Chapter 2248: The Mermaid’s Hint

Chapter 2248: Chapter 2248: The Mermaid’s Hint

She smiled and nodded slightly:

"Yes, I am hardly without a fixed abode. Quite obviously, Sin Mansion in Milestone was merely a visit to an old friend I hadn’t seen in a long time; at the Dark Lake by the Heart of Pantanal I was summoned; at the Demon Manor in Randall Valley it was you who actively called upon my help. As for Green Lake a few months ago..."

The talking violet eyes gazed tenderly at Shard; that expression clearly belonged to Lecia:

"It was because you wished to know the lady’s secrets that I was forced to appear."

"So, after leaving Coldwater Port, you’ve actually been in Moon Bay all this time?"

Shard asked, and she smiled again, but this time it was a soundless curl of the lips:

"From Coldwater Port I followed the coastline all the way south. In these warm waters I found this Countess, who had long ago heard tales of me and used my Power. So one night I took the initiative to appear before her, and from then on I settled temporarily in the waters of this harbor, only going out occasionally to sample other desserts."

Her two pale arms rested together on the reef, overlapping one another; she laid her head upon her folded arms. Droplets of water slid one after another from her hair, and her lashes, beaded with water, grew all the more enchanting. Yet even so, Shard still could not see her shoulders.

"How wonderful it is here: a city of Wealth, a City of Desire. This is the city that suits me best in this age. I plan to linger here for a hundred years, so I have been very restrained, never causing the poor Mortals here anything truly frightening."

That ought to be the truth. Countess D’Armanin did not look like someone who had only recently provoked Desire. Desire’s presence in this city was not a matter of merely the past month or two. Coupled with the Maid’s statement that the Old Earl had taken to his sickbed half a year ago, it was indeed possible that after leaving Coldwater Port she had been hiding in Moon Bay all along.

Having confirmed this, Shard felt a chill steal over him. The ships, travelers, and cargo passing through Moon Bay Harbor each day were beyond counting, yet none of them knew that in the silent depths, a beautiful woman’s head was quietly watching it all.

But that chill did not last long, for the heat in his body drove out every other emotion. The situation now was actually quite embarrassing: the Witch in his arms was pressed completely against him. He was certain the Witch could feel the changes in his body at this moment.

"You’ve stayed here all this time, very well... So you still haven’t answered my question. What price must I pay for you to let me take them away?"

Beyond the scent of perfume, Miss Belindel now exuded a strange fragrance, one that even the briny damp of the seaside in the rain could not smother. Shard believed the Witch caught the scent on him as well, for he felt the girl in his arms was lightly sniffing at something.

"It’s very simple. Just complete one task."

The smiling woman’s head watched Shard’s expression; her lashes trembled slightly, and though her face was of unearthly beauty, the words she spoke were not vulgar in the least:

"You and her will couple here, in front of me, once."

She was quite satisfied with the look on Shard’s face, and continued smiling as she said:

"If you’re unwilling, you can drag three girls out from the lift room behind you and couple with them instead. One Witch is equal to three ordinary girls; we can barely force such an equation."

"I’m sorry, I’m not joking. I truly am asking you: how can I take them away?"

Shard spoke, and had to admit that upon hearing those words, there was an instant when he truly wanted to nod and agree. That was certainly not normal, but he could not shake off her mental influence, even though she was merely speaking.

"And I am not joking either."

The woman’s head in the water replied cheerfully, her slender right index finger pointing at the lady in Shard’s arms:

"Just look at you two now—apart from still wearing clothes, aren’t you already prepared for everything? Oh, I see, the little boy is dissatisfied with such a reward. Then how about this? When you couple later, I’ll take human form and come ashore to liven things up for you, and when it’s over I’ll teach you an Arcane Technique that lets you see through any girl’s clothes, yet is useless on men. How does that sound?"

The mist around them grew ever denser; even the campfire could not hold back the heavy damp. When Shard first arrived, he could still peer beyond the fog to glimpse part of the sea’s surface, but now his sight could penetrate no more than two meters beyond the reef. The Witch was still trembling; she curled herself up in Shard’s embrace, trying as much as possible to lessen her Perception of the outside world’s "touch." Her state now was like that of a terrified child at night, hiding beneath the covers in an attempt to escape the Dark, not knowing that the Dark is everywhere.

"You should understand that I will not accept such a demand. It’s not a matter of dignity, nor of fearing that my soul will fall from grace. I respect the girls; such private acts are best when they happen at home, for the sake of true Love."

Shard gently shook his head:

"If you refuse to say what you want me to do, then may I pose a question instead?"

The woman’s head in the water tilted as she smiled at him, and Shard took that as consent:

"Do you know that the Witch in my arms came here today to meet you because she was affected by bad luck? The Misfortune Demon - Fanarius is in this city right now; there is no way you don’t know that."

She bit down lightly on her lips, yet still left teeth marks on those red lips and that red-and-white skin:

"You’re trying to say our meeting was that Crow’s calculation? What an amusing soul... Tell me, if that Crow hadn’t appeared, would your Witch never have gone looking for that lonely Countess?"

From the thick mist behind her came the sound of splashing water. Shard’s mind involuntarily conjured up the image of smooth legs kicking through the water, but his reason reminded him that whatever was playing in the water down there was most definitely not human legs.

"Fate has always been this elusive. In the end, was it the Crow that led to this meeting, or did this meeting draw that Crow in? There’s no way to say for certain."

Miss Belindel squirmed once more in Shard’s arms, and the head by the reef chuckled:

"All right, all right, it seems you really are in a hurry. Then let me tell you what I want you to do this time."

The two hands resting together on the reef withdrew back into the water, leaving only that beautiful head still watching Shard:

"I’m fond of this city; Wealth is Desire. Harvesting a wave of souls in one go is fine, but I much prefer a long trickle than a single squeeze-dry. What’s the fun in that? Letting that vast Desire crash over me again and again, slowly, savoring each surge—that’s far more entertaining."

"You want me to protect this city?"

Shard asked. The woman’s lips curled:

"I regard this place as my domain, but even I cannot halt the epic of ’Whispering Verses.’ In the coming disaster, protect Moon Bay City, let the Desire piled up here continue to accumulate. I don’t wish to threaten you, little boy, but if you fail, then on the day Moon Bay is destroyed, I really will appear in the bathtub of your home."

Her languid moan sounded as though the body beneath the water were stretching:

"I know you’ve been wary of me. Right now you’re probably wondering, is it better to let this place be destroyed in one stroke, or to let its people live on as if penned and bred by me? A meaningless question. You have no right to choose for others, even if the majority of Mortals are stupid."

"Even if you said nothing, I wouldn’t allow the city to be destroyed. You should know this is what I’ve already been doing, so why still use this as the price I have to pay?"

Shard asked. Those beautiful violet eyes gazed at him with tenderness:

"Because, I like you~"

Seeing the corners of Shard’s mouth twitch, his expression contorting into something so complex it was beyond description, her smile grew even more seductively charming:

"Look at you. When have I ever appeared without helping you? Compared to your soul, most things in this World are dull and rigid. Watching that insatiable Desire in your heart gradually swell—that is far more interesting than laying Enchantment and control on a few Humans and having them throw an orgy."

"You’re not expecting me to say thank you, are you?"

Shard struggled not to look into those violet eyes, only to notice that between the brows of that woman’s head there seemed to be a faint birthmark. Yet Shard didn’t dare look closely. Desire was one of the few Spirits that Outlanders openly admitted they might never be able to deal with.

"Of course that’s unnecessary. Now take your Witch and leave. If you keep listening to me, she’ll probably be unable to resist devouring you right now... I would be jealous."

The sound of water being pushed aside rose again; she seemed about to depart:

"You can Call me using the Perfume Bottle I gave you, or you can come here to see me directly. As for Countess D’Armanin and that house, you needn’t pay them any heed, nor handle them; I still have use for this place for now. But I’ll also promise you, little boy, that I won’t harm this city... at least not in any way that you or the others will perceive. What isn’t seen doesn’t exist, doesn’t it?"

She laughed, her head drifting away from the reef, gliding across the surface toward the depths of the distant fog:

"As for that Black Crow, it’s not something easily dealt with. I know there’s a... peculiar doctor at your side, but having only him is not enough."

Her features grew blurred, yet her voice remained clear:

"In its current state, your Chains won’t hold it. You need a new source of Power. Go to this place—there are some very interesting things waiting for you there."

An address surfaced of its own accord in Shard’s mind, and it turned out to be an address somewhere within Tobesk City.

"Remember, little boy, the City of Desire is my city. I care nothing for Evil of the Deep Sea, Ancient Evil Spirits, Ancient Dragons, or The Chosen One. You must protect this place for me... Once you’ve destroyed the Crow, come back here to see me. Don’t wait for me to take the initiative and come looking for you."

Plop~ A soft sound, like a head plunging fully beneath the water, and her voice vanished into the mist.