Wizard of the Abyss – Ch. 197

Wizard of the Abyss

[Extra Novels]

Chapter 197 - Journey (3)

Elisia suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly began rummaging through her bag.

"You know, that teacher of yours, Jern? That scary-looking elf.”

"Dercia?"

"Yeah. She told me something when she examined me.”

-Thump

Inside the bag were several fairy tale books along with sheets of paper covered in messy handwriting.

"She said it was only a hypothesis, but apparently only certain people with talent can actually fall.”

"Hmm…I think you misunderstood.”

Fallen weren’t much different from people unlucky enough to contract an incurable disease.

As I frowned, wondering what she was talking about, Elisia shook her head vigorously.

"No! I was born with this strange constitution that suppresses magic around me.”

"That’s not because you’re a Fallen. You were just in a somewhat dangerous state.”

The reason Elisia had developed that ability was simply the sudden emotional shock caused by her mother’s death. It wasn’t because she had awakened some new world.

"But it’s not magic either, right?”

"...That’s true.”

"Your teacher said it happened because I hate magic, so I ended up twisting the surrounding space to prevent magic from being used. But not everyone who hates magic develops a constitution like mine. I had a talent for it.”

"I’m telling you, it’s not something related to talent.”

"Hmm, look at this book.”

Elisia suddenly pushed a fairy tale book in front of my face, one of its passages reading as followed:

[The reason only nobles can become mages is because they inherited the blood of the First Mage.]

It was just a heavily sanitized explanation used to teach noble children why the ruling class stood above the common people. I pushed the book away with a sigh, but Elisia continued confidently.

"The reason only nobles like us can use magic is because we inherited the blood of the First Mage.”

"That may be true, but…”

"Your teacher also said I was right.”

"...What?"

Did Dercia lose her mind?

As I looked at the triumphant Elisia, something I had heard before suddenly came to my mind.

'Come to think of it, Sharmia didn’t fall either.'

She could use magic just fine. Her prophetic ability was said to simply come from good fortune, showing that she inherited the blood particularly strongly.

If that were the case, then perhaps Elisia’s strange awakening as neither a fully Fallen nor an entirely normal mage might also just be a matter of bad luck.

"So that means I was born with the destiny of a Fallen, which is why my body turned out like this. A body that hates magic so much it can actually erase it.”

"..."

If that were the explanation, it was at least somewhat understandable.

However…

"But it’s not talent. Don’t call it that.”

I lightly pulled on Elisia’s cheek and warned her in a slightly stern tone.

"Listen carefully, Elisia. Right now I might look impressive to you. Someone like me, who had little talent in magic, is being praised by the princess and given an honorable position. It might make being a Fallen seem like something good.”

"Y-yeah?”

"I softened the explanation a bit, but—Fallen all live in their own personal hells. Why do you think the organization called Scarlet Abyss is entirely made up of Fallen? Because they’ve been thrown into the worst environment imaginable, and in the end the only ones left are villains who want to drag everyone else down into the same place.”

Looking at Elisia’s wavering eyes, I emphasized it several times.

She had at least a little admiration for me, so even after learning that I was a Fallen, she could respond with respect rather than disgust. However, admiration must never turn into positive thoughts toward becoming a Fallen.

"Never try to fall on purpose, got it?”

"...I know! I’m not an idiot, you know??”

Elisia rubbed her cheek with an aggrieved expression.

"I know already. When I said ‘talent,’ erm…I just said that so you wouldn’t feel bad.”

“If that’s the case…”

"What I’m trying to say is that I’m still young.”

As long as she didn’t start fancying the idea of becoming a Fallen, that was enough.

Her confidence returning, Elisia flipped her short hair back, grinning proudly.

"My potential is infinite. I can erase things other than magic too. Maybe I could one day erase that ocean of yours, Jern.”

"Thanks for the thought. But my Abyssal Sea is different from a wizard’s world.”

The Inner World of a wizard and my own Abyss Realm existed on entirely different levels.

Unless someone was at Dercia’s level, a normal wizard’s world was just a personal construct, its scale not even comparable to a Fallen’s. The difficulty of suppressing it wasn’t just a matter of being a few times harder.

And among those Fallen worlds, mine was a Great World. Something particularly vast.

And even among the Great Worlds, my Abyssal Sea was one of the Three Calamities, said to be capable of covering the entire world.

Even if Elisia could suppress the world of a Fallen, suppressing the Abyssal Sea would be almost impossible. Right now, the most she could do was suppress low-ranking magic.

...And rather than calling it infinite, I would opt to call her potential boundless.

Surprisingly, Elisia nodded as if she already knew all about this.

"Yeah. It’d be hard.”

At the same time, she grabbed my hand again.

"But something being difficult isn’t a reason not to try.”

"..."

—For a moment, I thought I had been attacked.

Elisia’s hand felt like something terrifying, and goosebumps ran up my arm.

The reason was simple.

'My Tide Sense...'

The Tide Sense enveloping her had suddenly weakened, making my senses fluctuate.

Elisia had definitely interfered with my Abyssal Sea just now. When I swallowed nervously and met her eyes, she smiled.

"Ah, it really is vast. I tried my best just now.”

"What did you do?”

"All the things I practiced. When I found out you were a Fallen, and that you had gone to fight Scarlet Abyss… After I learned what a Fallen actually was, I couldn’t do anything, so I just locked myself in my room and cried.”

"...”

"I only managed to pull myself together after I realized that whenever I was in danger, you were always there for me. When you were the one in danger this time, I didn’t want to just sit there.”

Our eyes met. It was quite the strange feeling.

Over the time that had passed, I had grown a lot compared to before. And since our eyes were now level, that probably meant she had grown as well.

"I did a lot of research. I remembered what your teacher told me before, and when I gathered various data, I realized that my cursed constitution might actually be useful. Looking back now it was quite reckless…but I begged my father and went to a village where Fallen were being gathered. I wanted to test my ability.”

"Wait, what exactly did Dercia say to you?”

"She didn’t really say anything, but your teacher is really weird! She took my blood and tried to make some kind of medicine with it. But during that process she realized that I might be able to suppress the worlds of Fallen.”

Seeing the faint disgust in her expression, I suddenly couldn't bring myself to criticize Dercia’s efforts. So she really tried everything to make the World-Sealing Elixir.

Elisia continued speaking, her expression still stern.

"Jern. I really think I have the ability to suppress worlds. Actually, even before I heard that, when you saved me at the tower…I did something back then too. When I remembered that moment and tried touching other Fallen, I realized I could weaken their worlds.”

"Weaken them…”

"R-right now, I can’t even calm down a single Fallen to be honest. I tried to suppress someone who was going berserk, but I failed.”

She smiled awkwardly and slowly showed her left hand.

I hadn’t noticed before because it was lowered, but there was a small burn mark.

"It’s a secret from Dad, okay? If I get it treated, he’ll realize I did something reckless, so I haven’t even told him yet…”

"Go get it treated before it scars. Right now. Or I will tell him.”

"Hnng..."

Her face turned into that of a drenched puppy as she poked her index fingers together.

"But I’m really confident I can help! You’d just have to come sometimes and hold my hand, okay?”

"What exactly would you be doing?”

"When I hear about the world you live in and imagine it, and then reject it, it feels like it fades away around me.”

"I see. Does it consume anything?”

"…It actually makes me a little tired.”

Elisia, who had just woken up moments ago, yawned as soon as she said that and blinked her eyes.

"But besides that there are no side effects! Really!”

"Hmmm."

"...Please. Let me help.”

Perhaps thinking I might refuse, Elisia grabbed my hand tightly and earnestly pleaded with me.

"And honestly, this is also a threat. If you don’t let me help, I’ll keep experimenting on other Fallen until you agree.”

"No, I’m not planning to refuse.”

Of course, unfortunately, the chance that Elisia’s ability could actually let me escape the Abyssal Sea was extremely low. Practically nonexistent actually.

My Abyssal Sea was far more clingy than it seemed. It had followed me through the past and the future.

Even if Elisia somehow became strong enough to pull me out of the Abyssal Sea with all her might, that would only last while she maintained the ability.

The moment she stopped, I would be dragged back into the ocean again.

'Still, that doesn’t mean it’s useless.'

Even being separated from the Abyssal Sea for a brief instant—had incredible value.

Dozens of possible ways to exploit that immediately came to mind.

"R-really?”

"Yes. But you’re never to contact Fallen on your own again.”

"...There were Knights with me.”

"It’s far more dangerous than you think. Whether they are hostile or not.”

"O-okay, I got it!”

When I warned her firmly, she quickly nodded, afraid I might change my mind.

Maybe because the tension had faded, her eyelids slowly began to droop. 

"Sorry. Can I sleep for a bit?”

"Yeah. Get some rest.”

No wonder she had been sleeping so deeply in the library.

Had she been using that ability repeatedly, trying to grow stronger?

The fact that I was the reason behind it made me feel strangely uncomfortable.

"Hey, the night streets here are pretty too…Yaaawn, when I wake up, let’s go together…”

"Alright, alright. Just get into bed.”

I laid Elisia down, tidied up the room, and quietly headed outside.

As I was leaving, Elisia, already half-asleep, called out to me.

"Jern…”

"What?"

"You trust me, right?”

I hesitated for a moment.

But I couldn’t bring myself to lie.

"Sorry, but not yet.”

"Hng..."

* * *

Outside the lodging.

As I walked along the street, looking up at the still-blue sky, I felt weirdly unsettled about something.

'...This feels strange.'

It was an odd, restless feeling.

The idea that Elisia of all people might be able to help me escape.

It felt like salvation arriving from a place I never could have imagined.

"Should I call it lucky…?”

But thinking about it that way felt like an insult to Elisia, who had gained that ability because of her mother’s death.

Sighing, I tried to calm my mind by walking down the main road. Then I heard a commotion up ahead.

"Hey, I told you going in there is too dangerous…!”

"What do you expect us to do when the water isn’t coming out?! Move! I used to be a mercenary back in the day!”

It was a rather strange sight. Angry citizens were trying to force their way into something, while the guards desperately tried to stop them.

"Then you go and fix it!”

"We’re sorry. We’ve already called for reinforcement, so please wait just a little longer…”

As the guards struggled to push the civilians back, several mounted soldiers arrived and began forcing the crowd away, threatening them.

"Stand back! A request has been sent to the nearest mercenary company. They'll come to inspect it by tomorrow at the latest.”

"But if it’s tomorrow, we can’t hold tonight’s night market! Today is the last and most important day…”

"Think of it as ending one day early. For safety reasons, entry into the sewer is absolutely forbidden! Many distinguished guests have come to visit. If a fatal accident happens, how would we face the lord?!”

The Knight who was speaking so firmly…

'Isn’t actually a Knight.'

Just a quick sweep with my Tide Sense told me his ability was closer to that of an apprentice. He also looked far too young to be a full Knight. But the sewers? Tilting my head in curiosity, I approached the crowd. One of the guards recognized me instantly and greeted me enthusiastically.

"Ah, Sir Jern. My apologies for the disturbance.”

"What’s going on?”

"Well…it seems some strange creatures have blocked the water gain in the sewer.”

"Strange creatures?”

"Yes. It’s usually beastfolk. They’ve been a long-time nuisance in Iavon. Unless someone goes in and drives them out, the water supply stops so everyone’s quite troubled.”

"Huh?"

There were things like that living beneath the city?

"We definitely received confirmation that a mercenary company wiped them out last time, but it seems they did a sloppy job… Ah, my apologies. We’ll calm the crowd down as quickly as we can.”

"So the night market won’t be happening today?”

"Yes. Unfortunately…”

I sighed as I remembered Elisia excitedly talking about going out at night before she fell asleep.

She had pushed herself hard for my sake. Making sure that she could enjoy one day would be the least I could do.

"Would it be alright if I went in?”

"Pardon?”

"As you know, I’m technically a Knight. Look.”

"Ah, that would require permission from Acting Knight Lips..."

"Acting Knight?”

"This is a very small city…We only have one Knight, and he’s currently away.”

With no other choice, I walked over to the acting Knight called Lips, who was guarding the sewer entrance, and showed him my seal.

"Jern Aspandil. I’m confident in my abilities. It would be unfortunate if the night market were canceled, so would it be alright if I went in for a moment?”

"...A Knight…?”

Lips looked me up and down in disbelief at my young body, then saw the seal and swallowed hard.

He seemed to at least know enough to recognize it.

"U-Um. Sir Jern Apsandil? When exactly did you become a Knight…?”

Still clearly doubtful that someone my age could be a Knight, he examined me for a while before cautiously asking.

Honestly, even asking that was impressive. If someone this young claimed to be a Knight, I wouldn’t believe it either. Seeing the guards bowing to me, he probably assumed I was just some noble’s child.

"About a week ago.”

"Erm, would it be alright if I verified…?”

"Go ahead.”

I tossed him the seal. Lips caught it carefully and examined it for a moment—

"Whoa!!!"

With a horrified expression, he jumped down from his horse so quickly it was hard to tell if he had dismounted or fallen off and rushed to open the gate.

"Yes, Vice Commander! Please, go right in!”

"...Vice what?”

"My apologies. I’m not familiar with the ranks of the Waxed Wings Unit…I-If I’ve been disrespectful, I sincerely beg your forgiveness."

...Looking at Lips trembling in terror, I finally realized what Brimdal had been about to say earlier when he saw the seal.

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