The Fisher of Men (3)
Simon's boat reached the spot I had indicated.
Glancing sideways at Iaco to make sure she wasn't watching, I secretly pulled an artifact from my subspace pocket.
Poseidon's Fork. An artifact capable of partially manipulating the flow of water.
It couldn't drastically alter the currents, but even minor adjustments were a huge boon for swimming. That's why I always carried it for emergencies. While it couldn't control major flows, guiding fish into nets was child's play.
I enhanced my eyes with mana to peer into the ocean depths.
Then, using the fork discreetly, I manipulated the water currents around the school of fish I'd spotted, drawing them straight under Simon's boat.
Suddenly, Simon's boat lurched and tilted under the immense weight of the fish swarm.
Uh... did I overdo it with the fish?
That net looks like it's about to rip.
Oof. Can't have that.
"Excuse me for a moment."
"...Pardon? Kyaa!"
I placed an arm around Iaco's waist and blinked, teleporting us both onto Simon's deck.
"Wha—how did all these fish get here?! We didn't catch a single one all night!"
"The net's tearing! Everyone, hold on tight!"
Upon arrival, Simon and his crew were in chaos amid the overflowing catch.
"You seem quite flustered."
"N-Noble lord? H-How did you get on the boat?!"
"Iaco. If you use your gift, you can stabilize the net and lift it aboard."
Iaco's gift resembled telekinesis. Perfect for breaking this deadlock.
"H-How do you know my gift...? B-But my power is weak. I can't control it well either. With my strength, this is... impossible."
Ah, right. The Iaco in my memories had grown after entering the academy. She clearly couldn't handle her powers yet.
Tap.
"...Huh?"
I stepped behind her, embracing her from behind and supporting her arms.
"Have no doubt. You can do this."
"Ha, ha, haa...!"
I infused mana into her body.
For some reason, her heart was pounding wildly. Probably her first time seeing so many fish that it overwhelmed the boat.
This excessive excitement was hindering her gift. Stabilizing her mind and body with mana should fix it.
"Stay calm. Trust in your gift... and in me."
"Hnn...!"
Iaco unleashed her telekinesis, hoisting the entire net aboard.
The awe-inspiring sight of that massive net—brimming with fish—floating in midair.
Yes.
This is the Iaco I know.
* * *
Thud.
After turning the boat back to the dock, Iaco released her telekinesis and set the brimming net down on the pier.
No need to keep holding her now.
I released my embrace and stepped back.
"Aah...."
I thought I heard a voice tinged with regret... but probably just her mistaking my help for her own power boost, right?
We just met; no way she'd miss leaving my arms already.
Anyway, time to recruit this Simon and Iaco duo.
Honestly, the sudden boat teleport with Iaco was unplanned amid the chaos, but it's fine.
Didn't look weird.
If anything, it helped. Looked like I boosted Iaco's growth.
With a display like that.
How about it? Won't you want to follow me now?
Thump.
"Forgive me, noble one!"
As I turned to propose to Simon, he suddenly dropped to his knees before me.
...Huh?
"I am a sinner!"
What? Why? What's going on?
"I mistook you for an ordinary noble—like the filthy ones I've seen before!"
Ordinary noble?
Ah, I get it.
This Deus ex Machina world, modeled after Earth's medieval era, had a rigid class system.
And within it, nobles treated commoners like property, so it wasn't rare to see them drag off any woman who caught their eye on the street and assault her.
Simon and Iaco were victims of that.
Their mother had likely fallen prey to some noble.
Simon's family had lived peacefully in a Nova Empire territory.
His mother, out alone at the market, caught a noble's eye and was seized by knights, then violated.
Shamed, she took her own life. Enraged, Simon's father—Sebade, a mere commoner—somehow slew the noble.
But killing a noble as a commoner meant no normal life. Sebade fled Nova with Simon and Iaco, evading pursuit all the way to Galilee territory.
Free from Nova's grasp, they hoped for peace, but Sebade, grieving his lost wife, withered away and died.
Left alone, Simon struggled to feed Iaco.
Simon had a backstory much like Lydia's in many ways.
With that history, no wonder he saw nobles in a bad light.
He must've pegged me as the same breed just from my looks.
"I thought your order to cast the nets again was meant to separate me from Iaco so you could take her!"
Ah... yeah, that tracks.
Makes sense to suspect that.
Sudden order to fish again and all.
"And when you appeared on the boat holding Iaco, I assumed it was to sate some vile lust!"
Ah... that too.
Hugging her from behind out of nowhere... yeah, suspicious.
I barely thought of it that way... well, not entirely.
"I even pondered striking your head while you were distracted."
Whoa, that's extreme.
Simon's gift was super speed. I could've blocked, but it's tricky to counter fully. If he'd gone all-out seriously, it might've been dicey.
"But now I know! That I judged you wrongly on my own! That you sought only to help us from start to finish!"
Uh... well, technically I wanted to show off my prowess and recruit you, but if you see it that way, great.
"You... no, great one, pitied us after our fruitless night and gifted us fish. You pitied my powerless sister and steadied her strength. And yet I...!"
...Huh? Great one?
Noble one is for nobles. But great one? That's for emperors... or dragons.
"Aaah! Punish me! I failed to recognize your greatness and judged you by human measures!"
This guy doesn't mean...
"But punish only me for my wrongs! My sister is innocent!"
There's a legend.
Dragons wander in human guise, performing good deeds and testing mortals. They grant greater boons to the pure-hearted but punish the wicked.
Does he think I'm a dragon?
Fish control, blink, power boost.
Plenty to mistake for draconic might.
Plus, my archaic speech.
I'd started with it assuming he was just a random fisherman, not knowing it was Simon.
Too late to switch now; it'd seem fishy.
No. Actually, perfect.
I'll play the dragon.
Easier recruitment that way.
Just tell him to keep my identity secret.
Dragons hide their true forms while wandering, right?
No awkward slips when recruiting others.
I can say I can't reveal my full draconic power casually.
"Simon."
"Yes! Speak!"
"Fear not. I have no intent to punish you."
"...Pardon?"
"I shall embark on a journey. Follow me. You, and your sister Iaco."
"Th-That is..."
"I will make you not fishers of fish, but fishers of men."
I'll have to hide my true self from future comrades.
Not this village life of scraping by on fish.
A life saving the world from Chaos.
A life as heroes adored by all.
Tap.
"Yes... I shall follow, my Lord."
Simon dropped the net.
"Y-Yeah... I'll follow too."
Iaco followed, cheeks flushed.
Why the blush, though?
Guess she loved wielding that powerful telekinesis for the first time.