Let's Swim Together
Together with the credit of starting the fire, we were granted a short break. I dipped my feet in the valley stream with Sofia and watched the children play. Pant, pant— Saebyeok swam forward with her cat-paddle stroke. She tried to push against the current, but the water was strong enough that she could only stay in place. If it had been me, I would have been swept downstream without a chance. Only someone as strong as Saebyeok could manage it.
"Kids, the current here is pretty strong, so don't play too far out."
It was a mood-killer, but the children listened obediently. Saebyeok paddled over to the shallows, and Levinas climbed right on top of her. Even with Levinas's weight, Saebyeok stayed afloat and swam around without sinking.
"King! Let's race with Levinas!"
"Okay. Just a sec."
I glanced at Sofia sitting beside me. She looked like she had something to say, yet she only gently stroked my hair. The atmosphere felt heavy, but her tail was wagging oddly.
"Sofia…"
Since I wasn't sure if I should ask if I could go play, I simply called her name. Sofia stared out at the valley with empty eyes for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. Her smile was so warm that the heavy air vanished in an instant.
"So Winter, you've been struggling with the same worries as me."
"The same worries? I don't even know why I'm like this."
Even though the hardships had become enjoyable, accepting them was still difficult. I couldn't figure out what kind of mindset had caused it.
"It's unfair, isn't it?"
"Unfair…?"
"Yes. You've lived thinking hardship was only natural, yet being together makes everything fun. How terribly unfair is that?"
"Uh…"
"If only one person had stayed by your side, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much. All that past hardship— what does it even amount to now? It's complicated and unfair in every way."
She was right. Maybe I couldn't accept it because it felt unfair that I'd lived so hard when I didn't have to.
"……"
So those were the feelings I'd been carrying. Feeling bitter, I looked down and pulled my feet out of the cold stream.
"Winter, the truth is, I felt the same way."
"In what way?"
"I resented being born a beastkin. I thought we were a savage race."
The shocking words that left Sofia's mouth were nothing I could have imagined. I quickly checked to make sure the children hadn't heard, but they were completely absorbed in their play.
"But Sofia, you pursue knowledge. You're far from the uneducated beastkin stereotype."
"You understand well. That's why I've lived all this time believing my birth as this race was a mistake. I never entered the water."
"Because water reminds you of your wild side."
I remembered her once telling me that shark beastkin awaken their primal instincts when they enter water. For Sofia, who hated violence, that part of herself must have been something she despised.
"Yes. I didn't want to acknowledge that something so far from intellect existed within me."
"…It's similar for me."
I didn't want to accept it because it felt unfair. Just like Sofia said, we had been struggling with the same kind of worries.
"But watching you, Winter, changed my mind."
"Watching me…?"
"Yes. Even after becoming a beastkin from a human, you never showed any dissatisfaction."
"Because I gained mana I never had before."
Having mana made something as small as changing races completely bearable. It wasn't even the first time my body had changed, after all. I had simply been given more, so I could only feel grateful.
"You also gained wild instincts and beastkin impulses that never existed in you before. Doesn't that bother you?"
"…It does. Sometimes my body won't listen because of those instincts. My tail moves on its own, so it's hard to hide my emotions."
At my slightly complaining answer, Sofia smiled with her eyes. It was a genuinely happy smile.
"I used to resent the beastkin instincts. But you, Winter, tried to embrace them no matter what."
"I did?"
"You did. You made all sorts of efforts to understand your changed self. Maybe acceptance is one of your strengths."
A strength I didn't even know I had came from Sofia's mouth. Embarrassed, I wiggled my wet feet.
"It's not really that impressive."
"No, it is impressive enough. You helped me realize my own foolishness."
Sofia stood up, looking noticeably lighter, and walked toward the stream. She waded in until the water reached her thighs, then beckoned me to join her. She wasn't holding her staff.
"Sofia, the water—"
"It's fine. I can't keep resenting what I was born with forever, can I?"
"Hmm… You're right."
Worrying about something I couldn't change and letting my emotions be swayed by it was foolish in every way.
"So, shall we shake it all off and go for a swim together?"
"Yes. Let's swim together."
The current was strong. Holding Sofia's hand, I headed toward the children. When they saw Sofia enter the water, they gasped in shock.
"A shark appeared!"
"We're gonna get eaten!"
Despite their frightened cries, the children happily welcomed her. They waded through the rough current to gather around Sofia.
"Shark! Let's have a swimming race with Levinas!"
"A race, you say?"
"Yeah! But it's just for fun! It's not a real competition, so even if you lose, no teasing or penalties!"
Levinas rocked back and forth on Saebyeok's back like they were doing a two-person race.
"Then I'll be on Winter's team."
"Okay!"
"Winter, come here."
Sofia pulled me into a firm hug and lay back on the water. Being a shark beastkin, she floated effortlessly. I climbed onto her stomach. Her hands gripping my legs felt rougher than usual. So this was Sofia's wild side. It was fierce, but knowing she was on my side, I only felt warmth.
"Is the race starting?!"
"Yes, begin whenever you like."
Saebyeok and Sofia lined up side by side. Levinas was the one to start the game.
"Go!"
Pant, pant— Saebyeok paddled forward with her cat stroke. Whether she was letting us win or not, Sofia simply lay still and watched their backs.
"Sofia, water's getting in your nose. Are you okay?"
"I am a shark."
"Ah, right."
Maybe the water was freeing something inside Sofia. Her usually stiff body was coming alive like that of a teenager. An energetic Sofia was new, but I didn't dislike it. Just as I was playfully poking her here and there—
Whoosh—!
Sofia suddenly shot forward at incredible speed, cutting through the current. She caught my body as it was thrown backward.
"Aaaah!"
She was fast. In less than a second, we overtook Saebyeok and Levinas, who had been far ahead.
"Huh?!"
Levinas's startled face flashed by and disappeared from view in an instant. Even though I could normally see the world in slow motion, all I could do now was cling tightly to Sofia.
"S-Sofia…!"
We raced down the mountain we had climbed so laboriously in one swift descent along the stream. The speed was so great that water sprayed out of the valley on both sides.
"Winter, focus."
Sofia, who I thought had been ignoring me, was looking straight into my eyes. It was as if she were saying, This speed is nothing.
"U-um…"
I tried to focus. After all, I was someone who could see even an arrow in flight as slow. Pushing away my fear, I sharpened all my senses.
Hoo. After a few deep breaths, the world began to slow down. Only then did I understand why Sofia had done this.
She wants me to experience this speed.
All my stats were focused on speed. Someday, I would need to learn how to control this kind of velocity. Though her wild side had made it a bit rough, Sofia only wanted to help me grow. Even with water in her mouth, Sofia was still kind.
"Sofia, can you go even faster?"
"…Hold on tight."
Sofia gripped my ankles. Through her strong hold, I felt a sense of security.
Boom—!
With a sound like an explosion, we surged forward, slicing through the current. We shot downstream faster than an arrow. At that moment, Choi Jinhyuk and Kwon Arin had just finished climbing the mountain. Their hands were full of luggage, making the ascent difficult. Camping on such a steep mountain— the Yeomyeong Guild really was extraordinary. Kwon Arin wiped her sweat and looked up the mountain.
"Tired?"
"Yeah… There's so much heavy stuff."
"The path is rough. Let's rest a bit."
Choi Jinhyuk led Kwon Arin to a rock near the stream. The two sat and talked while watching the cool flowing water.
"Yesterday, Winter—"
Just as they were about to talk about Winter, something came speeding down the stream from above at tremendous velocity.
"Waaaaah!"
It was Winter's voice. The moment Choi Jinhyuk and Kwon Arin looked up, Winter had already shot past them.
Whoosh—!
Water spraying to both sides soaked Choi Jinhyuk and Kwon Arin. While they flinched and shook off the water, Winter had already become a tiny dot in the distance.
"Winter…?"
What on earth was going on for her to go down so fast? Had something dangerous happened? While Kwon Arin hesitated, Choi Jinhyuk was already running down after Winter.
"W-wait, I'm coming too!"
She didn't know what was happening, but they had to save Winter. Kwon Arin ran back down the mountain she had just climbed.