Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Moon and Sea
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Before long, the sun began to set.
There wasn't even a sunset today. The sky was still blanketed in rain clouds, and cold rain fell indifferently, merging with the waves.
"Isaac, let's head inside now. You'll catch a cold like that."
I carefully scoop up Isaac, who is still gazing out at the distant sea. Behind us, perched on the cliff's edge where we had been sitting, stands a fairly sturdy makeshift shelter now.
It's not quite worthy of being called a house. Still, with solid pillars, outer walls to keep out the rain, and a well-connected roof, it's perfect for getting some sleep.
The floor is lined with soft vines and stems from me and Alraune. Lying on wet rocks and dirt would only build up fatigue and discomfort, so I took care to prepare it properly.
Which is why it should be comfortable to lie down and rest...
But Isaac, cradled in my arms, taps my shoulder and says,
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me—go lie down first. I'll head in once my eyes start closing."
"The rain and wind show no signs of letting up. How long are you going to stay out there?"
I can't break his stubbornness. Isaac crawls back to his spot on all fours and lets out a deep sigh as he stares at the wreckage of the Paradise Ship far in the distance.
"It's okay. Sorry for making you worry. Take care of your girls first."
I can't help but worry.
We haven't built anything like a bridge leading to the sea near the cliff yet, so I'm nervous he might slip or get hurt.
Someday, for free communication with Aria, I plan to make a small pier-like dock, but on our first day by the sea, we didn't have the luxury for such setups...
What if right now,
Isaac were to harbor dark thoughts—
No, that's probably overthinking it.
Even if he tried to throw himself in from there, he wouldn't die properly anyway, and with Aria down below in the sea, there's no reason to worry at all.
"I won't die. Don't think weird things."
Isaac smirks as if he's read my mind and sits back down at the cliff's edge.
His severed lower half prevents him from resting properly, but he just sits there, staring at the Paradise Ship's wreckage.
Our ship, shattered and broken,
now silently submerged, enduring the crashing waves.
"That captain must have gone through a lot too. The other crew probably saw some rough sights, and it must have been agonizing for them."
Isaac alternates his gaze between the Paradise Ship and my face. Thankfully, a bit of life has returned to his previously vacant eyes.
"Life has its moments like this, where things fall apart for a bit. Right? But eventually, we'll make up and come back together. You think I haven't fought with that wife of mine once or twice?"
Unlike the hopeful words from Isaac's mouth, sorrow still lingers in his wrinkles. But he's putting on an act as a "mature adult" human so he doesn't show me any more weakness.
"As long as they're alive, that's what matters. Yeah..."
Now Isaac's eyes turn toward the darkening sea. Thick, black darkness quietly blankets the coastline.
"So cheer up and go get some sleep. You must be tired."
"It's not even night yet. Why sleep now?"
Suffering gnaws at the human mind like waves,
but in the end, that suffering fades away like foam.
Though permanent scars that can't be undone will remain in our psyches, humans are remarkably resilient creatures who can endure with stubborn tenacity.
"...The sea breeze is cold."
As long as we don't give up,
as long as we don't let ourselves go,
we can keep struggling to survive forever.
"Dr."
Amy wipes the water from my body herself.
Alraune will eventually absorb all the moisture and turn it into her nutrients anyway, but before that, I entrust my body to Amy's caring touch.
"Your body temperature is low."
Amy rummages through the luggage and pulls out one of Nephyr's rugs, draping it around both me and her.
We sit close together, trapping warm air inside the rug. My chilled body starts to thaw quickly.
"Good work today."
"Yeah."
Amy quietly rests my head on her shoulder. It's firm, but surprisingly comfortable—like sleep is about to pour over me.
"Dad, what's so great about those things that you're moping like this?"
In front of us, sharing body heat side by side, Jenny lies tilted on her side, looking up at me.
The curve from her head to her toes exudes a woman's allure and grace without any effort.
"I just don't get it."
Jenny no longer bears much trace of her childlike form. Even so, in her tilted gaze, I see genuine worry for her most precious man—her father.
"They're not even pretty, old, weak, and tasteless."
Jenny crawls right into the rug with me and Amy, burying her head against me and sprawling out. It feels like she's acting spoiled, using my leg as a pillow.
Like a cat or dog flipping onto its back, playing cute until its owner's mood lifts. Seeing Jenny's rare docile side brings an involuntary smile to my face.
I gently stroke her dark red hair and let out a long, soft breath. A pleasant scent wafts from both Amy and Jenny.
My mind eases.
At least in this moment,
I can doze off without a care in the world.
Neither Jenny nor Amy
say a word, simply letting me rest my eyes for a bit.
But suddenly,
I realize the owner of this rug isn't by my side.
It's strange.
Nephyr is always trailing right behind me.
"...Mm, ah, ugh. No."
Drool slips from my mouth unnoticed and plops onto Jenny's face. She scoops it into her own mouth, purring contentedly.
"I'm not sleeping yet. Hey, what about Nephyr?"
"She's taking a walk. She's strolling along the coast 227 meters away. Seems fascinated since it's her first time seeing the sea."
"Ah... okay."
Amy and Jenny
don't intend to let go of this rare time together with me.
"Jenny's going this far—where else would you go?"
Now she's hugging me tight and whining. Yeah, staying right here feels best for now.
Nephyr's no weakling. Most people couldn't handle her dagger or her sturdy tail.
It's just that compared to Jenny or Amy, she seems relatively fragile. Bad luck, I guess.
"Got it. I'll just sleep here. Early night tonight."
I pat both Amy's and Jenny's heads as I find a spot to lie down. If anything happens to anyone, these two will step in.
"Isaac, come on in. Aren't you cold? Even if the rain's stopped..."
Before that, I call out to Isaac briefly,
but he doesn't respond.
His faint silhouette still faces the sea. Hasn't shaken off the sadness yet—maybe gazing at the moon and lamenting his fate.
"...Isaac, hold on."
Suddenly, a bad feeling washes over my entire body.
I shove aside the cloth serving as our temporary door and rush to the cliff—
The moon is always watching over you.
(The moon always watches over you.)
I see the moon.
Slowly rising above the rain-cleared sky is an unusually large and massive moon, rolling like it's peering through the holes in my body with its own eyes, staring straight at me.
"What the fuck."
Isaac foams at the mouth, reaching toward the moon. His eyes are already rolled back, trembling wildly.
"Damn it, Amy! Jenny! Help!"
He hasn't died.
This is just a temporary loss of sanity from the repulsive presence of that moon bastard.
Splash!
"Joo-ho...! Joo-ho!"
Aria's urgent voice climbs the cliff. No, her slender hands and arms climb the rock face too, flailing as if begging me to pull her up.
"Aria?"
Aria, panting from the hasty climb, thumps her chest to calm her startled heart. Her trembling voice conveys the bizarre events unfolding below sea level.
"Something's wrong. The sea is a little... w-weird... It's not supposed to be like this..."
"Got it. Calm down first and go inside the shelter. Okay?"
Faced with bizarre phenomena unfolding on all sides, I turn my eyes to the sea where I shooed Aria back into. Dark shapes dart through the surging waves like arrows.
"What the hell are those..."
In the midst of simultaneous anomalies,
a massive waterspout erupts right in front of me and Aria.