They say when something is too absurd, words won’t come out. Orma just silently stared at Banan whispering something into Ban’s ear with a dumbfounded face. She whispered so softly that no matter how much he pricked up his ears, he couldn’t hear, and throughout it all, Ban was tilting his head toward Banan with a serious face, listening to it.
“…What.”
Since when had she come to her senses? Hadn’t she been acting from the beginning? Right, since Banan wasn’t a demigod, she wouldn’t have helplessly fallen asleep at Ban’s touch like him.
His teeth ground involuntarily and his eyes became fierce. Anyway, all those god folks were like this. Not a single thing was sincere. They were fickle, and when they wanted something, they didn’t care about the means either. Now was she even coveting his apostle?
He hadn’t particularly been immersed in the roles of god and apostle, but anyway, if it was about coveting something that was “Orma’s,” that was a different story. Especially if it was a god like Banan, even more so.
Perhaps belatedly sensing the ominous gaze, Ban’s eyes, which had been listening to the whisper, turned toward Orma. However, the one who spoke up and acted first was Banan.
“Put me down now.”
Her prim yet elegant attitude was amazing, as if she had never shown an unseemly appearance. As soon as Ban respectfully put Banan down, Orma snatched Ban’s wrist and pulled him as if hiding him behind himself, then spoke with a sneer.
“Is playing with humans that fun? Enough to show every unseemly sight?”
“How could that be.”
At Banan’s light tone and answer, Orma ultimately turned his head away with the thought of not speaking anymore.
As if reading the mood, Ban was quietly looking at him with an awkward smile. Anyway, since he had taken that water with tremendous pressure with his body, even if he looked fine on the outside, he must have bruises somewhere. Just as Orma was about to suggest they leave quickly, thinking he should check Ban’s body when they returned.
“You said you hated it so much, but in the end you’ve decided to become a god?”
“…”
Orma-nim is in such a docile state, so why is Banan-nim picking a fight again… Ban held back his slightly saddened heart and grabbed Orma’s hem as if telling him not to mind Banan’s words. However, before he could retort, Banan continued speaking with a voice light as wind, as if singing.
“You know that the more you use that power, the closer you get to becoming the god you hated so much.”
Whether she was giving a warning or prophesying that it would happen. Either way, it was something that would shake Orma, but he completely ignored it and only looked at Ban as he spoke.
“The calamity or whatever, we’re done now, right? Let’s leave tomorrow.”
“Ah, yes. Then tomorrow we can dispose of the jewels, use that money to procure food and travel supplies, then leave Siol.”
“Wasn’t that sold before?”
“…The value of the jewels was too excellent, so even one could be exchanged for an enormous amount of gold bars. It was too much for me to carry alone.”
“So you came back empty-handed? Good grief, just how much was it exactly…”
“It was enough that I needed to bring a cart.”
Banan, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between the grumbling Orma and the calmly answering Ban, smiled faintly. It was a warm smile as if watching young children playing house, but Orma, who had his back to her, didn’t see it. Just as Ban, who was standing opposite, glanced at Banan.
[A divine gift has arrived!
‘Banan’ has bestowed a blessing upon your ring.
Congratulations! Mermaid’s Breath (A-rank) acquired!
▷ Mermaid’s Breath (A-rank): When wearing the blessed object, you can breathe freely even in water. Not only that, you can share your breath with a target who cannot breathe.]
A system message suddenly appeared saying Banan had bestowed a blessing.
Flustered, Ban looked back and forth between the ring and Banan. Something like faint bubbles appeared around the ring and quickly disappeared, but certainly, as if the blessing wasn’t false, the ring gave off a refreshing feeling different from before.
As Ban flinched, Banan slightly shook her head as if telling him not to say anything to Orma, then disappeared into water droplets like a mermaid princess in a fairy tale.
Something… felt like being in the world of a bizarre fairy tale. Ban thought that with a blank face, blinking his eyes. She had disappeared without any sound or sign, but Orma, who seemed to be able to sense something, looked at the spot where the disappeared Banan had been, then opened his mouth with a sigh.
“That ring, you can lose it. Even if you really gave it to Banan, there wouldn’t have been much emotion, so from now on don’t do strange things with it.”
“Hmm… really?”
“Yeah.”
Well, Banan wouldn’t think that way… Rather than obediently saying he understood, Ban slightly rolled his eyes and avoided answering.
Moreover, now that it was a ring blessed by Banan, he had even less intention of easily giving it to others. Even if he didn’t know about other things, the ability to breathe underwater was quite useful. Surely it was a much more helpful blessing than something like skin beauty…
When Ban just fiddled with the ring without saying he would do so obediently, Orma looked Ban up and down with a displeased face and opened his mouth.
“Come to think of it, what did Banan say earlier?”
“She asked if this ring was the ring she knew.”
“And?”
“I answered yes, but after that she didn’t say much else.”
“…”
At the plain words, Orma made a somehow complex and subtle expression. Was he recalling something that could be called a memory or a nightmare? Either way, it wouldn’t be very pleasant.
Ban looked up at the sky where the sunset was already setting, then reached out his hand first and said.
“Shall we go back now?”
A gentle breeze blew lightly. Until Orma looked at Ban intently and slowly nodded, taking that hand, it blew softly and ticklishly. A wind that felt not like winter but like spring.
* * *
“Oh! You’ve returned! Hey, serve liquor here too!”
As soon as they returned to the inn, the innkeeper greeted Ban’s group with a welcoming face. His excited and cheerful face resembled the other people of Siol, but it was ambiguous to see him this happy simply because Siol’s waterways were full of water. After all, he looked much happier than the face they saw in the morning…
Ban fiddled with his clothes that had gotten completely soaked in water, but the innkeeper didn’t care at all and guided them to an empty table, then handed out liquor cups to Ban and Orma respectively. Throughout it all, Jaena’s face became tearful as he received sweet juice, still being treated like a child.
Ban stared blankly at that scene, hesitating, then finally spoke up and asked.
“Is something good happening? Is it because the waterways are filled with water?”
“Ah, that’s part of it! Since water has returned to Siol, Banan must have recovered her strength, right? After all this, everyone was worried about the god.”
“I see.”
“But right now we’re serving liquor because of the eclipse!”
“Eclipse…?”
“Didn’t you see it? There was an eclipse earlier! It’s definitely divine authority shown by the god.”
Aha… It seemed all the people of Siol had seen the divine power Orma caused earlier. Ban glanced at Orma, who was pulling his hood down more deeply, and smiled. The innkeeper, completely oblivious to such an Orma, continued speaking with a beaming smile.
“Black birds appeared densely to cover the sun and create an eclipse, it was a very strange yet magnificent sight. What a shame that you didn’t see it.”
“Ah, I think I glimpsed it.”
“You saw it! Isn’t it really amazing? What’s even more surprising is that it’s now 7 PM in the evening! It’s definitely because of that eclipse. You know how rare it is for the sun to set on time these days.”
Certainly, ‘the sun setting on time’ felt like a more amazing miracle than the eclipse. Since water returned to Siol’s waterways and there was an eclipse, it was worth considering good phenomena. Even if it was a special occurrence just for today, the fact that ‘tomorrow’ was anticipated was also an essential condition for humans to survive resiliently through calamity.
As Ban nodded and sipped his liquor, the innkeeper headed toward other guests newly entering the inn with words that he could give more liquor so to speak up if it wasn’t enough. Only then, in the quieted atmosphere, did Ban hesitate and then offer liquor to Orma, who was just silently staring at the liquor cup placed before him.
“Try drinking it. Is it difficult for you to drink liquor as well? It’s cleaner than expected.”
“…”
When he carefully held out the cup, for some reason Orma, who always refused with a frown saying it was fine, accepted that liquor cup. Then, watching Jaena run to the innkeeper with a disgruntled face saying “I’m an adult too, so give me liquor!”, he chuckled and slowly began to take a sip.
Orma drinking liquor, when he hardly drank food or even water! Just as Ban’s eyes sparkled and he was about to order with the plan to recommend other foods at this opportunity, Orma opened his mouth first and asked.
“How did you find out about my relationship with Banan?”
“…”
At the question asked without any preamble, Ban involuntarily drew in a breath, making a “huh” sound. Orma nonetheless asked again peacefully without any change in expression.
“It’s okay, I won’t get angry. It was that bastard Gail, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Why did you ask that bastard about me? You could have asked me.”
At his words spoken with a slightly grimacing face, Ban only rolled his eyes. Look at your expression, when just Banan’s name came up you made such a fuss, how could I have asked… Of course, he only thought that. Since he wasn’t completely oblivious, he kept his mouth shut and was about to say he was sorry when Orma grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
And he slowly began to bring up a certain story.
A story about a certain day shoved into a corner of memory that he couldn’t forget even if he wanted to.
