Chapter 251: Mermaid Theater

Chapter 251: The Mermaid Theater

Karen and the others departed in a carriage provided by the hotel, which served as the ultimate pass.

Along the road leading to the hotel gates, many individuals clad in black divine robes could be seen walking out; everyone wanted to seize this opportunity to stroll around and sightsee, though most went on foot, intending to rent a carriage only after leaving the gates...

In this regard, they had genuinely benefited from Leon and Laurey's status.

Leaving the hotel, the carriage continued down the mountain, the unicorn moving at a swift pace; despite the gravel road beneath, those sitting inside felt not the slightest vibration.

Descending Mount Kenna, they entered the town.

Apart from the specific landmarks like towers, clock towers, and moon-viewing platforms, the town's interior featured no residential or commercial structures exceeding three stories.

Karen felt that the town's planner must have possessed an obsessive-compulsive disorder; every block and every road was designed with extreme symmetry, making it remarkably easy for an unfamiliar visitor to get lost.

"It is so clean here," Richard remarked with awe, looking out the carriage window.

The streets of York City were certainly nowhere near this clean.

Laurey dismissed it lightly, saying, "They must have done a thorough cleaning in advance."

Richard nodded in agreement, "True."

The carriage pulled up in front of a restaurant, and when the four individuals dressed in black divine robes stepped out, it startled the waiter at the entrance, quickly drawing out the restaurant owner and his staff, who all came forward eagerly to welcome them.

The crowd spoke continuously to Karen and the others:

"Praise Order."

"Praise Order."

In truth, only followers of Order were entitled to speak those words; for unrelated outsiders to say them was considered a profanation, even a provocation.

Yet Dark Moon Island had always held a pure devotion to the Dark Moon, knowing nothing of the Church's taboos; seeing the distinguished guests from the Church of Order coming to dine at their establishment, they simply treated the phrase as a warm, affectionate greeting.

Karen and the three others could only place their hands over their chests, chanting in unison:

"Praise Order."

Entering the restaurant, the owner guided Karen and his companions to the second floor, selecting a private booth with the finest view, its window perfectly overlooking the fountain in the small square outside.

Laurey took the menu and began ticking off items, then tossed it to the owner, letting him add more based on circumstances, before picking up the teapot to pour tea for everyone:

"Taste the tea of Dark Moon Island, called Moonlight Tea. The tea trees grow on the cliffs adjacent to the sea; according to the locals, this tea absorbs the essence of the Dark Moon."

Hearing this, everyone raised their teacups and took a sip, whereupon everyone's expressions instantly stiffened.

Laurey finally could not contain himself, laughing heartily, "Hahaha, it tastes terrible, doesn't it? I reacted exactly the same way the first time I drank it."

Karen swirled the cup in his hand; the first sip of this tea brought a rush of aroma that felt like drinking a strong spirit, yet it lasted but a fleeting moment before sinking into a harsh bitterness, with no hint of a sweet aftertaste even after waiting quite a while.

This did not feel like drinking tea; it felt more like drinking herbal medicine.

"How do the locals enjoy drinking this?" Richard stuck out his tongue.

"They probably just got used to it over time," Laurey speculated. "If they don't have two cups a day to jolt their heads, they might feel like something is missing."

"The upcoming dishes won't be like this too, will they?" Richard inquired.

Laurey immediately shook his head, saying, "Local seafood cuisine features many marine species that cannot be eaten anywhere else."

The dishes were served quickly, all presented in earthenware basins and entirely composed of seafood; Laurey was right, for Karen had never even laid eyes on half of the seafood, as they only existed in the waters around Dark Moon Island.

Yet as for the flavor, Karen felt it was merely average, because too much seasoning had been added; the resulting taste made every basin seem as though a large spoonful of Wien paste had been thrown in, completely masking the original flavor of the food.

Conversely, the "grey mud" served as the staple food suited Karen's palate quite well, offering a texture akin to sesame paste but with the smooth richness of caviar.

Karen basically stuck to this staple, only occasionally picking up a piece of the other dishes.

Meanwhile, Richard and the other two ate with immense relish; it could only be said that people from Wien preferred heavy flavors.

Finishing the bowl of "grey mud" before him, Karen requested the server to bring him another.

Seeing this, Laurey smiled and said, "This is called Moben locally, made by grinding a type of grain that grows in the offshore waters."

"Grain can grow in seawater?"

"I have seen it, but it only grows in the shallow sea. When locals harvest it, they dive underwater to cut it like sea grass. This is also why the islanders all worship the Dark Moon; perhaps it really is due to the Dark Moon that so many aspects of this island are unique."

Richard chimed in, "I heard that every other month, the Dark Moon appears?"

"Yes, that month is the islanders' Moon-Viewing Festival. Of course, they call it moon-viewing, but in reality, they are all kneeling and bowing, because they believe everything they possess now is bestowed by the Dark Moon."

"We can pack some of this to take back," Karen said to Richard.

"Sure thing."

"No need, no need, you can order it at the hotel. Moben isn't an expensive thing, and normal dining expenses won't cost us anything, though certain services aren't available at the hotel, haha."

Laurey wore a knowing smile that they all understood.

Once the meal was finished, Laure

A ticket priced at one thousand Order Vouchers was a luxury only the true elite of Dark Moon Island could afford. Furthermore, Cullen and his companions had arrived just after lunch, long before the theater's peak hours. The private boxes assigned to the four of them upon entering were numbered one through four, directly adjacent to the staircase. Thus, those three red dots had been cast by Laure and the others.

That Laure knew his way around was only natural, but Richard and Leon had never been here before, yet they adapted to the rules instantly. One could only conclude that men possessed an astonishingly high efficiency when learning such matters.

Below, a waiter stepped to the edge of the pool holding a placard. The mermaids struck by the red dots swam to the shore of their own accord—yes, voluntarily, neither scooped up by nets nor coerced. Moreover, smiles graced their faces; being selected by a guest evidently brought them joy.

Once they reached the edge, the waiters placed basin-like tubs before them. The mermaids rolled over, settling themselves inside, and were subsequently carried upstairs.

Cullen lowered his gaze once more. Though guests were scarce at this hour, some were present, and in several seats below, unspeakable acts were already unfolding.

To Cullen's surprise, some of the mermaids selected by guests below actually possessed legs, though they had lacked them while in the water earlier.

It was not until a basin-bearing mermaid was carried into a nearby booth below that Cullen witnessed a waiter administering a potion to her. Soon after, the fish tail transformed into a pair of feet.

So it was the effect of a potion.

One could opt for the potion or forgo it; after all, every guest harbored different preferences.

Cullen inspected the bed, and having confirmed that the sheets and pillows were freshly changed and clean, he lay down upon it.

He had no intention of using that projector, nor did he intend to summon a mermaid to his room.

It was not out of moral superiority, but rather because the mermaids possessed a half-human appearance. This entire "process" gave Cullen the distinct impression of wandering through a livestock market. Once the initial novelty waned, a subtle psychological discomfort took hold.

He still preferred the atmosphere of a pastry shop or a café.

Therefore, while fully aware that failing to place an order might make him seem aloof if the trio next door found out, Cullen refused to wrong himself merely to maintain an illusion of camaraderie.

Nor had he ever entertained the thought of forging a relationship with Leon and Laure through forced conformity.

After all,

they belonged to different circles.

Just then, Cullen noticed a red dot materialize on the wooden bed frame directly above his head.

"Hmm?"

Cullen sat up and peered outside, only to find the red dot had vanished.

It must have been a guest in a third-floor box opposite him, whose hand slipped while moving the projector, accidentally sweeping over his quarters.

Wait... that wasn’t right.

Cullen suddenly realized a flaw in the design: though those below could not see above, within this circular ring of third-floor boxes at equal height, one might not see their immediate neighbors, but the boxes directly opposite were completely visible.

And with no curtains provided, the third floor was essentially semi-public.

Fortunately, guests were sparse now; had it been crowded, it would be no different from performing in public.

The Mermaid Theater, the Mermaid Theater—the performers were not the only ones on display; the audience, too, was part of the show.

Cullen lay back down, casually picking up the promotional brochure from the bedside table to flip through it.

Contained within were stories of the mermaids, and it truly narrated them in a proper, dignified manner, entirely devoid of sexual innuendo.

According to the introduction, the mermaids were a unique race. Only a small fraction could master human speech, while the vast majority could understand but not speak, owing to a vocal cord structure inherently different from normal humans.

They had originally inhabited certain islands, but over a century ago, their homeland was devastated by extraordinary circumstances, forcing a migration. The great Patriarch Bernard had received them, allowing them to thrive and multiply in the reef shallows near Dark Moon Island. Since then, many mermaids had also come to revere the Dark Moon.

Yet within the mermaid social structure, customs and concepts differed vastly from those of humans. They preferred to view themselves as mythical beasts of the sea rather than human beings, and to them, providing this sort of service carried no shame. Instead, like catching fish or netting shrimp, it was regarded as an entirely normal form of labor.

Historically, a certain Dark Moon Patriarch had attempted to abolish the involvement of mermaids in such erotic services, only to face fierce opposition from the mermaid community itself. Because the living conditions near Dark Moon Island were too favorable, their population multiplied rapidly. Under the weight of demographic pressure, the mermaids desperately needed to come to the island to work and earn provisions.

Consequently, mermaids could be found in virtually every establishment akin to a pastry shop on Dark Moon Island, viewing this as one of their natural, inherent duties.

Staring at the contents of the booklet, Cullen for a moment could not distinguish whether this was a genuine historical introduction or merely a device to assuage the guilt of the clientele.

Upon reaching the final page, a line left Cullen momentarily stunned:

[Every order you place aids the survival of the mermaid race!]

Cullen set the brochure down,

unable to assist a wry mutter to himself:

"Heh, visiting a brothel and somehow coming away with a sense of sacred mission."

…

"Your Highness, I have just confirmed that there is no mermaid in Mr. Cullen’s room. He did not use the projector to place an order, but is simply resting on the bed alone."

The female warrior, Panmir, lowered the projector in her hand, turning to report to Ophelia, who sat behind her sipping tea.

Standing beside Ophelia was a mature woman, her brow adorned with painted green patterns. She was the proprietor of this theater and a highly renowned female figure on Dark Moon Island, known to all as Madame Chenai. Rumor had it she was of mixed islander and mermaid blood.

Generally speaking, conception between humans and mermaids was exceedingly rare, and even when it occurred, the offspring were almost always stillborn. Thus, though the rumor persisted abroad, there had never been a definitive conclusion as to whether Madame Chenai was truly of mixed heritage.

Of course, before the noble Ophelia, no matter how grand Madame Chenai’s reputation might be, she could only attend to her with the utmost deference.

Though she did not comprehend why the esteemed Lady Ophelia would grace this place with her presence, she had gleaned a few details from the female warrior's words.

Ah, running an establishment like this, a wife arriving to catch her straying husband was hardly a novelty.

But this particular gentleman was truly daring, venturing into her venue right under Her Highness's nose. Fortunately, he had placed no order; otherwise, should Her Highness lose her temper, she herself would surely be implicated.

"Your Highness, sometimes such socializing among men is unavoidable. To maintain relationships without appearing sanctimonious, it is exceedingly difficult to decline or refuse when colleagues or superiors wish to come here for amusement.

That gentleman, that Mr. Cullen, has already conducted himself admirably."

With that, Madame Chenai turned to the female warrior Panmir and inquired, "Is this gentleman visiting us for the first time?"

"Yes," Panmir nodded.

"Ah, then it is scarcer still. To resist the temptation of novelty and curiosity on one's very first visit—such a man is truly a rarity in this world."

Madame Chenai understood well that sometimes, flattery directed at the person an individual favored yielded far better results than flattering the individual themselves.

If the noble princess harbored no interest in that man, or even no affection of that nature, how could she possibly bring herself to a place like this?

Ophelia did not reply; she was disinclined to explain, and equally disinclined to conceal her motives.

The female warrior Panmir resumed her observations through the projector, though she had learned her lesson this time, shielding the luminescent stone. Earlier, she had nearly allowed Mr. Cullen to discover her.

Ophelia took another sip of her tea and inquired, "Is he still alone?"

"Yes, Your Highness, still alone."

Ophelia looked toward Madame Chenai and asked, "I hear you have a courtesan of the highest rank here?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Typically, the privilege of placing an order with the Top Courtesan is acquired through an auction at eight in the evening." Madame Chenai immediately added, "If Your Highness wishes to see her, I shall arrange for her to come up and pay her respects at once."

"There is no need for her to see me. Send her to that room."

Madame Chenai thought she had misheard, asking submissively, "Send her to Mr. Cullen’s room?"

"Yes."

Ophelia set down her teacup, a whisper of a smile gracing the corners of her lips,

as she spoke:

"I cannot permit him to go without what others possess."

———

It is a new month. I would like to request everyone's guaranteed monthly tickets. If you have any, please cast them our way. Requesting monthly tickets!