Venti: "Hmm?"
"Me?"
"I'm just a bard."
The little boy: "..."
The boy tilted his head slightly, clearly intrigued by this answer, while the waves continued their peaceful ebb and flow behind them.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffffffff
The salty air, the silent boat, and this unexpected encounter created a calm, almost suspended atmosphere, as if something were about to begin.
Venti then noticed more closely the small boat resting next to the boy.
It was too narrow to hold a whole group, barely wide enough for two people, three at most if they weren't carrying too much equipment.
This sight immediately sparked a thought in his mind:
He had just bought a fishing rod, but had no way to get out to sea to actually fish.
Venti: "What an idiot I am."
Staying on the shore would limit his catch, and he knew it.
His gaze flickered from the boat to the boy's rod, then back to the child, a clear idea dawning on him.
Without the slightest ulterior motive, simply driven by the desire to learn about fishing, he spoke.
Venti: "Say... could I come fishing with you?"
"I have a rod too, but I don't have a boat to go out to sea."
The little boy narrowed his eyes slightly, looking Venti up and down.
He wasn't quite sure who he was dealing with: a bard, a traveler, someone a little strange perhaps.
For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, weighing the pros and cons with a seriousness almost surprising for his age.
Finally, he answered in a firm voice, as if he were setting his own rules.
The boy: "You can come... but you mustn't hurt me."
"Anyway, if you try anything, people will see it."
Venti was slightly surprised by this response, before realizing that the child was simply protecting himself, out of caution.
The boy didn't know who he was, what he was capable of, and had absolutely no idea what would happen if Venti became hostile.
But despite this, he agreed to trust him, at least a little.
This thought brought a genuine smile to Venti's face.
He had never had the slightest intention of harming anyone, least of all a child.
Venti: "Don't worry."
"I'm just here to fish... and enjoy the wind and the sea."
The boy nodded slowly, seeming to accept this answer, as the waves continued to gently lap against the hull of the boat.
A strange but peaceful alliance had just formed, at the water's edge, under the open sky.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap
The little boy stepped forward, positioning himself behind the boat.
The little boy went forward first and placed both hands against the hull of the boat, his feet firmly planted in the damp sand.
He strained with all his might, his face contorted with effort, but the boat barely moved, just a slight creak of wood against the pebbles.
Too heavy.
Far too heavy for a child his age.
Venti: "Uh."
Venti watched the scene for a few seconds, then instinctively activated one of his abilities to give him a little push, hoping to ease the strain.
Stat Boosting
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
Yet, even so, it was still insufficient:
The boat must have weighed around sixty kilos, and the boy, barely six or eight years old—an age that briefly reminded him of Leona—simply didn't have the necessary strength.
Venti: "I hope Arlan's and Leona are alright."
Tap tap tap tap tap tap
Without hesitating any longer, Venti approached and stood beside him.
Venti: "Come on, let's go together."
He said with a reassuring smile.
They pushed at the same time.
CCCCCCccccccccccccrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The sand gradually gave way beneath their feet, the hull slid slowly, centimeter by centimeter, until a slightly larger wave helped the movement.
After a few seconds of shared effort, the boat finally floated, rocked by the water.
The little boy let out a sigh of relief, immediately followed by a proud smile, before nimbly jumping inside.
The little boy: "Oh yes."
Venti joined him in turn, taking his place without unbalancing the boat.
Only once they were settled did they both realize a crucial detail:
There were no oars or paddles.
Venti: "......".
The little boy: "...........".
A brief silence fell, broken only by the gentle lapping of the waves.
The boy looked around, a little worried, while Venti tilted his head slightly, amused by the situation.
Venti: "Hehe."
Finally, he smiled and calmly placed a hand on the edge of the boat.
FFFFFFfffffffffffffffffff
A gentle breeze immediately rose around them, controlled and precise. Thanks to his "Elementary Anemo Mastery" skill, Venti channeled the wind behind the boat.
FFFFFFffffffffsssssshhhhhhhhh
The boat then began to move slowly forward, gliding across the water as if propelled by an invisible hand, leaving small, shimmering ripples in the sunlight.
A few minutes later:
The boat floated calmly offshore, rocked by the steady movement of the waves.
Venti: "......".
The little boy: "..........".
The two fishing rods were held firmly, their lines taut, and the hooks submerged in the clear water, where the sunlight cast shimmering reflections.
The silence was peaceful, broken only by the lapping of the sea against the wood and the distant cries of a few seagulls.
Then, naturally, a conversation began.
Venti: "It's pretty calm here... I like it."
The little boy glanced over, visibly more relaxed now that the boat was moving along smoothly.
Little boy: "Me too."
"I often come fishing here."
"My father says this is where you catch the biggest fish."
Venti smiled gently, letting his gaze wander for a moment to the horizon.
Venti: "Have you been fishing long?"
Little boy: "Since I was old enough to hold a rod."
He straightened his shoulders proudly before adding:
Little boy: "And you?"
"You're not from around here, are you?"
Venti hesitated for a fraction of a second, then answered with his usual lightheartedness.
Venti: "You could say that."
"I'm an adventurer... and a bard."
"I travel a lot."
The boy's eyes lit up immediately.
Little boy: "A real adventurer?!"
"Like those in the guild?"
Venti: "Yes, exactly."
He lowered his voice slightly, almost conspiratorial but with a cheerful tone.
Venti: "And today, I felt like trying something simple."
"Fishing, for example."
The boy nodded, satisfied with the answer, then introduced himself, carefully watching the line on his fishing rod.
Little boy: "I live nearby."
"I come fishing to help my family... and because I enjoy it."
Venti: "So this little boy lives in a poor family."
A new silence settled in, a comfortable one this time.
The two boys remained there, side by side, patiently observing the water, as if time itself had slowed down.
In this shared calm, Venti found himself thinking that, far from dungeons and battles, this simple moment held something profoundly soothing.
Plap plap plap
Suddenly, the little boy's fishing rod began to vibrate violently in his hands.
The little boy: "Huh?"
The line snapped taut, pulled down to the bottom as if something stubbornly refused to surface.
The boy's eyes widened in surprise, then he gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might, his arms trembling with the effort.
Little boy: "I-I've got something!"
"It's really biting hard!"
The boat rocked slightly as he slowly hauled in his catch.
After a few seconds that seemed endless, a bright red shape finally leaped out of the water in a spray of foam.
Splash
The fish, magnificent and unsettling at the same time, was still struggling on the hook.
- Its large fins spread out like a fan
- Its tail undulated powerfully
- And long, sharp spines protruded from each side of its body, glistening in the sunlight.
Venti: "I feel like I've seen this fish somewhere before."
The little boy stared, speechless with wonder.
Little boy: "Wow... it's so beautiful... look at its fins!"
Overcome with excitement, he instinctively approached and reached out to touch the fish, curious to feel its texture.
Venti: "Oh no."
But at that very moment, Venti reacted.
With a swift and precise movement, he grabbed the boy's wrist and stopped him dead in his tracks.
Venti: "Stop!"
"Don't touch it!"
The boy froze, surprised, and turned his head towards him, a little worried.
Little boy: "Why?"
"It's pretty, though..."
Venti observed the fish intently, his serious expression contrasting with his usually lighthearted demeanor.
Venti: "It's a lionfish."
"Its spines are extremely venomous."
"Even simple contact can be very dangerous."
The little boy swallowed, immediately withdrawing his hand, while the fish continued to struggle, its red fins undulating slowly in the air.
Little boy: "I... I didn't know..."
Venti gently released his wrist and offered a reassuring smile.
Venti: "You were lucky I was there."
"It's a magnificent fish, yes... but also one of the most dangerous to touch."
The boat settled back into calm, rocked by the waves, as excitement gave way to a mixture of fascination and caution.
The little boy now gazed at the fish with a newfound respect, aware that at sea, beauty and danger often went hand in hand.
A shiver suddenly ran through Venti.
As he stared at the lionfish struggling weakly at the end of the line, a strange thought crossed his mind, too clear to ignore.
Venti: "...Wait."
He frowned slightly.
Venti: "How did he know that?"
He had never opened a single book on marine life, nor studied ocean creatures.
No one had ever mentioned lionfish to him.
And yet, the information had come to him instantly, as if by instinct, without any thought, no doubt.
Venti: "How did I know...?"
Before he even had time to consider the question further, a familiar pain pierced his skull.
CCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr
A brutal, sharp migraine, like the ones he had experienced before.
The same oppressive feeling he'd had the day he'd met Arlan's and Leon.
The same oppressive feeling he'd had when he'd first heard the words "barbatos" and "Abyss."
His vision blurred, the outlines of the real world seemed to crack, and the sound of the waves faded into the distance.
Venti put a hand to his temple and closed his eyes.
Venti: "Not now..."
And yet, the vision forced itself upon him.
He found himself facing a large rectangular table of light wood, decorated with a pink tablecloth.
Eight red chairs surrounded it, all occupied... or at least, he was certain of it, even though he couldn't clearly make out the figures.
Above the table, a large parasol with a pink and red striped pattern swayed slowly, as if caressed by an invisible breeze.
Several finely decorated teacups, still steaming, lay on the table.
An antique lantern cast a soothing golden light, while in the center sat an elegant, almost ceremonial, red teapot.
Along with a candle and a cake stand.
The air was calm, peaceful, filled with a strange familiarity that gripped Venti's heart without him understanding why.
Then, voiceless, faceless, without explanation… two names echoed in his mind.
Alice
And
Barbeloth
He didn't know where these names came from.
He didn't know who they were.
But deep down, he felt that these names carried immense weight.
As if they were part of something much larger than himself.
As if they had always been there, buried in his memory, waiting for the right moment to resurface.
The pain faded as suddenly as it had appeared.
Venti opened his eyes, becoming aware of the boat, the shimmering sea, and the little boy watching him with concern.
Little boy: "Hey... are you okay?"
"You suddenly went completely pale..."
Venti took a deep breath, letting the salty air fill his lungs, then offered a reassuring smile, though his eyes still betrayed his unease.
Venti: "Yes... don't worry."
"I just... thought a little too hard, I think."
But deep down, he knew it wasn't just a thought.
Something was slowly awakening, piece by piece.
Memories that might not have been his own... or that had been his for much longer than he could have imagined.
Venti: "Alice..... Barbeloth."
Venti took a deep breath, trying to calm the erratic beating of his heart after the vision.
He leaned lightly against the edge of the boat, letting a few seconds pass to catch his breath.
The Little Boy: "Hmm?"
The Little Boy frowned then, a strange sensation running through him.
The Little Boy: "...Can you feel that?"
The boat had just moved.
Not an ordinary wave, nor the steady lapping of the sea, but a dull, continuous pull, as if the water itself were slowly tugging at the wood.
The two boys raised their heads almost simultaneously and looked around.
About twenty meters away, the surface of the ocean seemed distorted.
FFFFFFFffffffffffffyyyyyyyyyy
The water swirled around itself, tracing an irregular circle, darker than the rest of the sea.
At first, it looked like a simple current, but the phenomenon continued to expand.
The circle grew larger, drawing in the surrounding water, and the movement became faster and faster.
Venti: "...This isn't normal."
The trough suddenly deepened, forming a true depression in the ocean.
FFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffffffffyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
The water curled around an invisible central point, creating a powerful whirlpool.
Now, there was no doubt about it.
Little boy: "Venti... look..."
The boy's voice trembled.
The boat began to be pulled toward the center, gliding slowly but surely across the water's surface.
Venti: "A water tornado…"
Without wasting a second, Venti straightened up and gripped his fishing rod with one hand before extending the other toward the stern of the boat, ready to use his Anemo as he had a few minutes earlier.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Venti: "Elementary Anemo Mastery…"
...........
Nothing.
No breeze.
No breath of wind.
Not even the slightest green glow.
Venti froze for a fraction of a second, incredulous, then started again, more focused, forcing his energy to respond.
Venti: "Come on... start it... Flight, at least!"
Still nothing.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
He tried again, mentally activating his abilities, one by one, as he had done dozens of times before.
But his body remained hopelessly ordinary, devoid of any response.
Venti: "...Why isn't it working?"
The boat was suddenly rocked more violently.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
The current intensified, and the water around them began to spin at an alarming speed.
Venti: "This is getting dangerous."
The sound of the whirlpool now drowned out almost everything, a deep, continuous rumble that made the air vibrate.
Little boy: "V-Venti… I'm scared…"
Venti gritted his teeth and grabbed the boy's wrist to keep him from losing his balance.
Venti: "Hold on to me."
"Don't let go."
But despite his efforts, the boat slid inexorably toward the center of the tornado.
The water spiraled up around them, throwing up jets of icy foam.
In seconds, they were pulled into the current, spinning faster and faster, unable to escape.
The boat tilted precariously, then was sucked into the swirling mass.
Venti felt his stomach clench as the world around him became a chaotic mix of water, noise, and spinning.
His abilities remained silent, as if something was completely severing his connection to the Anemo.
Venti: "We'll have to be careful."
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffffffffffffffffffffffffffyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Trapped, pulled ever deeper into the watery tornado, the two boys disappeared into the whirlpool, at the mercy of a force they did not yet understand.
Chapter 48: Spend savings
The End