"Leave us alone?" Flora gasped.
"Yes. However, there's no way they will do it…" Nathan closed his eyes. "Although I understand it to a certain extent, it's quite hard to explain it."
Lena nodded. "Yes. What you're thinking is correct. You know about the two types of aliens, right? It's not their rank. The first type is the alien itself, while the second type is the black cell.
"We have confirmed that they are different since a long time ago. In that case, who do you think is in charge?"
"The black cell." Flora answered without hesitation.
"Correct. You should have learned it in the academy. Was it in your second year? Nevermind, it doesn't matter." Lena continued, "The black cell has identified us as enemies, someone who can threaten them. As a result, they're trying to wipe us out.
"At the same time, aliens might not think the same. While this is not relevant to our topic, it's something you should know.
"This is proven by how the aliens kill the lions… or more like all carnivorous and omnivorous animals. They're beings that can threaten the aliens or more like the black cells. Hence, they shall be purged.
"Even if we become weaker, the aliens won't stop until we're extinct. And this reason also links to my answer to his request." Lena pointed at Nathan.
Nathan let out a long sigh. "The whales… are they considered a threat? Considering their big sizes, they might think the whales are a threat and eliminate them. There's a chance no whales will be spotted anymore."
"Then doesn't that mean you can't…" Flora's face turned pale. She couldn't help but remember what happened when Nathan summoned Jinwu. Although he was forced by the circumstances, he still summoned a familiar he didn't mean to.
And this time, Nathan might have to change his familiar again.
"…" Nathan closed his eyes for a moment, wondering what he should do. He definitely needed Kun and Peng, so he couldn't give up easily.
"It's not that I don't want to take on your request, it's just… impossible to capture the animal." Lena shook her head.
Nathan clenched his fists, wondering if he should just give up. However, he remembered something.
It didn't matter if he used a normal item. Even Jinwu could be summoned by a tree near the mine, so he might be able to summon Kun even without the full whale.
Nathan raised his head, asking in a solemn tone. "Do you… have any remains of a whale?"
"You're not going to give up?" Lena asked.
"Yes. I know how my summoning works the best. It doesn't matter if I can't get the whale. As long as I have their remains, it should be possible to summon the familiar that I want." Nathan nodded.
"The remains, huh?" Lena crossed his arms. "It's a normal animal, not a familiar, so their remains should decompose. In other words, we don't have anything right now."
"…" Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Does that mean I have to give up on Kun? Then, should I go for Leviathan?'
"Still… there might be a chance." Lena suddenly opened her mouth, stopping Nathan from falling into despair.
"Yes. A whale is big, so their body won't be so easy to decompose. Although it's just in the legend, there is an area where whales were usually spotted. If we search there, we might find something underneath the sea. In other words, we have to dive," Lena smirked.
"!!!" Nathan looked shocked. "Dive…"
"Indeed. Do you know how to dive? Unfortunately, a human body won't be enough to withstand the pressure underneath the sea.
"Hence, you will need a barrier to protect yourself. And you might have to fight aliens there." Lena nodded.
"I don't have a water spirit…" Flora looked down. If she had a water spirit, this would have been easier. "Aunt Lena… Can't you lend a hand? Please."
Lena waved her hand. "Even if I lend a hand, traveling across the sea and exploring under the sea are different. People can make boats for the former, but you need to be summoners if you want to do the latter.
"Even among my people, not a lot of them are capable of doing it. Hence, if the requester doesn't plan to join himself, I don't have the right to ask my subordinates for this additional mission." Lena looked at Nathan. "And now… what will you do?"
'Can any of my familiars fight underwater? Fenrir? Is he strong enough to withstand the pressure? How about Anubis? As long as he is inside the bubble, he should be able to heal others. Jinwu and Nidhogg might not be able to fight there. In other words, it will rely on my Gun Control System.
'And if the duchess is joining us, there's a chance for us to succeed. However, we don't know how high the possibility of finding the whale's remains is. Still, am I going to give up just because of this?
'If I don't find it, I will have to settle for something else. I don't even know if it's possible to complete the Sword Saint's mission or not.
'I have to take this chance.' Nathan took a deep breath. "I will do it."
"Nathan!" Flora didn't know what to do. In a situation , she didn't think her elemental spirits would be of any help.
Lena stood up and said, "In that case, let's go outside. There's a pool outside where I usually train myself. First, I have to make sure you're able to erect a barrier that can withstand the water pressure. As long as I don't think it's strong enough, I won't let you go down."
"However, I also have a time limit. At most 4 days." Nathan took a deep breath. "Within those four days, I will definitely find and bring back the remains."
Lena smiled. "In that case, I will accept this request as thanks for your contribution to the kingdom and also for taking care of Flora. Come with me to the back. We'll start right away!"
Looking at them made Flora grit her teeth. She wanted to help Nathan, but her affinity with the water was simply too little.
Still, if this was the former Flora, she wouldn't have thought about another possibility. There was still one more person in their group that could help Nathan. Even if it meant lowering herself in front of her mother and aunt, Flora decided to help him.