The academy vessel sailed steadily across the eastern sea.
Gentle waves rolled beneath the massive hull.
Silver runes embedded throughout the ship glowed faintly as they stabilized the vessel against currents and storms.
The harbor had long disappeared behind the horizon.
Now—
Only the sea remained.
Endless.
Ancient.
Mysterious.
The ocean stretched beneath the blue sky like a living world.
Far below the surface, shadows occasionally moved.
Massive shadows.
Creatures that ordinary fishermen would never encounter.
The sea possessed its own laws.
Its own kingdoms.
Its own monsters.
Kel stood beside the captain near the upper deck railing.
The conversation regarding Nameless had finally ended.
Or rather—
The captain had wisely concluded that further questions would only result in discovering even stranger truths.
Apparently learning that the legendary Divine Spoon Art was originally called "throwing" had already damaged him enough.
The older man now quietly focused on steering.
Kel simply enjoyed the view.
The ocean possessed a calming effect.
The endless horizon.
The rhythmic waves.
The sea breeze.
Everything felt peaceful.
Then—
A melody appeared.
At first.
No one noticed.
The sound blended naturally with the wind.
Soft.
Gentle.
Beautiful.
Like distant singing carried across the waves.
Kel blinked.
The captain frowned.
The melody continued.
Gradually growing clearer.
Sweeter.
More enchanting.
The song drifted across the ocean itself.
Like an invisible hand touching every soul aboard the ship.
Students began looking around.
Conversations slowly stopped.
Heads turned.
Curiosity spread.
The melody felt impossible to ignore.
Even sailors paused briefly.
The song carried something strange.
Something alluring.
Something inviting.
It wasn't merely music.
It felt alive.
As though every note contained emotion.
Loneliness.
Longing.
Desire.
A call.
A promise.
A temptation.
Students unconsciously began walking toward the railings.
The lower deck grew quieter.
Then quieter still.
Hundreds of eyes stared toward the sea.
Searching.
Following the source.
The melody intensified.
The ocean itself seemed to sing.
Then someone shouted.
"There!"
Everyone looked.
And saw them.
Figures emerged among the waves.
Dozens.
Perhaps hundreds.
Swimming gracefully beside the ship.
Mermaids.
Their lower bodies resembled enormous fish covered in shimmering scales.
Silver.
Blue.
Green.
Beautiful colors reflecting beneath the sunlight.
Their upper bodies appeared human.
Or at least mostly human.
Long hair flowed behind them like underwater silk.
Their pale skin glistened with seawater.
Their beauty felt unnatural.
Perfect.
Dangerously perfect.
They moved through the ocean effortlessly.
Like spirits dancing between waves.
And all of them were singing.
The melody originated from them.
Their voices intertwined together.
Creating something hypnotic.
Something irresistible.
The effect was immediate.
Male students began moving forward.
Slowly.
Dreamily.
Expressions becoming vacant.
Unfocused.
Like sleepwalkers.
Some sailors showed similar symptoms.
The melody deepened.
Growing stronger.
The ship's atmosphere shifted dramatically.
A young student climbed onto a railing.
Smiling.
As though seeing something wonderful.
Another followed.
Then another.
The danger escalated instantly.
Kel's eyes narrowed.
The captain's expression changed completely.
Gone was the relaxed sailor.
Gone was the friendly old man.
What remained was a veteran.
A man who had survived countless voyages.
Then—
He roared.
The sound exploded across the ship.
"WAKE UP!"
The entire vessel trembled.
Aura erupted from his body.
The sheer force of his voice shattered the peaceful atmosphere.
Several students immediately stumbled.
Their expressions clearing slightly.
The captain pointed toward the ocean.
His face twisted with urgency.
"IT'S A TRAP!"
The roar echoed across every deck.
"STOP LISTENING TO THEIR SONG!"
"COVER YOUR EARS!"
"IF YOU JUMP INTO THE WATER—"
His voice became even louder.
"THEY WILL DROWN YOU!"
"THEN EAT YOU!"
Panic exploded.
Reality returned.
Several students immediately covered their ears.
Others backed away from railings.
Some sailors rushed into action.
Unfortunately—
It was already too late.
Splash.
Splash.
Splash.
Students jumped.
One after another.
Smiling.
Laughing.
Completely hypnotized.
Their bodies vanished into the sea below.
The mermaids immediately swam toward them.
The sight transformed beautiful creatures into something horrifying.
Predators.
Hunters.
Monsters.
The captain cursed.
Sailors rushed throughout the vessel.
Trying to stop more students.
One sailor tackled a young noble before he could leap.
Another grabbed two students simultaneously.
A third sailor was himself partially hypnotized.
The situation descended into chaos.
The melody continued.
Beautiful.
Gentle.
Deadly.
Then—
The captain froze.
Because amidst the chaos.
Amidst the panic.
One person stood completely unaffected.
Kel.
The young man remained beside the railing.
Listening.
Not resisting.
Not covering his ears.
Simply standing there.
The captain's eyes widened.
"Oh no."
Immediately.
The older man rushed forward.
Without hesitation.
He grabbed Kel's shoulder.
Hard.
"AEDON!"
The shout echoed.
Kel blinked.
The captain shook him.
"Aedon!"
"Come to your senses!"
The older man's expression contained genuine panic.
"Don't listen to them!"
"You're being hypnotized!"
"Stay awake!"
For several seconds—
Kel simply stared.
Confused.
Then finally answered.
"...I'm fine."
The captain froze.
"What?"
Kel looked toward him.
Then toward the sea.
Then back.
"I'm fine."
The captain blinked.
Several times.
"What do you mean you're fine?"
Kel frowned slightly.
"I was listening to the melody."
"..."
"And enjoying it."
"..."
The captain stared.
The world seemed to stop.
Meanwhile—
Inside Kel's mind—
Seiren completely lost control.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"HE THINKS YOU'RE HYPNOTIZED!"
"I noticed."
"YOU WERE ENJOYING THE MUSIC!"
"Yes."
The Guardian laughed so hard their soul connection trembled.
Far away within Scarder Lake, massive waves crashed against ancient shores.
The captain continued staring.
Then slowly asked:
"...You're not hypnotized?"
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"No."
The captain looked horrified.
Because somehow—
That answer felt even stranger.
Kel finally turned toward the sea.
Then understood.
His silver eyes observed the scene carefully.
The hypnotized students.
The panicked sailors.
The singing mermaids.
The cause became obvious.
The melody possessed mental influence.
A form of spiritual manipulation.
Dangerous.
Subtle.
Effective.
Against ordinary minds.
Unfortunately for the mermaids—
Kel wasn't ordinary.
More importantly—
He wasn't alone.
His soul remained connected to Seiren.
Guardian of Scarder Lake.
Ancient sovereign of freshwater domains.
A being vastly older and more powerful than these mermaids.
Their soul contract wasn't merely symbolic.
It represented a genuine connection.
A permanent bond.
Protection naturally flowed both ways.
Mental attacks.
Spiritual influence.
Hypnosis.
Such things struggled to affect him.
Not because Kel himself was immune.
Because anything attempting to influence his soul first encountered Seiren.
And Seiren was not something most creatures wished to challenge.
Inside his mind—
The Guardian finally calmed slightly.
Then spoke.
"They're weak."
Kel looked toward the ocean.
"Compared to you."
"Compared to most things."
Reasonable.
The melody truly was beautiful though.
The actual singing possessed remarkable quality.
Unfortunately.
The attached mind control ruined the experience.
The captain continued staring at him.
Trying to process the situation.
Eventually—
"You're really fine."
"Yes."
Several seconds passed.
Then the captain sighed.
Deeply.
The kind of sigh people made after giving up understanding reality.
"Aedon."
"Yes?"
The older man rubbed his forehead.
"I've decided something."
Kel raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
The captain pointed directly at him.
"I don't want explanations anymore."
Silence.
Then Kel nodded.
"Reasonable."
The captain looked relieved.
Because every explanation involving Aedon Flinth somehow created additional questions.
Meanwhile—
Below.
The chaos continued.
Students were being rescued.
Others restrained.
The mermaids continued singing.
And Kel quietly observed the unfolding disaster.
His expression thoughtful.
Because for the first time since leaving the North—
He had encountered the first genuine danger on the road to Aetherial Institute.
And somehow.
The academy wasn't even visible yet.