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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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“Can we encounter these enemies, presumably led by the Leviathan, if we go to the sea now?”
At Yuma’s question, Yercur, the king of the Mullen, shook his head.
“No, they’re slowly devouring and approaching through the sea, like they’re consuming it. Even if you go forward, you might or might not encounter them. We should wait until the warriors at the maritime front line send us news.”
Yuma decided to look around the merfolk’s land first.
Just as Yuma stood up, Yercur added:
“When you go outside, my daughter will be waiting. You’ll need a guide to tell you about the Mullen.”
Specifically assigning his daughter, not someone else, seemed to serve two purposes: showing how highly he regarded Yuma and choosing someone who could communicate easily.
*footsteps*
Yuma’s group left the Mullen king’s quarters.
“Hello.”
And there stood a woman who appeared to be Yercur’s daughter at the doorway.
She was a Mullen woman with sky-blue skin.
“I’m Tisha.”
Tisha wore pure white fabric covering her chest area and from her hips to just above her knees.
The fabric looked as soft as ocean waves.
Tisha and Yuma faced each other.
Since the Mullen tribe was typically quite tall, there was almost no difference in eye level between Tisha and Yuma.
Yuma gazed into Tisha’s eyes.
They were blue like his own.
To be precise, they were closer to sky-blue.
The cyan light shining between the sky-blue hues added to their mystical quality.
“Please follow me.”
Tisha slowly walked forward.
Houses were provided for the sailors and captains who needed to stay until Yuma resolved the Mullen tribe’s situation.
Yuma’s group followed Tisha through the forest.
Bell, Cloney, and Hestia stuck close to Tisha’s side and began asking questions.
“What do the Mullen tribe eat to survive?”
The first question was quite brazen.
Tisha looked at Hestia with a somewhat bemused expression as she asked such a formal question while her eyes sparkled clearly.
“We can survive just by eating Lebes, a fruit that grows in the sea. It contains all the necessary nutrients. Sometimes people also eat Hurel fruits that grow here, or cook wild animals from that forest.”
It made sense that there would be a forest.
This island was quite large for just a temporary anchorage.
Large enough to sustain all aspects of life here.
“We don’t eat the creatures in the sea. They’re our friends.”
That last statement seemed most important.
The next person to cling to Tisha was none other than Cloney.
“What’s your most distinctive characteristic?”
Tisha walked with her blue hair flowing.
“It would be our ability to share emotions with sea creatures. We communicate with them through languages promised by each of our ancestors.”
“Wow…”
As Cloney’s golden eyes widened in amazement, the others’ eyes grew larger too.
Information about the merfolk was rarely spread among people, except that most had blue skin.
And consequently, there were more negative stories than positive ones circulating.
Nasty tales like how trespassers in merfolk territory would be turned into human meat.
Originally, people tend to put fear far ahead of fondness for things they haven’t witnessed with their own eyes.
Learning various characteristics of the Mullen tribe through Tisha’s words seemed quite fascinating.
The next person to approach Tisha was Bell.
“That king, judging by his build and the calluses on his fists, seems like a martial artist. May I ask what you fight with?”
Tisha slowly nodded.
“Father is indeed a martial artist. But I use magic.”
At those words, Cloney, who had stepped back, thrust her head forward again.
“Magic?”
“Yes, the Mullen tribe has quite a talent for magic. Water magic.”
“Ah…!”
Cloney let out an exclamation while looking at the sea still clearly visible in the distance.
The sea and water-attribute magic.
If it was possible to use the sea as a medium, it could certainly create amazing synergy.
“Show us!”
Cloney pointed to the distant sea as she spoke.
Tisha met Cloney’s gaze, her golden eyes sparkling so brightly it would be difficult to refuse.
Tisha glanced briefly at Yuma.
She seemed to be seeking his opinion, as he appeared to be the leader of the group.
“There’s nothing particularly special to guide us through yet, since those we’d call enemies of the Mullen tribe haven’t appeared, right?”
Tisha slowly nodded.
Because Yuma’s words were correct.
Tisha slowly descended toward the ground, heading for the sea to the west.
Yuma’s group followed Tisha toward the sea.
They were curious about how she would use the sea as a medium for magic.
*splash*…
Tisha slowly entered the sea.
The water gently rippled up to her knees.
The Water Tribe.
Whether it was because they were called that, or because of their sky-blue skin.
She seemed to shine more brightly in the sea than on land.
“…Why, why are you all staring like that?”
Tisha crossed her arms to cover her upper body under the intense gaze of Yuma’s group at her blue form.
Hestia approached Tisha slowly and said:
“Because when you enter the water, your body seems to shine more!”
Tisha gradually relaxed her stiffened face at Hestia’s words.
Tisha spoke softly.
“Well… that’s because scales appear on our bodies when we enter the sea.”
Yuma looked at Tisha’s body.
Indeed, scales that weren’t there before had appeared on her skin.
A genetic trait where scales emerge on the skin surface when entering water.
Racial superiority.
A body destined to be strong in water.
A body that could move in water just as on land.
And a being that surpasses humans even in terms of physical strength on land.
Tisha had to throw out a comment at Yuma’s intense stare.
“…It can’t be helped if it looks ugly. It’s a racial characteristic.”
Yuma shook his head.
“It’s not ugly. Rather, it’s just a sign of strength that humans don’t possess.”
“Str…ength?”
Tisha’s scales, covering down to just below her collarbone, sparkled in the sunlight.
“Yes, strength. And it’s even more special because it only shows in water.”
At Yuma’s unhesitating words, Tisha’s face stiffened subtly.
What was certain was that she could somewhat calm the inexplicably embarrassed feeling she had.
The now composed Tisha slowly continued speaking.
“Originally, elemental magic shows its greatest aspects in creating something from nothing.”
Tisha slowly raised her right hand.
*swoosh*…
The seawater rose following Tisha’s hand movement.
Cloney’s eyes widened in surprise.
Tisha continued speaking.
“The Mullen tribe can handle the sea itself as a medium, you could say. Of course, the degree varies dramatically depending on one’s capability.”
*splash*─
The water rising from the sea formed the shape of a round shield.
Cloney opened her eyes wide.
“4th Circle Water Attribute Defense Magic… Wave Spiral! Right?”
Tisha, a 5th Circle magician like Cloney, smiled slightly when Cloney immediately recognized the magic.
“Yes.”
Perhaps because Cloney’s passion for magic was clearly conveyed.
Cloney stood in front of Tisha.
Then she pulled out a small brown staff.
*swish*
And drew the magic formula.
It was the same magic formula that Tisha had just demonstrated.
*splash!*
The 4th Circle Defense Magic Wave Spiral was fully deployed.
However, Cloney’s expression remained rather stiff.
That was because it was a water shield created in the traditional elemental magic way of creating something from nothing.
She had tried to create the Wave Spiral using this ocean’s water.
Like Tisha in front of her.
But she had failed.
Tisha slowly shook her head.
Her sky-blue hair gently fluttered.
“Of course you had to fail. We start learning breathing techniques to borrow this sea’s power from our mana operation methods. And being merfolk blessed by this ocean probably plays a part too.”
Tisha’s words were right.
Very reasonable.
But Yuma thought Cloney could overturn that.
Magic genius.
Because she was Cloney, who possessed characteristics that even 7th Circle magicians didn’t have.
“Try learning it. That mana operation method. The breathing technique.”
Both Cloney and Tisha looked at Yuma at his words.
“Believe in your power, Cloney.”
Tisha couldn’t understand Yuma speaking as if he really had confidence that it could be done.
This was, after all, one of the innate blessings possessed by the Mullen tribe.
A blessing that no pure human magician could obtain no matter how hard they tried.
However, she could tell in this short time that their bond was not ordinary.
“Can I do it? Yuma.”
Cloney’s golden eyes, which had been dejected until just now, regained their spark.
“You can do it.”
Yuma planted confidence in Cloney’s mind.
Cloney turned her head to look at Tisha again.
Water scattered from the tips of Cloney’s long black hair.
“That mana operation method! Please teach me. Big sis… Tisha?”
“Since I’m twenty-four, ‘big sis’ would be correct… but it will be difficult, you know. You know that magicians can’t suddenly twist their initially learned mana operation method. When you make your mana heart recognize a new mana operation method, you similarly have to pioneer new mana circuits.”
“Yes, I know.”
Cloney glanced briefly at Yuma in the distance again with her golden eyes.
“But what Yuma says has never been wrong.”
Cloney’s golden eyes facing Tisha again didn’t waver at all.
Far from wavering, they were sparkling brightly.
‘How can they build such a bond?’
Tisha suddenly became curious about these people.
Curious about Cloney and Yuma before her.
“Alright, Cloney. I’ll teach you.”
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