Chapter 67
The turtle slowly opened its closed eyes. Its pupils were also blue, just like its body.
Its eyes were so large that they were exactly the size of Asil.
Soon, a huge air bubble enveloped Asil and Lilibet. Air formed, making breathing possible.
The turtle blinked once.
Then, Lilibet, coughing up water, began to breathe on her own. She still hadn’t regained consciousness.
‘Who is this turtle auntie?’
Asil let go of Lilibet and looked at the turtle.
At that, the turtle, who had been looking only at Lilibet, spoke.
“…….” (Did you save the owner? Thank you.)
“Piya pi?” (Who are you?)
“…….” (I am the divine beast of Skya, Eter.)
Asil absentmindedly looked at the turtle’s head. It was shiny and bald, just like her own.
In that instant, Fear, who had teased her wildly that baldness meant one couldn’t become a good divine beast, flashed in Asil’s mind.
Her mouth naturally gaped open.
Oh my god, it was a lie. This turtle auntie is bald too!
“…….” (Because of the long winter sleep, I failed to notice the owner’s peril—it’s my oversight. I will repay the little black dragon who saved the owner in any way.)
“Piya Eter piya?” (Auntie, do you have hair when you turn human?)
“…….”
“Pi?” (Bald?)
Eter, who had been silently looking at Asil, transformed into a human.
She was an adult woman with blue hair tied in twin tails and blue eyes, with a cold appearance.
Eter spoke in a tone devoid of any emotion.
“As you can see, I do.”
Ah, she does.
As in the words she had heard then, her eye color and hair color were the same, but in any case, the phoenix divine beast was a liar.
Even if bald as an animal, one could become an excellent divine beast.
As she nodded with a face whose curiosity was satisfied, Eter asked dryly.
“But how long do you plan to stay here? Humans aren’t creatures that live in water, after all.”
“Piya pi piya. Piya piya piya?” (I was planning to go up anyway. Can you send Asil and the lady human up safely?)
“That’s not difficult. However—”
Eter’s emotionless gaze swept over the tiny Asil.
“Won’t you transform into a human before going up?”
Ah, right.
Edenber and Briden would be outside, so going out like this would be trouble.
But could she transform into a human without Dad?
She’d have to try first.
“Piya.”
After taking a deep breath, she clasped her fern-like front paws together as if in prayer.
She closed her eyes tightly and imagined her human self while operating the mana inside her body.
Asil is human. Asil is human, Asil is human…….
“Piya pi piya!” (Asil is human!)
“No, you little black dragon.”
Eter pointed out firmly.
……I know that without you saying it. Asil, dejected, slyly opened her eyes.
And looking down at her still round front paws, she let out a sigh.
Without the necklace, she couldn’t call Dad—how was she supposed to do this?
‘If my husband finds out Asil can become human, I can’t go home.’
“Do you need help?”
“Pi. Piya.” (Yeah. Asil can’t humanize alone.)
“You should have said so earlier.”
Eter reached out her hand to the air bubble.
Soon, soft mana like water flowed into her body through the air bubble.
Her body gradually changed, just like when she received mana from Arsian.
However, unlike then, it felt incomplete, with part of her baby dragon form remaining on her body.
Eter sensibly even dressed her in thin winter clothes.
As soon as the change ended, Asil patted her head and hip area.
“Asil’s horns and tail are still there.”
“I’m not accustomed to humanization, so this is the best I can do.”
As she said, part of the turtle’s skin remained on Eter’s cheeks.
Eter, who was starting to get sleepy and rubbing her eyes, put a magic-made hat firmly on her.
“Cover it with this.”
“The tail?”
“Try to hide it well with the skirt.”
“That won’t work.”
The clothes Eter made were coat-style and not voluminous.
The pocket felt heavy with something inside, but there was no time to pay attention to that.
No matter how much she tucked it in, the tip of her tail kept sticking out.
If it were the voluminous dress Dad dressed her in for the ball, it would have been perfect.
“Can’t you change it to something this big?”
“I don’t know what ‘this big’ means. I’m not familiar with human society.”
Eter, yawning widely, returned to her large turtle form.
Then, she soon turned into light and seeped into Liribet’s body.
“…….” (I haven’t finished my winter sleep yet, so I need to sleep more. The repayment, next time we meet…… I’ll…….)
“Wait! You have to send Asil and the lady human up first!”
It was at that moment.
As if the lake was vibrating greatly, the air bubble carrying the two trembled.
Then, it suddenly shot upward.
“Fuaaaaaah!”
At the too-fast speed, Asil stuck flat to the floor.
What is this! This bad turtle auntie divine beast! Next time they meet, she’d disturb her sleep so she couldn’t!
Soon, the surroundings began to brighten.
They were reaching the surface.
Even as they neared the surface, the air bubble’s speed showed no sign of slowing.
They’d crash! Asil squeezed her eyes shut.
However, the air bubble pierced straight through the surface and rolled gently onto the ground.
And only after reaching safe land did it come to a stop.
Pop-
The air bubble burst with a small sound.
Oh dear, so dizzy.
Her head was ringing, and her vision was spinning. Where was this—where was Asil—
Even amid that, pressing down firmly so the hat wouldn’t come off, Asil lifted her dazed face.
And she discovered Briden collapsed by the lakeside, wailing, and Edenber, soaked through, with his head bowed.
“Uuu. What happened to the two?”
“……Lady?”
Edenber, who turned around quickly, had his eyes shake greatly.
Asil, seeing his face, was equally shaken. Husband crying?!
“Why is the duke crying!”
Who made our husband cry! Asil, with fire in her eyes, ran to Edenber.
Edenber, at a loss, hurriedly wiped his eyes.
“I’m not crying.”
“Liar! Your eyes are red!”
“……It’s bloodshot from the water. No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find you, so I thought something had gone wrong……. What happened?”
Rather than wondering why Asil’s clothes had changed, he first checked on her well-being.
“Your body—is anywhere hurt?”
“Yeah. Asil is always a sturdy human.”
“Lady Erzébet …….”
It was then that Briden approached, his hands trembling.
“Lilibet is strange. She’s breathing, but she wln’t wake up.”
“What?”
That couldn’t be. The turtle auntie had said thanks for saving the owner?
Asil hurried to Lilibet.
She confirmed she was breathing by placing a finger near her nose, then shook her hard.
“Lady! Lady!”
However, Lilibet didn’t budge.
What to do. It would be great if she had Dad’s necklace right now!
While pouring all her attention into Lilibet like that, Asil didn’t notice.
The fact that Edenber, standing behind, had frozen upon spotting the black tail swishing under her skirt.
Meanwhile, there was someone watching this situation from afar in secret.
It was Ikart.
He usually hovered around Edenber, and upon seeing the great Arc growing larger, he had been timing to step in if needed.
Thanks to Edenber luring the Arc to the cliff, there was no need.
However…….
‘Something feels off.’
His gaze reached Asil, who was checking on Lilibet. Due to the distance, the black tail wasn’t visible.
But he had clearly seen Asil voluntarily dashing into the forest.
That was absolutely not the appearance of a lost child.
‘Charging fearlessly at the great Arc too—there’s something she’s hiding.’
Ikart’s eyes narrowed.
* * *
Not long after the two came out of the water, Arcian appeared leading people.
Thanks to Asil losing the necklace, he had sensed something amiss.
As soon as he felt the sloppy mana enveloping Asil, he infused mana into her secretly from the humans, making her fully human.
And he transported Lilibet, who still hadn’t regained consciousness by then, to the Grand Temple.
‘What to do.’
Asil drooped her shoulders.
Even though it wasn’t her fault, she felt dejected for no reason.
Moreover, the great Arc had fallen into the deep lake, so she couldn’t even pick up trophies.
“Hing…….”
First place was gone.
No helping it. She’d have to give all the gold coins Asil had to her husband. But she wouldn’t be able to eat many strawberries from now on…….
Asil dropped her head in gloom.
In the midst of that, she felt something in the coat pocket.
What was this.
Asil absentmindedly put one hand into the coat pocket.
And upon seeing a golden bead the same color as the great Arc’s horn, she widened her eyes.
Eh?
☆☆☆
By Anna 💓
