Chapter 114 : Chapter 114
Chapter 114 : Realization
I felt myself being overwhelmed by the extremely unnatural sight created by nature, but my head was spinning as fast as my rapidly beating heart.
What kind of animal could swim underwater?
If I transformed the moment I fell, I would be able to minimize the impact, and…… no, before I could weigh each option one by one, the boat was already shaking, unable to withstand the water pressure.
First, I would need legs that could attach my body firmly to the deck.
When I strengthened my muscles just as I had practiced in Lucha, standing on the shaking boat became much more comfortable.
Kwaaaaa---
At the same time, the flow of the water stream changed.
The width of the river water, which had been moving to swallow Ratel in the center of the boat, narrowed and turned its direction.
The target was the deck where I was standing.
What a quick reaction.
Determining that there was really no time left, it was the moment I was about to turn around to give orders to the other people on the boat.
“Ugh!”
At the sudden pain that felt like my ankle was being crushed, I swallowed a groan and looked down.
As I lowered my head, the hand that had snatched me and a gaze more ominous than that came into view.
“What kind of crazy thing are you doing right now?”
It was the ungrateful protagonist brat.
Looking into those fierce golden eyes, my attention was now focused on the fact that the fellow was holding my ankle rather than the pain.
Did he notice that I used strength?
“Aren't you reacting too excessively just because I stepped onto the deck? I'm just taking a look at the situation.”
As I pulled my body back into the boat while feigning nonchalance, I was able to escape the vice-like grip that felt like it would break my ankle.
“The movement of the water suddenly changed. It makes no sense unless you are up to something.”
Fortunately, it seemed he hadn't realized that I was hiding my power.
I passed the fiercely questioning fellow and approached Jing.
Looking at him, who was trying to maintain composure in an unusual situation, I felt somewhat relieved.
Because Jing wouldn't be as needlessly stubborn as someone else.
“Jing, everything I say from now on is a command. To escape this situation, you must follow my orders.”
The gray eyes looking at me shook with confusion at the word that rarely came out of my mouth.
“When I give the signal, gather as much strength as possible and move the boat to shore. And…….”
Whether it was an easy command despite speaking so solemnly, Jing waited for my next words with a questioning face.
The problem was what came next.
I wondered how well Jing would be able to carry this out.
After taking a deep breath, I finished my first and last command.
“And stop Ratel so he doesn't interfere with me.”
“What does that…….”
“What are you talking about right now?”
Ratel took a step toward me, cutting off Jing's questioning words.
“I said it's a command.”
When I spoke again to the hesitating Jing, Jing tightly closed both eyes.
And then he grabbed Ratel, who was about to charge.
He probably wouldn't last long.
But I was certain that the current Ratel probably wouldn't be able to attack Jing without hesitation.
Though it wouldn't have a very good influence on each other.
So, ending this situation quickly was the consideration I could provide.
I distanced myself from Ratel, who was being held by Jing and staring as if he would kill me, and quickly climbed back onto the deck.
“I knew you were doing something crazy.”
Ignoring the scolding voice, I lowered my gaze to the fellow to leave my final words.
“Listen well. Once I fall in, the waterway will bend greatly. That should be enough to stall for time until you arrive at the opposite side.”
Despite my explanation of the situation, Ratel still glared at me as if I were a madman.
“Have you finally gone crazy? Do you think you can survive there?”
Of course I can survive.
I had no intention of risking my life in the first place.
Confirming my calm expression, the space between Ratel's eyebrows deepened.
“If you want to die, I can kill you with my own hands. That would be faster and more comfortable.”
“Who said anything about dying since a while ago. I'm going to enjoy life as much as my lifespan and die of old age. I have a plan, and I'll survive on my own, so you just row without stopping so you can arrive at the other side. Or are you planning for us all to fall in and die here?”
Kwaaaaa---
The whirlpool created by the river water was gradually increasing in size.
Since there wasn't much time left, I hurriedly spat out the rest of my words.
“I've already told you, so you know, right? Once you get the holy object, take it exactly as it is and return to the island. And then you cut off the head of the Orc leader.”
“Don't do anything foolish. If you die, who's going to guide us to the next holy object.”
Watching that bizarre movement with me, the fellow interrupted me as if he were angry and spoke through gritted teeth.
Ah, that problem remained.
It must be the reason why he was holding onto me with all his might, unlike himself, so I had to teach him properly.
“Your next destination is Vitas Castle.”
Without guidance, he might wander a bit, but he would eventually find the way.
Just as the Ratel in the original work did.
“Then you'll naturally find the rest of the holy objects.”
I finished speaking quickly.
However, despite the guidance prepared for the worst-case scenario, Ratel's face showed no sign of softening.
Of course, it didn't mean his expression was usually soft, but still, this was the first time it had been distorted to this extent since we started traveling together.
Even though he was so anxious to mess with me in Lucha Village, why was he making a face like that?
“Look, I've said it repeatedly, but I'm not going to die right now. For you, I would make such a sacrifice…….”
Unfortunately, my question was resolved the moment I let it out of my mouth.
Because I realized why he was trying to stop me so much now.
Along with the reason for the strange behavior he had shown until now.
If you ask why finding the answer was unfortunate, it was because I felt that the answer wasn't very advantageous to me.
I opened my mouth to spit out words that were not advantageous to me at all.
“Steal the holy object and come back, Ratel. I'm not dying because of you. No, even if it's not because of you, I won't die. Do you understand?”
If he really wouldn't let go, I had a way too.
If I couldn't escape with my own strength, I could borrow another power.
As if finishing the final preparation to swallow us up, the waterway bulked up its size once more.
Thanks to that, the boat shook more violently than ever before.
I didn't miss the opportunity and pulled up my power.
Along with the feeling of my arm becoming hot, a slight transformation occurred in one arm.
It was certain that Ratel also felt some change, but neither I nor the fellow had the leisure to question it.
Because the movement of the water stream, which had been mindlessly bulking up, changed.
The wave that had been persistently chasing the boat bent abnormally and rapidly approached me.
Contrary to me, who raised the corners of my mouth at the movement exactly as expected, bewilderment and shock flashed across the faces of the three remaining on the boat.
I had consumed a lot of energy thanks to the protagonist being needlessly stubborn, but with this, Ratel's interference would be avoided.
As if answering my words, the river water opened its mouth wide.
It was probably reacting to the power I had released a moment ago to shake off Ratel.
I turned my head and looked at Jing.
“Stop right there!”
Ratel, who pushed Jing away a step late, reached out belatedly, but it only ended with him narrowly tearing at my bag.
If I had been caught by a grip strength enough to tear a leather bag, wouldn't I have survived in a worse state than falling into the water?
An absurd thought flashed through my head, but it soon evaporated thanks to the cold water swallowing my body.
The sensation of my five senses being cut off as the cold river water of early winter wrapped around my body was unfamiliar, but the feeling wasn't too bad.
Just a little more, once the boat was completely far away, I planned to transform into a turtle.
It was a bit of a funny appearance, but still, it was an animal that could swim without being noticed.
So until then, until the boat was far away, I should just entrust my body to this comfortable feeling.
As I closed my eyes while feeling my body rapidly sinking, it felt as if someone was whispering in my muffled ears.
-Keep the promise.
At the voice that felt like it was directly echoing in my head, I snapped my eyes open.
It wasn't a sound created inside my head.
It was clearly someone's voice.
I turned my head here and there to find the owner of the voice that spoke to me as if they had been waiting for me, but there was no result.
Because, as always, another hardship announced its beginning.
I gritted out a curse as I confirmed the strong force pulling at my legs.
***
The wave that had been chasing the boat while bulking up with all its might to swallow it, strangely, stopped its movement right before hitting the back of the boat.
It swallowed the sacrifice that had jumped from the boat and closed its mouth.
The strong force created by the river closing its mouth settled down as if to drill a hole in the center of the river, and the reaction spread to the surroundings.
Thanks to that, the small boat, which escaped the crisis of its hull being crushed by the waves, moved forward at a high speed riding the wind created by that movement and Jing's power.
Jing gathered all his strength and pushed the sail.
To carry out the command of the last Imperial Family member he served.
The boat safely escaped the whirlpool created by the waves and reached the shore, which was the original destination.
The boat, which attempted to moor at the riverside as if it were being shoved, slowly stopped moving only after traveling forward for a long time as if sailing on land.
Finally, only after the boat, unable to withstand the friction, completely stopped did Ria, who had been holding onto the boat's railing as if to break it, raise her head.
Ria's face clouded as she confirmed the empty head count.
She looked at Jing as if she were about to burst into tears.
Because now, for Ria, there was no one left to appeal to other than Jing.
“Jing, what do we do now…….”
Ria pointed into the emptied boat as if she couldn't believe it.
“Ran and Ratel have died…….”
Jing also scanned the inside of the boat with a grim face.
Only two had arrived at the shore.
The vast river that had swallowed the two had already regained its calm movement as if nothing had happened.
Like a predator that had filled its belly.
***
In the world, you never know how things will turn out.
There aren't many things that go my way, and unexpected situations intervene in life at any time to create setbacks in plans.
One day, a talking squirrel suddenly appears and interferes with work, and even though I jumped into the river to save a boat on the verge of capsizing, some crazy guy might follow behind and cling to me.
I'm the type of person who lives with the thought carved quite deeply in my heart that one shouldn't rashly make oaths or promises in a life where one cannot see even an inch ahead.
-Keep the promise.
So, no matter how much the owner of this voice echoing in my head speaks to me in a warning tone, I have no memory of sharing anything like a promise that must be kept.
Especially in this unfamiliar world.
-Keep the promise.
Whether it read my thought that there was no promise to keep, the unfamiliar voice echoed in my head once again.
Thinking that if I didn't express my unfairness here, I might be held accountable for a promise I never even made, I opened my mouth.
You seem to be under a great delusion right now; I have never promised anything to you, and even if I had, it wouldn't have been me but the original owner of this body.
……But has this happened before?
A sense of déjà vu was felt, as if I had felt a similar unfairness before.
It also felt like back then, I tried to make a sound but it didn't go my way.
But why is my voice not coming out freely now?
When my thoughts reached this point, a feeling of stuffiness, as if something hard was late in constricting my chest, was felt.
At the pressure that felt heavy enough to make breathing difficult, my head, which had been spinning slowly to resolve this, began to regain its speed.
Why is it so hard to breathe?
Is it always like this when you fall in water?
Right, I fell into the water, didn't I?
……Then how am I breathing?