Free Web NovelWe set out before dawn the next day and did not reach a nearby stretch of coast until midday. It was a place with no sign of people and waters that dropped off into deep blue.
Standing atop the breakwater, Varen flicked his hand. At once, the cloth covering the tank slipped away.
The tank, floating gently, settled safely onto the surface of the sea, and a faint light began to glow from within it. The moment it touched seawater, Drunkard’s magic started to unravel.
The glass tank, trembling in fine vibrations, slowly sank. Margon had turned his back just in case, while I watched with tense eyes.
The tank sank completely beneath the water. The sea, dark blue with its depth, swallowed Maril from sight.
A moment later, bubbles rose up from where the tank had disappeared. Then, from somewhere deep below, came the sound of something rapidly cutting through the water.
Splash—Maril burst up through the surface, sending seawater spraying in every direction. A mermaid in her element was dazzlingly beautiful.
"Ahaha! I'm finally back! I'm back!!"
Her voice was brimming with life. Unable to contain her excitement, she dove deep and leapt back up again several times in a row.
Even drenched in water, her lush red hair shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
After being confined in that cramped tank for so long, Maril reveled in her freedom. I crouched down and watched her with a faint smile.
Still swimming energetically, Maril lifted only her upper body above the surface and beamed at me.
"Thank you so much, Prince Ceryl! I'll never forget this kindness!"
Being called "prince" again after so long made me feel awkward. But since Maril would serve as a crucial bridge in our negotiations from here on, I played along appropriately.
"I'm glad you're happy, Princess."
At my reply, Maril blushed faintly and averted her gaze.
Her transparent reaction made me glance sideways at Varen. For some reason, it felt like I was being unfaithful right in front of my mate.
As expected, Varen stood there with his arms crossed, visibly simmering beneath the surface.
Before a jealousy-blinded dragon could cause trouble, I got to my feet. I gave him a light pat on the back, then called out to Maril.
"Where do we need to go to meet the spirit?"
"Over there, in the deep sea! Wait here just a moment!"
Pointing toward the horizon with her index finger, Maril slipped back into the water. She vanished somewhere without even disturbing the surface.
Varen stared at the place where sky and sea met, his eyes calm and sunken.
Meanwhile, the phrase "deep sea" stuck in my mind. Scratching my cheek, I made a suggestion I knew would not work.
"Varen, you said the sea is dangerous for dragons. Wouldn't the deep sea be even worse? Why don't you wait here?"
I rushed the words out before he could interrupt. But Varen simply continued to gaze at the horizon without the slightest wavering in his expression.
"If it's dangerous for a dragon, it's even more dangerous for a human. I won't die in the sea, but a human can die easily."
"...That's true."
Varen fell silent for a moment. He had spoken with confidence, but now that we were actually at the sea, was he feeling the tension? Tilting my head back, I studied his face.
Then I noticed his blue eyes had lost their focus. His gaze trembled slightly, and a familiar sense of unease crept in.
"Va—"
I stopped myself from calling his name and stepped back. It was the same look I had seen in Beljena.
I decided not to interrupt Varen while he was seeing something beyond reality.
After a short while, the dragon exhaled a breath he had been holding. As he took quick, steadying breaths, I brushed his arm and asked cautiously,
"Varen, are you okay? Did you... see something?"
"...Yes."
Even though his voice was flat and even, worry surged up in me.
Varen, his face slightly paler than usual, turned—not to me, but to Margon.
Margon had kept his back turned the entire time Maril was gone.
"Ceryl, there's nothing you need to worry about. So relax."
Even as he said that, Varen's gaze did not leave Margon's back.
What did he see? I was just about to press him for answers when Maril's voice rang out again.
"Prince Ceryl! I brought a boat. Hurry and get on!"
I turned my head and saw Maril dragging along a fishing boat. It looked large enough to hold at least ten people.
At first I thought she had pulled it with mana, but a rope was loosely wrapped around her hand. It was tied to the bow of the boat.
A faint sense of unease crept in, and I opened my mouth to speak again—but Varen had already lifted himself into the air.
He flew up and landed on the deck, then brought Margon and me aboard one after the other.
The sea was calm, but since it was my first time on a boat, I could not keep my balance. As I swayed, Varen wrapped an arm around my shoulders and let out a small laugh.
"Ceryl, you're probably the one who trusts me the least."
Even as he told me not to worry, I still wore an anxious expression.
He spoke in a roundabout way, glancing at me sideways, but there was a smile on his face.
Only then did I rub my face and try to compose my expression.
"It's not that I don't trust you. It's that you don't explain things properly..." frёeωebɳovel.com
"All right, then we're setting off!"
There was no chance to continue the conversation because of Maril's impatience.
Gripping the rope tightly, Maril's turquoise eyes gleamed like jewels. That sharp gaze locked directly onto Varen.
"Hey, firewood. Try not to get wet."
"Tch, as if a little seawater—ugh!"
The fishing boat lurched forward with a sudden burst of speed, and all of us were thrown off balance. Margon and I tumbled across the deck, and even Varen, who had been standing firmly, staggered.
Maril tore across the sea at a merciless pace. It was similar to flying with dragon magic for the first time, yet entirely different.
At least when flying through the air, there had been no obstacles. Here, Maril plowed straight through wave after wave, sending constant splashes crashing over us.
"Pfth—ptoo—pff—ugh!"
Salty seawater flooded into my eyes, nose, and mouth. The sting of the salt burned my sinuses, leaving me completely disoriented.
Being dragged along by a mermaid felt like riding a ride with no safety restraints. Even when I flattened myself against the deck, my whole body bounced painfully with every impact.
Then, at some point, my body suddenly steadied.
Taking advantage of the brief calm, I wiped the water from my face and looked at Varen.
He was glaring at Maril with an expression full of irritation. Only then did I notice that the two of us were floating about ten centimeters above the deck.
"That uncivilized sea-dwelling magical creature..."
Only after the ride smoothed out did I finally notice the ocean around us. I pushed my wet hair back and let myself enjoy the rushing wind.
The endless stretch of blue water, unobstructed in every direction, made my chest feel strangely clear just by looking at it.
"Haha, Varen, this is actually great! Look over there too!"
"Khh—ugh—ack—ghk—!"
At the rough voice coming from behind me, I immediately turned around.
Margon was still bouncing across the deck like a rubber ball.
I looked up at Varen in disbelief.
"Hey! If you're going to do it, at least help Margon too!"
"Hmph. Why would I help that insolent brute?"
The nickname Varen used for Margon seemed to grow more varied by the day. It was his own way of showing familiarity, but it gave me a headache every time I heard it.
I turned back to Margon. He had braced himself against the side of the deck and managed to stabilize his balance. As expected of a swordsman, he adapted quickly.
And Margon did not back down either, firing right back at Varen.
"Hah! Brat dragon, looks like you're useless at sea!"
"Watch your mouth, insolent brute. I could throw you into the ocean."
"Go ahead and try! Back in the day, I was practically a seal!"
"You can't even dog paddle properly, yet you say ridiculous things."
Watching the two of them argue like that, I felt strangely at ease. It meant they both had energy to spare.
Still seated, I floated lightly into the air and gazed out at the sea. The breakwater we had stood on was now no bigger than a fingernail, and before us stretched nothing but endless ocean.
Maril kept swimming, dragging the boat without stopping. Even after we had gone so far that land was no longer visible, we still had a long way to go.
Then, at some point, the clear sky began to darken. As I looked up at the gathering gray clouds, I swallowed dryly.
"Varen, I think we're almost there."
"Yes. I can feel it too."
Varen expanded his chest and let out a quiet breath, as though trying to hide his tension.
The dark clouds thickened overhead. The deep sea did not crash with waves, but swelled quietly.
At some point, Maril stopped the boat and turned back, her upper body rising above the surface. She was breathing heavily, as if she had been sprinting at full speed.
"Haa, haa... Prince Ceryl, we're here! This is as far as I can take you!"
I leaned against the side of the boat and waved at her.
"Thank you for bringing us this far, Princess!"
"Don't mention it. But... be careful!"
"Careful of what?"
"...My father really hates dragons."
Maril left me with that ominous warning—and before I could ask anything more, she slipped back beneath the sea.
