Despite having torn up the contract, the princess kept her word.
"She isn't coming."
"What isn't?"
"It's nothing."
The cabin.
A week had already passed, but Sharmia's side hadn't put any pressure on me. No, it was as if my meeting with Sharmia had been nothing but a dream; she showed no interest at all.
[The rebellion was real. Who let the Red Lotus into the capital?]
[Princess Sharmia's perfect response.]
The newspapers I spread out were filled with headlines like that. The capital was no longer safe. The anxiety of those who realized this grew endlessly—and in turn, Sharmia's value skyrocketed.
This was because it was revealed that the nobles she had detained for treason were, in fact, protected by their confinement. The directives, clearly written by the Red Lotus, stated that they were having a hard time assassinating the nobles because they wouldn't come out.
Thanks to this, Princess Sharmia's approval rating, which seemed like it couldn't possibly go any higher, reached 98%. It was unfortunate for Lumia, but perhaps the only way for her to become the Empress was if her older sister never married.
I showed the part of the newspaper related to Aletus to Elysia, who was lying on the bed conjuring a small flame.
"This is good. It says the negotiations will be over soon. You can go back to the mansion now."
"Mmm..."
Though it was good news, Elysia wore a slightly conflicted expression and let out a groan.
"Can't I just stay here?"
"No. Besides, the mansion is much better than this place."
"But here, I can sleep when I want to sleep, eat when I want to eat, Jern is here, and I don't have to take classes."
"Not the last part. Can you use all the elemental spells now?"
"Yep!"
Elysia raised her hand with a proud look on her face. The wind swirled to keep the flame and water from touching each other, and between them, pebbles floated up. ... Now that I've learned the magic‑reinforced body, I can tell.
Even considering it was elemental spells, her skill was astounding. I was still stuck on wind magic. Clearing my throat, I patted her on the head.
"Good job. If you practice just a little more, I'm sure Sir Aletus will permit you to go out."
"Okay, I'll try harder!"
Leaving Elysia to focus, I headed to the desk. The situation was over, but my work was not. I looked at Elysia and quietly steeled my resolve.
Of course, I wouldn't be able to use Wihwa's power indefinitely. Recently, I'd been taking short naps during the day and observing Elysia all night, but I couldn't confirm the mass possessing her. But as long as that thing was alive, I could never be at ease.
Even without that, its hedonistic behavior was too dangerous. Combined with its mimicry ability, it was even worse. —Finding and killing the mass was my top priority. ... For now, I had no idea where it was or what it was doing, and even if we met, I wasn't very confident I could win.
But if an opportunity comes, I will not miss it. Until then, all I could do was take things one step at a time. For example— I looked down at my ankle. ...
Hmm.
Other places were still bruised purple, but my ankle was fine. It didn't even hurt when I pressed it. It was impossible.
It was a miracle I wasn't crushed to death in the Deep Sea, yet not even a scar remained. Every result has a cause. This time, it was clear.
"Elysia, what do you think this is a drawing of?"
"Huh?"
I showed her what I had drawn in my notebook. A yellow jellyfish. That's what I called it, but it was an unpleasant creature with plump tentacles several meters long.
I was proud of how well I'd drawn it, but Elysia just tilted her head.
"This thing is super creepy." ...
The drawing?
"Yeah. You draw well, Jern. But why draw something like this? If you're going to draw something, draw my face or—" I let Elysia ramble on and wrote down the details next to the drawing. —Yellow jellyfish, sticky.
Seems to have a creepy appearance. That was about all I could write. Since I knew nothing, there was nothing to describe.
After a moment's hesitation, I added one more thing at the end. —Can help with the burden in some way.
"... What was it."
I tapped the notebook with my pen, lost in thought. Was that jellyfish trying to help me? Or was it trying to kill me, but the fluid protecting its body got on me and ended up helping me instead?
What was there to think about? It was obviously the latter. Why would it help me when the world itself hates me?
Next time I see one, I'll have to burst it and rub the fluid on my body. With that thought, I looked around.
[...]
[...
Until now, I hadn't consciously paid attention, but there are so many deep sea creatures. I have to pay attention now. The danger they pose is extremely high.
Each individual uses Tide Sense to perceive me, and they can probably control the water pressure and currents as well. And of course, their physical forms alone are threatening enough. Most importantly, there's no end to them.
If the burden ever reaches its limit, I'll experience what happened at the Tower all over again, and I'll die. But I also learned that they can be helpful. If an eventual encounter is unavoidable, I can't just stop at observing.
I had to create my own bestiary. While a thin, cracked glass wall still exists between them and me. As much as possible— [...]
[-- ?.........]
[....~22--] "A conversation... maybe?"
They were certainly on a different level from the deep sea fish on Earth. They weren't just fish—no, they didn't even seem like fish. Similar species fumbled through the seawater, communicating something.
They didn't fight each other, either. They passed one another with utter indifference. And they just swam, with their fins, their armored skins, their tentacles, as if searching for something. ...
Well, that something was probably me.
"A||, A||E?"
One by one, I drew their forms in the notebook. Small and agile ones, dangerous-looking ones, ones that seemed like they could be helpful, and so on. As detailed as possible.
I wasn't good at naming things, so I just gave them rough names based on their appearance. Armored shark, giant anchovy, and so on. As I was busy drawing, Elysia looked at me with a worried expression.
"Did you have a nightmare? Why are you drawing these things?"
"Yeah. I met them in a nightmare, and they keep appearing. So I'm drawing them one by one. Fear comes from ignorance, you know."
"Are they bothering you?"
"Some of them are, but I think some of them aren't." More accurately, some of them are helpful.
When I said that, Elysia asked a new question.
"What do they eat?"
"Well..." ...
What do they eat? I hadn't seen them fighting each other. Do they live by drinking seawater like me?
I didn't know. Just as I was about to give a vague explanation, something was caught in my Tide Sense. At first, I mistook it for a knight, but then I saw a familiar face and tilted my head.
"Just a moment."
"Hm?"
Why is she here? I went outside the cabin and opened the door before she could even knock.
"Ah, Jern!"
A bright-faced Linmel stood there. It hadn't even been that long since we'd been apart... but she seemed a little taller. Do kids grow that fast?
I wondered if I'd grown too, but there was still a difference. I'd heard that at this age, girls grow faster. I brushed aside a slight feeling of anxiety and cleared my throat.
"Um, I came because I have something to deliver..."
Linmel, who had been speaking rapidly, suddenly trailed off. Wondering what was wrong, I saw Linmel's smile fade slightly as she pointed behind me. Her finger was pointed at the girl lying in the room.
"Who, who's that?"
"Ah, Elysia?"
Come to think of it, is this the first time they've met? I gave her a small warning.
"Miss Elysia is a noble's daughter. You shouldn't point at her so rudely."
"I see." ...
Linmel?
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering why you were together."
"Ah, I'm her master."
"I see."
"I've been doing it for a while. We've been together all the time recently."
"I see."
What's with her? As I stared at her with a slightly dumbfounded expression, a fidgeting Linmel finally got to the point.
"Um, the maid asked me to tell you to stop by the mansion for a moment, so I came to deliver the message."
"A maid? Who?"
"She said you'd know if I called her Ciel."
Hmm.
Is this about Dersia? How did Linmel know? I put away the book I was using to draw the deep sea creatures and nodded.
"Alright. Thanks for letting me know. Should we go together?"
"... No, well."
Unexpectedly, Linmel shook her head slightly, then looked behind me.
"Would it be alright if I talked with Miss? Elysia?"
"What? Why?"
"Uh, it's nothing much. I just wanted to talk for a bit. There's something I'm curious about."
"Hmm."
I looked at the slightly anxious Linmel for a moment, then shrugged. They're the same age, it would be nice for them to play. Elysia must be bored with just me around.
"Alright. Don't be rude, okay? Though I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Y-Yeah."
I left Linmel and went outside, but just in case, I extended my Tide Sense back.
[Huh? Who are you?]
[I'm Jern's friend. We've known each other for five years and ate together every day. Jern asked me to come play.]
[... Is that so?]
Well, nothing to worry about. I relaxed and got on the carriage.
After driving the now-familiar carriage, I arrived at Dersia's mansion.
"Sir Jern..."
Ciel greeted me at the main gate. Her expression was quite ambiguous. If I had to classify it, it would be a mix of apology and anger, half and half.
"You didn't have to come all the way out. What did you call me for?"
"Well. Hmm."
Something happened.
As I prepared for the worst, Ciel brought up something else.
"The master has woken up."
"Pardon?"
That was a good thing. But what's the problem? As I tilted my head, Ciel let out a sigh and led the way.
"It's here."
Dersia's room.
The door was open. It seemed Ciel had cleaned diligently, so it was neat, but there were still many papers written in an unknown language. Dersia herself was not there.
"Where is my master?"
As I tilted my head, Ciel picked up a letter from the desk.
"She left this and departed."
"What? To where?"
"It's probably written there."
Wondering what this nonsense was, I narrowed my eyes. Ciel rubbed her temples and added an explanation.
"This has never happened before, but it seems she's run away twice now."
I opened the letter without hesitation.
[There is an easy way to survive the burden of the Deep Sea. That is to escape the species known as human. There was such a way, but I did not reach for it. I do not know why. It is a confusing matter. But now that I have found the result, I will go and step on my homeland's soil for a bit. Ignore everything Ciel says. It is nonsense.]
"... What in the world is this?"
Has she lost her mind? I couldn't understand what she was saying. It was so disjointed that it was hard to believe the always-intelligent Dersia had written it.
As I stood there bewildered, Ciel politely extended her hand.
"May I have a look?"
"Yes."
She took the letter and read it carefully before clicking her tongue.
"Her condition is serious. I must go find her."
"I'm not so sure about that. I doubt she needs us."
I had to agree that Dersia's condition didn't seem good. But chasing after her was a bit... Even if a hundred of us went, we couldn't compare to Dersia's power, so what could we do by finding her?
"She'll come back when she's ready, so let's just ask her about this sick-sounding letter then."
"Jern. Do you happen to believe the last line written in this letter?"
Ciel suddenly asked, her expression reluctant as she handed the letter back. I thought for a moment before shaking my head.
"A master's grace is as high as the heavens, but my master in her current state... it's hard to trust her completely. I'll have to listen and decide based on my own convictions."
In truth, it was difficult to even understand, let alone trust. At that, Ciel's expression became even more serious.
"I will be honest. I hope it's just my misunderstanding, but the master has been in a dangerous situation for some time. I believe we must go now and stop whatever she is trying to do."
"... What do you mean by that?"
It was difficult to accept that a 9‑Star mage was in peril. Who in the world could pose a real threat to her? Even an executive of the Red Lotus had only tucked his tail and run.
"She herself has done so."
"?"
I pondered the meaning of her words for a moment before frowning. Dersia was a threat to Dersia. It could only mean one thing.
"That's absurd."
"Why do you think so?"
"No, I'm sure those Red Lotus bastards said it was nearly impossible for anyone but children to fall. My master, a 9‑Star mage who has lived for hundreds of years, is going to fall? Is that even possible?"
"It's not impossible." ...
That's true.
As I was at a loss for words, Ciel added.
"I respect my master, but it is certain that she is not in her right mind. No other elf has chosen the same path as her."
"She insisted that all elves should become books, and she peeled off the bark of the World Tree to study it, claiming it was just a tree."
"The eccentric things she's done since coming to the human world are numerous enough to fill a book."
It was true that Dersia was not normal.
"But I have heard that conviction is a prerequisite for a mage. Isn't that rather proof that she is an outstanding mage?"
"That is also true. But Jern, the reason my master was exiled from the elven forest was more because she learned magic than because she insulted the World Tree."
It was the first time I'd heard this, and my eyes widened.
"What? Why? Is it a sin to learn magic?"
"Because the long‑lived races must stand for a very long time."
"...?"
A hint of sadness tinged Ciel's voice.
"There is no one who can walk the path of magic to its very end. It is similar even for elves."
"Eventually, they stand at the final point permitted to them, and they are forced to gaze at the path beyond, a path they can never walk. For the rest of their lives..."
"It might not be a problem for humans. Their lifespans will end before the heart-devil can accumulate."
"However, long‑lived races like the elves must gaze at what lies beyond from that final point for an eternity of countless years."
"This is the reason why long‑lived races never touch magic, and why they despise the kind known as mages, refusing even to marry them."
So there was that kind of backstory. As I remained silent, Ciel murmured in a low voice.
"Lady Dersia reached that final point a long time ago. Of course, it didn't mean much back then."
"Lady Dersia was able to control herself, finding sufficient satisfaction in simply reading books and recording them in her mind."
"Then isn't that fine?"
"However, it did not seem to be a very stable state. I thought it might be dangerous if she were to take her eyes off the path of magic and look at other things for a change."
"To fulfill my duty as head maid, I did my best to make sure my master would occasionally look away from magic and see other things."
"I hoped she would go out a little, talk to people, and find something to immerse herself in besides magic."
I tried hard to hide the thought that she sounded like a mother.
"When she took up a boy, and a young one at that, as a hobby, my first thought was honestly that it was shameless and unbecoming of her age, but I was still relieved."
"Though I had no idea she had chosen you because she saw the element of a fallen one in you."
I ignored that last part. It seemed Dersia's words hadn't been complete nonsense after all.
"Do you think her becoming strange this time is related to the Fall?"
"I think it's highly possible. It was common for my master to fight with herself whenever her heart-devil acted up like this, but she never lost."
"Yet this is her second time running away. Something is strange."
I imagined it for a moment. Dersia, a fallen 9‑Star mage. Honestly, nothing came to mind except the end of the world.
The physical‑realm would become more horrifying than the Deep Sea.
"Please don't worry too much. It's much more likely that this is just me making a fuss."
"However, for reasons like this, please understand that as the head maid, I cannot tolerate my master running away from home."
Indeed, the idea of Dersia falling—it was probably a misunderstanding born from Ciel's great anxiety. It was too absurd to think a 9‑Star mage would suddenly fall just because a heart-devil appeared while teaching me. But I did need Dersia.
To kill the mass, and to overcome the burden. And also to ask about the deep sea creatures. For that, at the very least, I absolutely had to consult with Dersia.
After one last moment of deliberation, I asked the important question.
"It seems you know where she is. It only says 'homeland' here."
"Yes. What Lady Dersia calls her homeland is not a country, but a region. It's probably in an uproar right about now. The World Tree will drink the blood of elves and sprout red leaves."
She said it with such a straight face that I couldn't tell if she was joking or serious. Could I trust this head maid who was as unhinged as her master? What would I even say to Dersia when I met her?
After long consideration, I made a decision.
"I have no choice. Honestly, I still don't know how I can be of any help, but I do have a reason to meet her."
"Jern, you can be helpful as a form of shock therapy."
"Why would you use shock therapy on someone on the verge of falling? No, more importantly, how can I be shock therapy?"
At my words, Ciel offered a gentle smile. No, a wicked one.
"I heard you recently found a new master."
"... Yes."
"You are pursuing the path of a knight, I hear?"
"Hmm, that's not exactly it... but I suppose it looks that way on the surface."
"And your master is a dwarf?"
"Yes."
Wondering what she was getting at, Ciel nodded with satisfaction.
"We will have him accompany us as well. When she sees her beloved, genius mage disciple has fallen to become the squire of a dwarf, she won't be able to resist coming back."
I looked at the sinisterly smiling Ciel and thought. ... Perhaps I should have adhered completely to the last line of that letter.