WETRIED TRANSLATIONS
Wizard of the Abyss
[Translator – Aren]
Chapter 38 - Declaration of War (1)
"You’ve won the wager. Congratulations.”
"..."
Rohymdal, his eyes fixed on the arena, lowered his head as he heard Dercia congratulate him.
He didn’t even know what kind of expression he was making anymore.
"Just how… did he do this?”
His knuckles whitened as veins bulged across the back of them as he clutched the terrace railing.
The princess’ talent was genuine. It wasn’t the shine of gilded fool’s gold created by her bloodline’s influence, but a brilliance any wizard would covet.
And yet—the match had been utterly humiliating. Rohymdal, who was a high-ranking mage, was able to see every detail. The princess had unleashed her full power, while the boy just withstood it all.
...even when he didn’t need to.
If he had used that unknown magic right at the start, the princess would have been defeated instantly.
The reason why he didn’t surely had to be on his master’s order.
Even this wager was nothing more than a play unfolding in the palm of Dercia’s hand.
"That information wasn’t part of our bargain.”
Dercia refused to elaborate.
As if that information was worth far more than the secret to reaching 8 stars.
Rohymdal lowered his head even further, his voice hoarse from his boiling anger.
"...I don’t need it.”
"Hmm, are you sure about that?”
"You knew I would say that, didn’t you? Please stop tormenting this old man.”
Pride.
That was the only reason why he, a 7-star mage, had dared to ever challenge a 9-star he could never hope to defeat.
But his pride had already crumbled so thoroughly here that everything seemed meaningless. If he were to receive the path to reaching the 8th star right now, he would never be able to rise again.
Dercia narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
She had indeed expected this result. No, she reacted like that due to something else.
'...Old man?’
Wallowing in self-loathing and inferiority was one thing, but to call himself old in front of her was almost absurd in a sense.
Still… perhaps it was fitting for a mage who had clawed his way to reaching 7 stars on that sense of inferiority alone.
His desire to reach the 8th had to be immense, yet he still refused. That didn’t seem all too disgraceful, at least.
Smiling faintly, Dercia nodded and took a step back.
"In that case, I shall respect your choice.”
"Wait—”
Dercia was already on her way to the stands, intending to praise her student, when Rohymdal’s urgent voice made her stop.
"What is it?”
"J-just tell me one thing.”
He looked toward Jern, who was still in the arena.
Wizards were beings who, when faced with something they couldn’t comprehend, endlessly craved an explanation.
If he couldn’t get an answer, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to sleep.
"Where did you even find that disciple of yours?”
"...Hmm.”
After a brief moment of hesitation, Dercia replied nonchalantly.
"I picked him up from the sea.”
"?"
A pity for Rohymdal, but…
That was all she could say to him.
After Dercia left, he let out a deep sigh before he turned to find the princess.
"Your Highness, Princess Lumia.”
"...Ah, Ro-Rohymdal..."
Lumia, who had stepped onto the terrace, looked around, trembling so hard that one might mistake it for convulsions.
"De-Dercia? Where is Dercia?”
"She’s gone. You have nothing to worry about.”
"...Phew, wait, no, that’s not—”
Rohymdal had never seen the princess like this before.
The ever bold and unyielding tomboy princess never bowed her head to anyone, no matter who she was facing.
"...What was that? Just what in the world is that thing…??”
Seeing her violently trembling eyes, Rohymdal understood what she was feeling a hundred times over.
Someone of the princess’ age, no, not even at her age, just casually played with her fundamental understanding of magic, dancing above it like nothing.
This wasn’t just a matter of strength; he was…
Something like her. Seeing something so incomprehensible, like what she was to others, left the princess in that state.
He wanted to somehow ease her anxiety, but all he could do was relay the words he had been told.
"Dercia said that she picked him up from the sea.”
"...? What is that supposed to mean?”
"I’d… like to know that myself.”
Maybe he should just retire.
These kinds of thoughts kept appearing in his head again and again.
* * *
"It’s been a while since I felt this…”
The moment I returned to the waiting room, I felt like the ground was rippling beneath me, then it stopped.
Waving around my arm lightly, I definitely felt like I was cutting through water.
It didn’t last long. After just a few swings, the feeling faded, and the air felt like air again. But this was the first time I had felt so clearly as if I were “underwater” since I had that intense nosebleed.
It seems like unleashing this power after I sealed it away for some time made the reaction even sharper.
And now, another burden had been added.
"Ah, aah. Oohm. Oh.”
Experimenting by speaking out loud and tossing an empty water bottle onto the floor, I noticed it.
Sounds echoed slightly. They were a bit muffled as well.
It was a bit strange. Like talking inside a bathroom.
Still, it didn't feel like a real problem to me. I know I shouldn’t jump to conclusions so quickly, but the worst that could happen was that things would sound as if they were speaking underwater.
Compared to all the other stuff, that could hardly be called an issue, right?
As I was entertaining such thoughts, the door to the waiting room opened.
"Ah, Master.”
"...?"
Dercia, who was about to say something, stopped, tilted her head, and asked,
"Say that again.”
"Master."
"It got a bit worse.”
"Huh? What do you mean?”
"Your voice sounds different.”
"...Wait, you can hear this?”
Apparently, this resonant voice was audible to others as well.
This was the first of my burdens that actually affected others. More accurately, a burden that others could sense.
"Most people wouldn’t notice. It’s your kind we’re talking about after all.”
Dercia perked up her ears. I’d forgotten she was an elf.
"How about the other burdens?”
"They’re intense. It’s colder, my vision is narrower, and the pressure is stronger.”
"Then, how does it feel?”
"...Amazing.”
I ran my hand through the air.
It might just feel that way because I had kept all of this sealed up until now.
But I definitely felt like I had finally regained my freedom.
"Somehow… I feel like I can do other things now.”
-Click.
I clenched and unclenched my hand, then reached for the water bottle lying across the room.
The current, water pressure, and my stronger Tide Sense combined like precise clockwork, giving me the sensation of actually holding it with my hand.
I chuckled and replied.
"It worked. It really feels like I’m holding it.”
"Shall we test it?”
"How?”
Dercia held out her hand.
"Try grabbing it.”
"Hm, alright.”
I took Dercia’s hand.
I could feel the coldness of her skin through my power. For someone close to being an Archmage, her hands were surprisingly small. They weren’t much different from mine.
"Can you feel it?”
"Yes. I can feel an invisible hand holding something. It’s cold, and there’s something unpleasant about it.”
"..."
"Then would you like to try holding the inside?”
"The… inside?”
"Yes."
Dercia said something strange again.
"Imagine trying to grab what is under my hand’s skin.”
"...Is that even possible?”
"I don’t know. You will probably though.”
"I wouldn’t even notice if I hurt you.”
I tried penetrating through Dercia’s skin, attempting to feel her bones.
But there was no difference. No matter how I thought about it, the whole thing just seemed completely absurd to me, so I gave up. Dercia, brushing her hand, muttered,
"It seems this is still difficult for you.”
"It is, and, honestly? I doubt it’ll ever be possible.”
"I’ve seen an Abyss Realm mage perform it before. You may be able to as well someday.”
"...Ah, right. By the way, what should I do about my voice? Won’t others be able to notice it if it gets worse?”
"As I said, unless someone has extremely sharp ears, they won’t notice. And there’s still very little information about Abyss Realm mages. If anyone in this Empire could infer from the sound of their voice what you are, then there would be two people at most, counting myself.”
"I see…”
"There’s no need to worry. You’re progressing at a sufficiently fast pace. If you can keep your breathing steady even while being seared by fire, you won’t die even if you faint. We can consider our goal accomplished.”
"I gave the princess a little scare. She seemed to need it. Did you anticipate that this would happen?”
Dercia smiled faintly and opened the door leading to the library.
"I expected that she would cause some trouble for you if you entered the exam.”
"Ah, so you were prepared.”
"No. I didn’t do anything.”
"?"
"I simply judged that nothing the princess could do would have an effect on you.”
I followed after her, slightly frowning.
I did appreciate her trusting me, but…
... Wasn’t that just being completely irresponsible?
* * *
Back in the library, I spent the next few days examining my new ability.
"Abyssal Fusion. Let’s call it that.”
"Fusing with the Abyss… Kind of creepy, but fitting, I guess.”
That was the name Dercia gave to the new ability I acquired.
It was a skill similar to Telekinesis, born from the combination of Tide Sense, water pressure, and current manipulation.
Honestly, aside from it being interesting, it didn’t seem all too useful. I wasn’t even sure it deserved a name.
Couldn’t I just use the current to grab stuff and Tide Sense to sense it?
"Abyssal Fusion is the first high-level magic you’ve ever created. Don’t take it lightly.”
"...Wait, this is high-level magic?”
High-level magic was something extremely difficult that only 3-star mages or above could learn. It didn’t feel like this mishmash of different abilities should qualify as one.
But Dercia answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"The principle is identical. Combining various lower-level spells to create a higher-level one. Its sophistication alone makes it worthy of that title. It’s undoubtedly the most advanced Abyss Realm magic you have created.”
"I…don’t really think it’s all that difficult though.”
"That’s only natural. Haven’t you ever marveled at how a tiny spider can weave such intricate webs in any situation? Before you're human, Jern, you are a creature of the Abyss Realm. You must never forget that.”
"I see. Then I guess I should practice even harder.”
I began organizing books using Abyssal Fusion, but Dercia interrupted me with her own Telekinesis.
"Don’t. This is like training all three, current control, water pressure, and Tide Sense, at the same time. That will only make your burdens manifest faster than you can handle.”
"I've almost fully mastered ‘Purge’. Shouldn’t I be able to endure it now to some extent?”
"That is only a stopgap measure. Purge alone will never let you survive the Abyss. That wasn’t why I had you learn it.”
"...Why won’t it work?”
Putting the books back on the shelf, Dercia began to explain calmly.
"’Purge’ creates resistance against experiences you’ve already gone through. In the end, it needs you to survive situations using your human body. Even if you’ve strengthened your physique and learned Body Reinforcement, there is a limit to how much the body of a ten-year-old can withstand. For example, if you were to throw yourself into molten lava, you’d die instantly long before you could try to withstand it and thus be unable to gain any experience from it.”
"So the Abyssal Sea is even more intense than a pit of molten lava, meaning ‘Purge’ alone won’t let me endure… I see. Hmm, it actually seems a lot less useful than I thought.”
Maybe if I slowly increased the pressure on me, I could increase ‘Purge’s’ effect.
As I was pondering, Dercia continued.
"That is why ‘Form’ exists.”
"...You mean that horrifying torture technique?”
"Think carefully. What could you do with such a technique?”
"I guess I could cast it on someone else, like you did, Master…"
“‘Form’ won’t be all too useful for that application.”
"Hmm..."
As I was mulling over the question, a dreadful realization struck me.
"...Wait. You’re not saying it’s used to surpass human limits, right?”
"Why yes, it is. Through ‘Form,’ you can create experiences your body wouldn’t normally be able to endure without actually damaging it. ‘Purge’ without ‘Form’ is nothing more than a weaker form of a Knight’s Body Reinforcement technique. And ‘Form’ without ‘Purge’ is nothing more than torture. They complement each other.”
"I’m sorry for interrupting, Master, but this sounds like the most ignorant approach to training I have ever heard.”
I had thought that magic training was supposed to be something intellectual and graceful, like reading grimoires, learning from them, refining their ideas, and discussing them.
Not this masochistic self-torture bullcrap. Dercia merely shrugged at my statement.
"That’s the blind spot. In fact, Growth, Form, and Purge were originally considered to be nothing more than the primitive, shamanistic act of self-harm of a small tribe rather than magic. Until a certain wizard, seeing their potential, perfected it by adding Growth to Form and Purge. After that, even the rigid old fossils of the Magic Tower’s Council had no choice but to acknowledge it.”
"What exactly is 'Growth'?"
"I’ll tell you once you've learned everything else.”
"..."
I guess I had no other choice then.
Well, it all boiled down to strengthening me anyway. Sighing, I stood up, but Dercia shot me a sharp glare.
"And when exactly do you plan to send that one back?”
"Soon.”
I reached down and roughly patted the head of Elisia, who was dozing off next to me.
"Wake up. Come on. Hey.”
"Hmm… Just five more minutes…”
Lately, I had been taking my role as her teacher a bit more seriously.
I’d been keeping her beside me while taking Dercia’s lessons to give her more time to learn, but it seemed like the material was a bit hard for her to properly comprehend.
Dercia, looking down at her with some form of pity, frowned.
"So… how is that insane plan to raise a mage who rejects magic itself going?”
"Pretty well, actually. Look at this.”
I quickly showed off our progress, casting wind magic next to Elisia.
"See? It’s working, right?”
"What exactly is working?”
"When Elisia’s not quite in her right mind, magic can be used around her.”
"That wasn’t possible before?”
"No. But now, even when she’s fully conscious, she can control her power in certain situations. It seems to work better when she’s happy. For example, the other day when she ate that imported chocolate cake from some fancy shop, I didn’t feel any restraints on my magic at all.”
"Honestly, I don’t believe that her inner world is pitiful enough that things like that could fix it.”
"At the very least, if I nurture her properly, I think we can reduce some of the burdens. What do you think?”
"...I can’t give you a definite answer, since I don’t have much information on the Abyss Realm myself. But I can at least say that there is a possibility of it helping… I suppose.”
"That’s good enough for me.”
I smiled as I grabbed a bit of Elisia’s beautiful silver hair and shook it a little.
Even the smallest chance was fine. If there was even a sliver of hope, and it was within my reach, I would definitely reach out to it.
That was how I decided to live this life.
...Still, she seriously wasn’t waking up. As I tried pinching her nose and making her unable to breathe through it, someone pounded on the library door.
"Lady Dercia! I have something urgent to report!”
"Tsk, no manners at all; this is a library.”
"..."
Said the person who practically privatized a public library.
Dercia opened the door like it was her own front door, and a Knight who seemed on the verge of collapsing, gasping for air, walked up to her.
"What is it?”
"T-the Magic Tower!”
“...What about the Tower?”
"The Magic Tower is under attack! The elders are dead! It’s a state of emergency, so you’ve been summoned as well, Lady Dercia!”
"Which Magic Tower?”
"What? T-the one you’re part of, the Dark Magic Tower, of course—there’s no more time to explain! Some enormous dragon covered in lumps of flesh appeared out of nowhere and—”
"What delightful news to hear after so long.”
-Bang!
Derica closed the door wearing a cold smile.
"Let’s continue the lesson.”
...No matter how I looked at it, there was no way in hell that we could.
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