I was at my wit’s end on the beach when a voice could be heard from somewhere.
Startled by the sudden voice, I stood up and looked around. It was an unfamiliar voice.
“Wh-who is it? Karubene? No, that’s not right. Where are you?”
It was a calm, yet somehow cold and low voice.
“I’m here, brother. By the rocks.”
My gaze shifted to a rock in front of me, and I saw a figure peeking out, crawling on the ground with both arms. They were wearing a hooded robe, and their long blue hair was wet and glossy with seawater.
“Who are you? Do you need something from me?”
“Hehehe, no, not particularly. But you looked like you were in trouble. I can’t just overlook someone in need.”
They said “I” (boku), so it must be a man. The voice also sounded male. It was very suspicious, but I had no choice but to listen to them for now.
“Yes, I am in trouble. Is there a village around here?”
“A village? Are you a traveler? Or an explorer? Perhaps you’re lost?”
I told him that I was a traveler and wanted to board a ship from here to another continent.
“I see, I see. So you want to travel to another continent by ship.”
“If you don’t know, then that’s fine.”
I was serious. I wished they wouldn’t just tease me.
“No, no, don’t say that. So you were at your wit’s end. A poor lost soul, I can help you.”
“Huh?! Really?”
I couldn’t fully trust someone who appeared out of nowhere to help, but it seemed worth hearing them out. Then, they crawled out from behind the rocks, revealing their true form to me. Instead of human legs, they had a long tail like a Naga. With fins attached, they were surely from the Melusine tribe. Beautiful blue scales reflected the moonlight, shimmering and sparkling.
“Are you a Melusine?”
“Melusine? No, that’s different. Don’t lump me in with those swamp-dwelling earthworms. I am from the Sea Dragon Tribe. I have a little special skill, and I use it to help people. Of course, as I said, it’s a business, so I expect compensation.”
As they said this, they produced a piece of paper from somewhere. Well, it was more like the texture of animal hide than paper.
“This is a contract. I will help you and your companions get to another continent.”
“Can you really do that? Really? Ah, thank you, I’ll go get everyone.”
“Ah, ah, no, no, you shouldn’t do that.”
Saying this, they glided across the ground to my side. Purple eyes peered out from under their hood.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not good with large crowds. Especially young women. You have some among your companions, don’t you?”
“Hahaha, unfortunately, everyone except me is a girl.”
Then, the young Sea Dragon Tribe member spread the contract they were holding in front of me.
“Now, sign here.”
“Wait a minute. You mentioned compensation earlier, but what do you need?”
“Your life force.”
I had a bad premonition and slowly stepped back.
“What are you thinking? I wouldn’t ask for something like that. No, I mean your living energy, the energy all living things possess. I’ll take it based on the number of people. Don’t worry, it’ll return after a break. You get tired and rest, right?”
My living energy? If it returned after resting, it seemed okay. I had expected them to demand an exorbitant sum. It was suspicious, but considering the alternative of wandering through the deep forest, this plan wasn’t so bad.
