Chapter 123: Searching for Mermaids (3)
"Ah... thank youuu..."
The mermaid reached out her hands, wanting the starfish I was holding. However, instead of handing them over immediately, I asked,
"If you put them back on like this, won't they die again?"
"Ah... that might happennn... Starfish are weak to freshwateraa..."
'So it was the freshwater after all.'
"What should I dooo..."
"You should dry off your body before putting them back on, shouldn't you?"
"That's trueee... Then I should get out of the tub and dry mys—hyaaa!"
Since she needed her body dried, I picked her up and placed her on the bed sheets.
Her wet upper body, hair, and tail began soaking the sheets immediately, so I grabbed a towel and started drying her as quickly as I could.
"Let go of meee."
"No. If you keep covering yourself like that..."
I wanted to finish this quickly and send her back to the water, but she stubbornly refused to let go of her chest, no matter how much I tried to convince her. Left with no other choice, I used a little force to pull her hands away and wiped the water droplets running down her chest with the towel.
Under normal circumstances, I would have expected her nipples to be more prominent, but her chest was surprisingly smooth, neither sunken like lamias' inverted nipples nor distinctly raised. They were fairly normal nipples, just with a lower profile.
"Don't look at meee..."
To get this over with quickly, I dried her chest thoroughly and handed her the two starfish I had just caught.
"Sniff..."
Her eyes filled with tears, and she glared at me with a look of resentment. Still, she reluctantly placed the starfish on her chest.
When she placed the starfish on her modest chest, they wriggled slightly, then latched onto her nipples as if they were fastening themselves. Watching this, I couldn't help but feel a bit impressed.
'So that's why the starfish stay on so securely, even when swimming at high speeds.'
I finally understood why mermaids used starfish as their "underwear."
In old fairytale illustrations, mermaids were often drawn with starfish covering their chests. I had always assumed it was just the artist's imagination, using something from the sea as makeshift clothing.
I used to wonder why they didn't just use scallop shells or similar items, but now it made sense—this was an accurate reflection of mermaid habits and culture.
"All doneee..."
She still looked embarrassed, her shoulders hunched, but now that her chest was covered, she seemed somewhat relieved. The frantic flailing of her tail had stopped, and she had calmed down considerably.
The wounds on her skin were not bleeding anymore. Some areas were slightly split, exposing the red flesh underneath, but they were minor injuries that would heal on their own over time.
Moreover, the healing potion I had applied earlier would promote new skin growth, ensuring no scars would remain.
"Thank youuu..."
"It's nothing. It's not exactly my duty... but helping each other is the right thing to do, isn't it?"
As a knight, I had a duty to prioritize saving lives, but since I was keeping my identity hidden, I downplayed it, framing my actions as basic humanity instead.
'Does helping a mermaid count as basic humanity? I wonder.'
"Get some rest. I have some errands to run."
Once the sun had set and darkness covered the surroundings, I changed out of my damp pants into a comfortable set of outdoor clothes and headed to the nearest tavern by the harbor.
---
Taverns are where information gathers.
By day, people might work as fishermen, sailors, or dock laborers, and some might even work for the trade groups handling mermaid eggs. But by evening, they all came to the tavern for a drink, equal in their thirst for alcohol.
Even those who typically kept secrets might let something slip once they started drinking. The noisy environment of a tavern made it easy to speak carelessly, as it was hard for anyone to eavesdrop on nearby conversations.
'Unless you're like me, enhancing your hearing to gather information, of course.'
While sipping my drink and casually collecting bits of information, I didn't come across anything useful right away. But I hadn't expected immediate results anyway.
If I confirmed that no workers connected to the mermaid egg hatcheries were present tonight, it would mean there were no hatcheries nearby. In that case, I'd simply move to another tavern tomorrow and continue my search.
By doing this, I could trace the location of the hatchery without alerting anyone or relying on shady information brokers.
"A stranger, huh? You're not from around here, are you?"
The tavern owner, a man who seemed to enjoy making conversation, approached me with a mug of beer on the house.
"You could say that."
"If you came at this time of year, it doesn't seem like you're here for mermaid eggs, unlike the other merchants."
My mission did involve mermaid eggs, but rather than buying them, I was here to uncover how they were produced. His assumption wasn't entirely wrong, so I nodded quietly to keep up appearances.
"Heh, it's already making the rounds, huh? I don't know who started it, but the rumors are spreading fast. What's there to brag about, anyway..."
The tavern owner leaned in conspiratorially, covering his mouth as if sharing a secret. The situation felt oddly familiar.
'This feels like when my old comrades would whisper, "Hey, I found a new technique for jerking off," with that same smirk.'
Usually, when a tavern owner approached a lone man like this, it was to introduce him to a prostitute waiting upstairs, claiming she was beautiful or even a virgin, all to drum up business for the brothel.
'Not that I'm particularly interested.'
In my view, intimacy between a man and a woman should involve mutual affection and understanding. Transactions involving money, where the act was half-forced, didn't appeal to me.
Even if I were desperate, I'd probably still pass. Besides, I'd been managing my urges with Delphine, Mollang, and Shuru back home, and even during this mission, I'd used my intelligence device to take care of myself. I wasn't exactly starving for relief.
"You're here to taste some mermaid pussy, aren't you?"
I almost spat out my drink at the tavern owner's unexpected words.
"Heh, shocked to hear it out loud? You must've heard the rumors but didn't expect someone to just say it, huh?"
"Cough... Mermaid?"
"Yeah, mermaids. You knew that, didn't you? Why else would you come here?"
I wasn't sure whether to deny it or pretend to know what he was talking about. Before I could decide, the tavern owner, clearly experienced with dealing with people like me, handed me the free mug of beer and whispered conspiratorially.
"If a man comes to this tavern alone, looking nervous and glancing around, it's obvious he's here to taste mermaid pussy, isn't it?"
'Damn. So he's been suspicious of me this whole time.'
Thankfully, he wasn't suspecting my true mission of investigating the mermaid eggs but instead thought I was just here for some shady indulgence.
'Are mermaids really that common in the Baran Duchy?'
Mermaids trapped in nets below coastal cliffs, and tavern owners openly offering "a taste of mermaid pussy." It was absurd.
In the past, mermaids were rare, almost mythical creatures. How did their population grow so uncontrollably that they became an invasive species? Could the state of the ocean have deteriorated so much that desperate mermaids were driven to prostitution?
"How about it? It's pricey, sure, but where else would you get to taste a mermaid?"
He wasn't wrong.
'A mermaid, huh... Could this be related to the mermaid eggs?'
"Where do I go?" I asked.
"Heh heh heh... Good choice."
He lifted his hand, gesturing for payment. I reached into my pocket, but I had no idea how much I should give him.
'How would I know the going rate for something like this...?'
"For me, just a finder's fee will do. 500 gold."
500 gold was enough to commission a fully customized homunculus from Frederica's workshop—excluding artificial intelligence, of course.
Spending that much for just an introduction seemed ridiculous. However, since this was Seyra's money and not mine, I could afford to splurge. If this were being billed to the Magic Knights' budget, I'd face an investigation and severe disciplinary action. Not to mention having my salary docked to pay it back.
But this was a secret mission funded by Seyra herself, so I didn't hesitate too much.
Clink.
Still, 500 gold felt excessive, so I handed over 300 gold instead. The actual finder's fee was probably closer to 100 or 200 gold, but I figured a generous tip might get me better information.
"You're a bit stingy for a young guy... but fine, I'll tell you."
The tavern owner raised the beer mug he'd given me as "service," revealing a small metal trinket stuck to its base.
"Take this to the harbor. You'll find a ship docked there, nestled close to the shore. If anyone tells you to keep away because they're repairing the boat, just show them this, and they'll let you through."
"Do I need to bring this trinket?"
"With all the inspections and crackdowns lately, it's better to be cautious. We only trust people with this kind of token."
Considering he'd approached me—a clear outsider—with the suggestion to "taste mermaid pussy," their secrecy didn't seem particularly strict. But then again, conflicts between those trying to keep secrets and those desperate to make money weren't uncommon.
"They open at midnight. If you leave now, you should arrive on time."
With that, I downed the rest of my beer and returned the untouched "service" mug.
"See you."
"Heh heh... Make sure to tell them you were sent by my tavern! They'll set you up with a beautiful mermaid!"
The tavern owner shouted so loudly that I wondered what part of this was supposed to be secret. I inspected the metal trinket in my hand.
'A little fish-shaped ornament?'
It wasn't an expensive-looking item, apart from its anti-corrosion treatment. When I channeled mana into it, it responded, likely enchanted to prevent counterfeiting.
'This isn't just some casual operation. They're pretty organized.'
As I approached the coast, I spotted a ship docked near the harbor. People moved back and forth on smaller boats, and men with scarred faces blocked my path.
"What do you want? The boat's under repair, so get lost."
I showed them the fish-shaped trinket, and one of them snatched it out of my hand.
"You're an outsider. How'd you find out about this place...?"
"I was sent by the tavern owner."
"Ah, that guy. I told him not to involve outsiders..."
Despite his grumbling, he seemed more annoyed than outright rejecting me. After verifying the trinket by dipping it in water and watching it float, he nodded.
"It's real. Go ahead."
'Is their security this sloppy? Or is it intentionally lax to make it easier for customers to approach?'
They directed me onto a small boat that took me to the docked ship. As I prepared to climb the rope ladder hanging from the deck, they gestured instead toward a hole in the side of the ship.
'What is this...?'
The opening was covered with thick curtains. I hesitated, wondering if it might be an ambush, but the man guiding me grew impatient.
"Relax, you won't drown in there. And if you do, just swim out. Outsiders are so damn cautious."
The hole was draped with several layers of curtains, which I parted as I stepped inside.
"...Wow. This is something else."
The docked "ship" was a fake.
It wasn't damaged—it was never a real ship to begin with. The structure was merely wooden planks tied together to create the illusion of a boat.
Beneath my feet, a wooden walkway had been laid out, leading deeper inside. The walls were adorned with glowing jellyfish, casting an eerie light, while magical lamps hung from the ceiling, bathing the interior in a soft glow.
In reality, it was a platform built over the water, held up by large buoys connected by ropes. The wooden planks facing the harbor were constructed to resemble the side of a ship, complete with deliberate gaps to sell the illusion of being under repair.
Locals probably knew what went on here, but to an outsider like me, it was convincing enough.
'Something's swimming beneath the platform.'