WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 210 - Blade (4)

When I reappeared in front of Linmel, the persuasion was already over.

"J-Jern? Where did you go?”

"I just had a little talk, right?”

I lightly tapped the fake Lumia’s shoulder as Linmel stared at me in surprise, probably because I suddenly vanished into the Abyssal Sea.

"Y-yes. I’m sorry. I-I’m a fake princess who was assigned to infiltrate the palace.”

"Wow, so it’s true?"

Of course, she had probably been prepared to die. But that didn’t mean she was indifferent to how she would die.

When the shark’s tentacles slowly grabbed her legs and that split maw opened wide, revealing rows of yellowed teeth packed inside—she gave up and confessed everything.

She lowered her head, as if she never wanted to go back into the Abyssal Sea ever again, and began making excuses.

"B-but I really don’t know much about the client.”

"...What?”

"The ones who gave us the mission this time weren't some noble or organization. It had a national seal stamped on it.”

"..."

Linmel looked confused, not understanding what that meant. But I felt my heart grow cold.

A command bearing a national seal. There was only one implication that carried.

"A state-level operation?”

"That’s what our superiors said was most likely the case.”

"Which country?”

"B-Branhelm.”

Branhelm. Not an enemy nation. In fact, it was a city-state near the capital.

...It would’ve been better if it were an enemy nation.

As I clenched my teeth, Linmel asked with a puzzled expression,

"Erm…Jern, what’s going on?”

"A vassal state is rebelling.”

"I don’t understand!”

"One of the nations under the Empire is trying to start a rebellion.”

"Why?”

"They’ve probably been majorly dissatisfied for a long time. It’s just that now is the perfect opportunity to act on them."

Since Sharmia effectively took over as Emperor, the Empire had become overwhelmingly powerful.

Naturally, the vassal states had no choice but to submit. The most terrifying part for them was that Sharmia was still young.

If she officially became Emperor, they wouldn’t be able to rebel for decades to come. So no matter how dissatisfied they were, they had to stay quiet.

Until Scarlet Abyss appeared.

'Did they take advantage of the Empire’s current instability…?’

And just recently, the entity named “Decay” had wreaked havoc across imperial territory.

If not now, then never! It would be nice if this were just a reckless move, but since it was a nation acting, it wouldn’t be that simple. Especially if they were targeting a princess.

They were preparing something. I abruptly stood up and pulled out a gag, stuffing it into the fake Lumia’s mouth.

"Linmel, thanks for your help. I have to go now.”

"You’re going to save Lumia?”

"Yeah.”

This must have been a plan they carefully built over a long period of time. We noticed it early, but even that might have been within their expectations.

No, actually, their plan had already succeeded. All we did was arrive at the crime scene and examine the aftermath.

"We have to move now. If this is a state-level operation, it won’t end with just kidnapping Lumia and making demands.”

"How about telling Sharmia?”

"That would only weigh her down right now.”

Sharmia hadn’t foreseen Lumia’s kidnapping.

That meant all her attention was focused on Scarlet Abyss.

Throwing an unsolvable problem at her now would only make things worse. We should do everything we can first.

As I quickly prepared to leave, Linmel stepped in front of me with a determined expression.

"Jern, take me with you!”

"..."

I expected her to say that.

The reason I couldn’t immediately say no came down to two things…

First, if I didn’t have time to explain and had to move immediately, there was no one better to take than Linmel.

Second, her strength was far beyond what I had thought.

'Taking her wouldn’t be a disadvantage…'

To exaggerate slightly, she was already at the level of a Knight of Heavenly Retribution.

Noticing my hesitation, she pleaded more earnestly.

"I know Lumia. Yeah, she’s a princess, but before that, she’s just a normal girl who likes showing off, hates her sister, and spends money recklessly. And she’s my friend. If there’s any way I can help, I really want to.”

She was sincere. So I answered with sincerity as well.

"Alright. But only if you promise to never say that to anyone ever again.”

"I promise!”

At this level, that kind of talk could get her executed for disrespecting the imperial family. After this, I’d need to properly teach her what it meant to talk about an Imperial Princess like that.

We hid the fake Lumia securely in my workshop, then stepped outside and borrowed a nearby horse while I explained the situation.

"By the time the carriage reaches the capital, the palace will realize Lumia is missing. Of course, the news won’t spread immediately. Our goal is to find her as fast as possible and make it look like nothing more than a simple disappearance. Otherwise, the Empire will fall into chaos.”

"Find Lumia! Got it!”

"Branhelm isn’t far from the capital. On horseback, it’ll take about a day.”

"Huh? We can go faster than that, though?”

"How?”

Instead of answering, Linmel grabbed my shoulder and lifted me up.

Before I could react, I was sitting on her shoulders.

"...What are you doing?”

"I’m going to run! Hold on tight!”

"?"

She wasn’t speaking metaphorically.

-Boom!

The ground shattered where her foot struck, and Linmel shot forward at a breakneck speed.

I gritted my teeth and slowly lifted my upper body. The carriage running at full speed beside us was already falling behind.

"How is it? I’m faster than a horse, right?”

Linmel shouted proudly. I forced my mouth to move and answered with everything I had.

"You…this…you’d have to run for at least 8 hours…”

"Yeah! I can do that!”

"..."

Watching her confidently declare that, I forced down the thought rising in my mind.

...That Carose might not have made a Knight, but a horse.

* * *

Amazingly, Linmel really did run nonstop for 8 hours and reached Branhelm.

"Eh? What’s this?”

And even after all that, she showed no signs of exhaustion as she stared at the city walls.

I answered her curious gaze.

"Branhelm is a country the Empire conquered. But their king and officials surrendered quickly and tried to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, so they were allowed to continue existing…”

"No, not that. I mean that.”

The wall—had no gate.

Instead, a massive river continuously flowed into the city, and everyone, visitors and guards alike, conducted all entry and duties by boat.

The sizes of the boats varied widely.

Merchant ships were so large they’d barely fit through a gate, while some people used something as small as a kayak.

"About 80% of Branhelm is a massive lake. The buildings are arranged in a circle around it, and since almost every river eventually flows here, they say all the freshwater fish in the world can be found here.”

"...W-wooow…”

"What is it?”

"It looks really fun…”

Linmel stared at the kayaks as if entranced. Then she slapped her cheeks lightly and shook her head.

"No, this isn't the time for this. We have to save Lumia. This is enemy territory!”

"Enemy territory—well, not yet.”

I narrowed my eyes at Branhelm.

There was no way a city-state like this had acted alone, rebelling against the Empire and kidnapping a princess.

There had to be someone backing them.

And the worst possibility would be—

'That…they’ve already coordinated with the other vassal states.'

If all the vassal states drew their blades at once, it would be like an already lit bomb. A threat on the level of Scarlet Abyss.

My resolve hardened as I led Linmel forward.

"Let’s go. They’re renting kayaks over there.”

"Yes!”

We got a kayak and entered Branhelm.

"Purpose?"

"Sightseeing, and our identities..."

"What? Just some kids? Let them through.”

"Yes, Sir.”

Fortunately, the guards didn’t stop us, likely thinking children posed no threat.

Linmel had changed out of her armor into ordinary clothes, and my robe looked too worn to pass as something a wizard would wear. The moment we entered, I activated my Tide Sense and scanned the surroundings.

[Damn it… Damn it!]

[Fucking hell!]

[This is damn horrific.]

"?"

I immediately frowned.

The citizens sounded extremely rough and furious.

No matter where I listened, it was nothing but curses, despair-filled sighs, and groans.

'It’s not a plague…?'

[Hey, did you catch anything over there?]

[Nothing again today. Hasn’t it been almost a week now?]

They just seemed very angry. Most complaints started with the same thing. No fish being caught, no money, merchants leaving, the city collapsing, and so on.

As I continued listening, I began to piece together the reason.

[It can’t be helped. Ever since that cursed frost fell, all the fish died…]

Absolute Frost.

The climate disaster caused by that bastard had struck Branhelm far worse than anywhere else.

Most of the population had lived off what was essentially a golden fishing ground where new fish would just keep coming in. And now, it had all frozen. Their livelihoods were practically gone.

So were they trying to redirect that anger by declaring war on the Empire? As I considered that, I realized this wasn’t the time for speculation and focused more carefully on my surroundings.

"Jern, I’ll try to find Lumia secretly. With this many buildings, I think I can search everything within three days.”

Linmel looked around the lakeside buildings confidently. Given her speed, it probably wasn’t an exaggeration.

But I wouldn’t need her help this time.

"—That’s fine, I already found her.”

"...Huh? With magic?”

"Yeah."

"Wooow! As expected of you! Where is she?”

"Over there."

I pointed toward a structure at the center of the lake.

A massive lighthouse built to guide ships even at night.

Lumia was being held captive at its very top.

Though something about this was quite strange.

[Hmm, bring me more strawberries.]

[Ah, yes.]

Lumia looked quite comfortable.

She was sprawled out on a bed, eating fruit, casually reading some strange novel.

'...What is she doing?’

She looked so relaxed it made me wonder if she even realized she’d been kidnapped.

But the moment we tried to approach the lighthouse by kayak, a sharp whistle rang out.

"Hey! Stop right there!”

Soldiers on fast boats cut through the water toward us, glaring as they tapped their oars threateningly.

"Don’t approach the lighthouse. That area is restricted.”

"Ah, yes. Understood.”

Well, that was to be expected.

There was no way they’d leave the place holding Lumia unguarded.

Looking at the tightly packed patrol boats surrounding the lighthouse, Linmel asked worriedly.

"Jern, what do we do now?”

I thought for a moment—then recalled a scene from a movie and let a small grin form.

"Linmel, can you hold your breath?”

"Huh? Yeah.”

"Then let’s go underwater."

"..."

Hm.

That was the first time I’d ever seen Linmel make that kind of face.

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