Iser was flustered.

‘The Sun God inside a teddy bear…? Why…?’

It seemed that Gio had inherited that divinity, but even so, it didn’t mean his status as a god had vanished entirely.

Iser realized that the god he had once served was inhabiting the teddy bear before him, which had soft, hazy golden fur.

‘It looks like he wanted it, so I can’t really say anything about it. Now that you are the only believer left, he probably doesn’t have to faithfully fulfill his role as a god. He probably will, but still, he is a god once called the One and Only God; his dignity…’

As someone who had once learned the skills of a priest and still mimicked one, he couldn’t help but be concerned about the god’s dignity.

‘Why, in the first place, is a god inside a teddy bear?? Inside a teddy bear, of all things??’

He couldn’t understand.

“…Lord Sun God?”

“Ooh.”

“…….”

And why is the crying sound so cute?

“…Th-th… did you like the shell?”

“Kuu.”

“May I hear your intention for going inside the teddy bear?”

“Kuku, kukuu… kukukuk.”

“…….”

Gio translated for Iser, who couldn't understand a thing.

“He says it is to eat.”

“…An appetite…?”

“He did seem to have one.”

“Why?”

Does it make sense for a god to have an appetite?

“A god, well… he is a god, after all.”

“Surely you aren't saying that a god shouldn't even eat right now…?”

“That is not what I meant.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“You understand, right?”

“Of course.”

Gio had turned platinum blonde before anyone realized it. He nodded, wearing the noble smile characteristic of a priest.

“Strictly speaking, aren’t you wondering why a god, who has no need to eat and feels no desire to do so, would use the body of a mere teddy bear just to have a meal?”

“…That is exactly it.”

“To be honest, I find it difficult to give you a proper explanation regarding that part as well. I just blindly brought a meal when I visited, but at some point, you started getting greedy for food…”

“…Ah…”

Iser let out a sigh of relief, now somewhat convinced. He looked relieved to have heard the correct answer to a difficult question.

“So, you were the cause after all, Teacher.”

“Why do you always say I’m the cause whenever something you don’t understand happens?”

“You aren’t asking because you really don’t know, are you? Surely not?”

“Well, anyway.”

Gio stacked the basket of seashells Iser was holding on top of his own basket and smiled gently.

“Let’s get used to it gradually; for now, shall we prepare the meal?”

“Preparing the meal…”

“There isn’t much time left until dinner, so I think we should start cooking right away to prepare plenty of food.”

“Y-yes.”

In any case, Isser, now in the position of being invited, immediately agreed. In their culture, an invitation to a home was tantamount to an offer to treat them to a meal. Isser was more accustomed to bringing up the topic of food right away.

“I didn’t hear the exact details, but what is on the menu?”

“Hmm, I suppose it is grilled clams and tomato stew.”

“Edlen stew?”

“I suppose so.”

In the village of Edlen, where they spent their childhood, tomato stew was synonymous with ‘Edlen stew.’ It was a stew made using freshwater and seafood, the village’s specialties.

“Ah, that’s nice…”

At hearing the name for the first time in a long while, Isser’s slightly stiff face relaxed.

“The stew in that village was really delicious. The stew you made, Teacher, was especially amazing…”

“My cooking skills haven’t rusted just because some time has passed, so you can look forward to it to your heart’s content.”

Gio nodded and asked, “Ah.”

“I’d like at least one person to help me.”

Two pale hands rose up simultaneously.

“I.”

“Me.”

“…….”

“…….”

The mermaid siblings looked at each other.

“…I will do it.”

“I’m actually better at cooking.”

“You’ve always been in charge of cooking, Teacher, and wasn’t our role supposed to be to assist? If that’s the case, I think I’d be better than you, Sister.”

“I’m not sure in what sense you say you’d be better. A good cook is also good at assisting, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Isser.”

“I swear on my honor as a mermaid, I will not back down.”

“In that case, it can’t be helped. According to the traditions of the sea, when opinions clash, force…”

Just then, Gio interrupted.

“This is going to take a long time, so I’ll just handle it myself.”

At those words, the mermaids reached an agreement in an instant with a game of rock-paper-scissors.

“I won… I will serve as your assistant.”

“Is that right?”

I wondered if this was correct, but it was actually quite a funny sight, so it didn’t really matter.

“Come to think of it, our region has rock-paper-scissors too.”

“Ah, you said the same culture exists on Earth.”

“That’s correct. I understand it’s a game played in quite a few countries.”

“I see.”

Left alone, Aria simply clicked her tongue.

“I should have trained more.”

“Kuu?”

“Excuse me, sir, but could you please stop acting so familiar?”

“Kukukuk….”

“Are you laughing?” Gio led Iser into the kitchen.

“Then, shall we wash the clams?”

“It really feels like the old days.”

“Although Iser has grown quite a bit for that.”

“It can still shrink.”

“My little Iser was not only small but also cute, so it’s impossible now.”

“Ah… so you don’t find him cute anymore?”

“It’s a bit of a stretch for a fully grown mermaid, a war criminal with mass genocide, to look cute just because he shrinks…”

“You are absolutely right, sir.”

Iser readily accepted this.

“What can I do to help you now, sir?”

“Hmm… he certainly isn’t cute.”

Giovanni felt a little sad at the sight of this skilled gentleman, who showed not a shred of shyness.

“Is this what a parent’s heart feels like?”

“My parents are separate, though…”

“Mermaids don’t really obsess over blood ties to begin with.”

“In that sense, you were certainly closer to the word ‘guardian.’”

“You’re not getting on my nerves. I wonder how you’ve grown into such a boring adult.”

Jio chuckled lightly and took a seashell out of the basket.

“It’s been a while, Sunshine Seashell.”

“Is that so?”

“There was a time when I wondered why they were called Sunshine Seashells when they grow underground.”

The underground cavity of Edlen Village had a few small holes through which sunlight and moonlight entered. Sunshine Seashells usually hid in large numbers in the areas where such light came in.

“Let’s see…”

Sunshine Seashell

A seashell characterized by its transparent shell and body. Only females exist, and they reproduce by mating with the Moonlight Seashell, which consists only of males. When the sun rises, they come out every two hours to bask in the sunlight before hiding below the surface. If boiled in hot water, the body turns white, but the shell remains unchanged. The longer an individual lives, the better the medicinal properties of both the shell and the body. It inhabits only the vicinity of Jeongsu Rock.

Alchemy Method: If you remove the body without boiling it and dry it in the sun, it turns into a hard, transparent pebble. Taking it like a pill is good for restoring eyesight. If the shell is left in the sun, it retains that warmth. Finely grinding the extremely hot shell into a powder and consuming it is beneficial for heart disease.

“…….”

“Doctor?”

“I didn’t know it had such medicinal properties.”

To hear that it is used for restoring eyesight or heart disease, I was a bit taken aback as a doctor.

“Heart disease, huh….”

“Doctor…?”

“Does your heart hurt, Iser?”

“You resemble the look in your sister’s eyes when she looks forward to a test subject, but unfortunately, I am very healthy.”

Iser said with a neat smile.

“Of course, if you wish, I can catch one right now.” “Are you saying you intend to harm someone right before my eyes, as a doctor and a priest? How much more responsibility do you intend to take?”

“Wouldn’t a beast in human form be suitable as a test subject? One that lacks the qualifications of a human…”

“If it were a beast that committed child sexual abuse, I might be able to accept it.”

“You haven’t changed at all. I will keep that in mind.”

“But it is still surprising.”

He never imagined that the ‘Sunshine Conch’ from the region where he was located possessed such medicinal properties. Although it was a specialty of Edlen Village, it wasn’t particularly rare; in fact, it was so common that it was scattered everywhere.

“There were many people who ground the shells to use as paint.”

“Didn’t you do that too, Teacher? You mainly used shell paint, especially when painting mermaids.”

“That’s right. When painting the sea, I thought it would be nice if the paint smelled like the ocean.”

However, he never knew that the powder could cure heart disease.

“…….”

“ I had researched this on my own before, but I had never discovered such an effect.

“…Perhaps this is an effect I can see because I have changed now…”

“…Have you changed?”

“I have changed in many ways.”

I had gone from a human into a portrait.

“Anyway, it’s better to just let it be.”

Ta-da.

Jio stopped thinking.

“My ultimate positive mindset does not change based on the significance of my own existence.”

“I don’t know what that ultimate positive mindset is, but couldn’t it change a little…?”

“Do you really have to live such a tiring life? I don’t think so, Teacher Lee, Iser.”

“With that kind of mindset, how can you be so confident that you are an ordinary human?”

“Because my life is not changed by the gaze of others.”

Having merely reaffirmed his firm self-esteem, Jio continued observing the Sunshine Seashell.

“Seeing it for the first time in a while, I can really feel that it is a beautiful shell.”

It was a conch shell that emitted a clear, jewel-like light; the pentagonal pyramid-shaped shell showed numerous grains, suggesting it had grown many times. It shimmered as if a painting had been drawn on it.

“Because it is so beautiful, it was often made into jewelry.”

“Yes, I believe you also made a toy to hang on the window out of it, sir.”

“It shines so beautifully when the sunlight hits it.”

It moved this way and that, just like a triangular prism 

It emitted a colorful light.

“Ah, dear.”

The creature living inside had tucked its already transparent body deep inside; perhaps because its body was as transparent as glass, it was barely visible even through this prism-like shell.

“Since boiling it won’t damage the shell anyway, we can just boil it as is. Since it survives solely on sunlight without swallowing mud, you don’t need to take any special measures—just wipe it clean, boil it, and eat it.”

“I… remember, too, but…”

“I just recalled it, so you don’t need to worry too much about it. It’s been a while since I’ve cleaned shellfish like this, so I’m feeling excited.”

Next, what Gio picked up was the one clinging to the wall of the pupil.

‘This looks similar to an abalone.’

While its shell was much darker and smoother than an abalone’s, other features were quite similar. Especially that white, wide flesh inside.

“I think its name is….”

“It must have been a black tray clam.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Black Tray Clam

A clam famous for its white flesh contrasting with its pitch-black, smooth shell. It is a high-end ingredient, but it is a delicate clam that cooks if the temperature rises even slightly. Its black shell is considered beautiful and is also known as a material for paint. Be careful, as the flesh will cook if you touch it with your hands.

“It looks like it simply cannot taste bad.”

Gio smiled contentedly as he wiped all the black clams clean. Since this clam does not eat mud, no separate purging process was required.

“Next is this one. Do you remember it, Iser?”

“I remember you particularly liked it, Teacher.”

“Because the texture is good. If you eat it raw, it is tender like pudding, and if you cook it, it is chewy like meat…”

Club Trumpet

A clam with a light brown shell that lives hidden vertically in the mud. It was named "Mongdunginapal" because its flesh resembles a wooden club and its shell resembles a trumpet. The inside is filled with pale yellow flesh with a very tender texture. However, be careful, as it becomes tough quickly if heated excessively.

In short, it was essentially just a clam with a whole long adductor muscle inside.

"Ah, I should sell this in Korea."

"Calm down."

It was Gio, the worldly priest, once again today.

(To be continued in the next episode)