I! Cleaner!-Chapter 1155 - 1059: The Mermaid Who Went Ashore

"So... that giant iceberg that collided with the ship before, it was actually her doing?"

"It should be..."

Leon looked at the female mermaid sleeping soundly on the bed with a flushed face, occasionally smacking her lips as she slept, and explained to Queen Veronica:

"I contacted Taurus to inquire, based on characteristics and soul strength, this... this Mermaid should originate from the Sea Race Tribes. That iceberg which collided with us was probably her ride while hurrying along the way."

"Sea Race Tribes?"

"Yes, the term refers to the three branches, Whirlpool, Tide, and Howl, that migrated to the sea depths in the end from the Great Ten Lineages. The current Sea Race can be considered sub-species of these three branches.

Additionally, the Sea Race Tribes are somewhat milder towards humans than the Earth Tribes and are closer to the royal family of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country, even frequently intermarrying..."

"I see."

After listening to Leon's explanation, Queen Veronica nodded somewhat knowingly:

"I've indeed heard before that the royal family of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country possesses the bloodline of the Sea Race. Some may even grow scales and a fish tail after adulthood and disappear into the sea forever on the day when the moon is closest to the ocean.

"That's referring to the Sea Sirens of the {Tide} branch."

Having just rapidly educated himself in Sea Race knowledge, Leon explained:

"According to the Great Ten Lineages, they are naturally born 'earth-grown' elves of this world. Like the Earth Tribes, comprising the Abyss, Plains, and Cliff branches, they were respectively born from the earth's ravines, vast plains, and mountain peaks.

Similarly, the Sea Tribes consist of Mermaids born of currents {Whirlpool}, Sea Sirens birthed from tides {Tide}, and Nagas nurtured by sea roar {Howl}. The days when the moon is nearest to the sea surface represent the peak strength of tidal forces.

During this period, individuals with a strong Sea Siren bloodline can readily undergo ancestral instincts due to tidal influence, following instinct into the ocean, through the deepest sea depths to reach the Tidal Realm, becoming part of the Sea Tribe.

Moreover, the royal family of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country has intermarried not merely with the Sea Sirens but also other branches, albeit intermarriage with Sea Sirens is most frequent. However, such mixed heritage should have disappeared by now."

"Disappeared?"

"Yes."

Recalling his experiences in the Realm of the Dead, Leon began explaining:

"The Slaughter King Association colluded with the Overlords of the Dead Realm, dragging the royal ship of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country into the Realm of the Dead, eliminating the kingdom's entire direct lineage in one sweep; including the young ones with less obsession went straight to the Cliff of the End.

Though once the hell substation is established, the remaining individuals can opt for the resurrection process, yet judging by the judgment, they turned out to be all villains, even the least criminal among them carried two murder charges and over thirty plunder charges, hence got thrown into Hell for imprisonment."

"..."

Sure enough, such a pirate country... the royal family of Kingdom Saio counts in thousands without even a light sentence among them...Wait! If that's the case, doesn't that mean the current royal family of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country has no... hmm?

Upon hearing about the demise of the former royal family of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country, Queen Veronica was about to ask further but found the snoring beside her suddenly pause; the mermaid on the bed stirred awake, releasing the classic query of someone freshly out from a coma.

"This... Where am I... Ow! That hurts!"

"On the ship, the one your iceberg collided with... Is your head hurting?"

After glancing at the large lump on the mermaid's head, Leon patiently explained:

"You didn't sustain any injuries, but you probably hit your head during the collision and fainted directly, plus you drank quite a bit of alcohol, so it's normal for your head to hurt slightly."

"Alcohol?"

"After being knocked unconscious from the collision, you were propelled by the impact, breaking open the ship's hull with shattered iceberg fragments, fell through two watertight cabins into the lower cargo hold, where you smashed several barrels of alcohol carried by the aboard merchant and got soaked in the liquor mixed with seawater."

"Oh..."

After hearing the entire saga of the maritime mishap she underwent, the mermaid, still visibly flushed from the alcohol with hangover yet unresolved, instinctively nodded, and then turned her gaze toward the couple in front of her, somewhat bewilderedly inquiring:

"And you are..."

"I'm Veronica and he's my husband, it was he who found you in the damaged cargo hold…"

After simply introducing themselves, Queen Veronica, seeing a mermaid for the first time, couldn't help scrutinizing the large shell on the mermaid's chest, asking curiously:

"Why did you emerge with that iceberg from the course of the Kingdom of Morna? And also, can you introduce yourself?"

"Oh, oh!"

Upon hearing Veronica's questions, the mermaid, somewhat sluggish from excessive alcohol intake, finally responded, hurriedly supported herself off the bed headboard, staggeringly wearing a maiden's courtesy toward the couple.

"Wendy! My name is Wendy! Wendy Paillette!"

Paillette?

Upon hearing Wendy's name, Veronica raised an eyebrow, glanced at Leon, and then somewhat astonishedly queried:

"The 'Paillette' from the Kingdom of Saio? If it's truly that surname... Are you of direct descent from the former royal family of the Kingdom of Saio?"

"Yes."

"???"

The royal family of the Kingdom of Saio?

Upon hearing the mermaid's response, it was Leon's turn to be surprised.

Concerning the royal family of the Kingdom of Saio's situation, absolutely no one knows better than him; from the lost protection spell of Watcher's Palace, it's clear the original royal family has been utterly exterminated, and those not completely dead are serving sentences in Hell. How could suddenly a mermaid with royal surname emerge...?

Right, she's a mermaid!

Having looked at the mermaid's rose-colored tail scented with alcohol, a clarity tinged Leon's gaze.

Watcher's Palace's protection spell status is beyond falsification, the complete extinction of the royal family of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country is certain, but if this mermaid happened to undergo ancestral instincts, entering the sea ahead of the royal ship's descent into the Realm of the Dead, it indeed is plausible.

Having grown a fish tail entering the sea depths, completely becoming a descendant of the sea, her human attributes drastically reduced, rather than calling her a half-blood human, it's better to label her a half-blood Sea Race; even though her surname remains unchanged, she essentially holds no relation to the Watcher's Palace anymore.

"So... is your destination the Golden Village?"

Having briefly speculated on the mermaid's origin, looking thoughtful, Leon initiated the inquiry:

"Since the royal ship of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country... um... suddenly sank, a suitable successor hasn't been determined, and the branches are bickering fiercely, never stating who'll attend the meeting, and then you turn up via the course leading to Kingdom Morna...

You wouldn't happen to be the new queen of the Thousand Sails Maritime Country, would you?"