The water mirror went dark.
The girl huddled amidst the pile of alchemical patterns and half-finished artifacts. Only after confirming that the figure behind her had completely dissipated did she slowly lift her head from the desk.
She was the only one left in the vast realm, accompanied only by the silver mirror that no longer reflected anything.
She puffed out her cheeks.
“...Even if it's just sweet talk, at least they have someone to talk to.”
After muttering this, the girl sighed and, as if resigning herself to her fate, pulled her gaze back to the alchemical construct before her. She picked up her pen and continued to trace, stroke by stroke, onto the fragments of inscription stones.
The stars were silent, flowing slowly beneath her feet.
...
The next few days were indeed peaceful.
Klein split his energy into two paths. One was focused on Aphros’s walking training, and the other was on organizing the biological data of the sea folk. Although the mimicry experiment that nearly blew up the workshop had given him a direction, it also made it clear to him that with his current level of protection, touching that thing again would only result in him getting killed even faster.
Aphros’s speed of adaptation was quite unexpected.
For the first two days, she was still wobbling by the edge of the pool, holding onto the stone rim. By the third day, she could walk several laps around the courtyard on her own. She would still occasionally trip over her own heels when turning, staggering a few steps before steadying herself, but compared to her initial state where she couldn't even stand upright, it was a world of difference.
Ophelia would visit her in the evenings. Every time Aphros saw Ophelia, her entire being lit up. She would bounce excitedly on the spot—and then nearly lose her balance.
Klein sat nearby, twirling a fragment of an inscription stone in his hand, watching the scene with amusement.
The days were flat and trivial, but not bad.
He briefly felt a sense of relaxation—as if this rhythm could continue for a long time.
Unfortunately, the shelf life of this illusion was only about four days.
...
On the morning of the fifth day.
Klein was in the study flipping through an ancient record of maritime currents when there was a knock at the door.
A messenger from the Silver Scale Chamber of Commerce arrived, saying that Nelisa had urgent matters to discuss and requested that he and Ophelia come immediately.
As the messenger left, he specifically added, “Princess Diancie is also there.”
Klein closed the book and went to find Ophelia.
...
By the time the two arrived, everyone was already seated at Nelisa’s temporary base.
Diancie sat on one side of the long table, two guards standing behind her. She wore dark blue daily attire today, looking a bit less like a pampered princess and more capable.
Nelisa stood at the table, a large maritime chart spread out before her.
There were many locations marked in red ink on the map. They were densely packed.
The moment Klein entered the room, his gaze was pinned to those red dots.
There were many—too many.
Nelisa nodded to him, skipping the pleasantries.
“Everyone is here. Let’s get straight to it.”
Klein pulled out a chair, and Ophelia sat down beside him.
Nelisa tapped the tabletop twice with her fingertip.
“Something has happened at sea.”
“Over the past five days, multiple reports have come in from various regions on the outskirts of the west coast.” Her finger slid along the red markings. “Fishing boats have been attacked. Eleven cases have been confirmed. Six of them resulted in casualties.”
Eleven cases.
Klein leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table. Five days, eleven cases—the frequency was wrong.
“What were the attackers?”
“Unclear,” Nelisa shook her head bluntly. “The descriptions from the surviving fishermen are chaotic and contradictory. Some say they saw massive black shadows, some say they saw fish with human faces, and others claim hands reached out from underwater—but these are just fragmentary impressions formed in a state of panic. They have no reference value.”
“Are there any visual records?”
“None.”
Klein didn't press further on that point.
He stared at the jarring red dots on the maritime chart, the frequency of his finger tapping unconsciously quickening.
No images, no reliable eyewitness descriptions. Only abnormal, dense attacks scattered across a vast area of the sea.
Nelisa clearly didn't intend to give him much time to process.
Her finger circled three locations on the map.
“Have you noticed? Here, here, and here.”
Three red dots, scattered in different corners of the maritime chart.
“These three attacks occurred on the same day, during the same time period.”
Nelisa’s finger slid from one red dot to another. Based on the map scale—
“The distance between them exceeds two hundred nautical miles.”
Klein’s finger stopped tapping.
Same time. Two hundred nautical miles.
It couldn't be the same individual.
“Multiple targets,” Ophelia added from the side, her words concise.
“Correct,” Nelisa nodded. “Furthermore, the distribution of these attack points is much larger than the activity area of the abnormal creatures after the Siren collapse.”
When she mentioned the word “collapse,” she instinctively glanced at Klein.
“Mr. Klein, that is how you described it, right?”
Klein nodded.
“Because of this, I suspect they aren't abnormal creatures generated by the Siren collapse,” Nelisa continued, drawing a large circle on the map that encompassed all the red dots.
“This happened too suddenly. They didn't follow a pattern of spreading outward from a central point. Instead, they popped up simultaneously in different locations during the same period.”
She paused.
“It seems more like... they were deployed.”
Deployed.
As those words landed, the room fell silent for two seconds.
Diancie didn't speak, but she sat up straighter, her arms crossing more tightly over her chest.
Klein didn't speak either.
Nelisa’s judgment was sound.
“I'm afraid it’s related to that fellow behind the sea monsters.”
She finally said those words.
She didn't name him, but everyone present knew what “that fellow” was.
The will of the deep sea.
Klein slowly let out a breath.
“So—”
Nelisa reached out and marked an area to the southeast of the maritime chart.
“The Silver Scale Chamber of Commerce’s fleet will take responsibility for this zone. We have operated in this area for years; the routes and supplies are already established.”
After marking it, her finger turned to the vast blank spaces on the map.
“But the strength of the chamber of commerce alone cannot cover all areas.”
She looked up, first at Diancie, then at Klein.
“I would like to request everyone’s help.”
Diancie hardly hesitated.
“Ms. Nelisa, those words are a bit distant.”
She stood up, her speech rapid and filled with an undeniable momentum.
“This is imperial waters to begin with. As a princess of the empire, it is my duty to defend our territory.”
After speaking, she slightly tilted her chin. Her innate pride was fully on display at this moment—but it wasn't off-putting.
Because she truly had the confidence to say so.
Nelisa nodded to her, skipping any further formalities.
Then, both of their gazes turned toward Klein simultaneously.
Under the weight of their stares, Klein spread his hands.
“Me? I have no objections.”
He spoke airily, as if someone had just asked him if he wanted to go grab dinner.
Regardless, the answer was there.
“In that case—Mr. Klein, you probably don't have a suitable ocean-going vessel yet, do you?”
That was a valid point. He had an alchemical workshop, inscription stones, and half a room full of miscellaneous experimental materials—but a ship? He certainly didn't have one.
“Why not come aboard my Voyager?” Diancie said. “Its range and combat readiness are sufficient.”
She paused.
“And being on the same ship will make it easier to look out for each other if anything happens.”
Klein didn't answer immediately.
He turned his head and glanced at Ophelia beside him.
Ophelia met his gaze for a moment.
She said nothing. She only gave a very slight nod.
That was enough.
Klein turned back.
“That would be perfectly fine.”
Diancie tapped the table with satisfaction and began making the follow-up arrangements with brisk efficiency.
“Tomorrow morning, The Voyager will set sail from the main port. Just have your things packed a day in advance.”
She looked at Nelisa again.
“I'll have my adjutant coordinate the route division and information sharing with you this afternoon.”
Nelisa nodded.
The meeting ended.
The group stood up one after another. Diancie left first with her guards, stopping at the door to exchange a few more quiet words with Nelisa.
Klein and Ophelia were the last to leave.
Sunlight spilled diagonally through the arched windows of the corridor.
Ophelia walked to his right, her pace steady.
After walking seven or eight steps, she suddenly spoke.
“What about Aphros?”
Klein’s pace slowed for a moment.
Right. Aphros. The girl who might be harboring a projection of the will of the deep sea.
“Bring her along.”
Ophelia looked at him sideways.
“If I leave her here, she’ll be out of my sight.” Klein slowed his steps, his voice kept very low. “If that thing is truly using her to spy on something, I’d rather have it spying right under my nose.”
Ophelia didn't ask further.
The two walked out of the corridor together.
In the distance, toward the port, the sound of waves crashing against the reefs was faintly audible.
Klein suddenly stopped.
He looked up toward the sea.
On the dark blue surface of the water, several merchant ships were slowly entering the harbor, their sails lowered. Everything looked no different from usual.
But he stared at the sea for a long time without looking away.
Ophelia stopped beside him.
“What is it?”
Klein didn't answer immediately. A few seconds later, he retracted his gaze, and his usual gentle smile returned.
“It’s nothing.”
He resumed walking forward.
“I was just thinking—”
A gust of sea wind suddenly blew in, scattering the latter half of his words.
Ophelia followed, listening closely to catch the remaining fragments of his voice.
Klein walked at a leisurely pace, saying in a very casual tone:
“He’s finally unable to sit still.”
Ophelia’s footsteps faltered.
Klein took two more steps before turning back.
A smile was on his face, but it didn't reach his eyes.
The sea wind, carrying salty and damp moisture, passed between the two of them, blowing a few stray strands of hair near Ophelia’s temples.
Klein raised his hand and pointed toward the dark blue sea behind them.
“Some things didn't just pop up. They’ve been there all along.”
He pulled his hand back and tucked it into his pocket.
“They were just... waiting.”
Rate on N.U.
