Chapter 4
The fire of the bonfire crackled, brightening the pitch-black night.
The only sound was the crackling of the fire, and no one made a sound.
It was the beginning of a quiet night, even though there were five people there.
They were all gathered on the beach, which was buzzing with noise.
「My name is Sion Vasti. As you can see, I am of the race called mermaid. Thank you very much for your help this time.」
In a quiet, echoing voice, the mermaid―Sion―introduced herself.
It was a mysterious voice that seemed to resonate deep within her body.
Her eyes were half-closed, and she seemed to be watching her surroundings with her dim eyes.
It was not so much that she was afraid of Mars and the others, but rather that it was her natural attitude.
She exudes a shyness similar to Hazuki. However, she does not seem to be shy.
It seemed so because there was no stagnation in her self-introduction.
「Are you feeling all right? I mean, can you breathe even if you're not in the sea?」
「Thanks to you, I'm fine. As you can see, I can breathe just fine. It seems that I can breathe on the surface as well. I, too, have learned it for the first time.」
――I don't feel any hostility from her. At least not all mermaids are aggressive.
Mars left his sword within his reach. Unfortunately, mermaids are not the kind of beings you can trust as soon as you meet them.
「So what happened in the undersea city?」
Lilia asked.
She had changed her clothes and put a blanket over her shoulders because of the cold sea breeze.
Like Mars, she was saying that she guessed that something must have happened in the dungeon.
「First of all, I should probably explain about the undersea city itself. We mermaids are the protectors of the sea. We seal the "Sea God" in the undersea city. I am one of those shrine maidens.」
「Sea God?」
「Yes. As the name implies, it is the god of the sea. However, in the human classification, it belongs to monsters. Mighty monsters are so powerful that they could be called Gods, so we call them gods and we are in fear of them.」
「So that is the role of the undersea city, huh」
Sion nodded his head.
「The Sea God was sealed in a place you call a dungeon. But ...... suddenly the sealed door opened and the undersea city became part of the dungeon. Except for the warriors who dived into the dungeon,.........I may be the only one of my kind left alive. They all scattered and fled, just as I did, but the sea is full of monsters.」
The door to the dungeon opened and monsters began to pour out.
The ordinary people fled from the sudden attack, and although the warriors fought back, they decided that if the source was not cut off, the monsters would come back again and again, so they abandoned the city and went into the dungeon.
Sion managed to escape from the monsters that were chasing her and made it this far before being exhausted and collapsing.
「How in the world did the dungeon suddenly open?」
「We don't know the cause either. Recently, the dungeon has often been rumbling, but we do not know the reason for it. It was said among the tribe that there might have been something unusual in other dungeons. I don't know if your history has been preserved, but all the dungeons in the key places in the world are connected. It is said that they are related to the origin of this world.」
「...... What?」
――Could it be our fault?
Mars looked at Lilia and she slumped down with an awkward look on her face.
Mars might have been indirectly threatening (scaring) the undersea city.
「S-So, what happens when that Sea God is released ......?」
「The seas of the world will become so rough that humans will no longer be able to sail on them. Even living creatures will not be able to survive for a great half of a lifetime. If the marine environment changes, the earth will not be the same as it is today. It is obvious that if the seas, the source of life, are disturbed, extinction will begin.」
「Isn't this super serious......!?」
――If this were my fault, I'm no better than the Demon Lord!
The world is about to be destroyed because of me!
「Sigh. ......」
Mars sighs deeply and thinks.
――I don't have a world-level perspective, and no matter how far I go, I end up being a haphazard(?場当たり的だ).
Even if I can solve a problem at the moment, I may just be creating a new problem in the future.
Just because I was reincarnated doesn't mean I became a god.
I am just an ordinary Japanese person who became an ordinary person in another world.
So, in the long run, it is quite possible that we have gone in the wrong direction.
Everyone will remember that.
When you are in a relationship with someone you have no intention of marrying and will break up with someday. When you got a job with the intention of eventually changing careers. When you put your mind to something that you know you will never be good at.
Not everyone can reach the top. But we still have to live.
Even if you are at the bottom, you have to do your best.
However, from the point of view of those who belong to the top, it is nothing but a mistake that wastes time.
In that sense, there are plenty of times when we continue to make mistakes in the long run.
I have made plenty of mistakes in the past.
In life, you may think you are doing well, but in fact, you are accumulating a lot of mistakes. The results are not known until the next thing happens.
This time is a perfect example of that.
「What are we supposed to do? You said you needed help.」
Mars doesn't need to ask, but he wants to hear it directly in words.
「You must be strong. Because in my eyes I can see the magic power and potential strength of someone.」
Sion opened both eyes that had been closed.
Her golden eyes shone as if they were luminous.
「So I'm going straight to the point and without choosing words. ――I want you to come with me and defeat the Sea God. Even if the entire mermaids did everything in their power, the most they could do would be to force the Sea God into a dungeon. With our dwindling numbers, it would be impossible to do so. If possible, I would like to cut off the source of the problem. If it's you guys, there is a possibility」
「Does that mean ...... you want us to conquer the dungeon?」
Sion nodded and bowed her head more deeply.
Mars could have given any number of reasons for refusing.
But the feeling that he shouldn't refuse was nagging at him.
From a practical standpoint, the World Tree was not necessarily the top priority.
The priority was Lilia's feelings.
If asked which of the two should be more important, Mars would answer that Lilia is without a doubt first.
To be honest, he doesn't really care about the world.
He would much rather see a change in their current relationship than the destruction of the world.
However, if he thinks about it rationally, he thinks it is the right thing to focus on avoiding danger to the world.
「――Let us think about it for a day. We want to have a good time today and tomorrow. It's our first time at sea, after all.」
「Of course. Even if it's a few more days now, nothing will change. I don't want to force you to do anything in the first place. After all, all I can do is make a plea(?請願).」
She uses the word "plea," but her attitude is a little different.
――She must realize that we have conquered some of the Seven Great Dungeons.
Her voice sounds more like a guilt trip than a request.
Some people can see the magic power of others, just as Hazuki can.
If this is the case with Sion, it is not surprising that she can sense the supernatural power that resides in his body――the magic power of the 【Forbidden Magic Book】
Now that everyone all has some kind of power, it would be easy for the beholder to recognize them.
It is becoming more and more difficult to hide them as they have done so far.
However, Mars defines himself as not having the audacity to go around proclaiming himself a Dungeon Conquerer.
It's just not in his nature. He is a small citizen no matter how far he goes.
Even if he is the one who has conquered the most dungeons in the world.
◇
「Inanakimaasu! Hihiin!」 [TLN:嘶(neigh of a horse)きまーすっ！]
「Itadakimasu, right? Stop talking nonsense.」
「Ouch!?」
Hazuki speaks up with a strange tension, and Lilia retorted.
Perhaps because of the sea, everyone was in a cheerful mood. Except for the fact that they had met a mermaid, they were just having a good time without thinking about anything else.
It was dinner time, and curry was on the menu.
Mars made it, thinking that curry would be the most popular dish at the camp.
「S-So this is the meal on the surface ......!」
Sion, who had been speaking in an orderly and logical manner, changed the color of her eyes when Mars and the others started cooking.
Her calm impression was reversed 180 degrees, and her expression became bright and she seemed to be full of interest.
Mars holds out a plate of curry to Sion.
Her mouth gaping open, Sion pointed to herself.
She seems to want to say, "Is this for me?"
Mars nodded with a smile.
「I don't know what you eat, so I thought I'd give you the same thing we eat, but.......Can you eat it?」
「I-I've never eaten it before. ......」
Sion grabbed the spoon fearfully and poked the roux part with the tip of it.
Mars thought that if she lived underwater, maybe she had never eaten food that used fire.
This curry was made with beef ingredients, but cows are not found in the sea.
In other words, from Sion's point of view, everything could be unknown.
Naturally, she did not know what it tasted like, nor did she know how to eat it, so it was not surprising that she was alarmed.
「You scoop it up and eat it like this. With this white rice.」
Mars takes a bite of the curry on his own plate and also appeals that there is no poison in it.
It tasted good and Mars wanted to praise himself for how well it was done.
「Nyaaa.......Nemu is hungry, too-nyaa. Is this one still not ready-nyaa?」
Nemu's mouth is agape and she sounds dissatisfied.
Lilia and Hazuki had already eaten, but Nemu's portion was not yet ready.
「The sweet flavor is still undercooked. Wait a little longer.」
Nemu was staring at Sion's curry as if she was trying to catch her prey.
Mars had made a sweet version separately for Nemu, who is not fond of strong spices. She also doesn't like vegetables, so he cooks them well and makes them smaller than their original size.
Her nose is breathing heavily. She is probably looking for nourishment as soon as possible, as she has exhausted her energy by playing to the fullest during the day.
「Nemu. You're not very dignified in front of people, you know. Here, drink the soup and wait. It will warm you up.」
Nemu reluctantly accepted the soup and blew on it with a puff of air. She has a cat's tongue, so she always eats soup after it has cooled down.
Seeing this exchange, Sion let down her guard somewhat and took a mouthful of curry.
The spoon was trembling a little.
「W-Well then ...... thank you for the meal. ――Ah!?」
「Are you all right? Was it too hot? I let it cool down for a little while, just in case.」
「I-I'm fine. It's the first time I've eaten something that wasn't cold, so I was a little surprised.」
「Does it taste good?」
「Yes! It's hard to describe, but the texture is different from fish, and the taste is complex...... I was impressed.」
Nodding her head, Sion proceeded to eat the rest of the curry, this time with gusto.
Mars, happy to have his food tasted so good, looked satisfied.
「Do you usually eat only fish?」
「No, I also eat seaweed, shellfish, crustaceans, and the like. Well, if you mean only things from the sea, you are right. There are many monsters, but you cannot eat them.」
There is no other food, Sion answered.
「Listen to me while you eat. ――Are mermaids immortal?」
「No, we are not. Is that the perception on the surface?」
「Yes, it is. They say that if you eat their meat, the person who eats it also becomes immortal.」
Nemu, who was drinking the soup, turned her ear to Mars.
「If you eat Sion-nyan, everything will be solved-nyaa ......? But it's hard to eat after we're talking-nyaaa......」
「Eating me will not make you immortal, you know!? That is just a human rumor!」
The previously calm Sion flinched at Nemu's statement and denied it out loud.
As expected, Nemu also said it in jest and smiled brightly, "Nyahaha".
Mars' lips were pursed into a tight line as if to say, "Nemu the cat and Sion the mermaid are potentially incompatible".
「We're looking for a Magic Book of Immortality. To live and die together with Lilia, the long-lived race.」
To be precise, Mars wants overwhelming longevity.
When he looked at Lilia, she was smiling shyly.
Opening her eyes slightly, Sion looked at Mars.
She does not remove her gaze from the golden eyes that seem to see through something.
Before long, the corners of Sion's mouth seemed to rise just a little bit.
「I'm afraid there is nothing I can do to help you. Mermaids live longer than humans, but not to the point of sharing their lives with others. ......」
「Well, even if they could, I wouldn't eat them, so don't worry. I just wanted to ask if there was some external factor. For example, mermaid magic makes you immortal, or there is food that can make you immortal.」
Assuming that immortality magic can be obtained from the 【Forbidden Magic Book】, there is a possibility that it exists naturally.
And if mermaids were immortal, Mars thought there was even more of a possibility.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be an empty shell, but Mars was not shocked because he did not have high expectations from the start.
「But then again, mermaids aren't immortal either.」
「It might be better to say that mermaids do not have the concept of longevity. In that sense, they may be as close to immortality. Mermaids die from trauma, disease, and thirst for magic power. Conversely, if the mermaid can recover without running out of magic power, and as long as they are not seriously ill or suffering from a serious illness, they will not die. However, the maximum value of magic power will gradually decrease, so death will come sooner or later.」
But death by natural causes is almost impossible, Sion continued.
――Isn't that the ideal semi-immortality?
The biggest obstacle to immortality is the inability to die.
As things stand now, even if you attain immortality, the next step would be to continue the adventure to die.
But mermaids will one day come to an end. It seemed ideal.
「By the way, how old are you, Sion-san? I don't mean to be rude, but I'd like to know.」
She looks like an older woman in her mid-twenties at most, but in this world, there are so many people whose appearance and actual age don't mesh. No one would know that Lilia is over 200 years old.
「I have lived for 700 years. I do not know exactly」
「Seven hundred!?」
「Ah, well, it may seem like a long time to the human senses, but it is not so great because we are just accumulating our daily lives, you know? We only know what is in the sea, so we have no knowledge, and since we live so long, we have almost no feelings of impatience. What we don't do today won't make much difference if we do it a hundred years from now. Warriors are strong because of their years of training, but shrine maidens like me are not much different from ordinary people. ――We just live longer.」
Her quiet voice was as dull as the deep sea, where the currents are weak.
――Oh, she is not calm, but her emotions are cold.
Mars understood this with emotion before logic.
Most of the races called long-lived races lose their emotions because they cannot endure boredom. It was the same with Lilia when they first met.
She did not respond well to talking to him, and she became depressed easily no matter what she did.
Now she can express her emotions and talk normally, but at first she was like that.
「Hoee, ...... that sound amazing......」
「How many years does 700 years mean-nyaa........? How many times can you eat food-nyaa......?」
「It's one hundred and twenty-two thousand seven hundred times!」
「......? Doesn't that make you eat four times a day-nyaa?」
Hazuki and Nemu were puzzled and exchanged incomprehensible words.
Mars was also having a hard time understanding the number of years.
If you use Japan of the previous era as a reference point, 700 years ago would have been between the late Kamakura and early Muromachi periods.
Since meals are eaten entirely in the sea, there must not have been as many different kinds of entertainment as there are on the surface.
If this is the case, it is not surprising that your emotions would die if you lived for 700 years just doing your daily tasks.
It might not happen if a person could do the same job for 700 years and be fine with life without entertainment, but there is probably no one like that.
I wouldn't be able to do that, Mars was sure.
The only reason he's going for immortality is because he has Lilia, Hazuki, and Nemu.
It's because he would be happy with eternity if he were with the ones he loves.
If he had been a lonely outsider when he first came to this world, he would never have thought of immortality.
He was an outsider in both his previous and present lives.
He couldn't shake the feeling of being grounded wherever he was.
「Seven hundred years, huh...... That's a tremendous number of years, even for me.」
「I know, right? It's hard to even imagine.」
The reality of life becomes more real when you are truly facing an existence that is close to immortality.
Life after obtaining the magic of immortality comes to mind.
I think about how I have to take good care of everyone so that their hearts do not freeze.
I know better than anyone how hard it is to live without anything.
As expected, the nights are cold, so Mars decided to take a rest in the "Treasury of Dreams".
Starting with Lilia, everyone except for Sion enters.
「Why don't you take a rest inside too, Sion-san?」
「That space is ......? It's not under the sea, is it? I-I'm a little scared.」
It was so obvious that he had forgotten, but the 【Treasury of Dreams】 is magic that dungeon conquerors have.
Only Mars and the others are familiar with it.
Mars explained roughly to Sion.
Although she seemed skeptical, she seemed to understand the truth when she saw Nemu rushing in and out again and again.
「I'm thinking of having you stay in the bathroom, but does it have to be salt water or something? If you're scared, you're welcome to stay here, but......」
「No, it's not the type of water, but a simple fear of the land. I'm just as interested.」
It's not a problem, Sion adds because I can breathe through my lungs like I'm doing right now.
Then she realizes that her statement is as good as saying she doesn't trust Mars and the others, and she looks a little pale.
――I guess it's not too surprising since I haven't answered that I will help her yet.
「Well, ...... It might be more difficult to stay there. And for what it's worth, you probably don't even sleep on a futon.」
「Usually, I sleep in the sea, rocked by the waves. I use seaweed to hold my body in place so I don't get swept away. I think this is a feeling that people on the surface don't really understand. Everyone sleeps under the futon, don't they?」
「Maybe you are interested in it?」
Sion's voice sounded interested.
「Y-Yes, I am. I am interested in all things on the surface. Even at this stage, I've never seen anything like it, and even though I've asked for your help, I'm still excited about that side of things.」
She had already had several such gestures.
Mars guessed that she was half curious and half scared and could not close the distance.
「I know you don't trust us, but we won't do anything to Sion-san. We won't discriminate or bully you just because you are of a different race. I think you'll understand that.」
「But...Aren't they slaves? To be honest, that is what makes it hard to trust you. That magic can twist wills, can't it? I thought I shouldn't tell you this, since you saved my life and I asked for your help, but I kept it to myself until now.」
「I suppose it's understandable that other people might think so. Nemu-chan...... All the others are slaves, except for the one with the big, happy tail.」
「Is she not a slave!?」
「She only wears a collar. Look, there are only two slave crests.」
Mars shows the back of his hand to convince Sion.
「It's a bad thing about humans, but we have a tendency to do whatever we want to different races that don't have masters. That's why she tries to look like a slave to others.」
He added, "I don't want them to be kidnapped or get involved in any kind of trouble".
Many of the reasons for the enslavement of people of different races are due to kidnapping.
They are captured and sold by humans.
This is no exception for human girls. This was one of the reasons why Hazuki did not choose to travel alone but stayed with Zerius.
「It's a noisy place on the surface. ......」
「Someone's loss is a quick gain for them. There are a lot of people who would do anything for that.」
The common denominator of the world, which Mars has keenly sensed from the various differences he has experienced everywhere he has gone, is the malice and greed of people.
In a society without universal law enforcement, security, and surveillance cameras, people can do whatever they want.
This is all the more so in a world where people with nothing but power, as represented by adventurers, are ruling the roost.
After looking at Mars several times and looking down, Sion finally decided to enter the Treasury Dream with Mars carrying her like a princess.
Although her trust and credibility were still thin, she seemed determined to get to know them first.
◇
「I'm tired of playing ...... My hair is so rough! It's not going to stay like this for the rest of my life, right......!?」
Hazuki says anxiously as she fiddles with her hair.
The seawater has just dried and turned to salt, so if you wash it, it will be back to normal.
「Besides,...... doesn't your body hurt more than usual sunburn?」
「It's tingling-nyaa!」`
Lilia felt itchy and uncomfortable as she touched her bright red body.
Nemu seemed to be enjoying even the sensation.
「Maybe the sand was reflecting and the sunlight was too strong. ――Hazuki-chan, aren't you already getting dark?」
Hazuki's skin is slightly dark.
It is a little different from the burning redness on Lilia's and Nemu's white skin.
Hazuki's skin was originally similar to that of the Japanese, so it seemed to sunburn normally.
Lilia and the others do not turn dark.
In fact, many of the women in Hazuki's hometown have dark skin. Hazuki was quite fair-skinned.
「It's been a long time since I got a good tan. ...... Well, I'll be back to normal soon, though. I was dark when I was little, you know? Anyone can become like that if they walk in the desert every day.」
Tap-tap-tap, Hazuki runs to the bathroom and starts preparing to take a bath.
「Oohhhh ......! A-Amazing, so many things I've never seen before ......!」
With eyes shining brightly, Sion looked at the room of the 【Treasury of Dream】.
Her lower body was held up by Mars, as she was unable to move due to her fins.
Her arms are wrapped around Mars' neck and her body is in close contact with him.
――As I thought, her breasts were as big as Lilia's. They are taut and firm to the touch, similar to Nemu's.
Mars concentrated on the feeling of her breasts pressed against him and the wetness of her left arm.
She was a bit wet, as was the lower half of the fish's body.
They were now in the center of the room, which was usually used as a living room.
It is connected to each person's private room and storage room, and you have to pass through this living room to go anywhere.
As a result, everyone's personal belongings were placed there.
Nemu, in particular, often played at the dining table in the living room, so there were many playthings in the corner.
「Let me know if there's anything you want to see. I'll take you or bring you something.」
「There are a lot of Nemu's toys, too-nyaa. Do you want to play together-nya? Nemu likes to make all kinds of things-nyaa」
Nemu is very active in talking to Sion as if she wants to have a playmate.
She shows her fine clay craftsmanship, which has improved to the level of a work of art. She often made busts of everyone.
Sion also nodded repeatedly with interest and admiration. Nem was proudly puffing out her chest.
Mars can't hold her forever, so he let Sion sit on the sofa for the time being.
He was concerned about the salt water and sand on her lower body, but that was no use at this point. He just has to clean it up.
「Isn't it amazing? The furniture here is all the finest pieces of furniture from all over the world」
「All of these items are not in my collection!」
Sion's reaction was so good that Mars thought she might be so moved that she would start crying.
These are all things he found in the dungeon's treasure room or bought because they looked good, so he wasn't actually that particular about collecting them, but he's still happy when people praise him for them.
「Collection?」
「Yes. Sometimes I find sunken human ships, and I collect things that are in them or that have drifted ashore. No mermaid does not have this hobby. Everyone has something they are proud of. The same is true of the weapons of warriors. Or rather, they become warriors because they have found weapons.」
「What are you proud of, Sion-san?」
「My most prized possession is my necklace with blue stones. It is very rare to find a metal or heavy object because they do not drift on the waves. I think it is fate that I meet it in the vast ocean. Perhaps our encounter with each other was also fated.」
Perhaps it was because she was elated, but Sion was talking fast and talking a lot.
In this wide world, Mars and his group happened to stop by the sea on a whim and met a mermaid, a legendary existence, on the beach they happened to choose.
Mars thinks that this may indeed be fate. It's as if I'm being called to a dungeon.
Lilia sighed and smiled as if she couldn't hold it in.
「Shall we go to the undersea city? There will be plenty of time to make the tomb of my family even after that.」
「Are you sure?」
「If it's okay with Hazuki and Nemu. You say all the time, right? That it's not a trip to be rushed. Let's enjoy the detour.」
「――you're not being reserved?」
Lilia, who has the most mature personality, tends to be reserved in everything.
However, it can also be said that she tends to give up on everything.
While someone else was smiling and happily celebrating life and passing it on to the next generation, Lilia, unable to join any cycle, continued to despair alone in her chains.
Because of the familiarity she had gained during that time, Lilia was able to be patient, handing over most things to others.
Right, she can only be patient. It is not that she likes to do so.
So Mars asked her again.
This time not in a casual conversational tone, but with a serious face.
「――Are you sure about that?」
「Even if I could abandon her and build my family tomb, I would not be able to mourn in such a state. So this is a proposal from the bottom of my heart. Besides, we might be able to obtain immortality magic in the undersea dungeon. Personally, I would like to challenge the World Tree with no worries. I want to return to my hometown with a refreshed mind. And from a practical point of view, it might be a stroke of luck to be able to go to the sea with a guide」
「I see ...... I never thought we'd be using a submarine so soon.」
The submarine is currently in Hazuki's treasury.
The treasury has a large one that Mars has that is like a home for everyone, a small one that Lilia has, and a large one that Hazuki has.
Lilia's and Hazuki's are practically storage places for supplies, even though they are livable.
Sitting next to Sion, Mars extended his hand.
「Sion-san, we're going. I don't know if we can do it, but we're going to defeat the Sea God. But there are some conditions. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, will you let us be free? I don't know when I'm going to die, so I want to make as many memories as I can.」
「Of course! Thank you very much!」
Sion hugged Mars tightly and thanked him.
Sion's voice was still mysterious and seemed to resonate deep within her body.
Mermaids basically do not speak aloud.
Since they are creatures that live in the sea, they use vibration as the source of their voice.
Furthermore, their language is completely different.
Sion was using magic that allowed her to speak regardless of language.
It is quite high-level magic. The standard specifications of mermaids far exceed those of humans.
As races whose lifespan is dependent on magic power, their latent magic power is unmatched by any other races.
「L-Let's take a bath first. Sion, how about you?」
Lilia, while giving a glare to Mars who was being hugged by Sion, invited Sion with a hoarse voice.
However, Sion looked blank.
「Do mermaids not bathe, after all?」
「I honestly don't know what you are talking about ......」
「Warm water, I guess you could call it? That's where we wash ourselves.」
「Oh, I understand that! Sometimes there are places in the sea where there is warm water, and I love it! Mermaids love these places, too!」
――I guess mermaids have their own spa-like places, too.
Mars knew there were more volcanoes on the sea floor than on the surface, and of course, there are many places around them that have been turned into spas, but he had no idea that mermaids enjoy them. The world is a big place.
「Then you should all go take a bath together! Hazuki-chan is particular about a lot of things, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it.」
「Right? Hazuki is the best at these things. She is both adorable and perverted in a strange way. ...... I still haven't figured out what Hazuki's tastes are.」
Yep......Mars also replies in a low voice.
The next destination was decided to be the undersea city of Kritias.
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