I Became an Evolving Deep-Sea Creature-Chapter 23

Chapter 23. Return
-Is that possible?
“If I help, of course it’s possible! I’m a captain of the House of Drake!”
Yul dug through his memory and realized that the name Étienne Drake sounded oddly familiar.
-Hm? Do you know Celestia Drake?
“That’s my niece’s name. How do you know that!?”
Celestia was the name of Ian’s fiancée. By now, she was probably married and even had children.
Étienne was visibly startled upon hearing the name.
Though he was now a citizen of the Kingdom of Frangia, his niece Celestia Drake’s family originally hailed from the Kingdom of Britain.
To hear a sea creature not only mention her name but identify her so precisely—he couldn’t comprehend how such a thing was possible.
-Well, that’s convenient. Alright. I’ll help you return to the Kingdom of Frangia. As for forming ties with the royal family... I’ll think about it.
Yul found it oddly refreshing that Étienne was related to Celestia.
The world really was small—Yul had only ever met two humans he knew personally, and now it turned out that one of them was related to the other. It was a strange coincidence indeed.
In any case, Yul decided to help him.
* * *
Yul identified each sailor one by one through「Perception」and linked them all with「Connection」.
The sailors who weren’t mages didn’t understand what kind of magic had been cast on them.
‘Well, it’s just a precaution. If any of them pulls a gun or tries to attack me, I’ll sense it through Perception.’
Still, Étienne was quite reasonable and kept his crew in line with strong charisma.
‘To rebuild a ship after being wrecked and stranded for two years, all while keeping his men together… Étienne really is a remarkable captain.’
Normally, after being stranded that long, a crew would grow resentful and fall apart, but Étienne had earned their loyalty instead.
It meant he wasn’t just skilled, but a truly resilient leader.
Even so, sailors were unpredictable beings—no one could tell when they might act out—so some safety measures were necessary.
When dawn broke, Étienne and his crew boarded the ship.
“Yul! Are you there?”
-I’m here.
Yul poked his head out of the water and looked at Étienne. They had exchanged names the night before.
“Do you know the way back to Randa?”
-Of course.
Yul had never gotten lost since becoming a sea creature. His sense of direction was flawless, thanks to the map engraved in his mind.
Back in his jelly octopus days, Aktar had imprinted in him a map of Phantaratsa, granting Yul the ability to perceive his position in three dimensions.
‘I wonder if that alien ever made it back home safely.’
Anyway, since he could visualize not only the depths but also the areas near the surface, he knew exactly how far this place was from Randa.
‘Roughly six thousand kilometers away.’
That was about the same distance as Japan to Hawaii on Earth—an immense stretch of ocean.
‘Now that I think about it, even at that distance, there’s still quite a way to go before reaching the continent, isn’t there?’
He wondered how much farther they’d have to travel before reaching the eastern shores of Randa.
‘Or maybe, instead of Randa’s eastern coast, we might end up discovering an entirely new continent.’
Yul still didn’t fully grasp the geography of this world—and it seemed even the Orca Clan didn’t know either.
-It’s quite far. Do you have enough to eat?
“We’ve got food, but… how far exactly?”
-About six thousand kilometers.
Even though Yul used the metric system, thanks to Transmission of Thoughts, the concept automatically translated into their familiar units of measure.
“That’s quite a distance. So we’ve drifted that far west, huh.”
-I can help with food, but the problem’s going to be fresh water.
“Don’t worry about that. We can collect rainwater—or use magic if needed.”
-Oh? A common spell?
“Yes. By using Water Condensation, we can gather plenty. Enough for all twenty men to drink. The real problem is the sails.”
He pointed to the ship’s tattered sails. They were so torn they barely held shape anymore.
“There’s no fixing that. We tried hunting beasts for hide, but there were no animals with strong enough skin on that island. I was thinking we might patch the sails with our clothes.”
-There’s a better way. Take those shredded sails and turn them into ropes.
Once they agreed, Yul let them tie the ropes around his body.
They didn’t make them too tight; instead, they wrapped the ropes evenly to distribute the force across his frame.
‘Man, this feels like wearing a dog harness or something.’
Still, Yul stuck with the method—it lessened the strain on his body since he could manipulate the surrounding currents.
“Oh! Ohhh! The ship’s moving!”
“Captain! The ship is moving!”
“That orca’s strength is incredible!”
“Indeed it is.”
Étienne’s eyes widened. Yul was pulling the ship at tremendous speed.
Faster, even, than when their sails caught full wind.
‘This isn’t the strength of an ordinary orca.’
With his natural power combined with the current-control ability of the Horn of the Sea King, Yul was able to tow the ship at incredible velocity.
The fact that the vessel was smaller now, with only twenty crewmen aboard, also contributed to the speed.
Either way, Yul towed the ship straight toward Randa.
* * *
Two months had passed since they’d left that nameless island. Thanks to Yul’s exceptional abilities, they were already nearing Randa.
“G-g-good heavens! I can see land!”
“Land ahoy!”
“We’re saved!”
“Uwaaah! Waaaah!”
The sailors were hugging one another, overcome with emotion.
‘Quest complete. That was easy.’
-Form a good relationship with one human being. (Completed)
He confirmed that one of his Ascension Conditions quests had been fulfilled.
During that time, Yul had been observing things carefully.
‘But… can I really trust Étienne?’
Over the past month, Yul had demonstrated a portion of his power.
He hunted sea creatures at incredible speed and supplied food to the sailors, and he had the stamina to tow the ship both day and night.
But once they reached land, the balance of power would reverse.
Whether or not their magic stone trade would conclude peacefully depended entirely on Étienne’s attitude.
-We’re almost there now.
“Thank you! Thank you!”
Étienne’s face shone with joy as he looked upon the continent of Randa.
Though he didn’t speak of it, he was filled with emotion. He had lost many of his men and even his leg during this voyage.
He had been stranded on a deserted island with no way home.
Yet now, he had finished repairing the ship, led his surviving crew, and returned to his homeland.
“I always keep my promises. I’ll bring back the magic stones! Just wait a bit!”
-Well, I’ll wait then.
Yul wasn’t expecting much—but decided to wait anyway. He also began making plans, just in case.
‘I have a few scenarios in mind.’
One—Étienne might faithfully keep his promise.
Two—Étienne might betray him.
Three—Étienne might not betray him, but news about Yul could leak, attracting humans who’d come hunting for him.
‘Whichever it is, I can handle it.’
He planned to make Étienne bring the magic stones by ship. Through「Perception」, Yul could distinguish every object aboard.
If he spotted anything resembling a net, he could flee immediately. Even if a mage were hiding, he would sense their presence and escape.
If Étienne didn’t betray him, but pursuers appeared, Yul could simply drown them all.
If Étienne performed his duties sincerely, Yul was willing to continue their trade.
‘He seems like the type who keeps his word, though.’
During their two months at sea, Yul had come to know that Étienne was a true “man of honor.”
Once he said something, he followed through—no matter what—and he was fiercely loyal to his subordinates.
If he had a flaw, it was greed. But then again, greed was a captain’s virtue.
When they parted ways, Yul promised various forms of cooperation.
If Étienne brought the magic stones, Yul was willing to provide valuable information about the sea territories of the Great Azure Ocean—information Étienne desperately needed.
He would understand that sustaining a long-term trade relationship was far better than killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.
While waiting, Yul decided to circle around the waters of the Continental Ocean to gather more information.
* * *
A few days later.
Étienne Drake was having his attire inspected before appearing before the king.
He wore an elegant doublet beneath a jeweled coat. His wooden prosthetic leg had been replaced with a steel one—engraved with intricate sigils.
The chamberlain approached and spoke to him.
“You’ve gained quite a few new scars, I see. And you’ve lost a leg as well.”
“I may have lost a leg, but I’ve gained the secrets of the Great Azure Ocean. Far more valuable than a mortal body.”
“Heh. Well then, please proceed forward.”
As he entered alone, the King of Frangia awaited him.
King Jean XIII of the Trombon Dynasty, an absolute monarch known as the Sun King, was a ruler deeply fascinated by the sea.
“Ohh. You've returned, Captain Drake?”
“Your Majesty, I, Drake, have returned with the sea chart of the Great Azure Ocean.”
Étienne pulled a bundle of papers from his coat—the map he had drawn during his voyage, more precious to him than his own life.
“Splendid! Excellent! So, how was it? Was there a continent beyond that horizon? Or did the western sea really end—where the ocean falls off the edge of the world?”
“We did not see either, Your Majesty. What we found were countless islands scattered across the vast waters.”
“Oh…?”
The Sun King studied the chart. Seeing the expanse of the ocean—almost as vast as the continent of Randa—sent chills down his spine.
“To think there’s a sea this wide…! I wonder how many more islands lie hidden! What could be beyond those uncharted waters!?”
“Your Majesty, there is something of even greater value than that.”
“Oh? And what would that be?”
“It is something that must not be known to anyone else…”
“Oh, chamberlain, leave us. You too, guards, step outside.”
As soon as he requested a private audience, the Sun King dismissed his attendants.
And what the Sun King heard from Étienne Drake was something grand and astonishing.
“You’re saying there’s an intelligent creature in the sea?”
“Yes. At least as far as I could tell, the orcas possessed intelligence. The one who guided us back to the continent was that orca itself.”
“Ohh… what a marvelous tale.”
Étienne recounted everything—from his shipwreck, the loss of his leg, and the desperate repairs, to the miraculous encounter with a mysterious orca possessing magical power who had helped him return.
It was an unbelievable story—one most would dismiss as fantasy.
But the Sun King understood magic, and knowing that mana existed in the world, he possessed the flexibility to accept that strange things could indeed occur.
“An intelligent creature, you say… Then, would it be possible to form an alliance with such a creature?”
“He seemed to have experience cooperating with humans before. He knew the precise value of magic stones. And also…”
Étienne almost mentioned that the orca had known his niece’s name—but decided to keep that to himself.
He would speak to his niece about it privately.
“He requested magic stones.”
“Magic stones? For what purpose?”
“I don’t know the exact reason. But I assume they’re beneficial to him in some way.”
“Ho….”
The Sun King could barely contain his excitement at this revelation.
A new world! An intelligent creature beneath the waves…!
“I shall meet this creature myself. That will be possible, yes?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. But the creature is extremely cautious. If anyone approaches with weapons—or if a mage appears—it will react immediately.”
Drake’s warning was directed toward the royal mages who constantly guarded the king.
“Very well. I shall dismiss my guards.”
The Sun King readily accepted the suggestion and declared that he would make the journey personally.