"Oh come on, don't lie! That's rude." The mermaid smacks her friend with her tail before turning her attention to me. "I am sorry for her, she's an idiot but her reasoning isn't out of impure motives. If you would impregnate us it would be of great help."

"Is there truly an issue with the birthrate of your race?"

"Ah somewhat but it's not such a problem, we are genetically predisposed to handle long stints without mating. Our lifespans are long so even if we can't mate we won't die out."

"Why do you need humans though?"

"Because males don't exist in our society. We steal males from the surface and use them until they sink. Or that is the old tale, lately not a boat will enter the area it seems."

"Hey, hey. Why are you telling him all that?"

"He seems nice, and maybe he can help."

"Nah, I can't help. Don't get me wrong, sounds amazing. But I would get in tons of trouble."

"Trouble?"

"Mhm."

"Ah! That is why there are so many women! Perhaps the surface world is in a similar situation as ours? Many more women exist than males? So you are these ones slave perhaps?"

"Master, a slave?" Alice staggers at the thought before fanning her blushing face.

"There is no such situation, I am just, special I guess?"

"Right! Captain is the most special! He can definitely help you!"

"No, no Mirna we don't want him to help them."

"Why not?"

*Whisper whisper*

"In the butt?"

*Whisper whisper*

"But it has no pants on. So where is the..."

This time one of the mermaids leans to Mirna.

*Whisper whisper*

"So it is the butt! I knew it!"

Mirna could learn to whisper better I think.

That could have been a delightful surprise, just kidding.

I have no interest really. It takes a bit more than shell bra's to convince me to help you.

"Why do you want me to impregnate you? Do you want children that badly?"

The two glance at each other silently conversing for once

"Nope"

"Nah, that'd be a huge hassle."

"So then why?"

The two again glance at each other silently choosing a lie perhaps?

"If we get pregnant we will have a place to live."

"Hmm?"

"It's a rule in mermaid culture. Once you turn 20 you move out of your mother's ship. You can live in the group house until you are the oldest and another needs to move in. The two of us got kicked out a few weeks ago. We have been hunting ever since."

"You said ship?"

"Mhm, that's why we sink the ships you see. We live in them. But we so rarely get new ships."

"Alright, take me to the village then. I will help but it has to be quick, I don't have time for this anymore."

"Rude."

"Sorry, sorry but this seems like a long adventure and we already have so much to do."

"No, no it's fine I will lead you. I hate to make you wait."

"Ah, no I didn't mean it like that..."

"I understand you are a busy man."

Ah no, I feel guilty. Wait I am helping them, I shouldn't be feeling guilty.

"And I'll have you know I won't be impregnating you."

"Well no, of course, it doesn't always happen on the first time."

"That's not what I mean. I will give you guys a few ships. What is your population right now?"

"Probably around thirty-five thousand."

"Shit, that's a lot of points. Alright let me talk to someone in charge of your village and I will help." The mermaid smiles widely at my confident tone although the eyes have a hint of lust so I add a tag to the end. "I won't be helping you in ‘that' way through. Although I really do appreciate the offer."

"Mhmm fine. If we can get a place to live and not need to give birth I'd be happy. But I won't just give up. You will sink eventually."

That's terrifying. How in the hell do I handle thirty-five thousand of them?

Easy.

I just ignore them and give them a few hundred boats. I can ask them to deliver me some clams or something in return. Having mermaids owe me a favor is surely a great thing for a pirate.

"Captain you don't intend to… with all thirty-five thousand do you?"

"No. I can't stress this enough, I won't be helping with that."

After about an hours worth of controlled falling, we found ourselves in the Mermaid village.

City?

I never remember what the rules are for that.

It's a town if it's over 1k?

City if it's over 10k?

Whatever, that's the least of my issues. I am getting looks unlike any I have ever experienced.

Looks of untamed lust are coming from all directions. We were swarmed as soon as we set foot in the city.

The crew were able to keep the group a good ten feet from me, Clove was in charge of close range shielding, she latched to me closely surrounding me with her shield aura.

"Hey, hey enough!" An older mermaid says firmly striking fear into the rest of the group. "He has helped us enough already, leave him be. I hear he wants to speak to me. Begone all you."

The mermaids scatter while grumbling. So this is the one in charge?

She helped me out with that lie.

But in any case, I will make it true.

"I want to give you a few hundred ships for your people to live in? What can you give me in return?"

"Oh? Straight to the point."

"I'm in a hurry."

"I see." The mermaid leader thinks about it carefully. "We can give gold and jewels but I doubt you would be interested in such things."

"Not really."

"Then what is it that you need?"

"I was figuring something like gathering shellfish or something but… I actually thought of something new, how about we just forget the payment and you just owe me a favor in the future."

"Fair enough. Then how do you plan to help us?"

But I ignore her question instead investigating an overview of the city with my menu.

"How about I add a couple dozen here next to the airship. I also have an old slave ship I could put next to this battleship in the corner of the city."

"Yeah yeah, that's exactly where we were thinking of setting them! Good plan!"

"You seem unsurprised by my ability," I say after placing the third ship in a neat row on the seabed.

"Humans are strange. I have known someone like you."

"I figured as much."

So it's another one who likes to live in the open.

These spirits are really everywhere.

Can I really just chock this up to coincidence?