Wizard of the Deep Sea Chapter 87

TL/ED – Miso

After having a conversation with the Princess, I returned to Dersia’s mansion and shared the detailed information.

I naturally thought I’d get scolded. Especially about the part where I had basically sold Dersia out.

“Hm…”

But she only nodded and accepted it without much comment.

“It was something inevitable. I understand.”

“…You’re not angry?”

“What reason do I have to be angry? I don’t think it was such a bad deal either.”

Not such a bad deal, she said.

But before I could ask a question, Dersia’s slender fingers caressed the air.

“This thing.”

“…Yes.”

In this mansion, I had manifested my Inner World.

During that time, Dersia tried to touch the yellow jellyfish that had saved me twice, more precisely, tried to touch its presence.

I panicked and stopped her.

“It’s fine for me, but it might be dangerous for you, Master. Please don’t touch it carelessly.”

“I’d like to say it’s fine… but I can’t even feel it in the first place. I can see a hazy form, though.”

[?]

Dersia touched the jellyfish’s tentacles, but her fingers passed through the air.

The jellyfish squirmed as if it felt something, but that was all, and it began drifting again.

Their contact brought no result. As I blankly watched, the world wavered.

Time limit.

“Master, it’s about time.”

“Yes. Withdraw it.”

The overlap of the worlds, its balance, had collapsed.

The deep sea creatures became blurry again, and the seawater vanished as if it had never existed.

If that balance were to collapse in the other direction, that would be the end of me. As I thought that, Dersia stroked her chin.

“Hm, so… how peculiar.”

“Peculiar?”

“Most of what I researched while I was asleep was related to the Abyss Realm.”

Dersia looked at me with a fascinated expression.

“Jern, assuming you’re not lying. That would mean your world contains living creatures that breathe, along with a kind of food chain, doesn’t it?”

“Th… that’s right?”

“When did they first appear?”

“Well, probably when I awakened to the Abyss Realm a year ago.”

“That can’t be.”

Dersia shook her head.

“For life to grow within a world doesn’t happen in just one year. Of course, it’s not impossible, but you said these deep sea creatures started appearing the day after you had the Awakening Fever.”

“Yes.”

“Then this isn’t, a Burden. It’s certainly something dangerous to you, but if it were a Burden from the Abyss, there couldn’t be such detailed shapes and forms, or things like a food chain.”

Dersia furrowed her brow as she read through the illustrated guide of deep sea creatures I had drawn.

“The fact that some of them are even helpful clearly makes them different. A Burden is the hatred of the world, and it can never be of help to a wizard. That is the one universal law shared by all worlds.”

“If they’re helpful instead, is that really a problem? So far, I’ve managed to live with it just fine.”

“…Jern. You need to take this fact more seriously.”

She wore a serious expression as she asked,

“If an ordinary person were subjected to your water pressure, what do you think would happen?”

“They’d get crushed to death, obviously.”

“And if water filled their lungs?”

“They’d suffocate and die.”

“Exactly. It’s intuitive. But then what result would coexisting with these deep sea creatures bring?”

“Wouldn’t I get eaten at some point?”

“At what point?”

“…”

Only then did I realize what Dersia was trying to say.

“At some point, all of a sudden.”

“Correct. The moment they become aware of you. And we don’t know how to prevent that moment of detection. Reducing smell and suppressing presence, would that work on creatures that live in the deep sea?”

Those creatures use current sense.

And since I also use current sense, I understand it.

There is no way to hide here. Unless I becomes a knight on Brimdal’s level. In other words, there is no way.

I had thought about countermeasures against the deep sea creatures before, but I could never come up with anything suitable.

“No matter how you manage to endure the Burden in the Abyss, you could still suddenly die.”

“Yes. That’s true.”

“The fortunate part is that this is not a normal situation. It’s a horribly twisted one. Originally, in the Great World, or in any world at all, living beings do not exist. They cannot.”

I wondered if I had misheard.

But Dersia let out a sigh of genuine relief.

“If it’s broken, then it can be corrected. Or twisted again. If it’s in a normal state, that’s not possible. Just like you can’t escape from water pressure no matter how hard you struggle.”

“A Burden is literally a burden… is that correct?”

“That’s right. Even if you wear a diving suit, the water pressure still crushes your body. Since the deep sea creatures are outside that, perhaps a trick might work on them.”

“What kind of trick are you referring to?”

Dersia opened her mouth.

“There are various kinds, but first, we need to know how that world is structured. We can’t come up with a solution without knowing how those creatures survive in your world.”

“Ah.”

Only then could I find the answer to the doubt I had just felt.

“So the purpose of looking into my past was exactly that.”

“Correct. Surely Crimson Circle must have twisted your world through some experimental process. We have to understand that in order to come up with a way to deal with it.”

I now understood why Dersia had judged it not to be a bad deal.

Unlike other Burdens, knowing the past was absolutely necessary to come up with a method to deal with these deep sea creatures that could suddenly bring about my end.

“For that, Jern,”

Dersia looked down at me quietly and said,

“This time, you must not find your biological father.”

Even after arriving in the kingdom, Karos continued trying to dig into my information.

“…”

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood.”

Even though I was wearing a mask, she must have been able to see my expression clearly, as she quietly approached me during the banquet.

Naturally, we were the center of attention, but no one dared to speak to us.

It was obvious they feared us, even without using current sense to scan them. Though they tried to hide it somehow, the anxiety was clear.

A sudden visit from the Empire. An imperial decree from the Princess.

In a situation where they had been peacefully living among themselves, it must have felt like lightning striking from a clear sky.

Karos tossed a date palm into her helmet and asked,

“If you’ve met your biological father… shouldn’t you be a bit more… well, happy? Unless you have memories of being abused as a child or something.”

“Sir Karos. If you’re trying to dig for information, you should start with other topics and slowly circle around to the point. Who would answer if you just go straight to the main point?”

“…”

I answered with a hint of pity for the Princess, who had such a hopeless informant.

“For me, the best outcome would’ve been that my biological father was already dead.”

“…Isn’t that the worst-case scenario? Why would that be best?”

“Because there would be a record of the incident. I could use that as a basis to dig up information related to my past.”

“You’re assuming such a horrible situation.”

“Second best would be if he was just an ordinary noble. Then I could pressure the king here into revealing information about the hidden child. There would be some conflict, but even that would be one of the better outcomes.”

“Hm, and the worst?”

“Now. If that king is my biological father.”

I swept the king, who was arguing with his vassals on the terrace, with current sense.

“Why is that the worst? Doesn’t that mean you’re the lost prince? Can’t you just reveal the truth and ask for guidance?”

“A king losing a prince… that could happen. Crimson Circle may have kidnapped me after seeing my talent. But is it possible he didn’t know about it? That he never reported it, never asked for help?”

“…”

“You can lose someone, but you can’t not know. Whether that king abandoned me, offered me, or used me, he knowingly let me fall into Crimson Circle’s hands. The worst-case scenario would be if he’s even allied with them.”

Only then did Karos seem to realize the current situation.

“If I want to get information, the only way is to say, ‘Explain why the son you abandoned is now a Fallen.’ What kind of reaction do you think that’ll cause? If it were a noble, it might be passed off as an individual’s deviation, but if it’s a king… then at the very least, it becomes a war between nations in form.”

“Hm, I hope nothing like that happens.”

“It won’t. It’s not like I have the authority to change the fate of everyone in this kingdom. It just means things have gotten very complicated.”

“It certainly is complicated.”

Karos said that and shrugged her shoulders.

“Thankfully, it’s not my problem.”

“…”

Seriously, can’t I just punch her?

While my fist trembled, a waiter, shaking even more than my fist, approached and bowed deeply.

“Im-Imperial Emissary… his majesty has summoned you.”

“…”

“…”

We exchanged glances and set down our glasses.

“Shall I come along?”

“It’ll only get more annoying. Just sit here and enjoy your date palm.”

“Alright. I will.”

Karos naturally threw the fruit into her helmet. Does she not take that off?

The place the waiter guided me to was the same terrace from earlier.

It was where the king had been conversing with his retainers.

I swept it with current sense, it seemed the retainers had all left.

“Ah, welcome.”

The second meeting.

The king extended his hand with a warm smile.

“Jahian Lyatria. Though unworthy, I rule this humble nation.”

The second handshake.

Feeling the eerily familiar texture of his hand, I let out a deep sigh inwardly as I took my seat.

Biological father. This meant I was truly a prince, but it was something I never wished for, nor did it make me happy.

I was never a prince to begin with. The one who owns this pitiful body that fell into the Abyss might be a prince.

That prince and I are two different people. I had to make that clear before anything else.

As the ruler of a nation, Jahian carried himself with firm authority. Sitting in the seat of honor, he wasted no time.

“I hope the reception has been satisfactory. It’s the first time I’ve ever had to host an Imperial Emissary, so I’ve done my best with what I could.”

“First time?”

“Yes. Not even in the history books has there been such an occasion.”

It was called a kingdom, but in truth, it wasn’t much different from a small city.

Much better than the Elves, yes, but still a nation living under the Empire’s permission.

Even a king, in front of the Princess, couldn’t afford to defy her, if he did, not even a single pebble of this place would remain. The fact that he came out to greet even an emissary like me, and used respectful speech, was part of that same reasoning.

It seemed Jahian well understood the fate of those nations that dared show pride before the Empire.

Then perhaps, we could have a real conversation. I quietly traced the desk with my finger and offered an apology.

“First, I must apologize. It seems we came rather suddenly.”

“Haha…”

Jahian gave an awkward laugh but didn’t deny it.

In fact, we had shown up completely unannounced. Normally, a visit like this would be coordinated months in advance.

“There was something urgent, and we had no choice.”

“What sort of emergency would bring you to this remote corner…?”

“Have you heard of the Crimson Circle?”

A calculated blow thrown mid-conversation.

At the same time, I swept Jahian’s body with current sense.

But he simply tilted his head with a puzzled look.

“Yes. I’ve never seen them myself, but from what I’ve heard of their deeds, they sound like a terrifying group. Are you saying such people were spotted around here?”

Heartbeat normal.

Didn’t seem like he was lying.

Of course, I didn’t stop there, and continued speaking as if he knew nothing.

“There have been signs. Has there been any recent… unusual event?”

“Hmm, unusual events…”

Jahian tilted his head, letting out a hum.

“Ah, a maid recently took her own life, but no matter how we investigated the surroundings, we couldn’t find any cause for it.”

“Then were there no cases of children going missing?”

“Children…?”

“Yes.”

I was sure there would be a reaction to this.

But Jahian’s reaction was exactly that of someone truly innocent.

“I don’t even recall any minor incidents being reported. This country is so small that even the tiniest matters are reported to me…”

“…”

That doesn’t make sense.

No matter how well someone deceives themselves, there’s no way they could completely evade current sense when it comes to matters involving the Crimson Circle and their own son.

He truly, knew nothing about the Crimson Circle, or about the child.

“I see.”

This time, I played a bold hand.

“If they are present, there’s a high chance they’re being protected by someone closer than expected. Has there been anything unusual among your family, perhaps?”

“Hmm, my wife passed away long ago, so the only family I have left is my son.”

“Forgive me for asking. How old is your son?”

“He’s eleven this year. He has such a gentle nature that it’s caused him a lot of emotional hardship.”

The face saying that was filled with concern, a father truly worried for his son.

He’s probably that frail-looking child I saw in the portrait.

Then, the conclusion is clear.

“…Please don’t worry too much.”

Suppressing the dizziness, I responded.

“Our primary objective is to gather information on them. Once that’s done, we’ll leave immediately. We came here with no other intentions.”

When I returned the answer Jahian had probably been hoping for most, he lit up with relief.

“I see. Haha, now that I’ve heard it directly, I feel like a heavy weight has been lifted from my chest.”

Even in his laugh, I found an inexplicable sense of familiarity as I sighed, exchanged a few polite words, and left the room.

“Ah, shall I guide you…”

“That won’t be necessary.”

I dismissed the waiter and walked down the corridor.

As long as I maintained my status as the Princess’s emissary, there was nowhere in this kingdom I couldn’t go. Even the king couldn’t stop me, who else could?

But the freedom granted by this fake title didn’t matter. I felt utterly hollow.

“What…?”

So, to summarize the situation:

He is my biological father.

But he never abandoned me, never gave birth to me, and doesn’t even know I exist.

It’s possible someone else was switched with me as the prince. But that doesn’t matter.

Dersia and I were wrong.

No one knows who I am. This is the worst-case scenario.

Now there’s no way to find any link to the Crimson Circle. Even the last clue connecting my past to them has vanished.

“Phew…”

I irritably ran my fingers through my hair and decided to return.

I’d pretend to do something for about three days, and check about the Deep Sea Creatures next time.

Step, step. Lost in thought, brushing off disappointment and walking aimlessly, I eventually reached the Inner Palace.

I wasn’t particularly curious about this place. But since I’d lost my way, I expanded my current sense broadly.

I found the path back and was about to turn.

“?”

Something strange was detected.

More accurately, something completely absurd was detected.

“…….”

There was something underground.

I immediately turned my body and headed downward. Even if it was blocked off by all kinds of false doors, as long as it was within the range of current sense, nothing could stop me.

The closer I got, the more clearly current sense identified it.

I opened a door that clearly hadn’t been used in years and descended underground.

I walked down a path thick with dust.

At the end, I reached a massive stone door without even a single torch. It took thirty minutes to get there, even after carving a direct route using current sense, a secret passage designed to be enormously long and complex.

I stared at the stone door for a moment in hesitation, then readied the wind.

The condensed wind became lightning.

–Boom!

As the door shattered in an instant, I sent in a sphere of light. Inside, I saw rows of coffins. It looked like a mortuary.

This time, I entered without hesitation. I opened one, without a moment’s pause.

A corpse appeared.

Not a skeleton, and not decaying either.

It looked as if it had just died. No, beyond that, it looked as if it were merely sleeping.

“…Ha.”

Looking at that appearance, I let out a sigh in disbelief.

It wasn’t a face I was familiar with, but it was a face I knew.

Because I had just seen it.

A man who looked exactly like King Jahian was lying there.

I opened the other coffins without delay. Inside were more corpses that looked exactly the same.

I closed my eyes for a moment to organize the situation, then clenched my fist tightly.

There’s only one person I know who could do something like this.

“…Found you. You slime-like son of a bitch…”

It seemed the time to fulfill the promise had come much sooner than expected.