Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 100 "M-Move aside!" Gadum, who had triumphantly stormed into the annex building leading the Guard Corps, now performed a reverse charge, breaking through the very guards who blocked his path. "..." Dogal and the other guards were stunned by their leader's valor in not distinguishing between friend and foe. Their gazes followed the retreating corpulent figure with desperate longing. "...What should we do, Captain?" After a moment, one of the guards asked Dogal, the captain, with a face that showed utter confusion. "Damn it, how the hell would I know..." Dogal, who had cultivated refined speech and behavior while serving as Guard Captain, spoke with crude frankness. Originally a wandering mercenary, he sensed that today marked the end of his stint as Guard Captain. He looked at the young punk—no, the mysterious young mage—standing before him. In his anger, such thoughts crossed his mind. 'If I capture this punk and offer him to Gadum...' Gadum's Guard Captain position was far too sweet to abandon like this. Above all, he believed it was entirely possible. Wasn't the bastard just standing there defenseless and alone? Dogal didn't think that young Honorary Mage had the power to face all these troops. Nor did he think the forces behind him were large enough to overturn the entire situation. It was when Dogal moved his hand to the sword at his waist with a strange expression. "...!" Dogal gasped in shock and instinctively stepped backward. "Huh...!" "What, what is it!" The other guards were the same. Risir—every opening on his face had suddenly begun pouring blood. If Risir had cried out in pain while bleeding, they wouldn't have been so flustered. But Risir was simply composed. "Ha." No, was he merely composed? The sight of him chuckling softly while blood poured from every opening on his face, combined with Gadum's earlier panicked flight, created an ominous atmosphere. 'Sh-shit, he's not a Dark Mage, is he?' Dogal still had his hand on the sword at his waist, but the atmosphere his posture created was strangely different from before. If before it was 'Should I strike?', now it was more like 'Shit, what is this, what the hell is happening?' "Wait, excuse me." Then Risir asked for understanding while pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping the blood. He then closed his eyes and concentrated. As will was added to his breathing, a subtle energy began to ripple through his body. "What the fuck. A mage—" One guard's muttering represented Dogal's feelings. If Risir had known that Dogal was harboring impure thoughts about him, he wouldn't have defensively deployed Blue Breath. In Dogal's eyes, Risir's current appearance was full of openings, defenseless itself. However, Dogal didn't dare to rush at him. A mage who suddenly pours blood from every opening and then begins deploying Blue Breath? Dogal wasn't brave(?) enough to rush at such a being recklessly. Moreover, the mysterious phenomenon currently unfolding was completely capturing Dogal's attention. *** ────────── [You have reached a specific level] [Corresponding perks will be granted] ... ... ... [A top-tier specialized trait of the relevant category already exists] [A specialized auxiliary trait will be granted accordingly] ... ... ... [Trait has been enhanced] ────────── [Trait: Breathing Iron (S-)] > [Trait: Dancing Iron (S)] ────────── *** Risir thought. 'Oh, what's this? My breathing is flowing better than usual. This feeling... if I do well, I might be able to advance to the next stage of Clana Style?' Dogal thought. 'What the hell is this, damn it.' Dogal stepped back another pace. Because Risir's appearance, bleeding while suddenly smiling with satisfaction, was chilling? Yes, that was the first reason. And the second reason was- 'Why is that changing—' To Dogal's eyes, having reached a certain level as a swordsman, it was clearly visible. Risir—his aura and physique were subtly changing. To put that change simply, it was transformation. Or evolution. Risir, who had been a mage just moments ago, had instantly transformed into a swordsman. Not only that, he had been reborn as a being with an even higher caliber as a swordsman. The increase in magical power he felt from him was just a bonus. "..." Dogal calmly tried to organize the situation. 1. A mage suddenly began pouring blood from every opening on his face. 2. He suddenly started chuckling. 3. Then he became a swordsman. 4. As if that wasn't enough, he became an even superior swordsman. "Ah, that's done." "Uhheok!" What brought Dogal out of his reverie was Risir's composed voice. The first words he spoke after completing that absurd series of changes were 'Ah, that's done.' 'What, what's done!? Are you telling me to come at you!?' Dogal desperately tried to fathom the intention behind those words. 'Could it be a warning...? That the likes of you can be dealt with sufficiently by sword—' Even as he thought this, Dogal couldn't shake the feeling that he was being foolish. What kind of 'being' would give a warning in such a manner? But there was no other way to explain his actions. And while his actions could at least be explained, that 'real-time transformation' couldn't be explained by any means. Finally, Guard Captain Dogal steeled his resolve as a swordsman and spoke with determination. "I've only been doing what Gadum ordered me to do until now!" "?" Dogal, who had been looking at Gadum like a madman just moments before, now had a similar expression to Gadum's. Unlike Gadum, Dogal didn't run away outright. Because he didn't think he could escape by running from that 'incomprehensible being.' "Will you permit us to withdraw!?" Risir didn't know why Gadum had come with the Guard Corps. Since he didn't know why they came, he also didn't know why they were leaving. 'Is this something that requires my permission? What is this whole situation about anyway?' Risir showed his confusion through his expression. 'Damn it...' At Risir's reaction, Dogal felt inner despair. -Do you think I'd be satisfied with just that? Because to Dogal now, the incomprehensible being's displayed confusion felt like that. "I will absolutely, absolutely not disappoint you!" Risir shrugged his shoulders appropriately and played along. Then Dogal left the place with his subordinates, his face brightening with joy. Left alone, Risir fell into thought to understand the situation. "Could it be that Verdandes did something...?" And the following thought. "...Could it be that I did something?" It was the moment when the incomprehensible being became aware of his own influence. *** The city nobles were gathered closely together in front of the hall's windows. From there, they watched the series of events unfolding in the garden in front of the annex building. Risir—how he alone faced Gadum and the Guard Corps and made them retreat. Shortly after, Risir returned to the hall where they had gathered. "You've returned." Risir felt something strange about Ran welcoming him and the other city nobles' appearances. 'Something... feels like the distance has gotten closer?' The distance he had felt between Ran and the other city nobles just before leaving the hall had vanished without a trace. Not only that, he could feel a strong sense of unity that could be called camaraderie from them. "Risir, how did the talk with Gadum go?" "He issued an eviction order. He says we should leave the mansion immediately." The city nobles cheered as they looked at each other. Ran looked at Risir with shining eyes. "As expected, you've done it. I believed in you." "No..." What did he accomplish, and what did she believe in? Risir suddenly felt alienated. It was like people had thrown his birthday party without him. Clearly, something was happening centered around him- Yet he, the person involved, was the only one who didn't know what that something was. "Risir, you've fulfilled your duty. You've done so much that saying you've fulfilled it isn't enough. So please, leave the remaining work to us." Ran's two hands strongly grasped Risir's hands. "Risir, my name is Moren. Please remember it." "I am called Belas." "I am—" The series only ended after all the nobles had introduced themselves to Risir with bows. "Risir, when everything is finished, we'll contact you then." After that, they all headed together to Ran's mansion. "..." My luggage is there too. Risir, feeling inexplicably awkward, returned to Ran's mansion by a hair's breadth. *** [Fate has been activated] (E/N: Wait! Activated?) [Event has been activated] [Event has been activated] [Event has been activated] [Event has been activated] ... ... ... *** ────────── [Title: Guys, this text is weird ㅠㅠ] Content: I cleared Gadum's fate quest but fate quests and event quests are getting massively activated ㅠㅠ The 'rain' is missing ㅠㅠㅠ Must be a translation error ㅠㅠㅠ (E/N: Fck that was my thought too when translating the above text!) -: What to do ㅠㅠ They say it's not a translation error ㅠㅠ -[Author]: Damn it ㅠㅠ -: Why are you cursing ㅠㅠ -[Author]: Then what is this ㅠㅠ -: They say with Gadum as the central figure gone, back alley criminals will fight each other and Bondaless citizens will be screwed ㅠㅠㅠ (E/N: What a shitty game) -[Author]: No way, is this a 'turns out he was a good guy all along' development? ㅠㅠ -: Gadum was still a bastard even when you knew him The developers just did it to piss us off ㅠㅠ -: Good intentions don't always lead to good results... blah blah... whatever... ㅠㅠ... -: But why are you all crying? ㅠㅠ -: If you don't know just feel it ㅠㅠ -[Author]: Ah shit lol so this is it Right now it's showing the back alley big shots having a meeting and they immediately start playing politics because Gadum disappeared, it's fucking disgusting to watch, can't I just go there and sweep them all away? -: Do it if you can ㅇㅇ ㅠㅠ -: Back alley big shots meeting place requirement = only back alley big shots can know -[Author]: Since I caught Gadum Am I not a back alley big shot now? ㅠㅠ -: Gadum died by your hand before he could hand things over ㅠㅠ ────────── *** 'They said they'd contact me when everything is finished, so I should just wait at the Magic Tower.' Returning to Ran's mansion, Risir immediately began preparing to return to the Magic Tower. There wasn't much to prepare. Just pack up the luggage left in his room and say goodbye to people. "Got everything?" He had packed everything. Now all that remained were farewells. Having gathered and arranged his luggage on the bed, Risir left his room and headed to Valrod's room. "He's not in?" "Yes. He's currently attending a meeting in progress in Lady Ran's office." "Ah..." "And Lord Valrod left a message in case Lord Risir visited while he was absent." "What did he say?" "I'll relay it exactly: 'I express respect for your hard work. We'll handle the remaining matters ourselves, so you should rest comfortably and just wait for the results.'" "..." What was this exclusion filled with kindness and respect? Not knowing what decisive action of his had earned their kindness and respect only added to Risir's confusion. Eventually, after experiencing the same thing at Shakan and Maldad's rooms, Risir returned to his room. 'The timing would be awkward, and finding a place to sleep tonight would be awkward too. I'll stay here for today, then make time tomorrow to say proper farewells before leaving. They won't complain about staying one more day.' In the end, Risir picked up Blue Lotus that he had packed on the bed and went out to the garden outside his room. 'This worked out well. I was trying to find an opportunity to organize that sensation from back then anyway.' Risir steadied his breathing. Just as he finished the stance transition that had driven a certain Guard Captain to terror and was about to begin serious swordsmanship training— "Hm?" His gaze turned to the garden wall. A white dove was sitting there, watching him. Risir felt an indescribable familiarity from that dove. "Coo, coo-roo coo-ook...?" Risir attempted to converse with the dove! -What are you doing? Then a familiar voice flowed from the dove's mouth. "Coo, coo-roo-roo-rook... coo-ook!? -Please, could you speak in human language? "Fienne...! How did you become a dove!" -Ah... The dove opened its beak and sighed. The headache the voice's owner must be feeling was fully conveyed. -Never mind that, come back to the Magic Tower right now. We have things to discuss. "Being able to sit down with Fienne right now and have intimate time together, that's certainly welcome news... Sorry, but I don't think I can right now. Things aren't finished yet." -What business? Swinging a sword around alone in the garden? In the first place, what are you doing with a sword? "Ah, I'm learning swordsmanship." -? "?" -What did you do again while I wasn't watching... Huh? What's this. "Fienne?" No answer came back. -Coo-ook? The dove looked around once, then spread its wings and flew off somewhere. "...?" Because the magic was interfered with, the dove's pronunciation(?) got garbled midway. Thanks to this, Risir, who couldn't properly hear the rest of 'Can't you see I'm in the middle of a conversation— What? Gadum...', could only tilt his head in confusion. 'I should go find Fienne first thing when this is over. By the way, what has Fienne been up to lately? And Rona too.' Risir's swordsmanship training resumed quite some time after that. *** "Hm?" Knock knock knock! The urgent knocking sound in the deep of night. Risir, who had been lying on his bed resting after finishing his training, got up and headed to the door. A maid was waiting for him in front. Not the maid in charge of his care, but another maid. "I'm sorry for the late night, Lord Risir. That person requests a meeting." "That person?" "Lord Dogal." "..." Dogal? Guard Captain Dogal? Why would he want me? 'Well, it should be fine, right? If he was going to pull something, he would have done it at Gadum's mansion.' Though bewildered, Risir followed behind the maid. They took a carriage and arrived at some building. "Mmph, mmph!!!" An obese man was bound with a hood over his head. '...That silhouette looks familiar somehow?' Then Dogal approached Risir and spoke. "Acting City Councilor Risir! We've captured the 'bastard' who was preparing to secretly escape the city!" "..." Risir doubted his own ears. 'Which Risir is he talking about?' *** [Target has been appointed as party leader] [Target: Risir] ***