Wizard of the Abyss – Ch. 208

Wizard of the Abyss

[Extra Novels]

Chapter 208 - Blade (2)

The capital was noisy even in broad daylight.

A massive crowd surged like waves, all heading somewhere, and we held hands so we wouldn’t get separated, exchanging puzzled looks.

"What's going on?”

"I’m not really sure either…”

Elisia looked bewildered, seemingly only having heard that something was happening without knowing what exactly was going on in this square.

Of course, I had my Tide Sense. Even now, I could hear the voices of people around us, so it didn’t take long to figure out what this crowd and the controlled streets were for.

[Wait, why are they holding a knighting ceremony on this scale?]

[Didn't you hear? A lot of Knights died this time. They can’t send apprentices straight to the battlefield, so they’re giving them titles instead.]

[So that’s why they’re making it this big? So everyone knows?]

[What has the Empire come to…]

Some of it was drunken speculation from people holed up in taverns, but since most conversations mentioned Knights, it seemed certain that a knighting ceremony was taking place.

So they held something like that in this place. I asked Elisia, who was scurrying beside me,

"They’re holding a knighting ceremony. Did you know?”

"Aha, so it’s that? It’s happening earlier than I thought.”

Without giving me a chance to stop her, Elisia pulled up her hood and headed toward the controlled street where the crowd had gathered.

Barely managing to follow her through the sea of people, we reached a secluded spot just as cheers erupted nearby.

"O-oooh…!”

"It’s the Knights!”

Walking along the main road were powerful warhorses, and atop them—Knights in gleaming armor polished to a shine, waving to the crowd.

Even in the capital, it seemed people didn’t often get the chance to see Knights up close, seeing how the citizens cheered wildly every time one waved back.

The procession seemed endless. Anyone could see that this was a display meant to prove the Empire’s strength.

Elisia, however, rested her chin in her hand and muttered, sounding bored.

"This is weird. Usually there are only a few Knight orders who show up and that’s it…”

Were they trying to influence public opinion?

Perhaps the Empire was at one of its most unstable points since Sharmia’s appointment, and this was a way to show everyone it was still strong.

As I was lost in such uninteresting thoughts, the final group appeared.

"...Hmm. I’ve never seen them before.”

"...?"

They weren’t on horses.

Their armor was small and unimpressive for the most part. Some wore thick full plate armor, but it didn’t look like they cared about polishing it.

And, they were the only ones gripping their sword hilts, ready to draw at any moment.

Naturally, their faces were filled only with tension and irritation. They didn’t wave to the citizens at all.

And yet—

"Waaaah…!”

"Th-those are the ones…!"

They were the ones getting the biggest reaction.

"The Waxed Wings unit…”

"...Ugh."

I frowned deeply.

Because the insignia I was wearing as a necklace was related to them.

'Are those guys my subordinates or something?’

I fiddled with the insignia and recalled what I had heard.

This was the mark of the vice-captain of the Waxed Wings unit, or so I heard. I didn’t know if they would actually recognize me as their superior, though.

Honestly, I kind of hoped they would. Because regardless of their strength, those guys were filled with killing intent, rage, and hatred—you could practically call them a group of murderers.

And yet, it was strange that they were receiving the loudest cheers.

...Though that probably just meant the Empire’s hatred toward Scarlet Abyss had reached its peak.

"Wow! Jern! Look, look, they’re coming!”

"What?"

As the Waxed Wings, with their grim expressions, passed by as the finale of the march, Elisia’s eyes lit up again.

What else could possibly be coming after that? Some secret assassin-Knight squad?

No. Instead, a marching band of cute monkeys in red uniforms appeared, beating drums.

-Kyak! Kak!

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…! They're so cute!! Ah, that one was playing drums last time! They’re here again!”

"..."

It seemed Elisia had absolutely no interest in Knights.

We could have joined in, but by the time we reached the hall at the end of the plaza where the ceremony and performance were being held, everyone who was going inside had already entered.

"Is there any way we can get in? This is the child of Aletu…”

"I’m sorry. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed.”

Even after seeing Elisia’s face, the guard firmly shook his head.

For a knighting ceremony…what was the big deal?

Of course, with just a glance, I could already find several ways to sneak in unnoticed. When I signaled Elisia, she quickly nodded and stepped back.

"Alright. Guess it can’t be helped.”

"Thank you for your understa–...”

"Wait."

Just as we were about to leave the entrance...

A voice so cold it sent chills down my spine stopped us.

What was going on? I turned and saw a group approaching, clad in black armor, exuding a dark aura, their hands resting near their swords, ready to draw at any moment. They slowly surrounded us.

A slender young man, who seemed to be their leader, looked down at me and Elisia for a moment before asking the guard,

"Who are they?”

"Yes? Ah, yes. They appear to be children of nobles, but they’re not on the authorized list, so I was sending them away.”

"Then you should have called us first.”

The Knight glanced at me sharply. Even though I was in a child’s body, I could feel his unmistakable hostility.

As expected, he was one of the Waxed Wings.

"Sire? But…they’re still just children…”

"That’s not what matters. Do you even know who is inside?”

"Y-yes, I do.”

"Don’t try to make judgments on your own. Remember, our enemies can be young or old.”

While the flustered guard was being thoroughly lectured by that Waxed Wing member, I quietly created an opening with water pressure. I had no intention of getting involved with such troublesome people.

"Hey, wait. Where do you think you’re going—”

The moment they moved their hands to their sword hilts, clearly preparing for a fight, the Waxed Wings members suddenly froze, their eyes dropping to my chest.

The place where the insignia was hanging. The overwhelming presence they had just moments ago vanished. Staring at the emblem as if entranced—they swallowed nervously before asking.

“C-could it be…Are you Vice-Captain Jern Aspandil?”

"I didn’t exactly want this.”

"P-please, speak comfortably, Sir.”

"No, I’m the younger one here—”

"No. We are younger.”

-Thud, thud, thud!

The three members of the Waxed Wings Unit immediately dropped to one knee, offering the highest level of respect a Knight could show.

And that wasn't all. The hostility in their eyes had completely disappeared—replaced by something close to respect or even reverence.

Honestly, that was harder for me to deal with than hostility. Careful not to let my expression twist, I cautiously asked,

"Hmm, why are you treating me like this? I’m basically just a nepotism hire, aren’t I?”

"Hahaha! You joke well, Sir.”

"If Vice-Captain Jern were merely a nepotism hire, then the Waxed Wings would be a Knight unit unworthy of existing.”

What were they talking about?

Sharmia had shoved me into the vice-captain position, so I assumed it was just a decorative title and had no intention of getting involved with the Waxed Wings. I couldn’t help but tilt my head in this situation.

"I haven’t done anything for the Waxed Wings though?”

"It’s understandable that you wouldn’t know, Vice-Captain. There is only one reason the Waxed Wings Unit exists. The annihilation of Scarlet Abyss.”

They gritted their teeth, their eyes once again filled with deep hatred.

"For that reason, everyone in our unit is composed of people who have lost friends, family, or lovers to them either before joining or after.”

"You could say we’re a gathering of avengers. That’s why there’s only one way we determine rank within our order, and that is achievement.”

A female Knight with dark, sunken eyes continued, blinking slowly.

"In that regard, Vice-Captain, you have accomplished feats…no, achievements that no other Knight could ever hope to match. You defeated Upper Tiers multiple times and are still fighting on the frontlines against Scarlet Abyss. Frankly, we wouldn’t accept anyone but you in that position.”

"Really? And what about me being a Fallen?”

When I crossed my arms and asked teasingly, she replied with a faint expression.

"What we hate is not the Fallen, but Scarlet Abyss. That’s why we often learn information about them even before Her Highness Sharmia.”

"So there’s no way we wouldn't know. We know everything you’ve done behind the scenes. To be honest, we respect you more than even the commander.”

"We always knew we’d meet you someday, but to see you like this… Even this boring guard duty has its rewards.”

"..."

The three of them chattered excitedly like they’d just met their favorite celebrity. Rather than the cold, ruthless Waxed Wings Unit from earlier, they now seemed more like obsessive fans.

They didn't seem dangerous. It looked like Sharmia hadn’t placed me in the Vice-Captain position without thought after all. I let out a small sigh.

"Thanks for thinking so highly of me. By any chance, can I go inside?”

"Of course, we'll prepare a seat for you personally. Idrin!”

"Yes."

The Knights quickly stood up, went inside, and whispered something into the ears of the nobles sitting in the best seats.

Their faces turned pale, and they hurriedly fled. I did check what we said through my Tide Sense but decided it was better to just forget.

"Vice-Captain, if you ever require our assistance, please call for us at any time. Of course, we understand that you prefer to operate independently…”

"Y-yeah. I will.”

"We will ensure today’s encounter remains confidential. Even within our unit…”

The Knights of the Waxed Wings unit escorted me with smiles until the very end.

Only after they were completely out of sight did Elisia, who had been quietly watching, look at me in amazement.

"...Jern, you’re seriously amazing! The Knights didn’t even dare move!”

"Sorry you had to see something this weird.”

"It’s alright! I actually enjoyed watching that, and we got to kill some time!”

The hall we entered afterward was dimly lit.

It wasn’t like the Empire had fallen so low it couldn’t afford lighting, so this had to be intentional staging. No one inside made even the slightest sound, so Elisia and I quietly moved to the seats the Waxed Wings had prepared for us.

"Looks like it’s starting soon.”

"How long does a knighting ceremony take?”

"Hmm? Not sure, but even if it’s slow, it won’t take an hour. It just takes a while to begin. Ugh…”

Muttering, Elisia suddenly widened her eyes.

"Oh, Jern. This is bad!”

"What is it?”

"I’m thirsty…”

"..."

"Can you get me some deep-sea water?”

"Don’t say ridiculous things. Stay here.”

"Thanks, love you!”

I’ve spent enough time with Elisia to know what to expect. If I bring her water, she'll say she’s hungry. If I give her some food, she’ll say that she wants dessert next.

So instead, I headed toward the buffet area being prepared for after the ceremony, grabbed some grapes, apples, and whatever else I could find to solve every one of her whims at once.

Thinking she might like plums too, I expanded my Tide Sense—

"...Huh?"

A familiar face appeared within my sight.

It had been quite a while since I had seen her. More importantly, she was alone at the buffet, which was extremely unusual given her status.

I carefully approached and spoke to her.

"Ahem, Princess Lumia?”

"?"

Inside an elegant dress embroidered with gold thread stood a cute girl who looked only about a year older than me.

The Empire’s second princess. Lumia.

She looked at me. Our eyes met. We stared at each other in silence for 3 seconds.

…Why was she like that?

'Ah!'

That was when I realized my mistake.

After the overwhelming defeat I dealt her, Lumia was afraid of me. If the object of her trauma suddenly appeared in front of her, she might burst into tears.

And the crime of making a princess cry during a knighting ceremony was something I didn’t even want to imagine. As I desperately tried to think of a way to survive this situation, Lumia threw me a lifeline.

"Ah, right. It’s you.”

A gentle smile. A composed expression. Not even a trace of fear, and only confidence.

I couldn’t help but admit that I had underestimated Lumia. To think I harbored the childish assumption that someone of the same bloodline as Sharmia would still fear me just because she lost once in battle. 

Feeling my cheeks grow slightly warm, I bowed my head deeply in proper greeting.

"My apologies for addressing you so suddenly, Your Highness. I acted without thinking.”

"It’s nothing. I’m not someone who would be startled just because someone spoke to me. However, I would appreciate it if you kept it a secret that I was here.”

"Of course. But may I ask why you are here…?”

"Ahem. Embarrassingly enough, I was so nervous that I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. And just before the ceremony began, I suddenly became hungry. Quite shameful.”

Lumia coughed awkwardly as she said that. I understood what she meant and simply nodded.

"Aah, so you’ll be presiding over today’s ceremony, Your Highness Lumia?”

"That’s right. My sister is quite busy. You know that, don’t you?”

There was only a gentle emotion in her eyes as she spoke.

Before, whenever she talked about her sister, she would explode with inferiority and rage, but it seemed time really could change a person.

"Do you…not resent her?”

"Haha…I did once.”

Lumia smiled lightly, brushing back her hair.

"But that was all in my immature past. My sister does her best in her palace, and I do my best in mine. The size of one’s role doesn’t matter. If you become obsessed with what belongs to others, you step onto the path of ruin.”

"...Your insight is truly profound, Your Highness."

She had matured to a shocking degree.

No, was it even possible for someone to change this much?

Unaccustomed to praise, Lumia cleared her throat, then glanced at a nearby clock and spoke with slight urgency.

"Oh dear. My guard Knight will return soon. It would be troublesome if I’m seen with you, so you should leave first.”

"Ah, yes. Understood.”

I noticed that the small dagger she was using to peel an apple—was the one I had given her.

Technically, Aletus had given it to me, and I had passed it to Lumia to cheer her up, but seeing her actually using it made me feel strangely pleased.

Looking at her hand, I gave a final farewell.

"Then I wish you well. Ah, though it is but a humble item, I’m glad to see you using my gift.”

"..."

Lumia glanced at her right hand—

"Humble? Do not say such things.”

There was nothing strange about her words.

It was a normal exchange. And yet—a chilling sense of unease crept down my spine.

I slightly turned my head to look at her again.

"Hm?"

A serene smile. A slightly cute appearance. Crimson hair darker than blood.

It was Lumia as I remembered her. Even my Tide Sense insisted that she was the same person and that I was completely mistaken.

At the very least, she wasn’t the Lump. And there was no way anyone else other than that thing could imitate her so perfectly.

"Haha, there’s nothing more humble than a plain gold ring without ornamentation. Seeing you still wearing such a thing pains my heart.”

Even so, my mouth spoke a lie.

"..."

Lumia didn’t point it out.

And like that, 1 second.

2 seconds.

3 seconds passed.

"...I know you gave it with your utmost sincerity. How could I possibly take it off? Just knowing that makes me feel warm.”

Seeing her pulling her left hand, the one wearing the ring, close to her as if it were precious, without even glancing at the dagger on the table, I realized it.

—Something was very, very wrong here.

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