Wizard of the Abyss - Chapter 69

WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 69 - Undercurrents (8)

In the end, we failed to stop the disaster.

Because we were the disaster.

"Well done.”

"Find them! They went this way!”

“There’s nowhere to run!”

"...Right.”

A cramped rooftop attic in some noble’s mansion.

Carose and I were hiding inside, watching Imperial soldiers swarm below.

Looking through a tiny window beside us, I noticed that the sun was beginning to rise. I hadn’t slept a wink, so I felt like I was about to die from exhaustion—

But looking at the results, we succeeded.

We ran around like maniacs all night, knocking out every noble involved. We burned the concept of possible brainwashing into everyone’s minds. We also gave the princess exactly the justification for why she labeled them as traitors.

Compared to that, a few terrified citizens waking up, thinking that a battle had broken out, crying in terror and a few burned garden hedges were incredibly trivial.

As the Imperial soldiers slowly converged where we were hiding, I sighed and turned to Carose.

"Now that we’re done, could you please drop me off at that little cabin outside the capital? I did everything Her Highness asked, so that much should be fine, right?”

"No.”

"What is it now?”

"Her Highness has summoned you.”

"..."

Hmm. I thought that this would happen.

While I was stewing over this matter, Carose smashed the tiny door open, scooped me up, and leapt onto the rooftop.

"Can’t I just not go?”

"We are going. You did solve this whole matter after all. Although I’m still not quite sure how you did it.”

Carose glanced down at the soldiers below, sighed, and bent her knees.

It was clear that she was about to jump. From up here. To a roof all the way over there.

"Can you really do that?”

"You’ll see.”

-Bam! Swoosh.

Her incredible leg strength that no normal human should possess made the seemingly impossible possible.

We reached the Imperial Palace in seconds. The moment the guards saw Carose they flung open the gates as if they had been waiting.

As we strode down the beautiful palace corridors I decided to make one final struggle for my survival.

"I feel pretty tired."

"Endure it.”

With those cruel words, Carose climbed to the palace’s highest floor. She straightened her armor slightly, standing before the biggest door I have ever seen.

-Knock, knock, knock.

She knocked in perfect rhythm.

[Come in.]

A voice as soft and warm as before, albeit with a slightly different tone, rang out from beyond it.

As we entered through the door, my eyes fell on the princess.

This was our first time meeting inside the palace—but her face was completely different.

It wasn’t like she had looked ugly before. However, now, with her golden hair, soft eyelashes, and overall delicate features, she was beautiful enough to be mistaken for a doll.

She was breathtaking, but I forced myself to act as casually as I could.

"I’ve already heard the details in the report, Jern. You did great.”

"...Yes."

"You really did wonderfully.”

"You flatter me.”

Thankfully, it seemed like she chose to ignore the minor details as to how I managed to get the task done.

I subtly glanced around the room. For the palace, it was unexpectedly modest. A desk with a few scattered papers on them, a pen, some documents, and a simple dagger, presumably for opening envelopes.

I wondered if I could leave now, trying to find the right moment to get up, when I felt the princess' eyes on me, her face bearing a smile.

"...Is there anything more you would like to say, Your Highness?”

"Jern, do you have anything you wish for?”

"...? Anything I wish for?”

"Yes. I am an Imperial Princess—and this may sound a bit presumptuous—but I have already surpassed my father in various areas.”

Obviously. A princess with prophetic powers would be a lot more valuable than an emperor without them.

Sharmia beamed, holding out a sheet of paper.

"You’ve been a tremendous help in resolving this incident, right? I can’t just send you off with empty hands, so I thought long and hard about what to give until I wrote up this contract last night.”

"Hmm..."

I took the contract and slightly frowned.

It wasn’t actually a contract. While it looked like one, there was absolutely nothing written on it.

"What’s with this?”

"Truth be told, I still don’t know what you would like, Jern.”

She twirled around a pen before handing it to me.

"So—write down whatever you want.”

"..."

I had heard of blank checks, but this was the first time I ever saw a blank contract.

The only line written on it was that Her Highness Princess Sharmia guaranteed that she would honor whatever I would write down.

That declaration seemed both arrogant and foolish at the same time.

There was no way the princess didn’t understand the weight of a contract. She was basically saying that she would accept even the most outrageous, one-sided terms as long as I wrote them on this paper.

She would give me anything.

It also showed her confidence that she had the power to fulfill anything I might write down, as long as I didn’t write something as absurd as ‘I want you, princess.’

Even though I didn’t know her all that well, she didn’t strike me as the type to make empty promises.

This was a golden opportunity that wouldn’t come twice. We stared at each other for some time, Sharmia smiling brightly. Then I picked up the pen.

"You said it yourself, Your Highness.”

"Yes, but why does that sound a little scary? I didn’t think you’d be the type to double-check things like that~”

She was pretending like we were close again.

Maybe in some timeline I wasn’t aware of, we actually were.

But not in this one.

"I wrote it.”

"Oh my, already? It hasn’t even been a minute…”

"I assumed Your Highness might have already seen what I would write down in a prophecy.”

"I don’t do things like that. Not over something like this…”

The smile she was wearing when she took the contract dimmed slightly.

I straightened my posture and waited for her answer.

"Is it possible?”

"...Hmm, it’s nothing difficult. Well, actually, it might be a little difficult…”

"Please.”

I bowed my head, pleading with her.

This was something I absolutely had to secure.

"Then please explain why."

The princess pointed to the single clause written on the otherwise-blank contract, showing neither anger nor confusion, just genuine curiosity.

[All records, knowledge and involvement regarding Jern Aspandil will be erased. Do not try to interfere with him and do not try to contact him. Any additional request will not be accepted. If unavoidable circumstances force interaction, both parties are to completely disregard each other.]

"Is my help that worthless to you?”

"If we include everyone in the Empire, from a lowly beggar in the slums to His Imperial Majesty, there is no one to whom Your Highness’ help would be worthless. I would never say anything like that.”

"Then do you dislike me?”

"It is thanks to Your Highness that I was able to protect someone precious to me. While I feel indebted to you, I do not dislike you.”

"...Then why?”

Sharmia looked quite flustered as if she genuinely hadn’t anticipated this situation.

I answered calmly.

"That is the reason.”

"Pardon?"

"Your Highness is keeping a great many secrets from me.”

"..."

Sharmia’s expression darkened slightly.

"I can’t deny that…Did that hurt you?”

"Not at all. I don’t think one could call that a bad thing. In fact, I find it quite admirable. No matter how much you want someone on your side, you will never reveal all your cards. That restraint is exactly why I believe you will become a great Empress.”

"Then why—”

"Because I’ll eventually uncover those secrets.”

"What are you talking about?”

I took a sip of tea and continued.

"Despite your best efforts, you’ve already shown me plenty. Prophecy that sees only the process not the outcome. How you orchestrated this entire situation. Your ability to see hundreds of possible futures and then return to yourself. Even just those abilities…”

There were some dregs left on the teacup’s bottom.

After brewing, tea leaves have no more purpose, but unless strained even the richest blend would leave dregs after drinking it.

Even when hidden, traces will always remain on the bottom.

"You didn’t actually need my help to prevent this disaster, Your Highness.”

"..."

"Whatever cards you showed me were only the smallest fraction of your real hand. There was no need to resort to such a messy, luck-dependent approach. You showed me the image of a lively, carefree young noblewoman, but a person like that couldn’t single-handedly hold back hundreds of disasters for ten years or guide an Empire into a golden age of peace.”

"Hmm, Jern. It seems like you want to share your theory.”

The princess looked down at me with a benevolent gaze.

Her eyes seemed to say that all of this must be my delusion.

Her act was so natural, if I hadn’t been so certain, I might have believed it myself.

"Yes, you could call it simple paranoia, or delusions of grandeur, or the empty boasting of a poor orphan who doesn’t know his place—but no matter how I look at it, there’s only one reason why Your Highness handled this incident in such a way.”

Jern Aspandil.

The only Fallen the princess could make use of.

A countermeasure against Scarlet Abyss. Perhaps that was what she wanted.

I could only speculate. But I couldn’t find any other reason why Her Highness would go to such lengths for someone like me.

Yet the results spoke for themselves.

In the end, truth would be the only thing that remains standing.

"You held back every other resource, yet devoted hundreds of prophecies to a nameless Fallen you knew nothing of. And finally, you trusted every word he spoke and even handed him this kind of contract.”

"..."

"If I’m completely wrong, you should probably have already lost interest in this foolish child who came up with such wild conclusions. All you need to do is sign this and forget I ever existed. That’s not too difficult, right?”

I held out the contract to her after finishing what I had to say.

Sharmia accepted it calmly.

-Riiip!

And then tore it cleanly in half, still wearing a gentle smile.

When I narrowed my eyes, she finally spoke up.

"No. Don’t belittle yourself.”

"Your Highness."

"You guessed it. Not everything was left in your hands, but…it’s true that while trying to resolve this disaster, I saw you and decided I had to recruit you, whatever it took. You could call it a test of sorts.”

She offered a candid admission, along with words that one usually wouldn’t hear so easily.

"Jern, come under me. I’ll provide everything you need to keep your body alive. You may refuse any order I give you at any time. I truly just want you to speak with me from time to time.”

Those terms were far beyond generous to the point of absurdity.

So that was the point of the blank contract. She was prepared to accept any terms, because she never intended to make a fair deal with me, so no matter what I had written on that piece of paper wouldn’t have mattered.

"No one will value you more than I do. They can’t see the future. Wouldn’t this be the perfect contract both of us could be satisfied with?”

"That’s close to the truth.”

I nodded in agreement.

"In that case, may I ask for one guarantee?”

"But of course. What is it?”

Seeing her puzzled face, I replied calmly,

"Since Your Highness has shared your secret with me, I will share mine. It’s incomparably trivial and insignificant in comparison, but—my world is the Abyssal Sea.”

"The…Abyssal Sea?”

"Yes."

Sharmia seemed even more confused.

"Is this supposed to be a metaphor to describe the dire situation the Fallen are in? But the word ‘Abyssal Sea’ doesn’t work that well for that purpose.”

"You’ve only seen Fallen with narrow Realms before, haven’t you?”

It seemed pretty clear that the princess had never seen a Fallen with a Great Realm.

"I mean literally. I live within the Abyssal Sea. If you promise you can save me from there, I will entrust my fate, my very life, entirely to you. You can command me to do anything and I will absolutely obey.”

"Ah, yes. We are diligently working on finding ways to save the Fallen. Could you explain the exact nature of your burdens?”

"I can’t breathe."

"?"

"I mean, you can’t breathe underwater after all, so that much is obvious, right?”

"Wait a moment."

Sharmia pulled out a paper and pen, starting to take notes.

"Then how are you alive right now?”

"With my master’s help. She implanted an arcane artifact inside my body. I need to continuously channel my mana into it for the rest of my life or else I’ll die.”

"I see. If it’s just that much, I think we may be able to resolve it.”

"That’s not all.”

I shook my head.

"This place is very cold. If this goes on I might freeze to death sooner or later.”

"Ah, is that so? So the temperature literally drops.”

"My surroundings are gradually growing darker. I might lose my sight entirely at some point.”

"I-I understand.”

"Every time I use my ability, or rather, simply by staying alive, the pressure pressing down on me increases. Someday, the pressure might get so strong that it could easily crush steel.”

"That—that doesn’t make any sense…”

-Rustle

I unwound the bandages wrapped around me.

Purple bruises covered my entire body. To be precise, the wounds I had gotten from that brief moment I slipped into the Abyssal Sea.

I saw Sharmia clearly speechless.

"There are many other burdens beside these. Your Highness, do you have any way to save someone like me?”

"...If we try, it might be possible.”

She wasn’t lying.

There was no way to save those that had fallen into the deep depths of the ocean. She had come to that conclusion as well.

"Thank you for not feeding me empty promises. But what you said isn’t much different from how I live right now.”

"If you join me, the quality of that struggle will be far greater.”

"Serving Your Highness means entrusting you with my life and my entire way of living.”

"Pardon?"

"You are a prophet—or whatever else you want to call yourself. Seeing the future is a profoundly unfair advantage. In your good will, you will always point to the right path and give infallible answers.”

"Yes. That’s right."

"That’s not the path I chose. Not my struggle. I would only be moving because Your Highness says so, completely trusting every single one of your words. If I had 100% confidence in your words then that might be possible, but unless you manage to convince me properly—I see no meaning in following you. It’s one thing to walk my own path, struggle, fail to defy my fate and die, and another to die merely following someone else’s words. I could never accept that.”

There were more reasons why I couldn’t trust the princess, but I didn’t mention them.

"I’m grateful that you hold me in such high esteem. But if I must correct one thing, Your Highness. You don’t need me. You’ve guided the Empire well up to this point and you will continue to do so in the future.”

As I began to rise from my seat, the princess spoke up again.

"I am not a god.”

"I can tell.”

"No matter how many times I looked into the future, I couldn’t stop the birth of the group called Scarlet Abyss. To stop them, I would’ve needed to be born at least hundreds of years ago. A mere ten-year-old couldn’t have done anything anyway.”

"...I see."

Why did those terrorist attacks succeed even though the princess existed?

Because Scarlet Abyss had begun laying foundations centuries ago.

Even if they somehow protected the capital, Scarlet Abyss could simply target another city next. Even a prophet couldn’t stop that.

"They’ve spent all these years preparing their tactics. To oppose—or at least respond to—them, I must also prepare in every way I can. You saw Carose, right?”

"Yes. A truly remarkable Knight.”

"In the original future, she didn’t exist as a Knight. She fell into despair after suffering greatly as an orphan, and eventually joined Scarlet Abyss.”

"She was a mage?”

"There are plenty who sympathize with them, even if they’re not Fallen. In due time.”

"...So that’s why you invested in orphanages."

"I didn’t know where she was, so I just did what I could.”

Sharmia smiled softly, extending her hand.

"Please, let me wield you. Whether as a weapon, resource, or talent, I’ll make you shine brighter than anyone.”

Those were Sharmia’s true intentions.

"My apologies, Your Highness.”

So I answered with mine.

Dercia, Brimdal, Elisia…

Would the princess ever be as valuable in my survival as they were?

Perhaps she might be able to help me reach what lies beyond.

But now that I have already gained everything I needed?

"It seems to me what Your Highness can offer me is insufficient for me to take your hand.”

Sharmia’s expression cracked.

* * *

Even after Jern closed the door behind him, Sharmia kept that hand extended for a long time.

A fixed smile adorned her face.

"...Your Highness."

Her gaze slowly shifted toward the dagger on her desk. Carose, watching from behind, hurriedly interjected,

"No matter how many times you try, nothing will change.”

"You’re right. If he refuses after all this, then I suppose there’s nothing more I can do. Hmph, he’s the only one losing out here.”

The slightly dangerous atmosphere around her vanished in an instant. Sharmia puffed out her cheeks and ripped the contract to shreds.

-Rip! Rip!

"What an idiot. No matter in what way he struggled, doesn’t he realize how different life would be beside me? Why can’t he see that? Is it because he’s still just a kid? Haaah…”

"Perhaps it’s because he understands."

"What do you mean by that?”

Carose swallowed her words.

The time she spent with that boy, Jern, was brief, but she fully understood that he was the worst possible match for the princess.

He was someone who could only trust the paths he chose using his own logic and judgement.

Even if the prophecy showed the right path, if it contradicted his logic, he would absolutely act differently.

"...A slip of the tongue. My apologies.”

There was no point in saying any more. As Carose bowed her head, Sharmia slumped over her desk.

"I do need a Fallen pretty soon, but I doubt anything will satisfy me now, after seeing him…”

It seemed like Sharmia really, really liked Jern.

Carose, unable to understand Sharmia, cautiously opened her mouth, even though she knew she shouldn’t say it.

"Your Highness.”

"Huh? What is it?”

"I can hardly believe these foolish words coming out of my mouth, but I do not understand your decision. Were you truly planning to recruit someone like him?”

She had heard enough, so it was impossible to believe for her.

Sharmia, however, seemed bewildered, asking back,

"Why? Is there some problem?”

"...Of course.”

This incident wasn’t that big of a disaster.

At worst, the capital would burn a little and some nobles would die—

It was a small matter. A truly small matter.

Compared to the world.

"—You told me the first time you saw him he had become a high-ranking member of Scarlet Abyss.”

"Yes, I did.”

She calmly confirmed it as if nothing were wrong.

Carose tightened the grip around her sword.