Chapter 115: Entering the Game with One

"Woooo~~~~~"

Amid the hum of the engines, three newly built curved‑bottom, pointed‑bow warships drifted slowly across the sea off the east coast of White Sturgeon Island.

This is the fourth‑generation transport vessel improved by Mage Beilite, whose performance shows a marked improvement over the first version.

It also proves that passion is the best teacher.

On the basic hull, Luosen added extra propulsion upgrades and installed lightning‑defense runes, turning the cargo carrier into a medium warship with considerable combat capability.

Of the three warships, the first is the flagship, with Luosen himself aboard.

The flagship's hold carries fifty Guard Corps battle mages, each wielding the latest Lightning Torrent crossbow.

The second and third ships each carry fifty fully‑armed Sun Warriors.

Whether in a blood‑soaked battle or any other tactic, these Sun Warriors possess ample combat power.

In addition, the surrounding waters are guarded by as many as eighty Fishman Killer Speedboats.

A White Sturgeon Island‑based fleet sails at a steady pace toward Hank Island, over three hundred kilometers away.

Luosen's stated purpose is to, during the annual Tide Festival, pay a visit to the Harpy Queen La Erte Lisi to discuss joint management of the Triangular Sea.

As the fleet proceeds smoothly, harpies continuously gather overhead and around the ships.

They follow the fleet, screeching in the sky and leaping across the surrounding waters.

They look uneasy, yet they do not intercept the fleet, let alone attack.

Over more than two months of normal trade, the harpies have become familiar with the human races on land, accustomed to the presence of human lords, and have sensed the lords' character from various angles.

He is willing to communicate properly, but there is a clear, firm bottom line.

If the bottom line is crossed, the human lord's retaliation will be extremely brutal! Harpies are not naturally aggressive, and when faced with Luosen's modest yet formidable demeanor, they are at a loss for how to respond.

Thus, they involuntarily keep yielding step by step.

"Wha‑la~~ Wha‑la~~~"

Amid the rush of air, a pearl‑blue‑feathered harpy gradually lowers its altitude, seemingly intending to land.

The Guard Corps moves to intercept, but Luosen raises a hand and says, "Let her descend."

The harpy lands on the bow of the flagship, the very harpy chieftain first encountered during the initial trade.

She is also Frodo's wife, named Duo Erliya.

Compared with the boldness of the first encounter, this time she wears leather armor, many ornaments, and exudes a strong aura of civilized world.

Her expression is uneasy; after landing on the ship, she looks at Luosen.

"Lord, I still think this is a bad idea; it's too reckless and will anger the queen greatly!"

Luosen, of course in his true form, is seated in a chair, communicating sea conditions with the fleet's commanders.

Seeing Duo Erliya speak thus, he smiles, "Mrs. Boshi (the surname Frodo gave himself), I come to the Tide Festival with a friendly attitude; I will act cautiously and will never provoke the queen."

Duo Erliya shakes her head repeatedly, "No, no, no. Queen Bay is our tribe's sacred ground; outsiders are never allowed, and you also bring so many terrifying weapons!"

Luosen replies immediately, "Oh~ I certainly respect your tradition, so my fleet will anchor outside the bay and only bring a single Guard unit into the bay."

"No, no, no. Even so, entry is forbidden; no outsiders may enter Queen Bay."

Luosen laughs, "I come with sincerity; these weapons will never attack proactively, only defend and counter."

"If the queen becomes angry because of my rudeness, I will apologize at once and depart Hank Island immediately."

"Finally, I will not abruptly enter the bay; I will give advance notice, and if the queen does not permit it, I will certainly not force my way in."

Hearing this, Duo Erliya's expression softens considerably, "If that's the case, there should be no major problem."

"My sisters are all worried; I'll go explain the lord's intentions to them now."

"No need to trouble you; I already explained beforehand before departing."

He adds, "To show sincerity, the fleet also brought a full hundred exceptionally strong warriors; perhaps, madam, you can convey this news to your people."

Upon hearing this, Duo Erliya's cheeks flush red, and she can't help saying, "Lord, my sisters certainly like warriors, but life isn't only about warriors. Fine, this is indeed effective."

After speaking, she spreads both hands, her arms turning into massive wings, and she flaps upward again, joining the other harpies in communication.

The news of a hundred Sun Warriors proves highly effective; the harpies' reactions are noticeably calmer.

Seeing this, Luosen immediately contacts the rear modified warship, "Send all the Sun Warriors up to the deck to greet the ladies."

"But be careful: even with enthusiastic embraces, don't conduct business on the deck."

Soon, many strong, handsome Sun Warriors appear on the cargo ship's deck, repeatedly waving at the harpies in the sky.

With their arrival, the harpies' response becomes much more enthusiastic, circling the cargo ship, excitedly shrieking.

Some harpies even try to land directly on the deck.

Fearing the situation might spiral, Luosen quickly activates the Lightning Amplifier Horn, shouting, "Passionate, beautiful ladies of the deep, these warriors are a gift to the queen."

"Out of respect, before meeting the queen, please do not waste their energy in advance."

The queen holds high prestige among the harpies; after that shout, the harpies become more restrained, at least no longer landing on the deck.

Yet they still cling to the rail, casting flirtatious glances at the favored Sun Warriors, whistling—truly a bunch of harpy hussies.

Thus, under the escort of a massive swarm of harpies, the fleet safely traverses over 300 kilometers and reaches the outskirts of Hank Island.

Here, countless fishmen densely populate the sea, and the sky is filled with harpies so numerous they form arrays, flying like an enormous flock of birds.

If both sides were to clash at this spot, it would be an extremely terrifying battle.

The fleet's warriors all wear solemn expressions.

Luosen immediately issues an order, "Reduce speed, display a friendly attitude, and show no provocative actions!"

The fleet he brings this time is powerful; if combat erupts, it can inflict massive damage on harpies and fishmen, but it would also sustain severe losses, possibly total annihilation.

A mutual loss is not the outcome Luosen desires.

He brings the fleet not to slaughter, but to demonstrate his right to negotiate.

Look at these harpies and fishmen; what splendid aerial and underwater forces they are.

If it could be taken for his own use, it could directly double his sea power.

The ship's speed slowed considerably, gradually approaching the entrance of Queen's Bay.

It can be seen that, after the holy land was threatened, the mermaids gradually began to become sensitive.

They continually swarmed toward the fleet, emitting a driving-away type of sharp whistling sound.

The fish people in the sea also gradually gathered, although the vast majority were ordinary fish people, but many high-level fish people mages could also be seen.

Luosen feared an accidental discharge, immediately issuing the order: 'Stop advancing!'

The fleet stopped.

Luosen walked to the bow, picked up the horn and shouted loudly: 'I am the lord of White Sturgeon Island, I come with great goodwill and great respect for the queen.' 'I hope to be granted an audience with the queen. If the queen disagrees, we will turn back right now, and it will absolutely not affect subsequent trade.'

After shouting, Luosen patiently waited.

After about an hour and a half, suddenly a squadron of twenty mermaids formed from pearl-blue feathers flew in neat formation toward the fleet.

After reaching above the fleet, one of the mermaids shouted at the flagship: 'Who is White Sturgeon Island's lord Luosen? Step forward.'

Luosen, on guard, walked onto the bow deck: 'I am.'

He also carefully observed her, discovering that although the mermaid's body remained youthful and voluptuous, compared to those passionate and fiery mermaids, her eyes were far more calm and weathered.

The body can be kept young with magic, but the soul is hard to disguise.

If a person's soul's total lifespan is defined as 100 years, then this mermaid should already be over seventy years old.

Furthermore, considering the mermaid's aura of magic power reaching the peak of the fourth stage, it is sufficient to prove that she is a high-ranking figure of the mermaid race.

Luosen estimated that she was likely a close attendant of the queen.

The mermaid spoke, her voice slightly hoarse: 'The queen has ordered that if you truly come with sincerity, do not stand on your fleet.'

'You alone follow us into the bay.'

'No carrying magic artifacts, no wearing clothes, and we will treat you as we treat ourselves, with frank sincerity.'

Upon hearing this, fleet vice commander Harry was unwilling, immediately walking to Luosen's side: 'Lord, this is too risky.'

Who knows what the situation in the bay is? Who knows what the queen opposite is planning? The mermaid from before spoke again.

'If you cannot do it, please return the way you came, my lord; trade can continue as before, the girls may still like warriors, but deeper interaction will be forgone.'

Before, Luosen truly would not have dared to accept this, but after a month of careful preparation, he now had full confidence.

He was confident that, if the talks fell through and the queen wished him harm, he could break through the encirclement and flee by force.

But if the talks succeeded, the gains would be tremendously huge.

Thinking of this, Luosen could not help but recall the holy maiden Weilan from five hundred years ago.

She likely held a similar idea back then, going to the north to negotiate with the three sages of the Set Kingdom.

Weilan surely also knew the risk was extremely great, but after weighing it, she still chose to take the chance.

This is the price that a high-ring mage must pay to enter the fray personally in order to found a kingdom.

Because precious strategic opportunities are fleeting, they do not give you time to prepare leisurely.

Otherwise, one can only watch the changing winds and clouds helplessly, being an insignificant bystander.

Born without fame, died without fame.

Luosen did not want to be a bystander; a true man does not stir up angry waves, yet lets time slip by—what's the difference from living in vain? So he laughed heartily and strode onto the deck.

'Since the queen has said all this, I will naturally obey~~~'

Standing at the bow, he took off his magic sword and clothes, arms spread: 'I cannot fly, so please, ladies, carry me a leg.'

The mermaid's weathered eyes showed a hint of surprise.

'Lord, your courage is truly extraordinary; in that case, I will carry you a leg.'

She spread her wings, came to the bow, stood before Luosen in a half-crouch: 'Lord, hold on tight.'

Luosen lay on her back; first feeling her skin very smooth, second feeling her very strong, brimming with vigorous vitality.

He silently thought: 'No wonder the Sun Warriors all want to marry mermaids; this vitality is truly rich.'

Indeed, from childhood they selected excellent physiques, and daily they braved the great sea—it's hard not to be strong.

The mermaid spread her arms and took off easily, carrying Luosen all the way, under the escort of a group of mermaid strongers emanating high-level magic power, flying into the Queen's Sea Bay.

Luosen had already had Laifu raise the Heart of the War God to the highest alert level; as soon as any abnormality is detected, it will immediately display the iron dragon body he painstakingly improved, turning to begin fleeing.

Fortunately, so far, no abnormality has been detected.

Splash~~ splash~~~

Mmm~~~ Oh~~~~ Oh~ Mmm~

In the airflow and the mermaids' whistling sounds, Luosen gradually entered the Queen's Sea Bay.

The bay is roughly a perfect circle, with a diameter of about three kilometers, the water very deep, estimated at over 500 meters.

The fish people's algae nests seen last time are still there, but all have been pushed to the edge, while in the central sea's water, countless mermaids can be seen swimming back and forth.

The mermaids in the sky are even more numerous, countless, whooshing in and whooshing out.

The entire Queen's Sea Bay is filled with a strong exotic atmosphere.

Soon, the mermaid brought Luosen to the innermost part of Queen's Bay.

This is a large expanse of white sand beach, with many mermaids lying or standing on it.

They appear languid, but faintly form a large circle.

In the midst of the circle stands a short woman with pearl-luster azure-blue long hair.

She is said to be short because she is just 1.7 meters tall; beside a group of tall, voluptuous mermaids who are 1.89 meters, she appears petite and delicate.

But only her body is petite; her soul is an incomparable giant.

Seven-ring magic power is the first time Luosen, upon coming to this world, has seen a strong person possessing magic power above the six-ring level.

If placed in the Natural God History, he could be called a legendary strong person.

Obviously, this is the demon queen Laerte Lisi.

Judging by her soul aura, her soul lifespan is about just over thirty, still young; if she prolongs her lifespan through sleep and encounters no major upheaval, living another thousand years would be no problem.

Plop~~

Luosen jumped down from the demon queen's back and landed steadily on the white sand.

The two sides were tens of meters apart, staring at each other.

At that moment, nobody moved, not even blinking an eye.

Luosen sensed that his opponent was fully on guard, and he himself was in the same state.

High Circle Mages each have their own secret techniques.

Just like the king piece on a victory chessboard, when playing, if the king does not see the king, it's fine; but if the king sees the king, it's game over.

At this moment, any misjudgment could cause the king to fall.

After staring at each other for about ten seconds, the demon queen Laerte Lisi spoke first.

Heh~~~~ The Iron Dragon truly produced an outstanding descendant—strong in magic, bold in courage, daring to enter the old enemy's lair alone.

Her tone was icy cold.

(End of chapter)