The Developer Reborn As Archmage

They were far from Galtea by the time Darya woke up again. She found herself on a bed in a creaky wooden room. She was still wearing her tattered outfit. She was mostly dry.

“Oh, you’re up!” Seris’s cheerful voice came from her right as she slid up, leaning against the pillow.

“Where are we?” Darya asked groggily. She didn’t feel good enough to sleep, but she didn’t like being awake in this state either.

Seris leaned over, checking Darya’s temperature. “Still on the pirate ship. We’re heading back to the colony island. We should be there in half an hour.”

“Colony?” Darya muttered, grabbing Seris like a pillow. She just realized how feverish she felt only after the pretty elf checked her temperature. Seris felt warm, soft, and dry even though her dress was even more tattered.

“You’ll feel better soon,” Seris whispered, wrapping her arms around Darya.

“Why colony?” Darya asked again, burying her face in Seris’s chest.

“Fom decided it was for the best after talking with the seer.”

“Oh, he woke up?”

“He’s been up for a while now. Nerima’s in a better mood.”

“Good,” Darya mumbled, relaxing on Seris as she ran her fingers through her hair. About halfway to sleep, a voice jolted both of them back to reality.

“Princess!” Sarka’s voice filled the room. “Before you fell asleep, you told me my body had died. Was that true?”

What’s he doing back on my finger?

She hadn’t even noticed the ring until he spoke. Darya yawned loudly. “Yes. It’s true. I don’t know how, but you died. Considering you were already near death when you used the traversal spell, whoever or whatever finished you off didn’t have to do a lot.”

“Indeed. What a relief. Finally, my name can be cleared!” Sarka said excitedly.

“I wonder if anyone found your Manacer…” Seris said, resting her head against Darya’s.

Just remembering the Warblade soured her mood. She didn’t feel comfortable with anything else. The dagger she found was too different. There was something about the staff weapon that fit her like a jigsaw piece.

Maybe I trained a lot with similar weapons.

She hoped to find it again, wherever it was.

Letting go of Seris now that the hug was getting hotter, Darya sat upright, stretching all four limbs. Her leg still hurt.

“What made Fom head back to the colony, though?” She asked after her mind cleared a bit more. “Shouldn’t we go back to the Desert Rose? I could use a bath.”

Seris stood with a sigh. “You should talk with the seer, Princess. He and Nerima wanted to see you, but I told them you needed rest.”

“Well, then,” Darya got off the bed with another yawn. She had been sleeping in the captain’s room. It looked more like a bear's den.

The Seer was on the other bed nearest to the captain’s quarters in a room with two rows of them. Nerima’s fish tail was visible from the corridor.

The old man lying on his back looked a lot different without the bloodstains. He looked about twenty years older than Darya thought. He was less scaly than Nerima or Lurim, but he had the unmistakable pale skin and iridescent sheen.

He was talking softly with Nerima as Darya and Seris turned the corner.

“Princess!” Nerima said in a cheerful voice, clinging to her at once.

“P-princess of Karossa,” the man said, doing his best to get off the bed.

“Uh uh! Stay where you are, master Lam!” Seris said, rushing to push him back to the bed.

“Forgive me, I can’t honor you properly,” the old man said guiltily.

“No need for bows, old master,” Darya said, patting Nerima’s head as she relaxed against her forearm. “How are you feeling?”

“I-I feel quite well thanks to Lady Seris here; I’m beyond grateful, Princess!” he tried bowing again as if on instinct. Seris pushed him back.

What’s with him trying to bow at the end of every sentence?. Was he a royal servant or something?

“To be honest, I thought you died,” Darya said, smiling at the man. “On top of everything else that happened, you fell off the horse as well.”

Master Lam laughed. “My apologies for making everyone worry. Magus Sarka already told me everything that happened.”

“Well, then you’re all caught up,” Darya said, hoisting Nerima into her arms. “How are you feeling, water horse?”

Nerima’s face was sticky with tears. She looked terrible, but relieved at the same time. Just asking the question made her eyes wet again. Draya put her back down after lovingly rubbing her cheeks with her thumbs.

“You talked with Fomie, old master? Why are we heading back to the colony in a hurry?”

Master Lam straightened his back. “Princess, I hate to impose upon you—”

“No need for that, just tell me the problem,” she interrupted him. The old man was too set in his respectful ways. Seris had a better chance of getting proper information out of him than Darya did.

“Nerima told me you’re already aware of their lineage.” Master Lam cleared his throat. “Lurim is a viable crown heir to the Greybone throne, even if it doesn’t exist anymore. The Enarem, our tribe, sees these children as a threat to their…autonomy. Lurim was specially targeted; this is why I escaped with them when Queen Cresia, their mother, gave us the opportunity.”

“I see. So, Lurim is not safe by himself?” Darya asked.

“Y-yes. He can’t hide as well as we do.” Master Lam gestured at Nerima.

“The village leader- he is not Enarem, is he? We were told he was a relative?”

“That is true; he is the only other person Lurim can be entrusted to. I’m just not sure about the other villagers.”

Considering the boy went missing in the coastal waters for a week, maybe they don’t care enough to catch him either.

It was the better choice to reunite the siblings anyway. With only half an hour of sailing left to do, the choice had already been made.

“We can’t go back to the village looking like this, though,” Darya said, tugging at her rags. “They know us as Dovarist priestesses. You still have to live there, don’t you?”

“We can’t. Not anymore.” Master Lam said. “The pirates already know about Nerima. Word will spread. You saw the prices they are willing to pay for mermaids. These waters aren’t safe for us anymore.”

“I was wondering about that.” Darya sat at the edge of the bed. “Do they pay that much for any mermaid?”

Master Lam eyed Nerima and closed his eyes. “Just the virgins.”

“Oh, of course. What do they need that for, besides the obvious?” Darya asked awkwardly. This wasn’t something she should’ve pried while the girl was in the room.

It was Sarka who answered. “They need blood. It takes two gallons to create the elixir of youth, said to add years to one’s natural lifespan. Mermaid blood has always been in high demand. Tribes like Enarem protect their females diligently. You never see a young female outside.”

“…and they take their own share of blood to prolong the lives of the Elders.” Master Lam gestured at Nerima. “From five years old.”

Oh, shit. What do I say?

Darya stared at everyone, dumbfounded. Just one question had surfaced, a topic she wasn’t even remotely ready to deal with. She cleared his throat, touching Nerima as if to support her.

“Well, I can promise no one on my ship is going to get squeezed like a lemon if that’s anything.”

Seris, Sarka, and master Lam laughed. Nerima seemed to appreciate the words a bit more, crawling onto Darya’s lap with a smile on her face. She rested her head on Darya’s arm, rubbing her cheek affectionately.

“Master Fominel and Lady Seris here have already stated your intentions with us, Princess. Of course we weren’t worried,” Master Lam said politely.

“Yes, we only need your Seer talents. I should say, I saved Nerima because I wanted to. It was for her brother. This is not a transaction. I can pay fairly for your services.”

“Payment!” Master Lam exploded.

“…You might actually need it to get out of your situation. Perhaps more than payment, but some money is better than no money.”

“We can’t take money from you, princess,” Nerima said in a creaky voice. “We’ll help find your missing members. Master Lam and I will come with you wherever you want to go.”

Darya didn’t necessarily consider the center of the crescent safe for a young mermaid.

She can’t be allowed to swim anywhere in sea monster waters!

Darya looked at master Lam, raising an eyebrow. Taking Nerima with them was dangerous. She didn’t think the old man responsible for her safety would allow such a thing.

He sighed, reading her expression right away. “I would’ve protested, but I can already tell Nerima is hell-bent on this. I’d much rather have her with me.”

Their recent debacle had likely changed the old man’s opinion on what counted as her safety. It was probably a good thing, even if he wasn’t powerful enough to protect her on his own. This man had infiltrated Drakva’s dungeon just to save her.

A few more pleasant words later, Darya let Nerima cuddle up to her and discussed the full plan from here. Sarka made sure to point out the topics that needed her attention and the problems that they could face in the center of the crescent. Both he and master Lam agreed that the Desert Rose wasn’t equipped for it.

“This is fine,” Darya said with a confident smile. “That’s why I wanted money. The ship will be ready.”

Seris snapped her fingers. “Don’t talk about spending money on the ships when Fominel’s around!”

“Why not?”

“He’ll just lose his mind obsessing too much over everything. He’s crazy about that ship; I already told you.”

Ah yes. I remember. Maybe it’s best to keep the money under the rug.

Seconds later, Fominel came through the door as if summoned by the mere mention of the upcoming project involving the Desert Rose.

Darya almost thought he could smell the topic in the air. As it turned out, he had rushed to inform everyone that they were in the vicinity of the Colony 981.

“Oh. Right!. So, who goes to get Lurim?” Darya asked, standing up.

“I will do that, Princess.” Master Lam raised himself with a grunt. “I can talk with the village leaders and bring them with me.”

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