Christina couldn't even predict when Run would reach the appropriate age to absorb curses and darkness.
It would be a wait without a definite end.
'After all, I should find a way myself.'
She intended to talk to her only as a last resort.
For the sake of the Amelia family, who were suffering due to the darkness, and for Run himself, who wanted to become stronger quickly, he had to find a solution in a situation he could control.
Run, feeling frustrated, thumped his tail on the ground.
Run's Mokoji stone sounded an alarm, and characters floated up with magic power.
Run looked at the short message the girl had written after he left.
<Run. It's me, Amelia. Did the message get through? The cake was delicious. Thank you. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know.>
When they talked in person, she often stuttered, but there was no sign of that in the message she sent through the Mokoji stone.
<I'm glad you enjoyed it.>
Christina's magical food, which infused vitality, not only helped control the darkness for a while but also made the pain almost forgettable.
Suddenly, Run felt as if he had grasped a clue.
'...? I just had a good idea.'
He carefully examined the inherited knowledge he possessed from Christina.
'This... it's dangerous, but worth a try.'
If done well, it could earn the trust of the Water Clan and help both the Servant and Amelia grow.
With his arms crossed, Run slowly organized his thoughts.
'It would be a much better outcome than me doing it alone. The problem is... it might be a trial for Amelia.'
After all, the longer they delayed, the more time they would spend immersed in darkness and curses.
Run opened his eyes and revealed a determined look.
'It's part of the process to save her parents. I should leave the choice to Amelia.'
He wrote on the Mokoji stone.
<I want to introduce you to some of my other kin soon. Is that okay?>
After a long while, blue characters floated up from the Mokoji stone.
'Good. Once Blackmi gets along with her, we'll clean up the water region at an appropriate time.'
And the opportunity came sooner than he thought.
The next morning, he received news that Christina would be away for a few days.
Run immediately informed Amelia through the Mokoji stone about his and Blackmi's visit.
Blackmi, summoned by Run, opened her eyes wide, sparkling with a pink rose hue, and looked around the passage created by the <Magic Key>.
"......A secret passage. Don't tell anyone else."
"Ah, yes! A secret between Run-sama and us!"
Shh! Blackmi, wagging her black tail excitedly, even placed her index finger in front of her lips.
While walking through the passage, Run cast a protective spell on Blackmi to help her endure the deep sea.
Suddenly, Blackmi, who was leading the way, looked up at Byakuya and asked.
Byakuya flapped his wings in response.
Recently, Byakuya's flying time had increased significantly.
The little bird, who usually perched on Run's head or shoulder or Blackmi, had started flying more on his own.
'He must have improved his flying skills by riding the currents and moving around.'
Byakuya's flight, with his small wings compared to his body, was somewhat lacking in the sense of 'flying.'
It was more like jumping to a higher place by flapping his wings or jumping from a high place and landing gently.
But now, he had learned the knack and could ride the air currents.
'That kid has done something on his own.'
Run felt proud of Byakuya.
Originally, the young bird preferred to perch on those he knew rather than fly alone.
But lately, he had started flying around stealthily and now seemed very proud of his ability to spread his wings and fly confidently.
"Byakuya is amazing! His feathers are so pretty, and he flies so well!"
Byakuya spread his white wings even more impressively and raised his head to show off his crest.
Duran, who had been walking beside them, turned his head at the commotion and then looked straight ahead again.
Growth doesn't necessarily mean becoming stronger, so Run acknowledged Byakuya's efforts.
'I should give him a potato chip later.'
Right in front of the boundary of the water.
"Wow! Water is stuck to the wall!"
Blackmi, seeing the water boundary for the first time, examined it with amazement.
To the excited Blackmi, Run instructed.
"Beyond this is a member of the Water Clan, a Blue Dragon hatchling. Greet her well, and remember, the fire spirits will find it hard to endure, so don't come out."
Blackmi, raising one hand, answered.
Nodding, Run cast a spell on the group to make the deep sea more comfortable.
Then, he transformed into a hatchling and entered first.
'Is Amelia not here yet?'
Run activated the snowball he had placed at the entrance of the passage to let in a faint light.
Then, Blackmi, Byakuya, and Duran followed.
Seeing Blackmi puff her cheeks to hold her breath, Run said,
[You can breathe. I cast a spell just now.]
Relieved that she could breathe, Blackmi exhaled quickly and looked around with curiosity.
"Wow. Is this all water?"
Blackmi, stirring the deep sea water with her hands, listening to the water sounds, and even letting herself be carried by the currents, was taken care of by Byakuya, who approached her.
The white bird, as if teaching her how to play, went to a spot with strong currents and naturally rode them.
Seeing Byakuya move with the currents, Blackmi tried to do the same.
Thanks to her excellent physical coordination, she quickly enjoyed riding the currents.
Fortunately, she showed no fear of the deep sea's darkness, which she was encountering for the first time.
'Well, she was the one who fell asleep when my darkness spread in the <Abandoned Mine Dungeon>.'
Run instructed Duran to watch over the two and waited for Amelia in the direction she often came from.
Suddenly, Run stared at his black forepaws.
'I might not need to keep this form anymore.'
His original form was to prove he was of the Black Clan and to show a reassuring appearance to Amelia so she wouldn't run away at first.
But now, Amelia no longer feared him.
After a brief moment of thought, he decided to maintain his hatchling form for today's introduction of new companions.
'One is timid, and the other is cheerful.'
He had to gauge how the two, with completely different personalities, would interact.
At least, the method he was thinking of required them to get along well.
'I hope their personalities complement each other...'
He had already conveyed some information about Blackmi to the water girl through the Mokoji stone.
But seeing her in person would be a different experience.
'Given Blackmi's personality, she's more likely to bring the other into her pace. The combination of timid Amelia and lively Blackmi.'
In his estimation, Blackmi's warmth and initiative could be a great help to the cautious and careful Amelia.
If things went well, their teamwork in battle could exceed expectations.
'Besides, Amelia has been doing well with her tough training so far. As long as there's no personality clash, it should be fine.'
Just as Run reaffirmed this,
Amelia swam over from a distance, shaking her tail urgently.
Blackmi, who had been trying out the currents, looked excitedly in the direction Amelia was coming from.
"Wow, an incredibly beautiful mermaid onee-san!"
Blackmi approached the arriving Amelia.
Slightly tense, Amelia cautiously greeted the approaching Blackmi.
Blackmi, raising her hand, perked up her fox ears and smiled brightly.
Excited, she even wagged her black tail to greet her.
[Um, I... I'm... Amelia.]
"Ooh. Can I call you Amelia onee-san?"
Amelia's water-colored eyes widened and then blinked.
"Yes! Onee-san, please call me Blackmi too!"
Amelia moved her lips a few times before speaking in a clear voice.
The mermaid's appearance was incredibly fascinating and beautiful to Blackmi.
Blackmi's eyes sparkled as she looked at Amelia's scales and fluttering fins.
"Wow. They sway like transparent, beautiful water fabric!"
Watching the two, Run thought the atmosphere was good.
'The first impression was much harder with Duran.'
Compared to Duran, Blackmi was rather cute.
Blackmi, clearly delighted with Amelia's mermaid form, buzzed around her.
Amelia, though embarrassed and unsure of what to do with her body, managed not to run away, even glancing behind the rocks.
Run gauged the right moment to intervene.
'Now, it's time to ease them into it.'
[Alright. That's enough for introductions. You'll see each other often from now on. Get to know each other gradually.]
Approaching Amelia too aggressively at first could make her recoil.
'The first meeting shouldn't be too burdensome.'
Blackmi answered energetically, and Amelia nodded slightly with a relieved expression.
Once the atmosphere settled, Run brought up the main topic.
[Today, we'll be hunting marine monsters. In other words, a practical lesson.]
The word 'hunting' made Duran's eyes gleam brightly.
He was usually quiet but always performed intensely on the battlefield, so this was natural.
'But, you're not the main character here. You know that, right?'
Duran, who received the gaze, calmed his fighting spirit.
Seeing his contained enthusiasm, Run nodded lightly.
'Fortunately, he knows how to judge the situation. That's settled.'
Blackmi, with her gem-like eyes, and Amelia, with her slightly lowered eyelashes.
Run gave them instructions.
[Duran will scout ahead. Byakuya and I will be at the rear. The actual fighting will be done by you two, Blackmi and Amelia.]
Amelia, who was suddenly scared, tensed up and drew her shoulders in.
At that moment, Blackmi firmly held Amelia's hand.
Why are your eyes so wide?
"You can do it! Onee-san, you're strong!"
"Hmm? No, you can! Blackmi is really good at this! Onee-san is incredibly strong!"
Blackmi's pink rose-colored eyes, filled with absolute trust, looked transparently into Amelia's water-colored eyes.
The moment Amelia saw those eyes, she firmly held the hand that Blackmi had grabbed.
These were the first people to approach her, who had no one else around her.
Their spotless purity instilled in her the belief that she could do it.
'Strange. I always thought I was a useless fool...'