Wizard of the Deep Sea Chapter 35

TL/ED – Miso

As soon as Dersia put Jern in the waiting room, she tried to return to the library.

That was until the event staff, smiling brightly, recognized her and approached.

“Ah, Dersia nim. The spectator seats are this way.”

“What spectator seats?”

“…Well, it’s a terrace where you can watch your disciple’s efforts-”

“I see. I’ll go later.”

At Dersia’s indifferent tone, the staff’s smile cracked.

“L-Later? But if you don’t watch the matches… Could I at least ask when you’ll be coming?”

“There’s no such thing as a final. It’s not a tournament, but an exam… Each examinee spars once with everyone, and then the results are announced.”

“Then when is the last exam? The one where first place, winner, top scorer, whatever you call it, is decided.”

“That’s… um, around 6 PM.”

“I’ll come then.”

“…???”

Leaving the event staff frozen from her eccentric declaration that she would skip the matches and only check the results, Dersia walked away.

‘Is there even a need to watch?’

Just a glance around the waiting room was enough for her to get a sense.

More than half were slightly stronger than Jern. Even if he had perfectly honed his Path of Magic, in actual combat he would be pushed back, not even able to get close.

In other words, Jern will win.

Being slightly stronger isn’t nearly enough.

Jern would aim for victory even if it cost him an arm.

And no ordinary child could ever beat someone who assumes they might have to give up an arm. The difference in what methods they’re willing to use is just too vast.

It’s not that the other children are lacking, it’s that Jern is abnormal.

His way of thinking is different. It’s as if… he views everything in the world, including himself, as mere game pieces in play.

“There’s a limit to precocity.”

Dersia murmured, covering her mouth.

In a pleasant mood, she opened the door wide to return to the library, only to be greeted by a not-so-pleasant voice.

“Well, look who it is. Long time no see, Dersia.”

“…Tsk.”

Dersia sighed but turned her head.

A middle-aged wizard in a purple robe, looking over fifty, spread his arms wide with a smile that never reached his eyes.

Ignoring the hatred in his gaze, she replied coldly.

“It’s been a while, Rohimdal.”

“Indeed it has. What brings you here? Ah… could it be about that disciple of yours?”

“…”

This man pretending to be friendly probably already knew everything.

She glanced toward where the event staff had been. Long gone.

Most likely, he had been ordered to bring her to the spectator seats, and despite her disguise, he had recognized her. Eavesdropping like a rat, then rushing over once she tried to leave.

It was unpleasant, but not enough to make her angry.

Such things only stir emotion when it involves someone on your level. Like the annoying feeling of a mosquito buzzing next to your ear.

That was all Dersia felt toward Rohimdal.

“I heard about it. A commoner, an orphan no less, taken as a disciple? Goodness, I don’t understand it, but I suppose it’s just like you…”

However, Rohimdal picked the wrong opponent.

After a brief moment of thought, Dersia decided even thinking about it was a bother and rammed straight in.

“Sir Rohimdal.”

“Hmm?”

“I understand that you harbor great anger and inferiority complex about the fact that when the Princess chose a master, she called me first instead of you, the Imperial Court Wizard.”

“-”

“However, it wasn’t something I wanted, and I even refused, yet for you to chase me around for almost several years looking for reasons to fight is a bit… questionable as a human being, don’t you think?”

“…”

Rohimdal was left speechless by a raw insult he would never receive in high society.

And then Dersia robbed him even of the right to recover and get angry.

“If I displease you so much.”

Her mana slipped from its bounds.

Crrreak… as if gravity itself had formed around her, pictures hanging on the walls tried to tear themselves off and cling to her, and decorative flowerpots slowly dragged themselves forward.

Proof that she was the wizard who had reached closest to the Celestial Realm.

It was the resetting of laws.

“I might be willing to act as your sparring partner.”

A tone and gaze devoid of any inflection.

Rohimdal regained his senses and laughed frivolously again.

“Ahaha! What are you saying? There’s nothing to gain from the two of us fighting. There’s no need to go head-to-head!”

“…Ah, yes. That’s true.”

If there had been even the slimmest chance of winning, even as small as a fingernail, he would’ve challenged her long ago.

But since not even a sliver of that existed, he fled behind the mask of laughter.

From Dersia’s perspective, that was simply annoying. He was connected to the Imperial Family, and even if she wanted to deal with him quietly, he wasn’t someone who had become a high-ranking Imperial Wizard through sheer political maneuvering alone.

If only he had come at her, she could have used that as justification to ensure he’d never cross the line again.

Rohimdal, who had hidden his emotions in an instant, got to the point.

“Ah, my mind is slipping. I came to tell you your disciple might be in danger.”

“Hmm.”

Dersia blinked and crossed her arms.

She looked so genuinely uninterested that it actually flustered Rohimdal.

‘…Is her disciple really just a toy to her?’

If that’s the case, then this is a bust.

With a slightly uneasy expression, he continued speaking.

“I did try to stop her, but Her Highness the Princess has declared her intent to participate.”

“Did she now. Continue.”

“Perhaps… Her Highness doesn’t hold particularly fond feelings toward you. Probably because you rejected her. Of course, I tried to stop it, but you know how she is, once she sets her sights on something, she doesn’t rest until she gets it.”

“…”

After a moment’s thought, Dersia uncrossed her arms and said something strange.

“You’re lucky.”

“…?”

“Indeed, if Princess is participating, it’s hard to imagine any reason other than targeting my disciple.”

“Ah, ah. That’s right. I know you don’t seem particularly affectionate toward him, but I thought perhaps you should intervene if the situation becomes too dangerous.”

A pathetic attempt at picking a fight.

Since Jern can’t possibly defeat the Princess anyway, he was probably hoping to derive some indirect satisfaction by having his disciple defeat hers.

Not all wizards are noble. In fact, the higher their status, the pettier they often are. Most have sacrificed their entire lives to magic, and as a result, they’re narrow-minded and morally bankrupt.

Dersia sighed inwardly and slowly nodded her head.

“I’ll have to watch. Where are the spectator seats?”

“Of course, I’ll escort you!”

Dersia looked at Rohimdal walking while forcing a smile, then whispered softly.

“-Return.”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

At that moment, the red line that had been drawn across Rohimdal’s neck disappeared.

A 7-Star wizard didn’t notice a thing.

Neither its inscription, nor its erasure.

“Let’s go.”

As if nothing had happened, Dersia followed behind Rohimdal without a trace of guilt.

As the exam progressed, the number of spectators gradually increased.

It was a troublesome development for me.

Because with each round of the exam, I was becoming the primary enemy.

First of all.

A strange atmosphere filled the waiting room.

“Haa…”

“Ugh.”

“Kugh.”

Just a sigh from me, and this is what happens.

In the awkward and uncomfortable silence, everyone kept sneaking glances at me, observing from the corners of their eyes.

“Jern, and Raon! Please proceed to the arena.”

“…!”

Without exception, every opponent I faced from the moment they entered the waiting room and heard their name called went through three stages.

Shock, despair, and then, resolve.

“Good luck, Raon!”

“We’ll be watching you!”

“…Okay!”

It’s not like he’s going off to die.

My opponent, who was a head taller than me and filled with determination, looked at me with a firm gaze as he extended his hand in the arena.

“I’m Raon of the Allemine family. I look forward to it.”

“…I’m Jern.”

“Please, don’t hold back. Come at me with everything you’ve got.”

“Uh, well… sure.”

What could I even say to that? That’s all I could manage.

“Begin!”

“Hraaah! Swirl, storm!”

Almost at the same time, the ground began to shake.

Sharp rocks shot up from the floor, forming pointed spears.

At first, I thought it was to block my approach, but that wasn’t it.

“Blow!”

The spears caught the wind and began to spin, forming a stone-spear blender that could easily shred several people.

A combination of elemental magic, perhaps. It had a destructive power far beyond that of mere sharp winds.

“Oh, ooh…! Raon! You did it! I always believed in you!”

“Ghh… My son, and already at this level…”

“Go, with all my hopes…!”

On the opposite side, it was like they were cheering on a hero facing the Demon King.

Even as sweat poured down, Raon didn’t let his determined expression falter.

“…Ghh, with this, no matter how strong your Body Reinforcement Art is, you won’t endure it. You only have three gems, so I suggest you surrender.”

“Hmm…”

I scratched my cheek and sighed.

Really, I wasn’t just saying this.

I honestly wanted to lose here and give him a great memory.

Imagine how happy he’d be to win here, everyone cheering, his awakening, defeating the Demon King? It’d be a story he’d tell for the rest of his life while drinking. Raon would use today’s memory as a stepping stone to grow into an even better wizard.

It’s just sad that I can’t let him have that.

“It’s not Body Reinforcement Art… though it’s similar.”

“…What?”

I just threw myself into the vortex.

Raon was startled, but clenched his teeth, showing no intention of stopping the spell.

“You’ll regret this!”

Even if Path of Magic holds up well against impact, taking multiple hits from those sharp, fast-moving stone spears would be dangerous.

Of course, I could just use mixed magic too.

“Remove.”

First, I got rid of the wind.

It instantly became much easier. I then used my own wind to take control of the flying spears.

Thud!

“Ugh…”

I missed the timing and got hit by one, but it was bearable.

Inside the vortex, I used wind magic to grab the high-speed spears flying at me and guide them to the ground, one by one.

Of course, my magic output couldn’t compare to his. But while he had to control multiple spears, I only needed to deal with them one at a time. Occasionally getting hit and enduring it physically.

It didn’t demand overly complicated control. When they came flying, I just had to slam them into the ground.

After a few hits, I got the timing down pretty easily.

“…Huh? Huh??”

Raon tilted his head, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening before him.

From an outsider’s perspective, it probably looked like I had entered the vortex and was freely manipulating the spears.

“W-What, how…”

Raon had the look of someone who’d seen a ghost.

His emotions immediately showed in his magic. There weren’t many spears left anyway, but the wind disappeared, and the spears dropped limply to the ground.

I approached, ready to break his gem, but stopped when he suddenly dropped to his knees.

“Do you forfeit?”

“…Yes.”

I thought about comforting Raon, who looked on the verge of tears, but gave up on that too.

No matter what I said now, it would just feel like an insult.

But I never expected him to speak first.

“It seems… I was severely lacking.”

“Eh? No, not at all. You were really impressive.”

That wasn’t just flattery. His attack had been genuinely threatening.

As I waved my hands in denial, Raon stood up with a bitter expression.

“You’re too humble. With that level of skill, you could’ve just pulled out the spears alone, you were showing me I wasn’t even a match, weren’t you?”

“That’s not true…”

Even though my mastery of wind magic is high, I can’t compare to my opponents. They’ve been learning for years.

I entered the storm myself, neutralized the wind with Path of Magic, and even then, I got hit a few times.

“Still, your next opponent won’t be easy. We… don’t plan to go down easily.”

“We? What, was this some kind of team competition?”

“Yes, against Dersia’s disciple. It’s our fight.”

“No, but don’t I need a team too for it to be fair-”

“Your next opponent won’t be easy. Because we’re growing.”

Raon, ignoring my words entirely, flashed a stylish smile and walked off the arena.

“…”

If I could at least use Abyss realm magic, it would feel like an actual magic battle.

But since it’s just basic magic, it’s suffocating beyond belief.

It felt like fighting with my hands and feet tied. No matter how much this is for training, it was unbearably uncomfortable.

And that’s not all.

[No magic worked at all. I think we’ll need to find another method. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you more than this…]

[No! You’re the best! You did great, next time…]

“Tch.”

I clicked my tongue and consciously cut off Current Sense.

It’s not that I was ignoring Dersia’s advice.

Sometimes, Current Sense activates on its own, against my will.

It’s like blinking.

I had to consciously keep from blinking continuously. Constantly.

If I let my consciousness slip even once, it activates.

Completely outside of my intent.

After returning to the waiting room, I let out a sigh and reached for my water bottle.

“…Oh.”

And then I realized again.

The bottle was several meters away, well beyond reach.

But I had unconsciously perceived it as being within reach due to the current.

So I stretched out my hand, and it activated.

So natural. It gave me chills.

Looking down at the water bottle I’d caught, I muttered without thinking.

“A resident of that world…”

Dersia had said something like that. Birds learn to fly.

That’s not something the bird itself can prevent.

Unless its wings are cut off, it can’t live among the mice.

Now that I think about it…

I could somewhat understand what it meant to be a person from another world.

After that, the cadets continued to go all out to defeat me.

“How about this? You won’t be able to breathe in this smoke!”

“You’re right, I can’t breathe at all.”

“?”

Or.

“With this water, I’ll-”

“…”

Like that.

A lot of unfortunate things happened.

The blazing fighting spirit quickly fizzled out.

At least if something had worked, they’d have had some motivation.

But punching a wall just hurts your own hand.

“Next, please come up to the arena!”

“Um… Is it okay if I forfeit?”

“…W-well, let’s go up first and then do that.”

Seeing their gloomy faces made my heart ache a bit.

But the audience, likely the parents of the cadets, didn’t show any hatred in their expressions. I honestly expected someone to throw a banana peel or something.

Instead, they were actually favorable toward me.

“…Honestly, I didn’t think a commoner could be that skilled.”

“I thought this exam was just to help Dersia tighten discipline, but it turns out he was seriously aiming for top place.”

“He hasn’t used a single proper spell, but I think I understand why. His teacher probably ordered him to limit his power.”

“Hah, at that age, he can’t have trained in magic for even a few months…”

“…He has the talent worthy of being accepted by someone who even rejected the Princess.”

“It’s impossible not to acknowledge it. If he ends up receiving a noble title…”

It was praise loud enough to hear even without using Current Sense.

Maybe Dersia planned for this too. Either way, it seemed like it would all end in a good direction.

I felt sorry for the kids, but as desired, I would win.

And the nobles were giving me favorable reviews. The Princess would probably just move on, saying that level of talent was acceptable.

Good. It all worked out.

…I just want to go home and sleep.

While I was thinking that, a sharp voice suddenly rang out from behind.

“–Stand aside. You are blocking Our’s path.”

…Yeo?

What kind of speech is that? I turned around, puzzled.

There stood a noblewoman with blood-red hair, wearing a white-and-gold dress that was clearly far more elegant than what any of the other nobles were wearing. Behind her stood two knights who looked well over 2 meters tall.

She was a few years older than me, and taller. I quickly bowed my head and stepped aside.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you coming.”

“…Hmph.”

Suddenly.

That noble grabbed my chin and pulled my face toward hers.

I furrowed my brow, wondering what the hell this was, but she paid it no mind and examined my face as if she were inspecting a specimen.

I naturally looked at her face, too. Her skin was so pale it was almost transparent, and her eyes were such vivid colors I’d never seen anything like them, not on Earth or in this world.

She was still young, but it made me think, Ah, this must be what they mean by a peerless beauty.

“…Your eyes are unpleasant.”

“Huh?”

“Wait here for a moment. Don’t even think about running away.”

After making that rather harsh comment and shoving me aside, she walked toward the cadet who was about to forfeit.

“U-uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh……”

Not just the boy, but the other cadets, and even the noble spectators, hurriedly stood up and bowed their heads.

“We greet Her Highness the Princess.”

“We greet Princess Lumia!”

…Princess?

Did they choose the princess by face? As I rubbed my chin, the Princess approached the nearly fainting student and asked nonchalantly.

“I will take your place.”

“…What? Y-Yes! Yes!”

“There’s no need to say it three times. We too have ears.”

The princess casually tossed a parchment.

“We have received the administrator’s permission. There should be no problem?”

“N-No issue, of course! None at all! There couldn’t possibly be an issue!”

The staff member nodded repeatedly, and Princess Lumia rubbed her temples with a slightly irritated look.

“…There’s no need to repeat yourself three times.”

Finally grasping the situation, I used the opportunity to activate Current Sense.

In a situation like this, Dersia was definitely watching from somewhere.

Even though I hadn’t used it much, Current Sense had expanded to cover nearly half a small town.

Even I was surprised, it had grown more than I expected.

My intuition was right. I spotted Dersia’s drowsy expression somewhere upstairs.

It was out of reach of the current, so instead, I used wind magic to lift some sand nearby and lightly tapped the glass window of the terrace.

Just a small sound, nothing most people would even notice.

[Your range has gotten quite wide.]

Dersia noticed and responded.

I’d expected her to. I threw a few more grains of sand.

Tap tap tap tap. I added some anger and a question into the rhythm.

Dersia shrugged.

[This isn’t something I can stop.]

Tap.

[Of course it’s not. Win.]

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

[Calm down. I’m not saying to just win. The Princess has a strong competitive streak, and for some reason, she seems to hold you in very high regard.]

Tap-tap-tap.

[Yes. If she finds out you’re holding back and letting her win, she’ll be far more furious than if you just lost. If that happens, it won’t end as a simple joke. Hmm… Ah.]

As if a good idea had struck her, Dersia gave an order.

[Now that I think about it, this could be used for training.]

Tap.

[I’ve been watching your battles, and you’ve been overwhelming the other children more easily than I expected. I knew you’d win, but this way, you’re not even getting any proper training in maintaining breathing during combat. I should’ve just beaten you up myself instead.]

Tap-tap.

[You won’t die. Though it’s hard to control my strength, so actual combat wouldn’t go well. That’s why, let’s make use of this situation. Of course, the Princess is on a different level than the cadets, so just endure for five minutes. That alone will be good training.]

Tap.

[After that-]

A sinister, wicked smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

It felt a bit wrong to describe master like that, but it was the only way to put it.

[Well, we’ll have to make sure she never tries something like this again. I permit the use of abyss realm magic.]

Tap.

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