Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 160. Journey To Tidebreak

They all look concerned hearing that, even Rick removes his smile immediately just to lock in for the information.

Carmilla said softly, "That’s so terrible... for both of them."

"I can’t believe conflict such as that exists..."

Zephyra nodded. "And because of that... Nerissa became obsessed with her work after the betrayal."

"She took care of the oceanic wards, ran the kingdom, and raised her kids, but she turned down all personal invitations and all diplomatic events and hasn’t left the Meridia Citadel in decades."

"While her kids run the kingdom’s daily business, she stays in her throne room alone, keeping the wards up with her will."

Rick’s heart hurt for someone he had never met. "That’s tragic, to feel all sad and lonely..."

"There are hundreds of kids and a whole kingdom around her, but she is completely alone."

Loneliness is an inefficient emotional state," Zephyra said, but the way she said it made it sound like she didn’t really believe it. "Still, it’s made it almost impossible to reach her diplomatically."

"She doesn’t trust anyone while having the thoughts that everyone will betray her the same way Typhon did, and that’s the reason why she has to put up walls around her heart that make Sylvia’s old isolation look like an open-door policy."

"Whoa... what was that for...?" Rick thought, shocked by Zephyra’s sudden comment.

Sylvia didn’t like the comparison, but she didn’t say anything.

"So how do we get in touch with her?" Natasha asked, always looking for a practical answer. "What do we do if diplomatic channels are closed and the underwater passages are blocked?"

Fredrich cleared his throat. "That’s why we’re sending you to Tidebreak first."

"The port city can only talk to Meridia Citadel through emergency communication crystals..."

"Nerissa may have to act if the corruption gets bad enough, and the Hero of Mature Hearts being there, along with the corruption storm getting worse, might be enough to get her attention."

"And what if it doesn’t?" Zara asked.

Zephyra said, "Then you’ll have to find another way to get to her."

"That’s why I’m going with you."

"Wait just one second..." Rick’s head jerked up. "Are you sure you want to come with us to visit something dangerous...?"

"What about your baby? She needs you the most, and bringing her there is a bad idea!"

For the first time, Zephyra’s cold look broke a little, showing that she might have been annoyed. "I can fight corruption while taking care of a baby."

"Women like me have been taking care of many things since the beginning of time."

"Don’t you dare try to treat me like a child again." Zephyra immediately locked her eyes on Rick, like a predator.

Rick quickly raised his hands in surrender and said, "W-Whoa! I wasn’t trying to sound disrespectful at all..."

"F-Fuck...! My rizz failed... I have to do something." Rick panicked.

"W-What I just meant is... won’t it be risky?"

"Everything is dangerous," Zephyra said in a flat voice. "And I am the best sorceress to look at the corruption storm and maybe talk to Nerissa on a technical level because I know a lot about oceanic ward systems."

"So it makes sense that I am here, right?"

"I-I got it..." Rick lowers his head immediately to apologize. "I’m sorry..."

Both Carmilla and Natasha sighed together seeing Rick acting like that.

Heinz spoke up for the first time, and his voice shook. "I’ll stay here to watch you guys from afar..."

"My wife is the best sorceress I know. She can do this job and take care of the baby at the same time."

When Zephyra looked at her husband, her face softened almost without her noticing. "Thanks, dear."

"I’ll only bring her if the level of corruption stays low, and I’ll leave her with you if there is a chance of me fighting something."

"What a happy married couple..." Rick said in his mind while looking at them.

Fredrich said, "So it’s settled." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Rick, your team, and the Grand Sorceress Zephyra will go to Tidebreak, look at the corruption storm, and try to get in touch with Ocean Empress Nerissa."

"And remember that time is very important because the Astral Deep gets worse every day that storm goes on."

Rick looked at the women he was bonded with.

Carmilla nodded with confidence.

Natasha’s face showed that she was coldly determined.

Liora’s soft smile showed that she was sure of herself.

Zara’s fierce eyes said she was ready for anything.

And Sylvia’s dragon-like pride practically shone through her human form.

"Alright! So what are we waiting for?!" Rick asked.

"We go right now," Zephyra said, standing up and fixing her baby’s sling. "I’ve already put everything I’ll need in my bag."

"Fredrich can give you the coordinates for Tidebreak. I guess we’re flying by the dragon queen?" Zephyra looked at Sylvia.

Sylvia smiled. "Unless you’d rather walk for three weeks."

"Flying is fine," Zephyra said, not getting the sarcasm at all.

...

An hour later, Sylvia was in her full dragon form, huge and beautiful, waiting in the plaza outside Valdris. Rick and his friends had gotten all of their supplies together, and Zephyra had come with just one small bag that seemed to have everything she needed for a long trip.

Her baby Sophia was still sleeping soundly in the sling, as if she had been given the gift of sleeping through anything.

"Let me say it again without being disrespectful this time..." Rick starts again.

"Are you sure it’s safe to bring her?" Rick asked one more time as they climbed onto Sylvia’s back.

Zephyra’s look could have frozen lava. "Ask me that again, and I’ll show you exactly why I’m one of the Seven Major Powers as a mere human."

Rick quickly said, "O-Okay, sorry, I won’t bring it up again. (Ah, fuck it. I won’t do this shit again!)"

After everyone was settled, Sylvia opened her huge wings. "Tidebreak is about six hours of flying northeast."

"Is everyone secure in their positions right now?"

"We’re all ready when you are," Carmilla said, making sure that everyone’s positions were stable.

Sylvia’s wings beat hard, sending her into the air and Valdris falling away below. The morning sun turned the landscape gold and amber, but as they flew northeast toward the coast, Rick saw that the sky ahead was getting darker and darker.

Zephyra said something from her seat just behind Rick after about two hours of flying. She looked totally calm, even though it was windy and she had a baby strapped to her chest.

"I should tell you more about Ocean Empress now that we have the time, so you can negotiate with her effectively. It’s important for you to understand her personality and past."

Rick turned around to look at her. "Please. We greatly appreciate any assistance in persuading her to accept our help."

Zephyra nodded. "People say that Nerissa Abyssryn is one of the most powerful beings in this world."

"She is an expert at magic involving water and the ocean. She can change the flow of water, control sea creatures, and keep ward systems that cover whole oceans."

"And that is before she was cut off from the rest of the world, she was known as a fair but strict leader who really cared about the health of her people."

"What changed?" Liora asked. "You talked about a betrayal, but you said the details weren’t clear."

Zephyra said, "The official story is that Emperor Consort Typhon made a choice that went against Nerissa’s trust."

"Unofficial rumors say that he may have had a lover, or maybe more than one, among the younger ocean dwellers."

"Ocean dweller culture places a very high value on loyalty and monogamy, so this kind of betrayal would be very bad."

Rick gulped right away.

"This seems like something I won’t even like..."