By Zephyria 
I walked forward, forward with the current pushing against my back. I couldn’t tell if I was being pulled in or walking in. Having experienced so many bizarre things, I just accepted it, but if my nerves had been even a little weaker, I would have caused a scene. I kept Ruben pressed close to my left side, my nerves honed to a razor’s edge, ready to draw my sword at any moment.
All the while, I could hear the sound of flowing water. Dozens of spirits clung to the ceiling, walls, and floor, watching us. Some of them chattered, but most sounded like popping water droplets, making them unintelligible.
At the end of the long corridor stood a giant red door.
Guarding it like sentinels were mermaids, looking strikingly similar to the one who had led us. Each held a large conch shell, and as we approached within about ten paces, they brought the shells to their mouths, puffed out their cheeks, and blew with all their might.
Goooooong.
It sounded more like a foghorn than a trumpet. The majestic sound sent a chill down my spine.
I wanted to shield Ruben with my body, but he wouldn’t allow it. The child pulled my left arm away and gently placed his right hand on top of my left. Knowing he wanted an escort, I immediately adopted a respectful demeanor.
With his other hand, Ruben casually swept back his disheveled hair. Without even glancing at a mirror, he deftly twisted his stray bangs and tucked them behind his ear to tidy himself up, his skill remarkably excellent. Instinctively, I followed suit and swept back my own hair. My hair, which had been fluffy inside the air bubble, was now wet and limp, making me feel rather self-conscious.
Ruben moved forward, and I followed.
The path was paved not with carpets, but with finely crushed coral. If I had to walk with my full weight on it, it might have felt like walking on needles, but since the water buoyed my body with every step, it wasn’t uncomfortable. What was uncomfortable wasn’t the coral-decorated path, but the gazes.
A vast hall, comparable in size to the Sierran Empire’s new year festival venue, was packed with Nereids.
Some clung to the floor, while others swam through the water as if flying. Their flowing hair and scales and fins of gentle or vibrant colors made my vision swim. Fortunately, none of them here showed any hostility towards Ruben.
All their gazes were fixed on me.
I walked along the path laid out for me. On a high platform, designed to resemble human stages, sat a Nereid. Her light sky-blue hair was cut short, barely reaching her nape, and like the other Nereids present, her shoulders and arms were covered with Yulan-style shawls.
What set her apart from the others was the crown resting on her head.
Seeing spirits swimming at a higher level than the crowned Nereid, it didn’t seem like the height held any particular meaning. Or, was it? Were they perhaps surrounding her as guards?
Wondering what Ruben had figured out about how to overcome water spirits in their element, I turned to look at him. However, he wasn’t looking at me. Ruben was simply smiling serenely.
From past experiences, I knew it was better to let Ruben take the lead in such matters. I simply behaved myself, escorting him to the front.
As we reached the end of the path paved with red coral, the crowned Nereid glided down from the platform. At that moment, all the spirits fell silent simultaneously. The bubbling sounds and the sound of flowing water ceased. In the silence, the crowned one opened her mouth.
[You said you had the First Goddess’s flute, didn’t you?]
“It is true that we have retrieved what was buried.”
I was greatly surprised that this creature could communicate, but Ruben remained composed. Without a moment’s hesitation, he replied promptly.
“However, this divine object was a gift bestowed by the First Goddess for humans. I am curious as to why the King of Water Spirits has brought us this far. Are you perhaps coveting the divine object and summoned us?”
[…I am not the King of Water Spirits.]
“Then what is the meaning of the crown you wear?”
[This.]
The spirit paused for a moment and whispered in a low voice.
[…You are angry.]
“No.”
Ruben smiled. The child’s eyes gleamed coldly. I knew that expression. When Ruben had imprisoned captives in a certain prison, he had worn precisely this expression. He acted as if he would threaten the other party without revealing his own intentions. At times like these, the child appeared like a colossal, dangerous beast.
“I am merely curious.”
While the spirit was lost in thought, I gently clasped Ruben’s fingertips.
Ruben is angry? Ruben… he hadn’t shown any sign of discomfort from the moment he was dragged into that cave until now. He had delighted in the deep water, calmly dealt with mermaids, and driven away sharks. He should have been angry, but he wasn’t, which is why I, too, had come this far without feeling any resentment.
Concerned, I looked at Ruben’s cheek, and the child, without changing his expression, curved his index finger and tickled my palm. …He’s faking his anger. I immediately realized it and composed my own expression.
After pondering for a long time, the spirit raised his right hand and waved it once. Several other spirits brought chairs and tables and placed them between us and the spirit.
In Sierran etiquette, guests are seated first. I had Ruben sit down first, and then I took a seat in another chair. Only then did the spirit opposite us sit down.
A spirit with fish-like legs sitting on a chair underwater. Even after seeing it multiple times, it was an unreal sight. As I glanced at the empty table, devoid of tea or snacks, an Undine tried to place a shell on the table and was promptly caught and reprimanded. I bit my tongue to suppress a laugh.
The spirit, who had been watching me intently, opened his mouth cautiously.
[I… was born in the Saras River. My family has had ties with the Yeldidus Family for generations.]
What?
The spirits of Indus Bay are divided into two.
Those born before the Golden Turtle sank, and those born after the Golden Turtle sank.
The spirit of the Yeldidus Family was a young spirit born after the Golden Turtle’s generation. About three hundred years ago, he awoke with a powerful clash of Mana in the deepest part of the Saras River, and he formed a bond with the Young Master of the Duke Yeldidus Family who frequented the area.
Since then, until recently, he had watched over the Saras River to prevent floods, and in return, he received various ornaments and lived a luxurious life.
The Yeldidus Family bordered a great river. Intermediate water spirits friendly to the Duke Yeldidus Family had been served for generations. What he wore on his head now was not a crown, but a tiara received from the Yeldidus Family, he explained.
“…Then what is that high platform for?”
[Knowing that I could communicate with humans like an ancient spirit, the other Nereids entrusted me with various responsibilities, asking me to resolve this matter….]
“…Like an ancient spirit?”
[Yes. So….]
As the creature was about to say more, he placed his hand on the edge of the round table and pushed himself up. He stretched his head towards Ikyun, and his short, wispy hair fluttered and covered his pale cheek. Ruben, without a moment’s hesitation, extended his own head towards it.
…What is this now? Trying to kiss a spirit I just met?
So unbelievable that I sprang to my feet. Other spirits supported and pulled away the chair that was about to tip backward. Seeing me, Ruben pulled my hand over and placed it on the center of the table.
“Mika. Close your eyes.”
“…Yes?”
“From now on, I will borrow this spirit’s memories and vision for a moment. I mentioned ’emotional transference’ before, remember?”
“….”
“It’s similar. I’ll explain later.”
“…Yes.”
But I couldn’t close my eyes until the very last moment. I watched with wide eyes as the spirit slowly approached Ruben. The layer of air that enveloped both Ruben’s and my heads was pushed back. The Nereid brought her forehead close, as if pushing a large balloon.
I couldn’t back down either, so I did the same. Ruben, I, and the Nereid’s foreheads touched. I had no idea what kind of prank this was. After hesitating for a very brief moment, I closed my eyes.
Immediately, my vision spun.
❖ ❖ ❖
Standing before my eyes was Hestia Yeldidus. I… quite cherished her. She resembled the first human I met, and the second human I met. With her pale blonde hair, almost silver, and her violet eyes that shimmered as if violets had been steeped in water, she was truly adorable.
…Adorable? No, this isn’t my thought. This is…
That Hestia Yeldidus tore the paper she held with a furious ripping sound. When it didn’t tear easily, she became angry, so I helped her by soaking the middle of the paper to make it easier to rip, while watching her expression. Hestia then threw what she held away entirely and exploded with rage.
“Are you insane? Does this make any sense? Wesley Kiadris? Not Edwin Kiadris, but the eldest son, proposed to me? He’s twenty-eight already! He’s gone senile before thirty!”
[That’s right, he’s the one who’s wrong. Don’t marry him. Kiadris is too far away… and anyway, he was bad.]
“No, no, that’s not it. Dad is the one who’s senile. He has no talent, no skill, and all he received was a noble bloodline, so where did this sudden greed come from?”
[But, Adam too.]
“Don’t take Dad’s side, Neti. Even you, I won’t let slide.”
[Adam is crazy. He must be senile.]
“You think so too? They’ve really gone mad, the two of them. Should I rip out all my hair?”
I had heard a snippet of this story before.
It was said that when Edwin Kiadris turned fifteen, a marriage between Wesley Kiadris and Hestia Yeldidus was planned but fell through. Hestia was sixteen at the time.
…Six years ago. Around this time, the Duke of Yeldidus at the time obstructed trade passing through the Saras River, preventing other territories of the Sierran Empire from influencing Yulan and Indus Bay.
That was the incident. The sharp, shrill voice was nothing like the Hestia I knew. In any case, she threw the wet letter into the brazier and said commandingly,
“This won’t do. Neti, you go to Indus Bay.”
[Me? …Me?]