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Episode 9
“You can do it whenever you want. Even every night would be fine.”
“Ugh!”
At that sight, I let out an involuntary groan and dropped to my knees.
Such adorable behavior is cheating!
I finally understood the true meaning of the phrase ‘heart-fluttering’ commonly used in my previous world. This was exactly when to use it.
Grabbing my chest near my heart, Baron got a fright and cupped my face with both hands.
“What’s wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?”
“No. It doesn’t hurt.”
I looked up at Baron. His eyes were full of concern.
This lovable kid.
I hugged Baron tightly.
“You’re just too cute!”
I thought Baron would pull back shyly, but the little guy hesitated for a moment, then hugged me back.
Ugh, this is true cuteness!
I gave Baron one more tight squeeze, then stood up.
Thanks to Baron, I caught Search. And conveniently, there’s no wind and the waves are calm—perfect to test its effectiveness.
I tied the rope connected to the floating basket around my waist, fastened the glass bottle to my left wrist with a cord, and grabbed the dipper net with my right hand.
“Baron, go inside the house first. Now that we have Search, I’ll check the sea for a bit. If the water looks good, I might catch a few things.”
“What’s ‘water look’?”
“It means the color of the seawater. The better the condition, the more transparent the underwater view is. If muddy water flows in, you can’t see.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Baron nodded, then pointed to one side and said something unexpected.
“Then I’ll build a bonfire over there. Come back when you see it.”
I was speechless at Baron’s cleverness.
For a mere seven-year-old to think of that.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange if Baron were the male lead. Although he can’t be the red-eyed Emperor male lead with those violet eyes.
‘Anyway, no matter how smart he is, asking a kid to start a new fire is too much.’
But it’s also true that going into the night sea without a landmark is too dangerous.
I stacked a few wood pieces and transferred some embers from the hearth fire onto them. This way, a small bonfire would soon blaze up.
“I’ll do it like this. Go in and rest, and could you come out now and then to check the fire? If it looks like it might go out… hmm…”
I looked around, plucked two palm-sized leaves, and gave them to him.
“Use these to pick up twigs and put them in the fire.”
Baron took the leaves and asked in return.
“So I don’t get a thorn in my hand?”
“Yeah. And don’t get too close to the fire.”
Smiling as I cautioned him, I patted Baron’s head and headed towards the sea.
Last night when catching conchs, I didn’t go in past ankle-deep water. But now, thanks to Search, I could go in up to my thighs and survey the sea.
Search’s light was truly bright.
‘If I could put it in the water to see, it would be even better.’
Unlike underwater lanterns from my previous world, since it’s a living creature, that was impossible.
Holding the glass bottle in my left hand, I scanned various spots in the sea. The basket tied to my waist floated well on the surface, following along as I moved.
Soon, I saw conchs half-buried in the sandy terrain. As I gently scooped them up with the dipper net, something whitish passed by the edge of my vision.
‘Blue crabs!’
Realizing what they were reflexively, I quickly raised my head. Shining Search around, I saw about five or six blue crabs darting underwater as if flying.
“Jackpot.”
With no one else catching them, I get to have them all to myself.
With this, it seems I won’t have to struggle for long.
‘Maybe I can even build a new house soon?’
I praised my past self who took up seaweed as a side gig.
Just then, something with an unusual presence swiftly passed underwater.
“Huh?!”
Startled, I quickly turned to look. A large black shadow seemed to flash by. I instinctively tensed up.
‘Could it be… a demon beast? Something like that?’
But no matter how much I looked around, the black shadow didn’t reappear.
However, at the far end of the direction it passed, a truly massive blue crab was resting on the seabed. It must have been that guy’s shadow after all.
Hooray!
Baron watched Haley, who had received the name ‘Search,’ gradually move farther away, then muttered in a low voice.
“Carmen.”
A boulder rose up before Baron. The boulder, roughly Baron’s size, was an earth spirit that consumed the magic permitted by its contractor to use its unique abilities.
Carmen slowly bent its body in a bow.
Baron pointed at the small bonfire with the leaves gathered in one hand.
“Add some firewood to keep the bonfire going.”
Carmen sank back into the ground. Soon, a slight vibration rose from the ground, and dry wood pieces scattered around were pushed together as if herded, stacking neatly atop the small bonfire.
The small fire, already weak, nearly went out from the disturbance, but Baron paid no mind and pointed his chin toward the cabin.
“Reinforce the foundation so the house doesn’t collapse, and clean up the surroundings a bit. Also, repair it discreetly before you leave. Be careful not to make noise.”
Haley probably hadn’t noticed, but Baron had received a report on the first evening when he ordered his subordinates to tidy up that the cabin wasn’t entirely safe.
It might be fine in good weather. But if hit by heavy rains or typhoons, it could collapse, so he had Carmen perform maintenance.
Creak—
Soon, a small sound and vibration came from the cabin.
Because the old cabin itself was leaning, complete silence was apparently impossible.
From the impact, a few wood pieces fell to the floor. Even the log supporting the roof seemed about to come loose, but it was soon caught and interlocked by Carmen’s power.
Clatter clatter.
Trash around the cabin moved along the ground and piled up in one spot.
Watching Carmen work, Baron recalled Haley voice.
‘B-Baron. Did you… clean up?’
Her eyes, rounded in admiration, shone like sapphires.
Baron chuckled lightly and looked at his left index finger.
‘Come to think of it, this spot did feel a bit prickly.’
Since he couldn’t say he ordered a subordinate, he pretended a thorn was stuck.
The moment his words ended, the sensation of soft lips touching his finger still seemed to linger.
Haley lips.
Unconsciously, Baron closed his eyes and touched his index finger to his own lips.
Remembering those lips and warm embrace that had touched his finger and, just moments ago, his cheek, his heart raced.
This indescribable feeling was a first, but it felt incredibly good.
Just then.
“Lord Raven, I have rushed here upon hearing Black Livia’s message.”
At the voice that suddenly came, Baron started, cleared his throat, and merely raised a hand to signal Raven to wait, calling another spirit.
“Salamander.”
At Baron’s call, a very small fire lizard popped up.
“Stoke the bonfire. Revive the embers inside the house too before you go.”
“Peep.”
The cute little fire lizard burrowed into the small bonfire.
With a poof, the nearly extinguished bonfire began to blaze vigorously. The salamander that crawled out of the bonfire went inside the house.
Baron glanced at Raven, who was on one knee with his head deeply bowed, then looked back out at the sea.
Seeing his master silent, Raven carefully turned his head to observe the night sea.
Confirming the direction of Baron’s—no, Bloden’s—gaze, he cautiously asked.
“Your Majesty, it seems a citizen has entered the sea. Shall I have them come out? Sea Slimes roam at night, so it’s dangerous.”
“Ah, Sea Slimes.”
Bloden snorted in reply.
“They hate strong light, you know. So it’s fine.”
Sea Slimes were large nocturnal leeches living in the sea, with a habit of latching onto discovered animals and sucking their blood until death.
Therefore, citizens of the empire never approached the sea at night, and even during the day after sunrise, they operated from boats using nets, fishing rods, or dipper nets.
It was the natural culture of the empire.
“It’s fine, Your Majesty?”
“I gave Ignis Fatus to her in a glass bottle.”
‘Huh? Ignis? You placed a spirit next to a citizen?’
No wonder it looks bright over there!
Just as Raven was gaping in shock, Baron, who couldn’t care less about his subordinate’s shock, added.
“Ignis will be with her from now on. Haley thinks it’s a Flash Firefly, so make sure your stories align.”
“W-Who is this Haley you speak of?”
“My housemate.”
“Huh?”
“We started living together from yesterday.”
