Initially, as the airship traveled over the vast ocean, the Beastmen were still worried. They were afraid of suffering the same fate as the Mysticeti Tribe and the Sky-Rend Tribe, or even being sacrificed to feed the airship, their bodies used as fuel to keep it flying.

However, after a full day of travel, the airship remained perfectly stable, and none of their fears came to pass.

Moreover, the prey they had brought with them hadn’t vanished. Everything was calm.

On their second day over the Triangle Sea, they reached its very center, the region known as The Deep Sea.

A bright moon hung high in the sky, its light making the water’s surface glitter as if sprinkled with gold dust.

Evangeline slowly opened her eyes. Glancing at Danton beside her, she rose, dressed, and made her way to the deck.

Most of the Beastmen were already asleep. Some of the more hot-blooded ones were embracing their females, and the languid sounds of their nightly activities drifted on the air.

Evangeline paid it no mind, walking straight to the edge of the airship.

She gazed out at the boundless surface of the sea. With a light tap of her toes, her figure became weightless, and she skimmed over the water like a moonlit fairy. Unfortunately, no one was fortunate enough to witness the scene.

The moment Evangeline slipped into the water, she felt the massive whirlpools churning in the current.

She opened her palm, and four Spirit Stones radiating a brilliant light began to spin above it.

With a flick of her finger, the top-grade spiritual stones seemed to come alive, scattering to four cardinal points. The spiritual light they emitted crisscrossed in the water, forming a great net of gossamer threads that extended in all directions.

Evangeline sat cross-legged in the water, her eyes slightly closed and her hands forming a seal. She guided the concentrated power of the Spirit Stones, making it spread to every corner of the Triangle Sea. The process was incredibly delicate and consumed a vast amount of Spiritual Energy.

Fortunately, she had no shortage of Spirit Stones, and they provided her with a continuous supply of power.

As the power of the Four Seas Calm Waves Formation spread, the violent whirlpools in the sea seemed to be guided into stillness, gradually subsiding. The churning waves grew docile and quieted. This sudden tranquility even coaxed the fish and shrimp hiding in the seabed sand to peek out, their environment now strangely unfamiliar.

An entire night passed in a flash.

Evangeline clenched her fist, severing the flow of the Four Seas Calm Waves Formation.

Her eyes were bloodshot. She glanced around before shooting out of the sea and easily spotting the airship cruising on the surface. She landed lightly on its deck, not a single drop of water on her clothes.

The Beastmen were crowded on deck, looking up at the sky with curiosity. When they suddenly saw Evangeline leap out of the sea, their expressions changed drastically in terror. "My Lady Priestess? You... you..."

They couldn’t believe their eyes. The witch had actually come out of the Triangle Sea!

The waters here were filled with whirlpools! Forget Terrestrial Beastmen—not even Oceanic Beastmen could escape them alive. When they first arrived in the Triangle Sea, a Beastman from The Great Fish Clan had died in those very whirlpools, never to surface again.

Evangeline’s gaze was placid as she turned to the Mer Clan. "You can enter the water and see if this region is suitable for you to live in. If not, we will all travel to the city-states beyond the Triangle Sea together."

Hearing this, the members of the Mer Clan gasped. They looked at one another, completely unsure of what to do.

After hearing Evangeline, Rhea was the first to step out from the crowd. Her gaze was intense as she asked earnestly, "So, you’ve solved the problem with the Triangle Sea? It no longer devours Beastmen, and we can make our home here?"

’She didn’t doubt Evangeline for a second. The woman had never failed at anything she set her mind to.’

’This expanse of sea is so vast, far larger than our territory back in Norfell. If we could really settle down here, we’d have countless prey, an immense territory... We’d even be the first tribe to ever make a home here!’

A smile touched Evangeline’s lips. She reached out to tuck a stray strand of Rhea’s hair behind her ear and nodded. "Yes. You can make your home here. You can have more options."

Expressions of yearning appeared on the faces of the Mer Clan, but as they stared out at the vast, empty sea, a hint of fear remained in their eyes.

Just then, a voice called out from the crowd, "I’ll give it a try!"

The words had barely faded when a figure leaped into the sea. In an instant, a cyan Fintan unfurled from his lower body. He moved with agility, leaping and diving through the waves, his long hair flowing with the current like a spirit of the sea.

"Stellan!" Coral Cetus cried, running to the ship’s edge. Seeing Stellan in the water, she didn’t hesitate for a second before leaping in after him.

Stellan caught her securely, a look of disapproval on his face.

Coral Cetus’s face, however, was filled with joy and relief. As members of the Tideborn, they had been away from the ocean for a long time. And while they could use stored seawater to ease their bodies’ craving, nothing compared to the comfort of swimming freely in the open sea. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Her long pink hair drifted around her as she turned to the Oceanic Beastmen peering over the ship’s railing. "Come on down! It’s really safe!"

Coral Cetus had absolute faith in Evangeline; she wasn’t worried about the whirlpools in the slightest.

Watching Stellan and Coral Cetus, the other members of the Mer Clan grew restless. When Rhea also leaped from the airship into the water, they hesitated no longer. One after another, they jumped into the sea, their splashes creating beautiful ripples on the surface.

When Danton emerged from the cabin, the first thing he heard were the joyous cheers of his clanspeople.

His brows knit together. He walked onto the deck, and his expression changed drastically when he saw his people in the water. However, the sight of Evangeline leaning leisurely against the ship’s railing made him sigh in relief. Then, his brow furrowed even more deeply.

Danton walked over and draped his cloak over Evangeline’s shoulders. "Last night," he said in a low voice, "you went into the sea?"

Without turning around, Evangeline kept her eyes on the Mer Clan in the water. "Look," she said softly. "They’re so free."

Danton put his arm around Evangeline’s shoulders. As he watched his people, their faces wreathed in smiles, a lump formed in his throat.

’I’m the leader of the Mer Clan, yet I’ve done so little for my tribe and my people. From the very beginning, it has always been Eva standing in front of me, clearing away every obstacle in my path and paving the way for the Mer Clan.’

’He knew that on his own, he would have had absolutely no way to deal with the whirlpools of the Triangle Sea.’

"Eva..." Danton’s heart grew heavy. He felt none of the joy he should have at his people finding a place to settle.

’My female... she’s done so, so much for me.’

Evangeline took his hand and turned to look into his handsome eyes. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Danton, I came here only because I hoped all of you could be well—that you could live in peace and happiness."

’That way, the mission will be complete, this little world won’t collapse, and I can finally look forward to my retirement.’

’Time is passing too quickly. The more time I spend with them, the less I want to leave. An emotion like this is rare for me. I don’t reject it, but I know it’s not a good thing.’

’I have to leave sooner or later.’

’Before that happens, all I can do is make sure they’re all settled and can live well.’

’The city-state civilizations of the Beastman Continent are definitely not a good destination for these Norfell Beastmen.’

Seeing the earnest look on Evangeline’s face, Danton’s heart clenched. He pulled her tightly into his embrace, his chest heaving. "Eva," he said, his voice low, "our happiness is you. And only you."

Evangeline leaned against his chest, listening to the frantic rhythm of his heart, and said nothing.