Chapter 244: Magic Core Fragments
Mina, Sylvio-niisan, and Eleonora-neesan are leaning over at the water’s edge and lightly put their fingers on the seawater. Then the three of them gingerly took their fingers to their mouth.
「「「(It’s) Salty」」」
Then the three of them lets out an extremely natural reaction.
Well, that’s right. Cause it’s salt water.
「You really can’t drink seawater, huh」
Eleonora-neesan returns to us with a frown on her face, as for Mina and Sylvio-niisan, they are still poking their fingers into the seawater.
And then, they lick on their fingers again as if to make sure.
「It’s really is salty after all」
「Right」
Those two smile at each other while frowning.
Although it’s meaningless to do it for the second time, you can tell that they were really enjoying the unknown sea. Both of them look like they are having a lot of fun.
Even I - back in my previous life - also found the salty seawater to be strange when I went there for the first time, and I licked the sea water many times.
「Why is the water of the sea salty?」
「Hmーm, I also don’t know about it」
Perhaps they wondered about it after licking the seawater so many times, since they tilted their heads in puzzlement.
Hearing that, I took this chance to poke Eric next to me and ask.
「There, Eric. Why is seawater salty? Won’t you tell us? 」
After I said that, Sylvio-niisan and Mina looked at Eric full of expectations. And then, Eric felt their gaze and he turned to look awkward.
「I don’t know the reason why the seawater is salty. Rather, it’s more correct to say that no one knows the reason it is like that, yet」
「Ahー, is that so」
Mina reacts as she seems convinced by his explanation, but she’s a bit disappointed.
「……it appears that there are people who do research on that, but they still don’t understand the reason why the seawater is salty」
Luna-san said as if to add to Eric’s explanation.
Certainly, according to the information from my previous life, hydrochloric acid rain dissolves rocks that contain sodium and magnesium on the surface of the earth, then there were neutralization reactions happened between the hydrochloric acid and sodium, generating salt. As a result, water that contains salt flows into the sea and accumulates salinized water. That was the reason if I remember correctly.
But, the science of this world still hasn’t developed, so there are still many things that haven’t been able to be explained. So it’s natural for people to not understand the reason.
Anyhow, people don’t know the reason. So everyone starts walking as if to disperse the subtle atmosphere as everyone is convinced by their explanation.
And then, Mina - who is walking in front - starts to jog ahead of us, maybe she found something.
「What is this white thing?」
「That’s a seashell, isn’t it?」
Sylvio-niisan probably knows about it from his reading. I went beside them and squat down and look at it.
「Yeah. It’s the shell of a shellfish」
「It’s completely different from the shellfish found in the Koryatt village’s river, isn’t it」
「Most of the shellfish in the village’s area is brown colored, aren’t they」
Just as Sylvio-niisan said, most of the shellfish in Koryatt village’s river is certainly brown. Like the pond snail, unio douglasiae (freshwater mussel), or physella acuta. Compared to those, the shellfish in the sea seem to have more variety in colors and types.
(unio douglasiae)
I didn’t particularly know about them before, but they’re a little more interesting when I think about them again.
「The inside of the seashell is rainbow-colored and glittering, it’s pretty!」
「You’re right. Since we’re here, let’s go and gather seashells!」
「Yes!」
「Then, I will also help」
I like to find pretty shells. Finding pretty shells on the vast beach is like being on a treasure hunt somewhat and it’s interesting.
The three of us start searching for the shells on the beach, then Eleonora-neesan, Eric, and Luna-san also start looking for them to help us.
Only Eleonora-neesan has a face that seems to say 「Just any shells are fine, right」, but let’s not mind her.
Each of us scattered around the beach to expand the range of our search.
As I walk around while watching the ground for shells, I found a white shell that was on the ground.
It was a snail with a beautiful shell, white like soft-serve ice cream.
「Ohh, this is beautiful」
There don’t appear to be any particular holes on it, it’s really beautiful.
And when I casually pick it up with my fingers to observe it, the head of a hermit-crab-like creature appeared from inside the hole.
「……I see, you already lived in this, huh」
It was such a beautiful shell, but if it already has an occupant in it then it’s no use. As expected, I don’t really want to expel the occupant of the shell.
「Excuse me」
I slowly lowered the white snail to the ground, and then I stroll around to look for another shell when I heard Sylvio-niisan scream.
「Uwaaa! There is something inside it!」
「Hahaha, it’s a hermit crab. It’s a creature that lives in a shell」
I guess Sylvio-niisan was also in the same situation as me, Eric quietly laugh and explained it to him.
I’m still fine since I know that those kinds of creatures exist, but for people who pick them up without knowing about it, they would be surprised if an uncanny creature suddenly came out from them. It won’t be a joking matter if it were a monster or something.
「Hey, Luna. Can we eat this kind of shellfish?」
「……even if it can be eaten, it’s small and often not delicious. But, the shellfish that come out for dinner are all big and delicious so you can look forward to them」
「Understood. I will look forward to them」
Eleonora-neesan, we are now collecting beautiful shells though……
「I’ve been wondering about it since some time ago, but the thing on Luna-sama’s neck is a shell necklace, right?」
When I look at Luna-san’s neckline after hearing what Mina said, there was a necklace with strings of white pearl and pale blue shells as an accent to the necklace.
(Maybe something like this?)
It matches really well with Luna-san’s light brown skin and it’s beautiful.
「……in this village, the local specialty is a necklace made using processed shells. If maid-san also liked it, you can go and buy it at the store later. They should accommodate you if you say my name」
「Really!? I’ll go there later!」
It’s a local specialty unique to a village that is located near the sea.
Luna-san is Eleonora-neesan’s friend, but it seems like she has higher femininity than Eleonora-neesan.
「……what? Your face seems like you want to say something?」
「No, it’s nothing」
「Even though your mouth said that your face is saying that you’re complaining, you know. Just say it if you have something to say」
So my face is saying that I’m complaining, huh? I feel like there are more variations of the new terms.
「I thought that Luna-san has higher femininity――I mean, you should pay attention to your personal appearance」
「Againー, that femininity-thing. Kaasan has been nagging at me about that lately, I’m fed up with it」
Eleonora-neesan makes a fed-up expression on her face when I grumble about it.
Indeed, these days she was often warned by Elna-kaasan about it.
But, that’s probably because Eleonora-neesan has low femininity. If it were that low it even makes Elna-kaasan worried and so she wants her to pay more attention.
「……that’s because Eleonora has a pretty face. It would be a shame if you don’t polish up beautiful things. I also thought about it even back when we had the practice at the royal capital, Eleonora was so indifferent to anything other than polishing herself with the sword. It’s fine if it’s just a necklace or a bracelet, why don’t you go and take a look at the store?」
「Eleonora-sama, let’s go together!」
「I’m fine, I’m not interested」
Eleonora-neesan resolutely declares, even when Luna-san and Mina invite her to go with them.
Then I walk away from them as if to escape and started looking for shells alone.
For Eleonora-neesan, she is really indifferent when it comes to the things she’s not interested in. It’s probably going to be pointless even if you force her to do it.
Realizing that fact, Mina and Luna-san continue to look for shells despite looking a little disappointed.
「Hm? What’s this?」
Just as I gathered my mind and continue to look for shells, I happened to see a squarish object with rounded corners. It has a slightly muddy color to it and it’s not transparent.
Is this the beach glass that was often found back on the beach in my previous life?
「Waa! That’s also very beautiful! I wonder what is that?」
When Mina and I were trying to figure out what is this thing, Eric - who was nearby - approaches.
「Aah, that’s a fragment of a monster core. The magic core of a monster got washed away to the sea, then it was shaved by the waves. The magic power inside it had already dissipated, though most of them can’t be used as magic tools anymore, it can be used as a decoration since it looks beautiful」
I see, so it’s the same beach glass although the material is different.
Using shells is nice, but this is also quite beautiful.
After I hold it up to the light and stare at it until I was satisfied, then I tucked it into my pants pocket.
here
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