As soon as the finger fell away from her, it began to wriggle and crawl across the floor.
Before long, the finger turned black, elongated, and transformed into a beautiful black snake with iridescent eyes, lifting its head.
Echidna’s grandmother was said to be so beautiful that she caught Poseidon’s eye. However, because she defiled a goddess’s temple while making love, only she was cursed.
Thus, her grandmother’s most prized possession, her beautiful hair, turned into snakes, and she returned to her sisters in a hideous form. Unlike her immortal sisters, her grandmother, who was destined to die, was sacrificed by a hero and left this world forever.
Echidna’s father was born from that very blood. Her grandmother’s sisters personally described that moment to Echidna.
Was it her grandmother’s influence?
Echidna was born with a snake’s tail, could understand the language of snakes, and was skilled in handling them. It was also said that she inherited her grandmother’s enchanting beauty.
Perhaps she even shared that tragic fate.
Go, my dear child. Go and help that poor human.
As Echidna whispered, the snake shook its head and then slithered into the ground. The old woman, with her dim eyes, gazed at the radiant golden castle.
The light streaming from the castle seeped into her dead eyes, but it was soon swallowed up by that evil darkness and disappeared.
Echidna remained buried among the seaweed for a long time, never leaving her place.
***
A massive wave split the sea.
The wave, draped like a skirt with white foam, swelled with the power of the wind, creating a giant mountain over the endless expanse of the sea.
The rising wave gathered into a circle, forming a castle.
The sight of the castle of waves forming over the vast, untouched blue sea was truly overwhelming and even seemed sacred.
Unfortunately, there were no humans with the privilege of witnessing that magnificent sight. Only the gods above the clouds could glance at the castle of waves with admiration.
It was a gathering of the sea’s guardians.
Triton and lesser gods from various regions gathered, busily discussing and concluding their meetings. Since they had territories to oversee, they couldn’t stay away for long and dispersed after handling the agenda before sunset.
Matters like fights between some species, the increase in salinity, human intrusion, or the extinction of specific sea creatures were trivial issues that didn’t necessarily require Triton’s intervention.
Unless it concerned the Aegean Sea, where Triton resided, the affairs of distant seas were left to the autonomous authority of those who governed them.
He simply lay in the seat of honor, listening to their discussions, and if there was nothing that threatened the safety of the entire sea, he respected the meeting with his silence.
The meeting seemed to be ending smoothly, as usual, until one of them dared to ask Triton a question.
“I heard you took in a human.”
It was Tartan, the god governing the eastern Atlantic. Being Triton’s brother and counterpart, they were very similar, but there were differences upon closer inspection.
For instance, the one facing Triton now had slightly darker eyes and a massive scar across his back. It was a scar he earned when he annihilated about a hundred naval ships engaged in mermaid hunting.
The navy of a nation that worshipped the god of destruction was indeed formidable, managing to leave a mark on his body. Though the cost was their complete annihilation….
“It’s nothing. Just a small amusement… No need to worry, Tartan.”
“Incidents arise from complacency. I don’t know what kind of amusement you’re indulging in, but I humbly request that you kill that human. It’s best to eliminate the seed of misfortune before it sprouts.”
…How dare you.
In an instant, the wall of waves surrounding the meeting hall froze. The sound of the previously relaxed discussion sank immediately.
Triton looked at the god before him with cold eyes. Even a light gaze from him was powerful enough to easily crush a god who ruled a side of the sea.
Truly a being born with a power most akin to the primordial sea… Some swallowed their unspoken admiration and averted their eyes.
Tartan gritted his teeth to withstand the pressure on him, but true to his upright nature, he didn’t stop his advice.
“Humans have always been useless to mermaids. Amusement can be found without humans, as much as you want….”
Crack.
The frozen wave developed a crack that seemed ready to shatter at any moment. Instantly, an even heavier silence descended on the hall.
In the tense atmosphere, where it seemed like the icy wall might crumble with just a drop of water, the man lying alone slowly sat up.
This was bad. If it continues like this, the meeting will be the least of our worries; the sea will overturn.
Dugong and Actius, who were guarding behind Triton, exchanged glances and tensed their bodies, ready to calm the storm in the hall if it erupted.
However,
“Come to think of it, I did like personalities like yours.”
“Yes, you are a god, one who lives an eternal life. Is a mere 100 days truly too precious for you?”
Triton, having just stood up, offered a slight smile. Bubbles began to form on the once-frozen walls of the waves.
“I find it more entertaining to deal with those who are fearless rather than cowards.”
“…Surely, you’re not afraid of a woman as insignificant as she is?”
Muttering to himself, he glanced at the lesser gods who were still watching him warily, then looked at the sky beyond the barrier of waves.
The wings of Astaroth, the god of twilight, had already stretched across the sky. The orange glow of the sunset blazed like someone’s hair. Eyes the color of emerald seas briefly flashed through his mind.
After gazing at the sky for a long time, Triton murmured softly, “The meeting is adjourned.”
***
The towering waves dispersed, and as the red twilight settled into a purple hue, a thick mist spread over the sea.
“…Strange.”
Actius, who was tidying up the area where the meeting had been held, rubbed his chin with a puzzled expression. Dugong turned back to ask, “What is?”
“He’s not one to hold back. Why did he restrain himself?”
At Actius’s words, Dugong rolled his eyes and tilted his head in confusion. “Hold back what? Who?”
“Who else would it be?”
“Uh…? So, are you talking about Triton?”
Actius looked at his colleague with pity, as if it wasn’t worth answering, and then muttered again in a serious tone, “Anyway, it’s odd. He’s not someone who holds back just because it’s bearable.”
At Actius’s words, Dugong suddenly widened his eyes as if he had realized something significant.
If there was nothing to provoke him, he could remain calm indefinitely, but if anything went awry, he would overturn everything without mercy. That was Triton and his sea. Given the atmosphere that had frozen the hall earlier, it wouldn’t have been surprising if a storm had erupted immediately. So why did he hold back?
“You’re right. He’s not the type to do that… What is it? Did he perhaps eat something bad like seaweed?”
“…Do you think Triton is like you? Picking up and eating random seaweed…”
“Then… could it be rotten clams?”
With his eyes and nostrils flaring, Dugong continued to spout nonsense. Shaking his head, Actius looked in the direction where Triton had disappeared.
An inexplicable anxiety gnawed at his heart. Why did he feel so uneasy and restless? The fact that someone who wasn’t known for holding back had done so meant there was a compelling reason for him to restrain himself.
The reason for his uncharacteristic restraint…
‘…Surely, it’s not because of that human woman?’
It seemed the most plausible reason, yet also the most absurd. Could it be that he stopped at a reasonable point to avoid drawing more attention to that human woman?
He tried to deny it, but recalling the initial reason for Triton’s irritation, it didn’t seem too far-fetched.
The chilling aura that erupted the moment Tartan mentioned the human woman was, in Actius’s view, an emotional disturbance even Triton hadn’t realized himself.
No, it couldn’t be. Surely not. Yes, I’m just overthinking it. The mind of a god is beyond anyone’s comprehension, which is why I’m imagining strange things.
As he shook his head to clear his thoughts, the mist in front of him blurred. Just as he was about to return to the sea, he stopped in his tracks.
Bang!
Something long and sharp sliced through the moonlight, flying straight toward Actius. He quickly reached out to catch the incoming weapon, but its immense force pushed him backward.
“What, what is this! An enemy?”