The Priestess of the Sea
That crazy bastard. What the hell did that merchant do? Did he actually kidnap a royal?
Splash! The sound of waves echoed through the air. Like the push and pull of the tide, magic power surged forward and then washed away. There was no real water present. This was reality itself, warped by magic. It could be called neither illusion nor solid truth—an innate power tied exclusively to bloodline.
Bloodlines mixing and deepening inevitably give rise to groups. A leader with overwhelming strength becomes the symbol of that collective, and their lineage begins to carry something beyond simple magic: awe, faith, an indescribable reverence for the progenitor. It was no accident that nobles of the past ruled as living gods.
When magic transcends its limits and grows so potent it can no longer be dismissed as mere “magic,” it begins to erode and dominate reality itself.
Splash! The air grew thick with the scent of salt. The atmosphere became noticeably damp, as if I had been transported to the ocean. But the illusion refused to remain an illusion. From inside the box, she slowly rose into the empty air.
A girl wearing pure white garments adorned with blue jewels. Her hollow black eyes turned toward me.
This was royalty.
* * *
Long ago, in the north lay a vast mountain range where monsters dwelled and devoured men. To the west and south stretched the sea, while a mighty river flowed along the eastern border. The people who lived on this land found little ground suitable for farming and scant game for hunting. Yet live there they did.
Unfortunately, a stronger people dwelled across the river. The locals barely held them off using the waterway as a natural barrier, until at last they turned their gaze to the sea. But the sea of that era was far crueler than the one we know today. Shipbuilding techniques were primitive, so every voyage was a gamble with death. They survived by sacrificing lives again and again.
Just as hard-won experience and knowledge began to accumulate, a colossal monster rose from the depths. When the beast threatened to annihilate an entire city, one man appeared.
He was the god of the sea.
With brown skin and black eyes, his mere gesture made the ocean churn. Storms answered his will. The monster screamed as it was dragged onto land and slain by his hand. The survivors worshipped him as the sea god, and in time he became both ruler and deity of the realm.
That was the founding myth of the Bachn Kingdom.
Even now, in an age that had moved from the era of gods to the era of nobles and savagery, certain beings were still revered as both kings and gods. The Bachnia clan—the royal family of Bachn—possessed the power of the sea.
* * *
“Have you… come to your senses?”
Our eyes met. Her hollow black gaze held no discernible will. This was my first time facing Bachn royalty, so I had no way of knowing whether this emptiness was normal. Every magic user I’d met was strange in their own way.
Present company excluded, of course.
Splash!
If she asked whether I could fight her, the answer was yes. I even had decent odds of winning. Royal blood and superior magic rank didn’t make her invincible. The phenomenon around her didn’t grant any special boost in raw power. There were clear advantages and disadvantages to influencing—or being influenced by—the surrounding environment.
If we had met near the sea or a river, my chances would have dropped slightly, but it still wouldn’t have been impossible. In the heart of Bachn territory it would have been much harder. But this was Brahms Kingdom soil, specifically the Franz County seat. This land answered to the Franz family.
Splash!
If we fought here, the city would be reduced to rubble. Sea magic. Just looking at it, the style clearly specialized in wide-area effects. I could already picture the devastated streets.
Honestly, if this could be settled with words, that would be ideal. And of course it had to happen while my father and older brother were away. Goddamn it.
“……”
The girl who was Bachn royalty stared blankly in my direction. Waves of magic power continued to crash and surge around her like the tide.
No helping it. I would have to speak first.
“My name is Leoric Franz. You stand on Franz land. Are you in your right mind?”
“……”
Her eyebrows twitched. At least that was a reaction. I had studied the neighboring kingdom’s royalty to a reasonable degree, but bloodline management was classified at the highest level, so I lacked deeper details. As far as I knew, the current Bachn royal family consisted of the king, one prince who was the heir, and two princesses. One princess had already married. The youngest one’s name was…
“Would your name happen to be Amelia? Amelia Bachnia, Your Highness?”
“……”
There it was. The moment I spoke the name, her eyebrows stirred again. She was conscious, right? Or was this just how royals behaved? She kept ignoring me. Well, she was pretty, so I’d let it slide.
“Answers. Correct.”
A clear voice rang out inside the inn. The girl had finally spoken. Her black eyes fixed on me. If we could communicate, I could explain the situation right away and—
“Introduces. My name is Amelia. Amelia Bachnia. Second Princess of the Bachn Kingdom and Priestess of the Sea.”
“…Huh?”
Priestess? Since when was there a title like that? I had no record of it. Maybe it was an internal royal designation? Actually, I’d rather not know.
“Interrogates. Are you the one who kidnapped a member of the sea’s bloodline?”
“…What?”
What the hell was this girl saying?
The golden sun behind me began to flicker and swell, feeding on my irritation and magic power.
“Immediately.”
“……”
“Apologize at once, royalty of Bachn.”
The golden sun drank my magic and expanded. Magic was the power of mind, emotion, and soul. Bloodline magic reacted violently to any insult against that lineage. In simpler terms, it was responding to my growing anger at this girl and growing larger in kind.
The enlarged golden sun flickered behind me.
“This is the legitimate territory of Franz, and I belong to the bloodline that rules it. Before I interpret your words as an insult to the Franz name, apologize immediately, royalty of Bachn.”
This bitch had no manners at all.
When I stared at her with golden light burning in my eyes, the illusory sea churned. She remained silent for a moment, then spoke.
“……Understood. I see. I apologize for the insult, Franz.”
Scared after all? She was still speaking down to me, though. Damn princess.
“Senses it. Overwhelming golden magic. Condensed power of the soul. Count-level… no, Marquis-level?”
Her black eyes shifted from the sun behind me to my face. Since she had apologized, I supposed I should accept it. She had only just woken up after being kidnapped; she must have been disoriented. Fine. I would be the mature one and let it go.
“I am Leoric Franz, second son of Count Franz.”
She was royalty, so courtesy was required. Her eyes still looked dazed, but she seemed to have regained her sanity. The sea magic that had filled the room was gradually fading.
Even so, I could still feel it radiating from her center. She had not lowered her guard completely.
“Have heard the name. Count… Franz. The Brahms Kingdom beyond the Rainia River. The golden lion that rules its southern lands. The one who brings victory, success, and prosperity.”
“You honor me.”
I answered with proper etiquette. Her manner of speech was strangely stiff. Foreigner… wait, wasn’t the language the same? Whatever. I could understand her well enough.
“……”
“……”
We stared at each other in silence for a moment. The full situation was still unclear, but I could at least piece together that the bald merchant had apparently kidnapped a member of Bachn royalty. The real question was how.
“Ahem. Then, Princess of Bachn—”
“Prefers to be addressed by name. I am Amelia. Amelia Bachnia.”
“…Very well. Princess Amelia, how much do you understand about the current situation?”
“……I do not know the details. I request. Will you share the information you possess first?”
“Of course.”
There wasn’t much to tell anyway. Refusing would bring no benefit, and preventing further incidents took priority. I gave her a concise explanation of what had happened with the slave traders and the bald merchant.
As I spoke, Princess Amelia’s black eyes drifted vacantly into space.
“Consciousness was present.”
“Consciousness?”
The scent of the sea grew stronger. Simply by floating, her power influenced and eroded the surrounding magic. I suppressed a sigh. This was exactly why I disliked dealing with royalty. Still, criticizing a kidnapped girl’s self-defense measures might provoke an even worse reaction, so I held my tongue. I would, however, keep the golden sun active as a minimum deterrent.
“The consciousness of the sea. A Bachnia ritual meant to restrain the sea monsters. At minimum, it prevents them from approaching the coastal waters.”
“I see… So something like that exists.”
I hadn’t known. Was this common knowledge if one looked into it, or a secret of the Bachnia clan? The way she spoke so casually suggested it might simply be information I had never encountered.
“I lost consciousness while preparing that ritual. When I opened my eyes, I was already in this land.”
“I understand. By the way, do you know who orchestrated this?”
“I do not. However, the suspects can be narrowed. The ritual itself is well-known, but its preparation is conducted in secrecy. Every step is controlled by the palace.”
…Wait. That would mean—
“There is a traitor within the palace. Son of Franz, Leoric. Can I entrust you with a message?”
“…Ha.”
A long, weary sigh escaped me. The unmistakable feeling of being dragged into something troublesome washed over me. Still, as the second son of a noble house, my duty was clear.
“Understood. However, I must also explain the situation to the true master of this land—my father, Count Franz—who is currently absent. Until then, I ask that you remain in Franz as an honored guest.”
“……Understood. Son of Franz. I apologize for the sudden intrusion.”
“Not at all. Welcome to the city of Franz, Your Highness Princess Amelia.”
The girl with brown skin and black eyes slowly descended from the air and landed lightly on the ground. I felt the sea’s presence withdrawing.