Chapter 87 - Undine
With Kuroko by our side, it should be fine. The two of us helped everyone disembark. Since the rope had already been pulled up, it could be used for its original purpose of securing the boat so it wouldn't drift away. When I asked Kuroko whether it was better to tie it to a tree or drive a stake into the ground, it seemed a tree was better. While we were tying the rope to a tree that was staying still and securing the boat, Lyudmila went over and was touching a tree.
"Lyudmila? What's wrong?"
"There were bugs on the tree, so I'm taking them off for it."
The bugs she took off were tossed straight into Kuroko's mouth. Before I knew it, several trees had gathered around Lyudmila. It seemed they wanted the bugs removed.
"There are no small birds here, right? So there's nothing to eat the bugs."
"I see. Then shall we all split up and take them off?"
"Yeah."
Following Lyudmila's lead, we all decided to go bug-hunting. We spent about half an hour picking them, tossing some into Kuroko's mouth and putting others into Robinson-san's small bag.
Thinking it should be fine now, I was wiping the sweat from my brow when I noticed other trees were closing the distance.
Wait a minute. You lot, how many hundreds—no, thousands—of you are there?
No matter how you look at it, doing all of them is impossible, we all thought, clutching our heads...
"Sorry. We'll come again, so we'll take turns picking them then."
When Lyudmila said that, they retreated dejectedly. As expected of an agricultural researcher. She's quite something.
With Kuroko, who had started burping—perhaps from overeating—in tow, we began our exploration.
The island in the lake was a meadow of green as if it were midsummer, and the only trees planted were the ones lined up at the island's edge. Other than that, flat terrain stretched out. Since it wasn't that large, we soon reached the shore of the lake within the island.
The lake inside the island was of a size better called a pond. The distance to the small island inside it was so short that even I could probably reach it if I threw a stone. On the island was a two-story, tower-like stone building. There were places where stones were missing, like windows or holes. The leaves of the trees growing around the building were vibrant yellows and reds, and many withered leaves had fallen to the ground. The grass on the ground also had almost nothing green, looking like autumn. The season there is the same as our world.
When I released Kuroko into the water, it swam away smoothly. It went straight into a nest-like place on the opposite shore and curled up. I suppose its duty is done. No more guide from here on...
To be honest, I'm anxious, but it can't be helped. I'm grateful just for it bringing us this far. When I said "Thank you," I was ignored. Since it might not have heard me, I picked up a pebble that had fallen and threw it into the water near where it was curled up; then it gave a reply. It should have done that from the start.
We circled around, but there was no bridge to the inner lake. It's the final barrier.
"Umu. I can't think of any better way than to ask that fellow."
Paul-san was looking at Kuroko.
Let's do that. While calling out "Hey! Hey!", we threw stones—'bochan, bochan.' I didn't hit it, but it seemed I'd soured its mood. It began to cry out loudly.
"Tell us how to cross! I'll give you more dried meat!"
While I was desperately calling out to Kuroko, who was flapping its wings and making a fuss 'gaa, gaa,' suddenly, a voice was heard.
"Shut uuuup!"
Suddenly, the lake water leaped up and poured down over my head. I'm soaking wet again. Moreover, despite the large amount that fell, only I am wet.
What on earth is this... Between the Water Splashing Festival and the time I almost drowned at the encampment, do I have some kind of bad luck with water?
Looking in the direction the water came from, a mass of water in the shape of a person was standing on the water's surface.
"What is it? You've been noisy for a while now!"
Because her body is made of water, she is transparent. Since she isn't wearing clothes, the lines of her body are clearly visible. She has quite a good figure. Her age looks to be in the early twenties.
"What are you staring at? Say something!"
No, um, who are you?
"If you want to know someone's name, it's common courtesy to introduce yourself first!"
That's certainly true. I was so surprised that I just stared blankly.
"Is it Undine?!"
Paul-san, having come to his senses, shouted.
When you say Undine, that's the one from the fairy tales... if I recall, one of the Four Great Spirits, the water spirit...
"Heh, so you know a little."
She ran her hand through her hair... water that looked like hair.
Does that mean that? Do we have to offer a young, handsome knight as a human sacrifice?
Um, unfortunately, we don't have one on hand...
I was splashed with water.
"Don't talk about people like they're some kind of lecher!"
"Don't say such rude things!" Paul-san also scolded me.
"I might not be young, but surely there's a handsome man right here!"
He started striking a pose. I'll at least give him credit for his guts.
"Sorry, but your face isn't my type."
He retreated dejectedly.
"So, what are you lot?"
Since things had settled down, we introduced ourselves one by one. It wasn't my imagination that Paul-san was being ignored.
The white tower is apparently her home. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Goddess's ruins. While she was watching us as part of the water, I threw stones and shouted, so she came out in anger.
When I bowed and said "I'm sorry," she cheered up. Since we'd brought them, I offered the gifts.
"This again? Humans always send the same things. I'm already bored of them."
Even as she said that, she was gulping down the wine the church had wrapped up. While nibbling on the bread with raisins that was included, she even demanded, "Is there nothing else?"
The offerings are sold at the church, and one must not substitute them with other things. It's likely because making it a monopoly is more profitable. I don't know if it's been hundreds or thousands of times, but they must have been offering the exact same things.
In that case, I glanced at Paul-san, and he nodded in telepathic agreement. We have a trump card. I presented the Highway Cookie Special Deluxe Assortment.
"What's that? Hand it over."
Snatching it, she first put one in her mouth. She was all smiles. Yes! Paul-san and I reflexively did a victory pose. It worked on goblins. I thought it would work on the same kind of spirit, and as expected, it did.
"I like you. Even if your face is... like that."
Paul-san was shot down again, but he asked, "If you're hungry, shall we make a pot of stew?" and pointed to the white tower. I thought such a bold invitation would surely be impossible, but she gave an easy OK. She's surprisingly greedy.
After eating three cookies, she closed the lid and held the box dearly with both hands. She seems to really like them. If I ever have the chance to go to the Royal Capital, I'll have to stop by the main store and say thanks.
When Undine raised her right hand, the water rose up and formed a square shape. Apparently, we are to cross on that.
"You're first."
She pointed at me.
"Why me?"
"Lately, you've been purified by being splashed with or soaking in a lot of clean water, haven't you?"
I remember. During the Water Splashing Festival, in a great disadvantage of seven against hundreds, I ended up standing at the front to fight back, so I was splashed three-digit times. Midway through, the women couldn't bear to watch and switched sides; the older ladies gathered under Roberts-sama and the younger women under Gladys-sama. Without that support, I might have drowned on the ground. At the mountain fortress in the Eastern Plains, I fell into a barrel of holy water that Amy-sensei had consecrated and really almost drowned. Because I fell in head-first, I ended up drinking quite a lot of holy water.
"If someone who hasn't been cleanly purified doesn't cross first, the water will lose its temper."
I see. Coincidence is a terrifying thing.
"Besides, that child acknowledged you."
At the end of her gaze, Kuroko was floating on the water, looking at us.
"What happened to the white bird?"
"That is that child's original form."
"Eh? Why from such a beautiful appearance to such an ungraceful..."
I accidentally let it slip, and I was honked at—"Gua, gua." Sorry, sorry, I apologized. Was the reason it was constantly falling because it was in an unfamiliar form?
"Ahahaha! You're an interesting girl. I feel like I understand why this child took a liking to you."
"But, why is that?"
"Humans judge by appearances, don't they? They don't look at the inside. That child uses two forms to analyze humans."
I see. She seems to have forgotten that she dismissed Paul-san's face as not being her type.
"What? Did you say something?"
"No. It's nothing."
As expected of a spirit, she's sharp.
The water bridge was squishy and unreliable, but I managed to finish crossing. After Undine gave permission and the others were crossing in turn, Beatrix and Lyudmila started jumping 'pyon, pyon' in the middle. They kept jumping. When Undine reached out her right hand, they hurriedly stopped.
"This is interesting. If you put this out at a festival or something, you could take money for it. If that happens, I can buy you more of those cookies."
"It's fun, it's fun! I want to do it more!"
Undine glanced at the cookie box in her hand.
"Is that true?"
She bit.
"But, our companions can use Clump Water, and we can do it ourselves, so I guess it's fine."
"Naive. There's no way you can support a human with something like Clump Water."
"Then, what is it?"
"Do you think I'd teach you that easily?"
She was laughing, "Ufufu."
"Let's see, for one person... since it's for children, if we make it one small copper coin for a set time and a total of a hundred people play, you can buy fifty Highway Cookies. Events like festivals happen more than six times a year, so if you do it well, you'll have leftovers even if you eat one every day."
"Every day..."
She's leaning forward. She's completely hooked. As expected of Beatrix. She's quick to see a weakness.
"Wait a minute. Let's talk about that in detail later."
"Fine. First, I have to have you eat that stew."
She's chuckling. She must be certain she's taken control of the pace. As proof, when Lyudmila said she wanted to do it one more time, she let her, saying "I guess it can't be helped."
We crossed, but the tower has no entrance. While I was wondering what to do, the mass of water we just crossed flew over and became a staircase. I'm surprised.
"Fuhun," she acted haughty.
"Can water magic be used here?"
When Paul-san asked, the reply was "Of course." Incidentally, it seems attribute magic other than water cannot be used. Come to think of it, the ones we tried were wind magic and fire magic.
Climbing the squishy stairs on all fours, we reached the roof. There was a staircase at the edge. Going down, we reached a room with a two-story high ceiling. Since there were windows where there were no stairs, it was sufficiently bright.
There was a large water tank at the edge of the room. Apparently, it's connected to the lake we came from via an underground waterway.
There was a fireplace with a pot hanging. There was a light blue sideboard, one bed, one white table and chair. There was some kind of stand with a beautiful light blue orb on it. It's more well-equipped than my room.
"Do you usually eat here?"
"That's right. The ingredients are in the lake, after all."
I never imagined a Great Water Spirit would do cooking. She lives a surprisingly steady life.
Since I was urged, I hurriedly started preparing the stew. The fire is in the fireplace. Using Lyudmila's magic, we put water in the pot and simmered it with pieces of dried meat and vegetables. Since we'd already eaten our lunch boxes, I made a generous portion for one. It's done when the meat starts to fall apart.
A faint scent of meat drifted through the room. Undine gulped. When I served it in a bowl and handed it over with a spoon, she sniffed it 'fun, fun,' then ate a bite of the loosened meat.
"Isn't this delicious!"
She started eating heartily. By the time she finished, the atmosphere had become completely relaxed. Truly, nothing beats a delicious meal.
"That aside, teach me that water magic from earlier. I'll bring you even more delicious offerings."
Beatrix resumed the negotiations. Undine crossed her arms with a "Fuhun."
"More than that, guide me through the outside world. If you do that, you can use my magic anytime, right?"