159 - - One hundred and fifty-seven Exploring the Sea

Thanks to Dine, I was able to easily conquer the 60th to 65th layers. We found quite a few treasures, and we are very happy.

I greeted the belles and finished my breakfast with white rice and grilled fish. ...... Now that I have white rice, I have a full meal. But white rice and grilled fish in the morning makes me want miso soup.

I think Dolly can make soybeans for me, but it's too difficult to process them into miso. As soon as I get white rice, the next one comes along. Desire has no limits, and that's a problem, isn't it? In the cartoon about the student at the agricultural university who can see the bacteria, he made miso.　It's hard.

"Well then, we will start exploring the 66 layers of the sea today. Ask Deanne to make sure she can breathe underwater. Leave the fighting to me and Belle and the others. Sylphy can help us if we're in danger.

"Can I just breathe underwater?"

While Belle and the others responded with "I'll do my best" and Sylphy nodded her head, Dine looked a little dissatisfied. It seems that she still wants to play an active role.

"Yes, just breathe underwater, please. If Dine, the great spirit, fights, she'll be too much for us. Just watch over us."

"That's true. If you fight, it won't be an experience for Yuta and the others. Okay, I'll watch over you and do my best.

She seemed to like the big sisterly word "watch over" and agreed rather good-humoredly. Deanne's response was to either catch her with alcohol or choose words that would satisfy her big sisterly heart.

"Oh, yes, please. "Oh, yes, please...just breathe underwater, please.

"Okay. I'll just put it on to last the whole day."

After Dene casts a spell on me, I look out to sea, trying to figure out what to do. Except for this small island with a staircase, the sea is basically all there is, except for a small island in the distance. I wonder how big it is for a labyrinth. The book says that even the heroes and a few adventurers who came this far hurried ahead because they could not explore enough in the sea, so it is difficult to find much information.

At any rate, the objective after the 66th layer is to find the sacred power plants and treasure chests in the sea. Let's explore every nook and cranny while defeating the monsters that attack us. It would be more efficient if we search in groups, but it's our first time to fight in the sea, so let's all act together at first.

"Okay, let's go into the sea. First, let's look for the sacred power plants and treasure chests. Jinryokusa is said to often grow on the shore of small islands outside of entrances and exits, so we must be careful in our search. Do you remember the characteristics of the sacred power plant?

"It's stuck!" "Cue!" "Yotsuba!" "Kukoo!"

I don't know what they are saying except for Belle and Tulu, but they are all very confident so I guess they will be fine.

"You're all doing a great job of remembering. I'll leave it to Rain to move around in the sea, and you can move the seawater to carry me. When the demons attack, if there are many of them, we will all take them down together. If there is only one, let me take it down.

"Yessir!" "Coo-coo-coo!" "Yessir!" "Coo-coo-coo!"

The belles respond with a crisp salute. The salute has completely taken root. Well, I've given up on them already, and their salutes are so cute that it doesn't matter.

"Okay, let's go!"

We go into the sea with our gear intact. I thought about stripping down to my shorts, but the thought of myself wielding a saw in my shorts in the water makes me sad, so I keep my armor on. I can breathe underwater, and Rain can move with me. As I sink into the water with a thud, Bell and the others jump in around me one by one.

"Yuta, it's so beautiful in the sea!"

"Yes, it's very beautiful."

Bell is right, it's very clean. Well, there's no domestic wastewater and hardly anyone comes here, so it makes sense that it's clean. There are demons, though.

"Yuta, demons! Ready your weapons."

I let my guard down, and Sylphy warned me. I hastily prepare a magic saw. Oof, in the saltwater cave, the swordfish that had been floundering on the cobblestones come rushing in like a group of bullets. I don't understand what a swordfish means by bullets.

"Cue!"

The speed of the swordfish slowed dramatically when Raine squealed. It seems that he has manipulated the seawater to make the escalator run in reverse. That's like 80 kilometers per hour in a batting cage. It's time to hit.

I saw the Swordfish that had come barreling in and sawed it into two pieces. Rain slices the swordfish one by one with his water blade, Tulu with his undersea mineral blade, and Tamamo with his seaweed. Huh?　Where's Belle?

It is amazing that Rain and his team can easily defeat fish that can take orichalcons. Floating spirits can't do much damage if they are too hard, but one rank up makes quite a difference, doesn't it? But I'm a little concerned that Belle didn't attack. After storing the Swordfish materials, I'll ask Belle about it.

"Belle, are you sure you can't fight in the water?"

"Yes, there is no wind.

A little pissed off, Bell says. ...... I see, Tamamo couldn't fight without plants and trees either. It's no wonder that some people are better or worse at fighting in different environments than others. Then, we can't use the wind wall either. It's not so good.

Can't Sylphy fight too?

"My wind blade can easily reach from the sea to the bottom of the ocean, so I can fight. I can control my wind blade freely underwater, so you don't have to worry.

It seems that when you are in the Great Spirit class, your strengths and weaknesses do not matter so much. Well, if Sylphy can fight, we can rest assured.

"Yes, I'm sure. Then Belle's job this time is to find the sacred power plants and treasure chests and support the others. Can you do that?"

"Belle, I can do it!"

If you've got something to do, that doesn't seem to be a problem. He immediately felt better and started checking his surroundings. Don't tell anyone that I thought it was cute that he was a bit down. After we had cheered Belle up, we praised Rain and the others for their hard work.

"Well, we'll continue our search. Rain, please?

"Cue."

Rain cries out and a current of seawater rises around me, carrying me through the sea. It was different from the pond where I had gone to collect aquatic life. I feel that the speed of the current is quite fast, probably because the sea is large.

Explore the ocean while riding the current. I search for the sacred power plants and treasure chests, but I can't find anything suspicious, or at least I don't know what is suspicious. I can see and feel no water pressure even though I'm underwater.

Hey, Dine, I don't feel any discomfort in my body when I'm underwater, what's going on with the water pressure?

"Well, underwater breathing magic is for acting in water, so you should be able to act in water.

You look like you don't know what you're talking about. I'm not quite convinced, but it seems to be a normal thing in Dine's mind. Let's just agree that it's not a problem.

"I see. Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

"Ah!　I found Belle!

Suddenly, Belle started to shout loudly. Is it a treasure chest that you found?

"Rain, stop."

When I asked Rain to help me, the flow around me suddenly stopped and my body stopped in its place.

"Yuta, that way!"

Bell happily points in the direction with a tiny finger. Hmm?　Something's glowing.

"Yes, something's shining. You did a good job finding it, Belle."

"Whew. Good job, Belle!　I'll take care of it."

Apparently, he had been working very hard on the job I had asked him to do. I was so impressed that I was praising and petting him all over.

"Rain, will you take me to that light?"

After he praises Belle a lot, he asks Rain to take him to the place where the light is shining.

"...... This is divine grass, right?　Isn't it in the surf?"

I mean, it's a four-leaf clover. Why is there a clover growing in the ocean?　I can't help but feel uncomfortable.

"Maybe it's just because we can only explore the surf, and that's the only place we've been able to find them.　This place is pretty deep, so it's not an easy place to get to, even for a magician who specializes in water."

...... I see. It would be difficult to pinpoint and dive here in this wide ocean. Considering the consumption of magic power and underwater battles, it's not like we can just casually dive down here and not be discovered.

"I see. I haven't had any trouble thanks to you guys, but it's usually difficult. Thank you all."

Once again, I recognized the greatness of spirits. In my field, everyone has great power. I thank them all. They are friendly to me in many ways, so I can be casual with them, but I must not forget to show them the least respect. I'm not so sure about that with Deanne.

When I thank them for their kindness, the belles gather around to praise me, and I praise them profusely and gratefully.

"Yuta, why don't you start collecting?"

...... I meant it as a compliment, but before I knew it, it had turned into a normal joke. Sylphy is looking at me with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Ah, yes, yes, let's collect them."

I look at the glowing cluster of sacred power plants. Even though it's a labyrinth, I'm afraid to take it up by the roots. It would be a waste if it became extinct.

"I'll leave about one-third of the plants to collect, so everyone help me.

Bells cheerfully raise their hands in the air. They've been gathering vegetables and medicinal herbs for years, so it's not a problem. At any rate, we all start gathering. But the more I look at it, the more it looks like a clover. They're all four-leafed, but I wonder if three-leafed clovers are rarer in ...... another world?

I collect a few three-leaf clovers, but they are all four-leaf clovers. I would like to look for three-leaf clovers too, but it seems that it's not going to happen. Lane makes a "cooing" sound to alert me. When I look forward, something is coming toward me. I can see it from a distance, which means that it is quite big.

Yuta, that's the sea serpent. It's not very intelligent, but it's ferocious, and its huge body and instinctive water magic are powerful and strong. Yuta, I think it's going to be hard for you to handle it by yourself.

It feels a little strange to have Deanne explain it to me. Well, it's Deanne's specialty in the sea, so I guess she's not wrong. But isn't it intelligent ...... like an assault dragon?　They use water magic, and it sure sounds like a lot of work. I'm sure Deanne can get it done in one shot, but I'd like to gain some experience too. .......

"Can water magic be prevented by Rain?"

"Of course. A water spirit will not be defeated by water. Except for the floating spirits who don't have power yet.

So Rain is no problem.

"Rain, can you block the Sea Serpent's magic and make me move with the water current?"

"Cue."

Rain nodded his head. He can do it. Then ...... I'm a little scared, but I'll try to fight. I've figured out how to win.

"Then Rain, you can control the water flow so that we can pass by the Sea Serpent. I'll use the saw to cut my way through. Oh, and make sure you don't get hit by their attacks!"

"Cue."

Lane gave a crisp salute and took me under his wing. All we had to do was trust him. Sylphy and Dine will help us if we're in danger. I know I'm asking a lot of you.

Then, please...

Rain manipulates the water as I hold up the magic saw, and it is swept toward the Sea Serpent. Belle and the others are coming with me to surround me.

...... is also heading toward the Sea Serpent, and we are closing the distance at a great speed. I imagine a duel between knights on horseback, charging and spearing each other, but it's even scarier than I imagined. I had admired it in the movie because it looked so cool, but I should have stopped myself.

The sea serpent is approaching us. I can't tell how big it is, but it looks like a snake, not like a dragon. The Sea Serpent opened its big mouth and spit out something from its mouth. I wonder if it was a water breath.

"Cue-ooo!"

As Rain cries out, the Sea Serpent's breath splits to the left and right and it plunges between them. When the Sea Serpent's breath exits, its huge face is right in front of us. It opens its big mouth and bites you.

"Geeee!"

The sheer force of it all causes my mouth to scream on its own. Just as you think you are about to be bitten, the water flow changes and you avoid the sea serpent's attack with a barrel roll-like trajectory. I can hear Bell and the others sounding very happy, but I don't have time to enjoy it. I'm afraid I'm going to leak.

"Yuta, attack!"

I heard Bell's voice. ......That's right, no time to scream. He inserts the saw into the Sea Serpent's body right next to it and proceeds to the tail, leaving the saw inside the Sea Serpent's body.

"Whoa!"

I look back and see the Sea Serpent writhing in agony underwater. About two-thirds of its body is cut deeply and it is bleeding profusely. Should I put an end to it?　While I was thinking about what to do, the Sea Serpent's movements became slower and slower, and finally it stopped moving. We won, didn't we?　I was about to thank Lane with pleasure when Dine spoke to me.

"Yuta, the smell of the Sea Serpent's blood is attracting many demons!

...... would like to refrain from a series of battles. Let's stow the Sea Serpent and get out of here. But I was only holding the saw this time, wasn't I?　I wonder if this was some kind of experience?