The only place to put the Sea Spirit Dolphins was, of course, the sea.
If these peculiar aquatic magical beasts left the open sea, they would gradually grow depressed and eventually even develop suicidal urges.
That was why so many magical beast merchants refused to sell them-they were hard to keep!
To sell them, the merchants obviously could not bind them with a contract beforehand. But without a contract, the moment they entered the sea, they would flee and become impossible to find.
Usually, only mages-especially those who had mastered the Space-Warping Array-had the means to lavishly create a miniature stretch of sea in which to keep them.
That alone showed how capable the Sacred Spring Trade Guild really was.
Kroya strolled beneath the moonlight and soon reached the shore.
By then, the tide had swallowed the beach. Waves crashed, and the moonlit sea was anything but tranquil, its surface still churned by wind and surf.
Whoosh... whoosh...
The sound of the waves grew louder and louder.
The glowing Thirsty Sea Glow Algae followed behind him, as though his footsteps had left a ribbon of light. The algae seemed quite excited, too.
For now, they still rather liked the ocean and occasionally wanted to wander through the seawater. After all, the mana in seawater was much easier to absorb than the mana on land.
With Bull Strength cast on himself, he could carry both dolphins alone, and he walked with ease.
Mostly, that was because the dolphins behaved themselves. They did not thrash around and even shifted their positions to make carrying them a little easier. They were docile through and through-the master-servant contracts had already been signed.
The only pity was that these dolphins had not triggered the Astral Body Inscription Technique. Their astral spirit bodies were remarkably stable, with no additional needs whatsoever.
Once he reached the shore, he simply hurled them in.
Splash!
Both dolphins landed safely in the water.
They swam excitedly through the sea. As second-tier magical beasts, they possessed an innate ability to control water.
"Chirp!"
"Chirp, chirp!"
They gathered balls of water that burst like fireworks in midair, creating a damp mist through which they leaped back and forth.
Each leap carried them seven or eight meters into the air.
They never seemed to tire of it and looked truly delighted.
Their pink bodies reflected beautiful halos of light beneath the moon.
Watching them frolic in the seawater, Kroya suddenly found it rather entertaining. He simply found a rock, sat down, and quietly watched them play.
The Thirsty Sea Glow Algae seemed to have noticed these new friends. They submerged as well and clung directly to the Sea Spirit Dolphins.
Azure light intertwined with pink.
"Chirp, chirp!"
After calling out to Kroya, they quickly dove to the seabed. Through the contracts, Kroya sensed... that they seemed to be searching for something.
"Oh? Is there some kind of treasure nearby?"
Kroya sat quietly, feeling a little expectant.
After he had waited about five or six minutes, the Sea Spirit Dolphins burst excitedly through the waves, with balls of water floating beside them. As though presenting treasures, they nudged the balls with their beaks.
They sent the water balls toward Kroya.
Their calls were full of anticipation and eagerness to show off their finds.
He lowered his head for a look, and a hint of surprise immediately crossed his face-
Inside were several translucent shrimp about the size of his arm, along with enormous sea urchins, each as large as a coconut and covered in upright spines.
They were first-tier magical beasts and probably counted among the dominant creatures in these coastal waters. But against the more agile second-tier magical beasts, they could only submit to capture.
"Did you see I hadn't eaten and bring me some food?"
Naturally, Kroya gladly accepted the dolphins' kindness.
He recognized the shrimp as first-tier magical beasts called Sweetfruit Shrimp. All he had to do was remove their heads and tails, peel their shells, and eat them raw for a delicious treat.
The sea urchins were even finer delicacies.
They were first-tier magical beasts called Blue Moon Sea Urchins. Their flavor was said to be cool, fresh, and sweet, like the caress of moonlight.
Kroya immediately began enjoying the two delicacies.
First, he carefully cleaned the Sweetfruit Shrimp-all ten of them-then picked one up and took a large bite.
As first-tier magical beasts that regularly roamed the ocean, their flesh was naturally excellent. Firm and springy, the shrimp meat carried the fragrance of sweet fruit and tasted wonderfully fresh.
After finishing one, he naturally moved on to the second.
Seafood really was delicious even without any seasoning, provided the ingredients were good. And no matter how much he ate, it hardly seemed to fill his stomach.
Once he had finished the Sweetfruit Shrimp, he smacked his lips and picked up a sea urchin from beside him, still craving more.
Gathering mana at his fingertips, he gently pried open its shell, revealing blue roe tinged with silver, with a texture as silky as ice cream.
The sea breeze carried over a faint fragrance.
Kroya eagerly made a spoon with ice magic, scooped up a heaping spoonful, and put it into his mouth.
Sure enough, it felt rich and velvety on his tongue, with a slight coolness, as though gentle moonlight were falling over the sea like gauze or mist.
Its fresh sweetness and the water mana concentrated within seemed to rush straight from his mouth to the crown of his head. It was almost intoxicatingly delicious.
In no time, Kroya had eaten all six Blue Moon Sea Urchins clean.
"That was delicious. What a satisfying meal."
He patted his stomach, looking thoroughly pleased.
Although he lived beside the sea, finding these things underwater was genuinely difficult for humans. Even he had spent this whole time eating food Rob bought elsewhere.
A proper seafood feast... he had hardly had one.
Seeing how happily he ate, the dolphins chirped a few more times and dove underwater again. This time, they were gone rather longer.
A full ten-odd minutes passed before they poked their heads out of the water. The Thirsty Sea Glow Algae on their bodies were wrapped around a peculiar fruit.
Even amid the azure algae, the fruit still emitted its own pale silver glow, like moonlight made solid.
One look was enough to tell that it was no ordinary magic plant's fruit.
But before Kroya could open his mouth to call them back, the water beside them suddenly churned.
A woman with a human upper body and a fish's lower body slowly emerged from the current, smiling.
She glanced at the trembling dolphins and teased, "Well, I was wondering where these little fish thieves came from. So they're yours!"
As she spoke, a distinctly murderous gleam flashed through her eyes.
"..."
Isn't this that merfolk Archmage? Did you really steal from her, or has she been watching this place all along?
Kroya's expression immediately turned helpless.
He could only sigh. "They just wanted to find me something to eat. I hope you'll forgive them... I've finished extracting the waterlight essence."
"Oh?!"
Undisguised delight appeared on the merfolk woman's face.
Ignoring the dolphins completely, she stared straight at Kroya, the light of mana in her eyes so bright that it outshone even the moonlight.
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