WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 70 - Selection (1)

The princess did keep the contract, even though she had torn it into pieces. 

"She’s not coming.”

"What?" 

"It’s nothing.” 

The cabin. 

A week had already passed, yet Sharmia hadn’t even tried to apply any pressure on me.

Her side seemed so completely uninterested in me that it made me feel as if meeting Sharmia had been nothing but a dream. 

[The Rebellion Was Real. Who Brought Scarlet Abyss Into the Captial?] 

[Her Highness Sharmia’s Flawless Response] 

No matter what newspaper I opened, they were all running these kinds of headlines.

The capital could no longer be considered safe, so the public’s anxiety grew without end—which, ironically, sent Sharmia’s value skyrocketing. 

After all, it had been revealed that placing those nobles under house arrest because of treason charges was for their protection. The confiscated orders by Scarlet Abyss, which had been clearly written up by Sharmia, clearly mentioned that they had been targets of assassination, but thanks to the arrests, none of them were outside, so nothing came to pass. 

Thus, Sharmia’s approval rating, which seemed impossible to rise any higher, reached 98%. A pity for Lumia, but at this rate, the only way she could ever become empress is if her sister remained unmarried forever. 

I showed a section about Aletus to Elisia, who was still lying in bed, flicking flames into the air. 

"Good news. The negotiations are almost over. You’ll be able to return to your mansion soon.” 

"Hmm…” 

It should have been welcome news, but she only let out some uncertain sounds.

"Can’t I just stay here?” 

"No. Your mansion is a lot nicer than this place.” 

"But here I can sleep whenever I want, eat whenever I want, you’re here, and I don’t have to take lessons.” 

"That last one isn’t true. Can you use all the types of elemental magic now?” 

"Yes!" 

Elisia proudly raised her hand.

Wind stirred, separating flame from water, and stones gently floated between the elements.

...Now that I had trained in Arcane Strengthening, I could tell. Even if it was just elemental magic, she was astonishingly skilled. 

Meanwhile, I was still stuck on wind magic. I cleared my throat and patted her head.

"Good job. With just a bit more practice Lord Aletus will grant you permission to go out again.” 

"Okay, I’ll practice more!” 

Leaving Elisia to concentrate, I headed to the desk. 

While the crisis had passed, my work hadn’t. 

"..." 

I looked at Elisia and quietly steeled my resolve. 

I knew, of course, that that bastard couldn’t keep using Illusory Flower’s skill forever. I had been watching Elisia through her day naps and during the night, but there was no sign of the Lump possessing her again.

However, as long as that bastard was alive, I could never truly relax. 

Even aside from that, that thing’s hedonistic impulse alone made it far too dangerous. Especially combined with that shapeshifting ability.

-Finding and killing the Lump was my top priority right now. 

...I had no idea where it was or what it was planning. If I were honest, I wasn’t even that confident that I could win against it even if we met again. 

However, If an opportunity presented itself, I sure as hell wouldn’t miss it. Until then, I would take things one step at a time.

For example— 

I looked down at my ankle. 

"...Hmm."

The rest of my body still had purple bruises everywhere. But for some reason my ankle was perfectly fine. Even pressing on it didn’t hurt at all. 

That should have been impossible. It was already a miracle that it didn’t get completely crushed by the Abyssal Sea, but for there to not even be a scar…

Every effect had a cause. And this time, I was pretty certain of the cause. 

"Elisia, what do you think I drew here?” 

"Huh?" 

I showed her what I had drawn in my notebook. 

A yellow jellyfish. Or something that looked like it, with thick, fleshy tendrils several meters long. I was pretty proud of my drawing, but Elisia only tilted her head when she saw it.

"This looks really creepy.” 

"...The drawing?" 

"Yeah. You’re good at drawing, but why did you draw something like that? If you’re going to draw something, why not my fa—” 

I left her to babble and wrote notes beside the sketch. 

-Yellow jellyfish, slimy. Looks creepy. 

That was all I could describe it with. 

I didn’t know anything about it after all. After a moment of hesitation, I added one more thing. 

-Somehow reduces the burdens. 

"...What was it?” 

I tapped the notebook with my pen, thinking.

Had that jellyfish tried to help me? 

No, it was more likely that it tried to kill me, but its mucus stuck to me and coincidentally ended up protecting me, right?

What was I even worrying about here? It obviously was the latter. Why would anything in that world bother to help me?

Next time I see it, I should just kill it and smear its mucus all over myself.

With that in mind, I glanced around. 

[...] 

[...--.....---......] 

I hadn’t really noticed until now, but there were a lot of deep-sea fish around. 

I would need to pay attention to them now. They were far too dangerous after all.

Each one of them could use Tide Sense to find me, and they could probably manipulate the water pressure and currents as well. Their actual bodies alone were threatening enough already.

And worst of all, there was no end to these creatures. If I reached the extreme end of my burdens again, I would relive what had happened at the top of that spire the other day. And next time, it would most definitely kill me.

But I had also learned they could be useful to me. 

If I couldn’t avoid encountering them forever, I needed to go beyond just observing them. I had to create my very own bestiary. 

And I had to do it while there was still this thin, cracked glass wall between them and me. While I still had time. 

[...--......--?....---.....] 

[....--...---~~~....--] 

"Are they…talking?” 

They were definitely completely different from the deep-sea creatures of Earth.

Those fish—no, one could barely even call those things fish. Those creatures that seemed to be of the same species travelled the ocean floor, communicating with each other as they brushed past. 

They didn’t fight. They just passed by, like cows just walking past chickens.

And they just swam around, using their fins, shells, or tentacles. 

As if they were searching for something. 

...Well, probably me. 

"J-Jern?” 

I continued to draw these creatures one by one in my notebook. 

Small and nimble ones, dangerous-looking ones, ones that might seem helpful, and so on.

I tried to be as detailed as possible. I wasn’t really that great at naming things, so I just labeled them based on their shapes.

Shell Shark, Giant Anchovy, etc. While I was drawing diligently, Elisia stared at me with a concerned expression.

"Did you have a nightmare? Why are you drawing these creepy things?” 

"Yeah. I saw them in my nightmares, and they keep appearing. I figured I should draw them. I once heard that fear stems from ignorance.” 

"Are they bullying you?” 

"Some of them are, and some probably not, I think.” 

More precisely, some of them seemed useful. 

As I answered her roughly, Elisia asked a new question. 

"So, what do they eat?”

"That’s—" 

...What do they eat? I had never seen them fight before. 

Did they survive by taking in seawater like I did for gathering mana?

I wasn’t sure. I was about to answer when I felt something brush against my senses. 

At first, I thought it was a Knight, but then I could make out a familiar presence, to which I tilted my head. 

"One second." 

"Huh?" 

Why is she here? 

I rushed outside and opened the door before she could even knock.

"Ah, Jern!” 

Linmel stood there with a bright smile on her face. 

It hadn’t even been that long since I last saw her… And yet she had gotten taller. Kids really did grow quickly. 

Had I grown at all? I guess it was still too early for me. I had heard that girls usually grew faster at this age. I cleared my throat to shake off that insecurity. 

"Erm, so, I came here to tell you something…” 

Linmel, who had been speaking as if she were rapping, suddenly trailed off.

Just when I was wondering what was going on, her smile dimmed slightly as she pointed behind me. 

Her finger aimed toward the girl lying inside the cabin.

"Wh-who is she?” 

"Ah, Elisia?” 

Now that I think of it, this was their first time meeting. 

I gave her a small reminder. 

"Lady Elisia is a noble lady. Don’t just point fingers at her like that.” 

"Right.” 

"...Linmel?” 

"Hmm, it’s nothing. I was just wondering why you two are together.”

"Ah, I’m her teacher right now.” 

"I see.” 

"Yeah, I’ve been teaching her for a while. We’ve been together a lot lately.” 

"I see." 

What was wrong with this girl today? 

As I stared at her with a slightly puzzled look, Linmel, fidgeting for a moment, finally brought up why she came here. 

"Erm, this maid told me to stop by your house. She said to pass on a message.” 

"A maid? Who?” 

"She said you’d know if I told you she’s Ciel.”

Oho. Was it something about Dercia? Good that Linmel managed to remember her name.

I put away my sea creature notebook and nodded. 

"Alright. Thanks for letting me know. Do you want to come with me?” 

"...No, not really.” 

Linmel unexpectedly shook her head, then glanced behind me. 

"Lady Elisia, right? Is it okay if I talk with her for a bit?” 

"What? Why?” 

"Um, no big reason. I just wanted to talk to her. I wanted to ask her something.” 

"Hmmm." 

I looked at her, noticing that she looked weirdly nervous, but then shrugged. 

We were all the same age here, so it would be nice if they got along. Elisia was probably bored out of her mind, having been stuck with just me for quite some time.

"Okay. Just don’t be rude. But I guess I can trust you.” 

"Y-yeah.” 

I left Linmel in the cabin and stepped outside, but just in case, I scanned the interior with Tide Sense. 

[Huh? Who are you?] 

[I’m Jern’s friend. We’ve known each other since we were five. He asked me to come over to play.] 

[...Really?]

Well, it seemed like they were fine. Feeling relieved, I boarded the carriage.

*** 

I arrived at Dercia’s mansion, maneuvering the carriage, which I had already gotten used to.

"Sir Jern…” 

Ciel greeted me at the gate. Her expression seemed complicated. If I had to label it, it seemed somewhere between apologetic and angry. 

"You didn’t have to come outside just to greet me. Why did you call me here?” 

"Well. Um.” 

It seemed like something had happened. 

As I braced myself for the worst, Ciel opened her mouth. 

"The Lady has awoken.”

"Huh?" 

That was great news.

Then what was the problem here? Seeing me tilt my head, Ciel sighed and led me in. 

"We’re here." 

Dercia’s room. The door was left open. 

Seeing that the place looked neat, it seemed like Ciel had cleaned it thoroughly, but the desk was still piled with papers covered in symbols of some inexplicable language.

However, Dercia wasn’t here. 

"Where’s my master?”

Ciel silently lifted an envelope from the desk after seeing the confusion written on my face.

"She left this behind and disappeared." 

"Huh? Where to?” 

"I believe it should be written in there.” 

I frowned, wondering what this nonsense was about, but Ciel only rubbed her temple before adding, 

"This has never happened before, but it seems like she has run away two times in a row.”

"..." 

I tore open the letter without any hesitation. 

[There is a simple method to survive the burdens of the Abyssal Sea.  

One must simply escape the species known as human.

I had been aware of this path, yet I never reached for it. 

I did not know why. It was rather puzzling.

But now I have found the answer, so I will visit my homeland for a bit.  

Ignore everything Ciel says. It’s nonsense.] 

"...What in the world is that supposed to mean?” 

Has she lost her mind or something? 

I couldn’t understand anything that she was trying to say here. The text was so incoherent that it was hard to believe that the ever-rational Dercia had written it.

As my mind fell into confusion. Ciel held out her hand.

"May I take a look?” 

"Yes." 

She carefully read through the letter after I handed it to her and then clicked her tongue. 

"Her condition is extremely serious. We must go after her.” 

"I’m not so sure about that—would she even need us?” 

I couldn’t deny that Dercia didn’t seem quite stable, but that didn’t mean we should chase after her.

Even if we brought a hundred people, we wouldn’t be a match for Dercia’s power, so what was even the point of going after her? 

"She’ll come back when she’s ready anyway. We can ask her then what this mad-sounding letter’s about.”

"Jern. Do you actually believe that last line?” 

Ciel gave the letter back to me, her expression showing some bitterness.

I shook my head after a moment’s hesitation. 

"Master’s grace is like the sky, but in her current state… I find it hard to completely trust her. I need to hear from her and come to my own conclusion.” 

In fact, one couldn’t even begin to believe or understand something while disregarding one’s own beliefs.

Hearing my words, Ciel's expression turned even more grave. 

"I’ll be honest. I really pray that I’m wrong, but Sia—your master—has been in danger for a long time. I believe we must find her and stop whatever she intends to do.”

"...What does that mean?” 

It was pretty hard to accept that a 9-star Archmage candidate was in danger.

Who in the world could pose a real threat to her? Even a Scarlet Abyss executive ran away with his tail between his legs because of her.

"She has brought danger upon herself.” 

"?" 

I frowned, mulling over the meaning of her words. 

Dercia was a threat to herself. 

That could only mean one thing. 

"That’s impossible." 

"And why do you think so?”

"I mean, those Scarlet Abyss bastards clearly said that it’s nearly impossible to make someone fall unless they’re a child. How could my Master, who has lived for centuries and is a 9-star mage, fall? Is that even possible?” 

"It isn’t impossible.” 

"..." 

Well…sure, I guess. 

Seeing that I paused, Ciel continued. 

"I respect the Lady, but it’s undeniable she’s not quite mentally sound. No elf has ever chosen to walk the path she has. She insisted all elves must become books and declared that the World Tree is nothing but an old tree, peeling off its bark to prove it. Her eccentricities unfolding in the human world are so countless that one could publish several books about them.”

Dercia certainly wasn’t normal. 

"But I have heard that being dogmatic and self-righteous is a necessary trait for mages. Doesn’t that just prove how exceptional she is?” 

"That, too, is true. However, Jern, the reason the Lady was exiled from the elven forest wasn’t because she insulted the World Tree, but because she learned magic.” 

That was the first time I heard that. My eyes widened. 

"What? Why? Is learning magic a sin?” 

"Long-lived species remain standing in place without advancing for long periods of time.” 

"...?" 

Ciel’s voice was tinged with sadness. 

"No one can walk the path of magic to its very end. Not even an elf. Eventually, they reach the final point they are allowed to reach and must spend the remainder of their eternal life staring at the road ahead that is unreachable to them… If one is human, that is fine. Their lifespan would run out long before madness could take them. However—long-lived species like elves must keep standing there for eons, unable to advance, unable to turn back. That is why long-lived races never touch magic, despise wizards, and refuse to marry them.”

"..." 

So there was a reason behind all that. 

As I struggled to come up with words to say, Ciel muttered quietly, 

"Lady Dercia reached that endpoint long ago. Of course, it didn’t mean much to her at first. She was content enough just reading books and recording everything in her mind. That was how she managed to stabilize herself.” 

"That sounds fine, though?" 

"However, she was never truly stable. I began to fear that if she didn’t shift her attention away from magic even slightly to focus on something else, it could become dangerous. As her head maid, I tried everything to make her look outward. Pay attention to things outside of magic. I wanted her to go outside, to speak with people, to find something else to immerse herself in besides magic.” 

"..." 

I kept the remark that she sounded like Dercia’s mother right now to myself.

"When I heard that she decided to teach a boy, and a young boy at that, as a hobby, I have to admit that I first thought this was beneath her and might sully her, but I still felt relieved. I never imagined that she chose you because you’re a Fallen, though.” 

I ignored that part. So Dercia hadn’t been entirely delusional.

"So you believe her recent instability is somehow related to the Fallen?” 

"The possibility is quite high. She has fought back her inner demons countless times, more often than not emerging victorious. But for her to lose twice and escape? That is quite unlike her.” 

I tried to imagine it for a moment.

The 9-star mage Dercia becoming a Fallen. 

To be honest, all that I could picture was the end of the world. The real world would become even more terrifying than any Abyss Realm. 

"Please don’t worry too much. It’s far more likely that I’m overreacting. And yet, as her head maid, I cannot tolerate my Master simply running away like this.”

Dercia falling certainly seemed absurd—perhaps a misunderstanding born from Ciel’s overwhelming concern for her. I mean, she barely started to teach me properly, and suddenly her inner demons overcame her? That’s just too strange.

But I absolutely needed Dercia. 

To kill that Lump bastard and to survive my burdens.

And I needed to ask her about the deep-sea fish. I had to at least consult Dercia about this.

After one last moment of thought, I asked the most crucial question.

"You seem to know where she is. She only wrote that she’s going to her ‘homeland’ though." 

"Yes. When Lady Dercia says ‘homeland’ she means a region, not a country. The place has probably been thrown into quite some chaos by now. The World Tree might be drinking elven blood and sprouting red leaves. Something like that.”

She spoke with such a calm expression that I couldn’t quite get whether she was joking or not. 

Could I trust this maid who was almost as insane as my Master? 

What was I even supposed to say once I found Dercia? 

After a long deliberation, I finally reached a conclusion. 

"There’s no helping it. I still don’t know how I’m supposed to help her, but I do have various reasons to meet her.” 

"Jern, you can help as shock therapy.”

"You want me to give shock therapy to someone who is on the brink of falling? Rather, how exactly do I qualify as shock therapy?” 

Ciel smiled gently at those words. No, she smiled viciously actually.

"I heard you recently acquired another master.” 

"...Yes." 

"I heard you are now pursuing a Knight’s path, is that right?” 

"Well, not exactly… but it certainly looks like that on the outside.” 

"And your master is a dwarf?”

"Yes." 

As I wondered where she was going with this, Ciel nodded with satisfaction. 

"Bring him along. If she sees her genius disciple she adores so much having turned into a dwarven Knight’s apprentice, she'll snap right out of it and come running.”

I stared at Ciel's smug, nasty laughter and found myself thinking…

...Maybe I should have believed the last line of that letter after all.

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