On land, countless beings live as they are born, just as the sea represents another world for others.
Therefore, the sea can also be considered another universe.
A vast, blue expanse governed by entirely different laws from the land.
To the beings of the land, the deep abyss may symbolize only death and darkness, but the natives of that realm think otherwise.
To them, the land would undoubtedly be a horrifying space of death they could never inhabit.
Thus, floating on the sea is akin to floating on the boundary of the world.
Swish.
The waves rush in, breaking with a noise that scatters into the world.
And amidst that deep blue, the splashing sound adds a whitish hue to the water.
“That’s it, move your feet like that!”
“Like this…?”
Luke was diligently trying his best to move his feet, adhering to Yerna’s teachings.
Once he had set his mind to something, using all available resources and abilities to achieve that goal was part of Luke’s character. Moreover, considering that Yerna was personally teaching him, he felt it would be impolite not to give his all.
Thanks to that, Luke’s small body was gradually cutting through the sea, moving forward and onward.
He felt a sense of achievement in that progress.
Although he wouldn’t have been able to stay afloat without the help of a tube and a life jacket, what did it matter?
Originally, he could have easily advanced with simple flow manipulation, so it might not seem like a big deal, but moving across the surface purely with physical ability was a different sensation altogether.
“Exactly, you’re doing really well. Isn’t it fun?”
“Haha… it’s not bad.”
Luke smiled faintly.
He had thought playing in the water was something only children enjoyed, but it turned out that splashing around was surprisingly enjoyable.
Looking back, how many things had he not attempted simply because he thought they would not suit him?
Perhaps it was because he carried too many burdens that he had to be that way.
Fortunately, since he was in the body of a child, no one regarded him strangely.
In essence, a person cannot help but be influenced by their physical form.
A butterfly cannot live the same life as a caterpillar.
Change in one’s body is the greatest transformation for a living being.
Alterations in the body affect living conditions, environments, positions, and abilities.
The lives of men and women are different, the lives of adults and children differ, and even the lives of humans and chimeras diverge.
Furthermore, the past, where one fought for survival, differs from the present conditions.
They are different.
Thus, the past Luke Irushi and the current Luke are undoubtedly different entities.
He had known that for a while, but he pondered whether it was truly acceptable to acknowledge it.
He believed he had awakened as Luke Irushi in this era, so he thought he should remain ‘Luke Irushi’ until the moment he closed his eyes.
That was a sign of respect for the past ‘Luke Irushi’, a way not to lose himself, and he thought that name was the only thing left for him.
But that was not the case.
He was himself, and Luke Irushi was Luke Irushi.
While he continuously splashed his feet, Yerna smiled and gently guided Luke’s small hand to change direction.
Yerna’s once calloused palm had softened somewhat from the water.
“Luke, how is it? Isn’t swimming enjoyable?”
Luke looked at Yerna’s right hand, which held his left, and thought.
It was a burn from her efforts to save him.
Whenever Luke saw it, he felt a pang of guilt towards Yerna.
This had come about because he had deceived her about his abilities.
Perhaps if she had asked him not to use magic, he wouldn’t have been able to research magic and operate the Circle as freely as he did now.
“Yerna, you’ve always called me by a nickname.”
“Huh…? Why do you ask all of a sudden? Did you not like it all this time?”
Luke shook his head and replied.
“No, please continue to call me that. I quite like it now.”
He still wasn’t sure why his transformation into ‘Luke Irushi’ had happened or if it truly was the work of Luke Irushi.
But perhaps,
There may not always be a need to live every moment of life as ‘Luke Irushi.’
Sometimes, would it be okay to act according to one’s heart rather than one’s mind?
So… like a child.
In that moment, Luke felt a ‘click’ as if the gears of a clock were meshing within the Circle.
It wasn’t a bad omen.
It was merely the Circle adjusting to a form better optimized for his body.
‘So that’s it.’
He had just resisted accepting it.
Had he stubbornly clung to nothing more than a shell?
Sigarmata, you were right.
An egg is destined to crack eventually.
Even if it is a hero.
“Yerna.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Sis… can I occasionally call you that when it’s just the two of us?”
‘Sis.’
Yerna’s expression flashed with mild surprise before she readily nodded with a broad smile.
“Of course!”
Yerna thought it was wonderful that Luke had finally shed the discomfort of calling her that.
Because it suited the current Luke much better.
It isn’t easy for a child to mimic an adult.
Yerna was genuinely pleased that Luke seemed to have shed that heavy facade.
She had expected one day such a moment would come, but she never imagined it would be now…
Was it because swimming was so enjoyable?
Today felt incredibly fulfilling.
As Yerna laughed, meeting Luke’s eyes, something caught his peripheral vision.
A dark shadow…
“Uh? What is that?”
“Huh? What’s what?”
Following Yerna’s gaze, Luke turned around.
Squinting slightly in the glaring sunlight, he scrutinized the silhouette, murmuring as he realized what it was.
“Pyris?”
“Oh, it is Pyris. But what kind of tube is she riding?”
Yerna tilted her head at whatever Pyris was sitting on.
“What is that, a horned dolphin? Did we bring such a tube?”
“No, that’s a narwhal… And that’s not a tube; it’s a real animal!”
Luke gasped.
The narwhal Pyris was riding was an extremely rare entity often referred to as the prince of the sea.
Narwhals were intelligent enough to communicate with humans and often appeared in myths as the friends of mermaids.
But that wasn’t all the narwhal could do.
The horn of a narwhal contains the power to manipulate the waves.
Thus, a figurehead carved from the horn of a narwhal was a coveted artifact that many sailors dreamed of, often adorning expensive ships.
Indeed.
It controls the waves.
“Sis! Look! I made a friend!”
Pyris, riding the wave-manipulating narwhal, was charging toward them.
“Luke, quickly run away!”
“Ah, got it!”
Seeing that spectacle, Yerna promptly pushed Luke’s back and began swimming towards the beach.
While Luke was diligently moving his feet, evading the oncoming waves proved to be beyond his capability.
“Ahhh!”
Crash!
The wave ultimately engulfed them all, and Luke was swept into the water.
He regretted not having set rules with Pyris about not riding fish.
—–
It was a lovely day, and although he had tried not to get angry, it couldn’t be helped.
Pyris knelt before a fuming Luke, hands raised in surrender, with her head bowed.
Luke gazed at her with annoyance and said,
“Weren’t you playing with Diana? Why did you suddenly come this way?”
“Diana said she was tired and went into the tent to rest, so I thought I’d play with you…”
Well, that was commendable.
She had wanted to continue having fun in the water but had opted not to do it alone.
She was trying to follow the rules.
However,
“Then tell me, where did you get that narwhal from?”
“I just met it along the way. So we became friends.”
“What? Friends? The narwhal? Did you even give it a name?”
“No, it already had that name.”
“Huh.”
Luke rubbed his forehead.
Could it really be a named entity?
If a spirit could recognize that name, then there must be more than one being that calls it that.
The implication was that it was an entity interacting with other intelligent beings, typically meaning ‘mermaids’, which would indicate it was a pet of a mermaid, or an especially distinguished entity.
It wasn’t just one of the countless narwhals.
‘No wonder it was so fast at escaping…’
But why was such a narwhal just hanging out at this beach?
He couldn’t comprehend it at all.
“Ha…”
Well, let’s just say it’s there.
“Then why did you call the waves?”
“They said riding the waves would be faster…”
Luke rubbed his forehead again.
Was that really the reason she threw herself into the waves?
After the wave hit, the situation was quite chaotic.
Many people had been drenched by the sudden wave…
And he had to flail awkwardly until Yerna could right him after his tube flipped over, which seemed amusing enough that Pyris burst into laughter.
He couldn’t be entirely sure if that was what made him even angrier.
“Pyris.”
“Yes…?”
“You are now banned from the sea. And no more making friends with other animals.”
“Hiiing…”
“Answer me.”
Pyris hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Luke with a pitiful expression.
“Can’t you at least lift the ban on the sea?”
“……”
