"Damn it! Father doesn't believe a word I say!"
Tom and the others heard Ariel's furious shout before they even saw him charging toward them. "But I'll prove him wrong!"
Clearly, Ariel had just had a heated argument with his father, the Sea King.
Perhaps it was because they were outsiders, or because Ariel's ideas were simply too far-fetched, but their tour of the Deep Sea Palace was abruptly coming to an end.
"Eric... Ocean Ranger! Let's go!"
Ariel seized Eric's hand and gestured for Tom and the others to follow.
They exchanged glances and fell into step behind him.
As the group swam out of the castle, several attendants tried to summon a sea creature to pull a carriage-like vehicle, but Ariel refused them all. He wouldn't accept anything his Sea King father offered from now on!
Tom and the others were indifferent; they had a Water-Repelling Charm, so they didn't need to swim, nor did they require any carriage.
Harry and his friends seemed curious; after all, it was a "carriage" in the sea, and they'd never ridden in one before.
Still, it was just curiosity; they hardly needed it. They had practically maxed out their swimming skills by this point anyway.
Once they left the castle, Ariel couldn't resist posturing as the "Sea Superman."
But then Eric raised a valid point: he was a land dweller with family and responsibilities; he couldn't always be Ariel's sidekick in the sea.
Hearing this, Ariel was deflated, but he quickly perked up again. He had another idea. Who said the "Sea Superman and Ocean Ranger" had to operate exclusively in the sea?
They would make that name echo throughout the entire continent!
"But Ariel… can you even move around on land?"
Eric looked at Ariel's tail, a puzzled expression on his face.
Ariel simply waved dismissively. "No problem. I have a solution... Follow me."
Watching Ariel swim ahead, Eric, despite his confusion, had no choice but to follow.
Meanwhile, Tom and the others who had overheard their conversation already had some theories.
...
Atlantis.
The residential area outside the castle.
Led by Ariel, the group arrived at a small shop with dark and gloomy decor.
"A sea witch's fortune-telling hut? Really?"
Looking at the coral sign hanging above the door, Harry couldn't help but scoff.
It was just as shabby as that wand shop run by "Ollivander's relatives" that he had seen in Egypt.
He'd imagined the sea witch—the big boss from the story—would be some mysterious figure, but she was just a small-time charlatan running a shop in some back alley?
"This is my aunt's shop. She came here after my father kicked her out," Ariel explained as he led the way inside.
The shop was small and felt cramped, cluttered with all sorts of strange objects.
Immediately, they spotted a "mermaid" with the upper body of a plump, middle-aged woman and the lower body of an octopus, busily working.
Due to the shop's tiny size, everyone saw this so-called "sea witch" the moment they entered.
The sea witch noticed Tom and his group, her gaze landing first on Ariel. "Oh, my dearest nephew! You haven't visited your aunt in ages! You have no idea how much I've missed you… And who might these people be?"
Noticing Tom and the others behind Ariel, a flicker of surprise crossed the sea witch's eyes.
Not because of their human identities, but because she sensed magic emanating from Harry and his friends!
Eric, needless to say, was just an ordinary person; his ability to breathe underwater was likely due to Ariel's magic.
But aside from Eric, none of them were simpletons!
Were these kids serious? Were they all wizards?!
And the blond one—such powerful magic at such a young age?
Looking at Nagini, the sea witch clearly sensed a looming threat; the snake was probably no weaker than herself! Perhaps even stronger!
Finally, there was Tom; to be frank, she couldn't sense anything from him.
In the sea witch's perception, Tom simply wasn't there!
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed such a creature existed… What kind of monster was this?!
A flash of seriousness and panic crossed her eyes, and the sea witch quickly regained her composure, pulling Ariel aside to chat about trivial matters.
Meanwhile, Tom was observing the sea witch with keen interest. This woman was considerably stronger than the Snow White Queen; in terms of magical power, she was even stronger than a typical Auror.
Tom wasn't surprised by this. After all, the sea witch had lived for a very long time. In fact, it was somewhat disappointing that she only possessed this level of strength.
However, it's hard to say. After all, their magical systems are different; perhaps this woman could still surprise me.
"Aunt, I've come to ask for your help."
Ariel wasted no time with pleasantries and stated his purpose directly.
Hearing this, a glint of smugness flashed in the sea witch's eyes. "Finally… oh! I mean, of course, of course I'll help you. After all, you're my most precious nephew."
Looking at the aunt his father had strictly forbidden him from contacting, Ariel took a deep breath and continued, "I want to be able to go ashore, so I need a pair of human legs."
Hearing this, the sea witch readily agreed, "That's not difficult. In fact, it's quite simple."
Tom nodded silently.
"However…"
The sea witch's expression suddenly became conflicted.
Seeing this, Ariel seemed anxious. "However, what?"
The sea witch put on a serious face as she explained the consequences to Ariel. "This kind of magic comes at a price. You will lose your prized voice."
Hearing this, Tom raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.
The sea witch, noticing this, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had guessed correctly; these unfamiliar fellows weren't that close to Ariel.
"..."
Ariel was silent for a moment, then his eyes hardened. "No problem. I can be an excellent warrior even without a sound!"
"Then… I'll give you legs right now."
The sea witch eagerly began casting a spell on Ariel, then feigned sadness as she claimed his tenor voice and placed it inside a small seashell.
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