Sword of Dawnbreaker - Chapter 194 - Sea Demon Tiel's Big Adventure
The sea demon, Miss Tiel, was discernibly not too pleased about herself having “swam the opposite way”…
And Gawain also finally understood how this deep-sea creature had foolishly come to humankind’s continent through his conversation with her.
According to her claims, the sea demons had a battle with a group of humans a month ago, and it had been at the Endless Sea in the east that was far from land. They were “a group of crazy humans, dressed in long black robes and tunics, and could use strange spells”. The battle did not last for a long time. Although those humans had formidable spells, they were isolated and helpless on the island, and they were numerically disadvantaged. The sea demons broke through their defenses with just two summons of lightning storms and several tsunamis. The humans escaped in a hurry.
Miss Tiel lost contact with the main unit during the latter half of the battle —— the spells that those humans used might have interfered with her judgment (she said so herself), resulting in her being unable to distinguish the directions. She was originally swimming towards the sea demons’ territory but ended up at the humans’ continent as she swam on and on…
“I still found it odd at first —why the landscape of the seabed looked increasingly unfamiliar.” Miss Tiel sat on the edge of the well, her fishtail beating the ground on and off. ——Gawain was very curious about the composition of her fishtail; it could actually bend to such an extent. “As I swam, I saw land and a large river’s estuary… I thought that I had rounded to the back of our landmass.”
“Your landmass?” Gawain was stunned. “You people have a landmass there as well?”
“We do.” Tiel nodded. “But you can call it a slightly bigger island too… I’m not familiar with the situation on land. We stay in the sea the majority of the time.”
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This sea demon was definitely a heaven-sent surprise. Gawain felt that his knowledge of this world would be greatly improved with Tiel’s supplement. He could not help but continue questioning closely, “Do you all know the background of the humans who battled with you?”
“How would I know. They suddenly came to our territory and even occupied an island, wanting to hold some ritual —— that was in a danger zone. There are very strong and unstable energy fields at the bottom of the sea. Ten to one, a mishap would happen if they messed around there. So, we sent people to remind them not to do so. In the end, those humans, without a word, rushed over shouting ‘the storm is rising’ and was beaten up by us…” Tiel tilted her head as she recounted, as if rather lost with the illogical thinking of creatures like humans. “We don’t have many dealings with humans, but it was really our first time seeing those mad fellows…”
“It’s the Sons of the Storm!” Pittman immediately guessed the identity of those people from Tiel’s descriptions. “That’s right… Other than the Sons of the Storm, who else would appear in the sea area so far from land? That bunch of lunatics have kept clear of human territories after their degeneration, 80 to 90 percent of them have all gone to the sea.”
As he spoke, the little old man could not help but twiddle his beard. “Who would have thought, who would have thought…? Not only had that bunch of fellows run to the deep sea, they actually also fought sea demons there…”
Heidi also looked towards Tiel. “In that case, your people wanted to remind those mad humans not to take the risk. They refused to listen, and that’s why you all fought?”
Probably because she had said a lot, though Tiel’s languidness was still present, she had started to answer the others’ questions. “Yeah. Otherwise, who would be so idle as to go fight you humans? —— We’re very busy every day, alright?”
“Do you know what those humans were holding the ritual for?” Gawain frowned and followed with another question.
“I didn’t understand, couldn’t read it. The spells of you humans are too strange. I couldn’t figure them out at all.”
Gawain sighed, thinking to himself that nothing could be done about this. The two races have almost zero exchange of knowledge; to have a sea demon clearly explain what those human heretics were doing specifically would be truly imposing.
Meanwhile, Rebecca had become curious about Tiel sleeping in the well. “Have you been hiding in our well the whole time?”
“It wasn’t the whole time. It hasn’t been long since I reached here.” Tiel yawned. “I swam for so long and was exhausted. Then I found a spot where the water flow was relatively gentler, so I planned to get some sleep… I never expected to have my head struck in the middle of my sleep. Say, who exactly was it that hit me with the pail?”
Gawain: “…”
Don’t fish only have seven seconds of memories? Why was it that this sea demon still remembered this!
“Don’t mind who hit you with the pail.” The corner of Gawain’s lips twitch. “Who would know there would be someone sleeping in the well?”
Tiel looked at Gawain curiously. “Is sleeping in the well against the law with you humans?”
Gawain faltered instantly, feeling that this question had touched the blind spot of his knowledge. After pondering carefully for a long while, he then explained hesitantly. “Sleeping in the well indeed isn’t against the law here, but it’s considered suicide…”
Tiel stretched herself hard, her tail flapping on the ground as she exerted force throughout her body. “Then I’ll sleep somewhere else.”
“Eh, hold on.” Gawain jolted and abruptly reacted. “Are you planning to go around the human world like this?”
Tiel paused for a moment and only seemed to notice then that she looked rather different from the people around her — as well as the soldiers who cordoned off the scene and their curious glances. Miss Mermaid let out an “oh” belatedly. “Oh… I forgot you people don’t look like this!”
Just as her voice fell, Gawain saw a sheet of mist disperse instantly before his eyes. When the mist re-condensed into human shape, Miss Mermaid’s appearance had changed —— the scales on her cheeks and arms vanished; her fishtail also became a pair of human legs; even the leather clothing on her had become a long light blue dress!
The style of that dress was clearly very much like the one Heidi was wearing; only the color had changed. Undoubtedly, this was a product she had created using a certain magic or innate power after observing the way humans dressed.
Gawain watched this scene in amazement, unwittingly recalling the legends about the sea demons that Pittman had told him previously. “This race possesses the ability of unending change. When they are active in human societies, they can transform to look like humans. That is why legends about sea demons moving on land have been left in the world…”
It was also the first time Heidi, Amber, and the rest standing around saw such a miraculous yet convenient “spell”. This was much more convenient than human Mages’ “transformation spell” or the Druids’ “animal morphing”. Rebecca couldn’t resist exclaiming, “Wah! So impressive!”
Then her thoughts unfolded, “If I were to master this, won’t I have countless new clothes to wear…”
Amber glanced at the doofus scornfully. “Come on, you couldn’t even learn a Repulsion spell…—Using your staff to hit someone is foul play, I’m telling you!”
Gawain blocked out these two clamoring girls and looked at Tiel who was not too skillfully standing on two feet and preparing to walk uprightly. “Your transformation spell is pretty good, but I suggest you do not walk about as you please before adapting to the land environment. —— If it is possible, do you want to be a guest of the Cecil territory?”
Tiel familiarized herself with the feeling of walking upright while looking towards Gawain. “…Is this a ‘capture’ that is slightly more tactful?”
“No, I’m offering out of goodwill,” Gawain said very seriously. “As you know, I’ve had contact with the sea demons seven hundred years ago. I could more or less be considered your race’s old acquaintance? In those years, your people helped me in the sea. Now that a sea demon has come to land, I naturally ought to reciprocate in kind. I do not know what the sea-demon society is like, but the human world is extremely complicated. There are lots of countries that differ in customs and culture, and innumerable forces and races whose ideologies are entirely different. I cannot be sure what the humans of other lands feel about a sea demon. ——Especially in the situation where you’ve yet to adapt to human society, you will easily be met with their hostility.”
Tiel thought for a while. “Mm… your words do make some sense.”
“I am the feudal lord of this land. At least within the Cecil territory, I am able to guarantee your safety ——and can also keep your race and origin a secret,” Gawain stated with a smile. “Of course, this is merely an invitation. If you’re really unwilling to, you may leave anytime. Just remember to try not to sleep in wells in the future.”
“Ah, walking on land feels even more troublesome.” Tiel stepped out and briefly took a few steps. She seemed to have missed Gawain’s ending comments and instead waved her hand lazily. “In any case, I don’t plan on leaving anymore. I’ll stay here. Do you have a place to sleep here?”
Although communication with this fish was a little difficult, it seemed that his objective had been achieved?
This sea demon held all new knowledge that Gawain had no clue of. He wanted to keep her at the territory by all possible means, and so long as she was willing to stay, providing a comfortable living environment wasn’t a problem at all. Gawain smiled at once. “Of course there are places to sleep. —— Feel free to raise whatever requests you have.”
“I don’t have too many requests. Just sprinkle some salt.” Tiel waved her hand. “I don’t need you people to change the water either. I can purify it myself.”
Gawain was lost for a long while before he realized that the other party was asking for a saltwater pool… Of course, a fish tank or water basin should work too, as long as it was big enough.
Although Gawain believed that his authority could ensure that whatever he said would be executed thoroughly in the territory, there was no telling how useful his authority would be on this saltwater fish. In order to avoid Tiel committing shocking acts that do not conform to human values (for example, suddenly bringing her fishtail out and then fighting with fishermen) when no one was watching, he decided to have her in the newly completed feudal-lord residence.
Though he did not build a huge castle like those extravagant conventional aristocrats, the newly completed feudal-lord residence was still a very big building: there were plenty of empty rooms that had yet to be put to use. Setting aside one for this sea demon wasn’t a problem at all.
It happened that Heidi and Rebecca had moved into the new home recently; he’d just let Tiel live next to the two of them.
