CHAPTER 392: AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN

As they drew nearer, the royal palace of Aqualon appeared ever more magnificent and resplendent, the gleam of the ivory and gemstones inlaid across its walls so dazzling it almost made one squint.

Silvanus and the others followed the captain of the guard down to the ground. The floor beneath their feet was made of a translucent, gold-glowing stone. Looking ahead, the grand palace gates had already opened wide before them, awaiting their arrival.

On both sides of the path were several branching roads, and along them stood countless merfolk. They were beautifully adorned, their hair decorated with pearls, the skin beneath their eyes embellished with gemstones. Draped across their bodies were one or multiple strands of shimmer weave, a fabric only merfolk could craft. Its transparent, shimmering threads caught the movement and the light, scattering a rainbow glow with every shift, as if reflecting the colors of the sea itself.

Their tails were also decorated with beloved shells, gemstones, or large pearls. It seemed the merfolk had used everything they owned to make themselves shine as brightly as possible.

Silvanus couldn’t help thinking of Nerio. Would the kid like these glittering things? And remembering Nerio’s earlier request for a shell, he felt as though he could probably find the most radiant one to bring back for him.

Unlike the Elves’ indifference, the merfolks’ gazes were blatantly direct.

Some even smiled brightly, looking as though they wanted to rush forward and chat with the humans, though with the captain of the guard present, they restrained themselves.

Being stared at so openly naturally made Nana extremely uncomfortable.

On land she was, after all, a young lady—and a potential heir to one of the most prestigious Human families. When had she ever been treated like a curiosity on display like this? Her hands tightened secretly at her sides, her expression turning as ugly as it could get.

Nicole simply smiled as she walked forward. It was almost impossible for anything to disrupt her cheerful expression.

As for Silvanus, he simply looked back at the merfolk, even taking the time to evaluate who sparkled more than whom.

Those merfolk who met Silvanus’s eyes froze for a moment, then immediately burst into grins, baring their teeth and widening their eyes to try and scare him.

To be fair, their attempt was rather frightening. Their fangs suddenly lengthened like a cluster of spikes, and their facial muscles shifted, making it seem as though they could transform from stunning beauties into sea monsters in the blink of an eye.

Silvanus was slightly startled inwardly, mainly because he hadn’t expected such beautiful creatures to be capable of making such ugly expressions.

Vivian, on the other hand, glared wide-eyed and buried its head against Silvanus’s neck. Its eyes narrowed at the merfolk. "I really want to eat them. A bunch of stupid fish."

Silvanus pushed Vivian’s head down a little. "Eat chicken when we get home."

The moment Silvanus’s group stepped past the gate, it closed almost immediately. The water surged forward with force, creating a strong current that made both Silvanus and Nana sway slightly.

When they turned back, they could only see the tightly shut gate and the bubbles rising from below.

The captain of the guard looked at them with expressionless eyes, then returned to his formation.

At that moment, the interior of the palace came into Silvanus’s view.

The grand hall was vast in design, with a long red carpet extending from the entrance all the way to the golden steps. On both sides stood merfolk similar to the captain of the guard, covered in metallic gray-silver scales that emitted a cold sheen. They held large tridents in unified posture. Their upper bodies were bare, their long hair drifting like seaweed. Their muscular and powerful physiques were clearly displayed.

They lined the sides in a formation that stretched beyond sight, creating the sensation that countless pairs of scarlet eyes were observing every movement of the humans.

Looking up toward the steps, they could now see Queen Thalassa, the sole ruler of Aqualon.

Strands of shimmer weave floated around her in the water, glowing softly. Beneath them were long, flowing fins drifting in elegant arcs.

Queen Thalassa’s skin was a dark, obsidian gray, as though her entire body were coated in a smooth metallic sheen.

Her hair wasn’t composed of soft strands but of thick, gathered locks that glowed like moonlight. No individual strand could be distinguished as they fanned out around her, rising and falling with the currents.

On her face was a mask covering her eyes, adorned with mysterious coral ridges and elongated extensions sweeping far past the outer corners. Her ear membranes drooped softly and were large in shape, and below them hung large blue gemstone earrings. Their long decorative ends trailed all the way down to her collarbones.

Unlike the other merfolk, she wore clothing—a high-collared garment that rose almost to her chin, pressing neatly against her long, straight neck. The garment was entirely black, yet embroidered with countless threads of shimmer weave that, at every slightest movement she made, glimmered gold, green, or red.

Her sleeves extended long and were split at the sides, ending in sharp points that revealed the fins along her arms—soft, flowing fins of pale, nearly translucent blue that rippled gently in the water.

The garment split again at her waist, revealing her deep-blue tail, so dark it was nearly black. Around her waist were gemstones crafted into blue rose blossoms. Some of the scales carried hints of silver, and her tail fins were far larger than any they had ever seen—magnificent, almost matching the queen’s own size. They spread and curved with elegant softness, glowing with a faint, translucent blue. Not to mention the many jewels and ornaments adorning her neck, arms, and tail, some woven directly into the fabric of her clothing, drifting with the water alongside her fins.

Simply sitting there, she was overwhelming—massive, regal, and impossibly magnificent.

Of course, it was an undeniable fact that the Queen was truly enormous.

The princesses and princes seated on either side were only about a third of her size.

That did not mean the princes and princesses were small.

The Aqualon royal family was naturally far larger than other merfolk.

They were beautiful and precious, each sitting in their designated place, their tails sharing the same gradient hue—blue fading into a deeper blue, carrying a silver shimmer whenever they moved.

Even so, none of their tails matched the Queen’s; hers was the darkest and most dazzling each time it shifted.

Silvanus noticed that none of the merfolk here possessed a tail like Nerio’s—a tail that appeared pale blue or at times white-silver at first glance, but with the slightest movement, countless colors flickered across its surface. It was priceless, breathtakingly beautiful.

At that moment, Nicole at the front suddenly placed a hand over her chest, dropped to one knee, bowed her head, and respectfully declared: "The distant representatives of Lumina humbly pay respect to Your Majesty the Queen. It is our greatest honor to be granted an audience with you."