WETRIED TRANSLATIONS

Wizard of the Abyss

[Translator – Aren]

Chapter 98 - Three Calamities (5)

One week later. Morning.

What greeted me was the sight of Dercia and Ciel agreeing with each other, which was quite unusual, to say the least.

"Jern. This seems a bit excessive.”

"Yes. Wouldn’t it be better to think this over one more time?”

To that I only had one thing to say.

"Wait, how did you even get in here?”

This place was a detention facility for nobles, located in the very center of the capital.

While the facility was quite decent, it was still meant to imprison people. It was still a detention center after all. No one could enter without authorization.

And while Dercia was my master, that alone shouldn’t have been enough to grant her access to this place. Obtaining official permission should have been close to impossible.

Without saying a single word more, she casually opened the door of the cell.

Her mansion came into view.

"...Didn’t you say that you could only go to places you’ve been to using that spell?”

"Sir Jern. Common sense dictates there’s no way my Lady has never been locked up in a detention facility.”

"Isn’t it pretty much impossible to imprison my master even if someone tried?”

Dercia snorted at my bafflement.

"They begged me to at least stay in the detention facility. This is hardly the time for such trivial stories.”

As I wondered just what she might have done in the past to warrant that, she continued, her expression slightly impatient.

"There must be an easier method. If we know nothing about the enemy, I highly doubt that it’s necessary to go out of your way to consume this poison.”

"Didn’t we already settle this matter yesterday?”

"...I’m asking you to reconsider. Frankly speaking, this is utterly insane.”

"Hmm."

As I scratched my cheek, the chain of my handcuffs shifted slightly, producing a metallic sound.

They were bound around my wrists. I could remove them anytime I wanted, but I had no intention of doing so.

This was what I was aiming for after all.

"Okay, if you can answer me this one thing, I’ll immediately stop.”

"What is it?”

"Do you think this method is irrational?”

"..."

Dercia didn’t answer.

Or rather, she couldn’t. Persuasion had already ended yesterday.

What remained was whether she could accept it emotionally.

"I know it’s dangerous. That’s why I’ll need some help to feel even slightly safer.”

"Jern."

"I’ll bring back as much material as I can. Things that even you’d find interesting, Master.”

I met Dercia’s gaze.

I couldn’t quite tell… but there seemed to be some worry mixed in that look.

Was it reluctance to lose a test subject or reluctance to lose her disciple?

I hoped it was the latter. Not long after, I could hear the sound of boots echoing outside.

Letting out a sigh, Dercia turned and stepped back into her mansion.

"You have never once betrayed my expectations.”

"You won’t be disappointed this time either.”

"Thank you. However…”

She shook her head, seeming slightly weary.

"At times, I find myself wishing you’d meet my expectations exactly.”

-Thud.

The moment Dercia and the worried Ciel closed the door, it opened once more. Two tense officials entered.

"Follow…us.”

"Yes."

Even without using Tide Sense, I could feel their confusion.

Well…it was understandable.

The detention center Sharmia had placed me in was one reserved for nobles charged with the crime of plotting treason.

Of course, they’d be wondering what in the world was going on.

Escorted under heavy guard, I rode in a carriage for about 30 minutes before arriving at a building that was so tall it seemed to pierce the sky.

As with most courthouses, a statue of a goddess stood at the front.

It reminded me a bit of Korea. As I drifted into such nostalgic thoughts, I noticed that what the goddess was holding wasn’t a set of scales but a human head, which made me furrow my brows.

-Clank!

The doors of the courthouse opened.

Its gallery was already packed with numerous spectators.

The first faces I noticed were Elisia, clutching a handkerchief, her expression exceedingly anxious, and Aletus beside her, letting out a deep sigh.

"Jern...!"

Just as Elisia was about to speak to me, Aletus stopped her.

They were probably already briefed on the situation.

Beyond them were numerous nobles, filling the gallery.

The moment they saw me, quiet murmurs spread through the room.

Curious, I spread out my Tide Sense to listen in on what they were saying.

[Is that…him? Jern?]

[Huh. I just thought it was a rumor, but he actually exists?]

[I told you he’s real! That boy saved my son!]

[Then how will this trial end?]

[If the rumors are true, he’ll obviously be found not guilty. This must be Her Highness making a statement.]

[What do you mean?]

[It’s probably something like, "Even after committing such crimes, he’s declared innocent—meaning I’ve marked this person as one of my own. Don’t touch him lightly.”]

[Hooh, that makes sense. By pardoning all his crimes, Her Highness subtly signals her connection to him…]

Were they writing a novel?

As their chatter grew louder, the man seated in the judge’s position struck his gavel to restore order.

"Silence. We will now begin the trial. Defendant—Jern Aspandil, please step forward.”

I walked towards the defendant’s stand and looked at the judge.

"11 years old. Jern Aspandil. Apprentice of the Dark Magic Tower, trainee under Brimdal, and direct disciple of Dercia. Are these facts correct?”

"Yes."

Just the recitation of my background alone caused another stir in the spectators.

[What did he just say?]

[An apprentice of the Dark Magic Tower at that age?]

[No, putting everything else aside. What do they mean by Bimdal’s trainee?]

[I looked into his background. It seems like he won a Knight cadet tournament with overwhelming skill. I mean, the people he fought were around his age, so it may not mean much, but they say he did it using only swordsmanship. No magic.]

[Now that’s just absurd.]

The judge simply sighed and continued, not even bothering to silence them.

"Prosecutor, present the contents of the indictment.”

"Yes."

The prosecutor standing beside me began to list my charges.

"The defendant entered the elven forest, a designated protected zone, and committed kidnapping, torture, and unlawful detention against innocent elves.”

At that point, I decided to glance at Dercia, who was seated in the gallery as well.

[...Focus on the trial.]

Hmm.

Maybe this was why she tried to stop me.

* * *

Turning back time to the day after I had a thorough talk with Carose.

I went to see Sharmia immediately.

"Your Highness. Dame Carose has betrayed you. She whispered to me your most intimate secret, which you wished to hide more than anything. I recommend immediate and severe punishment.”

"...Huh?"

-Drip

The tea Sharmia had been drinking spilled out of her cup.

She looked utterly dumbfounded, turning her head behind her.

"C-Carose? What is he talking about?”

"...Jern, you bastard..."

Standing behind her with her hands clasped behind her back, Carose glared at me with clear murderous intent and spoke, her teeth clenched.

We had already agreed on this, yet she was still angry. What a temper.

Sharmia, clearly flustered, looked back and forth between us and asked again.

"Wh-what is this? Carose, were you really trying to betray me? I trusted you more than anyone in the world. That’s just too cruel. At least grant me the mercy of a single, clean strike in the name of our bond as Lord and Knight. I won’t resent you.”

"I am deeply sorry, Your Highness."

Carose bowed deeply. It was far past just 90° and closer to 110°.

"I arbitrarily judged that this would be for the better and committed an ignorant and unforgivable act. I will accept any punishment. Please execute me.”

"...Oh, come on. I was just joking. Don’t take it so seriously.”

Sharmia smiled brightly and placed a hand on Carose’s shoulder, helping her up.

"I know you’re not the kind of person who would betray me. In every future I’ve seen, you never betrayed me. And if such a thing were to happen, it would surely be for my sake.”

"Np. This was for my own purpose—”

"Jern?”

"Yes. Dame Carose chose to betray you for the sake of Your Highness’ safety. I would like you to take this into consideration.

"See? That’s what this is, right?”

"..."

As she left Carose standing there, wearing an expression that perfectly blended gratitude and guilt, she turned to me.

Those breathtakingly beautiful eyes looked straight at me as she asked.

"So, what exactly is this about?”

This was the most crucial moment. I answer, my expression serious.

"I'll explain in more detail. Dame Carose betrayed you because I refused to become Your Highness’ hunting dog.”

"I truly found that to be unfortunate. Have you changed your mind? If so, I’d welcome any sort of betrayal."

"Not yet. But I think we can come to an agreement.”

I quietly placed the red collar on the desk.

"I possess a means of contacting Scarlet Abyss.”

"Really?? Where did you even get something like that?”

She looked genuinely surprised. I was truly astonished by her level of mastery over her emotions.

What she did was fabricate emotions well enough to even deceive herself. Compared to that, my poker face was a joke.

Vowing to never challenge her in psychological warfare, I continued.

"What Dame Carose told me was that I’m destined to become a Scarlet Abyss executive someday, which, quite frankly, is quite hard to believe.”

"Eh."

Sharmia let out a small gasp.

"Thanks to that, I finally understood just how cornered you are, Your Highness. Trying to handle someone fated to become a Scarlet Abyss executive instead of killing them isn’t something any sane person would ever attempt. Dame Carose’s judgement was absolutely correct.”

However—

At the same time, this seemingly innocent princess must have had quite a bit of confidence. Confidence that she could control me. That she could instead turn me into a tool to infiltrate Scarlet Abyss.

She might even have been laying the groundwork for decades, all for that purpose.

"In any case, I’m nothing more than a disposable piece in the end. If anything, that removes my reason to side with you, Your Highness.”

"Th-that might be true… but! Now that you know that, doesn’t it mean there’s an option where you don’t join Scarlet Abyss—”

"Dame Carose said that this is a future that will happen, something that cannot be changed.”

"...Carose! So you truly betrayed me!”

"I’m sorry…”

Carose hung her head gloomily.

She was the truly good and kind one here, seriously. She didn’t hide anything or twist the truth, honestly explaining everything and then asking for cooperation.

She said she did it because she judged me to be good, but she didn’t seem to realize that being good wasn’t the same as being trustworthy.

I briefly considered exploiting that trait of hers, but for my plan, Sharmia’s cooperation was essential.

The princess let out a sigh, her gaze briefly drifting to the dagger on the desk. I narrowed my eyes and continued.

"Doesn’t it feel like we can finally negotiate properly now?”

"Hmm, if anything, it feels like the negotiation table just got flipped over…”

"On the contrary. I don’t want to be discarded once I serve my purpose, and you want to use me. How about we try and balance these interests out properly?”

"Huh?"

I tapped the collar lightly.

"I’ll become a Scarlet Abyss executive under your command, Your Highness.”

Sharmia blinked twice.

"What…do you mean by that?”

"If the future where I become a Scarlet Abyss executive is inevitable—if it can’t be changed—then we include that future within our plan itself.”

"..."

"There’s some information I really need from within Scarlet Abyss. I’m sure even you want some of that. If this goes well, I can eliminate the risk of becoming an executive who betrays you. I will also stop being a hunting dog and become a trustworthy collaborator instead. We can neutralize the danger I pose and obtain intelligence on Scarlet Abyss in one stroke. What do you say?”

"Hmm."

Sharmia pondered for a moment, then slowly shook her head.

"I don’t think that would work.”

"Could you tell me why?”

"Becoming a member of Scarlet Abyss and becoming one of their executives are completely different matters. You’d have to do what they want and act the way they desire. That would break you.”

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

When I explained what I had in mind, the princess’ mouth fell open.

"J-Jern…? Even I don’t have that much authority, you know…?”

"You’ll be fine if you try."

"A-ahem. Setting that aside, you’re my imperial envoy. Scarlet Abyss is extremely wary of me. Just the fact that you were employed by me would make executing this plan extremely difficult.”

"Your Highness. I approached you under my master’s orders to gather information about you.”

"Huh? That’s not true."

She replied as if it were obvious.

...Did that mean she knew me better than I knew myself? I cleared my throat and continued.

"But because Your Highness was slow to make use of me, I grew impatient and, even against better judgement, obtained the envoy position with my master’s help. Then, Your Highness sent me to a location where Scarlet Abyss was confirmed to be active, clearly intending to dispose of me. I survived only thanks to my master’s intervention and, in response, resisted Your Highness.”

"So?”

"You imprison me and pin my master’s crimes onto me."

"...Hmm."

"Of course, my master could brush off such charges with ease, but to keep the elves’ secrets from being exposed, she chooses to abandon me. I develop resentment toward both my master and Your Highness. And then, in prison, I suddenly realize that I’m still in possession of a means to contact Scarlet Abyss.”

After pondering over my words, she asked me another question.

"If you do this, public perception of you could hit rock bottom.”

"I don’t really care what others think of me. And later, when Your Highness brings me back in, they’ll just assume it was all an act and move on.”

"If you really can pull this off, it might change the entire board, but—”

The smile on Sharmia’s face faded.

"Why are you trying to do this? If Scarlet Abyss finds out about your intentions—if they sense something is off about you? You know nothing about them. Don’t you think this is a bit too dangerous?”

"Because I know nothing, I need to learn. If I stay like this, I’ll spend my whole life knowing nothing.”

"Then why do you have to be the one to do it?”

"Your Highness.”

I was genuinely dumbfounded by her words and replied.

"With all due respect, I don’t think someone who’s devoted their entire life to the Empire since the age of 10 should be saying that.”

"...I did it because it’s something only I can do—”

"And this is something only I can do.”

Who was a Fallen?

Who was a Fallen with a Great Realm?

Who had been scouted by Scarlet Abyss?

Who had the potential to become a Scarlet Abyss executive and extract information from them?

It was all me. It was no exaggeration to say that I was the only Fallen the Empire could currently make use of.

"And unlike you, Your Highness, I’m not acting out of conviction. My objective is my own survival. I weighed two options. Infiltrating Scarlet Abyss to gather information and simply living on. This is the conclusion I have reached.”

"I don’t think that’s true…”

The princess glared at me with suspicious eyes.

"No matter how I look at it, it feels like there’s more to it than just survival.”

"And what would that be?”

"Hmm, maybe you’ve fallen for me?”

"...Huh?"

What the hell was she on about?

Sharmia rubbed the desk as if she was seriously considering that possibility.

"But it all benefits me far too much, you know? Those bastards are incredibly hard to track down, and now here you are offering to burn your own life to dig up all their secrets for me. I’ve never heard of something as convenient as that happening in my whole life. So, it has to be for a reason that can’t be put on a scale like love, right?”

"Why are you trying to kill me off? And I have absolutely no interest in you, Your Highness.”

It might sound cliché, but I was the type who valued inner beauty over appearance.

"Anyway… Yes, I understand what you’re saying.”

Sharmia nodded with a satisfied expression on her face.

"But there’s still one unresolved thing left. And this might actually be the hardest part of all.”

"And what would that be?”

Thinking that there really was one problem after the other, I asked, to which the princess frowned.

"Jern, persuading your master… That seems like the most difficult part.”

"...Hmm."

When she saw me hesitating, she took it as agreement and continued.

"She seems to care about you quite a bit. If I end up looking like I’m sending you straight into danger, doesn’t that paint quite the ugly picture? I might get dragged into something rather troublesome… and she’s a 9-star mage—”

"That problem has already been resolved.”

I took a small cube out of my pocket and placed it on the desk.

"I apologize, but my master has been listening to this entire conversation.”

"...What?"

"Of course, I told her beforehand. She was firmly opposed to it, but she said that if I managed to persuade Your Highness—then she would grant her permission.”

"..."

Sharmia blinked three times. Then she asked cautiously,

"Am I being targeted now?”

"Of course not. My master isn’t that narrow-minded.”

I shrugged as I spoke.

"But just in case, from today onward, I recommend taking Dame Carose with you whenever you go out.”

"..."

It was at that moment I realized that this princess was, in fact, capable of feeling anger.

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