“Is it true that we can meet the enemies, presumably led by that Leviathan, if we head to the sea now?”
At Yuma’s words, the king of the Mullen Tribe, Yeerkur, shook his head.
“No, they are slowly creeping into the sea, devouring it like a banquet. We might see them if we move forward, or we might not encounter them at all. We should wait until the warriors currently on the naval frontline deliver their reports.”
Yuma decided to take a look around the land of the merfolk. Just as he rose to his feet, Yeerkur added,
“If you go outside, my daughter will be waiting for you. You’ll need a guide who knows about the Mullen.”
Choosing his own daughter as the guide wasn’t just a matter of convenience; it implied he held her in high regard and chose someone easy to communicate with. It seemed like a choice that harmonized those two intentions.
Step, step.
Yuma and his party emerged from the dwelling of the Mullen Tribe king.
“Hello.”
And there stood a woman, likely Yeerkur’s daughter, at the entrance.
She was a Mullen woman whose skin was covered in a sky-blue hue.
“I’m Tisha.”
Tisha was draped in pristine white fabric from the chest to the hips, covering her thighs to just above her knees. The cloth looked as soft as the waves of the sea.
Tisha and Yuma faced each other.
Since the Mullen Tribe was known for their tall stature, there was barely any difference in their eye levels between the female Mullen, Tisha, and Yuma.
Yuma gazed into Tisha’s eyes. They were blue, identical to his own.
To be precise, they were closer to sky-blue. The turquoise glint shining amidst that azure added a touch of mystique.
“Please follow me.”
Tisha began to walk slowly ahead.
The sailors and captain, who needed to stay here until Yuma resolved matters with the Mullen Tribe, were given a place to stay.
Yuma and his party walked through the forest, following Tisha.
Bell, Cloney, and Hestia clung closely to Tisha, starting to speak.
“What does the Mullen Tribe eat?”
The first question was rather innocently asked.
Tisha looked at Hestia, who was shining with excitement despite the formality of the question, with a somewhat bewildered expression.
“We can survive by eating only the fruits called Rebes found in the sea. All the necessary nutrients are contained in them. Occasionally, some people cook the Furell fruits that grow here or hunt wild animals in that forest over there.”
There certainly was a forest. This island was too big just to be a temporary anchorage. People could live their entire lives here comfortably.
“We don’t eat the creatures of the sea. They are our friends.”
That last statement seemed to carry the most weight.
The person who clung to Tisha was none other than Cloney.
“What’s the biggest feature?”
Tisha walked with her blue hair fluttering.
“I guess it’s the ability to share emotions with marine creatures. We communicate in a language promised by our ancestors.”
“Wow….”
As Cloney’s golden eyes widened, so did the eyes of those around her.
Information about the Sea Folk was rarely spread among people, except for the fact that most had blue skin.
And because of that, more bad stories circulated than good ones.
There were nasty tales about how intruding on the Sea Folk’s territory could lead to becoming human flesh. Originally, people tend to prioritize fear much more than fondness for things they’ve never seen with their own eyes.
Learning about the various features of the Mullen Tribe through Tisha seemed quite fascinating.
The next person to approach Tisha was Bell.
“From the way that king carries himself and the calluses on his fists, he must be a martial artist, right? Can I ask how you fight?”
Tisha nodded slowly.
“My father is indeed a martial artist. But I use magic.”
At that, Cloney, who had pulled back, suddenly leaned in again.
“Magic?”
“Yes, the Mullen Tribe has quite the talent for magic. Water magic, to be exact.”
“Oh…!”
Cloney gasped and looked at the sea beyond, which was still vividly visible.
If the sea could be used as a medium for water-based magic, it would certainly create incredible synergy.
“Show me!”
Cloney pointed at the distant sea.
Tisha met Cloney’s sparkling gaze with her own.
Those shining golden eyes made it hard for her to refuse.
Tisha glanced at Duke Yuma.
Since it seemed Yuma was the leader of their group, she wanted to gauge his thoughts.
“Since no enemies of the Mullen Tribe have shown up yet, there isn’t really anything special to guide you to, right?”
Tisha nodded slowly.
Yuma’s words were correct.
Tisha slowly lowered herself to the ground, heading towards the sea in the west.
Yuma’s group followed Tisha to the sea.
They were curious about how she would unfold the sea using magic.
Splash….
Tisha slowly entered the sea. The water gradually rippled up to her knees.
The water folk.
Perhaps because they were called the Mullen Tribe or due to their sky-blue skin.
They seemed to shine more not on land, but on the surface of the sea.
The light seemed to glow.
“…Why are you all staring like that?”
Tisha crossed her arms and covered her upper body while enduring the gaze of Duke Yuma and his party, who were staring intently at her blue skin.
Hestia slowly approached Tisha and said, “It feels like your body shines more when you go into the water!”
Tisha gradually relaxed her stiff face at Hestia’s words.
She quietly replied, “Well… the Mullen Tribe gets scales on their bodies when submerged in the sea.”
Duke Yuma looked at Tisha’s body.
Sure enough, scales that hadn’t been on her skin just moments ago were now appearing.
It was an inherent trait that caused scales to rise to the surface when entering water.
The superiority of her race.
A body that had no choice but to be strong in the water.
A physique that could move in water just like on land.
And even on land, she surpassed humans in terms of strength.
Tisha had no choice but to throw a remark back at Duke Yuma, who was looking at her so intently.
“…I can’t help it if it looks ugly. It’s just a trait of my kind.”
Yuma shook his head.
“It’s not ugly. Rather, it’s just a mark of advantage that humans don’t possess.”
“Advantage…?”
The scales that covered the area just below Tisha’s collarbone sparkled in the sunlight.
“Yeah, an advantage. And it looks even more special because it only shines underwater.”
Tisha’s face slightly stiffened at Yuma’s unwavering words. One thing was certain, the embarrassment she felt for some reason had somewhat settled down.
Calming herself, Tisha continued slowly.
“Originally, elemental magic demonstrates greatness through the creation of something from nothing.”
She slowly raised her right hand.
Swoosh…
The water from the sea surged up in response to Tisha’s gesture.
Cloney’s eyes widened in shock.
Tisha continued speaking, “The Mullen Tribe can manipulate this sea itself, of course, the degree of it varies greatly depending on one’s capability.”
Splash─
The water that had risen from the sea formed a circular shield.
Cloney’s eyes grew wide.
“4th Circle Water Attribute Defense Magic… Ripple Shield! Right?”
Tisha, a 5th Circle Mage like Cloney, smiled lightly when Cloney recognized her magic immediately.
“Yes.”
Tisha’s passion for magic was clearly felt through Cloney’s reaction.
Cloney stood before Tisha and pulled out her small dark staff.
Swish—
Then she drew the same magic formation Tisha had just demonstrated.
It was the exact same magic spell that Tisha had just demonstrated.
Swish!
The 4th Circle defensive magic, Ripple Spiral, was fully unleashed.
However, Cloney’s expression had turned rigid.
It was a shield of waves created from nothing to something, following the laws of elemental magic.
She had attempted to create the Ripple Spiral from the ocean of this world.
Just like Tisha in front of her.
But it had failed.
Tisha slowly shook her head.
Her sky-blue hair fluttered gently.
“Of course, you were bound to fail. We just started learning the mana operating methods and the breathing techniques to borrow the power of this sea. And being blessed by the merfolk has a part to play too.”
Tisha was right.
It was very reasonable.
Yet, Duke Yuma thought that Cloney could turn it around.
A magic genius.
Cloney possessed traits that even a 7th Circle mage didn’t have.
“Give it a try. That mana operating method. The breathing thing.”
At Yuma’s words, Cloney and Tisha simultaneously looked at him.
“Believe in your power, Cloney.”
Tisha couldn’t comprehend Yuma, who spoke as if he truly believed she could do it.
This was one of the innate blessings the Mullen Tribe possessed.
A blessing that a complete human mage could never gain, no matter how hard they tried.
However, it was clear in this brief moment that their bond was extraordinary.
“Can I do it, Duke Yuma?”
Cloney’s golden eyes, which had been dull until just now, sparkled with renewed energy.
“You can do it.”
Yuma instilled confidence in Cloney’s mind.
Cloney turned her gaze back to Tisha.
The water that clung to the ends of her long black hair splattered around.
“Teach me that mana operating method! Tisha sis…?”
“I’m twenty-four, so sister sounds right… but it’ll be tough. You know that mages can’t suddenly twist the mana operating methods they learned first. If you want to recognize a new mana operating method in your mana heart, you need to develop a new mana circuit as well.”
“Yes, I know.”
Cloney glanced at Duke Yuma again with a sideways look.
“But what you said, Duke Yuma, has never been wrong.”
Cloney’s golden eyes remained unwavering as she faced Tisha again.
Rather than wavering, they were sparkling.
‘How can I build such a bond?’
Tisha suddenly became curious about these people.
Curious about Cloney and Yuma right in front of her.
“Alright, Cloney. I’ll teach you.”
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