novelraw Chapter 10: The Necklace
Chapter 10: The Necklace
Outside the ship, the sky was dimly lit. Inside the cabin, Reina and Renée were both asleep, leaving only Fischer still scribbling away with a quill on his manuscript. He organized the information obtained from Reina and sketched a proportionally scaled full-body diagram of the crab demi-human, while also studying the strange clothing she wore.
According to Reina, her outfit was made by a demi-human species called "jellyfish-folk," who lived at the very top of the ocean vortex. Their bodies were entirely transparent, and the clothes they crafted were both beautiful and durable.
There were many other demi-human species in the depths, but Reina had only provided limited information so far. Fischer rubbed his temples, though he didn't feel particularly tired. Based on Reina's description of the underwater demi-human ecosystem, there didn’t seem to be any particularly aggressive species down there. The only notable exception was the so-called "Royal Family" she mentioned. Could the "Child of the Sea" be one of them?
What still intrigued Fischer was the entity worshipped by the ocean demi-humans—the one called "Lhamastia." What kind of being could these creatures regard as a god? Perhaps some higher form of life?
For some reason, Fischer recalled the enormous eye he had encountered in the Southern Continent—an existence deeply connected to the souls of living beings.
But for now, he had no further leads. Fischer leaned back in his seat just as Renée emerged from the cabin.
"Good morning. Did you stay up all night again?"
Last night, Reina had grown drowsy while talking. Fischer had wanted to ask more questions, but she had already collapsed into Renée's arms, defenseless as a child.
"Mmm... Just organizing the information from yesterday. It’s the first time I’ve encountered an ocean demi-human, so I took more notes."
Renée walked over to Fischer and, this time, refrained from teasing him. Instead, she gently massaged his temples with her soft hands."Typical of you—never tiring when it comes to uncovering the unknown. That’s one of the things I admire about you. Actually, I admire everything about you~"
It was unclear whether she was teasing or being sincere. Fischer closed his eyes comfortably, enjoying her touch. Her scent was light yet intoxicating, making him—who wasn’t even tired—suddenly feel like resting in her embrace for a while.
"What do you plan to do with that child?"
"I’ll let her go soon. I’ll give her the pearl as promised—it was a gift from that female captain anyway."
"How cruel. She gave it to you with such kindness."
"You’d actually be happy if I gave the pearl to Reina, wouldn’t you?"
Renée had disliked the captain’s gift from the start. Even if she hadn’t shown it, Fischer had sensed it. After spending so much time together, he had at least some understanding of her.
But faced with Fischer’s blunt words, Renée merely smirked and tapped her lips with a finger, refusing to answer.
"Who knows? Maybe I am, maybe I’m not~"
"..."
A moment of silence passed. Fischer guessed she was probably quite pleased, given how she kept massaging him without pause.
In this seemingly frozen moment, a small figure stealthily crept out from Renée’s cabin. Carrying a small leather bag, she tiptoed along the wall toward the door, warily eyeing Fischer by the window. Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob, Fischer’s calm voice rang out.
"Where are you going?"
"Eek! I-I... I was just... going to get something to eat... I’m so hungry, hehe..."
Caught in the act, the crab demi-human named Reina frantically waved her claws, looking so innocent that Renée couldn’t help but laugh.
"...Eat breakfast before you leave. I keep my promises—if I said I’d let you go, I won’t go back on my word."
Fischer stood up from Renée’s embrace. If he stayed any longer, he might fall under the witch’s spell, unwilling to let her leave his side. He headed out to call for breakfast service, intending to send Reina off after the meal.
Reina recalled the delicious food from last night, her throat moving involuntarily. Still, she pretended indifference and crossed her arms.
"Fine, I’ll reluctantly stay and eat a little."
What an idiot—so easily swayed by food. She really had no principles.
At the table, Renée sipped some milk while watching Reina devour her meal with motherly fondness, as if observing a child growing up healthy. It made Fischer wonder if her comment last night about wanting a child had been serious.
"Here, take this."
Fischer handed Reina the pearl from yesterday as payment for the information. Reina seemed stunned that a human would actually give it to her. She held the pearl blankly for a long moment before finally pocketing it.
*Humans must all be good people, then.*
But Fischer saw through her thoughts. Without looking up from his newspaper, he said,
"But as advice, I’d suggest you come up to the surface less often. If other humans catch you, you won’t get the same treatment as here. Being locked up for life would be the best outcome—more likely, they’d dissect you piece by piece for research. And if they couldn’t figure you out, they’d sell the parts at a seafood market."
The horrifying words drained the color from Reina’s face. Renée, still smiling, patted her white head.
"By the way, why did you come all the way up here? Just to see what’s on the surface?"
"Well... I want to become a merchant!"
"A merchant?"
Both Fischer and Renée turned their gazes to the petite crab demi-human, who bashfully lifted her bag.
"I want to collect lots of things you can’t find underwater and sell them to others—like Grass or Dew. That way, I can earn money to buy delicious food!"
Grass and Dew were probably her demi-human friends from the ocean.
This kid had surprisingly sharp business instincts. If she weren’t a demi-human, Saint Nary would’ve been the perfect place for her—after all, modern Nary reeked of money.
"Your goods shouldn’t come from theft, though. Thieves get caught and spanked."
"I-I just don’t have capital yet..."
Reina scratched her head sheepishly but seemed to take Fischer’s warning to heart. "I get it. I won’t steal anymore..."
Fischer nodded. Seeing that she had eaten her fill, he turned his gaze to the ocean outside. The question now was how to send her back without drawing attention. He’d have to rely on Renée to handle it discreetly.
"Little Reina, how are you getting back? Swimming?"
"I called a friend to pick me up. They should be here soon..."
"A friend?"
Fischer looked toward the sea beside the cruise ship. At some point, a massive blue crab had surfaced, floating with only its enormous shell visible as it stared up at Fischer’s cabin.
"That’s a huge crab. Must be delicious."
"Don’t you dare eat Haru! He’s a family friend! If he got eaten, my dad would beat me to death—he wouldn’t have a ride to work anymore!"
So they used these things as transportation?
Fischer was impressed. Clearly, there was much more to the underwater demi-human settlements than Reina had shared. But given her eight-year-old intellect, she had already said plenty last night. He couldn’t expect too much—eight-year-olds in Saint Nary were still rolling marbles by the roadside.
"Alright, that’s all I have to say. You can go now. And remember—avoid humans. It’s for your own good."
"Mmm... I forgot to ask your names!"
"...Fischer."
"I’m Renée~"
Renée patted her head, making Reina squint happily.
"Hehe, Fischer and Renée. It was nice meeting you! Ocean Emperor Reina is going home now! Bye-bye!"
After her final farewell, Renée escorted her to the water’s edge. The small figure, carrying an oversized leather bag, hopped onto the giant crab floating on the surface. She fastened a strap on the crab’s back around herself, then waved at Fischer’s cabin. The crab tilted backward and swiftly sank beneath the waves, vanishing from sight.
Fischer took a sip of coffee, only to notice a blue crystal necklace left on the table. Its exquisite craftsmanship suggested it was of human make...
Wait—had she stolen this from Arajina? Thinking Fischer was allied with the pirate captain, had she "returned" the stolen necklace as thanks for last night’s meal?
Fischer stared at the necklace for a moment before tucking it into his coat just before Renée returned. He didn’t need a repeat of the pearl incident.
Just to be safe.
The cruise pressed onward. Over the next ten days, the ocean view was frequently broken by cargo ships and warships—no longer as serene as before. They were approaching the jewel of human civilization: Saint Nary.