Wizard of the Deep Sea

TL/ED – Miso

“Just one thing before that.”

“Y-Yes?”

Looking at Damyu, who was tightly focused, I asked something I had been curious about for a while.

“What exactly is the difference between a Great World and other worlds? I mean, I get that it’s wider or can exert influence without direct contact as a criterion… but is that all?”

“A Great World targets the Material Realm.”

“What?”

I frowned at the incomprehensible remark, and perhaps thinking I was angry, she hurriedly continued speaking.

“W-We merely damage our own inner worlds. In my case, everywhere I touch turns into a swamp, and if anything sinks into it, it dies.”

“Isn’t that destroying parts of the Material Realm as well?”

“The swamp forming is a causality that occurs because the broken me touched the world. To put it metaphorically, I’m a human who’s started burning. Everything I touch will burn, but that’s a change caused by the broken me touching the world, not the world itself changing…”

“Then what am I.”

“Fallen of a Great World distort not just themselves, but even the world. Just by existing, they erode the Material Realm. Our own inner worlds are hells, but the Great World turns the world we live in into hell.”

I recalled the Fallen I had met so far who weren’t from a Great World.

Parse, Wihwa, Damyu, Ren, Lump.

Parse shed blood and used it as a weapon, Wihwa became a monster, and Lump took on the appearance of a knight. Ren burned everything she touched. Damyu turned everywhere she walked into a swamp…

Indeed, rather than feeling like the world had changed, it felt more like they were lifeforms from a different world.

I’m just someone living within the concept called the Deep Sea.

So that’s the difference between a Fallen of a Great World and an ordinary Fallen.

“I see.”

“S-So, about that-”

Damyu looked at me curiously.

“What kind of world do you live in…? I can’t even begin to guess…”

“Hmm.”

I can’t let it be known that it’s the Deep Sea.

Seeing how these guys keep drowning pitiful wizards in seawater, there’s a high chance that they, or something similar to me, are their target.

Feigning ignorance, I explained some slightly off-key characteristics.

“First, list the Great Worlds you know.”

“Uh, um. Desolate Plains, Sand Valley, Extreme Ice, Underworld…”

Most of the Great Worlds Damyu mentioned were terrains.

But something strange came up midway, so I stopped and asked.

“Underworld? Isn’t that just hell? That’s a Great World too?”

“Yes, it’s a world that uses the dead. Someone from the Upper Tier has it. I don’t know much either. All I’ve heard is that this person is the one who usually occupies and uses cities…”

“Is it different from Lump?”

“Ah, yes. You know Sir Lump too?”

“I’ve had a bit of contact. Among those, is there any Great World that can use telekinesis?”

“What exactly do you mean by telekinesis?”

“The ability to exert force at a distance.”

“I-I’m not sure…”

Flustered Damyu asked something else.

“Could I possibly know what kind of Burden you have? If I know that, it’ll be easier to find out…”

“I don’t want to say.”

“R-Right. It’s dangerous if it’s found out…”

Fortunately, it didn’t seem too strange to try to hide one’s Burden.

After that, I heard about a few more Great Worlds, but didn’t find any that I could convincingly pretend to have. The knowledge Damyu had also wasn’t exactly high-level information.

Right, from talking with her, I realized, this girl really wasn’t anything special.

“The warehouse… That’s what I do.”

When I asked what role she had in the Crimson Circle, that was her answer.

“What’s a warehouse?”

“Things that I drop into the swamp can’t be dug out, even if you dig the ground. But I can retrieve them from anywhere. So… I store most of the valuables.”

“If that were the case, couldn’t you just retrieve yourself when you fall in?”

“I can’t do that with my own body…”

Damyu looked a little down as she talked about her Burden.

“I once tried to control the Burden by putting myself in a wooden box and falling into the swamp. But the bottom of the box turned into swamp and I sank.”

“How do you deal with your Burden?”

“I take the World-Sealing Pill.”

…?

“What if you don’t have it?”

“I endure it. I walk or run.”

What the hell… What kind of stupid method is that.

Most members of the Crimson Circle seemed to choose to rely on the so-called World-Sealing Pill rather than find a way to resist their worlds.

Well, it’s an easy and immediate solution, so it’s a good method. I’ve benefited a lot from it too.

However, I can’t rely on it to that extent. My Burden isn’t something that can be easily suppressed with something like a World-Sealing Pill.

Deciding to slowly look into another Great World to use as a disguise later, I first opened the book that supposedly contained missions.

The booklet was filled with dense writing. What was strange was that the letters kept appearing and disappearing.

[Destruction of the Blue Magic Tower’s defense barrier.]

[Special Note: Must engage in battle with a 5-Star wizard.]

[Quantity: 200 units.]

[Equality.]

[6/7]

“…”

The quantity must be referring to the World-Sealing Pills.

Below that, there were six names listed with a 6/7 mark.

Not long after, another name appeared. The page, now marked 7/7, wriggled briefly, then returned to a blank state.

“What is this.”

“This is the Recruitment Chapter. It’s where people are recruited to carry out the missions taken from the Mission Chapter…”

“Recruitment Chapter?”

“Yes. Chapter 1 is the Mission Chapter where missions issued by the Upper Tier are recorded, Chapter 2 is the Recruitment Chapter to find people to carry them out, and Chapter 3 is the Transaction Chapter. Chapter 4 is the Record Chapter that logs the missions completed so far.”

“Ah, so this ‘Equality’ means the World-Sealing Pills will be divided evenly.”

For now, I needed to complete missions and rise through the ranks to reach the information I wanted about the Three Evils, so I flipped through the Recruitment Chapter to find a usable mission.

[Disposal of the Stray Dog in Parasak Fortress.]

[Special Note: ‘Stray Dog’ is the alias of an underworld boss. Must annihilate all 390 members of the organization to complete the objective.]

[Quantity: 50 units]

[Equality]

[1/3]

“They’re recruiting only three people to kill 390?”

“Yes, we’re Fallen, right? This is something that could be done alone too, but since some might escape…”

Damyu tilted her head as if I were the strange one.

Well. Even if they’re from the Lower Tier, they’re only one step away from the Celestial Realm. Something like this should be easy for them.

A quick glance through the mission list showed the current stance of the Crimson Circle. It looked like they were focused on retaliatory strikes against a few Magic Towers that were pursuing them too aggressively, while simultaneously crushing and absorbing criminal organizations from the underworld.

What’s their true intention in swelling their ranks like this? While pondering that, I felt a slight sense of relief.

If kidnapping children had been their mission, things would’ve gotten a lot more complicated.

“Alright. Then let’s try this one first.”

As I tried to write my name under the mission to dispose of the Stray Dog in Parasak Fortress, I hesitated at writing the name Jern directly.

Not having any good alias in mind, I just used the name I had written last time.

[Undercurrent.]

Not even ten seconds after I wrote the name.

It disappeared.

But the page remained.

“Does that mean it worked?”

“Ah, no. Once the mission starts, Chapter 5 automatically opens so members can communicate with each other.”

“…Then what is this?”

“Th-The member who took the mission… deleted it.”

“?”

As I made a confused expression, Damyu carefully explained.

“Y-You see, this is your first mission, and you haven’t revealed what kind of world you have, there are no records, and… anyway, they won’t accept you.”

…So I got rejected.

Swallowing a bitter feeling, I asked again.

“Then what should I do first?”

“You start by completing small missions, get your name out among the members, and once it’s known that you’re a reliable and strong Fallen, they’ll accept you.”

“What do you mean by ‘reliable’?”

“S-Sometimes there are people who don’t care about the mission and just kill members to steal their World-Sealing Pills.”

“Doesn’t the Upper Tier do anything about that?”

“No…”

This is just.

Even among subcontractor groups, this is as subcontractor as it gets.

In truth, it was more accurate to think of the Lower Tier not as part of the Crimson Circle, but rather as mercenaries they employed.

‘…So that’s why he said that.’

Only now did I understand the true meaning behind what Decay had said, telling me to prove that his eyes hadn’t been wrong.

He meant for me to rise up from there. This entire process was a kind of test, and at the same time, a way to help the other Upper Tier members of the Crimson Circle understand me.

“Tsk…”

I clicked my tongue. It meant that the best method, becoming a member of the Crimson Circle, sucking up information, and then fleeing, was impossible.

My actions in the Lower Tier would become my résumé. A résumé that would determine how those above treated me and what important roles they would entrust to me.

If that’s the case.

“Is it possible to carry out this mission alone?”

“N-No. It depends on the mission, but at least two people are needed… Large-scale missions require four.”

“I see…”

If it’s something I have to do anyway.

Then I should fill it with the best possible results.

As I browsed through missions listed in the thousands, I asked Damyu a question.

“How many missions do you take on here?”

“Everyone knows I’m the warehouse, so… I’m considered non-combat. No one would accept me…”

“Is that so.”

Even better. I handed her a World-Sealing Pill.

Seeing her hurriedly accept it with both hands, I gave a good-natured smile.

“Damyu.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You and I, let’s do a job together.”

Damyu looked uneasy, but that wasn’t my concern.

Success achieved while dragging along a burden would be rated far higher.

*

Underground prison.

Karos, looking down at Jern who was dazed and locked up below, took out a crystal orb and reported.

“He’s gone. I don’t know how he did it, but he left behind a dummy.”

[Is that so? Thank you for your work. By now, he should have made contact with the Crimson Circle… At this point, he’s beyond our hands. All we can do is pray for Jern’s safety.]

That should have been the end of the conversation. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

But Karos held onto the crystal orb and added a few more words.

“…Your Highness.”

Until Sharmia told her, Karos had never tried to dig into her “ability”.

She knew well that it would be overstepping her bounds.

However.

“Is this… really possible?”

[…]

This time, it wasn’t easy to hold back.

Of course, Jern’s explanation was incredibly persuasive.

If things went a their way, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to uncover most of the secrets shrouding the Crimson Circle.

But the opposite was also true.

“It wasn’t a long encounter, but I’ve gotten a read on this person named Jern. He has probably figured out most of Your Highness’s secrets.”

[Th-That’s probably true. I tried to hide it as best I could, but…]

“If, and I mean if, he truly becomes influenced by the Crimson Circle…”

Karos swallowed her words.

She trusted the princess. Having seen her from the closest vantage point, she knew well that her trust wasn’t blind faith.

No matter who the opponent was, if the princess made up her mind, she could overcome them.

That was more a fact than a belief to her.

But.

“…He could perhaps become Your Highness’s greatest enemy.”

Not now.

But if that child grew into a full adult in a few years.

If he gained even more connections, knowledge, and power.

-He might be able to stand eye-to-eye with the princess.

It was that anxiety that stirred within her.

[Hmm…]

“…Forgive me. I’ve troubled you with needless concerns. I’m sure Your Highness already knows everything and is simply testing him…”

Even as she apologized, Karos inwardly hoped.

That the princess would brush off her worries as foolish claims.

Saying that she had seen it with her own eyes and such a thing didn’t exist.

But Sharmia’s sigh-laced voice conveyed the complete opposite.

[That’s honestly terrifying. Truly. I still can’t believe, not even a little, that Jern is eleven years old… If he grows and turns against me, ugh, it gives me chills.]

“…Are you saying that possibility actually exists?”

[Yes. I mean, the Crimson Circle, they know Fallen very well, right? Jern might end up going over to them and turning against us.]

Hearing the princess’s voice laced with genuine unease, Karos was at a loss for words.

She knew that such a possibility existed, and yet she sent him to the Crimson Circle?

…Why?

[But Jern will grow in that place. He could become my greatest enemy, or a powerful ally.]

“Th-Then-”

Karos, wanted to say that it was too dangerous.

That rather than involving Jern, it would be better for them to move without any variables, just among themselves.

Until she heard the princess’s self-mocking voice.

[But you know… There’s something interesting.]

“What is it?”

[I’m honestly reaching my limit.]

“…!”

It was the last thing Karos wanted to hear.

Sharmia, noticing her flinch, gave a light laugh and soon shook her head.

[That’s not what I meant. Truthfully, I can try again and again, as many times as needed. The problem is that no matter how many times I try, I fall so, so short. So whether it’s dice, coins, cards… any gamble, I have no choice but to play.]

“You fall short…?”

Sharmia in the crystal orb rested her chin on her hand as she answered.

[Hmm, this is a bit of a different topic.]

“Please speak.”

[Even if Jern becomes an enemy, I wonder if it would really make much of a difference.]

“…Pardon?”

Sharmia gave a bitter smile as she looked at the confused Karos.

[Because whether someone is an enemy or an ally… that soon won’t matter much at all.]