CH 20

Chiharu saw Maki run over to the food stalls, before making her own way to the merpeople store. Her heart soared just thinking about the coral accessories.

The pretty trinkets were lined on a tablecloth over the counter. The seller was a merperson. She looked like anyone else at a glance, but her ears looked more like fins as they opened and closed. Gills went down from her ears all the way to her shoulders. The lips were thin and the mouth wide. The eyes were small. Luscious hair went all the way down to her back. She stood on two legs, but her fingers and toes were webbed, and she had tough skin that protected her from the sun. In other words, she was incredibly beautiful.

Many customers were seeing merpeople for the first time, just like Chiharu, and they all looked on in wonderment at the sight.

“Hello, cute girl. Have a look at these accessories.”

Chiharu broke out of her trance and looked down at the table.

“Give me all of it.”

And she almost said it too. That was how beautiful they were. But she wouldn’t say it. The scales had a large variety of colors, and they were thin and clear, like they were made of glass. There were earrings made of layers of scales that trilled when you shook them. A necklace made of a light pink coral that had been polished. One hour wasn’t enough to look at everything, Chiharu thought. Then a shadow fell over her.

Hm? She raised her head. The clerk who had been there a moment ago was nowhere to be found. Instead, a beautiful, youthful merman was standing next to her. Chiharu looked dumbly at him, making a note of how the men were also beautiful.

Then his hand stretched out, and he slowly raised her chin towards him.

“Beloved child of God, let me see your face.”

Chiharu froze. Something moved at the corner of her vision. It was his hair. It moved. It was wiggling.

The young merman’s hair moved to push up Chiharu’s bangs. His eyebrows narrowed.

“Why must you cover such beautiful obsidian eyes? And also the mark of God’s love. Why is it sealed?”

He whispered.

“Huh? Uh, because, um…”

It was because she didn’t want to lose 1,000,000 gil by accident. But that wasn’t easily explained. She frantically searched for something to say.

“I understand. The human world is hard to live in. Now, come. What is your name?”

“Uh, Chiharu.”

“Chihaaru.”

Oh, damn it. She had said it. He repeated the name gently, then suddenly picked her up.

“Huh, wait, what?”

“Can you swim? It is no matter, a boat has been prepared for you. I will teach you to swim eventually.”

“What, no, what?”

“Now, let us go to our country together. Do not worry, there are land people there too. You can remove the seal there, and live freely.”

He immediately began to walk towards the sea. And in that direction, were an alarming number of merpeople.

“Oh, beloved child.”

“Beloved child.”

“Oh, God.”

“Come with us.”

What to do! What to do! Then a voice rang.

“Chiharu!”

“Hey, wait! What are you doing!”

The young man scowled and said:

“You came with someone else? Hm? A boy. No. Another beloved child?”

Chiharu nodded frantically.

“Let me down. We have to visit the three other territories.”

“Why must you? You can just live in the sea.”

“No-no-no. I am human. And we are in the middle of traveling.”

Actually, they only just started to travel two hours ago.

“But how? I came after sensing the presence of the beloved child. And now you say you did not come here to leave with us?”

“We need to get closer to the Shadow World and help purify the world first.”

“That can be done later. How long has it been since a beloved child has visited us? We will take the other one too. Now, let us go.”

By this time, Maki, Kaider, and Nyran finally caught up with them.

“You aren’t going anywhere! I know you merpeople are fond of children, but this is kidnapping. She has business in the Dwarven lands. Let her go.”

“Please let me go.”

Chiharu added after Kaider. The merman looked at them sadly. Oh, no. This was just the same as with the bird people. She needed to make things clear.

“We will come to visit you when our business is done. So please let us go now.”

“And when will you be finished? Tomorrow?”

“It won’t be that soon, but I promise that we will come back.”

He looked at Maki.

“We will.”

Maki swore. He sighed and let Chiharu down. Maki quickly stood next to her.

“But could you at least show your faces to the people of the sea?”

Kaider and Nyran accompanied them suspiciously as Maki and Chiharu were led closer to the other merpeople. Hands came out to touch them, hold them, pat them on the head. This continued for the rest of the time they had left.

This was part of the tax that Saintesses paid. Maki and Chiharu did their best.

“Now, it is time.”

Kaider called.

“Beloved children, you must return after the end of your journey.”

“Yes, we will.” “Yes, we will.”

The youth said, letting go of them with much regret.

“Hurry!”

They ran back to the train. Their seats were still empty, and they sat down in relief.

“That was tiring.”

“Traveling is hard.”

“Ahahaha.”

Kaider was amused by this.

“No. You know, most people do not encounter Gazers, or kidnapper merpeople when they travel?”

“The merpeople seem to really like people, just like the birdfolk did.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. Wait, the birdfolk were after you too?”

“Yeah, they almost took off with her.”

“It was just a coincidence! It was because I was easier to carry.”

“Hah!”

Nyran burst into laughter.

“Well, you do seem like that type.”

What type? Even so, this whole ‘not listening to what people are saying’ thing… They really did have their heads in the clouds and sea. Chiharu sighed. But it was at least preferable to the malice of the inland people.

“And I really wanted to buy some accessories as a souvenir… Maybe this is a warning that I shouldn’t waste money.”

Chiharu grumbled. Kaider looked at her with an exasperated expression.

“Chouze, you haven’t noticed it yet?”

“Noticed what?”

He pointed at Maki with his chin. Maki-chan? Oh.

They looked at each with surprise. When had they put this on us? On our hair and body, and even our pockets. They were overflowing with scales. Huh.

“They must have really liked you.”

Or they were just marking their territory. The two quietly removed the scales and neatly packed them into their bags. They may be able to sell them later. They would have to, as it took up too much space.

It was yet another incident for them, but at least they had got some wine and scale accessories from it. So it was all good in the end. Or so Maki decided to conclude. But all of the dwarves they had met until now were kind and fun people. If they could only get to the Dwarven lands, then everything should be okay.

The train’s bell echoed over the merpeople island, signaling their departure.