Chapter 241 - Ariel

In the deep underwater city of Latis City.

At the white temple located in its center. There, in the place where Atlas, the leader of Latis, resided, we were having a meeting.

"Hahaha! It's good to see your face after so long, Egostic. And this must be Katana?"

"Yes. It's an honor to meet you."

"Yes, yes. Speak comfortably, comfortably! Oh, and this is my daughter Ariel. This is your first time meeting Katana, right? Go ahead and introduce yourselves. Katana, this is Ariel. Ariel, this is Katana."

"It's an honor to meet you."

"Yes. Hello..."

Katana extended his hand to Ariel with a formal, static tone, and matching his formality, Ariel shook his hand with slightly reddened cheeks.

After their greetings were finished, Atlas laughed heartily again and said:

"Good, good. Now that you've all been introduced, follow me. There's still plenty of time before Kathedal begins."

As Atlas turned his back to lead us to the guest reception room.

"Ah, Dad...!"

His daughter Ariel, who had been quietly standing behind Atlas the whole time, called out to him with a slightly urgent voice.

"Hmm? What is it, daughter?"

Atlas finally turned his head to look in her direction.

She gave her father an urgent look, then glanced slightly in my direction.

As if suddenly remembering something, he let out an "Ah-ha" and chuckled.

Then Atlas turned to me and said:

"Ahem. Egostic. Since we still have some time, I'll show Katana around the temple. In the meantime, why don't you take a walk around here with my daughter?"

That's what he said to me.

When I turned toward Ariel after hearing those words, her cheeks grew even redder.

...I think I understand what's going on here.

Having grasped the situation to some extent, I smiled and nodded to Atlas, answering:

"Yes. I understand. Let's do that."

"Hehehe, good."

Nodding at my words, he added:

"Thanks for agreeing. Whew, my daughter was whining at me so much before you came, asking for some alone time with you. If you hadn't agreed, she would have been so mad at me after—"

"D-Dad!!!"

"Oops, I'd better get going now. Katana, follow me this way."

Avoiding the eyes of Ariel, who was shouting with her eyes closed and face reddened, he flashed a mischievous smile and then disappeared like the wind, taking Katana with him.

And so, only Ariel and I remained in the empty center.

"Uuugh..."

Perhaps embarrassed at having shown me such a side of herself, Ariel hung her head with her face in her hands, her cheeks bright red.

I gave her a kind smile and spoke in the gentlest voice possible:

"Well then, Ariel, would you guide me?"

"Y-Yes..."

She nodded with her reddened face.

...And so, after a long time, I began walking alone with Ariel.

***

Ariel.

With hair as clear and blue as the sea, and crystal-clear eyes that shone like jewels.

Atlas's beloved only daughter, who had never been publicly revealed.

And also a character who didn't exist in the original story, having departed this world due to a curse.

I had twisted the original story to save her.

'...That was already several years ago.'

In order to join hands with Atlas, I had made a difficult promise to save his daughter after meeting him.

It was possible because I knew roughly what kind of curse it was and even how to break it through the original story. Of course, since I only knew it roughly, breaking the curse wasn't easy.

At that time, Ariel's condition was serious.

She was already unconscious due to the curse, just barely breathing, lying in bed all day. And as Atlas desperately tried to save his daughter, he became increasingly violent.

Fortunately, thanks to my intervention, Ariel was miraculously able to survive.

'Did you... save me?'

...I remember the day when Ariel opened her eyes for the first time and met my gaze.

Even after Ariel woke up, I frequently visited Atlas's city for a while to completely break the curse.

Of course, I became busy afterward and couldn't visit for some time.

Anyway, that aside...

With such thoughts in mind, I looked at Ariel, who was still walking silently beside me with slightly flushed cheeks.

"Ariel?"

"...! Y-Yes! Ack, ugh..."

Startled by my words, she bit her tongue.

Seeing Ariel's eyes welling up with tears from embarrassment, I quickly changed the subject.

"It's nice to see you again after so long."

"Y-Yes... Yes. It's nice to see you too..."

"What have you been up to?"

When I spoke to her like that, she was still as shy as when we first met, but she answered, albeit stammering:

"M-Me, I'm always the same. Just walking around this city, or swimming outside... things like that. Since Father says I'm weak and won't let me go out..."

She trailed off with a slightly dark expression.

But as if it had never happened, she opened her mouth again with a slight smile.

"But still. I've been living quite enjoyably. Thanks to the ability I inherited from my father, I can breathe underwater..."

She explained what she had been doing until now.

Indeed, now that she had started talking, her shyness seemed to have lessened, and unlike her shy appearance earlier, she was now talking well with a smile.

Well, according to Atlas before, she has a bright personality at home and likes physical activities, giving off a free-spirited impression. Strangely, she always becomes extremely shy in front of me.

With such thoughts, I responded to what Ariel was saying as we walked along the outskirts of the city.

She smiled with sparkling eyes as she told me about playing with turtle-people in the water over there.

...And every time I see her like this, I wonder where Atlas's genes went. Atlas is clearly a rough-looking man with a beard like a mountain bandit, but his daughter Ariel is purely beautiful. To what extent? Her face just looks like a sculpture?

Also, she wears delicate, thin white fabric like Greek-era clothing, which makes her look even more fragile. This is completely opposite to the muscular Atlas. If there's any similarity between them, it's that they both wear sea attire with a lot of skin exposure? Oh, and Ariel also has an active personality, enjoying playing in the water despite her previously ill body.

...Actually, even this is forced; apart from the blue color of their eyes, they have almost nothing in common. If Ariel hadn't inherited her father's ability to breathe underwater and control water, I would have doubted whether she was really his child. ...I can easily imagine what her deceased mother must have looked like.

Anyway, while I was thinking about that, Ariel seemed to realize she had been talking alone, stopped speaking, and said with a slightly reddened face:

"Ah... I'm sorry. Was I talking too much by myself?"

"Haha. No, not at all. I enjoyed listening."

"Umm... What have you been up to, Egostic?"

"Me? Well."

...Committing terrorism, killing other villains, planning Stardust's growth...?

Just as I was wondering what to say, Ariel nodded as if she already knew and said:

"Actually, I watched the broadcast. Egostream or something... That's what you're doing, right? Committing terrorism. Like my father."

"Um, yes. That's right."

I answered, momentarily flustered, scratching my cheek.

...Right. Atlas had told me before that his daughter was looking up information about me. So she must know everything.

'Sigh...'

I felt a bit of self-loathing, as if some embarrassing private life had been exposed. After all, Ariel had been a patient for a long time after waking up, so I would visit occasionally and take care of her as kindly as possible. Kind of like pretending to be a doctor.

But now the patient has watched her doctor carrying a gun and laughing like a madman while committing terrorism live? If I were a real doctor, this would be grounds for revoking my medical license...

As I continued thinking, wondering how the internet even works in the deep sea and blaming the advanced technology of Team Latis.

Ariel, walking beside me, said with a completely serious face:

"Watching that... I was really envious."

"...What?"

Envious? What could she be envious of?

Before my thoughts could finish, she continued:

"I want to play outside like you do, Egostic. Not being trapped like a bird in a cage deep in the middle of the sea here..."

Looking up at the blue sea shining through the transparent dome, she murmured.

As I was wondering how to respond to her.

She took a deep breath, then turned to me resolutely and said:

"So, Egostic. I have a favor to ask you, big brother."

"...What is it?"

"C-Can I join your party as a member? For Egostream."

She said this while clenching her fists with both hands, trembling slightly.

...She probably wanted to talk about this today, which is why she called me. Saying this to me must have taken all her courage.

And to her, looking up at me with desperate eyes.

I could only answer with an apologetic tone.

"...I'm sorry, but no."

"...."

'....'

At my words, she froze as if in great shock.

...Still, what's impossible is impossible. No. How could I take someone whose body hasn't fully recovered yet to commit terrorism? That's absurd. Atlas might kill me.

Besides, I doubt whether her abilities would be enough to face Stardust. I've never seen them with my own eyes, so I don't know how strong she is, but I don't think someone who just woke up after lying in bed all day could face Stardust.

So I explained it well, making sure Ariel could understand and accept it.

After listening to my explanation with her head bowed, she murmured something barely audible in a hollow voice:

"...Ahaha. I see. Because I'm weak... because I look weak..."

Then she suddenly raised her head and said with a smile:

"I understand. If that's what you say, Egostic, then it can't be helped."

"Thank you for understanding."

"No problem. Hehe."

And the eyes of the girl speaking in a bright voice.

Somewhere, they seemed a bit empty.

...It feels a bit eerie, but anyway, things worked out well, right?

That was a relief.