Chapter 122
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122
The Great Sea Serpent had been drawing in massive amounts of water from the ocean depths.
When Turan confirmed that the creature’s true identity was actually the naive merboy, Armani, he couldn't help but stare in a daze. It didn't take long for him to realize another startling fact from the merman’s words.
"How does my face look to you right now?"
"Huh? Your face? It looks exactly the same as when I saw you before!"
At Armani’s answer, Turan quickly gathered the nearby moisture to create a water mirror and inspected his reflection. Reflected there was the face of 'Gosan,' the self-proclaimed illegitimate son of the Baraha family, complete with brown hair and eyes.
‘...Does this mask’s disguise not work on merfolk? Or is it the power of the Great Sea Serpent?’
He wasn't sure which it was, but he was glad to have found out now. If he hadn't, he might have been caught red-handed later while trying to pull a scheme on the merfolk.
Turan let go of Bije’s legs and used flight magic to descend toward the surface, leveling himself with Armani.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"I’m drinking water! I’m going to drink lots and lots of it so I can become the biggest snake in the world!"
Judging by his words, the act of sucking in water seemed to be a unique strengthening ritual. Whether he truly grew stronger just by drinking water, or by consuming the mana of the marine beasts mixed within it, Turan couldn't be sure. In the first place, it wasn't even certain if merfolk grew stronger by absorbing mana the same way mages did.
What was certain, however, was that the merboy before him had become incomparably stronger than when they had last met.
During their first encounter, he was barely distinguishable from an ordinary person. By their second meeting, his mana was at the level of a lower noble at best. Now, it was nearing the very top tier.
At this rate, he was already more powerful than the crab princess, Rowina, whom Turan had met in the past. Considering his true form was a Great Sea Serpent, he might even be comparable to the Mermaid King himself.
In a sense, his growth rate surpassed even Turan’s own.
Should I kill him before he gets any stronger?
The thought flickered through his mind, but he decided to bury it for now. Although the merfolk were likely to become his enemies in the future, this merboy had consistently shown him nothing but goodwill. It would be time enough to become true enemies once they were certain their paths could no longer coexist.
"I saw earlier that you’ve become able to transform into a Great Sea Serpent."
"That’s right! You could see me from down there?"
"More or less. I couldn't see clearly because it was underwater, but could you show me properly once?"
At Turan’s request, Armani immediately dove into the sea and emerged again, transformed into the Great Sea Serpent just as before. His body length was roughly forty meters—a little less than half the size of the one Turan had hunted previously.
"It’s smaller than I thought."
Of course, that was only something Turan could say because he had seen a much larger specimen; by an ordinary person's standards, a creature of that size was nothing short of a natural disaster.
At Turan’s remark, the massive serpent shook its head as if pouting.
"It’s because I’m still young! Once I drink more water and grow bigger, I’ll be as big as that shed skin!"
Armani’s voice after transforming was still high and thin like a boy’s, but because of his massive frame, it vibrated with a low, heavy hum. Then again, considering the deafening roar the adult Great Sea Serpent had made, this was almost cute in comparison.
"Impressive. But for now, change back before we talk. Your voice is so loud my ears are starting to hurt."
At Turan’s words, Armani immediately returned to his merman form. He didn't seem to suspect in the slightest that Turan might take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. It seemed that despite gaining immense power, his innocent and gentle nature hadn't disappeared.
"By the way, why are you traveling alone? Where are those friends of yours?"
"We came by ship, but I came ahead alone to check things out. I heard there was a whirlpool on the way."
Armani, the culprit behind the whirlpool, laughed sheepishly.
"I should be the one asking you—where is your family? Even if you’ve grown stronger, I don't think they’d let a child wander around alone like this. Can everyone transform into Great Sea Serpents now?"
"Huh? Ah..."
Hearing this, Armani’s expression clouded over. He hesitated, shifting his gaze away.
"It looks like something happened."
Was it because he knew they were threatening humans by controlling magical beasts? Even as he tried to catch a scent, all Turan could perceive from the merman was the thick smell of brine.
After a moment, the merboy let out a sigh and spoke.
"Father and Mother are recuperating in the palace... and most of my brothers and sisters aren't in good shape either."
"What? How?"
He had just seen that they had hunted the Great Sea Serpent—their greatest threat—together and taken its power. How could they have suddenly suffered such a blow?
At Turan’s question, Armani hesitated before answering.
"It’s because changing your body into a Great Sea Serpent is very difficult and dangerous. If you don't have the right talent, you could die, get seriously injured, or even go mad."
This was information that could be a fatal weakness for the merfolk. It was hard to understand how he could reveal it so easily. If Turan had heard this from any merman other than Armani, he would have dismissed it as a deception.
"Does anyone else know about this?"
"Probably not!"
Turan clicked his tongue lightly at the cheerful response. If the Carmine family had known this, they wouldn't have postponed their contact with the merfolk until after the war. They would have invaded immediately, slaughtered them all, and seized the Great Sea Serpent’s corpse to destroy it.
"So, you’re saying no one else can move right now except for you?"
"There are a few brothers and sisters who could transform well, though not as well as me, but they’re busy chasing away the other tribes. They said if we leave them alone, they might target the children on our side."
This matched what he had heard from a merman noble in the past. He had said that the royalty of all the other kingdoms had fled in fear of being killed by Armani’s clan.
"But you’re a child yourself, and you’re out here alone?"
"I’m not a child anymore!" Armani shouted indignantly, then suddenly spoke as if checking Turan’s reaction. "Well, actually, one of my sisters was stopping me from leaving. But I have to get stronger to protect my family, so I had no choice but to sneak out..."
In short, he had escaped again for another secret outing. He was consistent in many ways.
"Well, you won't be caught by pirates anymore, so that’s fine. By any chance, do you know anything about the marine beasts running wild on the western coast?"
The beast Turan had encountered when he recently infiltrated Carmine territory had clearly invaded with a specific purpose. And according to a certain merman noble, the royal merfolk who could transform into Great Sea Serpents—the 'Clan of the High Priest'—had the ability to command marine beasts.
Armani’s eyes went wide at the question.
"This is the first I’ve heard of any of that!"
Though Turan couldn't smell his emotions, it was difficult to find any trace of deception in that innocent face. It seemed that despite his great power, the other merfolk still treated Armani like a child and told him nothing. Of course, seeing how he had just run away from home, it was hard to say that decision was wrong.
"Oh! It really works! Look over there!"
Suddenly, Armani pointed in one direction, and a massive herring approached. Through their soul bond, Turan could feel a strong surge of hunger from Bije, who was flying above.
"Can you command them as you wish?"
"It seems so. I never thought I’d be able to do something like this..."
Somehow, Turan had unintentionally helped him discover another latent ability. After calling and dismissing a few more magical beasts, Armani turned to Turan.
"Kind Demon, if what you said is true... then the beasts attacking humans are probably the work of one of my brothers or sisters who went mad and left home."
"What if they did it with a clear mind?"
"There’s no reason for them to do that!"
"There could be. For example, to distract the opponent with those kinds of raids."
At Turan’s words, Armani groaned and held his head, then eventually nodded.
"If that’s the case, I’ll stop them. I’ll tell them not to do it."
"Will that be possible?"
"Yeah. Because I don't want to fight with the Kind Demon."
The way he spoke was mature enough to make one forget his childish behavior from moments ago. Turan nodded and held out his hand.
"Right, I hope we can continue to get along well, too. On that note, can I ask you a favor?"
"A favor?"
"I’d like a few strands of your hair."
*
After finishing his business, Turan was heading back to the ship when he ran into Meisa flying toward him. She let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that he was unharmed.
"What’s going on?"
"I was worried because you were taking so long. Did anything happen?"
"I’m not sure if I should say nothing happened... well, it’s a big deal, actually. Let’s go back and talk first. Everyone needs to know."
Since it was a hassle to deploy the swing in mid-air, Meisa stepped onto Turan’s feet and clung to him as they flew back to the ship together. Seeing this, Solif, who had been waiting, let out a whistle.
"What a lovely couple. No wonder she couldn't help but worry."
"Be quiet."
After landing amidst their usual bickering, Turan explained the details of what had happened to Solif and Meisa.
"So they can transform into Great Sea Serpents..."
"I expected as much, but hearing it directly makes it hard to breathe."
"It means that monster could increase to more than ten."
Both of them remembered the fight with the Great Sea Serpent. They remembered the majesty of that being, which was no different from a living natural disaster. If the various royal merfolk who had fought alongside them back then could all transform into Great Sea Serpents, their power would be terrifying.
"There’s no need to worry too much. If they could become that strong, the Carmine family wouldn't be acting so passively. Especially considering how much the gods guard against anyone challenging their domain."
As seen from how they had stripped the dwarves of their intelligence, the ancient Frea Divine Clan was extremely wary of any powerhouse emerging who could rival them. If the royal merfolk could truly exert power on the level of the original Great Sea Serpent—which was said to rival the gods—the gods would have joined forces to crush them immediately, war or no war.
"It’s just a hypothesis, though. I’ve decided to wait and see with the merfolk. I’ve also gathered information that the coastal invasions might not be intentional, and most importantly, I got this."
Turan took the hair storage case from his pouch and tapped a newly filled slot. Inside was a lock of Armani’s blue-gray hair, still damp from the seawater.
"He just gave it to you?"
"He did. He even said that if he gave me this, he could find me and help me wherever I am."
"You didn't take it to help him, though."
Turan averted his gaze from the two pairs of eyes looking at him as if he were a swindler who had tricked a child.
"Anyway, I gave them a warning too. I told them to be prepared because the Carmine family might invade after the war."
"Can they stop them?"
"If that Mermaid King can become a Great Sea Serpent."
Even the young Armani had become that strong, and he was said to have the highest talent. It was certain that the other royals, who already had powerful foundations, would be even more formidable. Though, seeing as they were still recuperating, it was uncertain if they could fully master that power.
"Come to think of it, what happened with Arabion and Carmine?"
"I’ll have to find out once we arrive. Well, it hasn't been that long since we left, so I don't think it’s exploded just yet..."
The three of them looked toward the west simultaneously.
*
Exactly one week after meeting Armani.
They landed on a shore somewhere to the west and scouted the area to confirm their location. They found themselves in the southern part of Carmine territory.
After confirming the local geography, Turan’s group decided to change their disguises again. While staying in the Frostwind Forest, only Turan had disguised himself since the Baraha family would already know Solif’s parents, but things were different here. They needed new appearances.
Just as they had when infiltrating the Land of the Five Lakes, Solif wore a mask and Turan used the age-altering magic device. The Baraha couple, watching from the side, let out exclamations of wonder.
"Truly... I can't believe it even seeing it with my own eyes."
"I’m sorry, but could I perhaps try using that magic device?"
Solif’s mother, Romi, changed her apparent age to be nearly twenty years younger and stared into a mirror with a mesmerized expression. She was clearly captivated by the chance to reclaim her youthful face.
Meisa looked at her with an understanding expression.
"I could make one for you later when we have the time. It’s a bit difficult right now, though."
"Oh, no. How could I ask for such a thing?"
Even though they had been traveling together for some time, the Baraha couple maintained a reserved attitude toward Turan and Meisa. Perhaps because Turan was a friend of their son, who had been the next head of the Baraha family, they regarded him as someone of higher status. Knowing that forcing them to be comfortable wouldn't work, Turan and Meisa simply accepted it.
After finishing their disguises, Turan’s group flew through the sky during the day in secluded areas and stayed in nearby cities in the evening. Since the ten-day voyage had been grueling, simply enjoying quality meals and lodging was enough to relieve their fatigue.
Unfortunately, Bije stood out too much to travel with them, so she had to stay outside whenever they stopped in a city. However, since either Turan or Meisa would always go out to sleep with her and comfort her, Bije didn't seem to mind. In fact, she preferred the outdoors to a well-decorated cage anyway.
Passing through the southern hill country and the edge of the Dakein Plains, Turan could feel the atmosphere of war thickening. Just like when the war broke out in the Western Wasteland in the past, the decrease in travelers and the darkened expressions of the people were clearly visible.
While they were on the ground having lunch during a brief rest, Meisa murmured longingly as she looked north.
"Ah, I miss my aunt..."
"Do you want to go see her secretly?"
"No, it’s fine. It would only put her in danger. I was just saying."
Turan could infiltrate anywhere without being noticed using stealth magic, but that was a feat impossible for Meisa. She had to take comfort in the fact that she had received word of Asiz's safety through a brief exchange of letters.
After several days of moving southwest past the southern Dakein Plains.
In a certain city, Turan and Meisa both let out exclamations of surprise.
"Wow..."
"It’s been restored this much already?"
On the surface, it was just an ordinary, bustling city like any other. Yet, the reason it felt special to the two of them was that this city was located right in the middle of the Western Forest Zone.
Turan had passed through here while leaving Kalamaf with Bije, and Meisa had passed through while leading the subjugation squad. At the time, there were only piles of corpses left behind by the dark elves. Considering that less than four years had passed since then, the speed of restoration was remarkable.
"I suppose the people who were hiding have returned. The settlers from the Dakein Plains or the wasteland alone wouldn't be enough to make a city this size."
Realistically, the dark elves, who numbered only in the tens of thousands, wouldn't have had enough hands to slaughter every single human. Those who had hidden in the forest waiting for the subjugation squad’s rescue, as well as the displaced people who had fled, must have returned.
The five of them moved west through the forest zone, feeling the resilience of human life in the newly rebuilt city.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, as they entered the Western Wasteland—Turan’s homeland—the surrounding scenery began to turn desolate. While flying through the sky, Solif looked down at the barren land below and spoke.
"Seeing it again, I really feel like this is the worst place in the world to live. Even the Siraf Wetlands would be better."
"It’s a miracle that enough grass grows for sheep to graze."
Since everyone except Turan was from the Land of the Five Lakes or the Dakein Plains—some of the most fertile regions in the world—the Western Wasteland, with its parched and cracked earth, left a deep impression on them. Then again, even Turan had marveled at the natural environment becoming more abundant every day as he left Hisaril Hill and moved east in the past.
"Oh!"
"Wow, is that...?"
Just then, the Baraha couple, who were riding in the swing, shouted in wonder as they looked ahead. After setting his holy relic to the Sun Bloodline and looking forward, Turan also saw what they were seeing.
A faint shape shimmering beyond the distant horizon.
The Sky Mountains, the western boundary of the world that had been a part of Turan’s childhood, were finally revealing themselves.