"Splash..."
Water sprayed into the air as the cat-eared girl easily flipped the strange woman over. She saw a pale face, but more importantly, this woman was wearing two large hard shells over her chest and had green waterweeds wrapped around her body?
"Is she dead?" Mina raised an eyebrow. This woman was truly beautiful; her pale complexion, in particular, evoked a sense of pity.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft... what am I thinking?" Mina muttered, hurriedly shaking her head to toss away the strange thoughts. Having been with the Master for so long, she seemed to have picked up his habit of having wild, imaginative thoughts.
"Mina, how is she?" Ayesha shouted at the top of her lungs, her massive bosom bouncing with the movement.
"She's dead," Mina called back. Her hand subconsciously pressed against the woman's neck. This was the method the Master had taught her; checking the pulse was much more accurate than checking for breath.
"Eh? This..." Mina's eyes went wide, and her hand recoiled instinctively. She had actually felt movement just now.
"An illusion. It must be an illusion."
Mina pursed her lips. This woman had been soaking in the water for a long time, face down. Humans need to breathe; there was no way she could still be alive, right?
"Phew... let's try one more time." Mina paddled her legs underwater to keep herself afloat, reaching out once more to the woman's neck and pressing down...
"This... there really is movement? Did she just fall in?" Mina exclaimed in surprise, hurriedly lifting the woman to keep her entire head above the water.
"Eh? These ears are strange. Is she not human? And is this a wound?" Mina stared at the woman's head, which was tilted to the side, revealing pointed ears. Behind the ears were three small slits, which astonished her.
"Master, this woman—her pulse is still beating. She should still be alive," Mina immediately turned to report to Lucas.
"Huh?" Lucas's eyes opened slightly. This was unexpected. He shouted, "Bring her up first."
"Mina, we're pulling you up," Ayesha shouted when she saw the cat-eared girl holding onto the woman. "Are you ready?"
"Ready," Mina responded.
"Pull." Ayesha grabbed the rope and effortlessly hauled it in, pulling Mina toward the side of the ship.
"Prepare the sling," Lucas ordered the boatmen.
"Yes." The boatmen immediately went to prepare the sling.
The sling was similar to a hammock—a wide piece of cloth with ropes tied at both ends. This allowed for manual transport up and down the side of the ship and was much lighter than using a wooden crate.
Soon the sling was lowered, and Ayesha had hauled Mina to the side of the ship, waiting for her to place the woman onto the fabric.
"Huff..." Mina exhaled softly, using both hands to lift the woman onto the sling.
"Splash..."
Water splashed as Mina lifted the woman out of the water. A long tail emerged from the surface, startling Mina so much she instantly let go.
"Smack..."
Water sprayed again. The woman's upper body caught on the sling, but her lower body submerged, allowing Mina to see clearly what it was.
"This... half human, half fish tail? A Mermaid???" Mina was stunned, her eyes wide as she scanned the mermaid woman.
Now she understood completely. No wonder this woman was fine soaking in the water; Mermaids could breathe underwater. However, this was her first time seeing one; she had only heard about them from Mira.
"What is that?" Ayesha almost jumped up on the deck when she saw it. "A half-human, half-fish person?"
"That is the Mermaid Race," Elisa said, having appeared beside Lucas and the cow-horned girl unnoticed.
"Mermaid?" The corner of Lucas's mouth twitched. Even Mermaids were showing up now. Thinking about it, it wasn't that strange; after all, there were beast-girls and elves, and even dwarves he hadn't met yet.
"Get her up here first," Lucas shouted to the cat-eared girl.
"Yes." Mina calmed her shock and maneuvered the Mermaid onto the sling. Then she grabbed the rope, feet planted against the ship's hull, and climbed up like a rock climber.
"Heave!" Ayesha shouted, veins bulging in her arms. The violent cow-horned girl hauled the cat-eared girl up in a few tugs, then went to help pull up the sling.
Lucas crouched down to examine the Mermaid. Pale face, pointed ears—shorter than an Elf's. Were those three slits gills? Her chest was covered by large shells, and her midriff by clothes woven from seaweed? Truly unique.
"Take her to a room." Lucas pressed the Mermaid's neck; the pulse was very weak, almost gone. His face turned serious. "Bring the first aid kit."
"Yes." Mina picked up the Mermaid and headed for the cabins.
"I'll get the kit." Ayesha sprinted into the cabin.
"Elisa, issue an order. Top secret," Lucas ordered.
"Yes," Elisa replied with a solemn face. If news of a Mermaid being here got out, she would face the same treatment Elisa once did—hunted by bounty hunters.
Mermaids were even rarer than Elves. She had read about them but never seen one, let alone the nobles of the Siacan Kingdom—they would go crazy. Fortunately, everyone on the ship was their own people, and those on deck were veterans. As long as the gag order was given, no one would dare leak the secret.
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