"Although this incident is over, I don't think the Scarlet Cult's failure was due to insufficient preparation."
Shade suddenly said.
"What's the reason?"
The witch asked as she continued eating.
"They picked the wrong time. If they hadn't chosen to deal with them during Darkness' stay in Coldwater Harbor, or after the Tobesk God's Descent incident, the church and the academy would definitely not have invested so much power to deal with them."
Shade answered, using a table knife to peel the fish meat off the skeleton on the plate.
The witch thought for a moment:
"But no matter what, this time the church, which represents a positive image, still won... just like in Tobesk. And that god-caller is qualified to become a legendary figure in stories thousands of years later... and will probably be printed on the Rhodes brand."
Rather than worrying about his reputation, Shade was looking forward to the possibility of becoming the face of Rhodes' card.
After dinner, neither Shade nor Miss Aurora went to the banquet. Driven by curiosity, Shade finally followed the witch to the beach behind the manor to see the mermaid.
Miss Aurora's personal maids carried golden candlesticks and followed Shade and the mistress of the manor through the garden to the beach. Then, in the moonlight, the young girls took off their shoes and walked into the water, forming two vertical rows that stretched from the water to the shore of the beach.
Miss Aurora and Shade stood at the end of the long line of maids, watching the flickering candlelight go deep into the sea. The sea breeze blew the maids' skirts and long hair, and also made the candle flames drag from the candle core to the shore. This scene under the moon looked quite magical.
The witch took off the small conch pendant hanging on her chest, bent down and dipped it into the sea water, and the pendant squirmed and grew larger. As the witch blew the conch, the long and ethereal sound of the conch spread from the shore to the bottom of the sea.
That sound made Shade feel as if he could hear the waves of the deep sea, and feel the sea water soaking his skin. This was the sound Shade heard after Miss Aurora jumped into the cave under the temple in pursuit of Darkness.
There are male mermaids, but they are very few in number. And because of the witch's curse, Miss Aurora is more willing to get close to female mermaids.
They are also highly intelligent creatures, but unless they use special potions, spells, magic or even relics, individuals of the mermaid race cannot transform their tails into beautiful long legs as in the stories.
Therefore, there is a temporary residence built for them under the harbor behind Aurora Manor. As Miss Aurora blew the conch, the mermaids on the seabed gradually moved to the surface of the water and then emerged in the shallow sea.
They followed the guidance of the candlelight and got closer to the shallows, but in order to avoid being stranded, they could only swim at the end of the light. Miss Aurora also took off her high heels and walked into the water. Xia De looked down at the moonlight, her feet stepped into the relatively clear water, and then realized that it was very rude.
So Shade followed and walked into the shallow road between the two rows of maids.
Because of their culture and living habits, mermaids are very timid, just like Mia. At first, even with Miss Aurora around, they were reluctant to approach Shade, but after gradually trusting Shade, they dared to swim to the shallows to greet him.
Most of them understood the common language of Draerion, but they liked to talk to each other in racial prophecy. Of course, Shad also understood this language that was very similar to the language of the fishmen, and heard the mermaid girls praise him for his good looks, good smell, and beautiful moonlight on his fingertips.
Miss Aurora and the mermaids all thought that Shad didn't understand what was said, but Shad actually did understand it, and in this situation, he couldn't say that he understood it.
These creatures living in the water like to use shells and water plants as clothes, so as he got closer to them, Shade even had to move the silver moonlight from his fingertips away to prevent seeing things he shouldn't see.
Although this was not the first time that Shad had come into contact with alien creatures in this world, the contact with strange intelligent races still made him feel very novel.
The main purpose of Shade's visit to the mermaid was not only to satisfy his curiosity, but also to find out about things related to desire. The intelligent level 0 relic looked like a mermaid, which might not be a coincidence. The ancient alien race might have some clues.
"In the past, mermaids were a symbol of desire. Sailors said they could use their songs to lead ships into the center of storms or divert them from safe routes."
There was no news about the relic among the mermaid race. However, after Shade briefly mentioned the symbolism of mermaids in mysticism, Miss Aurora gave some explanation.
"Perhaps the fact that desire resembles a mermaid is caused by this rumor. People's thoughts and culture also affect the desires that claim to be born in desire."
This is what Shad thought.
Although there was indeed a mermaid girl who was very interested in Shad, Shad did not stay in Coldwater Harbor for long. After meeting the mermaid, he talked with the witch for a few words about the follow-up news of the shadow in Coldwater Harbor, and then said goodbye and left.
Instead of going home immediately, he swam in the sea for a full hour, avoiding the church's patrol boats, and relying on the strong memory of the voices in his heart, he found the soul fishing rod inserted in the seabed under the cold water harbor bay. Then he swam to the cave under the cliff and returned to his home through the hidden wall.
Dripping with water all over his body, Xia De returned to the first floor from the basement. Although he was only away from home for a day, Xia De breathed in the air of home and missed his house very much.
Perhaps the sound of his footsteps alarmed the people upstairs. Before Shad approached the stairs and turned on the gas light in the hallway, he heard loud and quick footsteps coming from upstairs and getting closer and closer.
"Shad!"
First, Mia the cat rushed over, but it was not her who spoke. The blonde girl behind the cat almost rushed over directly.
She opened her arms, not caring that Shade was soaking wet, and hugged him. Before he could react, she kissed him on the lips.
"Woo~"
Xia De made this sound with his nose. The cat waiting for him to hold him at his feet supported its body with its two short legs and grabbed Xia De's trouser legs with its front paws. After waiting for a long time without seeing Xia De bend down, it returned to all fours and looked up with dissatisfaction, and then its big amber eyes showed curiosity.
Even Shade, who had the ability to sense time, could not measure the length of this kiss. It felt very fast, but also very long.
When Dorothy finally let him go, he took a deep breath and looked at the girl in front of him in astonishment:
"Wait, are you Dorothy or Leicia?"
“Is this question important?”
The blonde blushed and wiped her mouth. Shade noticed that she wore light makeup and even lipstick.
"Of course it's important. I at least want to know who it is... whose soul is kissing me.
She laughed and looked at Shade closely with her green eyes:
"Then just pretend that we are both kissing you at the same time. Shade, thank you for saving Resia Cavendish, and the princess didn't even have time to say goodbye to you. This kiss is a thank you and an apology... Also, you should do less dangerous things in the future."
"At the same time? Can you still think like that?"
Xia De asked back in surprise.
Dorothy didn't care what Shad thought. She hugged Shad tightly and tried to kiss him again, but Shad pushed her away. He looked at the blonde in his arms seriously:
"Before that, you need to know one more thing. The relic that belonged to both of us, the scales of the drowned murloc, was destroyed by me."
Dorothy looked at Shad in astonishment:
"Now? At a time like this? Shad Hamilton, you're telling me this?"
"I want to compensate you for your losses."
"You... ...then consider this as compensation."
Then she kissed him again, pressing the back of his head so hard that Shad thought his lip was going to be broken.
There was no gas lamp on the first floor of No. 6 Sainte-Teresa Square. There was only the light from the gas street lamp outside the window. They stood in the square-shaped light on the floor extending from the window, and their embracing shadows stretched to the wall.
The carriage passed by the window, making a rhythmic sound when rolling on the road. The shadow swayed on the wall for a moment after passing the window. The moonlight was beautiful, but Mia meowed in dissatisfaction. She had been waiting for a long time, but Shade had not come to hold her.
The girl's kiss lasted for an unknown amount of time before it ended. She blushed as she looked at Shade, who also looked at her. Although Shade was still under the influence of the lustful flesh and blood, and thought of more things, he still had reason, so he turned the messy thoughts that came out of this kiss into reality.
The two chatted until 10 p.m. that night. They talked about Shad's experience in Coldwater Harbor, how Shad had used the power of the Thirteenth Ring Warlock that he had used in Lakeview Manor, and even how Shad had just seen a mermaid.
Dorothy laughed and complained that Shad smelled like fish even after a bath, and then jokingly called him "the mermaid fisherman of Coldwater Harbor."
Even after seeing the blonde off to the carriage at the corner of St. Teresa's Square, Shad was still unsure whether the person he was talking to tonight was Dorothy Louisa or Resia Cavendish. Although she had touched her ears, that might have been a fake.
Stranger, I am a little surprised that you didn't let her stay overnight at your house.
"Why do you want to stay?"
Xia De put his hands in his pockets, stood under the dim yellow street light and watched the carriage drive towards the university district.
Given the mood she's in tonight, she won't refuse your invitation.
"Since when have you ever given me an opinion on my life?"
Shade said with a smile, turned and walked across the quiet square towards the door, kicking the stones at his feet. The orange cat Mia peeked out from behind the half-open door, worried about Shade going out at night, but she didn't dare to run into the darkness by herself.
"I knew she would probably stay if I invited her."
He said in his heart.
So, why not
"You also said that this was because of her mood tonight. I won't be that kind of person."
Then I understand.
She chuckled in his ear.
Xia De also smiled, walked into the room, grasped the door handle from the inside and wanted to close the door. But he suddenly turned around and looked at the moon over Saint Teresa Square outside the door.
The silver moon tonight is so bright.