Wizard of the Deep Sea

TL/ED – Miso

Magic is a harsh discipline, determined nine-tenths by talent and one-tenth by effort.

And, unlike other talents, it can be visualized.

You only need to look into the Astral Wheel. If you see the flow of that star, then even if you are not a particularly advanced wizard, the limit becomes visible.

Countless wizards have already ended their journey unable to surpass that predetermined limit. A few have gone beyond it, but only by borrowing Forbidden Magic.

Among them, Dersia saw that Jern’s Astral Wheel could not exceed three.

If the limit is set, then the speed of reaching it is also set. One destined to possess nine stars will become proficient in magic at three times the speed of one destined for only three stars…

That was why Dersia did not hold high expectations.

“It’s definitely usable. But-”

“…”

Bang!!

Jern, in the middle of speaking, was slammed into the wall of the library once more.

She had made it so.

“Kugh…”

The building trembled. Blood dripped from Jern’s nose as he convulsed.

With unfocused eyes for a few seconds, he shook his head awake and stood up, walking forward.

Jern wiped his nose with a dissatisfied expression.

“…It’s not solid enough to withstand water pressure though…”

“…You can’t be full from your first spoonful.”

Dersia answered, hiding emotions close to shock.

“‘Remove’ is a very simply constructed magic, containing the meaning of ‘can respond to what is known’. It’s just a slight step beyond elemental magic. This alone won’t allow you to survive in the Deep Sea.”

It was true. But she withheld what more she needed to say.

This pace is unnatural.

“Hmm, I see… Then let’s go again.”

Dersia struck Jern, who was standing, once more.

There was no mercy. Just enough impact not to kill.

This time, Jern’s arm twisted grotesquely where he was thrown.

“…Kah, that seriously hurts like hell…”

Dersia snapped her fingers and reattached Jern’s broken bone, checking once again.

The proficiency with Remove was nearly perfect after only one week.

It felt like watching a randomly discarded piece of marble being sculpted into a flawless statue.

She had thought it before as well, but he has no talent for magic.

However.

“I could make it hurt less for you.”

“…Huh?”

As she offered that suggestion to Jern, who was staggering to his feet again, he gave a look that said, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“That doesn’t sound like you, Master.”

“Weren’t you the one who said it was painful?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Jern shrugged as he replied.

“But then the training wouldn’t be effective.”

“…”

As she had said last time, he does have talent as a wizard.

Dersia slowly lifted the corners of her mouth.

“Jern.”

“Yes.”

“Do you not resent me?”

“Well, I do resent you a bit. I do wonder if you had to choose this kind of training method.”

The look in Jern’s eyes as he spoke was hollow.

There truly wasn’t even a single trace of hostility or hatred.

He was doing it because it was something that had to be done. That’s what it felt like.

‘…Perhaps.’

The reason Dersia had not taken on a disciple until now was because it was bothersome.

To be precise, while walking the Path of Magic, she saw no gain in teaching children who were bound to never surpass her anyway.

Maybe if it were an Elf she’d consider it, but a Human child would obviously die before her, so they couldn’t even serve as a record.

That was why her reason for accepting Jern went beyond mere interest.

He was going to die soon anyway.

She would do her best to keep him alive. In that process, she would gain some knowledge.

But in the end, it couldn’t be prevented. At most, he had a year. More than that would be difficult.

It was with that judgment that Dersia weighed the options and accepted him as her disciple.

‘Was it a mistake?’

“Kkeok-”

Seeing Jern stagger to his feet again after another impact, she wore a bitter expression.

…It seemed she would be investing more time than just one year.

*

Exam Day.

As I rode in the carriage, I asked something that puzzled me.

“Why are we going by carriage? Can’t we just use your teleportation, which you’re good at?”

“No, we cannot.”

“Why not?”

Dersia rested her chin on the edge of the carriage with an irritated expression. She was wearing a hat and a black veil to cover her ears with her outfit, it was obvious that she truly didn’t want her identity to be exposed.

“Because we have to observe that damned thing called etiquette.”

What the hell does that mean?

Dersia looked uncomfortable, so I didn’t press her with more questions.

Instead, I practiced magic.

“Remove.”

As I quietly spoke the activation phrase, it felt like I was dreaming.

All my senses dulled. According to Dersia, this counted as completed in terms of elemental magic.

I hadn’t activated my Inner World recently, so I didn’t know how effective it would be in the Deep Sea, but at the very least, I could now bypass all basic burdens.

A significant improvement. I grinned and looked at Dersia.

“…What?”

“I just feel good all of a sudden. Should I give you a kiss?”

“Tsk. Weren’t you the one saying that would be against Imperial law?”

As we exchanged this pointless conversation, the carriage came to a stop.

And, as soon as I got out, I was met with a ridiculous sight.

“…What is all this?”

“Quite a crowd has gathered.”

Behind the building where the carriages were parked, there were literally hundreds lined up.

I was taken aback by the sight, reminiscent of a modern baseball stadium parking lot. Dersia followed me out and answered as if it was nothing.

“Didn’t I say it was the end-of-term combat exam?”

“Now that you mention it, it’s not the end of the term though.”

“Correct. For some people.”

“…?”

I soon found out what that meant.

On the way to the waiting room, I saw many nobles in elaborate clothing comforting their children.

“Your ice spear could kill a bull, so please fight with consideration for your opponent.”

“Yes!”

“Leave first place to me, son!”

“Of course!”

Up to that point, it was fine.

Except the children looked several years older than me.

That’s when an uneasy feeling started creeping in.

“Um… excuse me…”

“Yes?”

“This… isn’t this the children’s division exam?”

“It’s the youth division. Participants are children aged between thirteen and fifteen.”

“Aha, I figured. Ice is one of the higher-tier elemental magics wait, no. The real question is, can I even win this?”

Fifteen. It’s certainly a young age.

But for a wizard, that means at least five years of training.

I’ve only had a few months. It’s not even close.

As I asked that with that implication in mind, Dersia let out a dismissive scoff, as if to say I was worrying over nothing.

“I can confidently say that five hours of my lessons are worth more than five years of a noble’s education. Stop worrying and go win.”

“Hmm… if you say so.”

“And, Jern, you-”

“Yes?”

“…”

Dersia looked at me for a moment, then shook her head.

“It’s nothing.”

Dersia, who took me to the waiting room, observed the other children bonding with their parents.

“My proud son, come here! Let me give you a big hug!”

“Yes!”

Seeing that, she rubbed her temples as if she had a headache.

“Well then… should I hug you too?”

“No. I think you can just go now.”

“I’ll do that then.”

Dersia left with a visibly more relaxed expression.

Not wanting to draw attention, I sat quietly in the corner of the waiting room and practiced Remove:.

Until the event staff came in and called names.

“Torjin of House of Tylers, and Jern nim?”

“Yes! Wait, uh, yes?”

“Yes.”

At those words, I slowly stood up.

And instantly, every gaze in the waiting room turned toward me. As if something that shouldn’t be here had appeared.

Why are they like that?

“Wha- what the… that’s him. Dersia’s disciple…”

“The kid who saved those abducted kids and got paid for it…?”

“No way, he’s ten, right? What’s he doing here?”

I don’t know either.

I looked at the frozen red-haired boy called Torjin and extended my hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

“U-uhm…”

Torjin shook hands with a face full of fear.

He was trembling so hard I could feel it from here.

…No, seriously, why?

Shouldn’t this be like, “Hell yeah, facing a 10-year-old, easy win”?

As we walked down the corridor, I politely asked a question to Torjin, who was walking stiffly, clearly watching my every move.

“Apologies for speaking to you as a commoner. I just had a question.”

“Ah, no! It’s fine, it’s totally fine! Go ahead and ask!”

Even though his head was a full size larger than mine, he flinched in panic.

I asked carefully, trying not to scare him.

“I’ve only been training lately, so I’m not sure, but it feels like everyone already knows who I am. How did that happen?”

“What are you talking about…? You really don’t know why people know you?”

Torjin asked back with a puzzled look.

When I nodded, he replied reluctantly.

“You’re… Dersia-nim’s disciple…”

“That’s true, but even so, it’s only been a few months. The reaction seems a bit extreme.”

“Y-you know Dersia-nim refused to become the Princess’s teacher, right?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t know how she refused?”

Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of unease washed over me.

“…No, I don’t.”

“The Princess took her to the Regeneration Stone, melted all of it in one go, and said that with talent like that, she should accept her as a disciple.”

“And?”

“She rejected her, saying melting some rocks wasn’t a big deal…”

That was a mild rejection for someone like my master. Probably didn’t feel that way to the recipient.

No wonder the Imperial Knights were so hostile. As I was being horrified by Dersia’s overwhelming lack of social grace, the trembling Torjin continued.

“S-so… that means you’re even more talented than the Princess…”

“I am not. Absolutely not.”

I cut him off quickly before I got caught in the fallout.

“Huh, why?”

“Well, the thing is… I’m actually Dersia-nim’s biological son. I didn’t get in through talent but through bloodline privilege.”

“…Huh??”

“It’s not like I have any special talent. I’d appreciate it if you could help spread that rumor. Oh, and also add that I deeply respect the Princess.”

Torjin, startled, nodded in understanding.

I’d explain to Dersia later. Better this than being seen as a rival by the Princess.

With a sigh, I headed toward the exam site. It looked like a baseball field, with a wide plain and chairs around for spectators, but the number of people was small compared to all the carriages.

It probably meant this was something like a preliminary round. As Torjin walked off to the other side, a middle-aged man who had spotted me quickly pulled Torjin aside and crossed to the opposite side.

I could hear faint voices of conversation.

I was told not to use it, but using Current Sense a little should be okay.

Using the currents, I inferred their conversation.

[Son, for the love of the heavens, forfeit right now! That kid is Dersia’s disciple!]

[I-I know. But I think it’ll be okay…]

[What?! Why?!]

[Well… he’s only ten. Still just a kid. I think I can win.]

[No, listen-]

I turned it off there.

Did my talk just give him confidence?

Well, if I can’t even pass the preliminaries, I’m not worthy anyway.

While I was waiting, Torjin, who had gained a bit of confidence, walked out with a slightly stiff face.

The knight in a white feathered hat, who was serving as referee, looked at Torjin and asked,

“Are you ready?”

“…Yes!”

Torjin immediately began drawing out his mana.

The flow of wind started to shift.

“I understand your enthusiasm, but please calm down for a moment and wear this necklace around your neck.”

“Ah, yes.”

Torjin, as if it were natural, put on the necklace with a red gem embedded in it, and I received the same one and asked,

“What is this?”

“It contains three gems that will break in place of taking damage. If all three are destroyed, it will be counted as a loss. Any further attack will be considered a crime, so be careful.”

Oh, interesting.

Well, nobles can’t be getting serious injuries from something like an exam.

As I wore the necklace, the referee declared in a solemn tone.

“Both sides, take your positions!”

We put about 30 meters of distance between us.

I lightly swept over Torjin’s necklace using current sense.

“…?”

Torjin scratched the back of his neck with a ticklish expression.

I couldn’t use it outright. I completely sealed it and took my stance.

“Ready… Begin!”

“Ha- Haaaaah!! Blow!!!”

At the signal, a fierce wind surged forward.

It wasn’t just wind. It was sharp.

A completely different level from me, who could barely handle a single strand of wind. Dozens of streams of wind wove together organically, scraping at my skin like a blender.

So this is what five years looks like. I was genuinely impressed.

“You’re amazing.”

“…W-what, what the-??”

Torjin looked flustered as he stared at me.

Seeing that I was completely unfazed, he seemed utterly shocked. He looked at his own hands, then clenched his teeth.

At this point, basic Remove: wasn’t enough to withstand it. I could feel the gems on my necklace beginning to shake.

Taking a single step, I spoke the activation phrase.

“Remove.”

Remove: Wind.

All my mana focused on resisting the wind among the elemental magic. Instantly, the shaking of the gems ceased.

I slowly walked toward Torjin.

“…Eek! Don’t come any closer!”

The wind’s form changed.

Instead of cutting or tearing, it now pushed, like how I often use currents.

But it couldn’t stop my steps.

“What, how…?”

Torjin looked genuinely flustered as I walked right up to him through the pressure.

I shrugged and answered.

“I’ve gotten used to walking while enduring pain, since I’ve been walking 1.23 million steps every day lately.”

“…?”

“Hyap.”

I aimed a punch at Torjin’s face while he was still dazed…

But I didn’t actually hit him. I simply flicked the gems on his necklace and shattered them.

I didn’t want to attract unnecessary scorn by doing something painful just for the sake of it.

–Tap, tap, tap.

“…Huh.”

Torjin couldn’t even react.

“23 seconds. Jern… victory.”

As the gems crumbled to dust and disappeared, the judge declared my victory with a dazed expression.

“It was a good duel. Thank you.”

“…Y-yeah.”

I shook hands with Torjin and exited the exam grounds.

Thinking, maybe… I could actually win this.

*

The terrace at the topmost level, with a full view of the arena.

The nobles who had been watching the match just now frowned and commented one by one.

“Wasn’t that… Body Reinforcement Art? Such a vulgar technique.”

“I expected more since they said he was Dersia’s disciple. Looks like he didn’t even use any magic.”

The nobles were genuinely ridiculing Jern.

Indeed, he hadn’t shown any magic. He merely endured with his body and broke the necklace with his hand. That was all.

“…”

But among them, a fifteen-year-old girl seated in a chair woven with gold thread remained silent.

“He should’ve joined a knight’s competition if he was going to do that.”

“I heard he was forced to participate despite not being of age.”

“Since when did we have to cater to the Elves? Tsk.”

As the criticism grew increasingly heated.

“Ha.”

The Princess, Lumia, laughed.

“Do you all truly think that? How stupid you are.”

“…”

At her words, the nobles fell silent.

Lumia rested her chin on the armrest of her chair amidst the quiet, twirling her blood-red hair as she muttered.

“I didn’t think he’d learn ordinary magic anyway…”

Almost a form of rejection.

It was a path different from elemental magic. And at ten years old, he’d already moved on to the next stage…

“How interesting.”

At first, she felt a bit offended. How dare someone who rejected her take in a mere commoner?

So, she had intended to teach him a little lesson.

However, once unwrapped, he turned out to be a gem far more brilliant than expected.

She thought back to what she herself had been doing at age ten.

‘Had I just barely learned elemental magic…?’

In that sense, Dersia’s judgment could be understood.

But.

“That’s that, and this is this.”

She acknowledged he was impressive.

However, he was still far from enough.

This alone wasn’t a good enough reason for rejecting her.

Lumia, in a languid tone, snapped her fingers and gave a command to her fellow students as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Go and bring me the person in charge of this tournament.”