The Fishmen Who Control Water
The Fishmen Who Control Water
The next day, our carriage had nearly reached the port city.
That was largely thanks to Secretary Hannah's exceptional driving skills.
True to form for a competent secretary who had mastered not only magic but a host of practical techniques, she had mapped out the shortest route from Yoen-su to the port city and barreled straight down it.
However, when we had about a day left until we reached the port city, we had no choice but to bring the carriage to a halt.
A river.
A river of immense width and fierce current cut off the overland route.
Hannah, ever the diligent secretary, gave me—as the leader of this fixed party—a rundown of our location.
"This river is called the Terek. It flows between Yoen-su and the port city, and it is said to be the longest on the continent. If you follow it down by boat, you will eventually reach the Western Sea."
"Are you a tour guide or something? You've memorized the names and characteristics of the rivers and everything."
"I enjoy traveling. That's why I've memorized the entire geography of the continent."
I wanted to say she was indeed a competent secretary, but it wasn't the right time to shower her with praise just yet.
That was because the river was as wide as the Han River, and getting my party across it presented a troublesome issue.
There was no bridge built over the Terek River, and the current was so fast that if you tried swimming recklessly, you'd be swept all the way out to the distant Western Sea.
I couldn't figure out why Hannah had brought us to a river with no bridge in the first place.
"I understand where we are just fine. But how are we supposed to cross the river? Are you counting on my Water Magic?"
"There's no need for an adventurer to step in. I brought us to this fishman ferry crossing with a plan from the start."
This was a fishman ferry crossing?
For a ferry crossing, the river wasn't particularly narrow, and there wasn't a single boat in sight.
I soon realized why Hannah called this place a ferry crossing.
"Fishmen Tribe of the Terek River! My master, the only daughter of the Lignote family, wishes to cross the river! By the ancient covenant, perform your duty as ferrymen!"
The moment Hannah spoke to the surging river in an archaic tone,
a circular ripple spread across the water's surface before a demihuman poked its head out from the river.
"Churrur! The Lignote has visited, is it. A pleasure. Benefactor of our tribe."
It was a fishman, its upper body that of a fish and its lower body that of a human.
Having seen a few fishmen who lived in Yoen-su, I could recognize their kind immediately.
Naturally, Rebecca, standing beside me and seeing a fishman for the first time in her life, was trembling like a leaf.
"A f-fish human—!"
"Rebecca. It's not a fish human, it's a fishman. A demihuman race treated as people."
"R-right, a fishman! A demihuman race that smells like fish!"
Since the comment about the fishy smell wasn't exactly wrong, I just let it slide.
Anyway, fishmen took pride in their fishy smell, considering it to be the scent of their homeland, the sea.
To that fish-head, Rebecca's words were a compliment, not an insult.
"Churrur! To say we smell of fish, that pleases me! So it was worth dunking my body in the seawater a few days ago!"
As the fishman splashed around and let out a booming laugh, Bella spoke to him.
"What is your name, Mister Fishman?"
"My name is Banner. I take it you are the woman who carries on the blood of the adventurer Lignote. Am I correct?"
"You are. I know that the fishmen living in this river and the sea made a promise to my ancestor long ago. Namely, that they would ferry any person of Lignote across for free."
"You know well. We charge others coin, but Lignote is an exception. For your ancestor is a benefactor to our tribe."
It seemed Bella's ancestor had worked as an adventurer in the past and earned great gratitude from the fishmen tribe.
Which meant that we, as Bella's traveling party, could cross the river for free.
At first, I didn't know how we'd cross with just a single fishman popping out, but soon a vessel burst forth from the river.
"Haahp—!"
It was the moment the fishman Banner thrust his palms out toward the river.
The already flowing current grew even more violent, and a ferryboat was pushed downstream from the upper reaches.
As the ferryboat approached, Banner leaped powerfully from the water and landed atop it.
Swoooooosh—!
Right then, the river's current was under Banner's control.
Despite the rough current, the ferryboat he now stood upon didn't so much as quiver, as if it were afloat on a placid lake.
He must have manipulated the flow of the water to pull the boat in and stop it before us.
Rebecca stared at the water-controlling fishman, her eyes filled with wonder.
"Is that magic? Luke, it looks like he controls water with magic just like you do."
The scent of a noob who knows nothing about demihumans was wafting heavily off her.
Before answering, I pressed my nose to the crown of her head for a moment and sniffed her scent.
'Ah, noobs are so fucking hot.'
Sniff, sniff.
My head spun from the addictive noob smell.
Solo-fap ejaculation, totally achievable.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh? Ah, uh. Your hair smells nice."
"Of course it does, I sprayed perfume. Dummy."
I brushed it off and explained the fishman tribe's ability to Rebecca.
"It's not magic, it's a psionic ability. An innate ability that demihumans like me are born with."
"You can control water with a psionic ability too?"
"Yeah. Fishmen are born with the psionic ability to control water. I hear a lot of them put that ability to use in careers as sailors or fishermen. They also have gills on their bodies, so they can even breathe underwater."
"Really? Unlike you, they're an incredibly blessed demihuman race! Seems like they can get a job easily."
"......Yeah. Unlike a washed-up Dream Demon like me."
Fishmen were a demihuman race that was in the spotlight, even within the adventuring industry.
That's because they demonstrated might surpassing any other demihuman when the stage was underwater.
It was common for a single fishman to single-handedly clean out dozens of pirates.
They were also dirty strong on land, thanks to that water control ability of theirs.
'A broken race rivaling Barbarians.'
That was the private assessment I'd been holding of fishmen in my heart.
After finishing my talk with Rebecca, I spoke to Banner, who was perched on the ferryboat.
"Mister Banner. You are giving us a ride to the other side of the river, correct? But you need to get a little closer for our party to board. Bring the boat over this way."
"......Suppose I should."
But something was off about Banner's attitude.
Banner, aboard the ferryboat, was keeping a fair distance from us, and showed no intention of coming closer to the shore.
He was just floating his boat there, staring blankly at us.
"If I come a bit closer, you folks could board the boat, I guess."
"Then why aren't you doing it, knowing that? The fishy smell is fucking with me too, so just give us the ride and let's part ways."
"Heh heh. Normally, I'd naturally have to give you folks, Lignote's party, a ride. But as it stands, that's become impossible today."
"Huh?"
"I can't give you a ride, I said."
Banner stared at us, water dripping off him.
His lifeless eyes, like a pair of rotten pollack eyeballs, were fixed on us.
Suddenly, he couldn't give us a ride?
Then what was all that about leaping out of the water and bringing the boat over for?
I was flabbergasted, of course, and Bella, having her request refused, also reacted with bewilderment.
"What do you mean by that? By the ancient covenant, the fishmen tribe should...."
"Covenant—! I know well!"
Banner cut Bella off and shouted back.
"But we fishmen are busy right now! We have no time to keep a promise with humans! Sorry about that!"
Had this fishman been suffering from some mental illness?
Shouting without warning, Banner manipulated the water and made the ferryboat glide forward.
Swoooooosh—!
By the time I snapped out of it, Banner, aboard the ferryboat, had already drifted far away.
"Hey, you fish-brained bastard! Stop!!"
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!! I can't stop now!!"
Stop!!
I thrust my palm out and spat out the magical command, but there was absolutely no effect.
Banner drifted down the river and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Now, all that remained before us was an empty ferry crossing with no ferryman in sight.
Staring in the direction the fishman had disappeared, I spat on the ground.
"No, that crazy bastard! If you weren't going to give us a ride, you should've said so from the start, why bait us like you were going to help!"
"All fishmen are masters of fishing. It is said their fishing catches not only fish, but people as well."
"Fishmen fish people?"
I felt utterly deflated hearing Hannah's words.
The Divine Art of Fishing!
We had been played by that fishman's Divine Art of Fishing this whole time!
A hollowness filled my chest, just like discovering a desert oasis was a mirage.
"I never expected the fishmen tribe would backstab us. They've been ferrymen who always gave us rides without issue whenever we passed through here."
Hannah looked at the empty ferry crossing with a troubled expression.
She must have come all the way here relying on that single fishman, only for him to actually flee the scene.
"Actually, if we turn back from here and travel about two days, there is a bridge. We could cross the river using that."
The suggestion to head for the nearest bridge was brought up, but our employer, Bella, immediately opposed it.
"No. Two days is far too long. I absolutely cannot be late for my promised meeting with the mages of Nain Gard. Those mages are extremely strict, and they hate it most when someone is late."
"...Then I shall find another way, my lady."
"Is there any need to find one? We have a mage right here who controls water."
Bella pointed her finger at me.
At that, the four women gathered around all looked at me at once.
"Go, Luke!"
"Mongma-nim, move out!"
Somehow, all those stares felt a little overwhelming.
'It is possible to manipulate the river's flow with magic and send people to the opposite bank.'
I stroked my chin, lost in thought for a moment.
Having learned the Liquid Ring spell, my control over water's flow had grown stronger.
Gently pushing them with my waves to the opposite side of the river was entirely feasible.
If I manipulated the fluid cautiously, no one would get hurt.
However, I couldn't help but hesitate a little about using the Liquid Ring spell.
'We've got a daughter of a noble house here. If she gets soaked and catches a cold, aren't I totally screwed?'
Bellatrix.
She was weighing on my mind.
Crossing by simply manipulating the water current would leave everyone looking like drowned rats.
No matter what, she was the Vice Guild Master and a noble lady; I couldn't handle her roughly if I could help it.
'Should I chop up a log or something and float it? Telling them to ride that across might work fine.'
It was while I was thinking of a peaceful way to cross the river while keeping both Bella and my lovers in mind.
Suddenly, Rumi, who had been sitting quietly in my hand, spoke to me.
Breaking a very long silence, her voice echoed in my ears.
[Do you not require a spell? A spell for crossing the river, that is.]
"What?"
She had addressed me so abruptly that I ended up answering in front of everyone.
Rebecca and Kate stared at me with puzzled expressions.
"What do you mean, what?"
"Who were you talking to?"
"Ah, nothing. Just talking to myself."
I couldn't reveal Rumi's identity here, so while I was fobbing them off, Rumi spoke to me once again.
[Enough souls have been gathered in the meantime to learn a spell. The soul of a certain paladin collected recently was especially savory. As thanks, I will give you a spell that you need, Mage.]
Wooong!
The magic book—Rumi's body, which I held in my hand—vibrated.
I hurriedly flipped the book open and checked what had been a blank portion.
Written there now were instructions for a new spell.
A spell that lets you walk on water as if it were land: Water Walk.
[The spell I am granting this time is 'Water Walk.' It is a spell that allows you to walk on water as if it were land.]
.......
..........
Some time passed after that, and after learning the spell, I was walking on the water as if I had become a god.
Sploosh! Sploosh!
The four women on the shore stared at me blankly as I walked on the water with Water Walk.
"What is he, a water strider?"
"A miracle of walking on water... he seems like Lord Baldur himself."
I spoke to them.
"Let's go, everyone! It looks like we can just walk right across!"