Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 143: The Spirit of the lake
Feeling somewhat disappointed, we headed straight for the lake, another tourist attraction. Unlike the previous hot spring resort, this one was full of families and people dressed like merchants walking along the banks of the lake.
We approached the lake while watching them. It looked small from my room at the inn, but when I got closer, it was quite large. Although we could see the opposite shore, it would be a bit difficult to swim across. The surface of the lake was glistening in the sunlight as if it were slumbering.
“It looks like it’s lively here. The lake is quiet and there is a pleasant breeze – is something wrong, brother?”
“Strange.”
“Strange? What is?”
My brother, who had been staring intently at the water surface, turned to me. There are wrinkles between his eyebrows. The handsome 13-year-old boy is ruined. Brother Cain's best selling point was his sharp eyebrows.
"Look at the lake...Is this your first time seeing a lake? Well, look, you can't see the bottom of the lake, can you?"
If I looked at it that way, I couldn't see the bottom of the lake, as if the water quality of the lake has deteriorated. Judging from the way my brother said it, he must have been able to see it before.
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“I can’t see it. Were you able to see before?”
“Yes, I was. This lake is famous around here as a lake where you can see the bottom of the water from a distance. But now ……”
“You can’t see it any way you look at it.”
I stared at it intently, but I couldn’t see what I couldn’t see. Maybe the lake’s purification system has stopped working? Maybe tourists are dumping garbage into the lake and this is causing the water quality to deteriorate. So the spirit of the lake got angry and took the hot springs …… Seems likely.
“What could be the cause?”
“Maybe."
“Maybe the spirit of the lake got angry?
Bwuhhhh, my brother burst out laughing. What the hell?! I don’t know what it is, but it seems rude. I gave him a mousy, sticky, accusing look, and he immediately apologized with a half-smile.
“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t think you really believed the story about the spirit in the lake. Julius has a childish side, too.”
That’s rude. I’m only ten years old. Besides, I’m meeting the gods of this world. I think there’s a good chance that spirits really do exist. That’s why I wanted to throw an ax into it.
“There’s a spirit! There it is!”
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“What?”
I meant to point to an empty space. But then I saw a turtle emerging from the water. Without hesitation, the turtle swam right up to us. It was truly a magnificent swim.
“How did you know?”
"I-it talked!"
"It-it talked!"
I cried along with my brother. Of course, the knights escorting us also shouted. Fortunately, the surrounding area was reasonably lively, so we didn't attract any attention.
“I never thought anyone could see through me. It’s been hundreds of years. I’m so happy.”
The turtle, which was big enough to hold in both my hands, had eyes and a mouth that looked like a smiley face emoji. He looked very happy. We, on the other hand, must have been dizzy.
What should I do? It was just a childish joke.
I looked at my brother as if asking for help. His face was drawn back. My eyes must have been overflowing with sparkling stardust. My brother who had given up the idea spoke to the turtle.
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“Um, I see that you are the spirit of this lake, but why is the water, well, how should I say, dirty like this?”
It seemed very hard to say. I’m sorry, brother. I’ve forced you into a role you don’t like. The turtle closed both eyes as if he wanted to say, “You mean, that?”
"My magic power..."
“Magic?”
“I’ve run out of magic..”
It seems that he has run out of magic power. It seems that even spirits have limited magic power. I had no idea. I looked at my brother. We both let out a sigh of relief. It seems that it wasn’t us humans that polluted the lake.
"And there are a lot of people throwing trash into the lake these days."
“sorry”
“sorry”
We apologized on behalf of the human race. It was our fault. No doubt. He looked at us and laughed out loud. This tone of voice seems to be happy.*
“Look up, because it’s not you. It’s not you guys.”
Apparently, they remember the faces of those who dumped the trash. Scary. I am afraid that divine punishment will fall on those people any day now. It seems to be true that the heavens are watching us when we do wrong.
“Is there anything we can do to help?”
My brother, who seemed to have a great sense of justice, said so without hesitation.
I have a very bad feeling about this. My brother is better at swordsmanship than magic. And I am good at magic. Furthermore, what this turtle is having trouble with seems to be a lack of magical power. In other words, it’s up to me to do something.
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“You are kind children. If only I could restore the …… magic, I could make this lake clean once again and return the hot springs around here to their previous state.”
He said sadly. The turtle, too, was not happy with the current state of the lake and the surrounding area. Hearing this, Brother Cain’s action was…
“Julius, can’t you do something about it?”
I told you so! Without a moment’s hesitation, my brother turned to me. It was a terribly quick and reckless request. I don’t think I could have handled it if it wasn’t me.
"Well, I brought some magic power recovery potions with me, so let's try those. However, I'm not sure if that’s enough, so let's also try a magic potion that has the effect of gradually restoring magic power."
“I know about magic recovery potions, but do you also have such magic potions?”
I tittered and waved my finger in front of my brother’s face.
"If I don't have one, I can just start making one now. Fortunately, I heard that there is a 'Green Corridor'. There might be materials for magic potions there!"
“……”
At my remark, the brother silently cracked his mouth open like a fish on land. Then the turtle leaned forward.
“I’ll go with you too. I’m familiar with the medicinal herbs around here.”
It seems that the turtle did not just stay in the lake, but roamed the surrounding area.