Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 425

425.

If it had been a completely different appearance, I would have accepted it quickly, no matter what it looked like. That was within the expected range. But I had never even considered this possibility: to have a face that was exactly the same as my original one. I thought it was quite similar last night, but it seems that wasn’t just my imagination.

Ah, but there was one difference. The blue eyes had turned green. It was a color that reminded me of lush, fresh leaves on a bright summer day. I liked it, but an indescribable sense of déjà vu washed over me.

Blonde hair and green eyes.

Isn’t this also a familiar combination in a way?

‘Could it be a coincidence? Or maybe…’

No, no way. I quickly shook my head, feeling like I was about to entertain some ridiculous thought. Come to think of it, there was another difference. I felt something was missing, and it was the clear forehead. The Ellyuen’s mark [likely a magical or identifying symbol] that should have been there was not visible. Of course, it was natural since it was a different body, but I felt a bitter sense of being visually disconnected from him. Maybe that’s why.

—You seem gloomy again.

—What are you thinking about?

“……!”

Suddenly, I heard whispering voices from somewhere. Startled, I looked around and saw small figures flickering near the water. They were semi-transparent, fairy-like creatures that looked very familiar: wavy, abundant hair, cute faces, gill-shaped ears, and fish tails. They looked like little mermaids…

Naiads? [water nymphs in Greek mythology]

In my bewildered state, I quickly rubbed my eyes with both hands. Then, the scene in front of me disappeared in an instant. The quietly flowing river was as ordinary as if nothing had happened. I couldn’t hear the voices anymore, and there were no lingering afterimages. I watched for a long time, just in case, but it was the same.

Was it a hallucination? It happened so quickly that I couldn’t tell if I had seen it correctly from the beginning. Of course, I knew better than anyone how absurd this idea was. The only intermediate realm connected to the Spirit Realm is Arkadon. I probably didn’t see it properly, and even if I did see something, it couldn’t have been Naiads.

I must have habitually imagined a familiar scene. Just as I was sighing and coming to the most plausible conclusion, I suddenly heard a rustling sound from behind. I turned around, thinking a monster had appeared, and froze. I saw a completely unexpected sight: a child was sitting down.
A cute-looking girl with tea-colored hair braided on both sides and black eyes like Go stones [smooth, black stones used in the game Go] that went well with her white skin.

“Huh?”

At first, I thought I was seeing things again. But this time, no matter how much I rubbed my eyes, the image didn’t disappear. It was real. I really met someone. I had been doubting if there was even an end to this forest, so I couldn’t believe this situation. I was prepared to suffer a lot again today.

The girl also had a surprised look on her face, her eyes wide. She seemed scared, her eyes trembling anxiously. Only after seeing her swallowing repeatedly did I barely calm my endlessly excited heart. I was just happy to see her, but it was natural for the other person to be wary of meeting a stranger in a secluded forest. Instead of approaching, I slowly examined the girl’s appearance. I had guessed it from seeing my clothes, but the girl’s attire was also not much different from the clothes I knew. It seemed to be a similar environment to Arkadon in many ways, including the presence of monsters.

‘How should I talk to her? More than that, will we even understand each other?’

The language would naturally be different in another world. When I was the Spirit King, everything was automatically translated and conveyed, so I didn’t need to learn the language, but now the situation had changed, so I had to devise a way to cope. But my worries about this didn’t last long. It was thanks to the girl, who had fallen to the ground before I could react, shouting first.

“P, please save me, Mermaid!”

“……Huh?”

Surprisingly, I understood the meaning even though it was a language I had never heard before. It was the same method as when I was the Spirit King. Fortunately, there seemed to be no problem with communication here either. But right now, I was more concerned with the title the girl used than with that relief.

“Mermaid?”

“I was wrong! I won’t come this way again! I didn’t know there was a Mermaid here! I’m really sorry! Please save me just once!”

The girl prostrated herself even more. Her desperate voice was full of fear. Of course, I didn’t understand any of this situation. Mermaid? Could it be that I had become a mermaid instead of a human? No wonder I was so strong. I had only thought it was abnormal for a human, but I was flustered because I hadn’t even considered that I might be a different species. It was even stranger because it was right after I had a vision of Naiads, who are mermaids. It must have been an omen that something like this would happen.

But usually, a mermaid has the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, right? In comparison, my body was an ordinary human no matter how you looked at it. My skin wasn’t covered in scales, I didn’t have webbed feet, and my skin color wasn’t unusual. I couldn’t figure out what the girl saw in me that made her think I was a mermaid.

“Do I look like a mermaid?”

“Aren’t you a mermaid?”

I asked to confirm the facts accurately, but instead, I got a question back. Judging from her hesitant expression, it was clear that the girl wasn’t sure about my identity either. That meant there was no obvious evidence proving I was a mermaid.

“Um, can I ask why you thought so?”

“You’re by the water, and your hair is sparkling…”

“And?”

“You’re pretty.”

“…….”

Maybe I’m not a mermaid.

After coming to a very simple conclusion, I smiled at the girl. It was an attempt to give a good impression in my own way, but for some reason, the girl only flinched more.

“Sorry, but let me confirm one more thing. Do mermaids really exist? Or are they just creatures in legends or myths?”

“Huh? Y, yes, they really exist? But this isn’t the mermaid’s territory.”

“I see. That’s amazing.”

A world where mermaids exist. I heard that there used to be mermaids in Arkadon as well. I thought they were completely extinct, but it seems they still exist in other worlds. Judging from the girl’s overly frightened reaction, they don’t seem to be a very gentle species.

Well, they were treated as monsters in Arkadon, too. I don’t know if it’s the same here. If that little child shouted to be saved as soon as she saw me, then at least their relationship with humans wasn’t amicable. After sorting out the situation to that point, I felt a little embarrassed. If I really had become a mermaid, it meant I would be in trouble if I went to the village.

“Um, aren’t you really a mermaid?”

While I was lost in thought, the girl was examining me in her own way. When our eyes met, the girl swallowed hard and asked cautiously. Her face looked beyond nervous, even desperate, and I chuckled.

“Actually, I don’t really know either. I think I’m human, but you keep asking if I’m a mermaid, so I’m confused.”

“Your answer is strange. Don’t you even know what you are?”

“I know. How should I explain this…”

Suspicion crept into the girl’s eyes. She seemed to think I was lying to lower her guard. She still looked young, but she was a good judge of the situation. I thought it would only make things worse if I made excuses, but then a very good method that could be used in this situation came to mind: the most outstanding device that Koreans use to get out of a crisis!

“I think I’ve lost my memory.”

The girl’s mouth dropped open blankly. I smiled even more brightly. As expected, pretending not to know was the best way to get out of trouble.

* * *

Mermaids here were the same as I knew them: the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, with a beautiful voice that charmed people. However, unlike the fairy tale where she had to sell her voice to the sea witch to have human legs, mermaids in this world seemed to automatically grow legs when they came ashore. So, it was difficult to distinguish them from humans just by looking at their appearance.

“Instead, mermaids who come ashore get a mark.”

“A mark?”

“A part of their body has something like fish scales growing on it. The location is different for each mermaid, though.”

The girl, who had been speechless for a while after I said I had lost my memory, was very eager to confirm my identity. I thought she would just let it go if I said I didn’t know anything, but she was more thorough than I thought. Of course, I was happy to accept the girl’s interference because there was no harm in checking it myself.

“I see. I didn’t think there would be scales on my body. So, should I take off all my clothes?”

“Yes, but there’s an easier and faster way than that.”

“What is it?”

“Pour water on yourself.”

That was the most common way to identify mermaids in this world. Just as they automatically grow legs when they come ashore, their legs would return to their original form when they got wet again. So, at ports, they often performed a ritual of entering the sea before boarding a ship. I liked this method better too. It was easier and more certain to check if I turned back into a mermaid than to look for a mark that might be anywhere.

“Okay, let’s get it over with right away.”

There was a river flowing right in front of me, so there was no need to hesitate. Strike while the iron is hot, and the decision was immediately followed by action. But the girl hurriedly grabbed me as I was about to jump into the river.

“W, wait a minute!”

“Um? Why?”

“Are you really going to go in?”

“If I don’t really go in?”

At first, I didn’t understand the girl’s reaction. I knew the best way to confirm my identity, so I didn’t see what the problem was with trying to confirm it. Then, the chilly wind that brushed against my skin reminded me of a fact I had forgotten. Come to think of it, it was a cold season.

‘……You shouldn’t go into the water in this weather.’

Cold water greatly lowers body temperature. Ordinary humans would consciously avoid doing it to avoid catching a cold. I was even trying to go in with my clothes on, so it was no wonder the girl was horrified and grabbed me. I had to think about such obvious common sense to realize it, and I suddenly felt like I had become very stupid.

“Oh, um. It would be better to just dip my feet in, right?”

“Yes, I think that would be better.”

Fortunately, the girl didn’t laugh at me. Only the wariness on her face became thicker. She must have been convinced that I was a mermaid after seeing me trying to go into the water so casually. Her hesitant movements clearly showed that she was thinking of running away if anything happened. It seemed she didn’t assume that I wouldn’t harm her in the first place, no matter what my identity was.

Well, I wouldn’t easily trust someone as suspicious as me if I were her. I guess you could call this self-inflicted. After sighing, I silently took off my shoes and rolled up my pants. After that, it was a time to fully realize once again how reckless I had been. The piercing sensation that felt like it was cutting into me filled me tightly as I put my legs in the water. I was so eager to cool off when I put my face in the water that I didn’t realize it, but it was colder than I thought.

Was the winter river always like this? I imagined what would have happened if I had jumped into the water as it was, and I felt dizzy for a moment. It was fortunate that the girl stopped me, or I would have been in big trouble. It was even more fortunate when I thought about the results, because no changes appeared on my body even after a long time.

“You’re human.”

“I’m human.”

Even as I smiled at the girl, who was visibly relieved, I didn’t feel comfortable. Wouldn’t it have been better to be a mermaid? To be human with a mind that couldn’t even distinguish between water and air, I had never been so worried about my future as at this moment. Let’s not forget, I’m human. Let’s remember, survival instinct. I felt like I had to set this as a slogan from today and repeat it every moment.

Still, it was better to be human right now. At least the girl had completely let her guard down.

I didn’t think it was particularly safe to be human, but she seemed relieved just because I wasn’t a mermaid.

“This is Dalia, a territory of the Epen Kingdom. This forest is the Forest of Origin, which is connected to the largest Riego Mountains in the Epen Kingdom.”

The girl told me things I didn’t even ask. Thanks to her, I learned that this world was divided into three continents, and that there were two empires, one confederation, and seven kingdoms on this continent. The Epen Kingdom, located at the northern end, was the weakest of them all. Most of the country was made up of barren land and glacier zones where people could not live. As such, the population was small and poor. The only advantage was that it was peaceful because it had never experienced an invasion war because there were no great benefits for powerful countries to target.

“Today is the 245th year of the Epen Kingdom. It’s the fourteenth day of Laxium.”

“Laxium?”

“Laxo Dium. It means October. It’s named after the twelve gods who govern time. This notation is common to all three continents, but don’t you remember that either?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right…”

Couldn’t you just tell me in numbers? Seeing them using unique words instead of easy expressions made me feel like the people here also enjoyed difficult expressions as much as the Swalt Empire people. It wasn’t pleasant because it meant there were many things to memorize.

“More than that, it’s still October. I thought it was winter because it’s so cold.”

“It’s because it’s in the north. The temperature is lower than in other regions. The first snow will fall soon. But it’s warm here. If you go further north, it’s winter all year round.”

While we were talking, I also learned about the girl. Her name was Ransi, she was thirteen years old, and she lived alone with her mother in the forest. The reason she came here alone was to fetch water. She said it was a daily routine that she never missed because she fetched the amount she needed every day. Only then did I find the water jug left nearby.

‘Thirteen years old. The same age as Alisa when I first met her.’

It wasn’t a big deal, but I felt a sense of familiarity when I found a common point. Maybe it was because Ransi, like Alisa at that time, had a firm and intelligent look in her eyes.

“How can you forget everything like that? But you said you remember your name, right?”

“Yeah, fortunately, I remember that. It’s El.”

“Wow, that’s a really pretty name.”

“Really? Thank you. Your name is pretty too.”

When I responded to her compliment with a compliment, Ransi, who had been staring with wide eyes, blushed. Her shy but honest appearance of liking it was just like her age.