"Wow, everything looks so beautiful up close..."
"Hey, fishy! Don't run away from me!"
"This view… beneath the waves… is more... incredible… than any place… on land..."
Those are Yomogi's, Chantal's, and Kimberly's voices, and let me explain what happened.
Today, it's our third day of vacation in Oserin. After yesterday's unexpected kraken contract, I decided to do another boat trip. I even assured the merfolk at the rental desk that I would not be breaking any boats this time. They still looked at me like I was a walking insurance liability, but they let us go.
And now, we're back at Salacia's sea garden, the exact place where we battled her, except this time we're not fighting. But since snorkel masks or goggles don't exist in this world, I used Wind Ball spells to create thin, transparent spheres around each of our heads to let us breathe normally and see clearly underwater without any pressure or leak. Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, and I all wear them like magical diving helmets. Only Salacia swims freely without one since she's a kraken after all.
Honestly, this is the first time in my life I've ever experienced anything like this. Back in Japan, I only knew snorkeling from documentaries. Okinawa, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and all those postcard beaches with water so clear you could see anything beneath it… but I'd never been. I grew up in Tokyo, so the beach is nothing like this.
But here I am, and I can't even put it into words. Her sea garden is a living mosaic. Sea anemones, sea lilies, sea fans, sea whips, and sea pens are all making harmonious movements underwater. And colorful fish weave through all of it.
Yomogi's eyes sparkle, Chantal shouts and tries to follow a school of shimmering bluefish that scatter the moment she gets near, and Kimberly is awestruck. And of course, there's Pinna, who is also equally fascinated despite her usual analytic tone.
"The marine ecosystem here displays exceptional structural equilibrium. Each organism, from these sea anemones to the sea pens, contributes to a highly efficient cycle of energy transfer. Even accounting for unexplainable variables related to magical influence, the results remain… optimal. Overall assessment: highly satisfactory."
In front of us, Salacia turns and makes her tentacle-like hair floating underwater.
"Do you like the view?"
All four girls nod immediately, and I can't stop myself from grinning inside my magic mask.
"This is beautiful, Salacia..."
Salacia giggles.
"Fufu~... This is the first time I've seen surface people, other than merfolk, come sightseeing underwater."
Yeah, she's right.
There's another reason snorkel masks and goggles don't exist in this world aside from technology or whatever: merfolk are the only race capable of diving naturally, and they usually do it for fishing.
But I think it's a win-win for all six of us. The five of us — me, Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, and Pinna — are diving for the first time in our lives. And Salacia's getting to see people other than merfolk exploring her world for the first time too. Maybe people should name us in the history books as the first human, wolfkin, pantherkin, elf, and automaton to go diving, though.
Suddenly, Salacia points excitedly.
"Oh! Look over there! That crab just came back from a fight. It's exhausted!"
We all turn as a battered red crab drags itself onto a bed of sea plants. The moment it settles, the sea lilies beneath it emit a soft, glowing light, surprising us.
Yomogi gasps.
"Did those plants just glow?!"
"Yes! They glow whenever something needs healing."
Chantal is amazed.
"Amazing…"
Kimberly murmurs and is equally astonished.
"I have never… seen anything… like this…"
Pinna examines the glow.
"Even with no identifiable magical circuitry, the restorative output efficiency is undeniable. These organisms demonstrate an advanced natural healing function that surpasses most known medical methods."
And I stare at the crab as it straightens its legs and stands a little taller.
"You're right, Salacia. It really does look healthier. I can't believe it."
"I told you, darling~."
Then, she turns to all of us with a bright smile.
"Come with me. I'll show you more."
Without a word, the five of us follow after her deeper. As we continue to descend, we can see the light dims slightly and the terrain changes from a vibrant underwater meadow into a quiet seabed with long stretches of sand and scattered rock.
And then… we see them.
Old, towering structures lie half-buried beneath the sea floor. Wooden frames twisted, hulls shattered, sails torn to threads and draped like seaweed. Dozens of fish dart through open cabins, and coral creeps along the edges.
Yomogi's eyes are wide and curious.
"Are those… ships?"
"Yes."
Salacia answers with a smile, but somehow her expression isn't. There's something bitter behind her eyes, even though she tries to hide it.
I slow my swimming, taking in the ruined vessels as Pinna follows me and swims closer to inspect them.
"These ships… they belonged to pirates. Based on structural decay and marine life saturation… the oldest vessel is likely over 600 years old. The most recent appears to be approximately 400."
Which makes me shocked.
"Four hundred years... you say?"
And Chantal too.
"Pirates?!"
Then, I look at Salacia again.
"Why did you bring us here, Salacia?"
But she doesn't answer, and her expression hasn't changed. Until Kimberly says something that sparks my interest.
"I remember… reading... about this… in a book… about Oserin's… history…"
"What do you mean, Kimberly?"
With that, Kimberly begins explaining.
"Long ago… some merfolk… were pirates. Several factions… warring... against each other… until... Oserin's leader… tried to stop... the conflict… by recruiting them… as paramilitary forces..."
"Wait… pirates working for a country? That doesn't even make sense. Pirates don't want to serve governments. Isn't that the whole point of being pirates?"
"Yes. Which is why… Oserin offered them… something... they valued. The freedom… to explore… beyond... national borders… unrestricted... by naval law..."
"I see..."
Still, it's hard to believe. What kind of leader makes a deal like that?
Are they stupid?
It feels like they handed power over to a bunch of criminals in exchange for a promise not to cause trouble.
Kimberly continues.
"It didn't... work. The pirates' nature… drove them... to compete… racing to claim... new territories… faster... than the others. Infighting continued… at a much... larger scale…"
See?
Told you it wouldn't work.
"Eventually… the rule... was abolished. The leader… who created it… was overthrown. And all... captured pirates… were sentenced. The ruler… and the pirates… were executed… together. They were sealed… inside their ships... and they were... blown apart… in the sea…"
Kimberly pauses before she speaks again.
"Since then… pirates are branded… as criminals… like bandits… on land..."
"I see..."
But honestly, every time I hear something new about the countries in this world… it's always some past disaster. Heiligeichen had its coup, Misdaras had the pig flu, and now Oserin had a pirate civil war.
And somehow, the more I learn about this world… the less surprised I am.
Then, Salacia finally speaks, which confirms my theory.
"Those pirates… they were the ones who tried to claim my sea garden."
"As I thought."
"I've been with that garden my whole life, and I've watched it bloom… at least forty times."
We all freeze as Chantal blurts out and begins counting.
"Wait... forty? If it blooms every hundred years, and you've seen it forty times… then that makes you… four thousand…?"
Which Salacia giggles.
"You just counted it, huh, Chantal? So yes… it must be true."
I also stare at her, stunned.
Four thousand years.
I thought I'd already wrapped my head around the idea of people living long here. Kimberly, who lived through the coup in Heiligeichen three centuries ago… and Pinna, who has kept herself running for over 300 years.
But Salacia just blew it all away. Four thousand years, so ancient that it feels like it's on a whole different level of "old."
Salacia looks at the ships again.
"Back then… I loved watching the fish and crabs swim past the garden, hand in hand, drifting through the currents. It felt warm and peaceful..."
Then, she stops as her smile falters.
"But then… those pirates came. They were noisy and loud. They were fighting constantly above the surface. Their chaos disturbed the waters and scared the life from my plants."
She continues speaking with sadness in her eyes.
"Even now, I still don't understand. Why didn't they just ask me? Why fight and tear at each other… for something that wasn't theirs?"
I mean... I've told you before, Salacia.
Look at the size of your kraken form. If I were a pirate and saw that massive cephalopod like you, I'd turn my ship around and never come back. There's no "asking nicely" when a sea god's about to swallow my vessel whole.
"They just kept coming, and whenever I tried to drive them away, they'd end up dying in my arms. Their ships were destroyed and their bodies sinking into the deep. So I always wondered… why couldn't I touch anyone… without hurting them? Why did I always end up destroying those I came close to?"
Her voice breaks slightly when she continues.
"And when the pirates finally stopped coming… for the next four blooming periods, no one passed through. The fish and crabs were still there… but watching them made me feel even lonelier."
Then, Kimberly trembles as she asks.
"Salacia… are you… the Azure Kraken…?"
Salacia chuckles softly but bitterly, confirming Kimberly's claim, which surprises the elf.
"Is that what the merfolk call me? Then… perhaps you're right, Kimberly."
As I thought.
Everything is just too obvious.
But after hearing her story, I can't help but doubt the way the merfolk portray her as a cruel kraken slaughtering sailors. She never meant to hurt anyone, they were all just misunderstandings and accidents. And not just any people either, they were pirates who disturbed the balance of her world.
Which then makes me realize another thing. The pirates were also the ones who discovered Salacia's garden were pirates, and all of them sank because of her, and not a single one lived to tell the tale. So, that story just never reached the surface, and that was enough to explain why the merfolk don't know about this place.
But weirdly enough, I'm actually grateful for that.
If it hadn't been for Salacia, even unintentionally, this place might've been destroyed. But instead, it stayed untouched, hidden from the world for thousands of years.
And because of her, Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, and I got to see it. And it's now ours to remember, etched into our memories.
And maybe krakens in this world aren't the chaotic, wild beasts or mindless destroyers like in fantasy shows or games I always thought they were. Maybe there are more like Salacia out there. Ancient beings watching from the depths and protecting places no one else sees.
So it also makes sense why Oserin exists the way it does. It's not just a country of merfolk, but a land where merfolk and krakens coexist even if they rarely interact.
Without warning, she suddenly turns to me and pulls me into a tight hug, pressing herself against my chest.
"But when you came into my life, darling, I felt… like I was saved. You were the first person who touched me… and didn't die. You even nearly killed me… with that lightning spell. And yet, you still spared me."
Her grip tightens as she looks up to me.
"Thank you~… for letting me form a lifelong contract with you~."
Then, she releases the embrace and turns toward the others.
"You're all lucky to have a man like Darling in your lives. And I'm lucky to have sisters like all of you."
Then, Yomogi suddenly bursts into tears, swimming to Salacia and hugging her hard.
"H-Huaaaa… h-huaaaa…! I didn't know… I didn't know you were lonely all this time, Salacia..."
Chantal follows, sniffling.
"Ugh… dammit… why am I crying too?! I'm sorry, Salacia… I'm sorry for attacking you…"
Kimberly's tears are flowing as she joins them.
"From now on… we will always… be with you… Salacia…"
Salacia wraps her arms around them all, smiling.
"Thank you… all of you…"
I look at Pinna, who is still beside me, observing the four.
"Aren't you gonna join them?"
"I… do not know how to process that kind of emotional gesture. But based on her story… it was clearly a distressing experience. Long-term isolation. Repeated accidental harm. It's… unpleasant."
"I see. It's okay, then."
Yeah, she's still an automaton after all. And she is still learning how to navigate feelings like grief, empathy, and sadness. It makes sense that crying or hugging doesn't come naturally to her, at least not yet.
MOMENTS LATER
Once we're done down below, we swim back to the surface. After we all climb back onto the boat, soaked and breathless, I lift the Wind Ball spells from our heads.
I walk over and activate the Wind magic stone on the boat. As we drift away, we turn toward the water one last time to wave at Salacia's krakenlings that poke out from the waves.
Yomogi waves both arms.
"Bye-bye, everyone!"
Chantal grins.
"Train your tiny suckers, yeah?"
Kimberly raises her hand.
"Be safe... all of you..."
Pinna calls out.
"We shall visit again very soon."
Salacia also does the same, like all of them.
"Don't be naughty, okay~?"
Her krakenlings wiggle and wave their tentacles in response like a troop of jelly-armed kids saying goodbye to their family.
I smile and raise my hand, giving them a slow wave.
"Take care of the garden for us."
And with that, we leave the sea behind and sail back towards the beach.