“Wizard?”

“That silver hair… I’ve heard of it before!”

“Why is the Northern Commander here?”

As if facing the Siren cluster was nothing, Shailo didn’t even take his hand out of his pocket, ignoring the people murmuring about his story. Shailo whistled nonchalantly.

“Impressive.”

I casually praised him while looking at the sea-colored magical spheres exploding like fireworks around him.

Even just that was a majestic sight that would leave a lasting impression on the mind. What if he had really summoned lightning with true area-of-effect magic?

It would have been a devastating scene.

“Mermem, if the song isn’t working well, the Sirens will create a whirlpool from then on.”

At that moment, the ship swayed dramatically as it got caught in the vortex, and it was crucial not to miss that moment.

Leaning on the railing, I looked down at the hellish creatures.

Thinking about the size of the magical power I could obtain soon, it was truly magnificent.

Suddenly.

Thud.

Thud, thud, thud!

Inside the banquet hall, numerous people fell asleep, lying on tables, floors, and chairs. Some individuals stumbled and soon rose among those who had fallen asleep.

The staggering figures soon merged into the crowd of people gathered at the door.

Unfortunately, those who woke up from shallow sleep were among them.

“Open the door…”

“Need to go…”

“Open the door. Open, open the door!!!”

Soldiers, with wet cotton in their ears, futilely tried to block the noise, but hands reached out from everywhere, grabbing the doorknob and shaking it.

Fortunately, the good thing about humans using dragons was that the banquet hall’s door was locked from the outside, and there was no way to open it from the inside as it was firmly blocked with planks.

Meanwhile, outside, a fierce melee between Sirens and soldiers was taking place.

The Sirens threw rocks they brought from the sea or jumped up with the power of their tails, attacking humans.

At the same time, the whirlpool continued to grow, gradually engulfing the entire sea.

“Ah!”

“Ugh, ugh!”

Wobble.

No matter how big the ship was, it could only sway in front of such a vortex.

As the ship tilted sharply to the left, objects poured and broke.

Utensils from the kitchen, items stacked in the warehouse, nothing stood still. Is a person okay?

The problem was not the fight; now the priority was not to fall off the ship and endure.

“Tie yourselves with ropes!”

“Hold on! Hold on until the end!”

And at that moment.

A scream echoed from somewhere.

The short scream was quickly drowned out by the sound of the waves, and afterward, a splash sound was heard a couple of times.

After a long while, perhaps almost eternity.

The shaking stopped.
The whirlpool disappeared as silently as it appeared, and the sea calmed down so quietly that it seemed like it never happened.

Almost surreptitious.

The ears felt stuffy.

Right after falling into the sea, a bone-chilling water temperature enveloped me to the point that my whole body felt icy. Originally, it wouldn’t be this cold in summer, but it was because the Sirens from the north brought a cold current with them.

“Leo!”

Merem, who jumped into the sea right after me, pulled me tightly from behind.

As he created a safe zone filled with oxygen around him, I could cough up the wrongly swallowed water.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, my eyes are stinging.”

“Let me see.”

Merem, using a lesser spirit, produced clean water and poured it over my eyes. Only then, as the stinging subsided, could I regain my composure.

“It’s dark.”

“Yes, it is. Is it your first time coming into the sea?”

Merem, who was looking around while I asked, nodded.

“Your siblings didn’t think about sending you to the sea, did they?”

“That’s about right.”

Since we were underwater, our voices were not clear.

I thought it would be better not to talk too much, as continued listening might make me feel dizzy.

Kyaaaah!

Kyack!

Boom!

The Sirens who discovered us and rushed towards us were thrown back with a dull sound.

Without even asking separately, the Elemental King automatically took us to the bottom of the whirlpool.

Deeper, and even deeper.

To the leaders at the very bottom.

Amidst long seaweed and a group of small fish swelled with a cluster, a dark figure appeared.

A massive body with a sharp fin on its tail. An evil creature with three eyes, including the one on its forehead.

When the old Siren spotted me, its third eye blinked.

You knew you would come. Fallen sovereign.

The Siren’s voice was as sharp as scraping metal with fingernails.

Meeting such a being might be familiar to me, but not to Merem. I wondered if he was not shocked, and as I looked up at him, I was relieved.

Merem’s eyes showed no sign of wavering.

If you become a part of the great one, it will be an unparalleled honor. However, in exchange for giving my core, I would like to make one promise.

“Promise?”