Many people couldn't tell the difference between merpeople and fish-men.
It was actually quite simple.
The fish part of a merperson was mainly on its lower body, while the fish-like features of a fish-man were mainly on its upper body.
Fish-men had fins, gills, and webbed limbs, allowing them to move and breathe freely underwater and withstand immense water pressure.
Similarly, their intelligence was low, on a par with humans in the Settlement era, and they could only communicate in simple terms.
With so many fish-men staring at her, Fleur felt her body go rigid.
What should I do? Should I act now?
Or should I calm down and wait for a better opportunity?
Or...
Team up with Krum later?
"Um, can I take that girl with me?"
The fish-men had the advantage in numbers, so Fleur didn't want to act rashly. After thinking it over for more than ten seconds, she asked the fish-man nearest to her.
"You can."
To her surprise, the fish-men had no intention of attacking either. They casually let Fleur go and find her sister.
Huh? It's that easy?
Fleur was stunned by his reply, then overcome with delight.
After facing the Hungarian Horntail, she had instinctively imagined that the Second Trial would be just as difficult as the First Trial.
She hadn't expected the Second Trial to be nothing more than a simple test of her ability to adapt underwater.
It seemed the Council had realized just how unreasonable they'd been during the First Trial.
Fleur thought happily. After thanking the nearby fish-men, she swam toward the enormous statue in the settlement.
Little Gabrielle, tied up there, seemed to be asleep, bubbles drifting continuously from her mouth.
Fleur swam up to the statue and tried to untie Gabrielle, but the rope, twisted from weeds,