A Guest from the Sea (1)

The Environmental Division officer had sold me so thoroughly that I now stood in front of the county hall auditorium wearing a suit I had never once put on in my life — a women's business suit, no less. A scarf wound around my neck in place of a tie. Heels high enough to be a weapon. An outfit I never would have had the slightest reason to wear in my previous life.

I'd taken down more pests than I could count, sure. But I'd been paid for every last one of them. I'd even used slug rounds the police station had quietly pretended not to notice. I was a person with more than a few shady corners in my ledger. So why the hell was I the one receiving a commendation?

I shot a glare at the officer sitting comfortably beside me. He cleared his throat and whispered.

"Heh heh... looks like I sold you a little too well..."

"Then maybe you should quit the civil service and go sell miracle tonics."

"I'm just not very good at lying, you know."

"I didn't even shoot the damn thing."

"Come on, back me up a little here."

"Sheesh..."

That man... he should've been grateful there were local newspaper reporters standing behind us with cameras and recorders. If there hadn't been, I would have opened with a string of curses.

A moment later, a civil servant at the podium called my name. I stood and walked up onto the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stage.

"To Huntsman Jang Sajeong, who has dedicated herself to the safety of our region..."

The County Governor handed me the certificate with a bright smile. That distinctive politician's smile you only ever saw on television. The moment I took his outstretched hand, camera flashes exploded from every direction. I looked into the lenses and smiled — swallowing tears of blood, wearing the brightest expression in the world.

Only after the commemorative photos were done could this bizarre little show finally come to an end.

Once the ceremony wrapped and the Governor and the reporters had all vanished, I held up the paper-thin certificate and glared at the officer again. He spoke with shameless ease.

"You take a great photo, you know that?"

"Does a Model Huntsman Commendation even exist?"

"Hmm... well? I used to be a Hunter, so I wouldn't know."

Watching him slither off the hook like a greased snake, I wanted to smack that protruding gut of his — but it would probably just hurt my own hand. I sighed and headed for the door.

"Look on the bright side~ Who knows? They might give you a position someday."

Talking any further would just wear out my mouth, so I ignored him and walked straight out of the auditorium.

Catching my reflection in the glass doors, I had to admit it — a young woman in a sharp suit, certificate in hand, looked pretty damn good. ...Though the expression on her face was thoroughly sour.

Was this person in a skirt suit and high heels really the same one who'd been walking around in work clothes just a few months ago? Anyone looking would think she'd just stamped her divorce papers and walked out of the courthouse. Except what she was holding wasn't a legal complaint — it was a commendation. Dizzying, really.

To make matters worse, Inspector Park called. I pulled out my smartphone with open annoyance and answered.

I hung up, and now I didn't even have the energy to sigh. What kind of nonsense is that... a giant turtle?

Still, Inspector Park had asked, so I hurried over to where the truck was parked.

I parked the truck at the beach near Dohwang-ri and walked down to the shore. Off in the distance, a crowd of police, village elders, and onlookers had gathered around a stretch of yellow caution tape.

"Sajeong! Look at that! If that isn't a sacred beast, then what is it!"

An elder who ran a stall nearby — apparently the first witness — stood beside the officers, pointing and laughing heartily. And just as he'd said, the turtle lying on the sand in the distance was enormous enough to earn the name. If you'd planted a palm tree on its back, it would have looked just like the turtle from the cartoons I used to watch as a kid. The creature paid the crowd no mind at all, eyes shut tight, basking in the sun.

"Huntsman Jang, what's your take?"

One of the officers asked. I shook my head.

"I'm not a veterinarian. How would I know? But... the shell's clean, not a scratch on it, so it doesn't look like it crawled up here because it was hurt..."

"That's what we figured. The Environmental Division said not to touch it unless it starts coming further inland."

"And tell them not to start pouring soju and throwing money around just because they think an envoy came from the Dragon Palace."

"We've already given the elders a firm talking-to about that."

At which point scolding voices rose from every direction.

"Hey! Do we look that old to you?"

"What is this, a vintage newsreel?!"

Watching them get thoroughly offended at being treated like superstitious old-timers, I figured this really wasn't much of an incident.

"We should still make sure it's actually nothing, though... Can't you find a vet, or another beastfolk somewhere?"

"The vet said over video call that it just looks like it's resting. And we don't dare ask any of the other beastfolk — they'd file a discrimination complaint."

"Mm... fair enough."

I turned it over in my mind. Who would be able to tell what that turtle was thinking? Ah. Bang-ul. When I'd first met her, the reason she'd gotten into trouble was her Telepathic Resonance with the fish trapped in the farm. If she could pick up on those dumb fish, then this clever sea turtle they were calling a sacred beast ought to be a whole lot easier.

"I thought of someone I can bring."

"Someone to bring? Ah... you mean the mermaid girl?"

"Yes. Eunseo might not be able to hold an actual conversation, but she should at least be able to tell what that turtle is thinking."

"Then we'd be grateful if you'd ask her. We can't just stand here behind caution tape forever."

"Alright. I'll go get her."

I drove the truck back home. As it happened, the kids looked like they'd been about to head out for a walk — they were in the middle of filling Eunseo's carrier with water.

"Unnie! You look totally different in a suit!"

"...Hana, you weren't trying to be funny, were you?"

"No! You look really pretty!"

"I just want to get changed already."

Whether she knew how I felt or not, Poppi just stood there snickering to herself.

"Perfect timing. Eunseo, can you help Unnie out for a bit?"

Eunseo, who'd been submerged in her tank, must have heard my voice — she popped her head straight up through the water and looked at me. Then she answered with a cute little grin.

"What is it, Unnie?"

"They say a turtle showed up from the Dragon Palace."

"Huh? But I don't know how to fight?"

"It's fine. I don't think that turtle wants to fight either. We just can't figure out what it's thinking."

"Ah! Then I'll help!"

Watching her flap her fins with such pride, it seemed she was pretty happy about it too.

"Hana, Hayeon, you two coming along?"

"Places with lots of people are a bit... a lot."

"Ugh... it's already so hot. I don't wanna go out."

Nureongi tended to get shy around crowds of strangers, and Poppi just didn't want to deal with the heat.

"Alright. Then just help me load the carrier into the truck."

"Okay."

"Got it, Unnie."

The three of us settled Eunseo into the water-filled carrier, lifted it, and slid it into the back seat of the truck. We'd gotten the hang of it by now — it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠went in easier than expected.

"Since we're heading out anyway, need anything?"

"Nope."

"Ice cream, maybe?"

"...Fine. Just ice cream, then."

Bang-ul and I headed back to the beach where the giant turtle was, with Nureongi and Poppi seeing us off.

When Bang-ul and I arrived back at the caution tape, every pair of eyes — the elders, the police, the whole crowd — swung toward us at once. Startled by the sudden attention, Bang-ul, who'd been inside the carrier, quickly ducked behind my back. The sight must have been thoroughly adorable, because laughter broke out all around us.

"Eunseo! It's alright, nobody's gonna eat you!"

"Hey, old-timer! You're scaring the kid!"

"Come on over here!"

Only after she heard the familiar voices of the village elders did Eunseo relax. She drifted along in her carrier toward the turtle, bobbing gently as she went.

As Bang-ul approached the turtle, the surroundings fell quiet. The onlookers, the elders — even the sound of the waves seemed to stop. Bang-ul leaned forward slightly inside the carrier and looked at the turtle with sparkling eyes. The turtle, which had been resting at its leisure, slowly turned its head. It opened the eyes it had been keeping shut, and looked straight at her.

That was the moment. Something invisible seemed to flow between the two of them. Bang-ul's eyes sparkled even brighter, and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠turtle blinked, slow and deliberate. A mermaid and a turtle sharing a silent communion — it was a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

I couldn't say how much time passed. Bang-ul spun a full circle inside her carrier, then grinned up at me.

"It's just like you said, Unnie! She says her body suddenly got too big and it's exhausting."

"You can actually talk to it?"

"No, I can't. But this turtle is super smart, so the moment I got here it started venting to me. That's the only reason I know."

A murmur of wonder rippled through the crowd. Bang-ul seemed pleased by the reaction — she spun another happy circle inside the carrier, tail fin swaying with pride. I found the sight thoroughly endearing.

"Then... is it better to just leave it be?"

"Mm... staying out of the water too long still wouldn't be good, though. Same as how we can't stay out of the water for too long."

Bang-ul was still young, so she didn't have any specialized knowledge — but if the turtle was going to rest on its own and leave when it was ready, that was a weight off my mind.

"Ah! And if you ask the place where we live, there should be someone who can actually talk to this turtle!"

A fair number of mermaids lived in Korea, so if we asked the right way, this giant turtle incident would probably resolve itself just fine. Bang-ul kept spinning circles inside her carrier, apparently wanting to talk with the giant turtle even more. Now that I could see a way through, I called the Environmental Division officer right away.

I hung up and walked back over to the officer standing at the caution tape.

"I just heard from the Environmental Division. They're bringing a mermaid in."

"Are they? How long will that take?"

"I wouldn't know. Mermaids might not like a big crowd of spectators, so if the elders have had their look, I'd start sending them home."

"Understood, Huntsman Jang. Alright, everyone! The Environmental Division's sending someone over, so that's it for today — please disperse!"

"What? We were just getting a good look, and you want us to leave already?"

"We weren't even bothering anybody!"

Of course the elders weren't going to listen.

"The mermaids they're sending said they won't communicate with the turtle if there are too many spectators!"

I just made something up, the same way the Environmental Division officer would have. At that, everyone put on a face that said well, can't be helped, and the elders and the rest of the onlookers began drifting off one by one, reluctant as they were.

It was good that things were working out... but it felt a little strange that they seemed to trust my word more than the police.

The turtle was still basking in the sun at its leisure, and Bang-ul was watching it from inside her carrier, thoroughly delighted.

"Eunseo, you did great. You really came through today."

"Hehe, I'm happy I could help!"

Bang-ul beamed. Looking at that face, my own mood lifted right along with it.

The wind coming off the sea was cool. Out on the sand, the turtle was still resting in perfect peace, and the waves rolled in and drew back, gentle as breathing. Well. Days like this weren't so bad, every now and then.

The commendation and all the rest of it had been a pain... but that bright smile Bang-ul had shown me, at least — that hadn't been so bad at all.