A long sigh followed, seemingly to suppress anger. Perhaps like an owner searching for a puppy that suddenly disappeared during a walk? Seeing the tired expression crossing Asrein’s face, I quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, how do you know Oceanos?”

“I met him while traveling around the area years ago.”

“Ah, then since you haven’t met in a while, couldn’t you have enjoyed a leisurely conversation?”

“We’re not that close.”

His attitude in drawing boundaries was quite firm. However, considering that Oceanos, who would normally be wary of intruders, readily admitted him into the palace, they seemed more than mere acquaintances. I wondered if he had also heard about the “deal” from Oceanos.

I glanced at him discreetly, but Asrein didn’t easily reveal his thoughts. Instead, I heard him murmuring faintly.

“Besides… I’ve already gotten back what’s mine.”

Wait a moment. What did he just say…? I froze at words that made me doubt my ears. Meanwhile, Asrein, who had dropped this bombshell statement, calmly left the reception room.

Standing dumbfounded in place, I shook my head with a hollow laugh. Excessive delusions harm mental health, they say. Right. He must have misspoken and meant “my student.” Nothing more, nothing less. Better to abandon such thoughts quickly.

Tidying myself, I followed Asrein out. In front of the palace, Oceanos and three sirens were waiting for us. The numerous guards had disappeared, making it a quiet farewell. While Asrein walked ahead and conversed with Oceanos, the sirens approached and surrounded me in a circle.

[Take care. It was fun during our short time together.]

[It’s a bit disappointing we couldn’t dance together~]

[Come visit again sometime. Oh, but you must come alive, okay?]

I could only manage an awkward smile, remembering the rattling skeleton cradled in their arms. Dione and Callirrhoe left, giggling at my frozen face. Before Styx could follow them, I hurriedly called him back.

“Styx. May I ask you one thing?”

[Hehe, of course.]

“Do you remember why that ship I entered earlier sank?”

[Ah~ that one?]

Styx tilted his head, stroking his chin.

[I’m not sure about the reason. It started sinking slowly without hitting anything. We excitedly went to check it out, but unfortunately, there wasn’t a single human on board.]

There were clearly signs of life inside the ship. Yet even the crew had vanished when it sank…. Did they escape quickly, knowing it would sink? Too much time had passed to find traces of magic now.

“Was there anything else unusual about it?”

[Hmm~ let me think.]

After pondering again, Styx opened his mouth with a short exclamation.

[Usually, sunken ships have food or jewels in their boxes. So we always offered any good items to His Majesty Oceanos.]

“That’s normal.”

[Right? But that ship was strange.]

“Why?”

Styx folded his arms and pouted his lips sullenly.

[We had high expectations since it was such a large and magnificent ship, but the boxes were just full of stones. What the heck!]

“Stones…?”

[You know, stones with lots of holes in them.]

I frowned involuntarily. As he said, having only stones as cargo was unusual. It almost seemed like the ship had been deliberately filled with heavy stones to sink it in the sea.

If, according to my hypothesis, they deliberately sank a perfectly good ship, what was the reason? Were the crew members just a facade to make it appear like a trading or transport vessel? And volcanic rock at that. Were there any volcanoes among the mountain ranges covering the Karsa Empire…? A series of unanswered questions.

Just then, Asrein, who had finished his conversation in the distance, called me.

“Tae-oh.”

“Ah, yes! Coming!”

I hurriedly said goodbye to Styx and turned around. Asrein, standing under a stone arch, looked eager to leave the kingdom. As I approached him, I stopped and bowed my head toward Oceanos.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

[It was a pleasure meeting you, Tae-oh.]

With a faint smile, Oceanos took a step toward me. Then, placing his cold hand on my shoulder, he whispered:

[Don’t forget our promise.]

The pearl in my pocket resonated, responding to Oceanos’s voice. I needed to remember that although Oceanos was treating me gently now, he could become hostile at any moment. I nodded slightly and moved to Asrein’s side.

Despite my solitary struggle, the return journey to land was comfortable. Gentle water currents enveloped my body, safely bringing me above the surface. Standing on the cliff where I had fallen just hours ago, I gazed up at the sky.

The dark clouds that had filled the sky above the sea gradually disappeared, and a reddish sun rose beyond the horizon. A new morning was dawning.

“I’m indebted to you again, Professor. Thank you.”

I expressed my gratitude to Asrein with my hands respectfully clasped. However, his response differed considerably from what I expected.

“It’s I who am indebted.”

Somehow his voice was tinged with thorns. Though vaguely aware of the reason, I deliberately tested his reaction.

“What do you mean?”

“When I mentioned the storms to Oceanos, he said the discussion was already over. He told me he had been ‘persuaded’ by you and wouldn’t listen to me.”

“…Ah.”

“But persuasion doesn’t work on Oceanos, who clearly understands profit and loss. He always demands compensation equivalent to the conditions. Since I did nothing, I can’t help but be suspicious of you.”

His upright golden eyes took on a vivid crimson hue, like the sky tinted by the rising sun.

“What did you stake in exchange for stopping the storms?”

I pressed my lips tightly shut, unable to answer promptly. It wasn’t that I intended to hide anything. I simply wanted to postpone the conversation because Asrein looked so tired. But now, being questioned, my consideration only fueled his suspicion. After biting my dry lips repeatedly, I spoke with difficulty.

“I really was going to tell you. I wasn’t trying to hide it…”

“I understand, so tell me now.”

I carefully took out a pearl the size of my little fingernail and showed it to him. To the still puzzled Asrein, I explained about my deal with Oceanos. Before I could finish, his rigid voice interrupted the flow.

“I forbid it.”

“Professor!”

“You understand the reason without me explaining.”

He looked ready to plunge back into the sea at any moment. I immediately blocked his path and shared my honest thoughts.

“Oceanos is directly involved in this incident. He has the right to hear an apology in person, and I wanted to respect his wishes.”

“That’s correct, but your method is wrong.”

“Then what other method is there?”

When I boldly questioned him, the corner of his eyebrow rose sharply.

“There’s no need to discuss methods in the first place. As I told Lord Bezef, we only need to deliver the message. Why are you taking on obligations beyond that?”

“As you know, the sanctuary has no more room for injured magical creatures. If these storms continue, many magical creatures will die on the shore, and the people here will live in fear. You know that if we just ignore this, it could escalate into a war between species.”

To Asrein, who remained silent, I spoke deliberately, driving the point home.

“If this problem can be solved simply by lending my body, isn’t that fortunate?”

This isn’t about noble self-sacrifice. Objectively calculating, isn’t it better to prioritize the majority? Nevertheless, Asrein frowned, unable to understand.

“You speak like it’s someone else’s story. Aren’t you afraid?”

“It’s not life-threatening and it’s temporary, so I’ll be fine. Besides, we have no other options.”

“When trouble arises, most people rush to save themselves. Why do you act in the opposite manner?”

His low, murmuring voice drew out memories from the past.

“Because I… regretted my past.”

Not everyone lives with knowledge of their death date. Even I spent my days normally, unaware of death’s shadow following behind me. Had I known I would be hit by a car in front of the main gate, I would have done everything I wanted beforehand.

I would have blocked the professor who was always busy entertaining guests and insisted he review my thesis draft, or boldly refused unreasonable errands from professors, or thoroughly read all the books I had postponed due to my murderous schedule.

“Because I didn’t do things I could have done, because I didn’t say things I should have said… I deeply regretted it, but looking back, I realized I could never return to that time.”

My bucket list was too extensive to count on ten fingers, but now they’ve all become useless fantasies. So in this life, at least, I didn’t want to end up like my dissertation scattered in the wind, amounting to nothing.

“That’s why I want to do whatever I can.”

Even if it seems recklessly absurd to someone else, that’s fine. I now know there’s no emotion more foolish than regret.

“Professor. Please help me keep the promise I made.”

“Haah…”

With a deep sigh, silence enveloped the cliff. I hadn’t considered what to do if Asrein strongly objected. I thought this person would help me. Eventually, Asrein patted my head and said:

“It’s a teacher’s duty to trust his student’s choices… Do as your heart guides you.”

Before I could thank him, Asrein started walking. The distance from the nymph’s forest to the sanctuary was considerable. Moreover, without a carriage, we walked side by side for a long time. Though no conversation passed between us, the sound of waves in the distance and the occasional brush of his clothes against mine felt warm. My heart pounded at such small considerations as matching his pace—I was truly in bad shape.

“Are your feet not hurting?”

“Not at all! Don’t worry.”

Even when I said I was fine, Asrein naturally chose to walk on the rockier path. Thanks to him, I walked on relatively flat ground and secretly gazed at his admirable profile.

I wonder if he knows. That I, who vowed not to have regrets in this life, am still doing something I’ll regret.

And that the reason is you.

***

As soon as I returned to the lodging, Iris, with bloodshot eyes, scolded me until my ears hurt. When I asked if she’d lost sleep worrying about me, she immediately cursed. Finding her concern cute and touching, I smiled brightly. That earned me the inevitable label of “crazy person.”

After refreshing myself with a bath, Asrein told me he had sent a letter to House Pergamon. He included the reason the storms had stopped and Oceanos’s conditions for achieving this. Since he sent it with a messenger, the good news would soon reach the Count’s hands. Perhaps they had already anticipated it, seeing the cloudless sky since early dawn.

Half a day passed before the messenger who had gone to the Count’s house returned. The letter, sealed with the Pergamon family crest, requested a visit as soon as possible, preferably immediately. The urgency was evident from the still-wet dark ink.

Oceanos entering a human body to stop the storms—anyone would find this intriguing. Understanding their curiosity completely, I immediately boarded a carriage heading to the Pergamon mansion with Asrein. The tension of accepting Oceanos was so great that I didn’t even feel motion sickness.

Passing familiar scenery, the carriage arrived at the Pergamon mansion. Once again, only Bezef, the Count’s son, was waiting without the Count himself. His brightened demeanor stood out under the clear sky.

“You’ve arrived. I’ve been waiting.”

Following the polite Bezef, we entered the mansion. So curious was he that, unlike before, he didn’t offer tea but led us directly to a room. The room behind a spacious desk, filled with books, looked more like a study than a reception room. Bezef offered a plush sofa and said to Asrein:

“As requested in your letter, I’ve prepared a location where servants rarely come and go. If you wait a moment, my father will come to his office.”

Despite Bezef’s gesture toward Asrein, I was the only one who sat down. Awkwardly withdrawing his hand, Bezef glanced at me and said:

“Is it really true… that Oceanos will enter your body?”

“If you’re doubtful, you’re welcome to stay.”

“Ah, no. It’s not doubt, just fascination. A magical creature entering a human body…”

Trailing off, Bezef looked me over briefly. He seemed unable to believe that the legendary magical creature who ruled the sea would enter such a frail body.

“Oceanos won’t be able to use his powers through my body, so you needn’t worry.”

“That’s a relief.”

With a small sigh, Bezef placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly.

“When the sunlight woke me this morning, I was so surprised. Seeing a sky without a single cloud after so long… I was deeply moved. Thank you sincerely for making this dangerous choice for our family and city.”

“It’s nothing. Please just keep your promise.”

“Of course. I will help my father develop Pergamon steadily.”

I hope they never break Oceanos’s trust again…. While the spirited Bezef reassured me, I couldn’t completely erase the anxiety lodged in one corner of my heart. When I took the pearl from my pocket, the perceptive Bezef turned to leave.

“Then Professor, please come with me to the reception room. I’ll serve you tea.”

“That’s fine. Rather, provide a room where he can wait.”

“Ah, I’ll guide you to the adjacent room.”

As Asrein followed Bezef out, I spoke to him quietly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be out soon.”

Today, his golden eyes were filled with deep concern.