Meanwhile, Ard stood on the docks with Varvir and Durgat, watching a line of massive galleons being loaded with troops and supplies for the crossing to the northern continent. Claudia, Ainsley, Irwin, and Irina were busy observing the harbor merchants selling goods they had never seen before, eventually taking a break at a nearby tavern. Ard could see many mermen walking along the docks; they moved on finned legs that would merge into fish tails once they entered the sea, and they wore transparent helmets filled with seawater. They appeared to be trading, bringing in seafood to exchange for food supplies from the land.
"Hmm... so there are quite a few mermen wandering around here, huh? Since when? I thought mermen were only legends," Ard said to Varvir and Durgat.
"They began appearing about 500 years ago, Your Highness. Initially, we were also shocked to see them wandering through our villages," Varvir replied.
