"If they grow more accustomed to humans, they might even let you ride on their backs and swim. When I was a child, I did it once—it felt amazing and was so much fun."
"You can do that? Wow! I want to try that too. I hope they stay around long enough for that."
Mais said, smiling as he gently stroked the dolphin’s snout.
"But why are there so many here all of a sudden? Did something happen?" Leone tilted her head slightly in curiosity.
"They're naturally social animals that move in pods. They also tend to migrate to comfortable areas. Perhaps the sunken parts of this place make for a perfect refuge for smaller fish, which would attract plenty of prey for them."
While Liselotte was offering her explanation—
"Ahahaha! So fast! Wheee~!"
Rafinha was already riding on a dolphin’s back, circling around the floating Star Princess with glee.
"How are they so comfortable with her already!?"
"Unbelievable… It took me days to get them to let me ride!”
Both Mais and Leone, along with Liselotte, were left completely dumbfounded. Find the newest release on noᴠelfire.net
"Just look into their eyes and connect with your heart! If you do that, they'll understand what you want to say and—kyahhh~!"
Rafinha's body suddenly lifted into the air mid-sentence. The dolphin carrying her had accelerated and made a huge leap out of the water.
"Wowww! You can do this too? It feels amazing~!"
As the dolphin jumped repeatedly, Rafinha beamed with pure joy.
"I-I want to do that too! Uh, okay, eye contact and connecting with my heart…"
"Is… is that really going to work?"
"I-I’m not sure how valid that advice is…"
Her tip sounded incredibly abstract, bordering on sheer intuition or a spiritual mantra. Perhaps Rafinha possessed a unique charm that even dolphins responded to, or maybe this dolphin was extraordinarily friendly or accustomed to humans.
"Hey, you! Do you think you could dive all the way to the bottom of the sea? My dear friend is down there! I want to bring her back, but I can’t dive that deep on my own."
When Rafinha spoke to the dolphin—
The dolphin dove straight down as if saying, ‘Leave it to me!’
"Wow! They really understand each other! That’s so amazing, Miss Rafinha!"
"But wait! Rafinha won’t be able to hold her breath that long!"
"This is dangerous! She might suffocate!"
The dolphin, along with the girl on its back, continued diving deeper and deeper. But before long, the girl’s silhouette separated from the dolphin’s back.
"Puhaaa~! Hah… hah… It’s no good; I can’t hold my breath long enough."
Resurfacing to the water’s surface, Rafinha took a deep breath.
"Are you okay!? Rafinha!?"
"Yeah, I’m fine, Mais. I just need to practice holding my breath longer if I want to keep up with Mr. Dolphin."
Suddenly, her body was lifted out of the water.
The same dolphin had returned, gently supporting Rafinha’s waist with its back. It squeaked softly as if expressing concern for her.
"Ahaha, sorry about that~. I’ll come back after I’ve trained some more, okay?"
Rafinha smiled warmly as she spoke.
"Phew… I was so worried. I’m glad you’re safe."
"But perhaps this was a refreshing experience for her, don’t you think?"
Rafinha’s inner strength was undeniable. She moved forward faster and more resolutely than Leone or Liselotte could imagine. Even so, it couldn’t be painless. It couldn’t be without sadness.
The unexpected encounter with these visitors from the sea had likely eased Rafinha's heart, even if only slightly.
For that, Leone and Liselotte felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the dolphins.
A distant droning sound echoed through the sky behind them, from the opposite side of the shore where Rafinha and the others were gathered.
"That’s definitely the sound of an airship!"
"Where is it…!? I can’t see anything yet."
"Hold on, I’ll light it up!"
At Mais’ command, the mecha dragon’s spotlight illuminated the night sky, aiming toward the source of the sound.
However, hidden by the clouds, the ship remained out of sight.
"Could it be someone coming to rescue us after sensing the disturbance in Illuminus? Maybe it’s Lord Jeldegrīva the Duke of War or Special Envoy Theodore?"
"Either way, this is great news!"
"Yes, we never know when the rest of the land might sink completely…"
"The most likely candidate is the satellite island of Illuminus, I’d say? But if the real Levitation Magic Formation and the Duke of Art are both out of commission, then maybe even they can’t move…"
Mais speculated aloud, his expression serious as a technician.
"Well, we’ll find out when we get there! Let’s go, everyone!"
Rafinha climbed back onto Star Princess, taking the helm once more.
"See you later! Let’s play again soon!" She waved a warm smile at the dolphin that had carried her, not forgetting to express her gratitude.
The Star Princess ascended rapidly, heading toward the source of the sound.
"There! I can see it now!"
Threading through the gaps in the clouds, the silhouette of an airship came into view.
The moment they caught sight of it, a palpable tension filled the cabin. Even with just its outline visible, the ship's allegiance might have been uncertain under different circumstances.
But this was unmistakable. Riding atop the airship’s hull was a faceless giant. There was no doubt about it. It was the enemy.