WE TOOK A DIP IN THE SEA
The seasons were pretty distinct around the house in the highlands.
That being said, summer in the highlands wasn’t bad at all, and we didn’t get mountains of snow, so it wasn’t that inconvenient. I guess if the environment was too harsh, then Sandra the plant couldn’t live with us, and I wouldn’t be able to get the herbs that a witch needed for her medicines.
The goddess who reincarnated me as a witch must have taken all those factors into consideration. Or maybe she just plopped me here; she didn’t seem particularly fastidious…
But still, up here in the highlands, the mornings and nights in winter got to be pretty frigid, and the effects of that could be seen everywhere. For example—
“Well, I am going out to train!” Laika would say as she left the house.
Five minutes later: “I’ve returned…”
That was fast. Too fast. She should at least try to do a little more…
“How sloppy. Red dragons are such cowards. I, the great Flatorte, am chock-full of energy!” Flatorte declared smugly with her hands on her hips, but her people in general did well in cold places. That was a cheap shot.
“Oh, yes, wasn’t there a saying that idiots don’t get sick?” Laika shot back.
“Wh-what?! S-sure…humans did make up that saying when they saw the blue dragons, but don’t say things like that!”
It came from blue dragons?! Then it wasn’t sarcasm, but the truth?!
“Now that you mention it, blue dragons don’t get sick or anything…”
“That’s right, Mistress. Blue dragons are full of energy, so they are entirely fine drinking alcohol and falling asleep on the roadside in the winter.”
I can picture it perfectly.
“Blue dragons rarely ever get sick. If one did catch a cold, they would even go to the doctor to see what was wrong.”
“Er, you go to the doctor when you get sick normally anyway…” The more I talked with Flatorte, the more confused I got.
“Lady Azusa, it is so cold this time of year; why don’t we go to the hot springs at the volcano?” Laika offered an interesting idea.
Hot springs in the winter—not a bad thought. Hot springs in the summer were fantastic, too, of course.
But Flatorte was there to sabotage the idea.
“If we just want to go somewhere warm, it’s warm enough down south. The water off the southern coast should still be warm enough for humans to swim, even at this time of year.”
“What is so bad about hot springs? Don’t quibble with me.” Laika was frowning, but I was interested in what Flatorte said.
“The beach, huh? I haven’t been in a long time. Actually, I think my first time at a beach was when we visited Misjantie the pine spirit.”
That was also because I lived in the highlands, quite a ways from the ocean.
“Mistress, the village of Tazine was a fishing village, so why don’t we go even farther south this time and swim? The volcano is too hot, but the south should be cool enough for even me, Flatorte, to enjoy!”
“Hmm, a dip in the sea… I’m definitely getting curious. But see…” A point of concern immediately came to mind. “Are there swimsuits in this world? I mean, clothes you wear when you swim…”
Medieval European fantasy games made in Japan always gave the female characters swimsuits like it was a given. Even if there weren’t any swimsuits in the game itself, they would sometimes be wearing them in preorder bonuses and stuff. I’m sure there were quite a few reasons for that.
It was hard to imagine bikinis and school swim uniforms and swim racing uniforms in a fantasy world. Still, it’s not like I ever looked up swimsuit history in the first place, so maybe there were, surprisingly? I don’t know.
“Yes, I know what you mean.”
Oh, judging by Flatorte’s reaction, maybe there were swimsuits. They had exhibition and spot sales here, so maybe this world was pretty close to modern day.
“If you’re worried about getting your clothes wet, then just swim naked. There is no problem with that.”
“Yes, there is!”
I’m thinking about this because I don’t want to swim naked!
“It is improper to swim naked. Please wear a swimsuit…,” Laika said shyly.
“Wow… Swimsuits do exist…” I had just gained some very valuable information.
“Swimsuits were developed by merfolk three hundred years ago. They created a new material that was easy to move in even after it got wet. Apparently, they came up with the idea because the mermaids did not like the land dwellers looking at their breasts.”
“Then that means they invented it just around when I came.” I think I was reincarnated at the perfect time.
“At first, the merfolk made it for themselves, but they got more and more requests for human versions, and it spread from there.”
“Nice work, merfolk! I am truly grateful. This means we can go swimming in the ocean.”
Then Falfa and Shalsha emerged from the hallway and came into the room.
“We heard what you were talking about.” Shalsha sure had sharp ears.
“We want to go to the beach, too! Falfa wants to see a real starfish!”
“Shalsha is extremely interested in the ocean. I was unable to see a starfish in Tazine last time, after all.”
Why were they so focused on starfish?
“Then I guess we have no choice but to go to the beach in the south,” I replied.
I gathered the family, and we held a vote.
“The beach, huh? You know what that means, Big Sis,” said Rosalie. “It’s the place where the investigator makes the criminal confess and then pushes him off the cliff.”
“Rosalie, that’s pretty limited. And the criminal doesn’t get pushed off—doesn’t he fall on his own? If the investigator pushes him, then that just makes him a murderer…” Why does she know weekday TV murder mystery tropes? They definitely don’t have TVs here.
Also, some of the others weren’t exactly opposed to it, but they weren’t very enthusiastic.
“I don’t really want to be out in salty air, but it’s not like it’s so bad I can’t handle it…” Sandra the plant might have some trouble with the ocean.
“I’m not that interested, but I will go if I can.” Halkara, being a forest-dwelling elf, did not seem very interested in the beach. Her reply was what people said when they wanted to say no.
“Well, I’m not forcing you. Okay, so everyone who wants to go will head to the beach for a bit, and the rest of you who are staying, be sure to look after things, okay?”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t going, did I…? I’m coming, too!” Sandra was being way too dishonest with herself, but it was nice that we could all go as a family.
“I’ll go if I can~”
So maybe Halkara would be the only one not coming along…
To get to the point, Halkara came, too.
“There are grasses that only grow along the coast, so I’m thinking about searching for some.”
That was an honest reason; people could go to the beach for more than swimming.
We all hopped on dragon-Laika’s and dragon-Flatorte’s backs and headed for a place called Buvirun Beach in the south. It was apparently warmest around there. If I compared it to Japan, it would be like Okinawa.
“Lady Azusa, I hear there are many merfolk swimsuit shops at Buvirun Beach. We will need to purchase a swimsuit before we can swim.”
“That’s right. That’s our starting line.”
Almost nobody sold swimsuits in the alpine Nanterre Province. The overwhelming majority of people there had never seen the ocean before.
So we first had to buy swimsuits, and then we could get in the water.
“Ahhh, the air is getting more and more lukewarm… This is unpleasant…” Being a blue dragon, Flatorte didn’t seem to be enjoying it very much.
“If she says this is unpleasant, then that means we are approaching our destination,” Laika replied. “We should be there soon.”
I guess Flatorte’s reactions were Laika’s barometer…
Even though we could go fast by traveling on dragonback, it still took a while to reach the southern coastline, but we eventually made it to Buvirun Beach.
The market near the beach was selling all sorts of seafood, and there were even merfolk. They did indeed have fish tails instead of legs, which they dragged along on the ground. No one seemed to think it was weird, so I guess that’s how they got around.
But there was a problem with what was in the market.
There was a shop selling seaweed, bonito, squid, octopus, sea urchin, shrimp, sea anemone, sea slug, and other things from the ocean.
There was a tool shop for fishing.
One that specialized in dried goods.
One that sold brooches and other trinkets carved from shells.
There were all kinds of shops, but none of them sold swimsuits!
“Wait…are swimsuits really that rare? There isn’t a shop selling cute swimsuits next to the fishing gear store or anything… Maybe they sell them at a mall or something…?”
This would put a swift end to our sightseeing in the south. There was less here than I thought…
But the sociable and merchantlike Halkara asked a lady in the market about swimsuits. It was nice having someone in the family who was good at communicating.
“Madam Teacher, shops that sell swimsuits have not been doing so well lately, so their numbers have significantly diminished. There’s demand among merfolk, but they buy them from shops in the water meant for merfolk, so they apparently rarely ever bring them up to land.”
“Wait, is the concept of going to the beach outdated, then…? I didn’t imagine that would be it…”
“I did hear about a shop that might sell them, though, so let’s go there.”
It was impressive how easily she handled these situations. Halkara really was brilliant, if you ignored all the times she wasn’t.
What would a swimsuit shop in this world look like? I wondered. Would it be some trendy little place?
Excited, we went to the shop in question.
Nene General Store: Selling all your daily items from brooms to clothes-drying poles.
It was nothing like what I was expecting!
Seriously? There were pots and leather gloves on display at the storefront—would they really sell swimsuits here? Wouldn’t they just sell things like hand nets…?
“Are we sure this is correct…?” Sandra asked, exasperated. I was thinking the same thing.
“No, this is the right place. I asked what the shop name was, too. Hello? Is someone in?” Halkara called, and an old lady slowly emerged from the back.
“Yes, what is it you’re searching for? Flypaper? Ladles?”
“No, do you have swimsuits? We would like cute-looking ones if possible,” Halkara replied.
This was the first time I saw someone trying to buy swimsuits at a shop that sold flypaper.
“Ahhh, swimsuits? I think we have some. Wait there. I’ll go get them.”
“They have them, Madam Teacher!”
“Yeah… Guess they do…”
They definitely wouldn’t have proper swimsuits here… They’d probably mostly just have the kind that are like full-body tights…
—But my expectations were betrayed in the best way.
The lady brought out colorful swimsuits in red and yellow and all other sorts. There were even some for kids, with frilly skirts attached to them.
They have swimsuits! Yes, go Nene General Store!
“We only have old ones, but what do you think? Swimsuit shops practically vanished overnight.”
“What do you think, Madam Teacher?”
“These are totally fine! Let’s pick from these!”
Most of the swimsuits were bikinis, which was probably because the merfolk invented them. The merfolk were fine as long as they could cover their chests, so it would be weird if they tried to cover up as much as possible.
“Then we’re all fine with bikinis, right? Falfa, Shalsha, Sandra—I think these ones with skirts on them will look good on you.”
“Mistress, I, Flatorte, am fine with being naked.”
“Just wear a swimsuit.”
Nudity was not an option.
I also had Rosalie pick out her favorite, and I helped her change into a swimsuit with changing magic afterward.
“I’m so happy, Big Sis!”
“Ghosts still want to look good, too, right? You might not be able to swim, but have fun in your own way, okay?”
“Okay! I’m going to have a chat with the spirit of the drowning victim over there in my swimsuit!”
That sure was a grim way to enjoy herself…
“I’m not going in, either. I hate salt water. The sun is bright, so I’ll photosynthesize on the sand.”
“Great. You have fun in your own way, too, Sandra.”
This family sure had some trouble getting themselves to the ocean.
There weren’t any good places to get changed, so we borrowed a room at the store to put on our swimsuits. Thank you, Nene General Store.
“I had no idea all these swimsuits would sell. I suppose not every day can be the same.” The old lady at the shop was surprised.
“By the way, what does sell the most here?”
“Let’s see…seeds that grow well in the salty breeze and garden shears that can reach high branches.”
I’m impressed they had swimsuits at all…
We went straight to the beach.
There were practically no people there, despite the sunny weather. It was almost like we were renting it out privately. I guess going to the beach was a thing of the past for the humans in this world, but it was a plus for us.
Okay, let me give you the rundown on our swimsuits.
First, mine. It was a regular bikini, one you’d probably find at a big indoor pool. My skin was still flawless after three hundred years—not a very flashy ability, but definitely a total cheat.
My skin was a mess when I was a cog in the corporate machine. I mean, I was so tired I died from overwork… I was too scared to even get my skin age checked, much less put on a bikini. Heck, I couldn’t even take a day off to go to the beach…
Uh, that got a little dark, so let’s change the subject.
Laika was in a bikini, too. Yep, she sure was cute.
“This is my first time wearing a bikini… Do I look good in it…?” she asked. She was fidgeting because of how revealing the outfit was.
“Let me put it this way: I’m relieved that the beach is too unpopular for skeevy guys right now.”
If I brought her to a Japanese beach, she would definitely be a target for a lot of playboy types, so she wouldn’t be able to just enjoy her time there (not that this has ever happened to me, so this is just my own imagination).
Flatorte was in a bikini, too. But since she had a tail, we got her a special kind.
“It is hot here, but at least this keeps me cool,” she said.
That was her problem?
“I’d want to take off more, if possible.”
“No. Absolutely not.”
Blue dragons were wild.
Next was Rosalie, although she was off talking with a drowned spirit…
Her swimsuit looked a lot like mine. Because she’d seen bikinis, it was easiest for me to use my magic to put her in one.
And then the one I didn’t really want to talk about—Halkara.
“My chest is so tight in this… Can you do something about it…?”
“Nope! My chest is totally fine, so I have no idea how to help you! Why don’t you ask someone with bigger boobs?!”
What sort of evolutionary advantage did boobs that big even have? It was weird. Definitely weird!
Next were the children.
Falfa and Shalsha were wearing children’s one-piece suits in different colors, building a sandcastle. I don’t have to repeat myself, but they were adorable. I don’t need any other words.
“Falfa’s building a gate in the back, too!”
“Shalsha is making a double moat.”
“Right after you go through the back gate, the path immediately turns ninety degrees, so it’s hard for big armies to move around.”
“Any enemy that tries to cross the moat from this turret will be lost in a storm of arrows.”
They were getting a little too into their castle-building.
And just as she said she would, Sandra was photosynthesizing in a similar swimsuit. If I were to compare her expression to a regular person, it was like someone enjoying a hot spring.
“Ahhh, the sunshine is so nice… I can feel the nourishment~”
Sunbathing was part of the beach experience, so that was a good thing to do, too.
“All riiight, everyone going in the water needs to do their warm-up exercises! Make sure your feet don’t get cramps! The majority of all accidents at the beach happen because people weren’t ready!”
I was basically the head of the household, so I gave the heads-up. I stretched out my Achilles tendon as far as I could. Oh yeah, Achilles wouldn’t exist in this world, so I wonder what they call it…
“Ha-ha-ha, Madam Teacher, you’re such a worrier. The waves are gentle; there’s no way we can drown here~”
Halkara, why do you always have to jinx yourself…?
“Halkara, I’m not going to say anything bad, so just do your warm-up exercises… Elves aren’t used to being around the ocean, right?”
“Well, I used to swim in the river when I was little. There won’t be any problems. Well then, I’ll be going in first!” Halkara scampered off toward the ocean, boobs bouncing all the way.
I’m sorry, God. I think I’ve fallen victim to envy… Is she shifting left and right to make them do that on purpose…?
Then Halkara entered the water.
“Ahhh, the temperature is just perfect. It’s so nice~ I’ll just go for a little swiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAaaaaaaaaaahhhhhHhhhhhhh!!!!!”
Halkara’s scream resounded throughout the entire beach.
“See, something happened! It’s because you didn’t do your warm-up stretch!”
But that reaction was a little extreme for a foot cramp. She was holding her right foot and hopping in place.
“Hey, Halkara, what’s wrong? Just come back on land for a second…”
Flatorte went out to rescue Halkara, but Halkara was only ankle-deep in the water. At least she wasn’t drowning or anything.
Then, just as Flatorte stepped into the water—
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”
—she screamed just like Halkara did!
“What is it?! What’s happening?! I just know something weird’s going on!”
“Madam Teacher!” cried Halkara. “This is too dangerous! Do not go into the water!”
“Mistress, I knew the sea would be a terrifying place… I didn’t think this would happen to us…,” moaned Flatorte.
Yeah, I didn’t want to go in after watching them react like that. So what happened anyway? “Halkara, let’s learn from this experience and do our warm-up exercises. Okay?”
“Madam Teacher, I’m sorry, but warm-up exercises have nothing to do with this. This is due to an external cause…”
“What ‘external cause’?”
“Jellyfish… There are so many jellyfish! I’m not sure if I got stung or bitten, but I’ve been attacked!”
Oh… Those creatures were here, too…
It awakened memories in me from over three hundred years ago. Jellyfish were one of the classic dangers we were warned about when we went swimming in the ocean.
Sharks were scary, too, but we never came across those. I mean, if sharks started to show up often, they wouldn’t even let you swim there.
I approached the water.
I see… Upon closer inspection, I saw some cloudy white things floating in the water.
More than I could count.
There might have been hundreds or thousands or even millions of them—they were like dust in the air.
“Ooh… A jellyfish stung me last time when we were in Tazine. I think the sea is my natural enemy…” Flatorte was shaking off her foot. “But what I saw there is no match for this; it’s packed with jellyfish…”
“Maybe nobody swims anymore because of the jellyfish…”
The sea itself was a beautiful blue, but the amount of jellyfish there was unbelievable.
It was like a real-world bullet hell. And unlike a game, there was no way we could avoid them when it was so hard to move in the water in the first place…
Halkara and Flatorte were putting medicine over their red, swollen feet on the beach.
As befitting an elf knowledgeable about prescribing medicine, Halkara had brought an ointment for bug bites.
“Oooh, it feels like it’s swelling more… I hope this pain isn’t going to linger…,” said Halkara.
“I can’t stand this type of pain…,” added Flatorte. “I’d rather be punched over and over again…”
“Well, look on the bright side; it’s nothing worse than a jellyfish. If you stay still, it shouldn’t get any worse.” I decided to add a little positivity into this. No use crying over spilled milk and all.
“I suppose we will have to give up on swimming now.” Laika sighed as she gazed out over the water.
I couldn’t imagine a way for us to get rid of all those jellyfish.
Then Shalsha started walking toward the water.
“Shalsha, no, watch out! There’s jellyfish!”
But Shalsha already seemed to be aware of that—she picked something up when a wave retreated from the sand, and then she came back to us.
It was one of the jellyfish.
“You won’t get stung if you hold its head. And it’s even safer since it’s weak after being washed ashore.”
“Okay… But be careful when you handle it…”
“This jellyfish is called the Southern Jellyfish, a common type found in this region. It seems it has the tendency to multiply.”
“You sure know a lot, Shalsha…”
But knowing its species wasn’t going to help us deal with it. I guess we just had to play in the sand.
“Everyone, stay away from the water. Let’s play on the sand where there aren’t any jellyfish, okay?”
“I don’t think we’ll find a starfish now… Falfa’s disappointed…” Falfa was crouched down with a dejected look on her face.
“Both of you wanted to see a starfish, didn’t you?” I said.
But the water was not an option. Those jellyfish weren’t like slimes.
Then Rosalie came floating back. Maybe she was the only one who could get into the water…? I wasn’t exactly sure if that counted for her.
“Man, drowning sure is a rough way to go. I’m really glad I died.”
Apparently, she got to chat with her drowning victim…
“I doubt they have any effect on you, Rosalie, but I think we’re going to have to stand by on the beach because of the jellyfish.”
“Huh, well, that’s a shame. There’s a cave over there that’s perfect for exploring, but the beach is riddled with jellyfish the whole way there.”
“I don’t know about that, then. Even if Laika and Flatorte turned into dragons, I think they’d be too big to make small turns…”
And even if we did make it, we probably wouldn’t be up for exploring. We might’ve found a starfish on the shore, though…
“A lot of bodies wash up in the cave, so it’s kinda like a party in there!”
“A party…for ghosts, right? I think I’ll pass…”
Rosalie flew off toward the cave. Ghost power sure was convenient at a time like this.
“Shalsha, let’s go back to building our sandcastle.”
“Okay, Big Sis. Shalsha will start building the defense structures.”
The girls would just have to amuse themselves with the castle.
As for what us adults were going to do—
“Guess I’m going to sleep.” I stretched out on the sand. It wasn’t a terrible thing to laze around on the beach like this every once in a while. Not at all, not at all.
“Madam Teacher, have you given up? Well, I suppose there’s not much else to do. I’m already in pain, so I will sleep, too.” Halkara also rolled onto the sand. “It’s nice to have a vacation like this every so often. Just staring out, thinking about nothing. My stress melts away~”
“Yeah. Vacations in winter are a thing for a reason.”
“Indeed~ We can laze about at home, too.”
“We might be kept from the water, but why don’t we do some more exercise?” Laika asked.
The two dragons still didn’t seem to accept the whole situation, maybe because they had more energy than normal.
“Laika, people need moments like this,” I said. “We can’t be so busy all the time.”
“It’s exactly as Madam Teacher says. Let’s relax and enjoy it at our own pace.”
This was exactly what vacations were originally for. We could still have fun together even if we didn’t go in the water.
“Mmm, I’m going to run along the beach,” Laika replied.
“And I, Flatorte, will check out the market.”
“Okay, have fun, you two~”
Everyone had their own ways of enjoying a vacation, so that was fine. They could use their time as they wanted.
After a little while of lying sprawled out, mind blank, Halkara poked my arm. “Are you still awake, Madam Teacher?”
“Yeah, I’m up. We might’ve had a little accident, but I’m having fun.”
“But it would have been nice to get into the water together with everyone to play, wouldn’t it?” Halkara’s voice sounded a little more mature than normal. She had that company president air about her.
“I was trying not to think about that, but I guess you saw through me.” Oh well. The Witch of the Highlands wasn’t completely almighty. Sometimes I swing and miss, and I just had to accept my failure. “I sort of wanted my daughters and Laika to experience what it’s like to splash around in the water. The whole thing might not be a big deal, but it’s important to make memories like that.”
After dying from overwork, I reflected on my past and regretted a lot of things I did and didn’t do. Now I was used to my slow life, but I did want my family to have a fulfilling time.
I never really got to go to the beach when I was a kid because my parents were so busy with work…and I was told I couldn’t go alone because that was dangerous.
“But I can’t think of a way to deal with this, either. I am sorry for bringing it up again,” Halkara said.
“Nah, it’s fine. I guess we could find a shoreline with fewer jellyfish and see if we can at least find a starfish.”
Then Rosalie appeared again, gliding faster than usual.
“Big Sis, guess who I ran into!”
“One of your ghost friends, right?”
“No, it’s Miss Yufufu, the droplet spirit!”
I never would have guessed that. “I always pictured Momma Yufufu living more in the mountains…”
Her house was right near a waterfall, after all. I had a feeling there were a lot of humid places in the mountains.
“There’s a lot of water dripping everywhere in the cave, so it’s really damp. And that’s where she was! She apparently likes to come vacation by the sea sometimes.”
“I don’t usually imagine a damp seaside cave as the best place for a vacation.”
I think if a significant other of mine took me to a place like that, we’d have to start talking about breaking up. Actually, I’d probably start worrying about getting murdered.
But Momma Yufufu was the one who got us up and running again.
In fact, she was already here.
I blinked and she was right next to Rosalie. She randomly appeared more than a ghost did.
“Heh-heh, how lovely it is to see you all after such a long time. What a coincidence finding you here~”
“I’m surprised, too. The world is a strange place—and you’re wearing a bikini, too, Momma Yufufu.”
Momma Yufufu the spirit was also wearing a bikini. Her breasts were incredibly, terrifically large—terrifying, actually. I would say they were criminally large, but they went so far beyond that point that they weren’t anymore.
They were so much bigger than mine that I wasn’t even jealous…
“Don’t you think of swimsuits when you think of the sea? I was quite enjoying myself in the cave, since there was water dripping about everywhere. There were so many creatures like crabs and gobies in there.”
Honestly, the bikini wasn’t really her style.
“It was so nice listening to the sound of water dripping in a place where the light barely reaches. It’s the music of nature~”
“Um, sure… I guess different people are sensitive to different things…”
It was a mystery why someone with such a bubbly personality would go to such an eerie place.
“All of you are off doing your own thing, I see. You look like a parent who brought her children along, Azusa.” Momma Yufufu seemed to notice that right away.
“Actually, there were so many jellyfish…” I briefly relayed the situation. I mean, not like much happened to summarize. Our dip in the ocean was cut short because of the jellyfish, and that was the story.
“My, the jellyfish are a nuisance. So they’ve all gathered in shallow waters, which makes it hard to swim.”
“Of course they’d stop selling swimsuits…”
But I still got to see someone I knew, so maybe it was time for some catching up. Maybe we could all walk around the market together.
But then she offered some surprising information.
“It wouldn’t be entirely impossible to move the jellyfish somewhere else, though.”
“Wait, really, Momma Yufufu?”
This was great news. Would she use some kind of magic to get rid of them all at once? But jellyfish were living creatures, and I didn’t want to be cruel if I didn’t have to.
“I have an acquaintance who is a jellyfish spirit, so I’ll ask.”
“Anything exists in the spirit world!”
This was weird… Weren’t spirits basically supposed to be, like, fire and wind and stuff? A jellyfish spirit would be in the animal kingdom…
“I don’t think it’s all that odd. See, slime spirits like your daughters are water-elemental spirits.”
“…Yeah, you’re right. Most of a slime’s body is made of water—wait.” I realized that slimes and jellyfish had something in common.
Momma Yufufu gave me an approving look. “The majority of a jellyfish’s body is made of water. That’s why there are jellyfish spirits. If we ask her, she might be able to help us.”
Momma said she, which meant the spirit was a girl.
“How are you going to contact the jellyfish spirit anyway?” I asked.
“It’s quite easy to call over a spirit whom you know. Just wait a moment,” Momma Yufufu said and then suddenly vanished.
Fifteen seconds later—
Momma Yufufu appeared with a girl with long hair.
The girl’s left eye was practically hidden behind her black hair. Something about her made me think of a ghost. She at least didn’t seem very bubbly.
“Hey. I’m Curalina, the jellyfish spirit. Nice to meet you.” Her voice wasn’t very lively, either, but it wasn’t so much dreary as it was relaxed. She also had a big backpack-looking thing on her back.
“Hello. I’m Azusa, Witch of the Highlands. I’m Yufufu the droplet spirit’s—”
“—Daughter,” Momma Yufufu said. Things would probably be confusing for someone who didn’t know the whole story, but Curalina didn’t say anything.
I also had Halkara, Rosalie, my girls building their sandcastle, and Sandra all say hello to her. The dragons weren’t back yet.
“Curalina has been traveling around the country. She’s a wandering artist,” Momma Yufufu introduced her.
“Yes. I’m walking around the world, painting pictures, selling them, earning money, and using that money to travel more.”
Her lifestyle sounded awfully lax, but traveling freely wherever she wanted also sounded like the typical life of a jellyfish.
“What kinds of paintings do you do, by the way?”
“Want to take a look?” Curalina said, then plopped her backpack down onto the sand. I guess that’s where her paintings were.
The first painting was of a child sitting gloomily on a swing. The background was pretty dark, so the whole thing seemed eerie…
The second painting was of a lady selling goods in town, her head drooped gloomily.
The third painting was of a shepherd gloomily chasing after a sheep.
“All these pictures are so gloomy! Why is that?!”
“That’s what happens when you try to express the world as it is.”
She might be extremely artsy, but this wasn’t something I wanted in my room…
“And they’re all so dark that none of them sell.”
“I’m not surprised!”
“Anyway…” Curalina was the one who broached the main topic at hand. “Yufufu called me over, so I came. What do you need?”
Right. We still hadn’t told her what we needed.
“Well, we came because we wanted to swim in the ocean, but there are so many jellyfish that we can’t. Do you think you could move them temporarily?” It might be a rude question to ask a jellyfish spirit, but it was the only way to potentially fix this.
“Well, sure, it’s possible, but it’s a lot of work.”
I see; she can’t control the jellyfish at will.
“I’ll have to get a wave spirit to create a water current that the jellyfish won’t stagnate in.”
“You can’t move the jellyfish themselves?”
“No. The jellyfish don’t think; they just let the current sweep them away, so it wouldn’t work even if I talked to them with telepathy.”
Then there was no reason for Curalina the jellyfish spirit to come… We should have asked for help from the wave spirit…
Momma Yufufu stuck out her tongue in an apologetic smile. Spirits could be so irresponsible, even when it came to this stuff.
“By the way, Curalina, what kind of influence do you have over the jellyfish?”
“…I live a vagrant lifestyle to set an example for them.”
None, is what you’re saying.
Halkara leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Madam Teacher, there’s something odd about her… Is this okay…?”
Well, she was already here, so we asked her to do something.
“Curalina, can’t you make the jellyfish luminate?” Momma Yufufu asked, reminding Curalina what she could do.
“Oh, that’s right.” Curalina looked like she understood. Why did she have to have someone else tell her what her powers were? “But I forgot how to use it a little while ago, so I’ll do it when I remember how.”
…I’m pretty sure she’s going to get fired as the jellyfish spirit. Well, if this spirit system were an office anyway.
“I’ll go ask the wave spirit now,” Curalina said.
Yeah, if they could move the jellyfish, then that was better for us.
“But on one condition.”
“Urgh… What is it?”
“Be a model for one of my paintings.”
That request wasn’t very spirit-like. “Sure. I can do that…”
“Thank you.” Then Curalina disappeared.
“Isn’t she a funny girl? Heh-heh~” Momma Yufufu was very open-minded, so she probably adored everyone, even people like Curalina.
“She sure had a unique sensibility… She definitely seems like a jellyfish spirit…”
In the meantime, Laika and Flatorte came back, so I told them what happened.
“Huh. A spirit traveling around without thinking? She sounds like an idiot,” Flatorte scoffed.
“Perhaps you two might get along,” Laika said.
I didn’t think they would. Curalina was a different kind of idiot from Flatorte.
Thirty minutes later, Curalina suddenly appeared again.
“My, that sure took a while,” Momma Yufufu commented.
“I thought I went to go ask for help from the wave spirit, but I accidentally went to the waterfall spirit’s place.”
Come on, spirit girl!
“I got served tea, so I couldn’t leave right away. Then after negotiating with the wave spirit, we reached an agreement for a three-minute shoulder massage. So no worries.”
“A three-minute shoulder massage is enough for moving the ocean?!”
Was the sea something that could be manipulated for that cheap…?
“We’re both spirits, which is why three minutes was enough. A human might have to do it for thirty thousand hours if they went to ask.”
That would definitely wreck your shoulders.
“Well then, I’m going to move the jellyfish now, so please wait.”
Curalina faced the sea and clapped her hands.
There was a slow change in the movement of the waves.
The jellyfish lazily started to part to the left and right, until eventually there was a space clear of jellyfish; it was like Moses had pushed them aside.
The concentration of jellyfish was higher on the edges, so it looked like they were all crammed together, but if it was okay with the jellyfish spirit, it was probably fine. The center was completely clear of jellyfish.
“Okay, do as you wish.”
Curalina was spacey, but she seemed like a good person. She was probably close with Momma Yufufu, too.
“Thank you. We will enjoy the ocean to the fullest.”
Falfa and Shalsha were already running toward the water.
“Ocean water feels so good!”
“Our mother, the ocean, oh fertile ocean. You who makes criminals confess their sins and repent…”
Shalsha, I think that last bit doesn’t exactly fit with the rest…
Halkara was floating in the water. “Oh, this brings back memories. I used to float in the river all the time in summer.”
I didn’t know she had summer memories, too.
“It felt so nice, and I would eventually fall asleep, and then the current would take me downstream~”
Halkara, please value your life more. I felt like there were more important things for her to worry about than making medicine.
Laika and Flatorte were having a swimming race. They were both practicing the crawl.
“I am faster!”
“No, I, the great Flatorte, am faster!”
It was turning out to be a real competition; I was impressed.
“Mommy, we found a starfish!”
“The sea is home to creatures of peculiar shapes. How mysterious.”
My girls had apparently found the very thing they were searching for—a starfish.
“You did it! I’m so happy for you! Are you having fun in the ocean?” I asked.
“Yeah!”
“I am more enthralled than enjoying my experience. This is an entirely different ecosystem from the highlands.”
Both of their eyes were glittering. Just seeing that made coming here worth it.
“Can either of you swim?” I asked.
They shook their heads at the same time.
“I’ll teach you. First we’ll practice by putting your face in the water and opening your eyes!”
I didn’t have an instructor’s license or anything, but I taught them how to swim in my own way. I held their hands and had them kick their feet.
Falfa got the hang of it quickly and managed to swim about thirty feet just kicking her feet.
But Shalsha would sink immediately. Even though they were twins, they had their differences when it came to these things, too.
“Ooh…my body is rejecting the water…”
“You’re getting stiff because you’re afraid. Relax a little more, Shalsha.”
“Easier said than done…”
Their speed in learning might be different, but I was sure that once she got a feel for it, she would be able to swim.
I’m being such a mom right now!
Momma Yufufu got in the water.
“Count me in~”
Momma splashed me with water. I wanted to get her back with a counterattack, but my hands were still full with Shalsha!
“Weeell? Attack, attack!”
“Momma Yufufu, you’re mean! This isn’t fair at all!”
“But you’re having fun, aren’t you?”
We never get the chance to do this.
I sort of understood how people living in landlocked areas longed for the sea now.
A short distance from us, Flatorte had her hands clasped together, filled with water, and she squirted it at Laika. Anyone could do that with their hands, but she created a powerful, straight stream like a laser, much like something a dragon would do.
“Take this, Laika! This is my Hydro Attack!”
“That is nothing!” Laika breathed fire and evaporated the water.
“None of that! Fight water with water!”
“You don’t get to decide the rules on your own.”
Everyone was getting plenty of fun out of the water. This was fantastic.
But from my position, I had to keep a greater eye on things. Sandra couldn’t get in the water, so I wondered what she was up to. I hoped she was okay.
It looked like she was digging around with Rosalie and Curalina.
Sandra’s head popped out of the sand.
“Yes! I found a big shell!”
“You’re a natural. By the way, there was another big one underneath that. I went down and took a look earlier,” Rosalie said.
“You and I will find every shell on this beach!”
You’re definitely the strongest pair for finding shells, but please don’t actually do that…
“Curalina, was it? You’re digging holes all over the place. You should be more methodical about it.”
“Unplanned is my way of life, so.”
Curalina had really dug shallow, haphazard pits in the sand. Even an amateur could tell that nothing would come of that.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, even if you can’t go in the water.” I sat down next to Sandra.
“The sea is nice, I suppose. I would not be happy if we lived here, but I suppose I’d tag along if you went to visit again.”
Yes, yes, I know you’d jump on the opportunity if you got one.
I patted her head, but she didn’t resist today.
“Look. The children will be here soon; they are interested in shell hunting.”
Oh, Falfa and Shalsha? You’re the littlest kid here in terms of looks, though.
And it was just as she said.
First Falfa came, and then Shalsha came a few moments afterward.
“Falfa wants to do it, too!”
“There are creatures in this sand. How peculiar.”
It seemed like I accomplished my mission of bringing my family to play at the beach. I’m not sure why, but it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
The phrase family obligations existed back in an era I once lived in. As a single person, it wasn’t something I experienced, but I understood the concept.
I didn’t consider this whole thing an obligation but an event where we all had fun, including myself. I planned on keeping it that way.
Obligation meant that it was some kind of externally enforced requirement. I didn’t think that was meant to be at all used for family. Wouldn’t that just mean I didn’t want to go to the beach with my family and spend time with them?
But it was true that I wanted to do more things in the future to bring joy to my girls and the rest of the family.
There wasn’t much variety in the slow life at the house in the highlands. In a good way, that meant it was relaxing. In a bad way, that meant things could get boring. I wanted us to have special events so that no one would be bored.
I went back to the water.
Flatorte had gone underwater and caught a sea urchin with, “Gotcha!”
“Don’t you need a fishing permit for that…?”
“Lady Azusa, these sea urchins are poisonous and small, so we are free to gather as many as we like, or so I’ve heard. I looked it up before I came. If we remove the poisonous parts, we can also eat them.”
“You are my prize pupil, Laika…”
“Falfa’s going underwater, too!”
“All right, follow me, the great Flatorte!”
“Shalsha is finally able to go underwater.”
Everyone was now searching for food.
But if they got a sense of accomplishment from it, then there was nothing to complain about.
As that was all going on, it got pretty dark.
It seemed I completely forgot about the time.
“I think we’ll have to finish up soon. We’re getting pruney,” I said. I was still in the water, and something unexpected happened right after.
The sea on both sides of us started to glow in all different colors, like Christmas decorations.
“It’s so beautiful…”
“How romantic~”
Laika and Momma Yufufu were enraptured by them. It was a nice surprise.
Obviously, Christmas decorations didn’t exist in this world.
But what were they?
Curalina was standing on the beach, both her hands extended to either side of the ocean.
“I remembered how to make the jellyfish light up. What do you think?” The sight was so vivid but also soft and gentle—I’d say it was perfect. “Jellyfish might be unimportant, but it’s nice when people remember them every once in a while.”
That was a very jellyfish-spirit way of wrapping this up.
“Thank you, Miss Curalina. You helped us have the best day ever.”
“This wasn’t much at all.”
Everyone needed important friends like spirits. Miracles didn’t happen that easily.
Laika then approached me with worry on her face. “Erm, I just realized…”
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
“Halkara has been gone for a while now…”
Oh right, after we managed to get into the water, she was floating on the surface, but I didn’t remember seeing her afterward.
After Laika and Flatorte went to search for her in their dragon forms, they found her far offshore.
“I was so scared… I woke up, and there was sea all around me… And some kind of shark was getting closer…”
“Next time, no sleeping in the water, okay…?”
And so our day at the beach ended without incident (especially since we saved Halkara).
When we all came back to the sand, the jellyfish scattered again, still lit up.
“People might not be able to swim, but this illumination is nice. Why not have them light up every once in a while?” Momma Yufufu offered an idea to Curalina.
“I don’t really care; what would it accomplish?”
It seemed like the people who lived at the beach had gathered there. Everyone was looking at the glittering sea before them.
Ahhh, I bet this is an unusual sight for them.
“Wow, incredible!”
“It’s gorgeous!”
“We could definitely get tourists with this!”
Right! Even if no one could swim, if people came to look at the jellyfish light up, then the local area could profit from it!
“See, at least make them light up on holidays. I have nothing against the jellyfish, but they are being a nuisance.”
“You’re right, Miss Yufufu. If you say so, then I’ll do it.”
What a relief. I was so glad they could contribute to the town in some way.
Well then, we’re going to stay at an inn in this port town tonight. We’re at the beach already, so I want to eat some seafood.
Curalina patted me on the shoulder. “Well then, I hope you uphold your end of the promise.”
Promise? What was she talking about?
“Please model for one of my paintings.”
I totally forgot. I needed to do that for her…
“Sure, but I’m a little embarrassed doing that in my swimsuit, so why don’t you come to my house in the highlands later?”
“That’s fine with me.”
A few days later, without any warning, Curalina visited the house. Her unpredictable actions were very befitting of a jellyfish spirit.
“Thank you for doing this; it won’t take that much time. Please have a seat,” she said, and I had no choice but to follow. Just like she said, I didn’t end up having to sit for hours on end. After fifteen minutes, she said she got the general feel of the picture.
In exchange, she had the rest of the family sit for her, not just me. We rarely got the chance to do this, so it wasn’t wholly terrible.
“It will take a little while until it’s finished, so I’ll bring it when it’s done. Bye.”
And with that, Curalina had gone. She sure marched to the beat of her own drum. I wonder where in the country she was loitering around today.
“Mommy, do you think she drew Falfa pretty?”
“You’re adorable, Falfa, so I don’t think she has a choice but to make you pretty.”
I was obviously being a doting parent, but I still didn’t know how it would actually turn out.
And then, a month later, Curalina suddenly arrived with Momma Yufufu, right around the time when the cold had gotten even worse.
The demons Beelzebub and Pecora were at the house that day, eating with us (uninvited), so the house was really full.
“I have a lot of paintings, so would you mind me borrowing an open space if you have one? I’d like to put them up on display.”
“Sure. There’s an open area at the end of the hall, so go ahead and use that.”
There was a big, rustic wooden addition to the house that we used for the Witch’s House Café. That was what Laika built after she destroyed part of my original house.
It was so big that we normally didn’t know what to do with it, and it was usually too cold passing through it after coming out of the bath or something, but it was perfect for events like this.
Just as we finished eating, Curalina came back to say she was finished.
Knowing someone had drawn me made me nervous…
The painting was very well done. She’s a genuine wandering artist, I thought.
But—
I had a really sullen-looking face in all of them! The background was really dark, too!
“This is weird! I thought I modeled a happier face for you?!”
I thought I had a smile on the whole time just so she wouldn’t draw me so dark!
“I’m expressing what’s on the inside. The inside.”
Why did she repeat the inside?
The paintings of everyone else were the same. Even in the painting of Falfa and Shalsha sitting together reading books, they had dead eyes. Hey, this doesn’t look like they’re studying.
In the picture of Halkara sitting, there was a terrifying ghost standing behind her. Wait, this ghost is…
“I am not this creepy-looking! I am not the type of ghost that puts deadly curses on people!” Rosalie protested. I knew it was her…
The painting with Laika cooking, the painting with Flatorte sleeping in her bed, and all the others were the same. Flatorte looked like she had half an hour to live.
There were also paintings of me in poses I never remember doing, like picking grasses, but they were all dreadful.
In Sandra’s painting, there were hands coming out of the ground around her. Those are just zombies…
“This is too much… I would not have modeled if I knew it would turn out like this…,” Sandra protested.
Curalina really outdid herself this time…
But on the other end of the spectrum, Pecora and Beelzebub were howling with laughter.
“Oh yes, these are brilliant. A few of them have forever changed my perspective of you!” Beelzebub said.
“Please pardon me, but I see not so much of your strength, Elder Sister, and more of how frightening you are.”
Don’t you care at all…?
“I often painted sorrow up until now, but now I’ve broadened my horizons to paint fear. Thank you,” Curalina said.
I had no intentions of contributing anything to that.
“I can give you one as a memento—would you like one?”
“No. Please just sell them off somewhere.”
But I think that choice might have been a mistake.
Curalina had apparently held a private exhibition in the royal capital after that.
The Witch of the Highlands’s house series was received rather well, and they sold for quite a bit of money compared to other paintings of hers.
That was fine on its own, but I was still worried that people might start talking about the Witch of the Highlands as some wicked creature… I just hoped this wouldn’t cause any serious reputational damage.
It sure is tough when someone you know becomes famous.
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