CH 157

「This way, this way. Look, there it is!」

There was a little cove in the place where the beauty pointed.

「Wait a moment, okay~!」

Saying such, she jumped into the sea without a hesitation.

「Wai…!」

She hasn’t confirmed whether something’s down there, will she be fine!?

「Lord, I’m not sure whether you are aware, but she’s…」

「Un, I thought that might be the case, but… is she a monster?」

「Most likely」

「Cristea, why have you followed?」

「Why you ask… because I didn’t feel any malice… I thought it would be all right」

「… Lord. The bad people will approach you while hiding their malice. It’s fine since you are with us, but… you must keep your eyes on her」

Kurogane, you didn’t have to sigh there.

However… she really was a monster, huh. So that’s why she jumped in without any hesitation.

I can’t tell because of her human form, but is she a Mermaid? A Siren, perhaps?

「Hey, hey! Is something like this all right~?」

The girl whose head plopped out of the water held a fish in her hand.

Eh! Isn’t that Amadai Tilefish!? Moreover, it’s huge! Uwaa… that surely taste delicious…! With pickled konbu, it would be a delicacy whether dried or cooked.

Tempted by the Amadai, I approached the slippery bank and dived straight into the sea.

「Ah!?」

「Lord!!」

「Cristeaa-!!」

Splash! … Gabogabogabo…

Uwa, cold! Rather, this is bad!

I’m going to drown!

As I flapped with my limbs, the clothes I wore got soaked with water and their weight increased.

Because I inhaled water the moment I fell in and I have a low lung capacity to begin with, I immediately started choking.

Ahh… as I thought, life jackets are needed…!

The seawater seems to be quite clear as I was able to see my surroundings. It certainly seems like there are no dangerous monsters here. While struggling to get to the water’s surface, I saw a girl’s figure in the corner of my view.

Her legs are… a fish tail?? That means she’s a Mermaid??

She’s approaching me… not good, will she attack me?? I have to escape…!

Ah, right! Warp! I can just escape by warping! The moment it seemed I would get caught by the girl’s hands, I saw the Amadai escaping from the girl’s hands.

Aaaaah!? The huge Amadai, can could you lose it~!!!

I promptly warped back onto the sandy beach.

Splaaash!!!!

The water around me warped together with me onto the sandy beach. The fish that got caught up were jumping up and down in the sand.

「Cough, cough, cough!」

I, who somehow managed to save myself, heavily gasped for breath. O, oxygen…!

「Lord!! Are you all right!?」

「Cristea!!!」

「Cough… I, I’m fine…」

「Wha…! What is this!?」

The Mermaid-san? who suddenly threw herself onto the land opened her in shock after seeing Mashiro and Kurogane who changed into their Sacred Beasts appearances in order to protect me.

『I won’t allow you harming my Lord!』

『If you did something to Cristea, I won’t forgive you!』

Grrr…! The two intimidated.

「Hii…! What? What is this!? Sacred Beasts!?」

It appears she was trembling from fear and wasn’t able to stand up.

「Wait! You two! She didn’t do anything to me yet!」

『It seemed as if she was trying to attack you in the water though?』

「That’s not it! I only tried to help her!」

Indeed, it looked like she was trying to help me who was drowning…

『Why did you approach Lord in the first place?』

「Eh-… I mean, it looked like she wanted fish…」

Kurogane glared at her.

「Hii! Don’t glare at mee… uu… her magical power seemed tasty, so I was thinking that maybe I could exchange for it with fish…」

Mermaid-san answered with tears in her eyes.

… Looks like I am easy target for Sacred Beasts and monsters alike, huh…

I thought with a distant look on my face. Achoo! Uu, so cold.