TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 85

Amid Albin’s wandering thoughts, the carriage arrived at the golden beach, and a long, sweeping coastline came into view.

The damp sea breeze brushed against his face. Waves crashed against the rocks, sending up crystal-clear spray. The beach was dyed a brilliant gold by the afternoon sun, dotted with shells of every color, set against the boundless azure sea.

With just one glance, the fatigue from Albin’s long journey melted away.

He let the guards protecting him go rest on their own, planning to spend some time playing on the beach.

He wore a pale gold shoulder cape over a white shirt with an elaborate ruffled collar. After standing in the sun for a while, he felt a bit warm and took off the outer layer, leaving only the ornate white shirt. He wore black high-waisted shorts that reached just to his knees—perfect for the season.

He slipped off his shoes and socks and stepped barefoot onto the sand, still warm from the sun. Curious, Albin took a few steps; the fine, soft sand slid over the tops of his feet, and the strange, pleasant sensation delighted him.

The Holy Sun Kingdom, located at the westernmost edge of the continent, also had a sea—but he had only ever seen it from afar. It was said the beaches there were covered in pebbles and unsuitable for visiting. This was his first time truly playing by the sea.

He walked along the shoreline, moving out of sight of the others. Only then did he shed the composed demeanor expected of the Sun’s chosen and crouch down childishly, sifting through the sand for pretty shells.

He was going to collect a lot and bring them back for his father and the others!

When they entered the city earlier, he had seen shell wind chimes for sale—he wanted to make one too!

Wow, there were even coconut trees here!

It had been a long time since he’d had coconut—he had to get some!

Excited, he gathered quite a few shells, then swiftly used wind magic to cut down several coconuts. He piled his “spoils” together and began deciding what to do with them.

These could be given to the guards later… this conch could let you hear the sound of the sea—he’d give it to Xiao Hei, so Xiao Hei could experience the ocean too…

At that thought, Albin suddenly froze.

Five years. He had gained influence over many nations, yet he still hadn’t found Xiao Hei.

Lowering his head, he traced Xiao Hei’s name in the sand with his finger.

You idiot, Xiao Hei—where did you go?

…What did Xiao Hei look like now? Taller than him, or shorter?

Albin muttered to himself, “I’m the Sun’s chosen now—really powerful! I’ve made lots of new friends too. If you don’t show up soon, I might forget you!”

Since entering the Sun Temple, Albin had met many good people, including others his age.

Some were believers, some were nobles. Though Albin himself didn’t care about status, those children had been taught otherwise; they always spoke to him with a certain caution.

Even when he wanted to go out among the common folk, he was always followed by his personal guard. It was hard to hide his identity and make friends freely.

This was the identity he had chosen—one that allowed him to help many people with the greatest possible influence. He did not regret it.

But it made him miss Xiao Hei even more.

He missed the one who treated him like a fool, who huddled together with him for warmth.

Five years without any news—and yet Albin didn’t dare imagine the worst.

He kept telling himself that as long as he hadn’t found him, Xiao Hei must still be somewhere in this world.

As long as he worked hard to make sure everyone had enough to eat, then wherever Xiao Hei was, he must be able to eat his fill too.

He traced Xiao Hei’s name again and again, then began to draw what he imagined Xiao Hei might look like grown up.

But before he could finish, a wave crashed in and washed his careful drawing away.

Damn it!

Albin looked up, puffing his cheeks as he glared at the sea.

And then he noticed something floating on the water.

?!!

His expression changed instantly as he focused.

It really looked like a person.

Was it a body given a sea burial by nearby residents?

No… that didn’t seem right. A sea burial would use a wooden boat—and that person looked alive!

Was he drowning?

Albin had seen on the news that people who fell into the water and couldn’t swim could only float to keep from sinking.

He hurried into the sea—but the cold water made him shiver.

Right… he couldn’t swim.

He glanced back.

He had wandered a bit far from the others. If someone really was drowning, there might not be time to call for help.

In an instant, Albin made his decision.

Seawater and blue water-element particles swirled around him, forming a vortex. The rising sea breeze lifted the bell sleeves of his shirt and stirred his foam-white hair.

He stepped firmly onto the surface of the sea, as if walking on a smooth mirror. Beneath his feet, the water stilled, gently pulsing and swaying with each step.

After a few steps to confirm the magic was working, Albin rushed toward the floating figure.

The person drifting on the sea was soaked through, lying on his back with eyes closed. His medium-length dark blue hair spread out like seaweed, drifting with the waves.

“Hang on! I’ll get you to shore!”

Albin grabbed the man’s arm, trying to pull him up—but to his surprise, the man wouldn’t budge.

“What are you doing?” the floating man yawned, opening his eyes and casting a dangerous glance at him.

Albin blinked, confused. “Are you drowning?”

“Me? Drowning? What a joke.” The man scoffed, as if hearing something absurd.

Bathed in sunlight, he lay upon the sea as if it were a bed, eyes half-lidded in lazy comfort, like someone just waking. The ocean’s waves were like wrinkles in his sheets.

“You ignorant kid—I’m just taking a nap.”

“That’s great!” Albin let out a sigh of relief, his tension dissolving. He broke into a bright, genuine smile. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

The man glanced at him. Under the sunlight and the shimmer of the sea, that smile was almost blindingly radiant.

He snorted softly, showing no interest in Albin’s ability to walk on water, then closed his eyes again, sinking into this vast, unparalleled waterbed.

But not long after, he opened them again, annoyed, and looked to the side.

The boy with the innocent, brilliant smile was still there, crouched beside him, not having left.

“Don’t block me.”

“Oh—am I blocking your sunlight? Sorry!” Albin shuffled aside obediently like a little crab, but his crimson eyes remained fixed on the man.

Seeing that he still hadn’t left, the man frowned. “What do you want?”

Albin hugged his knees, sitting on the water, and shook his head lightly. “I’m just worried something might happen to you. I’m watching over you.”

The man turned his head, instantly reading his expression. “You think I’m trying to kill myself?”

Albin blinked innocently.

He really wasn’t sure what the man’s situation was. What if he was trying to end his life? What if those words were just meant to send him away?

Because several elders in his family had experienced such thoughts, Albin was especially cautious about this kind of thing.

Even someone like him, who was at the seaside for the first time, knew how dangerous the ocean could be. Just in case, he decided to stay and keep watch.

If everything was fine, then all the better. But if the man really couldn’t go on, maybe he could help.

The man burst out laughing on the sea.

With his laughter, the surrounding water surged. A towering wave rose ahead, blotting out the sky as it crashed straight toward them.

The wave slammed down, as if the sea meant to swallow them whole.

Moments later, when the waters calmed, the two reappeared on the surface—completely unharmed.

The man’s laughter faded as he turned to look beside him, expressionless.

There wasn’t a drop of extra water on him—but Albin, beside him, had been completely drenched.

When the wave had come crashing down, the boy had instinctively used magic to shield him—his own defense lagging by half a beat.

The white-haired boy accidentally swallowed a mouthful of seawater and turned his head to cough.

The man looked him up and down—soaked to the bone—and recalled the way he had flailed around in the water earlier. Raising an eyebrow, he said with a hint of mockery, “Can’t swim?”

Albin took a moment to recover before replying, grumbling, “I just haven’t learned yet. This is my first time at the seaside.”

“Well, you’ve got some nerve, facing the ocean like that,” the man said, his tone unreadable.

Then, remembering that Albin had come over because of him, he asked, “Do you know who I am?”

Albin shook his head blankly. “Who are you? Do you need me to take you home?”

“I am the sea—…forget it.” The man suddenly cut himself off, deciding it was pointless to continue.

It was rare to meet such an interesting kid—somehow vaguely familiar-looking, and not unpleasant to look at.

A mere human, worrying that the mighty sea god might drown—if word got out, the other gods would laugh themselves silly.

The sea god, Ochean, had originally intended to reveal his identity. Even the status of his vessel as a high priest of the sea god would be enough to make this kid fall to his knees.

But then again, that would probably be boring.

Hadn’t he seen enough of those fervent, reverent, devout expressions already?

It was rare to find someone interesting—he might as well keep him around for amusement.

“Ah-choo!” Albin sneezed.

Even though the sun was strong, being soaked through left him cold and uncomfortable. He tried drying his clothes, but they immediately became stiff and crinkled with salt, making things worse.

Staring at the salt crystals on his sleeve, Albin fell into thought. Fire magic could make salt too, couldn’t it?

Great—this gave those fire-attribute priests at the Sun Temple something useful to do.

“…Hey, kid. Were you even listening to me?” The sea god glared at him irritably.

Albin apologized sheepishly. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

The sea god ground his teeth.

His words were divine decrees—divine decrees! How could anyone just ignore them?

“I said, same time tomorrow, right here—I can teach you how to swim.”

Albin was astonished. “Huh? But I wasn’t planning to learn swimming yet.”

The sea god gave him a dark look. “Are you learning or not?”

If he, the great sea god, personally offered to teach someone to swim and got rejected, that would be far too embarrassing.

“Of course I’ll learn!” Albin blinked, then let out a small sigh of relief.

If he was planning to teach him tomorrow, then this guy probably wasn’t trying to kill himself after all.

He grinned. “Thank you! My name’s Albin—what’s yours?”

“Just call me Ao,” the sea god Ochean snorted, then swam away.

“See you tomorrow~” Noticing he seemed to be heading toward another stretch of shore, Albin waved goodbye.

“Learning to swim…” Albin thought about it. “It shouldn’t be that hard, right?”

With magic at his disposal, he dispelled it, intending to practice a bit in advance.

The moment he did, he plopped straight into the water—and his freshly dried clothes were soaked again.

Flailing in the water, Albin couldn’t even stay afloat, let alone swim.

Just as he was about to use magic again, he thought he saw a graceful blue fish tail glide beneath the surface.

The next moment, someone lifted him out of the water.

“Little one, don’t do dangerous things. Where are your guardians?”

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