The ship journey was meaningful and mysterious for both Judah and Eliya, who were on their second voyage.
First of all, it was their first family trip, so it couldn’t help but hold a different significance.
Plus, the ship they had previously boarded, the Hosea, wasn’t exactly a passenger ship.
It wasn’t suitable for traveling; it was a cargo ship used to transport goods for the invasion of the demon realm.
Currently, it was being used as a trade ship to exchange with other continents.
But this time, they were aboard the ‘Shalom’, a ship thoroughly designed for people.
In fact, it was the kind of vessel that the offspring of high-ranking nobles took when going abroad for studies or travel.
Judah, standing on the deck, said,
“The atmosphere is completely different.”
The Hosea had quite a rough and busy vibe.
Even during the time he and Eliya were on board, that atmosphere couldn’t be hidden.
The sailors scurrying about had coarse and rugged faces, and the deck was far from tidy.
But the Shalom was different.
The floor was polished and shiny.
The sailors greeting them were all neatly dressed.
You could tell they had been accustomed to serving nobility.
Eliya replied to his remark,
“True… but it feels a bit too quiet.”
Today, there were no other guests on board for the imperial family.
This was also Eliya’s directive.
However, being on the ship, they found it excessively quiet due to the lack of people.
Originally, it was a ship packed with numerous nobles, turning it into a social gathering, and the vastness of the space exaggerated that silence.
“I don’t know if we’ll have another chance like this, but we definitely shouldn’t leave out people next time.”
“Still, it must be so comfortable for Mom with just us.”
Even when just nearing the area where nobles congregated, Maria often faced troubles from various nobility.
As the Empress Dowager, that was expected.
“Then that’s a relief.”
Meanwhile, Amor, nestled in Judah’s arms, was simply fascinated and intrigued by everything.
She wandered around the deck, finishing a little sightseeing.
As the royalty approached, the captain, Edward, respectfully bowed his head.
“Once again, I greet you. I am Edward Prudein, responsible for this voyage. May I assist you with a brief tour?”
“Sure.”
When Eliya briefly agreed, the ship’s horn sounded to announce their departure.
Judah covered one of Amor’s ears with his hand, pressing the other against his body.
Just in case the horn was too loud.
Amor, who was initially bewildered, mimicked him and placed her tiny hands on top of his.
Then she looked up and smiled brightly.
‘Ugh…!’
In that moment, Judah felt his heart skip a beat.
‘No matter how much she’s my daughter, this is just too cute….’
An infinitely harmless and lovable child.
Judah couldn’t help but kiss Amor on the head.
In the meantime, Captain Edward continued his explanation.
“The Shalom is scheduled to arrive at Muara Island in about two days. After that, we will sail the ocean for four days before returning to the Levant continent. During this time, the imperial family’s guests may freely use all facilities and services aboard the Shalom.”
A concert in the central hall.
A deck party out in the open.
And numerous other activities to enjoy, yet it was far too grand for just their family of four to enjoy.
Judah thought,
‘…Did we hire an excessively large ship? But as a representative of the imperial family, maybe this level is necessary….’
Considering that Eliya was revered as a god by current humans, it wouldn’t be too much.
With a restaurant where meals could be served whenever desired.
Family rooms with two large beds.
And even a medical room just in case.
After being introduced to everything, they returned to the deck.
The ship sped toward the horizon.
Before long, the continent was receding behind them.
Eliya observed Maria’s expression.
“Mom, how are you feeling?”
Usually, those unfamiliar with ships would sometimes complain of dizziness.
Thankfully, Maria looked healthy.
“Yeah, it’s refreshing and nice.”
“Amor doesn’t seem dizzy either.”
“Wow! Ah!”
Amor must have been excited as she giggled.
“She must want to see the ocean. She keeps looking down.”
Judah cautiously approached the deck railing.
Directly below, the ocean water was visible.
It splattered as it collided with the moving ship, breaking apart and foaming white.
“Isn’t it amazing?”
“Uh-huh!”
Even without understanding the words, Amor chimed in with her affirmative response.
She had learned that from Eliya.
Judah chuckled to himself.
Maria was anxious, worrying Amor would fall overboard.
“We have to be careful. W-well, I’m sure she’ll do just fine…”
“Don’t worry.”
Judah could assure her nothing of the sort would happen.
He was holding her gently yet firmly enough so she couldn’t slip away.
This somewhat restraining posture was a slight variation of a Judo holding technique, making it impossible for Amor to break free even if she wanted to.
Amor looked down and caught sight of the distant ocean spreading out.
Judah quickly realized what caught Amor’s interest.
It was the glimmering sights.
The white frothing ocean water and the sunlight reflecting off the sea surface.
“Amor, do you find the sparkles amazing?”
“Uh-huh? Ba-zza?”
Judah pointed at the splashing water and sunlight.
“Those are sparkles. We call things like that shiny. Sparkly-sparkly.”
Judah and Eliya taught Amor vocabulary this way from her experiences.
Amor quickly mimicked his words.
“Sparkly-sparkly!”
“Oh my, well done!”
As Judah and Amor conversed, Eliya and Maria slowly walked toward the bow, enjoying the ocean view.
Maria marveled at the sea.
“It’s really vast…. The ocean, I mean. How wide is this world? Isn’t it fascinating? The world we live in feels like it’s all there is, but there’s so much we don’t know.”
“True.”
With pure admiration, Eliya pondered profound thoughts.
Compared to the entire world, the Levant continent could only be considered a fraction.
The fierce struggles for survival taking place there.
What meaning did it have?
A mix of skepticism and positive happiness surfaced.
No matter how big or small the world is,
For Eliya, this place with Judah, Amor, and Maria was the only world.
“And how deep do you think it is under there….”
“Should I show you?”
“…Huh?”
“The ocean floor. If you want to see it, I can show you. Just not right now.”
The magic that parts the ocean.
He could definitely do it again.
It wasn’t particularly difficult.
Maria felt it might be something she couldn’t handle, so she waved her hand.
“Oh, no, not that far…. I mean, maybe later. Yeah, later.”
Before they knew it, they reached Judah and Amor.
“Hey, Amor, are you having fun?”
Maria couldn’t help but smile each time she looked at Amor.
“Fun! Uh-huh! Sparkly-sparkly!”
“How cute…. Have you learned another word? You’re so smart.”
Eliya simply smiled and patted Amor.
Then suddenly she said,
“I feel a bit regretful. The last time I sailed with Judah, we happened to encounter a pod of dolphins. I wonder if that will happen again.”
Just sailing along could get boring quickly.
As if waiting for her words, a flock of seabirds flew over the ship.
They made unique sounds resembling “kuuk-kuu,” forming a V formation as their large wings fluttered.
“Wow! Birds! Birds!”
Amor stretched her short arms up and wiggled.
That was one of the few words her daughter knew.
Judah chuckled and patted Amor.
“Look, the birds are passing by. They must have come to greet Amor.”
“Bird! Bird!”
Her inability to form sentences yet only speaking in words was adorably charming.
Edward, who had approached, explained,
“They are a type of sea eagle. They usually don’t gather in flocks, but they form groups when crossing the ocean.”
“Bird!”
Watching the scene with satisfaction, Eliya suddenly paused.
‘…What’s this?’
She still had a circular notification magic laid out around her.
The multi-layered, intangible curtain was quite vast.
Something had crossed the farthest notification barrier.
‘Usually, small creatures should be able to pass without triggering a notification….’
The curtain acted somewhat like a net.
Insignificant little creatures don’t trigger an alert and pass freely.
For instance, all the tiny fish swimming beneath the surface of the ocean right now.
‘In other words, if it triggered the notification magic, it must be something noteworthy….’
Just then, Judah pointed toward a distant spot.
“Something’s coming up over there.”
Everyone followed his gaze.
Amor shifted her attention from the birds.
A dark shape surfaced slowly from the blue sea.
Even from this distance, a heavy presence could be felt.
It distinctly marked its stance even on the vast ocean.
It was a whale.
A huge whale surfaced, showing its white belly before flipping backward.
Even from afar, a dull splash was heard.
Water spread out around the submerged whale.
“Wow…. Isn’t that a whale? I can’t believe I’m seeing a whale in my lifetime…”
Judah calmly held onto the excited Amor, speaking.
The whale surfaced once more, revealing its back and spouted a jet of water.
As it flipped over, it slapped the surface with its fin.
It was as if to greet them.
“Whoa….”
Judah was awestruck, and Amor wiggled in his embrace in excitement.
In contrast, Eliya and Maria silently reveled in the moment.
Edward, who was just as amazed, explained late to the party.
“It’s a famous dark blue ocean whale among sailors. It’s known for rescuing stranded sailors, and its greetings are seen as mystical actions. Among us sailors, it’s treated as a kind of spirit.”
To encounter such a whale while sailing is seen as a once-in-a-lifetime fortune and blessing, Edward finished with a smile.
“It seems that clever whale recognizes the honorable Bevel imperial family.”
Maria was enveloped in a moving spell of natural wonder.
A miraculous coincidence that was hard to distinguish from a miracle.
That was, in a way, the arrival of Eliya in her life.
How thankful and apologetic she was for Eliya growing up so rightly.
Meanwhile, Amor tugged at Judah’s sleeve.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
Whenever she wanted something, she called either her mom or dad.
“Hmm? Ah, what you saw just now was called a whale.”
Amor quickly learned the word for whale.
“Whale! Whale!”
Another new vocabulary was added to her thin word bank.
Eliya captured that scene warmly.
Judah and Amor by her side. And Maria.
The ship, endlessly advancing.
The seabirds overhead, and the whale that greeted and vanished.
Every day filled with increasingly unforgettable experiences made Eliya feel pure happiness.
*
Two days later, the ship docked at Muara Island.
This small island, home to a small population engaged in fishing, had recently gained fame.
It was because of the Firefly Forest tucked away inside the island.
At night, dozens of fireflies bloom, shimmering like emerald flowers.
The four of the imperial family went to visit that forest on a hazy afternoon.
Amor was held by Eliya.
Maria, closely following her, said,
“It’s a bit scary because it’s dark….”
Reliant on a single lantern, they proceeded down the forest path, creating a rather eerie atmosphere.
Eliya tightly held Maria’s hand to reassure her.
“It’s the opposite of back then. I was the one scared back then.”
The firefly forest was a sight Maria wanted to show Eliya.
At that time, Eliya was the scared one, and Maria was reassuring her.
Though the place and time had changed, the situations oddly mirrored each other.
Now Eliya was calming Maria instead.
“……”
Maria silently felt the warmth of their joined hands.
“I think this is the place.”
Judah, who had been leading, stopped.
It was his first time here too, but he could tell from the signs leading the way.
At the trail’s end, there was a clearly marked sign.
It indicated a good spot for viewing fireflies.
Soon, the surroundings darkened.
The moon hadn’t even risen yet.
Amor clutched Eliya’s clothing tightly.
Eliya comforted her with a hug.
“It’s okay. Mommy’s here. Nothing will happen.”
That was exactly the same phrase Maria had said to Eliya when she was young.
A brief silence.
As the crickets chirped, faint lights began to rise around them.
“…!”
Amor’s eyes widened in amazement.
One by one, the lights blinked.
The shimmering emerald specks quickly multiplied into dozens.
They painted the dark forest with their dots of light.
Eliya and Maria were silent among it all.
The past and present intertwined.
The forest of fireflies they had seen long ago.
It was one of the few colors Eliya had cherished and clung to.
A radiant memory she would revisit each time things got tough.
The days she persevered through.
Crossing that time, Eliya had arrived here.
With her life partner and savior, her beloved, Judah.
Her precious ivory firefly that came to the cage, Amor.
And the mother, Maria, who had struggled but managed to stand by her side.
“Spark! Sparkly-sparkly!”
Amor exclaimed at the flying lights.
It was an expression she had learned during the journey on the ship.
Eliya gently stroked Amor.
Tears filled her eyes, but laughter followed closely behind.
“Indeed…. Sparkly-sparkly, shining beautifully….”
“Sparkly-sparkly!”
Maria quietly wiped her tears beside them.
Lights punctured the darkness.
Judah was in awe of the spectacle while keeping an eye on Eliya.
When he rescued her from the afterlife, he had caught a glimpse of her memories.
An exhibition hallway displaying a child’s awkwardly drawn images.
In those scenes was the firefly forest.
He might not know all the details, but he could imagine how significant and precious that scenery was to her.
Seeing her here in the present, having overcome her past, Judah smiled with pride.
She was a precious woman he had protected.
The love born between her and him, Amor.
And Maria, who had been Eliya’s support.
All of them, a precious daily life he would continue to protect in the future.
“Sparkly-sparkly!”
Watching Amor repeat the same word, Judah couldn’t help but smile.
Eliya and Maria, who had been shedding tears, soon broke into laughter as well.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
