61 Exploitation

61 Exploitation
(Colin's POV)

I don't like using Ella.

But this time, I did it anyway.

When I invited her to the ball in front of the crowd, I knew she wouldn't refuse.

"Ella, this is my wish. Can you make it come true?"

I said this to Ella. Her eyes widened slightly, lips moving as if to say something, then stopping. Nearby lamp shadows fell on her face, softening her features.

Kindness was her weakness, and the only thing I could exploit.

So when she agreed to be my dance partner, I wasn't surprised at all.

What truly hurt me was—

After agreeing, the first person she looked at wasn't me, but Kyle, that mysterious man.

Ella stood in the crowd's center, Kyle beside her.

Why? Why had I stayed by Ella's side all these years, yet her place was easily taken by someone else?

If I weren't a mermaid, if I didn't bear the responsibility of revenge, would our ending be different?

In that moment, I suddenly had a premonition.

After my transfer, I might lose Ella completely.

I was about to be promoted to deputy officer of the Royal City Guard. Transfer orders were already on their way, probably arriving after the festival ended. Besides my deputy and me, no one else knew yet. I wasn't sure how Ella would react when she found out. Maybe she'd smile and congratulate me, maybe she'd lower her head in silence, then offer blessings.

I wasn't sure which reaction I dreaded more. So before then, I needed one night - one night I could remember for a long time. I wanted to dance with her, wanted to hold her hand until that song ended.

This was all I allowed myself to have.

The next day during patrol, I received a report claiming a murder occurred at Thorn Harbor - a man killed a mage, injured a beast tamer, and kidnapped a boy.

The patrol squad lost the trail at the old warehouse district, suspecting the perpetrator entered the underground black market, so they requested my support.

I led a squad of knights to Thorn Harbor, but approaching the black market, my body felt strange sensations.

My hand gripped the reins tighter. Taking a deep breath, as air passed through my throat, I discovered my throat was widening, the boundary between windpipe and esophagus blurring. I instinctively touched my neck, feeling a slit ready to split open at any moment.

Mermaid gills.

How could this happen! Realizing I was undergoing mermaid transformation, I felt my arms - no, all my skin - beginning to itch... Were scales about to emerge?

Why was this happening! How could it suddenly... Wait, what was this smell?!

I suddenly pulled the reins. My horse obediently stopped as my subordinates also halted, looking at me.

"Go ahead without me. I just remembered something - I'll catch up later."

After dismissing my subordinates, I secretly took the suppressant Ella had specially prepared for me.

Yes, Ella knew I was a mermaid. This was our secret. Or rather, my desperate desire to have some connection with Ella. A deadly secret made for a good bond.

This was insane, I knew.

The potion flowed down my esophagus, temporarily restoring my body to normal.

I quickly reached the black market entrance. I smelled mermaid blood - this was what triggered my transformation.

Mermaid populations were extremely rare; every mermaid was precious. Even as a mixed-blood like me, I couldn't ignore injured mermaids. So I had to enter the black market and save that poor mermaid.

...No, not one - there should be two!

But damn it, I was blocked at the entrance. Without my subordinates, I would have disguised myself and snuck in. I'd frequently visited black markets in the past to trade materials. But in front of my subordinates, I couldn't expose this.

I was forever the upright, brave knight captain.

I didn't dismount, telling the guard: "We're pursuing a murderer. Witnesses reported he fled into this area."

"Sir, do you have a search warrant?" the guard asked.

Search warrants took time, and I didn't want to wait. I could sense the mermaids' condition weakening.

"Seal off the surrounding blocks."

I drew my sword.

"The rest follow me in!"

The guard actually drew his sword to confront me: "Knight Captain! Our boss here is Aldric..."

The person tried to intimidate me by mentioning his powerful boss, but I had no patience for his nonsense. That strange feeling in my chest grew stronger, as if something was calling me.

My blood was restless, bones heating, even breathing becoming rapid... This was mermaid bloodline resonance.

Nearby, kindred blood existed!

"BOOM—!"

Suddenly, an explosion came from within the black market.

Immediately followed by screams and magical collision roars, the entire underground area instantly became chaotic.

"Captain!" The knights behind me immediately drew swords. "There's a riot!"

"Follow me!" I directly swept the guard aside with my sword, leading my men charging in toward the riot's source.

Underground passages were full of fleeing crowds, vendors overturning stalls, guards running everywhere.

In the chaos, I finally saw the target.

Moonlight poured through the shattered dome as a black figure moved rapidly through the crowd. Beside him were actually two mermaids.

Precisely, one large and one small - both juveniles.

It seemed this wasn't a kidnapping - the juveniles appeared to follow this man willingly... Wait, this was a dark elf!

The dark elf with the Elven Kingdom's bounty! Capturing the dark elf would earn the Elven Kingdom's reward!

I narrowed my eyes. This was heaven's gift to me!

"Stop them!"

At my command, the Knights immediately surrounded them.

However, the dark elf's speed far exceeded ordinary humans. After several turns, the squad was completely left behind, leaving only me still pursuing.

Wind howled, streets continuously retreating.

Harbor, plains, canyon.

The dark elf flew very fast. I had to use partial mermaid power to barely keep up.

Crossing the canyon, I'd completely lost the knights behind me, and the dark elf finally stopped.

They stopped by the sea. Why would this dark elf be so kind, returning the juveniles to the ocean?

Not until I saw the juvenile preparing to extract pearl tears did I understand what the dark elf wanted.

Pearl tears' preciousness was carved into mermaid bloodline heritage. From the moment I awakened mermaid blood, I knew pearl tears were my life's foundation.

The dark elf was no different from killing the juvenile. As the elder, I had to protect the juvenile.

Sea wind hit my face as I drew my sword and attacked.

This dark elf was in good condition, actually blocking my attack. He seemed to have found a magic source. What could his magic source be? Could it be mermaid pearl tears?

Absolutely unforgivable.

"Not even sparing mermaid juveniles? Truly despicable, dark elf."

The next second, battle erupted.

"BOOM—!"

Sword light and magic collided midair, the cliff shaking, debris constantly falling.

I held nothing back - this dark elf was very strong.

His speed was startling, each movement like black lightning.

I had to draw on my mermaid power - only this way could I handle his attacks.

After dozens of rounds, I sensed his magic running low. I finally seized the opportunity, my blade piercing his shoulder.

Blood splattered as the dark elf groaned, retreating half a step.

I immediately pursued, mermaid-transformed claws striking directly at his heart!

My secret orders were: capturing the dark elf was acceptable, even his corpse would do.

But at that instant, a thin figure suddenly rushed out.

"No—!" The juvenile spread both arms, blocking in front of the dark elf.

I abruptly stopped attacking, sharp nails freezing less than half an inch from the juvenile's chest.

Time seemed to stop - sea wind ceased, waterfall roars distant.

I stared blankly at the person before me.

This face - the face I'd dreamed of countless times, the face that made me cry uncontrollably.

Thirteen years ago, in the burning fishing village flames, the little girl who cried while grabbing my clothes, the missing child.

...My sister I'd searched for thirteen whole years.

This was the face before me.

My hand slowly dropped, voice hoarse unlike my own.

"...Lily?"

The juvenile before me froze, seeming not to understand.

"Sister."

Forcing myself to stop attacking caused power backlash. I suppressed the blood rising in my throat but couldn't stop my tears.

"Sister, I searched for you so long. Where... where have you been all these years?"