The World Is Mine For The Taking

Chapter 964 - 147 - Battle On The Slave Market (6)

The mermaid looked at me with eyes that trembled between fear and confusion. Her delicate wrists were tightly bound with coarse rope, the fibers digging faintly into her pale blue skin. A metallic collar clung around her neck, chained to the wall behind the marble tub where she was half-submerged. Her tail — shimmering with a spectrum of deep ocean blues and soft silver — flicked faintly beneath the water, stirring small ripples that glistened in the dim light. The faint echo of dripping water made the whole room feel eerily silent.

"Hello," Han greeted softly, her voice gentle, almost like she was talking to a frightened child. "Are you doing well?" she asked, smiling faintly.

The mermaid’s eyes darted toward her. For a split second, the tension in her expression melted away — the fear retreating, replaced by something calmer, almost familiar.

"Did the two of you know each other?" I asked, glancing at Han curiously.

Han tilted her head a bit and smiled. "Well, we saw each other for a bit before we were locked in our rooms. But that was pretty much it," she said with a casual shrug.

I turned my attention back to the mermaid. Her body tensed slightly, and she flinched the moment our eyes met. There was still that wariness in her gaze, as though she expected me to harm her at any second.

"I’m Leon," I said, keeping my tone calm and steady. "I don’t think your kingdom knows about this yet, but I’m the owner of Leonamon. May I ask what your name is?"

The mermaid blinked, as though processing my words. Her breathing steadied a little, though uncertainty still lingered in her eyes. The fear, however, began to fade.

"L-Leonamon...?" she asked softly. She said it that I couldn’t even hear her voice properly. She must have been quite hoarse for not having to talk to anyone after such a long time.

"Yes," I replied with a small nod. "I’m the owner of that company."

For a moment, she just stared at me in silence. Then, without saying anything, she turned her head toward something at her side. Following her gaze, I noticed a small pouch resting near the edge of the tub.

"Do you want me to get that for you?" I asked.

The mermaid hesitated, then nodded slowly.

I reached for the pouch and started walking toward her — but the closer I got, the more she began to panic. Her tail flinched under the water, sending droplets splashing lightly onto the floor.

"Huh?" I muttered, freezing for a moment. She wanted me to grab it, didn’t she? Then why was she reacting like that?

"Here, let me handle it, Leon," Han said quickly, stepping in. "You’re more comfortable that way, right?" she asked the mermaid gently.

The mermaid’s lips parted slightly, but she didn’t speak — she just nodded again, eyes trembling.

Han slowly approached her, careful not to make any sudden moves. Unlike me, the mermaid didn’t freak out this time. Han picked up the pouch and handed it over, earning a faint sigh of relief from her.

The mermaid carefully opened it and reached inside. When she finally pulled something out, I blinked in surprise. My eyes widened. It was a smartphone... a Leonamon smartphone, unmistakably one of mine.

"I..." she started to say, but that single syllable hit me harder than I expected.

Her voice which was soft, fluid, and melodic sent a strange chill through my body. It was dangerously enchanting, like the gentle hum of waves mixed with something unearthly sweet. Just from hearing her speak, I felt... seduced. My mind wavered for a moment before I caught myself.

So it was true — mermaids could seduce men with their voices. I’d heard that their songs could draw even the bravest sailors to their deaths, pulling them under the sea. Their voice wasn’t just beautiful. It was a weapon as they were very deadly and irresistible.

The mermaid leaned closer to Han, whispering something into her ear, her lips barely moving. Han nodded quietly and turned to me.

"I don’t think you should talk to her directly," Han said seriously. "If you don’t want to get hypnotized by her voice, it’s better that I act as your translator for now."

"Ah... alright," I said, letting out a breath. That made sense. One wrong word from her could probably scramble my head.

Han held up the smartphone and continued, "She told me that the reason she was captured by the slavers was because of this. She got curious about it — wanted to know what it was. She admits her ignorance and curiosity were what led her into this situation."

I crossed my arms, glancing at the device. Curiosity, huh? That made sense. When you’re stuck in one world for so long, and something new falls into your hands... it’s only natural to want to know more. Still, it was a dangerous kind of curiosity.

Han listened again as the mermaid spoke in hushed tones, then relayed her words to me. "Apparently, she found this strange piece of technology among the belongings of a human victim — one who’d been attacked by mermaids. She wanted to understand it, so she left her kingdom to find answers. Unfortunately, that’s when she was captured."

"I see," I said quietly. "Curiosity really can be dangerous sometimes."

Still, it was kind of strange, almost amusing, that all this happened because of something my company made. The world really was small.

Han smiled faintly and looked at me. "Oh, and it turns out I was right, Leon," she said. "She’s royalty. The second princess of the Mermaid Kingdom — Serune Kalriss."

A princess, huh? That was... unexpected. A mermaid of royal blood — that meant she might be important enough to shake things up. This trip to the Empire was turning out to be more rewarding than I’d thought. Not only did I get a mermaid, but one with real influence. Han herself was proving to be quite interesting, too. And judging by the women locked up in the cages nearby, each of them seemed to have some kind of special skill worth keeping an eye on.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to gain this much potential power here. Maybe my luck really was turning around. After all the chaos I’d been through, it finally felt like things were stacking in my favor.

And now... after what felt like ages, I’d finally conquered Artemis.

A glowing blue screen appeared before my eyes, displaying a list of completed requirements. Every bar was filled. Artemis was fully conquered. Her abilities could now be enhanced with it upgraded into something stronger.

All the missions across this country had gone smoothly. Not a single failure. Everything had gone exactly as planned, maybe even better than I’d hoped.

With this, I’d hit another milestone — the domination of ten women in total.

I exhaled slowly, leaning back as a faint smirk crept across my face. "Guess it’s about time for another visit from Lilith," I muttered to myself.

But that... would have to wait for another day.