Wizard of the Deep Sea

TL/ED – Miso

“I’m sorry, did I keep you waiting long?”

It took less than five minutes for the Princess to bring the tea.

I had turned the documents around so it wouldn’t be obvious I had checked them. The steaming teapot was placed on top of them.

-Sllrrp. I stared briefly at the rose-colored tea poured before me and carefully continued speaking.

“I may be low-born and don’t really know much about noble etiquette or royal customs, but even to me, it seems like there’s a problem with receiving tea from Your Highness.”

“Most things become problems only when people decide to make them problems.”

That was true.

Sharmia said with a beaming smile.

“So then, what would you like to hear about first? Oh, are you perhaps curious about the incident where Karos turned butter cookies into charcoal while baking?” “I really am curious. But I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

I quietly wet my lips with the tea and spoke firmly.

“I already know a fair bit about the past. I was born in some small city in the desert, something like that, right?”

“Oh, really?”

Sharmia clapped her hands in surprise.

“Amazing! That was incredibly difficult even for me! If you’ve already gotten that far… hmm, this is a bit awkward now.”

“Awkward?”

“Ehehe, truth is, I don’t actually know much about Rahashan. Jern might know more than I do.”

“Rahashan?”

I rolled that name around in my mouth.

It didn’t feel familiar at all. Resting my elbows on the desk, I leaned in and asked.

“What kind of city is it?”

“A small country far away, in the western desert. Though it’s more of a city than a country. But they insist on calling themselves a nation.”

“The Empire allowed that?”

“Isn’t it funny to think of a lion bothering to catch a mouse?”

“…”

I immediately understood how my hometown was regarded by the Empire. Not much different from the Elves.

“Finding Jern’s city wasn’t an easy task. At first, we searched every country and city under the Empire’s jurisdiction for any missing noble children.”

“A noble’s child? Why go through all that-”

“Because Jern had grace.”

Sharmia stated flatly.

“Even now, look at you. You almost instinctively place the teacup down without making a sound. That kind of behavior doesn’t come naturally. It has to be taught from a young age, strictly. Even if you don’t remember it.”

It was completely off the mark.

Yet Sharmia proudly boasted about her absurd deduction.

“But there weren’t many missing noble children to begin with, so we had no choice but to look into children who weren’t reported missing as well, and ta-da, we found a childhood photo of Jern.”

“And comparing that child to who I am now, how did you know it was me?”

“Jern.”

Sharmia giggled as if amused, looking at me.

“You may not realize it, but you’re still very young.”

“…That’s true.”

I shrugged. Similar hair, similar eyes, similar age range. There were plenty of factors to guess from.

“To be honest, I couldn’t link that child and Jern either. What made me certain was this portrait.”

“…?”

Swish. Sharmia slid over a drawing to me.

There was a boy who looked quite similar to me in it. Very fragile, shoulders hunched, but the rich colors, rendered using expensive pigments on fine parchment, made the expression of the hues outstanding.

I narrowed my brows and examined the picture.

“Who is this?”

“I think he might be Jern’s twin brother?”

I examined the picture more closely, thinking it was nonsense.

And I could definitely see some parts that resembled me.

…No, it wasn’t just a resemblance.

“This is me…?”

“I thought so too.”

It looked so similar I wondered how I hadn’t realized it sooner.

Of course, the clothes, expression, hairstyle, and body type were all different.

But if I looked closely, the fine physical details were all identical to mine, enough to make her mistake us for twins.

“It’s just that the feeling is completely different. The child in this picture looks timid, full of fear and lacking confidence… but Jern’s first impression is the complete opposite. You wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely.”

“The parents of this child, by any chance…”

“Hmm, there was never a missing person report filed.”

Sharmia smiled gently and handed over a few more pictures.

All of them were me. Kids who looked like me, but with a completely different aura.

As I examined the drawings, I sorted out the situation.

There’s another missing me.

That’s why no one went looking.

“One thing-”

“It’s not one of those terrifying places where they kill a child over inheritance rights, it doesn’t seem like that. The couple appears to have a good relationship. However, it’s said that they have virtually no family, and that crime has surged recently.”

“…Did you foresee this?”

“No. But I know Jern. I figured you might ask something like this.”

There it was again. That way of speaking, “I know you”.

I bowed my head deeply while stacking the pictures neatly.

“I see. Thank you. Thanks to you, I might be able to go find my hometown.”

“Aww, I should’ve given it to you earlier. I hope you’ll get to meet your parents.”

“…”

I couldn’t give a definite answer.

Even if I didn’t fully grasp the situation, it seemed certain that my twin brother, or sibling, was an only child.

Assuming the best-case scenario, I was a distant relative who just happened to look alike. The worst-case, I’d been intentionally abandoned.

Even if I believed everything the Princess said, hidden stories aren’t easily uncovered. The most plausible explanation was that I was excluded because I was a child who shouldn’t exist.

If that were the case, going there unannounced wouldn’t be wise.

But I still had to go.

“…Jern, you seem troubled.”

“Ugh.”

Maybe because I was deep in thought.

The current sense didn’t do its job. Sharmia’s hand had brushed against mine.

Warmth passed through her touch. She whispered with a gentle smile that carried only goodwill.

“If it’s not too forward, would it be alright if I offered a little help?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just feel like Jern really wants to meet your parents. But going alone might be a bit unsettling… isn’t that the case?”

“Well, yes. That’s pretty close.”

“In that case, what if you went bearing my name?”

“…”

It was a proposal as sweet as Sharmia’s voice.

But in the end, it was a country whose survival depended on the Empire’s goodwill. If they laid a hand on an envoy sent by the Princess, their very existence would be a dream lost.

“If Jern would work with me, I could do this much without question…”

“That’s not possible.”

“I figured as much.”

I rejected her offer flatly.

Though she gave a bitter smile, Sharmia seemed to have expected that and moved on to her next proposal.

“Even so, I’m a Princess, aren’t I? For a single word from me, there are many cases where carriages full of gold are offered as tribute.”

“Hmm, I think I could manage a wagon filled with copper.”

“Really? These days, the price of a single copper ingot is… about this much.”

Seeing the amount she had written on the paper, I changed my response.

“Then maybe about half a wagon…”

“If it’s half a wagon of copper filled with Jern’s sincerity, I’d gladly accept it, but it’s still a bit short to move me, a Princess.”

“Then it can’t be helped.”

It would be ideal to have the Princess’s support, but if I couldn’t persuade her, there was nothing I could do.

As I made to stand up, she stopped me with a slightly crooked smile.

“Could I borrow your master for a while?”

“My master? What do you want to use her for?”

“Use, you say…ahem, that’s a bit aggressive phrasing?”

“Ah, apologies. What would you like to use her for?”

“…Well, it’s just that my lovely little sister, Lumia, has been whining so much lately.”

Lumia, I had forgotten about her.

She was a Princess too. But her older sister was too perfect for her to even compare.

“So, I thought it might help cheer her up if I let her attend one of Dersia’s lessons…”

“You really shouldn’t do that.”

Dersia and Lumia…

If the two met, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of chaos would unfold. Judging by their personalities, Lumia would probably get beaten to a pulp, and Dersia would end up with a death sentence.

“It won’t be for long. Just three days! If you promise to help just that much, I’ll do everything I can to repay you. And I can speak very firmly to Lumia to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“…Yes, well, alright.”

In the past, I wouldn’t have dared to say I could move Dersia.

And even now, it wasn’t all that different, but at least for now, I could clearly see that all of Dersia’s actions carried a deep sense of guilt toward me.

So, I could grant this much of a request.

“I’ll do it.”

“You’ve made a good decision.”

As Sharmia smiled, I suddenly asked, curious.

“But how exactly are you planning to help? Should I just show up and say I’m an envoy sent under your command?”

“Haa, Jern.”

Sharmia made a smug, half-mocking face, one that made me want to hit her, as she replied.

“I’ve been delegated quite a lot of authority by His Majesty the Emperor. I have to be ready to use it in emergencies, so it can’t be helped.”

“And?”

“Hmm, wait just a moment.”

Looking at me, Sharmia quickly wrote up two documents so fast that her hands were practically invisible.

In less than two minutes, she rolled up the papers, stood up, and spoke in a stern tone.

“Jern. Come here and kneel.”

“…?”

“Ahem. It’s a royal decree.”

Suppressing the urge to punch this so-called Prophet and Princess, I stepped away from the table and knelt on one knee. She tapped my shoulder a few times with the rolled-up paper.

“From this moment on, Jern Aspandal, I appoint you as my personal royal envoy.”

“I don’t like the ‘personal’ part.”

“…Fine, then I appoint you as a royal envoy of the Imperial Household. Sir Jern.”

I received a title.

Was it really supposed to be this easy? I held back the petty thought of making a fortune by selling titles and humbly accepted the rolled-up document.

“And this is your first mission. Please take a look.”

The unfolded paper was filled with details regarding a business trip to Rahashan.

I’ll have to read it later. I stuffed the paper in my back pocket and expressed my gratitude.

“I’m not sure a title was necessary, but thank you.”

“Oh. Uh…?”

“What is it?”

Looking puzzled by my calm reaction, Sharmia tilted her head and asked,

“Not to be boastful, but aren’t you supposed to be a bit more grateful or flustered or something…? You just got a noble title, your social status has been completely reversed, you’re not a commoner anymore…”

“Yeah, it’s a bit weird, honestly.”

“…You’re a royal envoy, you know?? Wherever you go, if you say ‘I’m an envoy of the Imperial Household,’ you’ll be put in the best room in town, no questions asked!”

“I have my own Workshop.”

I get that it’s a nice thing.

I also understood what Sharmia was aiming for. She probably expected me to keep using my authority as an envoy and stay linked to her.

But once this matter was over, I planned to tear up the appointment and ask for the title to be revoked. Getting tied up in some lord-vassal relationship was nothing but trouble.

It could even be dangerous.

Still, weighing the risk of being entangled with the Princess versus the gain of learning about my past, I was leaning slightly toward the latter.

Sharmia nodded reluctantly in understanding.

“I-I see.”

“It was a good deal. Then, I wish you peace.”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

“Is there something else?”

“…Even so, a royal envoy can’t travel alone, so tomorrow I’ll assign a team of envoys to accompany you.”

“Thank you.”

Before she could say anything else, I quickly made my escape.

Getting too involved with a Prophet could only end badly for me.

-Thud. As soon as I shut the door behind me, I saw someone standing where the guard should have been, a knight in black armor.

She had been waiting.

I swallowed dryly and greeted her.

“…Good to see you, Karos.”

“…”

After a brief silence, she began to move.

She was probably telling me to follow her. I knew the way, but I didn’t want to make it obvious, so I followed her quietly.

“What did you talk about with Her Highness?”

“Just, well…”

I became an envoy, and I’m leaving for my hometown tomorrow. That’s pretty much all of it.

If I told her I became an envoy, she might have a seizure. So I brought up something else.

“She told me about how Sir Karos turned cookies into charcoal.”

Only after saying it did I realize.

That might also be something seizure-worthy.

“…Huu.”

But instead of getting angry, Karos let out a heavy sigh, loud enough to be heard even through her armor.

“Jern-nim.”

“Yes. Uh, if I offended you, I apologize. What I was actually trying to say.”

“I have never baked cookies with Her Highness.”

“…?”

Is she denying it out of embarrassment?

But her tone was too serious for that.

“Her Highness must have made a joke, which you took seriously.”

“It probably wasn’t a joke.”

-Rumble… Karos touched the wall and opened a secret door as she muttered bitterly.

Numerous hidden passageways opened at once. It felt like a shortcut in a game.

“I suppose I must have… really baked cookies with her and burned them back then.”

“…”

I understood what Karos was trying to say, and I kept my mouth shut.

“She’s confused. That me and the present me. It’s a side she shows occasionally.”

“…I see.”

Moonlight shone brightly. As she gazed over the still-beautiful palace even at dawn, Karos murmured quietly.

“I cannot trust you. According to Her Highness, you are my enemy, and an enemy of the Empire.”

“But I love the Empire. As long as I am in my right mind, I would never raise a hand against it.”

“That’s exactly why a leash must be kept on you, or so I thought.”

Why are there so many women in the Empire who don’t follow imperial law?

As I was caught up in that lament, she bowed her head deeply.

“You may hate me. But please do not misunderstand Her Highness’s sincerity.”

“I don’t. I only see her as an outstanding individual who works hard for the Empire.”

“I think the word ‘hard’ is too insignificant. That person, how much time has she sacrificed for the peace of the Empire?”

Her tightly clenched gauntlet trembled.

“If you are not an enemy of the Empire… then I beg you to become Her Highness’s ally. The fact that she wants you means you must be that useful.”

“Hmm.”

A plea, or rather an entreaty close to begging.

The moonlight shone on her armor, but it was so black it was hard to tell it apart from the shadows.

What a deeply loyal knight this is, I answered seriously as I headed toward the back gate of the palace.

“If that’s how you feel, then pass this on to Her Highness, Sharmia.”

“…Pass on what-”

“If she wants to use me as her puppet, then I should at least know what’s going on in her head.”

“That’s-!”

Karos looked like she was about to shout but shut her mouth tightly.

It meant she still couldn’t tell me everything.

Then I only had one thing left to say.

“Sorry for disturbing you so late at night.”

“…You may come to regret this.”

“Yes. If you’re referring to that matter, then perhaps.”

If it helps me, I’d jump into fire without hesitation.

But I won’t jump into a hole when I don’t know what’s inside.

That’s not adventure, it’s gambling.

“The only one who doesn’t seem to understand that is Her Highness the Princess.”

-Thud.