Chương 210

Mumud coughed. He raised a white handkerchief to his mouth. When he pulled it away, a fresh crimson stain bloomed against the cloth. He quickly folded it and shoved it deep into his pocket. He leaned against a smooth, pink coral wall, waiting for the burning pain in his chest to fade. The Siren Kingdom was beautiful. The water above glowed with a soft, shifting blue light. The streets were paved with crushed pearl and smooth sea-glass.

It was a quiet, hidden place, far away from the towering stone spires of the human world. A loud voice broke his focus.

"I am telling you, they have no respect!" a grumpy Siren merchant yelled from a nearby stall. He waved a broken piece of coral in the air.

"Another human ship dropped a heavy iron anchor right on the eastern reef! Smashed a decade of growth in two seconds! Surface-dwellers ruin everything they touch." Mumud lowered his head. He pulled his simple grey hood up a little higher, trying to hide his human ears. He pushed off the wall and kept walking. His legs felt heavy. His mana core was still impossibly dense, packed with more mana than an entire magic tower full of magicians. But his weak human body simply couldn't handle the strain anymore.

The magic that made him a genius was actively tearing his organs apart from the inside.

"Give it back! I saw it first!" A tiny, high-pitched voice echoed from a narrow alleyway. Two young Sirens were tugging on a shiny piece of blue sea-glass.

"It's mine! I need it for the tide festival!" the other child shouted, pulling hard. The glass slipped. It skidded across the smooth street and bumped right into Mumud's boot. Mumud stopped. He slowly bent down, his joints aching, and picked up the polished glass. It was warm from the friction. He held it out. The two children froze. They stared at his pale skin and silver hair. They snatched the glass from his hand and bolted down the street without saying thank you. Mumud just offered a faint, tired smile.

He walked toward the edge of the city, where the coral buildings gave way to open, dark water. A small, quiet house sat near the drop-off. A woman was sitting on a stone bench outside. She had shimmering, ocean-blue scales along her forearms and long, flowing dark hair. She was humming a soft, wordless tune. Lia stopped humming when she heard his footsteps. She turned around. Her eyes immediately softened. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"You are paler than usual today," Lia said. She stood up and walked over. She didn't hesitate to take his cold, trembling hand.

"Just a long walk," Mumud lied smoothly. Lia didn't press the issue. She instead guided him to the bench. She brought out a small wooden cup filled with warm, clear broth. It tasted faintly of salt and crushed seaweed. It had no magical properties and it didn't restore health or boost mana. It was just plain food but Mumud loved it. He took a slow sip.

"Thank you." For the first time in his life, Mumud didn't think about magical formulas. He didn't try to calculate the ambient mana in the water. He didn't care about leaving a legacy or changing the world. Braham had taken his name and his achievements. The world thought the Legendary Great Magician had invented modern magic. Mumud let him have it. He traded his legacy for this quiet bench and the sound of Lia's voice.

"You are thinking too loudly," Lia teased gently. She sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Your brow gets all wrinkled."

"I was just thinking about how I met you," Mumud said softly. He leaned his head against hers. Lia smiled. Her blue scales shimmered in the dim light.

"You looked terrible at that time, you know," she said quietly.

"A skinny, pale human coughing his lungs out on the edge of the docks. You stuck out like a sore thumb." Mumud chuckled. It quickly turned into a brief, weak cough.

"I thought I was hiding," Mumud said.

"I found the darkest corner of the reef. I just wanted to be left alone."

"You were sitting on my favorite rock," Lia pointed out.

"I couldn't exactly ignore you. You looked like you wanted to just sink into the tide and disappear." She reached down and intertwined her fingers with his.

"I brought you a bowl of hot broth," Lia continued.

"And you just stared at it. You looked at a simple bowl of soup like it was a trap. Like I was trying to poison you." Mumud looked away. The tips of his pale ears turned slightly red.

"I wasn't used to people giving me things without expecting payment. Back in the Tower, every gift had a hidden cost. I was waiting for you to ask for a favor." Lia shook her head.

"I just wanted you to stop shivering. Your teeth were chattering so loud it was ruining the sound of the waves."

"I was a mess," Mumud whispered. He squeezed her hand back.

"But you didn't care about that. You didn't care where I came from or who I was running from. You just saw a hungry human and helped him." Lia rubbed her thumb over his knuckles.

"You drank it, cried a little bit, and then immediately passed out on my shoulder. I had to drag you all the way back to my house."

"I was exhausted," Mumud smiled. He closed his eyes, leaning heavier against her.

"It was the first time in a while, I actually felt safe enough to sleep."

"Well," Lia said easily.

"You're safe now." They sat in comfortable silence for a long time. A Siren guard marched past them, heading toward the local barracks. The guard was furiously scrubbing the metal prongs of his trident with a thick, foul-smelling green paste.

"I swear, this kelp grease prevents rust completely!" the guard complained to a passing friend.

"You just have to ignore the smell of rotten eggs for a few days!" Mumud watched the guard scrub. His mind automatically noticed the chemical reaction happening on the metal.

"If he mixed a few drops of citrus oil into the kelp, the acidity would neutralize the sulfur smell without weakening the protective coating," Mumud mumbled quietly. Lia giggled.

"You should tell him."

"No," Mumud shook his head.

"I am done giving advice. I just want to sit here."