WETRIED TRANSLATIONS
Wizard of the Abyss
[Translator – Aren]
Chapter 85 - Lineage (4)
"Sorry, I took quite some time, didn’t I?”
It hadn’t even taken the princess five minutes to bring the tea.
I’d already returned the documents to their original spot so that she wouldn’t notice I read them. A steaming teapot was set right on top of them.
—Glub, glub, glub
I stared at the rosy-colored tea she poured for me for a moment before I spoke up cautiously.
"I’m of rather humble origins, so I don’t know much about noble etiquette or Imperial customs, but I’m rather sure that having the princess herself pour me tea is some kind of breach.”
"Most problems only become problems because someone decides to treat them as problems.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Wearing her usual bright smile, Sharmia continued.
"So, what would you like to hear first? Oh, are you perhaps curious about the time Carose tried baking butter cookies and turned them into charcoal?”
"Honestly, yeah, but I’m in a bit of a rush here.”
I quietly wet my lips with the tea and spoke firmly.
"I came here already knowing a part of my past. That I was born somewhere in a little desert town—or something, right?”
"Oh, really?”
Sharmia clapped her hands in surprise.
"Amazing! It took me ages to figure that much out! If you’ve already gotten that far… Hmmm, this is a bit troublesome.”
"Troublesome?”
"Hehehe, the truth is, I don’t actually know much about Rahashan. You might know more than I do.”
"Rahashan, huh?”
I tried saying this unfamiliar word.
I’d never heard if before. Leaning forward, elbows on the desk, I asked,
"What kind of place is it?”
"It’s a small country far, far out west in the desert. However, even though they stubbornly insist that it’s a country, I’d say it’s more like a town, really.”
"And the Empire left them alone?”
"A lion doesn't bother hunting mice, right? That would be quite silly, don’t you think?”
"..."
By her phrasing I could immediately tell how my supposed birthplace was regarded by the Empire. It was no different to how they treated the elves.
"Finding your birthplace wasn’t easy. First, I had to comb through every nation and settlement within the Empire that was searching for any missing noble children.”
"Noble children? Why would you—”
"You had a certain refinement about you.”
Sharmia cut me off.
"Just look at you now. You almost instinctively set down your teacup without making a single sound. No one does that unless they were taught to do it. It seemed like you were strictly instructed in etiquette from a very young age, even if you don’t remember it.”
That was quite some baseless conclusion.
However, Sharmia looked proud of that absurd deduction.
"Anyway, there weren’t many missing noble children. Eventually we ended up looking through the ones who weren’t missing—and tada! We found a childhood picture of you, Jern.”
"And how did you conclude that it was the younger me? Based on what?”
"Jern."
Sharmia giggled, looking at me like I had said something quite funny.
"You do realize you’re still really young, right?”
"...That’s true.”
I shrugged. Same hair color, same eyes, similar age range. There were plenty of factors that one could use to draw a conclusion.
"To be honest, I couldn’t connect that child to you either. What made it certain was that portrait.”
"...?"
-Slide.
She pushed a drawing toward me.
"This child’s parents perhaps…”
"Mmh, they never reported their child missing.”
Sharmia smiled softly and handed me several more drawings.
All of them were me. A child that looked like me, yet carried a completely different air.
As I sorted through them, I began to piece together the situation.
There seemed to be a me separate from the me who was obviously missing.
That was why no one ever came looking for me.
"One thing—”
"If you’re thinking this is one of those succession disputes where they would kill a poor innocent baby—no. It doesn’t seem to be that horrible of a place. The couple seems to have a good relationship. However, they barely have any extended family. And apparently, crime’s been on the rise in that place recently.”
"...Did you foresee that I would ask that?”
"No. But I do know you, Jern. I figured you’d ask something like that.”
There it was again. She said that she knew me again.
Gathering all the portraits in a single stack, I bowed my head.
"I see. Thank you. With this, I should at least be able to find where I came from.”
"Ah, it’s something I should have given you earlier anyway. I hope you get to meet your parents.”
"..."
I couldn’t give her a straight answer.
While I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, my supposed twin brother was clearly treated as an only child. Meaning I wasn’t equally acknowledged.
The best-case scenario was that I was just a distant relative who just happened to resemble that kid. The worst-case scenario would be that I was deliberately abandoned.
Even if I believed everything the princess told me, real secrets never revealed themselves easily. The latter explanation was a lot more plausible.
If so, charging in blindly wouldn’t be the smartest of choices here.
But I still had to go.
"...Jern, you look troubled.”
"Ugh."
It seemed like it had shown on my face.
I had been so lost in thought that I didn’t even feel Tide Sense picking up on Sharmia’s hand brushing over mine.
Warmth seeped softly into my fingers. She whispered to me with a gentle, benevolent smile.
"If you don’t find it rude, may I offer you a little help?”
"What do you mean?”
"It looked like you truly desperately want to meet your parents. But going alone must make you feel uneasy, right…? Isn’t that what’s weighing on you?”
"Hmm, yes. Something like that.”
"Then—how about this? Why not travel there under my name?”
"..."
Her suggestion was just as sweet as her voice.
That nation could only survive because the Empire allowed it to. If they so much as touched an envoy sent by an imperial princess herself, their existence would vanish like a fleeting dream.
"If you were willing to work with me, Jern, I would be more than happy to do this for you…”
"No thanks.”
"As expected, huh?”
She lightly accepted my refusal.
She smiled wryly, as if she had already prepared her next card to play.
"Still, I am the First Princess of the Empire, you know? Nobles would send caravans full of gold as tribute for just a single word from my mouth.”
"Well, I could probably fill a wagon with copper.”
"Really? The current price of copper ingots is…about this much, you know?”
When I saw the number she scribbled down, I immediately changed my answer.
"Maybe half a wagon…”
"While half a wagon of copper filled with your sincerity would certainly make me happy, it’s not quite enough to move an imperial princess."
"Then I guess it can’t be helped.”
Her help would have been more than welcome, but if I couldn’t persuade her, then there was nothing I could do about it.
The moment I started to rise to my feet, she stopped me with a crooked smile.
"Could I borrow your master for a bit?”
"Master? What for?”
"What for… Ahem, that sounds terribly harsh, don’t you think?”
"Ah, my apologies. What does Your Highness intend to borrow her for?”
"...You know, it’s just that my dear little sister, Lumia, has been whining so much lately.”
I had completely forgotten about Lumia.
She was also a princess, just completely overshadowed by her far too competent older sister, so she barely felt like one.
"So I thought it might cheer her up to let her take one of Dercia’s lessons…”
"That is a tremendously bad idea.”
Dercia and Lumia.
I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if those two were to meet again. Given her personality, Dercia would most likely beat up Lumia until she was as flat as the ground, which would lead to Dercia getting executed for treason.
"It won't be long! Just three days. If you promise me that much, I’ll repay you with everything I can. And I'll make very sure that Lumia behaves properly.”
"...Yes, understood.”
In the past, I wouldn’t have dared to volunteer Dercia for anything.
Honestly, even now it wasn’t something I could just casually agree to—but at the moment, Dercia’s every action showed her deep guilt for what she almost did to me.
So she would probably accept this much.
"I’ll do it.”
"Good choice.”
Seeing Sharmia smile like that, a small question rose in my mind.
"By the way, what exactly do you mean by helping me? Do I just show up and say, 'I'm an envoy sent by Her Highness the First Princess?'"
"Haah, Jern."
Sharmia replied, her face half smug and half mocking. The kind of expression that made one want to punch her.
"His Majesty has granted me an extraordinary amount of authority. I am only to wield it in emergencies, of course.”
"And?”
"Hmm, wait just a moment.”
Still smiling, she lowered her gaze and began to fill out two documents at a blurring speed.
Within two minutes, she rolled up the two papers, stood, and addressed me in a firm tone.
"Jern. Come here and kneel.”
"?"
"Ahem. That was an imperial command."
Trying to swallow down the urge to smack this prophet princess, I stepped away from the table and knelt on one knee. Sharmia then tapped my shoulder a few times with the rolled-up documents.
"Jern Aspandil—from this moment forward, I appoint you as my personal envoy.”
"Calling me ‘personal’ or whatever isn't acceptable.”
"...Then I appoint you as an imperial envoy instead, Sir Jern.”
I had been granted a title.
Was it really that easy? I suppressed the very vulgar thought that I could earn quite a bit by selling government posts and accepted the documents with humility.
"And this is your first assignment. Please check it.”
The paper was filled with details of a diplomatic mission to Rahashan.
I decided to read through it more later. I folded it and tucked it into my back pocket.
"I didn’t think a title was necessary, but thanks.”
"Oh. Hmm…?”
"What is it?”
Sharmia tilted her head, baffled by my calm demeanor.
"I shouldn’t say this myself, but shouldn’t you be a bit more grateful or flustered? You’ve received a noble title, a full social reversal! You’re no longer a commoner, you know…?”
"It does feel a bit strange.”
"...You’re an imperial envoy, you know?? Anywhere you go, you can say, ‘I represent the Imperial Household,’ and they’ll lodge you in the finest room in the city, you know???”
"I have my own workshop.”
I knew that this was supposed to be a good thing.
I could also tell what she wanted. She probably expected me to keep using my status as an envoy to entangle myself with her more.
But once this business was over, I would rip up this document and hand the title back. Being tied down to some annoying lord-vassal relationship was majorly inconvenient.
Perhaps even fatal.
Still, if weighing the risk of being entangled with the princess against the need to uncover my past—the scale tipped slightly toward the latter.
Sharmia nodded, seeming reluctant.
"I-I see.”
"It was nice doing business with you. Then, may peace be with you.”
"Ah, wait.”
"Is there anything more you wish to tell me?”
"...Even an imperial envoy can't travel alone. I’ll assign you a squad from the Envoy Corps tomorrow."
"Thank you.”
Before she could add anything more, I slipped out.
Getting too involved with that prophet would only end with me getting burned after all.
-Thud
As soon as I stepped out and shut the door behind me, I spotted a Knight in black armor standing in the guard’s place.
It seemed like she had been waiting there.
I swallowed dryly and bowed.
"...Pleasure to see you, Carose.”
"..."
After a brief silence, she moved.
She probably wanted me to follow her. I knew the way but had no intention of revealing that fact, so I simply trailed behind her obediently.
"What did you discuss with Her Highness?”
"Just some things…”
Just my appointment as an imperial envoy and that I would be leaving for my homeland tomorrow.
I had a feeling that if I mentioned the former, she might throw a fit, so I brought up something else.
"I heard that Dame Carose once tried to bake cookies and turned them into charcoal instead.”
It wasn’t until the words left my mouth that I realized something.
She would probably also throw a fit over that.
"...Haah."
But instead of getting angry, Carose let out a heavy sigh. So heavy, in fact, that I could hear it even through her armor.
"Sir…Jern.”
"Yes. Wait, I apologize if I offended you. The more serious parts of the conversation—”
"I have never baked cookies for Her Highness.”
"...?"
Was she denying it out of embarrassment?
No, her tone of voice was too steady for that.
"It seems like I took one of Her Highness' jokes too seriously.”
"It wasn’t a joke.”
-Krrrrrrk…
Carose pressed a gauntleted hand to the wall, opening a concealed passage.
Numerous hidden pathways unfolded before me at once. It felt like those shortcuts one could open up in some video game dungeons.
"Most likely I—really once tried baking cookies for her and burned them.”
"..."
I fell silent, understanding what Carose was trying to say.
"She confused her memories. Memories of the ‘me’ from that other time with those of the ‘me’ standing here now. It happens more often than one might think.”
"...I see."
Bright moonlight fell over us. Carose stared out at the dawn-lit rooftops of the beautiful palace as she spoke quietly.
"I cannot trust you. Not when her Highness told me what she has. That you were her enemy and the Empire’s.”
"But I love the Empire. As long as I have my sanity, I won’t rebel.”
"That’s exactly why I strongly suggested fastening a tight leash around your neck.”
Why were there so many women in the Empire who completely ignored the Imperial Law?
While I was lamenting that fact, Carose bowed her head deeply.
"You may hate me, but do not misunderstand Her Highness’ sincerity.”
"I don’t. She seems like a good person to me. Someone who works incredibly hard for the Empire.”
"Just calling it ‘working hard’ seems like an understatement. How much of her life and time has she abandoned to keep this Empire’s peace?”
Her clenched, gauntleted hand trembled.
"If you are not an enemy of the Empire…then I beg you. Please be Her Highness’ ally. If she desires you, then it must be someone of great value.”
"Hmm."
A plea. Just short of straight up begging me.
Moonlight played along her armor, yet the metal was so black it was hard to tell where the shadows ended.
What a loyal Knight she was. I tried to answer with equal amounts of seriousness as I stepped toward the rear exit of the palace.
"If that is what you believe, then give Her Highness a message.”
"...What—”
"If she wants to use me as her puppet, then I should at least know what’s going on in her head.”
"That’s—!”
Carose almost shouted, but then closed her mouth tightly.
She couldn’t tell me everything yet. She knew it, and I knew it.
Then there was only one thing left for me to say.
"Thank you for your time so late at night.”
"...You may come to regret this.”
"Yes. If you’re referring to that matter, then perhaps.”
If something benefited me, I would gladly jump into fire without hesitation.
However, I would never be able to jump into a hole when I didn’t know what it contained.
That wasn’t what one would call an adventure, but just a mere gamble.
"The only one who doesn’t seem to understand that is Her Highness, it seems.”
-Thud.
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