After my conversation with the princess, I returned to Dersia’s home and shared the detailed information. I had expected a scolding. Especially for the part where I said I had sold Dersia out.
"Hmm..."
But she just nodded her head and accepted it without much comment.
"It seems it couldn't be helped. I understand."
"... You're not angry?"
"What reason would I have to be angry? In my opinion, it does not seem to be a bad deal."
Not a bad deal, she says. As I pondered the meaning of her words, I suddenly felt a sense of wonder. But before I could ask, Dersia’s slender fingers reached out into the empty air.
"This is it, you say."
"... Yes."
Inside this home, I had manifested my heart-realm. All the while, Dersia had twice tried to touch the yellow jellyfish that saved me—or more accurately, the space where it was. I stopped her in alarm.
"It's fine for me, but it might be dangerous for you, Master. I would prefer if you did not touch it carelessly."
"Even if I wanted to say it's fine... I can't even feel it in the first place. Although I can see a hazy form."
[?]
Dersia touched the jellyfish’s tentacle, but her finger passed right through the empty air. The jellyfish seemed to feel something and squirmed, but that was all before it resumed swimming. The contact between the two produced no result.
As I stared blankly, the world began to waver. The time limit.
"Master, it is almost time."
"Yes. Withdraw it."
The superimposition of worlds, its balance, collapsed. The deep sea creatures became faint again, and the seawater vanished as if it had never been there. If this balance were to collapse in the opposite direction, that would be my end.
As I was thinking this, Dersia stroked her chin.
"Hmm, so... this is peculiar."
"Peculiar?"
"Most of what I researched while I was briefly asleep was related to the heart-realm."
Dersia looked at me as if she found it fascinating.
"Jern, if you are not lying, does this mean that living creatures with a sort of food chain are breathing within your world?"
"That... is correct, I suppose?"
"Since when have they existed?"
"Wouldn't it be from a year ago, when I awakened my heart-realm?"
"That cannot be."
Dersia shook her head.
"For life to grow in a world is not something that happens in just one year."
"Of course, it is not impossible, but you said you saw these deep sea creatures the day after you suffered from the divine fever."
"Yes."
"In that case, this is not a burden. It is certainly dangerous to you, but if it were the burden of the Deep Sea, it couldn't possibly have such detailed shapes, forms, and a food chain."
Dersia unfolded the illustrations of the deep sea creatures I had drawn and narrowed her brow as she read them.
"The fact that some are even helpful is what makes it definitively different. A burden is the world’s hatred; it cannot be of help to a mage. That, at least, is the one law all worlds share."
"Could it be a problem if they're actually helpful? It's been manageable so far."
"... Jern. You must take this fact more seriously."
Her expression turned grave as she asked.
"What do you think would happen if an ordinary person were subjected to your water pressure?"
"Well, they'd be crushed to death, wouldn't they?"
"Yes. And if their lungs filled with water?"
"They'd suffocate and die."
"Correct. It is intuitive. But what kind of outcome will this cohabitation with the deep sea creatures lead to?"
"Wouldn't I be eaten and die?"
"At what point?"
"Ah..."
Only then did I realize what Dersia was getting at.
"At some point, suddenly."
"Correct. The moment you are detected by them. And we do not know how to prevent that moment of detection."
"Do you think reducing your scent and erasing your presence would work on creatures that live in the Deep Sea?"
They use Tide Sense. And since I also use Tide Sense, I know. There is no way to hide here.
Not unless I become a knight on Brimdal’s level, which is to say, it's impossible. I had thought about countermeasures for the deep sea creatures before, but I could never come up with a suitable one.
"No matter how you manage to endure the burden of the Deep Sea, you could still die suddenly."
"Yes. That's true."
"The fortunate thing is that this is not a normal situation. It is a terribly twisted situation. Originally, the Great System—no, any world does not harbor life. It cannot."
I thought I must have misheard her. But Dersia sighed as if she were genuinely relieved.
"If it is broken, it can be corrected. Or it can be twisted again."
"If it were a normal state, that would be impossible. Just as you cannot escape the water pressure no matter how much you struggle."
"A burden is literally just a burden... is that right?"
"That is correct. Even if you were to wear a diving suit, the water pressure would still crush your body."
"Similarly, since the deep sea creatures are outside of that, it means a shortcut might work."
"What kind of shortcut are you referring to?"
Dersia opened her mouth.
"There are many, but first, we must understand how that world is composed. We cannot devise a method without knowing how those creatures live in your world."
"Ah."
Only then was I able to find the answer to the question I had just felt.
"So that was the precise reason you wanted to look into my past."
"Correct. Red Lotus must have twisted your world during some experimental process. We need to know about that to devise a countermeasure."
I could see why Dersia had judged it not to be a bad deal. Unlike other burdens, knowing the past was essential to devise a way to deal with these deep sea creatures, which could end me suddenly at any moment.
"For that, Jern."
Dersia looked down at me quietly and said.
"This time, you must not find your birth father."
Even after arriving in the kingdom, Karos continued to try and dig up information about me.
"You do not seem to be in a good mood."
Though she wore a mask, it seemed she could clearly read my disposition, as she sidled up to me even during the banquet. Naturally, we were the main characters, but no one approached us to talk. It was clear they feared us, even without me having to scan them with Tide Sense.
They were trying their best to hide it, but they were anxious. A sudden visit from the Empire. An imperial envoy from the princess.
For them, living their lives peacefully, it must have felt like a lightning bolt from a clear sky. Karos tossed a coconut into her helmet and asked.
"If you met your birth father, shouldn't you be a bit more... well, happy? Or do you have memories of being abused as a child?"
"Sir Karos, if you want to dig up information, you should start with another topic and slowly circle around to it. Who would answer if you just jump straight to the point?"
I replied, feeling a pang of sympathy for the princess who had such a hopeless informant.
"The best thing for me would have been if my birth father was already dead."
"... Isn't that the worst-case scenario? Sir?"
"Because the case records would remain. Based on that, I could immediately dig up information related to my past."
"You assume such a terrible situation."
"The second-best case is if he was just an ordinary noble. I could pressure this king here to make him dig up information about a hidden child. There would be conflict, but even this would be for the best."
"Hmm, and the worst?"
"Now. The case where that king is my birth father."
From the terrace, I scanned the king, who was arguing with his ministers about something, with Tide Sense.
"Why is that? Doesn't that mean you're the lost prince? Can't you just reveal the truth and ask for advice?"
"A king losing a prince... it's possible. Red Lotus might have kidnapped me after seeing my talent. But is it possible for him not to know that fact? And to not announce it, nor ask for help?"
"Ah..."
"He can lose me, but he cannot be unaware of it. Whether that king abandoned me, offered me up, or used me, he turned a blind eye to my being handed over to Red Lotus."
"Even worse would be if he's in league with Red Lotus."
Only then did Karos seem to grasp the current situation.
"For me to find out information, I have no means other than to say, 'Tell me why the son you abandoned is one of the fallen.' What kind of reaction do you think he would show?"
"If he were a noble, it could be passed off as a personal deviancy, but if he's a king, it would at least... in appearance, become a war between nations."
"Hmm, I hope something like that doesn't happen."
"It won't. It's not like I have the authority to change the fate of every single person in this kingdom. It just means things have become very complicated."
"It certainly is complicated."
Karos said so and shrugged.
"I'm glad it's not my problem."
"..."
Is there really no way to beat her up? As I clenched my fists, a waiter, trembling even more than my fists, approached and bowed his head low.
"S-sir, im-imperial envoy. The sovereign has summoned you."
"..."
"..."
We exchanged glances and put down the glasses we were holding.
"Should I follow?"
"It'll just become more troublesome. Just stay here and eat that coconut."
"Yes. I will."
Karos casually tossed the fruit into her helmet. Does she ever take that thing off? The place the waiter led me to was the terrace from before.
The place where the king had been talking with his ministers. Though, scanning with Tide Sense, it seemed there were no more ministers around.
"Ah, welcome."
The second meeting. The king extended his hand and replied with a warm smile.
"Jahiyan Lyatria. It is more than I deserve, but I rule this small country."
The second handshake. Feeling the unsettlingly familiar texture of his hand, I let out a deep sigh inwardly and took my seat.
Birth father.
This means I'm a real prince, but I really didn't want this at all, and I'm not happy. In the first place, I'm not a prince. The owner of this poor body that fell into the Deep Sea is the prince.
That prince and I are separate beings. I had to make that clear before moving forward. As befitting the ruler of a nation, Jahiyan's presence itself was firm.
Seated at the head of the table, he did not delay.
"I am not sure if our hospitality has been satisfactory. This is the first time we have dealt with an imperial envoy from the Empire, so we have tried our best to do what we can."
"The first time, you say?"
"Yes. It is an event unprecedented in our history."
Though it's called a kingdom, it's not much different from a small city. It's much better than the elves, but still, they are beings who live under the Empire's permission. Naturally, though he is called a king, if he were to truly defy the princess, not even a single stone would be left.
That he came out to greet a mere envoy like me and uses honorifics is in the same vein. Jahiyan seemed to be well aware of the fate of nations that had asserted their pride against the Empire. If so, we might be able to communicate.
I traced my finger on the desk and quietly apologized.
"First, I must offer my apologies. It seems we came too suddenly."
"Haha..."
Jahiyan laughed awkwardly but did not deny it. In fact, we had arrived without any notice. Normally, such a visit would have to be discussed for months before it could happen.
"It could not be helped due to an urgent matter."
"What matter could there be in this remote region...?"
"Have you heard of Red Lotus?"
It was a decisive blow, thrown casually in the middle of conversation. Simultaneously, I immediately scanned Jahiyan's body with Tide Sense. But he just tilted his head with a bewildered expression.
"Yes. I have never seen them myself, but from what I have heard of their deeds, they sound like quite fearsome people. Are you saying such fiends have been spotted around here?"
Heartbeat normal.
He didn't seem to be lying. Of course, I didn't stop there and continued the story as if I knew nothing.
"It is not certain, but there were signs. By any chance, have you had any strange occurrences recently?"
"Hmm, as for strange occurrences..."
Jahiyan tilted his head and let out a thoughtful hum.
"Ah, recently a maid took her own life, but no matter how much we investigated, we couldn't find any reason for it."
"Then have there been no cases of missing children?"
"Children... you say?"
"Yes."
I was certain this would get a reaction. But Jahiyan's reaction was exactly that of a truly innocent person.
"I have no memory of even minor incidents being reported. Since it is such a small country, even trivial matters are all reported..."
"..."
This can't be right. No matter how much one can deceive oneself, it's impossible to fool Tide Sense to this extent, especially concerning Red Lotus and his own son. He truly knows nothing about Red Lotus, or the child.
"I see."
This time, I tried a stronger approach.
"If they are here, there is a high probability they are being protected by those closer than you think. By any chance, is there anything unusual among your family members?"
"Hmm, my wife left a long time ago, so the only family I have left is one son."
"Pardon my rudeness, but how old is your son?"
"He turns eleven this year. He has such a tender heart, it causes me much worry."
The face that said so was that of a father, full of concern for his son. It was probably the frail child I had seen in the painting. Then the conclusion is clear.
"... Please do not worry too much."
I replied, trying to suppress my dizzying feelings.
"Our first objective is to gather information about them. Once we achieve our objective, we will leave immediately. We did not come with any other intentions."
When I gave him the answer Jahiyan probably wanted most, his face lit up with joy.
"Is that so? Haha, receiving your confirmation feels like a weight has been lifted from my anxious heart."
Finding a strange sense of familiarity even in that laughter, I sighed, exchanged a few pleasantries, and left the room.
"Ah, I shall guide you..."
"That's not necessary."
I dismissed the waiter and walked down the corridor. As long as I maintained my position as the princess's envoy, it was safe to say there was no place I couldn't go in this kingdom. If even the king couldn't stop me, who could?
But my sense of emptiness was so great that the freedom granted by such a false identity mattered little.
"What is this...?"
So, to summarize the situation. He is my birth father. But he has never abandoned me, nor given birth to me, and is not even aware of my existence.
Perhaps the prince is someone else who was swapped with me. But that's not important. Dersia and I were wrong.
No one knows me. This is the worst. If this is the case, I can't find any connection to Red Lotus.
It means the last clue connecting my past to Red Lotus has vanished.
"Hoo..."
I ran my hand through my hair in frustration and decided to return. It would be better to pretend to do something for about three days and check on the deep sea creatures next time.
Step, step.
As I walked in a daze, trying to shake off my disappointment and reach a conclusion, I found myself in the depths of the royal palace. I have no particular curiosity about this place. But since I was lost, I spread my Tide Sense wide.
Just as I found the way back and was about to start walking.
"?"
Something strange was caught. To be precise, something impossible was caught.
"..."
There's something in the basement. I immediately turned and headed down. Even if it was blocked by all sorts of fake doors, as long as it was within the range of Tide Sense, they were no obstacle.
The closer I got, the more accurately Tide Sense identified it. I opened a door that had clearly not been used for years and went down to the basement. I walked down a path thick with dust.
At the end, I reached a massive stone door where not even a torch was lit. It had taken 30 minutes to get here; despite taking the shortest route with Tide Sense, it was an incredibly long and complex secret passage. I hesitated for a moment, looking at the stone door, then charged wind in my hand.
The condensed wind became lightning. -Crash! I sent a ball of light I created through the instantly shattered door, and saw coffins lined up inside. It looked like a place for interring corpses.
This time, I entered immediately. Without hesitation, I opened one— A corpse was visible. It wasn't a skeleton, nor was it decaying.
It was a corpse that looked as if it had just died. No, it looked more like it was sleeping.
"... Ha."
I looked at the sight and let out a sigh of disbelief. It was the corpse of a face I knew, though not one I was familiar with. Because I had just seen it. -A man who looked exactly like the king, Jahiyan, was lying there.
I opened the other coffins without delay. Corpses with identical faces were lying inside. I closed my eyes for a moment to process the situation, then clenched my fists tightly.
I only know of one person who could do something like this.
"-Found you. You slime-like bastard..."
It seemed the time to keep my promise had come much sooner than I expected.