SRS 220
The water was so clear that it revealed everything beneath the surface; thanks to this, Yohan could see Sei’s legs transform into something resembling a fish’s fins as she stepped into the lake.
Yohan’s breath hitched as he watched his friend take on the form of a creature with a human upper body and a fish’s lower body.
“A mermaid…?”
“No.”
The denial came from right beside him.
Mikael shook his head and corrected Yohan’s guess, his gaze fixed on the scales that now partially covered Sei’s face.
“…She must be a siren.”
A siren.
A race known since ancient times for dwelling in the sea and bewitching sailors with their songs.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Sei scooped up water from the lake, washed her face, and turned to look at the villagers.
The girl– whose eyes had by now changed to resemble those of a reptile –smoothed back her wet hair and lifted her chin.
“Go and fetch the people. Tell them I am the water deity.”
“Thank you, thank you…”
The villagers bowed before scrambling back toward the village.
Yohan watched their hurried movements for a moment before walking over to the water’s edge and sitting down.
His friend, now transformed into a siren, looked at him quietly. It was Yohan who broke the silence.
“…Are you alright?”
“What reason would I have not to be?”
Sei chuckled, but there was no way she was truly fine.
Yohan knew how unsettling it must be to reveal a long-hidden secret. So he smiled in an attempt to act as though nothing was wrong. Upon seeing that listless smile, Sei raised her hand and sent a spray of water droplets flying as though she was telling him not to look like that. Yohan flinched slightly at the cold touch but soon laughed; he patted the spot beside him, and Mikael sat down next to him.
The angel stared at the siren.
“…What?”
“Just because. I think you’re kind.”
Mikael shrugged and praised Sei for her decision.
“The choice you made was noble.”
Yohan also heaped praise upon Sei’s decision; perhaps out of shyness, her face flushed red, and she submerged herself until half her face was underwater.
After laughing at the sight, Yohan and Mikael turned their eyes toward the village, where a commotion could be heard.
“Do you think the people will really believe she’s the water deity?”
“They will.”
“Why?”
“Because they have to believe in order to fully enjoy the miracle we’ve created for them. How could they peacefully enjoy a miracle if they didn’t believe a water deity existed?”
“That’s true.”
“Hmph. That’s exactly why I don’t like humans. There’s nothing they won’t do just to put their own minds at ease.”
Sei slapped the water’s surface with her fin. Her voice was colder than usual, which troubled Yohan. Since transforming into a siren, Sei had begun to harbor a loathing for humans. A feeling that hadn’t been there before. When Yohan’s expression betrayed his concern, Sei swam closer and met his gaze.
“What? Is my personality too different?”
Her tone sounded almost mocking, yet that mockery wasn’t directed at Yohan.
It sounded more like self-derision, so Yohan shook his head.
“No. You’re still kind, Sei.”
In every book, sirens are described as cruel, ferocious, and highly intelligent creatures. They were a race known for bewitching, devouring, and mocking humans, yet none of those traits were visible in Sei now.
“You revealed your true form for the sake of the people. I respect your heart and the choice you made.”
“…….”
“Besides… you dislike humans. Your decision to do so is a testament to your integrity and character.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Right now, yes.”
“…….”
Sei’s gaze grew pensive, and she let out a sigh.
“You’re right. I hate humans. They tried to wipe us out. They drove spears into our bodies, hunted down and executed our kin who lived among them in human guise, and left even the corpses exposed to the sun. That’s how I died too.”
“…Sei.”
“But after I died and ended up here, I realized that not all humans are like that. It might be because they didn’t know I was a siren, but everyone was kind to me. The Nameless Realm accepts other races without looking down on them. It’s a world where everyone is of a different race. I liked that.”
“Even if your friends found out you were a siren, they wouldn’t shun you.”
“I know.”
Splash.
Sei splashed the water with her hand. Her playful expression returned as if the gloom from a moment ago had never existed.
“That’s exactly why I showed you.”
“I’ll live up to that trust.”
“You don’t have to be so solemn about it.”
Sei leaned back until she was floating on the lake’s surface, and looked up at the sky.
“…Seeing people like you just made me think I might be able to trust humans a little. Besides, in this village…”
Sei stopped mid-sentence and closed her eyes. Soon, her expression became tinged with emotion; her gaze held a look of longing.
“There’s a scent in this village, almost imperceptible, but it’s the scent of my own kind.”
“You mean you can sense a siren’s presence?”
“Yes. It’s very subtle. But feeling it this strongly around here… it makes me think that the water deity might not be a god in the sense we usually imagine.”
This was crucial information.
Yohan looked at Mikael.
“What do you think?”
“…It’s certainly plausible. When we arrived, I didn’t sense any angelic or divine energy. Perhaps, as Sei suggested, a very powerful, ancient siren once lived here. Beings that live that long naturally acquire power, so it’s possible this one served the role of a water deity.”
“I suppose so…”
If this hypothesis held true, it explained why the villagers seemed to recognize Sei’s true nature and why they had asked her to become their water deity.
Sei had likely realized the truth the moment the villagers made their proposal.
That must have been why she had said they knew exactly what they were asking.
“That’s why I decided to help. If these people are friendly toward sirens… well, helping them out once wouldn’t hurt.”
“True.”
Yohan smiled as he watched Sei speak with a slightly gruff, embarrassed air. When she saw that smile, Sei stood up and playfully poked Manno with her fingertip.
“…Just keep it a secret from the others, alright?”
“Of course.”
It was a decision that made perfect sense, considering the general perception of sirens held by other races. However, since the Nameless Realm was more accepting of inter-species differences than other dimensions, he hoped that Sei would one day let go of her unease regarding her race and reveal her true self to everyone.
After all, it was a school where even demons roamed freely.
Being a siren could hardly be considered a flaw.
As he thought this, a crowd of villagers soon came. They were out of breath from running up the steep path. They stopped in their tracks upon discovering the water-filled lake and Sei within it.
“Ah…”
“Aah…”
“Oh…!”
They knelt down.
Some let out sighs of awe, others wept, and some covered their mouths as they began to sob. A mix of sorrow and amazement overwhelmed everyone at the scene.Yohan took Mikael by the arm, stood up, and stepped aside.
This moment belonged to the villagers and Sei.
“Aah…”
“Hng…”
Those who had prostrated themselves in tears struggled to compose themselves. Feeling the fear, sorrow, and the disappointment of abandonment they had endured, Yohan’s expression darkened; Mikael gently placed an arm around his shoulders to comfort him.
After a long while, they finally lifted their heads and wiped away tears as their dry and cracked lips trembled.
“A-are you… truly… the water deity?”
Sei offered no verbal answer to the question asked in a trembling voice. Instead, she raised her fin and sent lake water splashing in all directions.
“Wow…”
The scattering droplets floated through the air– beautiful and mystical, as if soap bubbles had been blown –before falling to the ground.
It appeared to be a performance that borrowed, however slightly, the power of a water spirit.
Children from the village gazed on with innocent wonder, while the adults bowed until their foreheads touched the ground.
“…Thank you, thank you.”
“Thank you for returning.”
“Oh, water deity…”
All the villagers– fewer than thirty in total –gathered and bowed their heads. Sei briefly looked uncomfortable at their reverent posture, but soon returned to an expressionless state and turned away.
She moved with grace away from the shore and stepped into the lake.
Splash.
As Sei’s figure vanished completely, the villagers, who had been spellbound, slowly rose to their feet. They dipped their hands into the water, confirming its reality, and wept once more.
Countless tears fell in droplets onto the lakeshore, but it mattered little. The lake was vast, and the volume of water Yohan and his friends had provided was immense; shedding a few tears was permissible.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you…”
Yohan felt an inexplicable thrill as he heard the words they exchanged while embracing one another.
As a priest, he had helped, succored, and saved countless people, yet he had never experienced an emotion like this.
It felt like watching a sprout emerge from barren, desolate soil.
A miracle that transformed an entire village.
Perhaps this was the true miracle Yohan was meant to bring in the future. As he gazed at the scene, those who had regained their composure left to prepare for the festival with bright smiles.
He watched the backs of the people who were rejoicing at the prospect of holding a ritual and a feast to celebrate the water deity’s return, waiting until every sign of life had faded before calling out to Sei.
“Sei.”
Ripples disturbed the calm surface of the lake, and soon Sei emerged, the sound of splashing water marking her ascent.
Despite the considerable time spent underwater, her breathing remained normal– a vivid reminder that she was a siren.
“…Are you alright?”
He asked the question because Sei looked troubled. She slicked back her wet hair and gazed in the direction where the people had vanished.
“…They didn’t even flinch when they saw me.”
“…….”
“There was no trace of suspicion, nor any sign that they were trying to rationalize it to themselves.”
“Sei.”
“The deity they worshipped really was a siren.”
“…….”
Her voice was tinged with regret. Then, Sei smiled, a pained expression.
“A world like this exists… so why were we…”
Unable to add a word to her lament, Yohan simply stayed by Sei’s side alongside Mikael.
All the while, Sei’s eyes– swirling with regret, anger, and sorrow –remained fixed on the path the villagers had taken until the sun finally set.
It seemed unlikely that Sei’s troubled state of mind would fade anytime soon.
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