concert.
With that thought, Angel signaled Drew to remain still, and as a precaution, he bolstered the mental barrier.
The Gondola remained concealed amongst the clouds, not disturbing the merriment of the tiny mermaids below. They continued to frolic in harmony.
However, as beautiful as the sight was, it was not one to be contemplated at length. In Drew’s eyes, if someone were bewitched by the scene and fell into the water, the next moment would likely be a grisly scene of a human skeleton being gnawed at.
Despite the beauty of the music, to Drew, it was nothing more than a devil’s melody, with no intention of appreciating it whatsoever.
As for Drew’s sentiments, Angel was well aware. He perfectly understood what kind of race the mermaids were. However, standing from different perspectives, the experiences are divergent.
From a human viewpoint, the act of mermaids hunting humans is undoubtedly an unforgivable sin. Angel, by instinct, harbored a distaste for mermaids.
However, he also comprehended the meaning of survival of the fittest; different species make different choices.
Even from this perspective, the mermaids don’t appear to be at fault, simply trying to survive. Yet, Angel still didn’t favor the human-eating mermaids; his stance was simply, if you don’t bother me, I won’t slay you.
Nonetheless, if one discards the preset that mermaids consume humans, Angel could still appreciate their innate beauty.
For instance, their physical allure, and the mesmerizing beauty of their songs.
Drew, at this moment, was unable to appreciate this, primarily because his power was inferior to the mermaids. When his strength could crush that of the mermaids, needless fear would dissipate, allowing him to perceive more essential matters.
Leaving aside Drew’s terror, Angel himself savored the songs of the mermaids.
Though the songs of the little mermaids were somewhat immature, they couldn’t conceal their inherent beauty. Song after song, in line with their frolicking, the subjects of their praises varied.
They sang praises to the sunset, to the vast sea, to all living beings. In the eyes of the little mermaids, everything was beautiful, much like the majority of newborns, innocent of right and wrong, devoid of discernment.
The captivating melody within their songs seemed capable of touching everything.
Just as Angel was relishing the music, the sea abruptly stirred, and a humming sound echoed from the seabed.
Angel looked down to see a giant turtle, comparable in size to a cloud whale, slowly emerging from the sea. Although it was merely surfacing, it created ripples that soared tens of meters high.
On the turtle’s shell, Angel spotted an array of colorful corals, each unique in form.
The surrounding little mermaids showed no fear of the turtle, even clambering onto its shell.
Simultaneously, from the coral-laden shell of the turtle, reminiscent of a coral island, echoed a hauntingly beautiful ballad.
Chapter 799 The Rose Trading Company <TOC> Chapter 801 Worldly Bliss