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Episode 35. Salvation, and Beyond

"So that's poison to you?"

"Even if it's fine now, I'll hold you back later."

No, you won't.

"Never!"

I grabbed both of Lapin's cheeks and made him meet my gaze. Had he been carrying this in his heart all along, even while pretending to be fine?

Whenever Lapin was anxious, he didn't resent or examine the situation — he must have been blaming himself instead.

"I have never once thought of you as poison, Lapin."

Not once had I thought Lapin was poison or a nuisance.

"You're my luck!"

I'd always thought that.

"I don't know if you're just saying that to comfort me, or if you mean it. You're kind to everyone, Lucy, even now."

"Want proof?"

I raised my hand and stroked his head with all my might. At my touch, Lapin stared blankly, then looked down at me with a helpless expression.

If he thought that was all, he was sorely mistaken.

I stepped closer to Lapin. With the height difference, if he just bent down slightly, our faces would touch.

Adjusting my posture, I knelt on the ground to meet Lapin's eyes.

As our noses brushed, he gasped. Jaw tense, Lapin nervously looked at my eyes, the bridge of my nose, and my lips in turn.

"Lapin. You're special to me."

It was true four years ago, and even more so now after four years.

"I'm not kind to everyone. If it had been you in danger, not the Obum tribe, I would have jumped into the seawater right away."

"…."

"Look at my eyes. I can't lie. Are my expression and eyes telling a lie right now?"

His pupils trembled finely.

"No…"

"Lapin, just as you protect yourself, you also protect me. When it's hot, you give me wind; when I'm cold, you give me warm light. Think of your thoughtful care."

"…Lucy."

"Don't hate yourself."

A flush spread across his cheeks. His sulky eyes were gone, replaced by a gaze that looked at me with deep affection — he seemed very moved.

There wasn't a spot on his face that wasn't red now.

Silently gazing at my face, Lapin slowly lowered his lips.

"…I want to give you everything I have."

"That's a bit overwhelming."

"I'm going crazy over you."

He rested his face on my shoulder and rubbed his cheek against it. At his sudden confession, my hand, about to embrace his back, froze.

"That Triton bastard I don't like, but he's your friend."

Lapin whispered.

"Let's save the rest of this conversation for a leisurely time when it's just the two of us. Before that, let's warn the Obum tribe about the wave."

He said it with the same tone as someone saying 'let's talk after we finish the dishes.'

---

Inside the palace's grand hall were Triton and about ten elderly merfolk.

They had shown discomfort since we entered the hall, and now they were outright rejecting us.

"Correct. We Obum tribe also have the ability to deal with the waves."

"We can still deploy more troops to handle it."

They raised their voices in unison. In short, borrowing human power would break the Obum tribe's traditions and violate their orthodoxy.

"For a year, we've failed to properly deal with the waves."

Triton, who had been listening, quietly interjected.

"We've been pushed back by the sea's power and forced to move our dwelling to the inner cave. The elders are well aware that we have almost no habitable areas left to evacuate to."

"If we rely on humans even once, we Obum tribe won't be able to survive on our own, Lord Triton."

Excuse me? Now's not the time to be fighting among yourselves.

Are you planning to lock the stable after the horse has bolted?

"Then I'll handle this matter on my own authority. Elders, please leave."

"Chief!"

"Now."

Triton, tired of the endless squabbling, drew a clear line.

The elders lingered with displeased expressions, glanced us over, and exited the hall. Their slow footsteps were accompanied by the sound of clicking tongues.

"Don't take it too badly. A year ago, after my mother suddenly passed, the elders were unsettled by a young chief like me taking over."

After the elders left, Triton spoke.

"And Lucy, thank you for telling me the important news."

"Thank the familiars and Lapin."

I just relayed the message.

Triton nodded at Lapin, then pressed his temples hard. He already seemed drained by the unexpectedly incoming wave.

"The sea has become a place where ordinary creatures can no longer live. The waves are rough, and the water has become too cold for life to survive."

Triton's face hardened as he explained.

"The elders say we can stop this with our own power, but I'm skeptical. If my mother, the former chief, were still alive, she could have done it. She was strong, and the Obum tribe back then was more prosperous than now."

"…."

"Not anymore. We've grown weak. The polluted sea has taken many Obum lives and stolen their strength."

Triton was exhausted.

"It's shameless of me to ask after offending you, but I hope you'll help us, Lucy."

He rose and came down the steps.

"Honestly, I didn't want you to see me like this. A merman who doesn't deserve the chief's position."

"I think there's no one more worthy of this position than you, Triton…"

Triton stopped and narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you can make calm judgments in a crisis for the sake of the Obum tribe."

At least Triton wasn't the type to lock the stable after the horse had bolted. At my words, Triton chuckled.

"Even in this situation, you're always honest."

"Yeah."

"If this wave is truly one that could swallow the Obum tribe, then this is no longer just our problem."

His voice grew serious.

"It might be hard to believe, but historically, the state of the southern coast foretells what's to come for the world."

"…."

"Five thousand years ago, there was a time when the always peaceful southern coast became unstable like this. Lucy, have you ever imagined a bright, clear sky?"

Of course. I recalled a clear blue sky.

"Originally, our sky was bright and clear with light. Until the disaster that swept the world, starting from the southern coast five thousand years ago."

"…The sky Lucy talked about."

Lapin muttered, realizing it too. Meanwhile, Triton, having come down the steps, knelt on one knee.

"Triton!"

"I hope you'll help the Obum tribe. We need your help."

Triton said earnestly.

My heart wanted to help with all my might, but the solution wasn't me.

"I'm an incompetent one."

All I could do was shoot arrows, which wouldn't help the current situation at all.

As I looked at Lapin, Triton seemed to understand and shifted his gaze.

"You said you wanted to trade with us, right?"

Triton tried to entice Lapin with tempting words rather than a polite request.

"From what I heard from Lophon, you have enough mana to block the waves. If you build a powerful barrier, I'll join hands with your guild."

"…Guild matters and mining deals aren't very important to me."

Lapin looked down at Triton and used honorifics.

"What matters to me is whether Lucy wants it or not."

"So Lucy is more than just a guild member to you."

"To me, Lucy is salvation, and more."

This time, Lapin answered immediately.

Salvation.

It was an absurdly grand comparison, making me feel both embarrassed and ticklish.

"Lucy wants me to help you."

"…."

"I'll do it."

Finally, Lapin's permission came.

"Just as Lucy became your salvation, you're becoming salvation for the Obum tribe."

He savored Triton's words, then nodded.

"Not bad. Like Lucy said, it doesn't seem like poison at all."

"…."

"So which entrance should I set up the barrier at?"

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