Chapter 79
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Have You Heard? Tourist City! (1)
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A herd of Farmer Turtles was in a state of high excitement right now.
Number 34 Turtle, who had gone out on reconnaissance to find a place to raise their young and lay eggs, had sent back sonic signals reporting the discovery of a spot overflowing with seagrass—their staple food.
- Tons of seagrass! Hot water bubbling out of the sea!
The turtle leader realized that the location in Number 34's message was one of their favorite old haunts. But it was odd that there was so much seagrass there now.
The sea around that island, where hot water gushed out everywhere, had just the right temperature for them. But at some point, humans had started wandering around, and every winter when the turtles took a break from the cold, those humans would uproot every last bit of seagrass that the turtles had painstakingly transplanted and grown all summer long.
Those wretched humans.
They had no idea how grueling it was to haul seagrass all the way from the deep ocean to the coast, plant it, and nurture it. They probably never would, even in a thousand lifetimes!
- Really, tons of it!
Another sonic pulse arrived from Number 34.
It was clearly growing impatient, wondering why they weren't moving.
But the turtle leader, scarred by memories of humans ripping up their carefully tended farms time and again, couldn't help harboring suspicions despite Number 34's signals.
As long-lived creatures, these turtles were far more intelligent than one might expect.
They had transplanted a huge batch of seagrass there just last year, too.
But by now, the humans would surely have yanked it all out again. There couldn't possibly be anything left for the pregnant females to eat.
Kiiiuuuk—.
Kuuk, kuuk—.
They needed to decide quickly.
Unlike last year, the herd's situation this year was dire.
While overwintering in their usual shelter, they had clashed with a rival turtle herd.
Due to their group's many immature individuals, they had suffered heavy losses and were barely scraping by, drifting from place to place to keep the bloodline alive.
Most of their adult males, who were needed to transplant seagrass, had been injured, leaving them unable to venture into the monster-infested deep sea to fetch food for the females.
Kuuuuk...
- Let's go!
The forlorn eyes of the females and young ones met the leader's gaze.
A decision was finally made.
They couldn't let them go hungry forever.
It might be a trap dug by humans, but first, they had to fill their bellies. Only then would there be a tomorrow!
Whiiiish—!
The herd of Farmer Turtles began swimming toward the Evergreen coast.
"There they are!"
"Hmm. So the turtle herd really has come back."
"Indeed, Master. Kallon and the others said we wouldn't see them for a few more years, so something must have happened."
"Oh! Are those the turtles that farm seagrass? How fascinating!"
Dominic and his group arrived at the coast, guided by an aquaculture worker.
"The farms are going to take a hit. Damn it! Looks like they've already torn through one of the nets over there!"
"Fortunately, the scale is still small for now..."
"Oh no, Old Lord! Knight! Even if those turtles stick around for just a month, it'll destroy the foundation of our aquaculture entirely!"
The worker stomped his feet in distress, while the Old Lord and knight clicked their tongues, and even the elf Heinrich joined in.
But Dominic couldn't join the conversation.
"You all can actually see them...?"
It was moments like this that made being a normal person feel so unfair.
No matter how hard he strained his eyes, he couldn't make out the turtles—or even the farms properly. Dominic was dumbfounded watching his companions talk as if they had telescopes grafted onto their eyeballs.
"Anyway, so the turtles really are back? And they've already invaded one farm?"
"Yes, Mayor!"
The worker hurriedly briefed Dominic.
"The harvest crew spotted them earlier today. They were already trying to rip through the nets by then. As soon as they saw the turtle shells, they pulled back for safety—no damage done. But on the way back, they confirmed a group heading toward the Turtle Island coast."
"Any word from the hot spring staff?"
"A messenger bird arrived, but no sign of them approaching the hot spring facilities yet. Probably heading to the source area?"
"Either way, hot spring tourism's on hold. Damn it!"
The hot springs were just starting to gain popularity, doubling Dominic's frustration.
But they couldn't keep welcoming guests with a rampaging turtle herd on the loose.
'Are the farms and hot springs both going into lockdown? Damn! I thought this side was safe for now...!'
How much revenue was this costing? Maybe it was time to wipe them all out?
As Dominic mentally calculated losses, his eyes fell on a flat-bottomed transport boat used for the farms.
It was parked near a warehouse on the coast, loaded with harvested seaweed. The boat was a modified fishing vessel from the old Fishing Cooperative.
"...You took that out there, right?"
"Yes, Mayor. We use it during harvest work."
"But isn't that boat pretty big?"
"Pardon? Ah...! ...Huh?"
The worker, who had answered without thinking, now seemed to catch on.
"Why didn't they attack the boat? Normally, they'd go after anything boat-sized on sight."
"Good point? Maybe they're too excited by all the seaweed. From their perspective, it's like a fully set banquet table..."
"Tch. We farmed all that seaweed, and now we're doing those turtles a favor."
Unlike Earth's varieties, the seaweed here shot up to adult male height in just a month. Thanks to that, the farms were projecting triple the sales this year. Workers had been dreaming of bonuses Dominic promised, but now it was all going down the drain.
"Mayor."
Heinrich stepped forward then.
"Are these turtles causing problems?"
"Yes, as you can see. And they're vicious—anything boat or human-sized entering their territory gets attacked on sight. They even chase off big fish..."
"Shall I try talking to them? If we communicate, we might reach a mutually satisfying agreement without violence."
"Ah, of course. We're willing to compromise to some extent... Pardon?"
"Yes?"
What was this now?
"...You mean talk to the turtles, Heinrich?"
"Ah, my apologies. It wouldn't be proper for a guest to represent Evergreen..."
"No, not that—talking to the turtles. Is that possible?"
Not just Dominic, but even the Old Lord's eyes widened like saucers.
The Old Lord's shock was especially indescribable. He'd thought his youth spent roaming the continent and meeting all sorts had given him worldly wisdom, but conversing with animals?
"Heavens. I've heard skilled druids can read animals' emotions, but actual conversation? I never imagined!"
"Humans can hear the voice of God directly too, can't they? If some perceive the unseen divine word, wouldn't it be stranger if we couldn't communicate with the animals sharing this earth with us?"
"You've given me something to ponder. That makes sense. Haha! But talking to animals—haha!"
The Old Lord kept chuckling nervously, unable to hide his amazement.
'Ah, so that's why they avoid meat? Makes sense if you can talk to them.'
He'd dismissed it as lore, but if this was the hidden truth, their convictions suddenly clicked. How could you slaughter and eat something you could converse with?
'Is there a secret behind the dwarves' craftsmanship too?'
He'd have to look into that when he had time.
For now, put out the immediate fire!
"In that case, could you talk to them right away? Our position is..."
Negotiating seriously with animals still felt absurd, but a thirsty man digs a well—what choice did he have?
Not long after, a new daily tour was aggressively promoted at the resort.
Pamphlets appeared in guest rooms, and posters went up in the resort restaurants.
[Swim with Turtles in Our Beautiful Coral Sea! Experience the Mystical Adventure Now!]
Zibronta, a wandering knight from a construction family, couldn't tear his eyes from the ad flyer in the restaurant.
"Sir, ready to order?"
"......"
"Sir?"
"Ah! Sorry, got lost in thought. Whatever the chef recommends. But... what the hell is this? Swim with turtles?"
"It's a new tourism product from our village's Fishing Cooperative. These turtle herds visit every few years, but this time they've settled right in."
"They don't attack people? They look pretty big from the poster art. Could turn dangerous underwater. Ah! Not that it'd threaten a knight like me, of course. Haha!"
Zibronta forced an awkward laugh and bravado, but the resort staffer, seasoned in humoring guests, played along smoothly.
"Of course. No issue for brave knights, but for ordinary folk like me who've never properly held a sword, it might be scary. But apparently, they've been tamed with food and habitat. Follow the guidelines, and it's fine."
"Really?"
"Sure. Why else develop it as a tour and promote it like this?"
"...How do I sign up?"
"Just fill out the form..."
The next day.
Wandering knight Zibronta stood blankly at the resort's private dock for Hot Spring Island.
'Was this a mistake?'
Thinking about facing man-sized turtles underwater made his whole body tense up.
Run away?
No, he couldn't.
Truth be told, Zibronta's wandering knight life stemmed partly from his timid nature and inability to conquer fear. Born into a wealthy merchant family that inherited vast fortunes, he'd shown sword talent and received unlimited support.
Under an excellent master, his gifts blossomed quickly—but his true skill only shone against training dummies.
When real people or monsters appeared before him, his fluid body would freeze solid, rendering him immobile.
So he'd fled under the excuse of seeing the world, drifting to Evergreen to live idly off his money.
The turtle tour was his attempt at building courage.
To others, it might seem trivial, but facing a massive beast underwater without armor could be his wall-breaking moment.
"Zibronta Florneer, sir?"
"Here!"
"Welcome to the Turtle Tour!"
The guide ran through the briefing and precautions, and he signed the confirmation.
"Take this. It's a tool to breathe underwater. Limit is 20 minutes—you'll automatically surface after 15."
"...Good."
He inwardly realized, 'Ah, so that's why the tour's so pricey.'
Once fitted with the magical headpiece—like a lady's hair ornament—it was time to dive.
After agonizing hesitation, with no more delays possible,
Splash!
Seawater enveloped him, freezing Zibronta stiff once more.
Tap, tap—.
The guide tapped his shoulder. Forcing his eyes open,
"......!"
The underwater world was a whole other realm.