Chapter 271

「As expected, if it weren’t for the request of the Creator Dragon God, I wouldn’t have done such a thing!」

Deep in the sea, the water spirit aimlessly drifted around and grumbled while half its body was submerged in a clear spring.

「The water being clean is good, but this place is too cramped. Couldn’t you have made a bigger spring?」

“Do you want me to switch you with someone else?”

At my words, the water spirit paused briefly, shook its head helplessly, and said:

「C’mon, since the Creator Dragon God asked so nicely, how could I refuse? Lady Thetis also hoped that you would properly assist in what the Creator Dragon God aims to do!」

Though it says that, I know its lips are slightly twitching! Between aimlessly wandering the deep ocean or staying above the sea by helping me out, the answer was already decided.

Especially for the water spirit marked as a troublemaker by Thetis, drifting in the deep sea wasn’t exactly ideal.

「So, when is that Lizard-human arriving?」

“Since he just started climbing the mountain, he should arrive today, so don’t worry.”

「W-worry? Who’s worrying? I just want to get out of this small and stifling spring!”

A classic tsundere line from the water spirit. After all, if the Lizardman doesn’t come, it’ll have to stay here!

—

Quetzotlan climbed the mountain and met the water spirit at the spring atop it.

Well, “met” might not be entirely accurate. The Lizardman couldn’t see the spirit with his eyes.

Still, he could sense something powerful lurking within the crystal-clear spring.

He could feel the presence of the pure water spirit living in the transparent spring.

「It’s the first time anyone has visited this place.」

The spirit whispered softly to Quetzotlan where he touched the spring, startling him.

While he’d heard many tales about spirits, he’d never heard of one conversing so clearly with a stranger. He’d also heard stories that spirits with distinct wills and identities possessed great power—but never of one initiating conversation like this.

The legendary King of Water Spirits. If this was truly the Master of All Flows, it made sense…

「You there. One with scales. Why have you come to this tiny spring?」

Even though invisible, Quetzotlan could sense the spirit’s immense power and spoke in a low voice.

Though he hadn’t befriended any spirits before, he’d learned enough through an acquaintance mage. If he grew close to the spirit, perhaps he could borrow its power.

“I wish to cross the Lake of Death.”

「Lake of Death? Are you referring to the sea?」

Quetzotlan tilted his head at the spirit’s question.

Did the so-called “Lake of Death” actually mean the sea? It was something the Lizardmen didn’t know.

Perhaps the Lizardmen intentionally avoided using the word “sea.” After all, it was a place so dangerous that even approaching it posed a threat to life.

“I didn’t even know the sea existed. There’s no such word among the Lizardmen.”

「You’re like lizards trapped in a well, unaware of the vast ocean.」

「The sea is far wider and deeper than you imagine. That you don’t know about it… how strange for those with scales.」

Quetzotlan nodded slightly. He had only heard about the massive lake at the edge of the world through another Lizardman.

Maybe someone erased knowledge of the sea for some purpose.

「Well, I don’t need to know why the scaled ones buried facts about the sea.」

What mattered wasn’t the story behind those facts.

「So, you wish to cross the sea, do you?」

“Yes. I want to return to my homeland’s river.”

「A river of your homeland… Living beings seem to value their homelands highly, though I don’t fully understand why.」

The water spirit shook its head slightly and continued.

「If you want to go home, why not just go?」

“I can’t cross the sea. Saltwater dries my skin and scales.”

「Drying your skin and scales… How inconvenient for those with scales.」

The spirit thought for a moment and replied:

「I might be able to help prevent your skin from drying out.」

“Really?!”

「Yes. But… I can’t help freely.」

“Huh?!”

Certainly, that was true.

Spirits lend their powers to friends. This was widely known among Lizardmen who borrowed spirit powers.

They also knew spirits wouldn’t aid strangers and sometimes tried to possess them.

Though Quetzotlan wasn’t close to the spirit, he clearly remembered this fact.

What should he do? If he borrowed the spirit’s power, he might be able to cross the Lake of Death—the sea—and return home, but he lacked the time to befriend the spirit.

There wasn’t enough food on this small island to last long.

Had he more time, they might’ve become friends…

Quetzotlan sighed softly.

In this situation, gambling seemed the only option.

“I’ll give you anything I possess if you lend me your power.”

「Anything you possess?」

“Yes. I don’t know what I can offer, but if you desire something, I’ll provide it. Please lend me your strength.”

At this, the water spirit tilted its head momentarily before smiling faintly.

「Then, whenever you borrow my power, give me one of your scales.」

“A scale?”

「Yes. For some reason, I really want one. Though I don’t know why… I just want it badly.」

Confused, Quetzotlan hesitated.

He’d prepared himself mentally for giving up part of his body in the worst-case scenario, but just a scale?

“That’s reasonable. I’ll gladly give you a scale in exchange for your power.”

「Preferably one from under your jaw.」

Following the spirit’s instructions, Quetzotlan plucked a scale beneath his jaw and handed it over. The spirit carefully took it and cradled it in its embrace.

The scale then seeped into the spirit’s chest, and mysteriously, a physical form began forming for the otherwise incorporeal spirit.

“What…?”

「The sensation of having a body… Ah…」

The spirit seemed overwhelmed, unable to continue speaking.

After so long, the distant memory of longing for a body had finally returned.

But…

Psshhk!

The scale inside the spirit quickly disintegrated into powder and vanished.

「Ah…!」

The fleeting body disappeared almost instantly, as if the scale had been too weak to sustain it.

“It… disappeared again…?”

To Quetzotlan, it merely looked like the spirit’s brief appearance had faded.

「Ah… As expected, it was too much to ask…」

The spirit was filled with disappointment. Its long-held wish had been fulfilled only for a moment.

「Still… Even for just a moment, I felt what it was like to have a body. It wasn’t bad.」

The spirit smiled faintly, content with that short-lived happiness.

「I’ll lend you my power. My water will now protect you.」

As soon as the spirit finished speaking, clear water enveloped Quetzotlan like armor.

Instinctively, Quetzotlan realized that with this power, he could go anywhere.

—

Thus, Quetzotlan traded a scale for protection by the water spirit.

Personally, I had hoped the Lizardmen would evolve to adapt to the harsh marine environment and become capable swimmers in both freshwater and saltwater across generations, but that’s likely too difficult without many generations.

Still, gaining the ability to borrow the water spirit’s power in exchange for scales is a significant achievement for the Lizardmen.

Thanks to the spirit’s assistance, Quetzotlan no longer feared the sea and even swam in waters he once couldn’t approach.

Hmm… Though limited, removing the water dependency constraint for the Lizardmen—was it a good decision? Or did I remove their last inhibitor?

Regardless, all we can do now is watch what happens next.