WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 201 - Journey (7)

"You’re saying this robe is alive?”

Inside Dercia’s laboratory.

I had originally come to ask questions about Elisia, but unfortunately after suddenly saying, “I finally get it!” and trying to reject my Abyssal Sea, she promptly fell asleep again. So, I had no choice but to show her the robe first.

Dercia stepped closer and examined the robe from several angles before speaking bluntly.

"I can’t sense any trace of life at all, as far as I can see. You say it’ll come back to life if it drinks blood?”

"Yes. The problem is…it uses the blood of Fallen.”

The Empire did gather the Fallen in one place, but drawing blood from them…setting aside whether it was possible or not, it was an extremely unpleasant thing.

And raiding Scarlet Abyss to kidnap a few people wasn’t exactly an appealing option either.

"We have plenty of blood.”

"...Excuse me?"

"I’ll bring it. Try feeding it to the robe.”

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Dercia went to the storage room and brought out dozens of sealed glass bottles filled with blood samples… No, not samples, full containers of blood.

It looked like about the amount of blood you’d get if you wrung out three people. When I stared at her in disbelief, she frowned slightly as if she had expected that reaction.

"I didn't kill anyone. And it wasn't drawn all at once. I’ve been collecting it little by little since the moment you were publicly declared a Fallen.”

"Did you get their consent?”

"If something unexpected happens, I’m prepared to respond immediately. However, just in case, wouldn’t it be better if you removed the robe first?”

"Ah, should I?”

If I wore it and suddenly said something like, “Thank you for resurrecting me. As payment, I’ll take your life" that would be quite the problem.

So I hung the robe on a nearby rack and opened the bottles of blood, carefully smearing it on the fabric.

1 minute. 5 minutes. 10 minutes.

When I poured even more blood, it began dripping to the floor, forming a small puddle. As I titled my head in confusion, Dercia murmured, lost in thought, and lifted the robe slightly.

"Perhaps it only works while someone is wearing it..."

With the robe half-draped over her arm, she sprinkled more blood onto it.

Still no reaction.

"Perhaps it requires fresh blood?”

"It’s not some kind of gourmet. And this is fresh. I placed preservation magic on it…”

We continued talking like that as I put the robe back on and—

-Slurp.

"..."

"..."

The bloodstains vanished instantly.

Judging by Dercia’s expression, she hadn’t erased them with magic.

Which meant…

"Jern, it appears the robe can only consume blood while you are wearing it.”

"...Seems that way.”

In the end, that meant I had to feed it blood while wearing it.

But Dercia was currently standing right in front of me.

When I signaled with my eyes, Dercia hesitated for a moment before sighing and opening the other bottles of blood.

"If it looks dangerous, I’ll cut it off immediately."

"Please do.”

One bottle. Two bottles. Three bottles…

More blood than when it had devoured that Fallen earlier was carefully poured over my sleeve.

Before the blood could even reach the floor, the robe consumed it all.

Only after nearly ten bottles did the collar of the robe twitch and begin to move.

[If…you had been…a little later, I would have died.]

"Oho.”

Dercia’s eyes lit up with interest as she immediately noticed the collar rubbing together, producing sounds.

"So it truly is a living being. Magic hasn’t yet reached the point of creating life with self-awareness…Whoever created this artifact, it’s an achievement worthy of being called that of a demi-god.”

[...]

The robe squirmed slightly as it had noticed Dercia, then formed words.

[What is that?]

"She’s my master."

[K-kill her…and run.]

"?"

[E-elves…traitors…race of betrayers…do not go near them.]

"That’s what it said."

Even though it was a direct insult, Dercia simply nodded instead of getting angry.

"That prejudice dates back at least several thousand years. This confirms even more that it is an ancient artifact.”

“Well, I heard that it was made by the First Mage… Ah, right. Hey. What exactly are you? What’s your relationship with the First Mage? And with Scarlet Abyss?”

[I am nothing more than an unfortunate piece of clothing.]

-Ruuustle

The robe rubbed its collar quickly, as if mixing emotion into the movement.

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

[I am a piece…of a puzzle…meant to save the world…one of the fragments guided by him…but because of you…it failed. The world has ended.]

"Huh?"

[O-Originally… I was…a more perfect being. I-I was meant to protect the True Blood Factors…from the apocalypse that would eventually arrive.]

"True Blood Factors?”

That was a term I had never heard before. Even Dercia seemed confused.

Then the robe suddenly lifted my hand and pointed somewhere.

[Th-those people.]

It was pointing toward the sofa where Elisia was sleeping.

Obviously, it wasn’t calling the sofa a True Blood Factor, which meant Elisia was the one it was referring to…

...What made Elisia different from others was that she possessed the ability to reject worlds.

That gave me an idea.

"You mean people who are neither Fallen nor normal wizards?"

[S-similar.]

The robe half-agreed and continued.

[A twisted world…a world that should have collapsed… yet still persists. Only those who inherit his true blood strongly…can gain such an ability…]

...For some reason Sharmia came to mind.

[True Blood Factors draw us toward them. I waited beneath the family of that child—in their vault—for the chance to contact her…so that I could protect her—]

"Uhm, well..."

I could already guess where this conclusion was heading, and cold sweat began forming on my back.

[You…put me…on.]

"I’ll return you. I didn’t know you were clothing with some grand purpose. Actually, how was I supposed to know that?"

[Too late. Far too late.]

The robe rustled irritably, expressing that it was impossible.

[If only…your world had been slightly less brutal—I could have simply behaved as a robe…and waited for the right moment.]

“...”

[T-to survive, I had no choice but to acknowledge you as my master. I did not merely take on your burdens. I abandoned my humanity and became your possession, sharing the burdens you receive…]

The burdens would have to be borne by two beings if it remained the way it was before.

By turning itself into just a robe worn by one person, it turned the burdens that would normally affect two beings into something borne by only one.

Though, honestly, becoming a robe already sounded a lot like abandoning humanity.

[Even that was not enough. I was…slowly…very slowly dying. I…the final hope.]

"But you aren’t the only sacred relic, right?”

[I am the only one left. It’s all over.]

"...?”

[T-the first thing Scarlet Abyss did…was gather all the relics and throw them into a world where no one could ever find them. Those like me…who shared the same purpose…have already become nothing more than mindless tools…]

"Then it seems you’re not particularly useful anymore."

Dercia, who had been quietly listening, crossed her arms and sighed. The robe immediately snapped back.

[W-watch your words, elf.]

"I apologize if you were offended by that. However, my student already explained the purpose for which you were created. The resurrection of your master—was that not it?”

[Y-Yes.]

"Resurrection magic is extremely difficult and complex. And scattering fragments everywhere—this is essentially like throwing a delicate glass puzzle into the air and trying to reassemble it perfectly 10 years later.”

[...It’s not impossible.]

"Yes. It, indeed, isn’t impossible. But judging from what we’ve heard, the relics, including you, are no longer in a very stable state. Would it truly work properly?”

[...]

After that sharp remark, the robe stopped rubbing its collar.

But Dercia had no intention of stopping and continued to glare and frown.

"Furthermore, your other purpose was supposedly to protect these so-called True Blood Factors—yet now you appear to have chosen to parasitize Jern’s body simply to survive, because you cannot even consume the minimum fuel required for survival unless you attach yourself to someone.”

[...Th-that’s true.]

"Therefore, you are not particularly useful. To us, your value at present is nothing more than a piece of clothing with decent performance that slightly reduces burdens when fed blood. The fact that you speak could even be considered a disadvantage.”

Those words were brutal enough to tear apart the flesh (which it didn’t have) of the robe. Its collar drooped weakly.

Feeling a little sorry for it, I asked a lighter question.

"So what did you mean earlier about there being a way to reduce burdens within my Abyssal Sea?”

[...A-as your master said…right now I am nothing more than a pitiful being who cannot survive without…consuming the traces of Fallen…]

Even while looking somewhat intimidated, the robe tried its best to embellish its own worth.

[However—There are plenty of traces to consume in the world of the Three Calamities. If you help me find those traces and give them to me, I can reduce your burdens much more. Other things may also be possible.]

"For example?"

[If there are other sacred relics… I can detect them. And if I consume them, I can reduce your burdens even further…]

"It seems you still don't fully understand. Even if you were to find the sacred relics, the chance of resurrecting your master is practically nonexistent."

[...I was created to save the world.]

The robe trembled weakly as it protested.

[Even if it is nearly impossible…I must…still try.]

"You could just give up. No one would blame you.”

[If I were human…perhaps. But I am a tool. A hammer exists to drive nails. A carpenter who cannot hammer nails may pick up a staff and become a shepherd, or open a book and become a teacher… But a hammer that cannot drive nails is nothing at all…]

The words carried such desperate resonance that it was hard to believe they were coming from a piece of clothing.

With a sigh, I made the robe a proposal.

"Alright. If collecting relics can reduce my burdens, then whenever you detect one nearby, tell me. I’ll at least check it out.”

[...]

After a moment of silence, the robe formed two small words.

[Thank… you…]

Its movements grew weaker.

It looked like it was about to return to being nothing more than ordinary clothing again. There were still things I wanted to ask, but for now I hurried to ask the most urgent question.

“So, what should I call you?”

[...Nothing remains, and even my meaning has faded…yet since I still live…call me ‘Malo.’]

Having introduced itself as Malo, the robe fell limp.

Dercia looked at the now-motionless robe with mild irritation and offered a warning.

"Don’t take its words too seriously. It may be useful, but its goal is entirely different from yours.”

"Isn’t defeating Scarlet Abyss and surviving part of my goal as well?”

"Yes. But that robe’s goal is not defeating Scarlet Abyss. It is resurrecting its master.”

Wasn’t that basically the same thing? I nodded anyway.

Then Dercia glanced toward Elisia, who was lying behind us.

"So, why did you bring her here?”

Only then did I remember why I had come here in the first place, and scratched the back of my head.

“Well, this might sound a bit strange…”

"Yes?"

"But I think Elisia might actually be my savior.”

Looking at Dercia’s completely confused expression, I found myself wondering how exactly I should begin to explain this.

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