"Are you leaving?" Synthia asked as he got up.

Luke nodded. "Yeah. Going to take a few flowers and get out." With a sigh, he explained, "I need to hunt a few beasts... and it’s a necessity."

Synthia immediately asked, "Are you going to return?"

Luke paused and rested his hands on his waist.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Actually, I know the way to the ocean. However, it’s quite far away."

Her expression shifted from surprise to sadness in an instant. "How... far?"

Luke shrugged. "If I run at full speed, maybe an hour. But taking you there would take some effort. And without you, I highly doubt I’d be able to locate your people."

What were the chances of him standing on the shore and shouting, ’Any mermaids here?!’, only for one to actually show up?

Pretty low.

That was why the best way to get a clue about her home was to bring the woman with him.

Synthia lowered her gaze. "I could barely survive under the sun..." she said, looking utterly crestfallen.

Luke frowned. "What about under the moon? How long?"

Synthia pointed toward the wall he had climbed down earlier. "Walk slowly to that wall for me."

Confused, Luke did as she asked. He took slow, measured steps, and when he finally reached the wall, the woman spoke.

"That long."

"...What? That’s like half a minute."

Synthia immediately protested. "But that’s very impressive among our people. Some just dry up and collapse the moment they step out."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Then forget about reuniting with your family. I can carry you, sure, but if you can’t survive even an hour outside the water, then you’re destined to rot here."

Synthia’s lips parted, yet no words came out.

Slowly, they pressed together as her gaze dropped.

A sheen of moisture gathered in her eyes, and moments later, heavy tears began rolling down her smooth cheeks.

Luke groaned.

That expression on a face like hers was downright unfair.

He dragged a hand down his face before saying, "I’ll think of a way to get you back, so stop crying."

"B-But you just said I would rot here..." she replied in a much quieter voice.

Luke stepped closer. "That was me speaking without thinking. But I know I can find a way to help you reunite with your family."

Synthia slowly looked up at him. "Are you speaking the truth? Can I trust you?"

Luke crossed his arms and shrugged.

"Well, do you have any other option?"

She slowly shook her head and fell silent.

Luke remained quiet for a moment before asking, "Is there a specific quality of water you need? Or do you need fresh water every few hours? Tell me the basic requirements for your survival."

Synthia thought for a moment before answering, "I’ve been living in this stagnant water for a very long time and survived, so I think I’ll be fine."

"As for the amount... if my tail is submerged, I can survive for some time."

Luke hummed thoughtfully. "Then I need a container large enough to hold your entire body and fill it with water from this pond."

The woman blinked in surprise. "Why this pond in particular?"

Luke shook his head. "I have a feeling you wouldn’t survive in just any water for long. I can keep replacing the water in the container with fresh water, but that would take too much time and effort. So we’ll start by experimenting with this pond water. If that doesn’t work, I have another method."

"But how are you going to carry me?" she asked.

Her gaze lowered, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

"I am heavy."

Luke hummed before scooping the mermaid into his arms and lifting her effortlessly.

"Ah!"

"What do you mean?" Luke replied honestly. "You weigh so little that I could run at full speed with you in my arms."

Her soft, cool body was hardly a burden.

It was the first time he had ever held a mermaid, and he had to admit, it was a strange experience.

Her scales weren’t rough as he had imagined. Instead, they were smooth and slightly slippery. Even so, she felt incredibly fragile in his grasp. The coolness of her skin seeped through his clothes, and for the first time in a long while, Luke found himself conscious of his own strength.

"I... am having difficulty breathing," the mermaid said. "Put me back."

Whether she was telling the truth or simply too embarrassed to remain in his arms was a mystery Luke had no intention of solving.

"Right."

Taking a step forward, he promptly dropped her back into the pond.

A loud splash echoed through the cavern.

The moment she hit the water, Synthia resurfaced and glared at him.

"You could have lowered me gently."

Luke shrugged. "You said you couldn’t breathe. Sounds urgent to me."

She pouted.

He wasn’t nearly as gentle as her Pinna.

Luke wiped his hands on his shirt and said, "Well, it’s decided. I’ll take you back home the next time I visit."

He wasn’t prepared to carry out the plan today. He still had nearly three and a half hours left, and the sun was blazing outside.

He didn’t have the time to sit around waiting for nightfall.

That was why he had already decided to ask the system to transport him here at night the next time. He would come fully prepared as well.

Suddenly, Synthia’s shoulders drooped.

"How long will it take for you to come back?" she asked quietly.

Luke let out a slow sigh.

The time difference between the two worlds was completely messed up.

When he had asked the system about it, the answer had been immediate.

[Almost 28 days, Host, before you can return here. And that is assuming you do not suffer any injuries.]

"...."

Luke calmly sat down beside Synthia and took her hand in his.

In a quiet, reassuring voice, he said, "It’ll take some time... maybe until the next full moon."

Her shoulders visibly trembled.

And of course, she was anxious.

After months, Luke had been the only hope she had found.

Now he was leaving, and not just for a few days, but for a long time.

She had no reason to trust him.

And he had no reason to return.

Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer.

Rubbing her arm in reassurance, he said, "Look, I know you can’t just trust my words. But I’m not the kind of man who gives his word unless I’m willing to keep it. And if that isn’t enough, you can have this..."

He drew out his first knife, the one his father had made for him, and held it out to her.

"...This is precious to me. So if you keep it, I’ll have to come back for it."

Synthia slowly accepted the knife.

For a few moments, she stared at it in silence before shaking her head and offering it back.

"No. Take it."

Then she nodded.

"I... trust you."

Luke’s eyebrows rose. "Are you sure?"

Synthia nodded once more.

"The fact that you didn’t run away after seeing me and stayed to listen to my story..." She lowered her gaze to the water for a moment before looking back at him. "That already told me what kind of person you are."

A faint smile touched her lips.

"So yes."

Her fingers lightly tightened around his hand.

"I’ll wait for your return."

Luke smiled in response.

For a brief moment, he felt tempted to lean in and kiss her, but he held himself back.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Synthia’s eyes widened.

"Ah, I remember. I have a gift for you."

Before Luke could ask what she meant, she slipped beneath the water with a splash.

Luke tilted his head.

A gift?