Chapter 37: The Legend of Mermaids and Maritime Disasters

Aurora frowned, realizing only now how daunting the problem was, her face filled with concern.

Was the first major challenge of their journey already this troublesome?

Unlike the worried princess, the young mage appeared perfectly composed, as though everything Aurora mentioned posed no problem at all.

Rhine understood well that the claim "mermaids are terrifying and cause disasters to attack ships passing through this sea" stemmed from records in Rose Kingdom's literature. However, the Rose Kingdom was a landlocked country. These accounts of the mermaid kingdom were, in truth, third- or fourth-hand retellings—embellished tales from sailors of foreign lands and a blend of vivid imaginations.

From his careful study of these texts, Rhine discovered that the supposed evidence of "mermaids causing disasters and attacking ships" boiled down to this:

When certain ships passed through the area, sailors occasionally reported seeing groups of mermaids floating on the surface at dusk, holding hands and singing hauntingly beautiful songs.

The songs, more enchanting than any human singer could produce, praised the depth and beauty of the ocean. Yet their lyrics were chilling, as though urging the sailors not to fear sinking into the sea and to embrace the ocean’s splendor.

To the sailors, however, nothing was more terrifying than the ocean depths.

If it were just eerie songs, it might have been dismissed. But what truly frightened them was that nearly every ship that heard the mermaids' singing met disaster shortly afterward.

Even when the sea was calm like a lake, moments later it would rage. The sky would darken, black clouds would gather, and a furious storm would roar, raising waves towering over ten meters high that swallowed ships whole. Most sailors sank into the ocean—just as the mermaids’ songs described.

The few survivors who escaped these maritime disasters told horrifying tales, calling it “the curse of the mermaids.”

From then on, every ship entering this sea dreaded the sight of mermaids and their singing.

If anyone spotted a group of mermaids surfacing and singing their ethereal melodies, the crew knew their ship was cursed.

Some sailors covered their ears or plugged them with wax, desperate not to hear the mesmerizing but ominous tune. Others wept openly, resigned to the storm swallowing their ship and lives. The sailors' cries mixed with the mermaids' haunting songs, carried on the sea breeze, creating a nightmarish scene.

But to Rhine, the so-called "mermaid's curse" was likely just a misunderstanding!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

According to The Little Mermaid, the sea king's daughters enjoyed rising to the surface, holding hands, and singing in praise of the sea's beauty whenever a storm approached.

Clearly, the mermaids didn’t understand how terrifying the ocean was for humans.

Because they lived in the sea, mermaids were incredibly attuned to its temperament. They could predict storms with precision and chose to sing their praises before the ships just before the storms hit.

But to humans, especially in this magical world, it seemed as though the mermaids’ singing summoned the storms!

Singing about the ocean's beauty to sailors who feared sinking—and then having a storm actually hit? It’s no wonder humans viewed them as harbingers of disaster and monsters, Rhine thought wryly.

Having realized this misunderstanding, Rhine knew Aurora’s worries were unnecessary.

The princess’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“So, should we find a guide familiar with the underwater world? The world is vast; there might be a mage who knows or has even been to the mermaid kingdom.”

“There is such a guide who understands the mermaid kingdom,” Rhine replied.

“Who?” Aurora perked up with curiosity.

“The Sage Beyond the World, the Prophet Who Foresees the Future, the Wizard of Miracles and Wishes. Former Court Mage of the Kingdom and the future queen’s mentor,” Rhine answered with a smile. 𝙍𝙖ŊꝊβĘʂ

You’re talking about yourself? Aurora rolled her eyes, already accustomed to her teacher’s peculiar sense of humor.

“Well then, honorable guide. First question: how do we get into the sea?” Aurora asked.

Rhine flipped his hand over.

The tinderbox Aurora carried appeared miraculously in his palm.

Strike. Strike. Strike.

He struck the tinderbox three times.

With a whoosh, the dog with eyes the size of tower domes—the largest of the three magical dogs—appeared on the beach.

Rhine gently stroked the dog’s fur and murmured an incantation. The dog’s form began to shift rapidly, transforming into a strange, enormous fish resembling an anglerfish from Rhine’s previous life.

The giant fish opened its mouth, and Rhine, taking Aurora with him, stepped inside its belly. The fish then leaped forward, diving into the depths of the ocean with them.

The fish’s belly was transparent, allowing them to see the underwater world. On its head was a chandelier-like structure that glowed, illuminating the dark seafloor.

Aurora raised the second challenge:

“But, my guide, this sea is vast and endless. How are we supposed to find the mermaid kingdom?”

Rhine smiled again and commanded the fish, “Go, swim to the mermaid kingdom.”

Rhine didn’t know the exact location of the mermaid kingdom in the ocean, but that didn’t matter.

The fish, in essence, was a transformation of the tinderbox’s magical dog, imbued with its inherent wonders.

Rhine had conducted dozens of experiments with the three dogs after acquiring the tinderbox, testing their ability to find various targets.

No matter how unusual the object of the search, as long as it was within a certain range, the dogs could always locate it. From buried antiques to a specific individual, their noses unerringly detected the target’s position.

No wonder they could find wealth for soldiers—though it was unclear which wealthy family’s treasury they plundered—or discover that "the kingdom’s princess" was not in the palace! Rhine mused.

In fairy tales, epics, and folklore, many supernatural powers are absolute. Rhine surmised that the tinderbox’s summoned dogs had an inherent ability to find any target within a certain range.

The fish, now transformed from the dog, seemed to sense the command and began swimming purposefully in a specific direction.

Before long, the fish descended to the seafloor, which was covered in white sand.