성황의 아이들 [3]

501

501. Manta Tribe (6)

The southern side of Peridereo Island is a high cliff with black volcanic rock exposed. And to the southeast of the cliff, there is a large sea cliff formed by the winding ocean current.

The concave coast, beyond a promontory jutting out to the south, was an ideal place to avoid the eyes of the fleet anchored on the west side of the island.

Logan, under the guidance of the Mantas, held his first informal meeting with the alien race at that secret location.

'It's surprising that they rejected Mithra.'

At first, Logan thought that he should bring Mithra to this meeting. The old Draconian was the only other race that Logan knew of, and from what he heard, he had been interacting with the Manta tribe for quite some time.

But surprisingly, the Manta tribe did not want any interference from other races in this meeting.

Even they looked displeased at the sight of the wolf-dog wagging its tail at Logan. The reason was that the dog, who clearly had the blood of an Ionian wolf, might already be a lycanthrope.

So in the end, only Logan and Sir Sharon were left to follow the Mantas.

As they sneaked onto the escarpment, avoiding the sailors' eyes, the manta rays that had been waiting there before finally emerged from the water.

Slurp... ... .

The body exposed to the air naturally shrinks. The flat face develops distinct facial features, and the wide fins also shrink, changing into the shape of a person wearing a cloak.

As their appearance changed, their volume and mass, which should remain constant for all living things, also began to decrease rapidly.

"......."

Logan had already witnessed the transformation of the young Mantas with his own eyes. Nevertheless, their transformation was still a wondrous sight, for no matter how you looked at it, it was a phenomenon that so far escaped the normal laws of physics.

Crackle, crackle.

The five or six mantas in the lead then walked out onto the shore after transforming into completely human-like forms.

At first glance, their appearances all look similar. Perhaps because they are closer to fish than mammals, it is difficult to even tell the sex of an individual from their dim silhouettes under the moonlight.

However, the leader standing at the very front was particularly noticeable, as his black fur was uniquely covered with dark blue stripes evenly distributed.

'...mackerel?'

Although the thought crossed his mind, Logan dared not voice the rude thought.

"Piririk. Giririririk. Bubbururur... ... ."

Then the mackerel manta, who had been staring at Logan with sparkling eyes, opened his mouth. It was a low voice, like the sound of a long wind instrument, rather than the one he had heard from the younger manta.

"He says he is the temporary leader of the Manta tribe, Buubur...?"

Sir Sharon chewed her tongue as she interpreted the tricky pronunciation.

Yes. Since they are a race with intelligence, they each have their own names. Unfortunately, it's confusing even when you hear how they are pronounced.

"He said that he felt deeply grateful to you for accepting all of his demands, which could be considered unreasonable, and allowing him to meet with you alone. He said that he had not expected humans to be so open to other species."