Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Something from the Seafloor
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Perhaps it was because this otherworld was one where fists were quicker than the law, and all sorts of mysteries took on physical form. The illusion magic's effect was extraordinarily potent. The Dracains who witnessed the colossal entity lurking at the seafloor's bottom were too terrified to even meet my eyes.
I moved with them to a secluded spot devoid of people. The Dracains didn't dare defy my command.
"Wh-what do you want... No, please tell us... Mercy... just spare our lives."
"Don't... don't drag us away!"
"We don't want to become slaves down there...!"
'That's weird...?'
Their reactions were more intense than I'd expected. What I'd shown them was nothing more than a hyper-realistic illusion. Sure, I'd added realistic touches by vibrating the air to produce special sounds, but even so, their response felt a bit over the top to me.
For something that was just a vivid illusion, they acted as if that massive being truly existed. I'd guided the situation a little, but it was unfolding even better than anticipated, leaving me puzzled.
I called forward one of them who seemed relatively composed.
"Your reaction is quite intense."
"...Are you truly the emissary of Tyrgon...?"
'Tyrgon...?'
When I'd first decided to use this illusion magic, I'd sketched out a rough story in my head. The setup was that I'd received orders from a colossal being slumbering beneath the sea, come to the surface to expand its power, disguised as a dwarf, with plans to improvise and fill in the sparse details on the spot.
I hadn't uttered a single additional detail aloud after showing the illusion. That's why it was strange. Slave down there. That one. Dragged away. The sporadic voices carried an eerie resonance. And Tyrgon? When did this fictional entity even get a name?
'A bit of a misunderstanding...?'
Maybe these Dracains were under some delusion right now. Perhaps there was a real myth among sailors—a bizarre deity with a description strikingly similar to the illusion I'd conjured. Otherwise, their reaction made no sense.
'Not bad at all.'
In fact, it was perfect. I spread my arms wide and continued the act.
"On the surface, it goes by a different name. But no matter. The one of whom I speak—Tyrgon—permits you to call it by that name."
"J-just as we thought... You're here to drag us away...? We'll offer the rites again."
It was an answer laced with inevitable hesitation. I furrowed my brow for a moment before letting out a long sigh and speaking.
"'Drag away' isn't the right way to put it. Seems the tale of... Lord Tyrgon has been somewhat distorted. Tell me what you know of it."
The Dracain glanced around cautiously before slowly beginning to speak.
My hunch was spot on. Tyrgon was a kind of myth passed down among sailors—a colossal deity dwelling at the ocean floor. Ruler of the unfathomable abyss. Grave of the sea. Eye of the ocean.
Its body was like a vast mountain, impossible to take in at a glance, and it possessed countless arms. Whenever ships sank, it would arrive with a typhoon, dragging everything down to make slaves of it all. Those who became Tyrgon's slaves were said to spend their entire lives building shell palaces.
"Was there anything wrong with the tale...?"
I nodded as I listened to the Dracain's story. I'd mentioned distortions, so staying silent would look odd. Without much thought, I started spinning words freely.
'It's just a myth anyway.'
What if I added some new details?
"It's not dragging away. It's guiding to the proper path. Become slaves? That's not right. Those who are guided down become residents, not slaves. Bound in soul to... Lord Tyrgon, they live lives of eternal service. A perfect paradise without even death awaits there."
The Dracains were already pale-skinned. After hearing my explanation, the one's face turned corpse-like. His blue lips trembled as if imagining the horrific fate awaiting him. That should be enough to scare him plenty.
With that in mind, I continued.
"You're fortunate. To catch the eye of that one is truly a blessing. Yet it's most regrettable. For it has decreed: Your time has not yet come. Aid my emissary in guiding more souls, it commands."
"Wh-what can we do to help...?"
"That's..."
"M-Master?"
"Hold on. Need to check the list."
I ignored Shimo's call and began reviewing the books delivered to our inn room with Durel.
"The Truth Contained in the Blood?"
"Got it."
"Tales of Pure Blood?"
"Got it."
"Secrets of Lineage?"
"Got it."
The question-and-answer session continued like that. After a short while, we'd checked everything. I pocketed my notebook and turned to Shimo. Olbern was right beside him, wearing a similar expression.
"Alright. What'd you say?"
"What the hell is this...?"
"What? We borrowed books."
"No, not that. Those guys outside. Aren't they sailors...?"
I nodded readily. Shimo approached with an anxious look, lowering his voice.
"D-didn't I tell you? It's best not to get tangled up with seafolk."
"Tried not to. Didn't work out."
"Uh... y-yeah..."
"Anyway, no need to worry about what you're thinking."
I said that and glanced at the Dracains standing at attention in the hallway. As soon as my eyes met theirs, they flashed awkward grins. Their lips curled up to their ears in a chilling way.
Guys who believed a myth was real. I'd extracted a vow of secrecy using fear, so there shouldn't be any big fuss.
Probably.
"Good work, everyone. Go back to your livelihoods."
"Understood!"
No sooner had I spoken than the Dracain sailors scrambled out of the inn. From the crashing sounds, a few must have tumbled down the stairs.
Click.
Quick-witted Durel shut the wide-open door. He stared at the doorknob for a moment before speaking.
"I think... we need a detailed explanation."
"Me too! I wanna hear it too!"
I nodded and perched on the small bed. Truth be told, I'd planned to tell my disciples anyway. I gave a concise rundown of what had happened.
"That's how it went."
Even after I finished, my disciples showed no real reaction. They just sat there with mouths agape, at a loss for words. I pulled a fried fish from the paper bag on the side table and popped it in my mouth.
"Better than beating them up, right?"
"Well..."
Shimo opened his mouth as if to argue but closed it again. He'd realized it too. My choice was far better than thrashing the guys tied to the lord and leaving physical injuries.
"Tyrgon? Is that a real god?"
I shrugged at Olbern's question. From the stories alone, it sounded like just a myth. If enough people truly believed in such a deity, there'd be temples and followers, but I'd wandered the city briefly and seen no sign of any. Regular townsfolk didn't even seem to know the name properly.
"Just a superstition. Don't worry about it. Let's eat."
I offered fried fish to my disciples. Olbern was the first to dash over and snatch some.
Early dawn. I slipped out of the room alone. My disciples were still deep in sleep after working late on translations.
Don't worry, I'd told them.
Though I'd said that, I was concerned deep down. Leaving the inn, I pulled my cloak and hat low and headed to the fog-shrouded harbor. Even at this early hour, plenty of people bustled about in the hazy mist blanketing the port.
Perched high up, I expanded the domain of Gentle Wind to its maximum. The thick fog slowly swirled with the breeze, forming a vast circle.
-Just one more hour of sleep...
-Hey! Don't stop there!
-Hurry up and load it!
-Hahaha!
Sounds carried on the wind pierced my ears. An application of Gentle Wind magic. It detects vibrations in distant air—especially conversations—and recreates them near the caster. The downside was no filtering out useless info, but it was pretty handy.
-What's this? Who's offering rites these days?
-Haven't they stopped since our dads' generation?
-Hold tight! It's tipping!
-It's cracked here!
Amid the chatter, some intriguing voices mixed in. I'd pinpointed the direction, so no need for more. I focused the Gentle Wind domain there.
-What's with those guys all of a sudden?
-Captain...?
-Hey, you idiots. Suddenly doing stuff you never did before? And you're doing the rite wrong anyway. The candle's in the wrong spot.
-Th-thank you.
-Who told you to do this?
-Well... the brothers...
-What the... rites all of a sudden. Guys who never cared before. Did Tyrgon drop by or something?
-Captain...!
-Look at this punk glaring. Wanna die?
-No, sir...
-After the rite, just dump whatever's on the altar roughly on the beach. Hey, you load the new nets yet?
Fortunately, they were keeping the promise, more or less.
'Told them not to do the rites or anything...'
After watching for a bit, I turned back toward the inn.
Whoosh!
The faint winds scattered softly in all directions.