I Became an Evolving Deep-Sea Creature Chapter 115

Chapter 115. The Island of the Brown Sage

The reception room they followed into contained luxurious tea sets and uniquely styled furniture.

“Please, have a seat. Would you like so tea?”

“I will remain standing.”

Without answering further, Yul sat down in front of Yumankai. The one who called herself the chairman of the Council of Sages seed to have prepared as if she already knew Yul would arrive.

‘So there are dozens of mages like this.’

Yul could roughly estimate the amount of magic the sages possessed, and each one of them truly seed to be archmages. The chairman appeared even stronger.

“I understand that you might find our presence disconcerting.”

“Indeed. I only ca to establish a cooperative relationship.”

“We will accept that proposal.”

“…?”

Wasn't that a bit too fast?

“It seems you knew from the beginning that we would co.”

“We have been waiting for a week.”

The sheep-headed beastfolk with her eyes covered by a blindfold stretched out her hand toward a teapot far away.

The teapot floated through the air and poured warm water into the cups by itself.

“If it was a week ago, that would have been around the ti Lord Yul appeared in the Rainini Archipelago.”

“That is correct.”

“Why?”

Yul crossed his arms. Even when things progressed too smoothly, it made him suspicious.

“A very human reaction. Hehe.”

“Of course. I am human right now.”

Polymorph even completely alters one’s ntal patterns to that of a human.

“There is a reason. We have long been waiting for soone like Lord Yul. A powerful higher species who could cooperate with us.”

“I think we’re talking about different things.”

“That would be correct. What Lord Yul wants is a temporary refuge for the sea elves. A level of cooperation where we simply do not block sea elf ships from docking. But the cooperation we have in mind is different. Sothing… much greater.”

“Sounds like you want to borrow my strength.”

“That is correct.”

“Let’s hear the reason.”

Usually, people who invited others like this had so sort of ulterior motive.

Yul folded his arms and decided to listen cautiously.

“I should first explain why the Council of Sages was created.”

“Go on.”

“At first, we were ordinary mages. archmages who wished to escape the rules of the mundane world needed sowhere to flee. The Island of the Brown Sage was originally created for that purpose.”

She took a sip of tea and set the cup down with a soft tap.

“However, as a result of our research into the truth, we reached the Sky Island.”

Shillenwe looked as if she had no idea what that ant, but Yul’s eyes widened.

“Since when?”

“Since 300 years ago.”

“That was even before the Heaven and Earth Resonance. Did the Sky Island exist even back then?”

“The Sky Island existed thousands of years ago. During the Heaven and Earth Resonance, the rules of the universe were reorganized, so it beca briefly exposed.”

“What exactly is the Sky Island? How can land of that size float at that altitude?”

The fact that the Council of Sages was connected to the Sky Island was fascinating. Yul wanted to resolve all his curiosity at once.

“The Sky Island has long served as a barrier separating the planet from the cosmos. If our findings are correct, the re existence of the Sky Island prevents sothing from other worlds from flowing into this one.”

“Sothing from another world? Are you talking about Outer Gods?”

“Yes. So you are aware of them.”

“Not long ago, an Outer God almost flowed into reality. It happened in a place that seed completely unrelated. If I hadn’t been there, it might have truly manifested.”

He was referring to the incident involving Seaborn Padur the Devourer. Whatever had triggered that summoning, it was certainly no ordinary matter.

“W-wait a mont. What are you talking about? Outer Gods? A Sky Island?”

Shillenwe looked completely bewildered by the cosmic conversation. She clearly couldn’t follow it at all.

“There’s a Sky Island above us. It should be sowhere roughly over our heads right now.”

“Whaaat?”

Shillenwe took off her hat, walked to the window, and looked up into the sky.

However, even with her excellent eyesight, she could not see the Sky Island.

“I’ve never been told my eyesight is poor, but does it really exist?”

“It’s probably around the thermosphere.”

“What does that an?”

“If you are referring to the Primar Boundary Layer, that would be correct. High above the sky is a massive layer hidden by the atmosphere.”

The Brown Sages used their own terminology, but thermosphere was probably the right term.

“A layer hidden by the atmosphere? And a giant island there…?”

Having just learned part of the world’s secret, Shillenwe opened her ears and listened carefully.

“It’s fortunate that Lord Yul already knows about the Sky Island.”

“So what does the Sky Island have to do with ?”

“We have given a na to the truth that leads to the Sky Island. We call it the ‘Chain of the Sky.’”

“So you couldn’t reach it simply by moving through space.”

“No. It cannot be approached by ordinary ans.”

“I see. That explains it. When I climbed up there, it was the sa.”

Yul rested his chin on his hand and thought. Back then, he had simply assud it was too high to reach unless he used his true body, but perhaps there had been another reason.

“And the Chain of Truth developed a crack ten years ago. As you know, that was when—”

“The Heaven and Earth Resonance happened.”

“Yes. The Chain of Truth is firmly connected to one of the Sky Islands. If the chain cracked, that ans sothing happened to the Sky Island.”

“…I understand the problem. So what do you want to do?”

“Guard us. While we repair the chain, we would like you to stop the dragons that will attack.”

“Dragons? A race like that exists?”

“Yes, of course. The Black Dragon ‘Kadifa’ and the Azure Dragon ‘Torun.’ They are guardians of the Sky Island. We do not intend to harm the Sky Island, but if we attempt repairs near the chain, they will recognize us as enemies and attack.”

“Wouldn’t the power of these archmages be enough? Look at them. Every one of them seems capable of ruling as a Mage King sowhere.”

Yul looked around. The figures standing behind the chairman were archmages, and those listening from afar were archmages as well.

If all these archmages gathered together, they might even be able to destroy Weimar Wigma Academy.

“Each of us pursues truth in different fields. The reason multiple ivory towers stand here is to prove the different directions our truths take.”

“So so of them don’t want the chain restored.”

“Unfortunately, the chairman’s authority is not the sa as the head of a nation or organization. If I had to compare it… well, think of academy students forced to work together on a group project.”

Ah. Yul understood imdiately.

So the Council of Sages chairman was basically the group project leader.

“If everyone wants to establish their own truth, I’m surprised this place hasn’t collapsed into constant fights.”

“That is because we share one fundantal principle.”

“The pursuit of truth?”

“No. Not causing trouble for others.”

Then it ant that anyone who caused trouble for others simply wasn’t here. Either they had never been accepted, or they had been expelled.

Yul found himself liking the Island of the Brown Sage more than he expected. At least they didn’t seem like the type to do anything strange.

“I’ll cooperate. But I’d like to gain sothing from this island as well.”

“Of course. We have a type of coin used among sages. We will give you these.”

“What is this? It just looks like a mineral.”

A hexagonal coin without any markings. It almost resembled a badge.

“It represents favor.”

“Favor?”

“Yes. When soone helps another, the favor is materialized in this form. If you pay soone with favor, they will provide help of equivalent value.”

“That’s interesting.”

Without causing trouble for others, these mages had ford a mutually beneficial relationship by helping one another.

“We will give you five favors. With these, you will likely be able to obtain any assistance you want from the sages.”

“Good. When do we start?”

“Restoring the chain will take ti. Would you mind waiting for a while?”

“Fine.”

While helping them, Yul planned to look for Javarel. He had sothing to make him do.

“Javarel, would you guide the guests to the guest rooms?”

“Yes.”

“Huh?”

A sea turtle, Javarel, appeared imdiately. The fellow was walking on two legs. Judging by his plump appearance, he seed to have been eating well and living comfortably.

“Hey, long ti no see.”

“A h-human? Wh-what are you saying? E-even for a guest, such r-rudeness—”

“It’s . Yul.”

“Huh?”

“I told you to make a Krelsite mine, rember?”

“Whaaaat?!”

“I even brought you here.”

“N-no, Lord Yul was definitely an orcaaa—”

* * *

After a brief period of confusion passed, Javarel finally regained his composure in the guest room.

Pushing up his crooked glasses, he said,

“So… after various events, you’re no longer an orca, and the reason you’ve beco human now is because of a Skill Fruit, is that what you’re saying?”

“You learned how to speak human language in the anti?”

Sea creatures normally communicated through magic signals, after all.

“Well, they say ten years is enough ti for mountains and rivers to change, so I guess even a turtle can learn to speak… though that’s actually a joke. I received a bit of modification from Yumankai so I could live on land. I can walk on two legs now as well.”

“There are turtles here?”

“Yes. There are a few. Sage turtles. But I don’t really get along with them. So I’ve been helping the chairman with her work and basically living at her place.”

They had only t briefly in passing long ago, but eting again like this was still pleasant.

“Are you satisfied with life here?”

“It’s alright, more or less. Though it’s not perfect. Chairman Yumankai pays quite generously, but she makes work way too much.”

“I see.”

“Do you have sothing you want to do? The chairman told to make sure Lord Yul stays comfortable during your visit.”

“Let’s do a job together.”

“What is it?”

“I want to make a weapon out of Krelsite. I originally had a spear.”

After the Heaven and Earth Resonance, everything had been chaotic. Yul had lost his Krelsite spear, and now its whereabouts were completely unknown.

“A Krelsite spear…”

“I’ll draw the design. Can you make one exactly like it?”

“Making a spear is possible. I’ve been working as a blacksmith under Yumankai for about ten years now. But…”

“But?”

“Hm. I think we should first check whether there’s any Krelsite in the tower’s storage. Except for a few crazy sages, nobody really touches Krelsite.”

If there wasn’t any, Yul was prepared to mine it from nearby.

But then he heard sothing interesting and asked,

“Really? What does that person use it for?”

“They say they train by completely blocking magic from their body using Krelsite in order to increase their magic.”

“Huh? How would that increase magic?”

Magic was engraved into the soul, so the total amount was fixed from birth.

“They say he detaches and reattaches his soul or sothing.”

“……”

If soone were truly insane, it might be possible—like ripping apart a ragged piece of cloth and stitching it back together.

“But then you wouldn’t really be yourself anymore. And it would co with unbearable pain.”

“Maybe they don’t care. Or maybe they even want that. I only heard about it myself, so I’m not entirely sure.”

“……”

“Anyway, if we can get the materials, I’ll make the spear right away. Please give the design.”

“Alright.”

Yul took a pen and paper and quickly sketched the structure of the Krelsite spear he used before.

Javarel stuck out his tongue when he saw it.

“That’s going to be extrely heavy.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”