Because they were in no hurry to travel.
The dragon, the three merfolk, and the Nagas spent several hours on the journey.
Only then did they approach Niro City.
When the subjects in the outer city saw Xiluo, they all greeted him.
But when they saw the beautiful merfolk, surprise immediately appeared on their faces.
"Th-those are! My goodness! Human upper bodies, fish lower bodies, and such incredibly beautiful faces. These are... the mermaids of legend!"
"They're so beautiful. I really want to get close to them!"
"These are the treasures of the ocean! They're truly too beautiful to be mortal."
The subjects exclaimed in amazement.
They stared hard at the three merfolk, completely ignoring the Nagas.
Still, they did not dare do anything out of line.
Instead, they asked in a friendly manner:
"Lord Xiluo, are these all your honored guests?"
Finally, someone asked that question!
Xiluo's enormous dragon body shuddered, and he said:
"That's right!
These three are indeed my honored guests!
You could call them my sworn sisters!
They're also three high-ranking nobles from the powerful Hai Jialan Empire!
When you see them, you must treat them with the same respect you show me."
"Lord Xiluo's sworn sisters?
Three high-ranking nobles from the Hai Jialan Empire?
Hiss..."
Some subjects could not help drawing sharp breaths at his words.
They all sensed that there was more to this.
The Hai Jialan Empire!
Although they did not know exactly where in the ocean it was located.
In the understanding of ordinary subjects.
An empire was the most powerful kind of force on Domirank Star.
It was a power far above a kingdom.
And these three were actually high-ranking nobles of such a place?
Perhaps they were even more exalted than the princesses of ordinary kingdoms?
And even a dragon