Soon they reached the Mermaid Palace, where the Mermaid King and Queen personally received them.
"Mighty Mages, we have finally awaited your arrival." The King and Queen were very pleased with Tianmiao’s group’s arrival and were about to order a feast to welcome them.
"No need, let’s talk about the issue at hand first." Bart waved his hand to refuse.
Knowing that some powerful mages had peculiar tempers, the King and Queen didn’t insist further. They invited everyone to sit down and began to explain the problem.
Tianmiao sipped on the juice served by the mermaid maid, secretly evaluating it in his heart. It tasted a bit sweet and sour; it would be better if it were less sour and sweeter. Xia Chuanyue watched Tianmiao drinking with gusto, and couldn’t help but taste it too. Camille saw Xia Chuanyue holding the cup in both hands drinking earnestly and was tempted to pick one up and hand it to Dean.
Dean looked at the cup in Camille’s hand, then looked at Camille with disdain, but he still took the cup and started drinking.
Camille smiled and drank from her cup as well.
The King began explaining with a serious expression, and Bart listened with equal seriousness. Tianmiao and the others held their cups with both hands, wide-eyed, watching the King.
The King, faced with the synchronized actions of the four, and four pairs of wide eyes staring at him, suddenly got stuck and forgot what he was about to say next.
Bart felt like facepalming; this was the most clueless batch of students he’d ever brought. Clueless in what way? He didn’t even know the words to describe it.
Tianmiao: Why does this juice keep getting sourer?
Xia Chuanyue: So sour, so sour, what’s going on? My teeth are going to fall out. The Mermaid Clan’s taste is really odd.
Camille: It was sweet and sour at first, how did it get so sour now? I want to spit it back into the cup, but that’s neither polite nor classy.
Dean: ... Sour! Stupid Mermaid Clan, their small fish brains are truly dumb. Camille is dumb too, why hand this to me?
"Ah, you can continue, don’t mind us." Tianmiao put down the cup and said.
"Alright, okay," the King nodded and continued, "This time, the one in trouble is my daughter. I have seven sons and only this one little daughter. The seven sons do not have political talent, but their magic talent is very high, and their magic power is strong now. However, they are not fit to be successors. My little daughter, from a very young age, has shown amazing political talent. She would be a very competent successor. Given time, she will certainly become an excellent queen."
Tianmiao picked up a round greenish fruit and put it in his mouth.
When he bit into it, the fruit made a squelching sound in his mouth.
The King paused, looking at Tianmiao.
Tianmiao spread his hands, as if to say, "Your Mermaid Clan’s food and drinks are so strange, you can’t blame me."
"So, the problem is with the little princess this time." Bart asked.
"Yes, we suspect our little daughter has been cursed or poisoned with something very potent, causing her to become disoriented and engage in some outrageous actions," the Queen said seriously.
"Then can we meet the Princess first? Seeing her in person would allow us to determine if she is cursed or poisoned." Bart inquired.
"Of course, I will have someone bring her," the Queen stood up, about to order a maid to find her, when a maid rushed in anxiously.
"Reporting to His Majesty the King, the Princess, she, she sneaked out again." The maid said in a panic.
"What? How are you watching over her?" The King stood up angrily.
"But, the Princess knocked us all out..." the maid said weakly.