Wizard of the Deep Sea

TL/ED – Miso

Practicing magic is a difficult thing to understand.

For example, let’s say you suddenly feel like running faster and for a longer time.

Then you just run. Human muscles have a structure that tears, heals, and becomes stronger.

But magic is not used with muscles.

If you only look at output, if you want to use stronger magic, you need to cram in more mana, and the amount of that mana is decided by the number of Astral Wheels.

Then how do you increase those all-important Astral Wheels?

That part is the most ridiculous.

‘What am I supposed to do…?’

Even if I spread out dozens of books borrowed from the library in the warehouse and go through everything.

And even if I combine them with what I heard in class, it is the same.

Do you want to increase Astral Wheels and walk the Path of Magic?

Then expand your enlightenment.

…?

Shouldn’t I first know what that so-called ‘enlightenment’ even is?

But then, this thing is said to be the very law that constructs the Inner World, and also a wizard’s highly private and secret weakness.

They say never, absolutely never, go around telling anyone what you have realized. Not even family.

So there is no example at all. I have no idea what I have realized.

Since Astral Wheels exist under enlightenment, I must know something, but… I grabbed my chin and pondered.

‘That all nobles are deformities?’

Hmm, no way that is the law constructing my Deep Sea.

“That I’m destined to die soon?”

Doesn’t seem like the Deep Sea, my Inner World, would be formed from that kind of enlightenment.

That leaves only one thing.

“This world is underwater… is it.”

As expected, only this.

The very first thought I had when I suffered Awakening Fever, and the biggest problem I have to solve.

If it is the law that is constructing my Inner World, I cannot think of anything else.

Then two new problems arise.

What does it even mean to expand it here?

Did Dersia secretly steal information, taking advantage of the fact that I don’t know much about enlightenment?

I can let the latter go since she helped me, but the former is the problem.

The enlightenment that this world is underwater is literally just recognizing the situation. This is not enlightenment but something you would be a moron not to notice.

If you grab a person, tie their legs with concrete, and throw them into the sea, nine out of ten would realize the same thing as me. That this place is underwater, and that they are dying.

What exactly does it mean to expand this?

…Of course, it is not like I have no guess at all.

I consciously ignored the lanterns hanging around the warehouse.

Not yet, it is dangerous.

Someday I will have to float two stars, but-

If I do that now, I will be crushed to death. Even if I survive somehow, without Dersia around I could end up with decompression sickness.

At the very least, I need to create a way to withstand water pressure before increasing it.

Well, even if I do not increase it, it will come to me on its own anyway.

“Haa…”

The current situation was so utterly hopeless that a hollow laugh came out. Maybe it was a relief that I at least knew exactly what was coming.

For now, I had to do what I could without touching the Astral Wheels.

Splash! I organized the books and poured water onto the dirt floor.

I did not use currents. I took a breath, looked slowly down at the floor, and stepped back.

“Rise.”

Wind gently stirred in the tightly sealed warehouse.

The wet dirt squirmed. Then as if boiling in a pot, it bubbled and turned into sticky mud.

And- it began to move.

Like a living creature, it slowly floated upward into the air and clumped into the shape of a sphere.

I intended to just leave it be, but my fingers twitched. A tingling sensation. I am not used to making something with magic instead of my hands.

The wind slowly pressed, tore, and carved the mud.

Since it was the first time, maybe I should aim for something simple, like a puppy.

“Cut a bit higher, no, not there, below… ah.”

Like a lunatic, muttering came out by itself.

It cannot be helped. Mastery of magic is a battle of how well you overlay what is in your head onto the world.

In that process, you use the five senses… or so they say, but it is not like I am going to taste the mud, and touching it directly with my hand is meaningless.

It basically means relying almost entirely on sight. The only other sense that can help a bit is hearing.

If you mutter what you want, you slowly get a feel for it. This is not about saying trigger words like split, rise, or whatever.

The true goal is to depend solely on sight and realize exactly what you want without such auxiliary tools…

“Ah, damn it-”

It is hard.

Sweat drips down endlessly, and pieces keep falling off the mud lump I raised.

It is hard enough just to keep it stable, let alone do proper cutting. The puppy I tried to make is turning into something like a twisted Cerberus from the underworld.

“Ugh…”

Splat. Halfway through, my mana ran out, and the mud fell into a puddle.

It had lasted well for about three days.

With a sigh, I steeled my resolve and gulped down seawater.

“…Khup.”

I forced down the urge to retch.

I thought no matter how much humans are animals of adaptation, no one could get used to drowning…

And I was right. You can never get used to it.

But at least I could endure the oncoming pain without making a sound.

“…Kh, kukh…”

Every time I recharge mana, I sometimes think.

Should I just let it all go?

If I throw myself into a nearby lake, I could suffer this pain once and be done, but to survive, I must endure it several times every week.

Even after all this, survival is uncertain. No, beyond uncertain, a guaranteed hell is what awaits.

“…Fuck it.”

I grabbed my trembling legs and forced myself to stand.

I fixed my eyes on the puddle again. The mud floated up, and this time it was carved away much faster than before.

If I borrow Dersia’s words, she says the world wants my death… but honestly, it does not matter what you put in place of the world.

Whether it is a thug with a club, a knight who can tear me apart in an instant, or a king who commands hundreds of such knights.

Am I supposed to obediently offer my neck to the bastard who tries to kill me?

I would rather die than do that.

Even if what awaits as the price is a fate worse than death, I refuse.

If my enlightenment is that this world is the Deep Sea, then the enlightenment of the Deep Sea will be that it chose the wrong enemy.

I will make it so.

-Splat!

“Haa…”

I brushed aside my sweat-drenched hair.

This time at least I managed to make something with four legs and a head, recognizable enough.

Of course, anyone could see it was not a puppy.

I felt a vague emotion, somewhere between dissatisfaction and satisfaction.

Right now, precision is what matters. I need to circulate air inside my body. One small mistake and I die.

Isn’t there some way to increase precision?

As I pondered, the currents wavered slightly.

“…?”

It was faint, but I definitely felt it.

Of course, I usually felt the flow of currents too. In fact, I often tripped because of its interference.

But, this was the first time I sensed such a delicate movement.

I felt the subtle motion and closed my eyes to analyze it.

“Is this… someone coming?”

I scratched my head. The faint wave was heading this way. I was sure I had called Linmel…

-Bang!

“Jern!! I came because you called!”

“…Uh, y-yeah.”

So it is real. I barely hid my surprise.

Wait, is this even possible? The warehouse is a sealed space. How can someone outside interfere?

…Well, if sealed space means seawater does not enter, then it is no different from being trapped in some narrow steel box, thinking only of how to drain the water.

Like last time, when water pressure pressed only on my body and not my clothes, it seems that surrounding objects have no meaning until I recognize them.

The strange thing is, how did Linmel disturb the currents underwater?

“Why did you call me? Why? Why?”

“I have something to teach you.”

I looked at Linmel’s bright, round eyes and then realized.

She did not just start disturbing them. She had always been disturbing them.

When Dersia showed me magic, the surrounding currents swirled. If I were the only one who could interfere with the currents, that should have been impossible.

Now that I have become familiar with the currents, I can sense even the smallest movements.

My mind is getting used to the world I am in.

…A good thing, if only there were not so little time left before I am crushed by water pressure.

“What are you going to teach? What is it?”

Linmel, unaware of my worry, asked with a bright face.

I held up the book about Body Reinforcement Art.

“I learned this roughly so I could teach it to you. Didn’t you say a Knight gave it to you? Better to receive it.”

“…Ah.”

Then Linmel’s always sunny expression crumpled slightly.

“I don’t want to study…”

“It’s not studying. Just do as I say. I memorized it all.”

“Really? Then it’s fine!”

“But it might hurt a little. Is that okay?”

“How much does it hurt?”

“…Just a little.”

I told a kind lie. It would hurt quite a lot. I thought I was going to die, after all.

But it cannot be helped. Thanks to this, I got my hands on Body Reinforcement Art, so it is my duty to awaken Linmel’s talent.

“Hmm~ then fine! But instead, after it’s done, let’s go to the forest in the west together!”

“It’s night right now.”

“It’s fine, I can beat everything in the mountain behind us!”

“There are bears there…”

“The bear paw soup we ate last time was from the bear I caught!”

“…Alright.”

I nodded readily.

I will have to train her hard. Either way, once it is over, she will not even be able to move. She will not even be able to think about the forest.

“Then first, raise your hands above your head, clasp them together, and without bending your elbows, twist ninety degrees to the right.”

“Mm! Done!”

“…It doesn’t hurt?”

“Huh?”

Linmel tilted her head with that bizarre posture, as if wondering what I meant.

“Why would this hurt? Jern, are you hurt somewhere?”

…Well, well.

Are you provoking me just because you are a little flexible?

With a wicked grin, I immediately skipped to the beginner course.

“Really? Fine then. Next, from that position-”

“Done!”

“…Good, well done.”

Intermediate course.

“Now turn all the way. Until your arm touches your waist-”

“Mm! Done!”

“G-good, you’re doing well.”

Advanced course.

“Now put your head between your legs like that, and hold it for ten minutes.”

“Hold what?”

“Y-you know, it’s hard right now.”

“It’s not hard though?”

….

Is this real.

Unable to believe my eyes, I had her try several of the advanced courses that even I had not learned.

This girl followed all of them while saying things like, “So when does the training start?”

In other words, Linmel-

She has already awakened all the fine muscles of her body.

In short, she is already practicing Body Reinforcement Art.

“Where did you learn this?”

Well, if it were the type of thing you naturally pick up while exercising, I would not be this shocked.

But Body Reinforcement Art cannot be learned without a manual. You must follow special training methods.

Linmel blinked and answered.

“Hmm, I never learned it.”

“Then why are you so good at it?”

“Uh…”

Linmel thought for a moment, then answered.

“Maybe… I learned it while playing during gym class?”

“…”

Learning Body Reinforcement Art while playing, something that cannot be learned without special training…

Can I even call this talent?

“Anyway, when does this end?” 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

“It just ended. Let’s go to the forest right away.”

“Oh, really??”

“Really. Let’s go.”

I smiled warmly at Linmel, whose face had brightened.

Scoring points with the future Captain of the Knights will surely help my survival.