Wizard of the Abyss - Chapter 87

WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 87 - Lineage (6)

After returning from my audience with the princess, I went back to Dercia’s mansion and shared everything in detail.

I fully expected her to scold me. Especially about the part of basically selling her out.

"Hmm…”

But instead, she simply nodded, quietly accepting it.

"It couldn’t be helped. I understand.”

"...You’re not angry?”

"What reason would I have to be angry? It doesn’t seem like a bad deal to me.”

Not a bad deal, she said.

As I pondered over the meaning of her words, curiosity suddenly struck me.

Before I could ask the question that came to my mind, Dercia’s slender fingers brushed through empty air.

"Is that it?”

"...Yes."

I had manifested my Realm in the mansion.

Meanwhile, Dercia tried to touch the yellow jellyfish that saved me twice—or rather the place where it should be. I panicked and tried to stop her.

"It’s fine for me, but it might be dangerous for you, Master. Please don’t touch it carelessly.”

"I’d like to say it’s fine… but I can’t even feel it in the first place. I can only see a hazy shape.”

[?]

Dercia reached for the jellyfish’s tendrils, but her fingers just passed through empty space.

The jellyfish twitched, as if it sensed something, but that was all before it resumed its slow swim.

Their contact produced no result whatsoever. As I stared blankly, the world began to ripple.

Time was up.

"Master, it’s almost time.”

"Yes. Withdraw it.”

The overlapping worlds lost their balance.

The deep-sea creatures faded once more, and the seawater vanished as though it had never existed.

If that balance were to collapse the other way, that would be my end. As that thought crossed my mind, Dercia stroked her chin.

"Hmm, indeed… How peculiar.”

"Peculiar?”

"Most of the research I conducted while I was briefly asleep was related to your Abyss Realm.”

After some thought, Dercia looked at me with curiosity.

"Jern, assuming you aren’t lying, then you’re saying that living beings exist in your world along with a kind of food chain, right?”

"That’s…correct?”

"And since when have they been there?”

"Well, wouldn’t it be since a year ago, when I awakened this Abyss Realm?”

"That can’t be right.”

Dercia shook her head.

"Life developing within a world isn't something that can happen in a mere few years. It’s not impossible, but you said these deep-sea creatures appeared the very day your Soul Fever subsided.”

"Yes."

"Then these beings aren’t a burden. They certainly seem dangerous to you, but if it were a burden placed on you by the Abyssal Sea, such detailed forms, structures, and even a food chain wouldn’t exist.”

Dercia flipped through the illustrated bestiaries of the deep-sea creatures I had drawn, her eyes slowly narrowing.

"Even the fact that some of them are helpful makes them fundamentally different. Burdens are the manifestation of the world itself, and they can never benefit a mage. That is the one rule shared by all worlds.”

"But if they’re actually helping me, isn’t that a good thing? Life has been pretty manageable up to now.”

"...Jern. You need to take this far more seriously.”

Her expression hardened as she continued.

"What do you think would happen if an ordinary person were subjected to your water pressure?”

"They would be crushed to death?”

"Yes. And if water were to flood their lungs?”

"They’d suffocate to death.”

"Precisely. These are very intuitive outcomes. But what kind of result do you think coexisting with deep-sea creatures would produce?”

"They’d get eaten and die?”

“At what point?”

"..."

Only then did I understand what she was getting at.

"At some sudden moment.”

"Exactly. The instant they become aware of you. And we have no way of preventing that moment. Do you think reducing scent or suppressing your presence works on creatures that live in the Abyssal Sea?”

They were able to use Tide Sense.

And because I was able to use it as well, I knew.

I wouldn’t be able to hide from them unless I became a Knight on Brimdal’s level. Which in practical terms meant there was no way.

I had thought about countermeasures against those deep-sea creatures before, but I had never been able to come up with anything that might work.

"No matter how long you manage to endure the burdens of the Abyssal Sea, you could still die abruptly.”

"Yes. That’s true.”

"The fortunate thing is that this situation is not normal. It’s terribly twisted. Originally, a Great Realm—no, any Abyss Realm for that matter—cannot sustain living organisms. It simply isn’t possible.”

For a moment I thought I misheard her.

But Dercia only sighed, looking genuinely relieved.

"If it’s broken, it can be repaired. Or twisted again. But if it’s in a normal state, there’s nothing we would be able to do about it. Just like nothing you do would free you of the water pressure pressing down on you.”

"Because a burden is a burden in the literal sense…right?”

"Correct. Even if you wear a diving suit, the pressure would still crush your body. The deep-sea creatures, however, exist outside that pressure. Which means a workaround might be possible.”

"What do you mean by workaround?”

Dercia opened her mouth.

"There are several possibilities. But first, we need to understand how that world is structured. We cannot devise a solution without knowing how those creatures are able to live within your world.”

"Ah."

Only then did I find the answer to the unease I had felt earlier.

"So that’s why you wanted to learn about my past.”

"Exactly. Scarlet Abyss must have twisted your world during some experiment. Without understanding what they did, we can’t formulate a countermeasure.”

I finally understood why Decia thought that it hadn’t been a bad deal.

Unlike my other burdens, these deep-sea creatures could end my life without warning, so to create a way to deal with them, I absolutely needed to know my past.

"For that purpose, Jern.”

Dercia looked down at me quietly.

"This time, you must not seek out your biological father.”

* * *

Even after we arrived in the kingdom, Carose continued trying to glean even the slightest bit of information from me.

"..."

"You don’t look to be in a good mood."

Even though I was wearing a mask, she must have been able to read it from my bearing as she stealthily approached me even in the middle of the banquet.

Naturally, we were the center of attention, but no one dared to approach us.

Even without scanning them with Tide Sense, I could tell that they were obviously afraid of us. They were desperately trying to hide it, but their anxiety leaked out.

An unexpected visit from the Empire. An imperial envoy sent by the princess.

For people who had been living peacefully among themselves, this must have felt like a bolt from the blue.

Carose tossed a palm fruit into her helmet and continued.

"If you’ve met your biological father, shouldn’t you be…well, happier? Unless you were abused as a child or something.”

"Dame Carose. If you’re trying to extract information, you should start with something else and slowly circle around the question you really want to ask. Who would ever give you a straight answer if you ask them this directly?”

"..."

Feeling a bit sorry for the princess, who had such a hopeless intelligence gatherer, I answered anyway.

"The best possible outcome for me would have been finding out that my biological father was already dead."

"...Isn’t that the worst possible outcome? Why?”

"Because there would be records of the incident. Using those, I could immediately trace information connected to my past.”

"You’re assuming something truly horrific here.”

"The second-best scenario is that he was just an ordinary noble. In that case, I could pressure the king of this nation into coughing up information about any hidden children. There would be some conflict, but even that would still be acceptable.”

"Hmm, then what’s the worst case?”

"This. The king here being my biological father.”

I glanced over at the king, who was arguing with his retainers on the terrace, using Tide Sense.

"Why is that so bad? That would mean you’re a lost prince, right? Can’t you just reveal the truth and ask?”

"A king losing a prince… Well, it could happen. Scarlet Abyss might have seen my talent and abducted me. But is it possible not to know that happened? To never announce the incident or even ask for help?”

"..."

"You could lose someone, but you couldn’t be unaware about it. Whether he abandoned me, offered me up, used me, or simply looked the other way while I was being handed over to Scarlet Abyss, he can’t be trusted. And the absolute worst case is that he’s working with them.”

Only then did Carose seem to fully understand the situation.

"The only way I can get the information I want out of him is by asking, ‘Why did the son you discarded become a Fallen?’ What kind of reaction do you think that would get me? If he were a noble, it could be dismissed as a personal failing, but if he’s a king…at the very least, this would turn into a war between nations.”

"Hmm, I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that.”

"It won’t. I don’t have the authority to rewrite the fate of everyone in this kingdom. It just means things have become very complicated.”

"It certainly has.”

Carose shrugged lightly as she said that.

"Good thing it’s not my problem.”

"..."

Was there really no way I could hit her?

My fist trembled, but a waiter who trembled far more than my fist approached and bowed deeply towards me.

"H-honored I-Imperial Envoy. Our lord requests your presence.”

"..."

We exchanged glances, then set our glasses down.

"Shall we go?”

"It’ll only become more troublesome if you come. Stay here and keep eating those palm fruits.”

"Yes. That sounds good.”

Carose casually tossed another fruit into her helmet. Did she ever take off that thing?

The place the waiter led me to was the terrace I had seen earlier.

The very spot where the king had been speaking with his retainers.

Scanning it using Tide Sense, it seemed that no one else was around anymore.

“Ah, welcome.”

This was our second meeting.

The king extended his hand and greeted me with a warm smile.

"Jahyan Ryatria. I am the ruler of this small nation, far beyond my own merits.”

Our second handshake.

Feeling that eerily familiar texture again, I inwardly let out a deep sigh before taking a seat.

My biological father. Which would mean that I really was a prince. However, that was neither something I wanted nor felt happy about.

To begin with, it wasn’t me who was the prince. The owner of this pitiful body that fell into the Abyssal Sea was the real prince.

That prince and I were separate beings. I had to make that much clear.

As befitting a ruler of a nation, Jahyan carried a firm, resolute presence. Seated at the head of the table, he wasted no time.

"I wonder if our hospitality has been to your satisfaction. This is our first time receiving an imperial envoy, so we did our utmost within our means.”

"Your first time?”

"Yes. There’s no record of such a thing having happened before in our history.”

A kingdom in name only, no different from a small city.

They might be better off than the elves, but still a nation that only lived because the Empire allowed it.

Naturally, even if he was called a king, that title meant little. If he truly defied the imperial princess, not even a pebble would remain of this place. That was also the reason why he personally came to greet me and spoke so politely.

Jahyan clearly knew what became of the nations that dared to bruise the Empire’s pride.

If that was the case, then perhaps this conversation could proceed smoothly. I lightly traced the tabletop with my finger and offered a quiet apology.

"First, allow me to apologize. It seems we arrived far too abruptly.”

"Haha…”

Jahyan laughed awkwardly, though he didn’t deny it.

In truth, we really had shown up without much warning. Visits like this normally took months of prior discussions.

"We had urgent business, so we had no other choice.”

"What urgent business could you have in this remote borderland…?”

"Have you heard of Scarlet Abyss?”

It was a carefully chosen decisive strike dropped in the middle of our conversation.

At the same time, I immediately observed Jahyan’s body with Tide Sense.

But he merely nodded, his expression rather puzzled.

"Yes. I’ve never seen them myself, but from what I’ve heard, they are a truly terrifying organization. Are you saying they have been spotted around here?”

His heartbeat was steady.

It didn’t seem like he was lying.

Of course, I didn’t just stop there and continued as if I truly believed he knew nothing.

"I can’t be certain, but there were signs. Have there been any recent disturbances?”

"Hmm, recent disturbances, huh…?”

Jahyan tilted his head, sinking into his thoughts.

"Ah, there was an incident recently where a maid took her own life. But no matter how much we looked into it, we couldn’t find any reason for her to act like that.”

"Then, have there been any cases of children going missing?”

"Children…you say?”

"Yes."

I was certain this would provoke some kind of reaction.

However, Jahyan’s response was exactly that of a genuinely innocent person.

"I don't recall even minor incidents of that nature being reported. This nation is rather small, so every trivial matter gets brought to my attention…”

"..."

That couldn’t be right.

No matter how well one could deceive oneself, there was no way to completely evade any sort of tell, especially when I mentioned Scarlet Abyss in the same context as missing children.

He—truly didn’t know anything. Neither about Scarlet Abyss nor about his missing son.

"I see."

This time, I tried to press even harder.

"If Scarlet Abyss is truly here, there’s a strong chance they’re being protected by someone very close to you. Is there anything unusual among your family members?”

"Hmm, my wife left this world long ago, so the only family I have left is my son.”

“My apologies. May I ask how old your son is?”

"He turned 11 this year. He’s quite gentle by nature, so it has been quite hard on him.”

The face he made was that of a father filled with concern for his child.

The person he was talking about was most likely that frail-looking boy from the portraits.

Then—there was only one conclusion.

"...There’s no need to worry too much.”

I forced down the dizzy feeling rising within me and continued.

"Our primary objective is to gather information on that organization. Once that is accomplished, we will depart immediately. We came with no other intentions.”

When I gave him the answer he had most likely hoped for, Jahyan brightened visibly.

"I see. Haha, hearing that puts my anxious heart at ease.”

Finding yet another inexplicable sense of familiarity even in that smile, I let out a quiet sigh. After exchanging a few more polite words, I left the terrace.

"Ah, allow me to escort..."

"That won’t be necessary.”

I dismissed the waiter and walked down the corridor.

As long as I maintained my position as the imperial princess’ envoy, there was nowhere in this kingdom I couldn’t go. If even the king couldn’t stop me, who could?

Yet the freedom granted by that false status felt utterly hollow.

"What is going on…?”

So to sum up the situation.

That person was definitely my biological father.

But he never abandoned me, never raised me, and didn’t even know I existed.

Perhaps the prince was someone else, someone that had swapped places with me. But that wasn’t what mattered. Dercia and I were wrong.

No one here knew me.

This was the real worst outcome. If this was how it was, then I wouldn’t be able to find my connection to Scarlet Abyss either. Even the very last thread connecting my past to Scarlet Abyss completely vanished.

"Haah..."

I ran a hand irritably through my hair and decided to withdraw.

I’d just pretend to do something for about three days, then return. Investigating the deep-sea creatures could wait for later.

Tap, tap.

Lost in thought as I walked, shaking off my lingering regret while forcing myself toward a conclusion, I ended up deep inside the royal palace.

There was nothing here I was particularly curious about. Still, having lost my way, I spread out my Tide Sense.

Just when I found the route back and was about to leave…

"?"

Something strange entered my field of perception.

To be precise, it was more like something impossible than just strange.

"......"

There was something underground.

I immediately turned and headed down. Even if I was blocked by countless false doors, they were hardly an obstacle before my Tide Sense.

The closer I got, the clearer I sensed it.

I opened the door that seemed like it hadn’t been used in ages and descended underground.

I walked along a dusty path.

At the end of it stood a massive stone door, without even a single torch nearby. It had taken me about 30 minutes to reach, despite having taken the shortest possible route. This secret passage was absurdly long and complex.

I gazed at the stone door for a moment, hesitated—then charged some wind.

The compressed wind turned into lightning.

-Boom!

As the door shattered, I sent in a light sphere. Inside were rows of coffins. It looked like a morgue.

This time, I stepped inside immediately, opening one of them with no further hesitation—

And was faced with a corpse.

It wasn’t a skeleton, nor did it even show the faintest hint of decay.

It looked as though it had died just moments ago—No, rather, it looked as if it were merely sleeping.

"...Hah."

I let out a hollow laugh as I stared at it.

That face wasn’t unfamiliar to me.

In fact, I had just seen it moments ago.