Wizard of the Deep Sea

TL/ED – Miso

“Karin, this child truly is not a squire of any knight.”

“If he’s not a squire, then where did he learn Body Reinforcement Art?”

“I learned it to survive.”

I stirred the wind.

I didn’t particularly intend to attack, just meant for it to brush lightly past Karin’s side.

“Hmm.”

Before it even touched him, his eyebrow twitched as he reached out into the air.

Pong.

The wind was caught. Quite literally, caught and burst.

“…?”

What did I just see? As I furrowed my brow, Karin, as if slightly surprised, saw the star glittering in my eyes.

“A wizard- huh, what is this? I’ve lived a long life, but now I’m seeing all sorts of strange things.”

Alletus turned his gaze. I nodded and introduced myself to the knight who wore a puzzled expression.

“My name is Jern. I have fallen into the Abyss and am desperately struggling to survive.”

“…Oh ho. Are you one of those Crimson Circle fellows?”

“Not all the Fallen are part of Crimson Circle.”

“Is that so? Well, I don’t really care either way. Why have you called this old man here?”

“Because I was told by Crimson Circle that if I want to live, I should go find a knight and beg. I didn’t know the reason until just now.”

I raised my hand and opened and closed it.

There was no problem at all. At least, it didn’t feel like I was melting.

“Could I hear exactly what kind of problem it is that I have?”

“Hmm…”

Karin looked at me with curious eyes, as if seeing a unicorn, then soon took a seat.

“I heard you’re the one who saved the family head. That means you’re also a benefactor to me, who protects him. That much, I can tell you.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“However, let me state this clearly so as not to give you false hope. I don’t know much about the Fallen. All I’ve read is the classified document issued for secrecy, and more than anything, I don’t know a single way to overcome your condition. To be honest, all I can think is that there’s no way to survive in such a state.”

“I see. That’s something I’ve heard every day.”

I met his gaze without a hint of agitation.

It’s impossible, you’re going to die, there’s no solution.

How many times have I heard that? And the one saying it was one of the Empire’s most skilled wizard.

At this point, hearing that from a knight just makes my ears tired, it doesn’t shock me. Perhaps noticing my resolve, Karin’s demeanor grew a bit more serious.

Alletus, who had taken a seat beside him, asked curiously.

“So, what exactly is going on?”

“Child, you seem to have learned Body Reinforcement Art. Where did you learn it?”

“…”

Karin ignored Alletus’s question and spoke to me instead.

Trying my best not to look at the slightly disheartened Alletus, I answered.

“I secretly learned it by watching a knight.”

“Brazen fellow, aren’t you. Then do you also know the difference between Body Reinforcement Art and Enhanced Mana Body?”

“Not in detail. Just that Enhanced Mana Body is the next stage after Body Reinforcement Art and doesn’t get hurt easily even when struck by magic, that much.”

“You only know the basics. Body Reinforcement Art is the training of the body, and Enhanced Mana Body is the training of mana. It’s the process of sublimating the body into a form of magic.”

“Sublimating the body… into magic?”

“Yes. A knight is living, moving magic. Because they can consume and interfere with any lesser magic, they are called the natural enemies of wizards.”

Up to this point, aside from the specifics, it was information I already knew.

“To acquire Enhanced Mana Body, you must first learn Body Reinforcement Art and then undergo the process of transforming the body.”

“And what is that?”

“Making mana flow within the body.”

“?”

“The human body is truly mysterious. Just by repeatedly training in a mana-rich environment, it adapts to survive. That adaptability becomes the proficiency in Enhanced Mana Body.”

Hmm.

To survive, huh.

I could gradually see where this conversation was heading.

“A high-level Enhanced Mana Body is the pride of a knight. Because of this, some knights do not remove their squires from mana-rich areas even when they show symptoms of rashes from being unable to adapt, and leave them there. Such squires suffer from an illness called Mana Poisoning. It is a symptom where the muscles melt away from being unable to accept the overflowing mana, and excessive greed ends up killing the squire.”

“So that’s my situation, then.”

“No.”

Karin shook his head.

“You’ve- gone beyond the limit. I said excessive ambition kills a squire, but that usually just means they can’t become knights anymore. Normally, they can still live without issue. However, you- it’s like you were dumped in a mana zone and locked in with the door shut. Soon enough, not as a metaphor, but literally, your body will melt and you’ll die.”

“That’s quite a terrifying thing.”

I sighed and sipped the tea.

“…Did you understand what I just said?”

Taking advantage of the moment Karin tilted his head in confusion, I asked this time.

“Yes. But is what you said really true? My master never mentioned any of this.”

“Who’s your master?”

“Dersia Aspandil, the Empire’s greatest wizard.”

“Hmph.”

Karin snorted even after hearing Dersia’s name and replied.

“Even so, she’s just a wizard. Do you know what happens when a wizard enters a mana zone?”

“Do they absorb too much mana and die?”

“No, they thrive. They go wild with joy because of the abundant mana. They could live there their whole lives just fine.”

“Eh? But I’m a wizard too.”

“That’s what I’m curious about as well. How do Abyss Realm Wizards gather mana? Ordinary wizards would gather it using cultivation methods.”

“Well, there’s seawater in my world, drinking it fills me up with mana.”

“…? Anyway, your master must have thought the same as you. Since wizards grow faster in mana zones, there should be no reason for them to suffer. The only ones who die in mana zones are humans, not wizards.”

“I’ll say it again, I’m a wizard for sure. Didn’t you see it yourself? Could it be because I’m only a 1-Star that I can’t handle it?”

“Since you don’t seem to understand, let me put it clearly. A mana zone is like being underwater. A wizard is a fish. Humans can’t breathe underwater. That’s why they develop Enhanced Mana Body, like gills. Whether you’re a tiny minnow or a shark, as long as you’re a fish, you’ll survive just fine.”

After saying that, Karin wore a thoughtful expression.

“…But you’re clearly a fish. I still can’t understand why you’re showing symptoms of mana poisoning. If there’s an exception, hmm.”

“What is it?”

“This is just a guess, but you might not be a fish swimming in ordinary water.”

“…”

“In other words, you might be living in oil instead of water.”

“Let’s change the subject.”

“What?”

I looked at the bewildered Karin with a serious expression and said,

“If I were to try learning those gills, I mean, if I’m a fish trying to create gills to breathe in a new environment.”

“That metaphor’s enough.”

“Yes. To put it simply, I want to learn Enhanced Mana Body. What should I do?”

“That’s quite an interesting case. A wizard trying to learn Enhanced Mana Body, I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

As I watched Karin burst into hearty laughter, I thought to myself.

This is probably a penalty that only the Fallen, those whose entire world has changed, experience.

It made sense that Dersia didn’t know. Even I couldn’t have imagined it until I heard it now.

While I was feeling slightly conflicted about the fact that Crimson Circle actually gave me accurate advice, Karin shook his head.

“But it seems like it’s too late. At least from my standpoint, it’s impossible to fix.”

“Hmm, could you tell me why?”

“I don’t know how to revive a squire whose body is a complete mess like yours. Just by looking, more than half of your body has been tainted by mana. Hold out your hand.”

When Karin took my hand, he suddenly flinched in surprise.

“…What in the-? You’re still being eroded even while we’re talking. This area isn’t even a mana zone, so why-”

“Well… you could say I’ve been in a mana zone every single day for about a year without rest. Even right now.”

“Heh, the life of a Fallen is truly horrific. Then of course you’d melt away.”

“Not every Fallen is like that, though.”

Clicking his tongue, Karin took out a piece of stationery from his coat and began writing something down.

“No matter how hard I think about it, I can’t think of a knight who could save a kid like you. So, go find this person.”

“Who is it?”

“You’ll know when you meet him. And let me give you one piece of advice.”

Karin shrugged as he handed me the letter, then stood up from his seat.

“When you arrive, do not ever mention who your master is.”

After Karin left, I checked the name written on the letter.

“Brimdal Apitri?”

Even by Imperial standards, it was an extremely unusual name. When I muttered it, Alletus looked shocked and stared at the door Karin had exited through.

“No, that Karin… Jern, it’s probably best you give up on that.”

“Could I ask why?”

“Sir Brimdal is, well, quite an eccentric man. His skill is undeniable, but he’s completely lost in his own world.”

“I see. But if even Sir Karin says it’s impossible, then the situation must be serious. At the very least, I have to survive alone until Dersia nim returns.”

“…That’s true. It can’t be helped. I suppose I’ll end up speaking ill behind someone’s back, but I’ll explain about Sir Brimdal.”

Alletus sat down with a sigh and began to explain about the knight named Brimdal.

“Sir Brimdal is a Dwarf by race.”

“Aha.”

So that’s why I shouldn’t mention my master.

“And, as you can tell from the fact that he became a knight in the Empire, he’s out of his mind. Unlike other Dwarves, he chose to forge humans instead of steel.”

“By forging, you mean-”

“Physically, mentally. He’s a renowned master, no, a madman, who has produced countless knights considered top-class in the Empire.”

I tilted my head. Just from hearing that, he only sounded like the greatest knight.

“-But in the process, he turned 80% of his trainees into cripples.”

“Hmm.”

A rather high failure rate, I see.

“Most of all, unlike other Dwarves, he blames the raw material. Says things like, ‘I did well, but this guy was too lacking, so this is the result.’”

“I completely understand now.”

So in other words, he’s a lunatic Dwarf knight who sees humans as consumable ore.

It was actually better that way. If he’s broken so many, he must also know how to fix them.

“Even if there’s only a 1% chance, I have to try. It’s better than living like this.”

“That’s the thing…”

Alletus looked even gloomier, as if there was more to it.

“He broke so many that at some point, he started saying that he’d only use truly good raw material. Since then, he’s been meticulously, extremely carefully, selecting squires, and that was twenty years ago. He still hasn’t picked a single one.”

“Aha.”

“With no talent for being a knight, if you go there, you’ll probably just get cursed at and thrown out.”

That was fair.

As I began to contemplate, Alletus had his butler bring over a sheet listing other knights.

“I’ll summon some other knights too, so listen to what they say and then decide.”

“Thank you very much. But I think I’ll be fine.”

“…What?”

To the puzzled Alletus, I bowed my head.

“He may seem a bit impatient, but I trust Sir Karin’s words. Is he someone who throws out empty words?”

“-Certainly not. Karin has a difficult personality, but he’s the best knight I know. He taught me as well.”

“That’s why I trust him. Since I don’t know much about knights, it’s only right that I trust Sir Alletus, who knows knights better than anyone, calls the greatest knight.”

“Ahem, I am grateful you trust him that much, but…is there another way?”

I smiled at Alletus, who let out an awkward cough.

“Yes. I have one sure method.”

An offer he can’t refuse.

*

Thankfully, Alletus lent me a carriage pulled by the finest horses for not losing heart.

Thanks to that, I was able to easily reach Brimdal’s residence, which was located in a much more remote place than I had expected.

It was quiet, with the occasional sound of birds, and the surrounding trees were heavy with dew.

In the midst of it stood a cabin somewhere deep in the mountains, far from the Capital.

The yard was covered with moss, and around the stairs, all kinds of weeds had grown wild as if they had never once been trimmed.

But the training ground in front of the house, where sand was spread out, was neatly maintained as if it had just been prepared.

No doubt about it. This was the place.

“Whoa, whoa.”

I calmed the horses. On the way, I had tried learning the coachman’s techniques, and it had been quite fun.

After parking the carriage nearby, I got down, crossed the stone bridge and the path, and knocked on the cabin’s door.

A heavy, deep voice that rattled my bones rang out.

-Go away.

“…”

For a moment, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

It felt like hearing the growl of a massive beast from right up close.

Suppressing the chills that ran through my whole body, I responded.

“Sir Brimdal, I have something to speak with you about. Could I have a moment of your time?”

-I do not take worthless apprentices.

“Wouldn’t you have to see to know that?”

-I can tell without looking. Turn around.

?

Wondering what he meant, I turned around, but there was only an ordinary path and a decorative stone bridge.

“There’s nothing here though.”

-That stone bridge is made of different materials, and the sand and soil of that path were gathered from various parts of the world. The sounds you made while walking over the bridge and path were truly horrendous. A knight of exceptional talent would make identical sounds regardless of what material they walked on.

“And… what does that have to do with talent?”

-Instinct. The ability to naturally adjust one’s strength depending on the wind, soil, and stone touching the body. Those who are born with that… I swore to teach only such individuals. If you understand, get lost. I will say no more.

“Wow.”

I didn’t expect he wouldn’t even agree to meet me.

Sighing, I snapped my fingers.

“At least take a look at this before deciding.”

-You persist in angering me.

Brimdal’s threatening voice trailed off.

Rustle, rustle… the sound of footsteps came, without a single variation in pitch.

-Wha…

Listening to it consciously, it really was strange.

Whether walking on stone, wood, or dirt. Of course, the tone of the material changed, but there was no shift in pitch.

I looked toward the door and asked,

“What do you think?”

-…Eleven years old, or younger, and yet this is-

As I listened to Brimdal’s flustered voice, Linmel, who had approached at some point, asked curiously,

“Jern, why are we here?”

If humans were raw materials to him, then she would undoubtedly be nothing short of pure gold.

“I just came to learn some swordsmanship. But he told me to get lost. So let’s go back.”

“Okay!”

As soon as I turned around with Linmel, who answered brightly despite the wasted time,

-Clunk!

It seemed like I had gotten a bite.