I Became an Evolving Deep-Sea Creature-Chapter 19

Chapter 19. Observation
-If war breaks out, we might all die. The penguins around here are talking about forming a tribal alliance or something, but honestly, to completely trust and rely on that..-
-Right. So you need a place to escape, I see.
-Yes-
-I don't think you'll need to make an official to the tribe for that. If you go a little farther south, there's an island where no one lives. How about that place?
-Really!?
Yorkdan's face brightened, and he decided to accept Nugh's offer. Yul asked Tuania.
-Since when have you guys been trading with the penguins?
-For quite a long time, I think? They said it started back in my great-grandfather's generation. Our family is the only one in the tribe that trades with the Arctic penguins.
-Oh? But don't orcas eat penguins?
-Well, that's a bit... do you hunt creatures that can speak and think like you?
Yul realized that Tuania was making a dumbfounded expression. He could even read an orca's face now.
-Hey, I was just asking. I might not know.
-Of course not. Orcas are intelligent beings. Across the entire Great Azure Ocean, we never hunt species that possess intelligence like us. But we do eat everything else.
-Hmm-
In this vast sea, the line between intelligent beings and the rest seemed to be a big one.
'Then maybe orcas and humans could interact someday.'
No, that's not right. Ordinary humans couldn't send or understand -magic signals- like the sea creatures of the Great Azure Ocean could. Maybe they'd just end up trying to kill each other.
After their short conversation, Nugh decided to take care of some of the penguins.
The penguin called Yorkdan thanked him and handed over more gems.
Later, Yul heard that those gems were used like currency in orca society. It seemed all intelligent beings liked small, shiny things.
-Heading south from the Arctic, once it gets warmer, there are about three islands. We'll go that way.
-We're returning, then?
-Yes. We're going down there on the way.
And so, Nugh's orca pod began to move again.
Yul watched the penguins closely. Unlike on land, they moved with incredible speed underwater.
'Still slower than the orcas, though.'
Even though the underwater penguins seemed fast, they were slower than the speed at which the orcas moved. Yul was intently watching them when Tuania interjected beside him.
-You’re not going to eat them, are you?
-Of course not-
-Sometimes I do feel like trying to eat one.
-Seriously?
-I'm joking. Unless eating penguins could make me stronger.
Chatting idly, they headed south, searching for the island.
It was one of the few islands floating in the middle of the Great Azure Ocean—the same one Yul vaguely remembered seeing when they were going north.
According to Nugh, there was nothing there except a massive forest.
While they were heading toward the island, Nugh suddenly stopped and spoke.
-Hmm? What's that? There's something huge.
-I'll check it out, Grandpa. Yul, come with me-
As Tuania spoke up, Yul followed behind her, quickly approaching the island.
They surfaced and looked toward the inside of the island with their eyes.
The island was thick with forest, and along the white sandy shore, a massive sailing ship lay stranded.
-Huh? What's that?
Tuania tilted her head, but Yul already knew what it was. He had even seen it before.
-It's a human ship. Looks like it's been wrecked.
The ship on the shore was horribly damaged—and Yul had seen that ship once before.
Back when he was still a jelly octopus, during that stormy sea when he dealt with the turtle chasing him, he had seen that same sailing ship.
A ship from the Kingdom of Frangia.
Yul examined the bow of the ship, looking for signs of collision with the giant turtle.
There certainly were. The figurehead of the goddess on the prow had been completely shattered.
The human ship he had once tried to make contact with was now wrecked on the coast. The mast was broken, and the bottom of the ship was full of holes, leaving it stranded on the beach.
It looked like it had been there for a very long time.
'Looks like they couldn't survive that typhoon.'
After all, they had faced a massive storm at sea, with waves towering dozens of meters high.
-If you mean humans—the creatures said to live east of the Continental Ocean?
-Yes. But it looks like there aren't any people left on the ship.
There was no sign of life aboard the wrecked vessel, but countless footprints marked the shoreline.
'So, some humans did survive.'
All the footprints led inland, into the island's deep forest.
Yul wanted to know their story, but since there wasn't a single human left on the beach, there was no way to find out.
After briefly scouting the area, Yul and Tuania returned and ed to Nugh.
-It seems humans went to that island. Their ship's wrecked, and traces of the survivors lead into the forest.
-A ship? Ah, that strange thing humans ride around in. There weren't any twenty years ago, but lately, I've been seeing more of them.
-Really?
-Yes. They say humans are intelligent creatures who live on land, but judging by their actions, they're unbelievably foolish. Why leave their homes just to come out to sea?
-Good question.
Yul actually knew a bit about that. There were all sorts of political reasons involved. According to Ian, a powerful empire dominated the center of the Randa Continent, and once its expansion was blocked, the people turned to the sea as a second option.
'It does feel exactly like the Age of Exploration.'
When their power was blocked on the continent, adventurers were overflowing in search of new sea routes to find a way forward — it really felt like the Age of Exploration in this world.
Among them, the Kingdom of Frangia sent the most ships, and the same was true of the Kingdom of Britain, where Ian lives.
-Anyway, if humans are spotted near the great eastern continent, we usually save them—but those who come this far out must have a death wish.
-Either way, it seems too dangerous to use this island as a hiding place for the penguins.
-Hmm. You're right.
Even if the island was said to be uninhabited, it was clearly not a good idea to keep humans and refugee penguins in the same place.
-There's no helping it, then. There's another small island to the west. Let's take them there.
Orcas couldn't intervene deep inside the islands. Nugh understood that and chose to drop the penguins off on a different one.
Fortunately, that place was truly deserted.
-Thank you, Lord Nugh.
-Stay here for now, and when the Arctic stabilizes, return home. If you meet any other orcas, just tell them my name.
-We will never forget this kindness.
Since this area was within orca territory, Nugh's concern was understandable.
After settling the refugee penguins on the island, Nugh's orca pod decided to return to their village.
Yul, of course, went with them.
As they swam together, Tuania spoke up beside him.
-When we get back to the village, it'll be time for my coming-of-age ceremony.
-Coming-of-age ceremony?
-Yeah. Orcas each choose a profession when they reach adulthood.
-Huh? There's something like that?
-You'll probably be about the size of an adult by then, but who knows what the elders will decide.
-Yul will be joining the ceremony too, Tuania.
Nugh approached them. Yul immediately sensed his presence—as always. Only Tuania could move without a sound.
-Eh? Really?
-Yes. At this rate, Yul will likely have his ceremony around the same time as you.
-Ugh.
Tuania glared at Yul, then whipped his side with her tail.
-Ow! Why'd you hit me?
-Annoying.
As Tuania swam off somewhere, Nugh laughed.
-Tuania probably thought you were still younger than her.
She did get irritated easily, but she still looked after Yul in her own way—even teaching him stealth techniques.
* * *
Ian was adjusting the massive astronomical telescope he had recently installed.
The island where he lived—the westernmost of Britain—was officially called Skilg Brig Island, known locally as the Lighthouse Keeper's Isle.
It used to be important, but due to various political and social issues, it drifted far from the main sea routes where ships came and went.
In the end, it was practically abandoned. No one visited anymore.
Even its lighthouse had lost its purpose.
At Ian's request, the Beltain Family had completely dismantled the lighthouse's magic beacon and installed a research telescope in its place.
The giant celestial telescope was named Pathah Shile, meaning the “Eye of the Giant” in the old tongue.
The reason such a massive instrument was needed was because of Ian's magic.
To restore his magic, he had to properly understand and reconstruct the underlying mysteries—the formulas that formed its foundation.
And inspiration for those formulas could only be drawn from observing the heavens.
Until now, Ian had relied on a small telescope meant for use on sailing ships, but this was his first time using a large, family-funded celestial one.
“Good. It's night.”
As darkness fell, Ian turned his gaze toward the vast sky.
A huge, blue-tinged moon hung above, surrounded by countless stars too numerous to count.
"The moon has gotten bigger."
The blue moon in the sky waxed and waned every fifteen days.
On the fifteenth day—the full moon—it grew slightly larger. Ian pressed his eye to the telescope and began his observation.
With his right hand, he set a paper beneath his palm and began to write down what he saw.
-The moon in the sky is clearly visible. To the left of the moon, there appears to be a massive formation resembling a dragon's head—clearly, the Dragonhead Volcano. And as expected, it seems certain that there is water on the lunar surface.
There was indeed liquid water on the moon.
“Though the composition of the liquid is unknown, it is likely that sunlight reflected off this water is what creates such an intensely blue hue. A moment ago, I observed foam forming on the moon's surface—perhaps the result of an enormous tidal wave.”
Scratch. Scratch.
The quill pen danced across the paper as Ian wrote. After a pause, he added his own commentary beneath the formal notes.
“But strangely, I can't shake the feeling that the liquid on the moon's surface resembles the seas of our own world. Perhaps it is the same ocean that once split away long ago. There's no evidence for this theory—it's purely a hunch, a speculation born from intuition.”
Just as he was about to finish his celestial observations, Ian noticed something faint moving across the lunar surface.
“What's that?”
Something—a presence—seemed to shift. Startled, Ian grabbed his pen and began to record it.
Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch...
For a brief, entranced moment, Ian stared at that great something—and then, all of a sudden, he came to his senses.
-What... was I trying to write?
He couldn't remember. Even he had no idea what he had just been attempting to record.
He set down his pen and looked at the page.
It wasn't writing. It wasn't even a drawing. Just a chaotic mess of marks—something even a six-year-old's scribble would put to shame.
Had that immense inspiration that flashed through his mind been false? Was everything he saw merely a hallucination?
No. He was certain he had seen something—something magnificent.
While he pondered this, dawn began to break over the sea. The full moon was ending tonight. If he wanted to observe it again in detail, he would have to wait until next month.
“But still... I did gain something.”
Ian's fingers tingled with restless energy.
Even catching a glimpse of that magnificent something had already sparked a new inspiration—an idea for a new formula.