WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 90 - Hunt (3)

Jahyan, the king of this country, and Rahyan’s father… Well, how should I put this? 

He reacted a bit more intensely than Rahyan did. 

"What in the world is this absurd nonsense?” 

"Unfortunately, it’s the truth.” 

Without his cooperation, our plan would be greatly delayed. With no other choice, I stirred things up first and explained the basics, even if it didn’t contain all the details.

Since we were in the middle of the banquet they prepared for us, I approached him, glass in hand and mouth wide open, quietly whispering to him. 

"Try not to make it obvious. I would have preferred to call you somewhere else for a private discussion, but the situation is urgent, so it couldn’t be helped.” 

"...Understood.” 

Jahyan immediately shut his mouth and put on a calm expression. 

I hadn’t told him everything, but even after hearing that some of his own retainers had been replaced by members of Scarlet Abyss, he managed to return to his usual demeanor in an instant. That alone was already reassuring enough.

It wasn't a perfect poker face, however. His eyes were trembling a bit as he asked, his voice tinged with distrust. 

"I understand the situation. In fact, it puts me somewhat at ease. If an imperial envoy is personally intervening, there must be some basis beyond mere suspicion. However…” 

His gaze drifted toward Rahyan, who was at the far end of the banquet hall, awkwardly trying to keep up conversations with others. His expression turned into a concerned one. 

"...Rahyan? You’re saying he can distinguish them? Why? That’s… I don’t quite understand…” 

He looked as though he didn’t want to accept the facts, so I added a bit more to my explanation. 

“His Highness, the Prince appears to possess exceptional aptitude as a mage.” 

"Hmm, indeed.”

"It seemed like living among them allowed him to discern differences in their mana. It seems the process caused some issues with his perception and communication…”

"Wh-what do you mean by that?” 

"That, once we capture all those spies within the palace, the prince will likely feel much better as well.” 

"...Rahyan has complained of strange symptoms from time to time. No matter how much we examined him, we found nothing wrong and assumed it was a mental issue…”

"This was probably the cause. If we successfully eliminate the Scarlet Abyss members here, the prince’s condition should improve significantly.” 

He didn’t reply, but I could see resolve forming on Jahyan’s face. This much should suffice for now. To be honest, even I didn’t know exactly why Rahyan possessed that ability. 

I carefully scanned my surroundings and lifted my glass. 

The scale of the banquet had increased dozens of times over. 

Jugglers, attendants, and maids had all gathered here, turning it into a grand festival rivaling an imperial celebration. Nobles had been summoned at short notice and stood around in confusion, glasses in hand.

Even so, a handful of attendants and maids hadn’t come yet. Carose would investigate those individuals.

Now then, the ideal outcome would be for the culprit to be here… 

I spread my Tide Sense over the entire banquet hall.

[No matter if he’s an imperial envoy, this is excessive…] 

[This is far too extravagant…]

[Perhaps we failed in our hospitality. Maybe this is how the Imperial Court lives every day.] 

[Even if that were true, demanding the same treatment from a small country like ours…] 

The nobles were enthusiastically voicing their complaints. 

[Why are we even here? We’re just standing around.]

[He said if there weren’t enough people, it wouldn’t feel like we were properly welcoming him…] 

[Wow, so the Imperial Court has these kinds of rules, huh?] 

[There’s so much food, and we can’t even touch it? This is nothing short of torture…] 

The attendants weren’t much different. 

My head started to ache, making me squint slightly. There was simply too much information flowing into me that processing every single piece of it led to headaches. 

I found the prince standing off to the side and, using the currents, traced words across his back.

[Rahyan, don’t speak out loud. Just whisper quietly. I’ll be able to hear you.] 

Startled Rahyan flinched, glanced around, then carefully shaped his mouth. 

"Y-you can hear me?”

[Yes. Perfectly.] 

"Whoa… What kind of magic is this? It seems like some magic of an incredibly high level… Is this really possible at only 2 stars? Will I be able to do it too?” 

[...If you put in enough effort. Do you feel anything strange?] 

"N-no.”

Rahyan shook his head and flinched slightly.

"There are just too many people, so it’s a bit hard, but I’ll try my best.” 

As if steeling himself, Rahyan took a few deep breaths, then started walking through the banquet hall.

Even if he was the way he was, a prince was still a prince. His presence immediately drew the attention of nearby nobles. 

[Wait, isn’t that Prince Rahyan? My apologies for my late introductions. We haven’t had the chance to meet on any official occasion…] 

[I-It’s fine. It’s my fault for not coming out. Haha.] 

[To think you’ve grown so much already! It’s truly difficult to catch even a glimpse of your noble face!]

[Hahaha…] 

Though clearly overwhelmed, Rahyan kept moving forward.

However, even after sweeping through every group of nobles, Rahyan shook his head.

"There’s nothing…”

[Hmm.] 

I had assumed they’d be among the nobles. 

After several meticulous checks, I had confirmed that Rahyan could glimpse a Fallen’s world within roughly a five-meter radius. 

And over the course of 30 minutes of scouting, every noble had entered Rahyan’s range at least once.

If he had glimpsed a Fallen’s world often enough to develop social anxiety, I had assumed it would be a noble he interacted with frequently.

Then again, he probably interacted with the attendants and maids a lot more than nobles.

[Next, take a look at the attendants. Focus on people you normally interact with.] 

"Yes!" 

Answering briskly, Rahyan approached the place where the attendants were.

Unlike the nobles, the attendants greeted him far more gently.

[Your Highness, is something the matter? Are you all right with so many people around?] 

"I’m fine…”

Rahyan looked timid even before the attendants— 

Then his eyes suddenly flew wide open. 

[Ah, Your Highness. I trust you’ve been well all this time.] 

"...Y-yeah." 

-Thumpthumpthump

His heartbeat spiked sharply as he lowered his head. 

Even then, he didn’t forget his task. His lips moved ever so slightly as he whispered.

"Brother, it’s…now.” 

[Well done.] 

I checked the four people who had just been near Rahyan. 

Two were nobles. They had already been cleared. 

One was a maid. She had already been cleared as well. 

The last one was—a middle-aged woman. The head maid. 

She tilted her head when she noticed Rahyan didn’t look so well, then left. Only after she was gone did Rahyan finally breathe more easily again. 

Found the bastard.

As I kept focusing my perception on her, Rahyan muttered in confusion. 

"B-brother, erm… Could the head maid just now be the culprit?” 

[I’m not sure. Why?] 

"That doesn’t make sense though…? When I was close to the head maid before, nothing really happened. Does it only happen when I’m with a specific person?”

[...] 

Hearing that, I fell into silent thought. 

Rahyan can glimpse the inner world of certain individuals. 

Then whose world had Rahyan glimpsed? 

Everyone is himself, and he is everyone. 

Or, put in other words—there is no self. No individual existence. 

The terror of being unable to distinguish anything. 

And if it was a Burden born from that terror where one couldn’t even tell who was scared—

There was only one I could think of. 

[...She probably switched bodies.] 

"H-huh?”

[The head maid you knew has probably already been dealt with. What’s there now is nothing more than a monster that devoured her memories and is mimicking her.] 

"Tha-that’s possible…?” 

[Unfortunately.] 

Yes, only one. 

[It is possible.] 

* * * 

[Hey, don’t call Decay, they’re just idiots.] 

[Explain.] 

Back in the head maid’s quarters, the Lump scribbled down a rough report.

[These envoys don’t look like they plan to investigate at all. Sure, maybe the higher-ups noticed something, but the ones sent here are totally clueless. They blew the banquet up to insane proportions and even demanded bribes. I mean, they are out right now stuffing their faces with local specialties under the excuse of inspection.] 

From the Knights to the envoys. 

They were so focused on lining their own pockets it bordered on absurdity.

If they had even the slightest bit of suspicion that they were seriously dealing with Scarlet Abyss here, they’d never behave like this. 

[Anyway, that’s the situation. I'm heading out on a short trip to nearby cities. I won’t kill too many.] 

[Wait.] 

[What now?] 

The next message didn’t come until a full 10 minutes later. 

[Lump. Take what you can and run.]

[?] 

[I’ll spell it out for you. Retrieve only the prince, the minimum asset that still holds influence over the kingdom, and escape immediately. I won’t permit anything else. The rendezvous point is the usual one.] 

The Lump stared blankly at the page for a moment, confused, then hastily wrote back.

[Wait, what the hell are you talking about? Did you even read what I wrote? Those guys are seriously nothing.]

[I will not repeat myself. Your situation is critical. Act immediately.] 

[Why should I? Who the fuck says I have to obey you every time you open your mouth? The thing I’m afraid of isn’t you; it’s Great Void. If you can’t convince me, I’m not doing shit.]

[...] 

Even as it scribbled furiously, the Lump assumed the form of a knight, just in case.

The reply came after a short delay. 

[1. An imperial envoy would not come here merely to indulge himself.] 

[Why?] 

[He’s an imperial envoy. If he wished, he could take several countries—or cities of this size—without resistance. What he could gain here is negligible, almost nothing actually.] 

[Greed is boundless.] 

[2. If we assume point 1 is true, then there must be a reason he is pretending like this. The envoy has confirmed your existence through some means and is buying time..] 

[Time?]

[Yes. It is reasonable to assume that you have already been identified.] 

[...Hold on, what kind of bullshit is that?] 

Confused, the Lump tilted its head and gripped the pen.

[So what? Isn't that all just speculation? And because of one guess, we’re supposed to abandon a kingdom we’ve spent years cultivating and just run?] 

[Yes.] 

[Have you all collectively lost your damn minds? Do you really think I’d agree to that?] 

[An imperial envoy implies that he has a direct connection to the Princess. What could normally be dismissed as groundless speculation becomes certainty.] 

[That so? Then you failed to convince me. What now?]

[This is the counsel of Heavenly Balance. Heed it.]  

"...You should’ve said that from the start." 

Muttering bitterly, the Lump picked up a sword and shoved it into its mouth. 

Its esophagus naturally swallowed the blade along with its hilt.

New text appeared before its eyes now once again in the form of the head maid. 

[If you wish, we can call in Decay.] 

"Hmm..." 

The Lump listened carefully to its surroundings. 

It was so silent that the only thing one could hear was the chirping of insects.

Even if Heavenly Balance’s speculation was correct, it didn’t seem like the plan had already been set in motion. 

[No need.] 

[We’ll summon him for now.] 

[I said there’s no need for that. Tsk.] 

As it prepared to leap out the window, the Lump reminded itself that it had to take the prince, so it stepped out into the corridor instead.

On its way toward the prince’s chambers, it ran into two guards. 

They stopped it without the slightest suspicion.

"Ah, Miss Head Maid. Beyond this point is the residence of the royal—”

-Crack! 

The guards collapsed without ever realizing their necks had been twisted 180 degrees. 

Even then, the Lump’s steps didn’t slow in the slightest. It stopped in front of the prince’s door, raised its hand to knock, then hesitated. It knew that the prince would undoubtedly scream if it tried to take him by force. 

It couldn’t kill him either. Too much effort had gone into his creation. 

To silence him, it would have had to knock him unconscious, but since he was still a child, it didn’t know how to subdue him without killing him. No matter how carefully it held back, the boy would die easily.

With no other choice, it used a different method. The moment it entered the prince’s room, it shouted, 

"Your Highness! An intruder!” 

"Eh, huh? Wha–...?” 

The prince, who seemed like he just woke up, rubbed his eyes in confusion.

It immediately hoisted the prince onto its back and whispered. 

"Assassins have overrun the palace. We must escape immediately, so don’t make a sound." 

"Assassins?? Why???” 

"This isn’t the time to think about that.” 

"Ah, okay!” 

It had considered choking him out even if it ended up killing him if he dared to resist. 

Fortunately, the boy was so frail and meek that he simply nodded, fear filling his face. 

'...I swear I’ve seen this face somewhere else before.’ 

Tilting its head as that thought crossed its mind again, the Lump leapt straight out the window.

"Uwaaah…” 

"Just endure it for a moment.” 

Without making a single sound, it exited the palace, leaping across rooftops and vertically scaling the outer walls. 

It figured that it would at most take an hour for the guards’ corpses to be discovered when the next patrol unit came around.

That was more than enough time to put distance between them to easily escape, rendering all means of pursuit useless.

5 minutes later, they were already deep in the desert. 

The prince clung to the Lump’s neck, trembling. 

"W-wait! You’re too fast! How far are we going??” 

"We’ll wait here.” 

Crossing the desert with just a single body was impossible for it.

The Lump set down the prince and wrote another line in the notebook.

[I brought him to the rendezvous point. Send transport immediately.] 

[...]

[?]

There was no reply. 

Growing irritated, the Lump wrote more. 

[Hurry up and send it. I already killed two guards. If we get discovered and I have to fight that ‘imperial envoy’ you mentioned, I’ll just wipe this entire country off the map.] 

[...] 

Still no response. 

The Lump’s gaze slowly turned cold. 

They had been communicating just fine until moments ago, so being cut off like this could only mean one thing.

Something else had happened.

—Something more important than its matter. 

"U-umm…” 

"Shut up and stay still.” 

It didn’t have any time to worry about the prince at the moment. 

If necessary, it would break the boy’s legs and immediately seek out Decay for help.

However, despite the harsh words, the prince continued speaking, the anxious expression on his face still there.

"Could it be that Decay suddenly got into a fight with a powerful enemy, and that’s why the response is delayed?” 

"..." 

The Lump’s gaze… 

Properly settled on the prince for the first time since it rushed out of the palace.

The boy, who had always been frail, constantly subservient, and unable to speak with certainty, was a little different now. 

His manner of speaking remained unchanged, but his behavior was rather different.

There was not a hint of retreat in his demeanor, only quiet confidence radiating from him.

"...You." 

"For example, um, it’s impossible, but maybe he’s fighting a 9-star mage right now…or something like that.” 

"Who are you?” 

"You're seriously unable to tell the difference, huh? Even if you live in a world like that, there has to be some way to distinguish between things…”

The prince snorted, ran a hand through his hair, and stared straight at it.

It had been subject to many murderous gazes before. It had seen them transform into fear again and again. 

But a gaze filled with murderous intent mixed with iron conviction was something it had never seen before.

"Or so I thought." 

"Hehe…” 

Only then did the Lump understand. 

The one who had fallen into this trap wasn’t just it. It was Scarlet Abyss as a whole.

The skin keeping it disguised as the head maid burst apart, twisting and reshaping into the grotesque lifeform it was. 

"Yeah. There is a way. I thought my world just makes it a little hard to tell others apart. I see. I could have sworn it was the prince. Just what the hell are you?”

Jern slowly widened the distance between them and replied calmly.

"We’re not close enough to talk about that, don’t you think?” 

"Yeah. That’s true… I guess we’ll just need to get a little closer first.” 

At the same time, it felt relieved. 

This kind of threat? It was nothing. 

It didn’t doubt Heavenly Balance’s judgement, and it admitted this brat was somewhat amusing, but— 

Not someone it would ever see as a real threat. It had confirmed it many times over.

After crushing this brat, it would head off to assist Decay. 

Just as it reached out, intending to lightly snap Jern’s neck, Jern clenched his fist, his expression the image of indifference. 

"You think? I don’t really want to though.” 

-Crunch! 

For the first time in its existence, the Lump experienced being crushed alive.

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