The forest remained sunless, damp, and slightly cool.
Xenon, hunching his shoulders, glanced around, while Samuel surveyed the woods impassively. Pallides was guarding the rear.
Tristan was in charge of guiding us through the forest, with Zigore and Minte following behind.
[There's a pond over there.]
Minte, who had been craning her neck to stare ahead, spoke. Just as she said, the damp, fishy scent of water reached my nose.
"Have you already found it?"
Xenon asked curiously, watching me advance unhesitatingly as if heading for a predetermined destination.
"No, I haven't found it."
Tristan had taken the lead and mobilized insects, but if even he couldn't find it, I assumed it probably wasn't above ground.
So, I planned to search around areas where water pooled first.
Before long, a pond of suitable size appeared before us. There wasn't a single duck here, unlike the many we had seen along the Lindea River.
After pondering for a moment, I summoned Ganik from my bracelet.
[Captain!]
"Ganik, you're a sea turtle, right?"
[Yes, that's correct!]
"Can you go into freshwater?"
[……Huh?]
"I guess it would be difficult, right?"
Why else would a sea turtle be called a sea turtle? It lives in the sea, so it's a sea turtle.
I looked at Ganik with pitying eyes, then glanced at the pond. It seemed large enough that fish might live in it.
'Fish are vertebrates too, so communication should be possible…….'
For matters deep in the water, it's best to ask an aquatic creature, right? With that thought, I wanted to contact a fish, but upon arriving at the pond, I was at a loss for how to call one out.
I couldn't go in myself, and I couldn't send Ganik in either. What was I to do?
As I stared at the pond, troubled, Samuel, who had been watching this from beside me, suddenly spoke.
"That baby Lizardman should be able to go into the water."
"Hmm?"
Come to think of it, baby Lizardmen were also monsters that lived near water. Still holding Ganik tightly, I gazed intently into the eyes of the baby Lizardman who was looking up at me.
[Kyuu?]
"Probably not."
We can't communicate with this one. Even if I ask for something, will it understand?
Looking at the baby Lizardman with doubtful eyes, Ganik, for some reason, began flapping his legs enthusiastically, defending the baby Lizardman.
[He's a smart child! He's quick-witted and has good comprehension, so he'll understand if you tell him!]
"Really?"
Still skeptical, I bent my knees to meet the baby Lizardman's eye level.
"Can you catch just one fish from that water and bring it up?"
"Ah, he won't understand if you explain it like that."
Xenon, who had been watching from behind, crouched down beside me. Then, using his hands, he began mimicking a fish swimming.
"This. In that water, something that moves like this, you catch it like this."
The baby Lizardman, looking alternately at me and Xenon, brightened its eyes. Then, it set Ganik down and abruptly jumped into the pond.
[Run slowly, or you'll fall!]
Ignoring Ganik's urgent shout, the baby Lizardman splashed into the water. The calm pond surface rippled with the splash.
The tail, which usually dragged on the ground, wagged more vigorously than ever, and the webbed feet skillfully parted the water.
And a short while later.
[Kyuuu!]
The baby Lizardman, triumphantly poking its face out, had a half-eaten fish clamped in its mouth.
"……No, that's not it, no. Well, it is, but you shouldn't eat it; you need to catch it alive, like this?"
Xenon, at a loss for words, began explaining again, eagerly drawing pictures in the air with his hands. The baby Lizardman, staring intently at Xenon's actions, promptly ducked back underwater.
And a short while later again.
[Kyukyu!]
"That's…… No, wait. You squeezed it too hard."
The baby Lizardman held out the tightly gripped fish to Xenon. Xenon's face paled upon meeting the lifeless eyes of the fish.
In contrast, Ganik watched the scene with proud eyes, as if the baby Lizardman were his own child.
[Isn't he clever? He's very good at hunting too! It's a relief he'll likely adapt well to the group!]
"……Uh, I'm grateful for the dead fish too. Next time, could you catch a live one?"
The baby Lizardman, watching Xenon intently as he wildly waved his arms to portray a lively fish, nodded as if it understood.
And not long after, the baby Lizardman reappeared along with air bubbles.
The baby Lizardman vigorously raised a hand clutching something that was wriggling and thrashing fiercely. Thanks to that, everyone could see it clearly.
"Eek! That's not a fish, it's a water snake!"
The moment Xenon recoiled in fright, Mori, who had only been poking his head out of the silk pouch, cried out in a delighted voice.
[Ah, Brother!]
[Aah! Save the water snake!]
[Kyukyukyu!]
[He'll grow into a brave Lizardman! Hahaha!]
……Well, in a word, it was chaos.
* * *
The water snake, nearly torn in two by the baby Lizardman's fearsome grip, began wriggling the moment we saved it, eager to flee immediately.
If Mori hadn't emerged from the silk pouch and quickly approached to act familiar, it likely would have just slithered away without a backward glance, never mind its saviors.
[Mori has good affinity with many animals.]
Zigore awkwardly smiled, defending Mori. Mori, who had seemed preoccupied exchanging greetings with the water snake, finally turned to look at me.
[He, he's the brother who taught me many things when I first opened my eyes as a snake.]
But you're a Dullahan. Why are you calling a water snake 'brother'?
I barely swallowed the words that rose to my throat and looked at the water snake. The water snake, flicking its tongue with clear signs of exhaustion, paused upon noticing me.
"Do you live in this pond? Then I have some questions."
[For me?]
"Yes. Have you seen any monsters that look like people around here?"
The water snake looked at me, Xenon, and Samuel with wary eyes, then drew back its neck.
[None here.]
"So you're saying there are some elsewhere?"
[Well…… Animals whose habitats were taken over did come over to our pond.]
Regaining its energy as it spoke, the water snake raised its body slightly and boasted, 'Thanks to that, I got to feast.'
But immediately after, it met the baby Lizardman's eyes and swiftly coiled up again.
Staring intently at the water snake, which was on high alert for fear of being caught again, I slowly asked,
"Where is that habitat that was taken over?"
The water snake, flicking its tongue, looked towards a certain direction.
It was a point deep inside the forest, which looked pitch black.
* * *
The baby Lizardman, having performed its role splendidly, returned to the subspace holding the jerky it received as a reward and clutching Ganik.
We resumed our halted steps. The place the water snake indicated was deep inside the forest.
The path was dense with trees, and there was nothing resembling a proper trail, so Samuel and Pallides used their swords to clear the underbrush and make a way.
Naturally, it was also inconvenient to summon a Dullahan. Because of this, I didn't even dare summon the larger creatures.
Xenon, tearing away clinging vines with his hands, sighed and grumbled.
"That creature that was said to be in the river has fled quite far."
"Rusalkas are said to be very wary. It seems it got scared."
Though it's a laughable state for something bold enough to touch the Empress.
I cut through the grass winding around my ankles with a short dagger and strode inward. It had supposedly taken over the animals' habitats, and indeed, the surroundings were quiet.
Through the hanging leaves, rippling water began to appear. I paused briefly and looked back at Samuel and Xenon.
"Just in case, Xenon and Sir Samuel, step back."
"Huh?"
"It's dangerous."
"They steal dreams, right? It would be troublesome if you became a target for no reason."
Given the environment made it difficult to summon a Dullahan, there was a high chance I'd need to rely on Xenon and Samuel's power if something happened. So, it was better to keep the two of them back as much as possible.
Instead, I had Pallides with me.
"Pallides."
Pallides, who had been guarding the rear all along, stepped forward boldly as if he'd been waiting.
"Don't worry, Captain! Whatever comes out, I'll cut it down in one stroke!"
With Pallides taking the lead, we moved again, and before long, another pond, hidden by lush undergrowth, appeared. It was a much larger pond than where the water snake had been.
Sunlight filtering through the leaves brightened patches of the water's surface, and around it, branches were draped so low they almost touched the water.
[I'll take a look around!]
Zigore flew and circled the water's surface. I unconsciously tensed, worried something dangerous might jump out, but fortunately, the surface was calm.
I thought a pendant in the water might reflect light, but nothing particularly caught my eye.
'Should I call the baby Lizardman out again?'
I was pondering that when,
"Captain, step back!"
At Pallides' words, I quickly pulled my body back. In an instant, Xenon's semi-transparent barrier enveloped my front, and Samuel's sword, imbued with divine power, was pointed ahead of me.
[There's something in the water.]
At Minte's low voice, my gaze turned to the water's surface. I could see the leaves floating on the surface moving slightly.
[Captain! Let me try to persuade it!]
Mori quickly revealed himself. The small, round snake's eyes looked up at me pleadingly.
"Can you persuade it?"
[Yes! It's not a bad one!]
[You foolish Mori!]
Zigore shouted in protest, but Mori only repeated that it wasn't a bad one.
There wasn't time for a prolonged struggle. Persuading it smoothly would be better anyway, so I willingly set Mori down on the ground.
[I'm here! Are you there?]
Mori, wriggling his small body as he eagerly approached the water's edge, raised his head.
The leaves on the water's surface moved slowly, neither fast nor slow. At a glance, it seemed as if they were being pushed by the wind.
But having been staring at the surface all along, I could confirm that a very small concentric circle was spreading across the water.
[This person isn't scary! They just came to talk!]
……Actually, depending on the situation, we might have to kill it, but there's no need to tell it that.
No answer came from the pond. However, the concentric circle spreading in the distance seemed to be gradually getting closer. The leaves that had been moving slowly were now noticeably spinning in circles.
[I'm Mori!]
Mori must have forgotten that he'd been hit on the back of the head by that monster. Actually, maybe the reason Mori was easily fooled was because his memory was poor?
Worriedly glancing at Mori, the moment I was about to part my lips, I heard Xenon gasp.
"Gasp."
Something rose smoothly from the quiet water's surface.
Below the thoroughly soaked crown of its head, dripping hair swayed on the water's surface as if alive.
That thing, staring this way with bulging eyes, was probably a Rusalka. However…….
"It has no eyeballs."
It was a rather grotesque appearance.