Chapter 91

"Here they come! Get ready!!"

At my words, everyone took out their weapons and prepared to defend.

Soon, magical reactions began to appear from the water columns.

"These are..."

Surrounding us were about twenty giant shells.

They were too big to be ordinary turtles, and they emerged at a considerable speed.

Selena said with a puzzled look, "Big turtles?"

"No, they might be turtle monsters that can move this fast."

As Elicia spoke, one of the bright green shells spoke up.

"Y-You call us monsters!? How dare you call us, the guardians of the holy land, monsters! You foolish, faithless humans!"

"They, they talked!?"

Yuri couldn't help but exclaim.

I was also surprised... I didn't know turtles could speak human language.

"We, we won't be defeated! We are very strong!! Especially me, Melber, the strongest of my clan!!"

As Melber said this, the other shells started jumping up and down, saying, "That's right!"

"But you've been hiding in your shells all this time. Why don't you show your faces?"

When Yuri pointed this out, the shells suddenly became quiet.

Only Melber answered in a trembling voice, "T-That's because... t-this shell is our weapon!"

Are they afraid of us...?

But something seemed off.

The sound seemed to resonate directly in our heads rather than being heard as sound.

They were probably using magic to communicate.

They must be either demons or holy beasts.

In any case, they seemed angry that we had set foot on this island. Since they call it a holy land, it must be a place of great importance to them.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know this was a holy land. We'll leave immediately."

"O-Okay! You understand well! But if you could, as a price for stepping on the holy land..."

Melber trembled as Elicia glared at him.

"Just, just leaving would be fine... a-ah."

A rumbling sound came from Melber's stomach.

Then, the same sound started coming from the other shells.

"Hmm..."

Seeing Melber and the others looking unwell, I realized they were hungry.

"Are you hungry? Wait a moment."

I teleported back to Alus's warehouse.

There, Tia was gnawing on a seed as before.

"Chew! Ah, Master Alex!"

"Tia, where are the fish?"

"O-Over there!"

In the direction Tia pointed, there was a wooden box filled with ice. On top of it were freshly caught fish.

"I'll take some of these. Tell the warehouse keeper that."

"Got it!!"

As Tia saluted, I teleported back to the island with the box of fish.

"Sorry for the wait. There are about ten fish in here."

"S-S-S-So many fish!!"

Melber lunged at the fish in the box.

The other shells did the same.

Soon, countless shells emerged from the lake.

They all pushed each other to get to the fish, extending their heads and limbs.

Not only Yuri and Rahn, but Selena and Elicia also turned pale at the sight.

"Wait! You don't have to fight over them. I can bring more!"

I hurriedly teleported back to Alus to get more fish.

A few minutes later, the shells—no, the giant turtles—looked satisfied.

"It's been a long time since we've had such fresh fish... Sir... no, Your Excellency, you must be a god."

Melber bowed deeply to me.

"No, it's just fish. No need to be so dramatic."

"It's not dramatic. You disappeared and brought fish back in an instant. That's a magic only gods can use."

The other turtles nodded in agreement.

Looking closely, they were very thin despite their large shells.

There might not be many fish in the lake. And on land, it would be dangerous to eat insects with Death Snakes and Arrow Crows around.

"I'm not a god. I'm a human named Alex. The others are my companions."

"A human? I can't believe it! Sir Alex is a god!"

Melber bowed deeply again.

Following his lead, the other turtles also bowed.

"Please, from now on, grant us your blessings, Sir Alex."

"You just want more fish, don't you..."

Yuri looked at Melber with a blank stare.

"O-Of course, we will serve Sir Alex! We are very good at giving back rubs!!"

"Is that the price for the fish?"

Yuri looked exasperated.

In any case, it seemed we wouldn't have to be enemies.

"Melber, we are just travelers who have come from afar."

"A human traveling to get here is hard to believe... The area is full of monsters."

"That's why we used teleportation. But, have you always lived here?"

"Yes. I have lived here for 225 years since I was born."

At this, Selena muttered, "Shorter than me."

I was surprised by 225 years, but...

If they live long, they might know something about the ruins.

"Is there anyone who lives longer?"

"No, I am the oldest. In my parents' time, there were many who lived to 300, but with the decrease in fish, our lifespans have shortened."

"That's unfortunate... Have you ever seen any other humans besides us?"

"You are the first. My parents have never seen any either. In the time of my great-grandparents, many people visited this lake."

So, Melber and the others might not know much about the ruins.

There might be some records or legends, though.

Elicia seemed curious and tilted her head.

"But how did you know we were humans when you've never seen us?"

"We only know of humans as two-legged creatures. Also, as holy beasts, we can recognize humans and nature. We have a rule not to attack humans."

They were holy beasts like Pegasus.

It's known that holy beasts side with humans and never attack them.

But I had never heard of holy beasts in the form of turtles.

"Didn't you try to charge us a toll just now?"

Yuri muttered, and Melber's face turned red.

"W-Well, we are guarding the holy land!"

"Holy land. What kind of place is this island?"

"A place where monsters cannot enter. There is a statue in the center. Thanks to that statue, no monsters can enter this island or the lake."

The magical reaction in the center of the island must be from that.

I don't know the principle, but it's probably like a magic device with a spell stored in it.

If we could make a similar magic device, we might be able to create a safe space to summon dark creatures.

But there's one thing that concerns me.

"Does that include demons?"

"I don't know what demons are, but evil beings cannot enter."

"I see."

The holy beasts recognized me as a human.

Moreover, I can enter the area where monsters cannot. Maybe it's because I teleported in.

But it's reassuring to hear that I am recognized as a human, just like the Ancestor Dragon said.

"Anyway, I'm glad we met."

"We are also glad, Sir Alex! Please, become the lord of this island!"

Melber and the others bowed deeply.

"I'm glad, but we have a place to live."

"Then, please take us with you! If it's the will of a god, we can leave this holy land! Please don't leave us behind!"

Melber and the others pleaded, tears in their eyes.

They must be hungry.

Rahn, perhaps feeling a connection to their situation, said to me,

"Sir Alex, I know it's impolite for a newcomer to say, but—"

"I welcome new companions, Rahn."

Rahn smiled at my response.

If we can make them our companions, we can use this island. It's a safe place where monsters cannot enter. I'm not sure if all my subordinates can enter, but it can serve as a base for exploration.

I also want to hear their legends. If compiled, they might provide information about the ruins and the woman in black.

I said to Melber and the others, who were looking at me,

"Alright. You can come with us, but... how about becoming my subordinates? As subordinates, you might gain new powers. You might even be able to defeat the monsters near the lake. Of course, I'll make it possible for you to travel between the island and here."

Melber's eyes sparkled.

"Of course!! I would be honored to join you!"

"Alright. You can leave the subordinate status at any time. Let's do it..."

As I thought, Melber and the others' bodies began to glow.

When the light faded, they were standing on two legs.

"Wow! We can stand on two legs!!"

Melber and the others walked on two legs like humans.

They looked cute.

Not only could they walk, but their hands seemed more dexterous, able to grasp stones.

Elicia commented,

"Like the ratmen, they haven't changed much in appearance."

"They can walk on two legs and have dexterous hands, just like the ratmen. They might not look human, but they are closer to humans."

Thinking about it, this is the first time I've had holy beasts as subordinates.

Holy beasts, demons, monsters... and rats. My subordinates are quite diverse.

"Let's call them the Shell Clan for now."

Melber and the others bowed to me.

"Sir Alex, we are deeply grateful for our new bodies! We will serve you with all our hearts!!"

"Thank you, Melber. Let's welcome you to our island..."

I teleported Melber and the Shell Clan to Alus's square.

Melber and the others were amazed at the sight of Alus.

"Is this... the land of the gods!?"

"No, it's an island in the sea to the southwest. This is where we live. You are welcome to live here. Of course, you can still travel to your previous island."

I will have the Blue-haired Clan build a teleportation pillar on the island so everyone can travel freely.

"Is it okay to look around?"

"Of course. Make yourself at home."

The Shell Clan started looking around.

They were surprised and greeted the ratmen, slimes, and golems they saw for the first time.

Elicia smiled at the sight.

"Alus will become even more lively."

"Yes. We've gained new companions, and the island is an excellent base. We made a good discovery on the first day of exploration. Let's end today's exploration here and hold a welcome party for the Shell Clan."

Elicia and the others agreed.

And so, the Shell Clan joined our ranks.