Wizard of the Deep Sea

Training Ground.

Gwallan, who demonstrated the skill of sitting formally in armor, pretended to wear a stern expression.

It was because he hoped that Linmel would take what he was about to say seriously.

Placing the bewildered Linmel in front of him, he opened the conversation in a heavy voice.

“My daughter. The time has come for you to make a choice.”

“Yes, Dad. I’ve already made my choice.”

“…No, I haven’t said anything yet, so what are you saying you chose?”

Linmel blinked her deer-like eyes as if wondering why he was asking something so obvious and answered.

“You’ve been singing about lacking protein since yesterday. I bought a bunch of meat to make rice bowls in advance. I even prepared enough for your friends, so should I call them all? Otherwise, there’ll be leftovers.”

“Th-Thank you, ahem.”

Gwallan cleared his throat in embarrassment.

Since frugality was his creed, he had never employed maids or servants. After eating Linmel’s stew, who had grown up tough in the Orphanage, a few times, he came to realize that grilled meat could not be called cooking.

Getting kicked out of the kitchen was inevitable. To other knights, it was both a laughing matter and a source of envy.

Startling talent, survival skills, and cuteness that didn’t fall behind any servant. Linmel was the perfect daughter and helper.

There were even knights going around touring nearby Orphanages while smacking their lips, it said everything. Gwallan tried to regain the atmosphere and spoke solemnly.

“…But this time, it’s not about something like that. It’s about your future.”

“My future? I’m becoming a knight, right?”

“That’s correct. However, the question is, what kind of knight will you become? You have two paths. One is to become an ordinary knight. The other is to become a Heaven’s Judgement Knight.”

Linmel tilted her head and asked again.

“What’s that?”

“A knight that all others dream of and fear, the knight who kills knights. They receive a different kind of training than ordinary knights. While other knights learn to wield a sword, the Heaven’s Judgement Knights learn how to kill with that sword. You can’t even challenge it without extraordinary talent.”

“Eh?”

Linmel frowned.

Not because it sounded hard, but because of something else.

“Why would I kill a knight?”

“…Because not all knights are good.”

Gwallan held back from explaining in more detail.

It was still too cruel a world for a child to understand.

“The Heaven’s Judgement Knight is a glorious position that only knights with the most outstanding talent can attain, to punish corrupted knights. In my heart, I’d like to see you grow into an ordinary knight, but it would be a shame to let your talent end with just that. How about giving it a try?”

“Umm…”

After a moment of thought, Linmel asked a question that threw Gwallan off.

“If Heaven’s Judgement Knights kill knights, then what do knights kill?”

“…Well, you see.”

Gwallan hesitated briefly before answering with a textbook response.

“Originally, they were meant to deal with wizards…”

“What??”

At those words, Linmel asked again in surprise.

“Knights were supposed to kill wizards???”

“Ah, no. That’s in the past. Nowadays, wizards are all nobles, so saying such things would be a huge problem. It’s just a story from an earlier era.”

“I’ve decided. I’ll become a Heaven’s Judgement Knight.”

“…Will you be alright? It will be difficult.”

Linmel answered firmly with a disgusted expression.

“Yes.”

If knights kill wizards-

Then Jern, who is a wizard, would dislike her.

‘…Absolutely not.’

She didn’t want to be rejected by Jern.

*

Castle Hall.

In a grand room that seemed to exist solely for adornment, I was being dressed up by maids as I asked with discomfort in my voice.

“Do I really have to go this far?”

“Yes, you were the one who said it, remember all the details of the setting, right?”

“Yes. What about Elysia?”

“We said she was injured.”

“Good.”

It’s best not to bring up anything strange.

After barely finishing the dressing process and stepping out in a bluish outfit, Alletus looked me over as if finding it peculiar.

“Is it strange?”

“Mm, not exactly strange, but it’s odd.”

Isn’t that the same thing?

Alletus chose his words carefully as he explained.

“Your eyes, is there any way to deal with them? It doesn’t seem to be a problem, but still.”

“…Huh?”

“You don’t know?”

I received a hand mirror from a maid and reflected my face in it.

…There was no focus. Deep and dark, it was a pair of eyes that even I found to be somewhat unpleasant yet mysterious, strange in the literal sense, hovering somewhere between eerie and mystical.

Of course, my original eyes weren’t like this. I didn’t know exactly, but it must be one of the burdens.

As long as I could see forward clearly, it was fine. I shrugged and answered.

“If it gives me a mysterious vibe, then that’s good.”

“…Alright. Let’s go.”

There was no need to be too nervous.

As he said, it was something like an awards ceremony to commend me.

A slightly solemn atmosphere, say a few words of what I want, and that would be it.

That thought ended the moment I stepped inside.

“Good to see you all. It’s been three years since we gathered like this.”

“…I never thought I’d come to this place while still alive.”

Rather than nobles, it was more like the physique of gladiators.

Rough, intimidating monsters sat at a round table glaring at Alletus.

…Are these really nobles? I barely managed to hide my appalled expression. They looked more like knights than wizards.

“I still haven’t forgotten what happened at the last hunting festival.”

“What a coincidence, neither have I.”

Some nobles tried to provoke each other, but Alletus received it all smoothly, seated himself in the highest seat with me standing beside him.

As I stood awkwardly, the most grotesque-looking bald noble stood up with wide eyes.

“…”

He looked at me, veins popping on his bald head, and slowly walked over.

His hand twitched, seemingly about to strike, but he barely held back. The noble stood close enough for his breath to touch me, and asked in a low voice,

“Are you… Jern?”

“Yes.”

“The one who saved my son?”

“Yes.”

Thud!

The floor shook. The noble had knelt down.

With an almost tearful expression, he grabbed my hand.

“Ku… Kugh… Thank you… If not for you, Huins would’ve been in serious danger!”

“Ah, Huins’s…”

“Yes, my useless son spoke endlessly about you. Said you were the greatest wizard he had ever seen… Truly, thank you. I will somehow, by all means, repay this debt…!”

“Thank you.”

As I stood there bewildered, holding that fervent hand, other nobles began to approach one by one.

“You have my respects. You did incredibly well at such a young age.”

“Is there something you want? I’ll give you enough gold to build a mountain!”

They were completely different from their grotesque appearances.

Before being nobles, they were fathers.

Saving their child’s life seemed to be enough for them to overcome the boundaries of status and express gratitude.

As I received thanks one by one, Alletus cleared his throat and gathered attention.

“Ahem, everyone, please focus. There’s something I must tell you about this boy, Jern.”

“First, you need to explain why you were detaining Jern!”

“Even if he’s a commoner, he’s still a part of the Empire. Why was he under your management, Alletus?”

“That’s something I will explain as well. This child, Jern was actually Elysia’s private tutor.”

“…?”

The nobles looked puzzled.

“You all know that my daughter, Elysia, has been slow in manifesting her magic. I searched everywhere to find a solution and discovered Jern at the Orphanage.”

Alletus, who patted my head, continued.

“It was my first time seeing a natural-born wizard. You know, there’s that superstition. That natural-born wizards are more beloved by mana than ordinary wizards.”

“You mean you actually believed such a superstition?”

“There were that many signs. Under the title of private tutor, I kept him close thinking he might somehow help Elysia, and look at what he’s achieved. You never know how life will turn out.”

“Huh, so he was affiliated with your side from the beginning…”

The nobles didn’t particularly raise any objections.

They seemed to have been wondering, ‘We’re grateful he saved them, but who is this kid and what was he doing where?’ so they couldn’t find a reason to object to this clear answer.

“Then I suppose we should thank you as well, Alletus. I’ll forget what happened during the hunting festival.”

“That’s welcome news. However, it was like catching a mouse with a cow’s backward step, so if you need to thank anyone, thank Jern.”

“Of course we should.”

Now that their doubts were cleared, they asked something else.

“What kind of magic did you use to save the children?”

“My level is still quite low, so I could only use elemental Magic.”

I decided not to mention that I had fallen.

What I learned from this battle was that the imbalance of information was the greatest weapon.

I wanted to keep my sharpest fangs hidden.

When I only showed my wind magic, the nobles smiled and began chatting.

“Wahaha, quite precise. He’ll become a great wizard someday.”

“Indeed. Ah, but I noticed your hands twitch when you emit mana. Why is that?”

“Hmm, just an unconscious habit…”

“That won’t do.”

A fat noble spread his hand and created wind with a skill that couldn’t even be compared to mine.

“Here, try it like this. In the future, the wind will blow and you are merely projecting what you’ve seen… like this.”

“Yes.”

Now that I thought about it.

All these nobles were top-class wizards.

“See? One explanation and he gets it right away.”

“Truly remarkable! If only he had been born with noble blood…”

In this warm atmosphere of veterans teaching a newbie,

A cold voice that echoed through the hall brought the nobles to a halt.

“-But he’s still a commoner.”

“…”

A brief silence fell.

The nobles looked displeased and turned around in protest.

“Rohan, is that really important right now?”

“If I spoiled the mood, I apologize. I didn’t mean to criticize. Boy.”

The noble called Rohan, who had been sitting in the very back, didn’t look much different from the other nobles.

Except for one thing.

His hair was black.

I shrugged and replied.

“It’s fine. It’s just a fact. I had no intention of overstepping my place. If I offended you, I’m sorry.”

“Hmmm…”

I wasn’t foolish enough to antagonize a noble.

After hearing my polite answer, Rohan gave a deep smile.

“Rohan. Even if he is a commoner, he’s the benefactor who saved our children. What kind of nonsense is that?”

When Alletus spoke with a rising tone, Rohan lightly raised his hand to calm him down.

“If my words were unpleasant, I apologize. It’s just… regret.”

“What are you talking about-”

“He’s accomplished something truly admirable and is exceptionally talented, but isn’t his background lowborn? Not being a noble, he’ll have fewer opportunities to learn. Even if we do our best to help him pursue a life as a wizard, he’ll face many restrictions. Isn’t that right?”

“The issue is whether that’s something to bring up here and now.”

“You’re being too sharp. What I meant was, I’d like to offer him a better choice.”

“…?”

A look of doubt crossed Alletus’s face.

Rohan kept smiling as he rose from his seat and approached.

“Jern.”

“Yes.”

I wasn’t particularly nervous.

What was he going to say, that it doesn’t make sense for a lowborn to have saved the children? That the children escaped on their own and this guy just pretended to do something and deceived the other children?

That I’m a minion of Crimson Circle? Or maybe related to them?

No matter how petty the slander might be, I had already prepared for it. I would speak fluently, without stuttering, and say everything…

“Would you consider becoming my illegitimate son?”

“…What?”

That, wasn’t part of the plan.

Surprise shattered my expression and broke through as Rohan began to explain, as if he expected this reaction.

“I can confidently say this is a more attractive offer than anything the other nobles could give. You will be treated as a noble, and if anyone dares to criticize your commoner origins, it will be considered an insult to our house’s honor.”

“Uh, well, um…”

“The Academy? Of course, you can attend. I’ll spare no support. Isn’t that the least we can do for a benefactor?”

It was the best treatment imaginable.

Even if it was as an illegitimate son, was it really right to accept some unknown commoner orphan into a noble family?

When I looked around at the nobles, it seemed even they were shocked by how drastic the offer was.

“No, Rohan. No matter how grateful you are, this is a bit much…”

“Oh, come now. Isn’t this the least one can do for a benefactor? Or do you think saving a child’s life isn’t a big deal?”

“Ahem, that’s not what I meant…”

“I don’t particularly discriminate against people based on their origins. And someone who’s demonstrated this level of talent well, I believe he’s qualified.”

Rohan, with a confident expression that didn’t even consider the possibility of me rejecting him, extended his hand.

“Now, what do you think, Jern?”

“It’s an honorable offer, but it’s a bit sudden.”

“Haha, no need to decline. If you take this hand, you won’t be Jern anymore, you’ll be Jern of Rogmalin. That’s all there is to it.”

What was I supposed to do with this?

I was rolling the words around in my mouth when-

Clatter!

The doors to the hall suddenly burst open.

The first to react was Alletus.

“Who’s- hm, it’s you.”

“Hmm? I thought everyone invited was already here….”

“Ahem…”

Those proud nobles quickly averted their gazes.

Not a single one of them could meet eyes with the woman who entered, with her heavy dark circles.

…Wait, why is she here?

“De-Dersia…!”

“Why are you here!”

Alletus let out a sigh and added an explanation.

“…I suppose I was late to mention it. This Elf will also be participating.”

“Wh-what for?”

“You’ll hear that now.”

Dersia approached me without a care.

Tap, tap. Her heeled footsteps echoed through the hall as her decadent face moved up beside me.

I cleared my throat and asked,

“What brings you here?”

“…Do you two know each other?”

“Yes, well, somewhere between less than a mentor and more than an acquaintance-”

“Not anymore.”

“Sorry?”

Dersia, looking slightly annoyed, turned her gaze to Rohan and brushed her hair behind her ear as she declared,

“I’ve come to take my disciple.” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

“…What?”

“Are you deaf? Jern, this child is my disciple.”

“????”

As the nobles froze, Dersia grabbed my hand and pulled me toward her.

“W-wait a moment. Didn’t you say you’d come for me later?”

“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to turn you into a machine that only learns preordained magic.”

“?”

“Let’s go.”

“Wait, what are you-”

Before I knew it, I was being dragged out like luggage in front of all the watching nobles.

The last words I heard stuck in my memory a bit.

“…Didn’t she refuse to take even the princess as a disciple?”

“I heard she demanded a small country as compensation-”

Thud!

The door closed, but I was no longer in Alletus’s castle.

It was a familiar library.

After blinking for a moment, I immediately protested.

“Dersia-nim, what exactly is going on here?”

Being dragged away right when I was about to gain something from those nobles left me stunned.

Dersia flinched slightly, sat in a chair, and let out a sigh.

“Haa… I, um, I’m sorry. I’ll let those people know what they need to give you next time.”

“…No, well, it’s not like you need to apologize.”

Receiving an apology made me feel more awkward than anything.

Dersia, perhaps realizing she had overstepped, rubbed her forehead and offered an excuse.

“To be honest, I was planning to just sit in and listen for a while, but I didn’t expect… that Rohan would make such an offer. Judging by your personality, Jern, you probably would’ve accepted it.”

“…Yeah, I was kind of tempted.”

Honestly, if Dersia hadn’t interfered, I probably would’ve taken his hand.

“You shouldn’t have.”

“Why? I could be his illegitimate son and your disciple.”

Dersia shook her head firmly.

“The magic nobles learn is standardized. Not something new, but a repetition of the old. It’s not creation, it’s imitation. I didn’t want you to learn that.”

“Ah, is that so?”

I didn’t really know. In that case, I guess she was right to stop me.

As I nodded my head, Dersia, with an apologetic expression, flicked her finger and handed me a strange box that appeared from midair.

Decorated with ribbons and wrapping paper, it looked oddly familiar.

“I didn’t want to give it this way…but it’s a gift.”

“??”

“It’s an unspoken tradition that when a mentor accepts a disciple, they present a magic tool that the disciple will use for life. This is a magic tool I crafted myself, so it should suit you better than anything else.”

“…Thank you.”

So she was the type to give gifts, too.

The slight resentment I had left completely faded.

A magic tool from a 9-star wizard, what could it be?

A staff? A magic orb? Or maybe a broom?

With a bit of excitement, I opened it, only to find it was none of those.

“A pipe…?”

A golden cylinder pipe that looked like a piece of plumbing pipe.

No decoration at all, just a plain cylindrical pipe.

Still, I wasn’t disappointed. It was a gift from Dersia, after all. And one for my initiation.

It must have some amazing function.

“What is this?”

“Hmm, please don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say.”

Dersia spoke in a casual tone, as if it was nothing.

“From now on, I’m going to insert that into your body, Jern.”

“?”