Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 106

After arriving at the southern island by boat, we disembarked onto the beach.

“Now, shall we use the items to make our way to the underwater temple?” Saffy said as she attached the bracelet she took out from her pocket to her left arm.

Lumia also put on the bracelet in the same way.

I had mine already attached to my left arm, so there was no issue, but something was bothering me.

“…Isn’t there quite a difference in thickness between your bracelets and mine?” Yes, my bracelet was a bit chunkier, while the ones the two were wearing were very slim.

They were light, with soft colors, so beautiful that you wouldn’t feel out of place calling them women’s bracelets.

“Well, this one is newer, you see. It’s only natural to make improvements when making something new.”

“Yeah, it’s nice!”

What a surprise. It seemed that the Sea Guardian Bracelet that I had was of an old model.

Surely, there must be a difference in performance like between a flip phone and a smartphone.

“Even so, with our magical power, it won’t last even half a day here.”

“Even with the improvements, the fuel efficiency hasn’t changed, huh?”

“…,” Saffy’s eyebrows twitched at my casual remark.

“Oh, sorry.”

“…It’s fine. I’ll show you something with even better magical efficiency someday.”

She tried to keep her composure as usual, but there was a hint of frustration in Saffy’s words.

She’s mature and carefree, but it seems she gets emotional when it comes to the items she creates. I got to know a new side of Saffy.

“Well then, let’s go.”

Saffy regained her focus and let magic flow into the Sea Guardian Bracelet, covering her entire body with a membrane.

Following suit, Lumia and I also protected our bodies with the same membrane.

Once everyone was ready, we entered the sea.

Though we could feel the sensation of the seawater, we didn’t feel its coldness.

Pushing through the waves, we descended into the sea, and in no time, we were submerged in the underwater world.

Many fish were swimming around, freely roaming the underwater realm.

“…It’s beautiful,” Lumia’s mesmerized words surprised me.

It seemed that with this item, one could hear other people’s voices clearly. Even when diving alone, I could hear sounds, but I hadn’t expected to hear other people’s voices.

A different world devoid of humans. No matter how many times I saw it, it was a beautiful and extraordinary sight.

However, precisely because of such a world, different dangers lurked compared to the surface.

At the edge of our vision, there was a creature resembling a sea snake, with an unusually long body, crawling.

【Sea Serpent Danger Level C】

A magical creature that can grow up to twenty meters long. It crawls gently along the seabed and rocks, targeting prey.

Beware of its constricting ability using its massive body and the nerve poison in its fangs. It is edible, and has a resilient texture and a mild flavor.

Identifying it, it seemed to be a magical creature called a Sea Serpent.

They might not have noticed us yet, but if we continued like this, there was a possibility of encountering them.

Even from a distance, its movements were swift, and I didn’t want to fight such creatures.

“Which direction is the underwater temple?”

“Straight ahead.”

“Let’s take a detour. There seems to be a troublesome creature called a Sea Serpent.”

“…Hmm, if it’s just that kind of creature, I can handle it, but it’s better not to expend energy unnecessarily. Let’s do as Shuu-kun says.”

“Eh? Saffy, you can fight?”

I was surprised by Safi’s words, which showed no fear towards the creatures.

“Haven’t I told you that I sometimes go for material collection myself? If I can’t defeat a C-rank monster, then I’m not fit to be an alchemist,” she said.

I instinctively glanced at Lumia to confirm.

“Is that so?” I asked.

“No, my master is exceptional. Most alchemists rely on adventurers or others to procure materials,” Lumia replied, shaking her head with a wry smile.

That’s right. It’s not an easy feat to master alchemy and combat simultaneously.

Although I almost misunderstood Saffy’s words as representative of all alchemists, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Lumia, as a disciple of an extraordinary master, might be quite different from typical alchemists as well.

With such thoughts in mind, we bypassed the Sea Serpent and continued forward.

However, while I had vast magical power and could afford to take our time, Saffy and Lumia couldn’t. Perhaps that was part of what Saffy had been troubled about earlier.

If we could move faster, it might be better to do so as much as possible.

“May I use magic to speed up both of you?”

“Magic to move faster?”

“Well, if we can move faster, then why not? Can you do it?” Lumia seemed unsure, but since Saffy agreed, I cast water magic on both of them.

Generating a water current starting from the soles of their feet.

“Whoa! My body’s lifting on its own—ahh!” Lumia suddenly felt the propulsion force, flailing her arms and legs, and did a somersault underwater.

Seeing that she was completely confused, I stopped the magic and supported Lumia’s body.

“I’m sorry, it seems the water current was a bit strong.”

“…Honestly, Shuu-san. It’s cruel to laugh,” Lumia blushed and turned away in a pout.

Admittedly, what just happened might have been embarrassing for a lady like her.

But Lumia’s flustered reaction was too amusing to resist.

“I see, so it’s the power of the water current!”

Meanwhile, Saffy, despite being tossed around by the propulsion force, was gracefully navigating through the underwater world.

Her agility allowed her to handle the propulsion force without being thrown off balance.

“This way of using magic is interesting!”

“You’ve already grasped the feeling, amazing!”

“…Shu-san, please do it for me again.”

Praising Saffy sincerely, Lumia spoke with a determined expression.

“Got it. Here we go again.”

“Please!”

In the next moment, Lumia’s vision abruptly flipped upside down.

♦ ♦ ♦

We continued southward, sensing the monsters and bypassing them.

The seabed grew deeper and deeper, with sunlight barely penetrating.

Though quite some time had passed, the underwater temple was still nowhere in sight.

However, we started to notice large rock formations, leading to closed-off spaces resembling caves.

It seemed like there were more strange-looking creatures and fish around.

They must have specialized in living in the darkness where little light reached.

“Is the underwater temple still far ahead?”

We should have covered a considerable distance with the acceleration from water magic, but as the same scenery persisted, my sense of time began to blur.

“It should be visible soon. Let’s illuminate with the items,” Saffy said.

She pressed something resembling a badge on her chest, and light shone ahead.

It seemed that was also an item.

Lumia also illuminated with a similar item.

“Would you like one too, Shuu-kun?”

“I’m fine. I’ll conjure light with magic.”

Although Saffy offered me a badge, I declined and decided to create light balls around us instead.

“You’re skilled at using multiple magic spells.”

“It’s just simple magic.”

While precise control is required for some magic, both the water magic and light magic I’m currently using are straightforward.

As long as it’s about maintaining them, even I can do it with ease.

“Hmm? Is that a large shadow… Could that be the underwater temple?”

Seeing what appeared to be a building rather than a rock, I directed the light from the light balls towards it.

Then, it became apparent that it was an artificially constructed structure, likely made by human hands.

Several pillars made of special stone rose up, and stone statues resembling people and tigers were placed here and there.

And in the center, there stood a magnificent temple reminiscent of the Parthenon.

“Yes, that’s right. This is our research site, the underwater temple,” Saffy declared beside me, staring intently at the sight.