Wizard of the Deep Sea

TL/ED – Miso

The trial proceeded quickly.

There was no one to defend me, and I had no intention of mounting a proper defense either.

“Is there no argument to be made?”

“…”

“In that case, I will finalize the verdict.”

Thud. I steeled my resolve as I watched the judge bring down the wooden gavel once.

Still, I needed to show a bit of resistance.

Crimson Circle would be observing the movements of the nobles one way or another. If I accepted the situation too easily, they might grow suspicious.

That was the most crucial part of the entire plan. To keep them from doubting. To make them truly believe I had been abandoned, and that I was desperate enough to reach out to them.

I had to make them think that way.

“I have something to say.”

As I opened my mouth, the judge, who had just been about to bring down the gavel for the second time, frowned.

“Something to say? Are you presenting a defense?”

“It’s not a defense. Whatever I say, the outcome of this trial has already been decided, hasn’t it?”

I quietly looked behind me. Sharmia wasn’t there, but a Heaven’s Judgement Knight in full armor stood at the back door.

It was Karos. In the small eyes visible beyond the helmet, there was an emotion that was hard to describe.

If I had to put it into words, it was something like, ‘You’re not seriously going to do it, are you?’

For the record, I am going to do it.

“Because the proud Princess is the one behind all this.”

“…If the remark has nothing to do with the trial, refrain from speaking.”

As I spoke, those familiar with me showed various reactions.

Dersia lowered her head and held her forehead.

Ciel looked at me with a slight smile, then sighed.

Alletus, closed his eyes, as if he couldn’t bear to watch.

It was all agreed upon in advance. But witnessing it actually happen must have felt different.

“It is related. The only reason I’m standing here is because of her.”

“That’s enough. This trial is-”

“Truly remarkable. Is this the Empire she wishes to create, where a child like me is dragged into court? Has the Empire’s law always existed solely for one person?”

Before the judge could bring the gavel down and close the court, I hastily continued.

“At this rate, I can’t even tell who the real ruler is anymore.”

The moment I uttered those sarcasm-laced words,

The noisy courtroom fell completely silent, as if a mouse had died.

“…”

“…Hic.”

Even the judge froze with the gavel still in his hand.

In a room where even the sound of breathing had become noise, a voice rang clearly inside my head.

[…Jern. Wouldn’t it have been better to tone it down a bit?]

I was about to write my response on Dersia’s back using currents, but upon reconsideration, touching my master’s back freely felt inappropriate, so I replied on the back of her hand instead.

[Why? Look how quiet it got. It’s effective, isn’t it?]

[Even the Princess asked you to dilute that sentence or just hint at the nuance. Including it raw like this is too much of a shock for these nobles.]

[Is it really that harsh?]

If anything, I was worried it might come off like a staged performance of Go-Stop because the insult was too soft.

I didn’t have time to hear the full meaning behind such a minor detail. Dersia let out a sigh, as if she had expected this, and answered.

[Princess Sharmia is currently in a very unusual situation. She is freely wielding powers that rightfully belong to the Emperor, and while that would normally constitute treason, the Emperor has granted her permission… so the situation has become quite complicated.]

[I don’t really see the problem. Isn’t she just using power under the Emperor’s permission? It’s not like she’s some random low-tier noble. She’s a Princess, what’s there to nitpick about?]

[If we dig deep into it, it gets complicated, so I’ll keep it simple. The Emperor’s permission is essentially the complete transfer of authority, meaning the Princess can now do the same thing.]

[…What?]

[As of now, the Princess has the authority to transfer the Imperial power to someone else, not her child, not even someone of her own blood.]

[But can’t the Emperor do that too?]

[No. The Emperor can only pass on power to members of his bloodline. But since Sharmia has inherited the Emperor’s authority, and she is not the Emperor herself, she is not bound by that restriction. In other words, she can pass her power on to someone unrelated by blood.]

[Hmm… sounds complicated. I still don’t see why that’s a problem.]

[Let me make it simpler. If Sharmia were to marry now and pass that authority to her partner, for the first time in the Empire’s history, someone not of the royal bloodline would stand above all.]

Someone who is not the Emperor’s child… becoming Emperor of the Empire.

That idea carried such immense weight that even Dersia hesitated to say it out loud.

[…Would she really do such a thing?]

[Absolutely not. She would never do such a thing, even if she died. But the fact that it’s possible is the problem. The mere fact that she can wield such absurd authority is why the nobles are quietly avoiding the topic at all costs. And now, you’ve ripped apart that taboo and laid it bare for everyone to see.]

[Hmm…]

I thought for a moment, then shrugged.

[Even better, actually.]

[What?]

[At this level, the nobles will definitely start talking. Probably before the day’s even over, Crimson Circle will conclude that I’ve crossed an irreversible line with the Princess.]

[You, too, have crossed a point of no return. If you ever want to return to the Empire, you’ll not only need an Imperial edict, but also a proper noble title and a public reconciliation with the Princess over a certain period. Are you prepared for that?]

[I was already prepared. But… Alletus-nim won’t face any consequences because of this, right?]

[…We’ve made it seem like Alletus was the one who reported you, so it should be fine.]

In that case, there’s nothing to worry about.

Even after my long conversation with Dersia, the judge, who had been frozen stiff for quite some time, finally came to his senses and frantically slammed the gavel.

“L-life imprisonment! The sentence is life imprisonment, and the court is adjourned! Arrest that traitor immediately!”

It was a rushed and clumsy move, but no one objected.

The soldiers, seeming eager to get me out of there as quickly as possible, hurriedly escorted me out, and I was taken away again without even getting the chance to say goodbye to the others.

As she watched the back of my head disappear, Dersia spoke one last sentence.

[Jern, I know you’re already aware, but no matter the situation, remember this, there’s nothing more important than your life.]

I didn’t reply.

Because I fully agreed with that.

*

The day the verdict was delivered. At dawn, when the moon was highest in the sky.

I looked around the much grimmer prison cell.

It was a tiny solitary cell, so small that even a child of eleven would bump into the wall after two steps.

A narrow, barred window high above let in a faint torchlight, and the cell was so deep underground that not even the sound of footsteps could be heard.

If I had to compare it, it felt like I’d been locked in a roadside sewer.

They must’ve decided I wasn’t even worth any decent treatment anymore. Even the workshop key had been taken, and now I had nothing left but my robe. I looked up at the ceiling, the only entrance, and pulled a red necklace from my robe.

No one else could see it. Dersia had said it was enchanted with top-tier perception-interference magic.

Perception-interference magic by a 9-Star wizard.

“Hmm.”

But… how do I even use this thing?

Dersia, after examining it, remarked that it seemed more like a biological tissue than any kind of magic tool, and concluded that it was beyond her jurisdiction.

Since it was a necklace, I tried wearing it. I figured maybe it would work if I spoke while wearing it.

And then.

-Ssshh…

“…?”

The necklace turned to ash and disappeared.

Stunned for a moment, I wondered if this was Crimson Circle’s way of mocking me, but then the ashes rose into the air as if they were alive.

Maybe this was how it worked. A signal to inform them, and then they’d come to rescue me.

In that case, all that was left was to wait.

Leaning against the wall of the nearby prison cell, I recalled the question I had been most curious about since this plan was first formed.

‘How will they come?’

One thing was certain, Decay wouldn’t miss this opportunity. That much I was sure of.

If he went so far as to seek me out and give me a necklace to try and recruit me, then with this rift forming between me and the Princess, he would absolutely seize the chance.

The question was just that.

How?

This was the middle of the Capital, specifically, the most heavily guarded prison.

A frontal assault was unthinkable as long as Dersia was here. They would have to contact me by some other method, and I was deeply curious to see how.

Judging by how Decay came to the library before, he certainly wasn’t lacking in methods.

As I leaned against the wall and let my imagination run wild, I suddenly heard the clacking sound of footsteps.

“…That was fast.”

The necklace had just turned to ash, and not even three minutes had passed before footsteps echoed through the space. It wasn’t even time for the guards’ patrol.

Truly terrifying people. Shocked by Crimson Circle’s speed and precision, I looked up.

And saw something I never expected.

Red hair.

“Ho, so you’re actually locked up.”

“…Princess Lumia?”

The face crouching down was someone I knew.

Princess Lumia was Crimson Circle?

No, that couldn’t be right. Dumbfounded, I asked Lumia, who was peering down at me with curiosity.

“What brings you here?”

“I heard you were imprisoned, so I came to see your face.”

“…Huh?”

She came to see me?

I tilted my head in confusion, since I didn’t have much of a connection with Princess Lumia. She quickly added in a somewhat defensive tone,

“I need to see how the end turned out for someone who didn’t heed my warning.”

“A warning?”

“I told you, didn’t I… that you’d pay dearly if you got involved with my sister.”

“Ah.”

She hadn’t exactly said that, but she did clearly show that she didn’t like Sharmia. Though, strangely, Sharmia seemed fond of Lumia.

Back then I brushed it off, but now that I think about it, maybe it wasn’t just about ambition. Perhaps she felt some of that unique, mysterious aura that Prophets have while living together as sisters.

Lumia crossed her arms triumphantly and continued speaking.

“Look at you now. Sentenced to life imprisonment, your entire future snatched away. This is the fate of those associated with the First Princess, Sharmia. That’s simply how it ends.”

“Yes. As expected, it is you, Princess Lumia, who truly deserves the Emperor’s throne.”

“…! Do not speak such things so lightly!”

Thinking she wanted to be praised, I offered some flattery, but she panicked and looked around to see if anyone had overheard.

What the hell is she really here for? I was wondering that when Lumia let out a sigh and said something completely unexpected.

“Haa… Talking to you gives me a headache. I’ll get to the point. If you wish, I can get you out.”

“…What?”

“I won’t say it twice. I mean I’ll overturn the life imprisonment. Even though compared to Sister, my authority is like a feather, I can at least manage to extract one prisoner.”

“Ah, I understand what you’re saying.”

And yet she said she wouldn’t repeat it, but ended up saying it twice.

“It would be great for me, of course, but why the sudden generosity? I don’t understand Princess Lumia’s intentions in showing me mercy.”

“Hmph, it’s simply to repay a favor.”

Lumia answered coldly, then conjured a flame in her hand.

-Whoosh! The intense flame lit up the dark prison cell as if it were midday.

“I heard you lent your master. I don’t know how you managed to borrow that Dersia, but thanks to that, I made a lot of progress.”

“Congratulations.”

“Helping me means you are entitled to receive something of equal value. And since I achieved even a slight improvement, it holds value equal to your life, so saving you is within reason.”

I scanned the rude-speaking Lumia with current sense.

Her slightly quickened heartbeat told me she wasn’t lying.

She was also wearing the dagger I had given her- well, technically, the one Alletus gave me, which I then passed on. Judging by how she wore no other accessories, she must’ve liked it quite a bit.

In other words, there was no other reason.

This rude Princess had truly come here to save me.

Even as I felt a warm sensation in my heart, a jolt of lightning struck my head.

I realized, this could be useful.

“…Princess Lumia.”

“What is it? Ah, but I can’t get you out right now. Your earlier remarks were too extreme, though personally, I enjoyed them. They were accurate, too. It just takes some time to smooth things over. You’ll only need to stay here for about two weeks.”

“May I perhaps receive compensation for that teaching in another form?”

To prepare a hidden blade for whatever unexpected situation might come.

“…What?”

Lumia tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“Another form? If you don’t accept this offer now, you’ll be stuck here for the rest of your life. Even if you get something else out of it, what use could it possibly be?”

“I beg you. There is something I must receive from you, Princess Lumia.”

“What is it?”

“From now on, every time you meet me, please ask me one question. Just ask if things are better than before.”

“…??”

Lumia still didn’t understand.

I wasn’t much different. This was a safeguard, prepared against a truly absurd possibility.

Even I, who was setting it up, couldn’t help but wonder if it was really necessary.

“Why something like that?”

“Because I want to talk with you for a little longer, even if just a bit.”

Which was why the reason had to be this weak, this ridiculous.

“Wha…!”

Lumia’s face flushed red in apparent anger, and her body trembled, but then she slowly nodded.

“F-fine. On top of getting you out of there, I’ll grant you this special favor.”

“I am grateful for your vast mercy. Truly, you are a Princess of elegance.”

“Ugh… you-”

“Yes?”

“…Never mind. I’m leaving now.”

“Please go safely.”

As she stepped backward and left the cell, I was alone once again.

For about ten minutes, I sat with the silence.

Praying that what I had just done would end up being completely useless.

As I swallowed dryly and rubbed my neck,

-Squeak, squeeak.

From the floor, a cellmate even less welcome than Lumia appeared.

A plump-looking sewer rat. I scowled and moved aside, but it wasn’t just one rat.

Then three. Then six.

It grew to ten in the blink of an eye.

“Ugh.”

The rats, now swarming so thickly there was no space to step, suddenly began biting each other.

-Screech!

-Squeak, skreee!

Blood splattered.

Now drenched in blood, the writhing rats crawled toward the wall of the cell, and carved letters into it.

It wasn’t long. Just one word.

[L i e d o w n.]

“…”

Even before the last character was finished, I lowered my body.

-Sq, squeak, squeeak…!

-BOOM!

The rats that carved the word exploded with a small bang.

-Ssssshh… Beyond the melted wall, I saw a small hole.

Slimy and disgusting, filled with rat blood, a cramped hole just big enough for an 11-year-old child to squeeze through.

Without a word, I grabbed the remains of the rats using a current and wrote other words on the adjacent wall.

[C a n ‘ t y o u w i d e n i t a b i t ?]

Unfortunately, no reply came.