WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 130 - Turbidity (6)

I glanced at the dagger resting on the table.

Its translucent, pale gray blade looked as though it had never been used even once. In reality, it was probably meant only for self-defense, and with Carose around, the chances that Sharmia herself had ever wielded it were more than small.

And yet, if what she said was true, then it was likely the tool that had killed the princess more times than anything else.

Which naturally led to a reasonable question.

"Why is that the price of prophecy?”

"Huh?"

"If what you’ve said is true, then isn’t that ability practically invinciblity?”

If every time the princess died she returned to life at a fixed point in time, if she truly possessed the ability to infinitely regress…

Wouldn’t that mean it was impossible to ever defeat her?

I couldn’t easily accept her calling such a power a price.

Sharmia nodded in agreement.

"I’ve certainly been helped by it a lot. If I didn’t have this ability, the Empire would have been a far more horrible place, or it might have fallen much more easily.”

"Then why…?”

"Jern, if you were an ordinary person with no special power, traveling along and suddenly, without warning or explanation, you knew there were bandits ahead, what would you do?”

"I’d avoid them.”

"Yes, of course. But what if, while detouring through a canyon to avoid them, you were crushed by a falling rock and died after a week of severe dehydration, a fate far more horrific than being killed by swords? Wouldn’t it have been better to just die to the bandits?”

"...?"

I tilted my head. I honestly didn’t understand what she was getting at.

"That’s hindsight, right? If you didn’t know the rock would fall on you…”

"True. Then what if you did know the rock would fall?”

"Then I’d take a different route instead of the canyon.”

"And if that route led you into an acidic swamp, where you’d melt away in a death far more agonizing than dehydration?”

"Huh?"

"Forward, sideways, backward, or standing still. No matter which choice you make, after avoiding danger, accidents, and disasters again and again, what remains is an endless nightmare, always worse than what you avoided. And after seeing ev~ery single disaster that awaits you no matter where or how you go, while still realizing you haven’t taken even one step yet, you’d start thinking ‘Ah…wouldn’t it have been best to just die to the bandits?’”

Sharmia asked her next question in the same casual tone one might use to ask what to eat for dinner.

"Jern, if it were you would you die to the bandits?”

"No."

"Then would you choose to be crushed by rocks, dissolved in a swamp, or burned alive in the desert?”

"I don’t want any of those.”

Of course, my answer was already decided.

"I understand why you call it a price. I also understand that it’s not my place to comment on this since I know nothing of this matter. Still, presumptuous as it may be, I’d struggle until the very end.”

"I thought you might say that.”

Sharmia smiled lightly and took a sip of her tea. And at that moment, I felt this strange sense of déjà vu.

Thought I might?

"...Have we had this conversation before?”

"Several dozen of times at the teahouse. You always gave me the same answer.”

"...”

"Thanks to that, Jern, I knew I could trust you.”

I forced myself to suppress the frown that was about to emerge.

It had always felt strange and uncomfortable how readily the princess trusted me. Now it seemed I had passed countless trials set by this regressor.

No wonder she had tried to make me her ally from the very beginning, no matter what it took. I gathered my thoughts and asked again.

"So you’re saying I can borrow that price as well?”

"Once. But…”

Sharmia cupped her cheeks and glanced shyly at Dercia.

"It would be a little awkward if your master, Lady Dercia, watches the process. Could you perhaps step outside for a moment?”

"And you expect me to leave after hearing that?”

Dercia had looked displeased ever since our conversation started.

"Jern. Using that ‘price’ means you will have to die at least once. In other words, our benevolent princess is ordering your death.”

"B-but…It feels more like you’re the one ordering his death, Lady Dercia…”

"What did you just say?”

Sharmia shrank back, nervously rubbing her fingers together under Dercia’s sharp glare before replying.

"I mean, if Jern were ever in danger, I could always go back myself. Then he wouldn’t have to actually die…”

"The idea that the world ends the moment you die is absurd. You may be the supreme ruler of the Empire, Your Highness, but that doesn’t make you the protagonist of the world.”

"Of course I don’t think that. The world doesn’t end. It just rewinds. Like turning a wheel backward.”

"...That is impossible to believe. It would make more sense to say the world ends and then returns.”

"Lady Dercia, you do change your words quite a lot. That doesn't seem very proper for a Master…”

I take back what I said about her shrinking back.

Sensing an argument about to erupt, I stepped forward and tried to calm them down.

"Let’s at least hear her out. The fact that you haven’t stopped her yet suggests you agree to some extent, right Master? From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound entirely bad.”

"...Jern. While you were gone, I investigated the First Mage and their bloodline.”

Dercia had calmed down slightly and met my gaze.

"Most accounts of them appear only in fairy tales or legends. Nearly all historical records are gone. Even the elves had little knowledge of who they were. They only thought them to be a bizarre being.”

"Really? That’s rather strange.”

If even the elves, who have lived for an unimaginable amount of time, didn’t know much, did that mean it was just that long ago?

Dercia shook her head.

"No. Elves existed long before the so-called First Mage. However…”

She paused, choosing her words carefully, then muttered.

"I had never put much thought into it before, but for some reason, the period when the elves claimed to have suffered from extreme madness and burned the entire continent also coincided with the time they seemed to have existed.”

"Huh?"

"I don’t believe that they created magic. The discipline of magic is far too deep and profound for that. It would be like a single person shaping clouds in the sky, or predicting the exact form of the cracks in the earth. It is much more likely that they were some native who mistook discovery for creation.”

"Ah, I think the same way.”

"Still, there is something off about this. The timing of Scarlet Abyss’ emergence, and the moment when the princess’ atavistic inheritance awakened are exactly the same.”

"Hmm..."

"You shouldn’t force yourself to make a call right now.”

Dercia opened the door and stepped out unexpectedly obediently.

She cast one final glance back at me, her eyes carrying clear traces of concern.

"—I just hope you make the right choice.”

Thud.

As I blankly stared at the closed door, I felt a soft hand suddenly resting on my shoulder.

When I turned around, I saw the princess beaming brightly, clearly delighted that the obstacle was now gone.

"Now then, shall we begin as well?”

"First of all, let me tell you this upfront. If it’s anything improper, I’m not doing it. Especially if it violates the Imperial Law.”

"I am the Empire’s absolute ruler, you know? I could revise the law whenever I want.”

"..."

Sensing my gaze getting cooler, she hurriedly raised her hands.

"I’m joking. Actually, it’s already done.”

"Done?”

"Yes. It’s a bit of a workaround, but you’ll get the details if you ask your master. The method itself is extremely simple, so it’s nothing difficult.”

"Then why did you ask my master to step outside?”

"It’s nothing major. There’s just something I was curious about. Something that would be a bit awkward if Lady Dercia heard. You said you met someone from the Upper Tier… and killed them, right?”

"Yes. That’s correct.”

"What kind of person were they?”

Sharmia tilted her head, her gaze filled with pure curiosity.

"I can’t say that I really know a lot about her. The one you defeated was, according to my memories, someone who raised corpses and plagued the Empire with them endlessly. But…why did she act that way? Was there something I did wrong?”

"What else could it be?"

Whether human or world, in the end the reason for committing such acts was the same as mine. The only difference was their method.

I replied, my voice filled with self-deprecation.

"She did it to survive.”

"Ah, I see.”

She nodded, seemingly understanding what I was trying to say.

Watching her quietly, I decided to mention something as well.

"There’s something I’d like to ask as well, before I infiltrate.”

"Ah, yes. Go ahead.”

"If the bloodline of the First Mage really carries abnormal abilities, then…does His Majesty possess something like teleportation magic?”

"What?"

Seeing the princess’ baffled expression, I clarified.

"I mean, His Majesty appeared before me before using what looked like teleportation magic. Was that something you’d arranged?”

"What are you talking about?”

Sharmia asked back, bewildered.

"My father hasn’t been able to get out of bed for three years now. It’s classified, but most people who need to know already do. He hasn’t appeared at any official events.”

"...?"

What was this supposed to mean?

"It sounds like someone with impersonation abilities came to see you, Jern. You weren’t harmed, were you?”

"Ah, no.”

"That’s a relief. If you meet them again, run away. Impersonating the Emperor? There are limits even to sacrilege.”

...I see.

Come to think of it, there really was no reason for the Emperor himself to come meet me in person. An imposter seemed far more likely.

As I slowly nodded while looking at Sharmia puffing out her cheeks, something came to mind. I retrieved the book the fake Emperor had left behind from my workshop and showed it to her..

"That impersonator left this book behind. It seems to be some sort of Imperial etiquette code.”

"Haah, whoever it was, they prepared thoroughly. This really does look authentic…”

Sharmia causally flipped through the pages, looking dumfounded when—

"?"

Her expression slowly stiffened.

"Princess Sharmia?”

"...Wait a moment.”

-Ring!

She rang a bell to summon an attendant, then spoke with a slightly tense expression on her face.

"Bring me the three volumes of the etiquette code from Father’s library.”

"Yes, Your Highness.”

The attendant, despite the sudden order, immediately headed for the library.

About 10 minutes later, he returned with a troubled expression.

"Your Highness. No matter how thoroughly we searched, we couldn’t find them. It appears the books were stolen… According to the guards, there hasn’t been a single recorded entry into the library for nearly three years. Shall we pursue disciplinary action?”

"...It’s fine."

After the attendant left, Sharmia lightly tapped the book’s cover and let out a sigh.

"It seems that impersonator isn't an ordinary person after all. To actually take books from my father’s library.”

"So this book is genuine?”

"Yes. I’ll handle this matter myself. Jern, don’t concern yourself with something so trivial. Focus solely on the Upper Tiers.”

"Understood.”

If I thought about it simply, there was a high chance this was another scheme by Scarlet Abyss.

I bowed slightly and stepped out into the hallway, then glanced up at the Emperor’s portrait hanging on the wall.

"Hmm."

It was chilling how perfectly identical the face had been.

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