So, it was this powerful merman who had saved him.
Coming to this conclusion, Eric ceased his mental wanderings, his gaze softening as he looked at Ariel. He was about to express his gratitude. "You..."
"Come be my man!"
Eric's brain stalled. What? He hadn't even finished speaking. More importantly, what had this merman just said? Eric couldn't believe his ears.
Yes, his father had introduced him to many beautiful women, yet he'd shown little interest, hence his unmarried state. But that didn't mean he was interested in men! Especially a man stronger than himself! At least, that was Eric's perception.
Faced with his rescuer's...unreasonable request, Eric's face darkened. He wanted to refuse outright. Yes, you saved my life. Even as a prince, I am willing to show my respect... but never to that extreme!
Thinking this, Eric struggled to swim away, putting what he considered a "safe distance" between them.
Seeing Eric's reaction, Ariel seemed to realize the ambiguity of his words. "No, no, no... it's not what you think!" Ariel hastily clarified.
But this only drove Eric further off. "How do you know what I think?"
"..."
"That means you really do think that way, right!" Eric declared internally that he would never submit to a merman, especially a male one! What would his father, his people, think of him? With the thought, Eric tensed, ready to flee.
Wait a minute... Eric's eyes flicked downwards to Ariel's tail. Could mermen even...do that with humans?
"..."
Noticing Eric's strange gaze, Ariel's visage darkened. "Ocean Ranger, I sense you are entertaining some very impolite thoughts."
Eric's expression became awkward. "Ahem..."
He tried to change the subject, but a familiar voice carried on the sea breeze.
"Mr. Eric, we thought you had already..." Harry swam over, feigning exaggerated concern. Malfoy followed, then Tom and the others.
"Harry?" Eric was initially surprised. He hadn't expected anyone else from the ship to survive. Then he noticed the Bubble Head Charm encasing Harry's head like a fishbowl. And Malfoy, too. And then... why are they always so different? Looking at the oversized bubble, easily two meters in diameter, enveloping Tom and the others, Eric's lips twitched involuntarily.
He was about to say something when Tom cut him off. "You... and this merman, what are you doing?"
Hearing Tom's words, Eric panicked, looking like a man caught in the most compromising position. "No! No..."
"Then why did this merman contact you?" Tom's tone was genuinely curious.
"..."
He wants me to sell my backside. But was that something he could just say? Eric's face darkened; he remained silent, pursing his lips. Anyone would think he'd been... well, never mind.
"Ahem..."
Fortunately, Ariel came to his rescue, though it was also an explanation directed at Eric. "I saved him, not only because I admire his courage as an Ocean Ranger, but also because I wanted his help."
"..."
Eric stared at Ariel, frustrated. Is that something I can help with? We have the exact same equipment! You'd be better off asking a dolphin!
Tom glanced casually at Eric, who seemed hesitant to speak, then turned to Ariel. "What kind of help do you hope to receive from him?"
Ariel seemed somewhat wistful. "Alas… sir, you wouldn't know this, but I am the youngest prince of the deep-sea kingdom of Atlantis, and also its most valiant warrior."
What? Aren't you a merman? Eric's eyes widened slightly at Ariel's words.
However, Ariel didn't notice Eric's thoughts. He continued, "Therefore, my father intends for me to inherit the kingdom. He says I am the most like him among all the princes… but he thinks I am still too young." At this point, Ariel's expression turned somewhat dejected.
But he quickly regained his enthusiasm. "So, I want to prove him wrong!" With that, Ariel turned to Eric, his eyes filled with sincerity. "With your help... we can definitely achieve something great! So... could you help me?"
"..."
Eric remained silent, his face flushed slightly. He couldn't voice his misinterpretation; his thoughts had run too wild. Wanting to change the subject, he readily agreed to Ariel's request. After all, the other man had saved his life, and he didn't mind returning the favor.
"That's wonderful!" Ariel couldn't hide his surprise. He was about to give Eric a big hug, but Eric casually found an excuse to avoid it.
Ariel didn't seem to notice, then turned to look at the bubbles surrounding Harry's head. "Although I don't know much about magic, I can still tell a thing or two. These bubbles must be some kind of enchantment allowing people to breathe underwater... I wonder who you are?"
"Just a bunch of wizards who happened to be passing by... swimming over here." Harry feigned composure, recalling Tom's boastful manner.
"What the hell 'wizards who swam over here'? Scarface, can't you even be a wizard? If not, let me do it!" Malfoy tugged at Harry's shoulder, trying to get him to back up.
Cassandra and the others looked at Harry and Ariel speechlessly, while Tom used the same trick he'd used on Little Red Riding Hood, only adding the fact that they were wizards, to fool Eric and Ariel.
"..."
Wizards? Eric's expression was complicated. In this era, wizardry wasn't viewed favorably; it was only because these particular wizards were genuine that they weren't being burned at the stake.
But recalling his previous experiences with Tom and the others, Eric felt that even if Tom and his friends were wizards, they probably weren't evil ones. Thinking of this, Eric's expression improved considerably.
After introductions, Ariel, who rarely saw humans, warmly invited everyone to visit his underwater kingdom. And his kingdom, as they now knew, was… the Deep-Sea Kingdom! Atlantis!!
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