Sightseeing Tour (1)
A moment later, we looked at each other seriously once more.
[Ahem, ahem.] Niagara cleared his throat and spoke.
[Sia and I have had many conversations over the past few weeks. Thanks to that, I've come to realize my mistakes.]
Sia Clearwater gripped Niagara's hand tightly.
[I want to apologize to all of you.] Niagara bowed his head to us.
[Hmph!] Aqua snorted.
Niagara continued. [I was too forceful. I should have sought understanding or at least persuaded you properly. I forced my own thoughts on everyone. I'm sorry, Aqua.]
Niagara then bowed to me as well. [I'm sorry to you too. I attacked you several times. I know words can't convey the depth of this apology. But I truly am sorry.]
It was a clean apology, without a single excuse.
A apology that can't be conveyed in words. He was right. That's why Niagara had shown it through his actions. Handing over the divine relic of the Spirit King was no different from giving everything he had.
And he tried to stop us because he loved Aqua so much. Now he was admitting his thoughts had been wrong and offering a sincere apology.
I harbored almost no ill feelings toward Niagara anymore.
[I haven't fully forgiven you yet!] Aqua said in a pouty voice.
She was angry not just for trying to separate us for life, but also for recklessly drawing out his vital energy and endangering his own life.
Niagara dropped his head as if accepting it all. [I'm sorry.]
[Hmph!] Aqua whipped her head away.
Niagara glanced cautiously at her, slowly lifting his head with a hesitant expression before speaking. [Aqua. Promise me just one thing.]
Aqua's eyes flashed with fury at his words. She wrinkled her nose and bared her teeth, as if ready to pounce if he spouted any more nonsense.
Niagara's face grew serious. [If possible, don't fight Pompeii. And if you must... don't get hurt, no matter what.]
[......]
Aqua fell silent at Niagara's worried tone.
Only then could I truly look into Niagara's eyes. I saw how deeply he loved and cherished Aqua—and how much he worried about the current situation because of it.
Niagara wouldn't want Aqua fighting directly. It was only natural. He was the one who hadn't hesitated to come to the human world out of fear she'd get hurt.
He's trying to change. Niagara respected Aqua's choice. All he could do was beg her not to get hurt.
From his gaze and clenched fist, I could tell how hard he was trying to accept the situation.
Aqua blinked up at him. A slow smile spread across her small mouth. [Mm! Don't worry!]
She planted her hands on her hips and replied spiritedly. [We beat you, didn't we? Pompeii will be a piece of cake!]
Niagara's lips curved into a faint smile at her usual confident, proud demeanor.
I cradled Aqua and Mandu in my arms as we headed to the surface. Uluru, Niagara, and Sia Clearwater came with us.
When we reached the ground, I was confronted with something I'd forgotten.
[Can we play now?]
[Play with us!]
[Ooh......!]
Countless baby spirits waited with sparkling eyes.
Baby sylphs, baby undines, and baby gnomes swarmed us in an instant.
[Ah! I forgot about these guys!] Aqua hugged the baby spirits with a troubled look.
The babies twinkled eagerly, unwilling to miss playing with Aqua after so long—or with the humans for the first time.
And we felt the same way.
"Ahh......" A strange moan came from beside me.
Sia Clearwater rubbed her chest, gazing at the baby spirits with half-melted eyes.
Honestly, who could resist that? So many spirits—baby ones at that—begging to play with those big, shiny eyes? No one could say no.
But we had an important mission: sightseeing. Essential for taking down Pompeii.
Wait. A sudden idea struck me.
We can just tour together. No need to choose one or the other.
And perfectly, a way to combine sightseeing with playing with the babies came to mind.
Professor mentioned it back then... I recalled what I'd learned at the Academy and whispered into Aqua's ear.
[Ooh! That's a great idea!] Aqua threw her hands up in admiration and hugged me tight.
[As expected of my spirit master!]
Maybe because spirit power was so abundant here, but hugs in the Spirit Realm felt even more special than in the human world. Aqua's emotions flowed through our touching skin into me. It lifted my mood completely.
Aqua smiled at her many little siblings and raised three fingers high.
[Any spirits wanna travel with us?!]
[Me!]
[Me, me!]
[Ooh......!]
All the baby spirits shot their hands up. In the Spirit Realm, where they had few playmates besides each other, our visit was a huge treat.
Aqua smiled and reached toward the sky. Leaves from the Spirit Tree rained down at her gesture—huge ones, bigger than an adult.
"Niagara. Help Aqua weave those leaves into boat shapes."
[A boat? Ah, got it.]
[I'll help too.]
With Aqua, Niagara, and Uluru combining their power, the Spirit Tree leaves quickly formed boats. Soon, a play boat the size of Jang Gilsan's yacht was complete.
High-grade water spirits can manipulate the water in plant veins too. Not in animals or humans, but plants were fair game.
[Boat ride time!]
The baby spirits cheered and piled onto the boat at Aqua's call. I did too.
The giant leaf yacht had room left even after dozens of babies boarded.
But the babies clung to me and Sia Clearwater, pressing and climbing enthusiastically.
Reminds me of giant Aqua playing with people. This was the opposite now.
I chuckled softly and petted the babies vying to get close. They were so small I could stroke two or three at once per hand.
Petting sylphs felt like fluffy fur balls—their hazy forms made it fuzzy.
Like sticking your hand out a moving car window.
Gnomes, meanwhile, were like a firm basketball wrapped in soft silk. And the gentle warmth rising from deep inside felt amazing.
"Hee hee hee......" I couldn't help laughing.
Sia Clearwater bit her lip while petting them too.
Our eyes met. Without a word, we shared happy smiles.
A spirit master in the Spirit Realm. I couldn't imagine a more perfect phrase.
[Let's go!]
Aqua and Niagara stood at the yacht's bow, steering it by pulling nearby stream water underneath to propel us.
[Waaah!]
[It's moving!]
The babies cheered like they were on a ride.
[Chit!]
Mandu, playing with them, cried out excitedly too. It was his first time with so many peers.
[Warm!]
[Ooh......!]
One baby undine and one baby gnome hugged Mandu tight. His eyes curved into crescents.
Our goal was Pompeii. We needed to sightsee quickly and thoroughly.
But I won't rush and miss making memories. Enjoying the Spirit Realm with Aqua and Mandu would surely help clear the quest too.
[This is the Great King Waterfall!]
The yacht stopped after about fifteen minutes, and Aqua shouted.
I paused tickling Mandu's belly and turned. A massive waterfall poured outside the boat.
Rooooaaar—!
"Whoa......" I stood and stepped out.
[Waterfall!]
[Great King Waterfall!]
The babies on board rushed out excitedly too.
I looked up at the falls. Enormous.
It was incredibly tall—hundreds of meters—and nearly a kilometer wide. Like Niagara or Iguazu Falls from TV, though I'd never seen them in person.
[Ahahaha!]
[So fun!]
Faint voices echoed from the falls. Focusing, I spotted undines playing everywhere.
The cascading water formed a huge lake. In the shallows, giant rocks dotted the area, warmed and lounged on by salamanders.
"Great King Waterfall......" Such a straightforward name. All the more pure and spirit-like.
I pulled out my phone and snapped photos: the waterfall, Aqua playing with the babies against it, Mandu sunning among other salamanders.
[Group photo time!]
Of course, I took one with Aqua too.
[Niagara and Sia, come here!]
We got a group shot with the falls behind us.
[Send the Aqua photos to Sia's phone right now!]
Niagara practically yelled, eyes bulging.
"Calm down. No internet in the Spirit Realm anyway."
[Ah. Right... ahem.]
Niagara coughed awkwardly at his outburst.
Sia Clearwater and I exchanged smiles at his doting-dad antics.
"By the way, we don't have each other's contacts."
"Oh, right."
"Last time I was so busy rushing around... Sorry to my benefactor."
"Benefactor? Treat me casually."
We swapped numbers.
"I'll send the photos via this when we get back to the human world."
[Send all the other Aqua pics too!]
Niagara shouted fervently.
"Aqua Fan Club has them."
[The fan club, of course... Ah, ahem... Right, the fan club.]
Niagara abruptly changed tack with a cough.
I eyed his embarrassed face. "You joined, huh?"
[!!!]
He stared in shock.
"Knew it."
Niagara flapped his mouth helplessly before mustering shamelessness. [Of course I have to watch over how Aqua's doing.]
So shy and adorable—he was the spitting image of Aqua. I couldn't resist messing up his hair wildly.
[Gah?! How dare you touch whose head?!]
His reaction was pure Aqua, making me tease more. "I touch Spirit King heads; why not an undine's?"
[Undine? I'm Niagara!]
"We agreed on bearded undine."
[No! Who decided that?!]
Then Aqua returned from playing with Mandu and the salamanders. [What's this?! Yelling at my spirit master?!]
She puffed her cheeks and scolded Niagara.
[No, Aqua. Your spirit master just...]
[Teasing my spirit master again?!]
[Not me this time...]
[Hmph! Let's go!]
Aqua grabbed my hand and pulled me away.
Glancing back, Niagara looked utterly wronged in Sia Clearwater's arms.
Did I go too far? Despite faint guilt, smiles kept creeping up—thanks to Aqua unconditionally taking my side.
Aqua led me to the lakeshore near the waterfall and pointed up. [Shouldn't we check the top too?]
The top of the waterfall. Anticipation bubbling, I climbed with Aqua's help.
Water spirits scaled falls simply: manipulate the water to climb backward.
We stood at the outermost edge of a protruding rock.
"Whoa......" The view stole my words again.
I'd glimpsed the scenery climbing the Spirit Tree, but from the falls? Totally different. No trees blocking sight.
[This is the Spirit Realm!]
Aqua said proudly, nose high.
I laughed and scooped her up. Together, we overlooked it all: waterfalls, mountains, lakes, hills to the horizon.
No ocean in the Spirit Realm, huh... No wonder spirits revered Uluru as top Spirit King.
[Hee hee! What do you think?]
Aqua gazed at me expectantly, eager for my take on her home.
"Hmm......" I scanned the vista, choosing words.
Truly beautiful. But that fell short.
I looked skyward, feeling the nature filling everything around me.
Warm sunlight bathed us. Cool breezes tempered the heat. Clear water lapped my ankles; firm earth supported my feet.
Earth has nature too. But incomparable to here. This place breathed with life. The Spirit Realm's wilderness was one massive organism.
No wonder spirits are born here.
Collecting my thoughts, I met Aqua's eyes. She watched eagerly.
I spoke slowly. "A place that lives up to the name Spirit Realm completely."
Aqua's eyes widened, then curved happily.
Praising with "spirit" thrilled a spirit master most.
[Hee hee hee!]
She hugged me tight. I pulled her closer, resting my face on her head.
[Knew you'd love it!]
Her joyful voice rang out. Through our skin, her happiness flowed vividly—another reason the Spirit Realm shone.
"Hee hee hee......" Her emotions overwhelmed me.
"Then, shall we......?" I looked down at her.
Aqua looked up. Our eyes met; mischievous smiles formed.
"Do it?"
[Of course!]
A water spirit and her master atop a waterfall. Only one thing to do.
I backed up a few steps, then ran forward for a running start.
"Diving!"
[Diving!]
We hurled ourselves toward the lofty sky.