Journey to Land

"Father, why on earth did you send Amelia to the land?" the eldest princess, Mia, huffed as she stormed into the main hall.

"We need her to retrieve the lost treasure," the king replied with a frown.

"I get it, Dad, the treasure is crucial for the prosperity of our mermaid world, but..." Mia struggled to find the right words, not wanting to sound too harsh.

"But Amelia? She's, well... let's just say she's not the sharpest trident in the sea. She's as innocent and naive as a fish swimming upstream. How can she possibly compete with those cunning humans?" Mia blurted out, expressing her concern.

"I know she might not be the brightest mermaid in the ocean, and I hesitated to send her too. But this morning, a prophecy appeared on the giant pearl, and it pointed to Amelia as the one who will successfully retrieve the lost treasure and restore our glory," the king explained.

"The giant pearl? Are you sure there wasn't a mix-up? Maybe it meant Amy or Cecilia, their names are quite similar," Mia grasped at any hope of a mistake.

"I checked and double-checked, Mia. It really is Amelia," the king said with a mix of astonishment and resignation."Perhaps she's destined for something greater than we ever imagined."

"But, Dad, Amelia is... well, she's not exactly known for her sharp mind," Mia said, choosing her words carefully.

"True, her intellect might not be her strongest suit, but we can't deny that she's the most beautiful mermaid in our realm,” the king tried to reassure both himself and Mia.

"Yeah, her beauty must have taken all her IQ points," Mia blurted out.

"So, where is she now? I need to give her a crash course on land survival before she sets off," Mia said, genuinely worried about her youngest sister.

"She's already left. She was so eager to go to the surface; I only managed to hand her the pearl necklace before she dashed away," the king sighed, feeling a twinge of regret for not being more cautious.

"What? That impulsive little mermaid! She didn't even think to pack some land money or clothes? Is she planning to strut around the streets in her bikini?" Mia exclaimed.

———

In the meanwhile, Amelia swam ashore, filled with a buoyant and jubilant mood.

As her mermaid tail touched the ground, a magical transformation occurred, and her tail morphed into a pair of long, slender human legs. She wiggled her toes in sheer delight, relishing this newfound sensation.

Standing upright on her legs for the first time, Amelia couldn't contain her excitement. She danced and jumped around like a child experiencing a delightful game.

"Princess Amelia... Princess Amelia... ouch!!" Amelia heard a faint voice calling out.

Curious, she looked around and spotted a hermit crab emerging from the sand under her feet. "Princess Amelia, it's me, Herald, the hermit," the crab said with a tiny voice.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Herald," Amelia replied sweetly, her voice as soothing as a calming sea breeze.

The king was right – Amelia wasn't just the prettiest mermaid; she possessed the nicest voice among them all. Mermaids' voices had magical powers; some could stun or hurt listeners, while others could heal. Amelia's voice had minor healing power, but it was said to be the sweetest of all. Whenever she sang, sea creatures would flock to her like devoted fans.

Herald, the hermit crab, blushed as he heard Amelia say his name so graciously. He couldn't help but think that none of his hermit girlfriends had ever called his name with such charm.

"It's an honor to meet you, Princess Amelia. I'm here to assist you while you're on land. After all, hermits are the spies of the land. I can gather any information you might need for your task," Herald introduced himself, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Amelia picked up Herald in her palm, gently caressing his shell. His heart skipped a beat as he felt the warmth of her touch, blushing even more.

"Thank you, Herald," she said warmly.

"Let's go retrieve the treasure, and after that, can you lead me to the nicest restaurant? I want to try all the human cuisines!!" Amelia exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Placing Herald on her shoulder, she lifted her pearl necklace from her chest and examined it closely. A faint golden arrow appeared, pointing northward.

With Herald's guidance, they followed the direction indicated by the pearl necklace, eventually arriving at a grand villa with imposing gates blocking their path.

"Herald, what should we do? We're stuck! The gate is locked! Should I just climb over it?" Amelia asked, a touch of mischief in her eyes.

"No, no, Princess Amelia! If you do that, you'll likely be arrested and thrown in prison for trespassing," Herald quickly cautioned.

Amelia pouted, disappointed at the prospect of being arrested on her very first day on land. "Then how can I enter? The pearl necklace points to the treasure inside!"

"Wait a moment, Princess! Let me check," Herald said, diving back into his shell to look for any helpful information.

Meanwhile, Amelia's presence had caught the attention of the villa's security, and a voice echoed from an intercom speaker.

"Are you here for the interview?" the voice inquired.

Herald, overhearing the conversation, urgently whispered to Amelia, "Say yes! According to my notes, an interview could lead to a job offer, and if the job is related to this house, you'll be able to enter freely!"

"Yes!" Amelia responded without hesitation.

"The gate is opening now. Walk inside, and I'll be waiting for you within," the voice continued.

Amelia peered at the immense villa and marveled at the distance the voice could reach. "What a powerful being! Able to transmit his voice from such a long distance! He must be a strong merman with his long-distance voice wave," she exclaimed.

"Princess Amelia, that's not his power. It's just an intercom, a device that transmits voices from one location to another instantly," Herald corrected her.

“A magical tool? Perhaps that's the treasure!" Amelia wondered aloud.

"No, Princess Amelia, it's not," Herald replied, realizing Amelia's lack of knowledge about the human world. "In any case, please remember, we need to secure the job. So, no matter what they ask you, just answer positively. Say 'yes' and 'yes, I can!'"

Confidently, they walked through the open gates and into the villa. As they proceeded, an old man approached Amelia, introducing himself as Butler Ford.

“Are you here for the sugarbaby interview?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.