Dark Fantasy Normalized - Chapter 62



61 – The Talk of the Town (5) /// 1:09 AM Some additional content has been added to the end.

Is this a good thing?

Rishir, having unintentionally committed the taboo known as boasting, was considerably flustered.

‘Damn it, that wasn’t my intention.’

After all, the creator himself had repeatedly emphasized that it was a degraded version of the original.

So Rishir had vaguely thought, ‘It’ll be alright, it’s only going to be moderately good’, he never imagined it would be something that would make heavyweights like Masters and disciples go berserk.

But what could he do?

The deed was already done.

Now, all he could do was emphasize that he (really didn’t know) and plead for leniency.

While the beasts were distracted with each other, Rishir subtly pocketed the spirit core.

As he watched the chaos unfold before his eyes.

‘I wondered how far it would go, but it looks like it’s going all the way.’

The emotional squabble between priests and mages, which began with, “aaah! Get out of the way! That’s mine!” soon evolved into a more rational debate: “Move aside. That’s mine.”

Below, the reasons why our group should have the spirit core.

Oh ho. Well then, shall we hear our side’s opinion as well?

Go ahead and speak.

A dignified battle of claims.

Rishir, just in case, chimed in with one word.

“Excuse me, everyone. Perhaps I’m being impertinent, but this object… it still belongs to me, correct?”

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

The utterly obvious question, cutting to the core of the matter, struck everyone but the elf like a lightning bolt.

Oh, damn it!

I’d gone and joined in with the elves (those who, when it comes to anything spirit-related, just automatically claim they’re right)!

They had decided that the spirit core Rissir had shown was, at minimum, the core of a high-level spirit (a juvenile).

A treasure among treasures, one that you couldn’t get your hands on even if you were willing to pay a fortune, because no one would accept such a price!

Just being able to research that object would advance the magic tower’s knowledge by several levels!

It was understandable they’d lose their heads, seeing the elves try to ‘elf’ it.

But looking back, it was mortifying.

Everyone except the elf hung their heads in shame.

“I’m sorry, Rissir. We’ve shown a shameful side of ourselves.”

Led by Goje, a stream of apologies and acknowledgements of their unsightly behavior began.

“…I misspoke.”

And finally, Latsiel bowed her head toward Rissir in apology.

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

An elf, apologizing?!

And to a human of lower standing than herself?!

Some were so stunned they pinched their own thighs.

A few priests were on the verge of accusing her, “You must also be a follower of the parasitic demons!”

But thinking about it, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

The spirit core Rissir had shown.

If there was anyone here who understood the value contained within it, it would be the magicians of the Green Magic Tower, who lived so closely with spirits.

Even from the perspective of the elves, who had a near monopoly on spirit-related resources, a high-level spirit core was such a rare find that they couldn’t help but exclaim, “What is that? Where’d you get it?”

As a result…

Rissir’s small and precious hairball had brought about a miracle, inspiring respect for humans in the elves.

Everyone was looking at Lysir like a puppy begging for treats.

Lysir’s mouth itched to spill.

‘Lord Perrin’s core is a mass-produced core…!’

If he were to blurt it out.

1. He’d feel so refreshed.

2. He could brag that things like this were littered all over his house.

He could enjoy such benefits.

However, benefits always come with responsibilities.

If he revealed the existence of the golden goose in this official setting, it wouldn’t be long before those who looked at the little wolf cub with dangerous eyes would appear.

Hehehe.

Hey little wolf cub?

Wanna do something fun with uncle?(hairball puke)

‘They’d be some seriously dangerous b*stards.’

Therefore, Lysir felt the need for an appropriate shift in demeanor.

“Master Latziel, you truly are perceptive. That’s right. In fact, the friend who gifted this to me is not a spirit.”

Surprisingly, Lysir didn’t even need to tell a single lie to deceive them.

Perrin was a spirit, and at the same time, Perrin was not.

There couldn’t be a better medium for a lie than that.

Thanks to that, the lie flowed out like greased lightning.

“She said she had no interest in material possessions and just gave this to me before disappearing completely. I find myself missing her today.”

Lysir added a bittersweet smile that looked like it came straight out of a drama as the finishing touch.

“…!”

Suddenly becoming embroiled in a dispute over ownership of a seemingly sentimental object, they became subdued and lowered their heads.

No one was left who could look at Lysir with ‘That’s ours, isn’t it?’ eyes.

And so, the illegitimate child succeeded in seizing the lead in the conversation in a place attended by those representing the Order and the Magic Tower.

‘So, this is why Pien went around planting flags in this family and that family!’

He could potentially awaken a dangerous sense of things.

Lysir composed himself and continued speaking.

If Perrin was here, he would have said that.

‘Do whatever the fuck you want.’

Rishir interpreted the words as—

“If… If my friend were here, they would say this: now that it’s yours, you can do as you please. But I hope you don’t do anything you’d regret. Therefore, I hope this item will be used for something meaningful.”

For example, to raise the prestige of the group I belong to.

Rishir gave a knowing look to the Gray Masters.

*Look, I’ve laid the table, you just have to come and add the spoon.* Classic alpha b*stard move.

“…!”

The Gray Masters, deeply moved, immediately took action.

“Lord Barodros. You must have heard Rishir’s words.”

“…Yes, I heard them clearly.”

“?”

Why are they suddenly discussing it with the clergy?

“Rishir. Your intentions. We have received them clearly.”

You shouldn’t be receiving those intentions.

What did you even receive in the first place? Wrong delivery?

Rishir’s true feelings screamed.

“It certainly seems so.”

Rishir hid his true feelings and wore a meaningful smile.

All eyes on him.

The emotions contained within were extraordinary.

Shock. Emotion. Respect. Awe.

Bathing in those gazes, he lacked the courage to start with, ‘I think there’s some kind of misunderstanding.’

Meanwhile, the conversation continued.

“This Gray Tower. Regarding the development of the ‘Plague Cure,’ which is currently underway, we will positively consider full cooperation with the clergy.”

“Likewise, this clergy will positively consider full cooperation with the Gray Tower regarding the ongoing ‘Plague Relief’ project.”

Rishir remembered the subtle tension that had existed during their previous exchange of pleasantries, in regards to the development progress of the ‘Plague Cure.’

As a major issue that the world was watching closely, their group’s prestige hung in the balance, so the back and forth was intense.

And yet, suddenly, they were putting aside all political gains and focusing on solving the problem.

*’Suddenly?’*

Is it because of me?

The key to the plague cure?

“This spirit core’s worth… that’s it?”

Even amidst the bewilderment, Rishir couldn’t help but flash a satisfied smile.

The High Priests and Gray Masters were regarding him as if he were a ‘wise young man who had awakened their old and foolish selves.’

This is what you meant to say, right?

Ah. Yes, sir. Yes, indeed.

Good is good, isn’t it?

I was originally going to hand over the spirit core to score points with the Mage Tower, but I ended up scoring points with the Order too.

‘Wow, double the favorability!’

Rishir concluded the current situation like that, shifting into enjoyer mode.

And so.

As the Gray Mage Tower and the Order united with Rishir as their common denominator, Enna and Ratsiel suddenly felt a sense of unease.

The Gray Masters and the Order’s High Priests.

Their insight and standards shouldn’t be that different from their own.

And yet, even if he is the owner of a high-grade spirit core, still.

Even if he made remarkable achievements during the Black Mage identification process, still.

To show this much interest in a mere wandering mage.

Is there something more?

Enna and Ratsiel, who had learned of Rishir’s origins during the investigation and completely lost interest,

once again began to show interest in Rishir.

Then, things they hadn’t seen before started to become visible.

“…?”

They doubted their eyes.

The man they saw yesterday.

The man whose energy was completely depleted, not even worth trying to gauge his exact rank. Where had he gone?

A man in perfect condition, as if reborn, was standing there.

There—

“What is this?”

Enna, the Blue Mage Tower’s composed master, who had become cool-headed after assimilating with cold energy, involuntarily blurted out a dumbfounded question.

***

Even the Mage Tower’s acolytes had discernment.

They were excited, yes, to spread rumors, but they wouldn’t divulge internal tower stories to outsiders.

However, a limit exists when that outsider lives within the tower.

Enna, staying in the tower, overheard a great many of these circulating rumors, as if by chance.

Tales of a mage who commanded the power of Materialization in the Fourth Circle.

Stories of a mage who displayed mastery of a blue breath technique, in place.

Whispers of a genius mage, reaching the Fifth Circle before twenty, expressing interest in the Gray Tower.

And.

The most outlandish of them all, a mage who reached the Fifth Circle from the beginning of the Fourth in under a week.

The wise master of the Blue Tower didn’t place much weight on such gossip.

Students were busily spreading the rumors, as if they were trying to entice the investigation team.

Their intentions were so obvious, it was almost endearing.

Yes.

The mages of the Gray Tower were attempting a kind of psychological warfare.

We’ve got this kind of thing in our tower, you don’t have this in yours, right?

Of course not.

The imaginary beings created by the students were beyond amazing, they were absurd.

‘Reaching Fifth Circle in under a week from the start of Fourth Circle? Not like they’re bamboo.’

Any fool who’d hear that nonsense and go, “Wow, really?” could never become a tower master.

Even so, why did she persistently request a meeting with this rumored being of legend to Meltas?

‘You can’t show them, anyway, can you? Right?’

It was a kind of response to their attempt at asserting dominance.

That was Enna’s attitude towards these rumored beings.

…However, now.

Enna had no choice but to correct that attitude.

“What is this?”

He was a mage, and simultaneously, a warrior.

How could the remnants of two beings who walked different paths appear in a single person?

Thanks to that, she couldn’t even accurately gauge Leshir’s Circle.

‘Wait a second.’

A mage with the qualities of a warrior?

“Wait, a mage who mastered the blue breath-“

Enna’s sudden question.

The answer came not from Rishir, but from the grey masters beside him.

*You don’t have anything like this at your tower, do you?*

The masters were puffing out their chests with that kind of look.

“…”

Good heavens.

Enna forgot even being annoyed at the masters’ antics, genuinely stunned instead.

The story of suddenly mastering the blue breath where he stood was surely exaggerated, but even without that, it was a remarkable tale.

A mage mastering the blue breath.

If it were an ordinary person, they’d experience mana reflux from the clash between their body and spirit every time they tried to manipulate mana.

Just what level of mana sensitivity did one have to possess to control those two without a clash?

Enna’s gaze towards Rishir shifted.

She could understand why the grey tower was taking such a keen interest in him, a mere wandering mage.

*’So the rumor was true… Then could it be that…?’*

Enna’s eyes gleamed.

Now that one part of the rumor had been confirmed, it raised the possibility of the others being true as well.

A genius mage who reached the 5th circle before the age of twenty resides in the grey tower.

That was the rumor Enna had been most interested in.

Enna’s attention had already moved past the unusual mage before her, focusing on something else entirely.

She was even willing to forsake her pride as a blue tower master to ask about the truth of the rumors swirling around the grey tower.

“Was that rumor true?”

“What’s the point of hiding it now. Yes, the rumor is about Rishir.”

The grey masters answered readily as if they had been waiting for just that question.

Even though they hadn’t been told which rumor she was talking about.

It was as if whatever rumor was asked about, the answer was predetermined to be Rishir.

“…”

By the time the thought reached that point.

Enna’s and Rassiehl’s expressions were colored with shock.

*’He’s also him, and he’s…’*

The countless rumors swirling around the gray magic tower.

They were all about one person.

The two watched Rishir with bewildered expressions.

Beside them, the gray masters wore the same, inevitable faces.

You don’t have anything like this at your tower, right?

…You think we would?

The two masters were speechless.

A moment later.

The gray tower went into emergency lockdown.

The green tower, the blue tower, and the Order.

All three groups had declared their intention to attend Rishir’s honorary mage appointment ceremony.

***

──────────

[Title: Saintess Destiny Quest, When the Hell Does it Trigger?]

Content: I wanna do holy things with the Saintess too

– : This “Saintess” talk is getting so confusing these days…

– : Holy Knight: I buy holy knights

– : ???: I sell holy knights

– : There’s no such job as a “Holy Knight Seller,” what is this…

– : Did you do your Order rep grind?

-[OP]: Why does this game make you grind everything? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Can’t they just make it so it unlocks naturally while you play? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– : If you’re pissed, just do the head-sewing grind

-[OP]: What’s that

From noble mtl dot com

– : Sewing your head back together so you can quit the game, duh

– : That grind hits different, trust me

-[OP]: Ugh, fuck, how do you even do this Order rep grind?

– : Get the low-rank priest’s affinity to Very Friendly, then you’ll unlock the formal priest’s affinity. Get that to Very Friendly too.

Then get the Holy Knight’s affinity to Very Friendly, unlocking the high-rank Holy Knight’s affinity. Get that to Very Friendly.

Then you’ll unlock the High Priest’s affinity. Get that to Very Friendly and pass the Body Hair Cut, then you’re done.

Okay, here’s the translation, aiming to keep that raw, immersive feel:

Then, you get ‘Friendly’ rep with the Church, unlocking a Fate Quest

-[OP] : Why are you stitching up a mess no one asked you to?

──────────

──────────

[Title: Ah, this rep grind is a fucking nightmare]

Content: Every time I finish a world event quest, I get like, a goddamn *sliver* of rep

When am I ever going to finish this shit?

– : Where you grindin’?

-[OP] : Green Mage Tower

– : lol, good luck

-[OP] : Where the fuck am I goin’, you piece of shit?

– : The Green Mage Tower rep grind is straight up *rough*

Even after doin’ all the event quests, the rep gain is a damn joke

– : You gotta get to ‘Interested’ to do the Fate quest there, and that shit’s a dead end

– : You gotta scour the whole damn continent, findin’ every single one of those elf-b*stard event quests, and clear ’em all just to barely hit ‘Interested’ lol

──────────

──────────

[Your reputation with a specific region has increased]

▶Region: Blue Mage Tower: Slightly Hostile ▷ Interested

▶Region: Green Mage Tower: Slightly Hostile ▷ Interested

▶Region: Holy Flame Church: Neutral ▷ Friendly

──────────

──────────

[Your reputation with a specific faction has increased]

▶Faction: The Carriers of Deceit: Hostile ▷ Interested

▶Faction: The Dawn Knights: Neutral ▷ Interested

──────────

***

“Huh…?”

Late night.

Rishir woke with a strange unease.

He opened his eyes and checked his body.

Something other than the blanket was covering him.

A pure white woman, curled into a small ball, was panting.

“Pien…?”

A flinch.

The small figure trembled at Rishir’s voice.

She raised her head and looked at Rishir.

“Rishir…”

Tear-soaked silver eyes glittered, catching the moonlight streaming through the window.

And, a handkerchief in her hand.

The handkerchief Pien had buried her face in just before was stained with blood.

It was the handkerchief Pien had used to wipe Rishir’s blood earlier.