Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 180: The Fish Monster
We had made it all the way to the seaside.
Surprisingly, the road was paved even close to the shore, so we’d been able to get quite near by carriage.
Yet, there wasn’t a single other person in sight — it was just us.
In Japan, unless it was the middle of winter, there were always surfers around, so this empty beach felt oddly refreshing.
“Whoa, the sea! I can’t help but get excited!”
“Right? We’ve never gone to the beach together before, so I guess it’s kind of cool that our first time’s in another world!”
“Mika and I have gone before, though it rained so hard we didn’t really enjoy it.”
“Oh yeah, that was during our first year of high school! It poured, but we still went because we’d already planned it!”
They were having such a lively conversation.
It sounded so bright and youthful — and for someone like me, who’d never experienced anything like that, I couldn’t help but feel a little envious.
“I get the excitement, but we need to be careful. If we get careless here, we could die. The sea’s dangerous even in our world — and this one’s crawling with monsters, right?”
“That’s true! Speaking of which, what kind of monsters live in the sea?”
Mika turned to me with that question — but honestly, I had no idea.
Apparently, in this world, it was common sense not to go near the ocean.
Even Sheila, who knew a lot about monsters, and Lua, who was from the Lusanso Republic, had no information about sea creatures.
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t know anything. The sea seems to be a complete mystery — no one even knows what kind of monsters might live there.”
“So it’s that unknown, huh? Then maybe there aren’t any monsters at all!”
“No, I’m certain there are. So please, everyone, be careful.”
“Got it. Then first, we’ll scout the area. We’ll see what kind of monsters show up, and if they look manageable, we’ll take them down.”
“That would be best. Don’t worry about results this time — safety comes first.”
“Yeah. We’ll take it slow and safe.”
Ren nodded firmly and began putting on the prepared magic equipment.
He’d be the first to go exploring.
Ideally, we’d have had enough magic gear for everyone, but only one set had been completed in time.
The plan was simple: the diver would spear a monster with a special magic harpoon and drag it to the surface, where the rest of us would be waiting on shore to finish it off.
We’d take turns diving to avoid mana exhaustion, and everyone would rest between shifts.
The moment Ren entered the water was tense — but after a few seconds, his hand broke the surface, giving a big thumbs-up.
“Oh! Looks like he’s fine! He’s really diving for real!”
“With that equipment, he can even move fast underwater. Magic might be on par with science, don’t you think?”
“I’m not so sure… I still think science is more amazing.”
Magic had its charm, but to me, science was far more impressive.
It could easily produce fire, generate wind, dig through the earth with machines, and draw or spray water almost endlessly.
In that sense, it had mastered all four basic elements — there wasn’t much science couldn’t do.
The only area where magic truly surpassed it was in healing — though even recovery magic couldn’t cure illnesses like cancer.
So, when it came to medicine and treatment, science still had the upper hand.
While I was lost in thought, watching the sea where Ren had gone under, I saw him surface some distance away.
For a moment, I worried something had happened — but he made a big circle with his arms, signaling that everything was fine.
After about twenty minutes underwater, Ren swam back to us.
“The underwater scenery was incredible. Since no one’s ever been down there, it’s full of all sorts of things.”
“Really!? Like what!?”
“Regular fish, shells… even what looked like treasure. The sea might be an even bigger treasure trove than a dungeon.”
“No way! That’s awesome! But what about the monsters? Did you see any?”
“Yeah. There were a lot — but most were farther out in deep water. Only weaker-looking ones were near the shallows.”
So there were monsters, but as long as we stayed in the shallows, we’d be fine.
That meant we could safely start hunting.
“Then let’s get started already! I’ll go next and haul one up with that gear!”
“Just don’t drown. Swimming’s harder than it looks.”
“I’ll be fine! I took swimming lessons — and I’ve even gone diving a few times!”
Next up was Mika. She quickly and confidently put on the magic equipment and dove into the sea.
When she stripped down to put on the gear, my heart skipped a beat — an embarrassing reaction for someone my age, especially when everyone else stayed completely calm.
Maybe that level of composure came from all the dungeon exploration they’d done.
Feeling self-conscious that I, the oldest one here, had been the most flustered, I quietly waited by the shore for Mika to return.