Thetis (2): The Birth of the Mermaids

"Thetis."

"Anyway. 'How did those swimming fish-humans ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠come to be?'"

"Ah, those kids? Well... there were all sorts of things."

Thetis gave a small smile as she spoke.

"My main body might be sitting here, but my reach extends to every part of the sea connected to it."

"Mm. Right."

Unlike kids like Ifrit or Sagarmatha, who were tied to limited main bodies, Thetis and Sylphid could control pretty much everything as long as it was connected to their cores. As long as it was linked, nearly all the seas could move like Thetis's own limbs.

"Every now and then, other races would fall into the sea. Lizardmen and beastkin could swim well enough to get out on their own, though."

Lizardmen and beastkin...

"Lizardmen and beastkin, huh. Yeah, those kids are great swimmers." Especially the Lizardmen—they could swim just using their tails without even properly using their hands and feet. Plus, their lung capacity was insane; they could hold their breath for tens of minutes and only surface once. Honestly, if it weren't for that temperature weakness chaining them down, the Lizardmen might've conquered the world.

"So they have names like Lizardmen and beastkin. Anyway, among the humans, the good swimmers managed to paddle their way out of the sea somehow, but every once in a while, some would plunge deep into the ocean."

Mm. The dangers of the sea. One wrong move and you're drowning in seconds.

"So I'd rescue the humans I could, care for them underwater until their strength returned, and then send them back home later."

"Mm. You were doing good deeds."

At my praise, Thetis shyly scratched her head.

"Anyway, when I was looking after those humans, I'd set up spots for them underwater, and that's when some of the fish started getting curious about them."

"Mm. And then?"

"After that... the fish gradually started changing into forms resembling humans, right?"

Fish resembling humans.

"Like those fish-humans?"

"A bit different. Back then, it was more like... fish with hands and feet sprouting out."

Fish with hands and feet...

"That's a bit..."

"Yeah. I thought so too."

What the hell. I think I've seen something like that in a horror comic. Fish with limbs? Creepy as hell...

"The humans freaked out when they saw them, so I gave them a good scolding. After that, they refined their forms a little more."

"And that's how they ended up as fish-humans with human upper bodies?"

"Yes. There were a few trial-and-error phases along the way, but they eventually settled on that."

Trial and error, huh. Mm. Somehow, I don't wanna know the details.

"The humans who got rescued and washed up didn't hate their looks, and the kids seemed happy with their own forms too, so they've been living like that. Their intelligence is... lacking compared to humans, but still smarter than regular fish, so they're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠great for all sorts of tasks."

"Hmm. I see."

Good thing there weren't any fish-human hybrids.

"Well, thanks to that, some humans who got rescued didn't want to go back home and chose to stay underwater with them as family, but land creatures can't stay in the sea for long ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠without issues."

Mm. Guess there were some fish-human lovers after all.

"Anyway, that's how those kids came to be. Not as exciting as you might've thought, right?"

"Saying it's nothing much... it shows the endless possibilities of humans."

Who would've thought even fish were possible. Humans... you're terrifying...

What if someone decides Lizardmen are possible too? Human potential is...

"Urgh..."

Hm? A groan from the hero and the sound of the cabin door opening. Had the deeply sleeping hero finally woken up? Ah, maybe his seasickness eased up thanks to Thetis calming the waves.

"Phew. Finally feeling alive... Hm? Who might you be?"

"Ah, you're awake? This is... mm. The sea goddess."

"No need for such stiff titles. Just call me Thetis."

Thetis said that and hugged me from behind.

Mm. So soft. That plush, squishy sensation I don't have presses fully against my back. N-not that I'm jealous or anything!

"Nice to meet you. Hero blessed by the Life Goddess. I'm Thetis, ruler of all seas."

"A-ah, n-nice to meet you. I'm the Hero."

The hero couldn't meet the beautiful Thetis's eyes. Well, she is a beauty! And the kindest of my kids too!

"Well then... we've achieved the main goal of coming this far, so shall we prepare to head back?"

"Oh, already? Why not stay a bit longer?"

"I'm a very busy person."

Not me—the hero. I could fly to the other side of the world in an instant if I wanted.

"Then stay just one more night. I'll fetch you tons of fresh seafood!"

Mm. Fresh seafood. The fish we caught and ate on the way here were pretty tasty. Scale them perfectly, slice sashimi, slather in spicy red pepper paste... Mm. Mmm.

"Then... maybe we'll stay one more night. I should check the hero's condition a bit more anyway."

"I'd prefer to leave ASAP—mmph!"

"And it seems the hero agrees that's best."

Unfortunately, the hero had no say in the matter.

The fresh sashimi from the fish Thetis rescued was incredibly delicious. With a wave of her hand, fish leaped onto the deck, flopping as if begging to be eaten. If this ship were a fishing boat, we'd have filled the hold in no time, but sadly, it was just me, the hero, and the Beast God aboard—no other passengers.

Most of the fish went back into the sea. We sliced some for sashimi or grilled them!

Grilled fish, salted with pure sea salt refined from seawater and cooked over mana-fueled flames—outstanding flavor. Straight from the source. How could it not be delicious? Then Thetis, getting into the mood, hauled up clams and abalone from the depths, and the excited mermaids dug up all sorts of goodies to share with us. Thanks to that, we stuffed ourselves silly with seafood.

Mm. The grilled clams were amazing. Thetis was shocked after trying them too. She even asked me to teach her a separate fire-starting spell!

Her affinity with fire was the worst, but she brute-forced it with sheer mana. So there we were—me, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hero, Thetis, and the Beast God tagging along for free eats. Four gods and humans feasting on seafood.

"Kyaa!"

"Run away!"

"Sea Serpent! A Sea Serpent's appeared!"

Panic erupted among the mermaids.

Sea Serpent, huh. Mm...

"Hero. Grab your sword."

"Pardon?"

"We've eaten like kings, so time to pay the bill, no?"

Flustered but obedient, the hero picked up his sword.

"There's a sea goddess right here, so why me...?"

"Tsk. Sometimes you need to learn how to fight underwater. And trying to pawn it off on a god just because one's here? Is that how I raised you?"

"No, that's not—"

"Come now, you two. No fighting. I'll cast a spell for underwater breathing, so give it a try. And with her by your side, you won't lose for sure, right?"

The hero let out a small sigh, then nodded helplessly.

"First time going from feast to fight..."

"Mm. Even dog beastkin don't mess with you during meals."

With another sigh, the hero dove into the sea.

From this record, it seems clear that mermaids are kin to Thetis, the goddess of seas and waters, protector of sailors. Harming them would surely invoke the sea's wrath.

Yet foolish humans, swayed by a single superstition, hunted mermaids anyway.

The myth that 'eating mermaid flesh grants eternal youth without aging.'