Fu Qian's reading comprehension had clearly shaken Vivian.
"Assuming everything in your story is true, that means this miracle already existed before you came here."
Fu Qian didn't let the silent mermaid princess off the hook. He calmly laid out his thoughts.
"And for a dangerous place like this, even if the guidance you received didn't mention it, you couldn't possibly have come in without making any preparations."
"That doesn't quite square with how trapped you seemed just now. Do you really not know how to get out?"
With a smile, Fu Qian gazed at the mermaid princess's enormous face.
"You're right. I'm sorry—I lied just now."
After a moment of silence, the divine envoy across from him apologized with complete sincerity.
"I do know how to get out. It's just that—"
"You chose to stay."
Fu Qian cut her off.
"Don't tell me it's because your body's almost out of control and you can't do anything. That would make me feel insulted on an intellectual level."
"Your appearance may be bizarre, but those fish-people are clearly twisted to varying degrees, too."
"That's right..."
From Vivian's expression, Fu Qian seemed to have saved her from lying a second time.
"So what's the reason? I'm curious."
"I've said quite a lot today. Why don't you take a guess?"
Under Fu Qian's somewhat aggressive questioning, Vivian seemed to have finally reclaimed a little of her divine envoy's dignity. She didn't want to remain so completely on the defensive.
"Take a guess? Since it shouldn't take long to figure out, I'll give it a try."
Fu Qian took a couple more steps, found a spot by the cave entrance, and sat down, rubbing his chin.
"If you can leave but choose not to, then staying here must serve some special purpose. Rather