As we crossed the portal, the waterway leading to the sea remained unchanged.
Thinking it would be best to fill it up again, I moved toward the beach, where Levi, nestled in Ara’s arms, started wriggling.
— Shwik! Shwiik!
Wriggling and squirming, Levi seemed excited at the sight of the sea.
Seeing this, Ara carefully placed Levi down on the sandy beach.
“This is the place! What do you think?”
Levi paid no attention to Ara’s words and simply moved enthusiastically toward the crashing waves.
— Shwik!
Then, after a while, Levi turned around and looked at Ara with pleading eyes.
“Hehe.”
Finding Levi adorable, Ara picked it up again and headed toward the sea.
“Ara, can you check if the mermaids are doing well?”
“Yes! I’ll check with Levi.”
For some reason, my father wasn’t fishing today.
Looking at the neatly placed fishing equipment on one side, I felt a slight worry that Levi or the mermaids might get caught or injured while he fished.
‘I should educate him a little.’
While I was thinking that, Levi and Ara entered the water.
Soon, an excited Levi jumped out of the water, proudly showing off the splendid swimming skills.
— Shwik!
“Haha. Our Levi is so excited.”
Levi seemed utterly thrilled.
How long had it been since it swam in such a clean ocean?
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! We will go find the mermaids!”
“Alright. I’ll be waiting.”
Having eaten too many clams, Ara had developed the ability to breathe underwater. She dove into the sea, with Levi following close behind.
Left with nothing to do while waiting, I decided to gather some seafood.
Since a changing room had been set up here, I changed into a swimsuit provided on-site and prepared my snorkeling gear.
For a moment, I considered whether I should have joined Ara and Levi in their mermaid search.
But I shook my head.
There was no way I could keep up with those two.
Bubble Bubble.
As I entered the water, a beautiful underwater landscape greeted me.
Colorful fish, coral reefs, and various marine creatures filled the surroundings.
Just looking at it was a joy.
But I couldn’t just stay idle.
I sharpened my focus and activated my radar.
Even though I lacked extensive experience in gathering seafood, making it hard to identify things at a glance, I soon spotted something moving slowly.
Bloop.
I lunged forward and grabbed whatever was moving.
I managed to snatch three at once.
The creatures looked like abalone, each about the size of a palm.
Their camouflage was so effective that if one hadn’t moved, I wouldn’t have noticed them at all.
‘They’re stuck on tight.’
Anticipating this, I had brought a hoe with me.
From past experience, I had learned that tools like hoes were useful for seafood gathering, so I had packed one along with my snorkeling gear.
Using the hoe, I lightly pried them off.
The abalone-like creatures detached easily.
I gathered the palm-sized abalone and surfaced to place them safely onshore before diving back in.
While collecting abalone, I discovered something else.
There were mussel-like shells clinging to the coral reefs.
Unlike the usual flat shells, these stood upright, which was quite impressive.
However, their colors were different from the mussels I knew.
They were vibrantly colored in shades of blue, purple, and pink, all sharing the same shape.
Having eaten them before, I knew they were safe.
At first, their colors made me wary of potential toxicity, but Mammon and Ashu had confirmed that they were safe to eat.
Scratch, pluck!
Using the hoe, I scraped off the mussels.
They detached with a satisfying sound.
I continued harvesting them multiple times.
“Three abalones, twenty mussels.”
If it were just for me, this amount would be more than enough to fill my stomach.
But considering Ara, Levi, and the possible mermaid guests, it was far from sufficient.
Without wasting any time, I dove back into the water.
Rather than feeling exhausted, I was filled with enjoyment.
This was true healing.
As I continued gathering seafood, I noticed Ara energetically kicking toward me from a distance.
Bubbles rose.
I waved at her.
But where was Levi?
“Warrukwaralara.”
Ara was trying to say something underwater.
Instead of words, strange noises echoed.
The sound made us both burst into laughter as we surfaced.
“Phuuu.”
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong!”
“Ara, did you find the mermaids?”
“Yes! They’re busy building their home!”
“Oh, already?”
They hadn’t even been here for a few hours, and they were already constructing a home. Impressive.
I nodded and then asked about Levi’s whereabouts.
“Helping! And will be coming soon with Red Scale.”
“Ah, I see.”
If Red Scale was coming, would this much gathering be enough?
I had collected quite a bit in the meantime.
Ara looked at my snorkeling gear and the hoe in my hand and raised her arm excitedly.
“I’ll do it too!”
“You want to catch some too, Ara?”
“Yes!”
“Alright. I wasn’t able to catch the fast ones anyway. Can you get those for me?”
“I’ll catch them all!”
With a “poof,” Ara dove back into the water.
I followed her in and soon saw her swimming swiftly toward something.
Chomp!
‘Oh!’
She caught a giant lobster!
Her hunting skills were incredible.
Splash!
The lobster struggled, flailing its legs, but it was no match for Ara’s strength.
It was about the size of her torso.
Enormous.
We surfaced and tossed the captured lobster onto the beach.
Its hefty body landed on the sand and wriggled.
“Next!”
Without a break, Ara dived back in.
Encouraged by her enthusiasm, I silently continued my seafood gathering.
— Benefactor! Hahaha!
Then, from afar, I heard Red Scale’s voice.
He had started calling me “Benefactor” at some point.
I waved my hand.
Beside Red Scale, the mermaid siblings were with him.
Our adorable little prince and princess giggled and couldn’t stay still for a second.
— Kids, you need to be quiet in front of our Benefactor.
“It’s fine. I’m just happy to see they like their new home.”
— Hahaha! You truly have a generous heart, Benefactor.
“Do you like this place, Red Scale?”
At my question, Red Scale nodded vigorously, as if words weren’t enough to express his feelings.
— These children never experienced it, but I remember how clean our old home used to be. Even so, this place is far better than that ocean ever was.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
— I’m not just flattering you, Benefactor. Oceans like this are rare, even if you search the whole world.
At that moment, I saw Levi rapidly approaching from behind.
The mermaid siblings rushed toward Levi, beginning a game of tag.
— Shwiik!
Levi’s big, round eyes curved into a bright smile.
— Benefactor, I haven’t properly thanked you yet. Thanks to you, our entire tribe survived.
“It’s nothing. It benefits us both.”
— Actually, I’ve been wondering what I could do for you in return. Since we are aquatic beings, we thought of collecting resources related to the sea to offer you. What do you think?
“I was about to ask for the same thing.”
— Haha! It seems we are on the same page. Very well. From now on, we will prepare an offering once a week.
“You don’t have to overdo it. Just do it when it’s convenient.”
An offering from the sea, huh?
Seafood would be the main part of it.
But what else could there be?
I still didn’t know much about what lay within these waters.
Maybe the mermaids would explore it for me.
While we were talking, the mermaid siblings, Levi, and Ara were already heading to the shore.
I wondered if mermaids were even supposed to come onto land…
Swish, swish—
But they moved around on land just fine.
Although, since they had fish-like lower bodies, they dragged themselves, making their movements look somewhat awkward.
‘So, it is possible.’
I had prepared a waterway leading to the sea and even built a pool in front of the portal just in case, but all of that was pointless.
Scratching my head, I walked onto the shore with Red Scale. Ara excitedly started explaining.
“These are mussels! These are scallops! These are abalones! And this is a lobster!”
As she pointed to the seafood we had gathered, the mermaid siblings’ mouths started watering.
Levi also stared blankly, looking quite eager.
“Have you ever tried eating them cooked?”
— Cooked? What is that?
Ah, I suppose they wouldn’t know.
I quickly started a fire.
Then, I placed a few tightly closed shellfish on the heat.
I wasn’t sure if mermaids would prefer them raw or cooked.
I could just let them taste it and decide.
As the shells heated, a delicious aroma filled the air.
Ara’s face lit up with anticipation, and Levi began swallowing the saliva.
“Here, be careful. It’s hot.”
Ara didn’t need help, but I cooled the food down for Levi and the mermaid siblings.
Then, they each took a bite.
— Wooaah!
— Ooooiwu!
Their eyes sparkled as they expressed their delight with their entire bodies.
Levi, too, took a bite of the cooked shellfish and immediately demanded more.
— Mmm…
However, it seemed that Red Scale didn’t enjoy it as much.
“Ah, do you prefer eating it raw?”
— I suppose I’m just too used to the way I’ve always eaten. But the children seem to enjoy it this way.
Then, there was no need to cook his portion.
I handed Red Scale some raw seafood.
He expertly cracked them open and slurped them down.
— Ahh, the seafood here is truly amazing!
Back in the dungeon, he had an air of a solemn king.
But now, he just seemed like a regular guy from the neighborhood.
I found it more approachable and chuckled as I nodded.
“I’m glad to hear that. Eat as much as you want, so you never go hungry again.”
— Sniff… Thank you, Benefactor.
And so, we continued enjoying the seafood feast.
Luckily, the mermaid siblings loved the cooked seafood.
Since they were still young, it seemed their taste preferences weren’t fixed yet.
Levi, on the other hand, refused to eat anything that wasn’t cooked now.
“Being picky isn’t good.”
— Shiiiik…
When Ara offered Levi a raw oyster, Levi quickly turned the head away.
Even though it was being fussy, its reaction made my heart ache from the cuteness.
Just then…
The portal leading to the beach shimmered, and I sensed someone coming through.
Who could it be? My father?
As I had guessed, my father appeared.
But he wasn’t alone—my mother and Seon-ah were with him.
“What? Seon-ah, you’re off work already?”
“……”
Seon-ah didn’t respond.
Instead, she stood frozen, staring blankly at the new members of our group.
She looked… somewhat dangerous.
Quickly, I stepped in front of the mermaid siblings and Levi, spreading my arms wide.
“Stay back, wicked one.”
“Move. I can’t see.”
Meanwhile, Red Scale lowered his head respectfully and greeted them.
— Greetings. My name is Red Scale. I recently moved to this ocean, and I look forward to your guidance.
“Well, nice to meet you. I’m Lee Hyun-woo, Kyu-seong’s father.”
“I’m Kim Hyun-mi, Kyu-seong’s mother.”
“Our Grand Overlord is here!”
Ara dashed forward and clung to my parents’ legs.
Levi, wobbling like a baby seal, followed close behind.
They both looked up at my parents and Seon-ah with wide, curious eyes.
— Shwiik?
That gaze, filled with curiosity.
Seon-ah clutched her chest and collapsed onto the sand.
Yet, even as she did, her hand instinctively reached out to touch Levi.
“You… You dare touch our precious Levi so casually?”
My protests fell on deaf ears.
Seon-ah, overcome with emotion, hugged Levi tightly and rubbed her face against Levi’s.
“How can you be this adorable…?”
“What about me?!”
“Ah! Of course, our Ara is adorable too!”
As Ara puffed up her cheeks in jealousy, Seon-ah quickly turned her attention to her as well.
Somehow, it felt like the title of Envy had shifted hands.
I chuckled as I watched the scene unfold.
“Since you’re here, why don’t you join our seafood feast?”
It was the perfect chance to properly introduce our new family members.
Cliche Novel 