Chapter 148: Unfriendly Guests

Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Unfriendly Guests

"I’ve only ever heard legends about Sea Elves myself."

A nostalgic look appeared on Mibu’s face. "Back when I lived in a coastal town, an old fisherman told me a story."

"The great sea isn’t just home to all sorts of common marine life. There are also races we rarely see, and the Sea Elves are one of them. They say that the Sea Elves are divided into two major races: the kind and orderly Blue-striped Sea Elves, and the evil, chaotic Purple-striped Sea Elves. Each race is said to have a distinct striped marking between their brows, which is how you tell them apart."

"These Sea Elves all have Human faces and upper bodies, but their lower halves are like a fish. They’re a kind of half-Human, half-fish creature."

"Half-Human, half-fish..."

Vili wasn’t too surprised. In his past life, he’d seen such creatures many times in movies and television, so he had a general idea.

Dane, however, was different. This was the first time he’d ever heard of a creature that combined the features of a Human and a fish, and he found it astounding.

"You’re not just making this up, are you?"

Dane was already prejudiced against Mibu, so he voiced his strong skepticism upon hearing his story.

Mibu snorted. Even though Dane was an influential figure in White Bear Town, he couldn’t do a thing to him.

Mibu was Vili’s official Record Officer and was highly regarded by him, so he didn’t bother being polite when faced with Dane’s doubt. "Just because you haven’t seen a creature doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Have you ever seen anyone die like these two before?"

"And you? Have you seen a Sea Elf with your own eyes?"

Dane shot back.

"You..."

Growing annoyed at being questioned, Mibu was about to start a full-blown argument with Dane when Vili cut him off.

"That’s enough. No arguing. Please, continue."

Vili, for his part, was more inclined to believe Mibu’s perspective.

All sorts of Extraordinary Beings existed on land; it only made sense that the ocean, which was far more vast and expansive, would have its own Extraordinary Creatures.

Mibu nodded and ignored Dane. "The Sea Elves live in the ocean depths and rarely make contact with the surface world, but there are exceptions. For various reasons, some individual Sea Elves will leave the deep sea and interact with the Humans on land. However, the outcome of these encounters differs depending on the race of the Sea Elf."

"If a kind Blue-striped Sea Elf meets a Human, they’ll usually offer help or give them a gift. The old fisherman who told me this story said that when he was just a boy, he snuck out to sea at night behind his parents’ backs. A sudden storm with fierce winds and massive waves knocked him from his fishing boat into the water."

"He thought he was done for, but just before he lost consciousness, he saw a beautiful, half-fish figure swim up from the depths and hold him afloat. When the old fisherman opened his eyes again, he found himself back in his boat’s cabin. The storm had subsided. He told me with absolute certainty that it must have been a Blue-striped Sea Elf."

Vili nodded as he listened.

’This story sounds a lot like the fairy tale about the Mermaid who saved the prince from my past life.’

Dane had been about to retort again, but seeing that Vili seemed to believe the story, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"But if an evil Purple-striped Sea Elf encounters a Human, they will lure them with their beautiful songs, drawing them into a wonderful dream as they slip, bit by bit, into death."

Mibu glanced at the two Guards’ bodies. "Just like this."

"So they kill purely for amusement?"

Vili asked. The bodies had no missing parts, so it was unlikely they were killed for food.

"It would seem so, just as the Blue-striped Sea Elves help Humans without expecting anything in return."

Mibu agreed with Vili’s conjecture and added, "More often than not, their attacks and their assistance are both born from a simple curiosity about unfamiliar creatures. If you were to bring other land animals near the coast, you would likely attract their attention as well."

Vili pursed his lips, lost in thought.

"After making contact with a Human, do the Sea Elves immediately return to the deep sea? Or do they linger by the coast?"

"It varies."

Mibu answered, "The old fisherman also told me that some powerful Sea Elves can take on Human form and have even lived in the Human World for long periods. But that wasn’t his own experience; it was a rumor passed down from his forefathers."

"I see..."

Vili folded his arms across his chest and paced back and forth on the sand.

’The Sea Elves seem far more complex than I imagined. They must be a highly intelligent species.’

After a long moment, he sighed. "It seems White Bear Town has an uninvited guest from the sea."

Vili had no way of knowing how much of a threat this unfamiliar race posed.

But one thing was certain: the uninvited guest possessed considerable Extraordinary Power.

"Right, do they only appear on the coast at night?"

Vili asked suddenly.

"So they say. Because they live in endless darkness at the bottom of the sea, they have an instinctive aversion to sunlight. Only the Sea Elves who take on Human form to live on land can embrace the sun."

Mibu replied.

"Alright, let’s clean this up."

Vili said to Dane, "Make sure their families receive a generous pension."

"Yes, Lord Baron."

Dane replied.

Vili didn’t linger. He mounted his horse and returned to the manor.

After respectfully seeing Vili off, Dane and Mibu each gave a cold snort before parting ways.

...

Upon returning to the manor, Vili went straight to find Wally, who was still sunbathing on the lawn.

Wally was stretched out, lying lazily on the ground with its eyes half-closed, occasionally glancing at the male and female servants passing by.

But as soon as it sensed Vili’s approach, Wally suddenly rolled over and grinned at him.

Vili chuckled at the sight and reached out to give Wally a good scratch on the forehead. Wally seemed to enjoy it immensely, holding perfectly still.

"Alright."

Vili patted Wally’s head. "Listen up, Wally. Starting tonight, I’m taking you to the seaside to catch some fish."

Hearing this, the once-lazy Wally shot to its feet and gave its white fur a vigorous shake.

It nuzzled against Vili’s chest, looking overjoyed.

Wally wasn’t excited about going to the seaside. After all, White Bear Town was named after him, and as the town’s second-strongest fighter, he could go wherever he pleased. Vilia couldn’t control him anymore.

He was so excited because Vili was going to play with him.

Vili had adopted Wally as a cub, and the profound, subtle influence of the Beast Tamer’s affinity Ability had forged a deep emotional bond between them. Even though Vilia was with him every day, Vili would always hold the number one spot in his heart. Nothing would ever change that.

This was why Vilia always accused Wally of being an ungrateful bear. She was the one who had fed and raised him, yet he always treated Vili as the person he was closest to.