Dark Fantasy Normalized - Chapter 71



70 – The Dark Elf’s Gratitude

“You’re awake?”

“?”

I thought so too, but maybe I’m still dreaming?

That was the first thought that crossed Rishir’s mind after waking up.

And no wonder, an unreal scene was unfolding before her eyes.

*Whoosh.*

The curtains flew open with a flourish.

The morning sun streamed through the window, illuminating the maid who opened them.

The faint pink hue in her silver hair caught the sunlight, shining even more brilliantly.

And that smile.

“Good morning!”

A cheerful smile, as if trying to fill the surroundings with overflowing energy.

“Ah, good morning!”

Indeed, Rishir was infected by that energy and reflexively replied.

With great vigor!

“But who are you!?”

She spoke without even considering the first question that popped into her head.

A cheerful maid who opens the morning.

Even Rishir, who had delved into all sorts of fantastical elements after leaving her family, had yet to conquer such a thing.

“Hmm?”

The maid tilted her head, a smile playing in her eyes.

“What’s the joke? It must be a funny one, seeing as it’s a joke from my master- I’m sorry. I’m not smart enough to understand. If you don’t mind, could you please explain it to me?”

A friendly smile, overflowing with goodwill.

Eyes sparkling with curiosity, as if saying, ‘I’m absolutely dying to know!’

Lysir thought.

If every woman reacted like this to a failed joke, wouldn’t ‘wounded men’ soon be designated an endangered species?

Lysir, almost disarmed by the maid’s positive energy, barely managed to regain his senses and said,

“It was just a way of saying you look so different I didn’t recognize you for a moment, Tia.”

Even as he spoke, Lysir was unsure.

The dark elf slave, Tia.

The last time he saw her, just yesterday, she had seemed desolate and unstable, her personality worn down by a long life of slavery.

“Is it strange?”

If even the slightest artificiality had been apparent in her current demeanor, Lysir would have felt it too.

That it was strange.

That she was going overboard in trying to repay the favor she’d received from him (rescuing her sibling, the promise of escape from slavery).

But now, there was nothing artificial or unstable about her.

She was utterly natural and, because of it, looked healthy.

Was this her true self?

He didn’t know.

But it was certain that she was much improved from before.

It didn’t seem possible that any words or actions could ruin the cheerful smile she wore now.

“It seems like a very sudden change… but it’s certainly more pleasing to look at than before. From a health perspective, that is.”

“Really? That’s a relief… Actually, I was worried. What if you thought my change was strange, Lysir-nim? But you saying I look good makes me so happy!”

Tia giggled, taking Lysir’s hand in hers.

“Let’s go! I’ve prepared breakfast!”

“…By the way, Tia. Where did you get that maid outfit?”

“It suits me, right!? I was also shocked when I saw myself in the mirror!”

“That wasn’t really what I was asking…”

Oh well.

What’s good is good, he supposed.

Lysir concluded that about Tia’s transformation.

Afterward, she attended to Rishir with utmost care until the moment he stepped out of his dwelling.

“Safe travels, Master!”

To the very end, she never once lost her bright smile.

***

Kaehlin, the city of the dark elves.

The Sahila family, who governs it, holds two major armed groups under its command.

The Red Sand Guard, who operate in the light for the city.

The Moonshadow Knights, who move in the shadows, strictly for the family.

Kairyn, the leader of the Moonshadow Knights.

He never questions the ones he serves.

Sahila, who raised the dark elf empire from a remote corner of the continent, was a family deserving of reverence, and Katria, the young lady of such a family, was an individual who embodied Sahila’s pride and nobility.

However, he was worried.

What would Lady Katria look like at the end of this journey?

Drian, the third son of Sahila, who suddenly vanished from Kaehlin one day.

It was expected from the start that this journey to find him would not be smooth.

The world of humans that unfolds beyond the southern part of the continent.

A place filled with malice and hostility toward the dark elves.

But he did not expect the malice of humans that Katria would face to be this severe.

‘Young Master Drian…’

Despite repeatedly encountering the malice of humans, Katria, who had not lost herself, completely changed after learning that Drian had been sold into slavery.

Kairyn couldn’t forget the sight of Katria abusing Leisha, intent on returning what Drian had suffered.

Who in Kaehlin, seeing that, could recall the Katria of the past?

Even more horrifying was the fact that this was not the end, but merely the beginning.

Katria approached a human wizard, who harbored lust for her, in order to find her brother.

How much more malice would she be exposed to and stained by in that process?

If only he could, he wanted to move, putting his own power forward right away.

If only it were guaranteed that he could protect Drian and Katria that way.

Sadly, this city of humans was too vast.

If they rashly caused a disturbance, they might face the worst-case scenario of having to leave the city before even finding Drian.

This nightmarish situation, for them now, was the best possible outcome.

Ultimately, Kieren had to accept it all, with a devastated heart.

His own helplessness.

And, the young lady’s change.

The pure young lady Kieren remembered and loved, the one from the dark elf city, Kehlin, was no more.

Now she was a pathetic, yet hideous monster dominated by malice and the poison it created –

“Kieren! Look at this! It’s a dress that human maids wear, how is it? It fits me perfectly, doesn’t it?”

“?”

Who are you.

Kieren almost blurted it out without realizing.

Katria, who had returned from the magic tower, was completely different from what he had expected.

Clear eyes, without even a hint of malice or poison.

And a bright demeanor without a single stain.

Looking at her now, she didn’t seem dominated by malice at all.

Rather, the opposite.

“You remember, right? Lord Rishir?”

“Lord Rishir…?”

“Ah! Look at me! I don’t have to play the slave even here.”

Katria burst into laughter, as if something was so funny.

Kieren and Leisha, who was bowing nearby, stared blankly at her.

“Anyway! That’s not important! Do you know what happened to me after I followed him? Kieren, you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you, right?”

Surprisingly, Katria’s story that followed provided enough explanation for her change.

“You found the young master, already?”

“Yeah! Rishir, he prioritized that more than anything!”

He?

Kieren was a bit bothered by the occasional unfamiliar expression, but for now he focused on her story.

On the story of a human who had a dark elf as a mentor.

Katria’s cheerful mood gradually deepened as the story went on.

“I suddenly had this thought. I want to become an amazing person like them, someone who brightens the world for others…”

The girl who had been tainted by evildoers, met a good person and was finally inspired by him – a simple, yet amazing story.

“…So, Kieren. Will you support what I’m doing from now on?”

Katria spoke, her face both precarious and resolute.

“I need to fix my terrible mistake.”

Katria retrieved her belongings from Kieren’s safekeeping.

Soon, she was wearing the bracelet with the large topaz set into it.

It was the most precious treasure of the second daughter of the Sahila family, who founded the dark elf empire.

The Hand of Verdande.

That artifact, which sealed a mighty desert demon through a contract, fulfilled the user’s wishes in the form of ‘curses’.

“My lady, surely you aren’t going to use that…!”

The Hand of Verdande was a great treasure embodying the history and power of the Sahila family.

The power within it was enough to move an entire family and city.

Kieren, as a vassal of the Sahila family, had the responsibility to persuade her to reconsider using the Hand of Verdande.

“The Hand of Verdande is only to be used for the sake of Sahila!”

“That’s right. This is for Sahila’s sake.”

“What do you mean-“

“If I cannot save him, then Sahila’s Katria will no longer exist.”

“…!”

Kieren felt a chill run down his spine.

Whatever she’d imagined, her once cheerful eyes had momentarily lost all their light.

In the end, Kieren failed in his responsibility.

-SPEAK YOUR DESIRE!!!

A shriek echoed from the topaz set in the bracelet.

It was the voice of Verdande, the demon sealed by contract.

Katria held a strand of golden hair to the topaz and said,

“Can you detoxify the ‘poison’ that is consuming the owner of this hair?”

-SPEAK ANOTHER WISH!

From noble mtl dot com

“Why?”

-THAT ONE IS NOT POISONED WITH A TOXIN I CAN NEUTRALIZE!

“…”

Katria squeezed her eyes shut.

She’d had a bad feeling, but she hadn’t imagined that even the Hand of Verdande couldn’t detoxify it.

But it’s okay.

There was another way.

Something from the magic tower that had already purified a tainted truth.

If I could just find that something, purifying the tainted truth that was consuming Lishir would just be a matter of time.

Yeah.

A matter of time.

So, I had to somehow delay the time before Lishir became completely addicted to the tainted truth.

“Share your power with that man.”

This request would make it possible.

-How desperately you desire this! Such a foolish wish! I inform you according to our contract! If I share my power, he will be dominated by it! This is not the result you want, is it!?

Verdandes was a powerful demon.

To save a human dominated by his power would require immense risk and effort.

However, it wasn’t impossible.

Delay the manifestation of the tainted truth using Verdandes’ power, find an antidote, and then remove Verdandes’ power.

That was the plan Katria had devised.

“No. That is the result I want. How long will it take for him to be dominated by your power?”

-A week will be enough!

“Okay. That’s enough. Verdandes. I order you to fulfill your duty according to our contract.”

-Kuhahahahaha!!! Understood! Descendant of Sahila! The contract is fulfilled!

With that voice, the topaz light dimmed.

“…Alright. Kairen. Let’s go.”

There was no time to delay.

Verdandes’ power would be actively moving to dominate the powerless human mage at this very moment.

The remaining time had increased from two days to a week, but it was still tight.

I had to find something from the magic tower that could purify the poison as quickly as possible.

***

Every day, the time for Lord Meltas’s class arrived.

Today’s lesson was practical, a sparring session.

To be honest, I was quite looking forward to it.

Would I be able to hold my own against even a Master-level opponent now?

“hhhak!!! Huk!!! Huuk!!!”

Not a chance.

Even with Lord Meltas holding back considerably, I couldn’t even graze one of the braids of his beard.

“The barrier! Huk!! How, huk!! Tough can it, huk!! Be!? Huk!! In-between my teeth…Huk!!”

“Lichir. If you’re tired, catch your breath. Are you planning on dying from spouting nonsense?”

I couldn’t have imagined it.

That I wouldn’t be able to pierce even a single barrier, created with a casual gesture.

After my all-out, ass-busting effort, my magic power was completely depleted.

This happened less than five minutes into the sparring match.

It was a moment to re-affirm the authority of Lord Meltas, one of the most skilled even amongst the mages of the Magic Tower.

“You’ve done well, Lichir. Let’s call it a day.”

“Underst- Huk!!! ood- Huk!!! Lord Meltas- good… Huh?”

─────

[Resisted]

[Level Up!]

────

“…”

Sensing a sudden strange feeling, I stood up and spoke to Lord Meltas.

“Lord Meltas. My magic power has recovered.”

“?”

“I don’t know why, but it has, so shall we resume our sparring?”

“Are you playing games with me?”

***

That dark elf had a place to rest his body wherever he went.

Not some romantic tale about using the earth as a bed and the sky as a blanket.

This incredibly practical method began with finding the mansions of the power-holders who amassed wealth through corrupt means in the city.

This was an important process that both removed any pangs of conscience and preemptively eliminated the possibility of being nagged by some cute and precious someone.

Then, the next step involved thorough consultation (mental interference) with the mansion owner.

After all that work was done, lo and behold.

A dark elf, rejected at the city gates, is reborn as the prized guest of a corrupt official.

The temporary transfer of ownership of a mansion in the city’s bustling district, one might say, is a token of that friendship.

That was how Phamon, a dark elf, came to reside in an uninvited human city.

“Mmm~ a bed. So comfy. This is the life~”

＜Didn’t you say that you’d rather sleep in the forest than rest in a human space?＞

“Don’t be a grump~ you know how far the forest is from here, Duran~”

＜This is a problem. A book developing amnesia. I forgot, who was it who gritted their teeth and marched to the city, vowing to ‘arrive before sunset’ from that far away forest?＞

“Oh my, Duran! Look at the color of this wine~”

＜Indeed, look at this color.＞

Truth be told, Phamon hadn’t always enjoyed this method.

-Phamon, instead of this, why don’t you go into the city and find a room?

-I’d rather spend the night here listening to the sounds of bugs than rest in a human space~

Originally, Phamon had mirrored the contempt humans directed at her back at them, and at everything they touched.

Everything changed after she took on a disciple.

-But but~ I want to make lots of conversation starters so I can talk to Rishir a bunch when I see her again~

I want to share more worlds with my disciple.

With that thought, Phamon began to actively accept human civilization.

That’s right.

This is all for the sake of being a worthy teacher to my disciple!

“Oh my, how can wine be so deep? What did they do to the grapes? What did they do to the earth? They probably trimmed the branches like crazy and sucked all the nutrients out, right? How terrible. These terrible things must be destroyed.”

＜If you put it to your lips, it will ‘be joyfully consumed’, just saying.＞

“Wanna drink with me, Duran?”

＜I am a book.＞

And so, Phamon was perfectly fulfilling the image of the teacher her disciple expected (a terrible teacher), when…

“Huh?”

Phamon, who was sitting on the bed and savoring the wine, rummaged through her luggage.

Then she returned and spread a piece of parchment on the bed.

＜What’s going on, Phamon.＞

“Well, look at that? I got a message from the Sahila family? From the young lady herself.”

＜By young lady – do you mean Katria, the second daughter? Really? What an oddity. I recall you and that young lady had quite the terrible relationship.＞

“What the hell are you saying, Duran~ How much do you think I like Lady Katria~”

＜Pamon. Surprisingly, human relationships have a reciprocal nature. Even if you like someone, if they dislike you, it’s all for nothing.＞

“Oh no~ I just got lectured on relationships by a book~”

Pamon’s eyes followed the words updating in real time on the parchment.

“Aha~ I was wondering why our lady contacted me out of the blue.”

＜What happened?＞

“Out of nowhere she’s asking me to tell her the method to decipher a murky truth?”

＜Decipher a murky truth? Why is she asking *you* that?＞

“Isn’t it because it’s a potion our master made?”