“Wow… But why is it so bright here?”
The fact that we were in a dark tunnel helps too, but it’s even brighter than before we entered it.
As I feel puzzled, Livia smiles and points to the ocean floor.
“Can you see that coral reef?”
“Yes. They have a lot of colors like golden and pink.”
There really is a ton of variety in these things spread all over the ocean floor.
I know coral reefs on Earth come in various colors, but actually seeing this still surprises me.
“This is called a rainbow reef. The coral itself houses light.”
“Eh…”
“Livia, can we look closer?”
“Yes. And touch them, since they don’t have poison or anything.”
Reina and Merlin slowly approach it and touch it.
“So much magic energy… Natural mana crystals.”
“On the continent, you could buy a mansion with a palm-sized one of these.”
“It is said that deep sea coral reef has been alive for thousands of years, and the magic energy stored long ago is shining… There’s something romantic to it.”
Both look very keenly, probably because they’re mages.
I don’t know about mana crystals or anything like that, but I assume they’re like magic stones.
No matter how valuable they are, there’s no need for them on this island.
More importantly, I want to burn this sight into my brain… I think, as I realize I lost sight of the kids on Elga’s back.
“Oh? Where are the kids, Elga?”
“Over there.”
He points with his wolf paw at a hole in the reef, big enough for people to enter. Tiltue and Luna are entering it as if trying to hide there.
And Snow is copying them by going head first into a different hole. But she stops halfway through because the hole is smaller than she expected.
She starts flapping her legs, head still buried.
“Haha, that’s cute.”
I approach her while laughing awkwardly, and she manages to get inside the coral.
I wait for a bit, and her head pokes out.
“Wah!?”
She’s surprised, so I guess she didn’t notice me.
“Hey Snow. Cute home you have there.”
“Yes! Everyone’s home! It’s all connected inside!”
Tiltue and Luna also poke their heads out from other holes, because they probably heard Snow.
“Eh… Can I go in too?”
“Eh… You’re big, daddy…”
How can that be… My own daughter doesn’t want to share a home…
It has to at least be somewhat big, because Tiltue and Luna are in there too…
“Y-you may enter my way!”
“You can come through Luna’s too.”
“Eh!? T-then Snows’ too!”
Did she think I was taking her away, or is she feeling guilty for being mean? In any case, she gets flustered and reverses her decision.
But actually, the hole Snow used is smaller than the other two, so it will be a bit hard for me to fit.
I would barely fit even after she gets out of the way, so maybe I should use the biggest one, where Tiltue is…
“Ah! Daddy…”
““…””
Snow sounds really lonely, so Tiltue and I look at each other, and nod.
“Darling, go over there.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
When I head over to Snow, she happily stretches her arms. Looks like she wants to get out.
I hold her, and then go inside the hole. As I thought, it’s pretty wide inside.
And the light of the rainbow reef makes it feel magical.
“I’m hurt by the extent of my vocabulary at times like these.”
Great, beautiful, are all I can come up with. But surely there are better words to describe it.
As I wonder about that, Snow comes back in, and touches the coral while looking around.
“Pretty.”
“…Yes.”
I look at Snow saying that from the bottom of her heart, and stop thinking about stuff that doesn’t matter.
If it’s great it’s great. If it’s beautiful it’s beautiful. If the intent gets across, those words are enough.
“You’re great, Snow.”
“Hn?”
I pat her head, and she happily squints.
“Hey mister, Livia is telling us to go!”
“Got it. Let’s go see the underwater temple where the aquatic divine beast people live, okay?”
“Oh!”
I put Snow outside the reef, and go out after her.
Is there a guy that wouldn’t feel excited upon hearing about an underwater temple?
Nope… I’m excited enough to declare that.
“Almost there.”
“I can’t wait.”
“You’re like a kid sometimes, about weird things.”
“It’s an underwater temple. Isn’t that cool?”
I’ve been living on this island for some time, but decades of games and manga mean I can’t help but be interested in the sort of thing you’d find in fantasy..
Miss Sheryl’s temple, Wil’s castle…
Even going underwater without equipment like this is amazing.
I can see small fish getting together to the side, making themselves look like a big fish as they follow us.
“Even fish know it’s safer with us divine beast people.”
I see.
Of course, divine beast people eat fish, but a lot less than giant monsters.
Being attacked by a big monster means losing a lot of them, so it’s best if as many as possible survive.
By themselves, they’re weak enough that even just surviving is hard.
What should they do to leave descendants? This is the answer their instincts found to that question.
“Hm… Life is amazing.”
“You… Are you getting a bit dimmer?”
“Fuh, I’m just emotional over seeing things I don’t normally see!”
I say to Merlin. I guess it was a silly thing to mumble, so I got flustered.
But I look at Elga, and see him running in the water with the kids on his back. He really looks like a divine beast.
That’s not something I normally think, when he’s in his humanoid form…
“Maybe I really should ride him too…”
“No.”
“…!?”
I turn around, and see Livia smiling.
T-that’s more pressure than when I fought Wil for real!
She looks and sounds gentle, but my instincts are telling me not to go against her.
“That’s my husband you’re talking about.”
“Y-yes…”
“Fufu, I’m glad you understand.”
Even though I’m a guy… But from her point of view, it doesn’t matter. Surely she doesn’t want someone on her husband. Although kids are okay…
I’m a little jealous… Maybe I’ll ask Cara to ride her pet later.
Mantichoras looks like a mythical beast, so imagining myself riding it looks nice.
We keep going as we talk, and suddenly, the fish following us go in the opposite direction.
“Here we are.”
A cliff at the bottom of the sea.
I look down…
“This is the underwater temple where we aquatic divine beast people live.”
I see a strange place with coral reef, giant shells, and boulders all together.
Thanks. 🖖