Wizard of the Deep Sea

TL/ED – Miso

After experiencing what is called the world of magic and finishing off the books that weren’t all that helpful, I was able to come to one conclusion.

The standard is reversed.

It’s not that wizards are special, it’s that humans who aren’t wizards are special.

I didn’t know this before becoming one of these wizard folk, but the world was an ocean.

Everything in the world is inside the sea. We just haven’t realized it.

However, there is one existence that deviates from that law.

Humans.

Humans walk on the surface of the sea.

Because of that, they cannot feel the ocean currents. They have no idea what is happening beneath the sea.

It’s an incredible advantage. Just by not being swept away by the currents, humans are superior to wizards.

Wizards are nothing more than deformed beings who have lost the ability to walk on the surface and have fallen into it.

…It seems that all nobles are morons.

To think they actually want to become something like this.

“It is convenient, though.”

I pushed a floating book in the air into the bookshelf.

It was a fairly narrow slot, but the book went in slowly and precisely.

It was a strange feeling. If it had been the me before experiencing the Awakening Fever, I would’ve dismissed it as a miracle…

But now, I know. This is really nothing.

You know how when you move your limbs underwater, the waves travel far through the water?

My magic is similar. For now, I’ve decided to call it a current.

By grabbing the book, I make it realize that it’s underwater.

It sounds confusing, but it’s simple. Since I’m underwater, when I touch the book, it also becomes aware that it’s underwater.

Then this thing floats.

Now, if I create a current and let it ride it, it slowly moves forward.

Someday it’ll fall, but slower than it would outside of the water.

Before and after realizing that the world is actually under the sea.

That tiny bit of understanding makes a huge difference.

The problem is this.

“How strong is this?”

I scanned the roughly 100 books floating in the air and let out a hum.

They’re all calmly floating around my waist level.

It’s not particularly hard. As long as I don’t lose consciousness, I feel like I could maintain this for several hours. Maybe even if I lose it.

No, I’m not even sure if I’m actually using any effort.

“Hmm…”

After a brief moment of thought, I placed my foot on one of the books.

-Thud. As soon as I put a little weight on it, it sank straight to the ground. Seems it can’t support my body weight.

Just how high is this level? Am I some kind of magical prodigy of the century?

Or is it something any wizard could do, and I’m just being overly dramatic because I don’t know any other wizards?

I combed through the Orphanage’s attached library like I was picking lice, but anything related to magic was either fairy tales or barely beyond that level, so I couldn’t find any proper information.

Unless I trespass into the Imperial Library and read their magic-related books, but that place only allows nobles, so I can’t go.

The best option is probably to just stop caring and live like this.

However, it’s not without reason that I think of wizards as humans who’ve fallen into the sea.

[~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~!]

After experiencing the Awakening Fever, I’ve been seeing strange black figures.

Sometimes they talk to me. If you can call circling around me while making laughter-like noises talking.

I call them Deep Sea Creatures. Because anyone could see from their movement that they were swimming like fish.

‘…Though I don’t think they’re just fish.’

Even though I can only see the silhouette, their long, sharp teeth are distinct. Grotesque bodies.

Someday, if the time comes when these things notice me…

I don’t think anything good will come of it.

Sometimes, when the currents of the sea suddenly surge, I even trip and fall in midair.

Not joking, if it gets worse, I might just suddenly go flying into the sky while walking.

The result would be instant death, no matter how I look at it.

How do wizards handle situations like this?

I have no idea.

Could there be a kind noble who appears like a miracle and tells me what I need to do as a novice wizard?

No. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Then what should I do?

“Sigh…”

I need to find a way to seal away my magic for life, or at the very least, a way to escape this situation.

If there’s no book with that method in this tiny Orphanage library.

I have to go to another library.

It only took a moment to come up with a plan.

I returned to the dormitory, pulled out the piggy bank I had kept deep under the bed, and smashed it while shedding tears.

-Clang!

The other kids who saw that freaked out and jumped.

“J-Jern! What are you doing right now!”

“Jern’s gone crazy!!!!!! He broke his piggy bank!”

The piggy bank the Director gave to all the children, telling us to save at least a tenth of our allowance little by little for when we become independent.

If you break that, you can’t even play in solitary for at least three days, you have to study the whole time.

To be honest, for me, that’s not even a punishment, but the problem is that my savings are the highest in the history of the orphanage.

Since I never found a reason to spend, I saved all my allowance. Even though it was a small amount, over the five years since I started receiving allowance, it had grown into a sizable sum.

It was like a marshmallow for the future that would someday come, but I’m drifting alone in a vast sea.

This isn’t the time to be picky about means and methods.

“Just tell them I stepped out for a bit.”

I stuffed the money into a leather pouch and headed straight to Anelin ssi’s clothing store.

Anelin ssi runs a small clothing shop nearby and is a former top-notch fashion designer who made a name for herself in the Capital.

I’ve barely spent money on clothes in either this life or my previous one, but I owed her a lot since she volunteered to mend the children’s clothes for free.

She’s such a kind person that when I opened the shop door and walked in, she welcomed me with a bright face.

“Oh my, isn’t it Jern? Looks like your sleeve’s torn again.”

“No, I came to buy clothes.”

“Clothes? Well, you are at an age where you’re growing… but didn’t we just fit you with something barely a month ago?”

“It’s not that. I mean real clothes.”

I stood on tiptoe and placed the leather pouch filled with money on the counter.

Anelin ssi slightly opened the pouch and, startled, waved her hands.

“Jern, you must be misunderstanding something. You don’t need this much money to buy clothes. If you broke your piggy bank, I’ll speak to the Director for you, so don’t worry…”

“That’s okay. Can you make me an outfit like the ones nobles wear? If it’s not enough, I’ll give you more from my allowance later.”

“Hmm…?”

Anelin ssi looked puzzled for a moment, then soon showed a warm expression like she was looking at a child with dreams.

Looked like she thought it was just some childhood whim of wanting to be a noble.

“If that’s the case, I have just the thing. Wait here for a moment.”

Anelin ssi went into the storage room and soon brought out a somewhat vintage-looking outfit.

Woven in white and blue, even I, who knows nothing about clothes, could tell it was well-made. Though it had gathered a bit of dust.

“I once put all my heart into making this outfit. But it was returned just because the color of the day wasn’t blue… no one ever wore it.”

Seeing how absurd that reason was, it probably really had been made for an actual noble.

“How much is it?”

“It was just rotting away in the storage anyway, so I don’t need money. But instead, make one promise with this aunty.”

“A promise…?”

“Yes. From now on, before you ever break your piggy bank, you must consult with this aunty first and try to find another way. Can you promise that?”

“Uh… okay.”

Saved the money. Nice.

“Then wait a moment. If I touch up the faded parts a bit…”

She tapped the clothes with some strange machine to remove the dust, and after applying a transparent reagent, the outfit looked completely new.

Wearing the clothes and beret, I spun around once in front of the mirror and looked quite noble-like.

Anelin ssi kept praising me, saying I looked cute.

“Oh my, how adorable! You look like a little angel!”

“Thank you…”

After that, I chatted with the aunty for over 30 minutes, but since I managed to save the money I had collected over the past five years, it was still a win.

After leaving the clothing shop, I washed my face at the nearby well, tidied my hair, and used the money I had saved to take a carriage. I was originally planning to walk for over two hours.

The destination, was the center of the Capital.

Although the Orphanage was also in the Capital, it was on the outskirts, so even by carriage, it would take over 30 minutes just to reach the center.

When I got off the carriage, what came into view was a massive Cathedral soaring into the sky, the sky that had always seemed faint from the Orphanage now clear and vibrant, the bustling streets filled with countless people.

My head spun from the overwhelming flood of information, but I’d come once before on a field trip, so I knew the way.

I headed straight for the library. It wasn’t too far, and before long, I arrived at a massive curved building so large it blocked out the sun, huge even by the standards of someone like me who had seen great architectural structures in my previous world.

In front of the building, the guards were chatting idly, but as they saw me approach, they exchanged a glance and crossed their spears.

“Uh, excuse me. May I ask where you’re from?”

My mouth went dry. I felt like if I opened my mouth, a nervous and pathetic voice would come out.

So I didn’t speak.

Instead, I acted annoyed and gestured with my finger for them to move the spears.

At the same time, I disturbed the current. It was my first time using magic on someone else, so I was worried if it would work.

Swoosh- the spears moved aside naturally, and though the guards tilted their heads, they opened the path.

“Uh… there wasn’t anyone scheduled to come today…”

“I didn’t say I was coming. Can I go in?”

“Y-yes, please go ahead.”

Even though they had confused expressions, it seemed they concluded I must be a noble since I used magic, so they let me through.

Once I entered the library, I had a moment to clutch my pounding heart.

Phew, it worked.

If it hadn’t, I had already scouted escape routes to run away immediately.

Of course, just getting inside didn’t mean anything was over. True to its name, the library was stacked with books everywhere, and there seemed to be almost no people around, no footsteps to be heard.

Looking at the bookshelves that towered ten times higher than my height, I couldn’t help but sigh. If I tried to find the book I wanted myself, it would probably take a whole year.

I needed a librarian. I walked quickly with my short legs toward the center and saw a woman seated at a desk that looked like an information desk, lazily reading a book.

Casual clothes, long white hair reaching her waist, black eyes, a face that seemed somewhat worn out, and… long ears.

An Elf, my first time seeing a different race.

Even the simple act of flipping a page with her fingers felt distinctly different from an ordinary person. Her presence alone made it feel like speaking to her was not permitted, and I swallowed hard.

Still, what had to be done, had to be done.

I stepped forward and opened my mouth.

“Excuse me-”

“…?”

As I spoke, the Elf’s eyes, which had been glued to the book, turned toward me.

“Are you perhaps… the librarian?”

It was the kind of situation where I should’ve spoken down to her, but the Elf’s aura didn’t allow it.

The Elf stared at me intently for a moment.

Was she not the librarian? Did I get it wrong? Am I screwed? All kinds of thoughts raced through my head until the Elf closed her book and lowered her head.

“My apologies.”

“Pardon?”

“I committed a discourtesy because I was told no one would be visiting today. I am Dersia Aspandil.”

The Elf lifted the hem of her skirt and gave a polite greeting, her face expressionless.

“How may I assist you?”

“Um, well…”

Things were going well.

That’s what I thought, until it should’ve ended there.

But for some reason, seeing the unmoving expression on the librarian’s face gave me a sinking feeling in my chest, and I slowly opened my mouth…