Chapter 107: Thetis (1)
After the incident at Babel, or rather Procyon, the Hero and I took another look at the world.
This time, our journey wasn’t about hunting down strong monsters, but rather just exploring the world.
The shock of the first murder the Hero experienced when Babel’s tower collapsed seemed to weigh heavily on him, as he was looking quite troubled in many ways.
It must have been a big shock for the virtuous Hero to have killed someone who was once human.
So,
“The sea!”
I brought the Hero to see the immense ocean.
“Why the sudden trip to the sea?”
“Look at that vast ocean. Doesn’t it make you feel all calm and refreshed?”
The wide horizon where the sky meets the sea. Just the sight of it made my heart feel like it was being set free.
I thought this scenery would help lift the troubled Hero’s spirits.
“Well, it’s quite the sight, I guess.”
“Right?”
It seemed to have somewhat helped.
Hmm. If this little bit helps the Hero, then I guess bringing him here was worth it.
And the diamond stuck in the Hero’s sword… I had already confirmed it had no real effect on him.
For some reason, it had been super quiet. Hmm.
Could it be because I’m nearby? Or is there another reason? I’m not quite sure.
“So, did you bring me here just to show me the sea?”
“Well, that’s part of it, but…”
I looked at the little puppy and picked up the Beast God who was rubbing against my feet.
“I need to go somewhere.”
And then I hurled the Beast God toward the sea with all my might.
The Beast God flew through the air in a big arc, changing form just before hitting the water’s surface.
Transforming into a sleek dolphin. As expected, whale-like creatures are considered beasts too.
Wait, does that mean whale beastfolk are possible? Hmm… Let’s not dig too deep into that.
“Suddenly, what’s all this…?”
“And one more thing.”
With a snap of my fingers, a wooden boat appeared on the sea.
In this era where people only typically used rafts made of wood or hollowed logs, this properly crafted boat would definitely catch some eyes!
I need to go quite a distance, and sitting on a raft isn’t my style!
“That’s… a boat?”
“Yup, I made it.”
I had run into some primitive seafarers during my travels, but the only vessels they used were rafts or hollowed logs.
This well-made boat will be a first for them!
Well, it won’t take long for other humans to figure out how to make proper boats, anyway.
“But why a boat all of a sudden…?”
“Because the person I’m about to meet is far out in the sea.”
It’s about time to meet Thetis.
So I’m gonna make a boat and use the Beast God as my power source to cruise across the ocean!
I tied up the Beast God, which had turned into a giant whale, to pull the boat and set sail across the sea.
Hmm. Even if it’s a beast, a god is still a god. The way it glided smoothly through the choppy waves was quite a sight.
Sitting idly on the boat was getting a bit boring, so why not do some fishing!
Honestly, catching fish would be a piece of cake if I put my mind to it, but fishing is a whole different vibe, isn’t it?
I wondered what kind of fish would bite the hook. Imagining that was pretty exciting while I cast my line.
“Ugh…”
But the Hero didn’t seem to share my excitement.
“You seem to be seasick.”
“I-I’m sorry. Ugh…”
I just patted the Hero’s back quietly while he hurled toward the sea.
Hmm. The Hero, who can slice through any monster on land, was utterly helpless on the sea.
Sigh. Maybe I should have just left the Hero on land and gone by myself. Then I could have met Thetis in an instant and been back already.
In the end, the only thing I could do for the seasick Hero was brew him some ginger tea with honey.
After putting him to rest in the cabin and magically lulling him to sleep, I turned my gaze back to where Thetis was.
Thetis, alone in the vast sea. How’s that little one, who’s so prone to loneliness, doing?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Yay!!”
A fish? No, a human? No, a fish-human swiftly darted through the blue waters, leaving white foam behind.
So, a mermaid.
Their upper bodies are human, and their lower halves are fish, and these mermaids were joyfully swimming around the boat.
Oh. I didn’t think there would be mermaids here.
“What is this? What’s happening? What is this?”
“It’s hard! Not as hard as a rock, but still, kinda hard.”
“There’s a person up there! She has horns on her head! Do people on land have horns like that?”
These mermaids were pretty lively, bursting into laughter at the tiniest things. They seemed like they were at least descendants of humans, considering the language they were using.
Hmm… If I meet Thetis, maybe I can learn more.
“Step aside, I’ve come to meet Thetis.”
“Thetis?”
“Who’s Thetis?”
“You silly! She’s the great flow, right?”
“The great flow! The great flow!!”
The “great flow”, huh. Well, it’s not wrong since Thetis pretty much rules the entire ocean’s currents.
The mermaids didn’t respond to me at all and started babbling amongst themselves. At this rate, I won’t make any progress…
Guess I have no other choice.
[Thetis.]
I had to call out.
[Mom? Is that really you?]
[Yeah, it’s me. Long time no see.]
At that moment,
“Whoa!”
“The sea current changed!”
“Everyone, run! The great flow is moving!”
The powerful currents began to push the boat.
The Beast God, considering what was going on, tried to shake off the currents, but a single beast’s strength couldn’t withstand that overwhelming force.
Where we ended up was in the middle of a massive whirlpool.
[Um, Mom…]
The whirlpool was Thetis’s true form.
[Sorry… I have so much to say, but now that I see you, I just can’t find the right words. I’ve been thinking a lot about why things went down the way they did, why I couldn’t stop the fights, and why I disappointed you… I’ve been regretting it non-stop.]
Thetis said, her voice thick with tears.
[I’m sorry, Mom. For disappointing you, for not doing better…]
Thetis was definitely remorseful and reflecting on her actions.
Good, that’s enough.
“It’s okay. You seem to have reflected enough.”
[Mom…]
“And now that I’ve calmed down, I can’t stay mad at a child who’s shown remorse.”
I smiled and said,
“Let’s talk about how you’ve been doing all this time.”
Let’s start unraveling the stories that built up over the years.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Uh, um… Something feels weird. It’s been a while since I had a physical form, so it’s a bit odd.”
I glanced at the woman with sea-colored hair before me.
Naturally, it was Thetis’s avatar.
“Well, isn’t this better than just being in your true form?”
“Yeah, it is. It’s just that doing anything as my true self is so tough. Even a tiny movement tangles the currents like nobody’s business, making a chaos of the sea.”
“It’s because you’re too big.”
Too massive to move easily.
Just because something’s big doesn’t mean it’s ideal.
“By the way… Mom, you’ve become quite cute.”
“Mmm. You’re right about that. Just changing my appearance turns me into this little girl. It’s kind of annoying, to be honest.”
While I can change my appearance a little, the image of the small girl with horns and silver hair stays the same.
If I try too hard to change it, I can’t use all my powers.
“I think you’re cute.”
“Well, at least I appreciate the words.”
“Do you really mean that?”
Well, that’s probably just your way of comforting me.
“Anyway, I’ve finished teaching you the magic to create avatars.”
“I guess I was the last one, huh?”
“Yeah, this place isn’t easy to access, is it?”
Since it’s right in the middle of the vast ocean. Not exactly a walk in the park.
Well, I could come here alone, but… I came to show the ocean to the Hero too.
Oh right, the Hero!
I quickly dashed into the cabin to revive the Hero’s almost-dried-up life force, who looked like a half-dried fish lying there.
“Oh my, a human?”
“Yup, this is the one I’ve been raising with great care.”
Since the Hero is asleep right now, I can speak freely.
“Wow… So it seems Mom likes raising someone, huh? I mean, you raised us too.”
“It’s not that I particularly enjoy it…”
I just figured if I didn’t raise them, they’d become loners somewhere twisted, so I took care of them.
It’s not like I did it because I wanted to!
“Okay, if that’s what Mom says, I’ll believe it. It’s just how things are with you.”
This little one…
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