Well, that's how it is.

"How did those swimming fish-people come to be?"

"Ah, those children? Well... there were various circumstances involved."

Thetis smiled slightly and said.

"While my main body is resting here, my reach extends to all the seas connected to it."

"I see."

Unlike the children with limited bodies like Ifrit or Sagarmatha, Thetis and Sylphid could manipulate almost everything as long as they were connected to their main bodies.

Since they were connected, almost all the seas could move like Thetis' own limbs.

"Occasionally, there were other races that fell into the sea. Well, the lizardmen and beastmen could swim well and escape on their own."

Lizardmen and beastmen...

"You mean the lizardmen and merfolk. Those children are good swimmers."

Especially the lizardmen, who could swim using just their tails without properly using their limbs.

Moreover, their lung capacity was great, so they could go dozens of minutes without needing to breathe.

Truly, if it weren't for the shackle of temperature, the lizardmen might have conquered the world.

"I see, there were names like lizardmen and merfolk. Anyway, the humans who were good swimmers somehow managed to swim out of the sea, but sometimes humans who fell deep into the sea also appeared."

I see. The danger of the sea. If you fall in wrong, you'll drown quickly.

"So I tried to rescue the humans I could, and after caring for them in the sea until their strength returned, I would send them back home later."

"I see, you did a good deed."

At my praise, Thetis scratched her head shyly.

"Anyway, when I was caring for those humans in the sea, some of the fish became curious about the humans."

"I see, and then?"

"After that... the fish gradually started to transform, taking on forms resembling humans."

Humans resembling fish...

"Like those fish-people?"

"A bit different. Back then, it was more like fish with limbs growing out of them."

Fish with limbs...

"That's a bit..."

"Yes, I thought so too."

What is this? I feel like I've seen something like that in a horror manga. Fish with limbs, how horrifying.

"The humans who saw that got terrified, so I scolded them appropriately. After that, they transformed a bit more."

"So that's how those half-human, half-fish creatures came to be?"

"Yes. There were several trials and errors in the process, but that's how they ended up like that."

Several trials and errors, huh. I don't really want to ask about that.

"The humans who were rescued from the sea didn't dislike that appearance, and those children seem to be satisfied with their own forms, so they're living like that. Their intelligence is a bit lacking compared to humans, but they're smarter than regular fish, so they're good for various tasks."

"I see."

Fortunately, there weren't any fish-people hybrids.

"Well, some humans who wanted to become part of the family and live in the sea with those children instead of returning to land also appeared, but it's not good for land-dwelling creatures to stay in the sea for too long."

I see, so there were fish-people hybrids after all.

"Anyway, that's how those children came to be. Not as grand as you might have imagined, right?"

"I wouldn't say it's not grand... I got a glimpse of the boundless potential of humans."

Who would have thought fish could do that? Humans... are truly terrifying.

If this continues, I wonder if there will ever be a human who can become a lizard... Perhaps there is a potential for humans to achieve such transformations...

"Ugh..."

Hm? I hear the sound of a door opening from the cabin, along with the Hero's voice. Has the deeply sleeping Hero finally woken up?

Ah, it might be because Thetis has calmed the sea waves, relieving the Hero's seasickness a bit.

"Phew, I'm finally feeling a bit better... Huh? Who are you?"

"Ah, you've woken up? This one is... well, the goddess of the sea."

"Instead of that formal title, please just call me Thetis."

Thetis then hugged me from behind.

"It's nice to meet you. Hero, favored by the Goddess of Life. I am Thetis, the one who rules over all the seas."

"Ah, y-yes, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am the Hero."

"Well then... since the main purpose of coming here has been achieved, I suppose it's time to start preparing to return."

"Oh my, already? Won't you stay a little longer?"

"I'm a rather busy person, you see."

I'm not the busy one, it's the Hero. As for me, I can fly to the other side of the world in an instant if I so desire.

"Then at least stay for one more night. I'll gather plenty of fresh seafood for you!"

Hmm, fresh seafood, you say. The fish I caught and ate on the way here were quite delicious as well.

Carefully removing the scales, slicing them into sashimi, and dipping them generously in spicy sauce... Mmm, delicious.

"Then... I suppose I'll stay for one more night. I should also check on the Hero's condition a bit more."

"I'd rather just leave as soon as possible!"

"It seems the Hero agrees that would be best."

Unfortunately, the Hero had no choice in the matter.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The fresh sashimi that Thetis provided was absolutely delicious.

With a wave of her hand, the fish would jump up onto the boat, as if begging to be eaten.

If this were a fishing boat, it would have been a bountiful catch, but unfortunately, aside from me, the Hero, and the Beast God, there were no other passengers. Most of the fish were sent back into the sea.

But we did grill and eat some of the fish!

The grilled fish, cooked with the clean salt extracted from the seawater and the magical flames, tasted amazing. Fresh off the sea, how could it not be delicious?

Furthermore, the excited Thetis also gathered clams, abalone, and other seafood from the depths, and the excited merfolk even brought us various items.

As a result, we were able to fill ourselves with an abundance of seafood.

Ah, the grilled clams were simply delicious. Thetis was even surprised at how well they turned out when cooked over the fire.

She even asked me to teach her the magic of making the fire, though the compatibility between Thetis and fire was quite poor. But through sheer magical power, we managed to get the fire going.

So it was me, the Hero, Thetis, and the Beast God feasting on the seafood.

Just as we were enjoying our bountiful meal, suddenly...

"Kyaa!"

"Run away!"

"It's a sea serpent! A sea serpent has appeared!"

Loud cries started coming from among the merfolk.

A sea serpent, huh...

"Hero, draw your sword."

"Huh?"

"We've had a hearty meal, so we should pay the bill, don't you think?"

At my words, the Hero hesitantly but diligently picked up his sword.

"But the Goddess of the Sea is here, why should I..."

"Now, now. Sometimes you need to know how to fight in the sea as well. And just because a god is here, that doesn't mean you can just leave everything to them. Did I not raise you to be better than that?"

"No, that's not what I meant..."

"Come now, you two. Don't fight. I'll cast a spell to allow you to breathe underwater, so go ahead and fight. And with me here, you'll definitely not lose, right?"

The Hero let out a small sigh, then nodded reluctantly.

"Going to fight right after a meal, this is a first..."

"Hmm. Even guard dogs won't bother you when you're eating, but it seems the Hero is different."

At my words, the Hero sighed once more, then jumped into the sea.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The merfolk race has long been shrouded in mystery.

With the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, they are a unique subrace.

Sometimes they are helpful to humans, and sometimes they are classified as monsters that lure humans into the sea.

The legend of the mermaids has been recorded since very long ago, but the first recorded account was in the adventure story of a nameless hero.

[In the distant seas, where the Sea God resides, there lived a large number of mermaids.

They were as innocent as young children, and were curious beings, but at times, they were foolishly simple-minded.

They praised the Sea God as the great flow of the sea, and the Sea God nurtured those mermaids, protecting them from the many dangers that existed in the depths of the sea.]

From this record, we can see that the mermaids are the retainers of Thetis, the goddess of the sea and the protector of seafarers, and to harm them would incur the wrath of the sea.

However, foolish humans were swayed by one superstition and tried to hunt the mermaids.

[The superstition was that eating mermaid flesh would grant eternal youth and longevity.]

- Regarding the mermaids.