As the bodyguard revealed the flight attendant's identity, Raymond's system pinged at the same time—with an S-rank alert that granted him 100 exploration points.
Namor, ruler of the ocean kingdom Atlantis, was known across the seas as the King of the Ocean—or simply, "Aquaman."
Unlike the Atlantis from Earth in Raymond's previous life, which had completely vanished into myth, this world's Atlantis hadn't disappeared.
It had simply hidden itself from the surface world.
Its people had built a kingdom deep beneath the sea, and their technological civilization was far more advanced than that of humans.
After countless years of evolution, Atlanteans now possessed powers that seemed like superpowers to ordinary people—making them much stronger than regular humans.
So by human standards, they were definitely part of the superpowered community.
The reason they hadn't emerged from the shadows or started a war with humans wasn't just because of mystery or secrecy.
One major reason was that they couldn't stay out of the ocean for long.
Like mermaids in fairy tales, the longer they were out of the water, the weaker they became.
This physical limitation meant there was no real need for them to fight humanity.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
Low birth rates, ancient rivalries with other supernatural groups, and other internal challenges also kept them from making bold moves.
Namor, however, was one of the rare exceptions.
He was a hybrid—his mother had been an Atlantean princess, while his father was an ordinary human sea captain. (TL/N: This is comic lore)
Though relationships between Atlanteans and humans weren't unheard of, they almost always ended badly.
Their children were usually born with serious issues—low intelligence, weak bodies, or deformities.
Over time, the Atlanteans grew to deeply despise such unions.
So when Namor's mother became pregnant with a child fathered by a human, the royal family saw it as a terrible disgrace.
Her father—the former king—immediately ordered the human man killed and dragged his daughter back to Atlantis by force.
Had Namor's mother not threatened her own life, he probably wouldn't have been born at all.
But what no one expected was that the child they all called a disgrace… would turn out to be a genius.
From an early age, his intelligence far surpassed others. His power grew at an incredible pace.
The entire Atlantean royal court was shocked.
And maybe because of his mixed blood, Namor was different.
He didn't grow weaker the longer he stayed out of the sea.
He could live freely on land—just like any normal human.
He even had the power of flight.
In short, Namor was more gifted than any other Atlantean.
Even those who hated or envied him had no choice but to admit his greatness over time.
Because of this, his grandfather—before passing away—chose to pass the throne to him without hesitation.
Although several of Namor's uncles were unhappy about it, they eventually had no choice but to submit.
From the moment Namor took power, Atlantis slowly began to interact with the surface world.
During World War II, he even formed a brief alliance with North America.
"So this is a personal grudge?"
Now that Raymond knew Namor's identity, many of his earlier assumptions shifted.
He wasn't the kind of person to blindly choose sides just because someone was labeled a "hero" or "villain."
Red Hulk and Red Demon were also technically "villains," and he never cared about that.
But judging from what Namor said, this wasn't some random attack.
It sounded like Mia's father had ambushed him in the past—now Namor was here to settle the score.
"Duke Ventrue… Could he be the Ventrue of the Thirteen Clans?"
Raymond began recalling everything he knew about the vampire race.
Unlike the legends of his previous life—where vampires were tied to biblical curses and Cain—the vampires in this world had a different origin.
They had no connection to God, nor were they descended from Cain.
In fact, their origins were quite similar to the mages.
The first modern mage in human history was the Ancient One—the founder of Kamar-Taj.
He had learned magic after encountering the Darkhold. (TL/N: Also Comic one Not MC)
A friend of his named Kaluu had also read the book and become a sorcerer.
Likewise, the first vampire, Varnae, was created after being affected by the Darkhold—and so, the vampire race was born.
Not only that, but the werewolves were also a cursed offshoot spawned by the same book.
Many myths and legends in this world could actually be traced back to the Darkhold's influence.
After Varnae's transformation, he sired thirteen direct descendants, giving rise to the Thirteen Vampire Clans.
Over time, due to ideological differences, the clans split into three major factions:
If the "Ventrue" Namor mentioned was indeed the one from the Thirteen Clans, then Mia's background was far more important than it first seemed.
Because the Ventrue Clan was the leading house of the Camarilla, essentially the most powerful vampire clan.
And if her father was called "Duke," it was likely he was the head of the Ventrue Clan.
Which meant Mia was their princess.
"I really didn't expect that…"
Raymond was a little surprised, thinking back to how Mia had acted earlier.
Despite her noble blood, she'd chosen to befriend two random girls she had just met—without even knowing who they really were.
That kind of attitude was extremely down-to-earth.
"I'm taking this little girl with me. If you want her back, tell that bastard Ventrue to come talk to me himself. He knows how to reach me," Namor said with a smirk, completely ignoring the bodyguards' anger.
Just as Raymond was still deciding whether to get involved in this personal feud, things suddenly got messy—"You're a grown man bullying a young girl—how shameless!"
Lorna shouted, clearly upset.
They couldn't stay silent anymore after seeing their new friend being grabbed right in front of them.
"Clarice, Lorna… this has nothing to do with you. Don't get involved!"
Mia was clearly touched by their bravery, but didn't want them getting hurt because of her. She quickly tried to stop them.